1.3 - Chapter 3

1.3.1 - Sector 8 and new missions

After some more scenes where Tseng also makes his introduction, the player can control Zack again. Tseng is added to the DMW too. Head over to the Save Point.

At the start of this Chapter, many Missions are unlocked and become available. If you do some of those Missions, more will unlock. At this point, you can do the following missions, or rather, potentially attempt them:

4-1-1 through 4-2-6, 4-4-1 through 4-5-6, 5-1-1, 6-1-1 through 6-1-6, and 6-3-1 through 6-6-6. Please note that many of these missions are likely to be way over your head at this point. Also check the Mission section.

The missions 4-1-1 through 4-1-5 are possible to do at this point, as are the missions 6-1-1 through 6-1-4. Mission 5-1-1 can also be done now easily. Lastly the missions 8-1-1 and 8-1-2 can be done. If you do anything at all, consider getting the Barrier Materia from mission 4-1-5. This is really useful through the game. If you want to, equip Cursed Ring to boost your stats. This may just be better than DMW for the tougher missions.

When you're done fooling around with missions, check locker #6 again to receive a •LIGHTNING (M). Leave the Briefing Room afterwards. After a scene, Kunsel will have brought you to Sector 8. You can now proceed with the game, or do a few optional (and HIGHLY REWARDING) quests.

Optional

In this screen, walk over to three females who all have their own fanclubs. You can join the 'Angeal Fanclub' and the 'Genesis Fanclub' right now, but the 'Sephiroth Fanclub' can't be joined - yet. Check your map, and head north from the Fountain. Head north, straight into an alley next to the Goblins Bar. Talk to the woman here, and choose the first option to join the 'Loveless Study Class', part of the Genesis Fanclub. Head back and check your map. Talk to the Shinra Soldier in the Southeast area of the map of this section. After this, you can check any Save Point to see that a mission has been unlocked.

You can now do missions 1-2-1 through 1-2-6, which give decent rewards. The final mission, 1-2-6 ends with a fairly tough fight, a Guard Spider. You can move behind it before the fight by hugging the wall of the room. Start the fight, and hit it for 4 times, then guard. It'll look like it needs to poo.. and does an electric burst while you're blocking. Repeat this and stay behind it at all times. Heal when you must, and keep your HP at max after every two shocks or so. After the mission, speak with the Shinra Captain and he'll give you the Craftsman Monthly.

Head back into the Shinra Building, which is where you came from. Talk to the lady near the stairs, and select the first option. She will give you a 'Potion', which heals you completely (although cancels any break gained stats, in other words when your HP/MP/AP go above the max due to DMW. You can still get break after this potion, it just takes it away now.). It also cures all status effects, grants Raise (which is essentially Auto Life), and sets DMW back to a normal gauge. It also resets Genesis Mode (which you obtain from the middle of Chapter 6).

Go through the doors on the north, and head over to the lift after admiring the Shinra vehicles and the original artwork of the Highwind (I've actually had that very artwork on my desktop for about 2 years now). Hop onto the elevator and choose the second option to go to the 49th floor (SOLDIER Floor). Head to the Materia Room and speak to the Scientists there. Now go to the Save Point which is also nearby, and check for new missions. You can do the following:

Mission 8-2-1 through 8-2-6 can now be done, and you'll get different Mako Stones as reward. These Mako Stones can be brought back to one of the scientists in the Materia Room who will reward you for every Mako Stone. Just select the first(!) option when talking, or you can NOT get the reward anymore:

As for the missions, only the last two are really hard at this point. Bee Swarm has insane Vitality, which means you must use Magic against it. And especially the fight with the 2 Death Claws in mission 8-2-6 and the Bee Swarm is really tough. Use Barrier and spam your strongest magic and dodge their attacks as much as possible while keeping your distance, and taking them one by one. You can also use the Fira Materia you just got from that mission and heal up with Ethers.

End of optional

When you're ready, talk to Tseng in the Briefing Room, select the first option, and be off to your next story mission. To get back to the Briefing Room, go to the elevator in Shinra Building, select the second option, and you'll be at Floor 49. You should find the Briefing Room easily.

