FF13 Weapon Upgrade Info

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Any component that is a piece of machinery, or a part for a machine, is a synthetic component. These give much more EXP than

organic components, but cause the item to gradually lose its EXP multiplier. I'll be talking about three specific synthetic

components in this guide: Crankshafts , Particle Accelerators, and Ultracompact Reactors. Crankshafts are sold at Lenora's

Garage (which you will gain access to through progressing the storyline) for 840 gil; Particle Accelerators and Ultracompact

Reactors are s old at R&D Depot (which you must complete Miss ion 7 to unlock, in Chapter 11 at the earlies t) for 10,000 gil and

50,000 gil respectively.

AgentNoun (Topic Creator) Posted 3/21/2010 11:03:35 AM

The ProcessYou've likely surmised by now that the basic process is this: build up the EXP multiplier to x3, then use synthetic components to

give the item a whole lot of EXP all at once. You would be correct. There are specifics to this process, though, that differ

depending on where you are in the game. I'll divide this section by the two most popular times for weapon upgrading: Chapter 9,

and Chapter 11 through the endgame.

---Upgrading in Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is the first time you have access to abundant gil due to Credit Chips and Incentive Chips that drop in plentiful amounts

from the PSICOM enemies you fight. This makes it a natural time to focus on upgrading your weapons somewhat, as you finally

have some gil to burn. You won't yet have access to R&D Depot, but that's fine, because those components are overkill. All you

need are Crankshafts. Each Crankshaft provides 215 EXP with no multiplier. That means that with a x3 multiplier, each

Crankshaft will give an item 645 EXP. Here's how to go about it:

--1. Use 36 Sturdy Bones, Barbed Tails, or Vibrant Oozes. This will bring the multiplier from zero to x3.

--2. Use as many Crankshafts at once as you like. If you us e them all at once, they will all take advantage of the EXP multiplier--it

only lowers after the upgrading is done. This means that you can save yourself organic components by using synthetic

components en masse.

At this point, the highest you truly should need to go is the maximum level ofa tier 1 weapon, which will be either level 21 or 26,

depending on the weapon. Frankly, you don't truly need this to progress , but if you really want to upgrade at this point, this is the

best method.

---Upgrading from Chapter 11 Onward

This process is almost exactly the same, except that transformation catalysts will enter into the equation, and you'll be usingmos tly Ultracompact Reactors from R&D Depot. Each Ultracompact Reactor will cost 50,000 gil and provide 40,000 EXP That

means with a x3 multiplier, each Ultracompact Reactor will give an item 120,000 EXP. This is by far the best item for upgrading

weapons in the game.

I mentioned Particle Accelerators earlier. These cos t 10,000 gil at R&D Depot and provide 4,800 EXP each. With a x3 multiplier,

that's 14,400 experience each, and that's not nearly as efficient as Ultracompact Reactors. Particle Accelerators are best for

upgrading accessories and tier 1 w eapons, as access ories requi re less EXP to max out than weapons; Ultracompact

Reactors will almost always go to waste on accessories.

Here's the exact process :

--1. Use 36 Stury Bones, Barbed Tails , or Vibrant Oozes, just like mentioned previously, to give the item a x3 multiplier.

--2. Use as many Ultracompact Reactors on the item at once as you need to. Remember, you get the most EXP for your gil by

using them all together, as you will save organic components.


Weapon Analysis

This part comes from a combination of personal experience and mess age board consensus . It does not contain numerical data

on weapons--I tried to format that here, but it was clumsy and took up far too many posts. If you want this data, go here: http://ff-

13.info/category/weapons/

It's a good idea to go there, as well, because it will tell you how much EXP you need to max each weapon, which lets you know


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how many Ultracompact Reactors to use on each one.

As for the analysis ofwhich weapon is best for each character, most of it is my own opinion. I don't wish to present this as the

end-all, be-all guide to choos ing a weapon for each character, but from my own experience and reading, these seem to me to be

the best choices. I will include analyses of each character's bes t roles, as well, as m y reasoning for which weapon is the best.

---Transformation Catalysts

Every weapon has a specific transformation catalyst, and I'll make s ure to indicate which those are. You'll find many fo these as

you progress through the game, and all of them can be purchased from eitherThe Motherlode or R&D Depot.

