Final Fantasy VIII Guardian Force FAQ Version 1.0 By LightRanma@aol.com --- Disclaimer: You may not use this FAQ for your website, UseNet thingy or ANYTHING of that nature WITHOUT MY WRITTEN PERMISSION. E-mail me first!! ***THE NEWEST VERSIONS OF THIS FAQ CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND AT WWW.GAMEFAQS.COM!!!*** ----------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- I. Introduction II. Introduction to GFs III. GF Information IV. GF Items V. GF Commands VI. Conclusion VII. Thanks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------- I. Introduction ---------------- Welcome to my Final Fantasy VIII Guardian Force FAQ! This FAQ is dedicated to the virtual perfection that is Final Fantasy VIII, and to Square Soft, the most perfect game developer out there, hands down. Square Soft can sure make the games, and Final Fantasy VIII is the most spectacular game yet, easily surpassing Final Fantasy VII in every way possible. This FAQ is laid out just like my other FAQs, so you'll have no problem getting info. The Disclaimer canbe read above. Enjoy the FAQ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------ II. Introduction to GFs ------------------------ This section will introduce you to the Guardian Forces of Final Fantasy VIII, commonly known as "GFs". Read on to learn the basics of raising a GF. --- - What is a GF? - A GF is basically a summon "monster" (really a god or goddess or elemental). They are known as "Summon Spells" from FFVII, "Espers" from FFVI, and "Summons" from FFV and FFIV. You'll see a lot of the same GFs throughout the various FFs, such as Shiva and Ifrit, but a lot of them are new faces in FFVIII. - How does a GF work? - In Final Fantasy IV, V, VI, and VII, GFs (Espers/Summons, etc.) were really only super- powerful Spells with flashy effects and animation. FFVIII still has the flashy effects for these spells, but this game takes the concept of GFs one step further in that you can raise them to learn new abilities that can enhance the characters they are Junctioned to. A GF, in essence, is a character in itself; it has its own Level, HP, and set of moves, and must be taken care of just like any party member. When you call upon a GF in battle, a countdown will start and will reach zero faster or slower, depending on that character's Compatibility rating with the GF. The GFs HP, for the time being, replace the character's HP, allowing it to absorb any damage done to the character. Do remember, however, that GFs have a limited amount of HP, and if it's knocked out, it has to be revived using a special (but common) item. Unlike party members, GFs quickly regain HP while you walk around, pretty much eliminating the need to keep a critical eye on their HP out of battle. It's really not as hard as it sounds. If you want a good comparison, think of GFs like super-powerful PokŽmon - you have to take care of them in the same way, but they're much cooler. - How do I raise my Compatibility with my GFs? - A GFs Compatibility rating with a character determines how long it will take to answer their Junctioned member's call. 0 is the lowest, 1000 is the highest. Try to get close to 1000 with most of your best GFs. There is not much worse than being in a tough Boss battle and having to wait an eternity for your GF to appear. The fastest way to raise the Compatibility with the GF is to simply summon it in battle; around 20 Points will be gained with each Summon. Some Items can also be used to raise it by 1 to 3 Points. Using healing and revivial Items on your GFs can also make them like you more. Alternately, Compatibility can do down, too. If you have two or more GFs on one character, and you summon one of them, the other ones are likely to go down 1 or 2 Points sometimes, so keep this in mind when summoning GFs. - How does a GF learn Abilities? - This is simple. First, at the GF Menu, you set an Ability for a GF to learn (whatever you wish). Then, as you win battles, you will gain AP. Once the GF has acquired enough AP to learn the Ability, you will get a message saying that it has been learned, and then you can choose a new Ability. Learning some Abilities will unlock previously unavailable Abilities to learn. For example, learning the Elem-Def-J Ability with a GF might unlock the Elem-Defx2 Ability to learn. - How do you get GFs, anyway? - Most of them are hidden and if you don't have a strategy guide and/or have a bad habit of not Drawing from EVERY MONSTER AND BOSS YOU FIGHT, you will probably miss most of them. Some are given to you; most of them you have to Draw from Bosses, and some of them you have to find in secret side-quests. Some of them you will have to fight before they join you. Getting the GF is always worth it, though. - How does a GF gain EXP and Level up? - Just like any party member does. For example, let's say you have Shiva junctioned to Squall. Squall gets into a battle, wins, and gets 200 EXP. Shiva also gains 200 EXP, and will Level Up when she reaches her "Next Level" EXP amount. Note that when two or more GFs are Junctioned to one character, the EXP gained will be divided among all GFs on the character. So if Shiva and Quetzacoatl are both Junctioned to Squall, each of them will gain only 100 EXP. This does NOT