Veldt

This region's known as the Veldt. Monsters migrate here from all over the world, so it can be quite dangerous outside of town. You never know what you might run into.

Mobliz citizen

The Veldt is a seemingly endless plain which attracts monsters in Final Fantasy VI. Gau lives on the Veldt, and learns his various Rages here. The Veldt lies to the south of Baren Falls; the town of Mobliz lies on its eastern coast, while Crescent Mountain is near the southern tip of the plains. In the World of Ruin the Cave on the Veldt is found here.

Story[]

Gau Finds Sabin from FFVI Pixel Remaster — Gau found Sabin and Cyan washed onto the Veldt.

Sabin and Cyan wash onto the Veldt and are saved by Gau, who runs away after the two come to. After purchasing some Dried Meat in Mobliz, Sabin and Cyan give it to Gau to have him join them. As his thanks for the food, Gau tells Sabin and Cyan about a "shiny, shiny treasure" he has kept in the Crescent Mountain Cave to the south. The treasure turns out to be a diving helmet, and the three use it to dive into the Serpent Trench to swim to Nikeah.

Gau Returns WoR from FFVI Pixel Remaster — Gau rejoining the party during the World of Ruin.

One year later during the events of the World of Ruin, Gau decided to return to the Veldt in hopes of becoming stronger to help defeat Kefka. If the party has at most three characters, Gau will rejoin the group after defeating normal encounters on the Veldt. A new cave has appeared on a mountain in the Veldt, where some outlaws are camped out and the Returners can find Shadow or Relm, depending on if Shadow was able to escape the Floating Continent.

Gameplay[]

Encounters[]

Leap from FFVI Pixel Remaster — Gau using Leap on a group of monsters on the Veldt.

Once an enemy formation is encountered (it does not have to be defeated), it will show up on the Veldt. The Veldt is thus useful for fighting enemies found in places the player cannot revisit, especially in the World of Ruin when most of the monsters from the World of Balance vanish. All enemy formations yield the same amount of gil and Magic Points they did elsewhere, but yield no EXP, making it a good place to train to learn magic if the player wishes to keep their level low.

Some enemies will not appear on the Veldt. Bosses never appear, with the exception of the Guard Leader, the Behemoth King, and the Holy Dragon, which can even be acquired as Rages for Gau. Some unique or special enemies will also not appear. The following is a list of monsters that cannot be encountered on the Veldt:

Merchant
Cadet (accordingly, Birthday Suit also does not appear)
Captain
Soldier
Officer
Apparition
Opinicus Fish
Rhizopas
Mega Armor
Naude
Prometheus
Zone Eater
All "Magic"-type enemies in the Cultists' Tower
All enemies exclusive to the Advance, Android, iOS and Steam versions of the game.

The Death Warden does not appear in the SNES and PS versions due to a glitch—it can only be encountered once, and this occurs in a formation that does not appear on the Veldt, but there is an identical formation it appears in that can appear on the Veldt. In the GBA and subsequent versions, this has been fixed, and the Death Warden will appear and can be acquired as a Rage.

Tonberries can be encountered on the Veldt and have a Rage, but since they are the 256th monster, the game does not allow them to be learned as the 256th slot in the Rage menu is overwritten with an empty slot.

Missable encounters[]

Some enemy formations can never appear on the Veldt if the player never encounters them and plays past the point they are able to encounter them. In the Super NES and PlayStation versions, this is applicable to all enemies in the World of Balance—any enemies not encountered before the transition to the World of Ruin cannot be encountered elsewhere. The Game Boy Advance, mobile, and Steam versions have some exceptions to this due to the Soul Shrine, where some enemy formations from the World of Balance are used and fighting them in the Soul Shrine will allow them to appear on the Veldt. However, not all World of Balance enemies can be encountered this way.

The following is a list of monsters that the player can miss, either because they are exclusive to the World of Balance and do not reappear in the Soul Shrine; because they are encountered in a location that cannot be revisited; or because there is a limited window to encounter them.

