Long-range holy racket.
Description
Priest's Racket is a weapon for Dagger and Eiko in Final Fantasy IX, being the penultimate racket, available for synthesis in the endgame; however, the player may already have the superior Tiger Racket by the time Priest's Racket becomes available to make. Priest's Racket teaches Silence, which disables a target's magic-use, and Might, which boosts a target's physical prowess and is only learned by Eiko. Rackets are ranged weapons that deal Wind damage when used with the Attack command.
Obtain[]
Priest's Racket is synthesized in Black Mage Village in the endgame for 11,000 gil, an Air Racket, and a Cachusha. Air Racket is no longer sold in shops, but there was one in a treasure in Ipsen's Castle earlier, which the player is advised to keep to make the Priest's Racket later. Cachusha can be synthesized in the Mist Continent synthesis shops.
Mechanics[]
Priest's Racket's damage dealt with a normal Attack is determined as follows everywhere but within Ipsen's Castle:
- Base = 35 - Enemy's Defense
- Bonus = [(Strength + Speed) / 2] + Rnd MOD ([(Level + Strength) / 8] + 1)
- Damage = Base * Bonus
Where Rnd means a random number, while MOD means modulus operation. "Rnd MOD x" can be read as a random number between 0 and x-1.
The damage is then modified by the enemy's Protect and resistance/weakness to Wind. If the wielder were under Mini, her Bonus would be 1, and if they equip Healer, damage is converted to healing.
When in Ipsen's Castle, the stronger weapons do less damage than weaker weapons, and the Base part of the damage formula is altered to:
- Base = 25 - Enemy's Defense
Rackets are ranged weapons, meaning they will do the same damage from the back row, and are thus ideal for the party's white mages. They also deal Wind damage with Attack, meaning they will do 150% damage against enemies weak to Wind, and half damage to those who resist it, and no damage to those who nullify Wind, and heal those who absorb Wind. Most flying enemies are weak to wind.
Dagger and Eiko can augment their Attack with rackets via Elem-Atk gear; by wearing a Feather Hat, Bracer, Black Belt, or Fairy Earrings simultaneously with a racket, Dagger and Eiko deal 150% damage and the effect stacks with the +50% damage already done to enemies who are weak to Wind. Wearing multiples of these Wind-enhancing equipment pieces at the same time does not stack the effect.
Use[]
Priest's Racket is the last racket available, as the player could have procured the ultimate racket, Tiger Racket, after they had access to the Blue Narciss by advancing in the Chocobo Hot and Cold quest until Dead Peppers became available. If the player nabbed the Hamelin for Eiko earlier to learn Might from (as Silence has many sources), and they have the Tiger Racket, the player could skip making the Priest's Racket altogether if they no longer need it. The Magic Racket may be preferable to equip even for being weaker for its stat-boosting property on level up and Holy Elem-Atk.
If the player has decided to ignore the chocobo side quest, Priest's Racket is the strongest racket they can get.