How To Recruit Cloud Strife In Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
If you follow a certain course of action very carefully, you can recruit Cloud Strife to your party in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. FF Tactics’ many cameos are its worst-kept secret: you can recruit both FF7’s protagonist and FF12’s Balthier in the War of the Lions version.
Only Cloud’s cameo, however, has been carried over into The Ivalice Chronicles — most War of the Lions content has been cut in the new remaster. The Ivalice Chronicles also changes a couple of aspects of Cloud’s recruitment questline, although the broad strokes remain the same. Here’s everything you need to do to get Cloud to join your party in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.
How To Start Cloud’s Questline In FF Tactics
Prerequisites
In order to recruit Cloud, you’ll have to play through FInal Fantasy Tactics until you reach Chapter 4 of the main story. You can start this questline as soon as you have access to the Clockwork City of Goug in Chapter 4.
You’ll also need to recruit a variety of other characters first, including Mustadio. He joins automatically in Chapter 2, but make sure you keep him in your party throughout this quest. In other words, don’t dismiss him once he joins; you don’t have to bring him into battle, he just needs to be playable.
Get The Iron Sphere
At some point during Chapter 4, visit the Clockwork City of Goug. You’ll watch a brief cutscene in which Besrudio gives you a strange iron sphere, and asks for your help in activating it.
Recruit Beowulf & Reis
Next, travel to the Mining Town of Gollund and visit the tavern, where you’ll hear a rumor called “The Haunted Mine.”
Go to the Royal City of Lesalia to watch a cutscene involving Beowulf. When given the choice:
“Sorry, I’ve no need of hired steel.”
“How much coin would buy your blade?”
You should choose the second option in order to temporarily recruit Beowulf, whom you’ll need in your party for the next step.
Head on back to the Mining Town of Gollund, where you can fight in a gauntlet of four battles.
Keep Reis (the dragon) alive through all four battles. These can be difficult fights, so make sure to come prepared.
After you finish, Beowulf and Reis will join the party permanently. Beowulf will give you the Aquarius Stone, which is what you need to activate the iron sphere.
Recruit Construct 8
Go back to Goug to activate the iron sphere with the Aquarius Stone.
This will allow you to recruit Construct 8, another party member.
How To Recruit Cloud In FF Tactics
Find Aerith (Flower Peddler)
Continue through the main story until you complete the Fort Besselat battles.
Travel to the newly unlocked Trade City of Sal Ghidos.
There, you’ll be approached by a familiar Flower Peddler, who’ll give you the following options:
“I’ve no need of flowers.”
“Very well, I’ll have a flower.”
You should buy the flower; after all, it’s only a gil.
Beat Construct 7
Return to Goug to watch another cutscene, in which Besrudio finds another Construct.
Travel to Zeltennia and visit the tavern to hear a new rumor, “The Cursed Island of Nelveska.”
Go to Nelveska Temple to do battle with Construct 7, along with some other assorted monsters. Note that the Cockatrice can inflict Stone, so bring Gold Needles or equip Jade Armlets to avoid succumbing to it.
This rewards you with the Cancer Stone.
Find Cloud
Return to Goug yet again to find Cloud for the first time — he has a brief cutscene here in which he struggles to remember his past before fleeing.
Next, head back to Sal Ghidos, where you’ll find Cloud defending Aerith against a group of thieves. Defeat them, ensuring that Cloud and Aerith remain alive; Cloud can generally hold his own, but may get overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies here.
After the battle, Cloud will ask to join your party. Choose to recruit him, of course, and he’ll stick around.
Cloud’s Stats In FF Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Cloud Has A Unique Class & Limit Break Skills
Although the cool factor is reason enough to recruit him, Cloud is also an incredibly powerful party member in Final Fantasy Tactics. With naturally high Bravery and Faith, he’s a boon in almost any battle.
Cloud also comes with a unique Job — Soldier — with its own Limit command. This allows Cloud to activate some of his characteristic Limit Breaks from FF7.
How To Find The Materia Blade+ In FF Tactics
Although Cloud already comes with the powerful Materia Blade in The Ivalice Chronicles version of FF Tactics, you can further upgrade his weapon by following a quest to unlock the Materia Blade+.
For this, you’ll have to travel to Mount Bervenia once you’ve recruited Cloud. Add one character with the Treasure Hunter ability (or its equivalent) to your party, and, during the fight, send them to the high pillar in the corner of the map to find the Materia Blade+.
This is a more powerful version of the regular Materia Blade, with higher base damage and the ability to boost Cloud’s magick attack power. This will allow Cloud to reach his full potential as a party member in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles.
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star
Released
September 30, 2025
ESRB
Teen / Fantasy Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Language, Drug Reference
Developer(s)
Square Enix
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Franchise
Final Fantasy
Number of Players
Single-player
PC Release Date
September 30, 2025
15 Images