Final Fantasy XII - Resource - Espers

Overview: Some Espers are acquired during the course of the game's main plot, and you cannot avoid fighting them. However, most of the Espers are completely optional, and to find and defeat them takes some significant effort. Below is a list of the various Espers, and under each one information on their use in battle, how many Mist Charges are required to summon them, how to achieve their ultimate attack, where they can be found, and a strategy for fighting them. I'll list the story-required Espers first, then the optional ones.

Belias, the Gigas
Location: The Tomb of Raithwall/ Cloister of Flame
Battle: Belias is not a difficult fight compared to most Esper battles, and a strategy for the battle can be found under the Tomb of Raithwall post.
Use in Battle: Because Belias is one of the main elements, using it in battle against Water-Element monsters can be very effective. Also, you can help Belias along by casting Oil, much like he does in your fight against him.

Mist Charges Required: 1
Final Attack: Belias will use Hellfire when he has less than 10 seconds left on his counter, or his health is below 30%. It's a Fire-element attack that damages all foes in range.

Mateus, the Corrupt

Location: The Stilshrine of Miriam/ Hall of Worth

Battle: Mateus can be found within the Stilshrine of Miriam, and is a tad more difficult that Belias, not just because he's a higher level, but because he comes with underlings, and makes heavy use of Reflect. The strategy for fighting him can be found under the Stilshrine of Miriam Post.

Use in Battle: Like Belias, being an Esper of a common element, Mateus can find use in many battles.

Mist Charges Required: 1

Final Attack: Mateus will use Frostwave when he has less than 10 seconds left on his counter, or his health is below 30%. It's an Ice-element attack that damages all foes in range.

Shemhazai, the Whisperer

Location: The Great Crystal/ Gate of Fire

Battle: Shemhazai can be found within The Great Crystal, and is a moderately difficult battle, due to her shifting Elemental weaknesses. The strategy for fighting her can be found under The Great Crystal post.

Use in Battle: Shemhazai can be very useful, or very useless, depending on how her Final Attack is handled. Under the right circumstance, it can do up to 60,000 damage, and is the second most powerful attack in the game. However, unless it's carefully deployed, it will likely do less damage than a normal attack.

Mist Charges Required: 2

Final Attack: Shemhazai will use Soul Purge when she has less than 10 seconds left on her counter, or has less than 30% Max HP. The damage of the attack is calculated thusly:

(Sum of all Knot of Rust Damage + Sum of all Devour Soul Damage) / 3

As you can see, it has the potential to be quite high, but in reality will usually be quite low. In addition, every time Soul Purge is used, the damage resets to zero. To increase the damage it will inflict I recommend summoning Shemhazai a number of times prior to the use of her Final Attack and dismissing her before she has a chance to use Soul Purge.

Hashmal, Bringer of Order

Location: Pharos at Ridorana/ Third Ascent-Heaven's Challenge

Battle: With access to Aeroga and Wind-element weapons like the Zwill Crossblade, and Float which makes it difficult for him to inflict damage, the battle is an easy one. The full strategy can be found under the Pharos at Ridorana post.

Use in Battle: Hashmal finds use simply because there's no other way to inflict Earth-element damage aside from a handful of weapons. His normal attack: Roxxor, is perhaps the most accessible way to inflict Earth-element damage late in the game.

Mist Charges Required: 2

Final Attack: Hashmal will use Gaia's Wrath when the summoner's HP is less than 10%. Gaia's Wrath is an Earth-element attack that damages all in range.

Famfrit, the Darkening Cloud

Location: Pharos at Ridorana/ Third Ascent-Womb of the Sun-Cryst

Battle: This is an interesting battle because it is fought alongside Dr. Cid, but Famfrit has a few key weaknesses, namely to Oil, which allows you to inflict massive Fire-element damage. The full strategy can be found under the Pharos at Ridorana post.

Use in Battle: Like Hashmal in respect to the Earth-element, there are few ways to inflict Water-element damage, especially with only one Water-element Spell available. So Famfrit can find use there.

