Learn how to remodel weapons for Squall, Zell, Quistis, and Selphie in Balamb. Discover the best materials from Card Mod and where to find them.
Alright, so you're ready to head back to Balamb and get your gear sorted. If you've been grinding like we talked about, you've probably been back and forth a bunch already, maybe even messing with the Queen of Cards and that 'Diff' rule. Anyway, Balamb's the place to be for weapon upgrades. Head past the gas station, into the town square, and hang a left towards the train station. Look for a weapon shop – it's a doorway tucked away behind and to the left of a guy chilling on a bench.
Now, unlike most RPGs where you just buy a whole new arsenal, Final Fantasy VIII has this cool 'remodeling' system. It makes a bit more sense lore-wise, right? Who carries around that many swords? Anyway, to remodel, you'll need specific parts. Your best friends here are the Weapons Monthly magazines. You should have the March and April issues. March covers the basic Revolver, Metal Knuckle, Flail, and Chain Whip. April introduces the Shear Trigger, Maverick, Pinwheel, and Valiant. Don't worry too much if you don't have them memorized; as long as you've got the parts, the remodel option will pop up.
The key to getting these parts is usually Card Mod. Seriously, Triple Triad is your lifeline for crafting materials! For example, to make Squall's Shear Trigger, you'll need a Steel Pipe and four Screws. You can get a Steel Pipe by using Card Mod on an Elastoid card, and Screws come from Geezard cards. Easy peasy.
Upgrading weapons gives you a nice boost to Strength and accuracy. Squall's gunblades are especially important because upgrading them unlocks more powerful Limit Breaks. You can actually craft his ultimate weapon pretty early if you put in the work, but don't stress about it – this guide will help you find opportunities as they come up.
Dedicated card players might already have the materials to craft some seriously impressive weapons for Squall right now. Here’s a look at what you can potentially craft at this point:
| Weapon | User | Materials | Cost | Str | Hit% |
| Revolver | Squall | M-Stone Piece x6, Screw x2 | 100G | 11 | 255% |
| Shear Trigger | Squall | Steel Pipe x1, Screw x4 | 200G | 14 | 255% |
| Cutting Trigger | Squall | Mesmerize Blade x1, Screw x8 | 400G | 18 | 255% |
| Flame Saber | Squall | Betrayal Sword x1, Turtle Shell x1, Screw x4 | 600G | 20 | 255% |
| Twin Lance | Squall | Dino Bone x1, Red Fang x2, Screw x12 | 800G | 22 | 255% |
| Punishment | Squall | Chef’s Knife x1, Star Fragments x2, Turtle Shell x1, Screw x8 | 1000G | 24 | 255% |
| Metal Knuckle | Zell | Fish Fin x1, M-Stone Piece x4 | 100G | 12 | 98% |
| Maverick | Zell | Dragon Fin x1, Spider Web x1 | 200G | 15 | 99% |
| Chain Whip | Quistis | M-Stone Piece x2, Spider Web x1 | 100G | 12 | 103% |
| Slaying Tail | Quistis | Magic Stone x2, Sharp Spike x1 | 200G | 15 | 104% |
| Save the Queen | Quistis | Energy Crystal x4, Malboro Tentacle x2, Sharp Spike x4 | 800G | 25 | 107% |
| Flail | Selphie | M-Stone Piece x2, Bomb Fragment x1 | 100G | 12 | 98% |
| Morning Star | Selphie | Steel Orb x2, Sharp Spike x2 | 200G | 15 | 99% |
| Crescent Wish | Selphie | Inferno Fang x1, Life Ring x1, Sharp Spike x4 | 400G | 20 | 100% |
Squall's Punishment weapon is a really solid upgrade. To make it, you'll need a Chef's Knife (Card Mod a Tonberry), Star Fragments (craft from 3 Iron Giants), a Turtle Shell (craft from 3 Adamantoise), and Screws (from Geezards). It might sound like a lot of cards, but it's totally doable.
Want to upgrade Zell? His Maverick requires a Fish Fin (get from Fastitocalon-F) and a Spider Web (Card Mod a Caterchipillar).
For Quistis, the Slaying Tail needs Magic Stones (Card Mod Grat, Buel, or Jelleye) and a Sharp Spike (Card Mod Death Claw or Grand Mantis).
And Selphie can get her third weapon, the Crescent Wish, by grabbing an Inferno Fang (from 10 Ruby Dragons) and a Life Ring (from 5 Toramas).
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