Excalibur II, the ultimate weapon for Steiner in Final Fantasy IX, is not just a powerful sword; it’s a symbol of dedication and mastery. Obtaining it requires more than just luck; it demands strategic planning, efficient execution, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. This guide will provide you with a comprehensive walkthrough, equipping you with the knowledge and strategies necessary to claim this legendary blade for yourself.
Understanding the Challenge: The Time Constraint
The most significant hurdle in acquiring Excalibur II is the infamous 12-hour time limit. The game measures the elapsed time from the moment you start a new game until you reach Memoria. This includes cutscenes, battles, menu navigation, and even time spent reading dialogue. Therefore, efficient time management is paramount. Every second counts, and careful planning is the key to success.
The challenge isn’t just about being fast; it’s about knowing where to go, what to do, and how to optimize every action. Accidental encounters, getting lost, or inefficient battles can quickly add up and ruin your chances.
Preparation is Key: Setting Yourself Up for Success
Before even starting your timed run, meticulous preparation is essential. This phase involves understanding the optimal route, acquiring necessary skills, and making critical decisions that will save you precious time later.
Mastering the Optimal Route
Familiarize yourself with the quickest path through the game. Many online resources, including maps and walkthroughs, detail the most efficient route. Consider using these resources as a reference during your practice runs. The route generally involves prioritizing story progression, skipping optional areas, and knowing exactly where to go in each location.
Knowing the fastest routes through dungeons, towns, and the world map is crucial. Plan your path carefully, accounting for mandatory battles and key items you’ll need along the way. Practice the route beforehand to minimize navigational errors.
Essential Skills and Abilities
Acquiring certain abilities can significantly speed up your run. Focus on learning skills that enhance combat efficiency, such as:
- Auto-Haste: This is an absolute must-have. Haste significantly reduces the time between turns, allowing you to attack more frequently.
- Auto-Regen: Provides passive healing, reducing the need to use healing items or spells during battles.
- Auto-Potion: Automatically uses a Potion when a character’s HP is low, potentially saving them from being KO’d.
- Counter: Allows your characters to counterattack physical attacks, speeding up battles.
- High Tide: Increases the rate at which Trance is filled, allowing for more frequent use of Trance abilities.
These abilities can be learned from various equipment items. Plan your equipment choices accordingly to prioritize learning these skills early in the game.
Strategic Item Management
Conserving time also means managing your inventory efficiently. Avoid unnecessary purchases, and focus on acquiring and using items that will aid in battle or exploration.
- Potions and Hi-Potions: Essential for healing. Don’t be afraid to use them liberally, especially in the early game.
- Eye Drops and Antidotes: Carry a supply to deal with status ailments.
- Tents: Useful for healing and restoring MP at save points.
Remember that every second spent navigating menus adds to your overall time. Organize your inventory and equip your characters strategically to minimize time spent swapping items.
Party Composition and Battle Strategies
While you don’t have complete control over your party composition throughout the game, you can optimize your strategies based on the characters available.
- Zidane: Focus on equipping him with gear that increases his speed and strength. His Thievery skill is useful for acquiring valuable items, but avoid spending too much time stealing unless necessary.
- Vivi: A powerful magic user. Use him to exploit enemy weaknesses with spells like Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder.
- Steiner: His physical attacks are strong, especially when paired with elemental swords.
- Garnet/Dagger: Primarily a healer, but her summons can also be useful in certain situations. Prioritize learning healing spells like Cure and Cura.
- Freya: Her Jump ability can deal significant damage, and she has good physical stats.
- Quina: Useful for learning Blue Magic. Some Blue Magic spells, like Mighty Guard, can provide significant buffs.
- Eiko: Similar to Garnet, but with access to different summons and healing spells.
- Amarant: A powerful physical attacker. Focus on equipping him with gear that increases his strength and speed.
Develop strategies for common enemy encounters and boss battles. Knowing the enemy weaknesses and the best approach to defeating them will save you time and resources. Don’t be afraid to use Trance abilities to quickly eliminate challenging enemies.
The Playthrough: A Step-by-Step Guide
With your preparation complete, it’s time to embark on your timed run. This section provides a detailed walkthrough, highlighting key moments and strategies to maximize your efficiency.
