Video Game Guide: Getting the Zodiac Spear in Final Fantasy XII PAL

This guide is for getting the most powerful weapon, the Zodiac Spear, in the PAL version of Final Fantasy XII.

Lowtown (South Sprawl)
Do not open the isolated urn found opposite the entrance to Old Dalan's home.

Rabanastre Royal Palace (Cellars)
There are two urns in the south-east side of the Cellars. Do not open the one on the south-eastern corner.

Nalbina Dungeons (The Confiscatory)
After collecting your belongings from the Confiscatory, you will find that there are three urns in the room. Do not open the urn in the middle of the room (the one directly opposite the save crystal).

*spoiler warning*

After you obtain the Dawn Shard it is possible to get the Zodiac Spear. However getting it this early would be extremely difficult and tantamount to a suicide mission for your party.

Whenever you are ready, head to the West Barbican from the Nalbina Aerodome, then head north-west to the Mosphoran Highwaste. If there is a cut scene showing the guards blocking the entrance to the Mosphoran Highwaste just hire a Chocobo and charge at them. It is probably a wise idea anyway to continue with the Chocobo for this venture if your party is too weak. Continue north-west until you reach the beautiful Salikawood.

Find the zone with the teleport crystal (there is a wandering moogle nearby), save, then head north and defeat the optional boss Bomb King. He is pretty easy if your party is fully equipped with Flame Shields. Just cast silence so he couldn't call for help, then pound it with physical or water-based Black Magick attack. He will renew his HP a couple of times but just keep on pounding. Make sure to use a handkerchief every time a party member is hit with oil. If you have Belias, summon him.

After felling the Bomb King, head westwards to the Necrohol of Nabudis and watch the cut scene (which may not appear if you come too early in the game). The Zodiac Spear is in the middle of the room at the third zone (Cloister of the Highborn). Getting there is tricky as the dungeon is fiendishly difficult to fight through at this stage of the game, and your party will most likely be wiped out after only a couple of hits. As it is likely that your party level is around the low 30s, I would recommend fleeing through the dungeon both ways (make sure you equip Libra, Protect and Float!), or just take the sensible option and ignore this whole side quest until you grind your way up to Level 50-53, like I did.

Regardless, the Zodiac Spear is in the second urn (of the cluster of 16) from the left from the direction of the room entrance. DO NOT open the urn if you are equipped with a Diamond Armlet!

N
x x x x
x x x x - Entrance
x x x o
x x x x
S

o= Open urn without Diamond Armlet equipped to receive Zodiac Spear.
x= Open once you are equipped with a Diamond Armlet, if you care to receive Dark Matter.

Congratulations, you are now in the possession of the most powerful raw physical weapon in Final Fantasy XII with its +150 attack and +8 evasion. Sadly if your party level is low, the weapon won't be of much help in physically fighting your way out. So try to flee out. If you have the chance try to visit the secret shop in the northern part of the first zone.

If you wisely chose to ignore the Zodiac Spear for now and continue with the main quest, there is another treasure urn that must not be opened:

Phon Coast (The Vaddu Strand)
Among the group of 16 treasure urns, do not open the third urn from the north-west corner.

N
x x o x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
S

o= DO NOT open!
x= Open once you are equipped with a Diamond Armlet, if you care to receive Dark Matter.

If you accidentally did open any of the urns, there is another chance of getting the Zodiac Spear. There is an urn in the Phase 2 Dig zone in the Henne Mines, which when opened the party leader must be equipped with a Diamond Armlet. There is a 10% probability that an item will manifest from the urn. Of that, there is only a 10% probability it will be the spear. So really you will have a 0.1% chance of getting the Zodiac Spear there. Good luck!

Credits: Necrohol of Nabidus map by Seph, NeoGAF, Coca Cola, Piggyback and Square-Enix for making a damn good game.