Best Party Members in Xenoblade Chronicles X

Selecting the optimal party members for *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting due to the sheer number of unlockable characters and the similarities between their classes. This guide aims to simplify your decision-making process by highlighting the top five party members and explaining their unique strengths.

Elma

Elma, one of the first characters you can recruit, is far from the weakest. As a master of the Full Metal Jaguar class, she excels in various combat scenarios. Her key skills, Ghostwalker and Ghost Factory, allow her to create decoys and boost party evasion, respectively. These skills should be prioritized for leveling. While her position-based attacks might result in some downtime as she repositions, Elma's versatility as a hybrid tank, support, and offensive unit is invaluable. With self-buffs that enhance her critical hit potential and an ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP, Elma significantly bolsters your party's performance, making her essential for most story missions.

Irina

Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter. Even compared to other support specialists like Hope, her ability to heal, remove debuffs, and enhance party evasion is unmatched. Irina also generates TP for the party through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand, albeit at the cost of her own TP. While not suited for solo combat or taking down powerful foes like Tyrants, Irina's role is pivotal in keeping your party in fighting shape. Ensure she is paired with at least one, preferably two, strong attackers to keep battles short and effective.

Nagi

For players not interested in the Duelist class, Nagi is an essential addition to your team. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he offers high damage output and self-sufficiency, capable of engaging enemies at both close and long range. His area-of-effect ability, Blossom Dance, is particularly potent, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating even the toughest opponents quickly. To maximize Nagi's potential, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies.

Mia

Mia, despite being a Psycorruptor, functions more like a Drifter with her versatile skill set. She can debuff enemies, reduce their resistance to debuffs, and deal significant damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can also cause blackout. Her attacks are further enhanced when an aura is active, and she can even topple enemies. However, Mia lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so it's crucial to include a party member who can cover these weaknesses.

H.B.

H.B. serves as an excellent substitute for Lin when additional defense is needed. Classified as a "Shield Trooper+", he not only performs Lin's roles more effectively but also excels in drawing enemy attention, generating TP, and enhancing party resilience. H.B. can raise debuff resistance, increase ranged attack power, topple enemies, and apply his own debuffs, making him a versatile defender. If you're struggling to survive outside the main storyline, completing H.B.'s affinity mission and adding him to your party can significantly improve your survivability.