I still take this out every so often and blaze through it. Don’t have a PSP or next gen, so this isn’t the updated version.
Sometimes, I like to do theme runs, or challenges, or whatnot. This was a pretty standard run, only using two special characters throughout, because the game is highly overbearing with special characters towards mid-late game, and I didn’t feel like having four specials + one go-to generic for all my battles.
Generics
Atheist Lancer
Male Lancer
97 Brave, 3 Faith
Javelin II
Crystal Helmet
Crystal Mail
Bracer
Jump
Punch Art
Blade Grasp
Two Hands
Move 2
I never thought about making low-faith “Atheist” characters until a friend showed me his team a long time ago. One of them was this model, a slow moving nearly indestructible one-hit seek-and-destroy character. Magic? That’s stupid, I ain’t got time to get hit by Meteor and Cyclops. Bull Demon using Shake Off? Bitch, please. Tiamat closing in? Javelin II up the ass. Simple, but a lot of fun to toss in the front lines.
That Gomez
Male Knight
97 Brave, 61 Faith
Excalibur
Ragnaraok
Crystal Helmet
Genji Armor
Bracer
Battle Skill
Charge
Blade Grasp
Two Swords
Move 2
Obligatory two-sword character. Beefy enough to take hits, fast enough to not give a damn. For everything that won’t withstand a normal two-sworded attack, there’s Charge. I occasionally like to switch out Ragna with Blood Sword and slap Counter on him for lower-level Deep Dungeon and random map scrimmages.
S.P.I.K.E.
Male Geomancer
Brave 97, Faith 04
Rune Blade
Twist Headband
Power Sleeve
Bracer
Elemental
Item
Blade Grasp
Two Hands
Ignore Height
Helmet + Armor + Accessory = +7 Physical Attack. What’s that, Two Hands as well? Yes, please, and thank you. Most everything takes 550-600 damage up front, no bullshit. And with Ignore Height, it makes it easy to flank and evade priority targets who’s Religion doesn’t take Blade Grasp into account. In addition, I believe the formula for Elemental damage is PA and MA divided and then factored in with other things, so the extra PA gives it a good mild boost when he’s not in range to deliver the enemy a five-across-the-eyes from atop Mt. FuckYou.
The Government
Female Time Mage
Brave 47, Faith 79
Blast Gun
Flash Hat
Wizard Robe
Chantage
Time Magic
Math Skill
Abandon
Equip Gun
Float
I had a LOT of fun with this character. She used to be a Mediator mid-to-late game once I got the Math Skills with the above skills except with Auto Potion and typical magic boosting equipment. Brave and Faith altering abilities were important getting through the game to make everyone’s Br/Fa optimal. In addition, I wanted the satisfaction of recruiting enemy units in just to take their better equipment and then boot them right afterwards. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Anyways, I swapped to this set-up late game to Deep Dungeon as she was always first to get targeted and die. So, a self sustaining and oppressive Government was the way to go. That, and tossing out Meteor every now and again is a welcome sight.
As for Equip Gun instead of a MA-boosting wand, Guns run on Faith and I think some MA in the end. Incredibly useful.
As for Float, because fuck you, that’s why.
Disco Cunt
Female Black Mage
Brave 57, Faith 72
Wizard Rod
Flash Hat
Black Costume
Magic Gauntlet
Black Magic
Draw Out
Dragon Spirit
Defense UP
Teleport
Draw Out runs on MA.
Black Mages have stonkingly high MA and MA level gains.
Buffs, heals, and destroys instantly.
Die, get re-raised, 'port away, heal. Or go for the throat and finish the god damn job.
Specials
Ramza
Monk
Brave 97, Faith 70
Genji Helmet
Maximillian
Bracer
Punch Art
Guts
Counter
Equip Armor
Move 2
HP/Swag overload. Live forever and bare-knuckle all the bosses. You are a Belouve, you don’t take shit from things like armor or logic or sequels.
Meliadoul
Divine Knight
Brave 86, Faith 68
Chaos Blade
Grand Helmet
Secret Clothes
Sprint Shoes
Mighty Sword
Jump
Blade Grasp
Two Hands
Ignore Height
It’s sad that after you get her in the storyline, the game is almost up. So she rarely get utilized and recognized for what she is; a mass murdering fuck that wants to get you naked and bathe in your blood. Clothes and weapons are against her Religion, so she’ll do whatever it takes to get you naked by the end of this song and wallow in your defeat. Because thrusting your sword towards the heavens and bellowing that God Hates Helmets, followed by a triumphant light shining from the sky that sends a shrieking meteorite crashing down on your foe’s cranium in the name of a batshit insane religion is just fucking cool. They should’ve renamed this game to Final Fantasy Tactics: Clothes are for Women, Children, and Bleeding Heart Liberals: Staring Meliadoul, the Pissed. Everytime a sword breaks, a bracer shatters, or a theif hat melts into oblivion, Meliadoul, the Pissed, smiles a wane smile, knowing that her Heathen God has been pleased on that day.
Because Cid is overrated and boring.
Up until the Chaos Blade, I give her Excalibur and bulky equipment. Then, when the grand-daddy 40 WPN Knight Sword comes into focus, she becomes an instrument of death.
Reis
Geomancer
Brave 65, Faith 66
Rune Blade
Escutcheon II
Flash Hat
Robe of Lords
Genji Gauntlet
Elemental
Summon Magic
Weapon Guard
Magic Attack UP
Float
Speaking of underplayed…
Reis, as a dragon, has an abnormally huge MA and HP level up gain. I boosted her a good 8-10 levels to give her a few natural points in MA before using Cancer to transform her into a Human (Logic, ha). With this set up, she’s bulky, natural Protect/Shell, high evade, relatively fast, hits as hard as a black mage, can melee noticeably well when need be, and remember what I had said earlier about what Elemental damage is calculated from? Tons of fun to put out in the front lines and in harms way. It’s like you have a Final Boss in your party.
So no Arigas, Cid, Beowulf, Mustachio, or any of the other Cosby Kids.