Irvine (Final Fantasy VIII party member)

Irvine
(アーヴァイン, Āvain?)
Portraits
Gameplay details
Type	Party member
Limit Break	Shot
Weapon	Shotguns
Ultimate weapon	Exeter

Irvine is a playable character in Final Fantasy VIII. He wields shotguns in battle and his Limit Break is Shot that allows him to expend various ammo types for different effects. A Triple Triad card based on Irvine can be obtained. He acts as a party leader briefly in D-District Prison and in a sidequest in Fishermans Horizon. He is the last permanent party member to join.

Party member

Irvine joins the party as they leave Galbadia Garden. His intro pose is to slowly point his gun towards his enemy before bringing it back. His victory pose is to twirl his gun and lay it on his shoulder, fix his hat, and the point.

Weapons

Main article: Irvine's shotguns

Irvine wields a shotgun, although being a ranged fighter doesn't give him an edge like in previous Final Fantasy games, as Final Fantasy VIII doesn't have rows in battle. As a marksman and a sniper, he also uses a rifle during the storyline. Irvine's guns are named after famous battleships, the majority being British. Irvine is the only playable character in Final Fantasy VIII who cannot acquire his ultimate weapon before the party has the Ragnarok.

There are four models for Irvine to use:

• Valiant – Initial model. Described in Weapons Monthly, April Issue.
• Ulysses – Described in Weapons Monthly, May Issue.
• Bismarck – Described in Weapons Monthly, July Issue.
• Exeter – Described in Weapons Monthly, 1st Issue.

Limit Break

Main article: Shot (Final Fantasy VIII)

Shot is Irvine's Limit Break. When executed, the player can choose from a variety of shot and ammo types and must press to fire at an enemy. The length of the allotted time varies depending on Crisis Level, a hidden stat. This Limit Break consumes ammo that can be bought from shops or refined from items and cards.

Prioritizing AP Ammo for ammo refines often works well as it is quick to fire and powerful even against enemies with high Vitality. Its Armor Shot is quick to dispatch "farmable" enemies that cannot be defeated with Quistis's Degenerator: Tonberries (for luring out Tonberry King) and Cactuars (AP farming). It is also great against Adamantoises, sturdy opponents that yield various great items and this are worth fighting.

Stats

LV	HP	Str	Vit	Mag	Spr	Spd	Luck
1	213	1	1	1	0	19	13
2	254	2	2	2	1	19	13
3	295	3	2	3	1	19	13
4	336	4	3	4	2	20	13
5	377	4	4	4	3	20	13
6	417	5	4	5	3	20	13
7	458	6	5	6	4	20	13
8	498	6	5	7	5	21	14
9	538	7	6	7	5	21	14
10	579	8	6	8	6	21	14
11	619	8	7	8	6	21	14
12	659	9	8	9	7	22	14
13	699	10	8	10	7	22	14
14	739	10	8	10	8	22	14
15	779	11	9	11	8	22	14
16	818	11	10	12	9	23	15
17	858	12	10	12	9	23	15
18	898	13	11	13	10	23	15
19	937	13	11	14	10	23	15
20	977	14	12	14	11	23	15
21	1016	14	12	15	11	23	15
22	1056	15	12	15	12	23	15
23	1095	16	13	16	12	23	15
24	1134	16	13	17	13	24	15
25	1173	17	14	17	13	24	15
26	1212	17	14	18	14	24	15
27	1251	18	15	18	14	24	15
28	1290	19	15	19	14	25	15
29	1329	19	15	19	15	25	15
30	1367	20	16	20	15	25	15
31	1406	20	16	20	16	25	15
32	1444	21	17	21	16	26	16
33	1483	21	17	22	16	26	16
34	1521	22	17	22	17	26	16
35	1559	22	18	22	17	26	16
36	1598	23	18	23	18	27	16
37	1636	23	19	23	18	27	16
38	1674	24	19	24	18	27	16
39	1712	24	19	24	18	27	16
40	1750	25	20	25	19	27	17
41	1788	25	20	25	19	27	17
42	1825	26	21	26	20	27	17
43	1863	26	21	26	20	27	17
44	1901	27	21	27	20	28	17
45	1938	27	22	27	21	28	17
46	1976	28	22	28	21	28	17
47	2013	28	22	28	21	28	17
48	2050	29	23	29	22	29	17
49	2087	29	23	29	22	29	17
50	2124	30	23	30	22	29	17
51	2161	30	23	30	22	29	17
52	2198	30	24	30	23	30	17
53	2235	31	24	31	23	30	17
54	2272	31	24	31	23	30	17
55	2309	32	25	31	24	30	17
56	2346	32	25	32	24	31	18
57	2382	32	25	32	24	31	18
58	2419	33	25	32	24	31	18
59	2455	33	25	33	24	31	18
60	2491	34	26	33	25	31	18
61	2528	34	26	34	25	31	18
62	2564	34	26	34	25	31	18
63	2600	35	26	34	25	31	18
64	2636	35	27	35	26	32	19
65	2672	36	27	35	26	32	19
66	2708	36	27	35	26	32	19
67	2743	36	27	35	26	32	19
68	2779	37	28	36	26	33	19
69	2815	37	28	36	26	33	19
70	2850	37	28	36	27	33	19
71	2886	38	28	36	27	33	19
72	2921	38	28	37	27	34	19
73	2957	38	29	37	27	34	19
74	2992	39	29	37	27	34	19
75	3027	39	29	37	27	34	19
76	3062	39	29	38	27	35	19
77	3097	39	29	38	27	35	19
78	3132	40	29	38	27	35	19
79	3167	40	29	38	27	35	19
80	3202	40	30	39	28	35	20
81	3236	40	30	39	28	35	20
82	3271	41	30	39	28	35	20
83	3305	41	30	39	28	35	20
84	3340	41	30	40	28	36	20
85	3374	42	30	40	28	36	20
86	3408	42	30	40	28	36	20
87	3443	42	30	40	28	36	20
88	3477	42	30	40	28	37	21
89	3511	43	30	40	28	37	21
90	3545	43	31	41	28	37	21
91	3579	43	31	41	28	37	21
92	3613	43	31	41	28	38	21
93	3646	43	31	41	28	38	21
94	3680	44	31	41	28	38	21
95	3714	44	31	41	28	38	21
96	3747	44	31	41	28	39	21
97	3781	44	31	41	28	39	21
98	3814	44	31	41	28	39	21
99	3847	45	31	42	28	39	21
100	3880	45	31	42	28	39	21

