Final Fantasy VII - The Weapons
Final Fantasy VII has some creatures called Weapons. They are basically huge creatures that were released from the planet at some point during the story. Some are destroyed as part of the story, while some you can defeat at any point in the game and are optional. This guide focussed on Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon since these are the most difficult to defeat.
Ruby Weapon
Ruby Weapon is located in the Desert near the Gold Saucer. If you have reached the point in the game where the Weapons have been unleashed then you will have no problems finding him when you get there. To initiate the battle, simply crash the Highwind or a gold chocobo into him. Best read on to see how to prepare before doing that however.
| Statistics | |||
| HP | MP | EXP | AP |
| 800000 | 2560 | 45000 | 50000 |
| Main Attacks | |
| Attack | Effect |
| Whirlsand | Removes ally from the battle. |
| HP Shot | Counter attack. Removes a large amount of HP. |
| MP Shot | Removes a lot of HP from one ally. |
| Ultima | Removes a lot of MP from one ally. |
Strategy
The battle can be very simple if you acquire some of the best materia in the game. If you don't have this materia then you will struggle and be unlikely to win. Still, it's possible. The strategy I used is the one I'm describing so it will work. If you don't have multiple Final Attack materia then you will still be able to defeat him, but it may be harder. Similarly, if you lack multiple Mime materia. If you don't have more than one Mime, then your other characters must have W-Summon and Knights of the Round summon at level 2 or above. Anyway, set your characters up as follows:
| Cloud |
 W-Summon. Knights of the Round at level 2 or above. Final Attack paired with Phoenix. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. | Second Ally |
Final Attack paired with Phoenix or  Revive. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. | Third Ally |
| Final Attack paired with Phoenix or Revive. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. |
Note: It is essential that you kill your second and third allies before you enter the fight. It may sound crazy, but if you enter the fight with them both dead then Ruby Weapon will not remove anyone from the battle. You can revive them as soon as the battle starts.
Defeating Him
I am assuming you're at the point above, where you have entered the battle with two dead characters and have revived them. The next step is to cast W-Summon Knights of the Round with Cloud. Mime this attack with your other two characters to cast Knights of the Round a total of six times. Depending on how much damage your attacks do, this may be enough to defeat him. If not, simply Mime it again.
One problem is that Ruby Weapon will often counter attack your Knights of the Round with Ultima. This may end up killing characters before the chain of six Knights of the Rounds finish. If this happens, you will be forced to interrupt the chain to revive them. If your Knights of the Round is only at level 2 then this will cause problems since you won't be able to recast it. For a much easier victory, you should aim to have Knights of the Round at level 4 or above.
Reward
You will receive a Desert Rose. Take this to the man in Kalm and you will receive a gold chocobo. For more information on this quest, see the tips page.
Emerald Weapon
Emerald Weapon is located underwater, in the area between Junon and the Gold Saucer. If you have reached the point in the game where the Weapons have been unleashed then you will have no problems finding him when you get there. To initiate the battle, simply crash the submarine into him. Best read on to see how to prepare before doing that however.
| Statistics | |||
| HP | MP | EXP | AP |
| 1000000 | 100 | 50000 | 50000 |
| Main Attacks | |
| Attack | Effect |
| Physical | Around 3500 damage to all allies. |
| Emerald Beam | Around 7000 to one ally. |
| Emerald Shot | Around 6500 damage to all allies. |
| Revenge Stomp | Counters with around 3000 damage to all allies. |
| Blue Laser | Around 3500 damage to one ally. |
| Yellow Laser | Around 500 MP damage to one ally. |
| Aire Tam Storm | Damage = materia orbs equipped *1111. |
Strategy
The strategy is very similar to that of Ruby Weapon, so I won't repeat my paragraph about the importance of having the right materia. However, one important note is that this battle has a 20 minute time limit. Using my strategy it is quite possible to defeat him within this time, but if you run out of Knights of the Round casts you will not be able to. The Underwater materia will remove the timer from the battle. To find out how to get this, check the materia page. Anyway, set your characters up as follows:
| Cloud |
| W-Summon. Knights of the Round at level 4 or above. Final Attack paired with Phoenix. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. | Second Ally |
| Final Attack paired with Phoenix or Revive. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. | Third Ally |
| Final Attack paired with Phoenix or Revive. Mime HP Pluses until HP is 9999. |
Note: You should not equip any more materia to your characters. Since Aire Tam Storm will do damage based on how many you have equipped, it will help you if you can keep the damage of this attack low. If you really must add more materia then do not equip more than 8.
Defeating Him
Once you enter the battle cast W-Summon Knights of the Round with Cloud. Mime this attack with your other two characters to cast Knights of the Round a total of six times. If you're still alive, keep miming. Depending on how much damage your attacks do, you may need to use Knights of the Round between 9-12 times..
You will die at some point and get your chain of Knights of the Round interrupted, that's why I have set the minimum for this Weapon as a Knights of the Round with level 4. I'm not saying it's impossible with less, but it will be extremely difficult. If you do have to revive people, recast W-Summon Knights of the Round and Mime again.
Reward
You will receive an Earth Harp. Take this to the man in Kalm and you will receive a set of Master Summon, Master Magic and Master Command materia. For more information on this quest, see the tips page.