Ruby Dragons are easy; use Doomtrain and they have meltdown, sleep and petrify count all put upon them, crippling them. When you've got that done, just beat the crap out of it with normal attacks 'til either you kill it or the timer runs out and it petrifies. personally, I just draw from it until I've got 100 of each spell for all three characters.

Believe it or not, the Island(s) closest to Heaven/Hell are far easier than you may think. Make sure you've learnt at least Fated Circle for Squall; taking Zell is a really good idea as well. Just keep both of them at low health levels and Renzokuken/Duel away. A nifty tip fo duel is to only use TWO different moves. Booya (right then left) and Rush Punch (circle then x). Just alternate between the two and you should be able to launch at least TEN attacks per Duel.

The main thing to watch out for is Malboros. The key to defeating them WITHOUT using the Initiative/Degenerator combo (i.e. when you want to level characters that AREN'T Quistis) is to have at least one character with beserk, confuse and silence junctioned to ST-Def-J (which means you need them to have Cerberus or Doomtrain junctioned to them with ST-Def-J x4). Have this character either cast esuna or use Leviathan's Treatment command to cure Squall (if he wasn't the one you put ST-Def-J x4 on).

Remember, Doomtrain/Meltdown and 100x Blind junctioned to ST-Atk-J are your best friends. If they can't see you, they can't hit you which consists of most of their damage, and with Doomtrain/Meltdown, their Vitality is absolutely raped, making them far more prone to being blatted by your physical attacks.

As for Cactuars, you need to have Spd-J learnt for both Pandemona and Cerberus, while Auto-Haste for Cerberus is very nice as well. Also, Hit-J for Cerberus and Diablos are vital, making sure that neither of those are equipped on Squall. He MUST have Initiative in his abilities list OR have Pandemona junctioned. Got that? Here's how the fight should go:

  1. Squall attacks; kills a Cactuar.
  2. Party member 2 attacks; is v.likely to kill a cactuar (getting your hit percentage up is KEY)
  3. Party member 3 attacks; is v.likely to kill a cactuar
  4. Squall attacks; kills a cactuar.


That's four dead, as easy as pie and extremely quickly, thus netting 80 AP.

I picked most of this stuff up just today from running about like a mad thing =P