Posted October 08, 2017
My money would be on what Lylandris summed up. Well, here would be how I would roll with it:
SorcererSSCleric (dark side)
or
KknightKSC (KSCK, light side). (I would put SC in the middle, as characters on the side tend to get damaged more.)
For SSSC
Party:
S (All 7/master air magic, 1 goes water magic, all expert leather). When you get it (rest in Dark magic). Optional: meditation, all in water magic.
C (10+ Body magic, 10+ mercantile). (4 Shield, 4 leather to remove recovery penalty). (10 spirit magic, rest in dark magic or split between dark and body.)
Explanation/route:
3x expert spark (air magic) casters will kill anything you meet while you fly (hireling, air master) around and pick up golem pieces, allowing for promotion and master air.
3x M air spark casters stun-lock - including behemoths, allowing for a smooth joining to the dark side.
Air magic also allows for invisibility, which can be used to advance to lich. Getting dark magic as early as level 10-15.
The cleric is for body magic and spirit magic. Regeneration(body) allows you to armageddon > (wait) > repeat. By waiting 1 hour rather than resting, monsters don't regain hitpoints, making it a simple matter to armageddon clear the 2 open end-game areas, which you can reach with invisibility.
After which you will have enough gold to establish 4x GM dark users casting shrapmetal with the protection of GM regeneration, GM protection from magic, and GM preservation. Using Lloyd's beacon to teleport to a temple, heal spell points, and teleporting back again.
The progression with this party is one of the reasons I think its really powerful, it just feels very smooth. Wizard promotion, priest promotion, mercantile, dark side, lich, dark priest, armageddon, shrapmetal.
Issues with this would be mana capacity below level 10, without meditation, when you still have expert spark and no lloyds. If you want to run around and clear random dungeons with expert spark, then you will be resting a bit or backtracking and resting.
For traps you can facetank them and heal up with regeneration. Spend money in Earth magic (master) for telekinesis. Or get expert perception on your characters (reduce trap damage).
-- KKSC (or KTSC) uses S in support role.
Party:
S: 4 Fire magic, 7-10 air magic. 10 water magic. Expert daggers. Expert leather. +Light Magic
C: 10+ Body magic. 10 mercantile. 10 spirit magic. Expert shield. Expert leather. Master Mace.
Either sorcerer or cleric, rest in light magic. Using the sorcerer will mean you have 2 healers (divine intervention), and that you can go higher body magic for emergency healing and more protection from magic charges.
K: (Core: Sword 7. Armsmaster 10+. 10 Plate armor to remove penalty). Optionals: Spear 10, Sword 10. 4 merchant (leveling). 10 Body building. 10 Repair item. But increasing armsmaster is points very well spent (-2 recovery, +2 attack, +2 damage.)
Explanation:
In addition to Regen, preservation, and prot. magic, the cleric also gets heroism (from spirit). Which adds to melee damage.
With the sorcerer you want fire expert (haste, fire aura), master air (invis, fly), GM water (lloyds, townportal, enchanting). No need to get master/GM fire unless you want longer haste duration, light magic takes care of haste later. A minor damage increase can also be gotten with Master/GM Fire - Immolation.
Enchanting is used to enchant helmets and rings in hope of +17~ armsmaster items for the knights.
Expert dagger is an alternative to sparks, as you're going to be party buffed with heroism, haste, etc.
Clubs can be used in the beginning, but going to Avlee and buying +13 spears and tatalia for +9 swords is probably better than the lower recovery time. (saving before you enter the shop means reloading will change what is sold.)
The knights are taken for their high damage output using spear/sword or sword/sword. Armsmaster is key.
When you later get light magic you want to take either your sorcerer or cleric and pump one of them with all your horseshoes and genie lamps (October 22-25, 28). High light magic makes a day and (k)night difference with Day of the Gods, Hour of Power, and Day of Protection.
1 T is an alternative as GM dagger is decent while getting disarm for traps. Generally traps shouldn't be a problem if you equip one of your knights with a +disarm item, and maybe a locksmith NPC early on. Facetanking with regeneration or using telekinesis are alternatives.
KKSC is probably stronger than SSSC early game if its your first time playing, because it does not require any promotions to be effective. All the necessary spells are expert-level, and knights can master sword/spear/armsmaster without promotion.
