Best Machinist Weapons in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Out of all the jobs in The Zodiac Age, Machinist is undeniably one of the most versatile.

With that being said, they are often paired with other jobs in order to shore up their weaknesses, or to give the Machinist a bit more diversity.

Part of their ability to do this is their unique combination of weapons: guns, measures, and hand bombs.

And to help you get the most effective use out of this odd job, let’s take a look at the best weapons available to the Machinist in FF12.

10. Aldebaran

By far the most unremarkable weapon on this list, the Aldebaran is still a solid mid-level gun.

What’s more, it’s still easy to acquire since it’s purchasable from shops.

It only edges out the lower powered guns for a spot on the list here, as the stronger guns tend to fulfill their niche better as the game progresses.

How to Get: Either purchase or farm it at the Phon Coast or buy it at Archades.

9. Spica

The Machinist shares this gun license with the Shikari, so it’s a high mileage weapon that merits acquiring.

Far from the best, yet still absolutely useful at the time you can get one.

It’s also fairly easy to get, so if you’re in need of a gun upgrade, this is a fine choice.

How to Get: Buy it at Balfonheim Port. Alternatively, find it in a treasure chest in the Feywood – The Edge of Reason.

8. Volcano

Hand bombs are a weird weapon in FF12, in that they calculate their damage based on Vitality (which in this game affects how long status effects stay on you).

The only character whose Vitality isn’t up to par with the rest is Basch (who probably has better options anyway).

So if you’re looking to make use of a relatively powerful ranged weapon that does have scaling on a class like White Mage, for example, the Volcano isn’t a terrible choice.

How to Get: It can be farmed from treasure chests in the Cerobi Steppe – The Northsward, or from the Hunt “Paying for the Past,” which is the Hunt for Catoblepas.

7. Caliper

The first measure on our list bestows the ever-useful Haste buff, simply through beating your own party members with it.

The issue with measures in general comes from their unreliable nature.

They don’t guarantee a buff on every hit.

While it is more consistent than not, there are other ways to gain a Haste buff (without taking u p a whole weapon slot), thus the low ranking.

But the inclusion of measures in FF12 means that you can either save mana for bigger and better spells, or buff on someone who otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

How to Get: The earliest means of getting this measure doing the “Rodeo to the Death” Hunt, which has some prerequisites. Otherwise you’ll be waiting ‘til the Cerobi Steppe – North Liavell Hills to farm it.

6. Antares

The fourth best gun here only has one real drawback:

It’s the first gun that can’t be bought.

If you do happen upon it, you’ll have yourself a solid weapon until you get to any of the Machinist weapons in our top 5.

How to Get: Look for it at the Cerobi Steppe – Old Elanise Road.

5. Makara

This ultimate hand bomb fulfills much the same purpose as the Volcano, but obviously much better.

The real reason the Makara is worth getting is because once you’re able to access its singular spawn location, it’s a guaranteed pick up from the chest.

So on the whole, it’s worth going out of your way for this one.

How to Get: Once you’re able to access Henne Mines – Phase 2, loot the whole place. The chest is a guaranteed spawn and will always contain the Makara.

4. Multiscale

I’d argue that the Multiscale is the measure most worth getting.

It functions similarly to all the other measures – bop for buff – but it gives the incredible Bravery buff.

If you’re not sure how that works, Bravery boosts physical damage to 130%.

And not only is this measure one of the few ways to actually get Bravery, but the measure itself is also not a pain to get – which is always a plus for me.

How to Get: Another guaranteed chest spawn and drop in the Lhusu Mines – Site 3.

3. Arcturus

The Arcturus can be acquired super early on – as early as the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea, if you’re willing to take the time to acquire the bazaar components.

This means that you’re not only acquiring the 3rd most powerful gun, which could serve you appropriately through when you’d naturally get it (or maybe well into late-game), but it also means that you can trivialize a large portion of the game with the Arcturus’ stat-independent damage.

How to Get: The early strategy requires you to steal 2 Wyvern Wings from the Wyvern Lord Hunt, obtainable after you escape from the Leviathan (also available from the Aeros Rare Game enemy a bit later). If you don’t kill it, you can steal from it multiple times by running 2 screens away before trying again. The Yensa Fins and Salamand Halcyon are also around the Sandsea from poaching Yensas and stealing from Salamand Entites.

The non-early acquisition method is from chests in the Lhusu Mines – Site 5, or the Cerobi Steppe – North Liavell Hills.

2. Fomalhaut

The Fomalhaut is a suitably powerful late-game weapon, easily able to contend with anything you’d want to use a gun for.

If you’re willing to take the steps to access all of the Henne Mines, it’s also easy to acquire.

Luckily, it’s also available with a little more grinding to those who don’t want to bother.

How to Get: It’s a guaranteed treasure from the Henne Mines – Phase 2 Dig. Alternatively, you can farm chests at the Cerobi Steppe – Feddik River.

1. Mithuna

Of course, the Machinist’s ultimate signature weapon is also the best weapon for them by a long shot.

The Mithuna is a powerhouse of a gun, boasting not only the highest attack of all the guns but also a 2.5x higher evade rate, and a 2x critical rate.

I’ll admit, this one’s quite difficult to acquire.

But it’s definitely worth the effort if you’re even remotely invested in a Machinist.

How to Get: Prepare to grind a tough enemy. The Emperor Scales that are required to produce the bazaar set for the Mithuna, Mudslinger, only drop from Archaeoaevises, which are in the center of the Zertinan Caverns. You’ll need 2 of those Emperor Scales, 3 Silver Liquids, 8 Earth Crystals, and 120,000 gil.