This post has propably come up many times, but what do u guys reckon

I personally think the best combination comes with 2-3 fighters a mage, a cleric and a thief, so I'd probably choose Minsc and Korgan up front with Jaheira for healing support / defensive spells, Yoshimo for theiving skills and Aerie for offensive spells and curses

Going through the game a second time- I am using
Keldorn
Minsc
Mazzy
Jaheria
Folcwine (Me, level 17 Sorcereor)
Jan

Well i'm about to go through again with:
ME(mage)(Magic)
Aries(healing)
Edwin(back up magic)
Jan(thief skills)
Nadia(back up mage/ bow skills)
Imoen(See Nadia)

Your group composition is about the norm, pinhead. It's the same type of party I've been using throughout the BG games. There seems to be a very high usage of dual and multi-classed characters. I like to have specialists - a whole thief rather than a fighter/thief (unless they've reached 100% in lock-picking & finding traps), pure mage, etc. - and then pray they don't get killed or I have enough gold to have them raised at a temple.

There are a few folks on this board who actually use parties consisting of one thief (or fighter/thief) and all the rest mages and clerics. My hat's off to them. I don't think I could survive a chapter with a party like that.

And i'm one of them IR
I have a Necromancer
a fighter dualled to Mage
Anomen
Jan
Edwin
blade

but for a newbie or a normal player the best party would be

A ranger (valygar)
a paladin (keldorn)
a cleric (viconia or anomen)
a thief (jan, imoen, yosimo nalia)
a fullclass mage (you, edwin)
another mage (nalia, imoen, that circus kid)

that is my recommeded party

I'm trying a second time with an anti-undead party, including a cleric of lathander and an undead-hunter

I find you need a maximum of 2 fighter types to delay the enemy until the mage spells kick in. A paladin is useful or a dual fighter cleric. I agree with the others that mages rock, especially towards the latter part of the game. I cleric or dual is all that is needed as there are plenty of potions and regenerating items so healing spells are not required. Use clerics as undead killers. Druids are excellent however, as they make superb mage disruptors. Enemy mages always cause more problems than any other class. For thieving dual a thief with a mage.

If your using in game NPC's:

Good Party

Yourself, probably a fighter since you favour that style but try a kensai dualed at level 9 to a mage
Keldorn
Jaheira
Nalia/Imoen/Jan
Aerie
Free choice but Minsc or Valygar if you play a non-fighter

Evil Party

Yourself, as above
Korgan
Jaheira
Edwin
Jan
Viconia

Just wanted to say that I liked Rikard's current sig.

Oh, and I am a big believer in diversity in your party. Paly, Ranger, Fighter/mage/Cleric(pick two), cleric and Mage, and thief.

BK