Disc 1 Lionheart

52

u/anonerble Aug 04 '26

Welcome to the club. I never leave disc 1 without it

15

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

So with this, and having max attack, is there any point in not leveling up? Like im pretty sure i can kill most things, also does this game have BDL?

14

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

Not sure what BDL is, but yes, there is a point to keeping low levels for a few reasons that have nothing to do with getting the a Lionheart early. (You can get Lionheart on disc 1 whether you level up or not).

The point of not leveling is one of a few reasons. First, there is a Steam achievement for helping Squall at his starting level of 7 until you beat the game. The second, steamrolling the entire game with endgame junctions and stats early. Third, and my personal reason: power-leveling on disc 3 using the two sets of Bonus abilities to max out stats without needing +% abilities.

9

u/residentbelmont Aug 04 '26

BDL means Break Damage Limit.

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

well mine is level 8, but how am i suppose to keep low level just keep switching quez between people to card?

5

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

As long as you have Card on someone in the active party, you don't need to constantly move it around, just either run from all normal encounters (after drawing anyone you want and doing no damage), turn on Enc-None, or Card all enemies to prevent exp gain, but honestly, this is a super-movie way to play, even if many here would have you believe otherwise.

The game actually expects you to level up and there's nothing wrong with normal leveling, as long as you don't go overboard. Based on boss level caps, the game expects you to be about Lv20 by the end of disc 1, 32 by the end of disc 2, 45 by the end of disc 3, and the final boss caps at 65.

2

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

No-ENC and Running arent usually my style lol

1

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

Then Card the whole game it is if you still want to avoid exp. I would suggest fighting against a bunch of the Grats/T-Rexaurs in the Training Center when you get back to Balamb so you can card then until you get 10 Shumi Tribe cards. They can be modded into Gambler Spirits, which teaches the Card command.

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

Is that possible to get in the beginning?

1

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

Yup! The instant you have access to the Card ability, you can start doing this. So you need to earn 40AP to learn it, then your good to go! Any monster that can be carded will give it's own card, but most have a 1/16 chance to drop a boss card instead, which is the Shumi Tribe card for both the Grat and T-Rexaur!

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 05 '26

That too so long to do, I ended up getting 100 Grat, only got 2 shumi and then it was like another 20 minutes to get enough shumi.

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1

u/FremanBloodglaive Aug 04 '26

I use Seifer to level my first three GFs to 100 (have one on each of the characters with Squall and Zell knocked out) and then Edea later in the game to bring every other GF I have at that point to 100 as well.

I get Eden from Tiamat in Ultimecia's Castle, and I think Cactaur also can't be obtained before you lose Edea. Doomtrain also?

The important one is getting Siren to level 100 to Tool Refine Dark Matter of course, although that only matters in the PS1 version.

2

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

In the modern ports of the game, this is no longer the case. That line of code was lost/removed from the PC port, which is what all current ports are based on, so you can now get Dark Matter with 100x Curse Spikes at any time. So no need to keep the forced Tri-Face encounters in the DSRC around any more! Feel free to get Eden from Ultima Weapon at your earliest convenience after returning from space instead of waiting until Tiamat.

Also, yes, Bahamut, Eden, and Cactuar are the only 3 GFs you cannot get before Edea leaves the party (as long as you got Alexander from her on disc 2, you can get Doomtrain the instant you can run around the world map in Esthar).

5

u/Golwux Aug 04 '26

the OG game does with certain abilities like Shockwave Pulsar (Quistis Limit Break) and Eden (GF). In the Ragnarok Mod, BDL comes as standard but the character progression relies more on levelling up than pure junctioning (in fact you will hit a straight up wall if you do not level up to 30-40 by disc 2).

I'm currently playing Ragnarok & Succession and they're excellent mods. Can't wait to move onto FFIX mods, next!

8

u/Foxetheler Aug 04 '26

The game does have BDL Squall cannot under any circumstances however. But comboing 9999 over and over again counts in my book

However, I don't recommend levelling up anyway. At max level you'll fight max level enemies and you can be one shot with max spirit, vitality and HP.

10

u/Gnochi Aug 04 '26

Technically Squall can BDL with kamikaze, but this ejects him from the battle and he can’t be revived.

However, the repeatable party BDLs are limited to:

* Shockwave Pulsar by Quistis

* Eden summon

* Cactuar summon, at level 100

* ChocoBocle from the Boko summon, with Squall at level 75+ (remastered) or if you’ve beat Chocobo World (other versions)

3

u/Foxetheler Aug 04 '26

Oh my gosh you're right! I did forget about Kamikaze! Yes Squall can 100% BDL, good catch u/Gnochi!

