Combat gloves.
Description
The Silver Gloves are weak gauntlets in Final Fantasy IX for Steiner and Freya. They teach Undead Killer, which improves damage against undead type enemies. The Silver Gloves halve Ice damage to the wearer and are used in synthesis, though the item they synthesize into is not needed for anything.
Obtain[]
Silver Gloves found in Lindblum synthesis shop.
The Silver Gloves are first stolen from Black Waltz 3 aboard the Cargo Ship. When the party reaches Lindblum, a pair of Silver Gloves is found in the top left corner of the synthesis shop. They can be picked up during the first visit, or any time after the party returns from the Outer Continent; the gloves are temporarily unavailable during the time the town is besieged. The gloves can also be bought for 720 gil in Lindblum during the first visit and in the Summit Station.
Mechanics[]
The Silver Gloves provide 10 physical Evasion and 5 Magic Evasion, slightly improving the wearer's chance to avoid damage. The gloves halve Ice damage to the wearer. The effect will not stack with any other Ice-halving equipment. If the character also wears a Reflect Ring, weakening them to Ice, they will take ~75% damage from Ice attacks.
Use[]
The Silver Gloves is early game gear for Freya as soon as she joins for world map exploration when leaving Lindblum, Qu's Marsh, and Gizamaluke's Grotto, until the superior Mythril Gloves can be found in the grotto's bell room. She could skip the weaker Bronze Gloves and master Antibody from the Glass Buckle instead. When Steiner is traveling with Princess Garnet, he can skip the Silver Gloves and go straight to wearing the superior Mythril Gloves.
Freya can use the Undead Killer ability from the Silver Gloves against the Skeleton in Gizamaluke's Grotto and on the world map. The gloves' Ice-halving effect can be useful against the mages in Gizamaluke's Grotto.
The Silver Gloves can be used in the "Legendary Synthesis Shop" in the final dungeon to make the Save the Queen, a weapon no one can equip. By this time the gloves cannot be procured from any shop, and so if the player got rid of the Silver Gloves they got earlier, they cannot make the Save the Queen.
Beatrix can also wear the Silver Gloves for the brief portion she is a guest during the Battle of Alexandria.
Etymology[]
The gauntlets are called "Escutcheon" in Japanese, likely after the shield in Final Fantasy Tactics, as numerous equipment pieces in Final Fantasy IX are named after gear in Tactics. In heraldry, an escutcheon is a shield which forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms.