FF WalkthroughWith the Enterprise airship, the world opens up. Your party - Cecil, Tellah, Yang, and Cid - can now reach several optional locations before tackling the main objective. Troia's clerics need help recovering the Earth Crystal from the Dark Elf, but there's no rush. Explore and gear up first.
Mythril Town
Fly to the east-central part of the world map to find Mythril Town on a small island. This mining settlement has the best equipment you've seen so far, though prices are steep.
Shops
The weapon shop sells Mythril equipment across the board:
- Mythril Sword - 6,000 Gil (solid upgrade for Cecil)
- Mythril Staff - 4,000 Gil (decent for Tellah)
- Mythril Knife - 3,000 Gil
- Mythril Hammer - 8,000 Gil (Cid can use this)
The armor shop carries a full set of Mythril protection:
- Mythril Shield - 1,000 Gil
- Mythril Helm - 3,000 Gil
- Mythril Armor - 17,000 Gil (expensive but worth it)
- Mythril Gloves - 2,000 Gil
The item shop stocks status cures: Maiden's Kiss (60 Gil), Mallet (80 Gil), and Diet Food (100 Gil). The inn costs 500 Gil per night.
Chocobo Forest (Southern Island)
Fly south of Mythril Town to find a Chocobo Forest on a small island. Enter and walk up 4 steps, then face right to find a hidden Gysahl Greens. You'll need these for the Fat Chocobo later.
Troia Town
Fly to the northwest continent to find Troia. The town and castle are close together - the town sits near the shore while the castle is further inland.
Shops
The weapon shop specializes in ranged equipment:
- Great Bow - 2,000 Gil (Cecil will need this)
- Fire Arrows - 500 Gil
- Ice Arrows - 500 Gil
- Lightning Arrows - 500 Gil
The armor shop sells Ruby Rings for 1,000 Gil each. Buy four of them - these become critical for the Magnetic Cave since they're non-metallic.
The inn costs 400 Gil. The pub offers a Membership Pass for 10,000 Gil, which grants access to the fancy King's Pub upstairs.
Black Chocobo Farm
Check the building in the top-right corner of town. This is the Black Chocobo Farm, though you can't use the birds yet. The building has a secret basement path worth exploring.
Troia Castle
Enter the castle and explore both floors. The castle has 8 treasure chests on the main floors - two Tents, two Hi-Potions, two Ethers, and two Ruby Rings. The treasury room has a center switch that triggers a chain reaction opening hidden doors to reach all the chests.
Meeting the Clerics
Head to the second floor to speak with the eight clerics who rule Troia. They explain that the Dark Elf stole the Earth Crystal and retreated to a cave with a powerful magnetic field. Metal equipment is useless there.
Edward and the Twin Harp
Visit the infirmary on the second floor. Edward is here, recovering from his injuries aboard Leviathan. He's too weak to join your party, but he senses your upcoming struggle. He gives you the Twin Harp; this key item will save your life in the Magnetic Cave.
Don't Sell It: Keep the Twin Harp in your inventory. It's not equippable, but it's absolutely required to survive the Dark Elf fight. Selling it means you can't complete the dungeon.
Chocobo Village
Head north from Troia Castle to find Chocobo Village. You'll need a Black Chocobo to reach the Magnetic Cave, and this is where you get one.
The village layout is shaped like a giant chocobo. Explore the different areas to find multiple Gysahl Greens:
- Front toe of front leg - summons the Fat Chocobo
- Front toe of back leg - one Gysahl Greens
- Hidden passage from the neck area - two more Gysahl Greens
Fat Chocobo
Use a Gysahl Greens in the designated spot to summon the Fat Chocobo. This large bird acts as item storage - you can deposit and withdraw items from your inventory. Useful if you're running low on bag space.
Grinding Spot
The area outside Chocobo Village works well for grinding if your party needs experience. Tellah's spells and healing make fights quick. Get everyone to a comfortable level before the Magnetic Cave - the dungeon hits hard if you're underleveled.
Preparing for the Magnetic Cave
Critical - No Metal Equipment: The Magnetic Cave has a magnetic field that paralyzes anyone wearing metal. Characters with metal weapons, armor, or accessories will be frozen in battle and unable to act. You must completely re-equip your party before entering.
Here's what each character should wear:
Weapons
- Cecil - Equip the Great Bow with arrows. Bows are non-metallic. His damage drops significantly, but at least he can act
- Yang - His fists are fine. Claws are metal, so go barehanded
- Cid - Buy a Wooden Hammer from Troia's weapon shop. It's weak but won't trigger paralysis
- Tellah - Any staff or rod that isn't Mythril. His standard equipment works
Armor
- Ruby Rings - Buy these from Troia. Non-metallic accessories
- Feathered Caps - Light headgear that avoids the field
- Wizard Hats - Work for mages
- Robes and cloth armor instead of plate or Mythril
Strip off all Mythril equipment, shields, and anything that looks like metal. Check everyone's loadout twice before entering.
Magnetic Cave
Ride the Black Chocobo east from Chocobo Village and land in the forest clearing. The cave entrance is nearby. This dungeon has 10 treasure chests spread across four floors.
