Core systems at a glance
- Grid combat with height. Battles play out on a 3D grid; elevation and facing matter, and turn order is set by Speed via the CT (Charge Time) clock.
- The Job system is everything. Units earn JP to learn a job's abilities permanently, climb a branching job tree, and a unit's stat growth depends on the job it levels in.
- Ability slots are the real build engine. One primary Job plus a secondary command, a Reaction, a Support, and a Movement passive — pulled from any class you've learned. Build identity lives in the combination.
- Speed compounds. Small Speed advantages snowball into far more turns; owning the turn economy (Haste/Slow/Quick) beats raw damage.
- Enhanced v1.5.0 adds New Game+, a Zodiac Compatibility viewer, and quality-of-life on top of the classic War of the Lions content.
Where do you want to go?
The Battlefield
Combat, Turns, Stats & Zodiac
Grid fundamentals, the CT/Speed clock, the stats that matter, and the Zodiac Compatibility multiplier.
Open → The ClassesThe Job System
How jobs and JP work, the five ability slots, the job tree, and the standout classes.
Open → The LoadoutsBuilds & Special Units
The durable build archetypes (Ninja, Calculator, Time-mage…) and the story/recruited units.
Open → The New EditionEnhanced v1.5.0 Features
New Game+, the Zodiac viewer, the QoL toggles, and what the Classic version still offers.
Open → Field NotesGeneral Strategy
Speed is king, win the turn economy, abuse height and facing, manage Faith, and protect the fallen.
Open →Sources & further reading
We distill the essentials in our own words from the game's data. For exhaustive detail and anything that shifts with a patch, these are the references worth a bookmark:
- Final Fantasy Wiki — Tactics — the deep reference for jobs, abilities, and the War of the Lions story.
- GameFAQs — community FAQs and walkthroughs for The Ivalice Chronicles.