Final Fantasy 12 (Hunts)

Early Rabanastre Hunts

Rogue Tomato - Rogue Tomato is basically the tutorial hunt, as the petitioner Tomaj is right in the Sandsea. Save and go to the Estersand and you'll see a large red dot in the initial screen. This means a boss or a hunt. Anyway Rogue Tomato will have miniscule attacks but can occassionally use Flame Breath. You may need to use a restorative item like Potion but your sheer ability should be able to overcome this foe. You'll receive Galbana Lilies after the fight and returning to Tomaj to get your 300 Gil, 2 Potions and Teleport Stone.

Thextera - Thextera is a wolf life creature in the Dalmasca Westersand. Gatsly is the petitioner and he is nearby, so talk to him and save by the Westersand exit. Go to the southeast part of the Westersand in the Galtea Downs section. Thextera has many other smaller wolves surrounding him and this is a good example of an early battle that will prep you for later hunts. Don't charge all of them or you'll be obliterated unless you have support. Instead try to bait some of the wolves into chasing you to clear out Thextera's ranks. By himself Thextera is fast yet pretty easy at first but towards the end he'll use Fangs and will cry for help from other wolves. Stay rested after Fangs and continue to attack the wolves as they appear. Return to Gatsly for Teleport Stone, a Headguard and 500 Gil.

Flowering Cactoid - This hunt is unlocked right after Thextera but is probably too difficult to complete with one character. With Penelo or a bigger group it should be no problem. Sign up with Dantro in the Estersand camp and you'll have to go to the Yardang Labyrinth to find the Flowering Cactoid. Magic works well on him but you can just regular attack also, just stay with him as he runs through other enemies. He can use the 1000 Needles skill near death which will be an instant kill if it hits one of your characters. Dantro gives you 10 Potions and 500 Gil for the hunt and you can bring the cactoid flower to Dantro's wife, an entirely different side quest.

After Escaping Garamsythe and Barheim Passage

Wraith - You can fight him alone but you're better off getting the rest of your members to join you. Talk to Milha to initiate the hunt and go into the sewers and Wraith will appear in the first area. He generally casts Doom on all of your characters so you'll need a few Phoenix Down to revive your allies. Dark and Blind can be annoying spells so a Mage Masher to Silence him could be useful for you. Wraith is susceptible to Thunder so use that as your main offensive threat.

Cluckatrice - This battle is probably much too hard for you when it first pops up with Montblanc. Cluckatrice can begin after talking to Dania in the Giza Plains Dry Season settlement. Have the best weapons and armor as this is a brutal physical battle with Cluckatrice having three Chickatrice's with it. Cluckatrice will Petrify your characters with Break and goes on a combo spree towards the end of it's line so it's imperative to concentrate on the chicks. You can Blind them and it will not go away so do this to all of them, and then either gang up on them one by one or use spells like Dark that hit all of them. Surround the Cluckatrice once it is by itself and keep up on your healing as it's attacks just get faster and combo more often. Far and away your hardest mark yet.

Lhusu Mines

Rocktoise - Another difficult hunt through Montblanc. Rocktoise has high HP, attack and defense so any positive status effects you can get the better, along with the best weapons and armor up to this point. While powerful he is slow to act and even slower to move, so attacking him with a long ranged member and running around with that member will allow your other two characters to attack Rocktoise at will. Skeleton's might pop up during this battle so dispatch them when that time comes. In addition you might find that Slow or Blind works for a time on Rocktoise to neutralize his tough attacks. 1200 Gil, a Hi Potion and a Heavy Coat are your rewards from Pilika in Bhujerba.

Nidhogg - Like the Rocktoise battle, this is tough when it is first available. You are to talk to Aekom and then go to the third room in the Lhusu Mines. Clear out the other enemies that pop out in the area first if you can, and then engage Nidhogg. Try to inflict Blind on him as that can be your best friend in this battle. He is weak against Fire but I ran out of magic as he neared death, and then he started spamming Tail Slash and melee attacks. Using a Quickening towards the end of his life would be a good idea. Back to Aekom and your rewards are 600 Gil, Rose Corsage, Balaclava and a Great Serpentskin.

