Buckler (Final Fantasy XII)

The Buckler is a shield in Final Fantasy XII that slightly boosts the wearer's physical evade. It is among the weakest shields in the game and basic equipment. It is metallic for the purposes of the magnetize debuff present in the Vinuskar and Ultima boss battles. In the Zodiac versions, it replaces the removed Escutcheon in the bazaar and as Ashe's default shield.
==Obtain==
===Original===
In the original PlayStation 2 version, the Buckler can be bought for 1,000 gil from Rabanastre (after Barheim Passage), Dalmasca Westersand (after the Leviathan; before Treaty-Blade), Bhujerba, and Dreadnought Leviathan. It is found in a treasure in Barheim Passage's Op Sector 37 (80% chance to appear, 20% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is a Buckler without the Diamond Armlet ). It very rarely drops from the Zombies in Barheim Passage when the Battery Mimics have sufficiently depleted the electrical power, and in the Tomb of Raithwall.
Reks and Basch have a Buckler equipped in the prologue, but their items do not transfer over to the main game.
===Zodiac===
In the updated Zodiac versions, the Buckler is sold for 500 gil first in the Barheim Passage, and after escaping there also in Rabanastre and Nalbina Fortress. It is found in a treasure in Barheim Passage's Op Sectors 36/37 (there are two treasures thay mat have it; one has 75% chance to appear, 30% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is a Buckler without the Diamond Armlet; the other has 80% chance to appear, 30% chance for gil, 50% chance the item treasure is a Buckler without the Diamond Armlet). It still very rarely drops from the Zombies in Barheim Passage and Tomb of Raithwall.
It is made in the bazaar as the "Gilt Shield" by selling three Moltings (from Sleipnirs) and Fire Stones (from various enemies).
Reks and Ashe have a Buckler equipped by default. Reks's equipment can't be transferred to the main game from the prologue, however. Basch also has a Buckler equipped in the prologue when he is a guest.
==Use==
The Buckler is weak and falls off in usefulness fast; as soon as the party gets to Bhujerba, the superior Bronze Shield will be available. In the original version, Basch and Ashe start with the license for it, Shields 2, by default. In the Zodiac versions, it can be used by the jobs Red Battlemage, Knight, and Foebreaker, and Basch and Ashe also start with the license for it, Shields 1, and so don't need to be on a suitable job to wear it.
The Buckler 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.
==Citations==
Category:Armor in Final Fantasy XII