APPLY TO AP, however. - What does Boost do?!? - Boost, at a measly 10 AP, should be the first Ability you learn with any new GF. Once you learn it, hold the Select button down during the GF animation and rapidly press the Square button. Press it until the "X" appears in front of the finger on the screen, then stop. Once the "X" disappears again, resume tapping as quickly as possible. Keep doing this to boost the damage the GF does. This is extremely useful, and should not be underestimated. --- Any more questions? E-mail me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- III. GF Information -------------------- This section will go into detail on every GF in the game; their name, Elemental, attack name, starting Level, where to get it, vital stats, Ability list, and most useful Abilities. --- Name: Quetzacoatl Element: Lightning Attack Name: Thunder Storm Starting Level: Level 1 How to get it: Examine Squall's study panel at the very beginning of the game - you'll get it automatically. Quetzacoatl, the first of two GFs you get at the beginning of the game, will be one of your major companions throughout this epic. Being the Lightning Bird, he is the sole Lightning-Elemental GF you will have. Its Thunder Bolt attack is especially effective against machines and Water-Elemental creatures. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 1 300 275 10 754 572 20 1266 902 30 1786 1232 40 2314 1562 50 2850 1892 60 3394 2222 70 3949 2552 80 4506 2882 90 5074 3212 100 5650 3542 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect HP-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to HP Vit-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Vitality Mag-J Learned Junctions Magic to Magic Elem-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Defense Elem-Defx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Card 40 AP Use Card command in battle Mag+20% 60 AP Raises Magic by 20% Mag+40% 120 AP Raises Magic by 40% SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation T Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Lightning/Wind Magic from Items Mid Mag-RF 60 AP Refines Mid-level Magic from Low-level Magic Card Mod 80 AP Refines normal and rare Items from Cards Quetzacoatl's most useful Abilities are HP-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, Elem-Defx2, Card, Mag+20/40%, Boost, T Mag-RF, and Card Mod. --- Name: Shiva Element: Ice Attack Name: Diamond Dust Starting Level: Level 1 How to get it: Examine Squall's study panel at the very beginning of the game - you'll get it automatically. Shiva, the Goddess of Water, is the second of two GFs you get at the beginning of the game. She is extremely powerful, and her Diamond Dust attack will prove effective against pretty much anything - although it's especially effective against Fire-Elemental creatures. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 1 298 263 10 734 564 20 1226 897 30 1726 1230 40 2234 1564 50 2750 1897 60 3274 2230 70 3806 2563 80 4346 2897 90 4894 3230 100 5450 3563 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Str-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Strength Vit-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Vitality Spr-J Learned Junctions Magic to Spirit Elem-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Defense Elem-Defx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Doom 60 AP Use Doom command in battle Vit+20% 60 AP Raises Vitality by 20% Vit+40% 120 AP Raises Vitality by 40% Spr+20% 60 AP Raises Spirit by 20% Spr+40% 120 AP Raises Spirit by 40% SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation I Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Ice/Water Magic from Items Shiva's most useful Abilities are Str-J, Vit-J, Spr-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, Elem- Defx2, Vit+20/40%, Spr+20/40%, Boost, and I Mag-RF. --- Name: Ifrit Element: Fire Attack Name: Hell Fire Starting Level: Level 1 How to get it: You will recieve Ifrit (as well as his Card) when you defeat him in the Fire Cavern at the beginning of the game. Ifrit, the God of Fire, starts off weak (when compared to the stronger Shiva and Quetzacoatl at the beginning of the game), but becomes extremely powerful quickly after you start leveling him up. His attack, Hell Fire, is especially effective against Ice- Elemental enemies. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 1 305 298 10 804 607 20 1366 950 30 1936 1293 40 2514 1636 50 3100 1980 60 3694 2323 70 4296 2666 80 4906 3009 90 5524 3352 100 6150 3695 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect HP-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to HP Str-J Learned Junctions Magic to Strength Elem-Atk-J Learned Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Defense Elem-Defx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Mad Rush 60 AP Use Mad Rush command in battle Str+20% 60 AP Raises Strength by 20% Str+40% 120 AP Raises Strength by 40% Str Bonus 100 AP Raises Str by 1 every character Level Up SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation F Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Fire Magic from Items Ammo-RF 30 AP Refines Ammunition from Items Ifrit's most useful Abilities are HP-J, Str-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, Elem-Defx2, Str+20/40%, Str Bonus, Boost, F Mag-RF, and Ammo-RF. --- Name: Siren Element: None, adds Silence Attack Name: Silent Voice Starting Level: Level 3 How to get it: Draw it from Elvoret, the Boss that throws away Biggs and Wedge at the Dollet Communication Tower (the SeeD Field Exam). This female GF is a unique one - it does not have an Elemental, and it's not exceptionally strong in attack power, but it provides its user with immense special powers through its St-Atk-J and St-Def-J Abilities, which are extremely useful early in the game and all throughout, as well. Siren's attack, Silent Voice, sometimes Silences enemies which could make mincemeat out of potentially powerful enemy who relies on Magic. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 3 391 223 10 724 393 20 1206 634 30 1696 875 40 2194 1115 50 2700 1356 60 3214 1596 70 3736 1837 80 4266 2078 90 4804 2318 100 5350 2559 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Mag-J Learned Junctions Magic to Magic St-Atk-J Learned Junctions Magic to Status Attack St-Def-J Learned Junctions Magic to Status Defense St-Def-Jx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Status Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Treatment 100 AP Use Treatment command in battle Mag+20% 60 AP Raises Magic by 20% Mag+40% 120 AP Raises Magic by 40% Mag Bonus 100 AP Raises Mag by 1 every character Level Up Move-Find 40 AP See hidden Save and Draw Points SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation L Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Life/Recovery Magic from Items ST Med-RF 30 AP Refines Status Ailment medicine from Items Tool-RF 30 AP Refines Tools from Items Siren's most useful Abilities are Mag-J, St-Atk-J, St-Def-J, St-Def-Jx2, Mag+20/40%, Mag Bonus, Move-Find, Boost, L Mag-RF, ST Med-RF, and Tool-RF. --- Name: Brothers Element: Earth Attack Name: Brotherly Love Starting Level: Level 7 How to get it: Solve the drawbridge puzzle in the Tomb of the Unknown King. For an easy solution, take every right in the Tomb and you'll hit every important room in the tomb in the order you need to. Once you defeat the Brothers, they'll join you and you'll also get their Cards. These Earth beast brothers are a unique GF in that they are very weak initially, and aren't very strong for the most part, but are VERY strong against creatures with an Earth weakness. Their GF animation is also one of the funniest in the game, so make sure you look at it at least once before you start Boosting it. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 7 670 529 10 824 632 20 1406 977 30 1996 1322 40 2594 1667 50 3200 2012 60 3814 2357 70 4436 2702 80 5066 3047 90 5704 3392 100 6350 3737 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect HP-J Learned Junctions Magic to HP Str-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Strength Spr-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Spirit Elem-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Defend 100 AP Use Defend command in battle HP+20% Learned Raises HP by 20% HP+40% 120 AP Raises HP by 40% HP+80% 240 AP Raises HP by 80% Cover 100 AP Character absorbs damage for weak character HP Bonus 100 AP Raises HP by 30 every character Level Up SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Brothers' most useful Abilities are HP-J, Str-J, Spr-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, HP+20/40/80%, HP Bonus, and Boost. --- Name: Diablos Element: None Attack Name: Dark Messenger Starting Level: Level 9 How to get it: Speak with Headmaster Cid a second time after he sends you off to Timber and he will give an Item called the Magical Lamp. Save your game and then use it, and you will be transported to an alternate dimension where you'll automatically engage Diablos. Beat him and he will join you, and you'll get his Card. Final Fantasy VIII's version of Satan (the Devil) is one of the most lethal GFs in the game. At first, his attack, Dark Messenger, will do VERY little damage, but VERY quickly after it starts Leveling up, it will become MUCH stronger. Try to get him to at least Level 50 as soon as you can, and become as compatible with him as possible. Diablos' attack is much like an enemy-all Demi; except that whatever Level he's currently at, he'll take that much HP away from his opponent. For example, at Level 40, he'll drain 40% of all your opponents' max HP totals. And at Level 100, well, can you say "guaranteed death"? Keep in mind that a lot of Bosses are immune to Diablos, but not all of them. Note: The maximum amount of damage that Diablos can do, period, is 9999. