FF12 - how to get level 99 fast & early (stage 6-2: immobilize's great power)

[Backwardskey]

Hey, me again. Would it be worth it to start over if I wanted to do the 70-hour method instead? (Assuming I only got as far as this video and have already done the ND event?)

[ulillillia]

If you have a save from before you made the story progress, use that. Otherwise, you'll have to start from the beginning. This is why my GameFAQs guide urges you to have this backup save. It does mean having to get the burning bow again.

[mitsutak1]

ulillillia would it matter if you got the silver bow??????? instead

[ulillillia]

The silver bow is much too weak to deal with anything above stage 6 of the process so it won't work for the later stages. It can work quite well for stages 4 and earlier though.

[mitsutak1]

@ulillillia oh alright

[acesiler]

i found if u flee to the sunstone round the corner they stop and fall back

[JonSchaffer57]

Following the seventy hour method... getting to 55 on werewolves was monotonous... and I know it's just going to get worse now. I made it a point to get a 200 chain of werewolves per day (usually about two hours)... when this stopped leveling me four times, I made it a point to level four times per day... I ended up doing a 300 chain at one point.

Also - You aren't kidding about these videos being outdated... the gamefaqs guide is much more refined and efficient.

[ulillillia]

You'll be able to defeat the werewolves quite fast later on which does accelerate the process considerably. You can start the dive talons later, but it's much more difficult as you'll need 4 hits in order to defeat them, quite a bit.

[kylemenos]

The chain lv can be made low by only getting a few low chains. eg get 2-3 small chains and the chain gauge will set to a low target like 10. If your always getting high chains the target might get to 50 or so till it lvs up.

[ulillillia]

Actually, avoiding the items until chain level 4 is reached (when the gold coins begin appearing) is what you need. I can often get max chain around the 30 area this way. Getting items tends to push that back well into the hundreds at times (170 is, I think my highest before getting chain level 4).

[sangrentocousin]

@ulillillia WHERE DID YOU GET IMOBILISE MAGIC SO SOON????????????????

[ulillillia]

It becomes accessible once you complete the Nalbina Dungeons event.

[MrDetonados04]

you are very good in this game keep it up

I am Brazilian so I can do errors in grammar

[kotteb]

wh3en u want lp get as many ponix dowsn as possible and chain dustias.

u may only get 1k exp, but u get  3LP everytime, and u get it FAST also! :D

[ulillillia]

Dustia, however, is a very risky method for both EXP and LP. Needing to have just 10% HP remaining is very dangerous when Vaan is alone. It's not as bad though when you have a party, so reserves can be made use of if things go wrong. 1100 exp every 23 seconds (according to someone who sent me an E-mail on this) easily makes the dive talons for the 70-hour method much faster for leveling up on (that method peaks at 3700 exp a minute and it's infinitely sustainable, unlike dustia).

[kotteb]

@ulillillia ok O_O

i tried to get a smuch dustia chains a si coudl i n1 min i even recorded time when the screen was black.

i got 7 dustias and nearly 8 in 1 min*picked up books.

but well... i leave it to u :)

ur the pro here, thast why i chek ur vids!! ^^

[ulillillia]

These videos are quite out of date and I'm working on remaking them... slowly but surely. Here, I get level 99 in 49 1/2 hours, but in the remake, it's looking to be from 42 to 45 hours. The 70-hour method has yet to be covered along with the obtaining of the game's near-best equipment once the dawn shard is obtained.

[kotteb]

@ulillillia oooooh....

nice.

lisen, i played this game sicne it came out and has some freaky ideas that could work very well.

if uwnat, we can PM

upon ur new lvl 99 thing i can chek every foe in game and see what they CAN drop and the rate of it.

hows it sound?

sur ei wont do it befroe u comfirme u liek the idea.

or u can just ask me about secain thoings and i help to find mroe info on it :D

[LuhEduardo07]

in this part of game, where you adquired immobilize?

[ulillillia]

Stage 6-1 covers that - Rabanastre.

