Long, sharp claws.
Description
The Tiger Fangs is Amarant's sixth claw in Final Fantasy IX. It teaches him the Flair ability Revive, which revives an ally from KO and is stronger than Life or Phoenix Down. All of Amarant's weapons besides his ultimate weapon teach Counter, a passive ability that lets him respond to being physically attacked with an Attack of his own. Though it takes a lot of AP to master, this is inconsequential as all of Amarant's weapons have Counter until the endgame and it is impossible to de-equip him of a weapon altogether. The Tiger Fangs is used for synthesis and is a missable weapon.
Obtain[]
The Tiger Fangs is sold in Daguerreo's weapon shop for 13,500 gil before the party enters the Shimmering Island portal. The player can get it when they have a flying transport. If not purchased in time, it will be missed. Though it is used for synthesis, there is another way to get the weapon it synthesizes into, and it does not contain any missable abilities.
Mechanics[]
The Tiger Fangs' damage dealt with a normal Attack is determined as follows everywhere but within Ipsen's Castle:
- Base = 62 - Enemy's Defense
- Bonus = Strength + A random value 0 ... [(Level + Strength) / 8]
- Damage = Base * Bonus
The damage is then modified by variables like Amarant's row position and equipped Killer abilities and MP Attack, as well as the enemy's Protect. Under Mini, his Bonus would be 1. If Amarant equips Healer, damage is converted to healing.
When in Ipsen's Castle, the stronger weapons do less damage than weaker weapons, and the Base part of the damage formula is altered to the minimum possible value.
Use[]
By the time the player can buy the Tiger Fangs, Amarant may already have access to the stronger Kaiser Knuckles from the Chocobo Hot and Cold minigame. If the player is not doing the chocobo quest, the Tiger Fangs is Amarant's strongest weapon for world map exploration on the Hilda Garde III. Amarant will not be present for most of Ipsen's Castle, where stronger weapons deal less damage anyway. After Ipsen's Castle, Zidane can steal the superior Avenger from the Earth Guardian. The preceding Dragon's Claws may also deal equalavent or more damage than the Tiger Fangs if boosted with Elem-Atk gear.
Revive is a good revival ability, but unlike most other revival means, it cannot be used offensively against undead enemies. When the Tiger Fangs becomes available, Amarant can also equip the Rebirth Ring and learn it from there as well, and so it is not needed to equip the Tiger Fangs to master all abilities.
The Tiger Fangs is used for synthesis in the endgame to make the Duel Claws.
Gallery[]
Etymology and origin[]
Tiger Fangs is another name for the Bagh nakha, a claw-like weapon from India designed to fit over the knuckles or be concealed under and against the palm.
Amarant's Tiger Fangs juxtaposes with his "Dragon's Claws" weapon, and the two of them can be combined in synthesis to create Amarant's penultimate weapon. In East Asian cultures, the dragon and the tiger are considered eternal rivals. Various artworks depict the two fighting an epic battle, the dragon representative of things of Yang polarity and spirit, with the tiger representative of things of Yin polarity and matter. Ultimately, they represent the inevitable reconciliation of opposing but equal forces. The dragon is a creature of the skies, whereas the tiger is considered the king of all terrestrial beasts, and their bouts always end in a draw.
In the context of Eastern and Asian martial arts, the dragon represents the aspects of soft style and internal martial arts, focusing on accuracy, mental alertness, and fluid reactivity. The tiger represents the aspects of hard style and external martial arts, focusing on explosive speed, raw strength, and countering an opposing force with one's own. In martial arts fiction and fantasy, internal based martial arts are often seen with abilities centered on chi energy and spiritual powers, while external martial arts are depicted with unparalleled physical proportions, with the most reputable martial arts being able to harmonize and utilize both aspects as one force.