Quickening ( ability ) Quickening is the term for the Limit Break system in " Final Fantasy XII " and its sequel , " " . In " Final Fantasy XII " , Quickenings use a new system over previous Limit Break systems , involving the real - time input of button commands , requiring fast reflexes to chain together attacks before a timer depletes . In " Final Fantasy XII : Revenant Wings " , Quickenings use a more familiar system involving charging up a " Mist Gauge " to unleash a powerful attack . Quickenings also appear in the " Dissidia " series for Gabranth and Vaan . Appearances . " Final Fantasy XII " . Quickenings are divided into three levels , with each being more powerful than the previous and requiring more Mist Charges to use . Quickenings are found on the License Board and each requires 50 LP to unlock . Quickening squares teach the recipient their next level technique and cost the same amount of LP regardless of the Quickening ' s level . Each Quickening square can be taken by one character , but there are eighteen squares and so all party members can learn all of their Quickenings . Quickenings boost the recipient ' s max MP when unlocked — Level 2 Quickenings double the recipient ' s original MP , and Level 3s triple it . The party member ' s MP bar takes on a gold color to represent how many " Mist Charges " they have . The MP bar grows longer as more Quickenings are learned , and will consist of one , two or three golden bars depending on the user ' s Mist Charges . The bars represent all ( zero or 1 charge ) , 50 % ( with 2 charges ) or 33 % ( with 3 charges ) of the user ' s max MP . Using a Quickening costs a number of Mist Charges equal to the Quickening ' s level , for example two Mist Charges to use a level two Quickening . Using a Quickening takes no Charge Time . When a character uses a Quickening , normal gameplay stops as the character executes the attack . A timer appears along with a blue bar and button icons corresponding to any of the three current party members who know Quickenings . Characters who are KO ' d , petrified , stopped , disabled , berserked , silenced or confused can ' t use Quickenings . As the attack executes , the timer and blue bar deplete , and the player must quickly press a shown button to have the next character execute another Quickening . This is called a " Quickening Chain " . The player may press to " shuffle " the shown commands for the other party members , randomizing the commands they can be given . If a character has the " Mist Charge " option available , using it will restore the character ' s Mist Charges to full and allow more Quickenings to be chained . The faster the player inputs the next command , the more time they will have to input another command during the next attack . Assuming the player can react quickly enough , and they get lucky in having the Mist Charge command appear , there is virtually no limit to how long a Quickening chain can get . When the chain ends , characters lose MP equal to however many Mist Charges they used in the chain , and any characters who used the Mist Charge command lose all their MP . In the " International Zodiac Job System " version , Quickenings no longer use MP , but have their own Mist Charge gauge , similar to " Revenant Wings " . The mechanics remain the same but a character who is afflicted with Silence can still use Quickening since it no longer draws from the user ' s MP . Time limit . The player must input the command for the next Quickening in the chain within a time limit , and the faster the player selects a new Quickening more time they have left . The exact formula for time allowed in hit k + 1 is : The player always has four seconds in the first hit . If the player is fast they get more time in subsequent hits as well . Example : Mist Charge . The chance for " Mist Charge " to appear as an option depends on the number of Quickening participants . If the character has all bars full , the option of Mist Charge does not appear . Damage calculation . Every Quickening uses the user ' s Strength stat , but because they are executed using MP they cannot be used if the character is unable to perform magick . Despite their appearances , Quickenings and Concurrences are non - elemental . They break the damage limit , allowing them to do up to 99 , 999 damage . Level 1 Quickenings have a power of 90 , level 2 a power of 140 , and level three have a power of 230 . Damage done is equal to a random number between 1 and the power of the Quickening multiplied by a random number between 1 and the character ' s Strength . Thus , a character with 50 Strength using a level 2 Quickening will do random damage between 1 and 7000 . Damage dealt with Quickenings is unaffected by Reverse . Depending on how many Quickenings the player chains , and what levels they are , a Concurrence may occur when the Quickening chain ends . Concurrences are power attacks that affect not only the target of the Quickening chain , but all enemies nearby as well . If the player fulfills the conditions for more than one Concurrence the strongest one will take priority . Executing every Concurrence unlocks Judge Gabranth in the Sky Pirate ' s Den , granting the player the title of Mist Walker . The damage of each quickening hit is : POW is a fixed number that depends on the Quickening level . STR is the Strength of the character performing the hit . The damage of each Quickening is summed up at the end to produce the total damage . Regular Quickening hits only damage the target enemy . Certain enemies can reduce received damage , including damage from Quickenings . If the party performs enough Quickening hits they can trigger a Concurrence . Concurrences have a radius of 10 , and thus also damage enemies close to the target . For example , for a level 99 