[thetazz12ful]

poor werewolf's

[stuartgibb]

haha I get to level 20 before meeting Penelo by simply using Mist charges to kill one or more Werewolves, but instead of returning to the save point, I use MP Charge before running in circles to restore my MP, then I go back and keep chaining wolves until they've dropped a few Kotetsus (about 50 strength), then I simply fight the werewolves as they rarely stand a chance. Once I get to level 20, I meet Penelo, get her licences and have a ball with the Samurai Swords. :)

[engelmohr2006]

@stuartgibb I got to level 21 and went after dive talon next and got to level 30

[juanc409]

with the dustia method you get a little less exp points per enemie but it's faster and easier to get a 99 chain

[ulillillia]

Dustia is a very risky method and it'll eventually get superceded anyway in stage 8 of this process - I doubt you can get 9 dustias a minute and keep at that rate for extended time. You have to keep buying phoenix downs which costs time. The dive talon method, starting around level 55, becomes just as effective and by around level 70, exceeds it (this assumes you don't make story progress meaning immobilize is unavailable) and you can keep at it perpetually.

[DeathDragon4000]

If you set the gambits right, surely this method could be about, at maximum, 1 second per action quicker?

[ulillillia]

There's only one problem with the gambit route - you have to get within bow-range striking distance before the gambits take effect, a bit too close. Manual input will allow it to start at a much safer distance. Besides, immobilize may end up being used on any enemy you get near which will actually slow things down. Plus, the automovement gambits have when in use will cause a lot of trouble too - you don't want to suddenly get too close (and the gambits will cause that to happen)!

[VvJSlayerVv]

Do we have to keep a chain cuz im a wemp when it comes to wasting magic and hp. And problebly run for the clostest save crystle.

[ulillillia]

Keeping a chain is not a necessity. It is, however, a great way to accumulate gil and kotetsus. The latter is a weapon (a katana) with a pretty decent attack rating (the burning bow is still better). Once you complete the dash for level 99, you'll want to have 3 powerful weapons. The burning bow is the best, but if, during this, only get one or two, the kotetsus will help work wonders. The ax obtained during stage 8 (from selling the loot) is more powerful, but unreliable.

[VvJSlayerVv]

@ulillillia yeah cuz im training in the sewers and i sold loot and i got a fransica.

[Killswitch750]

@VvJSlayerVv umm whats a fransica (im kinda new too this game)

[ulillillia]

It's an ax (the most powerful weapon available at this early point in the game), obtained via the bazaar from selling some unrecalled enemy(ies) in the Garamsythe Waterway after the Nalbina Dungeons event. The level 39 enemies there are extremely dangerous early on, but stage 8 of this process explains how to make the most of them.

[Killswitch750]

@ulillillia ok thanks!

[VvJSlayerVv]

How far do u have to be to get immobilize.

[ulillillia]

Storywise, you only have to complete the Nalbina Dungeons event. You can buy it at Rabanastre.

[VvJSlayerVv]

@ulillillia cool how mucch do u recomend training in the sewers.

[ulillillia]

Stage 8, the final stage, of this same video series covers just that, the Garamsythe Waterway. It's the place where you can get level 99 within 50 hours, 40 if you're skilled and take bigger risks.

[TuNeAwAcK]

where do you obtain immobilize? Nalbina?

[ulillillia]

I believe this was covered in stage 6-1 - Rabanastre.

[blaackhart]

ok thx ;D

I find your way to get burning bow to long i tried a long time (about 7 hours or so) and didnt get it (with monograph), im going to try to imo them an hit with silver bow or smthing like tht

[ulillillia]

I tried for 8 hours and was almost about to give up myself. A 1% chance means that the odds are against you quite a bit. I've been told that there's a way to quit the game and return to the title. It can supposedly shave off about 50 seconds or something per attempt since you don't have to wait for title screens. It took me about 4 minutes per attempt on average so you could have it go 30% faster.

[justnotthatwhite33]

bro, it took me 12 hours. i was starting to have fun with each 20 to 23 quickning chain, when i hit 25 at 1:45 in the morning and it was just right there

[ulillillia]

Want a big quickening chain with ease? Although untested, only buy the first quickening level for each character and make story progress until you have access to the espers that require 3 mist charges. You may actually have 3 mist charges to use and with only 1 quickening available, you'll use them one at a time. Focus on one character and use up all slots. When empty, use another, using the "mist charge" when it appears. 40 or even 50 is within reach this way... if it works.

