Holy (Tactics)

For the element, see Holy (Tactics element)

Holy
(ホーリー, Hōrī?)
Availability
Required	600 JP
Job	White Mage Sorcerer
Classification
Type	Action ability
Skillset	White Magicks Magicks
Effect	Tremendous holy-elemental damage to a single unit
Element	Holy
Specifications
MP cost	56
Cast time	17
Range	Horizontal range: 5 Vertical range: unlimited Area of effect: 1 tile Height of effect: ±0
Reflect	Yes
Special effect	Can be cast with Arithmeticks and Magick Counter
Related pages
Recurring appearance	Holy (ability)

Sacred light that banishes darkness, dealing holy damage to a distant unit.

The Ivalice Chronicles' description

Holy is a White Magicks ability in Final Fantasy Tactics, learned by the white mage job. It charges a spell that deals tremendous holy-elemental damage to a single unit, being the only offensive magick available to the white mage. The action ability must be learned by expending JP earned for the white mage job.

Cletienne Duroi's job, the sorcerer, also has access to the Holy spell.

Obtained

Holy costs 600 JP to be spent on the white mage job. Once the unit has learned it, it is available for other jobs as long as they have the White Magicks or Arithmeticks skillset equipped.

If a unit that knows Holy becomes a crystal, a human unit picking up the crystal may learn Holy without spending JP, as long as said unit has unlocked the white mage job.

Mechanics

Bright light, shine down on bloody impurity! Holy!

Upon casting

Holy costs 56 MP with a charge time of 17 speed. The spell deals damage following formula:

${\text{(50}}\times {\text{Caster's Magick Attack Power}})\times {\text{(Caster's Faith/100)}}\times {\text{(Target's Faith/100)}}$

Magick has a chance to hit based on the caster's faith and the target's faith, based on the following formula:

$({\text{Caster's Magickal Attack Power}}+{\text{Magick Potency}})\times {\text{Caster's Faith}}\times {\text{Target's Faith}}$

This means that the higher both the caster and the target's faith stats, the higher the chances of the Holy spell to take effect, as well increased damage.

The unit can still attempt to cast magick even without the required MP, but it will fail upon activating.

The Holy spell has the highest base damage of all magickal attacks, although it only hits one enemy. Any enemy weak to the holy element will take 50% increased damage from the spell; further multipliers include equipment such as the japa mala and the Excalibur, which increase the damage of holy-elemental attacks by 25%.

Holy can be reflected, works with Magick Counter, and will be nullified against a unit with zero faith or under the Atheist status. The magick can be cast instantly by the arithmetician job command, Arithmeticks.

Human units lack innate elemental strengths or weaknesses, as opposed to most monsters. The monsters that have holy-elemental affinity are:

• Skeleton-family (weak)
• Ghost-family (weak)
• Automaton (immune)
• Archaeodaemon (immune)
• Ultima Demon (immune)
• Reis Duelar's Holy Dragon form (absorbs)

Use

Holy is the most powerful offensive magick in the game, dealing massive damage. Very few enemies have resistance against the holy element.

The spell is offset by its high cost, relatively slow cast speed, and it can only hit one enemy at a time. However, Holy is particularly deadly when cast with Arithmeticks; the player can potentially hit every enemy in the map with Holy with it. The player can equip their party with chameleon robes to ensure Holy only damages enemies.

Behind the scenes

In the PlayStation version, a white mage casting Holy may chant: "Bright light, shine down on bloody impurity! Holy!" Spellcasting chants are not used in The War of the Lions version, but return in The Ivalice Chronicles with new localization.