Blizzara (Final Fantasy IX)

Blizzara
(ブリザラ, Burizara?)
Availability
Obtained	Ice Staff, Opal
Character(s)	Vivi, Steiner (via Swd Mag)
AP	50
Classification
Type	Black Magic
Skillset	Blk Mag, Dbl Blk, Swd Mag
Element	Ice
Specifications
MP cost	12
Reflect	Yes
Power	29
Related pages
Recurring appearance	Blizzara (ability)

Causes a lot of Ice damage to single/multiple targets.

Description

Blizzara is a Blk Mag spell in Final Fantasy IX for Vivi that deals moderate Ice-elemental damage to one or multiple enemies. It also cures Heat. If Steiner and Vivi are in the same party (and neither is incapacitated in some manner), the former can also use Vivi's Blizzara spell in his sword magic, where the ability uses his stats rather than Vivi's. In Trance, Vivi can use the spell twice in one turn.

In addition to Vivi, Blizzara is available to a multitude of enemies: Agares, Anemone, Black Waltz 2 and Black Waltz 3, Feather Circle, Gigan Toad, Gnoll, Lani, Mandragora, Myconid, Ochu, Ralvurahva, Sealion, Troll, Type C, and Yeti. It can be reflected as normal and can be countered with the support ability Return Magic.

Obtain

Blizzara is learned from Ice Staff and Opal for 50 AP. Ice Staff is first available when stolen from Gizamaluke, and afterward is also found at Cleyra's Trunk. Both sources are missable. Ice Staff can later be bought for 980 gil at Treno, Cleyra, Lindblum, Conde Petie, Black Mage Village, and Alexandria.

Opal is an item and an Add-on, synthesized during the endgame at Daguerreo, Black Mage Village, and in Memoria at Hades for 100 gil, an Ore, and a Potion. It can be found in the Forgotten Plains Chocograph (x14) and Cold Lagoon Chocograph (x9), drops from Cerberus, Mover, and Wraith (Blue Flame), and is stolen from the Mover.

Mechanics

Black Magic spells are based on Vivi's Level, Magic stats and the Spell Power of the spell. Vivi can use the Focus ability to increase his Magic during that battle by 25% per use. The effect stacks up to 99. The effect lasts for the entire battle, even if KO'd.

$Base = 29 - Target's~Magic~Def$

$Bonus = Magic + RndMOD ([(Level + Magic) / 8] + 1)$

$Damage = Base \times Bonus$

Where Rnd means a random number, while MOD means modulus operation. "Rnd MOD x" can be read as a random number between 0 and x-1.

Bonus is halved by target's Shell, Vivi being under Mini, and if the player multi-targets the spell. Bonus is boosted by 50% if Vivi equips Magus Hat or Magician Cloak (but equipping both does not stack). Steiner has no means of boosting Ice damage for his Swd Mag.

In Vivi's Trance, Blk Mag turns into Dbl Blk where Vivi can cast two spells on his turn. The spells cost MP and expend the Trance gauge independently.

The support abilities that affect Blizzara are Reflect-Null (Blizzara pierces target's Reflect), Reflectx2 (Blizzara deals more damage when reflected), and Mag Elem Null (Blizzara deals non-elemental damage).

Blizzara Sword.

For Swd Mag, damage dealt is based on Steiner's Attack and Strength stat, as well as on the power of the spell. Using Blizzara Sword boosts his Attack value by 10 and deals Ice damage to one enemy.

The damage formula for Swd Mag spells is as follows:

$Base = Attack + 29 - Enemy~Defense$

$Bonus = Strength + RndMOD ([(Level + Strength) / 8] + 1)$

$Damage = Base \times Bonus$

Use

Blizzara is Vivi's second tier Ice spell and is useful in the middle portions of the game. He can boost its power with Focus. It is especially good against enemies weak to the Ice element, such as Antlion and Red Dragon. Reptiles and bugs are commonly weak to Ice. A good early use of the spell is against the Sand Golems' Cores in Cleyra's Trunk.

As a Swd Mag, Steiner can use it effectively against enemies weak to Ice-elemental damage. However, during the time Vivi first gets the spell, the two do not spend time in the same party formation. Though it can also be used generally as a straight boost to his damage output, given Steiner's much lower MP pool, he should use it less regularly than Vivi.