Final Fantasy XII Minigames

Fishing

Fishing becomes available after Draklor Laboratory, but it begins with one earlier conversation and one extremely unattended fishing rod.

Before You Start

You can open the first three fishing stages once RukselCharacterThe South Bank Village fisherman who operates the minigame. Give him Muramata to begin, then Matamune to open the final two fishing stages. has the MuramataKey ItemThe first fishing rod. Take it from Chivany Breakwater after speaking to the Fishing Enthusiast, then deliver it to Ruksel in South Bank Village.. Completing the minigame also requires the Barheim KeyKey ItemAllows the party to re-enter Barheim Passage from the Dalmasca Estersand. from Desert Patient and Barheim Key and both battles in the Gilgamesh hunt.

You do not need to finish Gilgamesh before you begin fishing. His hunt only blocks the MatamuneKey ItemThe second fishing rod. Recover it from the isolated Zeviah Span after solving all five bottle clues and defeating Gilgamesh twice, then give it to Ruksel so Cactoid Compact can appear. and the final two stages.

Getting the Muramata

1. After completing Barheim Passage, talk to RukselCharacterThe South Bank Village fisherman who operates the minigame. Give him Muramata to begin, then Matamune to open the final two fishing stages. in South Bank Village. He’ll tell you he wants to begin fishing.
2. After reaching Balfonheim Port, go to Chivany Breakwater near the Aerodrome and talk to the Fishing Enthusiast twice.
3. Ask about his fishing rod, then walk toward the Aerodrome entrance and talk to another person. Do not leave the area.
4. Return to the enthusiast’s spot and examine the rod leaning there to obtain the MuramataKey ItemThe first fishing rod. Take it from Chivany Breakwater after speaking to the Fishing Enthusiast, then deliver it to Ruksel in South Bank Village..
5. Take the MuramataKey ItemThe first fishing rod. Take it from Chivany Breakwater after speaking to the Fishing Enthusiast, then deliver it to Ruksel in South Bank Village. to RukselCharacterThe South Bank Village fisherman who operates the minigame. Give him Muramata to begin, then Matamune to open the final two fishing stages. in South Bank Village. Talk to him again for the controls, then save before going out on the water.

Fishing Stages

Stage	How to Unlock	What Changes	Perfect-Outing Rewards
Downstream	Available after giving MuramataKey ItemThe first fishing rod. Take it from Chivany Breakwater after speaking to the Fishing Enthusiast, then deliver it to Ruksel in South Bank Village. to RukselCharacterThe South Bank Village fisherman who operates the minigame. Give him Muramata to begin, then Matamune to open the final two fishing stages.	Four-button sequences moving horizontally	100 gil, Hi-PotionItemRestores 400 HP before Potion Lore and item-effect bonuses., or Water StoneLootCommon early Water-element Loot with no immediate route use; selling it preserves its hidden Bazaar count.
Midstream	Complete five perfect Downstream outings	Four- and five-button sequences; shoulder buttons and vertical movement begin	100 gil, Fish ScaleLootEarly Ichthon Loot; two Fish Scales are used later in the Marksman’s Delight Bazaar package., or Water MagiciteLootGreat Tortoise and Silicon Tortoise Loot during Giza’s rains; it is sold for gil and Bazaar progress rather than cast as a Magick.
Upstream	Complete five perfect Midstream outings	Mostly five-button sequences moving more quickly	Fish ScaleLootEarly Ichthon Loot; two Fish Scales are used later in the Marksman’s Delight Bazaar package., FrogspawnLootAn ordinary Upstream perfect-outing reward. It has no Bazaar recipe in the original release, so sell it when you need gil., or Turtle ShellLootGreat Tortoise and Silicon Tortoise Loot. It has no original-release Bazaar recipe or later quest use, so it is always safe to sell.; Cactoid CompactKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Upstream after Matamune is active. Catching it opens Hidden Shoals. becomes possible after delivering MatamuneKey ItemThe second fishing rod. Recover it from the isolated Zeviah Span after solving all five bottle clues and defeating Gilgamesh twice, then give it to Ruksel so Cactoid Compact can appear.
Hidden Shoals	Catch Cactoid CompactKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Upstream after Matamune is active. Catching it opens Hidden Shoals. in Upstream	Five- and six-button sequences; cactoids appear as deliberate visual distractions	Hi-PotionItemRestores 400 HP before Potion Lore and item-effect bonuses. or AdamantiteLootRequired for Ultimate Blade (2 sold) in the Bazaar.; Cactoid CommendationKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Hidden Shoals. Catching it opens Den of the River Lord and the King of Nebra sequence. is the one-time progression reward
Den of the River Lord	Catch Cactoid CommendationKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Hidden Shoals. Catching it opens Den of the River Lord and the King of Nebra sequence. in Hidden Shoals	King of Nebra uses one fixed eight-button sequence until the final reward	AdamantiteLootRequired for Ultimate Blade (2 sold) in the Bazaar. or ScarletiteLootRequired for Matchless Steel (1 sold) in the Bazaar.; completing the King of Nebra sequence awards Lu Shang’s BadgeLootFishing reward used with the Omega Badge and Godslayer’s Badge to unlock the Wyrmhero Blade.

