Final Fantasy Tactics is a departure from the typical formula of the franchise in more ways than one. While the game still features rich storytelling as we are used to, it does so through a tactical roleplaying game rather than a traditional RPG as the franchise is known for. As it happens, the departure for this franchise was overwhelmingly enjoyable.

Unlike other games in the franchise, there are very few main characters in this title. Only one playable character is truly fleshed out, with the player’s team made up of other characters which are hired and recruited to their team. Every character on the team fulfills one of several jobs at a time, with some of the more advanced jobs containing pre-requisites to unlock. Among them, here are the ten toughest jobs to unlock in the original Tactics title, based on their pre-requisites.

10 Summoner

As its name implies, the Summoner battles opponents by summoning creatures which have strong magical abilities. These abilities assist by either dealing large amounts of damage to all opponents or by assisting all allies.

The Summoner job is important for unlocking other jobs on this list. In order to unlock this job, the character needs to be a level two Time Mage, which in turn requires two levels in Wizard. Wizard is one of the first jobs available to a level two Chemist, meaning that it won’t take too long to get your first Summoner.

9 Mediator

The Mediator is an interesting job in Final Fantasy Tactics which sees lots of practical application outside of just unlocking further advanced jobs. Using speech in battle, this job allows players to recruit monsters and characters into their fold. Using this job isn’t all about smooth talking though. The Mediator uses guns as a primary weapon, allowing a bit of range to your team as well.

To get a Mediator, players need a level two Oracle. The Oracle will first require a level two Priest, which is the alternative job available to level two Chemists.

8 Geomancer

Despite indications thus far, there is hope for advancement if you’ve gotten a Squire instead of a Chemist. These next two entries will look at advancement options for Squires, and they’re more than comparable to the previous two.

Once your Squire is level two, you can become a Knight. Level two there unlocks the Monk job, and three levels in that job will open Geomancer as an option, and this in an option that you want. Geomancers are slow to progress, but once you’re on your way, they are able to inflict numerous status effects on enemies.

7 Lancer

Perhaps your Squire is taking the Archer route instead of the Knight at level two. Once you’ve leveled that Archer to level two, you can become a Thief. Three levels there will unlock the Lancer job. Fans of the Final Fantasy franchise will recognize the Lancer as being similar to Dragoons in other titles, most notably the much longer main title, Final Fantasy IX’s character Freya.

Just like Freya, the Lancer focuses on jump abilities to ignore terrain and navigate obstacles.   Powerful Lancers can access any location on the map. In later installments of Final Fantasy Tactics, this job is renamed “Dragoon.”

6 Samurai

With all of the previous entries on this list, only the immediate precursor is explicitly required. We’ve written out the path, but not all are necessary. For example, a Summoner only requires two levels as a Time Mage. If the character is recruited as a Time Mage, that will suffice. That changes here.

The Samurai job is a powerful and tricky one which uses the power of katanas to boost allies and damage foes. Outside of abilities, they have strong stats overall and make nice additions to your team. To get one, you’ll need three Knight levels, four in Monk, and two in Lancer.

5 Ninja

As with the Samurai, you’ll need to put in a bit of work for the Ninja job. To get there, you’ll need a level three Archer, four levels in Thief, and two levels in Geomancer. As you can see above, this isn’t a minor investment of time, yet the Ninja job comes across as a bit underwhelming.

For the main ability of this class, Throw, you’ll need to stack your inventory with various items. These can range from shurikens to books. The nicer benefits of taking Ninja levels is that with mastery, you will eventually unlock the abilities to vanish, dual wield, and walk on water.

4 Calculator

As the name implies, the Calculator deals damage based on mathematic algorithms which affect all units which meet the criteria. Despite the powerful nature of their spells, this job has lower offensive stats than most caster jobs and takes turns much slower than other units. Despite the drawbacks, the Reaction Abilities of the Calculator are pretty useful in spreading healing and reflecting damage.

If you’re seeking a Calculator, you’ll need to invest some time. This job requires four levels each in Priest and Wizard, as well as three each in Time Mage and Oracle. Apparently, math really is magic.

3 Bard

What could top a list like this except jobs which require other jobs on the list? Cutting to the chase, unlocking a Bard will require you to invest four levels in Summoner and four levels in Mediator. On top of that, this job is only available to male characters.

In typical Bard fashion, this job unlocks the ability to boost teammates by singing songs. The boosts available fit a variety of criteria ranging from boosting attack power to giving beneficial status effects. While you won’t be building an entire lineup of Bards, you might just want to include one in your formation.

2 Dancer

The Dancer is the Bard’s counterpart in Final Fantasy Tactics and requires a female character who has earned four levels each in Geomancer and Lancer. What puts the Dancer a little higher on this list than her musical companion is that in order to have the best Dancer possible, you’ll want a unit with a high Brave score. Since male units typically have higher Brave scores than females, this is more difficult than it might seem.

Where the Bard boosts allied units, Dancers reduce the stats of enemies and inflict negative status effects on them. They’re extremely useful in combat as supporting characters, but they won’t be the hero of your story.

1 Mime

Mimes are easily the most difficult job in the game to obtain and to use. Accurately using a Mime will mean that you have planned your strategy to fully incorporate its Mimic ability – which replicates any action used in combat by another unit. These units are extremely powerful and have huge stat boosts over other jobs in the game.

In order to unlock a Mime, you’ll have to obtain eight levels in Squire, eight in Chemist, and four each in Geomancer, Lancer, Mediator, and Summoner. While the effort seems like more than the job is worth at first glance, it is well rewarded when using the Mime properly in combat.

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