The best weapon in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is the Seitengrat as it has an attack power of 224 and evade stat of 75. Obtaining the invisible bow, however, requires a lot of luck. Fortunately, fans of the game have found a guaranteed 100 percent method to acquiring the ultimate weapon.
Normal way to obtaining the Seitengrat
The Seitengrat can be found in an invisible chest on the upper air deck of the Skyferry that travels from Rabanastre to Nalbina. The chest only has an 1 in 100 chance of appearing. On top of that, there is another 1 in 100 chance of getting the Seitengrat when opening it if you have the Diamond Armlet accessory equipped on Vaan. Thus, you only have a 1 in 10,000 chance of getting the bow every time you enter the Air Deck of the Rabanastre to Nalbina Skyferry.
Fastest way to obtaining the Seitengrat
Fortunately, a method was discovered by Twitch streamer LetsGetPitted where you can manipulate the RNG of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age so that you will have a 100 percent chance of getting the ultimate weapon be following a few specific steps. You can check out these steps below.
Step 1: Creating the Rabanastre / Westgate manual save
The first thing you have to do is to make sure you have progressed enough in the story so that you have access to the aforementioned Rabanastre to Nalbina Skyferry. You simply have to clear the Barheim Passage, defeat the Mimic Queen boss and return to Rabanastre. If you are already past that point of the main quest, which is early in the game, you are in good shape.
In Rabanastre, head to the Westgate and save at the Blue Crystal. Your manual save file should look like the following: Rabanastre / Westgate.
Step 2: Diamond Armlet equipped to Vaan
The next step is getting the aforementioned Diamond Armlet. The accessory can be found in a chest from the very first stage of the Trial Mode. You can check out our previous guide with this link to find out how to obtain it and bring it over to your main Rabanastre / Westgate manual save file. Make sure to have the accessory equipped on Vaan.
Step 3: Creating the Nalbina Fortress / Upper Apartments manual save
For the third step, start a new game. As Reks, head all the way until you see your first Blue Crystal in the game. From there, head up stairs to the next zone. There are three enemy soldiers here. Make sure you defeat all of them and then immediately head back downstairs to the aforementioned Blue Crystal.
Create a new manual save on a new slot by picking the top “Create a new file” option when saving. This will create the Nalbina Fortress / Upper Apartments manual save file.
Step 4: Creating the Skyferry / Air Deck auto save file
Now load your Rabanastre / Westgate manual save file. Head to the Aerodome and then talk to the first receptionist (with the text of “Flights to Nalbina” on top of her head) on your left hand side. Pick the “By leisure craft” so that you will be able to explore the Skyferry during your flight.
You will end up on the Observation Parlour of the air ship. Head up to flights of stairs to go out the Air Deck. The game will automatically save. You will end up with the Skyferry / Air Deck auto save file.
Step 5: Closing the Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Application
Now that you got the two aforementioned manual saves and one auto save in place, it is time to begin manipulating the RNG in your favor. The first important step in this process is to hold the “PS” button of your DualShock 4 controller until you bring up the Quick Menu. From there, choose the “Close Application” option. Doing so will close Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, resetting the RNG at the same time.
Step 6: Use Cure Spells to get 88, 97 and 90 number sequence
Reboot the game and then load the Nalbina Fortress / Upper Apartments manual save file. As Reks, you have to keep using the Cure spell on yourself until you get the following number sequence in a row: 88, 97 and 90.
To expedite the process, you can open the game’s menu via the Triangle button on your DualShock 4 controller and then head to “Config.” From there, you change the “Battle Speed” to the fastest (far right) option, “Cursor Position” to Last Selection and “Speed Mode Multiplier” to x4. If you run out of MP, use the Blue Crystal.
It is also extremely important that you stay within the same zone when doing this. This is because, if you wander off to another zone, the game will overwrite the Skyferry / Air Deck auto save file.
After getting the 88, 97 and 90 sequence with Cure, immediately press the Options button on your DualShock 4 and the Square button to exit back to the Main Menu of the game.
If for some reason you are having trouble not getting the aforementioned number sequence, you can closed the application again and reboot to reset the RNG. In our experience, the sequence should appear after 15 Cure casts (we were testing this method using the PlayStation 4 Pro).
Step 7: Waiting on the position of Boonswaggled Bookkeeper to open invisible chest
From the main menu, load the Skyferry / Air Deck auto save file. Make sure that the aforementioned Diamond Armlet is equipped on Vaan if you haven’t done so already.
As Vaan, immediately turn right and head right up the stairs. Take note of the Boonswaggled Bookkeeper on your right hand side you passed near the top of the stairs.
Head straight, down the middle to the giant spinning structure you see. If you did the previous steps directly, you hit an invisible wall. This is where the invisible chest is located.
