Quote Originally Posted by Greatermaximus View Post
I go for Illumina at this point because I can learn Ultima from Paladin Shield. Ending this rant quickly why let it bother you anyway? Good enough?
Yes, the sword is better than the esper if you don't mind spending the time to un-curse the shield. There are some nice items to be had from Metamorph, but nothing spectacular. We've had this discussion before and here's what you can get from Metamorph, courtesy of GameFAQs: Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA) Walkthrough by Djibriel.
First off, a list of rare items you can only get more of if you opt for the
Esper (not taking BAR-BAR-BAR and Magicite Shards into consideration):

Safety Bit
Ichigeki
Cursed Ring
Lich Ring

Other rare items that are hard to obtain and can be produced with Metamorph:

Genji Glove
Guard Bracelet
Ribbon
Megalixir
Thornlet
Growth Egg
Miracle Shoes
It is a shame there aren't better items to be had, as it would make the decision more difficult and add to the replay value as choosing the esper sometimes would be worthwhile.