Countdown (Final Fantasy XII)

Countdown is a Time Magick spell both in the Zodiac versions of Final Fantasy XII as well as in the original PlayStation 2 version. It is a single-target status ailment spell that places a countdown on the target; when the timer expires, the afflicted is defeated.
Countdown can be cast by Brainpan, Hydro, and Judge Ghis (Trial Mode Stage 100). Enemies also use an ability called "Doom" that is effectively the same ability only with a higher chance of working, used by Gespenst, Gazer, Etém, Nightwalker, Reaper Claw, Reaper, Necrophobe, Bogey, Oversoul, Wraith, Deathscythe, Ixtab, Demon Wall (Outer, Inner), Ahriman, Glaring Eye, Dustia, Ishteen, Vorres, and Negalmuur.
==Obtained==
Countdown's license costs 70 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where the spell is found in Stilshrine of Miriam's Ward of Velitation. This is the area with Dragon Aevises. To get there, the player needs to take the waystone from the beginning, arriving at an area where the Helvinek nightmare-type foe looms at the end of the path. The player needs to go forward and turn left, go up the stairs, ending to an area with a save crystal (the first time interacting with it, it is a foe posing as a save crystal). Going up the stairs in this area leads to Ward of Velitation.
In the original version, the spell's license costs 30 LP and is bought for 3100 gil from Eruyt Village after the events in Henne Mines, and from other shops later on.
In the Zodiac versions, Countdown is used by the Time Battlemage.
==Mechanics==
Countdown inflicts the Doom status onto a target, knocking them out when the 10-tick counter on them reaches 0 after around 100 seconds. Doom can be cured via Remedy (with Remedy Lore 3). Stop halts the countdown and Doom and Petrify cannot coexist on the same character; whichever status the character has first, they are immune to the other. Enemies defeated via Doom do not give EXP or LP, but do give CP. Like Stone and Poison, enemies defeated via Doom will not affect an enemy chain, though they will not drop loot.
The base success rate of the spell against an enemy that is not immune is 55% in the original version, updated to 60% in the Zodiac versions.
:Success~Rate = Base~Rate + (User's~Magick~Power - Target's~Vitality) \%
The success rate is unaffected by the target's Magick Evade stat, as the spell instead checks against the target's Vitality.
The hit rate is improved by further 50% with the caster having Faith status, or doubled with Serenity license/Magick Gloves when on full health, or Spellbreaker license/Leather Gorget when in critical health. Target's Shell halves the accuracy of the spell. If the caster is wearing the Indigo Pendant, Countdown will succeed unless the enemy is immune to the status.
The accuracy underflow bug is a glitch in some versions of Final Fantasy XII where a low level character with extremely low Magick Power stat attempts to use a status move on a target with very high Vitality, and the accuracy of the spell becomes less than zero. In this case the accuracy will underflow to 100%, allowing certain status spells to always succeed.
Countdown costs 8 MP to cast without Channeling licenses. The spell will bounce from Reflect unless the caster wears the Opal Ring.
==Use==
Countdown is a status ailment spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system (such as with Foe:any→Countdown). However, it is best used situationally and with the Indigo Pendant equipped whenever possible. Instead of using Countdown, the player can use the Doom Mace (15%). In the Zodiac versions, the Yagyu Darkblade also has Doom (20%). Instead of using Countdown, the player could also use Break spell for an effectively the same result, only enemies defeated via Stone will yield spoils and thus Break is suitable for level grinding whereas Countdown is not. Using a Remedy (with Remedy Lore 3) on an enemy with the Nihopalaoa equipped also works, and is the only way to inflict both Petrify and Doom to the same target.
Because enemies who die by Doom do not break the chain, the player can use it to kill aberrant enemies while trying to preserve their chain. Countdown's downside is that the toughest of foes are immune to Doom and that the player could just use Death for a faster kill and to also get spoils, or Warp for a faster result while forgoing spoils. There are no specific niches where Countdown would be the best spell to use. To kill enemies via a countdown, Break tends to be better.
Category:Time Magicks in Final Fantasy XII