____________________________________________________________________________
F I N A L  F A N T A S Y  T A C T I C S | Straight Character Challenge
                [presented in THX surround sound]
  ||=== ||=== ======                             written by MunkiBleedsGreen
  ||==  ||==    ||  <==Bad Ascii           (linoleummunki@hotmail.com) ©2002
  ||    ||      ||     At It's Worst            {best viewed at full screen}
____________________________________________________________________________

Foreword: This FAQ has been compiled by me through an on running post of
mine on the FFT message board at GameFAQs.com. While I did my fair share
of the research, much of this document came from a large group of people
whom I will thank later on. While I am the creator of this challenge,
I do not claim to be the originator of much of the information present
in this document, but the suppliers have given me full consent to present
it here. Without further ado, I present to you the Final Fantasy Tactics
Straight Character Challenge...
______________________________________________________________________

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
|Table of Contents\______________
|1. FAQ Information               \        * Denotes Updated Section
|    1.1 Updates/Version*         /        ! Denotes New Section
|    1.2 Information!             \
|    1.3 Upcoming/News*           /
|2. The Challenge Basics          \
|    2.1 Introduction             /
|    2.2 Rules and Regulations    \
|    2.3 Comments on Classes*     /
|3. The Strategies                \
|    3.1 Generic Strategies*      /
|    3.2 Job Class Specific*      \
|4. Miscellaneous                 /
|    4.1 FAQ*                     \
|    4.2 The Thanks*              /
|    4.3 Random Stuff*            \
|_________________________________/


-_-_-_-_-_-_       ________________
|Section 1  \_____/ FAQ Information\___________________________________

-1.1- Updates/Version

V.FINAL - June 2nd, 2002- Version Final?! Yes, you did read that correctly.
                   This is in fact the final update I'll be making to the
                   FAQ. Sad but true. This FAQ was first created on
                   May 1st, 2001, and now, one year and one month later,
                   I'm closing shop. All future SCC updates will be made
                   on the official site, http://scc.inferiority.org. As
                   of this day, though, it's still totally under
                   construction, but in the coming weeks, I'll be
                   transferring all data onto the site. I'll keep you
                   guys updated on the SCC's board and on the news post
                   at the SCC site. By the end of the month, latest,
                   everything should be completed and I'll be taking
                   strategical input once more.

                   In actual SCC news, in this final update, there's quite
                   a load of new information. Ultimaterializer has once
                   again contributed a ton of information, and we've
                   got new strats from oo7rules and Qalfie as well. Also,
                   most notable otherwise is that I've finally given in on
                   all the arguements over the Calculator SCC, which has
                   so far proven impossible under the current terms.
                   Thanks to some powerful debating by Master Daravon
                   and the constant attrition on my spirit by many other
                   posters, the new Crystal Method has been added to the
                   Calculator section, designating it as a 100% official
                   SCC, which for some reason or another, a lot of people
                   care about it being. In any case, the Impossible Method
                   is still in the FAQ as well, in hopes that one day,
                   someone may finally prove everyone else wrong. In total,
                   this final update brings in about 20k of new info.

                   That's all for now folks. Be sure to check out the SCC
                   site and the official board for updates and discussion.
                   Big thanks to all the supporters, all the players,
                   and all the inspiration. Be seeing you on the 'site.

                                                              -Munki


-1.2- Information

        -Munki's E-mail
        munki@inferiority.org or linoleummunki@hotmail.com

        -SCC's Webpage
        http://scc.inferiority.org

        -Munki's Webpage
        http://www.inferiority.org

        -The Official SCC GameFAQs Board
        http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=4694

        -Strategy Input?
        Check the SCC site to find out if I'm currently accepting any

        -Hall of Fame Addition?
        E-mail me your alias and completed SCC's

-1.3- Upcoming/News

        -Check out http://scc.inferiority.org for all the current updates
        and information on the Straight Character Challenge.
_________________________________________________________________________


-_-_-_-_-_-_                      _________________
|Section 2  \____________________/ Challenge Basics\____________________

-2.1- Introduction

     Well now, surely many of you are familiar with the Squaresoft game,
Final Fantasy Tactics. If you're not, are you really that bored and dull
of a person to go checking out FAQs for games that you don't know about?
Shame, shame on you! Well, for the rest of you, it has always been a
common complaint that this game is, with the exception of a few battles,
too easy. However, the job system of Tactics keeps us all addicted to its'
gameplay and in love with the game itself.

     Another complaint is the uselessness of certain job classes, and the
abuse of more powerful ones. As a supporter of the less popular classes,
and someone who adamantly believes this game should be harder, I went out
and did something. I devised a bit of a challenge for us all. Perhaps I
didn't devise it, but I definitely popularized it.

     The basic idea of this challenge: play with only one job class. This,
ultimately, creates new challenges abound. Old battles, once thought easy,
suddenly smack you in the face. Old skills you once ignored suddenly find
reborn usage. Most importantly, you find a new appreciation for job classes
you may have not regarded so highly.

     Does this interest you? If it does, read on, young warrior, and enter
the Straight Job Class world.


-2.2- Rules and Regulations

 >>1. Party must consist of 5 Characters, all set to the same job class.
      Characters must attain Job before Dorter Trade City, and remain in
      that class.

 >>2. Characters can not use any other abilities of any other class at all.
      Any Support, Movement, and Reaction skills must come from their own
      Job Class.

    >>Sub-Rule:

       In a Squire challenge, I recommend Ramza to be treated as if he were
       a regular Squire (ie. Ignore benefits not given to other Squires,
       like his Guts ability and extra equips) GS'ing Ramz. into a normal
       Squire may be the best solution. Again, this is nothing more than a
       recommendation.

 >>3. Special Characters are not allowed, as their enhanced growth can
      dilute the challenge.

 >>4. High leveling up is not allowed either. The following Level Caps have
      been set as maximums for all job classes:
          -Chapter 1: 20
          -Chapter 2: 35
          -Chapter 3: 50
          -Chapter 4: 70 - Before Murond Death City
      However, remember to use your judgement. These levels shouldn't be
      approached with most classes. The stronger your class, the lower your
      levels should accordingly be. Also, because sqpat17 pointed it out,
      if you take on Mime (and perhaps Calculator), and go _over_ the level
      cap just to get to the class, don't worry about it and carry on, of
      course don't level up after that until you're below the cap.

 >>5. Again, you may not use Gained JP Up, Secret Hunt, Move-Find Item, etc.
      unless your character naturally has it in their class. This is the
      same as rule #2, but I need to state it twice because this is the most
      common mistake.

 >>6. Guest Characters can become whatever you wish. A strong Algus and
      Delita are pretty much required to beat early battles for many
      classes. Guest Characters may be stripped of their equipment.

 >>7. Monsters can NOT be recruited. If a Human is recruited through
      Invite, he may be stripped of equipment and then kicked out. Any
      Special Character can also be stripped and then removed.

 >>8. If you have a problem in the game (Wiegraf, Balk II) use your better
      judgement. Depending on how much of a purist you are, judge whether
      to give yourself some leniency for a battle or not. To this date,
      it has proven possible to win any fight with just about any class,
      but anyone who thinks they're superior to you for completing this
      fight without any changes is an arse.

 >>9. Later in the game, at Chapter 4, you may use a full party of Special
      Characters in a few random battles, just for the sake of your sanity.
      This applies mostly to people with very tedious jobs like Summoners,
      Mediators, and Bard/Dancers. Special Characters may NEVER be used in
      Story Battles or in the Deep Dungeon. [Mucho Gracias Dr Goofy]

 >>10. You may not Dupe Weapons or use the Level Up/Down cheat. Neither of
       these is technically possible if you stick to the challenge, but it
       should be said anyway. [Thanks to Cyrus Viruz for pointing this out]

 >>11. At no time may Ramza or any other character change the Brave or
       Faith of any character unless this ability comes from the selected
       Job Class (in other words, only Mediator).

 >>12. You may not rise over the level cap to get better weapons from
       boxilized enemies and then level down to finish under the cap. Shame
       on you if you say you didn't but really did. You're going to hell,
       liar.

 >>13. Gameshark Rules: Gamesharks can be used in the following scenarios:

       A)The Dancer SCC: You may use the GS to create a team of 5 Dancers,
       instead of using Ramza as a Bard. I'm a GS idiot, so don't ask
       me about the codes for this.
       B)Easy Advancement: Too lazy to get to Bard, Dancer, or Mime? You
       may use the GS to open up any classes instead.
       C)Not Benefitial: You may use GS codes which make the game or the
       SCC more difficult, such as using the Hard Mode code.
       D)GS Classes: While not all of them will present the same challenge
       as the regular set, I'm now allowing GS class SCCs. I may even begin
       to take some strategies for this...

 >>14. Side Quests: This arguement is still in development. Some say that
       if a class can make use of the Chapter 4 side quest, they should
       use it: Others think it's not staying true to the SCC if they do
       go through it. In truth, only Chemists and Thieves can really benefit
       from it. Personally, I don't see a problem with it... but there are
       a lot of purists out there...

 >>15. If you don't like the regulations placed on the SCC, then do it your
       way. You won't be doing an SCC, you won't get any credit in this
       FAQ, but bloody hell, don't complain about a video game challenge.
       You can go your own way </singing>.

 >>16. The sixteenth rule of the Straight Character challenge is... don't
       tell anyone about the Straight Character challenge... and judging
       from how many new faces I see around this room, many of you have
       been breaking this rule. ¬_¬



-2.3- Comments On Classes

     General comments on each class are listed here. This is intended to
     interest you into playing different classes and trying as many
     challenges as possible.

     <Squire> The Basic Squire, left alone in the world to their own
     meddlings. I recommend you ignore Ramza's additional Squire abilities,
     like Guts and the additional Equips, to keep this SCC true. With
     basic abilities, basic equipment, and mediocre stats, you'll have
     to be a bit more patient with these battles.

     <Chemist>Perhaps the "safest" of all classes. Their healing and
     reviving is quite nice and comes in handy in ALL situations. However,
     their battle power is horrible throughout most of the game, and their
     mediocre stats can hold you back.

     <Knight>The slow, powerful warrior. High battle power will make early
     fights easier than most. However, a complete lack of long range attacks
     causes them to rely on melee fighting, and evasion. Handy ability set,
     but vulnerable.

     <Archer>The first class I ever tried this challenge with. Their attacks
     are crap early on. However, their long range superiority makes most
     random battles a breeze. There are some story battles which give them
     advantages, but there are many more which totally handicap them.

     <Wizard>A real conundrum of possibilities here. Waiting for enemies to
     come to you and then unloading with powerful spells seems pretty
     effective, but when enemies with low Faith or better Speed come around,
     you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.

     <Priest>The second job class I know to have been started in this
     Straight Challenge campaign (Maligant did it, go Mal...). They have
     healing, revival, auto-revival, protection, and even one of the
     strongest attack spells in the game, as well as balanced stats and good
     Speed. Don't forget though, for the better part of the game, enemies
     will be killed with their sticks, and their healing and revival is
     quite unreliable.

     <Monk>A powerful class, in both stats and skillsets. The obvious
     advantages come in HP healing, status curing, revival, and long range
     attacks. High Brave characters will dominate the game early on, and
     moves like Wave Fist and Earth Slash will become powerful staples of
     strategy. Remember though, they do have pretty poor HP. Still a fun
     class.

     <Thief>Obvious advantages come in the Steal set. You can get nice EXP
     early on, some equipment you couldn't get otherwise from Secret Hunt
     and the Steals, and even the glorious Move and Jump +2s. They have
     great Speed too! Of course, they have horrible PA and must depend on
     the very very "iffy" Steal Heart to do their damage for them. Also,
     they have low HP, and no actual long range attacking. Don't even get
     me started on how they can beat Wiegraf or Velius...

     <Time Mage>Another fun magic class. They have a good ability set which
     can be made great use of very early on, much moreso than other mages.
     They have one of the best arguable movement skills, and one of the
     potentially strongest Support Skills too. However, aside from the
     undependable Meteor and Demis, they have no real attack power. They
     must be drawn into melee combat, where they are quite weak.

     <Summoner>A lot can be said for wide range attacks that can be pulled
     off from many many Squares away. Target Unit, and run. Sounds pretty
     effective, no? They have healing, attack, and protection, too! Then
     you remember: They have low HP and below par Speed. Also, until you
     get their precious Support, your Summons better get the job done
     the first time, or you'll be left with guys in funny hats and no MP.

     <Geomancer>A very versatile class which I have always touted as a
     wonderful job. They have a good assortment of equipment to make use
     of, and have great melee combat, and good long range attacks too.
     Attack Up comes in handy. On the down side, they only have average
     HP, which isn't good for a close range fighter, and their abilities
     do little damage.

     <Lancer>With their Jumping prowess, good movement ability, great
     reaction ability, and high PA, you may mistake Lancers as a
     generally very easy class. But remember: Chapter 1 will be spent
     without any weapons. And your Jump skills will require a few thousand
     JP to be useful. Long road ahead.

     <Oracle>Another fun class. Their status abilities can make battles
     terrifically fun, or downright frustrating. It all depends on Faith
     values, and your luck. Early power spells like Paralyze and Drain
     Life only grow stronger as time goes by, and they have a two space
     range weapon which packs a punch. Just remember, they are by no means
     tanks, and fall prey easily to melee combat. It's really a matter
     of luck...

     <Mediator>An interesting challenge to say the least. You must now
     make use of all those skills which most of us have ignored in the
     past. Psst, Mimic Daravon can be quite useful. However, Threaten
     may just become your favourite ability of all time. It's that good.
     Remember to check the Rules and Regulations on these guys
     too. Their downsides? Low HP, weak attacks throughout the game,
     and a limited pool of good abilities.

     <Ninja>A favourite among Tactics players, the Ninja remain a
     strong choice for this challenge. Despite some possible difficulty
     in getting the class, once there you will find certain battles to
     be heaven, and others to be hell. Great PA, and simply excellent
     melee and long range attacks, accompanied by a high move rate and
     Speed make Ninja one of the most powerful classes in this Challenge.
     Still, they have their weaknesses. Their HP probably won't ever
     break the 200s.

     <Samurai>I'll be blunt with this. Their skillset is the most varied
     set in the game, and has a LOT of power. Early on, they'll be
     extremely weak, but once the Samurai Swords appear, prepare for a
     much more entertaining game. The big drawback of this otherwise
     excellent class? Gil. You'll need it by the ton to keep up with
     their expensive hobby of smashing swords.

     <Bard>Hah. Well I won't say this will be remotely easy. Their battles
     mostly consist of playing the waiting game, hoping to gain enough
     Speed and PA in order to wreck the opposing side. They have terrible
     PA and HP, and their skills take forever to pull off. Still, it's
     definitely possible.

     <Dancer>This of course isn't possible to do completely true
     without a Gameshark. If you have one, go for all Dancers. If not,
     Ramza plays the part of the Bard, and this makes this scenario a tiny
     bit easier, and it certainly needs it. Again, the game reverts to you
     running and hiding from foes while their performances slowly chip
     away at them.

     <Mime>Yes, this is apparently possible possible. From what I've read,
     sqpat has even _completed_ this SCC. Their PA is adequate to turn them
     into melee forces, but without any skills, winning seems like a long
     shot. As Phoenix says, a Mime is a Monk with no abilities.

     <Calculator> There's two ways to go about this. The Crystal Method
     (haha) and the Impossible Method. Patience and luck will help
     out with the Crystal Method, and Divine Intervention is perfect
     for the latter. Even with a bit of Magic thanks to Crystals, you'll
     have to make up for their atrocious stats with some skillfull strats.

_______________________________________________________________________


-_-_-_-_-_-_                                    _________________
|Section 3  \__________________________________/ Class Strategies\_____

-3.1- Generic Strategies

  \Class Stats\
   You never know when that one extra point of Speed, or even PA or MA
   could really make the difference. If you find yourself just coming
   up short, refer to the stat charts in the classes' reviews to find
   out when your points of salvation are coming.

  \Proper Team\
   When starting the game, you'll probably find that the characters the
   game has generated for you are't very good for your chosen class.
   In this case, dump every single one of them that doesn't fit in
   after Gariland. With this money, you will then be able to find better
   characters who fit your class. Make sure to get good Brave/Faith Levels
   and the proper gender, and under the right circumstances, properly
   aligned Zodiacs. Classes which depend on each other, like Time Mage,
   Summoner, and Priest, among others, may want to focus moreso on Zodiac,
   since a Good alignment can REALLY enhance your results.
   *NOTE* sqpat reports that Capricorn (Jan. 1st) is the best Zodiac for
    Ramza. It gives him good compatibility with Gafgarion, Wiegraf,
    Meliadoul, and possibly others.

  \Getting There\
   If you aren't playing Squire or Chemist, you will have to get your guys
   the right specifications for their job. This is usually easy. Go back
   and forth across Mandalia and Sweegy. Save very often, because it only
   takes a few Chocobos to take you out sometimes. If you really must, use
   Gained JP Up until you can get into your job. Upgrade your characters
   as it comes, and the challenge of the random fights should diminish.

  \High Level Jobs\
   You've chosen a job in the third Tier (Summoner, Mediator, Lancer,
   Geomancer) or a complex job like Samurai, Ninja, Bard, Dancer, or Mime,
   and now that you've gotten them enough Job Levels, you notice that your
   Level is kind of high for where you are. If you are a true purist, now
   is the time to make use of the Degenerator Trap in the ditch of Zeklaus
   Desert. Level down a bit, if only to keep the challenge consistent.

