Final Fantasy VIII Diablos Guide Date: 10/3/99 8:46 PM Version: 1.00 Name: Jeff Carpenter (8 degrees) E-mail: i8 degrees@aol.com,i8degrees@hotmail.com (try using the @aol.com one first) AOL/AIM: i8 degrees Copyright © 1999 Jeff Carpenter You may post this guide on web sites as long as it is written in its entirety and unaltered. You can not sell this guide or publish it on CD, magazines, and the like. It is strictly for personal and private use. Table of Contents 1.0 Updates 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Preparation 1.3 Strategy for Diablos 1.4 Diablos Abilities and Usefulness 1.5 Credits 1.6 Extra =========== 1.0 Updates =========== 10/3/99 V1.00 - I just started this Diablos guide. ================ 1.1 Introduction ================ Before I start anything, if you are reading this in Notepad, go to the Edit menu and make sure there is a check mark on Word Wrap, it will make this text easier to read. Now on with the intro. I made this Diablos guide because I was having so much trouble killing this thing. It took me about 8 times or so to finally knock this thing down. Surprising how hard a early GF is… This right now will be pretty short, though I am thinking about expanding it and making it into a "Hard Boss Guide" or something like that. As you may notice from reading this entire thing, it is pretty thorough, I have worked on this pretty hard, finding all the information I can about the topic. But anyway, if you have any good tips on Diablos please e-mail them in and you will have full credit given. Thanks everyone! =============== 1.2 Preparation =============== As you already probably know, Diablos is in the Magical Lamp that Cid gives you right before you go to your first mission in Timber. This is the first time you can initiate battle with him. It is better getting him as early as possible, he has some very good abilities. Such as Mug and Enc-Half. There are a full list of abilities at section 1.4. Now, let's prepare for the battle. Make sure your party is Squall, Zell or Quistis, and definitely Selphie (her limit attack is what will save you a couple of times.) This isn't a requirement, though it can help a lot if you don't have a high magic level (when I played I had a Magic level of 10) and later on in the game. Go to the Training Center, and to the left side of the fighting arena. Oh, make sure you have all of your fighting characters have the Draw and Magic ability equipped. When you get into battle you should see a Grats (YMCA type things I say.) Keep on stocking up on Sleep with the Draw ability. Have each character stock up at least 34 each. You can check how much a character has stocked up by looking at the number left of spells in the magic ability menu. Once you have gotten enough stocked kill the Grat(s) and go to the main menu. Have one member (Squall was my highest magic user) equip the Quezacotl GF. Then go to all the characters' magic and exchange the magic and give the best magic user all of the Sleeps. You will have some left over, to use for whatever you want. Then go to the character that you equipped Quezacotl with and Junction->Magic the Sleeps to the character's Mag attack. It will raise it 12 points. Also, equip the fighting characters with all the GFs you have, you probably will loose some during the battle. Have GF, Draw, and Item abilities. NOTE: If you have the magic spell Shell (from the boss in the Training Center), you might want to put the Magic ability on someone. Shell helps a bunch with Diablos. Finally, now go to your Dorm, where the Save Point is. Make sure you rest up and then go to the Save Point and make sure you save. Now, go to the Item menu and rub the Magical Lamp. You immediately enter battle and see Diablos. ======================== 1.3 Strategy for Diablos ======================== HP: 8,000-80,000 estimated (depending on your level) ATTACK: Gravija (one fourth of HP), Demi (one fourth of HP), physical attack (250 of your HP) First, I want to state that Diablos's HP is determined by what level you are at, as with all enemies in the game. It also determines what magic you can draw from him. It is best to beat him early because he has, in my opinion, the most useful abilities. Diablos uses gravity magic, which is very powerful, though to a point very good. The gravity attacks usually takes a one fourth of the party's HP, but also brings you to a point that you can use limit breaks. Oh, but watch out, sometimes he will attack consecutively with his physical and gravity attacks, it isn't a problem with people that have 2,000 HP but it is when you are fighting him at HP 600. Now let's get to the game plan. Start by immediately summoning your most powerful GFs, any of them will do though Shiva and Quezacotl seem to be the best, with Ifrit being the worst. Make sure you boost them if you have that ability (Hold down select while constantly pressing back and forth square and triangle.) Only resort