Bravely Default 2 is the newest entry in the Bravely Default series, with classic JRPG action, challenging boss fights, and lots of jobs and skills to unlock. If this is your first Bravely Default game, you might feel intimidated by the number of jobs the game throws at you at a constant rate. However, the game encourages experimentation and shifting jobs around.
Since every party member has the same base stats, there’s no “best” class for any particular character, meaning you’re free to build characters however you like. That said, there are many early game jobs that make excellent and powerful builds, so you can make the most of every fight and take on the game’s many bosses with confidence.
10 Freelancer + Vanguard
Freelancer is the first job that you have access to, and while it may be tempting to switch it out for something fancier, the Freelancer offers skills that are worth grinding for, as they’ll aid you in the journey ahead. This includes the JP bonus skill, which can help you level up other jobs even faster.
The Vanguard class is a solid choice, with its mix of offensive and defensive stats. It’s a tanky class that can dish out a lot of damage, so it’s a great choice to use as soon as you get it. Plus, it comes with powerful earth elemental attack skills, such as Sword of Stone, which can help exploit enemy weaknesses.
9 Berserker + Monk
The Berserker job is one of Bravely Default 2’s best early game jobs. Where classes such as Vanguard are a mix of offense and defense, Berserker is focused entirely on dealing massive amounts of physical damage, no matter what. One of its skills makes the user’s attacks unmissable, which works really well with the Monk class.
The Monk class offers attack skills that deal a ton of damage, adding to your offensive arsenal. Plus, you can combine the Monk’s missable skills with Berserker’s Bloody-Minded skill to ensure that they never miss.
8 Vanguard + White Mage
The Vanguard class helps characters protect themselves, as well as their fellow party members. Skills such as Aggravate increase the likelihood that your Vanguard character will be targeted, letting them take the brunt of the damage.
By setting your Vanguard’s sub-job to White Mage, your Vanguard can support themselves and the others a bit better. The bosses in Bravely Default 2 are challenging and tricky to beat, so having a character with some healing spells, besides your dedicated White Mage, can take the load off your healer.
7 Black Mage + Red Mage
There’s no mistaking the power of the Black Mage class. Once coupled with the White Mage’s Solar-Powered skill, as well as Black Mage’s Lunar-Powered skill, your offensive mage can keep gaining MP back and attacking, again and again, cleverly exploiting elemental weaknesses as you work toward victory.
The Red Mage job provides you with a handful of new elemental spells that aren’t available to the Black Mage, including wind and earth element spells. These allow you to expand your arsenal, making sure your mage can always target weaknesses. Plus, Red Mage has a Heal spell that recovers a set amount of HP, letting you play a support role, too.
6 Vanguard + Monk
The Vanguard job lets you defend yourself and others, so you can maintain your position and also hit hard while the rest of the party does what they’re best at. Being such a unique support role, a job that amps up its offense, such as the Monk, can work great with it.
Meanwhile, Monk is one of Bravely Default 2’s best early job offerings. With decent defense and a great offense, this class is versatile and unique because it works best when the user is fighting with their bare hands. They also have abilities that let them heal status effects and buff themselves, making them self-sufficient, and these abilities complement the Vanguard well.
5 Thief + Ranger
Thief is a powerful class when used right. While it’s a great class for stealing items and MP, Thieves also sport high critical rates, evasion, and speed — though they can be frail, with a low defense stat. However, with skills such as Godspeed Strike, Thieves are a force to be reckoned with, especially if you combine them with the right sub-jobs.
Ranger is a unique job to combine with the Thief, but it’s a great strategy to use Ranger for targeting enemy weaknesses and exploiting them while using the Thief’s powerful skills that deal massive amounts of damage.
4 Black Mage + White Mage
Black Mage and White Mage are the first magic jobs that you get in the game, and despite being such early game jobs, they pack a punch. They also complement each other really well and have great synergy, with skills that restore MP and powerful offensive and supportive spells.
The bosses that Bravely Default 2 throws at you can be quite challenging. Even regular enemy encounters have the potential to wipe your entire party if you make a careless mistake, so having support in the form of a White Mage is always handy. Plus, the Black Mage’s plethora of spells will have any elemental weaknesses covered.
3 White Mage + Bard
If you’re looking to build the ultimate support character, then consider taking a party member and getting them to max out White Mage as you play through the beginning chapters of the game. Then, once you unlock Bard not far into the game, assign that job to them.
Though Bard may seem like a weak job at first glance, it’s actually very powerful. The buff skills that Bard offers can stack, quickly turning the tides of battle in your favor. When your Bard isn’t busy buffing the party, they can heal and cure status effects to ensure everyone else in your party is in tip-top shape.
2 Shieldmaster + Vanguard
Shieldmaster is a class that you can unlock at the end of Chapter 2 through a boss battle. The fight is a difficult one, and that proves just how powerful this job is. Shieldmasters boast incredible defense and are built to protect their allies, so it makes sense that this job works very well with the Vanguard job.
The Vanguard job adds to the power of Shieldmaster by offering shield-based attacks and skills, improving your arsenal of skills when playing as a Shieldmaster strengthening your offensive role.
1 White Mage + Red Mage
The White Mage job is a fantastic and vital support role to have in your party, and can be combined with other offensive classes, such as the Black Mage, and even physical classes, such as Vanguard. However, once you unlock the Red Mage class, it’s not a bad idea to use it alongside the White Mage class.
The Red Mage class offers great skills such as Chainspell, which lets spells be cast twice for no extra MP cost, and a lot of elemental magic attack spells. These skills can help round out your healer and give them offensive capabilities while also augmenting their healing abilities.
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