Bolt Psynergy series

Blue Bolt being cast in Dark Dawn

Bolt (ライトニング, Lightning), Flash Bolt (ライトニングボルト, Lightning Bolt), and Blue Bolt (ヘブンライトニング, Heaven Lightning) are a series of Jupiter Psynergies featured throughout the Golden Sun series.

Basic Characteristics

Bolt, Flash Bolt, and Blue Bolt are are offensive, ranged Psynergies. The total amount of damage is determined by comparing the user's Jupiter Power to the target's Jupiter Resistance and using this value to modify the base power of the particular Psynergy.

Bolt

Jupiter

4 PP

"Attack with a lightning bolt." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a lightning bolt." (DD-present)

Attack a single target with a base power of 20.

Flash Bolt

Jupiter

7 PP

"Attack with a lightning bolt." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a sudden flash of lightning." (DD-present)

Attack up to three targets with a base power of 40.

Blue Bolt

Jupiter

14 PP

"Attack with a lightning bolt." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a mighty bolt from the blue." (DD-present):

Attack up to three targets with a base power of 90.

Visually, each stage of the Bolt series features lightning bolts striking the target. In Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Bolt features a single lighnting bolt striking the target, while Flash Bolt features two bolts and Blue Bolt features two larger lightning bolts. In Dark Dawn, Bolt features a small purple bolt of lightning striking the target. Flash Bolt features three groups of small purple and blue lightning bolts striking the target in rapid succession. Blue Bolt features three groups of large blue lightning bolts striking the target in rapid succession.

Damage calculation example

Elemental Power attacks such as Bolt, Flash Bolt, and Blue Bolt use a set base power as the base damage to be modified. For example, the base power of Blue Bolt is 90. Thus, an unmodified Blue Bolt would do around 90 points of damage. The base damage value of the particular attack is used it in the following equation: final damage = (base damage) * (1 + (User's Jupiter Power - Enemy's Jupiter Resistance) / 200) To word this in prose, Bolt, Flash Bolt, and Blue Bolt take the base damage of the particular attack, and then modify this by how much higher or lower the user's Jupiter Power is than the target's Jupiter Resistance. The difference between the user's Jupiter Power and the target's Jupiter Resistance is then divided by 200, then 1 is added to this, resulting in what can be called the "elemental damage multiplier". This number is what the Psynergies' damage is multiplied by. For example, if an Adept with a Jupiter Power of 150 casts Blue Bolt on a monster with a Jupiter Resistance of 50: damage = (base damage) * (1 + (Power - Resistance) / 200) damage = (90) * (1 + (150 - 50) / 200) damage = (90) * (1 + 100 / 200) damage = (90) * (1 + 0.5) damage = 90 * 1.50 damage = 135 Therefore, a Blue Bolt cast under these circumstances would deal approximately 135 points of damage to the main target. Adjacent targets are dealt a percentage of this total, with the percentage decreasing as the distance to the main target increases.

Availability

Blue Bolt being cast in Golden Sun.

The Bolt series is available to the Jupiter variation of the Seer class series and the Medium class series, meaning that Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury Adepts can access the series. Jupiter Adepts typically require large amounts of Venus Djinn to access the series. Non-Jupiter Adepts usually require Jupiter Djinn to access the series, although the Venus Adepts need significantly more Djinn set in order to access these classes.

Bolt is available at level 2 for the Seer class series and at level 1 for the Medium class series. Both classes learn Flash Bolt at Level 6, and Blue Bolt at Level 22.

Analysis

General: In terms of function, the Bolt series is roughly equivalent to the Flare and Quake series, being a weaker yet comparatively powerful series learned early on in the game. For both the Seer and the Medium class, however, the series is the only offensive Jupiter-based series that is learned and the only other offensive series besides the Growth/Froth. Thus, Blue Bolt will likely see continued if limited use, due to a dearth of offensive options.