Envelops all enemies and allies in ultra-hot flame.
Description
Meltdown, also known as Merton,[1][2] is an Attack spell in Final Fantasy VI. It is a powerful 
Fire- and 
Wind-elemental spell that deals immense damage, second only to Ultima, but hits all enemies and allies alike. With the proper equipment setup this can be used strategically to heal the party and damage the enemy in one turn. Meltdown is unblockable, pierces Magic Defense, and ignores reflect. It is learned naturally by Terra at level 86, and can be learned by other party members through magicite.
In the story, Emperor Gestahl attempts to use Meltdown as a last resort to stop Kefka from awakening the Warring Triad's true power, but it fails due to Kefka using the magical field generated by the Warring Triad's statues to shield himself.
Obtained[]
Terra learns Meltdown naturally upon reaching level 86. Other party members can learn it from the Crusader magicite, which tells the spell at a x1 rate,
Mechanics[]
As a spell with a power of 138, it deals damage with the following formula:
where "Level" refers to the user's level, and Magic refers to the user's Magic stat. Meltdown ignores the target's Magic Defense and shell plays no role in mitigating damage, and the spell cannot be blocked by Magic Evasion. Meltdown is affected by split damage.
Several relics augment Meltdown and 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 cut by half or reduced to 1, respectively.
Because the spell deals fire- and wind-elemental damage, the enemy's elemental affinity affects its damage output. If fire or wind are nullified, or the target is immune to fire or wind, the spell will deal 0 damage. If the target absorbs one of the element, it will heal HP instead of dealing damage. If the target resists one of the elements, it will deal half damage; conversely, if the target is weak to the element, its damage will be doubled.
Meltdown ignores Runic.
Use[]
Meltdown should be used in combination with one or multiple absorbing armor (Flame Shield, Paladin's Shield, Rage Ring) equipped by the party to absorb the spell's fire damage, making the spell extremely turn-efficient as it will damage the enemy while healing (members of) the party. If no equipment nullifies or at least resists fire or wind damage, the spell should not be used as it is too risky in comparison to other spells that also deal great damage to enemies.
Meltdown's damage is second only to Ultima, and the spell deals immense damage against single targets or multiple targets. Its prohibitive MP cost, and the fact that it damages allies unless equipment is planned around it, are its main drawbacks. In comparison, Firaga is a safer and more MP-efficient way to target a weakness to the fire element, while Meteor and Flare are more MP-efficient ways to deal considerable magic damage.
Meltdown outclasses the similar Quake spell in terms of damage output. However, Quake is much cheaper in terms of MP cost, and easier to avoid in terms of using Float.
Though Terra learns Meltdown naturally, she learns it so late that it is better to teach her the spell earlier. For other party members, as an Attack spell, the player should prioritize teaching Meltdown to 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 will be built toward magic damage, his access to Phantom Rush means he can already deal strong magic damage without spending MP. Meltdown should be prioritized to spellcasters before other party members.
If Celestriad is equipped and MP is no object, and the right equipment setup is used, Meltdown is the ultimate spell to use for the party with few drawbacks. In all other instances, the player should turn to Ultima or Meteor instead.
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