So, I tried Poaching today.

**feioncastor** · 10-26-2006, 08:54 AM

For the first time, I actually was serious about catching and breeding monsters, and then poaching them for good equip. I don't have a guide handy (I'm sure there are a million on the net, but I like to figure stuff out, if I can...), so I caught a few different classes of monsters, waited to breed all three of their types, and then went into battle with Secret Hunt and sadistically slaughtered them, Orlandu style.

And I'm not sure who gave it to me, but I got a "Holy Lance" from someone. Up until today, I had figured that the best spear was the Oberisk. I've heard about a "Javelin II" or something, that you get from Nelveska Temple, but I've never gotten it, so I'm not 100% sure about that whole story.

So anyway, I figured I'd catch a few really tough monsters, and poach them. So I headed to Germinas Peak, where I nabbed me a Blue Dragon! And I'm fairly certain that one of the three Dragons I poached provided a wonderful Dragon Whisker.

So I wanna ask, what other creatures are good for the poaching? I tried to get a Mindflare, but wouldn't you know it, everytime I got close enough to invite him, I ended up Berserk or Confused. So I just Orlandu'd him. I'd bet that the three-headed dragons give you sweet stuff, but I've never seen them outside of the final set of fights, most notably, the one with Balk. And Behemoths. They're probably okay too. I don't know. I know that Chocobos aren't... At least, they never gave me anything great, I don't think.

I did get a weird item, though. I got a stick-type weapon that's weaker than the Octagon Rod, but isn't sold in stores. It doesn't have any cool effects like +3 MA or anything. It's called "Ivory" something or other. I thought it was strange to get a bad item that you can't buy in stores!

Oh, and I kicked out Rafa and Malak to make room for my monsters. Agrias and Mustadio stayed because Mustadio leads to Beowulf/Cloud, and Agrias is hot. And Meliadoul fits in there somewhere, although her skill is WORTHLESS against non-human opponents. And I stole a Defender from her in Bervenia. It was sweet. That sword brings new definition to the Knight's "Weapon Guard".

Yeah.

**Jowy** · 10-26-2006, 05:14 PM

Raise a bunch of the Uribo species, and start slaughtering them left and right for some of the perfumes. With Chantage, you'll have a nice little immortal female army.

The only opportunity to capture a Hydra is during the Nelveska battle.

**Paul** · 10-26-2006, 08:21 PM

could someone explain the concept of poaching to me, because i don't really understand... i am on chapter 4, just about to fight the sluice gate battle at bethla garrisson. then i was going to get beowulf and do all that cloud stuff.

i have been to nelveska but there was nothing there.

**Jowy** · 10-26-2006, 08:28 PM

There will be a battle related to the Cloud sidequest in due time. You'll need Move-Find Item to get the best spear and shield in the game. Make Rafa your locator slave, and head to the top of the two tallest pillars using your newest unit as a stepping stone.

When you destroy a monster with Secret Hunt as an equipped ability, using only regular attacks to defeat it, you'll get a message stating that the poach was successful. You can then go to the Fur Shops across Ivalice and get some rare goodies. Most noteworthy is the Chantage, if you missed stealing it from Meliadoul or just want an unstoppable Amazon army.

**feioncastor** · 10-26-2006, 11:32 PM

I don't see what's so great about Chantage. I mean, I'd much rather put a Bracer, or Germinas Boots, or a Feather Mantle. Reraise doesn't help too much because I think it brings you back with a small amount of HP, so unless your turn comes up right then, you'll just again anyway. I've tried using acessories that cast Reraise, and it's never been worth not equipping a different, better accessory. Honestly, most of the Female Only equipment is BS to me. The "Bags" are like flails and axes in that the damage usually isn't what it says it will be when you target the enemy. The perfumes are okay, I guess, but that slot is better used on a better accessory. The Barette is great for preventing status ailments, but if you're going into an average battle, that won't be much of a concern. In most battles, status ailments aren't going to cost you the battle (excepting any jerk-offs that use Nightmare or Mind Blast). They may slow you down because you have to have your item user toss out a Remedy or an Echo Grass or something, but as I said, I'd much rather give my female warrior a Thief's Hat (+2 Speed, yay) or a Flash Hat (You know) than prevention from status ailments that I most likely will not encounter. I might use the Barette before fighting someone that I know is gonna Death Sentence or Blood Suck me or something... But other than that, it's pretty lame.