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 9 730 9% of opponent's Max HP 10 784 10% of opponent's Max HP 20 1326 20% of opponent's Max HP 30 1876 30% of opponent's Max HP 40 2434 40% of opponent's Max HP 50 3000 50% of opponent's Max HP 60 3574 60% of opponent's Max HP 70 4156 70% of opponent's Max HP 80 4746 80% of opponent's Max HP 90 5344 90% of opponent's Max HP 100 5950 100% of opponent's Max HP - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect HP-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to HP Mag-J Learned Junctions Magic to Magic Hit-J 120 AP Junctions Magic to Hit Abilityx3 Learned Allows 3 support Abilities on character Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Darkside 100 AP Use Darkside command in battle HP+20% 60 AP Raises HP by 20% HP+40% 120 AP Raises HP by 40% HP+80% 240 AP Raises HP by 80% Mag+20% 60 AP Raises Magic by 20% Mag+40% 120 AP Raises Magic by 40% Mug 200 AP Attack and steal Items at the same time Enc-Half 30 AP 50% less random encounters Enc-None 100 AP No random encounters GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Time Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Time Magic from Items ST Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Status Ailment Magic from Items Diablos' most useful Abilities are HP-J, Mag-J, Hit-J, Abilityx3, HP+20/40/80%, Mag+20/40%, Mug, Enc-Half, Enc-None, Time Mag-RF, and ST Mag-RF. Note: Mug is one of THE best Abilities in the game. Get it ASAP! --- Name: Carbuncle Element: None, casts Reflect Attack Name: Ruby Light Starting Level: Level 16 How to get it: Draw it from either one of the Iguions you fight during Edea's Parade in Disc 1. Carbuncle, a cute little Sprite-type spirit, is not an offensive GF, but rather a defensive one. In a cool-looking spell called Ruby Light, he casts Reflect on all of your party members. This, effectively, bounces spells like Fire, Fira, and Firaga back at the caster, but alternately bounces Cure spells off of you, too. So use it sparingly and wisely, or you may end up not being able to heal yourself in a Boss fight. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 16 1220 N/A 20 1326 N/A 30 2086 N/A 40 2714 N/A 50 3350 N/A 60 3994 N/A 70 4646 N/A 80 5306 N/A 90 5974 N/A 100 6650 N/A - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect HP-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to HP Vit-J Learned Junctions Magic to Vitality Mag-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Magic St-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Status Attack St-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Status Defense St-Def-Jx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Status Defense Abilityx3 Learned Allows 3 support Abilities on character Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle HP+20% 60 AP Raises HP by 20% HP+40% 120 AP Raises HP by 40% Vit+20% 60 AP Raises Vitality by 20% Vit+40% 120 AP Raises Vitality by 40% Vit Bonus 100 AP Raises Vit by 1 every character Level Up Counter 200 AP Counterattacks enemy after taking damage Auto-Reflect 250 AP Activates Reflect at the start of battle GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Recov Med-RF 30 AP Refines recovery medicine from Items Carbuncle's most useful Abilities are HP-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, St-Atk-J, St-Def-J, St-Def- Jx2, Abilityx3, HP+20/40%, Vit+20/40%, Vit Bonus, Counter, and Recov Med-RF. --- Name: Leviathan Element: Water Attack Name: Tsunami Starting Level: Level 17 How to get it: Draw it from the Boss NORG at Balamb Garden in Disc 2. The Water Dragon, Leviathan, is kind of a mixed package. He is extremely powerful, but there are VERY few enemies with a Water-Elemental weakness; on the other hand, he has some VERY useful Abilities, such as Recover, which is one of the best in the game - it lets you restore a member's HP fully without the use of Magic, allowing you to use it even when you're Silenced. Use Leviathan mainly against Fire-Elemental creatures and machines. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 17 1349 963 20 1546 1075 30 2206 1445 40 2847 1815 50 3550 2185 60 4234 2555 70 4926 2925 80 5626 3295 90 6334 3666 100 7050 4036 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Spr-J Learned Junctions Magic to Spirit Mag-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Magic Elem-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Defx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Recover 200 AP Use Recover command in battle Spr+20% 60 AP Raises Spirit by 20% Spr+40% 120 AP Raises Spirit by 40% Spr Bonus 100 AP Raises Spr by 1 every character Level Up Auto-Potion 150 AP Use recovery Items upon taking damage SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Supt Mag-RF 30 AP Refines Support Magic from Items GF Recov Med-RF 30 AP Refines GF recovery medicine from Items Leviathan's most useful Abilities are Spr-J, Mag-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Defx2, Recover, Spr+20/40%, Spr Bonus, Boost, Supt Mag-RF, and GF Recov Med-RF. --- Name: Pandemonia Element: Wind Attack Name: Tornado Zone Starting Level: Level 19 How to get it: Draw it from the Boss, Fujin, in Balamb during Disc 2. The Wind spirit Pandemonia, like Leviathan, is also a mixed package. Unlike Leviathan, Pandemonia isn't very powerful offensive-wise. I think I used him twice after I got him in the whole game; however, he has wonderful Abilities, especially his Strength and Speed Junctions. Definitely use him, if only for Junctioning. Pandemonia's attack, Tornado Zone, is most effective against Water-Elemental creatures. