Blizzara (VII Remake)

Blizzara is a magic spell in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission". It is granted by the , and is the second-level -elemental spell above and below . Blizzard deals decent ice-element damage, has a medium MP cost, and a moderate casting time.
==Mechanics==
 	
Effects 	Medium damage2.5 meter area-of-effect1 second charge time
Interrupt stats 	Interrupts targets with <50 interrupt defenseInterrupted by attacks with ≥40 interrupt strength
Compatible 	
Unconditional weapon passive bonuses	Ice Damage UpElemental Damage UpMP Saver: Attack Spells
Special Interrupt(s) 	Knockdown (initial impact; knocks down interrupted enemies)Launch (second hit; launches interrupted targets)
Damage formula:
(2 \times User's\ Magic\ Attack\ - Target's\ Magic\ Defense) \times 3.8
Stagger formula:
\text {10 or 40} \times Target's\ Ice\ Rate\ Modifier \times Target's\ Magic\ Rate\ ModifierWhere 40 is used rather than 10 while the target is Pressured, and "Target Ice Modifier & Target's Magic Modifier" are the respective stagger rate modifiers of the target.
==Use==
Blizzara costs 10 MP to cast with a level 2 ice materia equipped. It deals 1.5 times more damage compared to the base ice spell, Blizzard. The spell can be used against low-to-medium level enemies, against which it can deal major damage or outright kill them. It can also have uses against higher-level enemies in some circumstances, and is highly effective for pressuring and staggering enemies. It is particularly strong against enemies weak to ice.
Among its peers—, , and —Blizzara differs in that after hitting its target, it creates a stationary icicle before dealing damage to any enemies that are caught in its wide radius. If placed well, this can catch other enemies that run into it after it hits the first enemy. However, the main downside is that the initial enemy that is hit can run away from and evade the spell. Therefore, it is helpful to cast it on stationary enemies, such as those pressured or staggered or stopped or sleeping, or to take advantage of a window of opportunity when they can be hit. If the initial hit would knockdown the target, it increases the reliability greatly and will cause considerably more stagger than the other elements.
The ice spells' main strength is in their high stagger rate. Blizzara deals 2x the stagger of Thundara, and approximately 1.45x more than both Fira and Aerora. Since the initial impact can knockdown targets, it can pressure them before the icicle shatters, which will multiply the stagger it deals by 4x, leaving the target unable to escape.
Blizzara is outclassed by Blizzaga in terms of pure damage. However, its lower MP cost and shorter cast time can make it preferable, such as when aiming to pressure an enemy weak to ice, or to deal damage on an MP budget. In some cases, it is preferable to pressure an enemy with Blizzara to then set them up for Blizzaga straight after. Likewise, though Blizzara outclasses Blizzard in terms of damage, the latter's quick cast time can make it preferable against mobile enemies.
The spell can be amplified by pairing the ice materia with . In particular, and are good pairs to increase a character's survivability and their sustained spellcasting ability respectively, whereas can be a good pair to allow multiple Blizzaras to hit all enemies. Blizzara is also used effectively with Aerith's Arcane Ward, causing it to be cast twice.
Category:Magic in Final Fantasy VII Remake