Countdown (ability)

Countdown is the name given to a set of turns an enemy uses before unleashing a powerful attack against the party. Usually these turns come in the form of decrementing numbers, in which the attack will occur once the number reaches zero, but sometimes other visual prompts are used, such as an increasing percentage, in which the attack commences once 100% is reached. A common enemy ability that usually requires a countdown to activate is Megaflare.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy IV===
When encountered as an enemy, Bahamut counts down from five to one before unleashing Megaflare.
====Final Fantasy IV: The After Years====
As in the original, Bahamut requires a five-turn countdown before he unleashes Megaflare on the party.
===Final Fantasy VI===
After Laser Gun and Missile Bay are defeated, the Air Force will launch a Bit. Once the Bit is launched, Air Force will begin counting down from six without attacking the party, and when it reaches zero, it uses Wave Cannon against the party.
The Guardian inside Kefka's Tower will also count down from three to unleash Wave Cannon.
There is also some unused countdowns found within the text's data. The highest number is Air Force's Wave Cannon counts down from six. In the data, there's a ten, nine, eight, and seven countdown not used anywhere.
===Final Fantasy VII===
Diamond Weapon requires a three-turn countdown before it uses Diamond Flash. While Diamond Weapon is normally immune to physical attacks, it loses this immunity during the countdown, and instead becomes immune to magic.
During the battle with Jenova∙SYNTHESIS, once she has been weakened substantially enough, she will begin a five-turn countdown, which culminates in Ultima. However reaching zero will also instantly kill Jenova∙SYNTHESIS.
===Final Fantasy VIII===
The final Sorceress incarnation will count down from 5 before casting Ultima.
Tiamat spends 5 turns preparing to use Dark Flare, indicated by the first three letters appearing one at a time, followed by the next two letters in three pairs.
====Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-====
===Final Fantasy IX===
Hades can use a countdown. He uses Curse on every odd numbered count, and Doomsday on every even numbered count.
Amarant has a Flair called Countdown in English, but it is actually the recurring Touch of Death ability.
===Final Fantasy X===
Crawler will count down from 3 before using Mana Beam.
Both Spathi and Belgemine's Bahamut are capable of using Mega Flare after a five turn countdown. After each turn, the aeon's overdrive gauge increases by a fifth, and will be completely filled once the countdown reaches one. Belgemine's Bahamut is also capable of attacking while the countdown is active.
====Final Fantasy X-2====
Bahamut uses Mega Flare after a five-turn countdown.
===Final Fantasy XIII-2===
Jet Bahamut may perform a three-turn countdown during battle. Once it reaches zero, it will perform one of three attacks: Gigaflare, if Jet Bahamut is on its own, the more powerful Teraflare if either Garnet Bahamut or Amber Bahamut is alive, or the most powerful, Exaflare, if all three Bahamuts are alive.
Metal Gigantuar also counts down from 6 before using 10,000 Needles.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Bahamut will count down from 10 prior to using Teraflare in The Final Coil of Bahamut - Turn 4. Alexander in Alexander - The Soul of the Creator and The Endsinger in The Final Day will similarly count down from 10 before unleashing Divine Judgment and Ultimate Fate respectively.
Examples of enemy abilities that aren't announced with a countdown but signified by a visual indicator include the Defective Drone's Full Throttle in The Burn, Spell-in-Waiting used by Voidwalker in Eden's Gate: Descent and The Oracle of Darkness in Eden's Promise: Eternity (Savage), and Transmission used by Hegemone in Abyssos: The Sixth Circle.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
==Gallery==
FFIV PSP Countdown.png|Final Fantasy IV.
FFVI GBA Countdown.png|Final Fantasy VI.
FFVII PSX Countdown.png|Final Fantasy VII.
FFIX Hades Countdown.png|Final Fantasy IX.
FFX Countdown.png|Final Fantasy X.
FFX-2 Countdown.png|Final Fantasy X-2.
FFXIII-2 Countdown.png|Final Fantasy XIII-2.
==Etymology==
Category:Recurring enemy abilities