Warriors who rain death on their foes from afar.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age description
Archer is a License Board in the Zodiac versions of Final Fantasy XII. It is represented by the zodiac sign of Sagittarius. It is a quick ranged class, using bows and arrows as its primary weapon and wearing light armor.
The Archer has access to 127 licenses, which require 7,241 LP to unlock, as well as up to 12 additional licenses through summon licenses costing 780 LP, and 1 additional license costing 30 LP through Quickening licenses. The License Board for the Archer class is shaped like a bow and arrow.
Profile[]
Archer has limited magickal ability, only able to use a tiny bit of White Magick. It has the most technicks and is the only class to possess all three Phoenix Down augments, meaning that it can fully resurrect the party in seconds. It also has access to all three Potion Lores. The player being able to choose their arrows makes the Archer versatile, as status and elemental properties can be easily changed on-the-fly without sacrificing much fire power. The Archer's Speed stat affects bows' damage, and thus equipping Germinas Boots is great for boosting damage potential.
However, bows' accuracy is penalized by 20% in certain weather conditions. Archer cannot learn Adrenaline and has few means to augment attack and magick powers. It will deal less damage than melee jobs outside of specialized situations. Bows never deal combo hits, but they can do critical damage, and thus Archer is just as good at full HP as in low health (melee jobs deal multiple combo hits when in critical health, meaning one needs to keep them near death to maximize DPS potential). Combined with its range, Archer is great against regular enemies (especially with the Assassin's Arrows that have an innate Instant Death effect), also hitting flying targets that many melee classes can't hit.
In The Zodiac Age version, the player can use two License Boards for each party member. One combination is to pair Archer with Red Battlemage that allows them to use the fire-boosting Burning Bow to enhance the Red Battlemage's ultimate spell, Ardor, particularly on oiled enemies. Red Battlemage also gets the medium tier heavy armor, healing and Black and Arcane Magicks. Getting Exodus for Red Battlemage can open up Heavy Armor 8, 9, and 10 for itself, but also Heavy Armor 10, 11, and 12 for the Archer without needing Shemhazai (and vice versa), since 10 is activated on the Archer's board.
The player could also couple Archer with Knight or Uhlan that benefit from Archer's Swiftness licenses and ranged weapons, while Archer's arrows benefit more from the Strength points from their Battle Lores than its own Speed. Combining Archer with Foebreaker allows the character to tank and use Break abilities, and gains HP licenses and heavy armor. Combining Archer with a job that gives Adrenaline lets the player see the Archer's true damage potential, as even though Adrenaline is also added by the Steel Gorget, this would prevent the Archer from equipping Germinas Boots. Because Archer cannot deal combo hits, it still does not benefit as much from being in critical health as the jobs that can.
Time Battlemage also gives heavy armor and Battle Lores, and bows tend to be an upgrade to the Time Battlemage's native crossbow later in the game. Archer–Time Battlemage makes for a physical ranger character, and being able to switch from arrows to bolts adds flavor to this pairing. While Archer has easy access to Shear and the White Magicks Cura and Raise without Espers, Time Battlemage grants Time Magicks such as Balance that scales off HP and Green Magicks Bubble to reach a higher Max HP and Oil, which can be used with the Archer's Burning Bow+Fiery Arrows combo and fire-elemental Shades of Black. This pairing also gives augments that are not found on Time Battlemage nor the Archer boards. Unlocking the Infuse Technick with the Zodiark or Ultima Esper, which can be used with Time Battlemage's Charge Technick to lock the character in Critical HP state to deal high damage with the Adrenaline augment if the player equips a Steel Gorget, and it also unlocks Swords 7, 8, and 9 with the 1000 Needles Technick. Being in the Critical HP state with Steel Gorget for Adrenaline and the Time Magicks spells Haste and Berserk is where this job pairing shines the most in late game.
Coupling Archer with Black Mage can also be good, allowing the character three Swiftness licenses and access to all HP bonuses without Famfrit on either board. Burning Bow would still allow the character to cast a powered up Firaga, and gives decent physical damage, all in the same weapon. Shemhazai also unlocks four heavy armor licenses between the boards. Black Mage-Archer nets all Item Lores for everything, and the Archer's Cura can be as good for healing as a White Mage thanks to Black Mage's mystic armor and Magick Lores.
Many jobs can give Archer access to the 1000 Needles Technick by virtue of having Infuse, which is next to 1000 Needles on the Archer's board. Shikari does the reverse; it has 1000 Needles, and thus gives Archer Infuse.
