Bravely Default is likely to come to the US [EDIT: Not Really]

Finally picked this up last week. Love love love this game. Half the time when I play a RPG it's the end of the day and i'm brain dead. Love that you can speed up fights. Plus if it's a generic battle, if i'm feeling especially lazy, I can set it to "auto" fight. Great feature for someone with a 3 month old baby at home.

Now just need to finish this game before Dark Souls 2 hits PC or i'm screwed.

80+ hours in, just started chapter six last night.

I believe I'm set with my current party setup.

"Wicked Singer"
Primary: Freelancer Secondary: Performer
Support Abilities: BP Limit Up, Dungeon Master, Support Amp, Buff Up
Move Set: My Hero -> Mimic -> Mimic -> Mimic
Note: The job of this character is to spam My Hero.

"Minus Monk"
Primary: Monk Secondary: Dark Knight
Support Abilites: BP Limit Up, HP +10%, Self Restore, MP Free In A Pinch
Move Set: Phoenix Strike -> Minus Strike
Note: Phoenix Strike to reduce HP to 1 and Minus Strikes as BP allow for the entire fight.

"Paladin"
Primary: Templar Secondary: Salve-Maker
Support Abilites: Dual Shields, Shield Lore, Protect Ally, Healing Lore
Move Set: Rampart
Note: Keep Rampart up constantly or healing/revive party as needed.

"Shinigami"
Primary: Swordmaster Secondary: Spiritmaster
Support Abilites: BP Limit Up, Two Handed, Support Amp, Buff Up
Move Set: Free Lunch -> Convert BP -> Fairy Ward -> Enigma
Note: Keep Fairy Ward and Enigma up constantly.

Team Strategy Summary
The Wicked Singer needs the highest Agy stat of the team so he/she goes first always. The Wicked Singer's lone job is to be the battery, spam My Hero giving each team member 4 BP every turn. The Shinigami's job is magic defense; the combination of Free Lunch and Convert BP will give you enough BP to keep Fairy Ward (party status immunity) and Enigma (party magic immunity, sans Comet/Meteo) up constantly. The Paladin's job is to keep Rampart up constantly, giving each party member one damage-free physical attack from the enemy. And lastly, the Minus Monk is this party's main damage dealer, doing 9,999 single-target unblockable damage per BP spent.

Team Strategy Advantages
-Guaranteed 9,999 dmg to a single target per BP spent (39,996 dmg per turn maximum).
-Can auto-battle wipe an enemy party of four (up to chapter five).
-An all-BP setup, party can fully function even with all characters at zero MP.
-Party magic immunity (sans Comet/Meteo).
-Party status immunity (including Doom).
-Party physical attack immunity (one time per turn (sans Minus Strike?)).

Team Strategy Disadvantages
-Built for distance, not speed. Battles against boss-types could take multiple turns.
-Party could be wiped if an enemy boss's BP isn't monitored (use the Wicked Singer for that).
-An endgame setup that requires a few classes at mastery.

On a side note.
Of all the party members the Shinigami is my favorite.

He reminds me of Hachi from Bleach, an all-defense (kido) specialist.

Hmm, the problem with my current party setup is that...it could be more efficient. I have too many unitaskers. Time to try other avenues of strategy. The only survivor will be the Wicked Singer, that BP generation is too good not to use somehow.

Here's the new team build I want to try tonight.

Primary: Vampire Secondary: Swordmaster
Support Abilities: BP Limit Up, Drain Attack Up, and Pierce M. Def
Move Set: Free Lunch -> Battle Thirst > Attack Spells

Primary: Dark Knight Secondary: Spiritmaster
Support Abilities: BP Limit Up, HP +10%, Self-Restore, and Free MP In A Pinch
Move Set: Fairy's Ward -> Stillness -> Black Bane > Minus Strike

Primary: Freelancer Secondary: Performer
Support Abilities: BP Limit Up, Dungeon Master, HP +10%, and Hasten World
Move Set: My Hero -> Mimic -> Mimic -> Mimic

Primary: Time Mage Secondary: Swordmaster
Support Abilities: BP Limit Up, Zero, and Group Cast-All
Move Set: Free Lunch -> Re-raise (party) > Quick (party) > Meteor

Team Build Strategy
Here the Time Mage demands the highest Agy stat as it'll attempt to cast re-raise and quick on the entire party before anything else; from there the Time Mage casts meteor while re-raise and quick are active. Then the Vampire acts, using battle thirst to lock down the enemy BP and casting genome attack spells while the enemy BP is -3 or worse. Next the Dark Knight acts, using Fairy's Ward and Stillness to nullify all damage and status effects until the Vampire can lock down enemy BP; from there the Dark Knight can use black bane until it's health is low enough to spam minus strike. Lastly the Freelancer recharges the party BP.

In theory, this party should do more than 50k damage per turn while rendering the enemy party into a state of being unable to act.

The flaws?

This strategy should only work on enemy parties of three or less.

The party will fall if the enemy attacks while re-raise and/or stillness are not up.

Tsk...sadly the vampire's battle thirst ability doesn't affect boss types.

Back to the drawing board.

I think I'll try a Squeaky Samurai next.

Squeaky Samuari
Primary: Swordmaster Secondary: Freelancer

Move Set: Prayer -> Squeaky Wheel -> Mimic -> Mimic

Note: Supposedly, squeaky wheel works against boss types, but the success rate is low. The Freelancer's prayer spell should help increase the success rate. And since squeaky wheel is a BP move so mimic is the best option to spam the skill. I also wonder if Drain Attack Up will affect squeaky wheel?