Blizzaga (VII Remake)

Blizzaga is a magic spell in Final Fantasy VII Remake and "Episode INTERmission". It is granted by the , and is the highest-level -elemental spell above and . Blizzaga deals the highest amount of ice-element damage, but has a sizable MP cost and a slow casting time. Against enemies that are not immune to ice, Blizzaga can also interrupt them, knock them down, and then launch them.
==Mechanics==
 	
Effects 	Large damage4.2 meter area-of-effect2-second charge time
Interrupt stats 	Initial hit interrupts targets with <50 interrupt defenseSecond hit interrupts targets with <70 interrupt defenseInterrupted by attacks with ≥40 interrupt strength
Compatible 	
Unconditional weapon passive bonuses	Ice Damage UpElemental Damage UpMP Saver: Attack Spells
Special Interrupt(s) 	Knockdown (initial impact; knocks down interrupted enemies)Launch (second hit; launches interrupted targets)
Damage formula:
(2 \times User's\ Magic\ Attack\ - Target's\ Magic\ Defense) \times 5
Stagger formula:
\text {10 or 40} \times Target's\ Ice\ Rate\ Modifier \times Target's\ Magic\ Rate\ ModifierWhere 40 is used rather than 10 while the target is Pressured, and "Target Ice Modifier & Target's Magic Modifier" are the respective stagger rate modifiers of the target.
==Use==
Blizzaga costs 21 MP to cast with a level 3 ice materia equipped. It is the best ice spell to use against high-level enemies, and is particularly useful for both pressuring and staggering them. The spell shines against enemies that are weak to ice. It deals twice the damage compared to the base ice spell, Blizzard, and about 1.3 times the damage compared to the second tier Ice spell, Blizzara.
Blizzaga's main drawback is its unreliability. As an ice spell, it works by creating a stationary icicle on the target before shattering to hit any enemies caught in its wide radius. This icicle can hit many enemies that run into it if well-placed, but can also be easily evaded by the initial target. Between this and its slow casting time, Blizzaga lags behind its peers, , , and , in reliability. If the initial hit would knockdown the target, it increases the reliability greatly and will cause considerably more stagger than the other elements.
The ice spells' main strength is in their high stagger rate. Like other tier 3 spells, Blizzaga has the same stagger rate as Blizzara, and therefore retains the same increase over the other -ga spells. Unless the increased interrupt strength is needed to keep an enemy interrupted, or the extra radius or damage of Blizzaga is important in the circumstance, Blizzara may be preferable for its lower MP cost and cast time. In most cases, it may be best to set an enemy up with Blizzara first, or only use Blizzaga against enemies that are already pressured or staggered or stopped or sleeping. Other times, Blizzara can be used if a player is on a budget for MP.
Blizzaga is amplified greatly by pairing the ice materia with . and are particularly strong pairs, as they can increase a character's sustainability by either substantially healing them or recouping some of the cost of the spell. Additionally, can be a great pair with ice materia, allowing multiple Blizzagas to hit all enemies. Blizzaga is also paired very well with Aerith's Arcane Ward, causing it to be cast twice.
Category:Magic in Final Fantasy VII Remake