Fairy Flute (Final Fantasy IX)

The Fairy Flute is a weapon for Eiko in Final Fantasy IX, being the third flute. It is available soon after Eiko first joins as a stolen spoil from the next boss, but it is notoriously difficult to get. The Fairy Flute teaches her the white magic spells Esuna, which heals various status ailments from a target; Haste, which temporarily speeds up a target's ATB refill rate; and Regen, which allows the target to passively accumulate HP for a period of time. The Fairy Flute is a missable weapon.
==Obtain==
The Fairy Flute is stolen from Hilgigars, the boss of Conde Petie Mountain Path, but the chance to get it is 1/256, the lowest possible, and Zidane cannot yet have Master Thief that would make this easier. 
The next chance to get it is from the shops in Oeilvert and Desert Palace for 4500 gil. Both shops become inaccessible as the player enters the Shimmering Island portal.
==Mechanics==
Fairy Flute's damage dealt with a normal Attack is determined as follows everywhere but within Ipsen's Castle:
:Base = 24 - Enemy's Defense
:Bonus = Strength + Rnd MOD ([(Level + Strength) / 8] + 1)
:Damage = Base * Bonus
Where Rnd means a random number, while MOD means modulus operation. "Rnd MOD x" can be read as a random number between 0 and x-1. 
The damage is then modified by variables like Eiko's row position and the enemy's Protect. Under Mini, her Bonus would be 1. If Eiko equips Healer, damage is converted to healing.
When in Ipsen's Castle, the stronger weapons do less damage than weaker weapons, and the Base part of the damage formula is altered to:
:Base = 36 - Enemy's Defense
==Use==
The Fairy Flute is Eiko's strongest weapon for a while if the player manages to steal it from Hilgigars. Accomplishing this feat takes luck and many players give up trying to get it after the fruitless steal attempts stack up. If the player got the Fairy Flute from Hilgigars, it is Eiko's strongest weapon for the following events in the Iifa Tree and the world map exploration with the Blue Narciss until the party can buy the Mythril Racket from Esto Gaza.
However, as Eiko is not a physical attacker, her weapon strength is less relevant than the abilities she can learn from them, and rackets are better damage-dealing weapons for her for dealing full damage from the back row and their Wind-elemental property, which is more often a benefit than it is a detriment. The spells from the Fairy Flute are good and thus there is benefit in getting them the earliest, though if the player steals it from Hilgigars, Eiko likely has not had the time yet to master the spells from the starter weapon, either. The best spell from the flute is Esuna, as Eiko could also learn Regen from the Fairy Earrings, and Haste from the Emerald (which also allows her to bestow Haste with Carbuncle). 
All in all, it is likely not worth spending an excess length of time trying to steal the weapon from Hilgigars if the only big boon is Esuna, when the player could get the same effect from a Remedy, and the flute is available in shops later.
==Gallery==
FairyFlute.png|Artwork.
Fairy Flute FFIX.png|Strategy guide scan.
==Etymology==
Most of Eiko's flutes are named after a magical being of some sort. 
Category:Weapons in Final Fantasy IX