First Strike (ability)



First Strike or, also known as Initiative, Preemptive Strike, Surprise, Preemptiv or  Hamedo , is a recurring passive ability in the Final Fantasy series. Most often it either increases the chance of a preemptive battle, letting the party attack before the enemies, or lets the equipped character always get the first turn in battle.

Final Fantasy V
First Strike is the level 3 Ninja class ability, learned for 50 ABP and known by them innately. It boosts the chance for a preemptive strike from 32/256 to 64/256. It was known as Preemptiv in the older translation.

Final Fantasy VI
First Strike is an ability found in the Gale Hairpin, which raises the rate of preemptive attacks.

First Strike is also an innate ability on some enemies, allowing them to attack the party first. They are: Guard Leader, Ymir (Shell), Tunnel Armor, Guardian (Invincible), Valigarmanda (Mines/Snowfield), Flame Eater, Ultima Weapon, Dullahan, Chadarnook, Wrexsoul, Kefka (Final Boss), Ultros, Siegfried (Phantom Train), Kaiser Dragon (Dummied), Merchant, Birthday Suit, Kefka (Imperial Camp/Narshe), Humbaba (Invincible), Cyan (Imperial Camp), Gau, Unnamed esper, Ultima Buster, and Shadow (Coliseum).

Final Fantasy VII
The Pre-Emptive Independent Materia grants a bonus to First Strike. At level 1, it grants a +5% bonus, with a +8% bonus at level 2, +10% bonus at level 3, +15% bonus at level 4, and +20% bonus at level 5. There is a base chance of 16/256 of getting a preemptive battle, but a mastered Pre-Emptive Materia boosts this up to 64/256. The maximum is 85/256, roughly a 1/3 chance.

Final Fantasy VIII
Guardian Forces Pandemona, Cactuar, and Tonberry learn the Initiative ability for 160 AP. Junctioning it to a character allows them to start battles with a full ATB gauge, regardless of situation. It can be especially useful for Quistis to immediately use Degenerator.

Final Fantasy IX
Freya can learn the Initiative support ability from either Obelisk or Battle Boots. It takes 95 AP and takes 5 Magic Stones to equip. It boosts the party's chance to get a preemptive strike from from 16/256 to 85/256.

Final Fantasy X
Initiative can be customized to any weapon to raise the chance of a preemptive strike and to eliminate ambushes. Initiative can be customized to a weapon by use of six Chocobo Feathers.

Without Initiative, there is a 12.5% chance of being ambushed, a 12.5% chance of the player getting a preemptive strike. With Initiative, there is a 25% chance of preemptive strike and 0% of being ambushed (unless it is a fixed encounter).

First Strike can be customized to any weapon, if it does not start with it, by the use of a Return Sphere. Auron's Celestial Weapon, the Masamune, has First Strike when fully upgraded. With the use of a turn-based battle system, having First Strike guarantees the character will have the first turn even if the battle is an ambush. The ability is nullified if the battle begins with a preemptive strike, with the player with the highest agility taking the first turn.

Certain enemies have a First Strike type-ability, where they will always have the first turn, regardless of ambush, preemptive, or a player's character's First Strike. Varuna will always open the battle with Haste, and Kottos will always open the battle by switching into its counter status, signified by the raising of its fists. Similarly, Great Malboro enemies fought in the Omega Ruins will always ambush the player using Bad Breath on their first turn, but a player's First Strike ability precedes this and doesn't function in the same way as the aforementioned enemies.

Final Fantasy X-2
The Thief's Initiative ability costs 60 AP to learn and increases the chance of preemptive battle.

The accessory Sprint Shoes, the Garment Grids Mounted Assault and Highroad Winds, and the Thief dressphere grant the First Strike ability, which allows the user to start the battle with full ATB.

Final Fantasy XIII
The passive ability First Strike fully charges the ATB gauge prior to battle. This is obtained by equipping the Aurora Scarf.

Final Fantasy Tactics
First Strike is a reaction ability the Monk class learns for 1,200 JP (or 1300 JP in the War of the Lions version). It functions like Counter, but rather than attacking after being hit, the unit using First Strike attacks the enemy preemptively and cancels the enemy's hit.

The ability's success rate is determined by the character's Bravery level and will work against all uses of the Attack command by units in the character's attack range. This means that monster abilities will not trigger First Strike unless they are under Frog status, but ranged strikes will, if the character is equipped with a similar weapon.

Final Fantasy Legend II
Surprise is a passive ability that has infinite uses. It also increases a Robot's HP by 9. This ability boosts the chance of having a "Strike First" at the beginning of battle. It can be used by Ant Lion, BlackCat, Boulder, Cancer, CatWoman, Cocatris, Commando, Earth, Killer, Mantis, Mosquito, Ninja, Plague, Pudding, Rakshasa, Roc, Rock, SabreCat, SandWorm, Serpent, SlimeGod, SnowCat, Tororo, WereWolf, and OdinCrow.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
First Strike is learned at Level 67. When a character with First Strike lands the first hit in battle, all hits in the combo are critical hits. Its base CP cost is 40 and requires 360 AP to master.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
First Strike is now learned at Level 64, has a base CP cost of 30, and requires 130 AP to master.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Pre-Emptive Strike is an ability held by several cards. When a Forward when Pre-Emptive Strike blocks or is blocked, the opponent takes damage before the player.