Escutcheon (Final Fantasy XII)

The Escutcheon is a shield in the original PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy XII that slightly boosts the wearer's physical evade. It is the weakest shield in the game and basic equipment. It is metallic for the purposes of the magnetize debuff present in the Vinuskar boss battle. It is a heart-shaped shield that Ashe starts with; its mirror counterpart, meanwhile, is among the strongest shields in the game: Zodiac Escutcheon.
The Escutcheon was removed from the Zodiac versions, where the Leather Shield is now the weakest shield, and Ashe starts with the Buckler.
==Obtain==
The Escutcheon can be bought for 300 gil at Rabanastre after obtaining the Crescent Stone, and Barheim Passage before obtaining the Treaty-Blade. It is found in Dalmasca Estersand's The Stepping (the top western corner; spawns 70% of the time, has 60% chance for gil, but when it contains an item, half the time will yield the Escutcheon without the Diamond Armlet ), Giza Plains' Starfall Field during the dry (under the bridge; 75% chance to appear, 30% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is Escutcheon without the Diamond Armlet ), Garamsythe Waterway's No. 11 Channel (80% chance to appear, 30% chance for gil, the item treasure is always the Escutcheon ), and Lhusu Mines' Site 5 (60% chance to appear, 50% chance the treasure is the Escutcheon without the Diamond Armlet ).
It is made in the bazaar as part of the "Gilt Shield" package by selling one Molting (obtain from Sleipnir) and one Fire Stone (obtain from various enemies), and is initially equipped on Ashe. In the Zodiac versions, the Gilt Shield set makes the Buckler instead.
==Use==
The Escutcheon is weak and falls off in usefulness fast. Balthier, Fran, Basch, and Ashe start with the license for it, Shields 1, but anyone can learn it.
The Escutcheon can be equipped by characters with one-handed weapons or no weapon in their available hand. It adds to the wearer's physical evasion. Shield Block augments also add +5% to physical evasion per augment purchased. Equipping a shield negates the Brawler augment, even if the character is still attacking bare-handed. Some enemies, especially all the toughest bosses and marks, have Ignore Evasion as a passive ability, which causes their attacks to ignore all blocking and parrying.
The chance to block granted by gloves and shields and Shield Block licenses is checked separately to, and before, the evade from one-handed weapons. If the shield block fails, the game checks for the weapon block, and if that fails, the game checks for parry.
==Etymology==
==Citations==
Category:Accessories in Final Fantasy XII