Poaching is awesome. I've stumbled across two weapons that I had no idea even existed, even after playing the game for well over 250 hours. And I found a useless weapon that I didn't know existed, but it's still neat to have found it. Tonight, I'm going to Nelveska Temple and inviting a three headed creature. Then I'm gonna make it have babies, and then I'm going to kill said babies.

**BG-57** · 10-27-2006, 01:19 AM

Ok, here's a complete poaching list from gamesfaqs.com, by Matt Hobbs. I have highlighted what I consider must-haves when poaching. The rest of the items are easily obtainable by other means.

Chocobo
Phoenix Down
Hi-Potion

Black Chocobo
Eye Drop
X-Potion

Red Chocobo
Remedy
Barette

Goblin
Potion
Hi-Potion

Black Goblin
Hi-Potion
Antidote

Gobbledeguck
Mage Masher
Ancient Sword

Red Panther
Antidote
Battle Boots

Cuar
Soft
Germinas Boots

Vampire
Holy Water
C Bag

Bomb
Fire Ball
Flame Rod

Grenade
Water Ball
Flame Whip

Explosive
Lightning Ball
Flame Shield

Skeleton
Holy Water
Ether

Bone Snatch
Hi-Potion
Partisan

Living Bone
Wizard Mantle
Elf Mantle

Ghoul
Ether
Ninja Knife

Gust
Hi-Potion
Main Gauche

Revnant
Hi-Ether
Mythril Gun

Floatiball
Shuriken
Platina Dagger

Ahriman
Magic Shuriken
Air Knife

Plague
Yagyu Darkness
Zorlin Shape

Pisco Demon
Echo Grass
Hi-Potion

Squidlarkan
Small Mantle
Sleep Sword

Mindflare
Hi-Ether
Dracula Mantle

Juravis
Potion
Rubber Shoes

Steel Hawk
Phoenix Down
Hunting Bow

Cockatoris
Soft
Feather Mantle

Bull Demon
Battle Axe
Giant Axe

Minitaurus
Coral Sword
Slasher

Sacred
Holy Lance
Ivory Rod

Morbol
Platina Dagger
Ice Shield

Ochu
N-Kai Armlet
Chameleon Robe

Great Morbol
Elixir
Madlemgen

Woodman
Eye Drop
Healing Staff

Trent
Gold Staff
Fairy Harp

Taiju
Defense Ring
Defender

Dragon
Jade Armlet
H Bag

Blue Dragon
Cashmere
Dragon Rod

Red Dragon
Salty Rage
Dragon Whisker

Behemoth
Defense Armlet
P Bag

King Behemoth
Ultimus Bow
Cherche

Dark Behemoth
Wizard Rod
Stone Gun

Hyudra
Blood Sword
Scorpion Tail

Hydra
Setiemson
Rubber Costume

Tiamat
Ryozan Silk
Whale Whisker

Uribo
Maiden's Kiss
Cachusha

Porky
Chantage
Nagrarock

Wildbow
Ribbon
FS Bag

As you can see, you should be breeding and poaching from the Chocobo, Flotiball, Bull Demon, Morbol, Woodman, Dragon, Behemoth, and Uribo classes.

BTW, Nelveska Temple is the first chance to recruit Hyrudras, but not the last. Random battles in END in Deep Dungeon also provide oppurtunities.

You can meet the Uribo class as early as Zigolis Swamp, but for a long time I got them at Finath River.

As far as perfumes go, I swear by Setiemson. Putting my female units in Haste automatically is a big time saver and I can give them better knights swords than Excalibur without loosing the speed boost.

