While they lack the nuance of some of the other classes, they make up for it with sheer vitality and power, by being the only job to have access to every single HP, Battle Lore, and Swiftness node. Their weapon of choice is the pole. And just like the Monk, these weapons are very consistent and have no real weaknesses to speak of – yet also don’t have any of the exciting features weapons of other jobs can bring. But what they lack in power, they make up for with their ability to hit flying creatures, plus their combo potential and relatively high evasion rate. So let’s take a look at which weapons are worth tracking down for your Monk in FFXII.
5. Ivory Pole
The Ivory Pole is the best staff money can buy. That is to say, it’s the only staff on this list that can be purchased from a normal shop. Its stats reflect its ready availability, and so it’s the lowest attack of all the contenders on this list. But that’s not to devalue its worth as a great weapon to bridge the gap to bigger and better things. How to Get: Pick it up at Balfonheim Port, or try to farm it a bit earlier from a chest in the Feywood – The Edge of Reason.
4. Sweep
The straightforward stat growth of poles makes this an easy recommendation for those that are lucky enough to randomly find this while grinding the Cerobi Steppe. It’s definitely an upgrade to the Ivory Pole, but the nature of loot from the Steppe makes the 5 attack power difference hard to recommend grinding for. How to Get: Farm from a chest in the Cerobi Steppe – South Liavell Hills with a Diamond Armlet equipped.
3. Eight-fluted Pole
Here’s an easier pole to recommend as an upgrade over the Sweep, because of its higher attack power and acquisition. If grinding really isn’t your thing, the Ivory Pole can still service you until you’re able to make it to the site of the next entry. How to Get: This can be farmed from chests in Cerobi Steppe – North Liavell Hills with a Diamond Armlet equipped at a rate lower than the Sweep. But if you’re interested in getting high-tier weapons from the bazaar, I’d recommend farming it as a drop from the Rare Game enemy Etherian which can spawn after the entirety of the Cerobi Steppe – The Northsward area has been cleared of enemies. To respawn him for multiple tries, just leave the zone and immediately re-enter, then check the east side of the map near the windmills.
2. Whale Whisker
As the best pole in the original version of the game, this totally-not-a-spear is a significant upgrade from any of the previously mentioned poles. And it only requires your party to be strong enough to make it the chest that spawns it, as it has a 100% chance of being in the location it’s supposed to be. Easy, right? How to Get: After acquiring the Site 11 Key, the chest will always spawn in Lhusu Mines – Site 6 North. Alternatively, it can also be farmed in the Cerobi Steppe – Tsenoble with a Diamond Armlet equipped – but the time required for that makes it a much less desirable method.
1. Kanya
This ultimate pole doesn’t actually have significantly more power than the Whale Whisker (and it’s got the same visual render, too). But the Kanya makes up for this similarity by being the only pole to have higher combo rate and evasion than any other pole. The Kanya can also potentially inflict Immobilize on a foe, which may have some practical uses here and there in your battles over Ivalice. How to Get: As with most ultimate weapons, the main drawback to the Kanya is acquiring the materials to craft it in the bazaar. You’ll need 3 Mythrils, 3 Corpse Flies, and 4 Aquarius Gems to get this to appear as “Whisker of the Beast” in the bazaar.