Nam-Yensa Sandsea

Wyvern Lord - Go to the Rabanastre weapon shop for details and then to Simoon Bluff (right at the end, the north path) of Nam Yensa. You'll see the Wyvern Lord flying off near the cliff and it'll eventually come near land, but kill off the Bagoly's around the area first. You probably have Vossler at this point which would be a big help with his Telekinesis. Since he's flying you'll need ranged melee weapons (Elfin Bows) or magic / technicks. As for Wyvern Lord he likes to use Aero and Flame Breath so your best bet is to surround him. Keep your characters as far apart as possible, which shouldn't be so hard considering you'll have long range weapons anyway. You're at the point where using statuses like Protect and Berserk on your tanks is a must, so do this for a few of your bow-wielding characters. Your reward back in Rabanastre is 1000 Gil, Longbow and a Shell Shield.

After Tomb of Raithwall

Croakadile - This is one of many new hunts that pop up at this juncture. He is in Giza Plains during the rainy season. The southwest part of Giza Plains (Starfall Field) has a sunstone and the bridge near it is where the Croakadile will pop out. It may surprise you but if you see the bridge beforehand, get Protect and Berserk and whatever else you use up. Close range weapons you have probably will do more damage but long range weapons will allow you to avoid attacks like Aqua Bubble that would hit multiple close range people. His melee attacks get more repetitive as he gets closer to death so that's another issue to deal with, and he'll usually have used Growing Threat (raises level) at this point. After he croaks you get the Ring of the Toad, which you should give to the Giza Plains elder during the Dry Season. Return to the guy at the nomad village to get 1200 Gil, Serpent Rod and a Teleport Stone.

Enkelados - Talk to the Low Chief Sugumu to set up this hunt, which is in The Shred area of the Ozmone Plains. This area is home to some rare game, notably Bull Croc and Aeros. You are to kill all the monsters in this area and then return and Enkelados should be there. You'll have a moment to get Protect and Berserk on your tanks, and then charge him. Your best bet is to have your non berserked ally to attack with a bow and run away from the slow Enkelados, allowing your tanks to do a number on him. You probably have Larsa with you, making this even easier with his healing abilities. Enkelados is most dangerous for his Restore ability that he'll use a few times. This will be a long fight but he doesn't have much offense other than his Spin Kick. He drops an Errmonea Leaf and the Low Chief Sugumu in Jahara will award you with 1100 Gil, an Ether and a Golden Amulet.

Ring Wyrm - Talk to Balzac in Lowtown and then head to the Windtrace Dunes in Westersand. If there is a sandstorm you should be able to find the Ringwyrm in the southwest part. Protect and Haste are a must and Berserk for your tanks. He has a really high HP level and will use Restore, but only once. His attacks like Breath and Fira can kill you but his tendency to be slow means your tanks should be able to maul him so long as you keep Protect and Shell up so that they survive his onslaught. Balzac will give you 200 Gil, Moon Ring and an Icebrand for Whom the Wyrm Tolls.

White Mousse - A level 5 hunt, wow. It is actually very difficult but if prepared it can be rather easy. Talk to Sorbet, the westersand moogle, to set up the hunt and then buy three Viking Coats, but don't equip them yet (unless they are your best armor). Head for the Garamsythe Waterway, specifically the West Sluice Control. Clear the area of course. See the stairs leading to the water? Don't go there yet, but first equip those Water absorbing Viking Coats and then use Protect and Haste on everyone. Berserk your tanks and then run down the stairs to get the White Mousse to come out. With Waterga out of the picture you just have to worry about his physical attacks and his ability to Blind / Slow / Poison you. As his high HP starts to deplete he will absolutely spam Waterga so if you don't have Viking Coats, have fun. After the White Mousse goes down you get a Broken Key and Sorbet gives you 2800 Gil and the Yoichi Bow for Lost in the Pudding. The Yoichi Bow is brilliant and the earlier you can get this the better. Sorbet also gives you the Broken Key back but as The Sluice Gate Key instead. Note that if you aren't at the point where you can buy Viking Coats you'll need to work on keeping Reflect up or putting White Mousse to Sleep or some method to stop the Waterga.

Orthros - Just fought a Flan, go fight another one now. Sign up with Montblanc and talk to the warehouse Seeq. To Garamsythe Waterway, to the area just east of where you fought White Mousse. Go to the nearby Save Crystal and put an all female party in as Orthros won't spawn otherwise (you can switch out afterwards though). He likes to use Mythril Bubbles and Darkra and physical attacks so Protect and Shell should be up. If you really want to cripple his chances, Blind him, otherwise the usual Haste / Berserk tank strategy should allow you to handle another high HP yet relatively weak hunt. You receive a pack of Stolen Articles and returning back to the Contrite Thief will net you 3800 Gil, Horakhty's Flame and an Unpurified Ether for Crime and Punishment. You will also get a very important Blackened Fragment from this hunt.

