Viking Coat (Final Fantasy XII)

The Viking Coat is a mid-ranked light armor in Final Fantasy XII that boosts the wearer's defense by 27 (Zodiac) or 23 (original), and HP by 240. It makes the wearer immune to Water damage, and is the only equipment piece in the game to offer this; the other Water-protective gear are the Water-halving and temporarily available Manufacted Nethicite and the Water-absorbing yet secret and Zodiac-exclusive Gendarme.
==Obtain==
===Original===
In the original PlayStation 2 versions, the Viking Coat is sold for 4,000 gil in Rabanastre and Nalbina Fortress after defeating Judge Bergan, and in Mt Bur-Omisace. It is also rarely poached from the Blood Gigas in the Stilshrine of Miriam.
===Zodiac===
In the updated Zodiac versions, the Viking Coat is sold for 4,000 gil in Mt Bur-Omisace after defeating Vinuskar, and in the Mosphoran Highwaste after defeating Judge Bergan. It is found in a treasure in Dalmasca Estersand's Broken Sands (80% chance to appear, 35% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Viking Coat without the Diamond Armlet equipped) and Phon Coast's Cape Tialan (70% chance to appear, 50% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is the Viking Coat without the Diamond Armlet equipped), as well as in Trial Mode Stage 82 with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
It is the rare steal from Bagoly in Trial Mode Stage 8, and is still the rare poach from Blood Gigas in the Stilshrine of Miriam.
==Use==
The Viking Coat is a mid-ranked light armor, giving 27 or 23 defense depending on version, and 240 HP, and immunizes the wearer to Water damage. It is useful to equip over any inferior equipment the party may have, and against enemies that use Water abilities. However, in the original version where everyone can wear any equipment piece, the more expensive heavy armor, Demon Mail or Bone Mail, or the mystic armor Black Garb, may be preferable purchases if the player can stretch their funds to them, as the HP boost from light armor is not usually worth prioritizing over heavy armor that boosts Strength for physical attackers, or mystic armor that boosts Magick Power for spellcasters. However, Viking Coat is unique for providing immunity to Water damage, making it situationally useful until endgame.
In the Zodiac versions, Machinist, Monk, Archer, and Shikari can equip the Viking Coat, and so it is only useful to buy if the player has chosen these License Boards for their party. The Strength boost from the previous light armor, Jujitsu Gi, may be preferable to keep over upgrading to the Viking Coat just yet for these jobs, though the Strength boost does not matter for a gun-wielder. In The Zodiac Age, after fighting Belias, the player can choose two License Boards per party member, and so more party members can choose from the potentially more useful heavy and mystic armor sets.
The Water immunity can be useful even after the other stats fall off, such as against the White Mousse hunt and the Famfrit storyline boss. In The Zodiac Age versions, a lucky player could get it quite early from the Trial Mode and bring it to the main game, allowing one to skip many of the early light armor.
==Etymology==
Category:Armor in Final Fantasy XII