9 Attachment(s)
9 Favorite Marks in Final Fantasy XII
For quite a few of us, Final Fantasy XII is at or near the top of our lists of favorite video games. This Halloween, Final Fantasy XII will have its 9th Anniversary and in honor of the occasion we will list our nine of our favorite things in various categories.
For our first edition, we will list our nine favorite Marks. For those who haven’t played Final Fantasy XII, Marks are certain fiends whom people request be hunted. They can cause a wide variety of headaches, not only for the petitioner, but for your team as well. These Marks are some of our favorites, whether it’s for aesthetic reasons, or for the way they need to be hunted.
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Rogue Tomato
The only story-line Mark, the Rouge Tomato is found in the Dalmasca Estersand. Tomaj, the owner of The Sandsea, petitons for the hunt. Rogue Tomato is responsible for the loss of cargo headed towards Rabanastre.
The Rogue Tomato is part of the Deadly Nightshade family, which includes various anthropomorphic veggies. It’s one of many quirky encounters the party faces through the game. Being the first Mark, it’s also one of the simpler battles. Defeating it will lead to backstory regarding Vaan’s brother Reks and what happened to him after the opening sequence.
Attachment 65617Thextera
The second available Mark. A large mutant wolf that attacks caravans in the Dalmascan Westersand, the petitioner is Gatsly, a Bazaar merchant who’s drinking his sorrows away in The Sandsea (a popular outpost for fiend-affected merchants).
Thextera is a fascinating beast, with a Technicolor dream coat right out of the Broadway. Of all the lupine enemies in the game, it might be the most majestic. Its large size and bright coloring, as well as its webbed limbs, make it very imposing, especially for a beginner. On top of that, it’s generally amongst a pack of wolves. Usually, it’s best to challenge once Penelo joins Vaan.
Attachment 65618Carrot
A Rank VII Elite Mark, this large Malboro is the lost pet of Zammadria, who petitions the party to find it. After escaping her owner, she seems to have turned feral and attacks travelers in the Salikawood (as if there aren’t enough fiends already).
Carrot is the largest of the Malboros in the game, comparable in size to Malboros in other Final Fantasy games. Like all the others, she uses annoying status attacks. Carrot can only be found if you don’t kill any enemies while hunting it in the Salikawood. It’s best to either turn off Gambits or hold down the Run button until it spawns in the Sun-Dappled Path. Carrot may or may not be related to a Proposition from Final Fantasy Tactics (another game in the Ivalice series), that involved a pet Malboro named Carrot.
Attachment 65619Ixion
The Whitecap Wench in the Quayside Court of Balfonheim petitions the party to hunt this Rank VI Elite Mark that haunts the Penumbra-Interior area of Pharos. Ixion has been haunting the wench’s dreams, and needs you to slay it.
Ixion is a majestic Nightmare, with vast powers of lighting. Finding it in the Pharos’ Subterra, defeating all the enemies and searching around the circular area will spawn the wild stallion. Ixion hits hard and fast, and casts Purify when inflicted with a status affect. It mainly attacks with Thundaga and Fearga, which reduces MP.
Attachment 65620Deathgaze
This was Mike Huckabee’s favorite Mark, (until he read that it wasn’t spelled “Death gays”) A large, mutant Aevis, Deathgaze is a Rank VII Mark that is fought on an airship. A traveler petitioned for the hunt after his son saw the beast during their many travels. After traveling from one Aerodrome to another and talking to the son each time, at some point Deathgaze will attack the airship.
Deathgaze is reminiscent of the Deathgaze found in Final Fantasy VI. There Deathgaze was a flying demonic fiend that randomly attacked airships. In Final Fantasy XII, Deathgaze is a large purple draconian beast.
Attachment 65621Orthros
Orthros is a large, dark purple Flan in the Garamsythe Waterway’s Southern Sluiceway. The Contrite Thief in Lowtown petritions for its defeat. The thief lost a bunch of Stolen Articles to Orthros and wants them returned to their rightful owner. Strangely (or not depending how you roll), Orthros will only appear if the party has all females (guests are not considered).
Orthros, in name and description alludes to Ultros of Final Fantasy VI. Ultros himself had a weak spot for the ladies, and the description for the Stolen Articles is, “Don’t tease the… flan?” which alludes to Ultros’ line, “Don’t tease the Octopus, kids”.
Attachment 65622Gilgamesh/Enkidu
A twofer. Gilgamesh is the infamous enemy whom goes back all the way to Final Fantasy V. His partner Enkidu has appeared in many forms depending on the game. Here, Enkidu is a large wolf. Montblanc himself petitioned for the hunting of Gilgamesh. This battle takes place in two parts, both in the Lhusu mines. The Site 11 Key is required for the second battle, which takes place in Site 7.
Like in other games, Gilgamesh holds the Genji equipment. He can be stolen from multiple times each battle, after each cut scene is shown. The most important of these items is the Genji Gloves, which dramatically raises the wielder’s combo rate (this is available after he changes weapons three times in the first battle).
Attachment 65623Yiazmat
The largest, most ferocious of all the Marks, Montblanc request the extermination of this Rank VIII Mark. The player has to defeat every other Mark (other than Shadowseer), and has at least 50 million HP. Battles against this epic fiend can take anywhere from an hour or more, depending on the party’s level, player’s skill and a wee bit o’ luck.
Yiazmat is probably the most epic of any Final Fantasy “optional boss”. Its HP and power make the Weapons of Final Fantasy VII look like chumps. The battle is probably more of a marathon than any other in the series. A true test of endurance and patience, Yiazmat provides what might be the greatest challenge in any Final Fantasy game.
If Yiazamat is a god amongst dragons, king of all fiends, then what creature could possibly top our 9 greatest Marks list? Well, it’s none other than…
Flowering Cactoid
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The most whimsical of all the Final Fantasy XII Marks, this floral fiend continuously harasses travelers of the Dalmascan Estersand and regularly mocks the petitioner Dantro. Yiazamat may be the king of beasts, but the Flowering Cactoid is the Queen of Trolls.
These are our favorite Marks in Final Fantasy XII. Which ones are your favorites? Do you agree or disagree? I’m pretty sure your list can’t top ours’, that’s for sure.
