Curaga (Final Fantasy XII)

Curaga is a White Magicks spell in Final Fantasy XII, both in the original PlayStation 2 version and the Zodiac re-releases. It is the third tier curative spell used to restore HP to one ally or for damaging one undead enemy, above Cure and Cura, and beneath Curaja.
The enemies Ice Azer, Earth Chaosjet, Onion Queen, Mirrorknight, Rook, Supinelu, and Viera Huntress may use Curaga.
==Obtained==
Curaga's license costs 40 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where it can be bought for 2400 gil in the following shops: Mt Bur-Omisace, Mosphoran Highwaste (after defeating Judge Bergan), Phon Coast, and Archades. It is also available from the Trial Mode Stage 71 treasure with the Diamond Armlet equipped.
In the original release, Curaga's license costs 45 LP and the spell is sold for 3200 gil in various shops: Eruyt Village, Mt Bur-Omisace, Rabanastre (after defeating Judge Bergan), and Nalbina Fortress (after defeating Judge Bergan).
In the Zodiac versions, Curaga can be used by White Mage and Red Battlemage, and by Knight after obtaining Mateus's license.
In the original PlayStation 2 version, Adrammelech has Curaga and is set to use it on his summoner when they have less than half health left, unless the summoning time is about to run out, or the summoner is already at <30% health, at which point Adrammelech uses its special attack, Judgment Bolt, instead.
==Mechanics==
Curaga heals a large amount of health to one target. If the target is undead, it will be damaged instead. Curaga is affected by Reflect, and will never miss. The amount healed depends on the caster's Magick Power stat and Level. Using Curaga to damage the undead gains MP to the user if they have the Warmage license. Curaga's base cost to use is 24 MP in the Zodiac versions, and 28 MP in the original version.
The formula for the amount healed/damaged (if undead) is as follows:
:86 x RANDOM(1~1.125) x [2 + MAG x (LV+MAG)/256)]
With the Serenity license or the Magick Gloves accessory, the healing/damage is inflated to 150% when the caster is in full health. With the Spellbreaker license or the Leather Gorget accessory, the healing/damage is inflated to 150% when the caster is in HP Critical. If the caster has Faith, Curaga will also heal/damage for 50% more. The boosts stack multiplicatively.
Because of the Effect Capacity system in the PlayStation 2 versions hindering players from performing special actions or magick spells (as only a limited amount can be performed at once), casting Cura and Curaga under Faith status instead of Curaja is more efficient, and they consume less MP as well, meaning Curaga is still useful even after obtaining the higher-class spell Curaja. In The Zodiac Age, this restriction is no longer in place.
==Use==
Curaga is a good utility spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system to heal themselves and their allies. It takes less MP than Cura, but is single-target, meaning Cura may be more effective overall a lot of the time, especially if coupled with Faith.
Curaga can also be used to damage undead enemies, which is generally better than other offensive spells, as curative spells bypass the target's Magick Resist stat; therefore, using Shear on undead does not make Cure-type spells do more damage.
In the Zodiac versions, healing spells are especially a good way for the White Mage job to fight undead enemies. However, Curaga is outclassed by Curaja later on.
== Etymology ==
Though localized as "Curaga", this spell is actually the recurring "Curada" spell in the Final Fantasy series, as per its Japanese name. Curada is a stronger restorative White Magic spell, usually obtained at the midpoint in most titles. In earlier titles featuring four tier Cure spells, Curada often serves as the third tier of the line. However starting from Final Fantasy V, the four-tier system would often be discarded, with Curaga being the third and strongest of Cure spells, while Curada is often left out. As Final Fantasy XII has four tiers of curative spells, the highest is named "Curaja" in English and "Curaga" is given to the third tier.
Category:White Magicks in Final Fantasy XII