Mission 9-2-6: Signs of Materia

Master Mission 9-2-6: Signs of Materia in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. Learn how to defeat the Jabberwock, its attacks, and the best strategies to win.

Alright, let's tackle Mission 9-2-6, also known as 'Signs of Materia.' This one's part of the Great Cavern of Wonders and can be a bit of a challenge, so stick with me!

How to Unlock:

First things first, you need to unlock this mission. It's part of the 'Stirrings' set and becomes available around Chapter 4. You'll need to complete Mission 8-4-1: Suspicious Mail 1, which you get by interacting with a ladder at Mako Reactor 5. Keep progressing through the missions that unlock from there, specifically completing Mission 8-5-6: Treasure Info 6. That opens up the Great Cavern of Wonders missions, and you'll just need to push through those until you reach 9-2-6. Just a heads-up, the Great Cavern of Wonders missions are some of the toughest in the game, so be prepared!

Before the Fight:

Before you jump into this fight, it's a good idea to have a Phoenix Down handy, just in case your HP or SPR isn't super high. Also, consider looking into how to break the damage limit, break the HP limit, and getting the Costly Punch Materia if you haven't already – these can make a big difference.

How to Defeat the Jabberwock:

So, you've made it to the Jabberwock. Think of it like a Behemoth, but with some nasty surprises. Its most dangerous move is probably Ultima. It can cast this pretty often, and it hits hard, especially if your SPR or HP is low. The key to dodging it is timing: when your screen fills with light after the initial orbs, that's your cue to dodge. Get it right, and you'll completely avoid the damage.

Beyond Ultima, you've got its standard attacks: a double claw swipe and a double tail sweep (watch out for that if you try to flank it from behind). It also has a move called Gyro Tail, where it spins and hits you with its tail. It's telegraphed because it's a named skill, but it's fast, so you need to react quickly.

Then there's Thwack. This one's a real pain because it does percentage-based damage, meaning it'll always take a chunk of your health, no matter your HP. The real danger here is that it leaves you wide open for follow-up attacks. Your best bets for dealing damage are likely Costly Punch (just be careful, it hurts you too!) and Graviga. The Jabberwock has just under 600,000 HP on Normal difficulty, so you'll need a few Graviga spells to wear it down.

The Final Push: Comet 2

Even after you drain its HP, the fight isn't quite over. A gauge will appear, and the Jabberwock will try to unleash its ultimate attack: Comet 2. It's almost impossible to stop this with damage alone, so you need to be able to survive it. If you have really high HP and decent SPR (around 100), you should be okay, but expect around 40,000 damage if your stats aren't quite there. If you're worried about surviving this, now's the time to use that Phoenix Down you hopefully brought!