Gamer Corner Guides

Baren Falls

If Shadow is still in the party, he will automatically leave at the Summit of Baren Falls. You must then jump off, at which point Sabin and Cyan will fight a series of battles against very weak Piranha enemies. After a certain amount of time has passed, the next set of monsters will be replaced with the boss, Rizopas. It has a series of mediocre attacks, but every other round it may use the devastating El Nino ability. Use strong attacks to prevent this from becoming a problem. Avoid Suplex, because while Sabin can Suplex a train, he can't Suplex a fish (that would be silly!). Upon landing, you'll be able to name Gau and will wash up on the Veldt.

Gau and the Veldt

The Veldt is a unique area of the World Map complete with its own unique music. Encounters here work differently than everywhere else in the game. You can encounter virtually any normal Monster you've fought previously, as well as some bosses. You'll earn no Exp but will earn GP and get drops as normal for these encounters.

Gau is the reason the Veldt is important. Any time he is not in your party (including right after first meeting him), there's a chance he'll appear after any given battle on the Veldt. Initially, he'll hang around for a while but inevitably run away. As you'll soon learn, though, giving him Dried Meat will cause him to befriend you and join your party.

Once Gau has joined for the first time, you can fight on the Veldt to teach him new abilities. To do this, use his Leap Command during any given fight there. The fight will immediately end (you will receive no rewards), and Gau will leave the party. Keep fighting on the Veldt (with a party of three or less!) and eventually Gau will appear at the end of another fight and rejoin the party. He will now know all the attacks of the Monsters that were present both when he Leapt and when he returned, though not of any Monsters you encountered in the interim.

Mobliz

There are two destinations on the Veldt, Mobliz to the east and Crescent Mountain to the south. There's nothing to find at Crescent Mountain right now, so you should head east first. Since all of the encounters on the Veldt are monsters you've seen before, you shouldn't have problems dealing with them. Use the same strategies you did before where applicable, relying on Sabin and Cyan's special techniques where Magic was preferred earlier.

Mobliz is a small backwater town connected to the greater world only via letters delivered by carrier pigeons. One man will mention that he threw Dried Meat into a pack of animals and a kid grabbed it, which is your hint as to what you need to do next. Another will mention that the Serpent Trench leads to Nikeah, but the town's water breathing device was stolen. And for some reason, you can sleep for free in the back of the Relic Shop.

Of particular note is the injured soldier on the west side of town who is recieving letters from Maranda. You'll find a letter on the desk nearby, and can read it to the soldier. It's from his love, Lola, but he is unable to write back. However, you can do so in his stead by talking to the man in the Post Office and paying 500 GP. (You can grab an Elixir in the nearby clock while you're at it.) He'll receive a reply after you stay at the inn. Oddly, you can also trigger the reply arriving by talking to any shopkeeper or the scholar who tells you about the Serpent Trench. (Sleeping at the Relic Shop won't do the trick.) After sending 5 pieces of correspondence for a total of 2,500 GP, speak to the injured soldier one more time and you'll receive a rare Tintinabar for your efforts.

Shopping

For such an out-of-the-way town, Mobliz has some decent shops. First and foremost, make sure you buy at least one Dried Meat from the Item Shop. You'll need this to recruit Gau. You can do so by using it on him as an Item when he appears after combat. There is nothing else of note in the Item Shop, though you can restock the essentials if you need to.

If you didn't Steal a Mithril Claw earlier, make sure to buy one here. It is a substantial upgrade for Sabin. Likewise, the Kotetsu is worth purchasing for Cyan. If either character is using a Genji Glove, make sure to buy them an extra weapon. Gau does not use weapons, so you don't need to worry about purchasing one for him.

Mobliz's Armor Shop has a number of new items of note. Probably the best of the bunch is the Magus Hat, which offers bonuses to Mag.Def and Mag.Pwr. Unfortunately, no one in the current party can wear them, but it's worth buying a pair for Terra and Celes, especially if you haven't done their scenarios yet. At 600 GP each, they're quite a bargain. The most effective headgear available for Sabin is the Bandana, while Cyan (and Gau) can use the Iron Helmet. However, both of these pieces are quite expensive for a small upgrade, so you may want to pass on them if you're low on funds. The Green Beret you may have found in the Imperial Camp is a superior option for any character as well.

The only new body armor available in Mobliz is the Iron Armor. It's a decent upgrade for several characters including Cyan, but don't buy a suit for Terra or Celes. (In fact, keep in mind that you can find a set of Iron Armor during Locke's scenario.) Both of those characters have a better, and cheaper, option that will become available shortly. The Iron Armor gives a nice bonus to Defense, but it comes with a penalty to Speed that you may wish to avoid. Despite that, it is almost certainly worth giving to Cyan over his starting LeatherArmor. You'll likely want to give him a Heavy Shld as well if he's still using a Buckler.

Mobliz's Relic Shop has only two items. Sprint Shoes are once again available, as are White Capes. They come with a shocking 5,000 GP price tag, but offer the best basic defensive stats of any Relic in the game (5 Defense, 5 Mag.Def, and 10 MBlock%). They also prevent Imp and Mute. You should have found one back in the Returners' Hideout, but there's no downside (except the cost) to having more.