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 19 1442 1052 20 1506 1092 30 2146 1466 40 2794 1840 50 3450 2213 60 4114 2587 70 4786 2961 80 5466 3335 90 6154 3708 100 6850 4082 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Str-J Learned Junctions Magic to Strength Spd-J 120 AP Junctions Magic to Speed Elem-Atk-J Learned Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Def-J Learned Junctions Magic to Elemental Defense Elem-Defx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Absorb 80 AP Use Absorb command in battle Str+20% 60 AP Raises Strength by 20% Str+40% 120 AP Raises Strength by 40% Spd+20% 150 AP Raises Speed by 20% Spd+40% 200 AP Raises Speed by 40% Initiative 160 AP Enables turn as soon as battle begins SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Pandemonia's most useful Abilities are Str-J, Spd-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, Elem-Defx2, Str+20/40%, Spd+20/40%, Initiative, and Boost. --- Name: Cerberus Element: None, casts Double and Triple Attack Name: Counter Rockets Starting Level: Level 23 How to get it: You will find Cerberus waiting in the yellow light in the center of Galbadia Garden's main hall, during the end of Disc 2. Talk to him to fight him. Beat him and you will get him as a GF. Cerberus, the three-headed demon dog from Hell, is arguably one of the most useful GFs in the game. It doesn't do any damage to enemies, but its attack, Counter Rockets, casts Double AND Triple on ALL of your characters, effectively giving you a major advantage over your enemies. Cerberus will come to be a major help in Boss fights, and sometimes, it may be the only way you can win. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 23 1490 N/A 30 1876 N/A 40 2434 N/A 50 3000 N/A 60 3574 N/A 70 4156 N/A 80 4746 N/A 90 5344 N/A 100 5950 N/A Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Str-J Learned Junctions Magic to Strength Mag-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Magic Spr-J 50 AP Junctions Magic to Spirit Spd-J 120 AP Junctions Magic to Speed Hit-J Learned Junctions Magic to Hit St-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Status Attack St-Def-J 100 AP Junctions Magic to Status Defense St-Def-Jx2 130 AP Junctions Magic to 2nd Status Defense St-Def-Jx4 180 AP Junctions Magic to 4 Status Defense Abilityx3 Learned Allows 3 support Abilities on character Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Spd+20% 150 AP Raises Speed by 20% Spd+40% 200 AP Raises Speed by 40% Auto-Haste 250 AP Activates Haste at the start of battle Expendx2-1 250 AP Only 1 Spell spent in Double Alert 200 AP Prevents Back Attacks and First Strikes GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Cerberus' most useful Abilities are Str-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Hit-J, St-Atk-J, St-Def- J, St-Def-Jx2, St-Def-Jx4, Abilityx3, Spd+20/40%, and Auto-Haste. --- Name: Alexander Element: Holy Attack Name: Holy Judgement Starting Level: Level 25 How to get it: Draw it from Edea during the final battle of Disc 2. Alexander, a giant, menacing, cool-looking robot of Light can hit all enemies, and he can hit them hard. His attack, Holy Judgement, not only looks cool, but will severely damage all undead/dark enemies, and will hurt anything else badly (except for Holy- Elemental creatures). Additionally, Alexander's Abilities rock, and are actually necessary to get the GF Doomtrain. Make sure to get Revive, which acts like the Spell Full-Life, as soon as you can! - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 25 1925 1350 30 2266 1542 40 2954 1920 50 3650 2298 60 4354 2676 70 5066 3054 80 5786 3432 90 6514 3810 100 7250 4188 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Spr-J Learned Junctions Magic to Spirit Elem-Atk-J 160 AP Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack Elem-Defx2 Learned Junctions Magic to 2nd Elemental Defense Elem-Defx4 180 AP Junctions Magic to 4 Elemental Defense Abilityx3 Learned Allows 3 support Abilities on character Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Revive 200 AP Use Revive command in battle Spr+20% 60 AP Raises Spirit by 20% Spr+40% 120 AP Raises Spirit by 40% Med Data 200 AP (I never did know what this did...) SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation High Mag-RF 60 AP Refine High-level Magic from Mid-level Magic Med LV Up 120 AP Levels up recovery medicine Alexander's most useful Abilities are Spr-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Defx2, Elem-Defx4, Abilityx3, Revive, Spr+20/40%, Boost, High Mag-RF, and Med LV Up. --- Name: Doomtrain Element: Poison, adds various Status Ailments Attack Name: Runaway Train Starting Level: Level 28 How to get it: Go to Tears' Point near Esthar and pick up the Solomon Ring. Now, collect 6 Steel Pipes, 6 Remedy+, and 6 Malboro Tentacles. You can get the Steel Pipes from Wendigos, Remedy+ from Alexander's Med LV Up Ability, and the Malboro Tentacles from Malboros. Once you've collected these Items, use the Solomon Ring and you will recieve Doomtrain as another GF. If you're a Final Fantasy veteran, you may recognize Doomtrain as a Boss from Final Fantasy VI (III U.S). Doomtrain is easily one of the best GFs in the game; it looks cool, makes all enemies' Defense Power 0, and causes several Status Ailments like Poison, Blind, Stop, and Slow. Doomtrain, also, is quite strong against most all enemies and Bosses (even the Final Boss!), has high HP, and has some of the best Abilities in the game. Getting him is difficult, but