Neerrm's Final Fantasy IV no 64 Any%

Final Fantasy IV [US](SNES) Notes (original by Obdajr, updates by Neerrm)

ANY% NO 64 ROUTE

-start -> mist cave

    -gain control, switch battle speed and battle message to 1
    -grab the tent (right most chest behind the door)
    -go to bed, talking to people
    -walk to chocobo forest, yellow choco to mist cave.

-Cave to Mist

[ Mist Dragon ]                        ~465HP
Ka: Jump
Ce: attack
Ce: attack
Ka: attack
Ce: attack
Ka: Jump
Ce: attack
Ce: Parry (changes to mist)
Ka: jump after some time (Audio cue for timing this...can't really explain in notes, it's the note before the first long high note?)
Ce: Dupe glitch on shield then Attack during "Now, get ready to fight!" dialog
    -- dupe glitch part 1
        - select empty slot on right that has empty spot above or left
        - take off item you want to dupe
        - select equipment slot that is now blank
        - select empty slot you selected to begin the process
Ce: attack
Ka: Jump
Ce: attack
Ka: Jump
Ce: Attack
Ka: Jump (Attack if good damage rolls)
Ce: Wait for Kain to land, Attack if necessary

-Mist

    -MIST CLIP:
        - While walking to the step just one step to the left of mist, hold left + X, this will enter menu
        - use a tent
        - Hold right, then additionally hold X during the 1st step, this will bring you to the menu again
        - Unequip Kain’s iron glove
        - Equip Cecil’s Shadow shield, then remove it in the same slot. This will complete the dupe glitch
        - save game and reload
        - walk through mist and enter from the right side
            - if you get an encounter on the 1 step outside of mist, reset and reload
    -sell empty slot, get money!
    -buy 10 dancing daggers
    -grab tiara and change rod
    -trigger package cutscene

-Kaipo
     - [ Officer fight ]
        -When you hear Cecil’s menu come up for his first turn, hold L+R. This will bring up the “Can’t Run” dialog box. While that box is up, Attack. This will allow Cecil to go before the guards go and possibly kill all 3 based on ATB luck.
         -What this does is freezes the ATB with a “Can’t Run” dialog, allowing you to get your inputs in quicker in relation to ATB.
    -Equip Rydia with the Tiara
    -Select Form, press left to change rows, then move Cecil up one slot
    -Party order should be (from top to bottom): Rydia, Cecil, empty, empty empty with Cecil in front row
    -When exiting Kaipo, walk to the right just before exiting to gain 2 world map steps

-Waterfall Cave part 1

    -grab the Darkness sword (last screen before leaving the first cave section, on the right side at the end of the bridge)

-Waterfall Cave part 2

[ OctoMamm ]                        ~2350HP
Ce: Equip darkness sword and attack
Te: lit 1
Ry: equip dancing dagger and throw it
Ce: Attack
Te: Lit 1
Ce: Attack
Te: Lit 1
Ry: DD
Ce: Attack
Te: Stop himself
Ce Attack, Rydia DD out

If Tellah gets more turns, parry with him. Heal Rydia with Tellah if necessary. I tend to play this fight by ear a little bit; if Rydia takes a lot of damage I’ll cast more Lit1s (or heal) to reduce Octomamm’s speed at a higher rate.

-Damcyan
    -Damcyan clip is faster by 1.5 seconds or so. Same concept as Mist Clip, just on the last cell of grass before desert
    -YOU SPOONY BARD!

-Antlion Cave
    -If a back attack kills Rydia on the way down before the chest, grab the Life1 out of the chest and pick her up with Cecil's first turn in Antlion

[ Antlion ]                        ~1000HP
Ce: parry
Ed: equip dancing dagger and throw it
Ry: throw dancing dagger
Ce: parry
Ed: throw dancing dagger
Ce: parry
Ry: throw dancing dagger


-Kaipo
    - Park directly left of Kaipo
    - give rosa the sandruby
    - [ waterhag ] hold A
    - When exiting Kaipo, go left

-Mt. Hobs-West


[ MomBomb ]                        Grey ~100hp, Red ~50hp
Count damage here

Ed: throw dancing dagger
Ce: Attack
Ya: Attack
Ro: Cure 1 if Rydia or Edward hit
Ry: throw dancing dagger
Ed: DD if damage < 800, parry otherwise
Ce: Parry
Ya: Wait for “Exploding” dialog, then Kick after about 2 seconds after the dialog disappears
Ry: DD front grey
Ro: Aim red (preferably the one yang did the most damage to)
Ry, Ed: DD front Greys
Ya, Ce: Attack front Reds


-Mt. Hobs East -> Fabul

-Outside Fabul
        -“Can’t Run” action buffer trick.
        -When you hear Edward’s menu come up for his first turn, hold L+R. This will bring up the “Can’t Run” dialog box. While that box is open, select and throw Dancing Dagger. This will allow Edward to throw before the guards go. It’s a tight window, though, so this takes practice.

