Preemptive Strike Questions

[Lucavi]

I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

I'm in the area right after the Cid Raines fight, where there are a few mobs fighting one another from a distance. I figured this was as good of a spot as any to get some grinding done, since they'd be easy kills with preemptive strikes on everyone, followed by quake-stagger, then rape.

Not so much.

The second I step anywhere near them, walking or running, everyone goes Metal Gear Solid and turns on me. Even if I manage to lure one to a door for LoS, then jump it from behind, when the fight starts, I get no preemptive strike, and everyone, behemoth, robots and bird-things, turn on me. Of course, hilarity ensues when my squad gets smacked to shit.

I'm out of those pre-fight buffs that let you Solid Snake around, and haven't found any of them in the item shop, or this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong in this situation. I've always been pretty good at sneaking up on people, and I know that FFXIII is a game that serves as one fat tutorial on how to learn each of the game's mechanics, but I can't seem to figure this one out.

I don't want to just run past them, because I'm a grind-whore and hate skipping fights, but can anyone give me a hint or something?

Is there something I'm overlooking?

[Katlan]

some mobs u cant pre-empt because they have 360 sight it seems, others will notice u from behind if u run at them (need to walk). It also seems that if mobs are in the middle of turning, they can still see behind them... so you need to wait for them to start heading in the other direction.

And isn't the Cid fight in ch 10? That's not rly a great place to grind as the mobs don't give the best CP for the time invested, Id finish up Ch10 and just grind at Gran Pulse since your nearly there

[Lucavi]

Fair enough. Thanks for the info!

[Purrrfect]

Also, that section (the 5th ark) is supposed to be a training ground for l'Cie, so the mobs are there for you firstly. Where you saw mobs fighting mobs before this was not the case, they were more of a territorial type thing, so you could sneak up on them.

[niwaar]

I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

I'm out of those pre-fight buffs that let you Solid Snake around, and haven't found any of them in the item shop.

I don't want to just run past them, because I'm a grind-whore and hate skipping fights, but can anyone give me a hint or something?

Is there something I'm overlooking?

First off, you aren't necessarily doing anything wrong. Like Katlan said, some mobs are incapable of being preempted. However, 98% of monsters are capable of being preempted. When in a group any member of the group that sees you will alert the entire group. Regardless of you hitting them in the back.

Another note, its virtually impossible to preempt a group fighting with another group after Chapter 9. If these are the mobs you are talking about, thats a big reason why.

Skipping fights is a good thing especially at this point. You can more easily grind CP in Gran Pulse and honestly both Cid and Bahamut are overly simplified fights if done correctly. (sub 3 minutes for both)

As for the Decepitsols ... you can start buying them in Chapter 12. However, they cost 30k a pop so save the ones you get for free for times you truly need them.

[Lucavi]

All the info I could ever need on the subject just like that. Thanks again, everyone.

[Purrrfect]

Cid under 3 minutes?! Wtf... I don't even...

[Crizto]

He was a mean one

[Stiker]

Another note, its virtually impossible to preempt a group fighting with another group after Chapter 9. If these are the mobs you are talking about, thats a big reason why.

Actually, when you get to Eden (Chapter 11 I think?), you can preempt the Sanctum and Pulse groups fighting each other. You can actually use those battles to your advantage for some major grinding too if you wish as those fights are very easy and yield tons of CP.

[Tyrath]

Actually, when you get to Eden (Chapter 11 I think?), you can preempt the Sanctum and Pulse groups fighting each other. You can actually use those battles to your advantage for some major grinding too if you wish as those fights are very easy and yield tons of CP.

Thats chapter 12, for clarification.

[Elcura]

Save deceptisols for chapter 13 grinding, once you run out, then just move onto the end boss. It's what I did, and if you have growth egg, you can get 60k+ from fights that take no longer than 2 minutes and are very easy.

You can do the same without deceptisols, but it will be noticably harder and longer, and require a good strat to overcome easily. I never stayed long enough to figure out a perfect set up.

[niwaar]

Save deceptisols for chapter 13 grinding, once you run out, then just move onto the end boss. It's what I did, and if you have growth egg, you can get 60k+ from fights that take no longer than 2 minutes and are very easy.

You can do the same without deceptisols, but it will be noticably harder and longer, and require a good strat to overcome easily. I never stayed long enough to figure out a perfect set up.

This is completely the way to do it. Don't use deceptisols before 13 unless you simply can not pass. The last section of mobs before the final boss is just chock full of lots of mobs in single pulls or two overpowered mobs in single pulls. Good CP but challenging fights without Preempt.

[Mayareira]

I used ALL of my deceptisols in first 2 chapters mainly because the tutorial presented them as an active part of the game.

Seriously, I had not idea that they were THIS rare.

[niwaar]

I used ALL of my deceptisols in first 2 chapters mainly because the tutorial presented them as an active part of the game.

Seriously, I had not idea that they were THIS rare.

You get a bunch (I think 5) from Bhatki in Oerba later on. They cost 30k a pop once you get the keyitem to purchase them sometime in Chapter 12. They are far to expensive to be using them to grind. I know there are some tricks to dismantle some items into the "sols" I don't know what to dismantle though.

[miokomioko]

Or you could lolfarm them by taking lolforever to kill stuff... that may take a while, I assume.

[Lucavi]

I'm at Chapter 11 and I found the dogs fighting the behemoth, but yeah, no chance of preempting them, as those dogs are seriously fast and run around too sporadically for me to sneak up behind anyone, even if I jump down from that ledge.

I've since been reduced to preempting and fighting those armored things since they're pretty easy to sneak up on.

Maybe I'm just not at the right dogs + behemoth, but the one right at the start of the zone isn't working for me, and I can't kill behemoths down before they start sundering people into oblivion.

This FF is a refreshing challenge from the recent crop of easy-mode single player FFs that only offered challenges as side-quests.

[niwaar]

I'm at Chapter 11 and I found the dogs fighting the behemoth, but yeah, no chance of preempting them, as those dogs are seriously fast and run around too sporadically for me to sneak up behind anyone, even if I jump down from that ledge.

I've since been reduced to preempting and fighting those armored things since they're pretty easy to sneak up on.

Maybe I'm just not at the right dogs + behemoth, but the one right at the start of the zone isn't working for me, and I can't kill behemoths down before they start sundering people into oblivion.

This FF is a refreshing challenge from the recent crop of easy-mode single player FFs that only offered challenges as side-quests.

No you are at the correct dogs/behemoths, its difficult to do vs some of them.

This FF is only a challenge outside of side-quests if you wait and do the side quests til after you beat the game. The game will be SIGNIFICANTLY easier if you do more than the first 14-15 missions before you move on. Some things may be a challenge, but realistically if you do most of the missions or even half of them you will have more CP than is needed to beat the game with a decent level of difficulty in chapter 12 and 13.

[Militant]

Actually no, you are not at the right spot, its not the Dogs vs the behemoth, its the one giant wolf vs the behemoth that is the guaranteed pre-empt every time, much easier, and more exp. It's right next to a save point and a chocobo.

[Nevex]

Or you could lolfarm them by taking lolforever to kill stuff... that may take a while, I assume.

This is not a bad idea actually.
Find a group of weak mobs, have your main character as SEN and have the AI control to MEDs and just take a break from the game.
You can set the battle speed to low as well since it doesn't change the star ranking time.

[Ronfar]

On chapter 2 when you play as Van/Hope you can farm them, mobs id say are almost 100% drop. When I did my 2nd play I stayed in that 1st spot for a hour and got like 40 of each kind.