Final Fantasy XII Walkthrough
Imperial City of Archades
Watch the cut scenes. Now you can do some shopping, etc., but you’ll also want to do a lot of talking to people. Nearly everyone here has a problem, and you’re the only one who can solve them all. Yeah… Anyway, be sure to talk to everyone so you know the correct labels, if nothing else. I’ll tell you who needs to talk to whom.
Balthier says he has business to handle and walks off, but he remains available in the battle party. Explore Trant, Rienna, Molberry, and Nilbasse before paying for the next route step.
Shopping Time
Things you’ll want to buy around here: a new weapon if it is a real upgrade, all the new Magicks, ItemRestores 1,600 HP before Potion Lore and item-effect bonuses.!!!
See the Archades shop checkpoint for the compact stock priorities.
Errands Before the Cab
Be sure to talk to the people in the shops, too. You can resolve several long-running errands and open one new hunt while everyone is already wandering around:
Optional Esper Cleanup
Optional stuff to do now includes backtracking to Nabudis and finishing the Four Pieces of the Medallion sidequest, fighting the Darksteel hunt, and going for various Espers after earning a Key ItemPermanent Archades status token obtained by trading all twenty-eight Pinewood Chops to a Chopmaster. It satisfies the cab requirement and opens later high-status areas and sidequests. and heading to Tsenoble. I really like to use this time to get all the Espers that I have access to. That means I don’t go on to the next area until I have EsperThe first story Esper, acquired in the Tomb of Raithwall after a level 20 battle; use Water, avoid Fire, cure Oil before Firaja, and assign the Esper to one character on the shared License Board., EsperA Flying optional Esper in Zertinan Caverns; equip ranged weapons, use Ice, block Thundaja's Stop, and keep respawning Shambling Corpses from overwhelming the healer., EsperThe optional Mosphoran Highwaste Esper; items are sealed, Reflect complicates Magick, and a low-HP Paling forces the party to switch from weapons to non-elemental spells., EsperThe optional Garamsythe Waterway Esper; the battlefield continuously drains HP, so use Black Belts, keep Curaja and status recovery above attacks, and control the respawning Foobars., EsperThe optional Barheim Passage Esper fought under a five-minute timer; block Disable and Sleep, remove Dead Bones, and use neutral damage or Cure-family Magick against the undead boss., EsperThe optional Stilshrine Esper reached with the Stone of the Condemner; Magicks are sealed, so equip Pheasant Netsuke, build item-only recovery Gambits, and enter with full Mist Charges., EsperThe optional Necrohol Esper behind the three-medallion quest; Attack is sealed, so prepare Telekinesis, Gil Toss, Technicks, or non-elemental Magick and remove the four Chaosjets first., and EsperThe second story Esper, acquired after the level 30 Stilshrine battle; defeat the five Ice Azers, exploit Lightning, protect against Ice, and assign Mateus to one character on the shared License Board.. And don’t forget: eight Espers earns you stuff from Montblanc.
That is an optional power route, not a requirement for Draklor Laboratory. Save first and leave the later optional fights alone if their ordinary enemies or opening attacks are burning through your recovery supply.
Archadian Chops
Head to the far southwest of Nilbasse and talk to the Cab Guide. This’ll start a cut scene about chops. Pay Jules 2,500 gil. Now you have to wander around helping people.
Find the Senior Researcher nearby. This one is easy. Choose “Commit the tale to memory,” then talk to the Failed Researcher and choose “Relate the tale.” You’ll get a Key ItemArchades status token earned by matching one resident’s memorized tale with the correct listener. Nine permit the story cab ride; all twenty-eight trade for the Sandalwood Chop.. See how this works?
You need nine Key ItemArchades status token earned by matching one resident’s memorized tale with the correct listener. Nine permit the story cab ride; all twenty-eight trade for the Sandalwood Chop. to take the story cab, but go for all twenty-eight while you’re here. It’ll only take 30-45 minutes, and the full set trades for a Key ItemPermanent Archades status token obtained by trading all twenty-eight Pinewood Chops to a Chopmaster. It satisfies the cab requirement and opens later high-status areas and sidequests. that opens later Archades content. Use the Archadian Chops tracker for all four districts and every exact pair.
Once you have all twenty-eight, enter any Archades shop and speak to the Chopmaster. Trade them for the Key ItemPermanent Archades status token obtained by trading all twenty-eight Pinewood Chops to a Chopmaster. It satisfies the cab requirement and opens later high-status areas and sidequests., then return to the Cab Guide and choose Tsenoble. If you stopped at nine, the cab still works, but the optional Archades access stays unfinished.
Darksteel
Darksteel is available now, but it requires backtracking through Old Archades into Sochen Cave Palace.
The target waits in Temptation Eluded near the northern entrance from Old Archades. Dispel its buffs, Blind and Slow it, then use Holy or neutral physical damage. Its 111,331 HP makes this an endurance fight, so do not let repeated Steal attempts destabilize the party. Return to the Homesick Man for 3,000 gil, Ammunition: BoltCrossbow ammunition with 2 Attack and a 25% chance to inflict Immobilize; claim it from the Darksteel hunt and pair it with an equipped crossbow., and LootRequired for Ultimate Blade (2 sold) in the Bazaar..
Tsenoble and the Draklor Entrance
There’s a Gate Crystal in Tsenoble. Save, preferably in a new slot, and finish any optional work you care about before continuing. You will not easily be able to get out of the next area.
Walk north toward the laboratory until the cut scene and Imperial blockade, then turn around and head back toward the cab. After Jules appears, talk to the Cab Guide and choose You know where to go. That sends the party directly into Draklor Laboratory.