Final Fantasy XII
Gambits



Final Fantasy XII introduces us to the new gambit system, which, in simple terms, is programmable artificial intelligence for your characters. The gambit system allows you customize each character's behaviour, making them automatically perform a certain action when faced with the appropriate circumstance.

Each gambit consists of a condition and a reaction. The condition, as the name implies, states when the character will perform the reaction to which it is attached. Conditions can focus on practically any foe or any ally, including the acting character him/herself. The reaction, as stated above, is the command that the character will perform when the appropriate condition is met. Reactions can be in the form of attacking any foe (or even ally), using any item, casting any Magick, or performing any Technick. All conditions can be purchased from any gambit shop, and many can be found in various treasure chests scattered throughout Ivalice. Reactions can be learned with the acquisition of the appropriate item or spell.

When building gambits, there are several things to take into consideration:

  • Each character can be programmed with up to 12 gambits. You must acquire the appropriate licenses from the Licence Board before additional slots become available.
  • Once a character has acquired a gambit, the entire party has access to it. While hunting for gambits in the field will save you some gil, they're relatively cheap in stores, making them a worthwhile investment.
  • Order does matter. A character will perform the actions in the order they are listed on his gambit page. He will even switch to a different command when the conditions for a higher-priority gambit are met, even if there's a tenth of a second left on the charge bar. Thus, it is a good idea to place gambits that assist your party higher on the list than those that attack enemies. "Vitality before violence," as Balthier so eloquently puts it.
  • Item or Magick? The choice is up to you. Using items is generally instantaneous, but you have to make sure you have a good stock of that particular item, because it is easy to burn through your entire stock. While Magick takes longer to charge up, it is much easier to acquire MP than it is to acquire a stock of items.
  • While the gambit system isn't foolproof, it is still fairly user-friendly. Characters won't cast status effects on something that already has that particular status.
  • Keep in mind that you may have to alter your gambits when faced with certain foes, particularly bosses. Many bosses are immune to several status effects, so if your character is consistently casting a spell to which a foe is invulnerable, he will drain his MP down to nothing. Don't be afraid to turn off a gambit that isn't working for you.
Now, onto the gambits themselves. The list of available gambits starts off relatively small, but will grow as you progress through the game.




Ally Gambits
Gambit Cost
Ally: any 50
Ally: party leader 50
Ally: Vaan N/A
Ally: Ashe N/A
Ally: Fran N/A
Ally: Balthier N/A
Ally: Basch N/A
Ally: Penelo N/A
Ally: lowest HP 50
Ally: strongest weapon 50
Ally: lowest defense 50
Ally: lowest magick resist 50
Ally: HP < 100% 50
Ally: HP < 90% 50
Ally: HP < 80% 50
Ally: HP < 70% 50
Ally: HP < 60% 50
Ally: HP < 50% 50
Ally: HP < 40% 50
Ally: HP < 30% 50
Ally: HP < 20% 50
Ally: HP < 10% 50
Ally: MP < 100% 50
Ally: MP < 90% 50
Ally: MP < 80% 50
Ally: MP < 70% 50
Ally: MP < 60% 50
Ally: MP < 50% 50
Ally: MP < 40% 50
Ally: MP < 30% 50
Ally: MP < 20% 50
Ally: MP < 10% 50
Ally: status = KO 50
Ally: status = Stone 50
Ally: status = Petrify 50
Ally: status = Stop 50
Ally: status = Sleep 50
Ally: status = Confuse 50
Ally: status = Doom 50
Ally: status = Blind 50
Ally: status = Poison 50
Ally: status = Silence 50
Ally: status = Sap 50
Ally: status = Oil 50
Ally: status = Reverse 50
Ally: status = Disable 50
Ally: status = Immobilize 50
Ally: status = Slow 50
Ally: status = Disease 50
Ally: status = Lure 50
Ally: status = Protect 50
Ally: status = Shell 50
Ally: status = Haste 50
Ally: status = Bravery 50
Ally: status = Faith 50
Ally: status = Reflect 50
Ally: status = Invisible 50
Ally: status = Regen 50
Ally: status = Float 50
Ally: status = Berserk 50
Ally: status = Bubble 50
Ally: status = HP Critical 50
Ally: item AMT >= 10 100


