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The Adamant Vest is a mid-ranked light armor in Final Fantasy XII that boosts the wearer's defense by 35 (Zodiac) or 29 (original), HP by 320, and makes the wearer weak to Ice while halving Fire damage. Together with the accompanying Adamant Hat, it is one of the very few equipment pieces to make the wearer weak to an element.

Wearing multiple pieces of armor that all give the same elemental resistance does not stack, but certain different types do:

Weakness + Halve = Normal damage
Weakness + Immunity = Immune
Weakness + Absorb = Absorbs double
Halve + Absorb = Absorbs half

Thus, wearing the Adamant Vest with the Ice Shield would make the wearer take normal damage from ice while still halving Fire damage. Wearing the Adamant Vest with the Gendarme would make the wearer absorb double damage from Ice and half damage from Fire.

Obtain[]

Original[]

In the original PlayStation 2 versions, the Adamant Vest is sold for 5,900 gil in Mosphoran Highwaste after defeating Judge Bergan, and in Phon Coast. It can be rarely stolen from the elusive White Chocobo.

The Adamant Vest is made in the bazaar in the "Light & Sturdy Garb" set by selling six Coeurl Pelts (from Coeurls), two Tanned Tyrant Hides (from Archaeosaur), and five Storm Magicites (from various enemies, but also obtained from Coeurls in Golmore Jungle and from the Archaeosaurs).

Zodiac[]

In the updated Zodiac versions, the Adamant Vest is sold for 5,900 gil in Phon Coast and Archades. It is found in a treasure in Phon Coast's Limatra Hills (70% chance to appear, 50% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Adamant Vest without the Diamond Armlet equipped), and Tchita Uplands' The Skytrail (30% chance to appear, 70% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Adamant Vest without the Diamond Armlet equipped).

The Adamant Vest is still the rare steal from the White Chocobo, and is made in the bazaar set "Light & Sturdy Garb" with the same items as before.

Use[]

The Adamant Vest is a mid-ranked light armor, giving 35 or 29 defense depending on version, 320 HP, and halving Fire damage at the cost of making the wearer weak to Ice. It is thus not good to equip without some further ice protection from another equipment piece against an enemy that uses ice attacks. The equipment pieces that offset the ice weakness are the Ice Shield in all versions, and the Tourmaline Ring, Cat-ear Hood and the secret Gendarme in the Zodiac versions. Not all same jobs can wear light armor and shields in the Zodiac versions, but anyone can equip accessories and the Gendarme.

The fire-halving property can be useful against enemies that use fire attacks, like the King Bomb in the Salikawood. Alternative to the Adamant Vest and Hat in this regard is the Flame Shield, and in the Zodiac versions, also the Sash.

In the original version where everyone can wear any equipment piece, the more expensive heavy armor, Diamond Armor, or the mystic armor Carmagnole, may be preferable purchases if the player can stretch their funds to them, as the HP boost from light armor is not usually worth prioritizing over heavy armor that boosts Strength for physical attackers, or mystic armor that boosts Magick Power for spellcasters.

In the Zodiac versions, Machinist, Monk, Archer, and Shikari can equip the Adamant Vest, and so it is only useful to buy if the player has chosen these License Boards for their party. In The Zodiac Age, after fighting Belias, the player can choose two License Boards per party member, and so more party members can choose from the potentially more useful heavy and mystic armor sets.

Etymology[]

Adamantite and similar words including Adamant and Adamantine are used to refer to any especially hard substance, whether composed of diamond, some other gemstone, or some type of metal.

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