be sure to do it! - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 28 2521 1931 30 2686 2028 40 3514 2509 50 4350 2990 60 5194 3471 70 6046 3953 80 6906 4434 90 7774 4915 100 8650 5396 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Elem-Atk-J Learned Junctions Magic to Elemental Attack St-Atk-J Learned Junctions Magic to Status Attack Elem-Defx4 180 AP Junctions Magic to 4 Elemental Defense St-Def-Jx4 180 AP Junctions Magic to 4 Status Defense Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Darkside 100 AP Use Darkside command in battle Absorb 80 AP Use Abosrb command in battle Auto-Shell 250 AP Activates Shell at the start of battle SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% SumMag+40% 200 AP Raises GF damage by 40% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% GFHP+40% 200 AP Raises GF HP by 40% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Junk Shop Learned Call Junk Shop from the Ability Menu Forbid Med-RF 200 AP Refines forbidden medicine from Items Doomtrain's most useful Abilities are Elem-Atk-J, St-Atk-J, Elem-Defx4, St-Def-Jx4, Boost, Junk Shop, and Forbid Med-RF. --- Name: Bahamut Element: None Attack Name: Mega Flare Starting Level: Level 35 How to get it: You can find Bahamut in the Deep Sea Research Center (a side quest). Make your way to the blue capsule in the first room and Bahamut will ask you a series of questions. After each one, you'll have to face a tough Ruby Dragon. After the third question, he will fight you. Defeat him, and you will recieve him as a GF. The answers to his questions are "It is not our will to fight", "Never", and then the hidden option below the second option. Answer incorrectly, and you will have to fight a Ruby Dragon and THEN answer the question again. Fun. ^_^ Bahamut, the Dragon King, is unfortunately, much weaker than you might expect. His Attack Power is that of Quetzacoatl's, and that means weak (compared to the likes of the later GFs such as Leviathan and Doomtrain). Fortunately, Bahamut's attack animation is very long and allows you to Boost Bahamut close to the 250 maximum, making him much stronger. Bahamut's big advantage, though, is is arsenal of Abilities; some of the best in the game belong to Bahamut. Additionally, Bahamut's attack, Mega Flare, ignores all additional or special defense, making it so his power doesn't ever go down. Make sure to get him! - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 35 3274 1451 40 3714 1614 50 4600 1940 60 5494 2266 70 6396 2593 80 7306 2919 90 8224 3245 100 9150 3571 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Abilityx4 Learned Allows 4 support Abilities on character Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Str+60% Learned Raises Strength by 60% Mag+60% Learned Raises Magic by 60% Mug 200 AP Attack and steal Items at the same time Move-HP Up 200 AP Recover HP as you walk Auto-Protect 250 AP Activates Protect at the start of battle Expendx2-1 250 AP Only 1 Spell spent in Double Rare Item 250 AP Recieve rare Items from enemies SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% SumMag+40% 200 AP Raises GF damage by 40% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% GFHP+40% 200 AP Raises GF HP by 40% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Forbid Mag-RF Learned Refines Forbidden Magic from Items Bahamut's most useful Abilities are Abilityx4, Str+60%, Mag+60%, Mug, Move-HP Up, Rare Item, Boost, and Forbid Mag-RF. --- Name: Cactuar Element: None Attack Name: 1,000 Needles Starting Level: Level 20 How to get it: You can find the GF Cactuar on Cactuar Island, a small island to the south of Esthar. You will know the island by the appearance of a randomly placed, small green dot in the sand. That dot is the Jumbo Cactuar, a giant Cactuar. Walk up to him to engage him in combat. To defeat him, use Water-Elemental attacks (especially Leviathan) and strong Limit Breaks (especially Renzokuken). He will randomly counterattack with a move called 10,000 Needles that kills a character instantly no matter what; counter this with Life, Full-Life and Alexander's Revive. Once you beat on him enough, you will see a message that Jumbo Cactuar "is hesitating". At this point, DO NOT ATTACK or he will run away and you'll have to start over! Just summon Leviathan and have your Limit Breaks ready and unload on him with EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. If you're lucky, he'll fall and you will get the Cactuar GF. Cactuar is a GREAT GF. His attack is extremely powerful; his Attack Power is directly correlated to his Level. If he is Level 40, he'll do 4000 damage to any enemy, Boss, or Final Boss, regardless of special defense. He also has VERY good Abilities. Getting him is also a cinch (Jumbo Cactuar isn't so hard). And, needless to say, his attack looks cool and needs no Boosting! Have fun with him! - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 20 1766 2000 30 2536 3000 40 3314 4000 50 4100 5000 60 4894 6000 70 5696 7000 80 6550 8000 90 7324 9000 100 8150 10000 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Eva-J 200 AP Junctions Magic to Evade Luck-J 200 AP Junctions Magic to Luck Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Defend 100 AP Use Defend command in battle Kamikaze 100 