Don’t Make THIS Mistake in Final Fantasy 1!

[@mountainmgtow5421]

Did I give you the idea for this video with one of my comments? Also, going through the comments, I believe I am the only person in the world that uses this distinct party and currently my favorite: Red Mage, Monk, Thief, Black Mage.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Maybe so! I'll pin this comment to the top - also A, that's a super unique mix up!

[@armas_ectos]

I beat this game for the first time earlier this year (Pixel Remaster on PC) using a warrior, monk, w.mage, and b.mage.

[@JaalKiriam]

I love 2 Warriors and 2 Red Mages for the essential magic/physical mix with more flex room to double up on more useful spells among both mages.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

That's about as balanced as you can get, leaning more toward the physical side of the coin! B+!

[@JaalKiriam]

@@TheReturnersHideout Yeah, except for healing, I usually use minimal magic. Mostly boss battles.

[@thegreatvalamir]

My favorite team for the NES version (the one I actually played) was 2 Warriors, 2 Red Wizards. There was a bug in that version where Int didn't affect spell damage, so the main difference was the flexibility, getting some healing magic and the best damage spell: FAST (Haste to everyone else). A bit expensive to upkeep, though, with armor and weapons for four.

[@seancdaug]

I forget where I read this, but there is apparently reason to believe that INT was never intended to affect magic damage in the first place. IIRC, the idea was that INT would affect the critical hit rate of magical attacks, but the finalized game never actually implemented critical hits for magic. As I said, I can't find where I saw that, so take it with the requisite grain of salt. That said, I'm inclined to at least believe that the remakes' straight damage scaling based on INT wasn't the original intention, as I think it seriously changes game balance too significantly to not have been caught, even for a game as notoriously bug-ridden as the NES release.

[@thegreatvalamir]

@@seancdaug Only in the sense that there's only circumstantial evidence that that was the original intent. Int does nothing in NES FF1, and in every game it's appeared in since (except the one remake of FF1 that also forgot to assign it a function) has used it to boost spell damage, so it's more likely than not it was supposed to affect spell damage. On the other hand, Int literally did nothing in the NES version, so there's no direct evidence for its purpose. Only a 90% certainty, Instead of 100%, imo.

[@jeffrobertson6707]

The hit probability is 50/25/12.5/12.5

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Ahhhhh yes I couldn’t remember exactly what it was, thank you!

[@discodeath8425]

A problem that I don’t see most people address is that the effectivity of each class/party/stats vary significantly between different versions. In the NES version, INT does nothing, LCK almost does nothing, and AGI has no effect on turn order speed (the only thing it does is boost evasion). This means that the stat that matters the most is STR. VIT is good but it only affects HP growth. A level 1 Red Mage casting FIRE will deal the exact same damage as a level 50 Black Mage casting FIRE. All of this changes entirely in Dawn of Souls and later versions of the game. AGI affects turn order, Black Mage spells do almost double the damage that Red Mage does on any given moment, Thief’s hit growth goes from 2 -> 5, effectively doubling his physical damage output.

[@discodeath8425]

On the NES, any party that chooses to have a Thief is unoptimal. Thief is bad and has to play catch-up the entire time. Even as a Ninja, he will always do significantly less damage than Knight and have less HP and defense. In the late game, Red Wizard’s physical damage and defense is worse than Ninja, but everything else about him is better or the same and in the early game, he’s way way better than Thief. Thief is quite the capable class in DoS onwards, and Red Mage got ostensibly nerfed for some reason.

[@kylemundy8871]

I find physical is always better than the low amount of magic I can do. You end up going through whole caves with deadweight mages, trying to save their spell charges. Redmage can use their buff spells, that's more than enough

[@eddypeacock4005]

Yeah the NES version is seriously broken

[@MrVariant]

​@discodeath8425 thief gets better weapons after you start unlocking those doors with that key you get from astos. Boost from PR lets any party work, turning off encounters once you can no longer heal/antidote, and quadruple gold/exp makes the fighter/warrior easy mode, and those supplement monks (1:58 low levels need weapons until higher stat growth monks outgrows them)/red mage shortcomings. 3:25 no holy from white wizard?

[@ericmorrison278]

I am literally on my way to the ice cavern with a Knight, R.Mage, Monk, B. Mage. Everything has been so smooth.

[@pumpkin6192]

I love the Chemistry of Knight, Red Mage, White Mage and Black Mage. High magical ability but not physically weak either

[@deathknell609]

I have a couple of favorite parties I tend to use. Group 1 = Fighter, Thief, Monk, Red Mage = Heavy Physical Damage. Finally get to use the pile of swords that are usually just sold for cash. this is my preferred setup. Group 2 = Fighter, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage = Heavier reliance on magic in this one. Keep in mind that these are in the later editions of the game, where you can buy more than just a heal potion to heal as well as ethers. But I do find these parties fun to play as.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Both groups are solid! A's for both!

[@kylemundy8871]

Group 1 is my setup too! Flicking monsters with mage rods just isn't good enough to justify keeping them around. Especially when I can just spend the Gil on items to replace them. Good call

[@michaelholt5013]

Warrior, Thief, White Mage, and Black Mage. Sometimes from my other playthroughs, I replace the Thief with a Monk or a Red Mage just to see how that goes

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Classic party! A!

[@tduyduc]

Fighter, Monk, White Mage, Red Mage. The Red Mage here can either do physical attacks in random encounters or assist the White Mage during boss fights.

[@jimmytownsend9864]

Original NES: Fighter, Fighter, Fighter, Red Mage - This just shreds. 3 fighters do insane physical damage, plus you have 1 RM to cast fir2 and other target all spells, plus life, fast, and exit. It is a very easy run. Newer versions: Fighter, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage - Magic becomes more powerful, so having a WM + BM works better. Thief is also useful for additional equips, and can also cast tmpr and fast. For bosses, normal setup becomes fighter hits, thief and BM buff fighter, WM heals and supports.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

3 Warriors?! Good gravy I imagine you got through the game with ease! B+!

[@seancdaug]

That's a very powerful party, but also a pretty expensive one.

