Costly Punch (Crisis Core)

Costly Punch is a command materia in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- that consumes a small percentage of Zack's HP to inflict defense-ignoring damage to an enemy. Combined with a Brutal or Genji Glove equipped, Costly Punch can consistently deal 99,999 damage each attack, making it the strongest ability in the game, though its reduction of Zack's HP and charge-up time make it risky to use.
==Obtained==
The earliest way to obtain Costly Punch is through the Materia Fusion mechanic. By obtaining a Goblin Punch materia (which can be obtained as early as "M4-4-5: Anti-Shinra Base", by stealing from Vajradhara Kumbhira, or shortly after from "M4-5-4: Crescent Unit Annihilation", as a reward), the player can fuse it with one of the Digital Mind Wave special materia (such as Hellfire) which can be purchased from Bone Village Commerce (available after "M7-5-3: Girl on the Desert Island") to obtain Costly Punch. Any other Goblin Punch materia is also effective.
Costly Punch can alternatively be obtained by stealing from Mako Ifrit, or found in a chest in "M9-5-4: Abnormal Power", though both of these are much later in the game.
==Mechanics==
In the PlayStation Portable version, Costly Punch consumes 1.5625% of Zack's HP to inflict non-physical, non-magical damage to enemy, ignoring defense. It will deal 0 damage if HP is higher than 1.11x normal amount, when the player's HP is above their HP limit, and cannot be used if Zack has less than 1.5626% of his HP remaining. Costly Punch's damage is not affected by Zack's stats.
In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion, Costly Punch now consumes 15.625% of Zack's current HP value per use, and the bug causing Costly Punch to deal 0 damage when the user's HP is over 1.11x its standard limit has also been fixed.
==Use==
===Ability===
The Costly Punch ability is phenomenally powerful, as it can reliably deal 99,999 damage. This can defeat most enemies in one hit, and later bosses and enemies in only a few hits, making it essential to most late-game strategies. Because it has no AP cost, it can be used frequently, although the player will want to equip Curaga to cure Zack frequently to use the ability sustainably.
The biggest drawback to Costly Punch is its charge-up time, making Zack prone to being hit while it is used. It is therefore vital to improve Zack's stats—particularly his HP, VIT, and SPR—to survive against later enemies, and equip accessories such as the Adaman Bangle, Genji Armor, Ribbon, Super Ribbon, or Genji Shield to provide resistance. 
The ability needs to be used strategically against enemies who can easily interrupt Costly Punch while Zack is vulnerable. Graviga presents a great alternative to Costly Punch that can also deal 99,999 damage reliably to many enemies but can do so from a distance until their HP reaches a lower point, at which point Costly Punch can finish them off. Quake can be used to similar effect. The Endure status can also provide Zack from being interrupted, and is provided by Twisted Headband or Genji Armor (though the latter is a much more slot-efficient equip).
If Costly Punch is dealing 0 damage in the PSP version, the player should deliberately take damage until their HP falls to at or below their typical HP limit, or use another ability. This is no longer a hindrance in the Reunion.
===Materia Fusion===
Costly Punch is the ultimate ability in its materia family, and due to its strength, there is no reason to fuse Costly Punch into anything else. Fusing Costly Punch with a DMW materia (such as Hellfire) is the only reliable way to keep it as a Costly Punch materia and boost the desired stat.
Materia Fusion with Costly Punch should only be used to max one of the stats (+100 of ATK, MAG, VIT, or SPR, or +999% HP or MP). The PSP version also gives Zack the ability to gain 99 Phoenix Downs from Minerva in "M9-6-6: The Reigning Deity" to make this easier (then choosing to keep a +999% HP or fuse Costly Punch with another DMW materia and an item that grants a desired stat to convert the boost into), while both versions grant mastered Digital Mind Wave materia with high stats earned from naturally completing the "M9: Great Cavern of Wonders" series that serve as a good starting point. SP can be easily obtained from Three Stars in "M9-5-3: Unusually Strong Monsters" to support fusion.
Costly Punch is unaffected by Zack's stats. As such, the player can give it any stat they like. HP, VIT, and SPR are likely the most natural choices for a stat boost on Costly Punch because it is entirely dependent on Zack's ability to survive attacks. In the PSP version, the player may choose to give Zack an ATK boost so his normal attacks can become formidable while Costly Punch is unavailable to use due to Zack's HP being broken.
Category:Command materia in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-