Disc 1: A Race Against Time
The first disc is crucial for establishing a good pace. Focus on completing the story objectives as quickly as possible, minimizing detours and unnecessary battles.
- Evil Forest: Rush through this area, grabbing only essential items. Focus on reaching the exit as quickly as possible.
- Ice Cavern: Utilize Vivi’s Fire spell to quickly defeat enemies. Don’t spend too much time exploring optional areas.
- Dali: Proceed directly to the mayor’s house. Avoid unnecessary interactions with NPCs.
- Cargo Ship: Complete the events on the ship without delay.
- Lindblum: Participate in the hunting festival with focus to quickly finish the event. Select Oglop as the monster to save time. After the festival, proceed directly to Gizamaluke’s Grotto.
- Gizamaluke’s Grotto: Navigate the grotto efficiently, defeating the Gizamaluke boss as quickly as possible.
- Burmecia: Rush through Burmecia, focusing on reaching Beatrix and progressing the story.
- Fossil Roo: Complete the puzzles quickly and avoid getting lost. Remember the faster route to the exit.
- Conde Petie: Proceed directly to the wedding ceremony.
During Disc 1, avoid grinding for levels unless absolutely necessary. Focus on acquiring essential equipment and learning key abilities.
Disc 2: Maintaining Momentum
Disc 2 requires careful navigation and strategic combat to maintain your time.
- Black Mage Village: Minimize your time in the village. Focus on the necessary story events.
- Cleyra Trunk: Navigate the trunk efficiently, avoiding unnecessary battles.
- Cleyra Settlement: Focus on the story events and prepare for the upcoming boss battle.
- Red Rose: Survive Beatrix’s attacks. You are not required to defeat her.
- Alexandria: Participate in the play, but avoid unnecessary dialogue.
- Pinnacle Rocks: Follow the path and reach the top as quickly as possible.
- Mount Gulug: Navigate the mountain quickly, defeating the bosses efficiently.
Disc 2 presents several opportunities for time-saving measures. Practice the routes through these areas to minimize navigational errors.
Disc 3: The Home Stretch
Disc 3 requires strategic decisions about optional areas and sidequests. For the sake of Excalibur II, you have to skip everything.
- Forgotten Continent: Follow the path to Ipsen’s Castle.
- Ipsen’s Castle: Complete the weight puzzle and retrieve the necessary items.
- Terra: Navigate through Terra, focusing on reaching Bran Bal.
- Bran Bal: Witness the events and prepare for the upcoming battles.
- Pandemonium: Navigate Pandemonium, defeating the bosses efficiently.
Avoid unnecessary detours and focus on completing the story objectives as quickly as possible.
Disc 4: The Final Push
The final disc is all about reaching Memoria as quickly as possible. There are no detours allowed.
- Crystal World: Navigate the Crystal World and defeat the four guardians.
- Memoria: Proceed through Memoria, defeating the bosses in your path.
The Moment of Truth: Reaching Daguerreo
To claim Excalibur II, you must reach Daguerreo before the 12-hour timer expires. Daguerreo is located on a remote island in the northeastern part of the world map.
Once you reach Daguerreo, head to the library on the upper level. Examine the large sword embedded in the wall to claim Excalibur II. If you arrive after the 12-hour limit, you will not be able to obtain the sword.
Tips and Tricks for Time Optimization
- Skip Cutscenes: While the nostalgia is tempting, skip all cutscenes to save valuable time.
- Run From Battles: Run from unnecessary battles. Don’t engage in random encounters unless absolutely necessary.
- Optimize Equipment: Equip your characters with gear that enhances their speed, strength, and magic.
- Use Speed-Up Features: If you’re playing a version of the game that offers speed-up features, use them to accelerate gameplay.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Practice the entire run multiple times to identify areas where you can improve your efficiency.
Dealing with Frustrations
The Excalibur II challenge can be frustrating. Mistakes will happen, and you may need to restart your run multiple times. Don’t get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes, refine your strategies, and keep practicing. Persistence is key to success. Remember to take breaks when needed to avoid burnout. A clear mind will help you make better decisions and execute your strategies more effectively.
Beyond the Blade: The Satisfaction of Completion
Obtaining Excalibur II is not just about acquiring a powerful weapon; it’s about conquering a challenge and proving your mastery of Final Fantasy IX. The satisfaction of successfully completing this feat is immense, and it adds a new layer of appreciation for this timeless classic. So, prepare yourself, hone your skills, and embark on this epic quest. The legendary Excalibur II awaits!