-Fabul
     -Ed throws DDs at stuff
     -Ce attacks imp, yang attacks waterhag (killing imp first saves an attack)
        -Melee with Edward if Yang doesn’t kill WaterHag
    -do some inventory management during dialog (when general is retreating normally, or while Edward throws DD at gargoyle)
        move useless stuff down in the inventory such as rod, shadow sword, etc
     -GO TO THE INN after the fights
    -take off tiara (swap with cap)
    -equip black sword
     -Go to the boat

-Mysidia
     -Shopping
- go to armor shop
            - 10 gaia hat, 10 gaia shirt, 10 silver rings, 1 paladin shield, 1 paladin glove
        - go to item shop
            - Buy 60: cure 2, Life 1, Heal, Ether 1
    - talk to the elder to recruit the twins
    - Walk to Mt. Ordeals

-Mt. Ordeals

     -Recruit Tellah
    -Equip right before Milon (two steps away from the bridge)
        - Equip: Porom w/ gaia hat, gaia shirt, silver ring
        - Equip: Palom w/ change rod, gaia hat, gaia shirt, silver ring
        - Equip: Tellah w/ gaia hat, silver ring
    -Heal if necessary

[ Milon ]                        ~3100HP
Ce: cure2 a zombie
Pa: cure2 a zombie
Po: Twin
Te: Cure2 a zombie
Ce: cure2 a zombie
te: parry / heal a twin if they're low
Ce: wait for Twin damage, if Flare over 900 -- Attack, otherwise parry
rinse repeat

     -Heal Party with items, DON'T FORGET ETHERS FOR THE TWINS!
     -Use Palom’s magic to cast Piggy on Cecil & Tellah (prevents poison)
     -switch rows

[ MilonZ ]                        ~3000HP

Ce: attack
Ce: attack
Po: cure2 (item) milonz
Pa: twin
Te: Heal (item) if anyone is poisoned, otherwise cure2 milonz
Ce: attack
Te: cure2 (item) milonz
Po: cure2
Pa: twin
Ce: attack
Te: cure2 (item) milonz
Po: twin
etc

    - getting poisoned wastes time, if first or second attack poisons use cecil or tellah to heal (healing is faster than poison dialog)

    - Become a paladin ( party gets healed here, even poison )

[ Dark Knight Cecil ]                    ~1000 HP

Can’t run buffer is used here again!

Ce: Can’t run buffer, Equip DD, throw it
Ce: Can’t run buffer, DD again
Ce: Go into item menu, equip Paladin shield, then throw DD
Ce: If not dead, can’t run DD again

 -go talk to the elder in mysidia
 -go to Baron via snake road

-Baron
 - Cecil throw DD vs Guard, Palom equip and throw DD (he’s LEFT-handed)
 - During yang fight, parry to Tellah and equip Change Rod during yang’s first kick
 - wait for yang to attack twice, and attack with cecil, even if you miss the attack, the fight ends

 -Shopping
    - Buy thunder rod, thunder claw, ice claw
    - Buy 10 headband, 10 karate gi

-Baron Sewerway
    - make your way to baron castle

-Baron Castle

    - Infinite mana glitch on Tellah
        - use Tellah’s cure 4 on Cecil/Tellah until you don’t have enough for another
        - select cure 4 once, then move cursor down to sight
        - press the direction towards cure 4 and A at the same time to cast a greyed out cure 4
        - should have BOOMERANG 26 MP or something along those lines
    - Equip: Cecil w/ headband, karate, paladin (gl)
    - Equip: Yang w/ t. claw, ice claw, headband, karate, silver ring
    -Change rows

- Baigan, Fist A and Fist B                ~3500 hp, 350 hp , 350 hp

Basically you want only Cecil and Tellah to survive this fight

Ce: Cover Tellah
Ya: parry
Pa: Kill Porom or self with DD
Po: Parry
Te: Cast Meteo
Ce: DD Yang
Ya: parry if alive
Pa: DD Yang if alive, self if not
Ce: DD whoever isn’t Tellah that isn’t alive, otherwise wait for Meteo and  equip Legend during Meteo cast