  \Speed\
   A key statistic in many battles is Speed. I've heard many times of one
   point of Speed being enough to push the player to victory. Thus,
   remember that if you're stuck at Golgorand, Lionel, or any other
   location, most non Thief/Ninja classes get Speed bonuses at around Level
   18, then at Level 35, then at around 52, and finally at around 69.
   After that, the level cap is broken, so it's irrelevant to this
   challenge.

  \Anti Magic\
   Plain and simple. If your job class does not use Faith to calculate any
   of it's abilities, make sure you keep it as LOW as possible. Use Reflect
   Rings in Mage heavy fights, or Reflect Armor if it's available. The
   following classes require Faith: Chemist, Wizard, Priest, Oracle, Time
   Mage, and Summoner. Chemists only require it if you plan on using the
   Faith based Elemental Guns.

  \Zirekile Falls\
   I was pretty sure that this was basic knowledge, but I've noticed a few
   people having a bit of trouble here. Before the fight, change Gaf into a
   Wizard, Priest, or Time Mage, to weaken him physically, and then remove
   his other abilities and all of his equipment. Now prepare to hand him
   his own head on a platter.

  \Riovanes Castle\
   For many jobs, this could be the breaking point. Some Jobs, like
   Mediator, Archer, Thief, and Bard/Dancer, may find it impossible to
   defeat Wiegraf. Others simply can't damage Velius enough. Worst yet is
   the Rooftop Brawl. Speed is key here, so what if you're a slow class?
   Well then, take another way out. Get creative and get around your
   difficulties.
   -Archer, for example, can become a Knight with Equip Crossbow, to retain
   the Archer's original intent. Now, with Chameleon Robe and Feather Boots,
   it becomes possible to defeat Wiegraf.
   -Velius just takes a heavy assault and a lot of luck, as well as playing
   around with equipment. Take your time.
   -Finally, the Rooftop Battle also involves luck, but there's another way
   around it. Unequip one of your characters, and move them torwards the
   Assassins and Elmdor. They will now target THIS character, drawing
   attention from Rafa. Double up on the nudity to draw attention from
   both assassains to ensure victory. Much thanks to TallgeeseVI and
   DragoonMRM for this great tip, dubbed the Naked Strategy, and a bit of
   extra thanks to Strat wunderkind Ultimaterializer for the double-up tip.

  \Murond Death City - Balk\
   This applies to just about all Mage classes. Use this formation for
   the best results.

          ~ ~ ~ ~ X      X-Mage
          R X X X ~      R-Ramza

   At nine spaces away from Rofel, he'll be forced to charge ahead and use
   some Yin Yang magic instead of slaughtering you with Shellbust. Nuke
   him with some spells and move along. Love to Ultimaterializer for that.

  \Murond Death City - Altima\
   Another nice little tip for any classes which have the ability to revive
   or heal. Keep Alma alive! Computer AI will generally target the weaker
   leveled characters and Guests. Alma covers both of these needs. Altima
   will generally spend its time killing Ramza's sister or trying to destroy
   her positive effects. Thus, by keeping Alma alive, you'll distract
   Altima indefinitely.


-3.2- Job Class Specific Strategies

  I. Squire - More Strat Coming
  II. Chemist - More Strat Coming
  III. Knight - More Strat Coming
  IV. Archer - More Strat Coming
  V. Wizard - More Strat Coming
  VI. Priest - More Strat Coming
  VII. Monk - More Strat Coming
  VIII. Thief - More Strat Coming
  IX. Time Mage - More Strat Coming
  X. Summoner - More Strat Coming
  XI. Geomancer - More Strat Coming
  XII. Lancer - More Strat Coming
  XIII. Mediator - More Strat Coming
  XIV. Oracle - More Strat Coming
  XV. Ninja - More Strat Coming
  XVI. Samurai - More Strat Coming
  XVII. Bard - Complete?
  XVIII. Dancer - More Strat Coming
  XIX. Mime - More Strat Coming
  XX. Calculator - More Strat Coming

___________________________________________________________________________

-Note: "Relevant Stat" sections will reflect only what the
Recommended Party lineup would use (ie. Squires do not
require MA, and should all be Male, so therefore, only
Male PA Growth would be listed, and only as high as the
SCC level cap, which is Level 70. If you want a complete
listing, including HP, for both Sexes, head to Turd
Ferguson's magical site:

http://www.geocities.com/Zouf300/charts.html

And again, Speed Growth is the same for all classes except:

Ninja, Thief, Mime, Priest Calculator, and Summoners.

Normal Speed Growth:

Level  1 -  6
Level 18 -  7
Level 35 -  8
Level 52 -  9
Level 69 - 10

As a final note, Ramza's stats will always be above the
listed stats for Males, as he has a higher base stat.
He will gain those stats at those levels, accordingly,
though.
___________________________________________________________________________

  ___    ______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-I-\__/Squire\____/Difficulty: |=====================*          |__|7.5|_

    Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

    Advantages: Fast Growth, Throw Stone, Dash, Accumulate

    Disadvantages: Average Stats All Around, No Powerful Skills,
          Lacking Attacks, Lack of Useful Reaction or Support Ability

    Basics: Far be it for me to criticize a class, but when you think
           mediocrity, you think Squire. Most people would never logically
           bring a non-Ramza Squire into a battle after Chapter 1. Imagine
           going through the whole game as one. Early on, they can perform
           pretty well. With a cheap long range attack, Throw Stone can
           lead to getting them all of their abilities quickly, and even
           weaken enemies after a few throws. Dash is an indispensable
           Squire ability. The 100% hit is nice, but the best thing is the
           fact that it doesn't trigger Reaction Abilities. This should be
           used to your advantage. Most of this game's difficulty lies in
           the fact that your characters must rely on building their PA
           up before attacking the enemy. Still, the challenge is worth a
           shot. Hey, they even get Gained JP and Move+1!

    Set Up: Basic Skills / Counter Tackle / Defend / Move+1

    Relevant Stats:

    Speed Growth   - | Normal |

    Male PA Growth - | Level  1- 4 | Level  8- 5 | Level 22- 6 |
                     | Level 35- 7 | Level 49- 8 | Level 62- 9 |


    Battle Strategies

    NOTE: Since I've decided to attempt to enforce a more strict Squire
    SCC, I've purged the strategy section of some Squire strats, most
    of which involved Ramza using his special abilities to win fights.
    Sincere apologies to Ex Soldier Cloud, since he provided great info.

    >>Accumulate: This move is your best friend. You MUST make use of
      it or you will die. Two to four times should be enough to
      get you through a battle, and then they become Knights with
      less HP. In fact, get this BEFORE Gained JP Up, since it will
      prove more beneficial in fighting the earlier, treacherous
      random battles. Sit back and enjoy your battles, Accumulating
      until the enemies come to you.
    >>Fort Zeakden: This battle can be tricky if played conventionally.
      The big trick to this, any many other all Squire battles, is to
      run and hide. Move all your units behind the Fort and Accumulate.
      Delita should be dead by the end of the enemy's turns, and then
      come back up again if Algus gets damaged before his next AT. This
      should give you more than sufficient stall time to build up your
      guys. Wait for Algus to come to you, then beat the hell out of him.
    >>Goug Machine City: Spread your Squires out as much as possible,
      and keep Ramza away from the Summoners, who can easily toast him.
      Try to avoid any damage while your men accumulate to an adequate
      power (3 to 4 times should do nicely), and then charge ahead. Ramza
      can deal with the Thieves, leave the others to your "support Squires"
      Also, take advantage of the rooftops and drops here, throw some
      stones and use Dash a bit.
    >>Golgorand Execution Site: Wizard Mantles are necessary here. Luck
      will be nice, too, since if Gafgarion is wearing a crap robe,
      instead of armor, he'll be a much easier kill. Bum rush him first
      and then charge after the Time Mages. Kill off the three enemies
      on the top walls, using Dash and Throw Stone when possible. Wait
      at the wall now, accumulating, and let your victims come to you.
    >>Lionel Castle- Gates: 9 Speed will do here, along with Battle
      Boots on Ramza and Rubber Shoes on the Support Squires. Make
      a break for the switch and allow your other men to take our Gaffy.
      It's fine if Ramza dies, since Gaf's death will revive him. The
      enemies outside will prove mostly ineffective, with their
      lightning based weapons, so waste the Summoner and then finish the
      rest.
    >>Limberry Castle: Ramza should wear 108 Gems, the rest, N-Kai Armlets.
      Spread out and allow some Squires to be Blood Sucked.
    >>Orbonne Library- Rofel: Germinas Boots and Reflect Mail for Ramza,
      Powersleeves and Reflect Rings for the Support. Accumulate
      for a while and kill the approaching Summoners. Let the rest come
      to the Support, but chase Rofel with Ramza.
___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    _______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-II-\__/Chemist\____/Difficulty: |==*                             |_| 1 |_

    Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Mid-Faith.

    Advantages: Reliable Healing, Revival, Long Range Healing, Guns,
          Auto Potion, Move-Find Item, Status Negation.

    Disadvantages: Low HP, No Early Long Range Attacks, Never a Physical
          Powerhouse.

    Basics: A very defensive unit. Access to this class is immediate.
          Early on, Knives will prove to be pretty useless against most
          enemies. However, their healing should keep them alive. The
          "Lure then Surrond" strategy will have to be used until you
          have access to Guns. In Chapter 1, you'll find yourself
          probably depending on Delita and Algus for the majority of
          the kills. Once you get Guns, though, your Snipers will be
          able to kill many enemies from great distance in a few attacks.
          They can benefit from Deep Dungeon, and are actually the only
          ones besides Thieves or Summoners who can do so. It will take
          a great amount of trouble, but they can rack up a lot of rare
          and beneficial equipment.

    Set Up: Item, Auto Potion / Equip Change / Move-Find Item

    Relevent Stats:

    Speed Growth   - | Normal |

    Male PA Growth - | Level  1- 3 | Level  7- 4 | Level 27 -  5 |
                     | Level 47- 6 | Level 67- 7 |

    Battle Strategies

    >>Build Up: Be sure to learn Potion and Phoenix Down first. After that,
      move onto Hi-Potion, then X-Potion, then Holy Water, then Remedy.
      You really shouldn't need anything other than that.
    >>Pack' Em Tight: Keep your Chemists within six or so spaces of each
      other. This way, Mages don't get to take advantage of groups, you
      still get to use your guns from a safe distance, and you have enough
      space between so that you can still Heal or Revive other Chemists.
    >>Deep Dungeon: Abuse it!!! You can get a fair amount of nice equipment
      for your phriendly Pharmacists here. Check another FAQ for all the
      locations, and see what you need and what you don't. If you work up
      to Tiger, you can get all 3 elemental guns.
    >>Murond- Hashmalum: Your best chance at this is to vary your
      equipment a bit. If you have the Vanish Mantle, put it on Ramza, while
      the others should get Germinas Boots or Sprint Shoes. Keep any Chemist
      not equipped with an Elemental Gun, if you have any, as a Healer, and
      attack whenever you have the chance to. Avoid Meteor at all costs!
___________________________________________________________________________

  _____    ______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-III-\__/Knight\____/Difficulty: |=====================*          |_|7.5|_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: High HP, High PA, Equipment Breaks, Weapon Guard,
          Knight Swords Late in Game.

     Disadvantages: Poor Movement, Battle Skills Sometimes Irrelevant,
          No Movement or Support Skills of Use, No Long Range Attacks.

     Basics: The walking tanks. These guys can have either very easy, or
          very hard fights. They are about unmatched in melee combat.
          Easily accesible, they will prove to dominate most of the early
          on fights. With Weapon Guard, Shields, and Mantles, they can
          become HIGHLY evasive. Stat Breaks are good for Random Battles
          and are a nice way to level up faster, and the Equipment Breaks
          can make short work of many story characters. However, they
          are handicapped in the area of manueverability. With a lower
          speed rating and a Move and Jump of 3, it may take a while for
          them to get going. Lack of any long range attack don't help
          either. Most often, the enemies will get the first attack. Later
          on in the game, Knight Swords (from Orlandu and Meliadoul) can
          enhance your party to no bounds. Just remember, a group of mages
          can really hack away at you, even with Low Faith.

     Set Up: Battle Skills / Equip Armor / Weapon Guard
                                  ^
        More Equipped Is Always Better
                   Than Less Equippped

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  8-  7 | Level 15-  8 |
                      | Level 22-  9 | Level 29- 10 | Level 36- 11 |
                      | Level 42- 12 | Level 49- 13 | Level 56- 14 |
                      | Level 63- 15 | Level 70- 16 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Slow and Steady: Try to slow every battle down as much as possible
       to aid the Knights. Stay far away from the enemy and when one gets
       close to you, break him down.
     >>Evasion Abuse: Keep up to date with the best Shields and Mantles.
       Also, use Weapon Guard!!!
     >>Weapon Break: Probably the most important ability in Story Battles.
       Use it to nullify Gafgarion at Golgorand and Lionel.
     >>Speed Break: When faced with the strongest of the Zodiac beasts,
       Speed Break can really give you a strong advantage. Zalera, namely,
       is crippled by dropping his Speed. Remember, your Knights may be
       slow and practically immobile, but when the enemy's _slower_ and
       _more immobile_, you're bound to pull of a victory. The actual
       process of Speed Breaking is risky since you're leaving much to
       chance, but if you get to swarm, you're bound to drop them by a
       few points.
     >>The Healing Ice Knights of Ivalice: Ice Brand + Ice Shield = Savior.
       Once these items are made available, your Knights now stand a
       fighting chance in later battles when the situation seems dire.
       While you are giving up somewhat of a power advantage to the enemy,
       sometimes you will NEED that healing. Don't depend on this strategy,
       though, since you'll need to rely on grouping your Knights together,
       which is suicide in several battles. This should really be more of
       a last resort startegy torwards the end of the game.
                ---INSERT ULTIMATERIALIZER STRATS HERE---
     >>Lenalia: Battles Boots are a must. Move your party back at first.
       Allow Miluda to move in to attack your Knights from the front, and
       then swarm. Barring any change in the earth's gravitational pull,
       enough of these attacks should land so as to knock off the dame.
     >>Zaland Fort City: Forget about saving Mustadio, you're much more
       important. 3 Knights in Spiked Shoes, 2 in Battle Boots should be
       adequate. Scale the walls and target the Archers first. Be sure that
       Ramza avoids the Wizard spells, as well. With enough luck, you
       should take relatively little melee damage.
     >>Bariaus Hill: Stay the hell back at first. Agrias and Mustadio
       should hopefully charge forward and do the brunt of the work for
       you, allowing you to simply clean up after them. The Summoners will
       hopefully drain themselves of MP for the most part before you're
       in range. Move the wounded back, and rely on evasion when facing
       the Knights.
     >>Golgorand Execution Site: Level 18 should be suitable here. Favour
       evasion over power here, since you'll damn well need it. Take
       out Gafgarion as early as possible, ideally in the first round.
       After that, get out of Time Mage range and work on the Knights, but
       be sure to protect your flank (in other words DON'T LETS TEHM TOUCH
       JOO IN TEH BAK1!1). Be sure to protect your wounded, since Archers
       can be bastards about the "pick on the weak guy" situation. After
       the Knights, and eventual Time Mages, things should be smooth
       sailing.
     >>Orbonne - First Floor: Lure single Lancers (well, hopefully single,
       because pairs will kill you) out behind the stone slabs and
       hope to off them in a single round of attack. Lather, rinse, repeat
       after that until the main threats are offed. The problem here
       comes with Jump. Generally Jump = bad for you. So... just pray that
       the computer forgets about it having a good skill.
     >>Orbonne - Izlude: Use Germinas Boots and wait in the back for
       the enemies to move ahead. Scale the wall when the time's opportune
       and hope to bust through Izlude's Mantle.
     >>Orbonne - Wiegraf: Germinas Boots / Chameleon Robes will help out
       here. Use the X formation and then just charge him after he hits
       your guys. With luck, the battle ends in one round.
     >>Yardow Fort City: White Robes all the way. Ice Shield and Rubber
       Shoes may help as well. With luck, Rafa has Move+1, so that she
       can safely escape to the corner of the map. Form a human shield
       around her and let the Ninja come to you. The real challenge here
       is getting Rafa to survive the onslaught of throwing stars and
       elemental balls.
     >>Riovanes Castle: Chameleon Robe on Ramza, along with Germinas Boots.
       Other Knights should have N-Kai Armlets, with one also getting
       a pair of Boots. The Booted Knight should be behind the right
       flame, by the way. Wiegraf can be taken down with some faith in the
       Goddess of Evasion. For Velius, move Ramza back four spaces, which
       of course causes Velius to charge and try to cast a Summon on
       Ramza. The other Knights can now pound him mercilessly as he
       charges. Velius will probably next use Seal, but then be killed.
       Not nearly as bad as one would expect, no?
     >>Limberry Castle - Inside: Set your Knights up in four corners with
       Ramza at the front. Equip one of the generics with 108 Gems. Now,
       move Ramza ahead and let nature take it's course. One Vampiric
       Orgy later, and you'll be the victor.
     >>Limberry Castle - Zalera: Chameleon Robes on everyone, Ramza with
       an N-Kai, others with Jade Armlet. The Healing Ice Knights are
       also strongly recommended. Just keep your HP high, ignore waking
       any Knights who fall asleep, and keep attacking Zal.
     >>Igros - Adramelk: N-Kai Armlets all around. Do the usual sitting
       back and allow Dyce to come torwards you. Surround and pummel him.
       Adramelk is now surrounded by your Knights, and even with his
       powerful summons, he won't be able to take damage from five Knights
       for very long. A few Knights will drop, but Adramelk will go with
       them.
     >>Murond Holy Place - Zalbag: Vampiric Orgy Take Two. Have fun.
     >>Murond Death City - Rofel: Healing Ice Knights, with Rubber Shoes,
       and Reflect Mail work here. This will negate most of the Magic
       offense. Take care of the Generics and try to stay nine spaces out
       of Rofel's way. After the enemies are dealt with, try to lure
       Rofel your way. Breaking his Save the Queen would be very ideal,
       and expect to lose some equipment during your attempts.
     >>Graveyard of Airships - Altima: Generics should have Healing Ice
       Knight equipment, along with Black Robe and a Bracer. Ramza should
       go with the Excalibur, Ice Shield, Reflect Mail, and a Bracer. Move
       your Knights ahead, back to back, six panels apart, with Ramza
       at the front of the party. If you can off a Demon before it gets a
       turn, then by all means do so, but don't bother if it can escape to
       use Ulmaguest. Try your hardest to keep Ramza out of any Grand
       Cross situations as well. After the first form, the second should
       be, by all means, cake. Speed Break Altima down into a state of
       almost not moving, and then pound it into nothing with your
       superior fighting machines.