Enemy	Location	Notes
Wererat	Narshe Mines (North Passage)
Leaf Bunny	Narshe plains, Triangle Island
Darkwind	Narshe plains, Triangle Island
Sand Ray	Figaro Castle desert
Alacran	Figaro Castle desert
Foper	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during first trek through the cave
Hornet	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during first trek through the cave
Urok	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during first trek through the cave
Belmodar	South Figaro, Mt. Kolts, Sabre Mountains
Unseelie	South Figaro, Nikeah, Sabre Mountains
Mu	South Figaro, Nikeah, Sabre Mountains
Cirpius	Mt. Kolts
Cartagra	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during second trek through the cave
Acrophies	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during second trek through the cave
Gold Bear	South Figaro Cave	Only appears during second trek through the cave
Valeor	Narshe Mines (South Passage)
Darkside	Narshe Mines (South Passage) security point	Can only be encountered during Terra's scenario
Specter	Narshe Mines (South Passage) security point	Can only be encountered during Terra's scenario
Eukaryote	Narshe Mines (South Passage) security point	Can only be encountered during Terra's scenario
Wild Rat	Narshe Mines (South Passage)
Nettlehopper	Doma region
Stray Cat	Doma region
Aepyornis	Doma region
Doberman	Imperial Camp	Encountered by kicking the locked chest; location cannot be revisited
Satellite	Imperial Camp	Encountered inside a chest; location cannot be revisited
Ghost	Phantom Forest, Phantom Train
Poplium	Phantom Forest, Phantom Train
Anguiform	Serpent Trench
Aspiran	Serpent Trench
Actinian	Serpent Trench
Fidor	Narshe Cliffs	Only encountered during the Battle for the Frozen Esper
Hunting Hound	Narshe Cliffs	Only encountered during the Battle for the Frozen Esper
Bloodfang	Western plains in World of Balance
Rock Wasp	Western forests in World of Balance
Litwor Chicken	Forest on the southern continent in World of Balance
Joker	Southern continent in World of Balance
Don	Southern continent in World of Balance
Wyvern	Southern continent in World of Balance
Grasswyrm	Southern continent in World of Balance
Sergeant	Vector, Magitek Research Facility, Imperial Observation Post
Belzecue	Vector, Magitek Research Facility, Imperial Observation Post
Flan	Trash chute room in Magitek Research Facility	Location cannot be revisited
Magna Roader (red)	Escape from the Magitek Research Facility	Encounters during the sequence depend on lead party member; will not spawn if Locke, Edgar, or Gau are in the lead. Appears in the Soul Shrine
Grenade	Forest south of the Phantom Forest	Location can only be reached by airship
Intangir	Triangle Island	Location can only be reached by airship
Provoker	Cave to the Sealed Gate
Antares	Cave to the Sealed Gate
Lich	Cave to the Sealed Gate
Imperial Elite	Imperial Palace	Can only be fought during the banquet; choose to take a break and speak to Gestahl's bodyguards
Briareus	Thamasa region
Devourer	Thamasa region
Chimera	Thamasa region	Also appears in Dragons' Den, but the formations it appears in cannot appear on the Veldt
Land Grillon	Esper Caves
Mandrake	Esper Caves
Venobennu	Esper Caves
Sky Armor	Imperial Air Force sequence	Location cannot be revisited
Spitfire	Imperial Air Force sequence	Location cannot be revisited
Dragon	Floating Continent	Location cannot be revisited
Zokka	Crumbling House	Location cannot be revisited
Nightwalker	Crumbling House	Location cannot be revisited
Scorpion	Crumbling House	Location cannot be revisited
Rafflesia	Owzer's Mansion	Fought by inspecting the painting of flowers; cannot be fought after Chadarnook is defeated. Appears in the Soul Shrine
Al Jabr	Dreamscape	Location cannot be revisited

Formations[]

The monsters the player can encounter on the Veldt are not completely random. The player can encounter one formation from a group, and then, on the next encounter, they will enter a battle from the next group. When the player starts a new game, the first group they will run into is a formation from group 1. To determine which formation in the group the player encounters, the game picks a random number from 0 to 7.

The player can only run into a formation they have seen prior, but they do not need to have won the battle; if they escaped, they can still encounter the formation on the Veldt. If the game picks a formation the player has not encountered yet, they will get the next formation in the group instead. The game keeps picking the next formation until it finds one the player has encountered. If they are on formation 7 of a group, and have not encountered that formation, it will start over at formation 0 from the group.

Some formations cannot be encountered on the Veldt, but these are mostly special and boss formations. These are marked as None in the list below. If a formation does not contain a monster, it will be treated the same as if the player had never encountered it. After the player fights a formation, they will face a formation from the next group the next time they battle on the Veldt, or if they are on group 64, the next fight will be from group 1. If a group is entirely empty and/or the player has not encountered any formation from it, the game skips that group and advances to the next group until it finds one that has one or more formations the player has encountered. In the SNES and PS versions, when the player reloads a game, it adds 13 to the group number that they will encounter next. In the GBA and Steam/mobile versions, reloading a game will randomly set a group number as the first enemy group.

