Blizzard (Final Fantasy V)

Blizzard is a Black Magic spell in Final Fantasy V. It is the basic ice-elemental spell that can be acquired early in the game, and can be used to hit one target or an entire party. Blizzard is cast by the Black Magic and Red Magic skillsets (and can be used twice with Dualcast), and can also be used as a Spellblade. Blizzard is also one of the spells that can be cast for free from the Wonder Wand.
Blizzard is also an enemy ability that can be used by Ice Soldier, Magissa, Mani Wizard, Omniscient, Siren, and Reflect Mage.
==Obtained==
Blizzard can be purchased for 150 gil at Tule, Carwen, Karnak, or Crescent. Tule is the earliest place Blizzard can be obtained. Once it is purchased, it can be used by any of the skillsets with the spell.
==Mechanics==
As a spell, Blizzard's damage is calculated as follows:
:Attack = 15 + (0..(15/8))
:M = (Level*Magic Power)/256 + 4
:Defense = Magic Defense
:Damage = (Attack - Defense) * M
If the target absorbs ice, it is healed instead of damaged; if it is immune to ice, the attack misses. If the target resists ice, the Attack modifier in the formula is halved, but if it is weak to ice, the modifier is doubled and the attack ignores the target's Magic Defense. Blizzard is affected by reflect.
Several pieces of equipment increase the power of elemental attacks by 50%. The bonus is applied before subtracting the opponent's Magic Defense. The weapons that boost ice are the Black Mage's Frost Rod and the Ranger's Frost Bow. The Mix Elemental Power empowers all elements.
==Use==
Black Mages can use Blizzard early on as a basic offensive spell. It is best used against enemies weak to ice, and around the time it is acquired, it will likely defeat them in one hit. Because the spell costs little MP to cast, there is little harm in using it often, though it is normally most MP- and turn-efficient to hit a group of enemies rather than a single target.
Blizzard is outclassed by Blizzara in terms of pure damage, and when the player has access to Red Mage and Mystic Knight, Blizzara is quickly available. Blizzard can still be cast by Black and Red Mages if the player wishes to conserve MP, but Blizzara is mostly better as it is not too much costlier. Mystic Knights can forego Blizzard entirely in favor of Blizzara, because Spellblade only needs to use MP once to charge the weapon and then not again.
By the time Shiva, and later Blizzaga, are obtained, Blizzard is effectively obsolete.
==Gallery==
FFV Blizzard.png|Black Magic (GBA).
FFV iOS Blizzard.png|Black Magic (2013).
Blizzard Blade from FFV Advance.png|Spellblade (GBA).
FFV iOS Blizzard Sword.PNG|Spellblade (2013).
Category:Black Magic in Final Fantasy V