FF16 100% Walkthrough – Ultimate Platinum Guide – Part 18

Welcome to my 100% Walkthrough for Final Fantasy 16. This more than just a Platinum Guide, this walkthrough will help you clear 100% of the game’s content in the most efficient way. After playing hundreds of hours and doing hundreds more of research, I have prepared the Ultimate Guide for completionists who want to enjoy this masterpiece to the fullest. If this is your first Final Fantasy game ever, I’ve got your back, there will be many tips and information to help you become good at this game. If you’re a Final Fantasy  veteran, I’ve also got you covered, there will be Advanced Combat mechanics, hidden combos you’ve never heard of and competitive builds. I left no stone unturned.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Walkthrough Presentation
The Guide Format
FAQ
Settings

Final Fantasy XVI 100% Walkthrough Episodes – Part 18:

EPISODE 171
EPISODE 172
EPISODE 173

Other parts of the guide:

For episodes 01 to 10: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 1

For episodes 11 to 20: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 2

For episodes 21 to 30: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 3

For episodes 31 to 40: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 4

For episodes 41 to 50: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 5

For episodes 51 to 60: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 6

For episodes 61 to 70: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 7

For episodes 71 to 80: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 8

For episodes 81 to 90: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 9

For episodes 91 to 100: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 10

For episodes 101 to 110: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 11

For episodes 111 to 120: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 12

For episodes 121 to 130: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 13

For episodes 131 to 140: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 14

For episodes 141 to 150: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 15

For episodes 151 to 160: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 16

For episodes 161 to 170: FF16 100% Walkthrough – Part 17

On this page you will find:

• A very compact text version of my guide that you can use as a roadmap
• A very detailed Video Format, with timecodes for every key step and chapters to skip the parts which you don’t feel like watching. So I recommend to give it a try and to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to get the latest info first.

This is a REAL 100% Walkthrough. Well over 1500+ hours of preparation are necessary for this guide to make sure not a single item was missed and to complete 100% of Final Fantasy XVI as efficiently as possible!

In this guide, I will of course show you how to unlock ALL FF16 Trophies / Achievements, but also:

• Acquire ALL Items
• Acquire ALL Weapons
• Acquire ALL Armor
• Acquire ALL Accessories
• Complete all the side quests
• Upgrade all Feats and Abilities to their maximum
• Collect all Signboards
• Collect all curiosities
• Complete all the Hunts
• Craft Gotterdammerung (Legendary Sword)
• Visit all Areas on the World and Local Maps
• Defeat every Boss and mini boss

But I will also provide many advice to become better at the game:

• Basic Combat Mechanics and Tips
• Advanced Combat Guides
• Detailed Builds
• Best way to clear the Final Fantasy Mode (which is needed to unlock the hardest trophy in FF16: Fantasy, Finally)

If you enjoy this format, please check my other 100% walkthroughs:

• Elden Ring 100% Platinum Guide
• God of War Ragnarok 100% Walkthrough – Platinum Guide
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake 100% Walkthrough
• Cyberpunk 2077 100% Walkthrough
• FF7 Intermission 100% Walkthrough

The walkthrough

This is the ultimate guide to complete 100% of Final Fantasy 16

This is more than just a Platinum Trophy guide, we’ll get everything.

• All 50 Trophies including The Chronicler platinum trophy
• All items, even the not important ones, every Potion will be looted! Every gil will be collected!
• All Side Quests

Basically, we’ll farm everything, every Gil, material or consumable will be found and looted if you follow this guide. You’ll finish your first playthrough with plenty of materials to do anything you want in your New Game+ (Final Fantasy Mode Playthrough).

I’ve planned this guide to do everything in the most efficient order, so that we never hit difficulty walls and complete the full game with as little deaths as possible. Every upgrade that can help will be obtained at the right moment, you’ll be warned in advance of every ambush and trap, there will be an optimal strategy for each of the enemies and Bosses which require one.

