Reflects magic attacks back onto caster.
Description
Reflect is a Wht Mag spell in Final Fantasy IX for Dagger and Eiko, used to bestow the status of the same name that reflects compatible spells to the opposing party (rather than back to the caster as the in-game description states; e.g. spells reflected off allies target enemies). Reflect is itself vulnerable to Reflect and would work with Return Magic were enemies to use it on the player party; the enemies that use it upon themselves are Ash, Drakan, Valia Pira, Hades, Maliris, Maliris (Crystal), Ring Leader, and Trance Kuja.
Obtained[]
Reflect is learned from Mythril Racket, Stardust Rod, Reflect Ring, and Ruby. The earliest the player can have access to the spell is by stealing the Stardust Rod off Zorn during the segment where Zidane Tribal and his friends are rescuing Princess Garnet in the Alexandria Castle under a time limit; she can then equip it from the following gameplay segment onward. The earliest Eiko can learn the spell is from the Ruby the party receives as part of the story for visiting the Iifa Tree.
Mechanics[]
Reflect bestows the Reflect status to one target at the cost of 6 MP, which bounces spells targeted at the affected to the opposing party, i.e. spells reflecting off enemies target the player party and vice versa.
- Status duration = Spirit * 320
The status duration takes into account Battle Speed as set in the Config, as well as the unit's speed status (Stop, Slow, Normal, Haste).
The support ability that affects Reflect is Reflect-Null, which allows Reflect to pierce the target's Reflect.
In Eiko's Trance, Wht Mag turns into Dbl Wht where Eiko can cast two spells on her turn. The spells cost MP and expend the Trance gauge independently.
Use[]
Reflect is a great status to bestow to protect the party from magic, as most Black and White Magic spells, as well as various enemy-exclusive abilities, can be reflected. The downside is that support spells also reflect, but this could be bypassed by the spellcaster's Reflect-Null passive ability. This trait could be used for the player's advantage against enemies who heal and support themselves by giving the status to the enemy.
Reflecting spells off the player's own party can be used for a strategic advantage: if the entire party is under Reflect, multi-targeted spells onto them will reflect up to four times on to random enemies (converging into one spell animation and damage cannot exceed 9999). A lone enemy would take quadruple damage up to 9999 and the Bonus during damage calculation is not be halved. Against multiple enemies, the damage bonus is halved, and the four spells hit random targets even if the spell converges into a single casting.
Eiko's Carbuncle and the Auto-Reflect support ability are the superior methods of bestowing the status, as Carbuncle's Ruby Light gives the status to all of the party in one go, and Auto-Reflect never expires (not even during KO, which could be a hindrance for reviving, however). However, at 6 MP, Reflect is a fairly cheap spell and could be used instead of attempting to silence an enemy to halt their spellcasting. The downside of Reflect in comparison to Silence is that enemies may be healed by the elemental spells they use.