[@ahmedfalahy9337]

A little unorthodox party setup Warrior Thief Monk Red Mage MP can run out but swords and punches are free to dish out

[@drgnslayers]

on GBA, PS1 and PSP versions, I had a fighter, thief, white mage and black mage because knights could learn up to level 3 white magic, ninjas could learn up to level 4 black magic. White Mages and Black Mages learn Level 8 spells upon becoming a wizard. On the PR version, I decided to have a Monk instead of a thief because I saw a lot of speedrunning from people that I'm following on Twitch

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I've definitely gone through the game at decent speeds for incorporating monks into the party for sure! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@trufreedom]

Just beat this game (PS1)! I used Warrior, Monk, Black Mage, and Red Mage.. might've wanted the White Mage, idk..

[@miruku6939]

The mistake I made was giving the monk a weapon (Iron Nunchaku) UNTIL the final boss... I completely forgot that they hit better without one LOL. (I've played other FF games before I played FF1.)

[@Jimalcoatl]

I usually play Warrior, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage, but I've done all Monk/Master and all White Mage/wizard challenge runs for fun.

[@dollardillon]

This is the party that I use also. I think it was the NES default party. If not, it was the party the Nintendo Power Official Strategy Guide used.

[@sparrowhawk2860]

My traditional party is Warrior, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Was the first party I used (on nes), and is still a favorite. Used it for my first pixel remaster playthrough too.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Tons of magic power with a bit of physical power behind it! B+!

[@Brogus_D]

Yeah man!

[@mindlessmeat4055]

When I went through the pixel remaster, it seemed placement was still important. Not as much, but it did seem that way.

[@bdhuffman42]

Warrior, Warrior, Monk, White Mage Overall, massive damage. No money spent on the Monk. Only one character taking up money for spells.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Oh absolutely a physical powerhouse with healing/protection also. I can imagine the game was pretty smooth sailing!

[@fredastaire6156]

This was such a cool video with tid bits of information that I didn't even know existed! Kudos for that! Being raised in the 80s I have a LOT of fond, warm memories of pulling all nighters by myself just grinding with this game...what a different world that was. No internet, maybe some copies of Nintendo Power (if you were lucky). There was a Saturday morning Nintendo show I vaguely remember that would answer snail mail questions. I was one of those kids that hand wrote a question and mailed it in with the hopes that someone knew how to help and get me past my sticking point. In those days you were either of the Final Fantasy camp or the Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest - for those purist out there, lol) Gawds....what a time to be alive back then!! Thank you so much for making this video. That truly put a smile on this ol' dogs face 😊 Oh and to answer your question Fighter Black Belt White mage Black mage 😁

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thanks so much for this comment and sharing some of your story with this game! I’ve got a TON of videos planned around FF1 coming over the next several weeks!

[@donaldroy4717]

>Where is the shop depicted in (0:36) this video? >Absorb (defense) is actually damage negation and evasion (dodge) is actually "hit" reduction or "on-hit" defense which reduces the chance (%) status conditions be applied. (Poison, sleep, dark, stun, stone, death) the last 3 are the most deadly and (poison/stun) are the most commonly applied to frontline. (50, 25, 12.5, 12.5)% is the chance to be attacked. >5:14 (not 126) there is 6x 6x 6x 6 --> or 1296 possible "alive" party setups (1, 2, or 3 dead/stoned setups are also possible). Knight, ninja, master, red wiz. is the best "unique" class choice. (tank, support/runner, boss-killer, support/healer battlemage hybrid) It is cheapest to equip -> copper/silver/golden bracelet (1), pro-ring (1), silver sword (2), starting gear (4), knight (8)/ninja (12)/ red wiz.(20) spells purchased 9x (100+400) + 8x (1,500) + 6x (4k) + 3x (8k + 20k) + 2x (45k) --> less than 300k total + healing items (heals, pures, softs, tent, cabin, house). Knight, red, white, black -> mage build Knight, Master x 2, red wiz. -> melee build (cheapest) Knight, ninja, white, black or Knight, master, white, black --> classic/balanced starters Knight, knight, red, black -> speedrunner starter (eww!) 4 acceptable deaths/wipe locations: 1> Astos boss fight (no pro-ring protection this early) has the rub spell 2> Eye boss fight (no pro-ring protection this early) has the rub/xxxx spells 3> 2 mud golem & 6 sorcerer (there is no armor that protects versus "on hit" deathtouch from sorcerer, sorcerer have trance skill (aoe stun) and mud golem casts fast spell increasing "on hit" %) --> high evasion or run is only defense. 4> Warmech (1/64 chance to fight on tiamat floor, 256 atk power, nuclear skill (aoe non-elemental damage), high first strike %) on first attempt of your life (ignorance of existence) is death guaranteed.

[@NightSprinter]

From my experiences since back in 1990 (yay, freebie game as a Nintendo Power subscriber!), the frequency of being attacked in respective party slot order was always 50/25/12.5/12.5 in every version I played. So yeah, Warrior absolutely is the party lead.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Yes I thought it was something similar to that, I can never remember the actual percentages. Thank you!

[@NightSprinter]

@TheReturnersHideout no problem. Sad that so much in the NES/Famicom/MSX2 original just doesn't work. Like the special swords (Rune Blade, Werebuster, etc) just do nothing but alter attack and accuracy, cabins saving before restoring spell charges (meaning you have to waste two)..

[@whitemageserenia]

For me personally, I tend to use Warrior, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Though honestly, I've never really cared much for BLM so sometimes I just replace them with a 2nd RDM. One of my more favorite party set ups was actually RDM RDM WHM BLM, that's the thing with RDM most folks underestimate them because they are so "neutral" they don't specialize in any one thing, which is exactly why people underestimate them "Why use RDM when I can use WAR?!" "Why use RDM when I can use WHM!?" ectectect, when in reality, the reason you would use a RDM is exactly BECAUSE they can do a bit of everything. They can use heavier armor, so they're tankier than the other mages, they can use a pretty good set of magic both black AND white which makes them versatile and can fit any situation, and, they can melee fairly well as well. That, and they definitely have more style than anyone else in the game! But in all honesty, Aside from WHM, RDM has always been my favorite of the mages simply because they give me this magical swordsman vibe which is why I hate how they've been treated in later installments of the game whereby they are often treated as JUST a mage. which means in games like FFXI... this means they're usually relegated to the backline which... to me wastes their potential but hey. At least FFXIV got the SPIRIT of the RDM even if it is a bit too magic focused for my taste

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Double Red Mages!? That's a MASSIVE powerhouse of Magic with some good physical power also! B+!

