Final Fantasy IX
Boss FAQ
Version 1.0
By LightRanma@aol.com

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Disclaimer: You may not use this FAQ on your website or distribute it ANYWHERE
without my written permission first.  I usually say yes, but you have to ask me
first!  If I find anyone has done otherwise, I'll bring the law into it.  And
yes, this FAQ is copyrighted.  Thanks for cooperating!

*THE NEWEST VERSIONS OF ALL MY FAQS CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND AT WWW.GAMEFAQS.COM!*

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I.  Introduction
II.  Version History
III.  Legend
IV.  Boss Walkthrough
V.  Conclusion
VI.  Thanks

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I.  Introduction
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Yo, everyone - Ranma here, with his latest (and hopefully greatest) FAQ on
Square's newest masterpiece, Final Fantasy IX!  Some of you may know me by my
past works, especially my highly-acclaimed Boss FAQs for Chrono Cross, Final
Fantasy VIII, and Xenogears.  To my past readers, welcome back!  For those of
you who are new to my FAQs, you've come to the right place if you want all the
truthful, best strategies on the toughest Bosses.  As usual, this Boss FAQ will
be presented in the same layout as all my others; however, there's one thing
I'm doing differently this time.  This FAQ is work in progress; I have not
completed Final Fantasy IX, and in fact, I'm only halfway through Disc 1 at the
moment because I have so little free time.  So, unlike my other Boss FAQs,
which were uploaded with one version only and had all the game's Bosses, this
Boss FAQ will be uploaded numerous times as I get farther in the game and am
able to add new strategies.  In any case, enjoy, and E-mail me at
LightRanma@aol.com if you have any RPG questions.  Keep in mind, though, that
the response won't be immediate, and if you type "lazy style" ("u" instead of
"you," etc.), can't spell, and/or otherwise muck up your letter to where it's
not understandable, your mail will simply be ignored and deleted.  Sorry, but I
get way too many idiotic letters, and I only want to respond to people who have
at least half a brain.  And one more thing - *THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS FAQ*,
so read at your own risk.  Anyway, on to the FAQ!  ^_^

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II.  Version History
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Version 1.0, 11.23.00, 12:43 PM PST:
The initial version of my Final Fantasy IX Boss FAQ.  Added Boss strategies up
to Black Waltz Number 2, around halfway through Disc 1.

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III.  Legend
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Here, you'll get a general look at the layout of my Boss strategies.

Boss' Name:
Boss' HP:
Boss' Location:
Boss' Elemental Weakness:
Boss' Attacks
Spoils (common, then rare)
Stealable Items (common, then rare)
AP for Winning
My Party
Difficulty (1, easiest; 5, hardest)

Boss Strategy

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IV.  Boss Walkthrough
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- DISC 1 -

Boss Fight #1
Name: Steiner
HP: 169
Location: Prima Vista (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: None
Attacks: Physical attacks
Spoils: None
Stealable Items: Leather Hat, Silk Shirt
AP: None
My Party: Zidane (Level 1), Blank (Level 1), Cinna (Level 1)
Difficulty: 1

This battle with Steiner, and the two that follow, are extremely easy, but
things only get tougher after that, so enjoy the easiness while you can.  Have
Zidane and Blank attack, but make sure you have Cinna steal; Cinna seems to be
the best thief out of the whole gang, even Zidane.  Besides, you don't want to
miss the chance to pick up some nice stuff this early in the game!  If you
really need to, use a Potion to heal, but you really shouldn't since Steiner's
physical attacks are dismal.

Boss Fight #2
Name: Steiner
HP: 162
Location: Alexandria Theater (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: None
Attacks: Physical attacks
Spoils: None
Stealable Items: Leather Hat, Silk Shirt
AP: None
My Party: Zidane (Level 1), Garnet (Level 1), Vivi (Level 1), Marcus (Level 1)
Difficulty: 1

Now that you have a true party of four members, things will be even easier.  If
you didn't get both of Steiner's items with Cinna in the last battle, try to
steal what you missed using Zidane.  Otherwise, have Zidane and Marcus attack,
have Vivi cast fire, and have Garnet act as the party's healer if it ever
becomes necessary.  It probably won't be, though, and so you can have her
attack too, although her physical attacks are too weak to be of much help. 
Brace yourself - noble knight Steiner isn't done yet!

