Altogether, there are only twelve different guns in the world – or at least, that’s how many Vaan and company can use. The Machinist is the only job that can wield these weapons, but they do it with an incredible style and efficiency. Not only do they use guns, but they can also use a few time magic spells, making them a very versatile addition to any team. But as expected in any Final Fantasy, there’s always a way to make something good, even better. In Final Fantasy XII you’d do this by choosing another job, and using it to power up whatever your main job is – and in this case, we’re assuming your main job is Machinist. So here are the best secondary job choices to make your Machinist the absolute best it can be.
3. Machinist + Uhlan
Adding Uhlan lets you use spears, which is another weapon that can hit flying enemies alongside guns.
Spears use strength as the damage modifier, which late game can help compensate for guns’ comparatively low power.
Where firearms make up for this though is through ammunition.
Special bullets can have elemental damage or status effects, and between them and the variety of spears, a Machinist/Uhlan combo can cover just about every one of these avenues.
The Machinist alone can only use light armor. But when tied together with Uhlan, they can put on heavy armor too. And this does wonders for saving hit points and defense.
Plus this combo also proves the Wither and Expose technics, which can lower an enemy’s strength and defense, making them a perfect target to get beaten up.
The Machinist/Uhlan feels more like a great tool than a straight damage-dealer. And this combo can easily wear down enemies so they’ll be prepped to take extra damage from fellow party members.
2. Machinist + White Mage
This is certainly a very unorthodox combination.
But the Machinist/White Mage combo works out over time to be a very effective healer, as well as a party member that can put out good damage numbers, and eventually even use Hastega.
Machinists come with plenty of hit points and speed, making them the optimal machines for keeping the party on their feet.
In addition, Machinists get all the Potion Lore panels, making their items almost just as effective as their spells (should they ever run out of MP).
And it’s worth mentioning that guns have an unusual damage formula in Final Fantasy XII.
Instead of relying on any of the main stats (strength, speed, magic, etc.) they depend only on their own attack power.
While this means that guns will eventually have a cap on the amount of damage they can do, it also means that that damage can always be done regardless of an enemy’s defenses.
So a Machinist/White Mage can do good damage despite not having too much strength.
As a fun bonus, it’s great to imagine a Machinist who can blast a hole in ya, and then patch it right back up.
1. Machinist + Time Battlemage
As I mentioned earlier, Ivalican guns have an unusual damage formula. This means that eventually they’ll fall behind in total damage compared to your party members. In many cases, this can be a benefit. But in just as many, it can be a hindrance. With Time Battlemage joining the job, your Machinist suddenly has access to the world of crossbows – which scale to strength. And that’s something both jobs have. Not only does the Time Battlemage help secure the Machinist’s damage, but it also brings along its signature spells. We all know a Machinist will learn Hastega on its own. But with a secondary job as a Time Battlemage, it also gets the single-target version (Haste) as well as good stuff like Bubble (to double hit points) and Float (to avoid earth-based attacks). With all of these, the heavy armor that the Time Battlemage lets you wear is a pleasant bonus. Just like the abilities Shear and Addle. Everything comes together here to make Time Battlemage the best friend that a Machinist could ever have.