    - heal tellah if necessary, (and cecil if less than 200hp)

-Kainazzo                        ~4000 HP
Ce: Attack
Ya: hopefully dead, else attack
Pa: hopefully dead, else parry
Po: hopefully dead, else parry
Te: Lit 3
Ce: Wait for Lit3 damage, if low, Attack, else inventory management while he dies
If Kainazzo is not dead, cry and queue up another Lit 3 for guaranteed kill (can try Lit 2)
    - don’t try to attack to kill him if tellah does X < 3200 dmg, just lit 3 again

-Touria: (NW)
    - talk to Edward
    - use an ether1 on tellah to cancel the MP glitch, cure2 Cecil up to full
    - Cast [Exit] with Tellah

-Dark Elf Cave (aka the cave of when in doubt, go left)
    - when you get to the crystal room, equip cid with headband, iron glove


[ Dark Elf 1 ]
    - you will perish immediately by magnetism

[ Dark Elf 2 ]                        ~2000 HP pre-change

Ce: attack
Ya: attack
Ci: attack
Te: Virus Cid
Ce: attack
Ya: attack
Ce: attack

ME CHANGE

Te: weak
Ya: attack (wait for Weak animation to go)

    - don't forget to grab the crystal afterwards
    - outside the crystal room [exit]

-Touria: Visit Clerics (walk up) [Exit]

-Tower of Zot

- Heal (leave Cid dead) before grabbing fire sword, melee with cecil/yang and ice1 with Tellah in Flame Dog fight
    - Alternatively can do Cecil/Tellah only, Cecil cover Tellah turn 1, Tellah Ice2


- Infinite mana glitch on Tellah, leave Cid dead
- Heal before Magus sisters

[ Magus Sisters ]                     ~2200, 4300, 2500 HP
Ce: Cover Tellah
ya: parry
Te:  Equip thunder rod then cast Meteo
ce: wait until some talking and single dupe his weapon slot
      -Select a non-first empty slot in the inventory, then select Cecil’s weapon to take it off of him, that’s it
Ya: Dupe IceClaw slot during Meteo


 -Only duping the slot for Yang here, won’t finish dupe until CatClaw way later
 -heal with items
 -Equip Cecil with Fire Sword to get 2 of them in his hand, then equip the Dancing Dagger
 -equip Rosa with gaia hat, gaia shirt, S.ring
 -equip kain with fire sword, headband and karate gi
 -Swap Kain and Cid
 -Swap Cecil and Rosa
 -Swap Yang and Cecil
 -Party order should be (from top to bottom) Cid, Rosa, Kain, Cecil, Yang, with Kain in front row

[ Valvalis ]                        ~6000 HP
note: you have to be pretty fast for this to go perfectly.

ka: jump
ce: cover Rosa
ya: parry SUPERFAST
    - if val weaks cecil, use a cure2 on him
ro: slow
ci: attack
Ce: throw DD
ka: Jump
ya: attack
ci: attack
ro: slow
ce: throw DD
ya: attack
Ka: jump
ci: wait for Kain to land, attack
ce: throw DD
ya: attack
ka: jump
ro: Parry
ci: Attack
ce: throw DD
ya: attack
Ka: If jumps were good (at least 1 over 1000, decent jump-tornado damage), attack, otherwise Jump
rinse repeat from here

    - can cure2 cecil with rosa on third turn if he is low
    - if done right, you'll never attack while she's in a tornado
    - should die before 4th tornado, can die before 3rd
    - full heal in cecil's room (kinky)
    - Go underground (SOUTH to Agart)

- Dwarven Castle
     - switch Cid and Cecil, then Cid and Rosa
     - Battle Speed down to 2 **Old strat**

[ Calbrena ]                        ~Cal 300HP, Brena 1000HP

Kain has the potential to oneshot blue dolls. Be aware of that!

Ka: Jump a purple doll
Ce: throw DD at orange
Ya: attack same orange
Ro: slow all dolls
ce: dagger blue that kain jumped if he did not kill
ya: attack orange
ka: jump a different purple
Ro: Cure2 Cecil if below 650 (most common), otherwise Mute party <--- This will be her gimmick the rest of the fight
Ce: start killing off purples
Ya: start killing off orange (leave one orange hit once)
Ka: Jump a different Brena
    - want to try to kill the last cal and last brena close to the same time, make sure orange is the last one up
    - if they join together, be sure to stay healed and kill with jumps and attacks (this sucks and is reset worthy)
    - don't be afraid to heal with yang if cecil is getting wrecked
    - Don't let anyone be dead going into the Calbrena fight
    - Cecil at the very least must be muted, muting everyone skips Hold Gas animation

[ Golbez ]

-This is the second instance of where the “Can’t Run” queueing comes in handy. If done correctly, you can reliably Jump on BS1 without issue.

