Final Fantasy VII

Disc 1: Wutai Area

Exploring With the Tiny Bronco

After the Palmer fight, you gain control of the Tiny Bronco on the water near a place where you can land. You can land and continue the plot if you want, but this is also a good time to clean up anything you missed.

Good optional targets before chasing the KeystoneKey ItemsKey Item: Use to enter Temple of Ancients:

• Restock both Enemy Skill Materia if you skipped White Wind, Beta, Big Guard, or Chocobuckle earlier.
• Visit Gold Saucer’s Battle Square if you want to work toward OmnislashFinal Limit BreaksCloud's Level 4 Limit Break. Acquire from battle arena on any disc., Speed Plus Materia, or other prizes.
• Visit Bone Village to obtain a Rune ArmletArmorArmor: 0 Connected Slots, 4 Unconnected Slots; Growth: x2 for your three active characters, along with the Kjata Materia.
• Farm Turbo EtherRestoration ItemsTarget: 1, Restores ALL MP near the railroad area above North Corel if you are running low.
• Participate in Fort Condor Battle 08 (must be completed before getting the KeystoneKey ItemsKey Item: Use to enter Temple of Ancients).

On the beach west of where you first gain control of the Tiny Bronco, you can fight Adamantaimai. Manipulate one and have it cast Death Force so your Enemy Skill Materia can learn it. You can also steal an Adaman BangleArmorArmor: 2 Connected Slots, 0 Unconnected Slots.

Save before starting Wutai. Once the quest begins, you lose most of your materia for a while, and the next boss can be unpleasant if you are underprepared.

Road to Wutai

From the beach west of the Tiny Bronco landing point, head north along the mountain path. Yuffie steals most of your materia, and Shinra Attack Squad troops pull you into a fight. You can steal an 8-inch CannonMiscellaneous ItemsTarget: 1, Explosive Damage from them.

After the fight, redistribute whatever materia you still have. Then continue north across two bridges, turn south, wrap east and north, cross another bridge, and follow the land north to Wutai.

When you enter town, Yuffie runs away. Follow her.

Wutai

Start at the pagoda area:

1. Cross the bridges and follow the river left to the pagoda.
2. Enter the house on the right.
3. In the left room, examine the leftmost wall to open a secret passage and get the Magic ShurikenYuffie's WeaponsYuffie's Weapon. Attack: 68; Attack %: 110; Connected Slots: 6; Unconnected Slots: 2.
4. In the right room, use the hidden door at the bottom of the screen and go all the way right for HairpinRed XIII's WeaponsRed XIII's Weapon. Attack: 57; Attack %: 120; Connected Slots: 0; Unconnected Slots: 0; Growth: NO GROWTH!.
5. Talk to Godo in the next room until Yuffie appears and runs away.

Return to town:

1. Enter the building by the save point and talk to the woman by the box.
2. Cross one bridge and enter Turtle’s Paradise. Talk to the Turks.
3. Go back across the bridge and open the chest in the next house. Yuffie steals from you again.
4. Run back over the bridge and the next two bridges.
5. Enter the house by the town entrance. Examine the silk screen in the left corner, talk to the guy, and leave.
6. Go back toward Turtle’s Paradise and examine the shaking pot outside.

After you catch Yuffie, Shinra arrives. When you regain control, follow Yuffie downstairs. Go past the doorway she enters and read the Turtle’s Paradise notice on the wall. Then talk to Yuffie and press the wall switch twice: once to trap your party, and once to free them.

You have now seen all Turtle’s Paradise posters. Go to Turtle’s Paradise and talk to the bartender for Power SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Strength by 1, Guard SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Vitality by 1, Magic SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Magic by 1, Mind SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Spirit by 1, Speed SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Speed by 1, Luck SourceStat-Up ItemsTarget: 1, Permanently raise Luck by 1, and MegalixirRestoration ItemsTarget: All, Restores ALL HP/MP.

Da-chao

Save, then go left along the river path to the pagoda area. Go through the gate on the left, climb the stairs, and ring the gong to reveal a hidden door. After Corneo runs out, open the right chest for Swift BoltMagic and Casting ItemsTarget: All, Cast Bolt 3 on all enemies and the left chest for ElixirRestoration ItemsTarget: 1, Restores ALL HP/MP.

Upstairs, fight the Shinra soldiers. If you want to charge limit breaks for the next boss, defend once a character has one ready. You will also have random battles on the mountain, so you can charge limits there instead.

Rest on your way out if needed. Outside, talk to the Turks, then follow them. Buy 5-10x Fire VeilMagic and Casting ItemsTarget: All, Cast Fire 3 on all enemies and 5-10x Swift BoltMagic and Casting ItemsTarget: All, Cast Bolt 3 on all enemies if you can afford them. Save near the bridge, then head up Da-chao.

