Rifty's TL;DR Guide to Optional Stuff

'lo thar, Rifty here. After making my X-2 guide, it received good reviews and a few peeps expressed their interest in seeing other guides from me in the same non-verbose, spoiler-free, figure-out-the-strats-for-yourself format, so I figured why not? This guide is inspired by Red Scarlet's ol' IZJS walkthrough, all I did was keep the interesting bits, cut all the verbose, and add a touch of me own humor. Enjoy!

The Good Stuff, part one

About hunts

A lil' bit into the game, you'll get the Rogue Tomato hunt. In order to fight the ultimate superboss, you need to complete every single hunt there is (that includes the special hunts you'll unlock later). None of the hunts are missable and/or time sensitive; you can do 'em right as you get 'em, or all at the same time at the end of the game, so don't worry and just do 'em whenever you feel comfortable

The Diamond Armlet

Grab the Diamond Armlet so you can get some goodies early on (25% chance to appear on the island part off Dalmasca Westersand's Windtrace Dunes)

Monographs and the Clan shop

Once you've beaten the Thextera hunt, you can speak to Gatsly in the Rabanastre Bazaar to unlock the Clan shop. You can then unlock monographs that are expensive but allow you to get extra goodies from enemies, by doing the following :

Read the hunts poster 20 and 40 times
Talk to a magicks merchant 25 times
Talk to an armor merchant 15 times
Talk to a weapon merchant 30 times
Talk to merchants 100 times in total

About sidequests

Just like the hunts, none of the sidequests are missable and/or time sensitive, so do 'em at your own leisure

Earth Tyrant

After getting your first Esper, you can fight your first optional boss. To do so, speak to a bangaa named Rimzat in the Rabanastre Westgate, and complete his sidequest. You can now access the area in Dalmasca Westersand where a sandstorm was previously blocking your path

The Barheim Key

After getting your first Esper and completing the Rocktoise hunt, speak to Dantro at the Dalmasca Estersand Outpost and complete his sidequest. You can now go back to the Barheim Passage

About Espers

You know the drill by now. You've got the whole game to get 'em, so take your time

Zalera

After getting the Barheim Key, you can fight your first optional Esper by revisiting the Barheim Passage

The Marilith hunt

This one is a bit cryptic, so here's a hint : stand where the sun shines through in Invitation to Heresy, and wait

Adrammelech

After you've killed Marilith, continue visiting the Zertinan Caverns to fight another optional Esper

The Orthros hunt

Another cryptic one, so here's the hint : the Contrite Thief is a lass

Cuchulainn

After beating the Wraith and White Mousse hunts, you can put that Garamsythe key to use to find and fight one toothy boi

Mateus

After paying Aunt Miriam a visit and going back to Mt. Bur-Omisace to see who left the stove on, you can go back for tea at Miriam's... and another fight

The Trickster hunt

This cold boi likes a good snowstorm

The Merchant King of Nabudis

A hidden vendor can be found in the Necrohol of Nabudis... if you don't cut corners. His stock improves as you progress through the game, so feel free to pay him a visit once in a while

The Roblox hunt (or Roblon, if you're not into memes)

It's time to kill that stupid game once and for all. To do so, look amongst the reeds

The medallion fragments

Remember the note in the house from the Wraith hunt in Lowtown? You can now act on it if you play with your Garamsythe key some more. Once you've done so, pick up the washed up fragment, and go speak to Dalan's Nu Mou friend. Complete his sidequest, too

The Carrot hunt

Another shy guy, but unlike Cluckatrice and Enkelados, it's scared of violence

Exodus

Once you've fixed the gate to Phon Coast, you can interact with the windshrines in Mosphoran Highwaste's Babbling Vale to fight one high dude

The Sochen Cave Palace intricacies

There are two doors you can unlock in this place. To unlock the first one, start from the room that makes you moist, and get inspired from FFX's world of Spira. To unlock the second one, enter the clock from Japan, and work around it

