Deal dark damage to all foes in range.
Description
Darkra is an Arcane Magicks spell in both the original PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy XII and the Zodiac re-releases. It is a multi-target spell that deals dark-elemental damage to all foes in range. It is the second tier dark spell, above Dark and below Darkga. Some enemies use the spell against the player. Dark is a "higher mid tier" offensive spell, stronger than Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara, but weaker than Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga.
Obtained[]
Darkra's license costs 40 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where the spell is bought for 3500 gil from Mt Bur-Omisace, Mosphoran Highwaste (after defeating Judge Bergan), Phon Coast, and Archades. It is also found in a Trial Mode Stage 63 treasure with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
In the original version, Darkra's license costs 50 LP and the spell is bought for 5800 gil from Phon Coast.
In the Zodiac versions, Darkra is used by the Red Battlemage, a job class thar specializes in Arcane Magicks.
Mechanics[]
Darkra deals dark-elemental damage to all foes in range. It deals damage based on the caster's level and Magick Power, mitigated by the target's Magick Resist.
The formula for damage calculation:
With the Serenity license or the Magick Gloves accessory, the damage is inflated to 120% (original) or 150% (Zodiac) when the caster is in full health. With the Spellbreaker license or the Leather Gorget accessory, the damage is doubled when the caster is in HP Critical. If the caster has Faith, Darkra will damage for 30% more. As an elemental spell, it will do double damage to targets weak to dark, and 150% damage with dark-potency gear: Zeus Mace and Black Robes (wearing both does not stack the effect further). The boosts stack multiplicatively.
Enemies who resist dark take half damage. Those who nullify dark take no damage and those who absorb dark are healed by it. Shell halves damage from Darkra.
Weather and terrain do not affect dark damage.
Darkra bounces from Reflect unless the caster equips the Opal Ring. Casting Darkra on the player's own party with Reflect will reflect the spell multiple times onto the enemy. Damaging enemies with Darkra gains MP to the caster if they have the Warmage license. A target can sometimes avoid Darkra via their Magick Evade stat; for the player, this means wearing shields.
Darkra costs 24 MP to cast in the Zodiac versions and 20 MP in the original without Channeling licenses.
Use[]
Darkra is a good mid game damaging spell for a Red Battlemage in the Zodiac versions; in the original where everyone has the same License Board, Darkra is less relevant, though it is a good spell for how enemies typically do not resist it bar the undead (though, conversely, very few are weak to it), and how it is unaffected by terrain and weather, and is a multi-targeting spell. Undead enemies typically absorb dark, but the Red Battlemage can use their curative spells on them instead. The player can set the spell up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:dark-vulnerable→Darkra or Foe:foes present 2+→Darkra, and have a Foe:Undead gambit above it, or the caster will use Darkra on undead enemies as well).
As the spell is multi-targeting, the player can cast it on their own reflected party to bounce it multiple times onto the enemy.
The enemies that use Darkra against the player are Gespenst, Specter [b], Dead Bones, Gazer, Necrofiend, Nightwalker, Reaper Mage, Crystalbug (red), Ash Wyrm, Ose, Skulwyrm [b], Gargoyle Baron, Reaper, Mythril Golem, Necrophobe, Bune, Crusader, Dragon Lich, Brainpan, Purobolos, Bogey, Emeralditan, Leamonde Entite, Foobar, Oversoul, Elvoret, Dark Elemental, Zombie Warlock, Darksteel, Deathscythe, Piscodaemon, Orthros, Ixion, Daedalus, Tyrant, Hydro, Vishno, Crypt Bunny, Ishteen, Vagrant Soul, Disma, Helvinek, and Helm-Rook.