___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    ______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-IV-\__/Archer\____/Difficulty: |====================*           |__| 7 |_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Long Range Attacks, Concentrate, Speed Save, Can Attack
          From Nearly Anywhere, Low # Charge Skills.

     Disadvantages: Mediocre PA, Mediocre HP, Lack of Useful Abilities,
          Very Weak Weapons Late in Game, Occasional Awkward Attack
          Positions.

     Basics: Sure, we've all used them before a bit. And probably mocked
          them. They don't really deserve all the smack they get though. A
          well placed line of Archers can kill off an enemy faster than a
          well placed line of Chemists any day. Though their attacks are
          very innacurate, Concentrate more than makes up for that. Only
          Arrow Guard and Blade Grasp can stop their assault then. The
          biggest drawback to these guys come when facing enemies head to
          head. Usually, they can't draw back fast enough before they get
          way too damaged. Some battles can really drag on, as well. A
          dropped Archer often results in a crystal appearing pretty soon.
          Also keep in mind the insane difficulty that comes with facing
          Velius.

     Set Up: Charge / Speed Save / Concentrate / Jump+1

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  5 | Level  6-  6 | Level 14-   7 |
                      | Level 22-  8 | Level 31-  9 | Level 39-  10 |
                      | Level 47- 11 | Level 56- 12 | Level 64-  13 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Swarm: Archers can OWN random battles with ease. Your best
       strategy in any battle would be to take to the highest ground
       possible while waiting for your enemies to enter your range.
       Once they do, launch your arrows. Kill any yellow Chocobo
       first, with extreme prejudice. If you can not finish all the
       enemies with ease, just set them into critical and then move
       in later to finish the strays off.
     >>Fort Zeakden: With Jump+1 on, the Archers can climb up the box
       on the side to the roof. From there, they have superiority. You
       should be able to kill Algus easily, but for fun, kill off the
       rest of his party before hand.
     >>Golgorand: Use Arrow Guard to quell the opposing Archer threat.
       Use Charge+5s to take out Gafgarion early, then concentrate on the
       Knights. Try to take refuge on the wall with as many characters as
       possible and you won't have trouble with the rest.
     >>Outside Lionel: Be sure to bring spare equipment. Equip Ramza with
       Battle Boots and the rest with Rubber Shoes. Ramza needs to make a
       mad dash to the gate switch, and he might need a Speed Save or two
       to make it in time (he'll need to survive three night swords...).
       He'll surely die by the time he gets there. On the outside, only the
       Summoner will be able to do damage to the outside Archers, so kill
       him first, but remain close to the gate. Charge in once the gate is
       opened and eliminate Gaff with Charge +5's. Ramza will re-raise once
       Gaff is dead. The rest is a breeze.
     >>Riovanes:  Recommended Equip:
                  Windslash Bow
                  Green Beret
                  Power Sleeve
                  108 Gems
       Make sure to equip Speed Save. You should have 8 speed base now, as
       long as you're between Levels 18-35. Wie will go first and Stab
       you. If it triggers Speed Save, you'll get 2 turns in a row, since
       you're already at 100 CT. Use the best Charge available, probably
       +5, and then one last attack regular attack should put him away.
       Velius will be a task. Kamikaze Ramza to get in a few attacks and
       then be sure to lure him down the stairs. Unleash a few Charges as
       he proceeds down. If an Archer's targetted with a Summon, attack and
       proceed to throw him into the water. A war of attrition, which
       you should win with a little luck. Good affinity, and a critical or
       two would do the trick.

                -**Ultimaterializer Offers This Alternate Strategy**-
       Pre Battle Formation:

       Ramza's Party      Second Party
       ~ ~ R ~            A ~ ~ ~           R-Ramza
       ~ A ~ ~            ~ X ~ ~           A-Archer
                          A ~ ~ ~           X-Imporant Archer
                                            ~-Space

        ^Hope I had this correct. Hard to judge from Ultima's Ascci :P

       Swap 108 Gems for Sprint Shoes. At the battle's start, move two
       spaces back, and one right. And after, into the right corner. Wie
       will Earth Slash both times. You should survive (not sure if you
       have Good Affinity, definitely Neutral). Check the AT list now. If
       you have turns 3 & 4, move two spaces left and fire into the air. If
       you have 5 & 6, move two left and wait. Which you get depends on
       how well Speed Save worked. Wie will launch a final Earth Slash.
       Use the double turns you should get now, with beefed up Speed, to
       off Wiegraf. Here comes Velius. Move Ramza into the ditch in the
       back left, just where the water starts. Velius should come down
       and charge Cyclops on Archer X. Here comes the fun. The four Generic
       Archers all need to get their hits in while he charges, but the
       three that aren't targetted by Cyclops must stay out of the spell's
       range. Also, one must get positioned one space behind Velius. This
       will, in effect, save Ramza from a Demon attack. Now, Ramza will
       get a shot in, and everything goes off. Move Ramza to the left side
       of the room, just behind the divot on the bridge. You'll be able
       to get a strong attack in here. Afterwards, expect Archer X and
       Ramza to drop. However, now you'll simply have to spread your last
       few Archers out and deal some damage to defeat the Goat man.
     >>Bethla's Sluice: This battle could be extremely tricky, due to the
       large amount of damage characters on the higher grounds can do before
       you can even begin to damage them. To start, all characters should
       have Hunting Bows, Green Berets, Power Sleeves, and Angel Rings. The
       3 characters in Ramza's unit should get Platina or Diamond Shields,</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
       while the other two Archers should get Aegis Shields. Arrow Guard is
       also a necessity. Charge the 2 Archers forward, allowing yourselves
       to be targetted by Wizards. You may want to wait to draw them out at
       first, but basically, try to kill off the Wizards with their own
       spells, adding in Crossbow damage as necessary. Ramza's men should
       sit back and let the Knights come at them, taking refuge in the water
       if possible. After the Wizards and Knights are finished off, move in
       and kill the Archers and guarding Knights. With luck, you'll be able
       to finish the Knights before any of your Archers have fallen twice.
     >>Murond-Balk:  Use the Bowguns (Gastrifitis I believe), Flame Shield,
       and Rubber Boots. Now crowd the top area, mostly the four spaces at
       the very heighest edge of the level, and just between. The Hydras
       can't fly over and since their flame breath is negated, you won't
       have much trouble taking them out. Cross the bridge then and off
       Balk, ignoring the Behemoth.
___________________________________________________________________________

  ___    ______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-V-\__/Wizard\____/Difficulty: |===============*                |__|5.5|_

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Long Range Magic, Powerful Spells, Counter Magic,
          Magic Attack Up, Strength Only Limited To Growth, Flare

     Disadvantages: Horrible PA and HP, Can Run Out of MP, Expensive
          Abilities, Needs High Faith (Heavier Damage From Magic), No
          Movement Ability

     Basics: These guys can be miniature war machines. They must stick
          with the "Wait and See" strategy of battle. The cross panel spells
          will prove to be endlessly useful. However, you must be very
          careful with your usage of Magic, especially earlier on. Without
          a method of regaining MP, they can be left helpless. In Chapter 1,
          for story battles, it's best to let Delita and Algus do the
          load of the work and only toss a few spells around. They work
          wonders in Assassination scenarios, and it is actually a nice
          strategy to kamikaze them into your target, knowing full well
          that at least one will get a spell off. However, you can't always
          charge them head on. That would be a very BAD idea. Counter Magic
          pays off nicely against enemy mages. It takes forever to get
          some of their best abilities, so you may want to have each learn
          only one element. And by "Strength Limited Only to Growth", I mean
          that they don't depend on their Equipment and what the stores
          can sell them for their power. They can simply learn a new spell
          and take a huge step up.

     Set Up: Black Magic / Counter Magic / Magic Attack Up

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  7 | Level  5-  8 | Level 12-  9 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 18- 10 | Level 25- 11 | Level 32- 12 |
                        | Level 39- 13 | Level 46- 14 | Level 52- 15 |
                        | Level 59- 16 | Level 66- 17 |

     Battle Strategies:

     >>Patience is a Virtue:  To pull off some of the best spells available,
       and even in some cases the lesser magic, your best chance, often,
       is to let the enemy use their turn first. Starting a spell while
       their CT is lower can pay off when it comes to using spells like
       Flare. CT Watching will probably come as a natural talent over the
       course of the Wizard challenge.
     >>Elementary Elemental Education: Elemental weaknesses can often
       be the best blessing a Wizard could get. For random fights, take the
       time out to find which element does the most damage to what enemies.
       In battles with human characters, double check their equipment and
       see if they've been given any strengths or weaknesses. And earlier
       on in the game, use the Elemental Rods to your advantage, if
       possible.
     >>Levelling:  If you really need to gain some levels and get some JP,
       simply use Frog on a surviving enemy and whack that green sucker do
       death with your painful murder sticks.
     >>For The "Big" Battles:  Assassination battles boil down to "Use
       Flare" Wait for your target to come to you, taking kills if
       necessary, and wipe them off the face of Ivalice with a searing sun
       flare. In later story battles, abuse Angel Rings, because Flare is
       mighty slow, so injuries on your side are quite imminent. This
       strategy can be applied in Limberry, Murond Holy Place, Murond Death
       City, and the final battles against Altima. Mindless, but effective.
     >>Lionel Castle: Ramza, along with one other Wizard, can easily scorch
       Gaff out of existence in a few short turns. The main threat here are
       the Archers and Knights. The Summoner will probably go down in cross-
       fire, so you should concentrate on killing the damage dealers first.
     >>Riovanes: Wiegraf should go down to a simple Flaring. You want your
       support to start torwards the back of the room. Have Ramza retreat
       when Velius shows. Now wait for a member to be targetted by Velius.
       Move that member forward and target him, even if death is imminent.
       Bring up the rest of your team and unleash as many Flares as
       possible. You'll probably need a bit of luck with this one, but this
       fight will be easier than the ones most have with Velius.
     >>Orbonne- Rofel: Thief Hats and Red Shoes work best here. Your
       party formation should resemble something like this...

              ~ ~ ~ ~ W  W-Wizard  R-Ramza
              R W W W ~  ~-Space

       Just keep your guys 9 spaces away from Rofel at all time. When he
       eventually goes to charge Petrify, hit him fast while he's casting
       it to get around his Magic Evade.
     >>Murond Death City- Balk: Thief Hats, White Robes, and Sprint Shoes
       here, folks. As for the formation, Ramza's squad...

               W X R ~  W-Wizard w/ Good/Best Compat. w/Balk  R-Ramza
               ~ ~ ~ ~  X-Wizard w/ Bad/Worst Compat. w/Balk  ~-Space
                   ~ ~

       The other party should simply get as close to Balk as possible.
       Move Ramza's party, as a whole, one space back and one space to the
       right. The rest should be slowly, but cautiously approaching the
       other side. Keep them out of the monsters' and Balk's range though,
       which is 9 spaces for the Hydra-types. Balk should concentrate on
       the Bad/Worst Wizard as he slowly crosses the bridge to attack,
       since that's the only Wizard he should be capable of hitting. Just
       unleash a flaring hell upon him once he's within range.
     >>Graveyard of Airships- Altima: Flash Hats, Light Robes, and Angel
       Rings all around. For the formation...

              ~ W R ~ X  W-Wizard w/ Bad/Worst Compat. w/Altima  R-Ramza
              ~ ~   X X  X-Wizard

       Hopefully Altima will charge at Alma with a physical attack from the
       start. Otherwise, you might be screwed. Flare Altima with the three
       Wizards listed as "X" and have Ramza and the other run back, 3-4
       panels apart. Surviving the Ultima Demon attacks can be tricky.
       Nanoflares should only knock about 1/3 of your HP off, hopefully
       a few Hurricanes will miss, and be sure to be out of Dark Holy range,
       and NOT within 2 spaces of each other, so as to avoid Ultima. The
       three Flares should take out Altima's first form. The second form
       is a bit more straightforward. Just hit her with whatever you've
       got, if anything, that will go off before her next AT. Her Face Up
       reaction will lead to her Doom eventually. Just play smart.

___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    ______      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-VI-\__/Priest\____/Difficulty: |===========*                    |__| 4 |_

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Healing, Revival, Status Curing, Above Average Speed,
          Holy, Regenerator

     Disadvantages: Pre-Holy Difficulty, Holy's MP Cost, Dependence on
          Holy, Limited Non-Holy Offense, Notice a Pattern?

     Basics: So they have one of the strongest magical attacks in the
          game. That certainly isn't going to help early on though.
          Priests will be forced to stick with the "Bait, Lure, Swarm"
          strategy early on. Their Curing, Protection, and Revival are
          unmatched in power, but not very effective in their advanced
          forms, due to long charge times. Still, the regular spells can
          provide aid enough, and the sronger ones are still useful.
          Regenerator is bound to become a favourite Reaction ability, and
          really pays off for the less than stellar HP Priests. Once you
          have reliable access to Holy, where you can cast it at least once
          and still have enough MP to finish the fight, battles will become
          a bit easier. Especially assassination missions. A fun job, with
          more than enough power to it to survive.

     Set Up: White Magic / Regenerator / Magic Defense Up

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Level  1- 6 | Level  8-  7 | Level 23 -  8 |
                        | Level 38- 9 | Level 54- 10 | Level 69 - 11 |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  5 | Level  6-  6 | Level 15-  7 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 25-  8 | Level 34-  9 | Level 43- 10 |
                        | Level 52- 11 | Level 62- 12 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Protect and Shell: Keep these walls up all the time. For best
       results, use Wall! This, with Regenerator, should limit Priest
       damage to a minimum.
     >>Holy $*%#: Once you have the MP for it, I'd recommend learning the
       best all around attack spell, IMO, in the game. Like Flare, it is
       powerful, with a single, accurate effect range. However, it is
       a bit FASTER than Flare. Obviously wise in assassination battles,
       Holy will become your main strategy in all fights eventually enough.
     >>Inside Riovanes: Pump up your Magic Power! Use Wizard Staff and Magic
       Gauntlet, accompanied by Chameleon Robe to fake out Lightning Stab
       and a Golden Hairpin for MP. This will most likely cause Wiegraf to
       die miserably after his first attack. For Velius, your best shot is
       the Holy strategy. Spread your Priests out though, to avoid death.
___________________________________________________________________________

  _____    ____      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-VII-\__/Monk\____/Difficulty: |========                        |__| 3 |_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: High PA, Long Range Attacks, Healing, Revival, Status
           Curing, Variety of Skills, Counter, Restore HP, Hamedo

     Disadvantages: Lower HP, No Armor, No Hats/Helmets, Some Skills'
           Use Questionable, Not Very Manueverable

     Basics: The real heavy hitters. You wouldn't imagine just how strong
           a team of High Brave Monks can really be until you use them.
           I'm sure you have an idea though. Multiply that one thousand
           fold. Early in the game, they are more than safe. With powerful,
           non-weapon based attacks, and more healing than is even
           necessary, they are one of the few jobs that can breeze through
           Chapter 1 relatively easy. When in a dangerous battle, be careful
           to keep endangered characters from being trapped around non-level
           ground, or Revive will be useless. Keep your team together and
           designate a healer. Utilize their various abilities too. Secret
           Fist definitely can be made use of. Your only weakness would be
           Mage types on high ground, or fast moving characters, like Ninja
           or hasted enemies. Otherwise, they always stand a good chance.

     Set Up: Punch Art / [Reaction Ability Can Fit Situation] / Move-HP Up

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  6-  7 | Level 14-  8 |
                      | Level 22-  9 | Level 29- 10 | Level 37- 11 |
                      | Level 45- 12 | Level 52- 13 | Level 60- 14 |
                      | Level 68- 15 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Ranged Attacks: Keep your distance with these fierce fighters.
       Though their fists can be very powerful, it's often the best choice
       to stay as far away as possible from the enemy, using Wave Fist and
       Earth Slash to deal your damage. As a plus, with Earth Clothes, you
       can endlessly Earth Slash your team for damage on the enemy, and
       HP for your characters.
     >>Hamedo: It works against all humans, and Zodiac monsters, as you
       probably know. This pays off in Physical attacker heavy battles.
       This move can be quite advantageous in Riovanes, as if Wiegraf
       or Velius are too close to a character, he will try to attack them
       physically.
     >>Riovanes- Inside: Most important is to experiment first. Find out
       how much damage deals, and adjust it so that you'll be put into
       critical after two. HP Restore will save you then, with luck. Earth
       Slash him to death. When he changes to Velius, and Ramza's HP should
       be full. Bring Ramza one spot above the left torch. In this
       situation, Velius will opt to use Cyclops. If possible, have Ramza
       get in another attack, but you should probably move him out of the
       other Monk's way. Punch him to death afterwards and don't bother
       to Revive.
     >>Igros Castle: Earth Clothes and N-Kai Armlets do nicely here. First,
       move out of Lightning Stab's range and allow Adramelk to move
       torwards you slowly. Earth Slash away when he's within range, of
       course disregarding your own protected Monks. Once Dyce falls and
       changes into Adramelk, chase him back down to the initial bridge,
       using Chakra to survive the surely coming Bahamut. Surround him
       when possible, and proceed with the Zodiac Raping.
     >>Murond Death City- Balk: A very reliable strategy to use, so long
       as you're levelled to around 45. Germinas Boots and Earth Clothes
       are necessary. Here's your formation...

