Party building strategies

[Ichy]

If you're taking care of all the healing then there really isn't a need for a secondary healy (although it is nice)... unless some idiot pulls somehting too strong for the PT. Having a Bard in the group, however, should ideally come before a secondary healer, they are so very versatile. They can give you regen, debuff mobs, buff party members, and while their physical attacks tend to stink they can still get a bit of TP here and there and pull off the occasional skill chain with the more dedicated damage dealers.

BLM... You can't substitute more melees to take the place of one BLM, there simply isn't enough room in your PT to make up for the damage they do. See, while their regular spells do some alright damage that, while significantly noticeable, you may think you can do without, the fact remains that it is still more and it is terribly consistent --> Nukes don't miss. Now, throw in the greatest factor of all: Noone can magic burst like a BLM. In the 30-40s I've seen myself and fellow PT members doing 20-30 damage on ITs... whip out a skillchain and here comes the Burst... BAM! 200, 300, once even 400 Damage, all for the cost of one spell of the appropriate element and one Voke to keep the mob off the BLM after it hits. This is simply irreplaceable.

SAM... Want skillchains and bursts? Get a SAM (who keeps up his EQ) and you will always be sure to have someone with TP ready when someone else is ready, too. SAM also makes a somewhat decent secondary tank to hold hate for a couple of hits, but don't rely on him as a main unless you want a dead SAM.

THF is *always* welcome in my PT once they have Trick Attack, but not more than one. If your thieves outnumber your tanks there's something wrong. THF can use a quick boomerang to pull, run back to the PT and let a secondary tank Voke. Then he stands behind the primary tank, loads up Sneak and Trick, throw up a Weaponskill if he's got one and BAM! -> Instant aggro on the main tank that's *hard* to break.

As for tanks, take a PLD when you can, or a WAR if you're stuck, but don't ask other melee classes with WAR subbed to Tank unless it's a NIN since they can pull it off by spamming Utsemi and having their high Agi and all. As for the rest of us WAR subbing melees, we find it outright rude, we're not built for tanking at all in the higher levels (is a career SAM ).

So, what's it all boil down to? My ideally balanced PT roster:

• WHM/SMN - Curez kthx. Massive MP with /SMN -> can also use Avatar Buffs.
• BLM/SMN - Burn them all. Burst is *divine*. Again... Massive MP with /SMN -> can also use Avatar Buffs.
• BRD/WHM - Musically regen PT members for less downtime, debuff mob and increase accuracy during fights. Can secondary heal in a real tight spot, even if it's not much.
• THF/NIN - Aggro management and BIG sneaky tricky hits. /NIN for better Dex and Agi. Can dual wield stat boosting daggers. Has some Ninjitsu for debuffing mob elemental defenses.
• SAM/WAR - Step right up, get your weapon skills, all chains delivered faster than ever. /WAR for HP, STR, Double Attack, and all around secondary Tanking abilities.
• PLD/WAR - Mr. Aggro Man. Can heal himself (and should to help hold hate), has stun attack as an ability (Shield Bash doesn't use TP ) to stop mob weapon skills, best Defense in the game, Voke, ect.... you know what I mean here

That's about it, hope it helps.