Cast a random black magick on one foe.
Description
Shades of Black is a Technick in Final Fantasy XII that casts a random Black Magicks spell onto an enemy for no MP cost. Shades of Black is purchased from a Technicks shop in the original PlayStation 2 version, where all player characters who have the License Board can activate it. In the Zodiac versions, it is used by certain jobs and Larsa/Lamont, and is found in a treasure. In the original version, the Technick mainly casts low level spells, but in the Zodiac versions, all spells have an equal chance of being picked.
Obtain[]
The license for Shades of Black costs 70 License Points in the Zodiac versions and 40 LP in the original. In the original PlayStation 2 version, Shades of Black is sold in Archades's Technicks shop for 5000 gil.
In the Zodiac versions, the Technick is found in Tomb of Raithwall's Cloister of Flame area, where the boss is fought. The treasure always spawns. If the player missed it, they can return to the tomb to retrieve it.
Shades of Black can be used by the job classes Foebreaker, Monk, Bushi, Shikari, Archer, and Uhlan. Shikari and Foebreaker must first acquire the license for the Esper Adrammelech and Cúchulainn, respectively. Shades of Black is a new Technick used by Larsa, replacing Telekinesis from the original version.
Mechanics[]
Shades of Black is unaffected by Reverse and Silence. Otherwise, the spells from it act the same as normally cast spells (including Effect Capacity), just with a longer Charge Time and no MP cost. If the user has the Warmage license, they will gain MP when using Shades of Black to damage enemies. If the user has Faith or elemental-boosting gear, Shades of Black spells do more damage.
Original[]
| Chance | Spell |
|---|---|
| 88% | Fire, Thunder, Blizzard, Water, Aero, Fira, Thundara, Blizzara, Bio |
| 12% | Aeroga, Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Shock, Scourge, Flare, Ardor, Scathe |
Zodiac versions[]
In the Zodiac version, the player cannot target allies with the Technick to bounce it off Reflect, but the spells cast from Shades of Black do reflect if the enemy has the status.
As the categorization of magick spells in Zodiac versions is rearranged, the spells to be drawn are slightly different, e.g. Ardor can no longer be cast with Shades of Black, because it is not a Black Magick spell anymore. The spells are also equally weighted, with low level spells having equal chance of being drawn as high level spells.
The spells that can be cast are: Fire, Thunder, Blizzard, Aqua, Aero, Fira, Thundara, Blizzara, Bio, Aeroga, Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Shock, Scourge, Flare, Scathe, Blind, Blindga, Silence, Silencega, Sleep, Sleepga, Poison, and Toxify.
Use[]
Shades of Black is a powerful Technick that is worth using. It is a way to attack flying enemies for those who wield a short-range weapon, and the player can easily set a gambit for it. Another good time could be when there are enemies grouped together, again easily set up as a gambit. Faith status helps a Shades of Black user.
Shades of Black is good for potentially giving access to the highest tier spells, like Scathe, early on.
As Larsa has the Technick in the Zodiac versions, the player can set him up to using it rather than using Attack.
The downside is that the character may end up using a spell the enemy resists or absorbs. In the Zodiac versions, the Technick is learned by jobs that lack high Magick growth or mystic armor. If a Black Mage is crossed with one of the jobs that has Shades of Black in The Zodiac Age versions, it allows them to cast powerful spells even at 0 MP and even when silenced. With the Shades of Black, a character wearing Manufacted Nethicite for protection can still cast spells. The player can then also place a Foe:status = Reflect→Shades of Black gambit above the other spellcasting gambits, so the player's spells do not get reflected.
Shades of Black could be useful against Rafflesia as it requires no MP to use, and the battlefield in this boss battle saps the party of their MP. Shades of Black could also be useful against entites early on.