             Team Ramza       Other
              ~ ~ ~ ~           ~ ~    R-Ramza  M-Monk  ~-Sppace
              ~ R ~ ~         ~ ~ M    G-Monk w/ Good/Best Compat. w/Balk
                  M G         ~ ~ M

       This should draw Balk to try and Arm Aim the Good Compat. Monk.
       So long as he misses, he's dead. Balk should be on a space with a
       Height of 6.5. Get in line with him to Earth Slash, going on spaces
       as high as 8.5 in height. Shouldn't have much trouble finding him.
       These five Earth Slashes alone should be enough.


___________________________________________________________________________

  ______    _____      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-VIII-\__/Thief\____/Difficulty: |==================*             |_|6.5|_

     Recommended Party: 2 Males, 3 Females. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Steal Heart, Steal EXP, Move/Jump+2, Speed, Equipment
            Stealing, Secret Hunt

     Disadvantages: Low HP, Low PA, Main Offense is Risky, No Good Reaction
            Ability, Problems With Misproportionate Enemy Genders

     Basics: A tricky little group to go through with. Their most obvious,
            and most necessary attack is, of course, Steal Heart. Using an
            enemy against the rest is most often their only way out.
            However, this isn't a good thing. More Male characters are
            found throughout the game, so this would probably push you to
            get 4 Females. However, they have Lower HP and PA than the rest,
            putting them  at risk. Another drawback to the strategy is that
            it has a poor chance of success in neutral Zodiac cases -
            (50+MA)%. On an even lower note, the most obvious candidates
            for these attacks, Story enemies like Gafgarion for example,
            can NOT be charmed. Big problem. However, their high move rate,
            accompanied by their movement skills, can take them around the
            board several times before the enemy approaches, keeping them
            free of trouble usually. Their Secret Hunt skills can supply
            them with the occasional nice piece of equipment later in the
            game, and can rid you of Undead. Most importantly, the Steal
            set can basically rape those uncharmable Story characters. Then
            again, Wiegraf has maintenance...

     Set Up: Steal / Caution / Secret Hunt / Move+2

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Level  1- 6 | Level  7-  7 | Level 21-  8 |
                        | Level 35- 9 | Level 48- 10 | Level 62- 11 |

     Male PA Growth   - | Level  1-  5 | Level 12- 6 | Level 22-  7 |
                        | Level 32-  8 | Level 42- 9 | Level 52- 10 |
                        | Level 62- 11 |

     Female PA Growth - | Level  1- 4 | Level 14- 5 | Level 27- 6 |
                        | Level 40- 7 | Level 52- 8 | Level 65- 9 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Steal Heart: This attack cancels the enemy's charging. Very useful
       for saving a Thief from a massive spell. If no spells are coming
       your way, focus on Charming the enemy who will get its' turn first.
     >>Steal EXP: Utterly invaluable to gain quick levels and JP early on.
       Charm the enemy, then steal from them until they have absolutely no
       EXP left. Then kill the enemy and move on.
     >>Raping For Fun And Profit: Enjoyable little Exp. strategy. Work the
       enemies down to one final character, and then surround him. Steal
       their Heart, and work your magic. Steal their equips, their Exp,
       their Gil, etc. etc. While a bit of an obvious strategy, this
       becomes important since Thieves will generally need a high level to
       handle a lot of their battles well.
                      ---Insert Ultimaterializer Strats---
     >>Party Alternates: You may want to take into consideration using a
       party of Ramza and four Females. While this makes it considerably
       more difficult to Charm female enemies, it could easily have a
       better pay off late in the game, having four Chantaged party
       members.
     >>Notable Poachables:

          Enemy     Item           Location
          Ahriman - Air Knife    - Grog Hill Random Battles
          Plague  - Zorlin Shape - Bervenia Volcano, After Free City
          Porky   - Chantage     - Deep Dungeon: END

     >>Dorter: A Dorter City strategy?! Hey, Ultimaterializer said it could
       present problems :P Move+2 is important here. Charm the Knight and
       the nearest Wizard, and then run up the building to battle the
       long bow Archer. Things should solve themselves now.
     >>Fovoham - Windmill: Simply put, charge with high Move rates and
       try to steal Wie's sword before he offs you with ease. Now use the
       Charm strategy. Also worth notice is the space above the shed's door
       which can take you out of range of all enemies.
     >>Goug Machine City: Slap on Rubber Shoes. This will nullify the main
       threat here, Ramuh on a rainy board. Charm the Thieves first off,
       and then slaughter the Summoners. Archers come next.
     >>Golgorand Execution Site: Most important, in the very first round,
       is to steal Gafgarion's Blood Sword, charm as many Knights as you
       possibly can (most importantly, the one residing on the ramparts
       with the Time Mage. Swipe at the Archers with any remaining turns.
       Second round will mostly feature enemies being de-charmed, so scale
       the walls and begin to kill the enemies as you come across. Focus
       on the evil Time Mages. As the other enemies head torwards you,
       Charm them for their trouble. With luck (ie. Gafgarion not having
       a secondary ability, or at least a worthwhile one, enemies not
       capable of massive healing), you'll eventually take your foes down.
     >>Orbonne - Izlude: Rather than bumrushing Izlude and poking at him
       with your flimsy daggers held by your weak girly arms, charm the
       Knights around him and the Summoner. Once his own men work his HP
       down to a manageable level, go in for the kill with random stabs,
       or just act lazy and re-Charm the Knights.
     >>Yardow Fort City: By now, you can potentially have Air Knives. Toss
       in Catch, and your Ninja foes should be cake.
     >>Yuguo Woods: Remember that Undead Humans can not be Charmed, and
       that Secret Hunt-ed Undead Monsters do not return. Focus on the Time
       Mage on the right at first, hopefully while charging, and then the
       Ghosts. Work fast, and with luck, you'll survive.
     >>Riovanes:  You'll need 7 Move, an Air Knife, and 9 Speed to handle
       this, meaning you'll have to be at about Level 40. At the start, run
       back and to the left. You'll need to be on the small bridge section,
       past the water, on the ramp going upwards past the dip...
       __
         \    __
          \__/<--- Be right here, in other words.
       After he moves, move far from him, almost torwards the door, and
       attack the air (CT purpose, for Velius). Now move as far away from
       where you are as possible, torwards the same spot you moved before,
       only on the right side. Now move into the corner and wait for him
       to get into range of an attack from behind. Hopefully he won't
       counter, and if he does, hopefully he'll miss. He'll move away
       and Stab you. Move behind him again and attack, and this battle
       should end. Velius, on the other hand, is just tough. You'll
       need to move around a lot again, and hit him as often as possible.
       Good luck.

                   ---Ultimaterializer's Alternate Strat---

       Here's your Laundry List for Riovanes.
       5 Air Knives, 1 Thief Hat, 1 Flash Hat, 3 Twist Headbands, 5 Black
       Costumes, 5 Bracers. Approximate Level - 45.

       Collecting this stuff is slightly complex. As mentioned before,
       Ahriman can be poahced for Air Knives. At Level 35-40, Monks in
       Sweegy (east entrance) wear Black Costumes, as do Archers in
       Araguay (west entrance) whom also wear Flash Hats. At Lv 45, these
       all important Archers also wear Thief Hats. Ramza should get the
       Thief Hat, and make note of which Thief gets the Flash Hat.
       Now time for the Battle Formation...

       Ramza's Party      Second Party
       ~ ~ F              3 ~ ~ 2           R-Ramza
       ~ ~ R              ~ ~ 1 ~           #s - Thief 1-3
                                            F-Flash Hat Thief
                                            ~-Space

       From the start, move Ramza all the way over to the left. Wiegraf
       will be out of range. Next, the cautious part. Use Ramza's superior
       move to get him _one_ space out of range for Wiegraf's attacks.
       You want to keep him near the small wall as well, so you'll most
       likely be moving torwards the left flame. Attack the air for CT
       purposes. Now head to the right flame, three spaces back and one
       to the right. This should put you 5 spaces out of Wie's movement.
       Attack the air again, which, for reasons unknown, will allow Wie
       to move into Earth Slash range, yet not use it. Shhh. Now it's
       time to smack him twice. This should put him out of commission.
       The box is locked, the lights are on, it's Velius fighting time o_o
       Move Ramza just to the left of the back right Thief. Charge the
       Flasher ahead and try to Charm the best aligned Demon, or in case of
       a tie, the one with the first AT. Now, for the tricky part. All of
       these directions are in relation to "behind Ramza-facing Velius".
       Thief 1 should move one space back, one left. Thief 2 should do the
       same, and Thief 3 should just move one space back. (Note: Ultima,
       if I have the wrong idea here based on your diagrams, just tell me)
       The basic principle is to set it so that Velius, who charges at you,
       can only target 1 Thief at most with Loss. This will cause him to
       use a Summon on Ramza. Take this opportunity to whack the charging
       Goat Man, but be sure that the summon will ONLY hit Ramza. The
       Demons should hopefully be occupied with the Flasher. Surround
       Velius with your Thieves and whack away. He should now run away
       and attempt another summon. Your superior Thieving speed should
       nicely set you up for another set or Charging whacks. Victory
       should come about... now.
             ---Back to your Reguarly Scheduled Ultima Strats---
     >>Roof of Riovanes: The battle shouldn't be difficult, but be sure
       to swipe the Barrette and Cachusha.
     >>Bervenia Free City: Again, healthy reminder. Steal Chantage.
     >>Finath River: Poach the Red Chocobos, hope for Barrettes.
     >>Limberry- Zalera: Ignore the silly Skeletons. Just slap on Angel
       Rings and take the least reasonable sounding strategy with Thieves:
       charge Zalera and pound on him brutally. He'll die first.
     >>Igros Castle: Non-Chantagers get N-Kai Armlets. Pull back from the
       start into the bottom right corner and let Dyce come to you. Use
       the Chantager to try and Charm the Knights in range. Once he
       draws near, send two thieves into the other corner, keep the other
       two in the right, and set the Chantager right in line with the
       arched opening, against the wall. Charge the Chantager forward
       and don't be afraid to get her bruised up a bit for the sake of
       putting some damage on Dyce. Now, lure him in, and try to get him
       into this location, or near it...

        O O     O = Arch Opening    ~ = Empty Square
        X ~     X = Marks the Spot

       Once he's there, swarm him with your Thieves, but keep the
       Chantager four spaces away from Dyce. Once Dyce transforms, he'll
       begin to target the Chantager with Holy. Since she'll be able
       to get smacked with it and die, only to be re-raised before Ard gets
       another turn, you've officially negated any threat the boss may
       have been. Extra special thanks to Ultima for one hell of a strat.
     >>Deep Dungeon: As one of only two classes who can really take true
       advantage of this place, be sure to exploit DD. The Chantager will
       end up doing the brunt of the fighting here, so if possible, rotate
       the equipper so as to even out the levels of the Females.
       -Use Angel Rings
       -VOYAGE and TERMINATE: Avoid Archers at all costs.
       -Avoid all Thieves at the same costs.
       -At HORROR, Catch + Charm in the Samurai/Ninja Battle = Fun
       -END: Chantager should get the Cachusha. Charge her ahead, charming
        Apandas as she passes, and send her one on one against Elidibis.
        This turns into an Adramelk repeat, since he really can't get much
        done against you.
       -After Elidibis, pick up some Chantage from the Porkys at END.
     >>Orbonne - The Final Battles: Chantages + Cachusha + Barrettes +
       Spare Equipment + Intelligence = Fairly Easy Battles. So sayeth
       Ultimaterializer.


     Other Stuff

     >>Charmed Enemies won't do physical damage to other Charmed enemies,
       but if they have an attack that only inflicts a status, they will
       use it on any charmed enemy.
     >>Boco is indeed a Special Character. You can not charm him in the
       Fovoham Battle.
___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    _________    _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-IX-\__/Time Mage\__/Difficulty: |=================*              |_| 6 |_

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Haste, Don't Move, Critical Quick, Short Charge, Demi,
             Teleport, Stop+Meteor Combo, Speed, Pointy Hats

     Disadvantages: Limited Offense All Around, Dependence On Halting Enemy,
             Skills Fade Quickly Early On

     Basics: It's kind of hard to find disadvantages to this Group. Then
            again, it's pretty hard to find a lot of ADVANTAGES too. Surely,
            their Time altering skills come in very handy. When wouldn't
            you want to speed your guys up and slow down, or even stop the
            enemy? The big irony here is that these abilities last for
            little more than a full AT or two until you bring your
            characters to higher levels, and thus, higher Speeds. It'd
            imperative to Haste your group early on, and to abuse Don't
            Move. Rather than totally Lure in enemies, it pays off to bring
            them close, then stop them in their tracks and single them out.
            Time Mage skills cost relatively little MP, so they can keep
            this up for a while. Much like Oracles, winning a battle
            depends much on your luck and the enemies' Faith levels. Can't
            win if you can't hit them after all. Demi works wonders on
            Zodiac demons, and once you have it all, Short Charge, Stop,
            and Meteor becomes an ultimately powerful combo attack.

     Set Up: Time Magic / Critical Quick / Short Charge / Teleport

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  5-  7 | Level 13-  8 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 21-  9 | Level 29- 10 | Level 37- 11 |
                        | Level 45- 12 | Level 52- 13 | Level 60- 14 |
                        | Level 68- 15 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Early Help: From the game's outset until around the Execution site,
       a great basic strategy is to Haste your Guests, Don't Move Knights,
       and cast Slow on anything else. This will give you some easy targets,
       and will probably be more efficient than waiting for Meteor to
       carry you through the entire game.
     >>The Sky Is Falling: A risky tactic, but worth it... Wait for the
       enemies to draw near to you, then target them with Meteor (Short
       Charge is a necessity here) and Teleport as far away as you can.
       Keep moving back and you should Squash just about anyone with a
       few Meteors. Make sure your characters are well out of range
       though!
     >>Don't Move: Obviously enough, use this on any Physical character. A
       Knight three Squares away is as good as a Wooden Chocobo. It
       performs it's function nicely VS Mage classes if you can run from
       them, too.
     >>Reflect: Remember this? I bet most of you don't. Reflect, as always,
       has its' fair share of ups and downs. Indeed, you can knock away most
       of the Wizard's skills, but don't forget, Haste can be Reflected!
       Use this ability wisely, preferably AFTER you've Hasted. Also, it's
       tough to target, and is quite random, but in a desperate situation,
       try using Reflect to bounce a status off your character, across the
       board.
     >>Demi and Demi2: So, you don't have enough MP to throw around for
       Meteor, or you just don't have Short Charge. In that case, when it
       comes to fighting, assassination fights especially, a few doses of
       Demi or Demi2 will off anything.
     >>Quick: Since your entire party has exactly the same abilities, this
       ability may not see much practical use. The only real example I
       could think of to make use of this in is if another Time Mage has
       enough MP for Meteor, but the Quick caster does not..

                      --Here Come the Ulti-Strats--
     >>The "Blue" Time Magic: Meteor, Slow 2, and Haste 2 can all be learned
       by having one Time Mage whack another Time Mage with those spells.
       Of course the only way to transfer a Meteor between Time Mages is
       probably to have Worst compatibility and a decent amount of HP, so
       if setting that up is worth it to you, feel free.
     >>Chapter 1: Chapter 1 battle strategies? Hey, if Ulti says they're
       necessary... Most come down to one single tactic though. Haste
       Algus and Delita, Slow the enemies, and hope Al and Del use
       Potions and Phoenix Downs properly. Sweegy, Dorter, and Sand Rat
       Cellar are where you'll have to do this, obviously enough.
     >>Mandalia Plateau: Yes, a strat for this. Don't worry, it's not
       very complex or anything...

               ~ ~ R ~ ~   R-Ramza       D-Delita
               T T T D T   T-Time Mage   ~-Space

       When your turn comes up, after Delita sacrifices himself, form
       a line of five mages by moving one forward. Just wait now, don't
       Haste. By the time your next AT comes up, Miluda should be within
       Demi range now for all. Just target her with 5, sit back, and enjoy.
     >>Zaland Fort City: If you don't have Meteor yet, read on. Otherwise,
       you know what to do by now. Hopefully Mustadio will wisely take
       refuge atop the wall. Get him Hasted when he does. Haste everyone,
       actually, ESPECIALLY Agrias. Slow down the enemies as expected,
       and avoid the Wizards until they're incapacitated.
     >>Golgorand Execution Site: Hopefully you've got Meteor, Short Charge,
       and Teleport by now. Being under level 18 actually helps out here,
       as you might depend on being slower than your foes. Meteor away,
       with some caution. As of now, this is probably going to be your
       strat for nearly every battle, so learn to love gigantic rocks.
     >>Riovanes: This strategy only applies if you're under level 18.
       Ramza should be in a Chameleon Robe. Everything else should be
       standard. Here's your formation, soldier...