Marilith - The bar master at the Sand Sea will be the petitioner for this hunt. Go to Zertinan Caverns via the south part of Dalmasca Westersand and you'll be right by the area where Marilith resides. Continue south in this first area of Zertinan and you'll see a frog, a trap and some sunlight to your west. Clear the area and get Protect / Haste / Berserk up, and then go to the far east part of the map in this area to get Marilith to come out. It attacks fast but just with normal attacks and Tail Spear which can Slow you. Getting Haste back up is essential so that you don't lose time in an already fast fight. The increased likelihood of combos towards the end results in possible deaths but keep Cura and Raise ready for that possibility. A cask of Serpentwyne Must is your reward and the bartender at Rabanastre wants it. He will give you 2200 Gil, 3 Teleport Stones and a Serpent Eye for A Tingling Toast.

Gil Snapper - Another Montblanc hunt, and another tough turtle battle. Giza must be raining and then you are to talk to Nanau near the southern save crystal. You'll receive the Silence Urn from her and then hear that you have to cut down trees to make a bridge. There are six total including one in the area you start off in. Just go up to it and you'll be prompted to cut it down. The other areas with trees are Starfall Field, Toam Hills, Gizas North Bank, Throne Room and Nomad Village. After all of them have been cut down a new path to the southeast will have opened up. Bansat will meet you as you enter and will tell you whether Gil Snapper is there or not. If he doesn't say it's there exit out and return. After he says it's there he won't again so you'll have to take him on them or check for yourself later. This is a tough tank battle like Rocktoise but if you have Protect / Shell / Bravery / Haste / Berserk you should be okay. If you have Dispel then use that also. If his physical attacks are getting to you, try to get your Yoichi Bow user to get his attention and run around, exposing the slow Gil Snapper to your tanks. Gil Snapper will be drawn into the urn so return during the Dry Season of Giza Plains for 3000 Gil and a Phobos Glaze for Paradise Risen.

Henne Mines

Ixtab - An easy hunt. Talk to High Chief Zayalu at Jahara to set thisone up. Get a Chocobo at the Jahara Entrance and race off to the Henne Mines. Hit the switch within and go south to Phase 1 Shaft. Hit the switch here and take either path and Ixtab will come out as the two join. Doom and Death Sentence are his favorites but meager physical attacks will be what he uses mostly. If you've defeated some of the tougher marks before this one was available you should have no problem. He can also Annul your magic level and spam some mediocre spells near his death, so get the Haste and Berserk out to allow your tanks to kill him before he does any damage. Chances are he will Annul one of your Berserked tanks and not your protective character farther away from combat. Back at Jahara you get 1300 Gil, an Ether and Soul Powder for The Dead Ought Sleep Forever.

Mt. Bur Omisace

Feral Retriever - This is an easier hunt also so sign up for it as you get here. Talk to Hymms in Bur Omisace to hear about it and then go to the Save Crystal in Paramina Rift, Save, and go west of here. Protect and Haste your characters and Berserk your tanks. His Blaster attack can kill you or screw your statuses up as can Balance. Still though, expect physical attacks out of him, at least until he nears death. Hymms will give you 1500 Gil, Recurve Crossbow and two Teleport Stones for completing Befoulment of the Beast.

Antlion -A tough hunt, especially for when it appears. You acquire the site 3 key for this hunt and you'll have to get to where you fought Rocktoise to use it in the Lhusu Mines. This will enable you to enter a previously inaccessible area, one with much harder monsters like Dullahans. Eventually you'll get to the Lhusu Mines Gate Crystal, where you should save and prepare for Antlion. Soon after you'll reach a room where you'll see a bright red dot and plenty of little red dots. This is Antlion along with four or five Mantis'. The worst part is, you can't just draw the Mantis' out and kill them first; they're all so close together that when one of them rushes you, you'll get the entire group after your ass. Needless to say the beginning of this battle if mayhem as you need to get rid of the Mantis' as soon as possible before they devour your group. One of your characters will have to cast Cura constantly and Raise too. Even with good armor and Protect on they'll cut through your defenses. Antlion can Cannibalize the Mantis' to increase it's own strength and ability and should this happen you're dealing with an infinitely harder battle. Use Warp on the Mantis to get rid of them quick or just hope your Berserk / Haste / Protect tanks will mow through them before Antlion (itll probably be a combination of both). Once Antlion is by himself just keep your health and statuses up and you should be okay. He'll use Enrage to make himself faster and more violent but all he'll use is Flatten and regular attacks, but if he cannibalized one of his Mantis' that will make him dangerous. Return to Bhujerba for 4300 Gil, Bubble Belt and Sickle-Blade for the Antlion Infestation.

