Break (Final Fantasy XII)

Break is a Time Magick spell both in the Zodiac versions of Final Fantasy XII as well as in the original PlayStation 2 version. It is a single-target status ailment spell that places a countdown on the target; when the timer expires, the afflicted turns to stone and is defeated.
Break can be cast by Skulwyrm [a], Orthros, Elder Wyrm, and Vinuskar.
==Obtained==
Break's license costs 70 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where the spell is available from shops for 1000 gil from Eruyt Village onward. Break is also a treasure in Stage 59 of Trial Mode with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
In the original version, the spell's license costs 30 LP and is bought for 900 gil from Bhujerba after meeting Ba'Gamnan in the Lhusu Mines, and from other shops later on.
In the Zodiac versions, Break is used by the Time Battlemage.
==Mechanics==
Break inflicts the Petrify status onto a target places a countdown (4.5 seconds per tick) starting from 10 on them. Doom and Petrify cannot co-exist: whichever status is in effect first will render the target immune to the other. Petrify can be cured via Stona and Esuna, and the items Gold Needle and Remedy (with Remedy Lore 2).
Petrify is not entirely disadvantageous: as the petrifying countdown advances, the physical damage both received and dealt by that unit will dwindle:
:normal physical damage received/dealt × (petrifying countdown tick ÷ 10).
As the afflicted unit's resistance to physical attacks gradually increases, it renders them almost immune to such attacks when the countdown reaches 1. 
The base success rate of the spell against an enemy that is not immune is 50% in the original version, updated to 65% in the Zodiac versions.
:Success~Rate = Base~Rate + (User's~Magick~Power - Target's~Vitality) \%
The success rate is unaffected by the target's Magick Evade stat, as the spell instead checks against the target's Vitality.
The hit rate is improved by further 50% with the caster having Faith status, or doubled with Serenity license/Magick Gloves when on full health, or Spellbreaker license/Leather Gorget when in critical health. Target's Shell halves the accuracy of the spell. If the caster is wearing the Indigo Pendant, Break will succeed unless the enemy is immune to the status.
The accuracy underflow bug is a glitch in some versions of Final Fantasy XII where a low level character with extremely low Magick Power stat attempts to use a status move on a target with very high Vitality, and the accuracy of the spell becomes less than zero. In this case the accuracy will underflow to 100%, allowing certain status spells to always succeed.
Break costs 14 MP to cast without Channeling licenses. The spell will bounce from Reflect unless the caster wears the Opal Ring.
The Petrify status can be exploited to trigger the dead character glitch. Enemies that turn to Stone do not increase or break the battle chain, but can still drop loot and EXP, and in some cases will respawn the enemies endlessly.
==Use==
Break is a status ailment spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:any→Break). Instead of using Break, the player can use the Ancient Sword (15%) or the Stone Shot (25%). Instead of using Break, the player could also use Countdown for an effectively the same result, only enemies defeated via Doom do not yield spoils other than Clan Points. Using a Gold Needle or Remedy (with Remedy Lore 2) on an enemy with the Nihopalaoa equipped also works to inflict them with Petrify.
Because enemies who die by Stone do not break the chain, the player can use it to kill aberrant enemies while trying to preserve their chain. Break's downside is that the toughest of foes are immune to Petrify.
The player can set up an infinite level grinding spot in the Henne Mines with Break. In Pithead Junction B, after touching the gate switch in the room, a limited number of Jellies fall from above, and if they die from Stone, they will respawn endlessly. If player programs their gambits correctly, it is possible to sustain an auto-leveling without touching the controller. Besides the Break spell, it is recommended to have another ally to cast Sleepga on the Jellies (late game) or wear the Mirror Mail, or simply an armor piece sturdy enough to take no damage from the Jellies. If not using the Mirror Mail, a character can prepare curative spells to sustain the party, or use the curative spells only with the Opal Ring equipped. The player can unequip the party's weapons for in case they get confused.
Break can help in spawning the extremely elusive Lv.99 Red Chocobo. To spawn this chocobo, the player must kill at least six chocobos in the Haulo Green area of the Ozmone Plain, then move two areas away, and return. Odds are 1/256 that the Lv.99 Red Chocobo will spawn among one of the six chocobos. To cut down on walking time, the player can kill, leave and return once, and then 
petrify the chocobos with Break, which will respawn continuously. Two of the six chocobos are placeholders for the Lv.99 Red Chocobo; the ones at the bottom of the attack menu. The player can thus kill the two top-most chocobos from the list and only leave the last one to petrify. There are two groups of three black/red chocobos in Haulo Green, and the player can go back and forth between them, petrifying the chocobo. If the two "top" chocobos from the groups are killed, more will initially spawn. The player can kill those as well, until only one remains, making the petrifying process faster. Even with the fast-forward function in the Zodiac versions, it can take hours for the Lv.99 Red Chocobo to appear using this method.
Another trick the player can do is to use Break on their ally and then use Stop on them right as the timer is about to expire, so the frozen-in-place ally will be nigh invulnerable to physical damage. This ally cannot be made a bait to enemies with Lure, but many physical enemies simply target whoever is closest to them.
Category:Time Magicks in Final Fantasy XII