• If you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game before, I guarantee you will Platinum this game without any problems if you follow my guide.
• If you’re a casual gamer or 70+ year old with bad reflexes, I guarantee you will Platinum this game too.
• If you’re a veteran FF player, I guarantee you won’t regret following this guide, it will save you a lot of time and you’ll probably learn a few tricks and hidden game mechanics.

We’ll start the game with a few basic combat mechanics, get some early upgrades and progressively add more tools to our arsenal and explore some advanced combat tactics as well as new game mechanics which only exist in Final Fantasy 16.

Settings

The Guide’s format

This is a double format Guide. There is a full video walkthrough AND a very compact text walkthrough.

The video walkthrough will contain more detailed combat tips, so I suggest you check them out.

Each video will have a list of timecodes with all the important moments in the episodes:

• Timecode for each Item obtained
• Timecode for each Combat tip and boss strategy
• Timecode for each Important info given
• Timecode for each Trophy obtained

All cut scenes and NPC dialogues will be included, but if you want to skip them it will be quite easy to do so: each video will be spilt into chapters, with clear labels so you can skip the parts you don’t want to watch or would rather watch on your own.

The text version of my Final Fantasy 16 Walkthrough should also be quite useful, it is very compact, and whenever the direction or explanation isn’t detailed enough, you can always check the video to get a clearer direction.

FAQ

Q: Will I get all trophies, including the platinum, if I follow your guide?

A: Yes of course. But much more than that. You’ll get everything you can possibly get in one playthrough. All items, weapons, spells, etc. Everything.

Q: Do I have to follow your character build exactly ?

A: No. You can follow this guide and do your own build and you’ll be fine. However, this is a very optimized guide and I believe the builds I use are very optimized and powerful. Some strategies in the later part of the game are specific to my build, so you’ll have to find your own strategies if you don’t have the same Abilities / Eikonic / Gear loadout. However, FF16 is very flexible with respecing. You can reset all your Ability Points at any moment for free, so you can copy my build at any point if you’re struggling.

Q: Can I follow your guide if I’m on PC / PS / Xbox?

A: Not yet. This is a PlayStation exclusive for now, but there will be a PC release and my guide will be 100% compatible with the PC version. The achievements will be the same.

Q: I love your guides! How can I support your work?

A: There are many ways to help me become a full time guide writer:

1. ✅Subscribe to the channel
2. 👍Like and comment every video
3. 📢Share this walkthrough to your communities / forums / friends
4. ❇️Leave a tip: https://www.tipeeestream.com/james-guides/donation
5. 👿Join our Discord to get the latest news and join an amazing community

Q: Can I use the Special Accessories, such as the Ring of Timely Focus for example?

A: Yes. I actually recommend using the Ring of Timely Focus and not the “Auto-Evade” one, because this allows you to do other things than evading: Parrying, Countering, etc.

🏆ACHIEVEMENTS

None this episode.

💰ITEM LIST

00:48 1x Flawless Meteorite

            1x Amber

09:02 1x Flawless Meteorite

            1x Fallen Enigma

09:26 Crimson Caravans Signboard

            The Breath of Fire (Scarlet Cyclone)

09:56 The Founder’s Footsteps Orchestrion Roll

            Darkest Before the Dawn

            Orchestrion Roll Orchestrion Rolls Collected: 29/29

29:12 The Favor of Fire (Flames of Rebirth)

☄️ABILITIES

12:42 UPGRADE Rising Flames

           UPGRADE Scarlet Cyclone

🛡️GEAR & EIKONS

13:05 Ring of Timely Focus

           Adamantite Gauntlets +1

           Genji Gloves

⚔️COMBAT TIPS

08:00 It’s Over (Great Build)

🪧IMPORTANT INFO

00:12 Episode Goals

09:56 Buy Orchestrion Rolls

12:42 Abilities

13:05 Accessories Change

13:26 Fire Trial NG+ Tips

29:28 Trial by Fire Complete

📚CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – Travel to Boklad

00:22 Turn in Sidequest: Trading Places

01:00 Get Sidequest: Trading Places II

01:25 Speak with Eloise

01:35 Rendezvous with Eloise outside Ran’dellah

03:00 Travel to Laetny’s Cleft

03:20 Speak with the villagers

04:00 Ride upriver towards the objective

05:28 FIGHT: Akashic Beasts

05:42 Unskippable Cutscene: Here comes the dragon

05:55 ELITE FIGHT: Herensuge

09:37 Travel to Martha’s Rest

09:56 Buy Orchestrion Rolls

10:40 Ride to Chronolith: The Hand of Hyperion

12:42 Abilities & Gear Changes

13:26 Trial by Fire Stage 1 (Final Fantasy Mode)

