Cactuar Crush Hard Mode Guide for Aerith. Shown here is Stage 2 but this strategy works for Aerith in both Stage 2 and Stage 4. Stage 4 is actually way easier than stage 2 I thought.
Some tips here. Use Sorcerous Storm to decimate the little groups of magic brown cactuar as well as to damage the giant cacutar. I tested various other skills and Sorcerous Storm seemed to work best for me.
The big cacutar seem to be weak to the dark ward so be sure to attack them in that. Use Hermes Shoes to gain haste at the beginning of the fight. Feel free to restart the trial if you do not get the first guys down quick enough. No sense continuing on with a bad starting time.
I used Elemental Materia linked with Fire, First Strike Materia, ATB Stagger Materia, a 30% and a 40% Luck Up Materia, Level Boost Materia with Speed Up, Level Boost Materia with Magic Up and ATB Boost materia.
Enduring Ward, Ward Shift Mastery and Enhanced Tempest(though I forgot to try tempest).
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