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Has anyone really found Gau to be an actual asset to your party as a character? From everyone I've talked to regarding him, people seem very disenchanted with him altogether. His rages set him on a one-course path for the entire battle, and he's not really good for much else. The versatility gained through the different rages seems to take you only so far; it pretty much dissappears once you find yourself in a major battle. I personally, as well, can't stand to use him too much (not matter how hard I try to make myself). I was just wondering what all of your thoughts were on Gau.

Please, discuss.

The Stray Cat rage can make him a powerhouse, because the skill Catscratch that he gets with it can hit the thousands before anyone else pushes 500, and he stays ahead of everyone in power for pretty much the whole game. Did you ever hear of the Wind God Gau set up? That's almost legendary. I don't quite remember it, so I'll leave someone else to explain.

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//www.rpgmaker.net/
We make games. Period.

The opinion that Gau is your best character throughout the WoB goes pretty much undebated by those who know a lot about the game. And as luck would have it, 'major battles' is where Gau excels at. The trick to using Gau is knowledge, that's the gripe with most players. Here's a few examples:

With Areneid or Primoridte Rages, Gau can entirely stop the actions of Rider, Narshe Kefka, Dadaluma, Opera House Ultros and Telstar before any other character can learn Stop.

Gau does more damage then anyone when Raging Trilium versus Dadaluma, Aspik versus Opera House Ultros, Anguiform versus the Cranes.

He's invulnerable versus Air Force when Raging Rhinox or Intangir (Mute him before Raging).

His multi-target damage in the WoB, through Marshal's Wind Slash, Anguiform's Aqua Rake and HadesGigas' Magnitude8 is stronger than any other multi-target attack your characters can perform.

All of this shouldn't really mean that Gau is any less in the WoR; he simply moves from being extremely strong offensively to being extremely strong defensively. I once made a list; there are about 3 bosses in the entire WoR where Gau cannot obtain invulnerability by choosing the correct Rage.

Also, did you know that Gau can defeat Final Kefka, by himself, at whatever level? Theoretically, that means a level 1 Gau, and he can still defeat Kefka no matter what Kefka throws at him.

I've got a Rage Guide on my site if you want to learn more; it's also on GameFAQs.

Heh, sorry about the rant, I was just surprised the opinion that Gau is sub-par still existed out there

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The Collapse of Heaven and Earth

Actually, don't be sorry at all. I find it quite interesting. The only meritable rage I found early in the game was the templar rage, due to the multi fire 2 attack he can do (obviously with no mana cap to speak of). I guess I just followed the advice I heard from the guys I grew up with too closely, and didn't delve deeply enough to truly test out what he's all capable of.

It you could though, would you be able to post the link you spoke about in your post? If so, thank you in advance.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/game/554041.html

Look up Rage Guide, and Dji's name (yes, there's two Rage guides).

This post has been edited by Master ZED on 19th September 2005 13:28

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The Unoriginal White Sheet

-Master ZED

Among the uses of Gau:

+casting second-order spells (for free) before the rest of the party can: Fire 2 (Templar/Trixter), Bolt 2 (Hazer/Joker), Ice 2 (SlamDancer/Dark Side)
+casting third-order spells for free: Fire 3 (Sr Behemoth), Bolt 3 (Rain Man), Ice 3 (Woolly), Life 3 (Rhinox)
+casting special "blue" spells, in some cases, rather early: e.g. Giga Volt (Aspik/Parasite/Ceritops), Shrapnel (Gilomantis), Magnitude8 (HadesGigas/Gigantos/Coelecite/Latimeria), Flash Rain (Test Rider/Parasoul/Hipocampus), Meteo (Tyrannosaur), Flare Star (Io), Blizzard (Nastidon)
+other powerful magic attacks, for free: Pearl (Orog/White Dragon), Quake (ChickenLip/Uroburos), Meteor (Boxed Set), Doom (Allosaurus/Necromancer), Flare (PowerDemon)
+freakishly powerful physical attacks: Catscratch (Stray Cat--this is the most powerful physical attack in the game), Rush (Red Wolf), IronNeedle (Hornet), Gouge (Gold Bear)
+healing: Life (Rhobite--this one's a bit risky, strategically), Cure 2 (Nohrabbit/Dahling), Pearl Wind (Peepers)
+a source of Lores: Stone (Brawler/Iron Fist), Aqua Rake (Anguiform/Chimera/Suriander), Step Mine (Crawler/Mesosaur), Pearl Wind (Peepers), Blow Fish (Phase), Dischord (Figaliz), Revenge (Pan Dora/Borras), Aero (Sprinter), L.3 Muddle (Trapper), Condemned (Zombone), Pep Up (Muus/Intangir)
+various techniques from Mog's Dances: Surge (Rhyos), Land Slide (Luridan/Prussian), Snare (Rhodox), Elf Fire (Over Mind/Scrapper), Slide (Primordite)
+imitating other attacks: Storm (Ogor/Black Drgn; this is equivalent to one of Umaro's item-enabled attacks), Water Edge (Ninja)

Okay, I'm done fishing through my FF3us game.