17:12 Trial by Fire Stage 2 (Final Fantasy Mode)

21:38 Trial by Fire Stage 3 (Final Fantasy Mode)

25:45 Trial by Fire Stage 4 (Final Fantasy Mode)

29:58 Episode End

• 1x Flawless Meteorite
• 1x Amber

• 1x Flawless Meteorite
• 1x Fallen Enigma

• Crimson Caravans Signboard
• The Breath of Fire (Scarlet Cyclone)

• The Founder’s Footsteps Orchestrion Roll
• Darkest Before the Dawn Orchestrion Roll
• Orchestrion Rolls Collected: 29/29

• UPGRADE Rising Flames
• UPGRADE Scarlet Cyclone

• Ring of Timely Focus
• Adamantite Gauntlets +1
• Genji Gloves

• Hit Scarlet Cyclones as often as possible on 2+ enemies
• Use Rising Flames only to finish off enemies with low HP (below 30% HP to be sure you get the bonus)
• Do Shift Combos as often as possible , they are easy to do (L2 > R1 R1 R1 R1)
• Make sure you get 1 Punish at least in the first wave
• Wait for the 2nd Wave to do Double Shift on the Vultures (L2 > R2)
• Wait for the 3rd Wave’s stagger phase to complete the Multi Burst bonus if you still haven’t done 10 Magic Bursts by then

• Hit Scarlet Cyclones as often as possible on 2+ enemies
• The first Fallen Guardian uses that double orb projectile you can easily Heatwave Counter
• Defeat the adds quickly with Shift Shot / Lunge Shot / Punish
• While waiting for the next Heatwave counter from the Fallen Guardian, do Shift Combos and Aerial Combos
• The Boss is really annoying, kill the 2 wasps quickly with Shift Shots
• Use Rage to kill the Boss as quiclky as possible
• Dodge  around him to avoi being hit by his flamethrower

• Wave 1 : open with Flames of Rebirth
• Do some quick Aerial Shift Shots / Shift Combos on the flan while waiting for Firaga to Heatwave Counter it
• Wave 2: Heatwave counter the vulture’s fireballs at the start
• Shift shot the ground enemies and Punish them
• Wave 3: Lock-on Firebound Undertaker and try to move away form the Lich. Focus your damage on the Undertaker and be ready to Heatwave Counter the Lich when she throws those slashing beams
• Use Flames of Rebirth as soon as an enemy is Staggered

• Open up with Rising Flames and Flames of Rebirth immediately
• Then it’s all about being aggressive and Dodging thanks to the ring of Timely Focus

• The Favor of Fire (Flames of Rebirth)

🏆ACHIEVEMENTS

05:30 Gold Trophy: Masterclass

            Total Trophies Unlocked: 48/50

💰ITEM LIST

01:32 The Breath of Ice (Mesmerize)

☄️ABILITIES

05:22 MASTER All Abilities

🛡️GEAR & EIKONS

01:44 GEAR RECAP:

            Ultima Weapon

            Reinforced Ouroboros

            Reinforced Sons of Ouroboros

            Ring of Timely Focus

            The Pull of Darkness +1 (Dancing Steel)

            The Breath of Darkness +1 (Dancing Steel)

02:02 EIKONS RECAP:

            Phoenix or Garuda (up to you)

