The best ways to collect AP in Final Fantasy 16 are:

Collecting AP in Final Fantasy 16 allows Clive to acquire new abilities that he can utilize against his enemies. AP can be obtained by engaging in battles with both large and small foes, and there are numerous moves to learn. Each set of abilities reflects the Eikon from which it was learned, adding additional flavor and prowess to the gameplay. The only challenge lies in acquiring enough AP to unlock them all.

While AP is not a rare resource in the game, it can be challenging to collect enough of it to unlock all the abilities that Clive can learn. Fortunately, there are a few proven methods to find AP at every stage of the game.

What Is AP?

In Final Fantasy 16, you can earn Ability Points (AP) to unlock new attacks and passive abilities for Clive as you progress through the game. You can also enhance your existing abilities with AP to ensure that your favorite moves remain relevant throughout the course of the story.

With each unlocked Eikon for Clive, another wheel of abilities becomes available. You can reset your abilities at any time to regain the AP you had, allowing you to unlock or enhance different skills without fear of penalties.

It is safe to say that sooner rather than later, you will need to gather more AP if you wish to defeat enemies with ease.

Where To Find Bluebirds For Large AP Gain

One of the best ways to earn AP is by defeating enemies.

Large enemies like bosses can give you a significant amount of AP when defeated, but there is only a limited number of bosses you can face. They can also be time-consuming, making them less ideal for repeatedly challenging them.

Instead, the standard enemies that yield the most AP are the Chocobos. You can find them in various locations in the game, but you should focus on the blue birds.

The blue Chocobos are colorful and resemble peacocks. These formidable fighters drop 40 AP and are thus the most efficient enemy to collect AP from.

You will often find a group of wild Chocobos consisting of one or two blue Chocobos, each dropping eight AP. This makes their small groups the perfect target for hunting.

The Chocobos are formidable creatures that will not hesitate to challenge you if you get too close. Prepare your weapons and be ready to collect AP as you navigate through the fields.

The Meadows Location - The Holy Empire Of Sanbreque

One of the best places to find blue birds is in the meadows. You can travel there using the fast travel system to the North Peak Obelisk.

Walk through the city and past the barracks to reach the meadows. You will see the Holy Empire ahead of you and several groups of Chocobos in the fields.

Equip the Ring of Timely Strikes to make combat faster. This will make dealing with enemies much easier as you traverse through them.

Often, there are one or two groups to the west of the road, away from the farms and closer to the sea. These can be easily defeated and reset for a quick AP collection.

Sorrowise Location - The Imperial Province Of Rosaria

Another location where blue birds gather is in Sorrowise. Quickly travel to Martha's Rest Obelisk and take the elevator down to the path that leads to the abbey. Here you will find a few groups of Chocobos, including the blue birds.

There is plenty to explore while taking laps to collect AP. If you have unlocked Ambrosia, you can travel around the area faster than on foot. Summon her to speed up your hunt. You can also attack while on horseback.

The Chocobos near Martha's Rest are scattered far apart, which means it takes a bit longer to reach each group. While it's easy enough to defeat the groups, walking between them can slow you down.

Other enemies can get in your way, and while they may also give you AP, it won't be as efficient.

You can also sell the Black Blood that drops when killing Chocobos to earn additional Gil. This makes Chocobos a great target for multitaskers.

Using the method with the blue birds is best suited for early game. As you progress further in the game, the appearance of the blue birds may change. So, take advantage of the opportunity while it's available.

Otherwise, you'll have to find another method to collect AP before the game is over.

Story-Based Opportunities For AP

Throughout Final Fantasy 16, there are areas in the world that provide the greatest benefit for AP gain. These areas are characterized by a high concentration of enemies that give a substantial amount of AP within a short period of time.

They are also easily resettable, allowing you to quickly dispatch your enemies and shortly return to do it again. These areas can be tackled while progressing through the story and completing side quests.

The game world changes around you, as exemplified by the point of no return, so you should take advantage of these AP-rich locations before you go too far.

Unlock The Free Cities Of Kanver

This is more of an option for the mid-game in Final Fantasy 16, as the quests to unlock this area appear in the last third of the game.

You want to equip the "Wages of Warcraft" item and the Ring of Timely Strikes to give Clive a 20% boost in AP collection and enable him to execute complex combinations with the press of a button.

A trip to the Free Cities of Kanver offers a unique and profitable opportunity to continuously reset the enemies in the area in order to collect AP.

The first few enemy groups will provide a substantial amount of AP that can be collected again by resetting the map.

There is no limit to how many times this can be done in a playthrough, as long as you don't progress with the quest. This is a unique and worthwhile opportunity to collect much-needed AP points.

Late-Game Opportunities For Ability Points

If you are already past the area of the Free Cities of Kanver and do not have a current save file to use, there are still ways to collect AP before the end of the game.

One such opportunity arises near the Obelisk of Raven's Wit Walls. There, you can continuously fight against the hyenas that appear when you enter the area.

Don't forget to reset the map by fast traveling to another location and then returning to the area. This ensures a constant stream of enemies that you can defeat to earn AP and unlock more abilities.

How To Use The Arete Stone

Another great way to collect AP, especially if you have already completed a large portion of the game, is to use the Arete Stone. With the stone, you can replay levels to collect missed items, redo battles, and gather AP. You can do this as many times as you want, without any limitations.

When replaying levels with the Arete Stone, you will receive fewer AP than in the original stage. It is overall better to continuously collect AP in the previously mentioned areas before progressing with the story.

Take this opportunity to try out new techniques and collect all the items that could be useful. It is available in the hideout, and there are many levels that you can retry and collect AP from.