Okay, so a little expository banter for you before we begin. Weapons in XIII are no walk in the park - the whole system of upgrading is heavy. The closest thing I can equate it to is VIII's upgrade and mod system, but it is a lot deeper and more complex. So this part of Paramina's Final Fantasy XIII Walkthrough details Which Weapon to Choose and Why. Enjoy.
Introduction[]
Each weapon comes with different stat boosts, passive abilities and synthesis groups. You can level up these attributes until the weapon hits its maximum EXP - at that point, you must use a catalyst component to upgrade it to the next tier. All third tier weapons are viewed as 'ultimate' weapons, and thus they all share the same name. However, the Omega Weapon that has grown from a Blazefire Saber is a very different Omega Weapon from the one that grew from a Lifesaber.
Because you have to invest quite a lot in creating a third tier weapon, you can't just have a 'Gotta Catch 'Em All' mentality, unless you have like, a month of your life you're not doing anything with. That's why I'm here: to guide you through this world of possibility and point out which are the weapons worth ploughing your components into, and which are better left on the proverbial shelf.
Obviously when I say Fang's best weapon is the Taming Pole, I mean the Kain's Lance that evolves from the Taming Pole, not the Tier 1 weapon (obviously). If the weapon can be found during gameplay, I've linked to the corresponding page in the walkthrough that tells you where to find it. Je t'en prie.
You might want to check out Character Roles and Proficiency before reading on, because a lot of the weapons I discuss correspond to the analysis that lies there. If you're cool just taking my word for it then it's not necessary reading - it's just to let you know there's method behind the madness.
So let's get up, let's get on it.
Weapon Selection[]
Lightning: Omega Weapon[]
| Lionheart | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 508/508 | Quick Stagger | Eden, or buy from Platus' Workshop. |
Lightning's weapons are actually pretty duff, compared to everyone else's, seriously; it's picking the best out of a bad bunch. The Lionheart is one of the few turds of her arsenal that Square attempted to polish - whilst its stats are paltry, it does have Quick Stagger, which is great if you have any other team member using a weapon with Stagger Lock (likely Fang, Sazh or Snow). Quick Stagger is a great ability to have if you use Lightning primarily as a Ravager, which - during storyline gameplay, anyway - you probably are, particularly if you combine this with speed enhancing accessories.
| Gladius | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 723/210 | - | Pulse Vestige, or buy from Up in Arms. |
And if you're hellbent on using Lightning post-storyline gameplay (...) then the Gladius is your best bet for farming, with its Strength stat and... I can't even muster up anything else to say about it, like, I don't know why you would want to go for this when there are so many more efficient Commandos for this kind of situation but whatever, don't say I don't cater to your whims, amigos.
Hope: Nue[]
| Hawkeye | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 202/917 | - | Gapra Whitewood, or buy from Up in Arms. |
During storyline gameplay, the Vidofnir looks pretty snazzy. It boosts defensive buffs by 80%, which means you don't need to spend so long in the Synergist role. But come on - it takes about 10 seconds to switch back to Synergist and reset those buffs, so don't let that sway you.
The Hawkeye has the strongest Magic boost, and has a better longevity than the Vidofnir, because let's be real, you'll be dealing with battles quick enough to not have to bother with trying to get buffs to last longer.
Fang: Kain's Lance[]
| Taming Pole | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 921/921 | Stagger Lock | Oerba, or buy from Gilgamesh Inc. |
Fang is primarily a brawler, so you want a weapon that boosts her Strength stat. The Taming Pole is the second strongest of Fang's weapons, but the deficit (of 41) can easily be made up with Accessories. The only spear stronger than it is the Dragoon Lance, but that totally negates Fang's magic stat, ergo, Taming Pole is the best choice for Fang during both storyline and post-storyline gameplay.
The only downside is it comes with Stagger Lock, but that flaw is largely ineffectual; Stagger Lock may as well be non-existant when you have other party members without it. Besides, it isn't the Commando's job to be trying to Stagger, so don't let that put you off.
| Dragoon Lance | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 962/0 | Fettered Magic | Buy from Gilgamesh Inc. |
I mentioned above that the Taming Pole was technically Fang's second strongest weapon - this is the first. But whilst the Dragoon Lance does carry a higher Strength stat boost, it also has Fettered Magic impairing it. Whilst Fang's primary role is obviously a Commando, you'll still occasionally need to toss out the occassional Ruin/Ruinga. Oh, and during storyline, you'll definitely need to be making use of her Saboteur skillset.
So why have I even bothered putting this on the page, you ask? Because you might choose to create this weapon very late in post-storyline gameplay, i.e., when you're farming Adamantoises, where you only need her Attacking as a Commando. You might. The Taming Pole will still do you fine, but the Dragoon Lance is a popular choice for the game's eleventh hour.
