Mach Kick (Final Fantasy VIII)

Mach Kick is the strongest basic Duel technique for Zell in Final Fantasy VIII that is unveiled since the start. It deals physical damage to an enemy depending on his Strength stat. When Duel initiates, the player has a variable amount of time to perform Duel moves on their chosen target.
Because Mach Kick is common and performed quickly with a simple input, it is a good part in building a long chain of moves, which is where Zell's damage potential lies and makes him potentially the strongest party member. The time allotted for performing moves depends on Zell's Crisis Level, a hidden calculation in the game. Duel is randomly available when Zell is on low health or under Aura.
Mach Kick is a roundhouse kick.
==Mechanics==
Mach Kick is performed either automatically when the player sets their Duel to "Auto" in the Status menu, or by chaining from another move by inputting when it appears in the command window.
Mach Kick deals non-elemental physical damage to an opponent calculated as per the following formula:
:Critical Determination
:Critical\% = (Luck + 1) / 256 \times 100
Where "Luck" is Zell's Luck stat. If the hit criticals, it will deal double damage.
:Base Damage Calculation
:Damage = Strength^2 / 16 + Strength
:Damage = Damage \times (265 - Target's~Vitality) / 256
:Damage = Damage \times 24 / 16
Where "Strength" is Zell's Strength stat and "Vitality" is the target's Vitality stat. For comparison, the Power value of a normal attack is also 20, meaning one hit from Mach Kick is 20% stronger than using his Attack command; the damage potential increases further from being able to attack consecutively and the guarantee that the Duel will not miss.
All damage is randomized slightly:
:Damage = Damage \times ([0..32] + 240) / 256
The time Zell has for Duel depends on his Crisis Level in the following manner:
* Crisis Level 1: 4.66 seconds (starts with Punch Rush)
* Crisis Level 2: 6.66 seconds (starts with Punch Rush)
* Crisis Level 3: 9.33 seconds (starts with Booya)
* Crisis Level 4: 12 seconds (starts with Booya)
Crisis Level is a hidden stat calculated based on how low Zell's current HP is compared to his maximum, the number of dead allies, and the number of ailments he is afflicted with. The worse off he is, the longer Duel times the player can expect. Crisis Level is also raised with the Aura status.
Mach Kick chains from Punch Rush at the start of a chain, and then either back into Punch Rush, or into Dolphin Blow (which is hidden until its Combat King issue is read) or Booya. It can also chain from Heel Drop and Meteor Strike (Combat King needed to show it) further along the chain. The only finishing move Mach Kick can chain into is Meteor Barret (Combat King needed to show it). The player can build a repeating chain with Punch Rush → Dolphin Blow → Heel Drop → Mach Kick → repeat from Dolphin Blow.
Because of the complexity of Duel, it is best explained and summarized by viewing the following Google docs flowchart.
If the target has Protect, damage is halved. Limit Breaks never miss and are unaffected by Elem-Atk junctions.
==Use==
Mach Kick is the strongest of of Zell's default basic Duel techniques alongside Punch Rush, Booya, and Heel Drop, only weaker than the finishing move Burning Rave. As the Combat King magazines mainly add new finishing moves, Zell's Duel is already at its best potential since the start of the game and does not need enhancement and investment outside of stat-maxing the same way the other permanent characters do (besides Selphie, though she still gets better spells to her Slot when on a higher level).
Mach Kick remains an excellent move throughout the game as part of chaining to his other moves; it all stacks up the longer the Duel time is. Mach Kick and Dolphin Blow are the strongest moves that are not finishing blows. However, they are not part of a quick-fire back-and-forth combo like the player is able to accomplish with Punch Rush ↔ Booya or Booya ↔ Heel Drop, all of which additionally require only two buttons to input, making chaining them together the fastest way to deal damage as Zell. This can get boring, however, and so adding some other moves into the mix makes the Limit Break sequence more variable.
If the player additionally inflicts Vit 0 onto the enemy, Mach Kick can be even more powerful. For the best chance of getting the maximum timer, the player can have Zell in critical HP and have him under Aura status. (However, Aura spells and stones are rare.)
Zell should be junctioned toward high Strength to make the most of his Limit Break. The Guardian Forces that have Str-J natively are Shiva, Ifrit, Brothers, Pandemona, and Cerberus. It is also worthwhile to give Zell any Str+% abilities. Because each hit has a chance of being a critical hit, Zell is also an excellent choice for Luck-J and Luck+50%; the only GF that has Luck-J natively is Cactuar, but Luck-J Scroll is available from some sidequests to give to the GFs Zell is junctioning.
Zell's Limit Break is always good, but especially so against bosses when he gets the long timer. It would be especially good against Adel (without finishing moves), Ultima Weapon, Omega Weapon, and the final bosses.
==Citations==
Category:Duels in Final Fantasy VIII