----------
In any case: Body, Air, Water, Light, and Dark are all very strong. Making 1 sorcerer and 1 cleric a good addition to any party. More of each only really benefits the dark side (shrapmetal), while light wants weapon-based damage.
Fun novelty parties would be
AAAC/AAAS. Bows have a minimum recovery time of 0 (5 with Grayface's patch). Making them machine guns once you have Swift bows, high light magic, and 30-40+ archery --- at which point most parties would be high enough level to have finished the game. Besides the minimum recovery and grandmaster bonus, bows tend to be weak as both might and heroism don't benefit their +damage.
Might as well just abuse the Eofol well with protection from magic with this party.
TTSC or MMSC. Using thiefs or monks instead of Knights. Nothing wrong about it. Thiefs got comparable damage before GM armsmaster, while monks feel clunky before grandmaster staff/unarmed/leather/dodge. Hammerhands is also bugged, I believe, and close to useless. Without Grayface's patch the dagger crit is a little wonky - off hand crits 10% (triple damage) at expert level, and GM may or may not be bugged.
Paladins: PPPS, PPSC, or similar - Mace can be fun with its stun%/Paralyze% in a party with 3-4 healers (Divine intervention sorcerer). The 3~ mace users can stunlock. However, only Expert armsmaster and inability to remove plate armor penalty really holds them down.
Never used druids. I don't like how druids can't GM water and GM body. Furthermore, you would want a sorc/cleric anyways for light/dark magic, removing some of the usefulness. That said, they're quite the powerhouse early game, being able to master body, spirit, fire, air, and water(town portal at least.) after just their first promotion.
Since black potions can be shop bought, I do not consider them that big a boost. That said, KKDC should also be very strong. I just love my Lloyd's beacons and easy access to armsmaster items too much.
I would never make a party with a Ranger, and do not suggest one for a first time playthrough. Yes, you could GM axe, wield a dagger off-hand, use chain without recovery, and finish the game light-side with a cleric's body/spirit/light magic. But a knight could do the same... Just with +60~ damage from armsmaster, +20-30 AC from plate, and ½ phys damage taken -- scaling much better late-game.
SorcererSSCleric (dark side)
or
KknightKSC (KSCK, light side). (I would put SC in the middle, as characters on the side tend to get damaged more.)
For SSSC
Party:
S (All 7/master air magic, 1 goes water magic, all expert leather). When you get it (rest in Dark magic). Optional: meditation, all in water magic.
C (10+ Body magic, 10+ mercantile). (4 Shield, 4 leather to remove recovery penalty). (10 spirit magic, rest in dark magic or split between dark and body.)
Explanation/route:
3x expert spark (air magic) casters will kill anything you meet while you fly (hireling, air master) around and pick up golem pieces, allowing for promotion and master air.
3x M air spark casters stun-lock - including behemoths, allowing for a smooth joining to the dark side.
Air magic also allows for invisibility, which can be used to advance to lich. Getting dark magic as early as level 10-15.
The cleric is for body magic and spirit magic. Regeneration(body) allows you to armageddon > (wait) > repeat. By waiting 1 hour rather than resting, monsters don't regain hitpoints, making it a simple matter to armageddon clear the 2 open end-game areas, which you can reach with invisibility.
After which you will have enough gold to establish 4x GM dark users casting shrapmetal with the protection of GM regeneration, GM protection from magic, and GM preservation. Using Lloyd's beacon to teleport to a temple, heal spell points, and teleporting back again.
The progression with this party is one of the reasons I think its really powerful, it just feels very smooth. Wizard promotion, priest promotion, mercantile, dark side, lich, dark priest, armageddon, shrapmetal.
Issues with this would be mana capacity below level 10, without meditation, when you still have expert spark and no lloyds. If you want to run around and clear random dungeons with expert spark, then you will be resting a bit or backtracking and resting.
For traps you can facetank them and heal up with regeneration. Spend money in Earth magic (master) for telekinesis. Or get expert perception on your characters (reduce trap damage).
-- KKSC (or KTSC) uses S in support role.
Party:
S: 4 Fire magic, 7-10 air magic. 10 water magic. Expert daggers. Expert leather. +Light Magic
C: 10+ Body magic. 10 mercantile. 10 spirit magic. Expert shield. Expert leather. Master Mace.
