Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 15 hours ago
"The Greater Sphere is unusually time consuming to defeat..."
- Final Fantasy Wiki
Restrictions:
Own Sphere Grid = All characters may not leave their section of the sphere grid unless they want a time-out.
Ability Nodes Only = Only activating sphere grid nodes that teach new skills and abilities are allowed. All stat increasing nodes are to be left alone.
No Items = Be it by Item Menu, Use, or Auto Abilities.
No Summons = Yuna is not allowed to summon any Aeons during combat.
No Overdrives = RIP Kimahri.
Originally I thought this guy was a flat no-go since he counters every physical attack and magic spell that he isn't weak to with Ultima, and try as I might, I couldn't seem to draw out his magical attacks to at least hit someone with Magic Counter. Then I learned that he counters Special type damage with Hydraulic Press, which is very survivable with the right set-up. Under these rules, the only sources of special damage we have are Lancet and Spare Change, and while the thought of Kimahri sucking a giant ball of water dry is pretty funny, I opted for the less time consuming option.
Greater Sphere has two attacks that he chooses at random on his turns, an undodgeable basic attack that is death to one, and Hydraulic Press, which hits the party for 15/16 of their max HP. This damage counts as physical, so it can be reduced with Protect and defense modifiers (though strangely not Cheer), and the damage can be healed off easily with SOS Regen. The fight is a game of basic turn order management as Rikku tries to squeeze in damage while its safe (when anyone in the party won't die from Press, and when there's at least one extra turn between SC and Sphere's next turn to heal off damage incurred), while Wakka pokes his head out occasionally to fill up the other's MP. Despite the repetitiveness, there's the potential for this fight to get ruined by bad RNG. Yuna and Tidus, despite being fast, need two turn cycles to get over the death delay, so if Greater Sphere decides to get nasty with his basic attack, he can kill the party before they get the chance to recover, which almost happened to me at several points in the fight.
Once Greater Sphere falls to half health, he starts using Hydraulic Press more often than his regular attack, which caused the fight to go much smoother. I was actually lulled into a trance and accidentally killed Yuna at one point because I forgot to check for HP.
Overall, pretty meme fight.
"The Greater Sphere is unusually time consuming to defeat..."
- Final Fantasy Wiki
Restrictions:
Own Sphere Grid = All characters may not leave their section of the sphere grid unless they want a time-out.
Ability Nodes Only = Only activating sphere grid nodes that teach new skills and abilities are allowed. All stat increasing nodes are to be left alone.
No Items = Be it by Item Menu, Use, or Auto Abilities.
No Summons = Yuna is not allowed to summon any Aeons during combat.
No Overdrives = RIP Kimahri.
Originally I thought this guy was a flat no-go since he counters every physical attack and magic spell that he isn't weak to with Ultima, and try as I might, I couldn't seem to draw out his magical attacks to at least hit someone with Magic Counter. Then I learned that he counters Special type damage with Hydraulic Press, which is very survivable with the right set-up. Under these rules, the only sources of special damage we have are Lancet and Spare Change, and while the thought of Kimahri sucking a giant ball of water dry is pretty funny, I opted for the less time consuming option.
Greater Sphere has two attacks that he chooses at random on his turns, an undodgeable basic attack that is death to one, and Hydraulic Press, which hits the party for 15/16 of their max HP. This damage counts as physical, so it can be reduced with Protect and defense modifiers (though strangely not Cheer), and the damage can be healed off easily with SOS Regen. The fight is a game of basic turn order management as Rikku tries to squeeze in damage while its safe (when anyone in the party won't die from Press, and when there's at least one extra turn between SC and Sphere's next turn to heal off damage incurred), while Wakka pokes his head out occasionally to fill up the other's MP. Despite the repetitiveness, there's the potential for this fight to get ruined by bad RNG. Yuna and Tidus, despite being fast, need two turn cycles to get over the death delay, so if Greater Sphere decides to get nasty with his basic attack, he can kill the party before they get the chance to recover, which almost happened to me at several points in the fight.
Once Greater Sphere falls to half health, he starts using Hydraulic Press more often than his regular attack, which caused the fight to go much smoother. I was actually lulled into a trance and accidentally killed Yuna at one point because I forgot to check for HP.
Overall, pretty meme fight.
