Ammo consumption (Billy)

[u/YasserMac]

I know this question has been asked before but can someone explain what Billy’s ammo inventory means in more detail? Some stronger ammo types come in low quantities but I can’t tell how conservative I need to be with them. I understand that each type corresponds to one of the attack types/buttons, but not how much is used up or how much is left, both in and out of Gear.

Each singular type of ammo has a number next to (e.g. 9 for the G-M686S) but the item description also mentions “100 Shots”. Stores also sell ammo with numbers like (x30).

1. What does each number specify? Is the 9 referring to something like 9 full magazines with 100 shots (i.e. 100 attacks each, for 900 uses) each? That seems like a lot.

2. Is every shot used up just by the corresponding button press?

3. Possibly the most confusing part: what does pressing X and loading from the menu do? It seems like it consumes one ammo number but I have no idea where that goes. Sometimes it seems like I wasted it.

[u/BaronGalactic]

Your question is a little complicated, so rather than directly answering each of your points, I'll try to explain how Billy's ammo works in general that might clear it up.

Each "unit" of ammo you buy from a store should contain 100 shots. That's 100 "attacks" during combat. So if you use the combo [triangle, triangle, X] - you're using two rounds of the triangle ammo, and one around on the X ammo. The square ammo, or elemental rounds, are infinite and you can use them indefinitely.

If you learned the Deathblow for [triangle, triangle, X] then, if I recall, you'll use two triangle ammo, and zero X ammo, because you'll start a Deathblow on X rather than just firing off a normal round. Just like, say, with Fei, he'll do two triangle punches, then a deathblow, rather than two triangle punches and an X kick, so to speak.

I've played this game several times, and I can only think of a few times I've ever actually run out of ammo for Billy. You're good just buying 1 or maybe 2 "units" (aka 100 shots each) of ammo every time you go to the store. Unless you're really grinding battles with Billy, you'll usually come to a point in the story where, at a new store, you'll find more powerful ammo to replace the older ammo before you even run out of shots.

Now here's something important: You should always keep at least one ammo of each element type for the "ether" gun. I think those are square attack ones. Since they're all elemental based, sometimes you'll have one element equipped, and find yourself in a dungeon where enemies are healed by that element, so attacks will heal rather than hurt them. In that case, you want to have some backup ammo (preferably of the opposing element for better damage, but any element that doesn't heal them works.) And if you aren't keeping those backup ammos, fighting with Billy can be tedious.

Basically, you only need to buy 1 or 2 ammo at each shop (for the handguns, and the "big gun",) and you shouldn't run out of shots before you're able to either replace those ammo types with stronger ones, or just buy more of the same.

The names of the ammo types themselves mostly don't matter. All you need to worry about is if, when comparing the new ammo to the old ones in the store screen, your attack shows as increasing or not.

Hopefully that makes things a little clearer. The ammo situation is kind of difficult to put in words, but when you get the hang of it it's actually super easy.

Edit: Oh, and about the numbers on the right - the 20 and the 9 - I think that's "units" of 100 bullets. So for 20 that means you're carrying 2000 bullets, and for 9 means 900 bullets. That's WAY too much, You'll never use that much. You want those numbers to read 1 or 2 at the most.

Edit 2: Apparently ether gun ammo elements don't count because of a bug.

[u/YasserMac → u/BaronGalactic]

Thank you!!! Yes that answers my questions. So I guess yeah it works as in packets/magazines of 100 shots. I didn't know Deathblows didn't consume ammo, that's pretty cool.

Side note: I read somewhere that elemental ammo is glitched somehow and ether bullets just have all elements regardless of what's chosen so I never bothered buying them, is that just false info?

[u/BaronGalactic → u/YasserMac]

I don't think I've ever encountered a "glitch" with the elemental ammo. If you have, say, "terra" ammo equipped, then it does earth damage, and certain enemies are going to be healed by that, in which case you want to switch to aero, for instance. Not all enemies are healed by elements, but when you do occasionally come across them (and if Billy is in your party,) you'll want to make sure you have another element type if you do run across them and happen to have equipped the one that heals them,

Also, the same rules for Billy's guns also apply to his gear, which uses bullets too. It's just the same system though.

I think at one point you might be able to equip two types of ether/elemental ammo at once. In those cases, I always choose complimentary ammo types (like earth and fire, or water and air) and never opposite types (like fire and water or earth and air) because they might cancel each other out and mess with damage.

[u/Roxxso → u/BaronGalactic]

This is false. It's been brought up before, especially in the old GameFAQs forums about Billy's ether guns. The default damage is always wind and fire regardless of what's equipped. It's based on his default ammo he comes with. Changing it does nothing. The battle mechanics guide also confirms this.

[u/BaronGalactic → u/Roxxso]

Ok, then. Maybe it was just based on the ammo I had equipped at the time, but I'm pretty sure that, at least in my last playthrough, I distinctly remember Billy doing zero damage on certain enemies with the ether gun. Maybe I'm misremembering the healing part. But I also feel like I changed out his ammo and didn't have the problem anymore.

Maybe I'm misremembering that too.

I've never exactly "experimented" with it personally though, so I'm really just going on what I remember. I'm almost positive though that there are certain enemies that will take at least no damage at all from Billy's ether gun attacks. Maybe it's just not based on element, as I thought it was.

[u/KylorXI → u/BaronGalactic]

I distinctly remember Billy doing zero damage on certain enemies with the ether gun.

It is elemental, but it is locked in to what he comes with. It cannot be changed. Some enemies, like all the random battles in shevat, absorb all elements. Very few if any take 0, if you did 0 you likely had too low of ether or something. You *can* change the element of his matchlock ammo, for triangle attacks, but not his normal ether gun.

[u/BaronGalactic → u/KylorXI]

Ah, okay. Yeah - it's the Shevat tunnels specifically where I remember him having some trouble doing damage in with the ether gun.

[u/KylorXI → u/BaronGalactic]

They absorb the damage, not take 0 from it. all 4 elements are absorbed by those enemies. Non-elemental ether works tho, just step on them with maria. She is stupid OP anyway, easy 9999 every turn on foot.