Trickster - Talk to Gurdy in Mt. Bur Omisace for this tricky hunt. Like Antlion, this hunt is available a lot earlier than you should go after it. He will hit you hard and then run, and is the first hunt to use physical palings (physical attacks being useless for a few minutes). Go to the Frozen Brook part and Monid the Clan Centurio Bangaa hunter will come out and tell you about the hunt. Walk around and eventually a huge white chocobo will pop out. Again, he hits hard with physical attacks and Choco-Comet so Bubble Belts are a must especially if you fight this early on. Get your Protect / Haste / Berserk buffs up, and it should be easy to wear him down to about 20%. He will however put up a physical paling at about this point so if you can get Quickenings up before this and kill him, good for you. Otherwise you'll have to rely on non elemental spells like Bio to do damage until the Paling wears off, in the meantime dealing with Tricker going through a melee attack spam rage at the end of his HP bar. 4800 Gil and Deimos Clay will be your reward from Gurdy for this hunt and if you sell the Deimos Clay that will unlock the Canopic Jar in your clan shop.

After Judge Bergan battle in Bur Omisace

Vorpal Bunny - A pretty easy fight I'd say, talk to Nera in the east part of Eruyt to start it and then go to the center part of The Rustling Chapel to get the Vorpal Bunny to come out. The bunny isn't really hard but it'll run from you and have full hp if it successfully gets away, plus it'll run through other monsters that you'll then have to take care of. If you don't want it to run you can Berserk it and if you don't want it to hit you, you can Blind it. Otherwise just take care of it for a Rabbit's Tail and then a scene with Alja in Eruyt. After the scene you get 2000 Gil, Lightning Arrows and Gillie Boots for A Chase Through the Woods.

MindFlayer - Definitely a step up from the Vorpal Bunny battle. Talk to Warrior Gurumu in Jahara and go to the Henne Mines. Specifically, head for the southeast area of Phase 1 Dig to see MindFlayer appear. Mind Flayer can create problems with his status attacks like Stop, Sap and Blind. Soul Etude is a favorite of his, restoring his HP once. If he puts up Hero's March, Dispel all of those positive stats. If he does Invert on a character be prepared to heal asap. Towards the end his defense stiffens and you'll see his magic attacks more often, but still aren't powerful enough to bother you too much. For the Mine Flayer you receive 2200 Gil and the Carmagnole from Warrior Gurumu of Jahara.

Atomos - Talk to your bangaa buddy Burrogh in Nalbina to start the Atomos Hunt. Go to the central area of Mosphoran for the Gate Crystal and then north until you get to an area with Vultures and a down sloped hill. You should see Atomos from afar so finish off those Vultures first. Get near Atomos and put up Haste / Protect / and Berserk / Bravery on your tanks. Atomos is another tremendously slow character so attacking him with a bow character and running from him will allow your tanks to slash through him immediately. So Dispel him right away and run away with that character to begin doing this strategy. He doesn't do much other than put up positive statuses and use Spinkick to attack. He can also use Restore but his tendency to be slow to catch you may mean he'll never get that off. Burrogh at Nalbina will give you 1800 Gil, Diamond Shield and Gaia Rod for the Atomos hunts completion.

Braegh - Braegh is in the Salikawood, near the entrance to Necrohol of Nabudis. First though talk to Va'Kansa in the center of the Mosphoran Wasteland to set it up. You'll have to defeat the Bomb King to get to Braegh, a tougher task than defeating Braegh itself probably. Teleport to Salikawood and head northwest, taking the westmost paths. You'll see a unicorn even farther west in another area, this is Braegh. As you turn the corner get your protective status spells up like Shell and Protect and then just tank him with Bravery / Berserk characters. He may use Invert so Curaga right away but other than that his next best ability is probably Thundara. Back with Va Kansa is 1700 Gil, Hi Ether and Obelisk for the Rodeo to the Death fight against Braegh.