             Team Ramza        Other
               ~ ~            T ~ ~ T       R-Ramza           T-Time Mage
               X R            ~ ~ ~ T       X-Important Mage  ~-Space

       A simple Meteor will take care of Wiegraf. As for Goat Boy, have
       Ramza charge a Demi 2 on him and then teleport three spaces to his
       right. Velius should charge down and kill the Important Time mage
       now with a physical attack. When Ramza's turn comes around, teleport
       to the right of Velius and smack him. A Demon will now most likely
       Giga Flare Ramza, damaging Velius as well. Some Demis from your
       surviving Mages will send Velius packing.
     >>Murond Death City- Balk: Thief Hats, White Robes, and a mix of
       Defense Armlets and Red Shoes shouldn't make this one too much of
       a task. Don't bother with Meteor here, though, Demi 2 will suffice.


___________________________________________________________________________

  ___    ________     _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-X-\__/Summoner\___/Difficulty: |==============*                 |__| 5 |_

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Wide Summon Range, Powerful Spells, Healing, Protection,
             Odin, Bahamut.

     Disadvantages: Huge MP Cost Before Half MP, Slow, Low HP, Poor
             Movement, No Good Reactoin Abilities

     Basics: Another assassination oriented job class. It certainly is fun
            to tag an enemy with Odin and then run, knowing that their doom
            is impending. With a group of five, you may become a little
            bored of hitting everything with summons and waiting so much,
            but it's for the better. In Story Battles, someone should
            always cast Golem, and your Summoners should be as far away as
            possible, casting some of the lower level Summons at their
            leisure. You won't need much more than the basic elementals,
            Fairy, Odin, and Bahamut. The others, aside from maybe Clops,
            don't come in too handy. Half of MP is definitely a blessing,
            but before you earn it, you may have to put up with the "staff
            'em to death" strategy. They have a very easy time with any of
            the assassination battles, and Summoner Ramza can defeat
            Wiegraf with absolutely no effort, as NeoElfBoy so bluntly
            pointed out to me. A strong, but tedious job.

     Set Up: Summon / Restore MP / Half of MP

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Level  1- 5 | Level 13- 6 | Level 31- 7 |
                        | Level 50- 8 | Level 69- 9 |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  8-  7 | Level 16-  8 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 24-  9 | Level 32- 10 | Level 40- 11 |
                        | Level 48- 12 | Level 57- 13 | Level 65- 14 |

     Battle Strategies:

     >>Patience Still A Virtue: Like the other mage classes, the Summoners
       best fighting tactic is to wait for the enemy to enter THEIR range.
       Since the Summoners aren't among the faster of classes, they need to
       conserve CT and pay attention to the AT List. Some battles can easily
       be won by charging full steam ahead with powerful summons, but when
       you're out-powered, sit back and wait. Don't forget to check for
       Elemental weaknesses too.
     >>To Kill a Zodiac...: Simple. Lich 'em to death. Lich away until they
       drop. Fairly simple, and evil, but it's a Gravity attack, of course
       it's evil. Don't you remember the nastiness of Quartr and Fallen One
       from FF6?
     >>Golem = Friend: Golem is an all purpose hand of God. Personally, I
       would get Golem as soon as the Summoners' MP is high enough. The
       short term protection from physical attacks can be CRUCIAL in many
       battles. Also, when leveling up, Golem can be re-cast as much as
       necessary for JP and EXP. In many later battles, you'll probably
       want to keep Golem active at all times.
     >>Igros Castle- Adramelk: A rough fight indeed. One-hit kill range 4
       summons aren't exactly what you want to be up against, especially
       with his speed, and your lack thereof. Your best offense is to...
       run like a rabbit. Stay scattered, and try your luck with Lich,
       but be wary of Seal. Try to prevent any mass deaths, and be sure
       to be wearing your Angel Rings. You'll need some luck to get by.
     >>Murond- Balk: The bigger threat here for the Summoners are the
       nigh approaching Tiamat-types. Since they can kill you, and
       mostly everything else, with little effort, you'll have to
       pull back some and try to finish the enemies off as they come
       to you. Once the Hydra-beasts are done, cross the bridge quick
       and pour some Lich onto the awaiting Balk. Death might be
       imminent here, as this will be a long, dredged out fight.
___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    _________   _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XI-\__/Geomancer\_/Difficulty: |==============*                 |__|5.5|_

     Recommended Party: Up For Arguement. Some Swear By 5 Males. I Prefer A
             Male/Female Mix. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Long Range Attacks, Elemental Status Effects, Attack
             Up, Shields, Good Melee Attacks, Balanced Growth

     Disadvantages: Elementals Are Weak, No Good Movement Ability,
             Outclassed By Many Enemies

     Basics: A favourite class of mine, I'll try not to be too bias. Think
            of Geomancers as weaker, long ranged Knights. They can use
            Swords, and can equip the ever powerful shields. Best yet, they
            also get access to the stat benefits of Clothes, Robes, and
            Hats. They have decent HP, and their PA and MA, which Elemental
            is based on, is usually about even for Females. The statuses
            inflicted by most elementals occur very often when they are
            used 5 times in a row. Best yet, they have Attack Up, which can
            turn them into powerful melee fighting machines. Now of course,
            the bad parts. To get a good Geo, you should probably use
            Females. This results in lower HP. And of course, the long
            range elementals don't deal that much damage at all. They only
            have an OK reaction ability, and their movement abilites are
            arguably the worst in the game. Their skill set isn't much more
            advanced than Knights, and isn't nearly as effective in story
            battles. Most strategy revolves around a lot of Elemental
            using, finishing the enemy off with a physical attack or two.
            Another good class, well balanced, and definitely with
            challenge.

     Set Up: Elemental / Counter Flood / Attack Up / Any Ground

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth   - | Level  1-  5 | Level  6-  6 | Level 14-  7 |
                        | Level 22-  8 | Level 31-  9 | Level 39- 10 |
                        | Level 47- 11 | Level 56- 12 | Level 64- 13 |

     Male MA Growth   - | Level  1- 4 | Level 11- 5 | Level 23- 6 |
                        | Level 35- 7 | Level 48- 8 | Level 60- 9 |

     Female PA Growth - | Level  1-  4 | Level  8-  5 | Level 18- 6 |
                        | Level 29-  7 | Level 39-  8 | Level 50- 9 |
                        | Level 60- 10 | Level 70- 11 |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  5 | Level  9-  6 | Level 18-  7 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 28-  8 | Level 38-  9 | Level 48- 10 |
                        | Level 57- 11 | Level 67- 12 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Fieldmarshall: Know your terrain! You have a whole game to spend with
       these wacky hippies, so you should take the time out to note what
       ground gives what Attacks. Know where to step for what status effect!
     >>Axes Bad!: Axes are bad weapons. Period.
     >>Ice Equipment Setup:  Ice Brand, Ice Shield, and 108 Gems make a nice
       set for Geomancers. If you deactivate Counter Flood, or just need to
       take a chance, you can attack a fellow Geomancer to heal them. Also,
       the Gems and the Elemental bonuses will increase the power of your
       elemental geomancy.
     >>Power Set-Up:  Ice Brand, Crystal/Aegis Shield, Twist Headband, Black
       Robe, Bracer. This setup is probably best for straightforward brawls.
       With a +5 PA and 25% more PA on elemental attacks, you should have
       enough power to handle any situation.
___________________________________________________________________________

  _____    ______     _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XII-\__/Lancer\___/Difficulty: |===========*                    |__| 4 |_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: High Power, Two Range Attack, Jump Skills, Dragon
            Spirit, Ignore Height

     Disadvantages: No Weapons Early On, Costly Jumps, Reliance on Jump

     Basics: Another very powerful Job which makes later battles a lot
            easier. The all Lancer party's main weakness is it's reliance
            on fists for the early sections of the game. It may require a
            bit more leveling up, and a lot of weak jumping, but they can
            make it through Chapter 1 eventually. Conserve JP for as long
            as possible and only invest in the Level 8 Jumps, as usual.
            Now, go for Ignore Height with your guys, and keep them out of
            harms way and Jump what you need to to death. Dragon Spirit will
            come in handy, and their high HPs will usually cause them to
            be revived with enough HP to get hit again, and thus, reactive
            it. Once they get past their early difficulties, most battles
            will be easy. Their lack of Speed and Movement will be a
            hinderance, but keep going at it and eventually you'll triumph.

     Set Up: Jump / Dragon Spirit / Ignore Height

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  8-  7 | Level 15-  8 |
                      | Level 22-  9 | Level 29- 10 | Level 36- 11 |
                      | Level 42- 12 | Level 49- 13 | Level 56- 14 |
                      | Level 63- 15 | Level 70- 16 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Jumping Fact: A jump lands (50/Speed) clockticks after being
       used. A Lancer with 10 Speed lands in 5 clock ticks. For the
       FFT-jaron illiterate, a clock tick is the moment of time in which
       characters' CT increase, patented by Adi. A brief example follows
       to make things crystal clear... The same 10 Speed Lancer has two
       targets. Both have Speed 8. The Bomb's current CT is 50. On the
       other hand, the Goblin's CT is 70. In 5 clock ticks, the Bomb's
       CT will be 90 (50 + (8*5)), and the Goblin will have his turn, and
       end up at 10 CT (70 + (8*5)). Obviously, the Lancer should choose
       to Jump on the Bomb, since it won't have a chance to move beforehand.
       Hope that about explains things.
     >>Accessorize: The terribly slow Lancers should generaly focus on
       increasing theyir maneuverability with their accesories. Battle
       Boots, Germinas Boots, and Sprint Shoes should be chosen over
       Bracers and such.
     >>Just For Starters: Early on in the game, pre-Lances, you
       will need to make use of all your wits to stay alive. Jump as much
       as necessary and avoid hand to hand combat. Keep back as much as
       possible and let your Guests do the greater portion of the work.
     >>Kriss Kross Make Ya Wanna: When faced with a mage, despite your
       low Faith, it's always best to Jump on their heads and make them
       die, avoiding the spell, and offing an enemy.
     >>The Roman Spear: A nice attack formation brought to my attention by
       Izlude Tingle. Move all of your Lancers into the corner of a battle
       ground, like this:

       JJ
       LLJ

       Lancers labeled J should Jump, while L Lancers poke with their
       spears. Enemies of course will move to the spot in front of where
       the Jumpers are, putting the Pokers out of range of them, but
       keeping them in range to be poked. The Jumpers will be in relatively
       little danger. A great way to handle most random battles, and some
       story fights.
     >>Baiting Enemies: Jumps are hard to calculate. Most of the time
       you can ascertain a general idea of when your man will land, but
       between miscalculations and times when it's simply impossible
       to land on a need-to-kill enemy, try luring them with a single
       Lancer. Leave one empty space in front of a Lancer whom is near
       the targeted enemy, and have another Lancer jump on that space.
       The bait Lancer takes the blow, and the enemy takes the hit.
     >>Yardow Fort City: Keep your guys at long range and let the Ninja
       feed themselves to you. By now, your Jump range should be maximized,
       so simply let them come to you. Malak should be offed as soon as
       possible and the Summoners shouldn't be too much of a bother as long
       as you Jump away from their infernal creatures.
     >>Murond City - Balk: Equip Flame Shields to nullify the annoying
       Elemental Guns, and Rubber Shoes to nullify the infernal Blast Gun.
       Stay back and wait if necessary, but once Balk is at
       around 30 CT or less, launch Jumps at him. They'll hit, and with
       high enough power, he'll be dead after a few Jumps.
     >>Airship Graveyard - Hashmalum: Use Sprint Shoes and strip your
       armor. This will lead Hashy to use Meteor on you. Or at least he'll
       try to. Position your Lancers so the Meteor will smash him, and then
       send five Jumps his way. You'll avoid the Meteor, and hit him five
       times. Another round of Jumps now, but you'll catch him charging
       this time. He even made it easy for you. How kind. I should add
       that Ultimaterializer submitted this and it's _exactly_ what I did
       on my run through. Strange coincidence :P
     >>Airship Graveyard - Altima: The first form will fall prey to jumps
       quickly. However, before finishing it off, move all of your Lancers
       six panels away from each other, backs to the walls. This will force
       the second form to not use Grand Cross. Jump on Altima only when
       A) You're sure you'll hit [see Jumping Fact]. B)When a weak Lancer
       needs to avoid attacks. With a bit of Dragon Spirit, and a battle of
       decent length, you'll come out on top.

___________________________________________________________________________

  ______    ________   _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-XIII-\__/Mediator\_/Difficulty: |====================*           |_| 7 |_

     Recommended Party: 2 Males, 3 Females. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Invitation, Alter Brave and Faith, Threaten, Guns, Mimic
          Daravon

     Disadvantages: Poor PA, Low Invitation Rate, No Good Reaction
          Abilities, Mediocre Movement, Weak Physical Attacks At Beginning
          and End
</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
     Basics: I once had a very incorrect judgement of these guys. After
          playing around with them a little bit, I realize how terribly
          wrong I was. Mediators are a grand big ball of fun to use.
          First off, their Threaten ability can turn the entire battlefield
          into a chicken coop. Solution can turn your party into
          an anti mage war unit. Mimic Daravon makes for some nice back up
          when all else fails. Don't forget about Invitation too, and
          their anti-mage skill, Insult. All of this stuff has NOW timing,
          too. They still lack terribly in HP and PA, but they can surely
          make up for this if all they are fighting is poultry. Mediators
          definitely present a challenge, but they are now among my
          favourite job classes for this challenge.

     Set Up: Talk Skill / Finger Guard [After B/F Enhancement] / Train

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth   - | Level  1- 3 | Level  5- 4 | Level 20- 5 |
                        | Level 35- 6 | Level 50- 7 | Level 65- 8 |

     Female PA Growth - | Level  1- 3 | Level 20- 4 | Level 39- 5 |
                        | Level 57- 6 |

     Battle Strategies:

     >>Finger Guard: Lay off it for a while. This poorly guided Reaction
       will attempt to counter your Solutions and Praising. There is very
       little market for a skill this useless...
     >>Threaten: Where do I begin? This attack has about a 70% chance of
       hitting against worst Zodiac, 90% normally. Keep that in mind. 3 of
       these will poultryize most enemies, 4 will do the job on anything.
       The bonuses of doing this? Well until it's Brave returns to 10, you
       have now disabled an enemy and given yourself a 150% damage attack
       against it. Oh, and when it does return, if it's a monster, any
       physical attack it does will be pathetic, as they are partially
       based on Brave, and any enemy is easy to return to his foul form.
       Turn any battlefield into a Chicken Coop, and have your way with
       them :) Thanks to Saint Ajora for letting me see the light.
     >>Eat Your Level Eggs!: Okay, so now use the Chicken Coop strategy,
       and now, with your group of clucking enemies, chase them into a
       corner. Here comes the fun part. Try to save as many enemies as
       you have characters and have each Mediator use Threaten on them
       on their turn. This will set the enemies into eternal chicken
       state. For a twist or two, use Solution if your Mediators' Faiths
       aren't at 3 yet, or build up your Brave via Praise while your
       better off dead chickens cluck in fear.
     >>False Demise:  Here's a very fun trick which I never thought about
       until Turd Ferguson (who added all the strat following this piece,
       too) pointed it out. With Death Sentence, enemies will be
       inclined to ignore you, since you'll be dying on your own anyway.
       So you can use this to your advantage, since combined with an
       Angel Ring, you can have the status but not die when the timer
       runs down. This basically gives you an enemy shield for a few
       turns. Abuse the hell out of this.
     >>Mythril Guns W/ Less Trouble:  Since random Mediator battles
       are basically the same thing over and over, to save yourself some
       time, instead of walking to Goug for Mythril Guns, Invite the
       Chemists from Goaland and Grog Hill, and the 5th will be won as
       a trophy in Grog. Just a recommendation.
     >>Riovanes-Wiegraf:  Lv35 is a must for the Speed Point. Equip
       Ramza with a Mythril Gun, best available armor, a Green Beret,
       and Germinas Boots. You'll get the first turn. Shoot him, and
       start running. Keep this practice up, and pay attention to
       the AT List. There's a point where you can Act and wait w/o
       moving to get double turns. Use this, and you'll off him before
       he offs you.
     >>Elemental Guns W/ Lots of Trouble:  Only one Gun is directly
       available during the Mediator SCC. During the Beowulf subquest,
       you can Invite a Chemist from the Goaland Mines and steal his
       Blaze Gun. You can also try to find more Chemists and Mediators
       with Elemental Guns in Germinas Peak random battles, but you
       won't be able to do this without a decently high level, and you
       must have progressed past Zalera. Finally, to some extent you
       can get some Deep Dungeon equipment. If you find a random human
       with Move-Find Item, use Invite and then try to manipulate him
       to walk where you need him to walk. Yes, this works, but no, it
       isn't fun.
     >>Graveyard of Airships:  Hopefully you have at least one Elemental
       Gun on you. Hopefully, you have more than one. These will be
       your only means of victory, simply because your abilities aren't
       terribly useful on your foes. Use the Angel Ring/Death Sentence
       trick to protect your Elemental Gunners, and simply try to stay
       alive long enough. Good luck.
___________________________________________________________________________

  _____    ______     _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XIV-\__/Oracle\___/Difficulty: |=================*              |__| 6 |_

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Status Effects, Two Range Attack, Move-MP Up, Defense Up,
          Petrify, Innocent

     Disadvantages: Effectiveness Based Much On Luck, Little Offense For
          Most of the Game, Random Battles Can Cause Problems if Swarmed

     Basics: Another challenge. Their entire strategy hinges around
             disabling enemies and taking them out when they can't fight
             back. Paralyze and Sleep will become staple parts of your
             strategy. Petrify can take out a sin gle non-special unit in
             one fell swoop, but is very risky. They have several ways to
             deal with opposing mages, and even have a pair of
             recouperative abilities. Though they don't have high PA, their
             Sticks are MA based, making them a PHYSICAL threat. The entire
             problem with Oracles is that they NEED a lot of luck to win
             battles. You'll find a lot of difficulty in random battles
             until you have a good skill set, and even then, a swarm can
             easily swamp the Magical Pimps. Prepare to be hitting soft
             reset for a while...