[@whitemageserenia]

@@TheReturnersHideout Yup! One of my RDMs would focus on White Magic more, and the other would focus more on black magic, also, my white magic focused one would focus on being a pseudo-warrior equipment wise and would be the leader of the party, while the other one would focus more on offense and get better weapons (they'd both get the same gear when possible though) I've also done WAR RDM(X2) WHM that one was hella fun too~ ^^ same thing applied to what I mentioned before, with the RDMs focusing more on different things for a more balanced spell set, with the exception to the war getting gear priority

[@matthewbarabas3052]

i ran a team of four red mages. its my favorite for a reason.

[@kingekan]

Back in the day when I was a kid, I beat the original FF1 game using 1 Fighter, 1 White Mage, and 2 Black Mages. The fighter did most of the job on the first hours, but after a few levels into the game the offensive power was huge with those black mages/wizards. A second run using Fighter, Thief, White Mage and Black Mage was also fun too (and more balanced).

[@deadlyspawns]

@05:21 Warrior - Warrior - Red Mage - White Mage - Sure two fighters is expensive, I'd rather put my grinding Gil into that then Black Mage spells (most expensive purchases in the game). - I still get some black magic spells with Red Mage to exploit weaknesses & if White Mage does go down I have a decent back up.

[@jescis]

My team is: Fighter*2, White and black mage and I always play getting 100%(doesn't mean I have to keep everything, just that I have collected all items)

[@TheReturnersHideout]

That was my go to team forever in FF1. I used it almost exclusively for a LONG time, it’s almost like an Easy Mode with the exception of how much Gil you’ll need! Thank you for commenting!

[@Shorty_Lickens]

My first party was F/F/RM/WM, which as it turns out was really good and a recommended setup even today.

[@eddypeacock4005]

Yup. My favorite set up

[@josephdolph8474]

I also did 2 white mage 2 black mage run and that was VERY difficult in the beginning but fairly easy at the end

[@el00morro00]

Early game in formation order: Fighter, Red Mage, Thief and Monk. Then mid game onwards I move the Thief/Ninja to the second spot in formation.

[@nosaurian]

The 4 thief setup (4 ninjas now) has really been my cup of tea. Now it seems I have to return to the waterfall place for some key item I didn't get, I'm also not sure I understood the question you made to me on the livestream but I'll go to that other video to see if I understand. Although I had to fight the lich 4 times and grind some X-potions (I hate grinding, I like Just running through the game) I've found it really easy and I got into it as a challenge run initially. P.D. "essentially making them paladins" Loved that detail.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I'll have to go back and rewatch the stream to be sure - let me know how your 4 Ninja party goes!

[@josephdolph8474]

Red mage is great at the beginning but trash later. Interestingly enough red mage is one of the most powerful jobs to make s build with in stranger

[@SilentDragonite149]

Red Mage’s status as a jack of all trades sadly also makes him a master of none, but if I do use one, he’s usually my candidate for the Masamune. (Mostly because my Fighter/Knight is using Excalibur and hitting hard enough anyway) A Red Wizard with the Masamune hits surprisingly hard under Haste, and after class changing, he can both help Black Mage buff with FAST/Haste, and can also cast Raise (or get you out of the dungeon to a safer area via EXIT) if you get unlucky and your White Mage somehow bites it. So while Red Mage isn’t the best by any means, he’s far from terrible.

[@josephdolph8474]

@@SilentDragonite149 that's fair and I agree that if you are decent at mitigating his down sides he is viable but I wouldn't say good.

[@SilentDragonite149]

​@@josephdolph8474 Honestly, for me, most of it is my playstyle preference. I like to have at least one unit that can be flexible if I already have all my bases covered with my first three options (Usually the Fighter, White Mage, and Black Mage.) because luck is always a factor. However, I get that not everyone agrees with what I say, and someone would rather use that fourth slot for something different. The most important thing I say when sharing my advice for games is "This is what works for me. Your mileage may vary."

[@josephdolph8474]

@@SilentDragonite149 yeah I think it's a great strategy and especially for a more advanced spread of strategies and options. Min maxing isn't always the funnest way to play. Totally get that

[@RiceDaddy07]

What is make s? Make sex?

[@willgrellosbelts8695]

First of all, thank you for giving some love to FF1. I feel like this game gets overlooked but is the perfect mix of a challenge and the feeling of accomplishment, especially the NES version. It's the game that introduced me to turn based RPGs, and my life is better for it. This game is interesting as the first half of the game is pretty challenging, but once you turn the corner, you really start to wipe the floors with everything. Just make sure to grind a bit in the early game, and you'll be unstoppable in the later half. Nothing exciting for my favorite party: fighter, black belt, white mage, black mage. A tank, a damage dealer (once you hit around level 10), a healer, and a spell caster (mainly someone who can cast Fast).

[@TheReturnersHideout]

And thank you for showing Will Grello some love! I have a Spotify playlist of Tim and Eric music! I could make an entire video of the genius of those two, anyway - To your comment, FF1 really opens up right around the time you get finished with the Earth Cavern and it’s a noticeable shift! Everything just seems to speed up. Love the team setup - thanks so much for commenting!

[@willgrellosbelts8695]

@TheReturnersHideout Haha you totally should although your viewers will be like "who the hell are those weirdos". I hope your playlist includes such gems as Minivan Highway, Sports, Petite Feet, and Dobis PR. Anyway I appreciate the love you give to the classic FF games, keep it up!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Sports is regularly streamed as is Doo Dah Doo Doo and Poke On, among others. Did you enjoy Tom Goes to the Mayor also?

[@willgrellosbelts8695]

@TheReturnersHideout Oh yeah, how could I forget Doo Dah Doo Doo. I discovered Awesome Show before I saw Tom Goes to the Mayor, and to me AS was a step forward from TGTTM so I didn't enjoy it as much. Although there was some good episodes like the low G and stuff with Gibbons.

