Summon the legendary spear Gungnir and execute an extended flourish of deadly slices and strokes. Each hit landed fills the Zantetsuken gauge.
Description
Gungnir is one of Odin's default Eikonic Abilities in Final Fantasy XVI that the player can assign to Clive's loadout. Clive will conjure Odin's spear and launch a series of attacks, each strike that hits an enemy charging Zantetsuken. Tapping the execute button delivers more hits and extends duration, similar to Garuda's Gouge. The ability was improved in version 1.31.
Gungnir is also an enemy ability used by Barnabas Tharmr.
Obtained[]
Clive gains access to Odin's powers as part of the story, during "The Last King", usable in his loadout after the events at the top of Reverie. Gungnir is already known when Clive receives Odin's skillset.
Mechanics[]
Clive can use Gungnir in battle whenever it is equipped to his current loadout. He can have two Eikonic Abilities alongside his Eikonic Feat, which for the dark loadout is Arm of Darkness. All of Odin's Eikonic Abilities have synergy with his Eikonic Feat, in that they all charge up Zantetsuken while forgoing Limit Break build up.
Gungnir has Clive conjure a spear of darkness and deliver a series of hits, each successful strike charging Zantetsuken. Tapping the execute button delivers follow up strikes, delivering further damage and charging Zantetsuken. Upgrading the ability speeds up these follow up strikes. Version 1.31 made Gungnir deal more will damage than previously.
Pressing the jump button ( by default) while performing Gungnir lifts small enemies, limiting Zantetsuken-gain, but rendering them more vulnerable to follow up attacks.
If Clive attacks a Lightning Rod alongside any enemies, the Zantetsuken charge is boosted further.
Gungnir activates the battle technique, Collateral Gungnir, when damaging multiple enemies with one use of Gungnir.
After being used, the ability initially had a 20-second cooldown before being able to be used again, but version 1.31 shortened it. Upgrading/mastering the ability has no effect on its cooldown.
AP cost | Effect |
---|---|
Already learned | Able to equip Gungnir to Clive's dark loadout. |
625 (Upgrade) | Follow up attacks are faster. |
1000 (Master) | Able to equip Gungnir to any loadout. |
Use[]
Gungnir is worth upgrading to speed up the follow up attacks if the player is using it in their loadout. Gungnir is best used to charge Zantetsuken when the player lacks Dancing Steel, either because it is cooling down or because it is not learned or in the loadout. Performing Gungnir into Lightning Rod from Ramuh improves its Zantetsuken-gain, and if there are multiple enemies in the mix, Clive may be able to max out Zantetsuken from one use of Gungnir + Lightning Rod.
All of Odin's abilities, bar Rift Slip, are more useful for charging up Zantetsuken than for pure damage, and so Gungnir is still worth using even if it deals less damage than other Eikonic Abilities, as Zantetsuken's raw power makes up for it. When Zantetsuken is maxed out, the player should use it over Gungnir. The player can hold the melee attack button ( by default) during Gungnir's animation to immediately follow up with Zantetsuken.
Gungnir's downside is that it is inferior to Dancing Steel, and the player may want to run a dark loadout with Rift Slip and Dancing Steel, leaving no room for Gungnir (or Heaven's Cloud).
During the chronolith trial with the Odin's abilities, triggering Full Gungnir by tapping the execute button to extend the ability's duration to maximum earns a 12-second time bonus.
Behind the scenes[]
When Clive uses Gungnir, the spear appears as two Zantetsuken swords fused at the hilt, somewhat similar to Zantetsuken from the Lightning Saga.
Etymology[]
Gungnir is a javelin forged and crafted by dwarves, known as the Sons of Ivaldi, on Loki's request as part of his apology for cutting off the hair of Sif. It was given to Odin and had the uncanny ability of always hitting the target it was thrown at.
In Norse mythology,