Reflect Ring (Final Fantasy IX)

The Reflect Ring is a mid game add-on in Final Fantasy IX that everyone can equip. It teaches Auto-Reflect, which bestows permanent Reflect status; Reflect, a White Magic spell that bestows Reflect to a target during battle temporarily; and Distract that allows the character to avoid enemy attacks more often. The Reflect Ring gives a bonus to the wearer's Strength and Spirit when they level up with it equipped and it makes the wearer weak to various elemental damage.
==Obtain==
The Reflect Ring can earliest be obtained from Treno Auction House, where it costs around 15,000 gil. It can earliest be bought when Princess Garnet and Captain Steiner visit Treno with Marcus. The player may lack the funds to buy everything available at the town then, but the "Cotton Robe gil farming trick" is also doable at this time.
The ring is synthesized in Black Mage Village (before entering the Shimmering Island portal), after the party returns from the Outer Continent in Treno, Lindblum, and Alexandria, as well as in Daguerreo for 7,000 gil, an Anklet, and a Madain's Ring, both of which are also synthesized in Treno and Lindblum at this time.
==Mechanics==
The Reflect Ring gives +1 to Magic Defense. It gives a +1 bonus to the wearer's Strength and Spirit when they level with it equipped. When enough "bonuses" upon level up from gear have been accrued, the character gains a permanent stat increase. Strength is used for damage calculations and for determining HP growth. Spirit is used for calculating status effect duration and certain ability success rates along with other things.
The ring weakens the wearer to Fire, Ice, and Thunder, making them sustain 150% damage from these elements. If the character also wears an element-halving equipment piece, they will sustain ~75% damage from that element.
==Use==
The Reflect Ring has good abilities to learn. Auto-Reflect takes a lot of Magic Stones to equip, but can be worth it against enemies like Ozma and the final boss and other magic-using enemies, and for Vivi's Reflectx2. the Reflect White Magic spell can also be useful though its effect lapses, and Distract is good for avoiding damage from enemies, and works well with Cover.
The ring's weakening effect to the three basic elements is a detriment, but the player can mitigate it with other protective equipment pieces.
The ring's level up bonuses are good, though they fall short of other add-ons. Level grinding and min-maxing are unnecessary for a normal playthrough even when preparing for superboss encounters; the player can view any extra stats as simply a nice bonus. The best stat-boosting items are available at the end of the game, and so for the best stats one would need to restrict their EXP intake until near the end of the game.
Category:Add-ons in Final Fantasy IX