The Black Bolts are ammunition for crossbows in Final Fantasy XII. They have a chance of inflicting their target with Blind. Crossbows cannot be equipped without owning some kind of bolts. Owning the Black Bolts means the player can use an unlimited amount, and bolts do not need a license to be equipped alongside a crossbow. The bolts are metallic for the purposes of the magnetize debuff present in the Vinuskar and Ultima boss battles.
Obtain[]
Original[]
The Black Bolts are not sold in shops, but sell for 700 gil. If the player sells them, they cannot re-procure them. The bolts are made in the bazaar in the set "Blindflight Quarrels" alongside a Hunting Crossbow. The set costs 11,220 gil and is made by selling three Spiral Incisors, Silver Liquids, and Dark Crystals. Spiral Incisors are obtained from the Bellwyverns on the Tchita Uplands, among other sources. Silver Liquid is obtained from flan-type enemies, such as Hecteyes and Oilings. Dark Crystals are obtained from various enemies, such as from the Shambling Corpses in the Zertinan Caverns.
Zodiac[]
The Black Bolts set is not available in shops but sells for 2500 gil.
The Black Bolts are found in a treasure in Henne Mines' Special Charter Shaft (75% chance to appear, 50% chance for an item, 50% chance the item treasure is the Black Bolts without the Diamond Armlet equipped) and in Trial Mode Stage 54 with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
The bolts are also uncommonly stolen from the Wendice in Trial Mode Stage 28.
The bolts are still made in the Blindflight Quarrels bazaar set for the same items and price as before.
Use[]
The Black Bolts add 2 points to the crossbow's power and hold the Blind status, which makes the target commonly miss with their physical attacks. The status has a 25% flat chance of working on a target who is not immune to Blind. By using the bolts, the player can save a turn from the Black Mage from using Blind. However, the status itself is not worth prioritizing over a stronger set of bolts. Another way to inflict Blind is with the Mud Shot for a gun-user. Crossbows fire faster than guns, meaning the player may inflict the ailment faster as well, but crossbows miss a lot in windy weather whereas guns do not.
As equipment can be swapped on-the-fly, the player could start the battle with the Black Bolts and then swap to the stronger bolts as soon as the status is inflicted, or to another bolt set with a different ailment. This way the Time Battlemage can keep doing damage, and to keep inflicting new status ailments as well. Black Bolts can be useful against enemies that use a lot of physical attacks, like the behemoth-type monsters.
The bolts are only useful to procure in the Zodiac versions if the player is using a Time Battlemage.