One of these silly, but lucrative creatures is the Cactuar: a running, dancing cactus that can be found in the outskirts of Leide. When killed, the Cactuar rewards players with a healthy amount of experience points, especially for a low-level enemy, and some useful coins.
The Cactuar is extremely rare and comes in three forms: the Cactuar, the Slactuar, and the Gigantuar. Each can be tough to find, but the below guide will offer players a leg up in finding and defeating these unique creatures in Final Fantasy 15.
Finding a Cactuar
As mentioned above, the best place to find a Cactuar or Slactuar is in Leide, just a bit north-west of Hammerhead and a little north of Longwythe. Players have also found these creatures in Duscae, usually around the Perpetouss Keep, an enemy base in the area.
Although these are the best places to find a Cactuar and Slactuar, they won’t always appear when players visit the areas. To aid players in spawning either of these enemies, we recommend using the summoning whistle. Keep summoning enemies until a Cactuar or Slactuar appear.
Additionally, players should seek out these creatures early in the morning, starting around 5 am. Both the Cactuar and Slactuar spawn most often in the morning just after dawn, and not at all in the afternoon. So players will need to plan their visit timeline accordingly.
Once a Cactuar spawns, players need to use Daggers and Guns to take them down quickly. They move fast and will dart away quickly, so players will have to hurry in order to beat them. Both creatures can resist fire spells, so we recommend avoiding those. Thunder and Ice spells are effective, however, so players should plan to use those if they can.
Since both the Cactuar and Slactuar can evade quickly, we recommend players make the most of Wait Mode to plan their movements and attacks. For those new to Final Fantasy 15, Wait Mode allows players to stand still and essentially pause an engagement, so they can take in their surroundings and obtain better control over a battle.
While in Wait Mode, players can also use Final Fantasy 15’s enemy weakness information to judge the most appropriate attack for either the Cactuar or Slactuar in a given situation. This should make taking down the creatures smoother and easier, allowing players to continue summoning new monsters until they get another Cactuar or Slactuar.
The Gigantuar won’t spawn at the same location as the Cactuar and Slactuar. Fortunately, the Giantuar makes an appearance during a hunt in the game, so players will have a chance to take one down as they progress through the game.
Worthwhile Rewards
Both the Cactuar and Slactuar are worth 3,333 experience points. That’s a healthy amount, especially for a low-level enemy. Once players have the needed spells and weapons, they can seek out both creatures and rack up the kills for a steady flow of experience.
Additionally, both Cactuar and Slactuar drop useful items that will benefit players greatly as they move through Final Fantasy 15. Cactuars drop Oracle Ascension Coins, which can be used for powerful magic boosts when crafting spells, or traded for high-value gear and items at a vendor in Altissa.
Slactuars drop Cactuar Needles, which are required in order for Cid to upgrade some machine-type weapons in weapon upgrade quests. Naturally, it would benefit players to collect a fair number of these Cactuar Needles, so they’re ready to upgrade their weapons when the opportunities arise.
Great Farming Opportunity for Low-Level Players
Players who aren’t overly concerned with progressing through the campaign at a swift rate would be greatly benefitted by hunting both the Cactuar and Slactuar. Since each provides a high amount of experience, they’re worth the time and effort spent summoning and killing them, especially for beginners.
While both creatures are rare, the Slactuar is slightly more so than Cactuar. That means most often players will face off against Cactuars when summoning and hunting the creatures. Since both look pretty similar, players will just need to focus on summoning, then dispatching the creatures as quickly as possible and collect the rewards they drop, whichever creature it ends up being.
Have you hunted any Cactuars or Slactuars in Final Fantasy 15? Any recommendations you would add to this guide?
Final Fantasy 15 is currently available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