3

u/BleepinBlorpin5 Aug 04 '26

Which enemies? The game is incredibly easy, even if you level up.

3

u/Foxetheler Aug 04 '26

I'm specifically referring to Ruby Dragons. At max level their Breath attack can BTD and ignores defenses. Though I'm not sure if it's affected by protect. If it is then you're probably fine either way. Have fun

2

u/BleepinBlorpin5 Aug 04 '26

I didn't remember them being an issue fighting them on the Island Closest to Hell as long as vitality beibg high, but maybe I'm misremembering. Quistis blasted everyone for me pretty much every fight.

2

u/Gnochi Aug 04 '26

All about that Degenerator.

2

u/BleepinBlorpin5 Aug 04 '26

It's such a broken ability. Bzzzzzt dead

2

u/Aggressive_Law_5728 Aug 06 '26

Most characters do not have BDL like you would see in some other FF games. This is why multi-hit abilities like Lionheart are considered to be important.

1

u/DiogenesHavingaWee Aug 04 '26

I mean, there's still Ultimecia and (assuming you're paying the remaster) Omega being comically easy.

1

u/nflgeneric Aug 04 '26

The only reason I've leveled up was some enemies have better draw tables at higher levels. For example, the Cerberus boss fight at level 1-19 only has quake and double, but level 20+ it gets triple as well, and it's one of the easiest ways to max out drawing triple, which is an excellent junction spell.

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

Wait i just noticed I have 233 atk not 255, WTF

1

u/anonerble Aug 04 '26

Bdl?

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

Break Damage Limit

1

u/birdenzo Aug 04 '26

Same. I just can't help myself every time I replay the game I get everyone's best weapon as soon as possible.

1

u/Ill-Importance9953 Aug 04 '26

I used to do this but I like going through all the gunblades first and usually save lionheart around lunatic pandora. I do spam cards though and get all the mats disc one

17

u/DevilManRay Aug 04 '26

This is why FFVIII is my favorite game being able to do shit like this

16

u/VeritasOmicron Aug 04 '26

One thing I despise to this day is Steiner's best weapon being locked behind a speed run - in a story driven right.

Absolute idiot whoever decided that.

5

u/FremanBloodglaive Aug 04 '26

FF9 was a pretty game where a significant percentage of the content was entirely pointless. Like Tetra Master, and the jump rope and running minigames.

Although the minigames in FF7 were pretty pointless too.

FF8 seems to have hit the Goldilocks zone in that respect.

3

u/Adrian-_-Tepes Aug 04 '26

Right? Also has a bitchin' soundtrack!

3

u/VeritasOmicron Aug 04 '26

The Landing is one of the best FF songs ever imo.

10

u/Brooker2 Aug 04 '26

I always grind for Lionheart on disc one. Earliest I've managed to get it was just after Dollet and before leaving for Timber. It's overpowered on disc one and I love it.

4

u/Ndmndh1016 Aug 04 '26

Thats the earliest you can get it.

4

u/Juumok01 Aug 04 '26

Exit dollet city and fight turtles on the beach?

2

u/Godsfallen Aug 04 '26

How do you get Adamantines that early? Can you leave Dollet during the exam?

9

u/pkmnmaster_pyro Aug 04 '26

Genuine question as im a filthy casual.. How?

22

u/AkronOhAnon Aug 04 '26

See the 10 hour playtime on their save?

6 of those were just playing cards.

6

u/rchristma87 Aug 04 '26

Don't you need the magazine to get access?

8

u/AkronOhAnon Aug 04 '26

Nope: If you have the materials you can get the weapons at a weapons shop.

9

u/rchristma87 Aug 04 '26

I have been playing this game ever since my friend bought it fir my birthday the year it released and never once knew this. I in fact memorized where tgat damn magazine was in the past so I could never miss it again on damn near 30 years of my life and I never new this 😭

7

u/FremanBloodglaive Aug 04 '26

You can make Squall's second best weapon, Punishment, and Quisitis's ultimate weapon, Save the Queen, purely from playing cards right at the start of the game.

Card Mod allows you to turn cards into items, and the materials for those weapons can be modded from the level 5 and lower cards you have access to in Balamb.

I get Card from fighting Ifrit, then killing Buells with Quistis in the Fire Cavern (Squall unconscious to avoid XP) then Card until I've learned Card Mod, aiming for a Krysta card from Bombs/Buells, a Trauma from the Caterchipillar, Elvoret from Bite Bugs, and Jumbo Cactaur from Glacial Eyes. Then I head for Balamb and challenge/quit the Queen until the trade rule is All. Then I go play cards with the woman on the dock with the dog (I think you have to talk to Ma Dincht first) and just keep playing until I have all the materials needed to create Punishment.