            Flames of Rebirth

            Judgement Bolt

            Odin

            Gigaflare

            Diamond Dust

            Cold Snap

            Rift Slip

            Dancing Steel

⚔️COMBAT TIPS

06:22 Ultima Prime Fight

🪧IMPORTANT INFO

00:10 Episode Goals

01:44 Gear Recap

02:02 Eikons Recap

03:42 Renown Points

04:02 Levels and AP

04:22 Oops

05:45 Make for Origin

11:28 Manual Save Here

📚CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – Travel to The Hideaway

00:25 Turn in Sidequest: Litany of Errors

01:44 Final Gear Recap

02:02 Final Eikons Recap

02:22 The Patron’s Whisper

04:02 Trophy Time: MASTER All Abilities

05:45 Travel to Origin

06:18 BOSS FIGHT: Ifrit, Phoenix & Bahamut vs Ultima Prime

10:18 Walk towards the mothercrystal

11:28 Manual Save

11:38 Episode End

• The Breath of Ice (Mesmerize)

• Ultima Weapon
• Reinforced Ouroboros
• Reinforced Sons of Ouroboros
• Ring of Timely Focus
• The Pull of Darkness +1 (Dancing Steel)
• The Breath of Darkness +1 (Dancing Steel)

• Phoenix or Garuda (up to you)
  • Flames of Rebirth
  • Judgement Bolt
• Odin
  • Gigaflare
  • Diamond Dust
• Cold Snap
  • Rift Slip
  • Dancing Steel

• 1x Berserker Ring

• A Rose Is a Rose Orchestrion Roll
• 1x Empty Shard

• Cleric’s Medallion +1

• Dire Wolf Jess

• 25x Briar Clam Shell
• 15x Desert Rose
• 800 Ability Points

• 2x Meteorite

• No Risk, No Reward Orchestrion Roll
• 1x Amber

• Talisman of Priming

• 40x Clutchmine
• 100x Wyrrite
• 100x Magicked Ash
• 2500x Ability Points

• Ring of the Swiftshot

• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Evasion
• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Strike
• Cinematic Clash

🏆ACHIEVEMENTS

27:02 Gold Trophy: Fantasy, Finally

           Total Trophies Unlocked: 49/50

27:12 Platinum Trophy: The Chronicler

           Total Trophies Unlocked: 50/50

💰ITEM LIST

27:24 Medal of Valor Obtained: Ultimalius

           Medals of Valor Collected: 16/16

☄️ABILITIES

None this episode.

⚔️COMBAT TIPS

00:36 1st Permafrost

01:35 Room for Error

02:48 2nd Permafrost

04:56 Ultima Risen No Damage

05:32 Swirling Orbs

05:50 Aureola

06:02 Smite

06:15 Antistrophe

06:42 Stagger Combo

07:04 The Rapture

07:26 Unlocking Purgatorium

07:40 Stay Aggressive

07:55 Solar Xyston

08:22 Megaflares

08:50 More Damage

09:24 Pulsar

10:26 2nd Stagger

11:22 Dimachairos

11:40 Oops!

12:32 Finishing the Job

15:28 Ultimalius Stage 1

15:34 Use Both Tonics

17:56 Ultimalius Stage 2

18:18 Use One Tonic

19:56 So Much Damage

22:34 Ultimalius Stage 3

22:46 Use Both Tonics

25:38 Ultimalius Stage 4

🪧IMPORTANT INFO

00:12 Ultima No Damage

27:02 Gold Trophy Unlocked

27:12 Platinum Trophy Unlocked

27:36 100% Completion

27:50 Parting Words

28:02 What a Journey

38:05 Medals of Valor

38:16 Yep We Got Them All

38:32 Orchestrion Rolls

39:06 Thank You

📚CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro – Move up

00:20 BOSS FIGHT: Ultima (Phase 1 No Damage)

01:55 Unskippable Cutscene: Countless Centuries

02:42 BOSS FIGHT: Ultima (Phase 2 No Damage)

03:40 Unskippable Cutscene: Why?

04:56 BOSS FIGHT: Ultima Risen No Damage

13:02 Unskippable Cutscene: How Is This Possible?