Boss Fight #3
Name: Steiner
HP: 167
Location: Alexandria Theater (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: None
Attacks: Physical attacks
Spoils: None
Stealable Items: Leather Hat, Silk Shirt
AP: None
My Party: Zidane (Level 1), Garnet (Level 1), Vivi (Level 1), Marcus (Level 1)
Difficulty: 1

You really should have jacked all of Steiner's stuff by now, but if you
haven't, try once again to do so with Zidane.  You can't do anything about the
Bomb that absentminded Steiner is completely oblivious to, so just whack that
stupid head of his over and over until the battle ends.  Have Garnet heal if
you need it, but otherwise, Steiner will fall quickly to the combined power of
Zidane's and Marcus' physical attacks and Vivi's Fire spell.

Boss Fight #4
Name: Prison Cage
HP: 513
Location: Evil Forest (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: Fire
Attacks: Physical attacks, Absorb, Left Tentacle, Right Tentacle
Spoils: None
Stealable Items: Leather Wrist, Broadsword
AP: None
My Party: Zidane (Level 5), Vivi (Level 1), Steiner (Level 1)
Difficulty: 3

This Boss' difficulty lies not within its actual strength, but the fact that
Garnet is being held prisoner by this thing, and if the Prison Cage is able to
drain all of her HP, it's Game Over.  This is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy
VIII's Adel battle - you have to be sure to keep Garnet's (in FF VIII's case,
Rinoa's) HP up at all times, and make sure that you do NOT hit her for any
reason.  All-hitting attacks are a big no-no, but you don't have any of those
anyway except for Zidane's Trance ability Tidal Flame, and an all-hitting Fire
spell.  Hit the Prison Cage fast and hard, but always keep one party member on
standby (hit Triangle to switch turns) to use a Potion on Garnet if her HP
reaches critical range (and it probably will).  I recommend using Steiner as
Garnet's healer, because he'll be doing the least damage in this battle (he'll
be Level 1 compared to Zidane's Level... well, something higher, and Vivi will
be doing high damage with Fire).  Whatever you do, just make sure you don't
accidentally target Garnet and kill her - especially when Zidane goes into
Trance.  Hold off on stealing for now - you'll get your chance in the next
battle.

Boss Fight #5
Name: Prison Cage
HP: 533
Location: Evil Forest (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: Fire
Attacks: Physical attacks, Absorb, Left Tentacle, Right Tentacle
Spoils: Phoenix Down, Eye Drop, Goblin Card
Stealable Items: Leather Wrist, Broadsword
AP: 3
My Party: Zidane (Level 5), Vivi (Level 1), Steiner (Level 1)
Difficulty: 2

Immediately after releasing Garnet and disappearing, the ever-persistent Prison
Cage captures Vivi by surprise, and another battle ensues - this time, for
Vivi's life!  I'm not quite sure if it's Game Over if Vivi does or not, but I'm
willing to bet that it is, so keep Vivi's HP up with Potions if the Prison Cage
decides to use Absorb.  In any case, this battle is a litte less urgent than
the last, because Vivi will automatically cast Fire on the Prison Cage every
turn (even while inside it?!) and do 90+ damage each turn.  This means it won't
take longer than six turns for the Prison Cage to die no matter what happens as
long as Vivi doesn't die, so use this battle to have Zidane plunder the Prison
Cage's items, especially making sure to get the Leather Wrist (an awesome
accessory for this point in the game).  Once again, the Prison Cage's physical
attacks are dismal, and the real danger comes in Vivi's imprisonment.  Have a
party member at the ready to heal Vivi if he needs it, and make absolutely sure
not to target Vivi!