Don’t open the chest just yet. Instead, quickly pan the camera around, while standing next to the invisible chest, to the aforementioned Boonswaggled Bookkeeper. He will do a looping animation where he will run up from the stairs to the upper deck, stand next to a railing and then head back to his starting position. This will count as one loop.
If you are fast enough, you should be able to see him start the first loop. If you are slow, he should already be in the middle of it, either running or standing around the railing in the first loop. So make sure you are counting his loops correctly. In other words, if you see him already standing on the railing whe you turn your camera around while standing next to the invisible chest, then wait for him to go back down the stairs to his starting position to count it as the first loop.
After seeing him do three complete loops, pay close attention to his fourth loop. Just as he goes to top step of the stairs and starts to turn to the railing, immediately press the X button to open the chest. If you did this, as well as all the aforementioned steps correctly, you will get the Seitengrat.
If you aren’t still getting, you can follow LetsGetPitted’s video guide here.
After obtaining the most powerful weapon in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, you have two options. If you want to get more of the Seitengrat (every party member can equip the bow as it does not require a license), you can head back to the Observation Parlour. From there, head back out to the Air Deck. Doing so will create a new auto save with the Seitengrat in you procession and put you in the same position to acquire more of the bow. From there, simply follow Step 5 through Step 7 to acquire more of the powerful bow.
Step 8: Leaving the Skyferry
Once you are satisfied, you can leave the Skyferry. This can be done by heading from the Air Deck to the Observation Parlour and then the Sky Saloon. Talk to the Chief Steward in order arrive at the Aerodome at Nalbina.
Step 9: Arrows for the Seitengrat
While you do not need a license to equip the Seitengrat, you do need arrows. There are eight Arrow types in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. You can find the attack power, element and locations for each below:
Assassin’s Arrows
- Attack Power: 3
- Element: None
- On Hit Effect: 25% of KO
- Location 1: Reward for Wyrm Wrath’s Renewal hunt
- Location 2: Treasure chest at Phase 2 Shaft in Henne Mines
- Location 3: Treasure chest at Penumbra – South in Henne Pharos – Subterra
Artemis Arrows
- Attack Power: 5
- Element: Earth
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Buy Arrows of the Moon Goddess at Bazaar after selling 2 Dorsal Fins, 3 Gemini Gems and Great Serpent’s Fangs.
- Location 2: Treasure chest at The Northsward in Cerobi Steppe
- Location 3: Potential reward from Hunt Club in Phon Coast
Bamboo Arrows
- Attack Power: 2
- Element: None
- On Hit Effect: 25% of Poison
- Location 1: Buy Hollow-shaft Arrows at Bazaar after selling 5 Bat Fangs, 1 Yellow Liquid and 3 Water Magicites
- Location 2: Treasure chest at Station of Ascension in Pharos – Second Ascent
Fiery Arrows
- Attack Power: 1
- Element: Fire
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Buy from Hidden Shop in Necrohol of Nabudis
- Location 2: Buy Arrows Alight at Bazaar after selling 2 Crooked Fans and 4 Fire Stones
- Location 3: Treasure chest at East-West Bypass in Barheim Passage
- Location 4: Treasure chest at Uazcuff Hills in Tchita Uplands
- Location 5: Treasure chest at The Slumbermead is Nabreus Deadlands
Icecloud Arrows
- Attack Power: 4
- Element: Ice
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Buy Permafrost Bow & Quiver at Bazaar after selling 4 Spiral Incisor, 2 Antarctic Winds and 7 Ice Crystals.
- Location 2: Treasure chest at Old Elanise Road in Cerobi Steppe
- Location 3: Treasure chest at Abyssal – North in Pharos – Subterra
Lightning Arrows
- Attack Power: 2
- Element: Lightning
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Reward for A Chase Through The Woods hunt
Onion Arrows
- Attack Power: 1
- Element: None
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Various Shops
- Location 2: Fran has one by default
- Location 3: Treasure chest at Banks of the Nebra in Dalmasca Estersand
- Location 4: Treasure chest at Corridor of Sand in Dalsm in Dalmasca Westersand
Parallel Arrows
- Attack Power: 2
- Element: None
- On Hit Effect: None
- Location 1: Buy from shop at Nabreus Deadlands
- Location 2: Buy Bow & Bodkin at Bazaar after selling 1 Bat Fang, 2 Rat Pelts and 2 Dark Stones
- Location 3: Treasure chest at Haulo Greens in Ozmone Plain
- Location 4: Treasure chest at Frozen Brook in Paramina Rift
- Location 5: Treasure chest at Cape Uahuk in Phon Coast
- Location 6: Treasure chest at Sundered Earth in Tchita Uplands
The aforementioned hidden shop in the northern most part of the Hall of Effulgent Light in Necrohol of Nabudis. Press the X button when you see “???” to summon the Baknamy Merchant.
You may have to re-zoned in the some of the above-mentioned treasure chests in order to get the specific arrows as well.