     Set Up: Ying Yang Magic / Absorb Used MP / Defense Up / Move MP Up

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level 10-  7 | Level 18-  8 |
                        | Level 27-  9 | Level 35- 10 | Level 44- 11 |
                        | Level 52- 12 | Level 61- 13 | Level 69- 14 |

     Battle Strategies

      >>Paralyze: One of the earliest available and most useful ability in
        the skill set. It has its' obvious uses, like inflicting Don't Act
        at a rather decent rate. But, it also eliminates the victim's evade.
        This becomes useful against Knights and such. Don't forget, Reaction
        skills are ignored too.
      >>Silence Song: The most basic, and effective way to eliminate any
        type of magic class. It actually can outspeed most Black Magic
        spells/ However, some may have protection against it. In that case,
        use...
      >>Doubt Faith: This nullifies the power of any mage. However, now your
        characters don't stand a chance at hitting it with their spells.
        Instead, try...
      >>Blind Rage: This causes Mages to use physical attacks, while keeping
        them open targets to Ying Yang Magic.
      >>Sleep+Paralyze: This is the best strategy early on to stop an
        opponenent dead in its' tracks. Put it to sleep, then Paralyze the
        other enemies that are near to back them away for long enough.
        Paralyze the sleeping victim, then attack without any worry of
        evasion or counter, and with bonus damage.
      >>Pray Faith: It's very easy to miss the usefulness of this ability.
        It's best used in conjunction with Sleep or Petrify, seeing as they
        both have the same Speed. Oracle 1 casts Pray Faith, and if it's a
        pretty high hit percentage, Oracle 2 targets the same enemy with
        Petrify or Sleep. This gets the job done well. Faith stays on for
        a while too.
      >>Equipment Upgrade: Before entering Goug for the first time, and
        after dropping off Agrias and Ovelia at Lionel, return to Zaland.
        Now you'll have access to Battle Bamboo, Green Berets, and Wizard
        Robes. With this boost, you'll have an easy time in the next few
        fights.
      >>Foxbird: Two uses of this will reduce most enemies into Chickens for
        a few turns. Three uses will turn ANY enemy into a Chicken. Use this
        to your advantage.
      >>Life Drain/Spell Absorb: 4 Life Drains will kill ANYTHING except the
        Undead. 3 Spell Absorbs will drain ANYTHING of all of its' MP.
      >>Confusion: Never doubt the power of Confusion. Though it'll
        probably see more use in random battles, sometimes it's just a lot
        damn more fun to have your enemies kill each other. Not practical
        strategy, but all fun and no games makes the SCC really damned
        boring.
      >>Leveling Up Easy:  This strategy requires that your Oracles all have
        Spell Absorb, Move- MP Up, and preferably Absorb Used MP. Now then,
        finish off all the enemies, save one. Put this sucker to sleep,
        then get your Oracles gathered together. Find a few good pairs of
        characters to Spell Absorb each other, and keep your Oracles walking
        around. With fairly decent Hit% and compatibility, accompanied by
        the occasional Re-Sleep, your Oracles will build up some nice
        JP and EXP, giving them the boost they may need in Chapter 1 and 2.
      >>The Undead: A bane to all Oracles. Since Life Drain, your prime
        damage dealer most often, heals them and they've got a good chance
        of reviving before your Oracles can finish the battle (earlier on
        at least), you're best off trying to Petrify them, throwing in
        Pray Faith when necessary.
      >>Lionel Castle: Trouble? Well, on the Gafgarion side, either cast
        Sleep on him, OR cast Zombie on yourself :) This will reverse the
        effects of Night Sword. On the other side of the wall, Silence the
        Summoner and put as many of the Knights to sleep as possible. The
        Archers' Lightning Bows MAY cause a character to drop. If that's the
        case, just rush. Have patience, above all.
      >>Yardow Fort City: Use an Oracle to Silence, and thus, nullify, one
        of the Summoners right off the bat. Sit back and Pray Faith your
        party. Once the Ninja start to come out, Pray Faith/Petrify if
        necessary. Life Drain works as well, but you may not want to risk
        this since it's a slower process. The remaining Summoner threat
        might get in some serious damage now, but shouldn't survive for
        long enough without the Ninja to bother you. Be prepared to reset
        a few times though, since much of this is left up to chance and
        Rafa's survival.
      >>Murond Death City- Balk: Of utmost importance here is to get the
        approaching monsters paralyzed, or more preferably, asleep. Move
        across as quickly as possible, Doubt Faith to nullify the Chemist's
        elemental gun, and then Drain Balk down to nothing.



___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    _____      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XV-\__/Ninja\____/Difficulty: |========*                       |__| 3 |_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: High PA, Two Swords, Speed, Movement, Abandon, Throw,
          Ninja Swords

     Disadvantages: Low HP, Weak Early Weapons, Easy To Kill if Swarmed,
          Throwing Can Be Very Costly

     Basics: Having Two Swords certainly can be fun. Unless those swords
          are actually Knives. There is only so much strategy to be found
          in Ninja. Aggressive players will move in and hack away at their
          foes. Passive players can play it safe and throw axes and such to
          do damage from a safe distance. Despite their low HP, they do have
          25% class evasion, not to mention the always reacting Abandon,
          thus, as long as you don't let the enemy get behind you, you'll
          have a good shot at evading the attack. Once you have Spell Edges,
          exploit Don't Act as much as possible. If you can't kill
          something, keep throwing Ninja at it until it's hit with Don't
          Act. Early in the game, they have a great deal of trouble. Of
          course, they are a hard class to get to, yet once you have them,
          they are only a glorifed Squire for a while. Capable of dealing
          Knight damage, they must depend on evasion and knowing when to
          run. Play them cautiously, and be fierce when you need to be.

     Set Up: Throw / Sunken State / Move In Water

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Level  1-  7 | Level 10-  8 | Level 22-  9 |
                      | Level 33- 10 | Level 44- 11 | Level 55- 12 |
                      | Level 67- 13 |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  9-  7 | Level 16-  8 |
                      | Level 23-  9 | Level 31- 10 | Level 38- 11 |
                      | Level 45- 12 | Level 53- 13 | Level 60- 14 |
                      | Level 67- 15 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Evasion: Make great use of the Ninja's natural 30% class evade. When
       ever it is possible, use a Mantle instead of Boots or Gloves, and
       equip Abandon. In a few attacks, the Ninja should be very hard to
       touch.
     >>Throwing: Though a costly habit, try to carry around Axes or Flails
       to throw, as they supply some of the best damage. And remember,
       Throw damage is Speed based.
                               --Ulti Strat--
     >>Sunken State: Triggered by most attacks, hit or miss. Aside from
       the obvious benefit of disallowing any chance of a follow up attack,
       you get the added joy of having your next attack hit for sure, as
       the Invisible status adds Concentrate. There's no shame in throwing
       Knives at your own Ninja to activate Sunken State, either. It can
       be crucial. In many key battles, due to the Ninja's speed, you'll
       get first strike. Use some Knives to set four Ninja into Sunken
       State, using the fifth as a decoy. Perfect Assassination-battle
       strategy.
     >>Stealth Assassains: Apply the Sunken State strategy as previously
       stated to the following Battles: Bed Desert, Igros- Adramelk, and
       Murond Death City- Balk. Certainly there are more, but I'm just
       trying to save myself some time typing out the same repetitive
       strat. for those o_o
     >>Zaland Fort City: Battle boots are quite handy here. Get Ramza to
       the top of the wall, and have the other three Ninjas hop on and off
       a Wizard with Throw. Deal with the Wizards first and then simply
       avoid the Knights until you've finished the Archers. Opt for Throw
       over a physical attack if you're in danger of getting sliced up
       by the Knights.
     >>Bariaus Hill: Try to stay 10 panels out of the Summoners' way so as
       to avoid getting destroyed via Summons. Sit back and let whomever
       comes your way get Thrown down, and should the Summoners drop below
       24 MP, strike them down. Agrias and Mustadio will perform clean up
       duties.
     >>Golgorand Execution Site: None too hard. Be sure to bring along
       some Flails and Axes to throw. Three Throws will take down Gaf, buy
       be prepared for some missed shots. Take out Gaf and the middle Archer
       first and then head up the wall and take care of the Time Mages.
       Get your Ninja Sunken to bypass the Knights' Evade and the rest
       should be cake.
     >>Chapter 2- Orbonne: Jump ignores Sunken State oddly enough, so take
       precautions. Use Knives to Sunken your own troop and then wait.
       This works fine in the first and second Orbonne fights.  Izlude
       shouldn't be a problem, though, as even his Jump won't be enough
       to take out a Ninja.
     >>Yardow Fort City: Formations, people...

              R N N         R-Ramza    N-Ninja
              N   ~ ~ ~     ~-Space
              N ~ ~   ~

       This set up should send only one Ninja Throw Rafa's way, and one
       yours. Destroy the Ninja atop the wall with some assorted Throw
       goodies. Stay ten panels away from the Summoners for as long as
       possible and destroy the other Ninja and Malak as they come your
       way. Then slice up the Summoners when it's most opportune.
     >>Orbonne- Rofel: First, the setup.

              ~ ~ ~ ~ N   N-Ninja  R-Ramza
              R N N N ~   ~-Space

       And so... there's one of two ways this battle will start. 1 )a  sole
       Wizard will get the first turn (somehow...) and charge a spell. Use
       the in-range Ninja to kill him with Yagyu's and Wait. Don't move at
       all. Rofel will come in, charge a spell, and then fall into a
       pool of his own blood, Yagyu stars embedded in his flesh. 2 ) the
       wizard won't get the first strike. This is even simpler. Just wait.
       Repeat of the above Rofel death, of course.
     >>Graveyard of Airships- Altima: Use the old 4 Sunken 1 Decoy strat,
       but first let Altima kill Alma and let the demons muck around. After
       that, now move in, with the 4 Sunken moving in first, and the decoy
       used to get Altima's attention. Swarm once she takes the bait and
       stomp her down. The second form isn't much of a stretch of the
       imagination. Smack her with your Edges at first and throw Morning
       Stars as she moves away. If you can catch her charging, throw
       whatever Knight Swords you may have at her. Done deal.

  _____    _______    _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XVI-\__/Samurai\__/Difficulty: |=========*                      |__|3.5|_

     Recommended Party: 1 Males, 4 Females. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: High PA, Draw Out Variety, Blade Grasp, Healing, Protection

     Disadvantages: Not Very Manueverable, Draw Out Can Be Costly, First Few
          Draw Outs Are Poor, No Good Movement Ability

     Basics: One of the most popular jobs in all of Tactics, Samurai has
          every advantage a Physical class needs. However, they too suffer
          in Chapter 1 as Weaponless wonders. This does give you time to
          build, and build, and build up your skills for the swords yet
          to come. So, while struggling through Chapter 1, make use of
          Blade Grasp, which will keep your hapless Samurai safe from the
          evil Chocobo. Once you have the Swords, grow a routine. Keep
          your Samurai tightly knit. Open battles with Kiyomori, and use
          Murasame whenever your HP is even slightly low. Bizen Boat can
          make quick work of Mage classes, and before you get the real
          power swords, Asura and such will provide decent damage to a
          wide area of enemies. Be prepared to be constantly short on gil,
          though, as you have to make sure that you carry a constant stock
          of swords. As a final note, remember, you don't get access
          to Masamune or Chirijaden.

     Set Up: Draw Out / Blade Grasp / Two Hands / Walk On Water

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Male PA Growth   - | Level  1-  6 | Level  6-  7 | Level 13-  8 |
                        | Level 20-  9 | Level 28- 10 | Level 35- 11 |
                        | Level 42- 12 | Level 49- 13 | Level 57- 14 |
                        | Level 64- 15 |

     Female PA Growth - | Level  1-  5 | Level 10-  6 | Level 19-  7 |
                        | Level 28-  8 | Level 37-  9 | Level 46- 10 |
                        | Level 55- 11 | Level 64- 12 |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1-  4 | Level  7- 5 | Level 18- 6 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 30-  7 | Level 41- 8 | Level 52- 9 |
                        | Level 64- 10 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>When All Else Fails: Use Meatbone Slash! It causes huge damage when
       it's activated, and can end most battles pretty easily. Great
       early on, and even better late in the game when you can heal.
     >>Blade Grasp: Shoot for this early. The protection this gives
       to your party is beyond useful. Take your time, you may as well
       have it before Dorter.
     >>Two Hands: Another solid early ability to help combat the lack of
       Katana. Punching damage increases a bit, which is helpful for
       the time being early in Chapter 1. Also, even after Katanas are
       brought into the scene, use Draw Outs only when necessary. Samurai
       with Two Hands are EASILY strong enough to take out most enemies
       with just their physical attacks.
     >>Draw Out: Keep about 7 stocked Katanas in your inventory, as you
       might run through them like water with 5 sword smashers on your team.
       Never over do it; if Asura will get the job done, don't use Heaven's
       Cloud. Get to know how much damage you'll do, and follow enemies
       accordingly. Also, Draw Outs come in handy to avoid the ever deadly
       counter attacks.
                     ---Genuine Ultimaterializer Strats---
     >>Fovoham Windmill: Wait for Boco to come to you, and pound the poor
       bird to death. Move forward, but stand on unlevel ground to draw
       Crush Punch instead of Stasis Sword (and hope for the best). Start
       punching him after this and hope for the best. Ignore the others
       since Blade Grasp should do its duty here.
     >>Bariaus Hill: Bait the Summoners to waste their Summons on one
       Samurai a piece, and then pull the bait back. Pound methodically
       on the melee fighters, and protect the weak. Isn't that bad. Look
       on the bright side, Katana come next.
                      ---Pause in Ultimaterializiness---
     >>Golgorand: Rush Gafgarion with your Samurais and get him out of the
       fight. Draw your Samurai away from the Time Mages and focus your
       attack on the Knights. Blade Grasp should give adequate protection
       against the Archers. Finish the Time Mages last.
     >>Lionel Castle: Don't attack Gaf until the gate is open. Split your
       party up to take out the characters on both sides. After the others
       are dead, take out Gafgarion.
                      ---Genuine Ultimaterializer Strat---
     >>Inside Riovanes: Ramza should have Heaven's Cloud, Circlet,
       Chameleon Robe, and Red Shoes. The rest should sub. the Robe for
       the best available Armor and Red Shoes for N-Kai Armlets (save one).
       Formation is simple; move the team as far up as possible, placing
       the one Samurai with Germinas Boots instead behind the right flame.
       For the fight... move Ramza next to Wiegraf and use Heaven's Cloud
       and face the back of the room. After Wie's Wave Fist or whatever,
       heal with Murasame back where you started. Use Kiyomori next, and
       then heal again. Now stand next to him again and use Heaven's Cloud.
       If a third Cloud will finish him, go for it. Otherwise, strike
       him down with your sword. Getting the kill will give Ramza a vital
       extra turn. Heal Ramz and move him back four spaces. Another
       Samurai can use Kiyomori, and try to Protect/Shell the entire party.
       Velius will cast Titan on Ramza, which he should survive easily.
       Kamikaze Ramza forward with a Heaven's Cloud. A second Titan will
       off Ramza, but after four more whacks from the Samurais, Velius will
       go down.
     >>Outside Limberry: Keep all of your Samurai back and try to withdraw
       Ramza if possible. Allow the Assassains to try for Stop Bracelet,
       and then fry them with whatever you so desire.
     >>Limberry Basement: Protect against Stop, and then pray. Zalera's
       Speed and range of status effect spells can really put an end
       to you. Hope for the best when he casts Nightmare. The best, oddly
       enough, would be Death Sentence. Get him in range and hack away. A
       lot of luck is necessary here.
                         ---Ultima Strats Once More---
     >>Murond Death City - Balk: Equip Red Shoes and start far back.
       Simply move into Kiki. range and stop caring. Eight will take him
       down, giving Balk a few opportunities for Arm Aim. If one misses,
       he's lost. Sounds like good odds to me...
     >>Graveyard of Airships - Hashmalum: After the initial Quake, heal
       and then use Kiyomori. Move your in-range Samurai in for a smack,
       and then repeat the healing process. No problem.
     >>Graveyard of Airships - Altima: Protection is of utter importance.
       Once you have a protected party, start to move in to do some damage
       to Altima. Keep a Samurai to attend Alma, keeping her HP high to
       draw attention away from your characters. Use your strongest Attacks
       and keep Shell and Protect up, if for no other reason than to force
       Despair 2 instead of a damaging attack.

                      ---Ultima's Alternate Strat---

       Equip all with Red Shoes. Move Ramza as forward as possible and
       use Muramasa. Use 1 Kiki. each on the front Demons, and then focus
       two onto the right most demon to off it. Altima will start to
       cast Ultima on Ramza, so dedicate a Samurai to healing and protecting
       him, while Ramza should attack the charging Altima. Finish the last
       Demon with the three free Samurai, Kiyomori each other, and spread
       out. Altima Form One goes down soon. Form two shouldn't be too
       much of a deviation from this strategy. Focus any spell of Altima's
       such as All Ultima on her, keep Ramza healed, keep Kiyomori up,
       and continue to deliver strong physical attacks.


