Mantra Band (Final Fantasy IX)

The Mantra Band is a light armor headgear in Final Fantasy IX. It is a mid tier headband that everyone but Steiner and Freya can wear. It teaches the passive abilities Antibody, which inoculates against Poison, and HP+20%. The headband provides minor level up bonuses to Magic and Spirit, both generally good stats to boost, especially for mages.
==Obtain==
The Mantra Band is sold for 1,500 gil in Lindblum after the party returns from the Outer Continent, and the Mogshops in Oeilvert and Desert Palace.
==Mechanics==
The Mantra Band provides a measly 1 Defense and but 19 Magic Defense, mainly mitigating damage from magic attacks. The headband minorly boosts the wearer's Spirit and Magic when they level up with it equipped. When enough "level up bonuses" from gear have been accrued, the character gains a permanent stat increase, though they would need to level up multiple times with +1 gear for noticeable stat gain. Magic stat is used for damage calculation for magic-based abilities and determines the character's MP growth. Spirit is used to determine expirable status effects' duration, the HP the character is revived at, the frequency Regen and Poison tick, and how fast Trance builds and runs out, among other things.
==Use==
The Mantra Band is a good headgear for its stat-boosting traits; though physical attackers do not need Magic for damage, their Magic stats still determines their MP growth. Zidane and Amarant could swap to the Green Beret from Oeilvert when it becomes available, which boosts Strength and Speed, but level grinding or min-maxing is unnecessary in a normal playthrough and the player can prioritize gear based on their defensive offerings and abilities, and still be able to do any encounter in the game with the right strategy. The best stat-boosting gear is available in the endgame, and so for best stats one would need to limit their level ups until near the end of the game.
The Mantra Band teaches Antibody for everyone who can wear it and HP+20% for Zidane and Amarant. Antibody helps against enemies that poison the party, and is useful to equip on the toughest boss battles where the adversaries commonly use status-infliction abilities. HP+20% is generally a good ability to use whenever the character has Magic Stones to spear from all their crucial equips.
Though the Tantalus thieves who join the party as guests can also wear the tiara, the player cannot see this in a normal playthrough.
==Etymology==
In Japanese, the name is "Chakra Band". 
Category:Armor in Final Fantasy IX