Jump back, then deliver a punishing counter. If the jump evades an attack, counter potency is increased. Can be used in midair.
Description
Rook's Gambit is one of Garuda's Eikonic Abilities in Final Fantasy XVI that the player can learn and then assign to Clive's loadout. It is a counterattack ability: when timed right, Clive will jump to evade an enemy's incoming attack, and then deliver a counterattack.
Obtained[]
Clive gains access to Garuda's powers as part of the story, during "Wings of Change", after the events in Caer Norvent. Rook's Gambit is then learned for 120 AP in the Abilities menu.
Mechanics[]
Clive can use Rook's Gambit in battle whenever it is equipped to his current loadout in Gear & Eikons menu. He can have two Eikonic Abilities alongside his Eikonic Feat, which for the wind loadout is Deadly Embrace.
Rook's Gambit has Clive jump back before attacking his target. When the ability is timed right, the jump will evade an enemy's attack and Clive's counterattack will be especially strong. The player can use the Ring of Timely Focus accessibility aid to time the ability perfectly every time. Even when not timed perfectly, Rook's Gambit helps the player keep the momentum going and to avoid damage, as Clive will not be knocked down or recoil if still hit during the animation.
Rook's Gambit can be used midair. Rook's Gambit can be canceled by dodging before the attack happens, giving the player just a "free" backstep. The ability brings Clive airborne itself, and can be chained into aerial moves.
Rook's Gambit activates the battle technique, Gambit Counter, when used for evading and countering.
After being used, the ability has a 25-second base cooldown before being able to be used again. Triggering the Gambit Counter battle technique, however, shortens the cooldown to ~12.5 seconds.[note 1] Upgrading/mastering the ability has no effect on its cooldown. The Breath of Wind (Rook's Gambit) accessory further reduces the ability's cooldown by a flat 2.7 seconds. The cooldown begins from when Rook's Gambit hits the enemy (or when it misses, if it does not connect with anything), not when the player chooses to use the ability or when Clive jumps.
| AP cost | Effect |
|---|---|
| 120 (Base) | Able to equip Rook's Gambit to Clive's wind loadout. |
| 660 (Upgrade) | Counterattack delivers more hits. |
| 1000 (Master) | Able to equip Rook's Gambit to any loadout. |
Use[]
Rook's Gambit is worth upgrading if the player is using it in their loadout to improve the counterattack. Rook's Gambit is best prioritized as a counter, as it makes it stronger and halves the cooldown. The ability is easiest used with the Timely Focus accessibility ring that slows down time before an enemy's attack is about to land, but simply learning enemies' maneuvers allows the player to potentially spam the ability.
Rook's Gambit is part of counter abilities, alongside the ranged counter Heatwave from the Phoenix and the block-counter Raging Fists from Titan. Heatwave is ranged-exclusive, but excels in that role. Raging Fists is stronger and tends to be easier to trigger, as the window for it is lenient, but Rook's Gambit is available earlier. Raging Fists cannot be used midair and not every ability in the game is blockable (though most are), and should the player misstime the ability, Clive is hit, whereas misstiming Rook's Gambit is less of an issue as Clive will jump away, regardless if the player succeeded in the perfect counter. Raging Fists may also not be ideal against an enemy's charging attack. The player can decide which counters best fit their playstyle, or even run a build focused around countering and assign all counters; this way, the cooldowns are less of an issue even against aggressive enemies, as precision counters will also shorten the cooldowns.
During the chronolith trial with Garuda's abilities, triggering Precision Gambit by using the ability to evade and counter an enemy's attack earns a 12-second time bonus.
Etymology[]
A rook is a dark crow-like bird, likely relevant for the Final Fantasy XVI, Garuda being an avian Eikon. However, as a verb rook can also mean "to cheat or swindle", perhaps in relation to the ability's evade and counter nature.
A gambit is a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage.
tooltip claims that precision-countering shortens cooldown by "one-third", this is incorrect; it instead appears to halve it.