15:20 BOSS FIGHT: Ultimalius (Phase 1 No Damage)

17:56 BOSS FIGHT: Ultimalius (Phase 2 No Damage)

22:16 Unskippable Cutscene: Mine is the Altar at which you Pray

22:34 BOSS FIGHT: Ultimalius (Phase 3 No Damage)

24:50 Unskippable Cutscene: So sure of your place

25:38 BOSS FIGHT: Ultimalius (Phase 4 No Damage)

26:10 Cutscenes & Parting Words

32:40 Credits Roll with different songs

38:05 Medals of Valor Final Check

38:32 Orchestrion Rolls Final Check

39:06 Farewell

39:38 Episode End

EPISODE 173: COMPACT TEXT GUIDE FORMAT

Move up
CUTSCENES x2

Phase 1:

• Wait for Permafrost to initiate our Eternal Dance Combo
• Get him down below 60%

Unskippable Cutscene: Countless Centuries
Phase 2:

• Same thing, all you need is one Permafrost
• Use 1 Strength Tonic.
• At 0%, next Phase starts

Unskippable Cutscene: Why?

• Cinematic Clash

• This is the difficult part to No Damage, but there are only a few moves you need to learn. Check the video to see exactly how to deal with them.
• Do one Spitflare early to do some damage, then always save it for Staggers.
• Against most attacks, just wait for Dodge Prompts and do Precision Counters
• Swirling Bubbles: move towards Ultima, then Double Dodge when you get your first prompt to get close. You can then land a full Backdraft Finish combo.
• Solar Xyston: Go with the current and wait for the Dodge Prompt, keep going with the current.
• The Rapture: He’ll always do this after a Stagger Phase. Immediatley Wildfire as far away as you can. When you get the Dodge Prompt, hit it at the very last moment.
• Pulsar: Immediatley Wildfire as far away as you can. Then just keep moving sideways, waiting for Dodge Prompts. At the end of this move you can Lightspeed in quickly to do some damage.
• Aureolas: Immediatley Wildfire as far away as you can. Then keep moving sideways and backwards, always trying to move away from each Aureolas, waiting for a Dodge Prompt.
• Dimachairos: Wildfire to one side, then go back through the beam when it starts to move.
• When he does Unlocking Purgatorium, go even more agressive, stay close and deal as much damage as you can.
  • Except at the start, he’ll open with Aureolas, so back away and wait for Dodge Prompts.
  • Use Brimstone and Spitflare as early as possible, then use them again as soon as they are ready. Then save them for the next Stagger, which will occur at the end of “Unlocking Purgatorium”.
  • For the Bubbles coming out, just keep mashing R1 and wait for the Dodge Prompt and do Precision Counters.
• After that, it’s the same moves again until you take him down to 0% HP.

Unskippable Cutscene: How Is This Possible?

Stage 1 (Garuda, Ramuh, Titan)

• Dodge patiently and wait for a Permafrost, then initiate Eternal Dancing Steel combo.
• Use Lionheart and Strength Tonic
• Bring him down to 75% HP and 3x Cinematic Clashes will happen (Garuda, Ramuh, Titan)

Stage 2 (Bahamut, Shiva, Odin)

• Focus on Dodging the Ice attack, Exaflare and Severance
• Wait for his lunge melee attack to Permafrost and Dancing Steel
• Use Strength Tonic
• Bring him down below 40% HP and 3x Cinematic Clashes will happen (Bahamut, Shiva, Odin)

Unskippable Cutscene: Mine is the Altar at which you Pray
Stage 3 (Limit Break)

• Wait for his lunge melee attack to Permafrost and Dancing Steel
• Use Lionheart and Strength Tonic
• Bring him down to 10% HP
• Cinematic Clash

Unskippable Cutscene: So sure of your place
Stage 4

• Gigaflare, Flames of Rebirth, Diamond Dust to take the remainder HP off
• Cinematic Clash

CUTSCENES
Credits Roll

CUTSCENE: Fairy Tales

Gold Trophy:  Fantasy, Finally
Total Trophies Unlocked: 49/50

Platinum Trophy:  The Chronicler
Total Trophies Unlocked: 50/50

Optional: Medal of Valor Obtained: Ultimalius
            Medals of Valor Collected: 16/16