What 3 Monsters do you recommend in your Paradigm pack?

[Dat Matt]

I'm working my way through FF13-2, and I'm trying to decide what role the 3 monsters should fill. Of course some enemies may have recommended strategies but generally what 3 roles do you choose to fill with your party?

I Currently work with Ravager (Lightning), Medic (Green Chocobo) and Synergist (Yashinki?) but would it be recommended to use Commando, Saboteur or Sentinel instead for any role. What roles do the monsters excel over Noel and Serah?


In this vein, what is your recommendation monsters for each role? I have access to all DLC at the moment, but I have yet to enter Episode 5 due to side questing and fragment collecting.

[Formalhaut]

Ah! Someone in need of help. Let me give you an incredibly complex guide to assist you on your way!

I should just say that the Monster Guide in GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3/619315-final-fantasy-xiii-2/faqs/63731) helped me loads when I was playing XIII-2, so much of the credit comes from the writers. I really recommend it, particularly when trying to find monster builds and infusion sources.


Commando

For the commando role, you really want a strong attacker who is efficient in both strength and magic. Ideally, you should infuse them with many positive infusions, including Strength +%, Role Resonance, and also HP +% as many commandos will be soaking up damage when their out and about hacking away. You have all DLC, so I'll start with...

Lightning - COM

Simply amazing. Her final stats are very high, and she comes innate with all sorts of lovely auto-abilities, like armour and mind piercer. She also comes equipped with the Uncapped Damage passive ability, and in battles where the chain can reasonably expect to get to 999% or so, this is huge. Combine this with smite or scourge, and the enemy can be severely debilitated. She also comes with Enhanced Commando, boosting her damage and Immovable MAX, ensuring that she doesn't get knocked back alot.

Her feral link, Army of One, has a very long animation sequence, meaning that the staggered opponent's chain gauge freezes in place for a long time. This allows Serah and Noel to sneak in a few attacks, and if near the very end of stagger, that can mean sneaking in a few smites.

Against 'unreachable' opponents that she cannot physically get to, using attack reverts her sword to it's gun form, reeling off shots with incredible pace. However, she doesn't have any feeder or chaser abilities, limiting her effectiveness against buffed or debuffed opponents. Still, she is an all-purpose COM and is arguably the best out there.



Infuse with Strength +30% to make her even more powerful. This is available from a Lv.24 Tonberry.
HP+30% from Lv.54 Forked Cat can make her more durable.
Attack: ATB Charge II is immensely useful when infused with a Lv.1 Yeoman. Siphon Boost II just makes it even more effective.


Chichu

Another great, all-purpose COM. Bravery, Faith and Vigilance Feeder makes it useful against opponents who buff themselves. Armour breaker is here with Chichu, and it boasts a rapid attack speed, essential in fast battles. It's stats, particularly strength, are very high. Infusing Chichu with Strength +30% is a great bonus, though make sure to give it some defences. Resist Physical and Magical helps.

Like with all COMs, Role resonance really adds the damage on when in an all COM set-up. Again, infusing with HP+30% is always a sound option, as is Attack: ATB Charge II and Siphon Boost II. If you choose not to use these two COMs, the fundamental passive abilities I've outlined will be more than enough.

One last thing to note with Chichu is that it cannot jump. It can't launch either, which is very annoying. It's really for this reason that I tend to favour Lightning - COM, though both are perfectly viable.


Sentinel

Sentinels need a high HP total, and innate defences to really shine here. It helps to give them Vitality materials to boost their health up, but it's important not to neglect their strength as some sentinels are better off as an offensive SEN.

There's really two types here. Offensive SENs, who high strength allows them to use Vendetta and Entrench to greater effect, or Defensive SENs, who should just prioritise HP all the way, to maximise longevity.


Pulse Gladiator

Easily the best Defensive SEN in the game. It naturally resists Wind damage, status ailments by 90% and halves physical and magical attacks. Even without infusions, the Gladiator is good to go. It's feral link is 'meh' at best, but really SENs shouldn't be used for this purpose.

To capitalise on it's defences, use all vitality materials. Next, the standard HP and Resist Physical and Magical passive abilities are obvious choices. Rapid Recovery is a sound option however, reducing the duration of ailments. Finally, Resist Elements +% is another option to go for.

Snow

From the DLC. Snow, if given all vitality materials, boasts the highest HP in the entire game with over 20000 HP. However, Snow has a very high Strength for a SEN and a good feral link, so instead Snow can become the best offensive SEN in the game. Moves like Vendetta and Entrench can really pack a punch. Improved Counter II just adds to damage.

Sovereign Fist hits the target twice and surrounding enemies. This is why it's important to not neglect his strength because the Pulse Gladiator is actually better defensively than Snow.



Role Resonance is normally useless for SENs, but Snow can make good use of it. Tank a hit with Tortoise, then follow up with Sovereign Fist. The extra damage really added up.




That's it for now. I'll cover the other roles tomorrow. Though very briefly:



RAV: Lightning is good. Cloudburst and Valfodr are also amazing.
SAB: Black Chocobo or Chelicerata
SYN: Yakshini is good, as is Purple Chocobo. Sazh is a good all-purpose option
MED: Green Chocobo is nice, though I used White Chocobo. Pupu is amazing however for the feral link


I'll go more in-depth later, though I cannot stress how good that guide I linked to is. Seriously, take a look. It helped me loads.

