FF8 No Junction No Level [NJNL] Guide/Notes

A guide to complete the No Junction No Level challenge run.

Key Notes

Challenge took me around 160 hours with a few full run resets due to making mistakes.
Prettier version of the guide: Google Doc[docs.google.com]
All boss fight VODs can be found here (Unfortunately muted till I have the time to upload them to YT):
Twitch Link[www.twitch.tv]

1. Don't be a hero. Make use of 3x Speed and No Encounter for your own sanity. There's a lot of RNG based fights.
   
2. Do not obtain optional GFs like Diabolos/Brothers till AFTER Tri-Point.
   
3. XP Tracking ends at Laguna’s Dream Odin’s Lab.
   
4. All abilities in Duel can be used without Combat Kings Magazines.
   
5. Chocobo Forests MUST be done before Lunatic Pandora.
   
6. My challenge pain points & why [Heavy Resets]:
   
   • BGH251F2
     
     1. Need Zell to survive with CL3 / CL4 Duels.
        
     2. Pray for slow BGH ATB.
   • Damaged BGH251F2
     
     1. Need consistent Invincible Moons.
   • Propagators
     
     1. First Green Propagator
        
     2. Waiting for Squall to not die…
        
     3. Making it back to the save without being caught.
   • Adel
     
     1. Pray for high Homing Laser damage and slow Adel ATB.
        
     2. UNCONFIRMED: I think Blasting Zone/Fated Circle AOE
        hitting Rinoa staggers/resets Adel’s ATB?
   • 13 Sorcs
     
     1. ATB/Rinoa LB/Homing Laser damage dependent.
   • Tri-Point
     
     1. You need a specific GF setup for the correct Masamune
        Damage, please read ahead.
        
     2. Praying for low level Tri-Point and Gilgamesh to use
        Masamune.
   • Ultimecia
     
     1. Getting stuck on Phase 1/2 if Rinoa kills Griever with
        Wishing Star before you get Invincible Moon.

Ifrit

1. Ifrit Dungeon Conditions:
   
2. Lower time left == Higher Judgement Score.
   
3. Start Physical/Separate timer and end Ifrit name screen with less than 7s remaining.

Dollet/Elvoret

1. Kill Zell/Squall. Seifer to soak Forced Encounters XP
   
2. Do not jump off the cliff
   
3. 1 Escape = 100 Spirit

X-ATM092 Movement

1. Zone 1: Forced Encounter
   
2. Zone 2: Hold Down
   
3. Zone 3: Hold Left/Swap Down Left
   
4. Zone 4: Hold Down
   
5. Zone 5: Hold Down/Right
   
6. Zone 6: Right->Left->Right
   
7. Zone 7: X on Dog and Continue till end.

Granaldo

• Party Change:
  
  1. Selphie
     
  2. Squall
     
  3. Zell
• Pet Shop: Purchase Pet Pals Vol. 3 for Invincible Moon.
  
• Rinoa Status: Learn Invincible Moon.
  
• Forced Encounter: Blind/Silence all then Selphie’s Slots to Break.
  
• Party Change:
  
  1. Selphie
     
  2. Squall
     
  3. Quistis

Laguna 2

1. Kill all but KIROS
   
2. After first fight KIROS 927 XP
   
3. Make sure that KIROS has 708 exp remaining after the forced battles.
   
4. Red + Blue Switch
   
5. Right hatch for Ray Bomb Disc 3

Galbadia Garden

• Party Change:
  
  1. Selphie
     
  2. Squall
     
  3. Rinoa

Prison

1. Zell must only obtain 154 XP from Forced Encounters
   
2. GIM25A MUST DROP:
   
   • 4 x Screws [Squall: Flame Saber]
     
   • 1 x Missiles [Quistis: Micro Missiles]

Missile Base

1. Party Change:
   
   • Irvine
     
   • Selphie
     
   • Zell
2. Irvine to receive all 392 XP from Soldiers.
   
3. BGH251F2 Drops: Weapons Monthly June for Flame Saber.

Balamb

1. Rin soak Library XP.
   
2. Avoid Forest Encounter.
   
3. Avoid Medic Bay Encounter.

Fisherman's Horizon

1. Have Rin & Quis at 60+ hp but Critical (Enough to take 1xFire without Dying).
   
2. Have Squall 1 hit from dead.
   
3. Kill Squall at Galbadian Soldiers.
   
4. Laser Eye Commander + Angelo Cannon.
   
5. Rin+Quis no more than 280 xp from Galbadian Soldiers.

Winhill

1. Party Change:
   
   • Quistis
     
   • Squall
     
   • Irvine
2. Vase conversation.
   
