Striking Staff (Final Fantasy VII)

The Striking Staff is a weapon for Aeris in Final Fantasy VII. It can be stolen from Eligor in Midgar, giving Aeris a very powerful weapon early on that is far ahead of other characters at that stage. It can later be purchased at Junon, having stats on-par with other weapons available there. The weapon has four Materia slots, two of which are linked, and decent stats. Striking Staff can be thrown.
==Obtained==
Striking Staff can be obtained early by stealing from Eligor in the Train Graveyard in Midgar during "Prevent the Fall of the Plate". If stolen at this stage, it is the most powerful weapon for any character and makes Aeris a formidable party member.
Striking Staff can be acquired after leaving Midgar, though by this stage, its stats have kept pace with similar weapons for other characters. It can be stolen from Harpy in the Gold Saucer Area, and purchased from Junon or Gongaga before the player has the Highwind.
==Mechanics==
As the Striking Staff has a base Attack stat bonus of 32, the base damage for physical attacks when the Striking Staff is equipped is in the following formula:
:\text{Base Damage} = \text{(32 + Strength)} + \frac{\text{(32 + Strength)} + \text{Level}}{32} \times \frac{\text{(32 + Strength)} \times \text{Level}}{32}
where "Level" is Aeris's current level and "Strength" is her Strength stat. The Striking Staff also has an Attack% (Accuracy) of 100%, and grants a +7 bonus to Aeris's Magic stat.
==Use==
The Striking Staff, if obtained in Midgar, is a formidable weapon that allows Aeris to excel, making her the strongest party member. Later, Striking Staff is a competent weapon for Aeris that allows her to keep pace with the other characters. If acquired in Midgar, it is viable for Aeris to be moved to the front row and given a physical damage role.
The Striking Staff has four Materia slots, with one linked pair. Aeris's high Magic stat, which is only enhanced by the Striking Staff, makes her a great candidate to give All Materia paired with a Magic Materia. Giving this to offensive Magic Materia—such as Fire, Ice, or Lightning—allows her to clear waves of enemies with a single spell, while pairing it with Restore allows her to heal all allies at once. The latter is normally unnecessary on Aeris in most early fights due to her Limit providing sufficient healing, but can be worth for challenging fights. The remaining slots can be given to other Magic or Summon Materia to take advantage of Aeris's Magic stat.
If acquired in Midgar, Striking Staff allows Aeris to forego obtaining any new weapon until Cosmo Canyon, when the Prism Staff is available. It also changes her playstyle, as it allows the player to use her physical damage rather than magical damage, though Aeris nonetheless excels at spellcasting overall.
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy VII