Final Fantasy X Blitzball Guide

Blitzball is the popular mini-game of Final Fantasy 10; you can play it at save points once you participate in your first Blitzball tournament. (You can only play it at Level 2 Save Travel Spheres).

The Basics

The Teams are:

Besaid Aurouchs
Kilika Beasts
Luca Goers
Ronso Fangs
Al Bhed Psyches
Guado Glories

The players of Blitzball have different stats and are best suited for different positions. You default setup can be effective, however by recruiting new and better players, you can make your team even stronger. (Press the SQUARE button to recruit someone, not everyone plays Blitzball though

Blitzball is played in two halves of 5 minutes each. The game ends right on time, last shots or passes are not allowed. The game also has a few ways of controlling players; manual and auto. Obviously once you become more experienced you would switch to manual movement, auto is good for beginners.

Statistics

In Blitzball, everyone has statistics that affect their ability to perform certain actions. Blocking, passing, attacking, catching and shooting all rely on the player's stats. i.e If a player's SH (Shot) is lower than the Goal Keeper's CA (Catch), then the player has a very small chance of scoring.

HP - Hitpoints	A players' energy or Stamina. It slowly decreases and HP is required to do certain special attacks.
SP - Speed	How fast a player moves. This affects you ability to catch and out run other players in the water.
SH - Shot	The ability to shoot the ball into a goal. You score if your SH is higher than the opponents CA. SH slowly goes down as friction slows it down. SH also decreases from opponents trying to block the ball.
PA - Pass	The ability to pass a ball. This number slowly decreases as the ball travels. The pass can only be caught if the PA is above 0 by the time it reaches the person catching the ball.
EN - Endurance	The ability to withstand attacks. The endurance is a defensive number. If the endurance is higher than an opponents AT, then you can break through them. Every time you break, you lose some EN.
AT - Attack	The ability to take out a person breaking. If the AT is higher than the EN, you will cause the opposing player to fumble the ball.
BL - Block	The ability to block an oncoming pass or shot. If a person chooses to pass or shoot instead of break, the SH/PA is measured against the defender's BL. A higher BL than the SH/PA means the player will intercept the ball.
CA - Catch	The Goalies' ability to block a shot. If the CA is higher than the SH, the goal will be saved.

Blitzball Playing

Teams are made:

LF Left Forward (need good SH and EN)
RF Right Forward (need good SH and EN)
MF Midfielder (needs best PA and AT)
LD Left Defense (needs good AT and EN)
RD Right Defense (needs good AT and EN)
GL Goalie (needs best CA)

When you have the ball, press the SQUARE button to open a menu, as long as no opponents nearby, you can choosen 1 of these options:

Dribble (Move around)
Shoot (Attempt a Shot)
Pass (Attempt a Pass)

If you choose no break, you will attempt to do an action while risking the ball by being caught by the opponents. You can also break to a person. You break through 1 person by choosing the first person on the list to break through. You break through all of them by picking the last one. When you try to get through opponents, the enemy AT is subtracted from your EN. If the number is higher than zero, the break suceeds, and you have 1 less opponent to worry about catching your ball. If you break through all the opponents, you have a clear shot or pass, or you can keep dribbling the ball.

Formulas

Note that all the stats (AT, BL, SH) have a randomizer attached to them. This changes the number by 50%-150%, meaning a shot against a goal with 5, while the goal keeper has a 6 CA, means the shot has a slight chance of going in.

Breaking success:
EN - AT
If number left is higher than zero, you break
If number left is zero, you fumble the ball

Normal pass with no one blocking:
If PA is above zero when it reaches the catcher, its a pass
If number left is zero when it reaches the catcher, you fumble the ball

Passing success against a block:
PA - BL
If number left is higher than zero, you pass
If number left is zero, the opposition intercepts the ball

Shooting success against a goal keeper:
SH - CA
If number left is higher than zero, you score
If number left is zero, you don't score

Status Effects

Certian abilites in Blitzball cause Status effects on other players; they are listed below.