AP Use Kamikaze command in battle Eva+30% 150 AP Raises Evade by 30% Luck+50% 200 AP Raises Luck by 50% Initiative 160 AP Enables turn as soon as battle begins Move-HP Up 200 AP Recover HP as you walk HP Bonus Learned Raises HP by 30 every character Level Up Str Bonus Learned Raises Str by 1 every character Level Up Vit Bonus Learned Raises Vit by 1 every character Level Up Mag Bonus Learned Raises Mag by 1 every character Level Up Spr Bonus Learned Raises Spr by 1 every character Level Up Auto-Potion 150 AP Use recovery Items upon taking damage Expendx2-1 250 AP Only 1 Spell spent in Double GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Cactuar's most useful Abilities are Eva-J, Luck-J, Eva+30%, Luck+50%, Initiative, Move- HP Up, HP Bonus, Str Bonus, Vit Bonus, Mag Bonus, and Spr Bonus. --- Name: Tonberry Element: None Attack Name: Chef's Knife Starting Level: Level 30 How to get it: You can find the GF Tonberry at the Centra Ruins. Tonberry, arguably, is the hardest GF to get in Final Fantasy VIII. At the first area of the Centra Ruins, you will find only Tonberry enemies. Your job is to defeat 18 to 22 Tonberries to make the Tonberry King appear. Sounds easy, right? Trust me, it isn't. Tonberries have around 20000 HP apiece, an attack called Chef's Knife that does 3000-4000 damage quickly, and a random counter- attack called Everyone's Grudge that does about 5000-6000 damage to a single character. You'll need an edge. First off, summon Diablos. Then, summon Cerberus. Then, cast Protect on everyone. Finally, pound away with Diablos until it dies. If you get dangerously low on HP, cast Curaga or use Recover. Once you defeat the right number of Tonberries, the Tonberry King will replace the last fallen Tonberry without giving you a chance to heal. He is much faster and stronger than normal Tonberries, and if you die, you have to start all over. Once you beat him, you get the Tonberry GF. Oh, and did I mention you get 0 EXP and 1 AP for defeating a single Tonberry? Heh heh heh. ^_^ Tonberry's attack, Chef's Knife, is generally pretty weak - about as powerful as Quetzacoatl, but only on a single enemy. Also, the animation is very short and allows for almost no Boosting. However, the attack does ignore defense. Tonberry's major prize is his unique Abilities, all of which rock. Be sure to learn all of his shop Abilities! Oh, and enjoy the animation - it's hilarious. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 30 2596 1492 40 3394 1830 50 4200 2167 60 5014 2505 70 5836 2842 80 6666 3180 90 7504 3517 100 8350 3855 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle LV Down Learned Use LV Down command in battle LV Up Learned Use LV Up command in battle Eva+30% Learned Raises Evade by 30% Luck+50% Learned Raises Luck by 50% Initiative 160 AP Enables turn as soon as battle begins Move-HP Up 200 AP Recover HP as you walk Auto-Potion 150 AP Use recovery Items upon taking damage SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation Haggle 150 AP Get discounts at all shops Sell-High 150 AP Sell normal Items for higher Gil Familiar 150 AP Buy rare Items at all shops Call Shop 200 AP Call any shop from the Ability Menu Tonberry's most useful Abilities are LV Down, LV Up, Eva+30%, Luck+50%, Initiative, Move-HP Up, Boost, Haggle, Sell-High, Familiar, and Call Shop. --- Name: Eden Element: None Attack Name: Eternal Breath Starting Level: Level 30 How to get it: The final GF in Final Fantasy VIII, Eden, is easily the most powerful in the game, so you know you want it. Eden can be found in the Deep Sea Research Center, after defeating Bahamut. Work your way to the bottom of the ruins, solving the puzzles as you go along, until you finally reach the very tough Boss, Ultima Weapon. You can draw Eden from Ultima Weapon, and if you survive, you get to keep him. Eden's attack, Eternal Breath, is simply the most powerful GF attack in the game. Keep in mind, though, that it is not THE most powerful attack in the game - Squall's Renzokuken coupled with the Lion Heart Limit Break is. Even so, Eden is a great asset to have in a fight. He also has some cool Abilities, but nothing that stands out. Eden's attack animation is exceptionally long, and easily allows for Boosting to the full 250 maximum. This usually makes the attack do about 35000 damage to all enemies. But, in all honesty, I used Eden once to see the ultra-cool animation, and that was it. Squall's Limit Break is much more effective. - Vital Stats - Level HP Attack Power 30 4786 5425 40 6314 6300 50 7850 7175 60 9334 8050 70 9999 8925 80 9999 9600 90 9999 10675 100 9999 11550 - Ability List - Name AP Needed Effect Spd-J Learned Junctions Magic to Speed Eva-J Learned Junctions Magic to Evade Hit-J Learned Junctions Magic to Hit Magic Learned Use Magic command in battle GF Learned Use GF command in battle Draw Learned Use Draw command in battle Item Learned Use Item command in battle Mad Rush 60 AP Use Mad Rush command in battle Darkside 100 AP Use Darkside command in battle Devour Learned Use Devour command in battle Luck+50% 200 AP Raises Luck by 50% Expendx3-1 250 AP Only 1 Spell spent in Triple SumMag+10% 40 AP Raises GF damage by 10% SumMag+20% 70 AP Raises GF damage by 20% SumMag+30% 140 AP Raises GF damage by 30% SumMag+40% 200 AP Raises GF damage by 40% GFHP+10% 40 AP Raises GF HP by 10% GFHP+20% 70 AP Raises GF HP by 20% GFHP+30% 140 AP Raises GF HP by 30% GFHP+40% 200 AP Raises GF HP by 40% Boost 10 AP Boost GF during animation GFAbl Med-RF 30 AP Refines GF Ability-learning Items from Items Eden's most useful Abilities are Spd-J, Eva-J, Hit-J, Devour, Luck+50%, Boost, and GFAbl Med-RF. