Exp and AP (Experience Points and Ability Points). Both are essential, and you’ll be looking for ways to increase both from time to time. And there are locations all over the map that’ll help with grinding – but some locations help more with Exp, others help more with AP. With this in mind, I decided to compile some of the best areas in FF6 for each stat you’d be looking to grind.
Exp Grinding Spots
Exp grinding is essential to any RPG. Typically leveling up dictates all of your stat increases, and in the case of most characters, leveling also unlocks their abilities. So here’s a few areas that work best for grinding up that experience.
3. Floating Continent (World of Balance)
The Floating Continent functions as the Point of No Return for the first half of the game. As such, it seems wise and reasonable that the developers made this an ideal spot for last-minute grinding. And this spot actually works for both for levels and AP! Naturally, here you’ll meet some of the toughest enemies that the World of Balance has to offer. You’ll be hunting for Behemoths and Dragons mainly. Very powerful enemies! Each is able to decimate your party if you’re carless. And even the weaker enemies such as the Brainpan or Ninja can be dangerous if you aren’t paying attention to their special attacks. A lot of these enemies also offer great gains in AP, so if you have any last minute spell tutoring to do, now’s your chance.
2. Phoenix Cave (World of Ruin)
This location has to do with Locke’s side quest in the World of Ruin. And it’ll require you to have two active parties, so be prepared! This spot is also a goldmine for Exp gain, especially when you come across a Chaos Dragon! These guys can be scary, and will hit really hard. But they only act on their 2nd and 6th turns. Your best bet is to use your strongest Ice and physical attacks, and damage it as rapidly as possible! Rest assured, though, all the monsters found here will give great experience regardless. The Seaflower gives the lowest at roughly 1300 Exp!
1. Dinosaur Forest (World of Ruin)
Ever watch Jurassic Park? Well in my opinion this small section of the map in the World of Ruin is the remains of it. Definitely make sure to not enter into this area unprepared, or without powerful equipment, magic, and relics equipped. Your targets are the Tyrannosaur and the terrifying Brachiosaur. And both are extremely dangerous with attacks like Meteor and Ultima. So you want to finish these fights as quickly as possible. Pile on that damage! Abilities such as Runic and spells such as Reraise and Curaga will be all but essential in these fights. You’ll come out feeling like you’ve really done battle with these terrors from the past… but the Exp (and the chance of a Celestriad being dropped by a Brachiosaur) will be worth the effort in the end! And once you’re finished with a fight… well, are you waiting for? Go fight another one!
AP Grinding Spots
AP is actually considered by many to be more important than Exp in FF6, as it dictates the rate you’ll be able to learn magic through equipped Magicite. While you can gain AP from most encounters, some are a lot better than others.
3. Triangle Island (World of Balance)
Triangle Island has only one real encounter of note, and defeating it will grant 10 AP. But it will not be easy. The enemy you’ll be tackling is the Intangir. As you’ll be facing off against this creature in the World of Balance, you likely won’t be at a very high level, making this a hard fight. It starts with both the Sleep and Invisible statuses applied. Using a spell on the beast will cause it to wake up and use meteor, which at this point may result in a complete party wipe. So yeah, that’s no fun. If you decide to brave the storm, it’s recommended you use Stop on the Intangir, and Haste on your party. Managing to defeat this foe a few times will easily have you picking up all your desired spells rapidly.
2. The Desert South of Maranda (World of Ruin)
In this spot you’re after two monsters in particular: the Slagworm and the Cactuar (fun fact about me, I dislike Cactuars in every game they appear in.) Slagworms have a lot of HP and can hit hard, but they’re susceptible to Death spells/attacks. Edgar’s Air Anchor and Chainsaw work fantastic here, as well as the Death spell itself. As the Slagworms often appear in pairs, you’ll want to spam these kinds of effects from the outset. The Cactuar actually has only 3 HP. But they have absurdly high defenses and evasion. So it’s advised to use attacks that are unblockable, and abilities like Tools. You can also equip a sniper eye to make sure that your regular attacks land if you want to take the physical route. Cactuars will net around 10 AP, and Slagworms slightly less.
1. Cultist Tower (World of Ruin)
Now this is the best place to obtain AP without gaining any Exp. I hesitate to mention this, but it can also be cheesed quite easily – more on that shortly. Enemies in this area attack solely with magic, so utilizing the Runic ability, or Reflect Rings, will render their spells useless. And in the case of the rings, you don’t really have to do anything to win! They take themselves out. Even the lowest level encounters will net over 5 AP. And since it’s so easy to waltz through these fights, the Cultist Tower makes for an awesome place to gather all your spells. If you’re trying to teach the Ultima spell to everyone, this place will likely be your go-to grinding spot. So slip on some Reflect Rings (or just cast it on your party) and watch the points rack up.