**dodhungry** · 10-27-2006, 02:34 PM

oh by the way...about that Javlin 2 your talking about....you can snab one in the deep dungeon heres a quick tutorial:

(SPOILER)Ok real simple. Equip all your characters with the catch ability before going into a random battle in the deep dundeon. It dose not matter which fight you do. As long as there is an enemy Ninja present you have a chance to get one. When the battle starts the enemy ninjas will throw random items one of them being the Javlin. so..the more ninjas present the better the chance of getting the Javlin.

oh and if you thought the Chaos blade was powerfull...I do believe the Javlin 2 is slightly better......

**BG-57** · 10-27-2006, 10:29 PM

And for the love of Pete, if you're trying to recruit Hyrudras at Nelveska Temple, use Train instead of Invite! Save yourself a lot of grief.

**feioncastor** · 10-28-2006, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by BG-57

And for the love of Pete, if you're trying to recruit Hyrudras at Nelveska Temple, use Train instead of Invite! Save yourself a lot of grief.

Funny you should say that. My Mediator got me one first try, with a 39% success rate. The biggest hang up for me was trying to get the two items because the stupid birds kept petrifying Beowulf (my Move-Find Item guy). Orlandu quickly made short work of the birds, though.

BG, I don't see why the Nagrarock is a must have item. It ROYALLY sucks. The attack power is 1 and it adds frog... That's not that great. At all. Like, even a little bit. I'd much rather give someone a decent sword and lose the stupid frog thing. I mean, honestly, what is the point of that sword?

And why is the ivory rod so good? I think the Octagon Rod is better.

**BG-57** · 10-28-2006, 02:21 AM

I was trying to do three things in the Nelveska Temple battle:

1) Get Javelin (II) and Escutcheon (II).

2) Recruit a Hyrudra.

3) Keep Worker 7 New alive long enough to complete steps 1) and 2). A little tricky considering it's attacks were self-damaging and it was immune to healing spells.

Consider yourself lucky if Invitation worked for you on the first try. Train works every time you get a enemy monster critical without killing it, so it would have cut step 3) short.

I'm not suggesting that Nagrarock or Ivory Rods are useful weapons in combat. What I'm suggesting is that poaching is the easiest way to get them:

Originally Posted by BG-57

I have highlighted what I consider must-haves when poaching. The rest of the items are easily obtainable by other means.

Anyone who wants at least one of every item in the game has to do some poaching. Some items can't be gained in any other way.

**feioncastor** · 10-29-2006, 04:32 AM

Okay, so is there any purpose to the Nagrarock? I seem to remember Despotus making a riddle about how it seems weak at first, but then... something, I don't remember.

Oh, and the Javelin 2 brings another level of purpose to the Lancer class. I mean, I've always thought they were okay before, but now, he's rivaling Orlandu's Sword Skills in terms of damage. Especially when I give him "Two Hands".

Hey, BG, have you found that when a monster has an egg, you have a lesser chance of getting a "better" type of that class of monster? For example, it takes a while to make a Bull Demon have a Sacred. Is that true, or am I just really unlucky? With my Uribo, I kept getting more and more Uribos and only a few Porkies and Wildbows.

And one more thing, which places have you found the following monster classes most common:

Behemoth
Uribo
Morbol
Woodman
Dragon

I found a Dragon once at Germinas Peak, and I caught him, but I haven' seen them there since. And there was an Uribo in one of the Underground Colliery battles, and I got him, but I accidently poached him so I have no parent Uribo now. I tried to get a morbol from the fight where you save Reis, but it was too hard to do it without killing Reis, plus she was killing the badguy as I was trying to do it. Made it kinda tough.

I got a Dragon, got a few things from it and its children, but I didn't realize there are more than one item per monster, so I poached my last one, and now that I know I didn't get everything they had, I need another one!

**BG-57** · 10-29-2006, 09:32 PM