Beachplug Blues

[>_<]

Hi guys,

I started playing FFVII again and this time I want to aim for master materia, something I've never bothered to do in the past, but I'm having trouble getting enemy skill slots filled. I've just spent a good hour fighting Beachplugs and trying to get them to use the Big Guard skill. Is the strategy guide wrong? I thought they might only use the skill when their HP's are very low, but I'm having trouble delivering a blow that leaves them with a few HP's. Any thoughts or tactics on attaining enemy skills would be much appreciated.

Regards

[Levian]

You don't need to get enemy skills in order to get Master Command materia if that's what you're aiming for.

Anyway, you need to use manipulate on the beach plug in order to get it. It will never use big guard on its own, and they will most definitely not cast it on you, since it's a protective spell and all. Same thing with Zemzelett and White Wind, Zemzelett will never cast white wind on you, so you have to manipulate it. Beach plugs are easily manipulated, so once you know what to do, it should be a breeze!

[>_<]

Thanks for the info. The irony is, I'm trying to experiment with all the materia I never really used in the past. Just goes to show how stuck in my old ways I am. Must experiment more.

Thanks again.

[Saber]

If you plan on mastering four enemy skill materias then you need to wait until disk 2 or 3 to finish the Yuffie/wutati side quests. Trine is used by Godo in the final floor. Another thing is the Zombie Dragon only uses Pandoras Box 1 time and that is the first one you encounter. He is in the northern cave at the path to the right. All other enemy skills can be found whenever.

[>_<]

Wow. The Big Guard enemy skill is awesome. I'm kicking myself for not having found it during previous playthroughs. Such a time saver. It will certainly come in useful when I do a stint of leveling in the downed Gelnika. I'm one happy bunny!

Sora: Thanks for the Pandoras Box tip. I finished Wutai yesterday so it's too late to fill all four materia, but I can settle for two.

[leader of mortals]

I can't remember, can you go back to Mt. Gaea later in the game to fight Stilva? It's worth looking into, if no one knows, because then you could possibly still have all 4 enemy skills mastered.

[Saber]

You can't climb the cliff again. Wish you could though. That would settle the trine enemy skill problem. I just went through a four master enemy skill playthrough and knew those two are the only two you can miss.

[Roogle]

The Enemy Skill Materia is extremely powerful in its own right when a player allocates time and resources for it.

Personally, I use a Gameshark to have the Enemy Skill Materia mastered almost immediately after acquiring it, but its usage is very limited until much later in the game. I never liked having to take the time to acquire the abilities.

[BG-57]

Bear in mind that you should have two E. Skill materia equipped on one character for things like Pandora's Box, since there are only three characters per party. Make sure those two have the exact same learned E. Skills on them.

[Raistlin]

Enemy Skill is an awesome materia, and Big Guard among the most useful. White Wind, Trine, and Beta are others that should be learned ASAP -- and can be learned in disc 1.

Basically, Enemy Skills, if learned as soon as they're available, negate the usefulness of a good chunk of magic materia.