---Ultimate Weapons

Let's talk a bit about ultimate weapons . Every one ofa character's weapons will reach the same form in the end--at least, in

name and appearance. In reality, even though all of Lightning's weapons will become the Omega Weapon when fully upgraded,

every Omega Weapon is differ ent. An Omega Weapon upgraded from the Blazefire Saber will be a balanced weapon, while an

Omega Weapon m ade from the Lionheart will be weaker but have the Quick Stagger ability. Every character 's ultimate weapon

will als o give them a s ixth and final ATB level.

It's also important to note that upgrading a weapon to its ultimate form will make it lose its synthesis group. I would discuss

synthesis groups in detail here, but frankly they deserve their own guide. For now, just note that every item belongs to a

synthesis group, and equipping multiple items w ith the same synthesis group w ill provide special bonuses . The only items

that do not belong to any synthesis groups are the ultimate weapons.

One more note: every weapon, without exception, uses the Trapezohedron as i ts transformation catalyst to become its ultimate

form. Unfortunately, Trapezohedrons are very rare (they drop from Adamantoises and their cous ins) and very expensive (they can

be purchased at R&D Depot for a whopping 2,000,000 gil each). There are other guides available as to the best ways to acquire

Trapezohedrons for the purpose of making ultimate weapons.

On with the character-specific information:


Lightning

Lightning is the bes t Ravager in the game. While Hope has more spells , and is the only character who can learn every tier 3

elemental spell, Lightning is m ore versatile. She gains every tier 2 elemental spell , along with Thundaga, as well as every

elemental strike, and this makes her useful against both magic-resistant and physical-resistant enemies. Hope cannot boast

that level of versatility. Lightning also makes a fantastic Commando, but due to her abilities as a Ravager, it is best to have

another character be your primary Comm ando.

As a result of this, Lightning needs a balanced weapon. Because of this , I'm counting the Gladius out of cons ideration. The

Gladius is a popular weapon for her, and it's a great choice in the early game, when she and Hope are together and Lightning is

your only possible Commando. Later on, it's a bad idea to focus too heavily on one s tatistic for her. Other weapons that are ruled

out: Organyx, because it drastically slows down Lightning's attack speed; Lifesaber, because its bonus is nearly useless and

doesn't even remotely offset the weapon's weaknes s; and Hauteclaire, because Lightning is possibly the worst character to

have Stagger Lock.

This leaves the Blazefire Saber, theAxis Blade, and the Lionheart.

The Blazefire Saber is a great choice thr oughout the game, and is mos t likely the bes t option until Chapter 12. It allows

Lightning to be equally effective as a Ravager, Commando, and Medic.

->Blazefire Saber(Lv. 26, 24,600 EXP to max) + Perovskite

--->Flamberge (Lv. 61, 445,950 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Omega Weapon (Lv. 100, 1,296,897 EXP to max)

The Axis Blade has very low s tats. However, it has theAttack : ATB Charge special property, which is exactly what it sounds


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like: it will s lightly charge your ATB every time you land an attack. This, combined with other speed-boosting accessories, will

turn Lightning into an incredibly fast character. In my opinion, however, this is not her best weapon. Nonetheless , I'm including it

here because it is a popular choice for her.

->Axis Blade (Lv. 21, 66750 EXP to max) + Adamantite

--->Enkindler(Lv. 41, 280,830 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron


The Lionheart again has lower s tats than the Blazefire Saber, but higher than the Axis Blade. However, this is likely the bes t

choice of weapon for Lightning. This is because of the Quick Staggerability, which will allow you to stagger an enem y 10%

earlier than normal. This is a fairly sm all boost in staggering speed, but it is noticeable, especially agains t enemies with high

stagger percentages.

->Lionheart (Lv. 21, 63,060 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Ultima Weapon (Lv. 41, 221,900 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron


Lt_JIMMYLITTLE Posted 3/21/2010 11:06:14 AM

[This m ess age was deleted at the request of a moderator or adminis trator]


Sazh

Sazh is likely the best Synergist in the game. He wins over Hope because he learns Haste earlier and because he learns

Vigilance. Unfortunately, that's all that Sazh really has going for him . He's a terrible Commando and lacks elemental versatility as

a Ravager. Plus, his natural stats are the lowest of any character. Luckily for Sazh, he has the strongest weapons, which help to

offset his low s tats.