Boss Fight #6
Name: Baku
HP: 150
Location: Prima Vista/Evil Forest (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: None
Attacks: Physical attacks
Spoils: None
Stealable Items: Hi Potion, Iron Sword
AP: None
My Party: Zidane (Level 5)
Difficulty: 3

Zidane fights this battle against his leader alone, and if you're not prepared,
Baku will make short work of Zidane.  Even at Level 5, Baku's attacks are
pretty damaging (when he doesn't miss, anyway), and it'll be extremely tough to
manage a Steal in this battle.  However, if you're confident you can survive
and you've got some Potions, try to get Baku's Iron Sword, because it will come
in handy when you get Steiner in your party.  Otherwise, all you can do is
trade physical blows with Baku.  Zidane will most likely be the one doing more
damage, but Baku's 20-30 damage hits will add up quickly, so make sure you have
some Potions at the ready.  Oh, and if you're tired of these "mini" boss
battles, you'll get your chance to test your mettle against a real Boss next!

Boss Fight #7
Name: Plant Brain
HP: 916
Location: Evil Forest (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: Fire
Attacks: Physical attacks, Pollen, Left Tentacle, Right Tentacle
Spoils: Phoenix Down
Stealable Items: Iron Helmet, Eye Drop
AP: 20
My Party: Zidane (Level 6), Garnet (Level 4), Vivi (Level 5), Steiner (Level 5)
Difficulty: 3

Here it is - your first real Boss fight, with the authentic Boss theme and
everything!  And this fight is no cakewalk, either; you've got to be alert in
this battle, or the Plant Brain will make short work of your party.  It shares
many similarities with its smaller counterpart, the Prison Cage; it has dismal
physical attacks, and it was a weakness to Fire, which Vivi can exploit. 
However, its physical attacks are nontheless a bit stronger than the Prison
Cage's, it's faster, and it has the devastating Pollen attack, which not only
does around 100 damage to your entire party, but also Blinds them, making it
tougher for anyone to hit much of anything.  However, the Darkness ailment
isn't as much of a problem as you'd think in this battle; the only character it
really affects is Zidane, but you'll want to have him Steal for the first few
turns anyway, to make sure you get the Iron Helmet that the Plant Brain has. 
Otherwise, you'll want to use Steiner's Fire Sword ability (which consumes
Steiner's MP, not Vivi's), which not only is not hindered by Darkness, but will
also cause big damage to the Plant Brain.  Of course, have Vivi cast Fire
relentlessly for more big damage, and always, ALWAYS keep Garnet on standby as
the party's medic, and they'll need a medic in this battle.  Never attack
physically with Garnet no matter how good a condition your party's in, because
your physical attacks are literally useless, and the Plant Brain may use Pollen
right after you've wasted her turn.  If Garnet is killed, use a Phoenix Down
immediately on her and use Potions to take care of the healing until she's
back.  But otherwise, Steiner's Fire Sword and Vivi's Fire will take care of
the Plant Brain pretty quickly - just have Garnet ready to cast Cure on the
whole party after it uses Pollen!

Boss Fight #8
Name: Black Waltz Number 1 and Sealion
HP: 229, 472
Location: Ice Cavern (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: Fire, Fire
Attacks: Fire, Blizzard; Physical attacks, Blizzard, Tidal Wave
Spoils: Hi Potion, Phoenix Down, Fang Card
Stealable Items: Silk Shirt, Remedy; Mythril Dagger, Ether
AP: 5
My Party: Zidane (Level 8)
Difficulty: 3

This battle is tough, because you have to fight it with Zidane alone.  With
your other party members, this would be a cinch... but unfotunately, you don't
have that leisure, so let's try to make do with what you have, shall we?  First
off, keep an eye on your HP at all times, and use Potions consantly to heal. 
If you feel Zidane's Level is high enough to survive, try to steal the Silk
Shirt from Black Waltz Number 1 (the wizard) and the Mythril Dagger (from
Sealion).  Both are great items, especially the latter.  Other than that,
though, focus your physical attacks on Black Waltz Number 1 first, because
Sealion just can't be killed without killing BW first (he casts Blizzard on the
Sealion to heal it, as it's Ice Elemental).  BW Number 1 will fall quickly to
Zidane's powerful physical attacks, as it has only 229 HP; the Sealion,
however, is a bit of a different story.  It has more HP, and it'll take awhile
to whittle down its 472 HP with only Zidane.  Hopefully, Zidane will go into
Trance at some point in the battle, at which point you can use Tidal Flame to
decimate Sealion.  As far as their attacks go, BW Number 1's Fire and Blizzard
spells are kind of damaging, but Sealion's physical attacks and Blizzard spells
are more dismal.  However, be careful!  When Sealion is near death, it will use
its awesome Tidal Wave attack on Zidane, causing around 100 damage, so keep
your HP above the amount with Potions.  But other than that, this battle isn't
too bad.