Edit

Okay, that took like 3 hours.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 19th September 2005 21:04

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

I don't like Gau. Please don't hurt me, but I found him to be overpowered and unfair to the game. I did not like the idea of replacing Rage with Fight command. It is unnatural.. And also, he can't equip any weapon unless its those kinds of weapons with special conditions for everyone else. I also did not love his Rage command simply because you can't control him and you have to wait until he dies or after battle to be able to control him again.

Since I like to add characters only because of "how cool" they are, sorry, Gau's not my pick. I like him better than Setzer, Umaro, and Strago, but that's about it. And Gau's annoying.

Quote

I don't like Gau. Please don't hurt me, but I found him to be overpowered and unfair to the game. I did not like the idea of replacing Rage with Fight command. It is unnatural.. And also, he can't equip any weapon unless its those kinds of weapons with special conditions for everyone else. I also did not love his Rage command simply because you can't control him and you have to wait until he dies or after battle to be able to control him again.

I'm confused. You said you don't like Gau because he's overpowered and unfair to the game, right? But then you say you don't like him because he's uncontrollable whilst in Rage, and the fact that he can't equip weapons, both of which would make him even stronger, almost to the point where it's not even worth using any other characters.

Anyways, I, myself, have never used Gau in a regular playthrough. The first time I played I completely ignored him, and I did a similar thing in my other playthroughs as well. I simply did not have the patience necessary to make him strong and useful (that is, figure out which Rages cast which spells when used, and fighting on the Veldt until I had all the good Rages, without knowledge that only monsters you DEFEATED appear on the Veldt).

Gau is certainly among the most useful characters in the game (Gogo doesn't count because he can do far too much ), but I haven't a preference for him, since I was raised ignoring him and his abilities. Oh well...my loss.

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Is PJ

Quote (Caesar)

(...only monsters you DEFEATED appear on the Veldt)

Actually, that's not true. I remember that I encountered and 'leaped' Intangir before I defeated it on Triangle Island.

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

If I may quote our very own Djibriel's Rage Guide:

Quote

You must have successfully 'completed' the fight with this battle
formation in order for it to appear on the Veldt. Options which allow this
include:

1) Winning the battle
2) Escaping the battle by any means
3) Losing the battle but not stumbling across a Game Over: this includes Locke
losing a battle in his scenario, dying while trying to save Terra with the
Moogles, dying while trying to prevent Kefka and cohorts from reaching Banon
and dying vs. the rats in the Opera House while Ultros tries to crush Celes.

And do not include:

1) Having the battle end with a scene fade-out
2) Not saving and resetting the game
3) Not saving and receiving a Game Over

In my case, since I never run away, I had to defeat the said monster in order for it to appear on the Veldt. It IS possible for you to have encountered the monsters if you ran away. When I was like 6 or 7 or whatever when I was playing this for the first time, I just assumed that all the monsters were in the Veldt, but appeared with a different rarity, so I'd fight for hours trying to find the monsters I wanted, but in vain.

Anyways, I'm getting off-topic, so I'll stop.

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Is PJ

Hmm... If, by some weird mean, you'd teleport in the Veldt, at the beginning of the game, before your first fight, what would happen? No battles at all?

I always liked gau. he seemed like a blue mage that didnt need to get hit with the attacks to use them. His "free" magic is very powerful in the beggining of the game.

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What if he shot you first instead of your secretary?

I suppose I'd have to catch the bullet, wouldn't I

Quote (Klepsydr @ 20th September 2005 00:11)

Hmm... If, by some weird mean, you'd teleport in the Veldt, at the beginning of the game, before your first fight, what would happen? No battles at all?

Well...I suppose in theory, there'd be no enemies on the veldt if you teleported. Though that's downright impossible, because the game starts you out with fighting in Narshe.

perhaps it is possible to remove the data of the enemies you have defeated by editing a save state? Master Zed, see if that is possible.



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Its not denial. I'm just very selective about the reality i accept. ~Calvin and Hobbes

Yah, i dont post much if you havent noticed. I'm not used to large fourms so i usally lurk and post every now and then..

Oh wow, that was really helpful. I always hated using Gau because I don't have the patience/time to expand him on the Veldt. I always leave him behind, he was the only character I left behind when I attacked Kefka's Tower (I left Shadow on the Floating Isle, I was pissed to learn later that...

