Final Fantasy XII Walkthrough

Pharos First Ascent

Hydro at the Entrance

You’ll come here from the Ridorana Cataract, and you’ll approach the entry only to find a very nasty enemy in your way. Meet Hydro. You cannot run from this battle, so having saved on the previous screen is a good thing.

Boss Fight Prep

Gear: blocks Confuse. gives the healer room to survive Curse and the physical attacks. Use Holy damage if available, and avoid Dark weapons because Hydro absorbs Dark.
Gambits: Put KO recovery and strong healing first. Prepare item recovery for Confuse, Disease, Poison, and Sap. cannot remove , so use a with 3 or a .
MP: Fearga can remove most of the party’s MP. Carry and be ready to recover manually instead of letting an MP-restoration line loop at the wrong moment.
Steal: Equip before entering. is the important uncommon result because three are needed for .

Boss Fight: Hydro

Level / HP	Level 47 with 203,800 HP.
Steal	, , or .
Weak / Absorbs	Weak to Holy and absorbs Dark; halves Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, Water, and Wind. Slow, Oil, and Confuse can work.
Reward	35 LP. Montblanc later gives you 2,000 gil from Clan Buckaboo.
Drops	None.
Strategy	Dispel its Haste immediately, apply Slow, and keep the party spread enough that Curse does not disable everyone at once. Recover Confuse first, then . The and trick can add Slow, Oil, and Confuse; Holy or neutral physical damage remains dependable.

Immediately Dispel his Haste, and use the Nihopalaoa/Remedy trick on him. This hits him with Slow, Oil, and Confuse, which is great except that Reddas will just wake him up by smacking him! Firaga reflected from the party can hit him for MASSIVE damage after Oil, and you should be able to mop the floor with this guy. Remember, though, you cannot run from this battle.

Montblanc will give you 2,000 gil from Clan Buckaboo later. Don’t bother heading back to see if there are any cool weapons, etc. you can get. There aren’t NEW opportunities, though of course you can replace anything you’ve missed. :( Just head inside and go to the large door.

The Wellspring and Black Orbs

Welcome to the Pharos: First Ascent. Use the Save Crystal inside.

Area Enemies: The Wellspring and Wellspring Labyrinth

Choose an enemy to open its stats and loot chances. Mark, Rare Game, and Trophy badges flag special targets. Choose it again to collapse.

Mimeo

Hostile

Important! Disguises itself as a treasure container and can use Leech for heavy damage. Check the target name before opening suspicious pots; its rare Pharos drop is Zeus Mace.

Chain family: Mimic
Level: 46–48
LP: 1
HP: 10,061–10,541
EXP: 2,476–2,628
Weakness: Holy

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
500 Gil	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Chimera Brain

Hostile

Its rare Celebrant's Miter Steal is excellent Magick defense. Two Chimera Heads from Poach or the Mage's Monograph support late Bazaar equipment.

Chain family: Cockatrice
Level: 45–46
LP: 1
HP: 9,992–10,112
EXP: 2,917–3,088
Weakness: Holy; absorbs Dark

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
60 Gil	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Mistmare

Hostile

Use Fire and recover Stop quickly. Its rare Steal is Reflectga Mote; Poach can produce Black Robes, but that is optional rather than route progress.

Chain family: Nightmare
Level: 45–47
LP: 1
HP: 12,180–12,500
EXP: 4,612–4,964
Weakness: Fire

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

The urn is in the lower central walkway of the Wellspring Labyrinth. You’ll have to wind your way through the right-hand area to reach it. :D Congrats on your new map. ;)

Get at least three Black Orbs. Use one on each of the three Altars of Night beside the center waterfall. Two of the altars are only accessible through the outer labyrinth, but the map will make sense once you see the broken central paths.

When you break the third seal, head to the far east side of the labyrinth and save. The newly opened Ancient Door leads through the Blackrock Vault to the Dunes of Profaning Wind.

Follow the pathway leading up and to your right. If you find yourself being blown back to the starting point, don’t walk right there next time. Heh. Just follow the right-hand wall and you’ll come to a large rock in the background that eventually becomes Pandaemonium.