There are two Behemoth King formations in groups 54 and 57. The player can face them on the Veldt after defeating the Behemoth King (Living) inside the Cave on the Veldt. It is advised not to cast Vanish and Banish on it (SNES and PS versions), because this makes the game turn on a flag that causes the Behemoth King (Undead) formation to be loaded whenever an encounter on the Veldt tries to load the Behemoth King (Living) formation. When the player defeats the Behemoth King (Undead) inside the Cave on the Veldt, the game marks the Behemoth King (Living) formation as encounterable on the Veldt. This works because one variable still holds the first formation number, but all the enemies in the current formation have a value lower than 255. The player will then encounter the Behemoth King (Undead) formation in group 57 on the Veldt, in place of the Behemoth King (Living). Once they have fought it, they will also be able to encounter the Behemoth King (Undead) battle in group 54.

Group	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Silver Lobo	Silver Lobo x2	Guard x2	Foper x2, Urok	Silver Lobo x2, Guard Leader	Hornet x2, Foper x3	Leaf Bunny	Leaf Bunny x2, Darkwind
2	Leaf Bunny x2, Darkwind x2	Sand Ray, Alacran x3	Sand Ray x2	Alacran x3	Sand Ray, Alacran x2	Hornet x2	Wererat x3	Hornet, Urok x2
3	Gorgias x2	Megalodoth, Silver Lobo	Urok x3	Belmodar	Belmodar, Mu x2	Mu x2, Unseelie	Belmodar, Unseelie, Mu x2	Unseelie x2
4	Mu x4	Imperial Soldier x2, Magitek Armor	Bandit, Spritzer	Magitek Armor	Trillium, Gorgias, Cirpius x2	Cirpius x3	Trillium x2	Gorgias, Cirpius x3
5	Zaghrem x2	Zaghrem, Trillium, Spritzer x2	Magitek Armor x2	Lesser Lopros x2	Zombie Dragon x2	Nautiloid, Exocite, Lesser Lopros	Nautiloid, Exocite	Lesser Lopros, Exocite x2
6	None	Silver Lobo, Guard x2	None	None	Wererat, Bandit	Wererat x2	Doberman x2	Actinian x3
7	None	Stray Cat x3	Nettlehopper x2, Stray Cat x2	Nettlehopper x3	Chippirabbit x5	Aepyornis	Aepyornis x2, Stray Cat	Aepyornis, Chippirabbit x2
8	Chippirabbit x3	Aepyornis, Stray Cat, Nettlehopper x2	None	None	None	Satellite, Imperial Soldier x4	Doberman x3	None
9	Heavy Armor	Ghost	Ghost x3	Actinian x3, Aspiran x2	Ghost, Poplium x2	Ghost x2, Poplium x3	Angel Whisper x2, Cloud	Spritzer x2
10	Bomb x2, Cloud x2	Provoker x2, Lich x2	Angel Whisper x4	Oversoul x2	Bomb x3	Bomb	Oversoul, Living Dead x2	None
11	Angel Whisper, Living Dead, Cloud x2	Angel Whisper, Cloud x3	Anguiform	Anguiform x2	Megalodoth x2, Guard x2	Living Dead x3	Anguiform, Actinian, Aspiran	Hell's Rider
12	Heavy Armor, Corporal x2	Fidor, Corporal	Angel Whisper	Corporal x4	Hunting Hound, Corporal x2	Fossil Dragon	Bloodfang x2	Paraladia, Vulture, Iron Fist
13	Iron Fist x2, Rock Wasp x2	Bloodfang x2, Vulture	Paraladia x2, Rock Wasp x3	Vulture x2	Vulture, Iron Fist	Rock Wasp x4	Hill Gigas	Crawler
14	Gobbledygook x4	Veil Dancer	Veil Dancer, Gobbledygook x3	Harvester	Veil Dancer, Harvester x2	Harvester, Gobbledygook x2	Hill Gigas, Harvester	Magna Roader (Purple)
15	Goetia, Stunner x2	Stunner x3, Goetia x2	Crawler x4	Belzecue x2, Sergeant x2	Belzecue x2, Sergeant	Magna Roader (Purple), Magna Roader (Red)	Trapper x3	General x2
16	General, Onion Knight x2	Onion Knight x4	Chaser, Trapper x3	Chaser, Onion Knight x3	Lenergia	Commander x3	Death Warden	None
17	Lukhavi x2	None	None	None	Murussu, Baalzephon	None	Desert Hare x3	Bomb
18	Bomb x6	Io	Cancer x3	Fossil Dragon x2	Fossil Dragon, Bug x3	Bug x3	Bug x6	Don x2
19	Don, Wyvern x2	Don, Wyvern, Litwor Chicken x2	Grasswyrm x3	Don, Joker	Joker x3	Litwor Chicken x5	Zombie Dragon	Zombie Dragon, Outcast x2
20	Outcast x3	Provoker x2	Antares x3	Lich, Provoker, Antares	Lich x3	Imperial Elite x3	Balloon x3	Balloon x6
21	Briareus	Chimera	Devourer, Briareus	Devourer x3	Adamankary, Bonnacon x2	Adamankary x2	Bonnacon x5	Mandrake x3
22	Mandrake, Land Grillon x2	Venobennu x2	Gigantos	None	None	None	Gigantos x2	Sky Armor x2, Spitfire
23	Sky Armor, Spitfire	Behemoth	Apocrypha, Misfit x2	Apocrypha	Ninja x2	Platinum Dragon x3	Apocrypha x3	Brainpan x2, Misfit, Apocrypha
24	Brainpan x3	Dragon	Behemoth, Misfit x2	Behemoth x2	Ninja x2, Platinum Dragon	Grenade	Chimera, Devourer x2	Briareus x2
25	Peeper x2	Peeper x3	Land Ray, Peeper x2	Black Dragon	Daedalus, Ahriman	Fafnir x2	Fafnir x4	Killer Mantis, Fafnir
