Causes Non-elemental damage to all enemies.
Description
Meteor is a Blk Mag spell for Vivi in Final Fantasy IX that that deals randomized non-elemental damage to all enemies for a cost of 42 MP; the higher Vivi's Magic and Level, the more damage the spell is capable of. However, it may "fizzle" and not hit. In Trance, Vivi can use the spell twice in one turn.
Deathguise and the superboss Ozma can cast Meteor (respectively dealing 50-4900 damage and 110-9999 damage), and Behemoth will sometimes use a version called Meteor Counter when attacked (dealing 50-4750 damage). They never miss and cost 40 MP to cast, as opposed to Vivi's 42. The only way to reduce their damage is by using Shell or inflicting Mini to Behemoth. Both Meteor and Counter Meteor can't be reflected although Return Magic triggers on the former.
Obtain[]
Meteor is learned from the High Mage Staff for 95 AP. It is found in Chocograph 13, Forbidden Forest, and is bought from the Black Mage Village in the endgame. The party can reach the Forbidden Forest treasure after they have the Blue Narciss, which lets them find Chocobo's Lagoon (with reef Choco upgraded by playing Chocobo Hot and Cold in the Chocobo's Forest first), and dig there until they get the upgrade for Choco to become mountain-crossing. With the red mountain Choco digging in the Chocobo's Forest again lets the player find Forbidden Forest; the treasure is found in the middle of the Aerbs Mountains on the world map.
Mechanics[]
Meteor's damage is calculated as follows:
- 88 * A random number between 1 and (Vivi's Level + Vivi's Magic stat)
The cap is thus higher the better Vivi's stats are, but one might still get unlucky and get a poor result. Vivi can use the Focus ability to increase his Magic during that battle by 25% per use. The effect stacks up to 99. The effect lasts for the entire battle, even if KO'd. Meteor's damage is unaffected by the target(s)' Magic Defense. The randomized part of the formula is halved if the target has Shell, or if Vivi is under Mini.
Meteor has a chance of missing the target altogether.
- [(Level / 2) + Spirit] >= random number 1..100, Meteor hits
In Vivi's Trance, Blk Mag turns into Dbl Blk where Vivi can cast two spells on his turn. The spells cost MP and expend the Trance gauge independently.
Use[]
Vivi can use Meteor to potentially do severe damage to all enemies with the gamble of the damage being random and the chance the spell might "fizzle out". For non-elemental damage, Vivi could also use Bio, which has normal spell accuracy and non-random damage and has a chance of ailment-infliction, or simply use Mag Elem Null; with the latter, boosts with Elem-Atk equips still take effect even if the result is non-elemental.
Meteor cannot be boosted with Reflectx2. For Meteor's high MP cost, Vivi may benefit from Half MP, though the weapon that teaches Meteor, also teaches Osmose, and the party may be flush with funds to buy enough Tents for MP costs to be less of an issue.
Tetra Master[]
| Tetra Master |
|---|
 #058 Location: Black Mage Village (Black mage no.189) Treno (Card Stadium) Memoria (Strong Phantom in Lost Memory) |
Meteor has a Tetra Master card, winnable from Magic Master Thalisa in the Treno card stadium in the endgame, as well as from Black mage no.189 in Black Mage Village, who plays it rarely. In the final dungeon, Strong Phantom uses it rarely, found in the Lost Memory area.
Behind the scenes[]
Zidane has a SFX version of Meteor, called Medeo, during the sword fight at the beginning of the game.
Etymology[]
A meteor or "shooting star" is the visible streak of light from a meteoroid or micrometeoroid, heated and glowing from entering the Earth's atmosphere, as it sheds glowing material in its wake. Meteors rarely explode in the Earth's atmosphere. The term has become associated with quickness with the adjective "meteoric". In the context of myth and superstition, meteors and comets sighted in Ancient and Medieval Europe were once held as ill omen, said to be the message of the heavens' displeasure of man's affairs to herald grave catastrophes.
Pieces that withstand atmospheric ablation are known as meteorites, but the name of the spell in the series refers to the overall phenomenon.