3. Talk to armor.
   
4. Raine’s house (Cat vase piece).
   
5. Flower Shop (Flowers vase piece).
   
6. Kick Chocobolet x3 (vase piece/gysahl greens/phoenix down).
   
7. Return vase pieces for [Holy Stone].

Balamb Town

1. Party Change:
   
   • Rinoa
     
   • Squall
     
   • Zell
2. Dog at harbor
   
3. Rinoa and Zell Crit 60> HP. Squall Full
   
4. Zell Heel Drop + Booyah + Meteor Strike for Boss Battles.

Flame Saber

1. Party Change:
   
   • Quistis
     
   • Squall
     
   • Selfie
2. Prep: Lower everyone's HP to crit.
   
3. Fly here and fight Adamantoise for 1 x Turtle Shell.
   
4. Quistis must obtain 190<=XP.
   
5. Fly here and fight Forbidden for 1 x Betrayal Sword.
   
6. Selfie to obtain less than 320 XP.
   
7. Return to Store Owner in Balamb Town for Flame Saber.

Trabia Garden

1. Party Change:
   
   • Irvine
     
   • Squall
     
   • Selphie

Galbadia Garden

1. Prep Low HP Selphie.
   
2. Prepare for the attack.
   
3. Prepare our defenses.
   
4. Take care of the junior classmen.
   
5. No orders/end.
   
6. 2F Junior Classman [Cottage].
   
7. Heal all except Selphie.
   
8. Take Irvine & Selphie with Squall.
   
9. Forced Encounter: Blind/Silence all then Selphie’s Slots to Break.
   
10. Try again with HP + 200.
    
11. Look around for another option.
    
12. Press the button for emergency exit.
    
13. Party Swap: Rin, Squall & Quistis.
    
14. Quistis + Rin crit hp for Cerberus.
    
15. Cerberus MUST be defeated for Tri-Point later.
    
16. Key Card [3].
    
17. Party Change:
    
    • Zell
      
    • Squall
      
    • Quistis
18. Everyone crit hp for Seifer/Edea.

Laguna's Dream

1. Party Change:
   
   • Laguna => Squall
     
   • Kiros => Quistis
     
   • Ward => Zell
2. Zell/Ward must only gain 800 XP

Abadon

1. Quistis Fire Breath. GGEZ

Odin's Lab

Worth noting the final XP values can vary as long as you don’t level and have at least 10 XP remaining on each party member if you want to farm 2 x Star Fragment for Squall upgrade to Punishment later.

1. Forced Encounter 1: Laguna to gain 74 XP (500=>426 XP).
   
2. Forced Encounter 2: Ward to Soak XP (388=>19XP).
   
3. Heal Kiros with 1 Potion.
   
4. Forced Encounter 3: Kiros to Soak XP (604=>13XP).
   
5. Heal Laguna to full.
   
6. Forced Encounter 4: Laguna to Soak XP (426=>276XP).
   
7. Forced Encounter 5: Laguna to soak XP (276=>23XP).

Esthar

1. Purchase Pet Pals Vol 6 for Wishing Star.
   
2. Purchase Pet Pals Vol 5 for Angelo Search.
   
3. Restock all Ammo.
   
4. Buy any missing Books.
   
5. Get Rosetta Stone from Cheryl’s Store (Why not?).
   
6. Party Change for Space:
   
   • Rinoa
     
   • Squall
     
   • Selphie
7. Party Change for Esthar:
   
   • Edea
     
   • Zell
     
   • Quistis
8. Don’t enter Lunatic Pandora.

Propagators

1. Greens first to secure the save point
   
2. 2-3 Renz with Flame saber (CL1)
   

Odin

1. Go get him before the Seifer fight in Lunatic Pandora, you need it.
   
2. Also learn Wishing Star, Bethlehem Dog is OP.

Chocobo Forests

1. You’ll need to get these done to return to the Ragnarok in Disc 4. Which will allow you to get two higher GFs (Cactuar/King Tonberry) to bring up your average GF level for Masamune hits on Tri-Point.

