Spears

Cid's default equipment is suitably powerful, even considering his late entry into the party, and sets the standard for the high-damage pointy sticks he'll wield later. And it needn't be much later; highly superior weaponry is just a short ride west to Wutai.

An immediately-available improvement over the Spear, the Slash Lance may be purchased in Wutai and offers instant benefits to Cid's combat. When compared to the Dragoon Lance, also from Wutai, the reduced strength from this spear goes into crucially linked Materia slots.

This relatively unremarkable spear of Cid's lies in a chest in the labyrinth of the Temple of the Ancients. Only slightly more powerful than the Slash Lance, the lack of linked Materia slots may pose an issue. That said, if you're still packing the regular Spear then this is an obvious improvement and also comes in handy for doing a spot of gardening.

This is something no Cid fan could possibly want to miss, so be sure to take it from the first chest found while conquering Gaea's Cliff. With respectable attack power and a decent range of Materia slots, this sporty number would be a worthy addition to the armoury even without the double AP draw.

It certainly looks the part, with all the pointy edges and impractical design you'd expect to see Cloud carrying, but look either side of this description. The Dragoon Lance carries more Materia, and the Javelin is about to become available with its double AP. Collectors with Gil to burn need only apply.

Very strong for its time, and with eight Materia slots (albeit single ones), the Dragoon Lance is a worthy weapon and can be found in a chest in the Da Chao cave. If the lack of Materia pairings is an issue which can be worked around, this pointy stick will serve well, even well into the future.

Cid's novelty weapon, the Mop, is almost completely useless. It is relatively weak when compared to his other weapons, and lacks Materia slots of any description other than "none." If you want it, dig for it in Bone Village. Just don't expect to equip it.

A curiously attractive weapon, with good attack power and a solid Materia array. While the superweapons may beat it, this is obviously an unfair comparison. While it's not cheap, a spear of this calibre is more than worthy of your attention.

A misprint? Nope. Besides the oddly medieval design, the only difference between this and the Partisan is an extra 2% hit chance. While that and the fact that it may be found for free in the Shinra HQ make it technically an improvement, it's difficult to recommend if you've already spent the Gil.

Triple AP. Triple AP. Let that roll off your tongue. While any six-slot weapon grants the same amount of AP overall, the Scimitar (which doesn't really look like a scimitar) is essential for quickly mastering the more powerful Materia.

One of Cid's most powerful weapons, and still good for Materia, is the Spirit Lance. It can be found in the top right corner of the cargo room on the sunken ship Gelnika.

The most powerful weapon in the world, with an attack beating even that of the Venus Gospel while still allowing for Materia growth. Perform well in the Speed Square rollercoaster shoot-em-up, and this beauty will be your prize. And it looks mean, to boot.