Bloodwing - For this hunt you have to complete the Dalmasca Estersand sidequest with Dantro's Wife and the traveler who eventually gives you the Barheim Key. Click the link in the above paragraph for information on how to complete the sidequest. When you get the Barheim Key, use it southeast of camp in the Murmuring Defile area. As you backtrack through Barheim and get to the Save Crystal, go south a little and then west for a new area. Take the northmost exit and then go west and northwest for the exit. In the Zeviah Span you are to go south and take the left path where you will see a boat that you can push over to continue south more. Going west now across this huge bridge will get Bloodwing to come out, so slowly go across and clear the enemies as you go. When Bloodwing comes out, retreat a little so that you don't go farther and get more enemies to spawn. Or you could continue west and the next room has a Save Crystal and you could clear the opposite end and fight Bloodwing, your choice. It attacks fast with physical attacks, Leech and Eerie Soundwaves but nothing too powerful, although the sheer speed of it will make you heal. He evades well but a Yoichi Bow is ideal for inflicting heavy damage on him at a fast rate. Back at the Estersand Camp you'll get 2400 Gil, Stun Bombs and Vampyr Fang for The Deserter's Revenge from No. 381.

Roblon - Probably the toughest hunt you've had in a while. Talk to Morgen in Nalbina about the Roblon hunt. This in the Nabreus Deadlands, where you'll find a secret path that connects you to the northwestern areas, specifically Overlooking Eternity. This area is absolutely cluttered with Dead Bones, and they don't have an unlimited number of spawns so you're simply going to have to eliminate them all in this area to have a chance against Roblon. The good news is Roblon won't go after you unless you go up near him, so don't worry about him chasing you. Roblon himself will cast weak secondary magic and drain your MP with Fear. Just use the usual Bravery / Haste / Berserk tank strategy and with one healer you should be fine. Morgen gives you 3100 Gil, Giant's Helmet and Mythril for Adding Insult to Injury.

Carrot - A dangerous status inflicting malboro. In the aerodrome of the Nalbina Fortress you will find Zammadria, and then you should go to the Salikawood. Don't kill any enemies until you see this Carrot creature so just flee west a screen from the Gate Crystal and then south where you will meet the Viera to help you. Continue to flee south and you'll see the huge Malboro Carrot. Have your usual tank strategy ready although long range weapons might be wise to have as Carrot's status attack abilities hit only certain areas. Dispel it immediately and then go to work on it. After Dispelling it, it likes to use Hero's March so you should continue to Dispel Carrot. Like most tough hunts it has a propensity for combo melee attacks towards it's death. Decoy might be nice so that you only have to Curaga / Esuna one person. Back to the Aerodrome and Zammadria for 5200 Gil, Stink Bombs and Putrid Liquid for the Carrot Stalk hunt.

Archadia / Draklor's Laborary

Darksteel - The homesick man in the Archades weapon shop sets up the Darksteel hunt. Getting to it is simple and so is defeating it. Go to Old Archades and enter Sochen Cave Palace. A few screens south to Temptation Eluded and you'll see the Darksteel. Dispel to get rid of Bravery and Protect and Shell and then start tanking it. Like all other slow tortoise-type's, you can use the long range decoy effect to ensure your Berserk / Brave / Haste tanks can demolish Darksteel's weak defenses. The homesick man will reward you with 3000 Gil, Lead Bolts and Adamantite for Shelled Obstruction.

Vyraal - Speak with the Viera Wayfarer and then go to the center area of the Cerobi Steppe, The Northsward. The Viera Wayfarer will help a little but don't expect much. Vyraal should be Dispelled at the start and Diamond Sword's do wonders on it. Vyraal does have the ability to put up a magic paling and uses Sonic Fangs and Lunge for attacks, but the combo attacks are the most dangerous part unless you have Bubble Belts for all. Vyraal may use Restore if he can manage to get it off.

