Fully restore HP to all allies in range.
Description
Renew is a White Magicks spell in Final Fantasy XII, both in the original PlayStation 2 version and the Zodiac re-releases. It is the strongest curative spell above Cura, Curaga, and Curaja, used to restore allies to full health, or for reducing undead enemies to 1 HP.
Renew is also an enemy technick that fully restores the user's HP, used by Deathgaze, Croakadile, and King Bomb. The spell version is used by Crystalbug (red), Ultima, Avenger, and Gabranth (second fight).
Obtained[]
Renew costs 155 License Points in the Zodiac versions, where it can be found in a treasure in Henne Mines' Special Charter Shaft. The treasure always spawns in the southeast corner dead end. To access Special Charter Shaft, the player will need to have have completed the hunt for Mindflayer and have ten Espers in their possession. Then, they must talk to Geomancer Yugelo in Jahara.
In the original release, Renew's license costs 105 LP and the spell is sold for 30,600 gil in Dalmasca Westersand's merchant at the end of the game when the final dungeon has appeared.
In the Zodiac versions, Renew can be used by those assigned to the White Mage job class, as well as by Monks who unlock Zodiark first. The Espers Famfrit, Chaos, Ultima, and Zodiark also have Renew, and have a gambit to use it when an ally is not on full health and there are no enemies in vicinity.
Mechanics[]
Renew heals all allies to full health. When targeting undead enemies, it will reduce their HP to 1, though it is rarely successful. This also occurs when used on targets with Reverse, albeit without missing. If an undead target has the Safety augment, Renew will not work on them. The Faith and Shell statuses can also influence the chances of Renew working on undead enemies. Using Renew to damage the undead restores MP to the user if they have the Warmage license.
Renew's base cost is 72 MP in the Zodiac versions, and 98 MP in the original PlayStation 2 versions, but are brought down with Channeling licenses. Renew is affected by Reflect.
Because of the Effect Capacity system in the PlayStation 2 versions hindering players from performing special actions or magick spells (as only a limited amount can be performed at once), casting lower level restorative spells under Faith status instead of Renew is more efficient, and they consume less MP as well. In The Zodiac Age, this restriction is alleviated.
Use[]
Renew is a useful restorative spell the player can easily set up via the gambit system to heal themselves and their allies. It heals to full health no matter the user's stats or level, but is expensive to use, meaning Cura and Curaja are likely sufficient most of the time. Renew is best used when the party is at very low health and perhaps has Bubble to get the most out of the MP cost. Cura and Curaja also gain boosts from Faith status and from conditional licenses or accessories, making them possibly as good for getting the party to full health or near to it. Instead of using Renew, the player could also use a Megalixir, but these items are rare and best used when the player also needs MP.
Cura, Curaga, and Curaja are better used offensively against undead enemies than Renew, which has a pitiful base accuracy rating of 0%, relying entirely on the user's Magick Power and the target's Vitality for success, in addition to not outright KO'ing undead enemies. Curative spells also bypass the target's Magick Resist stat, leaving Renew with no edge in that regard.
The player should be careful in the Yiazmat battle if they have a Renew gambit, as the boss will put up a Reflect on the player's party during one of its lower health phases; if the spell bounces, it will heal Yiazmat back to full health.