Chapter 2: The Pulse Vestige
Walkthrough

Sacrarium

Map of the Sacrarium in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

Despite the title sequence that displays when Hope and Vanille first arrive in the Pulse Vestige, which refers to this area as “The Pulse fal’Cie” and “Lowerworld Vestige”, this entire area is referred to as “The Pulse Vestige” and this first area they arrive in is called the Sacrarium. Remember that you can verify the area of the world and map that you are in by pulling up the menu screen and selecting the “Map” option.

Vanille grabbing her new Binding Rod weapon

Vanille will find her very first weapon (Binding Rod) stashed up amongst the Pulse Vestige ruins just before both Vanille and Hope are thrown into battle against another Pantheron. This fight against a single, lone Pantheron is very easy and doesn’t require any unique strategy. The unique aspect of this fight is that you will receive a B&W Outfitters once the battle is over.

First battle in the Pulse Vestige against a Pantheron

B&W Outfitters is a Key Item that adds another shop to the menu screen that you can visit when you access a Save Station. The only item available for purchase at the shop right now is an Iron Bangle, but it is recommended that you not purchase any for your characters right now, for two reasons: first, you already have enough in your inventory to equip one to each of your three active party members and, second, you should be saving as much of your Gil as you can. No frivolous purchases!

Purchasing an Iron Bangle from B&W Outfitters

You will now find yourself in control of Vanille as the new leader of your party. Take Vanille back over to where the hover copter crash landed and, just off to the left of it, is a Treasure Sphere that contains 30 Gil.

Go back up to near where she started to find a Save Station close by. Have a look in Magical Moments and B&W Outfitters if you want to see which items are available.

Unicorn Mart:

B&W Outfitters:

Head up the stairs and turn left for your second battle against a lone Pantheron (don’t go down the stairs on the opposite side of the platform just yet). This is another easy battle but note that during these battles you may receive your first “Shroud” items as spoils from these battles (such as Deceptisol or Fortisol). Make sure not to use these.

Battle against a single Pantheron

There are two other groups of enemies in this area. The right side has two more Pantherons and the left side has a new type of enemy called a Zwerg Scandroid (three of them).

Battle against a group of Zerg Scandroids

The game will be providing you with an explanation of how preemptive strikes work but it’s also noted below in the next helpful hint section as this group of Zwerg Scandroids can easily be engaged using a preemptive strike.

Approach one of the Zwerg Scandroids on the outside and, while it has its back towards you, run in and touch it. This should kick off a preemptive strike which will:

  1. Put each of the enemies near their Stagger point at the beginning of the fight.
  2. Start each of your party members with a full ATB gauge.

Zwerg Scandroids are weak enemies that go down easily even if you don’t successfully get a preemptive strike, but they go down even quicker if you do. Grab the Treasure Sphere behind them that contains four Potions. Go down the stairs into the next area once you have cleared out all the enemies in this area. This is where the game will give you a primer on “Aggression and Preemptive Strikes”.

There is another group of three Zwerg Scandroids to defeat on this level next to the second crashed hoverbike in the corner. Grab the Treasure Sphere after you defeat them to obtain another free Iron Bangle. You can equip this to either of your characters as both will benefit from the extra HP; Vanille is your party leader and it’s game over if she dies, but there is some value to equipping it to Hope as well given that his HP is so low right now (170 vs 350).

Picking up an Iron Bangle from a Treasure Sphere

Walk over to the illuminated blue circle on the ground near the hoverbike to jump over the pile of rubble. There’s one more fight against two Pantherons once you reach the other side. Move forward once they have been defeated to kick off another cutscene before you find yourself back in control of Snow.

Using the Illuminated Blue Circle to jump over the pile of debris

House of Stairs

Map of the House of Stairs in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

Snow is all by himself this time. Use the Save Station to save your game and then turn around and go back up the stairs. There’s a Treasure Sphere at the top of the platform that contains two Potions.

Snow in the center of the House of Stairs in the Pulse Vestige

Walk down the stairs and defeat the two Pantherons. This will be a bit of a slow fight with no help and it’s unlikely that you will be able to trigger a preemptive strike against Pantheron enemies, but just use regular attacks until you bring them down.

