Xenoblade Chronicles Guide- Walkthrough Part 91: It’s Complicated

As the group finally exits the depot and tunnel area into the central pit, Sharla announces the group’s location.  Reyn walks over near the edge of the stone platform, looking out on the titanic mining rig that is the center of the massive cavern and asks where the people are- the only life visible is a disturbing number of Mechon wandering about.  Sharla points out a lift on the side of the cavern, and says that the group should use it- the people are probably at the bottom of the pit.  Nodding, Reyn cheers the chance to bust up some more Mechon, and Shulk actually follows suit, sounding pleased at the opportunity.

This area is complex- but thankfully it is only complex for its size and number of challenges.  There are two particularly difficult parts, but the rest can be handled fairly easily by not charging ahead at a full run, and watching your minimap.

The first difficult area is immediate- the top level.  You will have to work your way around the edge of the pit at several points to reach the clench arms that hold the mining rig in place, and they are also your way of traversing between the rig itself and the stone platforms and ledges around the pit.  The first layer of the rig you reach has a number of platforms which are being skimmed by a set of rotary arms- they have dips in them, yes, but if you mistime your advancements, the arms will scrape you into a Mechon- or worse, off the edge of the platform to fall to your death.  The best recommendation is to wait in each dip until an arm has just passed over you before going up onto the main layer of the platform and heading for the next dip.  This will give you plenty of time to sidestep (or choose to charge into) any Mechon that get into the way, and make sure of where you’re stepping before you walk -yourself- off the edge of the walkways.

The next few layers are fairly simple, the only remotely tricky things are the two giant pistons, which you simply have to wait for.

The last difficult part is another set of rotating arms- only this time, they’re under a set of stationary arms.  You need to use the rotating arms to reach a set of stone platforms jutting out from the sides of the pit- but they only just barely reach, and the stationary arms hold the rig to those same platforms, forcing you to jump back and forth lest you be knocked off.  What’s more, running immediately around the obstruction will not get you there fast enough to hop back onto the same arm you just rode to a platform- you have to be patient enough to wait for the next one.

Just to make matters worse, the second platform gets a large Mechon dropped onto it as you arrive, and the third gets a pair of them.  So keep your eyes peeled and try not to be in too much of a hurry- but time your jumps so you don’t wind up falling to your doom.

As you progress, make sure you explore everywhere- there are many Ether Deposits on the ledges and platforms of the pit, and you want to harvest all of them.  Be wary of Mechon miners if you’re not high-level, though.  Eventually, you’ll reach the third of the bottom set of stone platforms, which has a tunnel into the pit wall- and that tunnel leads to the lift you want to use to get down to the bottom.  Good luck.... Juju and Mysterious Face are waiting.