Squall: Characters 2

Learn about Squall's Renzokuken Limit Break and the powerful Lion Heart gunblade in final fantasy viii. Get the Lion Heart weapon early for 2,000G.

Squall’s Limit Break is Renzokuken, which will cause him to conduct a varying number of attacks (typically between 4-8) with a chance to perform a finisher at the end. A Trigger bar will appear at the bottom of the screen, making it easy to determine when you should pull the trigger (default [R1]) to deal critical damage. Although RNG plays a large role, having a lower percentage of your max HP, having allies KO’d, and being afflicted by negative status effects can all play a role in determining the number of hits Squall will perform during his Renzokuken. Against some foes, the number of hits performed is pre-determined.

Whether Squall uses a finisher at the end of his Renzokuken attack is also randomly determined, as is the exact finisher he’ll use. That said, certain conditions must be met for Squall to have access to some finishers:

• Rough Divide: Squall’s basic finisher, it deals damage to one target, usually dealing slightly more damage than Fated Circle or Blasting Zone.
• Fated Circle: Deals damage to all enemies. Squall must possess the Shear Trigger gunblade or better to have a chance to activate.
• Blasting Zone: Deals damage to all enemies. Squall must possess the Flame Saber gunblade or better to have a chance to activate.
• Lion Heart: Performs a flurry of seventeen attacks in addition to the normal Renzokuken attacks. Each attack deals massive damage, usually hitting the 9,999 damage cap with ease even without a high Strength score and against foes that aren’t debilitated by Meltdown. Squall must possess the Lion Heart gunblade for this finisher to have a chance to activate.

Renzokuken + Lion Heart is one of the most powerful attacks in the game, being capable of dealing nearly a quarter of a million points of damage to a target over a savage twenty-five hits.

The gunblade is equally rare and powerful, an elite weapon that only a few specialists can effectively wield. Its users can automatically score critical hits by performing regular attacks and pulling the gunblade’s trigger (default [R1]) at the right time. All gunblades have a base accuracy of 255%, so you’ll rarely - if ever - see a gunblade-user miss.

Weapon Crafting & Stats:

• Revolver: Materials: M-Stone Piece x6, Screw x2. Cost: 100G. Str: 11. Hit%: 255%
• Shear Trigger: Materials: Steel Pipe x1, Screw x4. Cost: 200G. Str: 14. Hit%: 255%
• Cutting Trigger: Materials: Mesmerize Blade x1, Screw x8. Cost: 400G. Str: 18. Hit%: 255%
• Flame Saber: Materials: Betrayal Sword x1, Turtle Shell x1, Screw x4. Cost: 600G. Str: 20. Hit%: 255%
• Twin Lance: Materials: Dino Bone x1, Red Fang x2, Screw x12. Cost: 800G. Str: 22. Hit%: 255%
• Punishment: Materials: Chef’s Knife x1, Star Fragments x2, Turtle Shell x1, Screw x8. Cost: 1,000G. Str: 24. Hit%: 255%
• Lion Heart: Materials: Adamantine x1, Dragon Fang x4, Pulse Ammo x12. Cost: 2,000G. Str: 30. Hit%: 225%

How to Obtain Lion Heart: Despite being stupidly powerful, Squall’s Lionheart weapon can be acquired relatively early in the game, although the process can be rather involved. Below you’ll find the low-level methods of obtaining Lion Heart early, which should be universal:

1. Win twenty Elnoyle Cards from players in the Balamb region and refine these into two Energy Crystals (10x Elnoyle Cards = Energy Crystal x1).
2. During the SeeD Field Exam, KO both Squall and Zell to prevent them from leveling up and junction Ifrit to Seifer. Kill Galbadians to level Seifer - and hence Ifrit - up, as at level ten Ifrit will be able start learning the Ammo-RF ability.
3. Refine the two Energy Crystals into 20x Pulse Ammo.
4. After the second Laguna dream (en route to Galbadia Garden) farm some Grendels in the forest where the Laguna dream triggered. They regularly drop Dragon Fangs (you can use Card Mod (a community-made modification that changes the game) to avoid gaining XP).
5. Defeat Minotaur and Sacred in the Tomb of the Unknown King and refine the Minotaur Card into 10x Adamantine.
6. Visit a Junk Shop and craft Lion Heart and enjoy having an over-powered weapon.