[justnotthatwhite33]

no my characters each had 2 except for penelo who had 3

[blaackhart]

srr I boder again , when can i get break ( the one that turns stone) early in game?

[ulillillia]

I don't know. I practically never use it because it takes too long for an enemy to turn into stone. In the time it takes to defeat 5 enemies with 25,000 HP using only physical attacks and cure/esuna spells when needed, stone finally kicks in.

[blaackhart]

I have a question, in what part of the story are you?

[ulillillia]

At this point in this video series, you've just gotten out of the Nalbina Dungeons. It's also immediately before Basch joins the party permanently. Before stage 6, it's just after defeating the Rogue Tomato and before first going into the Garamsythe Waterway.

[weiholau]

interesting strategy u have here, its different from others gw!! as for the lvl 99 thing ive seen many ppl finish the game at lvl 30, but the havelikethe best items

[weiholau]

ohh yeah did u get any kotetsus' from killing the warewolves?

[ulillillia]

Yes, but with the burning bow, the kotetsu is essentially useless since the burning bow does more damage than the kotetsu and you can strike your foes at a distance which makes "immobilize" a very crippling spell to enemies, as demonstrated in stages 6 through 8. It's the most powerful weapon you'll get for the next half of the game!

[ulillillia]

The latest I've ever been in this game without having everyone on level 99 is where I was supposed to be visiting Jahara for the first time, a mere 40% of the way through the game. I've never had Vaan below level 99 before getting Ashe. I'm very used to this kind of thing. The earliest I've reached level 99, done in under 100 hours, is that of before doing the Palace of Rabanaster and Nalbina Dungeons events (and I have a video showing this as well).

[crasheart35]

Also, i did not know you could do that, but i might have to wait to do it, since i just beat The judge ghis. this will help me get above 20.

[ulillillia]

The whole series has been uploaded and I show you how you can get to level 99 in barely 40 hours if done right (50 is quite easily doable). I've never been below level 55 before fighting Judge Ghis.... I've never had Vaan below level 99 before fighting Judge Ghis.

[crasheart35]

he was pretty easy, compaired to vossler, the easiest one was the first esper battle. Also, what about those wild saurian's, i want to fight those as well, but not sure if immobilize works on them.

[ulillillia]

Immobilize works on wild saurian, but this method is slow compared to stage 7 and very slow compared to stage 8. It's only worth 3000 exp, the same exp as the enemies in stage 8, and the enemies in stage 8 are at a much higher density so you can keep constantly attacking for experience (plus, respawning the enemies there takes not a whole minute, but mere seconds which significantly speeds it up).

[crasheart35]

Well my party is near the 20's, would a good way to go is cast Immobilize and use long-range attacks to kill them?

[ulillillia]

If you have a party and you've completed the Nalbina Dungeons event, then the enemies in the Garamsythe Waterway (in stage 8) are better, but having the "Martyr" license, the one that increases magic when HP is full, is almost a requirement at that low of a level, but you'll be gaining levels at a blazing fast rate.

[crasheart35]

If you didn't notice, i'm not sure though. The more you chain them, the more EXP you recieve. The only time i noticed was chaining the skeletions in the mines with Larsa.

[ulillillia]

Chains do not affect how much experience you get from an enemy. They, however, only affect the drop rate of various items. I've maxed the chain count (taking 2 hours to do it) and it has no effect on the experience.

[crasheart35]

That would make sense, i was hunting monsters of the same name.

[predeturd]

the chain level has its own counter, if you kill it goes up and if you pick up loot it goes down, to get it to go up really quickly don't pick up the loot (unless the chain number is flashing in which case theres no penalty for looting and thats the time to pick up the loot)

[ulillillia]

That could probably explain why I've had to wait clear until a chain size of over 130 until I got the final chain level and sometimes I get it with only 30. I've noticed that enemies that rarely drop anything at all tend to get the higher chain level earlier than enemies that frequently drop something, which could quite well explain this discrepancy. I've always picked up the loot as it's dropped, unless another foe is in the way that is too powerful to deal with (as seen in stage 8).