Absorbs HP from the target.
Description
Drain is an Attack spell in Final Fantasy VI. It deals moderate non-elemental damage to a single target and then heals the caster's HP for that amount. On undead targets, it will instead heal them and harm the caster. Drain is learned naturally by Terra at level 12, and can later be earned by other party members through magicite.
Drain is also an enemy ability used by Coco, Cloud, Kefka (first battle), Level 40 Magic, Magic, Nightwalker, Ultros in the second battle, and Zurvan
Obtained[]
Terra learns Drain naturally upon reaching level 12, while other party members must learn it through magicite. It is taught by Ifrit at a x1 rate, making it very difficult for other party members to learn the spell due to the AP required.
Mechanics[]
As a spell with a power of 38, it deals initial damage with the following formula:
where "Level" refers to the user's level, and Magic refers to the user's Magic stat. The target's Magic Defense and shell play a role in mitigating damage, and the spell can potentially be blocked by Magic Evasion. The spell cannot be reflected.
Several relics augment Drain along with other spells. If the caster is equipped with an Earring or a Hero Ring, the damage is multiplied by 5/4 (or a 25% increase). If the caster is equipped with two Earrings, two Hero Rings, or one of each, the damage is multiplied by 3/2 (a 50% increase). If the caster equips Gold Hairpin or Celestriad, its MP cost is halved or reduced to 1, respectively.
If cast against an undead target, it will heal them instead.
Use[]
Drain's MP cost and relatively low hit rate are fairly prohibitive. However, Drain can be a very turn-efficient way to heal the user. If the caster's HP is low, Drain will deal great damage to a target which will heal the user, which can be useful in a variety of circumstances. This makes it a strong utility spell to use in a pinch.
As an Attack spell, the player should prioritize teaching Drain to party members with a high natural Magic stat and access to mage equipment. This includes Celes, Relm, and Strago; Mog and Shadow have high Magic stats, while Gogo has access to mage equipment. Though Sabin is best built toward magic damage, his access to Aura Cannon makes him less of a priority than others. Because Drain is very difficult to learn, it is a luxury, and many may prioritize actual healing spells.
No other spells exist like Drain in the game. However, later damaging spells deal significantly more damage, meaning that Drain becomes outclassed later on as opposed to simply using healing spells or stronger damaging spells.
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