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Ice Cavern
Final Fantasy IX

Ice Cavern

Complete walkthrough for the Ice Cavern in Final Fantasy IX, including item locations, boss strategies for Black Waltz 1 and Sealion, and tips for avoiding steam vents.

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Complete walkthrough for the Ice Cavern in Final Fantasy IX, including item locations, boss strategies for Black Waltz 1 and Sealion, and tips for avoiding steam vents.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    From Gunitas Basin, head south to the Ice Cavern. Before entering, explore the North Gate to the west. Find a chest with Eye Drops and another with a Potion. You can also buy Potions from a vendor.
  2. 2
    Enter the Ice Cavern. Avoid steam jets from the walls, as they trigger enemy encounters.
  3. 3
    In the first room, find a chest with a Tent on a ledge.
  4. 4
    Continue north, waiting for steam to stop.
  5. 5
    In the next screen, ignore the chest on the left for now. Go up the stairs on the right. Inspect the wall to have Vivi melt it, revealing a chest with an Ether.
  6. 6
    A path to the right of the stairs leads to the first chest you saw, containing a Potion.
  7. 7
    Proceed north to the next room with multiple paths.
  8. 8
    Go right and open the obvious chest for another Potion.
  9. 9
    Approach the icicle bridge and have Vivi knock it down.
  10. 10
    This creates a bridge to a chest in the lower right containing a Mage Masher.
  11. 11
    Vivi can blast open another wall in the far back, revealing a chest with an Elixir.
  12. 12
    Exit northeast and open the chest for a Phoenix Down.
  13. 13
    Go to the northwest corner, a supposed dead end, and have Vivi open the wall, leading to a chest with Leather Wrist.
  14. 14
    Head to the exit at the top of the room. At the fork, go left to find a frozen moogle.
  15. 15
    Vivi will thaw the moogle, triggering an Active Time Event (ATE) with tutorials on Elemental Properties and Status Ailments.
  16. 16
    Back at the moogle, use a Tent if needed and save your game. Use Mognet to get a letter from Mois to Gumo.
  17. 17
    Equip Zidane with the best gear and return to the previous screen. Go up the right side and into the next screen for a boss fight.

BOSS - Black Waltz 1 and Sealion:

  • Black Waltz 1: Focus on defeating Black Waltz 1 first. If Zidane enters Trance, use Tidal Flame to deal massive damage. Otherwise, use physical attacks. Black Waltz 1 uses Blizzard and Fire on Zidane.
  • Sealion: Sealion's attacks change based on its health, indicated by the jewel on its chest. It uses Wing (physical), Blizzard (blue jewel), Blizzara (yellow jewel, deals 60+ damage), and Tsunami (red jewel, high damage).
  • Strategy: Prioritize eliminating Black Waltz 1. If Trance is available, use Tidal Flame. Otherwise, attack Black Waltz 1 physically. After Black Waltz 1 is defeated, focus on Sealion.
  • Steal: Attempt to steal the Mythril Dagger from Sealion, but prioritize defeating it. This is an uncommon steal.
  • Healing: Use Potions if Zidane's HP drops below 100.
Tips
  • Avoid steam jets in the Ice Cavern to prevent forced enemy encounters.
  • Vivi's magic is essential for melting ice walls and creating new paths or accessing chests.
  • The Mage Masher found in the Ice Cavern can be useful later, even if you already have one.
  • Save your game at the moogle's location before the boss fight.
  • Pay attention to the jewel color on Sealion's chest to anticipate its attacks.

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