Goliath - In Nalbina there is a bangaa named Barrong who wants some help with his bestiary. He sends you off to Necrohol of Nabudis to encounter Goliath. To get there, don't take the Salikawood entrance but the Nabreus Deadlands path and Goliath will be on the first screen. Of course do your best to kill the surrounding enemies and then engage Goliath. He likes to use spells surprisingly so Shell is paramount and if you have something to absorb wind or water then even better. Reflect is another option, but as he gets near death he'll focus more on physical combo attacks so get Protect up in this case. He is slow moving so if you can get him to chase a character you'll reap the benefits. Back to Barrong in Nalbina Fortress for 3600 Gil, Save the Queen and Enherjarium item for the Creature Collector hunt.

Lindwyrm - A tough, tough fight. It has a ton of HP and uses Restore a few times so this truly is a battle of attrition for you. Talk to the petitioner and go to the Tchita Uplands, but it must be during the cloudy weather (not rainy or sunny). Go from the Phon Coast to Tchita Uplands back and forth until it is cloudy. As for the actual battle, considering L2 Sleep will be a huge detriment, it may be wise to fight with odd level characters. If you are having trouble with that get a Firefly to hold your exp level. This takes a huge weight off your shoulder as it'll still use these abilities (L4 Break also) to no avail. However he still has Stone Breath and Rake and can put up barriers and such, so have Dispel ready and Bubble Belts equipped so you can handle the damage he inflicts. Expect Restore twice unless you can finish him off as he gets low.

Deathscythe - Harder than the Lindwyrm for me, but in a totally different way. Talk to Popol in Nalbina and then head to the Necrohol of Nabudis from Nabreus Deadlands again. As you get to Cloister of the Highborn from the Hall of the Ivory Covenant, clear out most of the enemies in the area except a few. Take those few monsters and run towards that stairway and switch in some of your poor characters so that they can get killed. Once two of these characters are dead Deathscythe will appear and you can switch in your good characters and begin the fight. Of course clear out the rest of the enemies and then maybe get a Stop preventing armor or have Cronos Tears. He likes to use the most annoying ability on the game, Annul, and you may be scrambling to use your Ethers / Phoenix Downs when he gets low in HP and uses Annul and kills your characters. Like most he's easy to get down to his lower stage and then begins to cast Death like mad and puts up a paling, so this will be bad for you. Good armor and Bubble Belts are a must because of this as you'll either have to hold out until the physical paling runs out or you'll have to use Curaga or other spells on Deathscythe. A tough battle indeed, when he dies Popol will give you 2800 Gil, a Hi Ether and a Soul of Thamasa for Dead City Watch.

Overlord - A rather simple fight but one that you must have the armor and physical attacks to keep up. Teleport to Tchita Uplands after talking to the seeq in the archadian technicks shop and then go to the Sochen Cave Palace. You are looking for Doubt Abandoned and on the left side as you are continuing on will be the Overlord's bright red dot. He specializes in physical attacks and uses Tri Attack and Pyromania. You have the archadian seeq's "help" in this one. The Overlord hits hard but Protectga can deal with that, and your Bravery / Haste / Berserk tanks will do a ton of damage on there own. Overlord has a surprisingly low HP count and defense so after Dispel - ing him it should be easy to grind him down, but watch out for his potent attacks. Back at the Archades Technicks Shop you'll get 3500 Gil, a Hi Ether and a Teleport Stone for The Things We Do...

Belito - This is an interesting hunt as Montblanc seems kind of shady about it. Sign up with him and it seems Monid the Centurio Clan Bangaa is suspected of being the hunter attacking the clan members. Regardless, rest up and go to the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea via teleport and enter the Zertinan Caverns in the Central Junction area. From here go northwest and you'll be in the part of the Ogir Yensa only accessible through Zertinan. Go to the end of this area, Withered Shores, and you'll see a bangaa as you approach the end. Before you go up ahead get your positive status effects up. Turns out Monid is here but also Ba'Gamnon and a friend of his. You've been ambushed, but Monid fights on your side so it's 4 on 2 for a bit. A few seconds after though BaGamnon has a few more friends run in to make it four on four. Hopefully you got Protectga / Haste / Bravery / Berserk up before you entered this battle otherwise you'll get pummeled initially. Monid and BaGamnon seem to go at it so try to gang up on his friends to slowly make the numbers favor you. You'll have to be very conservative with all the bangaa alive and at least one character should be using Cura often (or Curaga if you have a character Decoyed). Shining Ray and Fangs will be Ba Gamnon's favorite moves but once he's by himself it won't matter. Still, the beginning is dangerous and if you're bunched too close together you could easily get wiped out as BaGamnon's reinforcements ambush you a few seconds in. If you can withstand the first burst you'll see Bagamnon dive into the sea and Monid will give you 5100 Gil and a Megalixir for A Dark Rumor.

