As a lifelong FF enthusiast with over 200 hours sunk into the latest entry, I‘ve forged my fair share of mythical swords with Scarletite. Collecting this rare material can be an arduous yet rewarding endeavor.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘lltap into my veteran expertise to breakdown everything a phantom-slaying warrior needs to know about acquiring Scarletite.
What Makes Scarletite So Valuable
Before detailing the acquisition methods, let‘s examine why this glittering red mineral is so coveted among wanderers and warriors of Valisthea alike.
Significance in FF History
Scarletite and its counterpart Adamantite have been instrumental crafting components in Final Fantasy for over 20 years. Legendary knight Cecil Harvey first obtained these Blood Crystals in FF4 to forge his ultimate weapons. So in many ways, Scarletite represents the enduring legacy of the series.
Forging Mythical Weapons
In FF16, Scarletite‘s sole purpose is weapon smithing for mighty arms like the Excalibur and my personal favorite greatsword, the Crimson Saber. Just six pieces allows a master blacksmith to shape glorious dragon-slaying blades.
Fun fact: The Excalibur is traditionally one of the strongest weapons across all Final Fantasies. Its FF9 incarnation was so powerful, developer squaresoft had to nerf it by halving its stats prior to release!
So in short, Scarletite holds tremendous potential at the forge. Now let‘s uncover all the underground secrets to collecting enough…
Scarletite Hunting Quest Guide
I‘ve slain countless beasts and conquered my share of marks to hoard this precious material. Here are the top methods to stock up, along with pro tips to triumph over these lethal adversaries:
Hot Water Side Quest (2x Scarletite)
This quest opens early during "Riddle of the Sands". Simply eliminating the Bomb swarm here nets an easy 2 Scarletite:
- The Bombs themselves pose little threat, but their flaming explosions can chain react.
- Libra reveals their weakness to ice. I froze them solid with Blizzard spells for quick crowd control.
- Burn/Confuse-inflicting Sabotender allies helped detonate Bombs too. Gotta fight fire with fire!
However, there‘s a secret way to quadruple your payout! I noticed the quest giver Xaver enjoys hot spring soaks. After turning in the quest, I recommended he bottle and export the rejuvenating waters across Valisthea.
Amusingly, this entrepreneurial advice inspired Xaver to reward me with two more Scarletite! Pro negotiating skills pay off.
Slay Elite Marks (4x Scarletite)
Vanquishing deadly hunt targets also produces Scarletite. Each of these notorious marks drop one upon death:
Dozmare the Griffin
This vicious winged beast rules the northern skies. With no ranged attacks of my own, I struggling immensely enduring Dozmare‘s crushing Noble Dives.
Eventually I crafted Thorned Chakrams to disrupt his flight patterns from afar. Luring Dozmare into narrow mountain cols restricted his aerial movement too. The local hunters were so impressed, they threw a feast with griffin meat skewers to celebrate!
Fastitocalon
This colossal turtle shook the desert sands when he emerged. His durable shell and brutal Spinning Rush knocked my party flat on every attempt.
After ten losses, I swapped in a Black Mage ally packing mighty Quake and Freeze spells. Trapping Fastitocalon‘s bulky frame in paralyzing blizzards let my Glaive-wielding main crush its unguarded neck weak point for a comeback victory!
The Ten of Clubs
Battling this shady syndicate assassin tested my Steelguard defensive techniques to their limits evading his lethal axe swings. Eventually I wizened up and went full Red Mage, punishing Ten‘s whiffs with blistering magic bursts after each miss.
The local tavern held a card game tournament in my honor after I presented Ten‘s diamond-studded playing card as a trophy!
Holy Trumpitour
This cackling goblin bombardier nearly roasted my party alive lobbing incendiary mortar fire. Nullifying his explosions with precisely-timed dodges then retaliating with aqueous lance sticks finally toppled Trumpitour‘s terror.
Whew…my armor reeked of char and brimstone for a week! But the Scarletite payout proved worth enduring Hell and back.
Now, let‘s optimize this hard-earned Scarletite into peerless gear…
Crafting Scarletite Weaponry
After collecting six Scarletite total, the real fun begins at the Hideaway Forge:
Compare Upgrade Paths
There are two major gear upgrade branches when investing Scarletite:
| Gear | Playstyle | Key Scarletite Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Excalibur | Melee/Dragoon DPS | Crafting (3x) / Upgrading to +3 (3x) |
| Drakeslayers | Tank/Paladin Support | Craft Bracelets & Belt (2x) / Upgrading all to +3 (3x) |
So whether you lean towards dishing damage or mitigating it, Scarletite offers legendary options. Let‘s compare the final stats when fully enhancing each set:
Excalibur +3
- ATK: 186
- Hit Rate +10%
- Strength vs. Dragons +60%
Drakeslayers +3
- Max HP: +45%
- Fire/Ice/Lightning Resist: +35%
Raw damage or supreme sustainability? An outstanding offense-defense combination if you construct both!
Based on your playstyle affinity, determine which upgrade path synergizes best. I prefer wading into the fray with my shield raised, so I adorned the Drakeslayers first.
Unlock Hidden Recipes
Secret armaments beyond the Excalibur also sleep within Scarletite‘s potential. But only master blacksmith NPCs can unveil the necessary recipes.
Through tremendous trading efforts across Valisthea, I discovered two such artisans – Leander near Elphinstone and Biggs deep in the Glassy Woods. These reclusive souls rewarded my persistence with new weapon plans:
Leander‘s Gift
- Material: Scarletite x3 + Drake Heart x2
- Result: Crimson Saber (ATK 138 / STR +35)
Biggs‘ Blueprints
- Material: Scarletite x4 + Sublime Hide x3
- Result: Mage Masher (ATK 99 / INT +55)
While weaker statistically than Excalibur gear, the crimson greatsword and magical dagger provide excellent secondary options for their playstyle.
I frequently alternate between all three weapon sets depending on the situation. Such versatility proves invaluable against Valisthea‘s shifting dangers!
Now ready your smithing hammer and forge your personal legend!
Final Upgrades Before The Final Boss
As the fateful showdown with the Endsinger neared, I revisited the forge to push my armaments to their zenith…
Thanks to many nights braving dire icy planes and scorched magma pits crawling with fiends, I stockpiled enough Scarletite to upgrade the full trinity sets for the final occasion:
- Excalibur +3
- Drakeslayer‘s Bracelets +3
- Drakeslayer‘s Belt +3
- Crimson Saber +3
Donning this refined raiment, I confronted the god-like Final Boss with finesse and fearlessness. The enhanced HP sustainment mitigated incoming magical blows while my sharpened greatswords sliced through each phase with poise.
When the deciding struggle entered its final stage, I raised all four masterwork weapons to the heavens as my allies imbued us with emboldening Valor chants…then unleashed the 16-hit Ouroboros Special art to destiny!
My name may not join the annals of Final Fantasy legends like Cloud and Lightning just yet…but with such an peerless arsenal in my grasp, more grand adventures undoubtedly await around Fate‘s next corner!
So don‘t get discouraged stalking marks or scouring rough terrain for Scarletite early on. The payoff when that regal red mineral finally graces your palm proves oh so sweet…
Now who among Valisthea‘s fearsome beasts shall I target next on the eternal warrior‘s path…?