Route through the mountain:

1. Cross the bridge north of the save point and follow the mountain path.
2. Go up and take the left path. Talk to Rude.
3. Go back and take the right path.
4. At the split, take the right path first and talk to Reno.
5. Go back and take the straight path.
6. At the up/down split, go up and talk to Rude.
7. Follow him into the cave for Dragoon LanceCid's WeaponsCid's Weapon. Attack: 66; Attack %: 100; Connected Slots: 0; Unconnected Slots: 8, then leave the cave.
8. Go south from the cave to trigger the boss sequence.

Boss: Rapps

Rapps has 6,000 HP and 300 MP, and nothing to steal. This fight is rough because you still do not have your full materia setup.

Use X-Potions to heal if you have them. Use any Swift BoltMagic and Casting ItemsTarget: All, Cast Bolt 3 on all enemies or Fire VeilMagic and Casting ItemsTarget: All, Cast Fire 3 on all enemies items if you bought them. Limit breaks are excellent here, especially Tifa’s. Vincent can also transform if he is in the party.

After the scenes, you end up outside Wutai with your materia back, but it will be equipped incorrectly. Reequip your party before moving on.

After Wutai

Before leaving the area, stock a few useful things:

You can now leave Wutai and return to the Tiny Bronco.

I mean, unless you want to attempt the pagoda.

Optional: Five-Level Pagoda

You can do the pagoda now, but there are two catches:

• First, these fights can be hard at this point.
• Second, this is one of very few chances to learn Trine, and you do not have all the Enemy Skill Materia yet! Trine is powerful, so you may want to wait.

My advice is to wait until later. Not only can your Enemy Skill Materia learn Trine, but by the time you get to that point you’ll be able to pretty easily walk through this area. If you do want to take it on now, bring X-Potions, Elixirs, Swift Bolts, and DazersStatus Abnormality ItemsTarget: 1, Paralyse enemy, and make sure you’ve learned the enemy skill Magic Hammer.

With that caveat out of the way, you start this side-quest by putting Yuffie in your party and talking to the person in the tall pagoda at the back of the far-right area of Wutai.

Suggested setup:

• Weapon: Razor RingYuffie's WeaponsYuffie's Weapon. Attack: 49; Attack %: 105; Connected Slots: 1; Unconnected Slots: 4.
• Armor: EdincoatArmorArmor: 0 Connected Slots, 8 Unconnected Slots.
• Accessory: Peace RingAccessoriesAccessory: Protects against Status Abnormalities: Berserk, Fury and Sadness.
• Materia ideas: Time Materia linked to Added Effect Materia, Restore Materia, Counter Attack Materia, Long Range Materia, Enemy Skill Materia, Death blow Materia, Sense Materia, MP Plus Materia, and HP Plus Materia.
• Put Yuffie in the back row if she has Long Range Materia equipped.
• Set battle speed low if you need the extra reaction time.

General pattern: rest and save between fights. Open with Big Guard, Sense if you want the HP readout, and use Magic Hammer to drain MP from enemies where it matters. If Counter Attack and Added Effect slow or stop an enemy, Deathblow becomes much more reliable.

Gorkii

Gorkii is level 30 with 3,000 HP and 150 MP. He is weak to Wind and has nothing to steal. Use Big Guard, then Magic Hammer to empty his MP. If he casts Reflect, avoid regular magic. Beta and Cure 2 can carry the fight.

Shake

Shake is level 32 with 4,000 HP and 180 MP, and nothing to steal. Use Big Guard, then alternate Beta, Cure 2, and Magic Hammer as needed. Rage Bomber still works even after his MP is gone.

Chekhov

Chekhov is level 34 with 5,000 HP and 210 MP, and nothing to steal. Big Guard, Beta, Cure 2, and Magic Hammer work well. Chekhov counters with Stare Down, which can stop Yuffie briefly. It wears off.

Staniv

Staniv is level 36 with 6,000 HP and 240 MP, and nothing to steal. Use the same pattern: Big Guard, Beta, Cure 2, and Magic Hammer.

Godo

Godo is level 41 with 10,000 HP and 1,000 MP, and nothing to steal. He opens with Demi 3, so cast Haste and Cure 2 quickly, then use Big Guard.

If you’re looking to get Trine on your Enemy Skill Materia, just keep using curing magic/items until he uses it.

To take him down, alternate Swift Bolts, Magic Hammer, Big Guard, and Cure 2 as needed. Once you drain his MP, he cannot use Demi 3, Trine, or Cure 3 anymore. Use Beta after your Swift Bolts run out.

You receive All CreationFinal Limit BreaksYuffie's Level 4 Limit Break. Acquire on Disc 1 by completing the Wutai Pagoda side quest. and the Leviathan Materia after the final fight. Rebuild your materia setup, restore your battle speed if you changed it, and return to the Tiny Bronco.