Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age 5 Tips to Make the Game Easier
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is a JRPG released for the PlayStation 2. It has been re-released on the PlayStation 4 with the Zodiac version. I’ve been playing through the Zodiac version for the past few weeks. Here are my top 5 Final Fantasy XII tips to make life easier.
Steal! Steal! Steal!
In Final Fantasy XII, you don’t receive Gil (money) for beating enemies. Instead, the enemies will sometimes drop loot which can be sold to vendors for Gil.
The best way to get loot is by using the Steal technique as soon as you get into a battle. Most monsters have only one item that can be stolen. It is always worthwhile trying to steal again after a successful attempt as you will be notified if there is nothing left to steal.
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Another method is to use the Poach technique when the enemy’s health is at a critical level. This can be determined by a monster flashing red. The success depends on the leftover HP of the enemy and whether they are a boss enemy. If they are bosses, it won’t work.
Making sure you get the most from each enemy you fight, will make your life so much easier when trying to buy the latest equipment.
Use the Gambits
Gambits in Final Fantasy XII allow non-player-controlled party members to act on their own. With the fast-paced action that this installment brings. You don’t have the time to manage each party member’s attacks.
As soon as you have access to designing gambits. Make sure that you start buying up gambits both from the license boards and from the gambit shops.
From the previous section, set steal as one of Vaan’s first rules, with the parameter as Foe Health 100%. This will ensure that Vaan will only attempt to steal upon first contact. Another rule can be set for foes with under 10% health and poaching.
Other useful gambit rules are party status effects and their curative spell. If you don’t have a White Mage, then using the items is your next best option. Though make sure that you are only using items if the status effect prevents the party member from being at their best. I.e. don’t use echo herbs on party members that don’t wield magic.
Know Your Role, Combo-King
In Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age, instead of the whole license board being available to all party members. Each party member can choose up to two roles, each with its license board. By strategically planning the roles you can make a strong party.
Archer pairs well with the Foebreaker job class. Since both jobs focus on strength and speed to cause damage. Other recommendations are Time Battlemage and Red Battlemage due to the ability to keep distance from enemies
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For the Black Magic job, the best combo is combining with a Monk. This will enable the user to have higher defense and HP to be able to survive close-range battles. With the Black Magic spells cause your MP to be drained very quickly. The user can switch to close combat when MP runs dry.
The Bushi job role pairs perfectly with the Knight to create a formidable force. The Knight provides adequate White magic to boost the Bushi’s lack of magic ability.
The Skikari job class should be paired with Foebreaker to create a very strong damage dealer. As well as high HP to tank most damage.
The Uhlan can largely be ignored unless you want to use them. Pair them with one of the Mage classes since they already have very high magic abilities.
Red Battlemages can dabble in all schools of magic. So selecting another Mage class will mean duplication. A Machinist may be a great choice due to their long-range capabilities.
Time Battlemages are a great support job. Enabling party members to attack more regularly. While also slowing down the enemies. They also have access to heavy armor. So by adding the Knight class, the user can become a very useful support/tank type.
White Mage is a must for almost all parties. You can then partner them up with the Machinist role. Machinists have access to Guns which are powerful long-range weapons. Keep your White Mage out of close combat.
No High-Summoner
Unlike Final Fantasy X, in Final Fantasy XII Zodiac Age, you shouldn’t have one sole summoner. Every member of your party should have at least one Esper assigned to them. With only multiple Espers assigned once every member has an Esper.
This has the benefit of strengthening your weaker characters. Especially if they are called into battle due to your main force being wiped out. The Espers can take the focus away from your weak party member. Hopefully being able to finish off the enemy.
There is no specific Esper that suits each job, though they do unlock a few board squares that may be useful.
Talk to the Vendors
There are special items called Monographs. You may hear of them during the story but never unlock one. Surprisingly they are very easy to unlock even at the beginning. All you need is access to shop vendors and the bounty board. Here are the details:
| Name | How to Unlock | Cost (Gil) | Superior Loot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter’s Monograph | Unlock by talking to Gastly at the Muthru Bazaar after beating the Thextera in the “Wold in the Waste” Hunt. | 18,000 | Avions Beasts |
| Knight’s Monograph | Start a conversation with any of the weapon shop vendors 30 times. | 19,000 | Giants Insects |
| Warmage’s Monograph | View the Hunt Board 20 times. | 20,000 | Amorphs Undead |
| Mage’s Monograph | Start a conversation with any of the Magick shop vendors 25 times. | 21,000 | Fiends |
| Scholar’s Monograph | Start a conversation with any of the Magick shop vendors 15 times. | 22,000 | Constructs |
| Sage’s Monograph | Start a conversation with any vendor 100 times. | 25,000 | Elementals |
| Canopic Jar | Sell Deimos Clay, Horakhty’s Flame, and Phobos Glaze to a vendor. (These are sourced from specific hunts) | 250,000 | All Enemies |
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age Tips
Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age is one of the longest entries in the series. I hope these tips help see you to the very end.