Banner Oath

Mozul Station

Follow the only path up through the canyon to the station, built into the side of a cliff. It has a save point and an item shop. A Tablet Shard lies on the platform, at its far left corner. When you are ready, talk to the station attendant by the train and board it.

The train

On board you are free to walk the car. Talk to each party member; Gilgamesh is aboard too, at a window. Once you have spoken to everyone, a stranger introduces himself to Fina and Lid as Jake, just before imperial soldiers come through looking for rebels. The objective becomes escaping them: run right through the cars. Soldiers catch up now and then for short fights; they are weak to Water, so let Nichol lead. At the end the party jumps off the train.

A scene cuts to Umbra of the Sworn Six by a volcano: Dr. Lazarov has made off with the airship The Invincible, and Umbra calls him a traitor. Ignis, he says, will deal with Rain.

On foot to the capital

The party lands in the desert with the capital to the west. Follow the train tracks south-west; the city is just past Capital Station. The open land is worth a detour before you go in — section 2.

Three Sanctums of Light

Shantotto, Cecil and Y'shtola each wait at a Sanctum of Light, behind the Will of Light's usual three questions. Shantotto's sanctum is east of Mozul Station. Y'shtola's is just south of the Weapons Factory, which makes it easy to pick up on the way to the factory later. Cecil's is a short way west of the hideout's desert exit, along the tracks (section 3). The Vision tracker keeps count.

On the ground

Weapons lie in the open: the Clown Hammer for Lid, which can Confuse, and the Annihilaticon for Nichol, at the foot of a lava fall, which lowers defence when it staggers. Two caves on this land hold cave masters, Gogmagog and Pyroviper (section 7); both are well above the party's level on arrival, so note them for later.

Mechabo Evolved ends here

The Mechabo Evolved sub quest, from chapter 2, asks next for three Sandworms, which live in this desert. Kill three, then return to Verun to finish it: the reward is a Magicite, and Lid learns Mecha Behemoth.

Gathering information

The party splits up to avoid attention. Street cars link the districts: use the timetable sign at the stop. The Castle Plaza has a Tablet Shard. The Commercial District has the shops and the Moogle of Light, but prices there are inflated; the Slums sell for less. The man to talk to for the objective is in the Slums, with another Tablet Shard near him. Then take the street car back and go to the alley at the end of the Imperial Hotel street.

The Underground Tunnels

Soldiers recognise the party from the train, and a door opens to shelter you: it is Jake again, who leads you through a passage into tunnels under the city. Detour left first for a Lucky Bell (critical rate up). Further on are two Ethers, a Magicite Shard, two Tablet Shards and a Crimson Pot, which takes a Turbo Ether rather than a fight. A save point stands before the hideout.

Jake joins

The Rebel Hideout has shops, the Moogle of Light, an inn and a save point, and its chests hold a Robe of Roses, a Phoenix Pinion and a Remedy, plus Tablet Shards. Jake is the leader of the rebellion. He tells the party that Zoldaad means to go to war with Grandshelt, that the Fire Shrine has been torn down for a weapons factory that draws on the Fire Crystal, and that the rebels have a stolen pass to get in. Talk to the rebels, then to Jake in his office on the left, and he joins the party. He is a Commando: heavy physical damage that grows with his Luck, which skills like Coin Toss raise, and he fights with guns. Rest at the inn to end the day.

A fight you cannot win

Just inside, Ignis of the Sworn Six blocks the way. The first fight with him is scripted: a fire barrier makes him all but immune, and it ends after a few turns whatever you do. Don't spend MP on it.

Bridges over the lava

The factory is a puzzle: the way to the power generator is a bridge across the lava, lowered in sections by large switches, and smaller switches change how the walkways connect. Work through it by trial and error; each change shows which way the path now runs. Its chests hold Lightning Scroll I ×3, a Magicite, a Hoodwink Garb (good on Jake), Knife of Blind ×3 and two Tablet Shards, and another Crimson Pot wants a Turbo Ether. Use the save point near the ladder before you cross the finished bridge.

Boss: Ignis

Jake destroys the generator, Ignis returns, and Lasswell falls to a flame that burns from the inside. A second scripted fight ends with the party down, until Lasswell's sword wakes and breaks the barrier. Then comes the real fight. Ignis is level 27, weak to Water, and nearly all his attacks are Fire magic, single-target or party-wide; his anger grows as Water hits him, and at its peak he unleashes a boosted attack. Keep Shellga or Nichol's Bulwark up, take as many turns as you can before his come round, and stagger him fast. One walkthrough advises being level 30 for this fight. He drops a Solar Pendant.