Boss Fight #9
Name: Black Waltz Number 2
HP: 1030
Location: Dali (Disc 1)
Elemental Weakness: Fire
Attacks: Fire, Fira, Blizzard, Thunder
Spoils: Ether, Zaghnol Card
Stealable Items: Steepled Hat, Leather Plate
AP: 5
My Party: Zidane (Level 10), Dagger (Level 8), Vivi (Level 9), Steiner (Level
9)
Difficulty: 4

This guy is nasty, and will give you your first real challenge in Final Fantasy
IX.  The first thing you should know about this guy is that this
menacing-looking demon witch has orders to return Dagger to Alexandria ALIVE,
so that means that he won't try to hurt Dagger.  At least, he didn't in my
game.  It's now more important than ever to keep Dagger on standby at all times
to be ready with a full-party Cure, because this guy has powerful attacks.  All
three of its basic spells - Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder, can do big damage, and
he tends to use them on the whole party at times, too.  He used Fira on my
party once as well, and it nailed me badly at 100+ damage to the whole party. 
He even went as far as to kill Vivi, so make sure you've got Phoenix Downs to
spare for this battle!  If everyone is in good condition during any particular
round, have Dagger cast Protect on one of the other party members, Vivi first. 
Otherwise, your battle strategies should be as follows: have Zidane steal the
Steepled Hat and Leather Plate from the Boss if possible; have Vivi cast
Blizzard on the Boss; and have Steiner use Blizzard Sword on the Boss.  Yes, BW
Number 2's weakness is Fire, but using any other spell besides Blizzard will
provoke it to counterattack with a Spell of its own, and you want to keep BW's
powerful spellcasting to a minimum if you can.  As long as your Levels are high
enough, you're alert and you revive and heal any fallen characters IMMEDIATELY
with Phoenix Downs, you should be able to outlast BW Number 2.  Just hit fast
and hard, and make sure to keep those all-party Cure spells coming!

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More to come in following revisions of this FAQ as I have time to get father in
the game!

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V.  Conclusion
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I hope this FAQ has been of use to you while playing Final Fantasy IX!  As I
mentioned before, feel free to E-mail me at LightRanma@aol.com if you have
further questions on any RPG.  Constructive criticism, corrections,
suggestions, and compliments are always welcome, but insults, flames, and
otherwise useless mails will be ignored and deleted.  And, of course, always be
sure to E-mail me before you use my FAQ on your website.  If I find that you've
done otherwise, there will be legal problems for you, especially if you've
altered my FAQ in any way.  Thanks for reading this FAQ, and I'll see you next
time!

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VI.  Thanks
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I'd like to thank the following people/things/entities for their help in making
this FAQ possible:

- Square Soft, for making such a magnificent game.  Your accomplishments on the
PlayStation have been many and varied, but most of them are truly spectacular. 
Keep up the awesome, awesome work on the PlayStation 2, you guys - you're
easily the best game company out there.  Let's see a Chrono 3 soon!
- Nobuo Uematsu, for creating yet another awesome Final Fantasy soundtrack.  FF
IX's battle theme is your best yet.  Keep up the great work!
- BradyGAMES, for their Official Final Fantasy IX Players Guide.  It was
invaluable in collection HP amounts, spoils, and stealable items for all the
Bosses.

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The following sites have permission to use this FAQ without my written consent:

- GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)
- The Gaming Intelligence Agency (www.thegia.com)
- RPGamer (www.rpgamer.com)
- GameSages (www.gamesages.com)
- IGN PSX (www.ign.com)
- GameShark.com (www.gameshark.com)

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Copyright 2000