What exactly is Excalibur II and why is it so sought after in Final Fantasy IX?
Excalibur II is the most powerful weapon Zidane can equip in Final Fantasy IX. Unlike other late-game weapons, it doesn’t have any specific stat bonuses like +Magic or +Strength. Its incredible attack power, however, significantly boosts Zidane’s damage output, making him a formidable force in battle. For many players, acquiring Excalibur II is a point of pride, a demonstration of their skill and dedication to mastering the game’s mechanics.
The challenge lies in obtaining it, as it requires reaching a specific location within a ridiculously tight time limit. This makes it one of the most notorious and coveted optional items in the entire Final Fantasy series. Mastering the game’s speedrunning strategies and understanding the world map layout are crucial for success.
What is the precise time limit for acquiring Excalibur II?
The time limit for obtaining Excalibur II is 12 hours of in-game playtime. This timer starts as soon as you gain control of Zidane at the beginning of the game in the Evil Forest. It continues to run throughout the entire game, regardless of whether you are in battle, watching cutscenes, or navigating menus.
It’s important to emphasize that this is *real-time* playtime, not just the time spent in combat or actively moving. Pausing the game does not stop the timer. Planning your route and minimizing unnecessary encounters are essential for reaching the designated location within the allotted time.
Where do I need to go to find Excalibur II?
To find Excalibur II, you need to reach the Memoria dungeon and specifically, the Crystal World area. This is one of the final areas of the game, accessible only after completing most of the main storyline. The sword is located on a small platform, somewhat hidden, within the Crystal World.
Navigating to the correct location within the Crystal World requires a specific route. If you miss the platform, you will have to backtrack. Once you reach the correct spot, simply interact with the location to claim Excalibur II, provided you have met the 12-hour time requirement.
What are some effective strategies for minimizing playtime during my run?
Minimizing random encounters is paramount. Equip abilities like “Distract” and “Initiative” as early as possible to reduce encounter rates and increase your chances of going first in battles. Utilizing Chocobo Hot & Cold mini-game strategically can also allow you to gain experience and items without the randomness of battles. Consider using a speedrunning guide or video to optimize your path through the game.
Skip non-essential cutscenes and dialogue by pressing the ‘Select’ button to speed up the text. Optimize your party setup for quick and efficient battles, focusing on characters with high attack power and abilities that can quickly dispatch enemies. Be sure to plan your route through towns to avoid unnecessary detours.
What happens if I reach the location after the 12-hour time limit?
If you reach the platform in the Crystal World after the 12-hour time limit has expired, you will *not* receive Excalibur II. Interacting with the location will yield nothing, essentially wasting your efforts. The game doesn’t provide any indication of whether you’ve met the time requirement before you attempt to claim the sword.
This is why careful planning and diligent time management are essential. Save frequently in different slots throughout your playthrough, particularly before reaching the Memoria, allowing you to reload and try again if necessary. Keep a close eye on your in-game timer through the menu screen.
Are there any abilities I should prioritize learning to make the run easier?
Absolutely. “Auto-Potion” is invaluable for survivability, especially in random encounters. Ensure your party members have this equipped as early as possible. “Auto-Regen” is also beneficial, providing passive healing during battles. For Zidane, abilities that increase his speed, like “Flee”, and those that reduce encounter rates are crucial.
Beyond individual abilities, focus on learning skills that grant status immunities, such as “Clear Headed” (confuse immunity) and “Jelly” (petrify immunity). These can prevent frustrating status ailments that can significantly slow down your progress. Invest time in leveling up to make the mid-to-late game sections less challenging.
Is it possible to get Excalibur II on my first playthrough of Final Fantasy IX?
While theoretically possible, it’s extremely difficult to obtain Excalibur II on your first playthrough. The time limit is unforgiving, and you’ll be unfamiliar with the game’s layout, enemy encounters, and optimal strategies. This lack of knowledge will likely lead to wasted time and missed opportunities.
It’s generally recommended to complete the game at least once normally, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the world and mechanics. Then, on a subsequent playthrough, armed with this knowledge and a well-planned strategy, you’ll have a significantly better chance of successfully obtaining Excalibur II.