Minotaur (Tactics)

The three types of minotaur.

Minotaurs are a family of monsters in Final Fantasy Tactics. They are powerful monsters that boast high HP and physical attack stats, at the expense of low speed. They are weak to the water element. Like all monsters, minotaurs have innate Counter. They can be first encountered in chapter 1.

Much like other monsters, minotaurs can be recruited to Ramza's company if it has an orator with the Entice ability, or any job with the Speechcraft command and the Beast Tongue support ability, or any job with the Tame support ability. Such as other recruitable creatures, minotaurs lay eggs (as long there are enough free slots available on the party roster), which can spawn three variations: wisenkin, minotaur, and Sekhret. Each allied minotaur variant gains access to a new ability when next to an allied human unit with the Beastmaster support ability.

Like most monsters, the creatures of the minotaur family can be poached and turned into items that can be bought at the Poachers' Dens found in trade cities during chapters 3 and 4.

See also: Minotaur

Ranks

Each variant of the minotaur family has similar stat growths, boasting high HP and physical attack but low speed. Stats are increased slightly between each rank. All variants of the family have access to Pickaxe, their physical attack command.

Rank I: Wisenkin

A beast with the body of a man and the head of a bull, said to have been created when an evil spirit possessed a cow.

The Ivalice Chronicles' description

Also known as Bull Demon in the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation, the wisenkin is the most common variant, which only has access to a physical attack with their oversized pickaxe.

If next to an ally with the Beastmaster support ability, the wisenkin gains access to Beef Up, which increases the wisenkin's physical attack power by two each time it is used; the effect lasts until the battle ends.

Rank II: Minotaur

A variety of wisenkin that is known to acquire tools from human settlements and use them as weapons.

The Ivalice Chronicles' description

Also known as Minitaurus in the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation, the minotaur has the highest physical evasion of its family, in addition to having a movement of 4, as opposed to the wisenkin and Sekhret having a movement of 3. Its Feral Spin deals high physical damage around itself.

If next to an ally with the Beastmaster support ability, the minotaur gains access to Breathe Fire, which deals fire-elemental damage within two tiles.

Rank III: Sekhret

A variety of wisenkin that employs a hulking frame in unbridled rampages, and is duly feared among travelers.

The Ivalice Chronicles' description

Also known as Sacred in the original Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation, Sekhret has access to Earthsplitter, which deals earth-elemental damage to all units around it. The ability is similar to the summoner's Titan. They can also use Beef Up to increase their physical attack, which makes them deadly in long fights as they can progressively boost their already devastating damage output.

If next to an ally with the Beastmaster support ability, the Sekhret gains access to Breathe Fire, which deals fire-elemental damage within two tiles.

The Sekhret can be poached for the holy lance, a rare polearm that deals holy-elemental damage. The Sekhret appears to be an allusion to the boss of the same Japanese name from Final Fantasy V, though Sekhmet has since become a recurring boss or strong enemy in the Final Fantasy series.

Statistics

Monster	Move	Jump	Phy. Evasion Rate	Innate Abilities	Common Poach	Rare Poach
Wisenkin	3	3	11%	Cannot enter water, Counter	Battle Axe	Giant's Axe
Minotaur	4	3	15%	Cannot enter water, Counter	Coral Sword	Slasher
Sekhret	3	3	12%	Cannot enter water, Counter	Holy Lance	Ivory Pole

Abilities

The damage formula for Pickaxe is as follows:

$Damage = (Phys.Atk)^2 \times (Bravery/100)$

The damage formula for Feral Spin is as follows:

$Damage = (Phys.Atk+1) \times Phys.Atk \times 1/2$

The formula for magick is as follows:

$Magick Attack \times PWR$

Ability	Wisenkin	Minotaur	Sekhret	Range	Effect	Vertical
Pickaxe	Yes	Yes	Yes	1	1	2
	Attack with a mighty pickaxe blow.
Feral Spin	No	Yes	No	Auto	2	1
	Attack with a fearsome spin of the pickaxe.
Beef Up	No	No	Yes	Auto	1	—
	Increase physical attack power by stamping the earth and absorbing its life force.
Earthsplitter	No	No	Yes	Auto	3	1
	Attack by stamping the earth, dispatching a shockwave throughout the vicinity. Element: Earth
Breathe Fire	No	No	No	2 (Four directions)	1	Infinite
	Expel a combustible liquid produced in the body and set it alight, attacking with flaming breath. Element: Fire

As party members

Though minotaurs are strong monsters with decent moves, earth- and fire-elemental moves, and high HP, with Sekhret's HP being able to surpass 900 at high levels, they are very slow, being among the last units to move, and a small movement radius, greatly hindering their usefulness, as most units will likely be well into the action before the minotaur can join in.

Gallery

Wisenkin's portrait.

Minotaur's portrait.

Sekhret's portrait.

Pickaxe.

Feral Spin.

Beef Up.

Earthsplitter.

Breathe Fire.

Concept art.

Etymology

[view · edit · purge]The Minotaur was a creature from Greek mythology with the head of a bull and the body of a man. He is descended from the union of the Queen of Crete and a white bull. He roamed the Labyrinth, where he hunted and killed a tribute of young men and women until he was slain by Theseus.

[view · edit · purge]In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet was a blood-thirsty goddess with the head of a lion and the body of a woman in Upper Egypt.