Build archetypes
- Speed-stacked Ninja carry — Ninja primary (dual-wield) + a strong secondary (Black Magick, Punch Art, Draw Out) + a damage Reaction + Two-Hands/Attack-Up + Move+. Acts constantly, hits twice, snowballs the turn order.
- Battle-mage Knight — Knight primary (breaks + armor) + Black/White Magick secondary, so one durable unit tanks and casts. Faith management makes it flexible.
- Time-mage enabler — Time Mage primary for Haste/Quick on your carry and Slow on the enemy; pair with Short Charge to land control fast. Wins by owning the clock.
- Monk bruiser — Monk primary (no weapon needed, high HP/PA) + Punch Art self-sustain + Counter/Hamedo Reaction + Move/Jump; a self-healing wrecking ball.
- Calculator nuke — Mathematician primary with Black/White/Holy secondary; set Height/CT/Level/EXP conditions to blanket the field with free spells. The endgame "delete everything" build — slow but absurd.
- Archer / positional sniper — high ground + charge shots + Concentrate accuracy; punishes from range and abuses height/facing.
The throughline: lock the turn economy and the cross-class secondary first, then bolt on Reaction/Support/Movement to cover the build's weakness.
Special / story units
Story and recruited characters bring unique jobs and high ceilings: Ramza (a buffed Squire line with powerful self/party buffs), and a roster of named guests with exclusive classes you pick up across the campaign. These units are typically stronger than generics and can't be permanently lost the way generics can. Build them as your core, and use generics to grind prerequisite jobs and fill roles.
(Kept deliberately vague to avoid story spoilers; recruit and protect named units as you meet them.)