Defend Command: Difference between revisions

See also [[Stone Wall]], which any character using this command becomes while it's in effect. See also [[Unblockable Attack]], which can break through this.

 

 

== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==

** The main use of actually using that is to stall while something else kills your foe. In early generations "something else" would be the status conditions like Toxic, while in later generations it's usually your allies in double and triple battles using moves such as Surf to hit everything on screen. Wide Guard and Quick Guard have an added bonus of protecting your allies, but only do anything against multi-target and increased-priority moves.

* In ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games, Defend generally halves physical damage only, providing no protection against magic. In games with ATB, the character will defend indefinitely until they are issued a different command, giving it some use as a way to keep one character on standby.

** ''[[Final Fantasy X (Video Game)|Final Fantasy X]]'''s Aeons had the ability to greatly reduce the damage done by the next attack, though this prevented their [[Limit Break|Overdrive gauge]] from filling up. It also seems to make them lose a turn.

** The ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series is also replete with examples of the 'defender becomes target of enemy attacks' variation, and it's frequently a job requirement of the Knight and/or Paladin classes.

* In the first ''[[Dark Cloud (Video Game)|Dark Cloud]]'', the Defend command reduced damage from attacks, but it required a target lock to function, and did not protect the player from powerful attacks that would knock them to the ground.

* ''[[Dark Cloud (Video Game)|Dark Cloud]] 2'' improved the Defend command over its predecessor, greatly reducing (or entirely blocking) incoming damage, protecting the player from being knocked to the ground. If an attack was blocked entirely, any status effect from it would be blocked as well. It was also part of the button combination required to pick up and throw enemies.

** ''[[Persona 3 (Video Game)|Persona 3]] Portable'' adopted the same mechanic, which has contributed to some people complaining that they reduced the difficulty. However, the new [[Harder Than Hard|Maniac]] difficulty [[Fan Dumb|more than makes up for it]].

* ''[[Rogue Galaxy]]'''s Defend command was very much similar to ''Dark Cloud 2'' (block or reduce incoming damage, prevent knockdown, pick up and throw enemies). But all party members had action meters that periodically needed recharging; successfully blocking an attack during this time would recharge the meter immediately.