enemy , a Black Hole alone would deal a damage of 253 x 99 or 25 , 047 . List of Concurrences . The Concurrences ' animations use the same animation as the Espers ' special moves when fought against as boss es . For example , Black Hole uses the same animation as Zodiark ' s Darkja . Concurrences are non - elemental . " Final Fantasy XII " manga . In the Nalbina Dungeons , Balthier uses Fires of War to defeat Gijuk and Bwagi , and in the Garamsythe Waterway , Fran uses a new Quickening , " Sesshouku Hatsudo , " which could be translated as " First Contact " or " First Snow / Cold " . It ' s an ice - elemental attack that kills Firemane . Plenty of magickal energy and great concentration are needed to perform Quickenings , and while Fran ' s magickal aptitude is how she is able to perform hers , Balthier is implied to have been enabled by the quantities of Mist around him . " " . Quickenings are simplified , with only one Quickening available to each character , and no potential for chains . Quickenings are learned upon the defeat of a certain Rank III Yarhi , and are charged by the Mist Gauge , which fills up as a character deals and receives damage in battle , much like the Limit Break systems of " Final Fantasy VII " and " Final Fantasy IX " . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " ( 2008 ) . Gabranth ' s EX Burst is a sequence of three Quickenings based on Basch ' s from " Final Fantasy XII " — Fulminating Oblivion , Ruin Unflinching , and Frost Purge . As Gabranth performs the attack , a timer will count down as the player cycles through the other Quickenings Gabranth can perform . If they select the next - level Quickening before the timer depletes , Gabranth will chain the previous Quickening with the next . If the player misses the timing or inputs the wrong command , the sequence ends . Depending on how many Quickenings Gabranth chains , the sequence ends with the Inferno ( 0 chains ) , Ark Blast ( 1 chain ) , or Black Hole ( perfect ) Concurrence . The command for Mist Charge can be spotted during the " shuffle , " but can never be selected . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . With the addition of Vaan , his Quickenings appear as his EX Burst , in which they are chained the same way as Gabranth ' s . It starts out with Red Spiral ( where swirls of energy appear around the opponent and then hit by a beam of light ) , White Whorl ( where Vaan kicks up a tornado and slams it into the opponent ) , and Pyroclasm ( where Vaan creates two fireballs in his hands and tosses them at the opponent , causing a massive explosion ) , and it concludes with Luminescence , where Vaan traps the opponent in between two Concurrence circles and consumes them in a blast of light . Gabranth ' s EX Burst remains unchanged . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " ( 2015 ) . Vaan ' s Quickenings ( Red Spiral , White Whorl and Pyroclasm ) function as his HP attacks now that EX Bursts have been reworked into EX Skills . Unlike the other characters , Vaan can use two HP attacks instead of one , and each Quickening can chain into Luminescence after landing two HP attacks . Vaan gains three more HP attacks : Cruel Azul , Calamity Drive and Ground Zero , and the ability to chain into the Black Hole Concurrence , which can be used after he lands five HP attacks , doing more damage than Luminescence . " Pictlogica Final Fantasy " . Some Quickenings appear as abilities . " Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade " . Characters from " Final Fantasy XII " use Quickenings and Concurrences when they are summoned as Legends . In addition , players can obtain certain Quickenings to use as abilities . " Final Fantasy All the Bravest " . Vaan , Ashe , and Balthier makes an appearance . They use their signature Quickening ' s White Whorl , Northswain ' s Glow , and Fires of War as their primary attack . " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Some of the Quickenings appear used by their original wielders . " Final Fantasy Explorers " . Players can transform into Vaan via the Trance system and use Luminescence . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Several cards featuring " Final Fantasy XII " party members have their Quickenings as abilities . Basch ' s card depicting his promotional render has Flame Purge . For a cost of 5 Fire CP , Dulling Basch and discarding another Basch card , Flame Purge deals 9000 damage to up to two target Forwards . Vaan ' s card depicting his promotional render has White Whorl as its ability . Activated by paying one Wind CP and discarding a Vaan card , White Whorl sets all Wind Forwards the player controls to Active . Another Vaan card has Pyroclasm , which deals 2000 damage to a chosen Forward for each Backup the player controls , for a cost of Dulling Vaan and paying two Wind CP . Balthier has two cards with his Quickenings . The card depicting his promotional render has Fires of War , costing a Wind CP and the discard of another Balthier card . Fires of War grants Balthier the Pre - Emptive Strike ability and prevents him from being targeted by summons or abilities until the end of the turn . His " Revenant Wings " artwork card uses Element of Treachery . For two Wind CP , dulling Balthier , and the discard of another Balthier card , Element of Treachery deals 10 , 000 damage to a Forward of the player ' s choice . Ashe ' s ability on her promotional render card is Heaven ' s Wrath . For the discard cost of another Ashe card and two Water CP , Heaven ' s Wrath grants Ashe + 2000 power and the Pre - Emptive Strike ability until the end of the turn . Penelo ' s card depicting her render appearance has Evanescence . For the discard of a Penelo card and Dulling Penelo , the player can choose a Dulled Forward and send it to the Break Zone .