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r/FFRecordKeeper•
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Need some help forming my "A" team

Due to some good luck on recent relic draws, I now have a wide variety of relics, but feel that I am not using the "ideal" party. Currently my goto team (all physical) is the following (assume level 80 for all except Vaan who is at 99) with the associated soul breaks:

Vaan - Ark Blast & Pryoclasm

Cloud - Fenrir Overdrive

Yda -Twin Snake DragonKick & Internal Release

Red - Lunatic High & Trine

Yshtola - Stoneskin II

Here's the SB relics that I have available for characters not in my current team:

Firion - Wild Rose Vow

Leon - Hand of the Emperor

Josef - Noble Sacrifice

Refia - Blazing Fists

Porom - Sync

Rydia - Summon Eidolon II

Golbez - Nightglow

Bartz - Lupine Barrage

Galuf - Fist of Dawn

Lenna - Princess Favor

Celes - Spinning Edge

Shadow - Wild Fang

Terra - Blood of Espers

Locke - Mirage Dive

Zack - Rush Assault & Air Strike

Tifa - Burning Arrow

Aerith - White Materia, Planet Protector

Cait Sith - Moogle Dance

Cid - Big Brawl

Yuffie - Landscaper, Gauntlet

Vincent - Cerebral Shell

Selphie - Trabias Light, Dreamstage

Rinoa - Angel Wing Quake, Wishing Star

Irvine - Fast Ammo

Steiner - Sword Art Stock Break

Tidus - Spiral Cut

Lulu - Focus

Yuna - The Sending, Trigger Happy

Wakka - Aurochs Reels, Attack Reels

Ashe - Maelstrom Bolt

Penelo - Mincing Minuet

Lightning - Blaze Rush

Cid Raines - Offensive Shift

Fang - Highwind, Megaflare

Serah - Clock Master

Hope - Divine Judgement

Thancred - Death Blossom

Agrias - Hallowed Bolt

Tyro - Healing GM,Cyclone GM, CelebrationGM

Posted Oct 12, 2016, 8:30 PM UTC · edited

013
zephyron1237Zack Flair•

You may want to put some lines between characters. That block of words makes my head hurt =P

2
D-BackOP•

Lines added

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zephyron1237Zack Flair•

Thanks!

I guess my first question is what are you RW'ing? I assume since you're using Yda's moderate boostga and Red XIII's haste, you're not using Shout. A stacking boostga like Celes's or a healing BSB are probably good choices.

In an ideal world, Yda and Red XIII could be replaced by a Shout RW and you could potentially replace them with characters whose SB's do damage in addition to their utility. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing a lot of good physical SB's outside of Fang's Highwind (it's great can really reduce incoming damage, especially from the DEF/RES-ignoring attacks that are becoming more common).

What you might want to look into is a magic-focused party, since you have a lot of good stuff in that area.

  • Lulu with Focus is probably an auto-include.
  • I've heard Hope's Divine Judgment is great.
  • Terra's BSB isn't amazing, but she probably makes the cut.
  • At this point, I'd suggest maybe using Y'shtola with maybe Magic Breakdown and Mental Breakdown, and a dagger.
  • That frees up your healer, and the best choice I see is Selphie with Dreamstage.
  • RW would be Krile's Sheepsong (+30% mag, haste and hi regen). You could potentially make an argument for bringing vincent for +20% mag and cid raines for haste, but I feel like you'd be giving up too much.
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D-BackOP•

I usually RW a medica, but rarely use it. Sliding Selphie in to my current party is ideal, will give you suggestion a try, thanks!

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Ancient_SerafMiau•

Wall of text is thick.... try it with more linebreaks.

I think for your physical party you can shift around a few chars but i cannot recommend an improvement right now(the sorting does not help)

You can try a magic focused party though:

Y'shtola - SS2 - Curaja + Protectga/Shellga

Lulu - Focus

Raines - Offensive Shift or rather Hope but that forces you into Sheepsong

Terra - Blood of the Esper

Cait Sith - Moogle Dance

and RW: either a Stacking buff, or a medica

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D-BackOP•

Lots of good suggestions, thanks. I am excited to try out the all magic a-team as I have never run one and have barely used magic at all.

