FF WalkthroughMt. Ordeals is where Cecil confronts his dark past and becomes a Paladin. The dungeon is short - only four chests - but it has two boss phases back-to-back and Cecil's class transformation at the summit. The twins Palom and Porom provide solid magical support, and Tellah's presence adds another spellcaster to your lineup.
Preparing for the Climb
From Mysidia, head east toward the mountains. You'll pass a Chocobo Forest along the way - stop here to ride a chocobo around the area. The forest completely restores your MP, so use it to top off before entering the dungeon. This saves your Ethers for the boss fight ahead.
Dungeon Enemies
Every enemy on Mt. Ordeals is undead. This makes your party composition perfect for the climb; Palom's Fire magic and Porom's Cure spells both deal damage to undead creatures. Tellah can contribute with Blizzard or Fire, and healing spells work offensively against any encounter.
| Enemy | HP |
|---|---|
| Zombie | 52 |
| Spirit | 86 |
| Skeleton | 135 |
| Soul | 200 |
| Bloodbones | 210 |
| Ghoul | 222 |
| Revenant | 250 |
| Skullnant | 250 |
| Lilith | 466 |
The Path Up
The dungeon is linear with no branching paths. At the entrance area, grab two Potions from the chests before heading up. Continue through the screen transitions until you reach the mountain pass section. Here you'll find two Ethers - one on the left side of the path and one on the right. These are valuable for restoring MP during the boss fight.
Near the summit, you'll find a save point. Use it - you're about to face a two-phase boss fight with no break between phases.
Boss: Scarmiglione (First Form)
Scarmiglione appears with four Skullnant minions (250 HP each). This first form isn't difficult if you handle the adds correctly. In older translations, this boss was named Milon.
Strategy
- Wipe the Skullnants immediately. Have Palom cast Fira targeting all enemies to eliminate the minions in one or two rounds.
- Once the adds are down, use Twincast with Palom and Porom for heavy damage on Scarmiglione.
- Tellah handles healing and casts Blizzard when the party is healthy.
- Cecil attacks normally - his physical damage is consistent but not spectacular here.
Rewards: Immediate second phase battle
The Row Swap Trick
Critical: Before Scarmiglione dies, swap your rows. Put Cecil in the back row and your mages in the front. Scarmiglione immediately ambushes you with a Back Attack after the first phase ends. If you've swapped rows beforehand, your party faces forward instead of being caught off-guard - this negates the Back Attack penalty completely.
Open the menu, go to Formation, and move Cecil to the back row. Move Palom, Porom, and Tellah to the front. It feels wrong. Do it anyway. When the second phase starts, your party will be correctly positioned.
Boss: Scarmiglione (True Form)
The undead fiend rises again in a more grotesque form. This version hits harder and uses poison attacks, but retains the standard undead weaknesses: Fire, Holy, and Projectile attacks. In older translations, this form was called Milon Z.
Strategy
- Fire magic remains effective. Palom and Tellah should spam Fira for consistent damage.
- Healing spells damage undead. Have Porom cast Cura directly on Scarmiglione - it deals solid damage while keeping your offense up.
- Throw Potions or Hi-Potions at him for easy damage if MP runs low.
- Cecil's Dark Sword abilities won't work here - stick to regular attacks.
- If you swapped rows correctly, you'll take normal damage instead of boosted Back Attack damage.
Rewards: Access to the summit
Tellah's Power Restored
Character Development: After defeating Scarmiglione's true form, Tellah remembers all the spells he had forgotten in his old age. His Recall ability is replaced with a full arsenal of Black and White magic, including the ultimate spell Meteo. However, Tellah's low MP cap means he cannot actually cast Meteo without dying - this becomes relevant later in the story.
The Summit and Dark Knight Battle
Cross the bridge after Scarmiglione's defeat and approach the tombstone at the summit. This triggers an event battle where Cecil must confront a dark reflection of himself - the Dark Knight he used to be.
Don't Attack: This fight is scripted. Do nothing. Don't attack, don't use abilities, don't even defend. Just wait. After a few turns, you automatically win and Cecil transforms into a Paladin. Attacking the Dark Knight prolongs the fight and wastes your HP - the Dark Knight reflects damage back at Cecil.
Paladin Transformation
Upon victory, Cecil receives the Sword of Legend (Legend Sword) and new Paladin armor. His class changes from Dark Knight to Paladin, granting access to basic White Magic including Cure. Cecil resets to level 1, but don't panic - his base stats are strong and he levels up rapidly. Within a few fights, he'll catch up to the rest of your party.
The Paladin class gives Cecil:
- White Magic - Cure spells for emergency healing
- Cover - Automatically shields low-HP allies from physical attacks
- Light/Knight equipment - Access to the holy swords and knight armor sold in Mysidia
Return to Mysidia
Exit Mt. Ordeals and head back down the mountain. Stop at the Chocobo Forest to restore any spent MP - the ride fully recovers the party. Return to Mysidia and speak with the Elder in the northern building. He recognizes Cecil's transformation and grants your party access to the Devil's Road - a teleportation path that leads directly back to Baron.
Before using the Devil's Road, make sure to:
- Equip Cecil with the best Light/Knight gear available at the Mysidia shops
- Stock up on healing items - the next section has two boss fights back-to-back
- Save your game at the Inn
Treasure Chests
Mt. Ordeals contains only 4 chests. It's a short dungeon focused on story rather than loot.
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Potion | Entrance, first chest on the path |
Potion | Entrance, second chest near the exit |
Ether | Pass section, left side of the path |
Ether | Pass section, right side of the path |