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

if you wait till only 5 secs left at the edge of the floating isle, shadow jumps with you and you find him alive at the colliseum if you bet the dirk "striker" found in the Veldt cave

Now, since i'm playing again, i'll use him more. I just gotta summon the patience. And copy/paste that guide (thanks Master ZED)

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Fffatherrr... alive?
...
H...a...p...p...y...
~ Gau

Quote (master_tonberry @ 20th September 2005 15:59)

I always liked gau. he seemed like a blue mage that didnt need to get hit with the attacks to use them.

Strago doesn't need to get hit to learn them. I've never liked Gau, just because its such a hassle to get good rages and I am just not a patient person.

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eh?

Quote (Kimahri @ 21st September 2005 18:49)

Strago doesn't need to get hit to learn them. I've never liked Gau, just because its such a hassle to get good rages and I am just not a patient person.

Actually (at least in FF3 idk about 6) Strago needed to get hit with a spell, just the same as in FF Tactics Advance, blue mages only learn spells after they get their asses kicked by them, thats why i disliked Strago so much (he was just above Gau in my original list of characters i hate). Plus lores use SO much MP.

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Fffatherrr... alive?
...
H...a...p...p...y...
~ Gau

Quote (hellfireblade104 @ 21st September 2005 19:06)

Plus lores use SO much MP.

Economizers are your friend. Get more Economizers, make more friends. But then, with 1 MP Ultimas, who needs anything else?

I never tried the Wind God Gau trick, but I don't think it's necessary to make Gau a useful character. I never used him before except when the story made me because he was uncontrollable and I didn't know what rages to pick. On my most recent playthrough (which should be wrapping up today...), I decided to give him a fair shake. Whoah, was I surprised. He has good stats that can get better once Espers come into play; he gets magic attacks before most of your other party members do, and they're more powerful and free; and some rages are simply incredibly overpowered compared to what your other characters can do at the same time. I used Gau practically the entire time through the WoB, and the only rages I needed were Vaporite, Hazer, and Stray Cat.

The only reason I stopped using Gau in the WoR was the frustration of fighting on the Veldt.

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

Quote (sax_russell_the_green @ 22nd September 2005 02:25)

Quote (hellfireblade104 @ 21st September 2005 19:06)

Plus lores use SO much MP.

Economizers are your friend. Get more Economizers, make more friends. But then, with 1 MP Ultimas, who needs anything else?

You need not worry about either wasting MP nor getting the Economizer: Gau's Rage costs 0 MP.

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Is PJ

I hate Gau. Considerably. Yet I respect him.

I've never found the game to be hard enough to warrant using him, despite the advantages he brings when used properly. But during a low-level game (or no-level, even), Gau is ESSENTIAL during the WoB. Nobody kicks ass as much as he does, and what a load of bums this little guy kicks!!

For one thing, you won't be getting second-tier spells for a while. Yet Gau can not only use them quite well, he can use them as much as he wants. His stats are quite decent, and he can take out most bosses when paired with a healer if you give him two earrings and some good rages.

I have a hard time enjoying the game outside of low-level challenges anymore, so Gau's a hated yet well-used member of my permanent party. At least until the WoR.

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

Quote (Caesar @ 22nd September 2005 14:48)

Quote (sax_russell_the_green @ 22nd September 2005 02:25)

Quote (hellfireblade104 @ 21st September 2005 19:06)

Plus lores use SO much MP.

Economizers are your friend. Get more Economizers, make more friends. But then, with 1 MP Ultimas, who needs anything else?

You need not worry about either wasting MP nor getting the Economizer: Gau's Rage costs 0 MP.

we were talking about strago there.

btw how do you get the economizer? I had it once but now I haven't a clue where it is.

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Fffatherrr... alive?
...
H...a...p...p...y...
~ Gau

Quote (hellfireblade104 @ 22nd September 2005 16:51)

btw how do you get the economizer? I had it once but now I haven't a clue where it is.

They're a rare steal from Aquila (Phoenix Cave), or you can fight Brachosaur for them as an item drop (forest north of the WoR Veldt). You can also trade a Gem Box for one in the arena, but who wants to do that?

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Veni, vidi, dormivi.

Quote (Kimahri @ 21st September 2005 18:49)

Quote (master_tonberry @ 20th September 2005 15:59)

I always liked gau. he seemed like a blue mage that didnt need to get hit with the attacks to use them.

Strago doesn't need to get hit to learn them. I've never liked Gau, just because its such a hassle to get good rages and I am just not a patient person.

I once got a lore when Stragowas Dead

or is that just natural?

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OBEY YOUR THIRST
"Aww...They're SOOO CUUTE!! BUT WHO CARES!!!!?"
-Excel Excel, Excel Saga

Time to get back on topic, everybody. Questions can and will be answered in new topics if you want them to

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The Collapse of Heaven and Earth