Colored Bottles and the Matamune

After defeating Gilgamesh twice, Empty BottlesLootJunk fishing Loot with no original-release Bazaar recipe or later quest use once it reaches the Loot inventory. The five colored-bottle clues are separate fishing events, so ordinary Empty Bottles are always safe to sell. caught during any of the first three stages can become five colored bottles. Each one points to a Faint Glow elsewhere in Ivalice. Collecting all five messages reveals the MatamuneKey ItemThe second fishing rod. Recover it from the isolated Zeviah Span after solving all five bottle clues and defeating Gilgamesh twice, then give it to Ruksel so Cactoid Compact can appear. route.

Bottle	Solve	Destination	Reward and Message
Blue	Move every letter in CDZCKZMCRANZS forward once to read DEADLANDS BOAT	The overturned boat at the southeast end of Echoes of the Past in Nabreus Deadlands	X-PotionItemRestores 1,600 HP before Potion Lore and item-effect bonuses. and Wanly-limned Message: River...unde...o
Green	Read every other letter forward, then the skipped letters backward, to read SALIKA HUT NEAR DEADLANDS	The Faint Glow inside the hut at Piebald Path in Salikawood	Hastega MoteItemA consumable mote that casts Hastega without spending MP or requiring its Magick License. Trickster carries one as its rare Steal. and Green-hued Message: Forest...rgro...w
Red	Separate the capital and lowercase letters in nhIiQsTUrEe, then unscramble them to read QUIET SHRINE	The Quiet Shrine at the northwest side of Babbling Vale in Mosphoran Highwaste	Holy MoteItemAn item that casts Holy damage without spending MP. Cubus can drop one, but the low chance does not justify a mandatory farm. and Vermillion Message: Fire...undb...h
Yellow	Set windmills 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9 on; set 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 off	Cerobi Steppe windmills	Hi-EtherItemRestores 200 MP before Ether Lore and item-effect bonuses. and Auric Message: Ash...ridg...e
Black	Convert 19-12-21-9-3-5-7-1-20-5-18-1-20-19 with A=1 to read SLUICE GATE RATS	The southeast floor lights beside the rats in Central Waterway Control	ElixirItemFully restores one ally’s HP and MP. and Onyx Message: Darkness...eton...e

The Cerobi Steppe windmills are grouped like this:

• North Liavell Hills: 1, 2, and 3
• The Terraced Bank: 4 and 5
• Crossfield: 6 and 7
• The Northsward: 8, 9, and 10

Arrange the five message fragments as River, Forest, Fire, Ash, and Darkness. They spell UNDERGROUND BRIDGE TO NOWHERE.

1. Enter Barheim Passage using the Barheim KeyKey ItemAllows the party to re-enter Barheim Passage from the Dalmasca Estersand..
2. Travel through Great Central Passage, East-West Bypass, and Zeviah Span toward West Annex.
3. Enter West Annex, then immediately turn back north onto the isolated, broken section of Zeviah Span.
4. Walk to the dead end. Gilgamesh appears and leaves the MatamuneKey ItemThe second fishing rod. Recover it from the isolated Zeviah Span after solving all five bottle clues and defeating Gilgamesh twice, then give it to Ruksel so Cactoid Compact can appear..
5. Deliver MatamuneKey ItemThe second fishing rod. Recover it from the isolated Zeviah Span after solving all five bottle clues and defeating Gilgamesh twice, then give it to Ruksel so Cactoid Compact can appear. to RukselCharacterThe South Bank Village fisherman who operates the minigame. Give him Muramata to begin, then Matamune to open the final two fishing stages. in South Bank Village.

Catching the King of Nebra

Return to Upstream and keep earning perfect outings until Cactoid CompactKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Upstream after Matamune is active. Catching it opens Hidden Shoals. appears. Catch Cactoid CommendationKey ItemA one-time perfect-outing reward at Hidden Shoals. Catching it opens Den of the River Lord and the King of Nebra sequence. the same way at Hidden Shoals, then choose Den of the River Lord.

The King of Nebra uses one fixed sequence:

R1, L2, Up, Square, R2, L1, X, Right

Memorize it in two groups of four: R1, L2, Up, Square, then R2, L1, X, Right. Successful catches carry across outings. Expect Lu Shang’s BadgeLootFishing reward used with the Omega Badge and Godslayer’s Badge to unlock the Wyrmhero Blade. after the ninth success; if it does not appear then, complete the sequence once more.

Sell the following at the Bazaar to unlock the Wyrmhero BladeWeapon: GreatswordA two-handed greatsword with 130 Attack, 50 Evade, Holy element, permanent Bravery and Faith, and an 80% combo rate. Its Charge Time of 99 makes it exceptionally slow.: Lu Shang’s BadgeLootFishing reward used with the Omega Badge and Godslayer’s Badge to unlock the Wyrmhero Blade. from Fishing, Godslayer’s BadgeLootYiazmat reward used with the Omega Badge and Lu Shang’s Badge to unlock the Wyrmhero Blade. from Yiazmat, and Omega BadgeLootOmega Mark XII reward used with the Godslayer’s Badge and Lu Shang’s Badge to unlock the Wyrmhero Blade. from Omega Mark XII.