Understanding Status and Status Changes

Understanding Status and Status Changes

Status changes are an integral part of the battle system in the game, and represent effects that you really should be very familiar with, because they are often the key to completing battles with high score and effectiveness, as well as surviving battle damage.  Any character or enemy can have up to 8 Status elements active at any time.

Status changes come in two forms: Buffs (good effects) and Debuffs (bad effects).  You will be using both types, and often.

When a character is knocked out in battle they lose all of the buffs that have been applied, so if/when you heal/revive them they will need their buffs re-applied.

-- Buffs (the good stuff) --

BRAVERY -- has the effect of increasing the targets STR by 75% for a specific period of time.  This improves the physical damage that your characters do to the enemies they are battling, and also modifies the Ravager skills.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Bravery as well as by direct buff.

The Bravery buff is removed using the Debrave debuff, and can be dispelled.


ENAERO -- adds wind damage to attacks and has the effect of increasing the wind damage dealt by attacks for a specific period of time.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Enwind as well as by direct buff.

The Enaero buff is removed using the Enfire, Enfrost and Enthunder debuffs and can be dispelled.


ENFIRE -- adds fire damage to attacks and has the effect of increasing the fire damage dealt by attacks for a specific period of time.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Enfire as well as by direct buff.

The Enfire buff is removed using the Enaero, Enfrost and Enthunder debuffs and can be dispelled.


ENFROST -- adds frost damage to attacks and has the effect of increasing the frost damage dealt by attacks for a specific period of time.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Enfrost as well as by direct buff.

The Enfrost buff is removed using the Enaero, Enfire and Enthunder debuffs and can be dispelled.


ENTHUNDER -- adds lightning damage to attacks and has the effect of increasing the lightning damage dealt by attacks for a specific period of time.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Enthunder as well as by direct buff.

The Enthunder buff is removed using the Enaero, Enfire and Enfrost debuffs and can be dispelled.


FAITH -- has the effect of increasing the targets MAG by 75% for a specific period of time.  This improves the magical damage that is done to enemies, and also has positive effects upon the Medic and Saboteur jobs, increasing the amount of HP that is restored by the use of the Medic skill.  This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Faith as well as by direct buff.

The Faith buff is removed using the Defaith debuff and can be dispelled.


HASTE -- has the effect of increasing the targets ATB recharge rate by 33% for a specific period of time.  This allows the character to recast faster.   This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Haste as well as by direct buff.

The Haste buff is removed using the Slow debuff and can be dispelled.


PROTECT -- has the effect of reducing the amount of damage taken by the target by 25% from physical attacks for a specific period of time.   This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Protect as well as by direct buff.

The Protect buff is removed using the Deprotect debuff and can be dispelled.


REGEN -- has the effect of slowly restoring the targets HP over a specific period of time.   The effect can be obtained from items and through monster abilities.

This effect cannot be dispelled.


RERAISE -- has the effect of reviving a target who has been incapacitated in battle.  The effect can be obtained from items and monster abilities.

This effect cannot be dispelled.


SHELL -- has the effect of reducing the amount of damage taken by the target by 25% from magical attacks for a specific period of time.   This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Shell as well as by direct buff.

The Shell buff is removed using the Deshell debuff and can be dispelled.


VEIL -- has the effect of increasing the amount of resistance to negative status effects by the target by 50% for a specific period of time.   This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Veil as well as by direct buff.

The Veil buff can be dispelled.


VIGILANCE -- has the effect of increasing the targets skill success rate, and reduces the chances of an enemy successfully interrupting their attacks for a specific period of time.  This buff also improves the character's resistance to being wounded by 33%.   This buff can be applied to character through gear imbued with Vigilance as well as by direct buff.

The Vigilance buff is removed using the Curse debuff and can be dispelled.

Achievement equals a journey of 10,000 steps and a sore bottom

-- Debuffs (the bad ones) --

CURSE -- has the effect of increasing the likelihood of the target failing an attack/action/ability for a specific period of time, and being interrupted by attacks.  It also has the effect of increasing damage from wounds by 30%.

The Curse debuff is removed using the items Holy Water, Remedy, and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


DAZE -- has the effect of paralyzing the target for a specific period of time, and delivers twice the usual amount of damage from the next attack, which then removes the debuff automatically. 