[@carlosfigueredo5682]

When I first played the game (on NES) I used Fighter, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage. It’s still my default party. But I now like to use the 8-bit theater Fighter Thief Red Mage Black Mage

[@kylemundy8871]

Warrior, Thief, Monk, Redmage. Items replace mages, and redmage gets to use their best spells (buffs). All you need

[@joedakiller]

I love watching videos that show FF1 the love I feel it doesn't get enough of. It's one of my favorite games of all time. As for my favorite party, I tend to like using Fighter/Warrior, Black Belt/Monk, Red Mage, and Black Mage. (I call it the Duane and Brando party) I feel like white magic is a tad underpowered in the first game, so I mostly use my red mage for black magic, but still give them cure and exit. I also know there are people out there that dislike the black belt, but they really start to prove their worth after just a few level ups.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I’ve got some more FF1 content written and prepared, my friend! I’ve got 2 videos in the works that really dive into the story of the game and finds a bunch of unanswered loose ends and the other one tells the story of FF1 starting from before the game actually begins and all the events that happened in between. Also Duane and Brando - I haven’t heard that stuff in a LONG time sooooo I’m going to go back and listen because it was all incredibly genius stuff. Leo was the goat Thanks so much Joe!

[@matthewpage8313]

For me, my go to FF1 team is a what I call the Second Slot Irregulars. Typically, a solid team that will carry you through the game fairly easily is a w/?/wm/bm combo, with the second slot often filled by a wild card depending on your preference or play style. But personally, I found that configuration kind of dull and repetitive. So I went the opposite direction built a party out of those "Second Slot" fillers of a Red Mage, Thief and Black Belt, with a White Mage rounding out the team. And, gotta say, had a lot of fun with it. The eclectic mix of skill and abilities meant I really had to think on my feet and make sure everybody was playing to their strengths. Probably not a good team for a beginner and yeah, you do end up having to make some serious use of magic casting items to fill in some of the gaps. But I had good time with my oddballs and it was satisfying giving them a chance to really shine.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is a neat idea!

[@ShneekeyTheLost]

I realize it's been a year, but my party setups: * The OG: Fighter/Monk/White Mage/Black Mage. This was from the original NES cart where Thief's run bonus didn't work, White Wizard is the only character who can cast the Exit spell, and Monk was cheap and high damage output. Since Temper and Saber didn't work, the goal was to Haste the Monk for boss fights and let him turbo-ginsu everything in his path, then proceed to blast with the highest level effective blasting available, ending up on using items like Thor's Hammer or Black Shirt if you run out of your big nukes. The only problem was endgame, the Master was super vulnerable to status conditions and magic damage. But equipping a ribbon removed his unarmored bonuses, so that meant equipping him with the best armbands you could get and hoping for the best. It also meant there wasn't a good candidate for wielding Murasma since the Knight had Excalibur, the Master was genuinely better off unarmed than with it, and the mages were too busy casting to use physical attacks. With the PR's fixes, I'll probably try a run with Fighter/Thief/Red Mage/Black Mage. This gives Red Mage's ability to buff with Haste, Temper, and Saber in tandem with Black Mage's to buff both the Fighter and the Thief very rapidly. And once you class change, Ninja is just going to be a better option than Master, it's far more defensive, just as offensive, and can also use up to 4th level Black spells like Haste. With Red Mage instead of White, you lose a bit in healing, you don't get Life 2, and you don't get Wall, but you make up for it with extra utility and blasting. Oh, fun fact, in the original NES version, anyone could use any weapon or armor in their personal inventory as an item in combat, even if they couldn't equip it. So you could, say, put the Heal Staff in the Monk's inventory, even though he can't equip it, and use it as an item in combat for a small party heal. Which was real fun when you had enough heal helms and heal staves for the whole party to stall out an encounter and heal back up to mostly full.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Solid B+ setups, but an A+ comment overall! I feel like the entirety of the NES version was “hope for the best”, I went back recently and attempted to play it and it just felt like such a chore, and I hate that I’m saying it. The PR setup you have should work decently well with the Thief’s speed intact it should be just fine I would imagine! Thank you so much!

[@SilentDragonite149]

My setup for FF1 (At least in the NES port) is Fighter, Red Mage, Black Mage, White Mage. (One of each of the mages, but I feel the ordering with the White and Black Mages can be interchangeable.) And yes, I do opt for Early Airship/Class Change with this build. (And also go out of my way to get the Masamune.) It may not be the best, but it works for me and everyone plays a role. The Fighter/Knight is pretty much your box-standard beatstick. The objective with the fighter is to take lots of punishment and give back just as much. Access to Blink/RUSE after becoming a Knight actually makes them become an even better rank than normal. Red Mage/Red Wizard is kind of what I use to help my Fighter carry me through the early game, and the support spells and access to Masamune still keep him relevant in the late game. In the fight against Chaos especially, Red Wizard helps my Black Mage set up Haste/FAST support (Temper/TMPR and Saber/SABR are bugged in the NES and don’t work, so I don’t bother with those there.) up quicker. And you’d be surprised to find that a Red Wizard with the Masamune still hits pretty hard after Haste is set up. White Mage/White Wizard is just amazing for the exact reasons you mentioned. Although I do have a slight protip: you WILL want to forego Invisira/INV2, since the White Robe allows you to cast that for free anyways. When the White Wizard ISN’T supporting or healing, they’re usually using the Thor Hammer to cast Thundara/LIT2. Black Mage/Black Wizard is…pretty much as you described it. Not much for me to add since you’ve already said everything I would’ve needed to say. My Chaos Strategy with Black Wizard is to set up Haste/FAST along with Red Mage on turn 1, and then use either the Mage Staff or Flare/NUKE every turn after.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

This is a A setup - in my most recent play through, I utilized a red mage and played him differently. The results were far better than previous attempts so I’m coming around to the Red Mage! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@thecowardlytimelord5322]

I almost always go with two warriors a red mage and a white mage, originally I used to go warrior, red mage, thief and white mage.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

There's a ton of power there, and having that extra healing is never a bad thing once class change happens and the Knights learn white magic!

[@tonkatunk]

Feel like it's common knowledge. Tidbit for solo runs. EXP, this may be version dependent, is split equally among living party members. AKA solo runs is 4x the exp. You're also spending less money on gears and spells opposed to a full party. So don't be afraid to give it a shot, it will probably be easier than people expect.