Rare Summon: Mind Flayers appear in the Magnetic Cave. They have a 1/256 chance to drop the Mind Flayer summon for Rydia later in the game. Don't grind for this now - the drop rate is brutal. You can return when Rydia rejoins the party.
B1
From the entrance, head right first to find a chest with Hi-Potion. Then go left before taking the stairs down. Another chest holds a Unicorn Horn.
B2
Cross the bridge on the left side to grab an Ether. Enter the door on the right to find a room with two chests: 2000 Gil and another Ether. Navigate left to reach the stairs to B3.
B3
There's a save room on the left - use it. Enter door B to find three chests: Hi-Potion, Spider's Silk, and Hourglass. Cross the bridge heading left and work through the center rock formations. Door C leads to another chest with the Fairy Claw before you head up.
B4
Cross the bridge heading right to find another save room. Save here - the boss is ahead. Continue upward, then loop left to find the Emergency Exit chest. Enter the final door to reach the Crystal Chamber.
Boss: Dark Elf
The first encounter is scripted. You cannot win this fight.
What Happens
- The Dark Elf wipes your party. This is supposed to happen
- Back in Troia Castle, Edward senses your struggle
- He plays his harp, and the sound transmits through the Twin Harp
- The magnetic field neutralizes. You can equip metal gear again
- Your party revives at full health. The real fight begins
Re-Equip Immediately: After Edward's scene, the game opens your menu. Put all your metal equipment back on right now. Cecil's best sword, everyone's Mythril armor and shields - equip everything before confirming. You'll need full strength for this fight.
With proper equipment, the Dark Elf becomes manageable. He's weak to Holy element damage.
Strategy
- Equip Cecil with the Sword of Legend (Mythgrim) - it deals Holy damage
- Cecil, Yang, and Cid attack every turn
- Tellah focuses on healing with Cura and Curaga
- The Dark Elf hits hard - keep HP above half
- After enough damage, he transforms into Dark Dragon
Boss: Dark Dragon
The Dark Elf's second form looks threatening but has far less HP. Don't panic - this phase ends quickly.
Strategy
- Continue attacking with Cecil's Holy sword
- Yang and Cid deal solid physical damage
- The dragon has strong attacks, so maintain healing
- With only 3,927 HP, this phase ends in a few rounds
Defeat the Dark Dragon and you claim the Earth Crystal. Use the Emergency Exit item or Tellah's Teleport spell to leave the dungeon quickly.
Return to Troia Castle
Ride the Black Chocobo back to Chocobo Village, then walk south to Troia Castle. Present the Earth Crystal to the eight clerics in the main hall. Speak with all of them - after talking to each one, they grant you access to the castle's basement treasury.
Basement Treasury
The basement contains 18 chests filled with valuable items:
- Potions and Hi-Potions
- Ethers and an Elixir
- Remedies
- Fire, Ice, and Lightning Arrows
- 50,000 Gil total across multiple chests
Don't skip this room - the Gil alone makes it worth the trip.
What's Next
With the Earth Crystal recovered, your next destination is the Tower of Zot. This is a one-time-only dungeon - once you clear it, you cannot return. Make sure you're prepared:
- Stock up on healing items
- Fill your bestiary entries from the current regions
- Grab any remaining treasure you missed
The Tower of Zot has unique monsters that only appear there. If you're a completionist, don't rush in unprepared.
Treasure Chests
Troia Castle - 8 Chests (Before Magnetic Cave)
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Tent | Castle 1F, east wing |
Tent | Castle 1F, west wing |
Hi-Potion | Castle 1F, east tower |
Hi-Potion | Castle 1F, west tower |
Ether | Castle 2F, east room |
Ether | Castle 2F, west room |
Ruby Ring | Castle treasury, center switch room |
Ruby Ring | Castle treasury, center switch room |
Troia Castle Basement - 13+ Chests (After Returning with Crystal)
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Potion | Basement treasury |
Hi-Potion | Basement treasury |
Ether | Basement treasury |
Elixir | Basement treasury |
Remedy | Basement treasury |
Fire Arrows | Basement treasury |
Ice Arrows | Basement treasury |
Lightning Arrows | Basement treasury |
10000 Gil | Basement treasury |
10000 Gil | Basement treasury |
10000 Gil | Basement treasury |
10000 Gil | Basement treasury |
10000 Gil | Basement treasury |
Chocobo Village - 4 Items
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Gysahl Greens | Front toe of front leg area |
Gysahl Greens | Front toe of back leg area |
Gysahl Greens | Hidden passage from neck area |
Gysahl Greens | Hidden passage from neck area |
Magnetic Cave - 10 Chests
| Item | Location |
|---|---|
Hi-Potion | B1, right path from entrance |
Unicorn Horn | B1, left path before stairs |
Ether | B2, left across bridge |
2000 Gil | B2, right door room |
Ether | B2, right door room |
Hi-Potion | B3, door B room |
Spider's Silk | B3, door B room |
Hourglass | B3, door B room |
Fairy Claw | B3, door C before ascending |
Emergency Exit | B4, loop left before final door |