Weapons

"In a world this big, who knows what we'll find?"

The great thing about FFXIII's weapon system is that you don't have a set ladder of weapons to get, you choose the weapon family you want based on how you play. There's no wrong answer, it's just a matter of what's the right style for you! Once you choose a weapon family, you make it stronger by leveling it up with the upgrading system.

My Top 3 Recommendations

1) Lionheart - Ultima Weapon - Omega Weapon
My personal favorite. Quick Stagger and decent stats.

For me, battles in FFXIII are a stagger game. It's when an enemy is staggered that you can quickly and efficiently take out a majority of its health points. Thus, Lionheart was best for me because its special ability is Quick Stagger - meaning it build up the stagger bar and stagger the enemy a little faster. As for stats, its Omega form maxes out at 508 STR & 508 MAG. That's right at middle range, it's no where near being the most powerful weapon she could get, but it's no where near the weakest either.


2) Blazefire Saber - Flamberge - Omega Weapon
Excellent overall balance of power, but no special traits.

The blazefire is your starter weapon, which are generally very well-balanced. Its Omega form maxes out at 620 STR and 620 MAG. This is not the most powerful stats you could get, but it's very respectable. The balance is very useful for Lightning if you switch between her Commando and Ravenger roles often. You also get the advantage of being able to start upgrading asap. The problem is that Blazefire is a plain jane - it has no handicaps, but it has no special advantages either.


3) Hauteclaire - Durandal - Omega Weapon
Extreme strength and magic power with a fixable handicap.

The aptly named Hauteclaire is the second most overall powerful weapon Light can get. Its Omega form maxes out at 711 STR & MAG, which is just 11 points behind the most powerful weapon. It comes with a big disadvantage - Stagger Lock, meaning it can build up an enemy's stagger bar, but never will push it over into staggered mode. However, this disadvantage becomes non-existent if you can always utilize other characters in your team to stagger the enemy instead.

Upgrading Advice

My strategy to upgrading is to get your multiplier bonus up to 3x with organic components, and then put in a LARGE pile of mechanical components. Sell all the components you get except for the ones with the best EXP value. You want to do this because the 3x bonus disappears after you put other components into the weapon, so you should upgrade using components in bulk. Don't waste your organic components by repeatedly putting in small amounts.

The organic components you want to use for the 3 bonus are 36 Sturdy Bones, Barbed tails, or Vibrant oozes, or 24 Otherworldy bones, diabolic tails, or transparent oozes. You can find these all at the Creature Comforts store. The best mechanic components are the Superconductors, Perfect Conductors, Particle Accelerators, and Ultracompact Reactors. You can find these at Lenora's Garage or R&D Depot.

Remember: when your weapon hits a star level, it's time to upgrade it to its next form using 1 catalyst component!