• Weak to: Water.
• Bring: Water skills, Shellga or Bulwark, Ethers.

Back at the hideout

The Fire Crystal is already gone when the party reaches its chamber. Return to the Rebel Hideout. A choice there raises one of Lasswell's stats: "I noticed that your magic seems to have a little more kick to it, too" gives +10 MP, "That battle with Ignis was intense…" +3 Strength, and "Seems to me like you're moving quicker than before" +3 Speed. Then go to Jake's room for the plan to take the castle.

The dungeon

Back in the tunnels, a gate that was locked is now open, with a save point past it and a Mist Turbo Ether in a cell on the way. The way in is a trap: Lazarov catches the party, with Lid's brother Evan at his side, and they wake in a cell. Climb the central stairs and head north and west to the guard with the key; he is an easy fight. The key opens every cell. Go through them all: they hold a Pulse Cannon (a gun for Jake), Phoenix Pinions, a Turbo Ether through a hole in one cell's wall, and Tablet Shards, and a prisoner called the Beefy Man hands over an X-Potion and a Mist Ether. Then save at the gated save point and take the stairs up.

The castle and the Throne Room Key

At the top of the stairs Ignis turns up, hunting Lazarov, and comes along as a guest who helps in battle without joining the party. Wraith Soldiers block the hall: an event fight. Upstairs, the throne room is locked; the key is with the captain in the upper-right room. You can talk him down or fight him, and you get the Throne Room Key either way. A Kikokusenga for Lasswell is in the same room. Save at the throne room doors.

Boss: the Emperor of Zoldaad

Level 30, weak to Water, and he starts with two Wraith Praetorians, weak to Water and Earth. Kill the Praetorians first; below half health he calls three more. His heavy hits are Fira, Gravity and the party-wide Hell's Pillar, and Bio poisons. Keep HP and MP topped up and keep the Water coming. He drops an X-Ether.

• Weak to: Water (the Wraith Praetorians to Water and Earth).
• Bring: Water skills, Earth for the Praetorians, a cure for Poison.

After the fight, look behind the hedge to the left of the throne for the Kaiser Sword, a sword for Rain. On the way to the roof is a Mist Turbo Ether.

Event fight: Evan

Lid fights this one alone. It is scripted and gentle: Evan has a knife and the odd Thunder, and plain attacks see it through until the scene takes over. Evan was under Lazarov's control. Freed, he shows the party the airship he and Lid dreamed of as children, finished: the Enterprise. They take it after Lazarov.

Boss: Lazarov and his experiments

Lazarov is level 30 and weak to Earth, but he hides behind three experiments sent out one after another; deal with them first and him last. Between them he casts magic of his own and buffs his creations, so dispel what you can, and keep Protectga, Shellga or Nichol's Bulwark up.

• The Hunger v5 — weak to Light and Fire. It casts Doom, which knocks a character out after three turns: cure it with a Remedy, or be ready to revive.
• Test Subject No. 9 — weak to Water. It tries Slow, Charm and Petrify.
• No. 999 — weak to Wind. Physical attacks, some party-wide.
• Lazarov — weak to Earth, the most HP of the four; once the experiments are gone he boosts himself and it becomes a battle of attrition.

The end of the chapter

Lazarov falls from the deck of The Invincible, and the Wild Rose, the old banner of Zoldaad, flies over the capital again. A choice raises one of Jake's stats: "Glad to have you. We'll be counting on you" for +30 HP, "Your rifles will definitely come in handy" for +3 Strength, "Let's fight for this world — together" for +3 Stamina. Lid learns Enterprise Airstrike. The chapter ends with the Enterprise yours.

The Grandshelt Colosseum and Titan

The colosseum in Grandshelt, the Royal Capital, reopens in this chapter. Its first league, the Fledgling League, is five fights. The fifth pays the Gaia Hammer, which breaks the sealed rock in the Kingdom of Grandshelt that holds Titan: beat him and he joins as an Esper. He is weak to Wind. The rock is north-east of Marauder's Cave, in the desert east of Grandport Harbor; the Esper tracker lists Titan with the rest. Clearing all five Fledgling fights also earns the trophy Just Getting Started.

Cave masters

• Gogmagog — level 34, weak to Light and Wind, in Gogmagog Cave.
• Pyroviper — level 37, weak to Water, in Pyroviper Cave.

Both drop Magicite. They can wait until later; the cave master tracker lists all fifteen.

The trophy of chapter 4

Clearing the chapter earns Viva la Revolución. Nothing in the chapter can lock you out of a trophy; the trophy tracker has the full list.