Boss Fight Prep

Gear: Equip a shield and Gauntlets on the character holding its attention. Blind protection helps against Flash, and or handle from Stone Gaze.
Gambits: Keep healing above attacks and prepare recovery for Blind and Petrify. Do not let attack commands loop during Perfect Defense.
Damage: Use Wind or strong neutral physical attacks. Pandaemonium absorbs Earth and is immune to the other elements, so Oil does not make Fire a dependable plan in this version.
Buffs: Protect, Bubble, Haste, and Decoy make the physical pressure much easier to manage. Dispel its opening Protect before attacking.

Boss Fight: Pandaemonium

Level / HP	Level 45 with 116,678 HP.
Steal	, , or .
Weak / Absorbs	Weak to Wind and absorbs Earth; immune to the other elements. Silence and Oil can work, but Wind or neutral physical damage is safer.
Reward	36 LP.
Drops	None.
Strategy	Dispel Protect, keep the party behind or beside it to limit Flash and Stone Gaze, and maintain Protect on the tank. At about half HP, Perfect Defense blocks physical and Magick damage. Stop attacking, heal and rebuff until the field fades, then finish the fight.

You can steal an Ancient Turtle Shell from him, if you need one. Fun fact: I tried to Dispel him, but he was immune. Anyway, you can get him Silenced and Oiled via the Nihopalaoa/Remedy trick. Remember to use L1 to target enemies, not friends.

I couldn’t find anything to hurt him while he was under the effects of Perfect Defense, so I just had to wait him out. Eventually, that field will falter, and you’ll be able to go after him again. This really wasn’t one of the harder battles that I’ve fought up until now, and after Perfect Defense broke it was over reasonably quick. You’ll end up in an empty room with an exit to the west. Take that, obvs.

Now that the Magicks binding the waystone are gone, head back to the entrance and save. You can still get Black Orbs along the way, and I recommend doing so. I guess you can teleport to Rabanastre if you need the money for beating Hydro, but unless you need to go shopping, it’s probably not the best option at this point. Just wait until you are done here. You’ll get cooler stuff then anyway.

Wellspring Ravel

When you’re ready, use the waystone. You’re still in the First Ascent, now beginning on the 10th floor.

Area Enemies: Wellspring Ravel and Horizon’s Cusp

Choose an enemy to open its stats and loot chances. Mark, Rare Game, and Trophy badges flag special targets. Choose it again to collapse.

Chimera Brain

Hostile

Its rare Celebrant's Miter Steal is excellent Magick defense. Two Chimera Heads from Poach or the Mage's Monograph support late Bazaar equipment.

Chain family: Cockatrice
Level: 45–46
LP: 1
HP: 9,992–10,112
EXP: 2,917–3,088
Weakness: Holy; absorbs Dark

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
60 Gil	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Brainpan

Hostile

Important! Defeating Brainpans forms the green bridges needed to climb. They can Self-Destruct, so backtrack for a replacement if a bridge remains incomplete.

Chain family: Facer
Level: 46
LP: 1
HP: 15,358
EXP: 3,572
Weakness: Holy

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Aeronite

HostileFlying

Important! A dangerous Flying enemy on narrow platforms. Use Lightning, ranged attacks, or an appropriate Technick and avoid letting its low-HP damage increase surprise the healer.

Chain family: Wyvern
Level: 49–50
LP: 2
HP: 18,004–18,684
EXP: 6,156–6,356
Weakness: Lightning

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Deidar

Hostile

Important! A Deidar removes an unfinished green bridge. Avoid it until the green route is locked, then defeat Deidars for red treasure bridges, Orichalcum chances, and Vishno's spawn count.

Chain family: Facer
Level: 46
LP: 1
HP: 14,407
EXP: 3,572
Weakness: Holy

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Vishno

HostileRare Game

Important! Rare Game: appears near the top of the Fourth Flight after ten Deidars are defeated during the same Pharos trip. Steal Orichalcum; Ribbon is the very rare normal drop.

Chain family: Facer
Level: 57–58
LP: 14
HP: 79,249–79,489
EXP: 6,848–7,096
Weakness: Holy; absorbs Dark

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
Item	No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
	40%	45%	50%	55%
	1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

Undin Entite

Passive

Important! Passive until provoked, including by nearby Magick. Use Fire if deliberately fighting it; most other elements are ineffective.