As a result of this, Sazh is bes t served with a weapon that has high s tats. This immediately rules out the following: Vega 42s,

Antar es Delux es , and Procyons. Though the last two have interesting s pecial properties, Sazh's stats are low enough that he

needs higher stats more than he needs s pecial properties. This leaves us with several options, but I'm going to immediately

rule outAldebarans because ofthe painfully slow attack speed and complete lack of strength and Pleiades Hi-Power s because

they dramatically lower his maximum HP and completely lack magic. This means I'll be discuss ing the following: Spica

Defenders, Deneb Duellers, and Rigels.

The Spica Defenders have the lowest stats of the weapons I'll be discuss ing. They favor magic over strength, which is fine,

because Sazh is a terrible Comm ando. That said, they have theAugment Maintenanc e special property, which will increase the

duration of Sazh's offensive buffs, such as Enfire, by quite a bit. This makes the Spica Defenders a good choice for a Sazh

focused primarily on being a Synergist. Unfortunately, they lack the versatility of the other two choices.

->Spica Defenders (Lv. 21, 66,750 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Sirius Sidearms (Lv. 41, 218,210 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Total Eclipses (Lv. 100, 1,737,313 EXP to max)

The Deneb Duellers ar e focused entirely on having a high magic bonus . Since Sazh relies on magic more than s trength, this is

great. They have no special property other than this, but in my opinion, they tie with the Rigels for the best weapon choice for

Sazh. (By the way, did anyone else notice the s ubtle nod to Ogre Battle? While all ofhis weapons except the Total Eclipses arenamed after traditional s tar names, like Balthier's guns from Final Fantasy XII, Deneb and Canopus are also both characters

from the Ogre Battle series, ofwhich several developers have joined the Final Fantasy team. I thought it was a nice touch!)

->Deneb Duellers (Lv. 26, 33,000 EXP to max) + Perovskite

--->Canopus AMPs (Lv. 61, 437,550 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron


The Rigals are your bes t option if you want a more versat ile Sazh. The problem is that they have Stagger Lock, which will

prevent Sazh from landing the s taggering blow on an enemy. This is fine only if you have another Ravager in the party--ifnot, the

Rigels are a terrible choice. However, ifSazh is not your primary Ravager, I believe that the Rigels tie with the Deneb Duellers as

the best weapon choice for Sazh.

->Rigels (Lv. 26, 54,800 EXP to max) + Uraninite


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--->Polaris Specials (Lv. 61, 332,560 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron



Snow

Snow is the bes t Sentinel in the game due to his incredibly high HP score. Fang is a great Sentinel as wel l, but she doesn't

come anywhere near Snow's sheer endurance. Snow is a lso a capable, iflimited, Ravager, and a fantastic Commando, though

he loses out to Fang. This means that Snow tends to require fairly balanced weaponry if you wish to make use of all of hiscapabilities. Nonetheless , one can be forgiven for focusing on strength for Snow, as he will likely be a Commando and a

Sentinel more often than he'll be a Ravager.

As a result, I'm counting out the Feymark, as it makes him a useless Commando, and the Sacrificial Circle, because it will

greatly lower his capability as a Sentinel due to dropping his HP. The Umbra is too situational with its Improved Ward special

property to be worth the lowered s tats, as is the Paladin. Frankly, Snow is survivable enough as it is, and he doesn't need to

sacrifice strength and m agic to improve that. As a result, I'll be discus sing the Wild Bear, the Power Circle, and the Rebel Heart.

The Wild Bear is Snow's vers ion of the Blazefire Saber. It lacks special properties, but it's his mos t balanced and reliable

weapon. As a res ult, it's a great choice for Snow to keep throughout the gam e. In fact, Snow can benefit form the Wild Bear more

than Lightning can from the Blazefire Saber, mos t likely.

->Wild Bear(Lv. 26, 24,600 EXP to max) + Perovskite

--->Feral Pride (Lv. 61, 445,950 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Save the Queen (Lv. 100, 1,246,803 EXP to max)

The Power Circle is a weapon focused on raw str ength. This is a great weapon for a Comm ando or Sentinel Snow, but it will

limit him as a Ravager to being most effective with elemental strikes. Nonetheless, I believe that the Power Circle ties wi th the

Wild Bear as the best reliable weapon for Snow.