Raijin / Fujin Again

1. Party Change:
   
   • Rinoa
     
   • Squall
     
   • Zell
2. Kill Fujin first due to AOE

Mobile Type 8

1. Just luck out on Wishing Star. GG.
   
2. Learn Homing Laser on Quistis.

Seifer Yet Again

1. You guessed it, just luck out on Wishing Star. GG.

Adel

1. Party Change:
   
   • Zell
     
   • Squall
     
   • Quistis
2. Get Star Fragment from Iron Giants if you want to upgrade Squall’s Weapon.
   
3. Adel must die before she attacks.
   
4. Homing Lasers + Duel and pray:
   
   • You need 1x 9999 Homing Laser + Gilgamesh.
     
   • Alternatively, 2 x Homing Laser with one hitting at least 9999.

13 Sorcs

1. Party Change:
   
   • Rinoa
     
   • Squall
     
   • Quistis
2. Homing Lasers.
   
3. Don't cry if Squall dies.
   
4. Pray for Invincible Moons + Wishing Stars.

Cactuar GF

1. You need this to raise your average GF level.
   
2. Wishing Star. GG.

King Tonberry GF

1. You need this to raise your average GF level.
   
2. Kill 15 tonberry’s with 4 x Micro Missiles + 1 Renz.
   
3. Save after every kill after the 15th till King Tonberry appears.
   
4. Wishing Star + Renz + Homing Lasers.

Tri-Point

1. Party Change:
   
   • Quistis
     
   • Squall
     
   • Zell
2. You need a Masamune hit to win. (4.38k Damage).
   
3. You need a low level Tri Point (30<= Damage with Claw).
   
4. You need Cactuar + King Tonberry.
   
5. You MUST NOT have DIABOLOS/BROTHERS.
   
6. Squall MUST be alive to GUNBLADE STRIKE Tri-Point.

Masamune Damage without Cactuar/Tonberry

GF Level Count

Shiva:     1
Quezacotl: 1
Ifrit:     1
Cerberus:  23

GF Average Level

        1
        1
        1
+      23
       26

SUM / COUNT = AVERAGE
6 / 4 = 6.5

Damage Calculation

MASAMUNE DAMAGE CALCULATION:

 100 × 6.5/10+100+100    = 265
 265 × ( 265 - 1 ) / 8   = 8745
 8745 × 100 / 256        = 3416

Masamune Damage with Cactuar/Tonberry

GF Level Count

Shiva:     1
Quezacotl: 1
Ifrit:     1
Cerberus:  23
Cactuar:   20
Tonberry:  30

GF Average Level

        1
        1
        1
       23
+      30
       76

SUM / COUNT = AVERAGE
76 / 6 = 12.666666666667

Damage Calculation

MASAMUNE DAMAGE CALCULATION:

 100 × 12.6/10+100+100   = 326
 326 × ( 265 - 1 ) / 8   = 10758
 10758 × 100 / 256       = 4202

Other Seals

1. Party Change:
   
   • Rinoa
     
   • Squall
     
   • Quistis
2. Homing Lasers+Wishing Star+Invincible Moon.
   
3. Red Giant is the only one you swap Homing Lasers for Micro Missiles.

Ultimecia

1. Phase 1 [Ultimecia] 8.2->8.8k HP:
   
   • Find your Quistis and Rinoa RNG
     
   • Get the Phase done with any one of these outcomes:
     
     • 1x 9999 Homing Laser
       
     • 12 Duel (Heel Drop, Booyah, Meteor Strike)
       
     • 1x Wishing Star
   • RESET IF:
     
     • Maelstrom is cast
       
     • Rinoa dies
       
     • Quake or Tornado is cast while not Invincible
2. Phase 2 [Griever] 26.1->27.7k HP:
   
   • You NEED Invincible Moon to survive Shockwave Pulsar
     
   • Shockwave Pulsar is guaranteed to be cast at least once
     
   • Pray for Wishing Star
     
   • Pray for 9999 Homing Lasers
3. Phase 3 [Ultimecia] 28->31k HP:
   
   • Pray for Wishing Star
     
   • Pray for 9999 Homing Lasers
4. Phase 4 [Ultimecia] 41.1->45.5k HP:
   
   • Ideally take a Hells Judgement to reduce the party to 1 HP.
     
   • Pray for Invincible Moons to survive:
     
     • Ultima
       
     • Apocalypse
       
     • Holy
       
     • Meteor
       
     • Flare
   • Pray for multiple Wishing Stars.
     
   • Pray for 9999 Homing Lasers.

[FedEx]

fake and gay