Green Mage Guide

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Murillo Zerbinatto

Murillo is a writer of Final Fantasy informer, a job that his teenage version never imagined he would have. He played - or observed - his first Final Fantasy when his brother rented Final Fantasy III for SNES (which was actually Final Fantasy VI), but since it was the Japanese version, they understood zilch and soon gave up. Sometime later - and some English RPGs in-between - they rented Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV, yeah, it was a mess) and began to delve into the incredible world of Final Fantasy and never to get off it.

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This Green Mage guide will shed some verdant light on this limited Final Fantasy Job and its primary functions in the games it appeared in, of which there were not many. However, since the franchise keeps growing and hope is symbolized by green, perhaps Green Mages can earn a spotlight in the future.

One of the things I love most about Final Fantasy is the universe that the franchise created. It’s easy to recognize mascots, terminology, characters, and other elements that encompass this outstanding JRPG. And like every RPG, the saga has great inspirations rooted in its ancestor, Dungeons & Dragons.

However, one of the most striking features that the crystal franchise borrowed from its tabletop counterpart was the presence of classes. That’s a great thing! Because if I were to name one fun thing about electronic RPGs, it’s the possibility to delve into the deepest class customizations and break the game with absurdly strong setups. Looking at you Chemists in Final Fantasy V.

In the series, Final Fantasy classes are known as Jobs. Among the numerous ones, some are almost as iconic as Chocobos or Summons. While Final Fantasy I still called them Classes, it already introduced what was to come. A total of six classes were available to the four Warriors of Light.

Three of the original classes will aid me in this article. Black Mage, wielders of spells that serve to kill or hinder the enemy; White Mage, who can heal and assist allies; Red Mage, a mix of the previous two with fencing skills but with a reduced magical capacity (shouldn’t they be called Gray Mage?).

As new titles in the saga unfolded, more Jobs were added with unique color palettes to the spell weavers. Blue Mage, for example, can use enemy skills, which is insanely cool but always tricky to learn. Time Mage, which is not a color, can employ time-based spells to hurt or protect. And then, we have the Green Mage, which is… not exactly powerful. Or striking. Or remarkable.

Green Mage Summary

There is no story or lore encompassing the Green Mages universe, unlike their colorful cousins. The Job specializes in buff and debuff spells and may have emerged as an attempt to lessen the daily journey of White Mages. They wield hammers or maces as weapons and can use iconic buffs such as Protect and Shell. As a debuff, their most famous magic is Oil, which increases fire damage if the enemy is afflicted by the condition.

The first mention of Green Mage was in Final Fantasy XII. Although our heroes can wield the skillsets of this magic school, there is no Job by that moniker. In the original Final Fantasy XII, many more spells required Green Magick licenses. However, with the release of the Zodiac Age, many of these were reorganized and moved to White or Black Magick licenses, making Green Magicks even more obsolete.

In Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the Green Mages are made official. It’s a Job restricted to Vieras, and it employs buffs and debuffs that only work given the grid gameplay of the strategic title. As a connoisseur of RPGs, I think they are not worth using as a primary Job given their low move range and sub-par attributes. As a sub-job, however, there are some interesting compositions.

Other buffs, such as Bar-spells, which grant bonus defense an element, could be spells befitting the school of green. However, it’s been a while since a Green Mage made a formal appearance on any mainline Final Fantasy, so that’s just my speculation.

Green Magick in Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy XII is one of the few mainlines that makes room for the school of Green Magicks, although it seems to have more of an easter egg effect than a practical one. I never paid that much attention if a spell license was from Black, White, or Green. I was only interested in the magick’s effect, and that’s it. And, I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to constantly buff my party. The gambit system smooths the way for us, but I still opt for a more violent path.

This, however, does not mean that Green Magicks or buffs are bad. They are essential if you wanna tackle the most challenging aspect of Final Fantasy XII. Further on, I will list all the Green Magicks of the original version of Final Fantasy XII and The Zodiac Age separately since they differ based on the version you’ll be playing.

Final Fantasy XII Original

In the original game, all characters were free to use any skill or magick whose license they unlocked. Then, you purchase the respective magick in a store, and you’re a Major in spell casting. The original version of Final Fantasy XII featured many more Green Magicks than The Zodiac Age, which saw the magician losing ground to the White and Black Mage.

