An action command that is usable when a character has 100% TP or more, comparable to special commands (Desperations, Limit Breaks, Trance, Overdrive, etc.) in previous Final Fantasy games. Weapon Skills are generally meant to deal damage, and may have additional effects depending on how much TP is available upon execution.
Generally, Weapon Skills are learned when a player's combat skill with a particular weapon type reaches the necessary level for that Weapon Skill. Some Weapon Skills are only available to certain jobs when used as Main Job or Support Job, and a few are exclusive to single main jobs only. Each weapon skill has its own set of secondary modifiers (WSC) and additional effects based on TP to determine its damage and effects on an enemy.
In most cases, the first hit of a Weapon Skill (single and multi-hit) receives a large power and accuracy bonus. In general, multi-hit Weapon Skills have the highest damage potential and carry less chance of completely missing the target, but end up being less consistent and more variable than single-hit Weapon Skills due to higher reliance on the character's inherent attack and accuracy stats. Single-hit Weapon Skills have better consistency due to receiving most of its power from the "first hit" bonuses, but tend to not be capable of as much maximum damage as multi-hit Weapon Skills.
Almost all offensive Weapon Skills carry at least one inherent Skillchain element. If two or more compatible Weapon Skills are used on a single target in sequence with proper timing, a Skillchain will be produced, dealing additional damage to the target and leaving it open for Magic Bursts for a short period of time. Skillchain damage is classified as magical damage. The amount of damage added by the Skillchain is based primarily on the damage dealt by the Weapon Skill that concludes the chain. As with nearly all other forms of magical damage, Skillchain damage is subject to resistance. (See Skillchain page for more information.)
All Weapon Skills must be "readied" before use, meaning a very short delay is applied between the initiation and the actual usage of a Weapon Skill. If the player initiates a Weapon Skill and its intended target moves out of range before it activates, the character's TP will be reduced to 0 and the skill will have no effect. A "Target is too far away" message will appear in the chat log when this occurs.
Monsters have their own special abilities that function very similarly to Weapon Skills (they are "readied" and are also based on TP), but are generally not classified as such due to the fact they are unique to the monsters and often are not performed with any particular weapon. They are typically referred to as simply "special attacks" or "TP moves/abilities".
Weapon Skills
● = Available from Main or Support Job ● = Available only from Main Job
