Dragoon job command. Jumps high into the air, then dives downward into the opponent.
Jump is an action ability in Final Fantasy Tactics used by the dragoon job. It allows the user to leap into the air, during which they cannot be targeted or receive damage, before landing to deal great physical damage to the target. Jump targets a tile, rather than the unit currently occupying the tile (similar to the archer's Aim). It is determined by height and panel range. If a creature moves out of the attack range before the attack is completed, the character lands harmlessly.
Jump is also an enemy ability used by the Nightblade, Isilud Tengille.
Obtained[]
Unlocking different Jump abilities by expending JP with the dragoon job determines the range the Jump can be performed. These ranges do not stack, and the highest Jump range will apply.
Horizontal Jump refers to their space around the map, while Vertical Jump refers to their elevation.
The 8-tile Jump abilities are a maximum range, allowing the user to Jump up to 8 tiles any way, without needing to learn previous abilities. Most of the time, Horizontal Jump 5 and Vertical Jump 3 will be in range of the enemy (up to 5 tiles away and 3 tiles high), with movement accessories or abilities giving more horizontal range without needing to waste JP.
| Name | Range | Effect | Speed | JP Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal Jump 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 150 | Jump 2 tiles horizontally. |
| Horizontal Jump 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 300 (original) 350 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 3 tiles horizontally. |
| Horizontal Jump 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 450 (original) 550 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 4 tiles horizontally. |
| Horizontal Jump 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 600 (original) 800 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 5 tiles horizontally. |
| Horizontal Jump 8 | 8 | 1 | — | 900 (original) 1100 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 8 tiles horizontally. |
| Vertical Jump 2 | 0 | 1 | — | 100 | Jump 2 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 3 | 0 | 1 | — | 200 (original) 250 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 3 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 4 | 0 | 1 | — | 300 (original) 400 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 4 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 5 | 0 | 1 | — | 400 (original) 550 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 5 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 6 | 0 | 1 | — | 500 (original) 700 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 6 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 7 | 0 | 1 | — | 600 (original) 1000 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 7 tiles vertically. |
| Vertical Jump 8 | 0 | 1 | — | 900 (original) 1500 (subsequent releases) |
Jump 8 tiles vertically. |
Mechanics[]
The damage formula for Jump is as follows:
- (+50% if a polearm is equipped)
The charge time for Jump is as follows:
Jump renders the user untargetable for its duration. Jump cannot be performed if the user or the target's position is under an obstacle, such as bridge or girder.
Jump, similar to the Aim ability, will not lock on the target. If the target moves away from the tile before Jump lands, it will miss. Increasing the dragoon's speed with abilities or equipment is the best way to circumvent this.
The in-game help message states that the charging speed of Jump is twice the ability user's speed stat. This is slightly inaccurate, but close for the sake of simplicity; when the user and the target have the same speed and the target's current CT is 50% or below, the Jump will land before the target reaches its active turn.
Even though Jump's charging speed is relative to user's speed stat, it is unaffected by Haste or Slow. A unit using Jump under the effects of Haste will not land faster from a Jump; the status will, however, increase the amount of CT they acquire upon landing.
A mime can attempt to do both Quick (easier with a self-cast by another ally) and landing for Jump, but cannot mimic staying airborne.
Doublehand does not affect Jump's damage, but Jump damage is boosted if the jumper equips a polearm.
A few glitches are associated with the command.
Use[]
Jump, when aimed well, can be a powerful ability. It provides temporary invulnerability to the user, meaning that even when not used for dealing damage, it is a strong defensive ability. When it does successfully land and hit a target, it makes the user a powerful damage dealer as its damage is greater than a normal hit with polearms, or removes the random aspects from flails/axes to have consistent damage. However, if Jump misses its target, the user may still benefit from temporary invulnerability, but will have otherwise lost a turn.
Jump can be made more effective by applying negative status ailments to a target, such as Slow, Sleep, Stop, or Immobilize. A time mage thus can be a great pairing with a dragoon, and can also use Quick to give a dragoon more turns while on the ground to instantly perform Jump. Similarly, the Leg Shot ability from Mustadio Bunansa's machinist job applies Immobilize.
Jump can dodge attacks that require charge times, such as magick. It is effective to move the dragoon next to an enemy to use Jump when targeted by an enemy spell, and have that finished charging spell only hit the enemy (Summon does not have friendly fire) while the dragoon is safely airborne, and will likely land on their target if they have under 50 CT (preview time is not visible before doing Jump).
If Ramza (or another character with story relevance) uses Jump, goes airborne, and then has a line of dialogue in the battle, such as a response to another, they will come back down to their spot in the battlefield, say their line, then jump back up again.