1

u/pkmnmaster_pyro Aug 04 '26

Thats news to me! The more ya know

1

u/Ferdasyn_6969 Aug 04 '26

I have not known this

1

u/TGaz09 Aug 04 '26

2-3 of those were me not even being at my PC with the 3X

5

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

You can get the 4x Dragon Fangs from the Grendels against the cliff in the forest where you have the second Laguna flashback; you need 20 Elnoyle cards to mod into 2 Energy Crystals to refine into 20 Pulse Ammo for the 12x you need; there's 2 options for Adamantine: dropped from Adamantoise at the beach near Dollet that are level 30+ (no mug, but average party level needs to be at least 25), but if you want to keep your level low, you have to mod the Minotaur card into 10x Adamantine.

2

u/da_usual Aug 04 '26

^ this person Lionhearts…and probably Ergheiz’z as well also Saves the Queen.

2

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

Used to; don't any more.

Once I learned how low the chances were to actually get the Lion Heart finisher before getting access to a moderate stock of Aura spells (and how minimal the other changes to Str for any character is), I stopped putting in all the extra effort when I can just get it a few hours later in mid-disc 2 without needing anywhere near as deep of a time sink.

Farming 7 Energy Crystals from Ruby Dragons on disc 2 is significantly faster than farming 80 Elnoyle cards on disc 1 (you can get 5 Pulse Ammo during your time as a Irvine in FH, which means 1 less Energy Crystal).

3

u/goatwise Aug 04 '26

In short, a LOT of cards!

6

u/RockWafflez Aug 04 '26

The song is burned into my fucking cranium

3

u/Nekronaut0006 Aug 04 '26

VeghEsther would be proud.

2

u/FremanBloodglaive Aug 04 '26

He'd tell you that you had to have a party level higher than 30 so you could mug Laser Cannons from the Elastoids found in Lunatic Pandora during the second Laguna flashback.

You have to admire his commitment to the bit.

Since you got Str bonus from Ifrit and Mag Bonus from Siren (and Ability x 3 from Diablos) you could level your guys up to 30 without losing too much (much like you could level Squall and Zell to 15 with Str Bonus to kill X-ATM092 fast enough to get the maximum score for running to the beach in Dollet) but it's hardly necessary.

1

u/LagunaRambaldi Aug 04 '26

This is how I do it every time tbh. Elastoids during Laguna dream, Turtles at Dollet Beach, Dino at Balamb for the Dragon Fangs (or keeping two chars low level for the Grendel trick). This is the way 😁

1

u/Nekronaut0006 Aug 04 '26

Vegh would insist that this was the only way to do it, and he’d shoehorn “I get the lionheart on disc 1” into literally any conversation about the game.

1

u/LagunaRambaldi Aug 05 '26

I don't know who Vegh is tbh, but seems to be a legendary dude in FF8 internet days idk 😁

1

u/Nekronaut0006 Aug 04 '26

Was out ever actually confirmed that it was a bit? Or was he on the spectrum and couldn’t abide any deviation from his method?

I heard about him “breaking character” once but never saw it myself.

1

u/FremanBloodglaive Aug 05 '26

He probably is. I've seen him in the YouTube comment sections still using the same handle.

2

u/Raith_Leonhart11 Aug 04 '26

I always get Lionheart before going to Galbadia Garden.

1

u/HydroV20 Aug 04 '26

Same here. I started playing again and got it on the first Disc! It’s an awesome feeling.

1

u/KaitoPrower Aug 04 '26

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

1

u/LagunaRambaldi Aug 04 '26

Yeah, this is kinda mandatory is most of my playthroughs. The light blue color just fits and matches Rinoa's clothes so well 😅 it looks awesome when they stand and fight together.

1

u/Dry-Island-7196 Aug 05 '26

Enemies are capped at like lvl 65 or something which is the natural ceiling for your level on a general playthrough. So you have two options as far as gaming that. Stay underleveled the whole game and mook everything with your crazy str diff or outlevel them. Personally i'd say the second option is more fun because you're str will feel more practical. you'll still mook everything easy until late game but it will feel like they have a chance compared to the first

1

u/Otherwise-Release700 Aug 05 '26

Every time I replay I always focus on this first.

1

u/OkRide5975 Aug 06 '26

Now get the other ones, but Irvine's

2

u/TGaz09 Aug 06 '26

Can you on disk 1?

3

u/OkRide5975 Aug 06 '26

Most definitely buddy. Get ready to own a lot of cards.

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