Originally Posted by
SABR
Here's what I know.
The Island Closest to Heaven and the Island Closest to Hell are AMAZING. Learn the Enc-None ability with Diablos and the Move-Find ability with Siren, then draw a whole bunch of Ultimas, Quakes, Tornados, Flares, Holys, Meteors, and Full-Lifes at the two islands.
Also, draw points regenerate gradually with every step you take. Walk around to restore them.
I wouldn't reccomend fighting Ultimecia with just Squall unless you're going for a solo-game, because Griever has Doom (which can't be countered), and because her last form can use Hell's Judgment, and she can easily kill one character that way.
Junction 100 Meteors to HP and you'll never have to worry about HP again. Also, get strong junctions on spirit, because Shockwave Pulsar can kill an uprepared party in 1 move.
Bolt, I beat the WHOLE game with just the flame saber. If you cast Meltdown on Ultimecia, the flame saber will do good damage in Renzokuken. I don't know about the specific shops, but the Doomtrain GF has a Junk Shop ability to open a junk shop at will. That's if you need one. If you're on disc 4, getting the Lionheart will be almost impossible, but you can always settle for the second-best weapon.