Mystery Man - Talk to Montblanc to set this one up. The Antlion hunt is a prerequisite. Anyway, teleport into the Lhusu Mines and go west and the hunt will begin. It is against FF5 legend Gilgamesh and Enkidou, his dog. Dispel them both and get your statuses up. Concentrate on Enkidou first as he has typical dog maneuvers like Eerie Soundwaves but in general relies on fast melee attacks and isn't much of a threat in this battle. Gilgamesh has some nice combos but if you have Bubble Belts and have handled the above hunts, Gilgamesh should be easy to defend. Decoy is nice so that you only have to worry about Curaga on one character. Each 20% of Gilgamesh's health will be a cut scene and you will be allowed to Steal a new treasure from him. This isn't that important at first but between the 40%-20% range you can get the Genji Shield and between 20% - 0% range you can steal a Genji Gauntlet. He puts up a shield where you can't hurt him until he does two Ultimate Illusions, but these aren't too hard to absorb and since you can't attack him it's easy to be well rested and well protected for when they come. After his paling goes down, destroy him and they'll run away.

Gilgamesh Hunt 2 - At the Phon Coast hunter camp is a Bhujerban who fell from the sky and there is the site key right next to him. At the west part of gate 9 you can use this key to continue onward where harder monsters lie. As you continue to the southeast you'll reach a Save Point. Save and get your barriers up, Gilgamesh is ahead. This is much harder than the first one and if you judge him by the last battle you'll be sorely mistaken. Gilgamesh now uses L2 Sleep L3 Disable and L4 Break so try to match up your levels or get a protective accessory for the L2 or L3. Killing Enkidou fast is extremely important but you shouldn't underestimate his speed and ability to evade your attacks especially near his death. Your best bet is to do the Nihopalaoa / Remedy trick to put him to Sleep and Blind him. From then on try to tank him or do high level magic on him. After that it's all about keeping Protectga / Hastega / Bubble up and continue to keep them healed as Gilgamesh's attacks are a lot more powerful and the combo rate gets a little ridiculous near his death. Of course you can steal a Genji Helm at the 40% - 20% range and a Genji Armor at the 20% to 0% range, might want to do that.

When Reddas joins for Pharos Ridorana

Catoblepas - War Chief Supinelu in Jahara signs you up for this one. You are to go to Zertinan Caverns and fight Catoblepas with him. If you recall where Adrammelech is, roughly in the center of Zertinan, you are to go east and south a little to get to a Save Point. Continue that direction and you'll see sand falling, you can walk through this area to get to the secret Hourglass Basin part. You'll see Supinelu so get your protective stuff up, especially Haste / Berserk / Bravery for your tanks, and then rush up and Dispel Catoblepas. You can Blind him and tear him apart. He's pathetic for this late in the game. In Jahara you receive Arctic Wind, Volcano and 3200 Gil.

Piscodaemon - Ivaness at the top of Mt. Bur Omisace sets this battle up in the Gate of Fire of Giruvegan. As you backtrack through Giruvegan remember to line the paths up and walk through to make the green bridges appear. At the west part of Gate of Fire you'll see Piscodaemon, so clear out the area if Vivian or Gargoyles and then get Protect / Shell / Haste / etc up. Dispel isn't even really necessary as he just has Shell up but if you're casting spells on him you might as well. His low HP and overall meager ability (despite the annoying Reverse) will mean you'll have this wrapped up in a minute or two. Again, far too easy for you right now, but you do get 3800 Gil, Dark Shot and Scathe Mote for The Black Sorcerer.

Wild Malboro - Talk to Rena in Eruyt and then go near where you fought Rafflesia in the Feywood. You'll see the huge Wild Malboro with some young Malboro's. With all these status ailments likely to come your way, keep Decoy up and have one character ready for Esuna all the time. As you destroy the other weak Malboro's you'll be able to focus on the bigger one. Dispel the Wild Malboro to start the battle and work it's health down, but you'll want to time a Quickening just right so that Soul Etude or a paling doesn't prevent you from finishing the battle early. If he gets one or both off it'll be a much longer battle. Back in Eruyt you receive 4600 Gil and Euclid's Sextant for A Wild Stench.

