Excalibur II (Final Fantasy IX)

The Excalibur II is Steiner's ultimate knight sword, only meant to be obtained as a reward for a successful speedrun of Final Fantasy IX. The Excalibur II teaches Minus Strike, a fixed damage ability based on Steiner's HP, and Climhazzard and Stock Break, which damage all enemies for more than his normal unenhanced Attack. Like the regular Excalibur, the Excalibur II deals Holy-elemental damage with Attack, Stock Break, and Shock.
The Excalibur II is the strongest weapon in Final Fantasy IX, but most players never see it, as to get it, the player will need to reach near the end of the final dungeon in under 12 hours in the in-game clock. This is doable in any version of the game, though the PlayStation PAL version runs slower than the Japanese or North American equivalents. The challenge is easier in Final Fantasy IX Remastered that has a speed-up function. The Excalibur II is more of a trophy item than an ultimate weapon, from an era prior to achievements systems. However, obtaining it still yields The Ultimate Sword achievement/trophy in the versions that support an achievements system.
==Obtain==
The Excalibur II is the hardest weapon to obtain, as the only way to get it is to make it to the final dungeon's Gate to Space (where the party fights Lich) without exceeding 12 hours of playtime. Once Lich is defeated, the player must search the pillar on the right of the room to receive the sword. A message is left near the sword for Gilgamesh, written by Enkido, which reads:
Playing to the final dungeon in under 12 hours is a challenge on any PlayStation version, however, it is even more difficult on PAL where the game runs at a 5/6 speed of NTSC due to a lower frame rate caused by the 50/60 Hz conflict, while the internal clock still runs at normal speed. This essentially requires the challenge to be completed in less than ten hours if it ran at the NTSC frame rate.
A trick to help reduce the time required is to open and close a PlayStation or PlayStation 2 disc tray during an FMV scene to skip it as the internal game time is active during these sequences and will shed the time saved, ~35 minutes. This cannot be done on the PlayStation 3 as opening the disc tray prompts the system to return to the menu screen, or on the digital downloaded versions.
Final Fantasy IX Remastered makes the challenge substantially easier as cutscenes can be skipped, random encounters can be disabled, the player can stat boost their party members to defeat enemies quicker, the battle intros can be disabled, and the player can speed up their game by five times without affecting the internal clock. Even without speeding up the game, it is easily possible to claim the sword in under nine hours by making use of all other enhancements, and even if playing without any enhancements, the Remastered has reduced the enemy encounter rate. In these versions, claiming the sword earns the player the achievement, The Ultimate Sword. Enhancement use does not prevent the player from earning the achievement; it is at the player's discretion whether such use constitutes cheating.
The Excalibur II is not technically missable, although it is missable within reason. It is possible to reset the game clock to allow a player to gain the Excalibur II again if missed the first time by allowing the game's internal clock (not the displayed time) to overflow and restart from the beginning. However, this means 232 / 60 seconds (over two years) of gameplay, assuming that the game is continually on for that time.
==Mechanics==
The base damage dealt with normal attack is determined as follows everywhere but within Ipsen's Castle:
:Base = 108 - Enemy's Defense
:Bonus = [(Strength + Spirit) / 2] + Rnd MOD ([(Level + Strength) / 8] + 1)
:Damage = Base * Bonus
Where Rnd means a random number, while MOD means modulus operation. "Rnd MOD x" can be read as a random number between 0 and x-1.
The damage is then modified by variables like Steiner's equipped killer abilities or MP Attack, his row position, and the enemy's Protect. If Steiner is under Mini, his Bonus will be 1.
When in Ipsen's Castle, the stronger weapons do less damage than weaker weapons, and the Base part of the damage formula with the Excalibur II is altered to the minimum possible damage.
The Excalibur II deals Holy damage with Attack (also via Charge! or Counter), Stock Break, and Shock, meaning these attacks will do 150% damage to enemies weak to Holy, half damage to those resistant to Holy, no damage to those who nullify Holy, and heal those who absorb Holy. Wearing the Mythril Helm or Rebirth Ring together with the Excalibur II has Steiner do +50% more damage with Attack (and Charge!/Counter), but not with the aforementioned Swd Arts. Wearing both at the same time does not stack the effect, but it does stack with the extra damage from enemy weakness and from passive abilities.
==Use==
The Excalibur II is Steiner's best sword by far, and is even stronger than Zidane's Ultima Weapon. If the player went through the trouble in getting it, they likely missed out on many other content along the way and so the abilities the Excalibur II teaches may be Steiner's first contact with them, especially with the Stock Break and Climhazzard. 
When using the Excalibur II it may be worth also equipping Mythril Helm or Rebirth Ring for maximum damage potential.
All of Steiner's knight swords include his Spirit stat in damage calculation; the player can grind his Spirit stat by leveling him up with the Defender equipped.
Steiner can reach maximum damage potential with Shock without needing the Excalibur II; the specialness of it is more in its rarity and as a trophy than as an equipable weapon.
==="Perfect game"===
If one is going after a "perfect" game save, there is much more that needs to be considered than the Excalibur II, such as the many items wth limited availability. To get the S rank medal, one will need to have not missed much treasure. Another issue is achieving "perfect stats"; if one is to make the most of a character's stat potential, one must play a "level 1 game" until endgame when the best stat-boosting equipment becomes available.
There are four battles where EXP must be gained: the three battles fought in Pandemonium, and Tantarian. So players have to choose what characters absorb what EXP. This kind of challenge is probably the hardest challenge available in Final Fantasy on pre-Remastered versions, and for years was thought impossible on the PAL PlayStation version. Later, it was shown that a PAL playthrough is possible, but extremely difficult. The challenge is possible in the PS-one "classics" downloaded version, but difficult due to the inability to skip FMVs.
==Tetra Master==
In a casual playthrough, the only hint that Excalibur II exists is its Tetra Master card, won from the Weapon Master in Treno's card stadium in the endgame.
==Other appearances==
Excalibur II is sometimes noted as Steiner's ultimate weapon in spin-off appearances. In Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the Excalibur II is Steiner's Trust Master, and its description describes it as a sword from Gaia notorious on how difficult it is to obtain. In Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh's fake Tournesol is called "Excalibur II" in the Japanese game code, allusion to how Gilgamesh is always after legendary swords but ends up with counterfeits, and to the Final Fantasy IX message received when the player finds the Excalibur II.
==Gallery== 
Excalibur II FFIX Art.jpg|Artwork.
Excalibur II alt FFIX Art.jpg|Alternate artwork, styled more like Steiner's non-knight swords.
FFIX Excalibur II Art.png|Strategy guide scan.
==Etymology==
The Excalibur II is an upgrade over the regular Excalibur sword, itself a legendary weapon. 
==External links==
*Excalibur II Perfect Game Guide (PS) by Atomos199
*Excalibur II video guide by FuzzfingerGaming
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy IX