At the end of the platform is a mechanical device with a large green light protruding out the top. Press the XButton to activate the device which will rearrange the map. The story will take you back to Lightning and Sazh before you get a chance to explore the newly rearranged map.

Snow activating the elevator in the House of Stairs

Ambulatory

Map of the Ambulatory in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

Lightning and Sazh will break their way into the Ambulatory after a short cinematic. The game will also explain how shrouds work. Check out the Shrouds section for more information and press the L1Button to use one of your shrouds.

Lightning entering the start of the Ambulatory

This area is a straight pathway that is easy to navigate. Head up to the Save Station and save your game then walk forward to engage the three Pantheron enemies that charge down the stairs. There’s no real strategy required for these fights but be wary of allowing Lightning to use her Blitz attack too many times. The Pantherons like to jump around the battlefield which will cause ‘area of effect’ attacks like Blitz to miss their target quite often.

Lightning approaching the two Pantheron enemies

Up the stairs, you will find one more group of Pantherons and two groups of Zwerg Scandroids on the left and right sides of the map. The group on the left side is protecting a Treasure Sphere which contains a tuft of Phoenix Down.

The second group is not protecting any treasure, so technically you can leave this area without defeating them, but these enemies are incredibly easy to defeat (especially if you engage them with a preemptive strike) and there is a chance that they could drop some valuable loot for you, e.g. a Fortisol.

Initiating a preemptive strike against some Zwerg Scandroids

There is a tougher enemy for you to face guarding the stairs. The last Myrmidon that you faced was, in theory, considered a boss battle, but you will face a few more of them along your route.

They are a little bit more difficult than the other enemies you have faced and may require the use of a Potion to keep your party members alive, but otherwise, just use regular attacks to slowly bring them down. You should be able to Stagger them with enough attacks.

Continue up the stairs to find a mixed group of enemies that contains one Pantheron and two Zwerg Scandroids. The Treasure Sphere in the corner contains a Gladius, which is a new weapon for Lightning. This is a fairly strong weapon for Lightning throughout the game so definitely equip it to her immediately.

Swapping out Blazefire Saber for Gladius in Lightnings equipment select screen

Continue up the stairs one more time to initiate a fight against a Myrmidon paired with a Pantheron. Take out the Pantheron first and then switch your efforts over to the Myrmidon. Don’t be afraid to use a Potion during this fight.

Keep walking towards the stairs to initiate another cutscene where Sazh will explain more about Pulse l’Cie, and then it’s back over to Snow.

House of Stairs

Map of the House of Stairs in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

This area has been somewhat transformed since the last time Snow was here. There is a fork in the road directly behind where Snow starts and there is a Treasure Sphere that contains two Potions along the central pathway.

Snow at the start of the House of Stairs second visit

Make your way down to the middle area, defeat the Pantheron with the two Zwerg Scandroids, and then activate the device. An elevator will drop down from the floor above. Continue to the end of the pathway and have Snow jump onto the elevator.

SNow fighting a Pantheron and two Zwerg Scandroids

Sacrarium (Continued)

Map of the Sacrarium in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

The game returns to Vanille and Hope who are back in the Sacrarium area. Note that you can jump back over the pile of debris to the area that Vanille and Hope previously explored, but there’s no need to do that if you’ve already picked up all the items in that area.

Walk forward and defeat the first group of two Zwerg Scandroids and then head up the stairs. There are two Pantheron enemies that you can defeat at the top of the stairs, but before you continue down this hallway, turn around and walk into the platform in the center to find another group of four Zwerg Scandroids. Defeat them and then grab the Treasure Sphere for a free vial of Fortisol.

It’s up to you whether you want to go through and clear out the enemies in this area. On the one hand, it’s completely optional and of limited value because you’re not earning Crystogen Points (CP) yet, but on the other hand, there is always a chance that these enemies could drop more shrouds as part of their spoils. It’s up to you.

Walk down the pathway out of the Sacrarium towards the orange map marker to continue the story when you’re ready.

Oblatorium

Map of the Oblatorium in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

There’s a Save Station on the right side of the pathway that you can use to save your game. Continue down the path to find a Treasure Sphere that contains 100 Gil and two Pantherons guarding nearby. Defeat them and keep moving down the walkway.

