This hunt becomes available after you have reached Mt Bur-Omisace for the first time. It can be completed while Larsa is still in the party, although it is much easier to complete later on in the game (such as after the second visit to Mt Bur-Omisace, after you have defeated Judge Bergan).
You need to complete this Hunt in order to give the Bhujerban Madhu to Niray during the Bhujerban Madhu side quest, though you don’t have to give that particular bottle to Niray in order to claim the 1,000 gil. Click on the link above for more information on the Bhujerban Madhu side quest.
Niray can be found in Bhujerba in the Staras Residence. The Staras Residence can be found in Cloudborne Row and she will give you the Site 3 Key which will allow you to access the area of the Mines where Antlion is located.
It takes a fair bit of traveling in order to locate Antlion for this Hunt. Use the map below to help you navigate properly. Enter the Lhusu Mines and travel back to Site 2 where you fought Rocktoise for Hunt 34: The Cry of Its Power. Approach the gate and use the Site 3 Key on the Wrought Iron Gate.
You can obtain a Koga Blade in the northernmost section of Site 3. Make sure you pick it up before you leave the area.
Follow the pathway south, back to the Shunia Twinspan, and then south one more time back towards the Transitway 1. Travel west into Transitway 2 and use the orange Save Crystal to save your game. You can now warp back to this area more easily.
Travel west into Site 9 and then head south. Antlion is located at the end of this pathway at the westernmost point of Site 9. There is a treasure chest here that contains the Iga Blade as well. Make sure you pick it up along the way.
Level: 37
HP: 106,499
Steal: Potion (55%), Charger Barding (10%), Cancer Gem (3%)
The strategic aspect of the fight against Antlion has to do with the enemies that surround it – the Killer Mantises. Antlion will use a move called Cannibalize once its HP falls below 40% to eat one of the surrounding Killer Mantises (if they are alive) which will heal it and increase its stats.
More importantly though, it will raise Antlion’s level from 37 to 44 and then again to 52 if it eats a second Killer Mantis. Therefore, the first and most important goal is to defeat any of the Killer Mantises that are around Antlion.
You can either attempt to lure some of the Killer Mantises away from Antlion before initiating the battle or you can drag Antlion away to try to have as few Killer Mantis enemies follow as possible. Either way, you need to attack the Killer Mantises first.
Make sure to fully buff your party up before initiating the battle. Your tank should have both Decoy and Bubble active (or be wearing a Bubble Belt), you should have Haste and Protect on each of your party members and you should cast Bravery on your physical attackers and Faith on your Magick casters. Make sure that you have an Esuna Gambit setup as Antlion will cast Disable on party members during the battle.
You can use the Nihopalaoa and Remedy trick to cast Disease, Slow and Silence on Antlion which will prevent it from recovering HP even if it uses Cannibalize on a nearby Killer Mantis.
A video of the battle in the Zodiac Age version is included below:
There is a treasure chest behind the spawn point for Antlion that contains the Expose Technick. Make sure you pick it up once the battle is complete.
Return to Niray after the battle has ended to claim your rewards which includes 4,300 gil, a Bubble Belt and a Sickle Blade.
The kids will mention that they lost the key to Site 11 at the end of the battle and that it should turn up on some shore far away. It actually appears on the Phon Coast at the Hunter’s Camp. Check out the Phon Coast page for more information.