Sleep (Nap): The sleep ability will put a target to sleep under certain conditions. The player stops moving and cannot be played. Sleep can be cured in three ways;

You can throw the ball to that person, who will be hit by the ball and then wake up.
Once a goal is scored, all players will wake.
Wait for a certain time frame and the player will wake naturally.

Wither (Stat killer): A player inflicted with Wither will experience a reduction in certain statistics by half, indicated by blue lettering. A withered player can only be cured in two ways;

Wait for the effect to wear off
Wait for end of the half

A withered person performs poorly when vital stats like SH ans PA are affected. Use this to your advantage

Poison (Venom): Poison increases the HP loss of a person by triple the normal ammount. This also hinders the players ability to use any shot techs at all until the poison wears off over time. Pile Venom will hinder the ability to use any special techs at all until the venom is gone. Only way to remove this effect is to wait; either til the end of a half or after a certain time frame. Players recover no HP whilst under this effect.

Formations

By pressing Triangle, you can choose your movement, then your teams formation.

Normal Formation: Defenders and Forwards try to go after the guy with the ball while not moving too far away from their normal areas. The MF tries to get the main guy to any extent, except for going far into the opponents area.

Marking Formation: Before the game, you can mark opponents. When this formation is on, all the players go after the marked person. This is effective to mark a good shooter etc.

Left Side: Players chase anyone down who has the ball in the left side of the Sphere arena. The other side is left defenseless.

Right Side: Players chase anyone down who has the ball in the right side of the Sphere Arena. The other side is left defenseless.

Center: The defenders are focused into the center, leaving the rest of the field defensless. This is effective against opponents who have their shooters go stright down the middle. This is also effective for you offense, because you have back-up very close.

All Defense: Your whole team defends your side of the Sphere pool, creating a hard defense for opponents to get through. They find themselves rushed by up to 4 blockers at a time. However, your going to be the only one who tries to enter the other side of the pool to score.

Flat Line: Your entire team goes on offense, leaving your goal open. You teamates will get early blocking on the enemy though. This formation is good when you need people blocking others in order for you to get a solid shot in.

Counter: Ally our defenders block both goals on the field. This still leaves your goal somewhat open to distant shots. Blocking their goal helps slightly, but your better off with something else.

Double Side: Places the defenders and forwards into the sides of the pool, on each side of the goals. This creates a good defense and an okay defense. Opponents will find it very hard to get a goal in while this mode is in. The two defenders side attack any threat to the goal.

Techniques

To Learn some new abilities, you can have your players 'Mark' specific opponents. When an opponent uses one of their abilities, the words TECHCOPY will appear. Press X while it says it to learn how to use that ability. (Japanese version is CIRCLE not X) (You can mark opponents with your players before matches and at half-time). When you press X at TECHCOPY, 3 things can happen:

You learn the ability. It says who learned it on the bottom.
You do not learn the ability. It says your level is too low.
You do not learn the ability. Your hear a buzz sound. (Pressed to late)

Your Forwards need to have a TACKLE ability and a SHOT ability. Try to give your MF (midfielder, the passing guy) passing abilities and a tackle. Give your defenders Tackles and PASSING abilities and give the Goalie, Goalie abilities (Grip, Super Goalie, etc.).