Mist Charges Required: 3

Final Attack: Famfrit will use Tsunami when he has less than 10 seconds remaining on his counter, or his HP is below 30%. Tsunami is a Water-element attack that damages all in range.

Adrammelech, the Wroth

Location: Zertinan Caverns/ Athroza Quicksands

Battle: Fighting Adrammelech can be a cake walk, or infuriating, depending on the level you attempt it at. Really, Adrammelech isn't the biggest issue, but the near-infinite number of Shambling Corpses that spawn in this area and attack the party. To be effective in this battle, you must deal with both forces. Foe: Undead - Cura/Curaga/Curaja is a good place to start. Or you can attempt to defeat all of the potential Shambling Corpses before engaging the Esper, but there are a great many of them. When dealing with Adrammelech himself you'll need ranged weapons. However, he's immune to elemental ammunition, so stick to standard or status effect ammo. If you have access to Rubber Suits or the Zodiac Escutcheon, then the battle will likely be brief and painless. Otherwise you'll need to counter Thundaja with powerful healing, and he enjoys using Bleed frequently. Your greatest offensive tool is to use Blizzara, Blizzaga, or a Trident or Icebrand to quickly subdue him.

When he reaches Critical HP, he'll instantly use Thundaja, then put up Perfect Defense, making him immune to physical and magickal damage. Heal, rebuff, take out Shambling Corpses, then hit him with everything you've got, including Quickening Chains. Don't bother with Mateus, Adrammelech's Flash Arc and Thundara will wipe the floor with him.

Use in Battle: Since the Thunder-element is a common weakness, there are many places to use Adrammelech, especially in the Paramina Rift, or against Baknamy. And, unlike many Espers, he can heal the summoner.

Mist Charges Required: 1

Final Attack: Adrammelech will use Judgement Bolt when he has less than 10 seconds left on his counter, or he has less than 30% HP. Judgement Bolt is a Thunder-element attack that damages all in range.

Cuchulainn, the Impure

Location: Garamsythe Waterway/ No. 1 Cloaca

To reach Cuchulainn, you must have completed the Wraith, and White Mousse Hunt. With the key to control the Sluice Gates in hand, head down to the Central Waterway Control. Now you must manipulate the Sluice Gate Controls in a sequence to gain access to the area where Cuchulainn is hiding. I recommend saving before you begin the process, and reading all steps before starting, as part of the process is under a time limit.

Before you begin the process, have Haste, Protect, Bravery, Remedy Gambits, Curaja or Curaga at least, and accessories to resist Disable and Immobilize.

1) Activate the No. 3 and No. 10 Waterway Controls, the orange lights on the ground will let you know they're active and the gates are closed.

2) Go into No. 3 Cloaca Spur, at the far southern end you'll find the No. 1 South Waterway Control, activate it, and return to the Central Waterway Control.

3) Now turn off the No. 3 and No. 10 Waterway Controls, and turn on the No. 11 and No. 4

4) Go into the No. 4 Cloaca Spur, and like last time, head south and activate the No. 1 Southern Waterway Control, and return to the Central Waterway Control.

5) Now turn off the No. 11 Waterway Control, and turn on the No. 3 Waterway Control. Once you do this, you have 75 seconds to run south into the No. 1 Cloaca, and reach the lower southern area where Cuchulainn is waiting. Any longer and he'll disappear, and you'll have to leave and restart the process. When you enter the lower area, the gate will close behind you, and the battle begins.

Battle: Cuchulainn is difficult beyond his level. During the fight the party will be under a magick field and constantly drains HP, at a rate faster than Sap, so Bubble is essential. Also, Cuchulainn brings Foobars to the fight, so they must be dealt with, otherwise your party will be taking too much damage. Be sure to bring accessories to resist Disable and Immobilize and equip them when the cast warning appears. I would recommend have one party member set to Foe: Lowest max-HP - Attack, and have them on Foobar control, and have your strongest attacker on Foe: Highest max-HP - Attack to keep the pressure on Cuchulainn. Obviously your mage will likely spend the entire battle healing. One of his more nefarious attacks is Invert, which combined with the HP drain field, will likely spell instant death to whoever is effected. Stick to Remedies and Phoenix Downs rather than Raise/Esuna, the items are much faster.

