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FFVI Shell status

Celes under the Shell status in Final Fantasy VI.

Shell (シェル, Sheru?), also known as MBarrier, is a positive status effect usually granted through the use of the White Magic spell Shell, the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard, the item Lunar Curtain, or the auto-ability Auto-Shell. It appears in various games in the Final Fantasy series and reduces magic damage dealt to the target.

In earlier games, Shell would generally halve the effectiveness of both offensive and curative spells. In more recent installments, Shell usually cuts the effectiveness from offensive spells by a third, and does not affect curative spells.

Appearances[]

Final Fantasy II[]

Shell status can only be achieved through the use of the spell Shell and the item Conch Shell. It increases the Magic Defense of a character.

Final Fantasy III[]

Shell can be acquired from Bard's Elegy song in the 3D versions.

It boosts the recipient's Magic Defense in a following fashion:

Recipient's Magic Defense + (20 + Recipient's JobLv / 11)%

Final Fantasy IV[]

FFIVDS Shell Status Icon

Shell is granted by the Shell spell cast by Rosa and Fusoya. In the GBA and PSP versions, Edward's Sing command changes to Chant while equipped with the Harmony Ring, granting Protect and Shell to the entire party.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years[]

Shell can be achieved through the spell Shell and by using the Elfin Bow as an item. Edward's Guardian's Ballad song grants Protect and Shell to the whole party.

Final Fantasy V[]

Shell is only obtainable through the White Magic spell Shell, the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard, and the ability Magic Shell. Shell halves all magic damage and the hit rate of blockable magic attacks.

Final Fantasy VI[]

Shell status reduces damage done from magical attacks to 170/256 (33% damage reduction).

It can be achieved by having a party member cast the spell Shell, Strago use Mighty Guard Lore, by equipping relics that bestow the Shell status—Barrier Ring, Princess Ring, Miracle Shoes, or Guard Bracelet—or by summoning the esper Zona Seeker. The Force Shield also grants the Shell status. Due to a bug, if the Force Shield is equipped mid-battle, instead of granting Shell, it will instead give immunity to Shell.

Final Fantasy VII[]

FFVII Barriers Gauge

MBarrier halves magical damage/healing. When hit by a magical ability, a magical barrier appears in-between the character with MBarrier and the attacker, that diminishes in size as the status wears out. The spells MBarrier, Big Guard, and Wall grant MBarrier status to a party member, while the Protect Ring grants MBarrier at the start of the battle. On the barrier gauge to the right, it appears as the lower barrier. The gauge shows for how long the status is active. Statuses that affect the character's speed also affect the rate MBarrier runs out: i.e. Haste makes it run our faster, and Slow makes it last longer.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

The MBarrier status can be acquired using the MBarrier Materia, Wall, and multiple accessories. It can be also granted through the DMW Courage Boost! It halves magic damage taken.

Final Fantasy VII Remake[]

Manaward Manaward halves magic damage taken. It can be applied by the Manaward Manaward spell from the Barrier Materia Barrier Materia and with Carbuncle's Nacre Light.

Final Fantasy VIII[]

Shell can be acquired by casting Shell, using a Shell Stone, Quistis's Blue Magic Mighty Guard or Selphie's Slot Wall, or through the auto-ability Auto-Shell. It halves all magical damage and curative spells and lasts for 32 seconds.

Final Fantasy IX[]

FFIX Shell Symbol

Shell reduces magic damage and can be applied through the White Magic spell Shell, the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard, or through Carbuncle when Eiko equips the Moonstone.

Final Fantasy X[]

The White Magic spell Shell, Kimahri's Ronso Rage Mighty Guard, and the auto-ability Auto Shell can bestow Shell upon a character to halve magical damage. SOS Shell can bestow Shell as long as the character is in HP Critical status. Some of Rikku's Mixes can inflict Shell to the entire party as well, including Mighty G, Super Mighty G, Hyper Mighty G, and Mighty Wall. The item Lunar Curtain also gives Shell.

Final Fantasy X-2[]

FFX-2 Shell Icon
Game Element Type Effect
Shell White Magic Reduces magical damage.
Mighty Guard Blue Bullet Inflicts Shell and Protect to party.
Assault Swordplay Grants Berserk, Shell, Haste, and Protect to the party.
Flurry Shield Flurry Grants Shell and recovers a small amount of HP.
No Fear Bushido Grants Shell and Protect on user.
Moogle Wall Kupo! Grants Shell and Protect to one ally.
Moogle Wallja Kupo! Grants Shell and Protect to party.
Hard Leaves Fallalery Grants Shell to party.
Shellter Smash Grants Shell to party.
Auto-Shell Ability Automatically start with Shell status.
Choco-Shell Enemy Ability Grants Shell.
Not-So-Mighty Guard Enemy Ability Grants Shell and Protect to party.
Defense Bracer Accessory Automatically start with Shell and Protect status.
Moon Bracer Accessory Automatically start with Shell status.
Wall Ring Accessory Automatically gain Shell and Protect when in Critical.
Lunar Curtain Item/Enemy Ability Grants Shell to party.

Final Fantasy XI[]

FFXI Shell Status

The White Magic Shell enhances a single person's magic resistance, while Shellra increases magic resistance for all party members within range of effect.

Final Fantasy XII[]

FFXII Shell Icon

The character is enveloped in a magick field, increasing magick resist and reducing magick damage taken. The effect is temporary.

Description

Shell is granted by casting the Shell and Shellga spells, or by equipping the Shell Shield. It is also a random buff from picking up loot with the highest chain.

Shell reduces magic damage taken by 33%. It also halves the success chance of status ailments, making it useful around undead enemies due to their common use of magick and status effect spells.

