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While knowing your armor and abilities is important, it is even more important to know who is using them first. All the characters have their own flair and fit into the party in a unique way. The following is meant to give you some short pointers on how to arrange your party, but it really shouldn't be followed too closely. As each player has his or her own style, it is entirely possible that you will disagree with my selections here and with the choices made during the walk-through in some way. That is fine, and it's to be expected, as each person tends to find a way of doing things that simply suits him or her better. Until you do discover what works best for you, however, the following can be very helpful, as it could save you from building up a character that you will really not use much near the end. Amarant Coral Amarant will not come into play until later in the game, right after meeting Eiko. For the most part, Amarant helps move the story along and serves as a source of annoyance. While his character does fit well with the story, he rarely fits well in your party. When playing, it is usually a good idea to compose your party of a healer, a fighter, and a wizard - in addition to Zidane, of course. If you like, you may always substitute the fighter for a second healer or mage, but you never want to be without at least one healer and, preferably, a mage. Because Steiner tends to be a more capable fighter, this often makes Amarant a third wheel. While it is true that he has some pretty good abilities, pairing Steiner and Vivi together, then adding either Dagger or Eiko, is simply too efficient. Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII (Dagger) Most of the story in the game either revolves around Zidane or the lovely princess Dagger. There is even an entire side quest devoted to her where you get to discover her real name. No, I'm not going to tell you - I'll only say that it is something rather unexpected considering the variety of names you usually find in Final Fantasy. Overall, Dagger is a very capable healer (though not quite as good as Eiko since Eiko tends to pick up Curaga first) and a very skilled summoner after obtaining the rest of her gems. Sadly enough, it does take time to build Dagger up. Because of this, it is generally better to bring Eiko along if you are looking for a good healer when you are able to, while ignoring Dagger. If you do not have a great need for healers, however, you may instead opt to keep Dagger in your party, as her summoning ability can come in handy for its offensive power. Eiko Carol Eiko does not come into the game until slightly later on, but when she does, she will most likely prove to be the superior of your two white mages. In addition, she will also develop an infatuation for Zidane, which provides for a good number of laughs throughout the rest of the game. Eiko's summoning ability is far more limited than Dagger's, yet, at the same time, can be more flexible if you plan ahead. While Eiko is very limited in the number of Eidolons that she is capable of summoning, the effects of two of those Eidolons depend upon what item you have equipped when summoning the eidolon. This forces you to plan ahead for the desired effect, but with some practice, this system can be quite effective. Freya Crescent Freya, like Amarant, falls a little short when it comes to finding a place for her in your party. Naturally, you will rarely have a need for more than two fighters, and Steiner works quite well as a second to Zidane. Additionally, Freya loses out when compared with Quina because of the latter's spellcasting capabilities. Despite this, Freya does have one ability that can make her ideal at times - jump. When using the jump ability, Freya is removed from combat for a short period, rendering her impossible to hit. While you cannot heal her during this period of time, it can still work out quite well if you are careful.
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