Unlocking the Devastating Power of Costly Punch in Crisis Core

As an obsessed Crisis Core fan whose defeated Emerald and Ruby Weapon more times than I can count, I live for mastering ultimate abilities that let you devastate even the toughest optional bosses. And in my expert opinion, no ability comes close to the raw destructive power of the legendary Costly Punch.

Unleashing Costly Punch‘s maximum potential lets Zack easily deal over 100,000 damage in a single punch – but only if you truly master this temperamental skill. Perfectly timing when to use Costly Punch while keeping Zack’s HP in the narrow sweet spot for max damage takes practice.

Trust me though – putting in the effort pays off the first time you punch an enemy‘s HP from full to zero in one hit! Today, I’ll share everything I wish I knew earlier about unlocking Costly Punch and strategically wielding its incredible strength in battle.

How Costly Punch Works

Before we dive into specifics, let’s break down exactly how this hard-hitting ability operates.

Unlike traditional physical attacks, Costly Punch deals non-elemental damage based on Zack’s current HP. The lower Zack’s HP, the higher the damage it can deal, capping at a staggering 99,999 damage.

However, you have to precisely balance keeping Zack’s HP low enough to enable big damage numbers but high enough to actually use the ability. Costly Punch also costs a hefty 12,000 SP to unlock.

Costly Punch Damage Formula

The exact damage Costly Punch deals uses the following formula:

Damage = (Zack‘s Max HP – Zack‘s Current HP) x 100

However, the maximum damage Costly Punch can deal caps at 99,999 HP.

You achieve this max damage if Zack’s current HP is less than or equal to 1.1 times his maximum HP when you activate the ability. Exceeding that threshold drastically lowers the damage dealt.

So with 1000 max HP, Zack must have 1100 or less current HP to hit the damage ceiling. At 2000 max HP, his current HP needs to stay under 2200 to inflict 99,999 damage.

Keeping his HP in that sweet spot while surviving long enough to use Costly Punch is key to mastering this powerful attack.

Is Unlocking Costly Punch Worthwhile?

Before we dive into specifics on acquiring Costly Punch, you may wonder – is it really worth the effort?

In my experience, absolutely. Once mastered, Costly Punch can:

• Demolish bosses and tough enemies other abilities can’t touch
• Make short work of enemies resistant to magic or physical damage thanks to its non-elemental damage type
• Expedite grinding and speed up challenging battles
• Give you thrilling one-hit-kill satisfaction
• Help you earn S-ranks on missions faster

Few other attacks offer the raw power and visual spectacle of seeing an enemy‘s health vanish in a single Costly Punch. And I haven‘t even mentionedCombining it with Genji Glove to break the normal 99,999 damage limit…

Now let’s explore exactly how to get your hands on this highly useful attack!

How to Unlock Costly Punch

While unleashing Costly Punch requires luck and practice, actually obtaining the ability takes preparation and a bit of work. You can acquire it in two main ways:

Method 1: Steal from Mako Ifrit

Your first opportunity pops up during the M9-5-1 mission titled “Hojo’s Monsters” featuring a battle against Mako Ifrit.

This menacing fire-based boss holds Costly Punch among its stealable items with a 50% chance to obtain it. I’d recommend attempting the battle underleveled for an extra challenge!

With a high enough steal materia level, liberal use of Morrow’s "Steal as Catch" ability, and maybe an Aurora Armlet to boost steal success, you should obtain Costly Punch after a few attempts.

This offers the earliest method to acquire the ability. But if stealing from Ifrit doesn‘t pan out…

Method 2: Materia Fusion Crafting

Your other option – materia fusion – takes more effort but guarantees you can obtain Costly Punch without relying on RNG steal rates.

Here’s what crafting it yourself requires:

• DMW Materia – Found as reward for M9-4 and M9-5 mission lines
• ”Boss” Summons – Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva and more from side missions
• ”Mascot” Summons – Chocobo, Moogle, Cactuar, etc
• Punch Series Accessory– Iron Fist, Magical Punch, Goblin Punch from mid-to-late game

With those in hand, open the materia fusion menu and combine them! It will set you back a hefty 12000 SP – but the power is well worth the cost.

I prefer materia fusion since it eliminates the randomness and frustration of steal RNG. Plus, it encourages completing more side content and leveling up key materia – always a good time!

