Final Fantasy XIII/Items

While there are many items in the game, unlike other Final Fantasy games you can only use a very small portion of those. In the Items section of the menu, you can see your weapons, accessories and components, but these are all used within the menu system, not during gameplay. Likewise, key items are found in the menu, and these aren't used in gameplay either, but represent special items your characters have or story-related items and access to shops. The list of items you can actually use is quite short and consists of consumable items you use in battle and shrouds that are used just before going into battle.

Most items can be found in item spheres or are dropped by enemies, but to get them in bulk you'll need to buy them from Unicorn Mart or Eden Pharmaceuticals. A few items aren't for sale however, so if you don't want to wait for chance drops you'll need to dismantle an upgraded accessory to get them.

Consumables

While in battle, go down to the Item option in the battle menu to see the available items for use. These items have one-time effects, such as healing your party or removing status effects. In general, the most useful (and therefore expensive) items are Librascopes and Phoenix Downs, although early in the game Potions may help as well. To remove status effects, it's usually better to rely on a Medic or Synergist. If you are aware of the status ailments enemies in the area inflict, you can also equip appropriate accessories to guard against them.

Elixirs are fantastic items, but, besides finding one in an item sphere, you can only get them by dismantling an upgraded Doctor's Code accessory. Except for the Librascope (bought at Eden Pharmaceuticals) and the Elixir, these items can all be purchased at Unicorn Mart.

Item	Description	Cost	Sale
Antidote	Removes poison from one ally.	11	50
Elixir	Fully restores party's HP and TP.	N/A	10
Foul Liquid	Removes Daze from one ally.	100	50
Holy Water	Removes Curse from one ally.	100	50
Librascope	Reveals complete Enemy Intel of all foes in a battle.	10,000	500
Mallet	Removes Fog from one ally.	100	50
Painkiller	Removes Pain from one ally.	100	50
Phoenix Down	Revives one ally from KO.	1,000	500
Potion	Restores a small amount of HP to all allies.	50	25
Wax	Removes Imperil from one ally.	100	50

Shrouds

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PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Shrouds can be activated while in the field before engaging in battle, by pressing and selecting the shroud to use. Once activated, the effects of the shroud will last for 30 seconds. These can be used before cutscene battles as well. Shrouds are relatively rare, so it's best to save them for harder battles. Deceptisols are likely the most valuable shroud of all, as they let you sneak by enemies or, more importantly, get preemptive strikes on them, increasing the chance of getting a five star battle rating.

Except for the Ethersol, which can be acquired by dismantling an upgraded Energy Sash accessory, all shrouds can be purchased at Eden Pharmaceuticals.

Shroud	Description	Cost	Sale
Aegisol	Casts Protect, Shell, Veil and Vigilance at the start of battle.	12,000	500
Deceptisol	Makes the party invisible to enemy eyes.	30,000	500
Ethersol	Restores the party's TP.	N/A	500
Fortisol	Casts Bravery, Faith and Haste at the start of battle.	12,000	500

Key items

As you make your way through the game, you'll find key items that are either possessions of the characters, used for in-game systems or other story-related items. Most of these items cannot be missed, as they are part of the main storyline and are given to you at different points in the game.

Item	Description	Acquired
Alexander Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Alexander.
Aspheric Lens	A lens once used in a classroom in Oerba.	Repair Bhakti in Oerba
B&W Outfitters	A pass granting access to the B&W Outfitters retail network.
Bahamut Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Bahamut.
Batter Pack	A battery pack discovered in a mill in Oerba.	Repair Bhakti in Oerba
Brynhildr Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Brynhildr.
Com Unit	A Guardian Corps communication handset.
Creature Comforts	A pass granting access to the Creature Comforts retail network.
Datalog	A digital journal that autonomously streams useful data.
Eden Pharmaceuticals	A pass granting access to the Eden Pharmaceuticals retail network.
Gilgamesh, Inc.	A pass granting access to the Gilgamesh, Inc. retail network.	Complete Mission 46
Grav-con Unit	Lightning's personal gravity control device.
Gysahl Reins	Reins allowing you to ride chocobos on the Archylte Steppe.	Complete Mission 14
Hecatoncheir Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Hecatoncheir.
Lenora's Garage	A pass granting access to the Lenora's Garage retail network.
Magical Moments	A pass granting access to the Magical Moments retail network.
Metal Plate	A sheet of metal originally serving as a sign in Oerba.	Repair Bhakti in Oerba
Moogleworks	A pass granting access to the Moogleworks retail network.
Odin Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Odin.
Omni-kit	A kit enabling you to upgrade weapons and accessories.
Plautus's Workshop	A pass granting access to the Plautus's Workshop retail network.
Power Cable	A power cable liberated from a transport cart in Oerba.
R&D Depot	A pass granting access to the R&D Depot retail network.	Complete Mission 7
Sanctum Labs	A pass granting access to the Sanctum labs retail network.	Beginning of Eden
Serah's Tear	Serah's crystallized teardrop.	Repair Bhakti in Oerba
Shiva Eidolith	A crystal housing the soul of the Eidolon Shiva.
Survival Knife	lightning's birthday present.	Repair Bhakti in Oerba
The Motherlode	A pass granting access to the Motherlode retail network.
Trochoid Gear	A gear pried fopm the clutches of a Cie'th in Oerba.
Unicorn Mart	A pass granting access to the Unicorn Mart retail network.
Up in Arms	A pass granting access to the Up in Arms retail network.