___________________________________________________________________________

  ______    ____      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XVII-\__/Bard\____/Difficulty: |==========================*     |__| 9 |_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males.

     Advantages: Long Distance Aid, Move+3, Last Song, Cheer Song, Battle
          Song, Ranged Weapon, Bloody Strings

     Disadvantages: Very Low HP, No Damaging Skills, Must Wait An Eternity
          To Damage Enemies, Low Song Hit Rate, Reliance on Luck

     Basics: Eh... what can you say? You need both Third Tier Magic classes
          up to Level four to use them, and then you get punished by having
          to stretch every battle in the game out. Obviously, you must run
          as much as possible and stay far out of the reaches of even
          Goblins. You'll need to use Battle Song almost constantly, and it
          isn't a bad idea to have one Bard use Life Song to keep your guys
          up. With Move+3, you'll have a much easier time fleeing from your
          foes. Once you've built up an insane amount of PA, run in and
          smash those troublesome enemies into the ground. This is pretty
          basic of a strategy, but a necessity. The _REAL_ challenge lies
          in trying to defeat Gafgarion and Wiegraf like this...

     Set Up: Sing / MA Save / Move+3

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Normal |

     Bard's PA Growth - | Level 1- 1 | Level 29- 2 |

     Bard's MA Growth - | Level  1-  4 | Level  6- 5 | Level 17- 6 |
                        | Level 28-  7 | Level 39- 8 | Level 50- 9 |
                        | Level 61- 10 |

     Battle Strategies:

     >>Bare Necessities of Bard-dom:  Prepare to be cowardly. Since fists,
       early on, suck, and Harps, later, suck almost as much, you have
       to build your PA way up with several Battle Songs to be effective.
       Also, it's imperative to be singing 2 Life Songs to keep your HP
       at max for the most part. Life and Battle Song are the most
       important to keep in mind; other songs can come later on, but try
       to get MA Save and Move+3 in the mean time. Until mid-way into
       Chapter 2, you'll have 1 PA and no weapon. After that, you may
       want to start speeding up your characters with Cheer Song. Once
       Bloody Strings arrive, focus on Speed instead of Life.
     >>Singing Quirks:  More basic information. A Singing character has
       0% physical and magical evade. Damage is not increased, but of
       course you'll be performing until you attack.
     >>The Trance:  A phrase coined by Babo, and pointed out to me by
       Jjukil. From the beginning of the game until near the end of
       Chapter 2, if you run enough Life Songs so that all enemy
       damage would be negated, the enemies will cease attacking. If
       they can gang up on a Bard, they will, but otherwise, simply
       staying out of range can really keep them at bay. This will
       basically fade away by the time you get a Harp, unfortunately.
     --All Battle Strategies Came From Jjukil, Re-Written By Me--
     >>Golgorand:  Move+3 is imperative to your survival here. Run up
       the walls and perform 2 Life Songs and 2 Magic Songs, allowing
       the slightly bulkier Ramza (with a Wizard Mantle) to take the
       damage from chasing enemies. Take out the Time Mages first,
       then the Archers, then the Knights. Simply avoid Gaf until you
       can take him out in one turn.
     >>Lionel: Make sure to have Green Berets all around, and 5 Defense
       Rings in stock. The first battle can be won by using Fly to send
       all of your Super Bards to Ramza's rescue. The second fight comes
       down to simply plugging away at Quek before he can take out all
       of your Bards. Don't bother with songs, however you may want to
       leave one or two Bards without Defense Rings, so as to attract
       attention to them and leave the rest of your party relatively
       unaffected by Status.
     >>Orbonne-Wiegraf: This takes mostly luck. Form your party so Wie
       can hit as few Bards as possible. After the initial stab, move a
       healthy Bard in front of the door to prevent him from running.
       Now start playing those damn harps. Getting around his shield is
       a matter of sheer luck. In other words, good luck.
     >>Riovanes: Get Ramza to 9 Speed (Lv35 and a Beret), with Move+3
       and Red Shoes. Now runabout the room performing Cheer Song,
       staying out of Wie's range. 25 Speed should be adequate. Use
       your multi-turns to kill Wiegraf before he can do anything about
       your Super Bard, and then pray to do the same to Velius (Luck).
     >>Bervenia:  Put every character in the back row from the start.
       Use some experimenting to find the one character Meliadoul can
       still hit in two turns, and put your worst Bard there. Move
       the rest of your characters around the house and build their
       stats. Draw attention to the decoy, and when Meliadoul comes
       in for the kill, unleash your hellish (cough) Bards on her.
       With luck (notice a pattern?), you'll get her in one fell swoop.
     >>Limberry:  Have 5 Twist Headbands, 5 Angel Rings, and 2 N-Kai
       Armlets in stock. Elmdor's Blade Grasp makes him nigh impossible
       for Bards to hit, so you have to rely on (ugh) getting the
       Assassains to hit him with Ultima. Arrange your party so two
       while be weakened or killed, but so Throw or Charm won't work
       on someone else within range (this depends on N-Kai and... Luck).
       Two Ultimas and a few lucky plucking of the strings should off Elmy.
       Against Zalera, load up on Headbands, Angel Rings, and Power Sleeves.
       Speed and HP don't matter because you WON'T have enough. Swamp
       Zalera and pray he uses Nightmare instead of Spell. Good luck...
     >>Murond Holy Place-Zalbag:  Run for the low left corner and use 5
       Battle Songs. Angel Rings and Movement should save you for the
       most part until you can kill the Ultima and Archaic Demons. After
       that, TRY to get Zalbag to Blood Suck your Bards. With a little bit
       (yes, only a little) of luck, Zalbag will be offed by his own
       vampiric creations.
     >>Murond Death City-Balk:  Two possible paths to take here...
       1) Equip Rubber Shoes to nullify Balk. Kill the monsters as they
         come to you, saving Behemoths for last. Since Hydras move so
         far, you'll probably lose someone as you build up. Load for
         bear, then come out swinging against whoever's in your way.
       2) Lure Balk to a square just beyond the bridge and move a Bard
         next to him. Now hope that a Hydra comes by and fries him with
         a few consecutive blasts. Yes, this means you need luck. What
         did you expect?
     >>Graveyard of Airships-Altima:  Protect Alma at all costs. On the
       opening turn, surround her with Bards, and have them wait so they
       can move before Ultima Demons off them. Kill the Demons and use
       Angel Song to keep Alma alive. Yes, her MBarrier is that important.
       Anyone who is attacked by Altima needs to attack back so they can
       heal and survive. Altima should be influenced to use Grand Cross,
       so just keep all of your protection up for as long as possible.
       Keep chipping away at her, and try not to fall asleep. This could
       take up to an hour.
___________________________________________________________________________

  _______    ______   _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XVIII-\__/Dancer\_/Difficulty: |=====================*          |__|7.5|_

     Recommended Party: Ramza (As Bard), 4 Females.

     Advantages: Very Long Range Damage, Fly, Last Dance, Nameless Dance

     Disadvantages: Tedious Battles, Low HP, Low Dance Hit Rate

     Basics: Better than Bards? That's not saying much, but there really is
          little to be said of Straight Dancers. After going through
          all the job levelling up trouble, you must now wait for
          "With Knives" to take out the enemies. They have some very nice
          abilities, but most of the time it is way too risky to waste time
          with them while you could be doing damage to your foes. Use the
          Status inflicting and stat breaking Dances wisely for best
          results. The big plus here is having Ramza as a Bard. Abuse
          Nameless Song and keep your girls alive. Good luck fighting
          Wiegraf though, it's just as tough in this game as it is in
          the Bard game.

     Set Up: Dance / A Save / Fly

     Relevant Stats:

     See Bard for Bard Ramza's Stats

     Speed Growth       - | Normal |

     Dancer's PA Growth - | Level  1-  4 | Level  8- 5 | Level 20- 6 |
                          | Level 32-  7 | Level 43- 8 | Level 55- 9 |
                          | Level 66- 10 |

     Dancer's MA Growth - | Level  1-  4 | Level  4-  5 | Level 15- 6 |
                          | Level 26-  7 | Level 36-  8 | Level 47- 9 |
                          | Level 58- 10 | Level 69- 11 |

     Battle Strategies:

     Note: While I do recommend, if possible, using a Gameshark to have a
     complete team of Dancers, since the simply majority of players out
     there don't own a Dancer, strategies, unless otherwise noted, should
     be used with a Bard + 4 Dancer party.

     >>Dancing For Dummies: Wiznaibus and Slow Dance are necessities for
       Chapter 1 and 2 battles and for the most part, throughout the
       challenge. Just play keep away and slowly torture your enemies.
       Nameless Dance becomes more important as the enemies become more and
       more effective than your characters, and you'll often find yourself
       saved just by Frogg'ing one enemy.

                                   --Ulti Strat--
     >>Golgorand Execution Site: Level 18 and a Green Beret are rather
       important here. Use Fly to keep your Girls out of danger and
       have them use Nameless Dance. Gaf can indeed be hit by Stop, Sleep,
       and Confusion, so hope for some of those to get smacked on him.
       Incapacitate the damage dealers and be sure to kill the Time Mages.
       Keep Gaf in a status effect at all times, and slowly but surely
       awaken an enemy at a time and allow Wiz. to do it's thing. Finish
       Gaf off last.
     >>Lionel:  This is much like the Bard battle. Equip your Dancers with
       Fly and use your Spice Girls to pound Gaf mercilessly.
     >>Queklain: Defense Rings are of grave importance here. Your Dancers
       can be smacked to death effortlessly, so you need to coax Quek. into
       using another attack. Bunching up Dancers would be the best plan.
       Pray that you survive Bio2, and then Slow the Impure One down until
       you can dish out far more damage than he deals. Wiz. and bash him
       to an obese, smoldering, putrid pulp.
     >>Orbonne-Wiegraf: Be sure to boost your Dancers' PA above all, opting
       for bonuses over HP. Set your party up well enough so that Wiegraf,
       should he deem you so lucky, only hits one member with Stasis Sword.
       (Note: I believe you'll have to hope he doesn't know Ligtning Stab,
       but I've been wrong before...). Retreat as far as possible and
       starting using Wiz., with Battle Song by Ramza. Definitely a war
       of attrition. You should manage to finish Wie before he finishes off
       you.
     >>Riovanes: You'll have to follow the Bard strategy for this one, of
       course. Get Ramza to 9 Speed (Lv35 and a Beret), with Move+3
       and Red Shoes. Now runabout the room performing Cheer Song,
       staying out of Wie's range. 20 Speed should be adequate. Now build
       up Ramz's PA to around 25 (a few extra Speed points would do nicely
       as well here). Use your multi-turns to kill Wiegraf before he can do
       anything about your Super Bard, and then pray to do the same to
       Velius (Luck). The rooftop shouldn't be a problem with fly, and
       perhaps even the 'Naked' strategy found in the Basics section
       (Unequip one Dancer to draw damage to that one).

        --Battle Strats From Here Down Supplied by NeoElfBoy unless noted
     >>Limbery- Elmdor: Black Costumes and Angel Rings should be on every
       member of the party. Flash Hat, Sprint Shoes, and an H Bag should be
       equipped onto one Dancer. The other three should be placed in the
       corner of the Pre battle formation screen. Move Speedy up the side
       of the walls. This should hopefully cause Elmdor to instead use
       Blood Suck, since his Muramasa won't hit three units. Blood Suck
       damage, and hopefully a few re-directed Ultimas, as well as some
       Wiz. Dancing should put away Elmdor.

            --Alternate Strat for Limberry By Ultimaterializer--
     >>Limberry- Elmdor: Angel Ring, Flash Hat, and Black Costumes all
       around. Here's your set up...

              2 ~ 4     R-Ramza  #s-Dancers
              ~ ~ ~     ~-Space  X-Marked for Strat
              R ~ ~

       Elmdor should Teleport to the X and use Muramasa, and both
       Assassains should use Ultima. Lede will aim for Dancer 1, while
       Celia targets Ramza. Obviously, re-target these Ultimas at Elmdor.
       #2 should fly up to the wall to her left and begin dancing Wiz. and
       #4 should head two spaces to her right to the corner. For Dancer 3,
       whack Elmdor physically and then Fly 3 panels left. Ultimas go off,
       and after this, before Ramza re-raises, Lede will again target
       Ramza with Ultima. Which means after that, you've deald 400+ damage
       to good ole' Elmmy.
     >>Limberry- Zalera: Slow Zalera down as fast as possible, preferably
       to one Speed Point. If you get a unit asleep, let sleeping enemies
       lie. Angel Rings should guarantee a victory.

                       --Ulimaterializer Strat--
     >>Igros- Dycedarg: Thief Hats, Angel Rings, and Black Costumes all
       around. Move your Dancers as far back into the corner as possible
       in a straight line, with Ramza just above and to the right. Life
       Song and Four Wiz. should start. Dyce will try for Bio3 on your
       party, but this will bring Zal to Mind Ruin him, bringing Bio3
       to manageable damage. Before the Wiz terror destroys Dyce, start
       charging  at least two Slow dances. Send Ramza face to face with
       Adramelk now, and don't worry about getting destroyed. By the time
       he re-raises, as long as Slow Dance has been generous, Ramza will
       get in two actions. Get him at least twelve spaces away from
       Adramelk by the end of those. Now switch to three Slow Dances and
       one Last Dance, and be sure to get spread out. Adr. well get in
       one more attack before being dropped to 1 Speed and getting hit
       with Last Dance. Proceed with death.
     >>Murod Holy Place- Zalbag: Use Nameless Dance to incapacitate the
       Demons, and possibly Zalbag. Resume the Slow Dance strategy, and
       then swarm and eliminate Zal.
     >>Murond Death City- Balk: General equipping strategy applies here.
       Be sure to place your Dancers at the back of the formation. Open
       with Nameless Dance to cancel out the generic threat. Resume
       with Slow Dance to gain superiority, and then Wiz. Balk to death.
       Should be a rather long, drawn out epic of a dance rehearsal.
     >>In Order To Save Myself From Typing Redundantly: If you're in a hard
       battle against a Zodiac Boss, wear Angel Rings and use a lot of
       Slow Dances. Repeat this over and over again. Don't give up, keep
       replaying, and if you get really desperate, train new Dancers
       to replace dead ones x_x
___________________________________________________________________________

  _____    ____      _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_    ___
_/-XIX-\__/Mime\____/Difficulty: |========================*       |__|8.5|_

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Good HP, Good PA, Speed

     Disadvantages: No Special Abilities, No Equipment, No Miming,
          No Long Range Attacks, Poor Movement, No Support Skills,
          No Reaction Abilities, No Movement Abilities

     Basics: Ridiculous. Ludicrous. Impossible? All these words describe
            the all Mime game very nicely. After a few centuries to get
            the adequate Job levels, the player is then further tortured
            by dealing with Equipmentless, Skill-less, Schmucks. Ignore,
            for a moment, that these characters aren't really Mimes anymore,
            but instead silly people wearing silly clothes, and look at
            what they DO have. Excellent HP, and powerful physical Attacks.
            Now, look back at the guys who got dressed in the dark inside
            some sort of Salvation Army center. Their only hope to win,
            ever, is to spread enemies out, then swarm and kill them one by
            one. Some would say this challenge is totally impossible. It
            hasn't been proven so... Wiegraf VS Ramza? Change Ramza for
            that battle to something good. Hard, very hard. Perhaps
            impossible, perhaps not. Needless to say, people have taken on
            this challenge...

     Set Up: None

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Level  1-  7 | Level 13-  8 | Level 27-  9 |
                      | Level 41- 10 | Level 55- 11 | Level 69- 12 |

     Male PA Growth - | Level  1-  6 | Level  8-  7 | Level 13-  8 |
                      | Level 19-  9 | Level 25- 10 | Level 31- 11 |
                      | Level 37- 12 | Level 43- 13 | Level 49- 14 |
                      | Level 55- 15 | Level 61- 16 | Level 67- 17 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Attack: Use it to hit enemies. Don't hit your own characters
     >>Run: Do this a lot.
     >>Phoenix Wing Demanded It: Mimes do not mime other Mimes. (Mimes
       don't let Mimes mime Mimes)
___________________________________________________________________________

  ____    __________   _______________1__2__3__4__5__6__7__8__9__10_   ___
_/-XX-\__/Calculator\_/Difficulty: |==============================* |_|10 |_
                       Crystal Method Difficulty Pending Decision


     -The Impossible Method

     Recommended Party: 5 Males. High Brave, Low Faith.

     Advantages: Damage Split, They Can Move, Speed So Low That They
            Don't Crystallize For A Long Time, Have Mohawks

     Disadvantages: Horrible Speed, Low HP, No Abilities, Reliance on
            Reaction Skill, Horrible PA, Disgusting Manuerverability

     Basics: This is the most unlikely event known to all of mankind. Well,
           considering they have absolutely no way of doing any real damage
           outside of Damage Split, they can only really kill their enemy
           by getting hit. Nice eh?

     Set Up: Math Skill / Damage Split /  Move EXP-Up

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth   - | Level 1- 3 | Level 35- 4 | Level 69- 5 |

     Male PA Growth - | Level 1- 2 | Level 16- 3 | Level 44- 4 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Damage Split: You have to use it. No if's and's or but's about it.
       Damaging the enemy is ENTIRELY based on them damaging you. If
       you can spread the damage out well enough, perhaps you can kill
       an enemy!


     -The Crystal Method

     Recommended Party: Ramza + 4 Females. High Brave, High Faith.