[Karifean]

Commando: Chichu or Lightning.
Ravager: Cloudburst or Lightning.
Synergist: Yakshini
Sentinel: Goblin Chieftain (his Feral Link is ridiculously good)
Forget about Saboteurs and Medics, they generally aren't worth the spot in your pack. Serah and Noel are all the Saboteurs and Medics you'll ever need. You're better off with one of the other classes.

Goblin Chieftain greatly reduces the need for Synergists at all. The combo of Chichu, Cloudburst and Goblin Chieftain is really great if you don't want to invest in DLC.

[Lucrokender]

I rock a COM, RAV, and SEN.

Im thinking of adding a Syn, but Ive recently developed a nice pattern for just switching from 3xRAV to SYN/MED/SEN quickly to apply 4 AOE buffs without taking any damage and keeping a fair amount of damage going on the target.

I use Lightning, Chichu, and a Silver Chocobo.

I'm probably going to switch Chichu for Lightning or Twilight Odin and the chocobo for...I don't know. Not a chocobo.

[Formalhaut]

Commando: Chichu or Lightning.
Ravager: Cloudburst or Lightning.
Synergist: Yakshini
Sentinel: Goblin Chieftain (his Feral Link is ridiculously good)
Forget about Saboteurs and Medics, they generally aren't worth the spot in your pack. Serah and Noel are all the Saboteurs and Medics you'll ever need. You're better off with one of the other classes.

Goblin Chieftain greatly reduces the need for Synergists at all. The combo of Chichu, Cloudburst and Goblin Chieftain is really great if you don't want to invest in DLC.


The only thing with Goblin Chieftain is that it's HP pool is severely low. As a SEN, it's fairly weak, EXCEPT for it's feral link, Spirit Infusion, where it essentially negates the need for a SYN.

It's definitely worth consideration though.

[Dat Matt]

Cheers guys, that gives me something to think about when I get cracking on this monster deelbopping. I only have a few infusions left to max out lightning, and I alerady have chichu and Yashinki. Just to decide if snow is cooler than those two...

[Mirage]

I used Chichu and Silver Chocobo at least. I forgot what I used for ravagers. I might also have been using one of the chocobo medics. Green, probably.

[Lucrokender]

Cheers guys, that gives me something to think about when I get cracking on this monster deelbopping. I only have a few infusions left to max out lightning, and I alerady have chichu and Yashinki. Just to decide if snow is cooler than those two...
You know in the end, if you have any 3 monsters on your team, with highest level Crytarium builds, and decent infusion abilities, you'll be able to defeat just about every fight in the game with that.

Gamefaqs has many detailed guides on the best possible builds for certain monsters, and for defeating a few bosses, I'd follow that.

But in general, you have a LOT of flexibility. Choose what you want, you know?

I did the last fight in the game with Lightning in my team, and it really was pretty cool. Choose your favorite characters, and level them up so you don't make them look bad!

[Dat Matt]

I've been working with Yashiki, Chichu and Lightning lately as I don't yet have access to snow (I do have a maxed out silver chocobo). I was considering screwing Yashiki but that Feral Link is too good to pass up!

[Formalhaut]

The thing with a SAB, MED and SEN is that they're often not really required. Noel is a suitable SEN, Serah is a great SAB and both characters make good MEDs. Besides, potions are so potent with the Grimoire hat that really a MED isn't even particularly needed unless you're removing buffs.

However, there are times where these roles are necessary. A SEN is often useful when you need to employ a 'Tortoise' paradigm, or when an enemy is so powerful that delegating Noel as your SEN is risky, at best. MEDs have the all important Esunada skill, which both characters don't possess, meaning in battles where you expect an array of status ailments, you really can't go wrong with a monster MED. Finally, SABs are very, very situational. They do get Fog, Pain and Curse which Serah and Noel don't, but their use is very situational at best. The Yomi is really the only time I employed a monster SAB - sticking poison down is crucial.

I'd definitely concentrate on improving your existing monsters. All three you said (Yakshini, Chichu, Lightning-RAV) are strong monsters. Use the monster guide I linked to, and infuse them with many strong passive abilities as well as skills they don't learn. The key with monsters is that they really only excel over Serah and Noel after you've infused them: a Lightning-RAV that has no infusions is still good, but has no access to some -ras and -gas. Work on them I'd say. A SEN would also be useful, and really for all intents and purposes you can't go wrong with either Pulse Gladiator or Goblin Chieftain. Pulse Gladiator is simply the best defensive SEN in the game. Meanwhile, Goblin Chieftain's feral link pretty much negates the use of SYN, but is by no means the best SEN.

SABs and MEDs? Handy to have one, though their use is situational.

[KH-Cloudy]

No love is given to MEDs, but I would recommend the Green Chocobo. By far the best MED I've come across. Having a monster as a MED can be helpful when you want to continuing damaging the opponent and not be afraid to take damage.

I don't see any use for having a SAB or SYN monster though.

[Formalhaut]

I don't see any use for having a SAB or SYN monster though.

Excuse me! While a SAB monster is very situational, a SYN monster is ridiculously useful, as they are normally the only way to get the all important offensive buffs, like En-element, Bravery and Faith.