License Board[]
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 19 |
License list[]
Equipment[]
| Name | Description | LP cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bows (1) | Allows character to equip Shortbow. | 20 |
| Bows (2) | Allows character to equip Silver Bow and Aevis Killer. | 30 |
| Bows (3) | Allows character to equip Killer Bow and Longbow. | 35 |
| Bows (4) | Allows character equip Elfin Bow and Loxley Bow. | 45 |
| Bows (5) | Allows character equip Giant Stonebow and Burning Bow. | 60 |
| Bows (6) | Allows character to equip Traitor's Bow and Yoichi Bow. | 70 |
| Bows (7) | Allows character to equip Perseus Bow and Artemis Bow. | 90 |
| Sagittarius | Allows character to equip Sagittarius. | 130 |
| Dhanusha | Allows character to equip Dhanusha. | 200 |
| Light Armor (1) | Allows character to equip Leather Cap and Leather Clothing. | 10 |
| Light Armor (2) | Allows character to equip Headgear, Headguard, Chromed Leathers, and Leather Breastplate. | 15 |
| Light Armor (3) | Allows character to equip Leather Headgear, Horned Hat, Bronze Chestplate, and Ringmail. | 20 |
| Light Armor (4) | Allows character to equip Balaclava, Soldier's Cap, Windbreaker, and Heavy Coat. | 25 |
| Light Armor (5) | Allows character to equip Green Beret, Red Cap, Survival Vest, and Brigandine. | 30 |
| Light Armor (6) | Allows character to equip Headband, Pirate Hat, Jujitsu Gi, and Viking Coat. | 40 |
| Light Armor (7) | Allows character to equip Goggle Mask, Adamant Hat, Metal Jerkin, and Adamant Vest. | 50 |
| Light Armor (8) | Allows character to equip Officer's Hat, Chakra Band, Barrel Coat, and Power Vest. | 60 |
| Light Armor (9) | Allows character to equip the Thief's Cap, Gigas Hat, Ninja Gear, and Gigas Chestplate. | 70 |
| Light Armor (10) | Allows character to equip the Chaperon and Minerva Bustier. | 75 |
| Light Armor (11) | Allows character to equip the Crown of Laurels and Rubber Suit. | 80 |
| Light Armor (12) | Allows character to equip the Renewing Morion and Mirage Vest. | 90 |
| Light Armor (13) | Allows character to equip the Dueling Mask and Brave Suit. | 110 |
| Heavy Armor (10) | Allows character to equip the Dragon Helm and Dragon Mail. | 80 |
| Heavy Armor (11) | Allows character to equip the Magepower Shishak and Maximillian. | 90 |
| Heavy Armor (12) | Allows character to equip the Grand Helm and Grand Armor. | 110 |
| Accessories (1) | Allows character to equip Orrachea Armlet. | 5 |
| Accessories (2) | Allows character to equip Bangle and Firefly. | 20 |
| Accessories (3) | Allows character to equip Diamond Armlet and Argyle Armlet. | 25 |
| Accessories (4) | Allows character to equip Battle Harness and Steel Gorget. | 35 |
| Accessories (5) | Allows character to equip Tourmaline Ring and Embroidered Tippet. | 35 |
| Accessories (6) | Allows character to equip Golden Amulet and Leather Gorget. | 35 |
| Accessories (7) | Allows character to equip Rose Corsage and Turtleshell Choker. | 40 |
| Accessories (8) | Allows character to equip Thief's Cuffs and Gauntlets. | 45 |
| Accessories (9) | Allows character to equip Amber Armlet and Black Belt. | 30 |
| Accessories (10) | Allows character to equip Jade Collar and Nishijin Belt. | 40 |
| Accessories (11) | Allows character to equip Pheasant Netsuke and Blazer Gloves. | 45 |
| Accessories (12) | Allows character to equip Gillie Boots and Steel Poleyns. | 60 |
| Accessories (13) | Allows character to equip Berserker Bracers and Magick Gloves. | 60 |
| Accessories (14) | Allows character to equip Sage Ring and Agate Ring. | 70 |
| Accessories (15) | Allows character to equip Ruby Ring and Bowline Sash. | 70 |
| Accessories (16) | Allows character to equip Cameo Belt and Cat-ear Hood. | 70 |
| Accessories (17) | Allows character to equip Bubble Belt and Fuzzy Miter. | 80 |