->Power Circle (Lv. 26, 89,700 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Battle Standard (Lv. 61, 476,940 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Save the Queen, (Lv. 100, 1,150,713 EXP to max)

The Rebel Heart is a risk vs. reward weapon. It has the balance of the Wild Bear but lower overall stats; however, it has theCritical: Power Surge ability, which will greatly increase Snow's stats when his HP reaches critical levels. This makes it an

interesting choice for Snow. He'll be taking damage often as a Sentinel, and his high HP means that critical HP for Snow is more

than critical HP for any other character. It might jus t be worth it, especial ly if Snow is n't your party leader, so give it a try for

yourself.

->Rebel Heart (Lv. 21, 38,040 EXP to max) + Uraninite

--->Warrior's Emblem (Lv. 41, 153,000 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Save the Queen (Lv. 100, 1,526,313 EXP to max)


Hope

Hope is the best Medic in the game, winning out over Vanille due to a higher potential magic s tat and his s uperiority in other

roles. He is also the second-best Ravageras m entioned in the Lightning section: he is the only character who receives Firaga,

Blizzaga, Thundaga, Aeroga, and Waterga all together. This makes him the best magic-based Ravager, but he lacks elemental

strikes, which makes him less useful against magic-resistant enemies. He is also the second-best Synergist, losing out to

Sazh only because he learns Haste late and cannot learn Vigilance.

As a result, Hope has absolutely no need for st rength. That means we can count out any of his weapons that sacrifice anything

at all for increased s trength; this includes theAirwing and the Simurgh. Hope also has the absolute lowest HP of any character,

by quite a bit, which makes the HP sacrifice of the Malphas an unwise trade-off. As he is such a good Ravager,Alicanto is a

waste, due to Stagger Lock. Ninurta lacks any distinguishing quali ties whatsoever except for balanced stats, and as stated

before, Hope doesn't need balance, he needs magic. The Vidofnir looks nice, due to Defense Maintenance, but this pales in


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comparison to Sazh's Augment Maintenance, as it only affects Protect, Shell, and Veil. This leaves the following:

The Hawk eye is for pure magic al power. In my opinion, this is the mos t important thing for Hope to have, which makes the

Hawkeye the bes t weapon choice for Hope. It lacks special properties, but it's hard to ignore just how m uch this boos ts his

already-high magic stat. Its second tier form, the Eagletalon, gives him a whopping 506 magic, and that's only second tier.

->Hawkeye (Lv. 26, 33,000 EXP to max) + Perovskite

--->Eagletalon (Lv. 61, 437,550 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Nue (Lv. 100, 1,084,542 EXP to max)

The Otshirvani has lower s tats than the Hawkeye, but it has a s pecial property: Siphon Boost. This m akes the various *s iphon

abilities in the Ravager tree more effective, allowing him to be an even better Ravager and boost the enem y's chain gauge even

faster. I don't personally think it offsets the difference in magic from the Hawkeye, but it remains a great choice.

->Otshirvani (Lv. 21, 66,750 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Urubutsin (Lv. 41, 218,210 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Nue (Lv. 100, 1,270,132 EXP to max)


Vanille

Vanille is the best Saboteur in the game, winning out over Fang due to increased magic and the Death spell. She also makes a

fantastic Ravager and Medic, though Hope outshines her in both roles. As a Ravager, she lacks some of Hope's versatility, as

the only third tier elemental spells she learns are Firaga and Blizzaga, and as a Medic, she has lower magic, and thus less

healing power, than Hope.

Like with Hope, Vanille has no use for strength, so one can immediately count out the Binding Rod, the Tigerclaw (which is also

slow due to Leadenstrike/Ironstrike), and the Rod of Thorns. As s he will likely spend a lot of time as a Ravager ifshe is in your

group, the Stagger Lock on the Heavenly Ax is is unfortunate. Mistilteinn is interesting, as it will increase her strength and magic

if an ally is KO'd, but as you'd likely rather avoid a KO, especially if Vanil le is n't your party leader, I'm going to leave it out. This

leaves the following:

The Pearlw ing Staff is Vanille's version of the Hawkeye. Ifyour Vanille is all about magical power, you can't go wrong wi th this

one. However, Vanille, like Lightning, has some ofthe best special properties to her weapons, so the Pearlwing Staff is lessthan ideal for Vanille.