Use in Battle: Ol'Cuch just doesn't have a lot going for him. He's difficult to get early, and later in the game he lacks an elemental advantage to warrant using him. On top of that, his Final Attack cannot break the damage limit, making him even more useless in late-game battles.

Mist Charges Required: 2

Final Attack: Cuchulainn will use his Final Attack Blight when he has Full HP and less than 10 seconds remaining on his counter. Blight is a non-elemental attack that targets a single foe.

Zalera, the Death Seraph

Location: Barheim Passage/ Terminus No. 7

To reach Zalera, the player must first complete the Patient in the Desert Sidequest to re-enter Barheim Passage (available for the first time after the Tomb of Raithwall), then travel to the farthest end of the new area. If at all possible, attempt the battle with all active characters at level 49, as you will be immune to all of his level dependent attacks. The next level you can enjoy this immunity is 77, then 91. If you're not attempting it at that level, then bring accessories for all characters that resist Sleep, Blind, and Disable. And as always, Haste, Protect, Bravery, Bubble on all characters.

Battle: Zalera is annoying because, like Adrammelech, he brings flunkies to the party. In this case, Dead Bones. He also begins the battle 'Braced for Attack' which makes him immune to physical damage. You must get around this quickly. I recommend this Gambit setup:

Mage:

Foe: highest max HP - Curaja (or Curaga)

Ally: any - Phoenix Down, Remedy

Ally HP <>

Main Attacker:

Foe: highest max HP - Attack

Ally: any - Phoenix Down, Remedy

Secondary Mage/Attacker

Foe: lowest max HP - Curaja (or Cura) or Foe: lowest max HP - Attack

Ally: any - Phoenix Down, Remedy

The mage will hit Zalera with powerful healing magic which hurts him because he's undead and break him out of his 'brace for attack' stance and allow the main attacker to being damaging him. The secondary mage/attacker will be on crowd control, using his Gambits to stay busy attacking the Dead Bones so they don't gang up on you. Of course, while all this is going on, keep an eye on the spell warnings, and when Zalera begins to use Lv. 2 Sleep, Lv. 3 Disable, Lv. 4 Break, Lv. 5 Reverse, equip any susceptible characters accordingly.

Use in Battle: Zalera can be very useful in battle, as long as you're not trying to level up. His standard attack, Kill, will instantly kill anything without the Safety passive ability, but you'll get no EXP or LP. His Final Attack can break the damage limit, so of course that's useful, and, he only takes one Mist Charge, so you won't need to use Elixirs right after you summon him.

Mist Charges Required: 1

Final Attack: Zalera will use Condemnation, his Final Attack, when any Foe has less than 30% HP.

Exodus, the Judge-sal

Location: Mosphoran Highwaste/ Empyrean Seat

Getting to Exodus is half the battle. After reaching Phon Coast, the Shrines in the Babbling Vale will begin working. Using them, you can reach Exodus high at the top of the mountain. Buy a half dozen Gyshal Greens and activate the Shrine of the South Wind in the Babbling Vale. An exclamation point will appear on your map. These exclamation points mark new paths that the floatweed has formed. After activating the Shrine, head out to the Rays of Ashen Light and proposition a chocobo. Ride that chocobo south to the Empyrean Way, and up the path you just created, then west along the ridge. The far western part of the ridge is chocobo accessible only, and will let you connect to Skyreach Ridge. Once on Skyreach Ridge, hop off the helpful bird and head around the corner to reach a previously inaccessible portion of the Babbling Vale. There, you'll find the Shrine of the West Wind. Activate it, then knock over the rock that creates a path leading back to the rest of Babbling Vale. Head down and activate the Shrine of the Northwest Wind. Now you have all the paths needed to reach the Empyrean Seat. Head back to Skyreach Ridge and head to the northern end with the two new exclamation points. Now you can enter the Empyrean Seat.