| Accessories (18) | Allows character to equip Sash and Power Armlet. | 80 |
| Accessories (19) | Allows character to equip Indigo Pendant and Winged Boots. | 100 |
| Accessories (20) | Allows character to equip Opal Ring and Hermes Sandals. | 115 |
| Accessories (21) | Allows character to equip Quasimodo Boots and Nihopalaoa. | 130 |
| Accessories (22) | Allows character to equip Germinas Boots and Ring of Renewal. | 160 |
| Ribbon | Allows character to equip Ribbon. | 215 |
Magick[]
| Name | Description | LP cost |
|---|---|---|
| White Magick 4 | Allows character to cast Cura and Raise. | 30 |
Technicks[]
| Name | Description | LP cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 Needles | Deal 1,000 damage to one foe. | 40 |
| Achilles | Render one foe vulnerable to an additional element. | 40 |
| Shear | Lower one foe's magick resist. | 50 |
| Addle | Lower one foe's magick power. | 50 |
| Charm | Cause one foe to confuse friend with foe. | 30 |
| First Aid | Restore HP to one HP Critical ally. | 20 |
| Gil Toss | Throw gil, damaging all foes in range. | 30 |
| Libra | Reveal more detailed target information. | 25 |
| Infuse | Fully consume user's MP, changing one ally's HP to 10 times that amount. | 30 |
| Poach | Capture HP Critical foes to obtain loot. | 30 |
| Shades of Black | Cast a random black magick on one foe. | 70 |
| Revive | Fully consume user's HP, reviving and fully restoring HP of one KO'd ally. | 40 |
| Steal | Steal from one foe. | 20 |
| Traveler | Deal damage based on total steps taken to all foes in range. | 50 |
Augments[]
| Name | Description | Amount | LP cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| +30/70/110/150/190/230/270/310/390/435 HP | Increases max HP by 30/70/110/150/190/230/270/310/390/435. | 10 | 20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90/115/130 |
| Focus | Increases strength when HP is full. | 1 | 70 |
| Battle Lore | Increases physical attack damage. Str+1 | 2 | 30/30 |
| Remedy Lore 1 | Remedies remove Sleep, Sap, Immobilize, and Disable. | 1 | 20 |
| Remedy Lore 2 | Remedies remove Petrify, Confuse, and Oil. | 1 | 30 |
| Remedy Lore 3 | Remedies remove Stop, Doom, and Disease. | 1 | 70 |
| Phoenix Lore | Phoenix Down restore more HP.[note 1] | 3 | 30/50/90 |
| Magick Lore | Increases magick potency. Mag+1 | 6 | 30/30/30/30/50/50 |
| Swiftness | Reduces action time by 10%. | 3 | 30/50/80 |
| Martyr | Gain MP after taking damage.[note 2] | 1 | 30 |
| Inquisitor | Gain MP after dealing physical damage.[note 2] | 1 | 30 |
| Headsman | Gain MP after defeating a foe.[note 3] | 1 | 30 |
| Potion Lore 1-2-3 | Potions restore 10%/15%/25% more HP. | 3 | 20/35/70 |
| Spellbound | Increases duration of status effects. | 1 | 30 |
| Last Stand | Increases defense when HP critical. | 1 | 70 |
Espers and Quickenings[]
| Name | Licenses unlocked | LP cost |
|---|---|---|
| Quickening | White Magick (4) | 50 |
| Quickening | None | 70 |
| Quickening | None | 100 |
| Quickening | None | 125 |
| Belias | None | 20 |
| Mateus | None | 30 |
| Zalera | None | 30 |
| Adrammelech | None | 35 |
| Shemhazai | Heavy Armor (10), Heavy Armor (11), and Heavy Armor (12) | 50 |
| Hashmal | None | 50 |
| Cúchulainn | None | 50 |
| Zeromus | None | 65 |
| Exodus | None | 65 |
| Famfrit | +390 HP and +435 HP | 100 |
| Chaos | Magick Lore (x5) | 100 |
| Ultima | Infuse and 1000 Needles | 115 |
| Zodiark | Infuse and 1000 Needles | 200 |
Notes[]
- ↑ Base=20% of Max HP
1 Phoenix Lore=30% Max HP
2 Phoenix Lores=40% Max HP
3 Phoenix Lores=50% Max HP - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Damage 1–499=1 MP
Damage 500–1499=2 MP
Damage 1500–2599=3 MP
Damage 3000–4999=4 MP
Damage 5000–5999=5 MP
Damage 6000–6999=7 MP
Damage 7000-7999=10 MP
Damage 8000–8999=15 MP
Damage 9000–9998=20 MP
Damage 9999+ =30 MP - ↑ MP recovery = Enemy's level / 4