1.3.2 - Banora Village

After a scene you'll have to fight two G Assassins, who have 720 HP, 24 SP, and 58 Gil each. Run down the path until you get to a Save Point at an open field. Run into the Guard Spider when you're ready.

Strategy

Guard Spider isn't very difficult if you time your blocking and dodging well. It's claw attack is fairly strong but also easy to dodge. I suggest getting behind it, smacking it up with physical hits. When you get stopped by Spider Web you're likely to take the blow from the Machine Guns, but so be it; Heal afterwards. Thunder magic works wonders on robots, and this is no exception, but physical attacks will get the job done just fine either way.

After beating the Guard Spider up, check the chest near the gate for an •X-POTION. Check the Guard Spider if you want to, then head over to Tseng and enter the next area. After the scene, check the chest nearby for a •HI-POTION. Head to the village square, which appears to be empty. A chest behind the left house holds a •REMEDY. Check the 3 green Lifestream and memorize them a bit for later. Save your game. If you check any of the houses, you'll end up fighting Blood Tastes, doglike creatures who have 914 HP, 16 SP, 40 Gil. Check the house near the Save Point and you'll get a scene with the mother of Angeal..

After the scene, grab •5 GIL from the chest in the house, and go back outside. Fight the three G Assassins (rather, asses) and exit the village. Check the 4th green Lifestream and remember it. Check your map, and head east into the path near the green Lifestream. Grab a •HI-POTION from the first chest, and an •MP Up (M) from a chest at the top. Check the 5th and final green Lifestream near a stone. You'll also see some chests below, but you'll get them soon enough, don't worry, have I ever let you down? ;)

At the end of the cliff, talk to Tseng to get a scene. You'll end up inside the Factory where you'll instantly have to fight another three Genesis asses. Get •500 GIL from the chest at the end of the walkway, and head down afterwards to Tseng. You'll have to fight a Heli Gunner (1850 HP, 1 SP, 91 Gil) and 7 more Genesis asses. After the battle, grab an •ELIXIR from the chest in the corner under the stairs, and follow Tseng. Grab a •REMEDY from the chest and proceed for another short scene. Save your game if you wish, and go through the door. A scene with Genesis will take place. If you didn't save yet, do so now.

Afterwards, exit the factory and check the chests for a •BRONZE ARMLET and an •X-POTION (See, see?). Run down the valley back to the village until at a certain point a mini game starts in which you have to cut down missiles. This is not very hard, but beware of the last missile, which angle is different than the rest. The last one has the camera behind the missile, the best way to check when you must slash is to look at it's shadow; When it's close, quickly slash. Do well, because it also affects the next minigame. See below.

After the minigame, a timer immediately starts ticking. You now have a set time to find all 5 green Lifestreams and enter Angeal's mother's house after that.

• Note: Lifestreams only appear if you checked them out earlier with Zack.

There's 1 nearby the boxes, one on the cliff, and three near the houses, and it is possible to do it in 50 seconds or so. Now you'll get your reward: •100 GIL for a single slash, plus an additional •500 GIL if you really had all slashes and a •SOMA, ETHER, X-POTION, ELIXIR and PHOENIX DOWN if you touched all possible Lifestreams. Now Save your game if you wish, and enter the house after equipping yourself decently (Barrier Materia?). After the scene, it's boss time.

Strategy

Bahamut is a fairly strong boss, but his attacks can nonetheless be blocked and/or dodged easily. His regular slash is nothing to worry about. When he jumps in the air, keep your distance or simply block. His Ray can be dodged or blocked. His Lightning Bolt is also fairly easy to dodge when you time it right. Leaves us with his stunning classic attack, Mega Flare. You don't have to worry; It can't actually kill you since it's Gravity-based. This means it only takes a proportional part of your current HP away. It's still a load of damage, so heal immediately afterwards.

To defeat Bahamut, you can massive spam your magic, but I recommend just going to him (and his back) and hack away. When he's unreachable, use magic. Save your MP for healing every now and then, and you'll get out victorious. If you have Barrier, use it.

A cutscene will take place to close the Chapter.

End of Chapter 3 Picture: Genesis.