It's like any other game that offers a variety of classes: everybody has their favorites, or combination of favorites. None are better than any of the others, because no two players have the exact same style of play. Go with what works best for you. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Id probably say the ninja, because they have uber crit skill, can use throwing at extended range without puting points into it. The alch hybrids are the easiest to build up magic with (mix pots...) and that makes them just as powerful as the ranger magic wise, BUT the ninja can use nunchucks much better.

so you go dual nunchuck (15% ko) with throwing as secondary, pump double wield, crit and stealth, when those get to 75, then go with staff+wand+close + alch + realm skills. when you can learn amgic, pump till you have 15 in alch, then start mixing light+med heals one at a time. 10 total, 1 at a time = 1 point into alch, so you will get rich and have lots of cash. Problem with iding those pots though, but i guess a few into artifacts would remedy that.

so what you get is a char that has lots of cash for whatever tehy want, has stealth which makes them hard to see, can cast chameleon and other great spells, can throw effectivly at close range and crit with it and can KO and crit with nunchucks, doing lots of daamge in the process.

Your all wrong the best party is:
Lizardman Mage
Fairy Fighter

jk there is no best just what you like

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Ridgid:
jk there is no best just what you like<hr></blockquote>

I don't agree, the Bishop is quite powerful in this game if a little slow to start:

1) Has all the spells available to them.
2) Starts receiving spells at lvl 1.
3) Gets above average armor selection, including shields.
4) Gets a wide selection of mace & flail weapons.

In general, they did a fairly good job balancing the other classes, but really the Bishop does come out way ahead.

Best based on what? Kills?

At level 9:

1. Valkyrie - 120
2. Monk - 95
3. Ninja - 84
4. Bard/Ranger - 81
5. Alch/Mage - 35
6. Bishop/Priest - 10

But how much credit for the Bard/Ranger kills for the Alchemist & Bishop? Because they keep his stamina up.

How many of the Valkyrie's kills are because the Monk & Ninja have softened up the enemy? She's the slowest of the three front line fighters and really gets to clean up.

And what about all those Higardi killed while my butt was wedged in a crevase and the Bard was softening them up with the Piercing Pipes? When the first time a pierce modai gets the opportunity to swing at you and he's down 90+ hit points...

Or how many PC lives saved because of the armor/resistance/buff-up/healing spells cast by the alchemist & bishop?

Best class? Are we kidding? A mage deals tons of AoE damage, but wouldn't last two MR against a group of piercer modai. Fighters are great, but against AoE enemies you're going to need Bishops & Mages to protect them or they'll roast up quite nice in that pre-packaged oven-bag we call plate armor.

I agree that the Bishop is the best all-around class - if you know the spell books well and how to practice magic. There is no other class that allows one character to bring so much value to your party. You can't go wrong with a party of kick-ass fighter & rogue types and a bishop studied in Wizardry and Divinity - and a little alchemy (but don't let the alchemy get higher than the Divinity - since so many useful divinity spells are also alchemy spells, you'll stunt the growth of your divinity book -it happened to me).

The Bishop lets you have your cake and eat it too, mostly because the game makes it so easy to up the magic realms through practice. You almost never have to put points into realms at level-up. Just throw the points into Wiz and Divinity books. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any CRITICAL spells that aren't in either the Wiz or Div books. - The BISHOP rocks!