     Advantages: Math Skill, Damage Split, Mass Destruction

     Disadvantages: Horrible Stats All Around, Dependency On Luck to Learn
            Skills, Lack of Mohawks

     Basics: Convincingly possible. This method allows for use of Math
           skills. However, you may only use magic which you've learned
           from the crystals of fallen enemies. This limits your
           arsenal early on, but many a SCC'er have proven that Calcs are
           POSSIBLE to pull through Chapter 1 even without Magic. The
           difficulty comes, obviously, in gaining Magic, dealing with
           the Calcs HORRIBLE Speed, HP, and MA, and the usual tough
           battles, like the second Balk. Have fun with this one...

     Relevant Stats:

     Speed Growth     - | Level 1- 3 | Level 35- 4 | Level 69- 5 |

     Female MA Growth - | Level  1- 3 | Level  9- 4 | Level 23- 5 |
     *Also Ramza's      | Level 38- 6 | Level 52- 7 | Level 67- 8 |

     Battle Strategies

     >>Coming Soon.

_____________________________________________________________________


-_-_-_-_-_-_                                            ______________
|Section 4  \__________________________________________/ Miscellaneous\

-4.1- Not So Frequently Asked Questions

 >>1. Why is this called the Straight Character Challenge?
     <<Because. Just because. It has nothing to do with heterosexuality,
       but you can pretend it does if you wish. Originally, I had a
       lot of off-colour comments to make about Priests who weren't
       Straight in their jobs, but then this FAQ wouldn't get posted
       now, would it? :)
 >>2. What's with the cookies?
     <<Cookies are baked goods that come in many flavours. They are well
       known to be sweet and delicious. Many people eat cookies. An
       estimated 10 out of 10 people eat, or know someone who eats cookies.
       It's an international trend that will never die. Oh yeah, they used
       to be my mascot of sorts. As of right now, I'm still taking
       applications for new ones. Current front runners are Tito Jackson
       and meatloaf. The food, not the person. Send in your application
       today!
 >>3. Isn't the Mime/Dancer/Bard Challenge impossible?
     <<There've been people to prove you, and even me wrong. Every single
       SCC to date, with the sole exception of Calculator, has been
       completed. Shift back in time 1 year ago, and it'd be hard to
       imagine this. I guess we just learn more, and players become
       even further advanced skill-wise as time goes on...
 >>4. I have some sort of strange complex, how can I make the game even
      _HARDER_ than this?
     <<If you have a Gameshark, use the Hard Mode code. If not, use less
       characters in your party. If you're bored of SCC's, check out
       philsov's FAQ for a complete list of Challenges created by FFT
       board members.
 >>5. I broke past the Level Cap!!! What should I do?
     <<Don't stress it. Most likely, you did this in the last Chapter. It's
       no big deal to be honest. Just don't level up that much. You should
       not have any trouble getting to Murond before Level 70 anyway.
 >>6. What should I do if one of my characters crystallize?
     <<You can buy a new character at the Office and build them back up...
       However, in my personal opinion, I'd say that you lost that battle.
       I'm a perfectionist, and as one, I don't let any of my characters
       crystallize. If I lose someone, I soft reset the game, and then
       furiously punch a hole in the wall, or kick and scream like a little
       girl. I think I may amend the rules one day and say that you can</pre><pre id="faqspan-4">
       not lose a character, but until then, it's all personal opinion.
 >>7. In the Dancer challenge, wouldn't using Ramza as a Mime be better, as
      then he uses Dancer skills? Why use him as a Bard?
     <<Yes, that would be most effective... However the Mime thing does
       result in a somewhat unfair advantage, moreso than with one Bard. As
       a Mime, all the Dancer's abilities would be doubled, technically
       giving you 8 Dancers per fight. I think the Bard keeps the spirit of
       the job a little more true, and is a little more challenging.
       Of course, the best solution is to use a GS and turn Ramza into a
       Dancer...
 >>8. Where the hell have you been for "x" amount of months?!
     <<Living, sue me. ::gets sued:: Seriously though, I've just had my
       mind off of Tactics. Originally I took a break because I needed a new
       copy of the game. After that it became laziness. But now I'm back, so
       enjoy it :P
 >>9.  Can I do "blah"?
     <<Again, this is _your_ game. It doesn't really matter what you do,
       since this is simply a more challenging and interesting way to
       go through an otherwise easy game. You shouldn't feel the need to
       "check" with me to see if you can do something. Just do it. If it
       blatantly violates SCC rules, though, please, don't ask to be
       put into the HOF for it -_-
 >>10. -Insert Anything About How Calculators Should Be Given Privileges-
     <<Hey, I've already given into the Calculator arguements. Go play
       the Crystal Method and be happy with life, dammit!
 >>11. The FAQ seems fairly complete now. Any plans for the future?
     <<At this point, I really can't say. The Challenge turns one year old
       in less than three weeks of this update's writing, and it's really
       matured all the way, and still going strong. I'm not sure where
       things will go, but I do plan on getting an HTML version of the
       guide up once I get through the process of registering a domain
       name and getting webhosting. I'll try to rush things, though, and
       hopefully get the site up in time for the SCC Birthday.
 >>12. Where did the usual SCC topic on the FFT Board go to?
     <<It's been relocated to a more private board to limit the disturbance
       to the main board. The board address is

       http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=4694

 >>More on the way.


-4.2- Thanks

-Here's the most important part of this whole FAQ. Now, I'll list all
  the people who I have to thank for creating this FAQ with me. I am
  only the writer and co-creator, these people are the real brains
  behind the operation. If you'd like your e-mail address accompanying
  your name, or if my stupid brain forgot you, just mail me and say so.

 >>For Their Strategical Input... This Needs Some Heavy Updating...:
   **Ultimaterializer** (Master of Terrible Ascci) - TONS of classes,
   	very detailed strats, and Criticism :)
   Maligant(The 2nd Straight Man... Ever) - Priest
   Cyrus Viruz(The 3rd Straight Man) - Chemist
   RyuKaiser(No Funny Nickname) - Ninja
   Owvin(I Always Think Of Cyan's Dead Son) - Various
   PhoenixWing(The Squire of Irreverence) - Mime, Monk
   TallgeeseVI(Gundam Name and I Don't Hate Him, Very Rare) - Lancer, Ninja
   Dragoon MRM(The Winningest Original SCC'er) - Lancer, Dancer (Big Time)
   Saint Ajora(Best Ancient Demon Villain Ever!) - Samurai, Wizard
   Bahamut(My Hero) - Various
   Dr Goofy(Name About Sums It Up) - Geomancer
   thefool(Lovable Old Fool...) - Summoner
   Bloo Roo(Love for Roo <3) - Oracle
   AdamanBangle(Bangle... Funny Word.) - Chemist
   CommanderJP(Super Monk!) - Monk
   monkramza(Crazy Man...) - Dancer
   Kantolin(The GobliThief Master Itself) - Thief
   Goblez(Zelbog Backwards!) - Knight
   Ark5th(My Brother In Archer Plight) - Archer
   Pokey Tax (Heheh Pokey is Gumby's Horse)- Time Mage
   Turd Ferguson (Silly remark not necessary) - Mediator, Geomancer, Stats
   Jjukil (I can not pronounce this name)- Bard (Big Time)
   Vadth (I can't think of anything funny to say, so... Cookie) - Summoner
   Izlude Tingel (It's time to admit I've run out of wit) - Lancer
   NeoElfBoy (As Opposed To The Old One) - Summoner
   Ex Soldier Cloud (The Guy Who Basicall 0wnz Most SCCs) - Squire(Big Time)
   Biggles (I Will Not Question The Name, I'll Only Giggle) - Monk
   TimeMage (Aptly Enough With...) - Time Mage
   NeoElfBoy (Proving Me Wrong Since The Beginning of Time) - Dancer
   Mike (E-Mail Was Brightlord; I Didn't Know What To Put x_x) - Various
   Chickenfingers (Chickens don't have fingers ;_;) - Geomancer
   oo7rules (I think I've given up on the names ><) - Monk, Mediator
   Qalfie ($100 reward for pronunciation of said alias) - Oracle

 >>The Rest of the [Straight Crew]
   Mousse, GrandCross, Storm Shadow, Neotericus, MagnusTheZero, Valdek,
   trc1986num2,  TimeMage113, RPGHarvester2000, MarvelousBob, ChronoTRobo32,
   GameGuru86, FFTPro, MysticGohan42, Gamer4Life, RamzaHevenlyKnight,
   IAmTheWheelman, Levianthan, Rainrir (The Insane), Faelim, Sword Spirit,
   Ex Soldier Cloud, Izlude Tingel, avenger339, outheresomeplace,
   lionthalanas, Beawulf, NeoKamek, Actionrat, PsyKoCracker, Redge, jabez,
   NinjaMaster, ashtonarchers, Notti, and approximately 200 more people...
   -Sorry to the newer SCC'ers, but I'm no longer updating this section,
   simply because it would expand far too greatly.

 >>Last But Definitely Not Least And In Some Cases, Again
   The3rdOracle- For Being My Spellchecker :)
   AeroStar- For Being Some Sort of Stat Producing Robot
   Master Daravon- For Early Encouragement and Being a Genuine Genius
   shoyru knight - Now he can't damn me!
   Burgundy - Just because...
   colddrum - For almost proving the impossible *Cheers*
   NeoWeird - For letting me live underneath his bed <3
   Tsogtoo - Who kindly pointed out another site using my FAQ
   Maligant - For being the main Straight man during my first disappearance
   Dr Goofy - For keeping up the fight too
   Fragnarok - For supplying me with a back up account after I was warned
               by idiots, and finding another FAQ Thief
   Turd Ferguson - For being sexy and letting me use his Start charts.
   NeoElfBoy - For revelling in proving me wrong.
   And Everyone Else Who Kept The SCC Alive ::gives cookies::

-4.3- Random Stuff
________________________
~*^H A L L  O F  F A M E^*~
________________________

Ex Soldier Cloud- Completed Squire, Chemist, Archer, Knight, Wizard, Priest,
            Monk, Thief, Oracle, Time Mage, Lancer, Geomancer, Summoner,
            Mediator, Ninja, Samurai, Dancer, Bard, and Mime. And for
            those who can't count, that's 19. Every Class but Calculator.
oo7rules - Completed Geomancer, Samurai, Priest, Ninja, Chemist, Archer,
            Oracle, Thief, Mime, Lancer, Wizard, Time Mage, Knight, Dancer,
            Summoner, Mediator, and Monk
NeoElfBoy - Completed Summoner, Archer, Chemist, Lancer, Knight, Samurai,
         	Mediator, Dancer, Squire, Time Mage, and Ninja.
Orlandu - Completed Monk, Lancer, Thief, Wizard, Geomancer, Summoners,
            Ninja, Oracle, and Samurai
Ultimaterializer- Completed Squire, Knight, Chemist, Archer, Monk, Lancer,
            Thief, Wizard, and Samurai
MunkiBleedsGreen - Completed Ninja, Wizard, Summoner, Archer, Lancer, Knight
  		Samurai, and Chemist. Go me.
Setzer - Completed Chemist, Wizard, Priest, Monk, Mediator, and Samurai
TallgeeseVI- Completed Lancer, Ninja, Geomancer, Summoner, and Monk
Chickenfingers - Completed Lancer, Geomancer, Monk, and Wizard
DragoonMRM- Completed Lancer, Dancer, Ninja, and Chemist
Jjukil- Completed Bard, Lancer, and Geomancer
Dr Goofy- Completed Geomancer, Monk, and Priest
Sword Spirit - Completed Priest, Oracle, and Monk
Wiegraf - Completed, Monks, Time Mage, and Knight
sqpat17- Completed Archer and Thief
Saint Ajora - Completed Samurai and Wizard
flying toaster - Completed Chemist and Lancer
Xenon - Completed Summoner and Monk
Son Gohan - Completed Ninja and Summoner
Xenon - Completed Monk and Summoner
Turd Ferguson- Completed Mediators
MarvelousBob- Completed Wizard
HeavenlyKnight - Completed Squire
Kantolin - Completed Thieves
AdamanBangle - Completed Chemist
trc1986- Completed Chemist
Cyrus Viruz - Completed Chemist
PokeyTax - Completed Time Mage
Actionrat - Completed Monk
DeathChicken - Completed Monk
Grenseal - Completed Ninja
Sweet Vengeance - Completed Lancer
Biggles - Completed Monk
DrizztDuOrden - Completed Ninja
Tadrinth - Completed Monk
OracleCat - Completed Time Mage
Qalfie - Completed Oracle
BrazillianMagus - Completed Samurai

If I'm missing you, or you've completed the challenge [honestly],
e-mail me to get added.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
This FAQ was generated from the topics "I Still Want A Cookie",
"Challenge: Straight Characters", "Who Got The Cookie? I Got The
Cookie.", "The Cookie In It's Natural Habitat",  "Straight Character
Challenge Lives On", "Too Legit Too Quit; Straight Character
Challenge", and a plethora of other topics, which continues on the FFT
gameplay board to this very day. All of this weirdness began on the
Final Fantasy Tactics Gameplay Message Board, April 7, 2001.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

______________
Version History
______________

V0.9 - April 15th, 2002- Well, I've been a tad busy as of late with other
                     things, so I wasn't able to get the SCC Site up
                     as I initially hoped to do. I will still definitely
                     get it going soon, hopefully before the end of April.
                     The SCC Celebrated it's first birthday on April 7th,
                     by the way. The current official SCC topic is taking
                     residence on the Social Board. Also, the SCC has a
                     board of it's own claimed right here:

                     http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/gentopic.asp?board=4694

                     There's a slight possibility of an officially made
                     board for the SCC, but let's not get our hopes too
                     high for that. On the actual news front, current high
                     lord of all SCC Updates, Ultimaterializer, wrote a
                     trio of "SCC Bible" walkthroughs for Knight, Samurai,
                     and Thief. Bless him, for he has added about 22k
                     of new info to the FAQ. Woo. Anyway, I'll be working
                     on the site, and re-update the FAQ when it's ready.

V0.8 - March 19th, 2002- Whee... strategical updates mostly this time
                     around. Good to see that even as the SCC approaches
                     it's first Birthday, it's still going on strong, with
                     new insight, new participants, and is still a
                     dominant force on the Board's topics. It warms my
                     heart ;_; Anyway, so far there hasn't been much of
                     a reaction to the GS Classes, which isn't hard to
                     believe. A few Ratings were challenged, and when
                     I've been well argued with, I submitted and changed
                     a few (Chemist and Monk, namely). Thanks and HoF
                     updated as well. See you guys next update, probably
                     in time for the 1 Year SCC Anniversary. Also, for
                     some odd reason, I rarely respond to SCC-related
                     e-mail before I get around to updating. I apologize
                     especially to Ultimaterializer for this >< I'll try
                     to make amends bad this habit soon. All together, about
                     11k of new stuff. Not bad.

V0.7 - February 9th, 2002- Fixed a load of formatting errors, incorporated
                     Turd's stat charts (Much love for Turd <3 ) into the
                     class reviews, added a Difficulty rating for every
                     class, and changed a few basic rules regarding
                     Gamesharking, Dancers, Squires, and Sidequests. If you
                     have any problem with the Difficulty ratings I assigned
                     a class, email me and give me your arguement as to why
                     I should change it :P

V0.6-January 24th, 2002- Yeah yeah. Blame me definitely >< Anyway
                         read the notice and tell me what you think,
                         and send in whatever updates you want to
                         see put up. This guide's always been about
                         you guys, and not me. ~Munki

V0.5-Sept. 21th, 2001-Heh, yes, I'm back. I've been a very poor daddy
                      lately and for that I apologize. I came back to
                      the boards just a few weeks ago, and now decided
                      to do something constructive with my time :)
                      Big thanks to Maligant, Dr Goofy, and everyone
                      else who've kept the SCC alive while I was gone.
                      Updates all around. New strats for Wizard, Dancer,
                      Geomancer, Thief, Archer, Summoner, Mediator, and
                      TONS on Bard. Updated Rules, Thanks, FAQ, Generic
                      Strat and the Hall. I'll try to keep updates as
                      consistent as possible too. Again, thanks everybody.

V0.4-May 9th, 2001- Well, added some new strategy. Most notably, I
                    totally re-evaluated Mediators and added new
                    accompanying strategy, buffed up Oracles, and a
                    whole load of new strategy has been added to
                    Samurai and Lancer, courtesy of Saint Ajora and
                    TallgeeseVI. I even added a Calculator section!
                    All together, about 12k of information.

V0.3-May 5th, 2001- Finished all of the Basic Class Specific information.
                    I'm putting up some strategy little by little now, as
                    it's pretty tough to drudge through the 1,500+ posts
                    on the Straight Character challenge I have saved.
                    Still, though, things are coming along nicely. I even
                    added some nice little strategies to a few of the
                    jobs!

V0.2-May 3rd, 2001- Lost this update... Created Generic Strategy and
                    put up a lot of Basic Job Specific Stuff

V0.1-May 1st, 2001- This is the first offline version of the Straight
                    Character FAQ. No body will read this until it
                    hopefully is accepted, but what the hey. I posted
                    all the basic stuff, and soon I will begin on
                    strategy construction.
______________

This document is ©Shaun Pilling (AKA munki@inferiority.org or
MunkiBleedsGreen)

This document can be found at GameFAQs.com, psxcodez.com, and neoseeker.com.
If you find any other location, please e-mail me.

::rides his ostrich off onto the horizon, throwing cookies to all those
who gave their time to read this FAQ, or take the challenge::

I salute you all! A winner is you!
_________________________________________________________________________