Trickster (Final Fantasy XII)

Trickster is an Elite Mark in Final Fantasy XII. The hunt becomes available upon reaching Mt Bur-Omisace, so if the player wishes to fight it with Larsa in the party, they should return to Rabanastre immediately upon reaching the mountain to accept the hunt, because Larsa will leave the party if the player proceeds further in the story.
Intrigued by the white chocobo that helped stave off vandals who harassed a chocobo flock and vanished as quickly as it came, Gurdy went to petition for the hunt of this elusive mark. This also gets the attention of Monid, whose good friends, the parents of his young, adoptive hume son, were killed by this chocobo.
Monid will assist the party during the battle.
Trickster is also fought alongside all the other chocobo enemies in the Zodiac versions' Trial Mode in Stage 58 where the Hermes Sandals (uncommon) and Bubble Belt can be stolen from it.
==Clan Primer==
===Hunt 37: Paramina Run===
:Petitioner: Gurdy
:Petitioner's Location: Mt Bur-Omisace/Sand-strewn Pass
*A petition has been submitted for the hunting of the Trickster (Rank V). The petitioner is Gurdy in the Sand-strewn Pass on Mt Bur-Omisace.
*Hunt accepted. Gurdy tells you the Trickster is to be found by the Frozen Brook in the Paramina Rift. Clan member Monid, too, has been told of this hunt.
*Trickster defeated with Monid's aid. Report to Gurdy in the Sand-strewn Pass.
*Hunt reported to Gurdy.
===Bestiary entry===
:Legendary Chocobo of the purest white Plumage. Though typically hunting in Solitude in mountainous Regions, it is ever a Member of the Flock, coming to aid of its Kin when Danger threatens. A Chocobo Wrangler who was the Victim of a Band of Mountain Bandits and was saved by the Trickster could not resist petitioning a hunt for this rarest of Marks, to wild Enthusiasm from Clan Hunters across Ivalice.
==Stats==
==AI script==
==How to find==
After speaking with Gurdy about the Trickster, the player should rent a chocobo (though this is not needed to find the mark) from her for 600 gil, then continue down to the Frozen Brook area of the Paramina Rift where the mark will appear. Monid will be waiting. The player can exit and reenter the area until Monid says the Trickster has appeared (it might take many tries; the spawn chance is only 30% per entry and Monid will not always say when the Trickster has appeared).
==Battle==
The Trickster is fast and will run around the area, and often appears invisible when not near it. It becomes much more powerful at low health. Its attacks can do over 1,500 damage without buffs or strong enough armor, and it attacks quickly. It spawns with the Protect status.
When Trickster gets down to around 1/3 HP it will use White Wind, which removes and makes it immune to status effects for two minutes. After Trickster's HP drops below 50% its HP Attack wears off, and it will no longer use Wild Charge, but it will start using Choco-Comet. At low health it brings up a paling and becomes immune to physical damage, and all elemental magick will heal it, except for one chosen element, which will periodically change. Its paling wears off eventually, with a similar duration to White Wind. The increased attack speed remains, however, and Trickster's combo attacks can hit up to six times.
Trickster will sometimes run away, but should return eventually even if the player doesn't chase it.
===Strategy===
The party should begin by casting Dispel to remove Trickster's Protect. One strategy is to use the Nihopalaoa + Prince's Kiss ("Alarm Clock" in the original version) trick on it immediately when a change occurs in the chocobo's pattern, or sometime before it hits the half HP mark, to put it to Sleep (using the Indigo Pendant and the Sleep spell also works if the player doesn't have Nihopalaoa). The player needs to get rid of Monid, as his attacks will wake the Trickster.
While the Trickster is asleep the player can lower the characters' HP into low ranges to increase the damage Balance can deal. The damage output is even greater under Faith status, and with the Reflect status and casting Balance off the player characters, reflected onto the chocobo. In critical health Trickster will gain Anti-Magick and White Wind, and grow in attack power and defense. Status immunity from White Wind lasts around two minutes, after which it can be put to sleep again.
Without using Sleep, the player should aim to unleash the biggest Quickening chain the party can manage right before the chocobo becomes critical, because the Trickster sets up a physical paling and all elemental magick will heal it, except for one chosen element, which will periodically change. Balance/Bio/Drain/Scourge are non-elemental and can be used through the paling in the original game; only Balance still works in the Zodiac versions. Quickenings are ineffective when the paling is up. Another way to deal damage despite the paling is using gambits that exploit Trickster's elemental weakness; for example, a gambit with the condition Foe: fire-weak will trigger if Trickster is currently weak to fire. As little as one gambit at a time is required, and the more elements that are checked at a time, the faster the process; if gambits for all but one element are set up, and characters are not casting, weakness to the one missing element can be inferred and cast manually.
If Trickster runs away, it is best not to chase it as to draw attention from other enemies. Trickster will return so one can just stay put.
==Rewards==
*4,800 gil
*Deimos Clay
Defeating Trickster unlocks its sprite in the Sky Pirate's Den and awards the "Sharpshooter" trophy/achievement in The Zodiac Age.
==Gallery==
Ffxii-trickster.jpg|Bestiary entry (PlayStation 2).
Haste-Status-FFXII.jpg|Party chasing Trickster.
Paling-Falls-FFXII.jpg|Trickster's Paling falls.
Choco-Comet-FFXII.jpg|Choco-Comet.
==Etymology==
==Related enemies==
*Black Chocobo
*Red Chocobo
*White Chocobo
*Brown Chocobo
*Green Chocobo
*Bull Chocobo (Rare)
*Lv.99 Red Chocobo
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Category:Elite Marks in Final Fantasy XII