How to Get the Most from the Final Fantasy 9 Crossover Event
Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is merging with the universe of Final Fantasy 9 in an unprecedented crossover event.
The event, named A Resonant Waltz, marks a new era for Ever Crisis, opening up the possibilities for future crossovers.
With the introduction of new weapons, iconic outfits, and a unique storyline based on a portal between the two realms, this event is a celebration for all Final Fantasy fans.
This guide lays out all the strategies, tips, and rewards you can expect.
Let's dive in!
Conquer the FF9 Crossover Event: Your Ultimate Guide to A Resonant Waltz
Event Overview and What You Need to Know
Time and Entry Requirements
Event Duration: November 9, 6:00 PM - December 7, 5:59 PM
How to Unlock: There's no requirements to unlock it.
Limited-Time Crossover Gacha: Cloud, Tifa & Aerith
Don't miss the event-specific Crossover Banner featuring Cloud, Aerith and Tifa weapons and costumes.
Key items include Cloud's Zidane Sword, Tifa's Amarant Claws weapon and Aerith's Garnet Rod.
Zidane's Sword can deal up to 1300% Physical non-elemental damage to a single target, making it the best non-elemental weapon to date. It also has a △ Sigil Boost, which will help when breaking enemies weak to this sigil type. This weapon shines if enemies are resistant to most elements, but it's outclassed in elemental-specific boss fights. It's also a great subweapon for any physical attacker with its two R Abilities being PATK and Physical Ability Potency.
Amarant's Claws can deal up to 720% Physical non-elemental damage to a single enemy and increases Tifa's PATK (Potency High from OB6). It's also a great subweapon for hard content thanks to its HP and Phisical Ability Potency R Abilities.
Both weapons pair well with the new outfits Zidane (Cloud) and Amarant (Tifa), which boost HP and Physical Ability Potency.
Garnet's Rod increases MATK of an ally while casting healing and regen on them, making it a great weapon for Aerith's healer role. It's R Abilities, HP and Ability Potency, also make Garnet's Rod an amazing subweapon for most characters.
Aerith's new outfit, Garnet's Gown, pairs extremely well with her healer/support role by boosting HP and HEAL.
Get these before the event ends if you can't clear harder stages for a power up, as both weapons are tailored to the event bosses Black Waltz 1, 2 and 3. They also come handy to efficiently farm event-specific items due to its reward bonuses.
Important Note: After the crossover ends, these weapons won't be included in stamp banners or standard tickets. They may reappear in future crossover banners.
Event Currency: What to Collect?
Grab "Black Feather", "Peridot" and "Aquamarine" as you progress.
Trade them for limited-time outfits, weapons, draw tickets, and other high tier rewards.
You won't be able to get all the rewards by just getting these items from daily missions (350 peridots/aquamarines per day + the amount you farm to complete daily missions), so you'll need to spend some stamina to get all of them.
You should first aim for:
- Vivi's Garb outfit (Lucia)
- 6 Vivi's Magical Gun weapons (Lucia)
- 6 Steiner's Blade weapons (Glenn)
- Lucia's Weapon Parts
- Glenn's Weapon Parts
- Cloud's Memory
- Lucia's Memory
- Tifa's Memory
- Glenn's Memory
- 5-star Synth Catalysts
- Gacha Tickets
- High-tier weapon mats
- ... and the rest based on your current needs
The event weapons, Vivi's Magical Gun & Steiner's Blade, can be exchanged 20 times, but it requires a large amount of items compared to past event weapons, so if you want to exchange it, make sure to stop at 6 dupes.
This is because if you raise it to OB6, the reward bonus will be maxed out (+15%). More info on these bonuses below.
Crossover Reward Bonus
By equipping the new FF9 weapons and outfits, you'll be able to get a substantial bonus when farming Black Feathers, Peridots and Aquamarines, up to +200%.
The 3 gacha weapons go from a +10% bonus at OB0 to a +100% bonus at OB10, while Glenn's and Lucia's event weapons go from +5% to +15%.
Gacha gear also gives an extra +20% bonus each, and Lucia's event outfit gives a 10% boost.
Make sure all these weapons and gear are equipped (even as sub weapons) to fully benefit from the bonus.
Stamina-to-Item Efficiency
As you'll need to farm black feathers, peridots and aquamarines, here's a quick rundown of the four most stamina efficient quests:
- Co-Op Stage 4: Consumes 20 stamina, drops 22 Black Feathers and 60 Peridots, recommended combat power 35,000.
- Co-Op Stage 7: Consumes 20 stamina, drops 22 Black Feathers and 60 Aquamarines, recommended combat power 43,000.
