Blizzaga (Final Fantasy VI)

Blizzaga, also known as Ice 3, is an Attack spell in Final Fantasy VI. It is the highest-level ice-elemental spell, an upgrade on Blizzara, that can be used to hit one target or an entire party. It is learned naturally by Celes at level 42, and can be earned by other party members through magicite.
Blizzaga is also an enemy ability used by several enemies, first of which being Shiva.
==Obtained==
Blizzaga is learned later than the earlier two ice-elemental spells. Celes learns Blizzaga naturally upon reaching level 42, while other party members must learn it through magicite. It is taught only by Valigarmanda at a x1 rate. Because this magicite is not acquired until the World of Ruin, and Celes will likely not reach level 42 before this point, the player will most likely not learn Blizzaga in the World of Balance.
==Mechanics==
As a spell with a power of 122, it deals damage with the following formula:
:122 \times 4 + (Level \times Magic \times 122 / 32)
where "Level" refers to the user's level, and Magic refers to the user's Magic stat. As a standard spell, when Blizzaga is group-cast, its damage is halved, the target's Magic Defense and shell play a role in mitigating damage, and the spell can potentially be blocked by Magic Evasion.
Several relics augment Blizzaga and other spells. If the caster is equipped with an Earring or a Hero Ring, the damage is multiplied by 5/4 (or a 25% increase). If the caster is equipped with two Earrings, two Hero Rings, or one of each, the damage is multiplied by 3/2 (a 50% increase). If the caster equips Gold Hairpin or Celestriad, its MP cost is cut by half or reduced to 1, respectively.
Because the spell deals ice-elemental damage, the enemy's elemental affinity affects its damage output. If ice is nullified, or the target is immune to ice, the spell will deal 0 damage. If the target absorbs the element, it will heal HP instead of dealing damage. If the target resists the element, it will deal half damage; conversely, if the target is weak to the element, its damage will be doubled.
==Use==
Blizzaga is a strong but costly spell to cast, doubling Blizzara's damage, but more than doubling its MP cost. Group-casting Blizzaga is stronger than summoning Shiva. Blizzaga the strongest of the three medium-tier elemental spells (Firaga is more MP-efficient, while Thundaga has a higher cost and lower power; however, the difference in power between the three is negligible). As with both Blizzard and Blizzara, it is strongest against enemies weak to the fire element, against whom its damage will double. This means against these enemies Blizzaga can even deal more damage than spells such as Ultima or Flare, for a lower MP cost. The MP cost means Blizzaga should typically be reserved for tougher enemies and bosses, and in other cases, Blizzara should be used.
Celes learns Blizzaga naturally, but will likely have learned the spell from another magicite beforehand. For other party members, as an Attack spell, the player should prioritize teaching Blizzaga to party members with a high natural Magic stat and access to mage equipment. This includes Terra (who can double its damage with Trance, Relm, and Strago; Mog and Shadow have high Magic stats, while Gogo has access to mage equipment. Though Sabin will be built toward magic damage, his access to Aura Cannon makes him less of a priority than others. Blizzaga is essential to teach to party members focused on spellcasting, but is a pure luxury for other party members, who should prioritize healing and utility spells and improvements to their stats over Blizzaga.
Blizzaga outclasses Blizzara in terms of damage output and turn-efficiency, but not in terms of MP-efficiency. Furthermore, its prohibitive MP cost means that it should be used infrequently, until party members either equip Celestriad or have immensely large MP that permit it to be used regularly. When more powerful spells such as Flare, Ultima, Meltdown, Holy, and Meteor are available, Blizzaga should be reserved for enemies weak to ice.
==Gallery==
BlizzagaFF6.png|GBA.
Blizzaga from FFVI 2014.jpg|2014.
==Citations==
Category:Magic in Final Fantasy VI