Ka: QUICKLY jump
Ce: equip the Fire sword during dialog
    Try and do inventory management here during dialog
  : attack when golbez says "and you, Cecil!"
ka: attack
ce: attack
Ry: if she gets a turn, parry
    - if not dead, just attack some more


    - change battle speed back to 1 **Old Strat**
    - use [warp]
    - grab crystal, walk out.
    - go right to tower to get Strength ring
    - Walk downstairs
    - use jar to heal

-Tower of Bab-il (underground)
     - Pick up Cat Claw on 3F
    - Dupe Cat Claw if not done in Magus Sisters (wait for egg or alert fight, or a strike first)
    - Equip Yang with Cat Claw (finish the dupe process) and Thunder Claw
    - Equip Kain with Strength Ring
- Equip Rydia with Change Rod, tiara, prisoner shirt
    - Switch Kain and Yang
    - Party Order should be Cecil, Rydia, Yang, Rosa, Kain
     - heal before fighting lugae

[ dr. lugae and balnab ]                ~4416, ~3927 HP
Ya: Hold A punch Balnab
Ce: equip and throw DD at lugae
Ka: Jump Lugae
Ry: Inventory management until Lugae says "Beat them up!" then Titan
ro: parry, cure 2 if anyone was hit and is low but not critical (ie Cecil won't cover them)
Ya: Punch Lugae on 2nd turn


    - Yang keeps punching Balnab, Cecil and Kain hit Lugae

[ Lugae ]                        ~4000HP

Ya: attack
Ce: throw DD
ka: Jump
Ry: Titan
    - lugae will laser some1, they will die
Ro: life1 dead person
ya: attack
Ce: throw DD, life1 rosa if she dies
ka: jump
ro: parry unless some1 is dead or has less than 50 hp
ry: titan

     - lugae doesn't really do damage (other than laser), everyone is safe if they have >100 hp
    - laser is based on lugae's hp, so the second one will be weaker (if he gets that far)
    - this fight is easy, but may require improvising

    - in the dark imps fight, just attack them (ry use ice 1 if someone is dead)
    - make your way out of the tower

-Baron
 -fly to baron (NORTH)
 -talk to Cid's Kronies
 -fly to hovercraft (NE)
 -fly to eblan (NW)

-Eblan Castle
 -Heal before Drain spear fight
 -Switch Rydia to middle slot and change rows
 -In Drain spear fight, cast Titan
 -Cover Rydia with Cecil
 -dupe kain's spear slot as titan is casting

-Eblan Cave
     - Buy a Blizzard Spear, Ice Brand, and ice shield

-Tower of Bab-il (Surface)
 - As soon as you get Edge, equip him with 2 CatClaws
 - Dupe Drain Spear here (but that's it, faster to get Blizzard on in upcoming fight)
 - Switch Edge and Rosa, Edge and Rydia, Edge and Kain
 - Party order (top to bottom) should be Cecil, Rosa, Kain, Rydia, Edge

[ K / Q Eblan ]                        ~ inf HP
 -parry until Cecil, equip ice shield and ice brand during dialog
 -parry until Kain, equip Blizzard spear
 -Move items around during dialog, get Drain spears up top

 -Get healed for free

[ Rubicante ]                         ~25200 HP

Ed: Dart Drain
Ka: Jump
Ce: Attack
Ro: Slow
Ry: Equip DD during glare, then life dead person (if Rydia dies, this is ideal)
Ed: Dart Drain
Ce: Attack
Ka: Jump
Ed: Dart Drain
Ro: If Rydia dead, slow, otherwise cure2 if anyone super low (that will die from Fire2 counter), otherwise parry
Ce: Attack
Ka: Jump
Ed: Dart Drain
-The runaround

     -fly to dwarf castle (SE)
     -talk to cid (go left)
    -Take Strength ring off of Kain!!!!!!
     -[exit] out (cast with cecil)

-More runaround

     -fly to sealed cave (SW)
     -fly back to dwarf castle, go to throne room
     -more airship remodeling montage
     -drill out of the underground
     -fly to mysidia (EAST)
     -fly to the moon

-Moon
     -fly to namingway cave (NE)