Foe Gambits
Gambit Cost
Foe: party leader's target N/A
Foe: nearest visible N/A
Foe: any 50
Foe: targeting leader 100
Foe: targeting self 100
Foe: targeting ally 100
Foe: furthest 50
Foe: nearest 50
Foe: highest HP 50
Foe: lowest HP 50
Foe: highest max HP 50
Foe: lowest max HP 50
Foe: highest MP 50
Foe: lowest MP 50
Foe: highest max MP 50
Foe: lowest max MP 50
Foe: highest level 50
Foe: lowest level 50
Foe: highest strength 50
Foe: lowest strength 50
Foe: highest magick power 50
Foe: lowest magick power 50
Foe: highest speed 50
Foe: lowest speed 50
Foe: highest defense 50
Foe: highest magick resist 50
Foe: HP >= 100000 50
Foe: HP >= 50000 50
Foe: HP >= 10000 50
Foe: HP >= 5000 50
Foe: HP >= 3000 50
Foe: HP >= 2000 50
Foe: HP >= 1000 50
Foe: HP >= 500 50
Foe: HP < 100000 50
Foe: HP < 50000 50
Foe: HP < 10000 50
Foe: HP < 5000 50
Foe: HP < 3000 50
Foe: HP < 2000 50
Foe: HP < 1000 50
Foe: HP < 500 50
Foe: HP = 100% 50
Foe: HP >= 70% 50
Foe: HP >= 50% 50
Foe: HP >= 30% 50
Foe: status = Petrify 50
Foe: status = Stop 50
Foe: status = Sleep 50
Foe: status = Confuse 50
Foe: status = Doom 50
Foe: status = Blind 50
Foe: status = Poison 50
Foe: status = Silence 50
Foe: status = Sap 50
Foe: status = Oil 50
Foe: status = Reverse 50
Foe: status = Disable 50
Foe: status = Immobilize 50
Foe: status = Slow 50
Foe: status = Disease 50
Foe: status = Protect 50
Foe: status = Shell 50
Foe: status = Haste 50
Foe: status = Bravery 50
Foe: status = Faith 50
Foe: status = Reflect 50
Foe: status = Regen 50
Foe: status = Berserk 50
Foe: status = HP Critical 50
Foe: fire-weak 500
Foe: lightning-weak 500
Foe: ice-weak 500
Foe: earth-weak 500
Foe: water-weak 500
Foe: wind-weak 500
Foe: holy-weak 500
Foe: dark-weak 500
Foe: fire-vulnerable 250
Foe: lightning-vulnerable 250
Foe: ice-vulnerable 250
Foe: earth-vulnerable 250
Foe: water-vulnerable 250
Foe: wind-vulnerable 250
Foe: holy-vulnerable 250
Foe: dark-vulnerable 250
Foe: undead 100
Foe: flying 100
Foe: character HP = 100% 100
Foe: item AMT >= 10 100
Foe: character status = Blind 100
Foe: character status = Silence 100
Foe: character status = Bravery 100
Foe: character status = Faith 100
Foe: character status = HP Critical 100
Foe: character MP >= 90% 100
Foe: character MP >= 70% 100
Foe: character MP >= 50% 100
Foe: character MP >= 30% 100
Foe: character MP >= 10% 100
Foe: character MP < 90% 100
Foe: character MP < 70% 100
Foe: character MP < 50% 100
Foe: character MP < 30% 100
Foe: character MP < 10% 100
Foe: character HP >= 90% 100
Foe: character HP >= 70% 100
Foe: character HP >= 50% 100
Foe: character HP >= 30% 100
Foe: character HP >= 10% 100
Foe: character HP < 90% 100
Foe: character HP < 70% 100
Foe: character HP < 50% 100
Foe: character HP < 30% 100
Foe: character HP < 10% 100


Self Gambits
Gambit Cost
Self 50
Self: HP < 100% 50
Self: HP < 90% 50
Self: HP < 80% 50
Self: HP < 70% 50
Self: HP < 60% 50
Self: HP < 50% 50
Self: HP < 40% 50
Self: HP < 30% 50
Self: HP < 20% 50
Self: HP < 10% 50
Self: MP < 100% 50
Self: MP < 90% 50
Self: MP < 80% 50
Self: MP < 70% 50
Self: MP < 60% 50
Self: MP < 50% 50
Self: MP < 40% 50
Self: MP < 30% 50
Self: MP < 20% 50
Self: MP < 10% 50
Self: status = Petrify 50
Self: status = Doom 50
Self: status = Blind 50
Self: status = Poison 50
Self: status = Silence 50
Self: status = Sap 50
Self: status = Oil 50
Self: status = Reverse 50
Self: status = Immobilize 50
Self: status = Slow 50
Self: status = Disease 50
Self: status = Lure 50
Self: status = Protect 50
Self: status = Shell 50
Self: status = Haste 50
Self: status = Bravery 50
Self: status = Faith 50
Self: status = Reflect 50
Self: status = Invisible 50
Self: status = Regen 50
Self: status = Float 50
Self: status = Bubble 50
Self: status = HP Critical 50