Ironside (Final Fantasy X-2)

Ironside is an enemy in Final Fantasy X-2 found in the Kilika Woods and in the Zanarkand Dome starting in Chapter 3, and in the Fiend Haunt in Thunder Plains starting at the end of Chapter 4. It is a black-colored palette swap of the Stalwart.
== Stats ==
== Battle ==
The Ironside is a powerful enemy with high stats that can deal 1,020 HP damage to the whole party on its sixth turn. When it opens up its chest cavity to cast Storm Cannon, physical attacks can do ten times as much damage as otherwise.
Just like with the Amorphous Gel, the Ironside's normal attack reduces a character's HP to 1. Its first, third, fourth, and fifth attacks are always a normal attack, its second is always Body Press, and its sixth is always Storm Cannon, which takes a long time to prepare, leaving it open to physical attacks.
In Oversoul, the Ironside only uses magic attacks as long as its Reflect is not dispelled. Ironside spends six rounds casting the lowest level magic and -ra spells before it gets to the -ga spells. When Oversouled, Ironside always casts Reflect on itself as its first move. If this is dispelled, it will do one spell attack, then a normal attack, and finish with Storm Cannon. If a character has Reflect status active, the Ironside will cast Dispel on the party so it can continue attacking with magic. Other than that, an Oversouled Ironside does only magical attacks; the whole range of elemental magic, element by element and level by level, starting at Fire and going all the way to Waterga, and finishing with Ultima, which is dangerous as it can potentially inflict 9,999 damage to one or all members of an unprepared party. Not counting the Shady Duo team (Black Elemental and Mushroom Cloud), Lulu, and Baralai in the Fiend Arena, an Oversoul Ironside encountered in Chapter 3 is the earliest opportunity to see the Ultima spell.
=== Strategy ===
One Alchemist with a Mega Potion Stash, or a White Mage healing the party can keep any party alive. If Ironside's Body Splash kills party members outright, Protect will help. Storm Cannon's damage can be halved with Shell.
The Stamina Tablets it drops double a party member's HP max, and are even more useful as a Mix item; an Alchemist combining them with a simple Potion makes the Mega Vitality effect of doubling both current and maximum HP for the entire party.
For attacking dresspheres, a Warrior, Dark Knight, Samurai, and Mascot are effective. In the remastered versions, a Psychic and powerful captured fiends can be used as well. The Machina Ranger's Impale ability is especially useful as it bypasses the Ironside's Defense stat.
== Creature Creator ==
In the International and HD Remaster versions, when the Ironside is captured in a Trap Pod L via Creature Creator, starting at Chapter 3 in the Zanarkand Ruins and Kilika, it comes armed with Ailment Def., which protects it from all status ailments, and Total Limit Break, which allows it to exceed 9999 damage and HP. It also has Attack, Cure, and Body Splash.
It has high Strength, Defense, Agility (which, while ironic for such a bulky creature, is deliberately done for gameplay balancing reasons), Magic, and Accuracy. It also has moderate Magic Defense, but low Luck and Evasion.
=== Fiend Tale ===
This female Ironside is narcissistic and hiding something. She complains about not being fed enough food during her stay with Shinra and the other captured creatures. This is because she wasn't alone; she had someone with her, but the identity of this/these extra people is not revealed until the Ironside's release.
When released to the Zanarkand Ruins, she runs to a peak and tells whomever she was talking about to come out of hiding. The Ironside opens her chest where her cannon is located, and releases a countless number of the eyeball fiends. One of them approaches her and tells her that the humans were not as scary as they were originally believed.
== Related enemies ==
*Stalwart
=== Final Fantasy X ===
*Barbatos
*Vorban
=== Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission ===
*Stalwart
Category:Enemies in Final Fantasy X-2