MY FAVORITE PARTY!!!

it really is the best. In the NES version (the one i know best) the monk quickly becomes by far the best attacker in the game (about L20ish), much better than a ninja or knight with his best sword. He'll end up being your best character, he's just a late bloomer, and his weaker defense is compensated for by being in the third spot.

As for the overall scheme of this type of playthrough, i guess i would call it Wanton Death Machines. Your hitpoints are so high and armor so good that you really never have to heal. You'll also be really rich, since you kill so effectively, so levelling up is a cakewalk. Take some of that excess gold and buy 99 heal potions if you like. They'll last you longer than you think.

Once you play a game like this, you'll be spoiled. you won't want to return to the tediousness of a Fi/Th/BM/WM party where you have to lean on the fighter to do all the real killing, and you'd need a WM to compensate for everyone but Fighter always taking so much damage. To each his own, but i prefer wanton death and destruction.