to physical attacks when you absolutely most (excluding the limit attacks.) Just keep up with the GF summoning, and keep your character's HP to about 300 or 400. He has the Cure spell, so draw that or use potions. Occasionally have the person with the high magic points use Demi, it will take a whooping 500-3000 HP! I only had to use this three times mixed in with GFs. Its according to what level you are at, sometimes the spell will miss. Diablos will sometimes cast the all powerful Gravija. It takes a bunch, no matter what HP you have, though remember the note I posted about Shell? If you have it casted before he used it, it will sometimes help a lot, but it also interferes with Cure and other good magic, you would have to rely on Potions or Hi-Potions. Also you only have to cast it about two times since it takes it a while to wear off. If you are really having trouble with him, try this. And finally, the last part of the game plan. When your character's HP gets low, look for Selphie's, if she has less then 150 she will usually have one. If she doesn't, use circle and keep on going back to her until she does. Her limit break is Slot, which has Full-Cure. It heals the entire party. If it doesn't show up, say Do Over until it shows up. When you see it cast it and your party is good as new. Usually you want to not heal Selphie, take chances. If she dies, quickly use a Phoenix Down and get her back to good condition. Also use Squalls and Zell/Quistis's limit break's sometimes. So basically in short words just summon GFs mostly, sometimes have the best magic user use Demi (drawn from Diablos), and use Selphie's limit break. Good luck, if you do it correctly, you should win the fight within 5 minutes. For winning you get Diablos's card (pretty good) and get him for a GF. ==================================== 1.4 Diablos Abilities and Usefulness ==================================== Diablos has some of the best abilities I think, though there are two of them that shouldn't be overused or your run into trouble later on, I'll talk about that later. Anyway, here are Diablos's abilities: HP-J 50 AP Mag-J Learned Hit-J 120 AP Ability x3 Learned Magic Learned GF Learned Draw Learned Dark 100 AP HP+20% 60 AP HP+40% 120 AP HP+80% 240 AP Mag+20% 60 AP Mag+40% 120 AP Mug 200 AP Enc-Half 30 AP Enc-None 100 AP GFHP+10% 40 AP GFHP+20% 70 AP GFHP+30% 140 AP Time Mag-RF 30 AP ST Mag-RF 30 AP Sorry if it is a little messy, but anyway if you look into the ability list on the game, your see some of the abilities not there, it is because you have to learn one ability to get the next. For example, you must learn Enc-Half to be able to learn Enc-None, another example is you must learn HP+20% to get HP+40%. I think you should first learn Enc- Half, equip it when you need to get through an area without entering so many fights. You may want to learn Enc-None, but probably not just yet. After Enc-Half, you need to learn Mug, it is a lot of AP, but it is very useful. You can get new and powerful weapons for your characters by stealing rare items from them. Also, this isn't part of Diablos, but the Quezacotl GF has the Card Ability (40 AP to learn it) and it transforms monsters into their cards, after most of their HP is depleted. Also then you can learn Card Mod (80 AP.) It transforms the cards into items, that is very good, you can get items quickly that way. You may be wondering where you can build up a lot of AP quickly. By Balamb there is a beach, with enemies that are easy to kill with GFs, each fight is worth 6 AP. You have to fight 14 easy fights to get the 84 AP, it isn't too bad. Also, only equip the GF you are wanting the AP to go to, so it isn't divided up for the other GFs too. That is about all I can think of that Diablos is good for, Ability wise. What I do is just work to get Enc- Half, Enc-None, and Mug, just make sure you equip them! Then just choose any other ability you might need. The Time Mag-RF might be a good one. One more thing. Diablos is very good at killing Tonberry's, though it won't work on the Tonberry King. Also, at first Diablos may be weak but once he is at least on level 20 or so, it can do some good damage. =========== 1.5 Credits =========== If I forgot anyone please e-mail me telling me so I can change it. Oh, and if you need any help just e-mail me at i8 degrees@aol.com. I'll respond within a day most of the time. Also, if you have any tips or comments, please e-mail me with them! heh heat@aol.com - Thanks for proofreading this and making sure nothing was too messed up. ;-) ========= 1.6 Extra ========= I just included this section for the fun of it, little tidbits on the boss. Did you know that Diablos means "Prince of Hell?" I forgot in which language it means, I'll find out and put it up in the next update, which there're be probably. Also, you can play Diablos even with Laguna, Ward, and Kiros anytime your in the "dream state." Copyright © 1999, Jeff Carpenter