An enemy exclusive ability, Greater Barrier, grants Shell along with Protect. Some enemies spawn with a Shell status.

In the Japanese original version and International Zodiac Job System, the icon for the Shell status is a green seashell. This is changed to a green circle elsewhere.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings[]

RW Shell Status Symbol

Shell reduces magickal damage, but does not halve the chance of receiving debuffs. Shell will override Protect and vice versa.

Basch can grant multiple allies the Shell effect by casting Shellga. The White Mage sky pirates also know the Shellga spell.

Rank III Esper Tiamat knows the Mighty Guard spell that bestows both Protect and Shell buff on all allies in range. Mighty Guard is the only ability that lets both Protect and Shell co-exist on a unit.

Final Fantasy XIII[]

Shell is achieved via the Synergist spell or shrouds used before battle. Accessories can also grant it automatically. Shell increases resistance to magical damage by 33%. Its base duration is 150 seconds, but the overall duration is affected by the caster's Synergist level, chain and passive abilities. Shell is removed with Dispel, Dispelga, Deshell, and Deshellga. There also exists a stronger variant, called Shellra, that wears off faster but halves magic damage to the user.

Game Element Type Effect
Shell Synergist ability, Enemy ability Bestows Shell to the target.
Auto-Shell Passive ability Bestows Shell at the start of a battle.
Critical: Shell Passive ability Automatically bestows Shell once HP hits Critical status. Functions only once per battle.
Aegisol Shroud Casts Protect, Shell, Veil, and Vigilance at start of battle.
Enchanted Veil Enemy ability Bestows Protect and Shell on the caster.
Fanatical Dance Enemy ability Bestows Bravery, Haste, and Shell on the user's party.
Goblinhancement Enemy ability May bestow Bravery, Protect, Shell, Veil, and Vigilance on target.
Manadrive Shell Enemy ability Bestows Shell on target.
Overdrive Enemy ability Heals self for 99,999 HP and buffs self with Haste, Faith, Protect, and Shell (applies in the battle against Tiamat Eliminator).
Power Spritz Enemy ability Bestows Haste, Shell, Veil and Vigilance onto the caster.
Rebirth Enemy ability Does little damage to the player party and buffs the user with Bravery, Faith, Protect and Shell. Used only after the first Stagger.
Version Upgrade Enemy ability Bestows Bravery, Faith, Protect, Shell, Veil, and Vigilance on the user.

Final Fantasy XIII-2[]

Shell reduces received magical damage by 25% and can be bestowed by Synergist spells Shell and Shellga and the Feral Links Bellow, Spirit Infusion, Precious Prayer, and Fanatical Dance. Auric Amulet gives Critical:Shell that activates automatically at low health, and Durable Auric Amulet also gives Auto-Shell that applies Shell since the start of the battle. It can be countered with Dispel, Dispelga, Deshell, and Deshellga.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII[]

Shell reduces magical damage received by 33% for a duration of 50 seconds. It can be bestowed via Shell Potion, Crusader's Potion, Holy Water, Phoenix Down, and Elixir.

Lightning can steal the status from enemies with Protect Thief and get automatic Shell when being ambushed with Tithed Shell.

Angel of Valhalla can bestow Shell on Lightning with either the Shell spell or his Inspire ability, which he gains at bond level 2.

Final Fantasy Tactics[]

FFT Shell Status Symbol

Shell can be achieved through the accessories Sortilége and Tynar Rouge, the command abilities Shell, Shellja, Wall, Kiyomori and Spirit Nymph, the armor Onion Armor and Lordly Robe, and through the weapons Durandal and Ragnarok.

Shell reduces the caster's magickal power by 1/3 in the formulae, so it not only reduces the power or hit-rate of spells, but also reduces the weapon damage done by a staff or rod because they apply the wearer's magickal power rather than physical power to calculate the damage.

Shell does not affect damage from spells that subtract a certain percentage of the target's HP (such as Demi and Lich), though it does affect the success rate of these spells. Shell lasts for 32 ticks.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance[]

FFTA Shell Status Symbol

Shell can be granted by the abilities: Shell, Barrier, 100% Wool, and Yellow Spring. It reduces magical damage taken.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift[]

Shell can be achieved through the use of the Green Mage spell Shell, the Tinker ability Gold Moogletron, or the Chocobo Knight ability Choco Barrier.

Bravely Default[]

Shell is not a status, instead it adds a flat 25% to the current Magic Defense modifier, to a maximum of 150%. This modifier will last for four turns before reverting to normal.

Final Fantasy Dimensions[]

FFD Shell Icon
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Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]

Shell doubles the Resistance stat of the target and decreases magic damage taken by half. It can only be cast by the Shell ability. The upgraded version Shellga casts Shell on the whole party.

Impresario-ffvi-iosThis section in Final Fantasy Record Keeper is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.

World of Final Fantasy[]

Shell reduces damage taken from Magical attacks by 50%.

Game Element Type Effect
Shell Active Ability Bestows Shell to a single target.
Mighty Guard Active Ability User gains Protect/Shell.
Ethereal Pulse Active Ability Bestows Protect/Shell to all targets.
Auto-Shell Passive Ability Continually bestows Shell to the user.
Shell Stone Item Bestows Shell to a single target.
Shell Mirajewel Mirajewel Allows Lann or Reynn to use Shell.
Shell Seed Ability Seed Allows a Mirage to use Shell.

Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances[]

Chrono Trigger[]

Chrono Trigger Barrier Status

The Barrier status reduces magical damage by 1/3. The status is shown with a green outline on the character.

Gallery[]

Relm-ffvi-snes-battleThis gallery is incomplete and requires Bravely Default added. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by uploading images.
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