[@Taser9001]

I'm actually planning on playing FF1 for the first time soon. I want to play the PSP version first, for the extra content, then do the Pixel Remaster later down the line. For PSP, I'm going with Warrior, Thief, Red Mage and White Mage. Red Mage over Black Mage because of their physical capabilities and extra defense. In the endgame content, the whole reason for me using Black Magic is to setup with Temper and Haste, both of which Red Mage has access to, anyway. Thief is there for a similar reason. More physical capabilities in the party, and as a Ninja, access to Temper and Haste. With Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard and White Wizard, I have plenty of physical capabilities, and plenty of healing. I would use a Monk, but the superbosses are apparently brutal if your defense isn't up to scratch. For Pixel Remaster, I'd likely have the same party, so I can have double the Temper stacks on my Knight. However, given that there is no post-game content, I may also consider switching the Thief out for a Monk, as a second Temper caster may not be necessary.

[@Taser9001]

Update. Ended up choosing Monk over Thief after all. Figured I can have Warrior at the top of my party to take hits and be healed whilst I set Monk up with Temper. Invisira should also make up for Monk's lack of defense.

[@Budabuf]

I've played the GBA version twice. My first ever team setup was warrior, monk, white mage, and black mage. Then for my recent playthrough, I went warrior, thief, white mage, and red mage.

[@levi1929]

I’m late to the party, but my fave set up is: Fighter, White Mage, Black Mage, Black Mage It’s vastly superior to the parties which try and include a ninja for some extra black magic and the White Mage works very well as a tank in the second spot.

[@kevsplitterskull3209]

My last playthrough was warrior, black belt, black belt, warrior. It was a bit hard at the beginning but by the end I was taking vacations to the space temple to hunt Warmechs. My record was five in one trip. It definitely gets OP by the end.

[@AvianSavara]

I'm interested about the Fighter in that last position. Did you use him as a reserve for whenever your first Fighter would either get slain or wounded and you ran out of cures?

[@kevsplitterskull3209]

Yeah, that was basically the tactic. Especially in the early going, when the black belts weren't exactly dealing out tremendous damage, he was a good way to finish the turn strong. And obviously the #1 fighter was taking the most damage, so it was good to have the second one there in the pocket. Like I said, it gets criminally easy later in the game!

[@AvianSavara]

@@kevsplitterskull3209 That's really clever, I like it :)

[@MrSaturn.]

I just started the game, and so far, i got, firstly, fighter, then, monk! Then, Wmage!, then, Bmage!

[@sagittariusa7662]

A final fantasy mod where you can have six characters, albeit two of them will be in the back, but you can switch them out if you need to. They get unique abilities that can be essential. You also get to determine the sex and get different sprites between male and female counterparts for each class. Do know this means I am addressing each class as a he as that is the standard. With a fighter/warrior/knight, he becomes a Dragoon if put in the back, being able to jump and then fall back randomly. With Red Mage, he becomes a bard and can sing a random song from the back row randomly. With White Mage, he can use the prayer ability which has a random effect. This will occur randomly. With Black Mage, he becomes Geomancer in the back row, using a random geomancer ability, which also occurs randomly. With Black Belt/Monk, will jump (not like the fighter) but rather leap in front to do a dance like FF5 which is random before leaping back. Instead of using a knife, given you are unarmed, it a karate chop. With Thief/Ninja, he become a mime in the back row, able to repeat any previously used before he randomly attacks. The randomness will be set based on the agility of the character happens every two turns in retrospect of the character in a semi-standard ABT. You still have the turn style that you are used to but there is a semi-standard ABT behind the scenes in regards to your back row characters. This means they won't attack while you are setting up commands rather during the enemy's turn in relation to the enemy's speed will determine how often they will attack. It won't be that often, unless you have a thief in the back row. Do know there are certain disadvantages in having some characters in the back row. For the Knight, he will not auto cover fallen people in the front if he is in the back. Regardless of being a fighter or a knight, this character(s) will also have read ahead from FF5 which will make monster encounters less frequent especially as your level goes up when it comes to encounter lower level enemies. No impact on enemies of a higher level. For the Thief, you cannot surprise enemies as often if he is set in the back, while at the same time you don't get surprised or suffer from back attacks if he in the back row. You also cannot detect secret passages or disarm traps while in the back row. The same is true for pitfalls. For the Monk, you cannot use light step which helps you avoid damage from lava and poison tiles if he is in the back row. For the White Mage, Black Mage, and Red Mage, you lack Pharmacology, which makes healing items more effective if they are in the back row. It is the same for all three, there is no multiple double effect by having more mages, you just need one in the front row when you are using items. They also possess active abilities. For Fighter. He will have besides fight, the three abilities guard, lure and berserk. Berserk will make your fighter auto-attack until the end of battle or until defeated. When becoming a knight, the fighter gains basic white magic along with Bladeblitz, Bushido (which contains Mineuchi, Zeninage, Shirahadori and Iainuki), and Lancet. Bushido will require MP. For Thief he will have besides fight, the five abilities steal, mug, escape, aim, and flirt. When becoming a Ninja, he will gain basic black magic along with throw, ninjutsu (which contains image, smoke, mirage and shadowbind), mix (from the Chemist) and combine (from the Cannoneer). Difference between steal and mug, because why have both, steal allows you to steal any item that varies and with a chance of not taking anything depending on the speed of the enemy. Capture removed the chance of not stealing anything, but you can only take the most common item rather than the rarest, which means you are more likely to get something but it is less likely to be something you had wanted. For Monk, he will have besides fight, the three abilities focus, chakra, and kick. Upon becoming a master, he will also acquire blue magic, scan and control. For Red Mage, he will have besides fight, the three abilities white magic, black magic, and animals. Upon becoming a Red Wizard, he will have more black magic and red magic and also acquires Rapid Fire, Dualcast and Spellblade. For Black Mage, he will have besides fight, the three abilities black magic, bluff, and curse. Upon upgrading to Black Wizard, he gains more black magic along with the abilities oath, dark arts, and mystic arts. For White Mage, he will have besides fight, the three abilities white magic, bless, and cry. Upon upgrading to White Wizard, he gains more white magic along with the abilities condemn, predict, calm and release. You can catch a total number enemy monsters (not bosses) relative to your level divided by 10, so a maxed 50 (given 50 is max level) can catch a total of five enemies. You also gain access to bows, flails/whips, harps, lances, darts, and axes besides swords, katanas, knives, rods, hammers, and staffs. The ninja can equip anything while others are limited as deemed appropriate. You also have the option to equip claws or nun chucks on the monk which have their benefits and disbenefits. Claws typically have element or effect benefits, while the nun-chucks offer increase evasion and defense at the cost of attack potential since you cannot use them with focus or kick. So if you want your monk to fight more defensively, then equip some nun-chucks. This is in respect to Bruce Lee who used Nun-chucks when fighting a samurai with a katana. Do know they do not increase your attack strength and your ability to score a critical hit decreases, but it may be worth it depending on what enemy you fight.