Guardian Forces

Irvine summons.

Guardian Forces' main use is for the junction system that they enable, allowing the player to customize their party's stats and abilities. Irvine is a good candidate for GFs that have Str-J (Shiva, Ifrit, Brothers, Pandemona, Cerberus) and Str+% abilities (Ifrit and Pandemona), to make the best of his Limit Break.

The player should also learn Ifrit's Ammo-RF ability to easily replenish Irvine's ammunition from the menu, but he does not need to be the one junctioning it. Late into the game, the player has a lot of freedom in customizing their GFs' junction abilities, as most Stat-J Scrolls can be bought from a shop.

The below values are the base compatibility values at the start of the game.

GF	Compatibility
Quezacotl	640
Shiva	580
Ifrit	570
Siren	620
Brothers	540
Diablos	610
Carbuncle	590
Leviathan	560
Pandemona	540
Cerberus	650
Alexander	530
Doomtrain	510
Bahamut	520
Cactuar	560
Tonberry	530
Eden	380

Triple Triad

Main article: Irvine (Final Fantasy VIII card)

Irvine is a Level 10 Player Card in Triple Triad used for playing the minigame and for turning into 3 Rocket Engines with Quezacotl's Card Mod. It is won from Flo in the Fishermans Horizon as part of Queen of Cards side quest.

The player can find Irvine from Balamb Garden's second floor classroom when he is not in the party, but if challenged, will say he only plays with girls.

Quests

Optional scenes with Irvine

Irvine assembles the party.

Irvine's main side quest is in Fishermans Horizon (see below) but there are couple other scenes with him as well. When the party first leaves Galbadia Garden, Irvine will want to set the party up, and the following scene depends on whether the player accepts the party set-up or not. In Winhill, either Irvine or Quistis needs to be in the party to start the vase quest, although Quistis takes precedence for initiating the scene in the mansion. If the player takes Irvine to liberate Balamb Town, he will admire Zell's gun collection in a scene in his room only to discover they were loaded. In Trabia Garden, Irvine will take a shot at a hoop with a basketball, and whether it goes in or not depends on the number of battles fought.

Irvine's post to Selphie's "My Friends" blog can be viewed on the Study Panel after the battle against BGH251F2 in FH.

Fishermans Horizon sidequest

Irvine can have numerous scenes in Fishermans Horizon when the party first visits the town. The party must meet up with Master Fisherman before taking the lift down into the town the first time they arrive in FH by descending a difficult-to-see ladder next to a large silo, in the screen before the lift. Master Fisherman gives Squall the Occult Fan III magazine and asks Squall to find his apprentice.

After having liberated the town from Galbadia, the party can witness the apprentice boy near the junk shop learn to fish properly, and he wants Squall to tell his master. On the way, Irvine will join Squall, and instead of returning to the Garden, the two must return to Master Fisherman's fishing spot. He asks Squall to follow him to the local hotel, where he tells Squall and Irvine the town's history, then asks if they want to hear more.

Squall must respond positively and follow Master Fisherman out on the docks, and after some more conversation, receives a Megalixir. This will earn 20 SeeD Exp to the player, 0.2 of a SeeD rank.

Master Fisherman will leave, and if the party visits his fishing spot, they can find a Full-life draw point. After completing the side quest the party can later meet Master Fisherman in Shumi Village.

Grease Monkey living on the outskirts of the town owns a Moomba doll. After Squall has met up with Irvine on his way back to Garden, they can instead return to town and visit Grease Monkey to find the Galbadian officer demanding he fix the Iron Clad. After an event, Grease Monkey rewards Squall and Irvine with a Mega-Phoenix.

Irvine can visit Squall's dorm room when he is the party leader.

Later, Irvine is organizing a concert and must choose instruments for each party member. After choosing an instrument the player, now controlling Irvine, can leave the scene and roam around the Garden and the town. Irvine can have a scene with the man by the lift and explain why he follows the "warmongering SeeDs", and visit the sleeping Squall in his dorm. If he visits the Garden library he can get unique dialogue with the Library Girl with a Pigtail and if he visits the classroom, the Trepies ask if he wants to join their club. He can also hear news about himself by checking the terminal in the FH hotel.

Unique dialogue from Familiar Face #3.

If the player visits the Grease Monkey, they learn the Galbadian officer is back. After a scene, Irvine can receive a Phoenix Down from Grease Monkey, and by examining the officer's body, some ammo for his Shot. If Irvine plays cards in the Garden at this time he is treated the same as if he was Squall; in fact, if the player were to start the Card Club as Irvine, they even refer to him as Squall. After the player chooses the instruments for the concert and moves on with the story, if the player talked to the Familiar Face near the lift as Irvine, he will have unique dialogue if spoken to with Irvine in the party.