Vanille: Nirvana[]
| Belladona Wand | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 403/807 | Improved Debuffing II | Sunleth Waterscape, or buy from Platus' Workshop. |
Improved Debuffing II is pretty much all you need with Vanille. Her primary role should be as a Saboteur, both during the story and post-story gameplay. Particularly post-story when you're trying to farm by spamming Death.
I could list other weapons that are quite decent but there is literally no point - she's really the only character with a very clear winner in the weapon department. The Healing Rod only boosts Cure by 20% and has 383 less Magic, so don't even bother. Vanille should be equipped with the Belladonna Wand. Done.
Snow: Save the Queen[]
Snow is another character I suggest developing at least two series of weapons for, because he has two very distinct roles in any team set-up: a Damage Dealer or a Defender. During regular gameplay, it's pretty much fine to just keep him with his Power Circle, but you should consider these options, too.
| Umbra | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 410/620 | Improved Ward II | Palamecia, or buy from Platus' Workshop. |
When you need to use Snow as a Sentinel, the Umbra is the way to go, because it gives your whole party a Sentinel-pass in the form of Improved Ward, which boosts everyone's defence quite significantly. This is super useful if you're fighting with Hope - who has ridiculously low HP - against heavy hitters, or you've opted to equip another party member with a Silk Tiger weapon (like Sazh's Pleiades).
The only major contender to the Umbra is the Paladin, but Improved Guard only boosts Snow's defence, and with his crazy high HP, team-defence-boost is much more useful than individual-defence boost.
| Sacrificial Circle | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 1,050/1,050 | Silk Tiger | Buy from Gilgamesh Inc. |
This is Snow's best damager dealer, and most efficient farming weapon. The high and balanced stat boosts come at a cost with Silk Tiger, but Snow and Sazh are the only two characters that can deal with that, because they have more than their fair share of HP to toss about.
The only other weapon that comes close to this in damage efficiency is his starter weapon, the Power Circle, with a Strength stat of 925, but it neglects magic, meaning it pretty much limits Snow to Commando and relegates his Ravager role to the bench.
Sazh: Total Eclipses[]
Sazh is a little tricky because it's actually worth your while to develop a few Tier 3 weapons for him, and he should be your first priority, because creating his Total Eclipses first will make it much easier for you to acquire the materials you need to create everyone else's final weapons. For a full discussion on how you should be using Sazh in battle, check out the following page:
- See: Why Sazh is the Man. Seriously.
| Rigels | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 1,006/1,014 | Stagger Lock | Fifth Ark, or buy from Gilgamesh Inc. |
These have crazy stat boosts, but it comes with Stagger Lock. Stagger Lock by itself is nbd, but if you have Fang in your team with the Taming Pole, then that means only one team member (or you're relying on an Instant Chain from the Gestalt Synthesis Group) can Stagger an enemy. Buuuut equipping Sazh with Tier 3 Rigels and a couple of Strength-boosting accessories + Blitz? Shaolong Guis can't even handle it. They're worth the Stagger Lock, to be honest, especially if you've got Cold Blood on your side, and double-especially (totally not a phrase, but roll with it) if you've got a team member with a Gestalt Synthesis Group weapon/accessory.
| Pleiades Hi-Powers | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 1,150/0 | Silk Tiger | Oerba, or buy from Gilgamesh Inc. |
These are purely Farming weapons, for Adamantoises. You don't even need to charge them up to Tier 3, because they do the job at Hyades Magnums ★ (hello, +1,140 Strength). If you want to go for these, check out the Fine Art of Farming page on strategies and methods on how to utilise them to their best effect. But like I said - the Silk Tiger makes these totally useless for anything other than post-game farming.
| Procyons | ||
| Max Strength/Magic | Passive Ability | Location |
| 620/414 | Stagger Maintenance II | Sunleth Waterscape, or buy from Platus' Workshop. |
Stat-wise, the Procyons don't look like anything to write home about, but they can boost the Stagger time by up to 30%. Yeah. These are probably your best bet if you're looking to use Sazh during storyline gameplay. That or the Spica Defenders, which boost his the endurance of his Synergist skills by 80%, but... hmm. Okay, I admit I'm less well-versed on his slightly weaker weapons because I tend to reserve him for post-storyline gameplay, but I imagine the Procyons would serve you well. Oh, they're also good for early post-storyline gameplay battles, if that makes sense? Yeah.
Closing Comments[]
As you can clearly see, it is not as simple as just pointing you in the direction of one weapon series and telling you to plough all your EXP into it. There are infinite possibilities, and in some characters' cases, it really is beneficial for you to be making more than one super-powered weapon. At the end of the day, it all boils down to your particular preference of gameplay, and that's what I tried to tailor this guide to, to keep it open - I just wanted to sift through the some of the dirge weapons and present to you the best options available.
Once you decide what weapons you want to pour your blood, sweat and other bodily fluids into acquiring, you might want to take a look at the following pages to aid your quest:
- Obtaining a Trapezohedron
- Most Efficient Upgrade Methods
- The Fine Art of Farming