Diabolos - Much harder than the last few jokes. Talk to Miclio in Bhujerba and then teleport to Lhusu Mines. Go to the southwest part of Site 11 and you'll see Diabolos. Bubble should be up as Scourge and Pyromania will trounce you otherwise. Curse can be an issue so have Esuna ready and Dispel ready if he re-casts Haste. He'll throw a paling up towards the end of his life and against you'll have to withstand tough Scourge attacks so hopefully you're prepared for that. Once the Paling is down you should be able to finish him quickly.

Deathgaze - Seems like Doomgaze from FF6. Anyway, definitely the toughest of this group so far. Talk to the traveler in any Aerodrome to see if Deathgaze is close. Keep flying around to different Aerodromes until he says it is close. When he does, Save and then choose to fly again and you'll have the option of fighting it. Go up the stairs and continue to go up until you're on the deck. Up one more set of stairs and you're at Deathgaze so get your protective stuff up beforehand. You can get instantly killed by Crushing Fangs and it is powerful regardless. A paling comes out right away so having Faith on initially could be smart. Use Bio while you're waiting or prepare Esuna if he Diseases, Saps, Confuses, etc you. He'll use Restore and Renew so if you can't combo or Quickening him to death when he gets low that'll be a huge detriment. Another Paling will come up and as he gets more desperate Reverse will come up also. Dispel this especially if you have Berserked tanks attacking like mad. This will be a grueling battle and the little traveler kid gives you 3400 Gil and two Elixir for Visitor on Deck.

Ixion - is to be signed up for with the Whitecap Wench in Port Balfonheim. Teleport to Pharos at Ridorana and use the elevator to go to Penumbra. You will now be in Subterra - Origin of Darkness. If there are monsters around the circle you are at then Ixion won't appear. If so, use the elevator back up to the 1st floor and then back down to Subterra until there are no monsters. When this happens just get your Protect / Shell / Haste / Bravery / Berserk combo up and run around until it appears. Dispel him and notice that Ixion is especially prone to tankers as it'll put a magic barrier up at the halfway point. He'll also use Fearga which will deplete everyone's MP. Most of his attacks are physical ones like Kick that take off 1000-2000 so Curaja should be ready at all times. Towards the end his defense gets a huge boost and he'll start using Thundaga and Aeroga. Your reward is 3000 Gil, Sapping Bolts and the Ragnarok Great Sword!

Farnir - Some of the tougher hunts remain before it's time to do the end game with Bahamut. Talk to the petitioner Relf in Mt. Bur Omisace and she'll give you the details (talking to her makes the snowstorm appear). Get a chocobo and go into Paramina Rift. You are to go one screen west, one south, and then take the southeast exit. From here take a quick south and if it is snowing Fafnir will be in this secluded area. He has a tremendous amount of HP. Having Ice Shield's to halve his White Breath is a necessity. His combos will eventually get you with Rake and Shock will probably kill you outright unless you are a full health Bubble Belt character. You can Slow and Sap him, the Slow being worth it but you have to constantly apply it. Continue the tanking and after half an hour probably you'll have depleted his 1 million HP. After the battle you get a Ring of the Light. Back to Relj you get 7000 Gil, Teleport Stone and Assassin's Arrows for Wyrm Wrath's Renewal.

Pylraster - should be one of your final hunts. Talk to Rikken a few times at Port Balfonheim and you'll race him. Afterwards he wants you to go on a hunt for him to see who is the strongest. Pylraster is no fun that's for sure. You are to teleport to Pharos at Ridorana and then go west into the large area. Down the stairs you'll see a huge dinosaur running around They Who Thirst Not. This is Pylraster. His attack is ridiculous so please have Protect up. Unlike most later hunts, this guy doesn't ignore evade (meaning equipping a high level shield plus Decoy on that characters means lots of blocked attacks). You can also Slow him with the Nihopalaoa trick. He is most dangerous near death of course as his defense is seemingly tripled, his speed is up and his strength is even higher (all from Growing Threat increasing his level). If you lose a character near death it's likely he'll kill your entire party off or you'll have to run out of the room to rest up, as his speed truly is much faster even with Slow. If you can manage to keep all your characters alive just spam Curaja near the end to replenish any attacks that aren't blocked by your shield. Return to the Port at Balfonheim to get 8000 Gil, two Scathe Mote and a Grand Mace for Who's The Strongest!?