Battle: First things first, you won't be able to use Items in this battle, so switch any Remedy/Phoenix Down/Potion related Gambits to Spells. Secondly, Exodus loves Scathe, and it's his favorite means of attack, aside from ineffectual chair ramming. It's likely to kill anyone it hits, even with Bubble. So go into battle with Shell, for a start, plus the usual Haste, Protect, Bravery, Bubble. It would be worth your while to invest in the best ranged weapons you can buy at whatever point you're at. The goal with the ranged weapons is to keep your party spread out, so that Scathe only hits one person at a time, rather than knocking off the whole party. Anyone who can equip a crossbow should have Long Bolts on, because Exodus is susceptible to Slow. If you don't have any Long Bolts, get some, or endeavor to inflict it on him with an Iron Pole. With Slow inflicted you should have some decent breathing room to keep on the offensive. You can also buy time by Dispelling his Reflect, because he will instantly try to replace it, wasting time doing that instead of attacking. At Critical HP his Attack, Defense, and Speed increase, and at 15% he brings up a Paling. Rebuff, heal, keep spaced out, and wait for it to fall. As soon as it does, bring all of your power down on him, because he'll start spamming Flare and Scathe.

Use in Battle: Exodus might get used just because his Final Attack could do 30000 damage, however, it might also do 0, so the random chance is rather unappealing. His normal attacks are alright, but nothing phenomenal.

Mist Charges Required: 2

Final Attack: Exodus will use his Final Attack Meteor, when he has less than 10 seconds left on his counter, and is inflicted with Immobilize. Meteor does a random amount of damage between 0 and 9999, or 30000, to a single foe.

Zeromus, the Condemner

Location: Stilshrine of Miriam/ Throne of Veiled Gods
Zeromus can be reached rather early, but he's quite powerful, and it's usually recommended that you wait till the 50's at least, preferably the 60's. After the battle with Bergan at Mt. Bur-Omisace, you can speak to an Acolyte who gives you the Stone of the Condemner. Take this stone to the Stilshrine of Miriam, and activate the Way Stone at the far end of the main hall. It will react with the Stone of the Condemner, and send you to the Throne of the Veiled Gods.

Battle: The battle with Zeromus plays out with the Spell command sealed. Obviously, this makes the battle a difficult task. And the pack of Dark Lords that come with him don't help. A healthy stock of Remedies, Phoenix Downs, X-Potions, and the accessory Pheasant Netsuke are key. With all of the Phoenix Lores and the Pheasant Netsuke equipped, a Phoenix Down revives a character with full HP. This is also a good place to avoid using Bubble, since it'll just make the various Gravity attacks more powerful. I also recommend three Sashes, and three Power Armlets to protect against Slow and Stop, which Zeromus likes to inflict. Like Zalera, having one character with Foe: lowest max HP - Attack, and another with Foe: highest max HP - Attack, is helpful, because it keeps the Dark Lords from overwhelming the party, and keeps someone focused on Zeromus. Switch out accessories when you get the cast warning for Slow or Stop, and if a bunch of people die, put the Pheasant Netsuke on the person who will be reviving them, so they come back with full health. Keep the pressure on, and when he gets down to Critical HP, his defense increases.

Use in Battle: Zeromus has the potential to do the most damage in a single hit in the entire game, but the conditions for accomplishing that are a bit extreme. His normal attack is less than thrilling, so he might not find much use, aside from being rather interesting looking.

Mist Charges Required: 2

Final Attack: Zeromus will use his Final Attack, Big Bang, when his counter has less than 10 seconds left on it. Big Bang is a Gravity type attack that damages all foes in range, and the damage is calculated with this formula: (Zeromus' Max HP - Zeromus' Current HP) x 5. Under ideal conditions, this attack can do 69425 damage at level 99, but again, getting him to level 99 and getting his HP to work out is tiresome.

Chaos, Walker of the Wheel

Location: Nechrol of Nabudis/ The Crucible

Reaching Chaos is easily the most complex Esper related quest in the game.

COMING SOON

Zodiark, Keeper of Precepts

COMING SOON

Ultima, the High Seraph

COMING SOON