->Pearlwing Staff(Lv. 26, 33,000 EXP to max) + Perovskite

--->Brightwing Staff(Lv. 61, 437,550 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Nirvana (Lv. 100, 1,393,818 EXP to max)

The Healer's Staff makes Vanille the best Medic in the game if you equip it. It has much lower stats than her other weapons,

though. Why is it here? It has a very interesting synthesis group: High HP. Combined with the right accessories, it will boos t her

strength and magic if she has over 90% HP. That means that she can (som ewhat) make up for the Healer's Staff's weakness

sim ply by keeping herself healed and wearing the right accessories ! Nonetheless, this m ay lock you into certain access ories,

limiting her versatility.

->Healer's Staff(Lv. 21, 63,750 EXP to max) + Adamantite

--->Physician's Staff(Lv. 41, 217,410 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron


The Belladonna Wand greatly increases Vanille's chanc es to success fully debuff an enemy. Combine that with its quite

decent magic stats, and the Belladonna Wand shines as the best possible weapon for Vanille. Plus, this weapon's second

form, the Malboro Wand, is necessary if you wish to use Death to get the Growth Egg early and farm Adamantoises.

->Belladonna Wand (Lv. 21, 38040 EXP to max) + Uraninite

--->Malboro Wand (Lv. 41, 153,000 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron




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Fang

Fang is the best Commando in the game, winning out over Snow because of her incredibly high strength and the massive

strength bonus s he can get from her weapons. Fang is also a very capable Saboteur and the second-best Sentinel, losing to

Snow because he has so m uch more HP than she does. Surprisngly enough, once she has access to her non-innate roles,

Fang is a very good Ravager. She gets a ll ofthe elemental strikes, as well as Waterga and Aeroga. Simply put, Fang is a

fantastic character all around.

As you might expect, this makes choos ing a weapon for her difficult. The Bladed Lance is good, but not good enough to keep upwith the rest of her weapons . The Partisan is too focused on magic to do justice to Fang's versatility. The Dragoon Lance has a

sim ilar problem, though it warrants a little more consideration, as it is an incredible weapon for a melee-fighting Fang; the

problem is, its Stifled Magic makes her Ruin and Ruinga spells, as well as her Saboteur spells, much less useful, and so,

though this may be an unpopular decis ion, I'm not counting it in as a candidate for her best weapon. It sim ply makes her

useless agains t physical-resis tant enemies, and there are enough of those that this is a problem . The Shamanic Spearis the

oppos ite of the Dragoon Lance, and is, again, counted out, because it severely weakens her melee capabilities. The Punisher

can help s ave you time building TP, but there are plenty of access ories that can do the s ame thing, and it isn't really worth it. That

leaves these three choices:

The Gae Bolg lacks raw power , but is great for Fang focused on being a Sentinel. Its Improved Counterability will greatly

increase the damage Fang does with her counterattacks in the Sentinel role, and so it can be a very useful weapon, if you're

willing to live with the decreased stats. Improved Counter isn't as good or as versatile as Lightning's Quick Stagger, so I don't

consider it her best weapon.

->Gae Bolg (Lv. 21, 70,850 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Gungnir(Lv. 41, 214,110 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Kain's Lance (Lv. 100, 1,484,665 EXp to max)

The Pandoran Spear is optimized for Fang as a Saboteur. Its Improved Debilitation will increase the chances of her Debrave,

Defaith, and Slow spells being success ful, which makes it very nice. It favors m agic over strength, but it has almos t the same

amount of strength as the Gae Bolg, making i t a fair choice, though s till not the best.

->Pandoran Spear(Lv. 21, 70,850 EXP to max) + Scarletite

--->Calamity Spear(Lv. 41, 236,350 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Kain's Lance (Lv. 100, 1,462,425 EXP to max)

The Taming Pole has the best overall stats of any of Fang's w eapons... but it has Stagger Lock. Remember how I said that

Fang is a great Ravager? She's a better Commando, and a Commando really doesn't need to be able to deal the staggering

blow. Stagger Lock won't prevent her from increas ing the chain gauge, nor will it hinder the Comm ando's ability to slow the

gauge's falling. I never use Fang without another Ravager in the party anyway, so Stagger Lock is forgivable for her; this makes

the Taming Pole her best weapon in my eyes.

->Taming Pole (Lv. 26, 54,800 EXP to max) + Uraninite

--->Venus Gospel (Lv. 61, 332,560 EXP to max) + Trapezohedron

----->Kain's Lance (Lv. 100, 1,382,265 EXP to max)

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FF13 Weapon Upgrade Info