Stop Getting Your Ass Kicked in Final Fantasy Tactics: A Guide to Not Sucking

The War of the Lions is a miserable, bloody affair, and if you go in blind, you're going to get turned into finely minced chocobo food. Let's make sure that doesn't happen.

Final Fantasy Tactics is a masterpiece, but it’s a masterpiece that delights in punishing the unprepared. It throws a million systems at you, mumbles something about Zodiac signs, and then sends a pack of pissed-off goblins to test your understanding. I've bled all over the fields of Ivalice so you don't have to. Here are the essential tips to build a foundation that will carry you through this political hellscape.

Your Horoscope is a Weapon

The very first thing you do is pick Ramza's birthday, which sets his Zodiac Sign. This isn't some fluffy flavor text; it's a core combat mechanic that dictates his compatibility with everyone else on the battlefield. Good compatibility with your healer means they patch you up for more HP. Bad compatibility with a boss means your attacks will hit like a wet noodle.

You want good synergy with your support units and a strong matchup against the game's toughest bastards. The community consensus usually points to Capricorn as the best all-around sign, but Virgo, Scorpio, or Taurus are also solid picks. Don't have your whole party share the same sign, either. A little astrological diversity can save your ass later.

Guts and Godliness

Two stats matter more than anything else: Bravery and Faith. Bravery is for hitting things hard. Faith is for making magic go boom. Your frontline fighters want high Bravery, and your mages need high Faith. It's that simple, but there’s a catch.

A character with low Faith is resistant to magic, both helpful and harmful. This means you can build a frontline tank who just laughs off enemy fireballs. A high Bravery, low Faith fighter is a fantastic magic wall. It's a delicate balancing act that defines your characters more than their job title.

Recruit Your Cannon Fodder

Early on, you'll rescue a knight named Argath and gain access to the Warriors' Guild. This is where you build your army. New recruits cost 1,500 gil a pop, and the lineup is randomized every time you check. My advice? Go back to Mandalia Plains, fight a random battle to earn some cash, and immediately hire a new soldier.

Do this a few times. You're looking for recruits with a solid starting base of at least 70 Faith for your mages, and 70 Bravery for your fighters. Yes, it's a grind. But spending an hour or two building a solid core of four or five custom-picked units right at the start will save you a world of pain later.

Plan Your Career Path

Every character should have a long-term career path. From the very beginning, you should be building towards a balanced party. Ramza is your hybrid fighter, so you’ll want a dedicated offensive mage, a healer, and a pure frontline tank to round things out.

Take those two high-Faith recruits you just hired. Make them both Chemists until one can become a Wizard and the other a Priest. For your high-Bravery recruit, push them from Squire to Knight, and then to Monk. The Monk's healing and ranged attacks are invaluable. That last party slot is your flex position, perfect for a hybrid character that can adapt to whatever fresh hell the next battle throws at you.

The Grind Is Everything

Here is the single most important tip: every character must take an action every single turn. I don't care if they have nothing to hit. Make them do something.

Have every single person in your party unlock the Squire's "Focus" ability. It's a self-buff that increases their attack, and using it counts as an action, earning them XP and JP. Also, unlock "Throw Stone." It does pitiful damage, but it's an action. If you have to, turn around and throw a rock at your own damn healer. They'll barely feel it, and your Squire will get precious JP for their trouble. Never, ever just move and wait.

Universal Life Skills

Every single character, mage or not, should spend some time as a Squire and a Chemist. The Squire job has a passive skill that boosts JP gain, which is absolutely essential for everyone. Getting +1 Move is also a cheap and universally useful upgrade.

Likewise, everyone should learn the Chemist's "Potion" and "Phoenix Down" abilities. This ensures that anyone can perform basic healing or a clutch resurrection in a pinch. It also means that on turns where they can't reach an enemy, they can toss a potion at a wounded ally and still earn that sweet, sweet JP.

Don't Sleep on Side Gigs

Starting in Chapter 2, you can send your benched party members out on Errands from the various Taverns. Do this. It’s free JP, gil, and occasionally rare items for characters who would otherwise be collecting dust. It's also a great way to level up specific jobs on a character without actually increasing their character level, which is a neat trick for optimization nerds.

Recruit the All-Stars

As you play, special characters will offer to join your cause. Always say yes. Characters like Agrias, with her ranged Holy Knight abilities, or Meliadoul, who can destroy enemy equipment from a distance with 100% accuracy, will absolutely carry you through the mid and late game. They are almost always better than the random soldiers you can hire.

Know Your Battlefield

This is a tactical RPG, not a head-on brawler. Use the terrain. Archers get a massive range advantage from high ground. Mages can safely rain down hell from a cliffside. A simple river can completely shut down an enemy's advance. Positioning is everything.

Also, remember that in most major story battles, killing the boss ends the fight. Don't get bogged down trying to wipe out every single grunt on the map if you don't have to. Sometimes a surgical strike on the leader is the smartest, and only, way to win.

Shop Smart, Not Hard

The shops in this game are infuriatingly time-sensitive. Certain powerful accessories will only be available for a limited window. If you see an Angel Ring, which grants immunity to being knocked out, or a Jade Armlet that counters Stop, buy as many as you can afford. These items can completely trivialize some of the game's most brutal boss fights. Don't get caught without them.