Diamond Knuckle (Final Fantasy VII)

The Diamond Knuckle is a weapon for Tifa in Final Fantasy VII. It can be purchased at Wutai, and has stats on par with weapons available for other characters from there. Diamond Knuckle provides five Materia slots, four of which are linked. As with all of Tifa's gloves, it cannot be thrown, and like most, provides Tifa an improved critical hit rate.
==Obtained==
Diamond Knuckle can be purchased at Wutai for 5,800 gil. As Wutai is an optional location, its use to the player depends on how soon the player travels there. If they travel to Wutai before reaching Icicle Inn, Diamond Knuckle is Tifa's strongest weapon until that point. The shops in Wutai are closed until the player completes the Yuffie sidequest, however.
==Mechanics==
As the Diamond Knuckle has a base Attack stat bonus of 51, the base damage for physical attacks when the Diamond Knuckle is equipped is in the following formula:
:\text{Base Damage} = \text{(51 + Strength)} + \frac{\text{(51 + Strength)} + \text{Level}}{32} \times \frac{\text{(51 + Strength)} \times \text{Level}}{32}
where "Level" is Tifa's current level and "Strength" is her Strength stat. The Diamond Knuckle also has an Attack% (Accuracy) of 112%, grants a +10 bonus to Tifa's Magic stat, and provides Tifa an improved critical hit rate of +2%.
==Use==
The Diamond Knuckle can be acquired upon reaching Wutai, and its usefulness depends on how soon the player visits there and completes the Yuffie sidequest that makes stock in the shops available. Diamond Knuckle is Tifa's strongest weapon before reaching Icicle Inn, meaning it is worth purchasing if the player completes the Wutai sidequest before Icicle Inn. Diamond Knuckle has five Materia slots, four of which are linked, and greater stats than previous weapons available for Tifa.
Diamond Knuckle has two lots of two linked Materia slots, meaning Support Materia can be used for her, with one unlinked slot. The unlinked slot can be given to an Independent Materia, such as Counter Attack, or a Command Materia that does not depend on her Magic stat. For the rest of her slots, though she can link Magic, Summon Materia, and limited Command Materia with Support Materia, Tifa is better served for physical damage due to her high Strength stat and her multi-hit Limit. This means the slots are better off given to Command or Independent Materia, as Magic and Summon Materia can take from her Strength. However, equipping her with at least one Magic or Summon Materia can keep her useful in fights against enemies that resist physical damage. Giving her curative Magic Materia (such as Restore) or an attack Magic Materia that can be paired with Elemental or Added Effect can do this efficiently.
If the player travels to Wutai before Icicle Inn (where the Dragon Claw is available), Diamond Knuckle is worth purchasing, as it is her strongest weapon before that point. If they arrive there anytime later, Diamond Knuckle can be skipped. The player can alternatively find the Work Glove from the Temple of the Ancients and the Kaiser Knuckle can also be found around the Whirlwind Maze, which both have different utility compared to Diamond Knuckle.
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy VII