Final Fantasy VIII

Level-Up Strategy

This page is where I’m moving the more system-heavy notes that can otherwise slow down the route instructions. FF8 has a very unusual relationship with leveling, cards, and stat growth, and this is the sort of thing that deserves its own corner to be weird in.

Leveling Early Makes Things Harder

The level of an enemy is based on your character’s levels. To maximize your advantage, you want to get your bonuses high while keeping your levels low. This means you want to prevent characters from leveling up early on and junction magic to raise your characters’ stats.

But how?

• Use the Card abilityCommand AbilityQuezacotl ability that can turn weakened enemies into cards, granting AP without character EXP. on enemies that can be turned into cards. Quez can learn this. Demi does fractions of damage, so it makes enemies more cardable.
• Use Petrify (Break) on enemies. DiablosGuardian ForceGravity-themed Guardian Force from the Magical Lamp. Diablos brings Enc-Half, Enc-None, Mug, and key time/status magic refinement abilities. can learn ST Mag-RFRefine AbilityRefines status magic from items. Learned by Diablos. and can refine either a SoftItemCures Petrify or a Cockatrice PinionItemFeather with petrifying power into Break. Just card modGF AbilityRefines Triple Triad cards into items, which can often be refined again into strong magic. Learned by Quezacotl. either Cockatrice or Iguion cards to get a Cockatrice PinionItemFeather with petrifying power. Note that using Break won’t give you AP, so if you need that, get it from cards instead.
• RUN AWAAAAAY! Just make like a tree and get out of there.
• Don’t sweat Boss Fights. They don’t give XP - just AP.

But What About My Salary?

This is a fair criticism of this strategy. If you’re always running from battles, your SeeD rankSystemBalamb Garden's mercenary rank system. Higher SeeD levels mean higher salary payments. will go down. The solution to this is to score as high as possible on the SeeDSystemBalamb Garden's mercenary rank system. Higher SeeD levels mean higher salary payments. exam, and then use the SeeD tests via the menu to raise your rank when it goes down. See the “Achieving High-Level Seeds” section on the Welcome to Balam page for the full list of what affects your exam score.

If you use Quetzecotl’s Card AbilityCommand AbilityQuezacotl ability that can turn weakened enemies into cards, granting AP without character EXP., you can defeat an enemy without your characters gaining XP, and thus not leveling up. Cards created in this way can then be converted to items using Quetz’ Card Mod AbilityGF AbilityRefines Triple Triad cards into items, which can often be refined again into strong magic. Learned by Quezacotl., and you can then use abilities such as Shiva’sGuardian ForceIce-element Guardian Force available from Squall's classroom terminal at the start. Her I Mag-RF ability turns items into ice and water magic for early junction boosts. I Mag-RFRefine AbilityRefines ice/water magic from items. Learned by Shiva. to convert those items into magic, which your character can Junction to raise their stats. Follow this pattern early in the game.

As certain GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. learn abilities, they can unlock stat bonuses:

• Vit BonusStat Bonus AbilityPermanently adds +1 Vit when the junctioned character levels up. Learned by Carbuncle and Cactuar. can be learned by CarbuncleGuardian ForceGuardian Force drawn from the Iguion fight in Deling City. Carbuncle focuses on reflection, status junctioning, and Vit Bonus., CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.
• Str BonusStat Bonus AbilityPermanently adds +1 Str when the junctioned character levels up. Learned by Cactuar. can be learned by IfritGuardian ForceFire-element Guardian Force earned in the Fire Cave. His F Mag-RF and Ammo-RF abilities open up fire magic and ammunition refinement., CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.
• Mag BonusStat Bonus AbilityPermanently adds +1 Mag when the junctioned character levels up. Learned by Cactuar. can be learned by SirenGuardian ForceGuardian Force drawn from Elvoret during the Dollet mission. Her L Mag-RF and Tool-RF abilities are extremely useful for refining life magic and useful items., CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.
• HP BonusStat Bonus AbilityPermanently adds extra HP when the junctioned character levels up. Learned by Brothers and Cactuar. can be learned by BrothersGuardian ForceEarth-element Guardian Force earned in the Tomb of the Unknown King. Brothers brings HP-J, HP Bonus, and sturdy physical support., CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.
• Spr BonusStat Bonus AbilityPermanently adds +1 Spr when the junctioned character levels up. Learned by Leviathan and Cactuar. can be learned by LeviathanGuardian ForceWater-element Guardian Force drawn from NORG. Leviathan brings Recover, Spr Bonus, and support magic refinement., CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.

