Allows you to use time magic.
Description
Time materia is a Magic Materia in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission" equipped to provide the spells Haste, Slow, and Stop. Haste increases the speed at which the target's ATB gauge fills, Slow reduces it, and Stop will freeze a target entirely.
Time materia can also be linked with Warding Materia to provide resistance to the Slow and Stop debuff, and with Magnify Materia to bestow the spell effects onto all allies or enemies.
All three spells from the time materia also appear in Fort Condor in "Episode INTERmission".
Obtained[]
A time materia is awarded by completing the "Missing Children" Odd Job during Chapter 14, "In Search of Hope".
Another time materia can be found as Cloud's party during "Research the 3rd Ward" in Chapter 17, "Deliverance from Chaos".
Time materia is sold in vending machines for 5,000 gil apiece from Chapter 15, "The Day Midgar Stood Still" onwards.
In "Episode INTERmission", the player can find a time materia in Shinra's Advanced Weaponry. During "The Scent of Materia", continuing down the corridor to the north end of the Central Terminal Utility Access finds a computer terminal that activates power and opens a room, visited in "Secret Vault", for the Shinra Box Buster challenge. To proceed onward, the player needs to hop on the pipe to the right of the terminal and head up to B13 - Advanced Weaponry: Development. Heading up the left side (east on the map) leads to a short path where time materia can be found, while heading up the right side (west on the map) continues with the story.
Stats[]
Growth[]
Level | AP required | Effect |
---|---|---|
1 | 0 | Haste |
2 | 300 | Slow |
3 | 900 | Stop |
Abilities[]
Magic | MP | Effect |
---|---|---|
Haste | 4 | Applies the Haste buff, increasing the rate the target's ATB gauge builds. |
Slow | 3 | Applies the Slow debuff, slowing the rate the target's ATB gauge builds. |
Stop | 14 | Applies the Stop debuff, freezing the target. |
Use[]
Time materia grants Haste at level 1, Slow at level 2, and Stop at level 3. Of these, only Haste provides a positive effect, applying the Haste buff, increasing the speed the target's ATB gauge builds, allowing them to more often cast spells or use special abilities. The remaining spells apply debuffs. Slow slows an enemy's ATB speed, while Stop freezes an enemy not immune to the debuff.
The time materia also provides attribute bonuses: +2 to max MP, +2 to Magic Attack, +1 to Magic Defense, +1 to Magic attribute, and +1 to Spirit. Though there are no penalties for equipping it, the bonuses mostly benefit characters built towards spellcasting. This is normally Aerith Gainsborough or Cloud Strife due to their naturally high Magic attributes, though depending on the equipped weapon and materia, it can be equally or more useful for Tifa Lockhart or Barret Wallace, particularly if they have more MP spare. Although the bonuses may not benefit them, the spells provided by time materia do not depend on a magic attribute, meaning Tifa and Barret can make great use of the materia regardless.
Haste is an extremely useful spell to have. Buffing a character's ATB gauge can turn the tides of battle, allowing them to get in several more ability uses. This can be very useful on Tifa, who relies on performing her abilities in quick succession as a combo, but can be equally effective on any character whose abilities are relied on particular. Pairing time materia with Magnify Materia allows Haste to be applied to all characters at once, though magnify materia may be better paired with other choices.
Slow and Stop are useful against powerful enemies, reducing their threat level considerably. Many bosses are not actually immune to Stop or to the Sleep debuff from Binding Materia. Therefore, using both in succession can make several bosses, especially in hard mode, less difficult. Stop can also be used on a staggered enemy to keep their stagger in place.
Time materia can be paired with warding materia to shorten the duration of Slow or Stop, both devastating status effects. With a level 3 warding materia, the character will be immune to both status effects.
In "Episode INTERmission", time is a useful materia to have for the toughest challenges in hard mode. Paired with magnify, it helps especially during Synergized when Yuffie and Sonon's ATB gauges naturally fill a bit slower.