The second medallion

You can find the second medallion in Archades, if you're attentive to the NPCs

The Cerobi Steppes

Once you've feasted your eyes upon the most glorious sideburns in the world, you can have a lot of fun in the Cerobi Steppes if you have the Diamond Armlet from before. Along with a lot of great gear spread all around as rare drops (5% kinda rare) from pots and whatnot, there's one particular pot near a boulder in the Terraced Bank that appears 20% of the time, and contains a useful spell

Hellwyrm

Once you've turned in the Vyraal hunt, go back where you fought the scaly boi and examine one of the windmills to get the key to that final locked door in the Sochen Cave Palace, where you can fight what you're most likely not ready for

The Lindwyrm hunt

Another shy boi, the Lindwyrm will only appear once the Garden of Life's Circle isn't so lively anymore, and is drenched in something other'n the blood of your enemies

The Deathscythe hunt

If you're reading this part of the guide, it means you're struggling. Well good, that's how you get Deathscythe to notice you

Jovy

If you've done all the hunts so far, he'll finally open up to you if you talk to him... what a nice kid!

The Ancient Man of Mystery

If you've done the Antlion hunt, you'll know the key washed out on the coast somewhere. You may have gone back to the Estersand coast but nope, it's actually at Phon Coast. As is the Man's custom, you can steal a new item from him every time he does some menuing to try and get a one-up over you.

Lhusu Mines, part three

If you have a Red Mage in your party, you might want to get the Bone of Byblos, which spawns 25% of the time in Site 5

The last medallion

If you've gotten the two other medallions, you can go back to Nabreus Deadlands and speak to the Nu Mou there. Do as he asks to get a pretty lackluster medallion

Chaos

Once you've gotten all three medallions, find their proper place in the Necrohol of Nabudis if you wanna feel nostalgic

New loot in old places

After your stint at Giruvegan, you'll find that shops around the world have had their stocks updated, most noteworthy of 'em being the vendor in Barheim Passage, and the shops at Balfonheim... and once you've entered Ye Olde Lighthouse, the Merchant King of Nabudis

Great Crystal, part two

Not only can you find an Esper past the Virgo gates, you can also find a few neat items and spells if you have the patience to explore. First off, the Shellga spell past the Leo I gate. Second, the Hastega spell past the Taurus II gate. Thirdly the Yagyu Darkblade appears 25% of the time at Sirhru Jilaam Pratii'vaa, before the Leo II gate. Finally, the Staff of the Magi appears 25% of the time at Sirhru Phullam Praa'vaa. Oh, and check out http://finalfantasy.istad.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/upper-levels-large.png if you get a tad confused... you can thank me later, just don't mind the outdated items list

The Deathgaze hunt

To get him to spawn, fly commercial airships to different cities the long way, not taking the private cabins. If you've spawned it, you'll know, otherwise go to your cabin, speak to the boy and fly to a different city

The Fafnir hunt

Like the Trickster, Fafnir likes hisself some snow. Alas, the Frozen Brook is indeed too frozen for snow, this time o' year

The Good Stuff, part two (since there's apparently a character limit)

The Behemoth King hunt

Isn't it funny how the biggest guys are the most insecure ones? This big boi is so shy you have to clear out not one area, but two. Thing is, he might not be the only shy one around, waiting for the place to be nice and cozy again

Holy Bowaroli

In Ye Olde Lighthouse, you'll find you have to play a few games of Red Light Green Light. Well, if you defy the rules, you'll be able to get a good bow, and a great spell. Do keep in mind that you hafta go two screens away to respawn enemies

The Final Upgrade

Once you've gotten lit proper in Ye Olde Lighthouse, you'll find the Merchant King of Nabudis has widened his array of goods one final time

The Pylraster hunt

Your client says he doesn't know where Pylraster is, but ends up he just went to mourn his cousin you slaughtered at the Ridorana Cataract