As you can see, CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities. is your BFF when it comes to stat bonuses.

See the Guardian Force section to learn how to unlock the bonuses for each GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities..

Junctioning a stat bonus will permanently increased that stat by +1 every time that character gains a level. Once you acquire a Rosetta StoneItemGF learns abilityx4 ability, you can teach a GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. Abilityx4Junction AbilityAllows a character to equip four character abilities at once. Learned by Bahamut., which allows them to junction up to four stat bonuses. Since you can easily junction to raise HP, I recommend junctioning the other four magic abilities. You will also eventually be able to learn a skill that allows you to turn items you can buy into stat increases.

Acquiring Rosetta Stones

• You can farm Rosetta StonesItemGF learns abilityx4 ability in Galbadia Prison. See the note on that section of the walkthrough.
• Acquire 100 Tri-Face cards, Card ModGF AbilityRefines Triple Triad cards into items, which can often be refined again into strong magic. Learned by Quezacotl. each into a Curese Spike, then have SirenGuardian ForceGuardian Force drawn from Elvoret during the Dollet mission. Her L Mag-RF and Tool-RF abilities are extremely useful for refining life magic and useful items. convert those into a Dark MatterItemQuistis can learn Blue Magic, Shockwave Pulsar.
• Try to enter Cheryl’s shop in Esthar several times. See the note on that section of the walkthrough.

Alternatively, when you get the GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. BahamutGuardian ForcePowerful Guardian Force earned at the Deep Sea Research Center. Bahamut comes with Abilityx4 and high-end offensive support., he can learn Abilityx4Junction AbilityAllows a character to equip four character abilities at once. Learned by Bahamut. as a regular skill.

Learning GF Abilities through Cactuars

If you haven’t already got all the optional GF, you might go through that first. Specifically, check out the Optional GF section for how to obtain CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities.. Head there and run around in the desert.

You know how it’s helpful to level up your GF Abilities without leveling up your characters? That’s what this place is for. Each CactuarGuardian ForceGuardian Force from Cactuar Island. Cactuar is the prize for stat-bonus leveling because it knows HP, Str, Vit, Mag, and Spr Bonus abilities. you defeat nets you 20 AP and negligible XP. If your characters are fast enough, you can earn your GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. their abilities REALLY fast.

Strategy

I usually disable RibbonItemGF learns Ribbon ability on my guys and enable InitiativeGF AbilityLets the character act immediately at the start of battle. Learned by Pandemona, Cactuar, and Tonberry. instead. That lets my guys strike first, which gives them an ever so SLIGHT chance at hitting something. Seriously, these dudes are quick, so if you aren’t, this area can be kind of frustrating. If you can hit them though, you can get your GF Abilities in no time.

Side Bonus

During the course of killing off Cactuars, you may end up with a large quantity of Cactus ThornsItemCactuar's Thorn (Compat Cactuar +3). Use Eden’sGuardian ForceUltimate Guardian Force drawn from Ultima Weapon. Eden can break the normal damage limit and brings late-game ability refinement. GFAbl Med-RFRefine AbilityRefines GF ability medicine from items. Learned by Eden. to turn 100 of these into a Hundred NeedlesItemGF learns Return Damage ability.

Islands Closest to Heaven and Hell

OK, strictly speaking, this is not (in my opinion) a side quest. All this entails is going to the farthest west and east islands and drawing some cool spells. Oh yeah, the toughest monsters exist here too so be careful. It’s a good place to level up, I suppose, but I don’t really see any other reason to go here, though. I get the spells/stuff I need through enemy drawing and Card ModGF AbilityRefines Triple Triad cards into items, which can often be refined again into strong magic. Learned by Quezacotl..