HP Shout (Final Fantasy VII)

The HP Shout (also known as the Marvelous Cheer) is Cait Sith's ultimate weapon in Final Fantasy VII. It is a permanently missable item that can be obtained in the Shinra Bldg. upon revisiting it late in the game. HP Shout, much like Cloud's Ultima Weapon, deals more damage the higher Cait Sith's HP is, has high base stats, and has eight Materia slots, all of which are linked and gain no AP.
As with other Cait Sith weapons, HP Shout itself does not strike an enemy, but commands his Mog, meaning Cait Sith's damage is still Hit rather than Shout.
==Obtained==
The HP Shout is found in a locker on the 64th floor of the Shinra Bldg. when returning during "Mako Cannon Rampage". Before this, if Cloud tries to pick it up in the same locker in "Storming the Shinra Building", he will simply remark that he has found a megaphone that seems useless and put it away.
HP Shout is permanently missed if not acquired in the Shinra Bldg. during this time. Since the Shinra Bldg. is optional to revisit, those who wish to use Cait Sith should prioritize picking it up while there.
==Mechanics==
HP Shout has the highest Attack stat boost of any of Cait Sith's weapons, as well as the highest Magic stat boost. Its damage formula has it deal more damage based on Cait Sith's HP, but in a different formula from Cloud's:
:Power = [(3 * Power * Cait Sith's HP) / Cait Sith's Max HP] + 1
This is in addition to the base damage that Cait Sith deals as determined by his Attack stat, provided from his Strength and the Attack boost from HP Shout.
==Use==
HP Shout is Cait Sith's ultimate weapon, and will provide him the highest possible physical damage output when equipped. Its linked eight Materia slots and high Magic boost also mean it will maximize his spellcasting potential, though it provides no Materia growth.
Cait Sith is best geared towards spellcasting due to his naturally strong Magic stat and the unreliability of his physical damage. This means that HP Shout's eight Materia slots are best given to Magic and Summon Materia paired with powerful Support Materia. A good number of Independent Materia, such as HP Plus and Magic Plus, can also be given to the remaining slots or on his armor, and the W-Magic Materia can be useful also.
One effective strategy is to pair these spells with HP Absorb to constantly heal Cait Sith and ensure he is at full HP, or to pair them with MP Absorb and guarantee that he can always sustain his spellcasting. Pairing one of these with Master Magic or Master Summon will apply the effect to all of Cait Sith's spells, though alternatively, it can simply be paired with Ultima or Bahamut ZERO for a similar effect. However, if Cait Sith is using magic, he has no need for the unique damage formula to deal good damage.
The main drawback of HP Shout is that its Materia slots have no AP growth, meaning Cait Sith cannot use it for grinding. In these instances, he should either use Starlight Phone to have eight slots with normal growth and only moderately lower stats, or Black M-phone to focus solely on grinding (though Cait Sith is worse at Materia grinding than Tifa, Cid, or Yuffie).
==References==
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy VII