The Daze debuff is removed using the items Remedy, Foul Liquid, and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


DEBRAVE -- has the effect of reducing the STR of the target by 50% for a specific period of time, and reduces the physical damage that the target can do to enemies through attacks.  Adversely impacts the strike skills for the Ravager job.

The Debrave debuff is removed using the items Remedy and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Bravery buff and the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.

Note that some enemies project this effect onto the player characters as a base ability.


DEFAITH -- has the effect of reducing the target's MAG by 50% and reducing the amount of magical damage done by the target's attacks for a specific period of time.  This debuff adversely impacts the skills of the Saboteur job, and reduces the effectiveness of HP recovery spells for Medics.

The Defaith debuff is removed using the items Remedy and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Faith buff and the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


DEPROTECT -- has the effect of reducing the resistance of the target to physical attacks by 30% and increases their vulnerability to physical damage for a specific period of time.

The Deprotect debuff is removed using the items Remedy and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Protect buff and the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.

Note that some kit is imbued with Deprotect, and being hit by a weapon so imbued can activate the debuff.


DESHELL -- has the effect of reducing the resistance of the target to magical attacks by 30% and increases their vulnerability to magical damage for a specific period of time.

The Deshell debuff is removed using the items Remedy and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Shell buff and the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.

Note that some kit is imbued with Deshell, and being hit by a weapon so imbued can activate the debuff.


DOOM -- a linear timer-based debuff that causes the target to become incapacitated after the timer counts down.  There is no defense or cure.


FOG -- has the effect of blocking the target's use of magical abilities for a specific period of time.

The Fog debuff is removed using the items Remedy, Mallet, and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


IMPERIL -- has the effect of reducing the elemental resistance of the target, and causes them to take twice the normal amount of elemental damage from attacks for a specific period of time. 

The Imperil debuff is removed using the items Remedy, Unicorn Horn, and Wax.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


PAIN -- has the effect of paralyzing the physical abilities of the target for a specific period of time. 

The Pain debuff is removed using the items Painkiller, Remedy, and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


POISON -- has the effect of dealing 1% Maximum HP damage conterminously to the target, and if left untreated will eventually incapacitate the target.

The Poison debuff is removed using the items Antidote, Remedy, and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


PROVOKE -- has the effect of causing the target to focus their attacks and attention on the caster for a specific period of time, and is most often used to tank an enemy. 

There is no cure and the effect cannot be dispelled.  Some weapons are imbued with this effect and can activate it by striking.


SLOW -- has the effect of reducing the recharge rate for the ATB Gauge of the target by 30% for a specific period of time.

The Slow debuff is removed using the items Remedy and Unicorn Horn.  It can also be removed using the spell Haste, and the Medic Spell Esuna, which removes the two most recent ailments and has an upgraded version called Esunada, which can only be learned by monsters that removes the most recent status ailment from the whole party.


WOUND DAMAGE -- has the effect of reducing the maximum HP of the target as much as 30% of their maximum HP and the effect remains in force until the battle ends or the character is incapacitated. 

The Wound Damage debuff is removed using the items Phoenix Down and a Wound Potion.  Targets with the Wound Damage debuff who are incapacitated and then revived using Raise will retain the effects of this debuff unless they are removed using one of the items.  The effects naturally are removed after the battle ends.


-- Using Buffs and Debuffs Effectively --

While this guide will often recommend the buffs and debuffs that you should use for a particular battle or type of enemy, understanding what these do will invariably guide you in their use.  As a general rule when going into battle with enemies that tend to favor specific attack types you will want to use the buff that helps to protect against them.   An enemy that is particularly vulnerable to a specific elemental force is a good reason to buff that force, and combining elemental and physical damage can be a very effective approach.

While the game does a good job of illustrating the use of buffs and debuffs during the tutorial phase of play, learning the effects and the counters for these is a really good idea, as is keeping a supply of the counters on hand when you know you are going to be facing a boss battle.

Remember that your grading and overall scoring in battle has more to do with how quickly you complete the battle -- and win of course -- so getting to a point where all of these are second nature to you is an obvious advantage in that direction.