26	Killer Mantis x2, Fafnir	Murussu, Gigantoad x2	Luna Wolf, Rukh	Luna Wolf x2	Rukh, Murussu, Gigantoad	Cherry, Ahriman x2	Ahriman x3	Zokka x2, Nightwalker
27	None	Scorpion x3	Intangir	Nightwalker x4	Vector Chimera x2	Devoahan	Devoahan, Delta Beetle x2	Vampire Thorn x2, Lizard
28	Vampire Thorn x2	Delta Beetle x4	Vampire Thorn x2, Delta Beetle	Devoahan, Lizard	Cancer x2, Desert Hare x2	Cactuar	Sandhorse x2	Sandhorse, Cancer x2
29	Oceanus	Oceanus, Desert Hare x3	Fiend Dragon x2	Landworm	Humpty x3	Cruller, Humpty x2	Humpty x4	Neck Hunter x2
30	Neck Hunter, Cruller, Humpty x2	Dante	Dropper x3	Tonberries x3	Marchosias	Slagworm	Marchosias, Deepeye x2	Bogy x2
31	Deepeye x6	Deepeye x2, Mousse x2	Mousse x3	Mousse	Borghese x2	Borghese, Cloudwraith x2	Skeletal Horror	Cloudwraith
32	Cloudwraith, Exoray x2	Exoray x3	Malboro, Exoray	Malboro	None	Tonberry	Knotty x4	Tzakmaqiel, Illuyankas
33	Tzakmaqiel, Knotty x3	Illuyankas x3	Anemone x2, Onion Dasher	Anemone x4	Illuyankas, Onion Dasher x2	Luridan x3	Punisher x2, Devil Fist	Glasya Labolas
34	Glasya Labolas, Mugbear, Devil Fist	Mugbear	Luridan x6	Mugbear, Punisher	Twinscythe	Twinscythe x2	Gorgimera	Vector Lythos x4
35	Primeval Dragon, Great Malboro	Garm x3	Test Rider	Lukhavi, Garm x2	Wizard x3	Wizard x2, Psychos x3	Garm x2, Psychos x2	Psychos x6
36	Magna Roader x2 (Yellow), Magna Roader (Brown)	Magna Roader (Yellow), Magna Roader x2 (Brown)	Primeval Dragon x2	None	Blade Dancer x2, Crusher x2	Caladrius x2, Coeurl Cat, Crusher x2	Caladrius x2	Blade Dancer, Coeurl Cat x4
37	Misty x2	Rafflesia x3	Still Life	Aspidochelon x2	Mahadeva	Aspidochelon, Moonform, Creature	Moonform x3	Moonform, Medusa Chicken x3
38	Sorath, Warlock, Creature	Sorath x2	Warlock, Medusa Chicken x2, Creature x2	Great Behemoth, Vector Lythos x2	Fiend Dragon	Devil x2	Devil, Figaro Lizard x2	Lunatys x2, Figaro Lizard x2
39	Lunatys	Armored Weapon	Enuo x2	Enuo, Devil, Figaro Lizard	Lunatys x4	Al Jabr x2	Samurai, Al Jabr x2	Pluto Armor x2
40	Coco, Alluring Rider	Pluto Armor, Schmidt	Weredragon, Parasite x3	Alluring Rider, Pandora x3	Weredragon	Coco, Samurai, Suriander	Suriander, Pandora, Parasite x2	Crawler x3
41	Tyrannosaur x2	Tyrannosaur	Brachiosaur	Greater Mantis, Sprinter, Lycaon x2	Leap Frog x4	Greater Mantis x2	Basilisk x2, Leap Frog	Tumbleweed x4
42	Sprinter x2, Lycaon x2	Great Behemoth, Great Malboro, Vector Lythos	Great Malboro x3	Vasegiatta	Vasegiatta, Purusa	Purusa, Gloomwind	Gloomwind x3	None
43	Face x2	Clymenus x3	Face, Zeveak, Necromancer x2	Clymenus x2, Necromancer	Seaflower x5	Ouroboros, Seaflower x2	Chaos Dragon, Ouroboros, Seaflower x2	Galypdes, Chaos Dragon x2
44	None	None	Kamui x2	Covert, Kamui	Wartpuck x2	Shambling Corpse x2	Amduscias, Covert x2	Amduscias, Baalzephon
45	Baalzephon x2, Shambling Corpse x2	Wartpuck, Kamui	None	Magic Urn x2	Flan x6	Flan x4	None	None
46	Destroyer x2	Lenergia x2, Destroyer	None	None	None	None	None	None
47	None	None	None	None	None	Vector Hound x2, Commander	Vector Hound x2	Cartagra, Acrophies x2
48	Gold Bear, Acrophies	Cartagra x3	Acrophies x2	Darkside x2	Darkside, Specter, Eukaryote x3	Valeor, Wild Rat	Valeor x3	Valeor x2, Wild Rat x3
49	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
50	None	None	None	InnoSent, Fortis	Fortis x2	None	Duel Armor x2, Death Machine	Gamma
51	InnoSent x3	Junk x3	None	None	Proto Armor, Onion Knight x2	Onion Knight x5	Magna Roader x2 (Purple)	Magna Roader x4 (Red)
52	None	None	Templar x2, Imperial Soldier x2	Balloon x4	Imperial Soldier x2	Death Machine, Metal Hitman x4	Metal Hitman x3	Duel Armor, Fortis
53	Sergeant x4	None	Sergeant	None	None	None	None	None
54	Behemoth King (Undead)	Dark Force x2	Yojimbo x2, Dark Force	Demon Knight, Yojimbo	Outsider x2, Cherry	Mover x3	Muud Suud	Daedalus x2
55	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
56	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
57	None	None	None	None	Behemoth King (Living)	None	None	None
58	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
59	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
60	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
61	None	Holy Dragon	None	None	None	None	None	None
62	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
63	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
64	None	None	None	None	None	None	None	None