Triggering a preemptive strike against a Zwerg Scandroid

Another scene takes place once Hope and Vanille reach the center platform. Snow will jump in to join your party as they fend off an attack from the Cie’th creatures (l’Cie who fail to complete their Focus).

Snow, Vanille and Hope battling against a group of Cieth Ghouls

There are a few different types of Cie’th but the ones you fight during this battle are called Ghouls. There’s quite a bit of dialogue before the story turns back to Lightning and Sazh.

Ambulatory (Continued)

Map of the Oblatorium in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

Lightning and Sazh continue right where they left off. You can backtrack and go into the previous areas of the Ambulatory just like you could with Hope and Vanille in the last area, but there isn’t a reason to do this, so just keep moving forward.

Lightning once you get back to the Ambulatory

The area just ahead of where you start with Lightning on the left side has two Ghouls (the same type that Snow, Vanille and Hope fought in the Sacrarium). Remember that you can initiate a preemptive attack against Ghouls just like you could against Zwerg Scandroids but it’s a bit harder with how much they move around.

Lightning ambushing a Ghoul for a preemptive strike

Defeat them and open the Treasure Sphere to receive a Power Wristband. Equip this to Lightning or Sazh (either is fine) to increase their physical damage.

Continue along the pathway and defeat the remaining Ghouls that you come across. Even though some of them are standing stationary you can sometimes still trigger a preemptive strike against them; they are not very observant making them relatively easy to sneak up on.

It’s just Ghouls the whole way up until you encounter a larger enemy which is called a Ghast. It’s a bit more powerful, and you won’t be able to sneak up on it, but it’s still just as easy as the previous enemies you’ve faced up until this point.

Lightning look at another Ghoul on the platform

Walk forward along the pathway until you reach a Save Station. Save your game and then proceed to the next area.

Nave

The next area that Lightning and Sazh reach is called the Nave. This area is a straight pathway with Ghouls and Ghasts along the way. Most of these enemies are facing you directly as you approach them, making it difficult to engage them without them noticing you for a preemptive strike, but it’s not impossible. Just sneak in from the side as you get close to each of the enemies.

Looking at the hallway full of Ghouls in the Nave

The only somewhat challenging fight is the one against the two Ghasts at the end of the pathway where you may need to use a Potion to heal up Lightning or Sazh if their HP gets too low. Lightning will automatically activate the elevator at the end of the pathway once she steps on it, leading to the next area.

Anima’s Throne

Map of the Anima’s Throne in the Pulse Vestige for Chapter 02

This is the final area to explore within the Pulse Vestige. Move forward off the elevator to kick off another series of cutscenes involving the entire group of six characters and Serah, Lightning’s sister, and Snow’s fiancée.

The party will now consist of Lightning, Sazh and Snow, the first time that you will have three actual party members as part of your group (Snow’s two little helpers earlier don’t really count). Do a quick review of their equipment before you engage in any battles and make sure that they each have either an Iron Bangle or a Power Wristband equipped in their accessory slot.

There’s one new type of enemy in this area called a Wight which is basically just a flying Ghoul. The only difference is that they are quite a bit more difficult to attack because your party member’s attacks will quite often miss. There isn’t much that you can do to mitigate this though so just keep attacking until you eventually kill them. Just remember that it’s still possible to trigger preemptive attacks against these groups of enemies if you’re diligent.

Battling Ghouls on Animas Throne

The top level has a Save Station and a Treasure Sphere that has five Potions inside it. Save your game and then continue into the next area to trigger your first real boss encounter.

Boss Battle: Anima
Opening cinematic for the battle against Anima

Again, while this is a boss battle, both Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 offer very little in the way of customizing your characters or attacking in any other way besides selecting “Auto-battle” and slowly hacking away at your opponents, so there isn’t much in the way of strategy that you can employ for this fight. There are just two notes worth keeping in mind:

  1. Keep your party members healed up using a Potion if their HP gets low.
  2. Start by attacking the Left Manipulator and the Right Manipulator. This will greatly reduce the amount of incoming damage from Anima as it stops attacking while it attempts to re-summon the two manipulators.

That’s all there is to it. Try to be quick when executing commands in the menus and you will likely walk away with an easy 5-star rating.

Attacking the RIght Manipulator

Check out the video below for a video demonstration:

There are a few more cutscenes that take place after the battle against Anima has concluded. This concludes the second chapter of the game.