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------- IV. GF Items ------------- This section will list the specific Items you need to make your GFs instantly learn new Abilities. Keep in mind that a few Abilities can ONLY be learned from Items. --- Name Effect Amnesia Greens Makes GF forget an Ability HP-J Scroll GF learns "HP-J" Ability Str-J Scroll GF learns "Str-J" Ability Vit-J Scroll GF learns "Vit-J" Ability Mag-J Scroll GF learns "Mag-J" Ability Spr-J Scroll GF learns "Spr-J" Ability Spd-J Scroll GF learns "Spd-J" Ability Luck-J Scroll GF learns "Luck-J" Ability Aegis Amulet GF learns "Eva-J" Ability Elem Atk GF learns "Elem-Atk-J" Ability Elem Guard GF learns "Elem-Defx4" Ability Status Atk GF learns "St-Atk-J" Ability Stats Guard GF learns "St-Defx4" Ability Rosetta Stone GF learns "Abilityx4" Ability Magic Scroll GF learns "Magic" Ability GF Scroll GF learns "GF" Ability Draw Scroll GF learns "Draw" Ability Item Scroll GF learns "Item" Ability Gambler Spirit GF learns "Card" Ability Healing Ring GF learns "Recover" Ability Phoenix Spirit GF learns "Revive" Ability Med Kit GF learns "Treatment" Ability Bomb Spirit GF learns "Kamikaze" Ability Hungry Cookpot GF learns "Devour" Ability Mog's Amulet GF learns "MiniMog" Ability Steel Pipe GF learns "SumMag+10%" Ability Star Fragment GF learns "SumMag+20%" Ability Energy Crystal GF learns "SumMag+30%" Ability Samantha Soul GF learns "SumMag+40%" Ability Healing Mail GF learns "GFHP+10%" Ability Silver Mail GF learns "GFHP+20%" Ability Gold Armor GF learns "GFHP+30%" Ability Diamond Armor GF learns "GFHP+40%" Ability Regen Ring GF learns "HP+20%" Ability Giant's Ring GF learns "HP+40%" Ability Gaea's Ring GF learns "HP+80%" Ability Strength Love GF learns "Str+20%" Ability Power Wrist GF learns "Str+40%" Ability Hyper Wrist GF learns "Str+60%" Ability Turtle Shell GF learns "Vit+20%" Ability Orihalcon GF learns "Vit+40%" Ability Adamantine GF learns "Vit+60%" Ability Rune Armlet GF learns "Spr+20%" Ability Force Armlet GF learns "Spr+40%" Ability Magic Armlet GF learns "Spr+60%" Ability Circlet GF learns "Mag+20%" Ability Hypno Crown GF learns "Mag+40%" Ability Royal Crown GF learns "Mag+60%" Ability Jet Engine GF learns "Spd+20%" Ability Rocket Engine GF learns "Spd+40%" Ability Moon Curtain GF learns "Auto-Shell" Ability Steel Curtain GF learns "Auto-Protect" Ability Glow Curtain GF learns "Auto-Reflect" Ability Accelerator GF learns "Auto-Haste" Ability Monk's Code GF learns "Counter" Ability Knight's Code GF learns "Cover" Ability Doc's Code GF learns "Med Data" Ability Hundred Needles GF learns "Return Damage" Ability Three Stars GF learns "Expendx3-1" Ability Ribbon GF learns "Ribbon" Ability ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- V. GF Commands --------------- This section will list each special GF battle command, what GFs have it, and what it specifically does. --- Name GFs Effect Magic All Use Magic spells in battle GF All Summon GFs in battle Draw All Draw Magic from enemies Item All Use Items in battle Card Quetzacoatl Turn weakened enemies into Cards Doom Shiva Instantly kill an enemy Mad Rush Ifrit, Eden Casts Berserk, Protect, and Haste on all allies Treatment Siren Heals all Status Ailments on one character Defend Brothers, Cactuar Reduces Physical damage to 0, halves Magic damage Darkside Diablos,Doomtrain, Attack does 3x damage; character loses 1/10 HP Eden Recover Leviathan Recovers all HP to a single character Revive Alexander Revives one character and restores all HP Absorb Pandemonia, Drains HP from enemy; causes damage to Undead Doomtrain LV Down Tonberry Halves target's Level LV Up Tonberry Doubles target's Level Kamikaze Cactuar Inflicts lethal damage on target; kills character Devour Eden Consume enemies for Attribute increases/bonuses MiniMog N/A Resotres all HP to GF; costs character's average Level times 100 Gil to use ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- VI. Conclusion --------------- I hope you enjoyed this Final Fantasy VIII FAQ - it's one of my best, I think. It's the least I could contribute to this virtually perfect game. If you haven't done so yet, play this experience now - you will never forget it! Thanks for reading this FAQ, and be sure to check out my other ones! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------ VII. Thanks ------------ I would like to thank the following people/books/companies: - Square Soft, for making this spectacular experience, may there be many more! - Sony, for bringing it out on PSX and not censoring Final Fantasy VIII - The BradyGAMES Official Final Fantasy VIII Strategy Guide; this FAQ would not have remotely possible without it - My PSX, for not crashing during all those times I left it on for hours on end ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 1999 Be sure to check out my other FAQs for Xenogears, Final Fantasy VII, and more!