Top Party Members for Xenoblade Chronicles X

Choosing the best party members for *Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition* can feel daunting with the game's vast roster of characters and seemingly similar classes. To help you navigate this complex RPG, here's a detailed guide on the top five party members and what makes them stand out.

Elma

Elma, the first party member you can recruit, is far from the weakest. Her Full Metal Jaguar class 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 boosts party evasion, are essential to level up first. While she also has powerful position-based attacks, there's a slight downtime as she repositions herself before attacking. However, Full Metal Jaguar is designed as a versatile class, blending tank, support, and offense roles. With a range of self-buffs, including those enhancing her critical hit rate, and the ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP, Elma significantly bolsters your party's capabilities, making her an invaluable asset, especially in story missions where she's mandatory.

Irina

Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter, outshining even other dedicated support characters like Hope. Her ability to heal the party, remove debuffs, and increase evasion makes her indispensable, particularly when Elma's Ghost Factory skill is unavailable. Irina also generates TP for the team through skills like Energy Source and Last Stand, albeit at the cost of her own TP. While she's not suited for solo combat or taking down tough enemies like Tyrants, pairing her with one or two strong attackers ensures battles don't drag on, making her a crucial component of any effective team.

Nagi

For players not interested in the Duelist class, Nagi is an excellent addition to your party. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he excels in dealing damage while being self-sufficient in combat. Duelists can handle enemies at close and long ranges and have access to area-of-effect abilities. Nagi's standout skill, Blossom Dance, is exceptionally powerful, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating some of the game's toughest foes quickly. To maximize Nagi's potential, include a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies, enhancing his effectiveness in battle.

Mia

Despite being classified as a Psycorruptor, Mia brings the versatility of a Drifter to the team. She's adept at various 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. Mia's skills become even more potent when an aura is active, and she can also topple enemies. However, she lacks self-defense and healing capabilities, so it's crucial to pair her with a party member who can compensate for these shortcomings.

H.B.

H.B. serves as an enhanced version of Lin, offering superior defense and the ability to replace her when needed. His Shield Trooper+ class not only excels in attracting enemy attention—a boon for aggressive playstyles or when paired with characters like Elma or Nagi—but also generates TP with his taunt attack. Beyond defense, H.B. boosts debuff resistance, increases ranged attack power, can topple enemies, inflict debuffs, and create a sturdy shield. His versatility makes him one of the game's top defenders, essential for surviving challenging encounters outside the main storyline. Make sure to complete his affinity mission to recruit this powerhouse to your team.