Letty and Botta are probably nice guys. But they don’t cut it compared to the upper echelon of other Blitzball players. So where do you go to look for the best players to score you some goals? Spira is a huge place. So for this piece we’ll take a look at some of the best forwards to try drafting, and where you need to go to recruit them.
Linna
Linna can generally be described as a glass cannon type of player. At level 99 she has very strong stats in Attack, Block, and Shoot, as well as being tied with Vuroja as the best Passer in the game. This makes her an ideal candidate for the MF position. But her Endurance stat is painfully low, so try not to let her get tackled. Although she does start out with the Nap Shot 3 tech, which is incredibly useful at low levels. It adds 7 to her Shoot stat, and if it misses, it’ll put the goalie to sleep. How to recruit: Linna is a free agent and will be at the beginning of the frozen road leading to Macalania Temple. She moves to the temple doors once you obtain the airship, and if playing the International version of FFX, you’ll need to first beat Dark Shiva to get to her.
Larbeight
Larbeight offsets his low speed by having the second best Shoot stat in the game at level 99. He also has a high Endurance stat, which makes him like a charging tank when used in the LF or RF position. Plus his high Attack stat makes him extremely useful at stopping the opposing team from moving forward. Early in the game, his stats are relatively low. But they skyrocket at later levels, making Larbeight an example of a player that just needs some TLC. How to recruit: Larbeight will be at the docks in Kilika Port, and available to be recruited once his contract with the Kilika Beasts expires.
Vilucha
Similarly to Larbeight, Vilucha possesses high Endurance and Shoot stats, making her a great addition to your attacking lineup. Her stats are a little better than Larbeight’s at lower levels, though. So she’s less of a chore to have in your team early on. At level 99 there are only 5 points separating Vilucha’s Shoot stats vs. Larbeights’s. This means if you got both of them, they’d be a fearsome front two forwards deployed at the same time. Vilucha starts out with Wither Shot 3 and it’s a great tech to have. This adds 7 to her Shoot stat, and will Wither the goalie if the shot is saved. How to recruit: Vilucha is a free agent and is in the southeastern house in Besaid Village.
Ropp
It’s fair to say that Ropp is an incredibly versatile Blitzball player. He offsets his low starting stats by coming equipped with a full set of “Drain Tackle” techniques, as well as an array of passing techniques and status protection. Early on he’s best used as a Midfielder due to his high Pass stat. Also, once he’s able to use Drain Tackle 3 you can fully drain an approaching opponent’s HP – so he’s great at disrupting your opponent’s strategies at any point. At higher levels, he begins to flourish in Block and Attack stats. Take this and pair it with his monster Pass stat, and you’ll want to move him to LD or RD to get the most out of him. How to recruit: Ropp is a free agent and will be at Rin’s Travel Agency on the Mi’ihen Highroad.
Nedus
Nedus is another example of a player needing a ton of love and patience to reach their full potential. At low levels his stats are horrible with the second lowest Speed stat in the game. However, once Nedus reaches level 70 he’ll hit 99 in Speed, and is tied with Brother as the quickest player in the game. As well as a decent Shoot stat, Nedus also possesses a high Endurance stat, which gives him some extra steel if an opponent can ever even catch up to him and tackle him. He also comes equipped with Nap Shot and Nap Shot 2. So even at lower levels he can be an effective Forward at taking shots against decent goalies. How to recruit: Nedus is a free agent and will be at the Number 1 Dock in Luca Harbor.
Tidus
You didn’t think I’d forgotten about the lost boy from Zanarkand, did you? This star player of the Zanarkand Abes may not possess the best stats in the world. But he has something no other player has: Jecht Shot. This technique eliminates two defenders before even shooting at the goal, and then also adds 5 to his Shoot stat. So Tidus will be scoring goals for fun against pretty much every team in Blitzball. If you’re lucky enough to obtain the even more busted Jecht Shot 2 then you’ll pretty much never miss a shot on goal ever again. How to recruit: No need to recruit him, as he’s permanently yours from the beginning.
Keepa
Keepa is perhaps the greatest example of not judging a book by its cover. At low levels he doesn’t really excel in anything, and isn’t even a good goalie, despite that being his starting position with the Aurochs. However, at higher levels his Block stat overtakes his Catch stat. And at level 99, Keepa’s Shoot stat skyrockets up to 99 – the highest in the game. Who would’ve guessed, right? His Speed and Endurance are relatively low, so he isn’t the most ideal choice for a Forward. But if you ever want to see your OG goalie come of age as a goalscoring threat, then you owe it to yourself to play him up front. How to recruit: He starts as an Auroch. If ever you cancel his contract, he can be found in the Auroch’s Locker Room in Luca.
