Choosing the best party members for *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting with the game's extensive roster of characters and seemingly similar classes. To help you navigate this complex RPG, our guide highlights the top five party members and explains why they stand out.
Elma
Elma, the first party member you can recruit, is far from the weakest. Her class, Full Metal Jaguar, is one of the best in *Xenoblade X*, and her AI excels in utilizing it across various scenarios. Key skills like Ghostwalker, which creates a decoy, and Ghost Factory, which enhances party evasion, should be prioritized for leveling. Elma also boasts a range of strong, position-based attacks. While she may experience downtime as she repositions, her class is designed as a versatile tank, support, and offensive unit rather than a pure DPS. With numerous self-buffs that boost her critical hit rate and the ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP for powerful skills, Elma is an invaluable asset, especially since she's required for most story missions.
Irina
Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter, even surpassing other support specialists like Hope. She excels at healing, removing debuffs, and boosting party evasion, which complements Elma's Ghost Factory skill. Irina also generates TP for the party, albeit at the cost of her own, through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand. While not suited for solo combat or taking down Tyrants, Irina's role is crucial in speeding up battles. Ensure she's paired with at least one, preferably two, strong attackers to maximize her effectiveness.
Nagi
If you're not playing as a Duelist, Nagi is an essential addition to your team. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he's a formidable damage dealer capable of handling both close and ranged combat, with access to area-of-effect abilities. His signature move, Blossom Dance, is exceptionally powerful, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating even the toughest foes in a few hits. To maximize Nagi's potential, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies.
Mia
Despite being a Psycorruptor, Mia embodies the versatility of a Drifter. She excels in multiple roles, from inflicting debuffs and reducing debuff resistance to dealing heavy damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can cause blackout. Her attacks gain potency when an aura is active, and she can even topple enemies. However, Mia lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so ensure she's teamed with members who can cover these weaknesses.
H.B.
H.B. serves as an excellent substitute for Lin when you need enhanced defense. As a Shield Trooper+, he surpasses Lin in every aspect, offering superior defense and enemy attention management, which is crucial for aggressive playstyles or when paired with characters like Elma or Nagi. H.B. can generate TP with his taunt attack, increase debuff resistance, boost ranged attack power, topple enemies, inflict debuffs, and create a robust shield. If you're struggling to survive outside the main storyline, completing H.B.'s affinity mission to recruit him is highly recommended.
