Fans of tactical RPGs may fondly remember Square Enix‘s Final Fantasy Tactics for its unique take on the genre. After all, the publisher does add a lot of signature Final Fantasy themes to a unique story set in FF12‘s Ivalice. In addition, the game’s compelling narrative and interesting gameplay options make it a memorable title despite its 1997 release.
Some fans may highly recommend this game as one of the best in the genre. However, for Final Fantasy fans picking up Tactics, the straightforward yet deep customization system might become overwhelming at first. What classes fit which character best? Moreover, what classes should players steer clear from?
10 Must-Try: Squire
RPGs with “starting” classes usually make them jumping-off points towards more specialized classes. In Tactics, characters start as Squires before choosing a specialist Job, transforming them into traditional DPSs, Tanks, and Healers. Interestingly, unlike other starting classes, Squires actually pack punches with the right setup.
For instance, the Squire’s Focus ability can give the character +1 Physical Attack (PA) that lasts the entire battle. This buff transforms the character into a beast in long battles, as spamming Focus means potentially dealing massive critical against stronger enemies. Moreover, Focus combined with Gained JP Up increases Job Points the character earns.
9 Must-Skip: Archer
Players who want a more ranged physical class in Tactics would likely choose an Archer for their future skirmishes. Their Aim actions delay their action for quite a stronger attack. Moreover, the Concentrate support ability makes their attacks unblockable when hit.
Unfortunately, the first of the Archer’s blunders comes with the fact that their Aim loses its value if enemies move out of their tiles, as arrows don’t follow their targets. And bows by nature remain inferior to stronger guns, making Archers obsolete in the late-game.
8 Must-Try: Chemist
Despite other unlockable classes players get in the long run, Chemists in Tactics can dominate support. Parties who don’t want to solely depend on healing magic can trust the Chemist with their diverse range of abilities. In essence, most Chemist abilities enable them to use a wide range of Items in the player’s main inventory. Given their instant effects and 100% hit rate, entire parties can get decent heals and buffs provided players have the right tools in their inventory.
Reaction and Support abilities such as Auto Potion, Reequip, and Throw Items make the Chemist extremely versatile when paired with other Jobs. Auto Potion triggers heal when Chemists lose HP, for instance. .
7 Must-Skip: White Mage
Aside from the Black Mage, the White Mage remains one of the most iconic Final Fantasy Jobs out there. As such, it’s no wonder the white-and-red garbs of the White Mage make a presence in Tactics. Moreover, they serve as a specialized Job for the Chemist. At its core, the White Mage serves as a great support Job, thanks to the defensive nature of White Magic. Unfortunately, their charge times do become a hindrance to more tactical groups.
The White Mage becomes a skippable Job if players already have access to characters with strong healing abilities but are also strong fighters, such as the Samurai and the Monk.
6 Must-Try: Samurai
Tactics’ Samurai shines thanks to its decent stats and extremely useful kit. Moreover, its special skill Iaido allows the Samurai to not just deal damage to foes but also grant heals and buffs to allies around them, like a Paladin. Players who study the Samurai well will realize that Shirahadori, a defensive skill, can become an instant-block skill with high enough Bravery.
As such, the Samurai becomes an efficient melee fighter thanks to its impressive arsenal of AOE damage and buffs. The Samurai may also become a great partner to a ranged class or a magick class.
5 Must-Skip: Onion Knight
Players who love Final Fantasy will recognize the Onion Knight Job class. In Tactics, the Job stays true to its nature of being more of a wildcard, either being super strong or extremely weak. Moreover, the Onion Knight has a steep leveling curve that could impede a party’s progress. For instance, players unlock the Onion Knight if they have Squire 6 and Chemist 6. However, they only level up the Onion Knight Job by mastering two Jobs, meaning they can unlock the last Onion Knight level by mastering 14 Jobs, with certain Jobs not counting.
Moreover, the Onion Knight has strange caveats. For instance, they don’t have “real” abilities and can’t equip any abilities, including summons. They can, however, wear all kinds of equipment including their exclusive Onion set.
4 Must-Try: Monk
Despite its presence in the early game, the Monk fights toe-to-toe even with Special Jobs introduced later in the story. Thanks to its decent range of melee attacks and healing, the Monk becomes a great primary class. Players will instantly notice its wide range of physical attacks, ranging from AOEs to quick strikes. Moreover, Monks rely on their quick-striking abilities, with Hamedo and Counter potentially helping the Monk make attacks before and after an enemy hits them.
Monks also shine in terms of their support abilities. Lifefront enables them to heal while moving, and magicks such as Chakra and Revive allows them to act as secondary healers especially when primary healers are down.
3 Must-Skip: Dragoon
Fans of Final Fantasy become familiar with the Dragoon very early on in previous titles, as these dragon-themed lancers can Jump and thrust their spears into opponents with terrifying efficiency. They return in Tactics, this time a specialized Job class, alongside their Jump ability. As such, they can walk on any tile with Ignore Elevation, albeit still vulnerable against traps, sand, and water. Unfortunately, the Dancer and Bard’s Fly ability easily outclasses the Jump mechanic in this regard.
Moreover, despite the efficiency of spears in the game, the best spears for Dragoons can’t be found in shops, and players need access to the Archer and Thief Jobs to tap into Dragoon. Unfortunately, the lackluster performance of Archers and Thieves as ranged and melee classes, respectively, make the Dragoon a poor investment.
2 Must-Try: Time Mage
Players who want to try a strong spell-casting Job should master the Black Mage first and then progressing into the Time Mage. Granted, the Black Mage boasts the highest base magick attack of any early-game spellcaster. However, they do have an innate disadvantage given their squishiness and charging times. However, a Time Mage compensates for these flaws by providing time-based magick, such as Immobilize, Quick, and Haste.
Time Mages provide immense support on the battlefield with Teleport and Mana Shield. The latter serves as a decent shielding spell for characters, and Teleport essentially lets the party bypass obstacles around the map. While Teleport has a chance for failure, Time Mage’s speed-based abilities can still help other heavy-hitters in the party finish the battle quickly.
1 Must-Skip: Arithmetician
Arithmetician is a specialized spellcaster that can imbue special conditions to spells they cast. This ability immediately makes Arithmeticians quite the curious class to pick. After all, a simple tweak to their ability can insta-kill opponents. Unfortunately, they do have low Magick Attack and one of the slowest spellcasters.
Players should skip the Arithmetician not because the Job is inefficient, but because the Arithmetician takes quite a bit of skill to control, which might not be worth the while for players who simply want to enjoy the game. Thankfully, the Arithmetician becomes easy to access for characters who specialize in spell-casting, as this unlocks when a character is White Mage 5, Black Mage 5, Mystic 4, and Time Mage 4.
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