[@LaterTheGator]

The first time I played on the GBA, I used 3 warriors and a red mage. Offensive magic was lacking, but healing was pretty easy after class changing (if it was even needed). It was pretty fun, but I was always short on money.

[@TheatreStyle]

A four-monk party is actually absurdly fun. You can practically melt every enemy team in the first or second round of combat, and all the money that you're not spending on equipment and spells is put to use buying potions and tents.

[@hypnotiqadventures]

I felt that “I have bills, and cats. Those are both stupid expensive” 😂 especially the cat part

[@SlayerRunefrost]

Why does everyone sleep on the Red Mage? He can deal decent damage from Black Magic and can keep the party decently healed with White Magic. Sure not as much as the B & W Mages but close enough to make them obsolete. Plus they can use swords to dish out not terrible physical damage too.

[@h347h]

Cause I could have another warrior instead

[@SlayerRunefrost]

@h347h and have no magical capabilities

[@diothar]

I just started the pixel remaster two days ago and am trying a party I've never done before. It's nice because the only version I really played was the NES version and this party would have been pretty bugged. Fighter, Monk, Thief, Red Mage. It's doing very well so far.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

B+ Not a lot of magic, but a ton of power in that group!

[@diothar]

@@TheReturnersHideout Just wrapped up the volcano. I am missing some of the end game black magic, but damn it's powerful.

[@diothar]

@@TheReturnersHideout I just have the last fiend left. Party's powerful.

[@JesusRodriguez-kd8es]

Fighter/knight, monk/master, white mage/ white wizard, black mage/ black wizard. I tend grind alot, even going to the glitched areas with stronger monsters to really beef up my characters in early game play.

[@luke-i1w]

My party is tailored for the NES version which has no life potions. 2 Fighters (best utilizes Excalibur and Masamune) 1 Monk (they hit harder than knights but are susceptible to everything so have them in the 3rd position) 1 Red Mage to basically be used as a fighter that can cast life, plus they can use the Sun Sword which is the 3rd best weapon in the game. This party will deal some serious damage by the halfway point of the game. Fights with lots of enemies are a pain, but single enemy fights are a breeze. I beat Tiamat with just my 2 knights after getting attacked by War Mech that took out my Red Wizard and Master.

[@Angemell]

For Original (NES, PSX and PR): + Fighter, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage For GBA and PSP: + Fighter, Thief, Red Mage and White Mage (you get lots of casting items which breaks Black Mage's value, sadly)...

[@JustinEvitable80]

Favorite party: Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard & Black Wizard. I've been playing this game for over 30 years. Now I usually play the Playstation version on Origins and have a checklist on which parties I have completed the game with.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I’m glad you’re still enjoying it after all these years like I am!

[@anzilluuri]

Monk, red mage, white mage, Black mage. But there are caveats and asterisks. Plus alot of set up time. We are talking 100's of reloads. Per character.

[@clipcoug1139]

I've always used Warrior, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage. Sometimes I use 2 Monks to go with the White Mage and Black Mage. I think having 2 Monks is better in the long term and 1 Warrior and 1 Monk is better in the short team to work with the White and the Black Mage, especially once you get to pick up some of the items later on that can act like defensive spells. Since the Monks don't really need to have weapons, I can give one of them a White Shirt and both of them Healing items (Staff, Helmet) and give the Black Mage the other Heal Helmet when they get picked up. With basically 2 characters that can use INVS2 (White Mage and whoever carries the White Shirt), you're basically going to be immune to all physical attacks after INVS2 gets used 3 times, I think. Then you can use 3 characters to heal your party until the INVS2 wears off after a few rounds. Perfect for battles with lots of enemies if you need to heal yourself w/o using a bunch of potions and cure spells. Only problem is that this won't work with enemies who cast spells that damage your party and make your INVS irrelevant and your cure spells less effective. I use this strategy a lot in Choas's castle whenever possible and I think the best chance to heal your party entirely would probably be the Earth fiend or Water Fiend floor because I think those levels have the most enemies that use attacks instead of magie to try and hurt your party. For invidual enements, the 4 Fiends, and Choas, Your 2 Monks will make quick work of them. Best defense in those cases is the best offense. I don''t care for versitality so I excluded a Red Mage and I agree with @aspieatheist6040 about Theives. Running away is a risky strategy and I'm not looking for a guy that can avoid damage on his own when my White Mage can do that for him and everybody else I prefer characters who are specialists

[@kenefactor3764]

After playing a boatload of runs through the NES game, my favorite is Warrior, Warrior, White Mage, Black Belt. Sure, losing the elemental spells is rough in the early game, but it's mostly single target and I found Warp a bigger loss since it's an earlier spell charge than Exit. Spell items on the White Mage and Backup Warrior make up for the elemental spells most of the run. A single Fog or Blink on the White Mage makes the front line nigh indestructible until you reach said midgame. Black Belt's job is to hang out and reduce costs until they're tough enough to swap back to 3rd slot.

[@hylianfelldragon1308]

I don't know if you still grade party setups but here was my party setup on my first playthrough of Final Fantasy 1 via the Pixel Remaster. Warrior, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage I was mainly wanting to go for a magic centric party that way the flow of battle was more geared towards applying buffs when necessary and exploiting enemy elemental weaknesses. Although I brought in a Warrior in the team just in case I run into an enemy with no real weaknesses.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

A-! Super solid party setup - TONS of magic to go around for sure! Honestly? I wouldn’t change a thing, but that MUST get pretty pricey! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@game84cube]

I currently use Fighter, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Red and Black have died the most, Black being the most behind in EXP. Fighter died, but I had a Phoenix Down to use quickly. Same with White. I'm playing Pixel Remaster

[@Blackfire_2022]

Always go Warrior, Monk, Black Mage and White Mage. this is my only way of playing lol

[@mindlessmeat4055]

Last time I played, I just rolled 4d6 and went with what it gave me.