Chain family: Entite
Level: 45
LP: 7
HP: 48,042
EXP: 12,627
Weakness: Fire; absorbs Water

Steal chances
Item	Normal	Thief's Cuffs
	48.0%	80%
	9.7%	30%
	3%	6%

Normal Steal checks rare to common and stops at the first success. Thief's Cuffs can take multiple items; chains do not affect Steal.

Drop chances
No chain	Chain Lv 1	Chain Lv 2	Chain Lv 3
40%	45%	50%	55%
25%	30%	35%	40%
3%	6%	8%	12%
1%	2%	3%	5%

Each item gets its own independent roll. Chain level, not raw chain count, controls these rates.

You’ll see two green doors. Take either door and read the pillar outside. “Tongue of Stone’s green flame your way bespeaks. Tongue once silenced, to stone again returns, its muted form a bridge for you to tread.” Basically, this is telling you to kill off all the green Brainpans.

Look at the map and take a quick jaunt to the northwest point on your screen. There’s a Fool’s Facade here. Examine it to break through. If you’re lucky, there will be treasure. If you’re really lucky, it will be an . In any event, you should know that there are places you can break through.

Climb the Four Flights
Step	Action
1	First Flight: Kill the two Brainpans near the first gap, cross the completed bridge, then keep defeating Brainpans until the northern route opens.
2	Second Flight: Continue upward and break any Fool’s Facades you want to check. Kill the Brainpans around the 20th through 25th floors to complete the next green bridge.
3	Third Flight: Deidars begin appearing around the 28th floor. Avoid them until each green bridge has turned to stone. Keep climbing and backtrack when a missing bridge segment means another Brainpan needs to respawn.
4	Fourth Flight: Continue the same process through the upper floors. Break the Facade around the 46th floor if you want the optional room, complete the bridge near the 47th floor, and use the Save Crystal at Horizon’s Break.

Optional Red Bridges and Treasure

Once the green route is secure, you can go back down and defeat Deidars to form the optional red bridges.

The lower red route can lead to a .
The third-flight red route can lead to a and a weapon chest. Without a , the weapon result can be ; with one equipped, it can be .
The chests are not guaranteed to appear, so this can take multiple trips. Picture-in-Picture is your friend!
Deidars can also supply . Keep three if you want both the and Bazaar plans available before shared counters reset.

See the Pharos selling checkpoint before selling the rare ingredients.

Optional: Vishno and a Ribbon

If you’d rather finish the climb, skip this. If you want a shot at a , defeat at least ten Deidars during the same trip through the Pharos. There are not enough unique Deidars on one uninterrupted ascent, so move two zones away to respawn part of the route and kill a few again. then appears near the top of the Fourth Flight.

Equip Thief’s Cuffs and steal Orichalcum before defeating it. Vishno’s Ribbon is the very rare normal drop, so even a high Chain level does not promise one. The Rare Game page keeps the spawn and retry details together.

Horizon’s Break and Slyt

At the top of the climb, enter Horizon’s Break and use the Save Crystal. The southwest corner is your exit. Take the Ancient Door to Horizon’s Cusp. Buff up, then head through the next door.

Boss Fight Prep

Gear: helps physical attackers connect through Slyt’s high evasion. Protect and a shield help the character taking its rapid physical attacks.
Gambits: Put strong healing and KO recovery above attacks. Slyt has no status barrage, so build the setup around keeping one target alive and attacking continuously.
Damage: Slyt is weak to Fire and absorbs Water. Oil plus is the fastest Magick plan; do not equip a Water weapon.
Steal: Equip before entering. , , and are the three possible tiers.

Boss Fight: Slyt

Level / HP	Level 47 with 92,661 HP.
Steal	, , or .
Weak / Absorbs	Weak to Fire and absorbs Water; immune to the other elements. Oil and Slow can work.
Reward	36 LP.
Drops	None.
Strategy	Keep Protect active, apply Oil, and use or strong physical attacks. Slyt repeatedly restores Regen with Enrage, so repeated Dispels accomplish little. Keep the fight on the dry ground where possible and heal through its increasing attack pressure below half HP.

Steal a Yensa Scale or Pisces Gem, then hit him with Dispel and the Nihopalaoa/Remedy trick for a pretty easy fight. The Regen can come right back, so don’t let repeated Dispels distract the healer. Take him out with Fire or physical attacks.

After the battle, head east and use the waystone. It carries the party to the Second Ascent.