Maximizing Costly Punch‘s Damage

Now for the fun but challenging part – unleashing Costly Punch‘s true maximum damage of 99,999 HP.

As explained earlier, you need to precisely balance keeping Zack’s HP low to boost damage but high enough to actually trigger the ability. Mastering that tightrope walk takes practice – but boosts from accessories make it easier.

Increase Damage Cap with Genji Glove

Your first essential damage boost comes from the legendary Genji Glove found as a reward for clearing mission M9-4-6.

Equipping this mighty glove increases the cap on how much damage Costly Punch can deal. Instead of maxing out at 99,999 HP, Genji Glove lets Zack break the 6-digit damage ceiling!

So with his HP perfectly balanced, a Genji Glove-boosted Costly Punch can actually deal upwards of 150,000 HP in one earth-shattering hit!

Getting this accessory makes crushing Crisis Core’s toughest optional bosses child’s play. Who needs fancy elemental magic when raw punching power gets the job done?

Balancing HP for Max Damage

That said, the key is still carefully maintaining Zack‘s current HP before triggering Costly Punch. Consistently nail that, and nothing can withstand Zack’s unrelenting fists of fury!

As explained earlier, Zack‘s current HP must stay under 1.1 times his maximum HP to hit the 99,999 damage ceiling. Here are my top tips for walking that tightrope:

• Frequently check his HP before using Costly Punch
• Heal Zack manually with potions/Cure instead of automatic regen
• Equip HP Absorb materia/accessories to offset natural regeneration
• Use Limit Breaks strategically to control HP loss

Getting instantly KO’d by enemies also helps lower HP quickly while avoiding items/inn beds that fully restore it.

Trust me – with enough practice balancing Zack‘s health, nothing compares to seeing enemies‘ HP vanish after a single Costly Punch. It even works on notorious postgame superbosses like Minerva!

Crunching the Numbers

Let’s break down exactly how much damage an optimized Costly Punch can deal against enemies of varying levels and defenses.

Against lower level foes, you easily hit the 99,999 damage ceiling needed to instantly KO them. But tougher postgame enemies and bosses have enough HP to withstand the initial blow.

That’s when the Genji Glove’s increased damage limit comes into play. Here’s data comparing damage values based on Zack’s current HP vs his max HP:

As you can see, the Genji Glove boosts the damage cap all the way up to 899,999 HP! Not even optional superbosses like Minerva can withstand a blow that powerful.

Learning to keep Zack‘s HP precisely in the 1.1x max HP sweet spot is challenging but pays incredible dividends.

Is Costly Punch Still Viable in Hardest Difficulties?

What about Crisis Core‘s hardest difficulties where enemies hit brutally hard? Does Costly Punch still make the cut when you can get one-shot by bosses?

The quick answer is abso-freaking-lutely. In fact, I consider it even more indispensable and worth mastering on higher difficulties.

Nothing else in Zack‘s kit can match obliterating tough enemies in a single punch. And since fights become wars of attrition, ending them quickly with Costly Punch gives less time for enemies to overwhelm you.

My strategy relies on temporarily switching accessories/materia loadouts right before triggering the move:

1. Equip HP Absorption materia/gear during normal play
2. Before Costly Punch, swap to HP Sap gear
3. Use Costly Punch close to the 1.1x threshold
4. Swap back to absorb loadout afterward

It takes practice, but allows safely activating Costly Punch without compromising your survivability during the rest of the fight.

Trust me – no other ability beats Costly Punch for delivering an electrifying one-hit KO! Seeing überbosses fall makes all that effort worthwhile.

Conclusion

Few things in Crisis Core rival landing the perfect Costly Punch for cinematic flair and sheer damage. Unlocking its pinnacle of destructive power takes work – but pays incredible dividends.

I hope these tips help you master Costly Punch to join the ranks of elite Crisis Core players. Let me know which optional bosses you manage to KO in one punch! Maybe I‘ll see you atop the leaderboards for fastest superboss clear times…

And if you liked this guide, be sure to check out my other deep dives into Crisis Core‘s combat system:

• Beginner‘s Guide to Materia Fusion
• 10 Pro Tips for Mastering DMW
• The Genji Gear You Need and Where To Get It

Game on, warriors! Let‘s keep pushing Crisis Core‘s combat to its absolute limits – and punching every monster into oblivion along the way!