Scourge (Final Fantasy XII)

Scourge is a Black Magick spell in both the original PlayStation 2 version of Final Fantasy XII and the Zodiac re-releases. It is a multi-target spell that deals non-elemental damage to all foes in range and inflicts them with Sap unless they are immune. It is an upgrade to Bio. It is more powerful than "third tier" elemental spells, Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga, as well as Shock, but is weaker than Flare and Scathe. Scourge is useful against enemies who resist elemental damage and is faster to use than Flare or Scathe. It could be seen as the best spell in the Black Mage's arsenal for these reasons.
As a Black Magicks spell, it is also a random outcome of the Shades of Black Technick.
Scourge is also an enemy ability used by Deathgaze, Shadowseer, Shemhazai (original Japanese version only), and Judge Ghis in the Trial Mode.
==Obtained==
Scourge's license costs 120 License Points in the Zodiac versions where the spell is bought for 8500 gil from Burrogh in Barheim Passage after the events in Giruvegan. Burrogh is near to where the player initially entered the passage from the Royal Palace of Rabanastre, on the northernmost part of the map.
In the original version, Scourge's license costs 50 LP and the spell is bought for 11,200 gil from Balfonheim Port after Sky Fortress Bahamut appears.
In the Zodiac versions, Scourge is used by the Black Mage job. Zeromus also has it but lacks a default gambit for its use. In the original version, the Esper Chaos uses it on foes that absorb wind.
==Mechanics==
Scourge deals non-elemental damage to targets in range based on the caster's level and Magick Power, mitigated by the target's Magick Resist. Its range was expanded in the Zodiac versions. It also inflicts all targets with Sap unless they are immune.
The formula for damage calculation:
:[142 \times RANDOM(1 \sim 1.125) - Magick~Resist] \times [2 + {Magick~Power \times (Level+Magick~Power) \over 256}]
With the Serenity license or the Magick Gloves accessory, the damage is inflated to 120% (original) or 150% (Zodiac) when the caster is in full health. With the Spellbreaker license or the Leather Gorget accessory, the damage is doubled when the caster is in HP Critical. If the caster has Faith, Scourge will damage for 30% more. Shell halves damage from Scourge.
Scourge bounces from Reflect unless the caster equips the Opal Ring. Casting Scourge on the player's own reflected party bounces the spell multiple times onto the enemy or enemies. Damaging enemies with Scourge gains MP to the caster if they have the Warmage license. A target can sometimes avoid Scourge via their Magick Evade stat; for the player, this means wearing shields.
Scourge costs 48 MP to cast without Channeling licenses.
Sap deals minor continuous damage to the afflicted at a fixed rate, with the afflicted unit's HP dwindling continuously at a rate of 1 per 0.1 seconds. Sap can be used to counter the Regen status. Sap only reduces the victim's HP to 1, and cannot kill unlike Poison. Sap is unaffected by Reverse.
==Use==
Scourge is a good endgame damaging spell that the player can set up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:Any→Scourge or Foe:Foes present 2+→Scourge or Foe status:Regen→Scourge). It can be good against flying enemies for characters who lack ranged weapons. Scourge is good for its non-elemental magick damage, but the Sap status it inflicts is not useful, being far inferior to the similar Poison status, as Sap cannot kill its target, and the rate at which it drains HP is so minor (10 HP per second) it is only detrimental to player characters who most of the game have only couple thousand health; for enemies, it is pointless as the player can do more damage via any other means. The main use of Sap would be to cast Scourge on enemies who have Regen to nullify it, instead of using Dispel. Scourge would be preferable as it also deals damage alongside nullifying Regen (unless the target is immune to Sap).
Being non-elemental, Scourge gains no boost from enemy weakness, weather and terrain, or from potency gear, but conversely, enemies cannot resist it with innate elemental resistance either, and no weather or terrain will hinder it. Scourge can be good as the general spell for the Black Mage to use in most situations, as it is fast to use, powerful, and enemies do not resist it. If the player has the space for multiple offensive gambits, they could set up element-vulnerable gambits for Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Aeroga, and then have Foe:Any→Scourge under them; if the target is not especially weak to anything, the mage will use Scourge.
The player can multi-cast the spell by using Reflect on their own party and then bouncing Scourge by casting it on the player's own party. Scourge is best used with the player's best staff and armor, and under Faith status. The spell is more useful in the Zodiac versions as the 9999 damage limit is no longer in place.
Scourge outclasses Bio outright, as MP is generally plentiful enough for the player to use the stronger versions of spells, especially with the licenses that refund MP costs. Scourge is better than Flare as it takes too long to cast to be of use, and may be better than Scathe as well for being so fast to use, especially in the PlayStation 2 versions, where Scathe takes up all of the available Effect Capacity, meaning no other spell or Technick can be used concurrently.
==Etymology and origin==
The spell derives its design and Japanese name "Clouda" from the Dungeons & Dragons spell Cloudkill, which has been in the game since the first edition; Cloudkill occupies the same spell level which Scourge does in the magic system of the original Final Fantasy. Its design was substantially changed from Final Fantasy II onward as the Final Fantasy series moved away from directly Dungeons & Dragons inspired design. After Final Fantasy II, Scourge did not appear until Final Fantasy XII.
Category:Black Magicks in Final Fantasy XII