List of Techniques

Technique	HP Cost	Description
Anti-Drain	Costs 10 HP	50% Preventing of Drain Attacks
Anti-Drain 2	Costs 50 HP	100% Preventing of Drain Attacks
Anti-Nap	Costs 40 HP	50% of blocking Sleep
Anti-Nap 2	Costs 210 HP	100% of blocking sleep
Anti-Venom	Costs 5 HP	50% chance of blocking poison
Anti-Venom 2	Costs 50 HP	100% chance of blocking posion
Anti-Wither	Costs 30 HP	50% chance of blocking wither
Anti-Wither 2	Costs 200 HP	100% chance of blocking wither
Aurochs Spirit	Costs 600 HP	Adds total SH of team to Wakkas SH
Brawler	Costs 10 HP	60% of being in encounters from far
Drain Tackle	Costs 0 HP	Absorb 30 HP
Drain Tackle 2	Costs 0 HP	Absorb 150 HP
Drain Tackle 3	Costs 0 HP	Absorb 500 HP
Elite Defense	Costs 5 HP	Interecpt ball farther away
Gamble	Costs 300 HP	Random Stats after waking up
Golden Arm	Costs 30 HP	Slower SH and PA decrease while traveling
Good Morning	Costs 80 HP	Makes charcter better after waking up
Grip Gloves	Costs 30 HP	Raises goalkeepers ball contro;
High Risk	Costs 300 HP	Lower stats dramaticlly while doubling EXP
Invisible Shot	Costs 220 HP	Ball is invisbale, control with analog
Jecht Shot	Costs 120 HP	Downs 2 blocking players. SH+5
Jecht Shot 2	Costs 999 HP	Downs 3 blocking players. SH+10
Nap Pass	Costs 40 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Pass 2	Costs 200 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Pass 3	Costs 510 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Shot	Costs 45 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Shot 2	Costs 80 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Shot 3	Costs 350 HP	Puts opponent to sleep if they touch ball
Nap Tackle	Costs 40 HP	If EN=0, oppenent falls asleep. AT+3
Nap Tackle 2	Costs 90 HP	If EN=0, oppenent falls asleep. AT+5
Nap Tackle 3	Costs 180 HP	If EN=0, oppenent falls asleep. AT+7
Pile Venom	Costs 30 HP	Poisons enemy dramaticlly
Pile Wither	Costs 70 HP	Withers enemy dramaticlly
Regen	Costs 50 HP	Triple HP recovery when not holding ball
Sphere Shot	Costs 90 HP	SH+3. Adds random amounts to SH. (0-10)
Spin Ball	Costs 30 HP	Makes a ball harder to catch by Goalie
Super Goalie	Costs 30 HP	Adds random amounts to CA (0-10)
Tackle Slip	Costs 40 HP	40% chance to evade tackles
Tackle Slip 2	Costs 170 HP	80% chance to evade tackles
Tech Find	Costs 0 HP	Unlocks slots in characters skill listing
Venom Pass	Costs 40 HP	PA+3. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Pass 2	Costs 120 HP	PA+5. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Pass 3	Costs 250 HP	PA+7. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Shot	Costs 20 HP	SH+3. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Shot 2	Costs 35 HP	SH+3. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Shot 3	Costs 100 HP	SH+3. Poisons whoever touches ball
Venom Tackle	Costs 30 HP	AT+3. 40% of poisoning blocker
Venom Tackle 2	Costs 70 HP	AT+5. 70% of poisoning blocker
Venom Tackle 3	Costs 160 HP	AT+7. 100% of poisoning blocker
Volley Shot	Costs 10 HP	Player can shoot fumbled balls. 40%.
Volley Shot 2	Costs 40 HP	Player can shoot fumbled balls. 75%.
Volley Shot 3	Costs 250 HP	Player can shoot fumbled balls. 100%.
Wither Pass	Costs 40 HP	PA+3. 30% of withering enemy
Wither Pass 2	Costs 180 HP	PA+5. 60% of withering enemy
Wither Pass 3	Costs 4400 HP	PA+7. 100% of withering enemy
Wither Shot	Costs 30 HP	SH+3. 40% of withering goal keeper
Wither Shot 2	Costs 180 HP	SH+5. 70% of withering goal keeper
Wither Shot 3	Costs 390 HP	SH+7. 100% of withering goal keeper
Wither Tackle	Costs 8 HP	AT+3. 40% of withering blockers
Wither Tackle 2	Costs 80 HP	AT+5. 70% of withering blockers
Wither Tackle 3	Costs 250 HP	AT+7. 100% of withering blocker