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spectre_itSOLDIER First Class•

I'd run:

  • Yshtola > Curaja + Pro\Shellga > Mako Might > SS2

  • Vaan > Full Break + Power Breakdown > Secrets of the Qu > Ark Blast

  • Cloud > Lifesiphon + Full Charge or Drain Strike > +20\30% weapon dmg > FO

  • Fang > Lifesiphon + Dragoon Jump or Leeching Leap > +20\30 weapon dmg > Megaflare

  • Leon > Saint Cross + Banishing Strike\Lifesiphon > Dr Mog Teachings > HotE

  • RW: Shout

Main physical party.

  • Hope > Alexander + whatever > Devotion > Divine Judgement

  • Y'shtola > Curaja + Pro\Shellga > Mako Might > SS2

  • Lulu > Meltdown + Chain -ga > Dr Mog Teachings > Focus

  • Cait Sith > Multi Break + ATK or MAG breakdown dance > Ace Striker > Moogle Dance

  • Terra > whatever 1 + wrath > Vow of Vengeance > Blood of Espers

  • RW: Sheepsong

Main magical Party

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zephyron1237Zack Flair•

Cait Sith > Multi Break + ATK or MAG breakdown dance > Ace Striker > Moogle Dance

Multi break and Moogle Dance don't stack. I'd just bring two breakdown dances like ATK/MAG and RES, and then half way through the battle, when the boss is getting into weak phases, you can have your multi break effect when you need it.

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spectre_itSOLDIER First Class•

I know they don't stack but you won't be able to use Moogle Dance before a few turns... that's why I added that. Bringing the RES down dance may be a viable option too ;)

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codexcdmQ6xh - Paladin Force•

Vaan, Leon, and Y'Shtola are definitely part of that Physical A-Team, don't change them.

Leon and Y'shtola are definitely on that team, as those buffs are too useful NOT to have.

Vaan having his Ark Blast BSB can be useful for most battles as they are Magic Heavy. With it, you bring a Mag/Def debuff that stacks with other debuffs, and his attacks add Magic and Armor Breakdowns to boot. You free up quite a a bit of support slots thanks to him. Toss a Full Break with someone else, and you're set.

Yda can be useful for that Crit buff she sports. Makes the quick-attacking Vaan and herself stronger. Shame she doesn't have Support 5, or she'd be able to compliment Vaan perfectly in terms of Mage Smashing. (Toss a Full Break for that 3rd layer of Magic dampening.)

Now, I see you have Lulu's Focus and Vincent's Cerebus Shell (Faithga). With that... and apparently a few caster SBs... you can set up a Mage A-Team. Those two with Y'shtola would do quite nicely. The casters will depend on what elements you need. Worth noting Terra's great here due to her high stats, access to Support 4, and the BSB's Chaos Fira/Watera options.

1
D-BackOP•

Thanks for the suggestions, I will set up the magic "a" team as a separate favorite, should help with some of those nightmare bosses. I have never ran a mage team at all so this should be interesting!

1
Anatar19•

Wait, is that Aeris' burst? Some really good stuff there. Given SSII and Wizer Rod, I may go the dual WM route for you, but instead toy around with power breakdown whichever proshell Aeris doesn't bring or some other utility on Y'shtola if you don't need dual heals - even things like stop, black magic for medal criteria or whatever, make Y'shtola useful somehow. Vaan anchors the team, and Cloud and Fang bring the dps. Rw would be shout 90+% of the time against anything dangerous.

You'd have wall, heals like crazy, lots of dps and awesome debuffs which are especially useful against wall-piercing attacks. No need for magic blink because between Vaan's burst and wall+shellga it would throw a wrench into magic attacks somehow. Just need a way to put full brea onto thay team somehow.

1
D-BackOP•

Yeah its Aeriths burst, white materia. Thanks for catching my mistake. I have thought many times of running two white mages but always feared the dps drop. The full break thing is what is keeping Red in my party now (with the bonus of having hastega+protectga). I have some great relics but it seems like the sheer amount of choice that I have is a huge source of why I believe that my team could be better if I made a few changes.

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