Either sorcerer or cleric, rest in light magic. Using the sorcerer will mean you have 2 healers (divine intervention), and that you can go higher body magic for emergency healing and more protection from magic charges.
K: (Core: Sword 7. Armsmaster 10+. 10 Plate armor to remove penalty). Optionals: Spear 10, Sword 10. 4 merchant (leveling). 10 Body building. 10 Repair item. But increasing armsmaster is points very well spent (-2 recovery, +2 attack, +2 damage.)
Explanation:
In addition to Regen, preservation, and prot. magic, the cleric also gets heroism (from spirit). Which adds to melee damage.
With the sorcerer you want fire expert (haste, fire aura), master air (invis, fly), GM water (lloyds, townportal, enchanting). No need to get master/GM fire unless you want longer haste duration, light magic takes care of haste later. A minor damage increase can also be gotten with Master/GM Fire - Immolation.
Enchanting is used to enchant helmets and rings in hope of +17~ armsmaster items for the knights.
Expert dagger is an alternative to sparks, as you're going to be party buffed with heroism, haste, etc.
Clubs can be used in the beginning, but going to Avlee and buying +13 spears and tatalia for +9 swords is probably better than the lower recovery time. (saving before you enter the shop means reloading will change what is sold.)
The knights are taken for their high damage output using spear/sword or sword/sword. Armsmaster is key.
When you later get light magic you want to take either your sorcerer or cleric and pump one of them with all your horseshoes and genie lamps (October 22-25, 28). High light magic makes a day and (k)night difference with Day of the Gods, Hour of Power, and Day of Protection.
1 T is an alternative as GM dagger is decent while getting disarm for traps. Generally traps shouldn't be a problem if you equip one of your knights with a +disarm item, and maybe a locksmith NPC early on. Facetanking with regeneration or using telekinesis are alternatives.
KKSC is probably stronger than SSSC early game if its your first time playing, because it does not require any promotions to be effective. All the necessary spells are expert-level, and knights can master sword/spear/armsmaster without promotion.
----------
In any case: Body, Air, Water, Light, and Dark are all very strong. Making 1 sorcerer and 1 cleric a good addition to any party. More of each only really benefits the dark side (shrapmetal), while light wants weapon-based damage.
Fun novelty parties would be
AAAC/AAAS. Bows have a minimum recovery time of 0 (5 with Grayface's patch). Making them machine guns once you have Swift bows, high light magic, and 30-40+ archery --- at which point most parties would be high enough level to have finished the game. Besides the minimum recovery and grandmaster bonus, bows tend to be weak as both might and heroism don't benefit their +damage.
Might as well just abuse the Eofol well with protection from magic with this party.
TTSC or MMSC. Using thiefs or monks instead of Knights. Nothing wrong about it. Thiefs got comparable damage before GM armsmaster, while monks feel clunky before grandmaster staff/unarmed/leather/dodge. Hammerhands is also bugged, I believe, and close to useless. Without Grayface's patch the dagger crit is a little wonky - off hand crits 10% (triple damage) at expert level, and GM may or may not be bugged.
Paladins: PPPS, PPSC, or similar - Mace can be fun with its stun%/Paralyze% in a party with 3-4 healers (Divine intervention sorcerer). The 3~ mace users can stunlock. However, only Expert armsmaster and inability to remove plate armor penalty really holds them down.
Never used druids. I don't like how druids can't GM water and GM body. Furthermore, you would want a sorc/cleric anyways for light/dark magic, removing some of the usefulness. That said, they're quite the powerhouse early game, being able to master body, spirit, fire, air, and water(town portal at least.) after just their first promotion.
Since black potions can be shop bought, I do not consider them that big a boost. That said, KKDC should also be very strong. I just love my Lloyd's beacons and easy access to armsmaster items too much.
I would never make a party with a Ranger, and do not suggest one for a first time playthrough. Yes, you could GM axe, wield a dagger off-hand, use chain without recovery, and finish the game light-side with a cleric's body/spirit/light magic. But a knight could do the same... Just with +60~ damage from armsmaster, +20-30 AC from plate, and ½ phys damage taken -- scaling much better late-game.