Ward (Final Fantasy VIII party member)

Ward is a temporarily playable character in Final Fantasy VIII. He is playable during dream sequences, and is in Laguna's party. He wields a giant harpoon, which he throws at an enemy, and then runs up to retrieve it for another attack. His Limit Break is Massive Anchor, which hits all enemies. As with other characters, a Triple Triad card based on Ward can be obtained.
==Party member==
When playable, Ward takes on the level and junctions of someone in Squall's party; Squall himself always inhabits Laguna in dreams. During the dream in Timber and Deling City, Ward gains Selphie's junctions. During the dream in Centra Excavation Site, he gains Quistis's junctions.
During the D-District Prison scenario, Zell Dincht is implied to have inhabited Ward in a dream, but this scene is not playable. In the following dreams at the Vienne Mountains and Esthar, the player can pick whose junctions Ward gets out of Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine.
His intro pose is to rest his harpoon on his shoulder before thrusting it into the ground. His victory pose is to rotate his harpoon over his head and rest it across his back.
===Weapon===
Being playable only in dreams where junk shops are not even available, Ward's weapon cannot be upgraded. His weapon is called Harpoon and has gives 16 Strength and 98 Hit Rate.
===Limit Break===
320px|right|Massive Anchor
Ward's Limit Break is the Massive Anchor. He throws the harpoon into the air and jumps after it. Once caught, he rides it down into the ground, creating a shockwave that damages all enemies with physical damage. It is similar to a Dragoon's Jump attack from other Final Fantasy games. Massive Anchor's attack power is 150, even higher than that of Lion Heart, but it only hits once.
===Stats===
Ward's stats are modified by the junction system; he automatically inherits the junctions of someone from Squall's party, but the player can change them. As his Limit Break is physical, giving him Guardian Forces with STR-J would be optimal, however, the dreams are not difficult and don't really feature boss encounters, outside of perhaps the Ruby Dragon in a dream that Ward may not even attend (see below).
==Triple Triad==
Ward is a Level 10 Character Card in Triple Triad used for playing the minigame and for turning into 3 Gaea's Rings with Quezacotl's Card Mod. The card is held by Dr. Odine of Esthar City.
==Quests==
===Ward in Vienne Mountains===
During the bit where Squall visits Rinoa in the Balamb Garden infirmary, his dream transports him to the Vienne Mountains where Laguna and his friends are shooting a movie. If the player found Timber Maniacs #9 before the dream is played in the game, Ward will not appear alongside Laguna and Kiros. This will make the scenario's Ruby Dragon battle easier, as it won't use its Breath, Firaga, or Meteor attack when there are only two party members in the battle. If the player forgoes reading the magazine before this dream, Ward will be in the dream and playable in the battle against the Ruby Dragon.
Timber Maniacs #9 is found in Shumi Village, in the Artisan's house. On Selphie's Sir Laguna's Page, she comments on Ward not being in the photo on the magazine, wondering where he is, but Ward actually does appear on the very left edge. 
Category:Character gameplay in Final Fantasy VIII
Category:Guest characters