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Tanking in Final Fantasy XII is a tricky proposal.
It involves negotiating not just enemy enmity, but also using spells like Decoy to make them focus on you if things go wrong.
Not only that, but you have to really pay attention to what the tanks jobs, equipment and stats are to make sure that they’re up to tank snuff.
Of course, some jobs are much better suited for the job than others.
You wouldn’t put a White Mage as a tank, would you? Maybe.
But let’s talk about job combos better than that!
Here’s a few of the best job combos for tanking in Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.
3. Knight + Foebreaker
As the most utilitarian tank job combo there is, the Knight and Foebreaker come together to create a sheer wall of defense that’s hard to topple.
The knight alone is a sturdy beast, with lots of hit points and great equipment choices.
But adding the Foebreaker further increases this potential as well as adding a lovely variety of bonus boosts and technicks.
Foebreaker can use the Wither, Expose, Shear, and Addle abilities to reduce enemies’ stats dramatically – and make battles much easier for everybody.
It also makes the attacks the tank has to take that much lighter and reduces healing – it’s a real trickle-down tank economy.
The Knight + Foebreaker mix may not be the flashiest or most self-sufficient tank there is.
But it does not disappoint when it comes to the base job of staying alive while keeping the enemies away from the rest of the party.
2. Knight + Bushi
The Knight is a cornerstone to tanking.
It can use all sorts of heavy armor and has a metric ton of hit points.
It can even use the most powerful swords, as well as shields, which further bolsters its defense.
So it’s no wonder that when you think of ‘tank’, one of the first things to really come to mind is a stalwart knight.
Can it get even better?
With Bushi, it can!
Bushi bases itself more in magic than other physical jobs, but that’s a perfect pairing with Knight who’s all about that melee life.
The Bushi can use katanas, which hit hard and with easy combos, dealing lots of damage that is enhanced by the Knight.
And the Bushi’s much magic plus augments meld perfectly with the Knight’s limited (though super useful) white magic.
A Knight + Bushi package delivers with sustainability, as well as damage, to make sure that the party survives easily through encounter after encounter.
1. Time Battlemage + Monk
This may be perhaps the most abstract combo, but still a solid pick.
And in FF12 the Time Battlemage + Monk pairing makes a surprisingly good tank.
The two pair together better than you’d might think by just saying the names out loud.
Time Battlemage can wear heavy armor, can use Cura and Raise, as well as time magic, which includes the ever-useful Haste and Decoy.
It also has a lot of strength boosts on its board.
Monk comes in with even more white magic like Bravery and Esuna.
It also can use poles, which are great for multi-hit combos, and has the Wither and Expose technicks for reducing enemy strength and defense, respectively.
Let’s not forget that Monk also has a boatload of HP boosts, and can use potions to their maximum efficacy.
The Time Battlemage and Monk duo creates a tank that can easily take care of itself – as well as hold its own and keep the enemies attention.
And as a fun bonus it can even heal the party, should the need arise!
Brian knows more about RPGs than he does world history. Combine with his love of writing and you get somebody who can, and will, go on forever about every nuance of every game he's played.