The Final Esper

Once you've gotten all other Espers, speak to the Geomancer in Jahara to unlock the final portion of the Henne Mines, where you can get a few items before fighting the Big Bad. Namely, the Grand Helm 25% of the time at Phase 2 Dig, the Bubble Belt 25% of the time at Crossover C, and four items at Special Charter Shaft : the Zodiac Spear (yes, that's right) 1% of the time (yes, that's right), the Brave Suit 25% of the time, the Ribbon 15% of the time, and the Grand Armor 25% of the time

The Final Shy Boi (AKA Ixion)

Are you struggling in Ye Olde Lighthouse's Penumbra? Well good, 'cause if you don't instantly get ganked by half a dozen zomboids upon disembarking the elevator, that means Ixion is about

The Final Loots

In Ye Olde Lighthouse's Abyssal, there's a few items you can find with the Diamond Armlet if you've the patience to survive all the mobs. The Ribbon appears 10% of the time, the Hermes Sandals 14% of the time, and the Bubble Belt 14% of the time. Oh, and the last two respawn, if you feel like a bit of farming

The Final Hunt (You-Know-Who)

This is it. If you've done every single hunt there is (the Shadowseer being optional, for some reason), you can face the Big Y in the Ridorana Cataract arena. It can be done in as little as 40-50 mins with the best gear, levels and cheese strats, but if you're in your low 60s, satisfied yourself with the gear you casually came along with, and use the same strats you've used for the entire game, it should take you a cozy 10-12 hours. Have fun!

The Final Hidden ♥♥♥♥ (Mark XII)

That's right, Big Y wasn't the final encounter! There's still one (and a hundred) more you need to go through, and this one hides in the Great Crystal, past the Taurus I gate, which you shouldn't have much trouble unlocking if you went for the Hastega spell. Don't worry, this one is actually quite... fast

The Final Trials (and pun)

Only one thing left to do now that you've beaten everything in the base game, and that's to do it again in Trial Mode. Why, you ask? Well, 'cause it has an exclusive superboss at the very end, of course! And tons of loot that coulda easily broken the game if you'd done it early, which is why I listed it last

The Final Mentions

Well done, you've now done everything interesting in the game, and now have my approval to go and beat the final boss! But, there's a few more things you could do if 100% superbosses wasn't enough to scratch your completionist itch, and that is... rare mob hunting and fishing. Rare mob hunting is in the Phon Coast, and can provide a bunch of good items (including the Zodiac Spear) if you kill 30 unique mobs, and fishing can be done in Dalmasca Estersand's south shore village. It's mostly useless, but gives Lu Shang's Badge which, when sold alongside Big Y's Godslayer Badge and Mark XII's Omega Badge, allows you to craft the Wyrmhero Blade which is... mostly useless, to be honest. Situational at best, but at this point you've done everything there is to do

Anyway, this is it for the guide. Hope it was of use, and I'll see you (prolly) in XIII!

[Angelfish]

idk how to edit my other comment, I forgot to say I like your guide

[Angelfish]

This "guide" did exactly what he was aiming to do with it based on the intro, and was beloved by people who were interested in his previous stuff. for everyone hating on it / him, this just wasn't the guide for you, because it was not meant to be

[arkangellos]

I found this guide funny since i'm coming back into this game ... The no spoiler guide is excellent ... People use the internet too much these days we need to let go of the seemlessly abysmal need of perfection in our hobbies . Pace yourselves and have fun folks .

[Hestia]

You are the best Rifty <3

[JuiceboxJones]

also for deathgaze you can take private cabins, it speeds up the whole process

[JuiceboxJones]

you forgot zeromus

[M'igo Kazan]

That's the point. It's not meant to be a guide, just a non-spoilery checklist to make sure you don't miss any of the optional goodies :P

[Thanos]

Nothing personal but I can for sure see why this was rejected at least if it was in the context of not being a guide. This is a very thin Checklist at best

[M'igo Kazan]

Ayy, good to know somebody likes the guide, since it was rejected on GameFAQs for being "unfocused and lacking content" :3

[TheMagicHobo76]

I do quite enjoy the formatting, and found this to be a good read. I actually just started the game proper-like, so this may come in handy.

Also, I like the way you hint at things instead of just spoiling them. Thanks.