Meteor Strike (Final Fantasy VIII)

Meteor Strike is the only fractional damage Duel technique for Zell's Limit Break in Final Fantasy VIII. It is hidden in the command window before the player reads Combat King 002. It deals physical Gravity-type damage to an enemy that damages the target for 25% of their current health (capped to 9999) unless the target is immune to Gravity. Limit Breaks cannot miss due to enemy evasion or the user's poor accuracy, but Meteor Strike misses because the target is immune to fractional damage abilities.
When Duel initiates, the player has a variable amount of time to perform Duel moves on their chosen target. Meteor Strike can be strong against the right enemy and is performed with a input as part of a Duel chain. Though it is the longest button sequence for a non-finishing move alongside Dolphin Blow, it can be performed quickly. The time allotted for performing moves depends on Zell's Crisis Level, a hidden calculation in the game. Duel is randomly available when Zell is on low health or under Aura.
Meteor Strike is lift into a piledriver. Many of Zell's Duel moves are reminiscent of Tifa's Limit techniques from Final Fantasy VII, and Meteor Strike is one of her signature moves. However, it debuted as Sabin's move in Final Fantasy VI, of whose Blitz Zell's Duel appears inspired by.
==Obtained==
Meteor Strike can be performed since the start, but will not appear in the command window until the player reads Combat King 002, obtained as part of the story after fighting the bosses in Balamb Hotel.
==Mechanics==
Meteor Strike is performed either automatically when the player sets their Duel to "Auto" in the Status menu, or by chaining from another move by inputting when it appears in the command window.
Meteor Strike deals Gravity-type physical damage to an opponent calculated as per the following formula:
:Critical Determination
:Critical\% = (Luck + 1) / 256 \times 100
Where "Luck" is Zell's Luck stat. If the hit criticals, it will deal double damage.
:Damage Calculation
:Target's~HP / 4
Meteor Strike is essentially a physical version of the Demi spell.
The time Zell has for Duel depends on his Crisis Level in the following manner:
* Crisis Level 1: 4.66 seconds (starts with Punch Rush)
* Crisis Level 2: 6.66 seconds (starts with Punch Rush)
* Crisis Level 3: 9.33 seconds (starts with Booya)
* Crisis Level 4: 12 seconds (starts with Booya)
Crisis Level is a hidden stat calculated based on how low Zell's current HP is compared to his maximum, the number of dead allies, and the number of ailments he is afflicted with. The worse off he is, the longer Duel times the player can expect. Crisis Level is also raised with the Aura status.
Meteor Strike follows from Booya at a beginning of a chain. It can also follow-up Punch Rush, Heel Drop, and Dolphin Blow further along the chain. It can chain into Booya, Heel Drop, and Dolphin Blow, and the Burning Rave and My Final Heaven finishing moves.
Because of the complexity of Duel, it is best explained and summarized by viewing the following Google docs flowchart.
If the target has Protect, damage is halved.
==Use==
Meteor Strike is Zell's only Gravity-type Duel technique, meaning it deals fractional damage based on the target's current health and not his Strength stat like his other moves. This means it can be especially good against high health enemies, but will miss against enemies immune to Gravity-type damage, including bosses. This limits Meteor Strike's usefulness, as Zell's Duel with its longest time is especially potent in taking down bosses. If the player performs Meteor Strike against an enemy who is immune to Gravity, it will simply miss and the player can continue the chain.
Meteor Strike is essentially a physical version of Demi, meaning damage is halved from Protect rather than Shell and it can critical to do 50% damage, whereas Demi cannot.
Meteor Strike has the longest button sequence for a non-finishing move at four inputs, shared with Dolphin Blow, but is still fast to use. It is not unveiled in the command window until the player reads Combat King 002. Zell's Duel is already at its best potential since the start of the game and does not need enhancement and investment outside of stat-maxing the same way the other permanent characters do (besides Selphie, though she still gets better spells to her Slot when on a higher level). With this in mind, Meteor Strike is not needed to make most out of Zell's Duel, but is a situationally good addition to add some variety to his chains. For the best chance of getting the maximum timer, the player can have Zell in critical HP and have him under Aura status. (However, Aura spells and stones are rare.)
Enemies against whom Gravity damage is a good fit include Tonberry and Malboro. However, when the enemy is already on low health, Meteor Strike will do paltry damage and the player is better off using a different move. 
==Etymology==
==Citations==
Category:Duels in Final Fantasy VIII