Here is a list of the Green Magicks available in Final Fantasy XII:

As you can see, Green Magicks are all about buff and debuff. Acquiring each one is very straightforward by purchasing from several vendors throughout Ivalice. In previous games, most of these magicks were part of the White or Black Mage arsenal.

I dare say that only Oil is the only original Green Magick. Its effects, however, can be devastating if applied correctly. The debuff increases fire damage threefold, which is undoubtedly more powerful than a Faith buff, for example. Just be mindful to not use it on a Bomb.

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age

In The Zodiac Age, Jobs was introduced to the characters. As a result, almost all Green Magicks had to be reorganized. Some went back to the Black Mage, and some into the White Mage array. Oil was the only spell unchanged.

In contrast, some Arcane Magicks became Green Magicks. Since there is no dedicated Job called Green Mage, its spells were scattered among the others, mainly White Mage, Black Mage, Red Battlemage, and Time Battlemage.

Even though Green Magicks have been reduced in number, Decoy and Bubble are incredibly vital, especially if you are tackling some optional boss challenges. In The Zodiac Age, almost any mage job can obtain Green Magicks License, allowing you to take advantage of their buffs.

Green Mage Job in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

In Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the Green Mage finally gains prominence and evolves into a Job. It’s exclusive to Vieras and bears the same traits previously mentioned, buffs and debuffs.

The weapon of choice is either hammers or maces, which can help deal some damage if cornered or devoid of MP.

Unlocking the Green Mage Job

To unlock the Green Mage, you must complete the optional quest “Green Dominion.” It appears in the Pub after completing the main quest, “A Paw Full of Feather,” and requires a level of 3 in Teamwork and Adaptability. The mission goal is simple. You fight four Green Mages, show them who’s the boss and then steal their Job.

You need a Viera who has learned one skill as a Fencer and one as a White Mage. Then she can become a Green Mage and use her spells to help her lovely party members. Just remember to set Green Mage as a subjob cause the Job attributes are pretty sub-par compared to others.

All Green Mage Job Magicks

To learn new skills in Final Fantasy Tactics A2, you need to equip a weapon with a Job skill for your unit. Then, complete missions to gain AP. When the weapon skill reaches the required AP, the character learns it and can cast it without needing to equip the weapon.

The table below will show you which Magicks the Green Mage can learn, their effect, which weapons teach them, and the required AP. I have listed them in order of weapon category and acquisition, so you don’t jump the gun and aim for something that’s not easily obtained.

Best Combinations

Even though I keep repeating over and over that Green Mage is a sub-par job (and reusing said term throughout the article), this doesn’t mean that you should neglect the Job. Quite the contrary. The beauty of a game that offers character customization – besides the fun of creating several unique compositions – is that you can generally find something that fits each option available.

Green Mage, for example, is great as a Subjob for a Viera Assassin. Assassins are already highly mobile, with a Move and Jump at 4. Casting the Green Magick Leap, both attributes increase to 5, turning the Assassin more efficient in their craft. And if no enemies meet your blade’s end, you can buff your allies in the meantime. Other magicks, such as Tranq, increase the accuracy of some of the Assassin’s skills and the chance of inducing debuffs. Last Breath, in particular, is a skill with a one-hit KO chance that takes advantage of Tranq’s bonus.

If you are a purist and want to keep Mage in the long-range by only weaving spells, then the combination of Red Mage and Green Mage may suit you. With Red Mage’s Doublecast, you can hit an enemy with Oil and then follow with Fire and watch a barbecue of destruction. If you have the Blood Price skill that uses HP instead of MP, your Red/Green Mage becomes a buff/debuff Gatling Gun, boosting its presence on the field from the first turn.

FAQs

Conclusion

Ultimately, and after writing this article, I concluded that maybe Green Mages are not as sub-par as I imagined. Granted, they are not the first Job picked for an all-star national team, but they have their charm. While Green Mages are scarce and have only appeared once in a console game, Green Magicks are pretty prominent – though often not categorized that way – especially in the world of Ivalice.

To be fair, I feel I must say that Green Mage has appeared a few times in mobile games. However, I decided not to include these games because they don’t follow consistent lore. Their main goal is to entice you to invest in their gacha system when they present a unique Job. In case you are curious, a handful of Green Mages appear in the game War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.