Final Fantasy X-2/Chapter 5/Thunder Plains


 * Area Enemies
 * Aka Manah -
 * Anole -
 * Archaeothyris -
 * Armet -
 * Assassin Bee -
 * Balivarha -
 * Barbuta -
 * Blue Element -
 * Bolt Drake -
 * Chocobo -
 * Flan Rojo -
 * Gemini -
 * Gigas -
 * Ironside -
 * Malboro -
 * Rhyos -
 * Spine Drake -
 * Taromaiti -
 * Varan -
 * Watcher-A - Should be taken out first with physical attacks only. Will only appear before defeating the Machina Panzer boss found on the Thunder Plains.
 * Watcher-R - Should be taken out first with physical attacks only. Will only appear before defeating the Machina Panzer boss found on the Thunder Plains.
 * Watcher-S - Should be taken out first with physical attacks only. Will only appear before defeating the Machina Panzer boss found on the Thunder Plains.
 * Assault Machina -
 * Killer Machina -
 * Machina Leader -
 * Machina Soldier -
 * Machina Striker -

Tower Crisis
Entering the Thunder Plains the Gullwings quickly discover that the towers are under attack by fiends. They take on the task of removing the fiends to protect the towers. To complete this mission, find each tower and engage the Rhyos standing in front of it. After you defeat each monster, a chest appears with a reward depending on your highest score calibrating each of the towers before Chapter 5. For more information about how to calibrate each tower, visit the Lightning Rod Towers mini-game page. The below table will help you determine the prizes found in each chest. (Tower 1 is closest to Guadosalam. The tower numbers continue with 9 being the closest to Macalania Woods.)

Side Note: For Tower 5, you may receive a Tarot Card instead of one of the other items or accessories listed below.

After defeating all the enemies at towers 1-9, the girls notice that the lightning that accompanied the fiends is still out of control and continues to strike. Tower 10, found across a body of water on the west side of the northern section of Thunder Plains, hasn't been taken care of. Head to the Travel Agency and save your game at the Save Sphere (OR if you want a quicker way of saving, you can save at the Save Sphere just after you enter Macalania Woods) and prepare for battle if you wish. Then follow the left side of the last section of the Thunder Plains until the Gullwings notice the tower. A Humbaba (monster that uses Thundaga and can cause heavy damage with a couple of other abilities) protecting it will then ambush the girls.

It is a good idea to have a White Mage equipped the entire battle against Humbaba. Use the White Mage to keep the party healthy and dispel Humbaba's protective spells after he casts Mighty Guard. If the White Mage runs low on MP, have her quickly switch to a Black Mage perform Absorb MP or have her using a garment grid that allows her to use a Black Mage's abilities. Ethers will work as well. With one character as White Mage, have the other two equipped with dresspheres that cause heavy damage. Dark Knight, Samurai, or a Gunner work well. Avoid using lightning based attacks and spells, Humbaba will absorb them and heal. Watch Humbaba's HP. Before he is about to die, heal your party up with White Mages, Alchemists, or Potions. A soon as his HP reaches 0, Humbaba tries to get final revenge by casting Meteor. This attack throws down a series of meteorites that can take the entire party out if they have low health.

After Humbaba is defeated, a hole will appear at the base of Tower 10. An Al Bhed will appear and offer to take the group across and into the hole. Decline so that you may grab the chest Humbaba left behind and heal. Equip the party to protect them from Poison and Thunder magic and then speak to the Al Bhed again. He takes the Gullwings to a secret cave hidden below the Thunder Plains.

Treasures
The chests with items can be collected either while you are completing the above mission or after. Choice is up to you. Starting from the Guadosalam entrance, to the right side across from the Save Sphere is a Echo Screen. Following the right side, directly after 2nd tower, is a chest with Potion x2. Across from the 5th tower open a chest for a Ochre Ring. The Travel Agency has no treasures, so continue past it to the next section. To the right of the 8th tower towards the end of the plains, a chest with Turbo Ether x2 can be located. Continue to the north until you reach the covered rest stop. Underneath here open the last chest for Sleep Grenade x2.

Secret Cave
If you spoke to Cid at the Zanarkand Ruins during Chapter 1 and told him you weren't happy with the tourists, and then spoke with him again during Chapter 2 while he was sulking around the Thunder Plains, he will be in this cave. He is represented on the mini-map by a red arrow. Travel down the long passage to the first opening on the right. Head into that opening and to the south to the very bottom area. Now walk east and go up the next passage on the left. You should spot Cid. Unfortunately for you however, he is being stalked by a rather nasty fiend.

The Watchers that have been stalking your battles since Chapter 3 have been relaying information to Machina Panzer. If you weren't quick to take them out with physical attacks only, this enemy will lock out any abilities or special attacks you are fond of using. Any abilities that have been locked out, Machina Panzer will mimic and use them against you. Watcher-A kept an eye out on attack abilities you may have used, Watcher-S recorded any special attacks used, and Watcher-R noted recover abilities used. However, if you were vigilant about defeating them quickly, they will have little to nothing to report and none of your abilities will be locked out.

Even without the ability to use your attacks, Machina Panzer is a tough fiend to beat. It uses abilities such as Gatling Gun and Sorcery Ray that damage the entire party causing you to have to stop and heal frequently. He absorbs lightning based attacks and magic as well. He is weak to Slow. Have a Songstress use Slow Dance or a Berserker cast Intimidate to inflict him with this status ailment. Otherwise use your strongest attacks and spells to take Machina Panzer down.

After defeating Mahcina Panzer, Cid is rescued and Episode Complete! is achieved. However, discovering the cave's treasures are far from over. You can return to the cave to complete its puzzle for the Forces of Nature accessory.

The best way to tackle the cave is to equip on party member with a Charm Bangle to prevent random encounters. Although this area is a great place to level up, the puzzle requires you to remember the number of battles you have fought while inside. If it is at 0, the math needed will be much easier than if you have a random number to keep track of.

Entering the cave after saving Cid, a short explanation of the puzzle will be given. You will need key numbers to open the pathways to continue forward. The first key number will appear in the lower right corn of the screen. The top number in yellow indicates the number of the next secret door where the key number is needed. The number in white is the first of two key numbers that must be added together to determine the password for the next door. Make note of each door number and the key numbers, because you may be asked for this information later when opening another door. It is best to have pen and paper available to you. After opening each door, a set of chests will appear. Only one of these chests can be opened, the other will disappear so choose carefully. Opening either chest will reveal a hint, open the next door, or do nothing.

After viewing the first key number, the door it can be used on is highlighted on the mini-map by a red arrow. Proceed to the highlighted door and examine it. More numbers will appear on the screen. This time, the key number in the upper left corner of the screen is the second key number for the door you are in front of. Add the first key number with this number to determine the pass code. Remember this pass code as it may be needed later and also take note of the number in the bottom right corner, it is the first key number for the next door. Sometimes the key numbers will appear as a math problem. Solve the math problem to determine that key number before adding the second number. Sometimes you may be given a word problem such as "Amount of Gil earned between this door and entry" or "Number of battles fought". This is where the Charm Bangle comes in handy. Since no battles were fought or Gil earned, the number will be 0. If you are successful, the door opens, unblocking the pathway and a set of chests appears. Keep up this tactic until you have opened all 16 of the secret doors.

After solving the puzzle once, you must exit and complete it a second time. In doing so, the chest that contains the Force of Nature accessory will appear in the north corridor.