Template:Sideicon The Stingray is an enemy in Final Fantasy V, a rare encounter found in the sea southeast of the Phoenix Tower and the small lake near Carwen. The area for this encounter is extremely specific: the player must skirt the coast above the sunken Walse Tower. In the GBA and following versions, it can also appear in the River of Souls, in the Sealed Temple.
A particularly easy way to find this enemy in the lake area in the North American and Japanese GBA versions is to quicksave on the land next to their encounter area, continue, get in the boat, move around a bit, and the second enemy met should be the Stingray. If Sahagins, Thunder Anemones and Sea Ibises also appear, the player should be in the right area to look for the monster.
Stats
Battle
Like the Pas de Seul, Stingrays possess Fin, a Poison-inflicting attack.
Befitting its rarity, Stingrays carry a number of useful items and abilities. It is the only enemy to have the elusive Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard. To learn it, the player must use the Beastmaster skill Control, or Stingray must be confused. The Dragon's Whisker whip is Stingray's highly-valued rare drop - one of the few weapons effective against dragon-type enemies, it makes combatting Shinryu and (in the GBA and following versions) Neo Shinryu easier. Dark Matter may also be stolen as the Stingray's common item, and Rune Blade as its rare one.
Defeating Stingray and landing a finishing hit as a Necromancer earns the player Dark Arts technique, Hellwind.
Strategy
The best method to quickly take down a Stingray is to bring a party entirely outfitted with Blue Magic and Level 3 Flare. It is also a good strategy to have a party member that knows the Mystic Knight's Spellblade ability, and the Ranger's Rapid Fire ability. The player should enchant their blade with Flare, and then use Rapid Fire repeatedly. This tactic works well with most enchantable blades.