[@josephdolph8474]

You beat me to it! This is also my favorite team

[@Juice_Tortuga]

My favorite part of ff1 is the versatility of choosing different characters for each play through, it’s a fun and curious adventure each time as each points in the game have different challenges depending on your class setup and how you invest into them differently. Besides maybe FF5, I find FF1 to be the most replayable because of this!

[@danield.6452]

My favorite setup: Warrior (Tank) Black Mage (Elemental Damage - Support) Red Mage (Support - Status Effects) White Mage (Support)

[@hardcoretam]

I just finished the Pixel Remaster and picked the default warriors. I didn't know it was possible to pick more than 1 of the same class and didn't know when classes got upgraded i could teach them magic. That made my playthrough a lot more painful than it needed to be but i got there in the end.

[@thepsychomagus]

Great video. I will say the Thief I would never use. On the other hand, I have beaten the game on PS1 version with all Red Mage, my favorite class in the FF franchise, on both difficulties. If I was going to pick four for a party maybe the first party I ever made; Warrior, Monk, White Mage and Black Mage. Although that may leave out the Red Mage but there is always next time. 😝

[@TheSkullKlownTSK]

Love the original Final Fantasy My setup that I used now it's Red Mage Monk White Mage Black Mage. When I first played the game I used Warrior Red Mage White Mage Black Mage.

[@tonkatunk]

Red Mage, lower hp but still gets high atk and def if equipped. Access to magic, think it meant most magical weapons that you can use as items, to cast spells, can be used by them too. Also do NOT forget buffs and debuffs. Things like increased number of hits from haste I think, lower enemy's accuracy evasion, believe they'll have access to sleep... I've soloed the GBA version as a red mage for fun, it's not hard to do. Just remember he has strengths and weaknesses like any other character, lean into the strengths.

[@Sev_Henry]

When not doing challenge runs (my current being an all Monk minimum battles/low level run, which has been an absolute nightmare…) my default party setup is Monk, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Monk is just generally my favorite class in the first game.

[@jaccrabtree5019]

Currently doing a challenge run on the NES version where I can only use mages as party members 2 red mages, white mage, and a black mage.

[@joshuareynolds6970]

The 4 black belt/ monk challenge is my favorite TBH. It does have a slow start, but by the end it is rather easy. Chaos goes down in 2 rounds max.

[@officialmaydl]

My personal setup is Fighter, Monk, Red Mage, and Black Mage. However, I might swap it to Fighter, Red Mage, Monk, and Black Mage due to the Hit thing you discussed.

[@beartackle]

5:34 What's funny is that I didn't know I could choose my characters. I guess I was excited to play the game that I must have pressed a button too fast and skipped that part. Anyways, I luckily ended up with this setup, and I love it! Also, thanks for mentioning how the top characters get hit more. I did notice that in my playthrough.

[@MemphiStig]

I found that early on, the monk is slightly stronger with weapon and armor, but outpaces it fairly early. So what I would do was equip wooden armor and nunchuks until I gained a few levels, then starting comparing stats equipped and unequipped. I've played several party set-ups, but I've never had a go-to.

[@matthewbarabas3052]

i just unequip the monks instantly. they do more damage even at level 1, and defense is somewhat meaningless anyway.

[@gregoryblasengame8740]

I formed a party of two red mages, white mage, and black mage..the two red mages did OK with physical attacks (not fantastic, but doable). Plenty of magical firepower, though

[@ryanc5572]

Yes! Love ff1 videos! My fav party ive done so far is 3x black mage and 1x white mage, haha

[@TheReturnersHideout]

So. Much. Magical power. But where's the heavy hitters?! B

[@s0niKu]

I'm an enjoyer of Warrior, Monk, Red, White. You get more physical damage than with two pure mages, and only sacrifice some elemental damage power... which is totally fine because the red mage still does enough magic damage when you have elemental advantage, which is when you'd be using black magic attacks anyway!

[@LockeCousland]

FF1 specifically...... Knight Ninja White Wizard Black Wizard I use that general set up for most fantasy games

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Solid set up, classic! A!

[@claybfx]

I really enjoyed the content of this video, with one gripe: I mostly listen to videos, so it would be great if you could narrate the screens like the party setup!

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Gotcha! I can definitely explain more of what’s happening on screen! Thank you for this!

[@NightSprinter]

Also, for NES original without a rebalancing rom patch, my setup is Warrior/RedMage/WhiteMage/BlackMage.

[@cturtle7217]

Thanks for the video great information. Two days before my switch version gets here 😁

[@crimroc]

Sickest party (in formation order) is monk, warrior, thief, red mage. Always feels unique and has a cool playstyle. No duplicate characters and no intuitive picks.

[@gameoverdude2249]

Bro, you remind me of Christopher Sabat! SUBBED! Your content level is over 9000!! 👍 👊

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Thank you so much for that!!

[@Thorn99855]

Glad I watched this for the party top-to-bottom order tip. Also for the naked monk tip. So I should take the nunchucks away from him??? Also, black mage Sleep spell has not been putting anyone to sleep. I even use it on large parties of low level enemies. Nothing happens. I swapped it out for Focus instead.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

I usually do! I just always check how much damage is done to enemies with and with weapons for the Monk. Usually, no weapons at all does just fine through the whole thing for me! Thanks so much for commenting!

[@Thorn99855]

​@@TheReturnersHideout Yeah! My pleasure!

[@Thorn99855]

​@@TheReturnersHideout Does the Sleep spell actually do anything? I used it on groups of small enemies. Nobody went to sleep that I could see. No Zzs and the enemies all attacked every time. Is that spell just broken?(in a bad way?)

[@TheReturnersHideout]

@Thorn99855 I’ve noticed for me on the pixel remaster it only lasts for a crazy short time, I think long enough for the enemy to have their turn. I haven’t had any luck with Sleep like I usually do on the other versions

[@youkaijsgb]

Soo my setup for the playthrough I'm doing right now (first time) started as Red Mage, Thief, Black Mage, White Mage, and after the class change I switched the first two fighters' positions as the Ninja started to be able to take more hits than the Red Wizard could at the time I upgraded their classes. What do you think about it?

[@TheReturnersHideout]

The switch after getting class change is a super smart move! It seems magic-heavy with PLENTY of physical power too, solid setup: A!

