Catoblepas (Final Fantasy XV)

Catoblepas is an enemy in Final Fantasy XV found in Duscae. They lounge about in the lake in Alstor Slough, but can only be engaged during the hunt Marsh Madness! The Giant Awakens and the tour sidequest Up Close and Personal, though it is recommended to run away in the latter instance. During the tour, even if the player were to engage and fell the catoblepas to finish the quest, in the next scene the duo behaves the same as if they had fled. The tour catoblepas's stats, detailed in the strategy guide, are not added to the bestiary, either, although the game will log it as a kill for the beast.
The side quest A Meat Most Magnificent also directs the player to the bounty hunt Marsh Madness! The Giant Awakens; if the player collects the Catoblepas Brisket successfully after a single battle, the two quests can be completed by expending the effort of only one.
==Bestiary==
:The fable surrounding the Catoblepas holds that the great beast once had a second eye that turned all who met its gaze to stone, but when the solitude grew too much to bear, the catoblepas swallowed its own eye, hiding it from the world forevermore.
:Size: 153.70 ft. Weight: 233.28 t
==Hunt==
==Stats==
==Battle==
The player can target the creature's head, body and legs. Catoblepas resists lightning and light damage, and is weak to ice, polearms and machinery. It stomps on targets near its feet and can rise to its hindlegs to slam its front legs on the ground. This attack can be parried. It sweeps its head along the ground in a wide arc. Attacking its legs can make it topple over and render it vulnerable.
If fought at night from Chapter 8 onwards, Aranea Highwind has a chance to swoop in and help with the battle.
===Strategy===
If fighting it at level upper 30s and low 40s (i.e. the game's minimum recommended level), it is best to bring plenty of Hi-Potions and Elixirs. Prompto should equip accessories that increase maximum HP and Defense. Ignis should equip accessories that increase HP recovery rate. The dish Mother & Child Rice Bowl can increase max HP by 1000, EXP by 30%, and item drop rate by up to 50% dependent on Ignis's cooking; all the ingredients needed can be purchased at Lestallum.
The monster can only attack to the front/side of its head (sweeping) and underneath its feet (stomping). The player can't get damaged by staying behind the monster from a distance. Whenever the player approaches the monster to attack, they should never stay for long. The player should get behind it to deal blindside attacks and to trigger blindside links. The player can quickly swap for a greatsword for a chance of an especially powerful blindside link. Noctis can warp-strike the head, but it can quickly deplete his MP. If Noctis is short on HP and MP, he can warp to the nearby tower to recover. If character-swap is available, Prompto has the easiest time of staying out of the catoblepas's reach. If character-swapping to Ignis, he can use his ice daggers to hit the catoblepas's weakness.
It is best to focus all damage on one of the feet on the monster's backside to topple it over and render it vulnerable. Whenever catoblepas turns its head backward by 180 degrees, Noctis should warp to the opposite direction to always stay facing the backside of the catoblepas's head.
==Behind the scenes==
Catoblepas is based on the summon of the same name from Final Fantasy V. To help get a balanced mix between a classic form and modern form, the artists used Catoblepas's Final Fantasy V design as a starting point and reference, but wanted to make it more realistic to fit with the setting in Final Fantasy XV. Its long neck was seen as a way for it to grasp things underwater, using its tusks to rustle plants. The team even mapped out its bone and muscle structure, examining its movement and shape. The inspiration came from giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceroses. To support its long neck while searching for food, catoblepas uses its front leg muscles, long backbone, and low center of gravity to balance its neck like a suspension bridge while walking, and it has several large ears it can flap to control its body temperature. After the team settled on the final design, they changed its coloring depending on each region so it would blend into its natural environment; in desert regions, catoblepas has a sandy color, while cold regions use bluer hues.
In the updated Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae demo, catoblepas can be fought.https://youtu.be/aCdcUEBDU-w At first they are in the water and thus unreachable, but after doing the tour with Prompto Argentum, one settles on land where it can be approached and fought. It is docile unless provoked and likely to wipe out the party's HP in one hit unless on a high level.
==Gallery==
Catoblepas-FFXV-Artwork.png|Concept art.
Final_Fantasy_XV_Catoblepas_Artwork.jpg|Concept art.
Catoblepas-Bone-Structure-FFXV.png|Bone structure.
Catoblepas-FFXV.png
Swimming next to a Catoblepas from FFXV.png|Swimming next to a sleeping catoblepas.
==Etymology==
==Citations==
Category:Bosses in Final Fantasy XV
Category:Marks in Final Fantasy XV
ru:Катоблепас (Final Fantasy XV)