Quests[]

Recruiting Gau[]

Gau Meets Sabin and Cyan from FFVI Pixel Remaster — Gau meets Sabin and Cyan after receiving a piece of Dried Meat.

Gau appears on the Veldt when Sabin and Cyan first arrive there. He will call out that he is hungry, but nothing can be done with him but to attack him to make him run away. By purchasing Dried Meat at Mobliz and using it on him begins a cutscene, after which Gau joins the party.

On all subsequent occasions where Gau reappears at the end of battle due to using the Leap command previously, he will call out to the party and rejoin them after a short period of waiting. When Gau appears, any commands issued to the party are cancelled. If he is attacked, he will flee again, but when he next appears he will attempt to rejoin again. This can be manipulated to influence what Rages Gau learns by forcing him to flee from encounters the player does not want him to learn Rages for, and then letting him return when they do.

In the World of Ruin, wandering the Veldt in a party of fewer than four people will cause Gau to appear and rejoin the party. He will not appear if the party is full.

Musical themes[]

"Wild West" from Final Fantasy VI

"Wild West" is the background and battle theme for the Veldt.

Other appearances[]

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

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Gallery[]

Etymology[]

[view · edit · purge]Veld, also spelled veldt, is a type of wide open rural landscape in Southern Africa. Particularly, it is a flat area covered in grass or low scrub, especially in the countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.