[@BlueMageDaisen]

I go to is Warrior (Defense), Monk (Offense), Red Mage (Buffs and AoE for random encounters) and White Mage (Heals). Everything is smooth and easy I never use Thief due to how it's incredibly weak and in some versions it's Run feature doesn't even work, erasing it's benefit completely Also the Wizards get 8th level magic If you like challenge runs you should look up Sullla's playthroughs of 1 and 5, usually using Solo characters

[@pbentle1990]

Fighter, black belt, white mage, and black mage. I feel a great overall party

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Oh yeah, classic setup I used for a LONG time! You get an A

[@bahamutskingdom]

2 Warriors/Knights 1 Red Mage/Wizard 1 White Mage/Wizard Since a ton of the spells did not work, a Red Mage became my go to Black Mage. Not to mention they can wield a lot of the swords. And they can actually hit pretty hard in time. So it got my elemental spells, as well as another physical hitter in the party. They have since fixed the black magic spells. But even in my Pixel Remaster playthrough.....so many damn ports of this game I have played in the last 30+ years......I still found this to be the absolute best choice.

[@Purplekitty274]

I just started my first play though and used my friends as the cast. I made them their favourite classes from 14 (or closest to it) 1. Monk 2.black mage 3.red mage 4. Warrior

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Solid set up! Just be mindful of placement within the party like I said in the video! The top slot gets hit more than the others - other than that it’s a super good mix of physical strength and magic! B+

[@theinsanegamer1024]

I tend to go with Warrior, Red Mage, Monk, White Mage. The warrior for taking hits, hitting fairly hard, and occasional light healing out of battles, the Red Mage to buff the monk with Haste and Berserk while also being sturdier than a normal black mage, White mage for primary healing. It gives a good mix of offense and defense without overlapping classes. Ultimately the better defense of the Red Mage ends up more important by the end of the game than level 8 magic. Yeah it's cool, but a lot of those spells aren't going to help too much either. "Paralyze all spell" cool, don't need to paralyze random mobs. Insta-kill enemies? The monk does that already.

[@argentorangeok6224]

Just did a run with 2 red mages, black belt, and thief. It was a little rough but not too bad.

[@Jay_76]

I've been thinking about doing a run with 2 red mages, a white mage, and a black mage. Any thoughts?

[@TheReturnersHideout]

That’s a super magic heavy group with a bit of physical power behind it! It’ll be an expensive run for sure, but you’ll be grinding for Gil which will ultimately mean your levels will be a bit higher. I’m interested to see if you have any major issues with this group. I don’t foresee anything too terrible if you spend the Gil to get the stuff you need!

[@Jay_76]

@@TheReturnersHideout I think my biggest issue is going to be of my own doing. I hope to Class Change before the Volcano by either going through the Ice Cave for the Floater and some EXP or going right for the Castle of Ordeal and the Rat Tail. I'm hoping a liberal application of HRM2 and/or FIR2 will get me through both, but it could be a tough time.

[@Redmage913]

Favorite: Fi, Fi, RDM, BB :) amazing power team, since FF1 is definitely a weapon damage game with Haste. And Temper/Giant’s Boots for the later functional remakes!

[@jarg_64]

I have played the Pixel remaster 2x with random builds Build 1 was thief, monk, red mage and black mage Build 2 was warrior, monk, black mage, white mage

[@naenre21]

Fighter, Black Belt, Thief and White Mage is my goto party

[@h5ypr]

Warrior, Red Mage, Black Mage, Monk. The black mage looks adorable. The warrior is tanky. The monk deals tons of damage. The red mage has both black and white magic.

[@leargamma4912]

While it's ridiculous, my personal favorite party set up in 1 is as follows, especially in the gba/psp versions: Thief Red Mage White Mage White Mage The thief deals damage and is good for more than in the original. He deals damage, is fast, and is am ok frontliner late game. I love thieves in RPG's so it makes it fun to have one lead. Red Mage is a jack of all trades, master of none. It substitutes for a black mage or even a monk as a damge dealer. I prefer having a couple buffing spells on him. He's there because it helps to have options, and honestly red mages look super cool. The two white mages are there for my healing OCD. Damage spells with the likes of Holy and undead damage is also great. The reason why I choose 2 white mages for this is more than just healing though. I give them similar names and try to make my own little story about how one is secretly a fake copy of the other mage, and by the time you upgrade with bahamut, the party has discovered this. And then I change what magic this copy learns to reflect his character growth beyond being a copy. It's a silly little story I like to use for 1, since you don't have many rpg's with this DND factor. Letting it play out and finding how to make your own tale with a simple party set up is always fun for my imagination.

[@TheReturnersHideout]

Interesting party! I’ll have to try this one out! Definitely a LOT of healing ability so there’s not a lot of difficulty here unless you don’t level. Very interesting indeed but I do wonder about the Thief’s defense stat as it will be hit the most in battle!

[@leargamma4912]

Yeah... theif needs buffs and good armor to be at the top. I still love using him though​@@TheReturnersHideout

[@alyssasalmon4883]

Which versions are you primarily talking about in this video? Because the balancing pre-DoS and post-DoS is very different

[@ancientrunekrp6895]

my setup depends on the version, NES is 2 fighters White mage Black Mage PR is Fighter Thief White Mage Red Mage, and DoS/PSP is Fighter Thief Monk Red Mage because they can use the most variety of the extra equipment.

[@phawkuffe9491]

I breezed through the game with four monks. Not having to buy equipment meant I had plenty of money to spend on healing items. Just pummel anything that gets in the way, heal as needed (which is admittedly a lot) and sell any weapons and armor you find to buy items. As for balanced parties, I like warrior, red mage, black mage, white mage. The only hard part with this setup is having enough money to keep everyone equipped.

[@mntwins28]

I usually do the standard set up of Warrior, Thief, White Mage and Black Mage. My latest play through however I have Monk leading the team and red, white and black mages following.

[@chriswillis4960]

My fav setup was Fighter, Thief, Red Mage, White Mage. Red Mage functions as a secondary Fighter for the big fights while also allowing you to nuke your way through normal encounters and function as a back up healer and buffer. tbh Thief feels kinda eh, but when I played the most Ninja just sounded cool because Ninja. I should also mention that I basically only Played the Original NES and PS1 versions of the game, which have this wonderful INT bug, basically the stat might as well not exist, Meaning Black Mage didnt actually have any benefit over Red Mage I wondered why Red Mage Felt overpowered, it was actually just that Black Mage was nurfed.