Best Party Members in Xenoblade Chronicles X

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. Our guide breaks down the top five party members you should consider for your team, highlighting their unique strengths and how they can enhance your gameplay experience.

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 boosts party evasion, are essential to level up first. While her position-based attacks may lead to some downtime as she repositions, Elma's hybrid role as a tank, support, and offensive unit is invaluable. With self-buffs that enhance her critical hit rate and the ability to instantly gain 1,000 TP, Elma is a crucial asset, especially since she's required for most story missions.

Irina

Irina stands out as the game's premier supporter. Even with other support specialists like Hope, Irina's ability to heal, remove debuffs, and boost evasion makes her indispensable. Skills like Energy Source and Last Stand not only increase the party's TP but do so at the cost of her own, making her a constant TP generator. While Irina won't be dealing significant damage or taking down Tyrants, her role is to support powerful attackers, ensuring battles don't drag on unnecessarily.

Nagi

If you're not playing as a Duelist, Nagi is a must-have. As one of the few Duelists in *Xenoblade X*, he's a self-sufficient damage dealer capable of handling enemies at close and long range. His area-of-effect ability, Blossom Dance, is particularly potent, ignoring enemy resistances and capable of defeating tough foes quickly. To maximize Nagi's effectiveness, pair him with a supporter like Irina or use Mastermind skills to debuff enemies.

Mia

Mia, a Psycorruptor with the versatility of a Drifter, is a jack-of-all-trades. She can debuff enemies, reduce debuff resistance, and deal heavy damage with attacks like Beam Barrage and Myopic Screen, the latter of which can cause blackout. Her attacks are enhanced by active auras, and she can even topple enemies. However, Mia lacks defensive and healing capabilities, so ensure she's teamed with members who can cover these roles.

H.B.

H.B. is an excellent substitute for Lin when you need enhanced defense. As a Shield Trooper+, he surpasses Lin in every aspect, from attracting enemy attention to generating TP with his taunt attack. H.B. also boosts debuff resistance, increases ranged attack power, topples enemies, inflicts debuffs, and generates a sturdy shield. If you're struggling to survive outside the main storyline, completing H.B.'s affinity mission to recruit him is a wise move.