- Single Player Stage 8: Consumes 15 stamina, drops 15 Black Feathers and 45 Peridots, recommended combat power 85,000.
- Single Player Stage 15: Consumes 15 stamina, drops 15 Black Feathers and 45 Aquamarines, recommended combat power 104,000.
If you can't consistently clear the recommended stage, aim for a lower-tiered stage.
However, if you want to maximize your stamina, these 4 stages are your best bet as the ratio is 1 stamina for 1 black feather (+ extra co-op rewards) and 1 stamina for 3 peridots/aquamarines.
Said that, this time you can receive extra reward bonuses when other co-op players are equipped with weapons/outfits eligible for the bonus.
So this makes co-op the best place to farm event-specific items as it will be easier to get a higher bonus than solo.
Don't Miss: Limited-Time Lucia Weapon and Outfit + Glenn Weapon
Secure the limited-time weapons "Vivi's Magical Gun" & "Steiner's Blade", and Vivi's Garb outfit.
Fully upgrade them during the event for a substantial stat boost, making them solid sub weapons. This time, you can also get them as stage rewards, making it easier to overboost them.
Their R Abilities are decent, boosting ATK and Limit Break Potency. However, keep in mind their stats are one of the worst for an OB10 weapon.
Efficiently Tackling the Event
- Progress through the event storyline until you defeat Black Waltz VII & Black Waltz V - Ruin to unlock high-ranking EX stages.
- Dive into co-op for your first set of rewards at 0 stamina.
- Complete daily and event missions for extra rewards like an exclusive Black Waltz wallpaper.
- Use Black Feathers, Peridots and Aquamarines to get the best exchange rewards mentioned above.
- Clear the solo stage "Black Waltz EX 1" quest at least once to get an extra Vivi's Magical Gun dupe.
How to Defeat Black Waltz EX
The Black Waltz EX battle is not an easy challenge to conquer.
This guide provides strategic insights to help you defeat these 3 bosses.
Key Strategy Points for EX Black Waltz
You should defeat the Black Waltz in order: Black Waltz 1 → Black Waltz 2 → Black Waltz 3. They will be targeted in order if you're on auto.
You'll also need to:
- Focus on Magic Defense: Their main attacks are magic-based. Use magic attack down debuffs and magic defense buffs to minimize damage.
- Target Black Waltz 3 for Debuffs: Right at the start, Triple Waltz can be weakened by debuffing Black Waltz 3's magic attack. Don't waste them on nº 1 and nº 2 as it won't reduce their damage.
- Equip Magic Materia/Weapons: After using Soar, Black Waltz 3 will start flying. You'll need to deplete his Force Gauge by using magical attacks to stun him.
Weapons and Materia to Mitigate Magic Attacks
MATK Down: Solid Bazooka (Barret), Mad Minute (Lucia), Tiger Fangs (Tifa), Junk Collar (Red XIII) or Defaith materia for debuffing magic attack.
MDEF Up: Chocobo Stick (Aerith), Hardcore Squad (Glenn), and many others for buffing magic defense.
Black Waltz EX Damage Estimation and Skills
Triple Waltz: Deals approx. 4000 damage in EX1 and 6000 in EX2. Reduce this by lowering his MATK or increasing your MDEF.
Optimal HP Thresholds: For EX1, aim for at least 4500 HP, and for EX2, 6500 HP or more to survive against the initial Triple Waltz attack.
Strike: Black Waltz 3 will freeze one of your characters and will start charging a physical attack. You should be able to deal with its damage, but if you can't, use PDEF up weapons/materia to survive as he's immune to PATK down.
Strategy for Defeating Black Waltz 3
Ramping Up Firepower: After the stream phase, Black Waltz 3 becomes particularly dangerous. Increase your attack power rapidly to defeat him before he nukes your entire team via freezes and Strikes.
Recommended Equipment: Use weapons and limits for buffs/debuffs to your damage. Some examples include Pumpkin Lamppost for ally PATK buffs, Hardedge for PDEF debuffs, or Sommersault for both PDEF and MDEF debuffs.
EX2 and Ruin EX1: Skip or Power Through?
If you find these 2 stages too challenging (recommended strength of 154,000 & 182,000), don't sweat it.
Focus on boosting your power through event rewards, leveling up and the new gacha weapons to aim for a new limited player icon and 200 Blue Crystals.
Final Thoughts
The Final Fantasy 9 Crossover Event A Resonant Waltz in FF7EC isn't just about grinding.
Take advantage of the limited-time crossover gacha, don't go all-in for 20 copies of Vivi's Magical Gun & Steiner's Blade, focus on co-op stages, and spend your stamina wisely to maximize daily rewards.
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