Shiva is the sixth Eikon that you will unlock in Final Fantasy XVI. This will give Clive the ability to wield the power of ice, and depending on the move, he can even freeze an enemy in place for a short amount of time. With all the Eikonic abilities available to you in the late game though, it can be hard to tell which ones are worth using and which won’t be useful in higher-level battles. The guide below goes over Shiva’s move set to help you determine the most valuable abilities for your team.

All Shiva’s Abilities In FF16¶

After you complete Through The Maelstrom, you will have access to Shiva’s abilities. Once you start Across The Narrow you can start testing out these moves in the training grounds. Below is a chart that details all of the moves Shiva has, as well as, the AP cost of each ability, and a description of the move.

The list below ranks Shiva’s abilities from most to least useful. Keep in mind this is subjective and some situations may call for different strategies than others.

1. Diamond Dust
2. Rime
3. Cold Snap
4. Mesmerize
5. Ice Age

The section below features an in-depth look at all five abilities and goes over the situations they become the most useful in.

Shiva Ability Breakdown¶

Cold Snap¶

Cold Snap is the O ability for Shiva and it’s pretty useful in most situations. By pressing the button Clive will skate a short distance across the battlefield using ice, any enemies he comes in contact with while using Cold Snap will be frozen in place for a couple of seconds before thawing out and being able to move again. You can freeze multiple enemies at once, and use the ability back to back as there is no recharge time making it just as effective as moves like Deadly Embrace and Titanic Block.

Cold Snap comes free with the Eikon, and there is no upgrade available to use. You can master the move, but instead of being able to use it on another Eikon, Cold Snap gets an upgrade. When you spend 1,000 AP points, you will be able to freeze enemies for longer when you come into contact with them while using the move.

This move can be used in a large variety of situations. Not only can you freeze smaller groups of enemies, but most bosses can also be frozen for a short amount of time. This creates the perfect opening for a small combo. In addition, this move can even be used to dodge enemy attacks if you press it at the right time, while it’s not as effective as dodge, it can still help you out in a pinch.

Ice Age¶

This ability uses ice to launch enemies into the air. Ice Age is a ranged attack that shoots out ice pillars in front of Clive, it can hit several enemies at once, and if they’re light enough, it will send them flying backward. The move has two different versions: a quick attack you can perform by simply tapping the ability or a stronger version that can be used by holding in the ability until the bar is in the red. Which version you use usually depends on how much time you have before being attacked again by an enemy.

Ice Age is another move that comes free with the set. If you want to upgrade it you can pay 600 AP. This upgrade makes it easier to hit the red part of the charged version of the attack, giving you higher damage. If you wish to master the move and use it with another Eikon then you can pay 1,000 AP.

Ice Age can be used in a few different situations, and is great for a bit of crowd control and hitting enemies while keeping a safe distance. While it’s not the most powerful move in the set, it can help take out smaller groups of enemies or give Clive a bit of space while in battle. Ideally, you always want to charge the ability up, so upgrading it is a must to ensure that you are getting the most damage out of it when in use on the battlefield.

Mesmerize¶

Mesmerize is a move that fits into a niche role. This move shoots out multiple ice shards that target the enemies in front of you, if they hit the enemies are dragged towards you. This move can be used both on the ground or while jumping giving it more versatility, It can be compared to moves like Deadly Embrace, but the biggest plus is that you can place it on other Eikons when it’s mastered, whereas!Deadly Embrace is stuck on Garuda as it’s her O ability.

Mesmerize is another ability that comes with Shiva, so you don’t need to pay to acquire it. If you want to upgrade the ability to shoot shards behind Clive for extra coverage, you can pay 525 AP. To master the move the cost is 1,000 AP and then you will be able to pair it with other Eikons.

This move is great to use if you’re not a fan of Garuda, but are looking to use something like Deadly Embrace to pull enemies into you. It’s great to use on groups to control them and group them together for AoE attack chains. When used properly it can help you quickly wipe out small fry, and the fact that you are able to use it in mid-air will help you deal with the game’s more annoying flying enemies.

Rime¶

Rime is our second-best Eikonic ability. When used on the battlefield a massive ice crystal will spawn and any enemies that are inside its radius will take continuous damage. In addition to this, the enemies locked inside the crystal won’t be able to move until the attack is finished, giving Clive freedom to move about the battlefield and attack them as needed. You just need to line up the enemies where you can trap most of them in the crystal when using the ability.

Rime will cost you 100 AP to unlock, and if you want to upgrade it, you need to spend an additional 550 AP. After you pay for the upgrade, the amount of time the crystal stays on the battlefield is increased. Finally, you can master this move to use in another Eikons rotation for 1,000 AP.

This move is great for controlling large groups of enemies, especially if you find yourself dealing with a mini-boss. You can hold the smaller enemies in place and finish them off quickly. While it isn’t as great on bosses, it can still be used to deal continuous damage from a distance. All in all, this is a move you want to make when running through dungeons with several smaller enemy encounters.

Diamond Dust¶

Diamond Dust is the strongest move in Shiva’s set and our number one choice to use in battle. During this move, Clive summons a blizzard that will freeze enemies within its radius and then deal massive damage to them. This move will also knock these enemies back, giving Clive a bit of breathing room. Just be sure you use the move at the right time to ensure you damage all the enemies on the battlefield.

This move will cost a bit to unlock at 1,940 AP. Afterward, you upgrade the move for 2,575 AP to double the times it hits. If you want to use it on another Eikon then you will have to pay the hefty price of 4,500 AP to master it. This comes out to a total of 7,075 AP altogether.

This move has a variety of uses and can quickly wipe the field of enemies. Even bosses will take a large deal of damage that can help whittle down boss bars. This is especially useful during the later parts of the game where you are fighting several bosses in the same mission. If you master the ability you can also combine it with other Eikonic moves to melt away your enemy’s health bars.

Shiva Ability Accessories¶

If you’re looking to use the abilities above, then you can power them up by collecting different accessories. By wearing these you can lower the time it takes for moves to cool down, or increase the attack power of Shivas moves. Once you move on to New Game +, you can even combine these accessories to make them even more effective when in battle. The chart below goes over every Shiva focused artifacts in Final Fantasy XVI.

If you’re looking to learn more about the combat of Final Fantasy XVI, check out the helpful guides below.

• How to Parry Attacks in Final Fantasy XVI
• How to Counterattack in Final Fantasy XVI
• How to Use the Magic Burst Combo in FFXVI
• Best Phoenix Eikon Abilities in FFXVI
• Best Garuda Eikon Abilities in FFXVI
• Best Ramuh Eikon Abilities in FF16
• Best Bahamut Eikon Abilities in FF16