     -Buy 50 elixirs
     -Go get the epic bearded man (I don’t remember writing this)
    -Edge can run from all back attacks on the moon except 2 Red Worms

-Giant of Bab-il

    - walk to the passage
    - heal party to FULL with Fusoya and then do infinite MP glitch
    - Equip Change Rod, Gaea Hat on FuSoYa
    - Equip Lunar, Wizard Hat on Rosa
    - Change battle order, top to bottom should be edge, rosa, fusoya, cecil, rydia
    - Rydia in front row
    - If Searcher Beamer fight shows up, fantastic, otherwise:
    - Save and reset -> reload as fast as possible, the below manipulation only works based off of initial load
    - Stay in first room

    See http://pastebin.com/RfHgCFAE

      - FuSoYa quakes, parry to get back to him
      - FuSoYa casts Weak. Next person melees
          - Next person (hopefully two people) life. Next spawns D. Machine, rinse repeat
      - MINIMUM OF 15 TOTAL DRAGONS (one perfect round = 3 dragons)

    -walk up and fight the fiends (auto heal)

[ elements ]                        ~ 57000 HP ( + 47000 HP if swaps to kainazzo)

PRACTICE THIS FIGHT

This turn order might be wrong, but what needs to happen remains the same. Specifically Rydia might go immediately after FuSoYa if she is high enough level.

If Rydia dies before getting a turn, at the end reflect a Nuke off of Edge and then dart (or riskier strat is to direct Nuke if your first Nuke had good damage)

If Milon’s first attack bops Rydia, do Fire3 instead of Ice3 on FuSoYa’s second turn

1 Ed: Dart Drain
1 Fu: Nuke
1 Ro: Slow
1 Ce: Cover Rosa
2 Ed: Dart Drain
1 Ry: Fire2 (this is the only thing Rydia will do all fight)
2 Fu: Ice3
2 Ro: Slow
3 Ed: Dart Drain
2 Ce: Heal whoever needs it
3 Fu: Wall Edge
4 Ed: Dart Drain
3 Ro: Parry (she's probably dead here, if not she will be)
3 Ce: Heal whoever needs it
4 Fu: Ice3 bounce off wall
5 Ed: Dart Drain
4 Ce: Heal if necessary
6 Ed: Wait for Ice3, Dart Drain

Cecil can be alive or dead, doesn’t matter much here

After the fight, Life Cecil if dead, Elixir FuSoYa, Edge, Cecil
Swap Cecil and FuSoYa
Party order should be Edge, Rosa, Cecil, FuSoYa, Rydia

[ CPU, attacker, defender ]                 ~ 20000 HP, 2000 HP, 2000 HP

Edge darts Defender
Cecil parries
FuSoYa meteos
Edge darts CPU
Cecil parries
Edge darts CPU
Cecil parries
Edge darts CPU

    - run to zeromus!
    - Grab Protect Ring (you pass adjacent to it) and stop and equip here
    - Unequip edges bandana and black belt, equip Protect Ring
    - Equip Kain with bandana and black belt
    - Equip Edge with Samurai helmet & Armor
    - move to the top of the inventory:
        - drain spear
        - elixirs
    - battle order should be (top to bottom) ro, ka, ce, ry, ed
    - Kain in front row

-Lunar Subterrain
    -make your way all the way down
    -heal if too low from red dragons


[ zeromus ]                        ~61000 HP (restores to full if he counters an attack after 45000 dmg)

Fight notes:

1 Ce: Crystal
1 Ro: Berserk Kain
1 Ed: Dart
1 Ry: Ice1
2 Ce: Parry
2 Ro: If Kain or Edge were the nuke target, elixir them
2 Ed: Dart

BIG BANG

Cecil either lives or dies (nuke). If he lives he throws elixirs on each of his turns and edge darts. Otherwise Edge heals.

BIG BANG

Edge elixir

BLACK HOLE

Edge dart, Kain elixir the person who wasn't before

At this point, you need to be aware that he is going to reset into his second phase. This happens after 45000 damage has been done. He immediately shakes and big bangs on phase change, followed by black hole and nuke.

Ideally Kain does the healing and Edge does the damage. This fight can go a lot of different directions so mapping it out is a little rough. However, Zeromus's AI is always the same, so just practice and it'll be a snap.

Phase 3 he starts to Meteo. At this point it takes 2 darts and 2 attacks from Kain or 3 darts from Edge to kill him. Trying to finish him is typically the better choice than healing, since he spams those meteos.