You're standing in Avalon, staring at a lineup of potential recruits, and honestly, it’s overwhelming. Square Enix didn't just give us a shiny 3D coat of paint in this remake; they revamped the entire mechanical backbone of how Romancing SaGa 2 Revenge of the Seven classes function. If you’re coming from the 1993 original or the 2017 remaster, throw half of what you know out the window. The "glimmer" system is still the heart of the game, but the way classes interact with the new timeline-based combat system changes everything about who you should pick for your final generation.
Let’s be real for a second. Most players just grab whatever looks cool. That works for a while. Then you hit a wall named Subier or Noel and suddenly your team of "cool looking" warriors is getting wiped in two turns. It’s because this game isn't just about stats. It’s about those hidden Class Abilities that unlock once you’ve mastered a specific job.
Why the Imperial Heavy Infantry is Secretly S-Tier
You’d think the starting class would be garbage by mid-game, right? Wrong. Bear and his successors are the backbone of any early-to-mid-game formation, specifically the Imperial Cross. But the real reason you keep them around is the "Auto-Parry" ability. In the remake, mitigation is king. You can’t just out-heal the Seven Heroes. They hit too hard.
The Heavy Infantry focuses on stamina and high defense, but their true value lies in their ability to soak up physical hits while your mages—usually the Court Mages or the Mole people you find later—prep high-level spells like Revive or Crimson Flare. If you aren't using a tank, you're basically playing on "Insane" mode without meaning to.
Breaking Down the New Class Abilities
The biggest change in Revenge of the Seven is the introduction of permanent Class Abilities. Once you win enough battles with a class (usually around 30 to 50), that class's unique passive becomes available for anyone to equip. This is where the meta gets deep.
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- The Mercenary (Male): They give you a boost to physical attack damage. Simple. Effective. Essential for your heavy hitters like the East Guard.
- The Nomad (Female): Their ability increases the chance of item drops. Honestly? Kinda useless for boss fights, but a godsend when you're grinding for rare materials to upgrade the Smithy.
- The Nereid: These aquatic allies have an ability that reduces damage taken from elemental attacks. Considering the Seven Heroes love spamming magic in their second forms, you're going to want this on your healer.
It’s a bit of a grind. You have to cycle through Emperors to get these abilities into your permanent pool. But it's the difference between struggling and steamrolling.
The Magic Problem: Why You Need the Strategist
Don’t ignore the University. Build it as soon as the option pops up. It costs 2,000,000 Crowns, which sounds like a lot, but it unlocks the Strategist. This class is basically the brain of your empire. They have the highest Logic stats in the game, making their spells hit like a freight train.
More importantly, the Strategist is key to unlocking the "Rapid Stream" formation. In the original, Rapid Stream was broken—it let you go first every time. In Revenge of the Seven, it’s been balanced, but it’s still arguably the best formation for controlling the flow of battle. If you can manipulate the timeline so your healers go before the enemy’s big AOE attack, you’ve already won the fight.
The Mystery of the Hidden Classes
You won't find everyone just by walking around Avalon. Some of the best classes in Romancing SaGa 2 Revenge of the Seven are tucked away behind lengthy questlines that you can actually fail.
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Take the Ninja, for instance. You need to investigate the mystery in the Bahrenne region and specifically look for clues in the shadows. The Ninja has incredibly high speed and an innate ability to evade attacks. Pair a Ninja with the "Pre-emptive Strike" ability from the City Thief, and you’ll be acting before the bosses can even blink.
Then there's the Coppelia. She’s a literal doll. She starts as an independent recruit but eventually, she can become the Emperor. If she does, her unique robotic traits—like immunity to most status ailments—become a huge asset. Just remember that once her generation ends, she ends up in the basement of the treasury. It’s kinda tragic, actually.
Mastering the Glimmer System with Specific Classes
Not all classes learn tech at the same rate. This is a "hidden" mechanic that the game doesn't explicitly explain in a tutorial pop-up. Each character has a "Spark Type."
A Desert Guard is naturally inclined to spark Greatsword techs. If you put a Spear in their hand, they might eventually learn a few moves, but they’ll never spark the high-end stuff like Lunar Blade or Life Steer. You have to match the weapon to the class's natural affinity. The game hints at this with the little lightbulb icon next to certain skills in the menu, but it pays to experiment. If a character hasn't sparked anything new in 20 battles, swap their weapon. Seriously. It works.
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The Final Team Composition Strategy
When you’re prepping for the final trek into the Last Dungeon, you need a balanced spread. A common mistake is going all-in on physical attackers.
- The Tank: Use a Saigo Villager or a Heavy Infantry. Their job is to stand in the front of the Imperial Shield formation and take the heat.
- The Mage/Support: The Amazon or the Queen of the Savannah (if you finished the termite quest). They need high MP and access to the "Revive" spell from the Fire/Earth school.
- The Speedster: A Ninja or an Iris. Use them for status debuffs or to chip away at the enemy's "Shield" gauges.
- The Heavy Hitter: The East Guard or the Imperial Guard. Give them a Katana or a Halberd. Their only job is to spend WP on the biggest skills you have sparked.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To make the most of your classes and ensure you don't hit a dead end 40 hours in, follow this progression path:
- Rush the Smithy and University: These are the two most important Imperial expansions. The Smithy provides the gear that makes fragile classes viable, and the University provides the Strategist.
- Cycle Your Emperors: Don't be afraid to let an Emperor die or abdicate. You need to cycle through different classes to inherit their unique formations. You can't get the "Desert Fox" formation without having a Desert Guard as your Emperor at least once.
- Focus on Global Magic Levels: Magic power in this game is "global." Even if your current Emperor isn't a mage, using magic in battles increases the level for the next generation. Always have someone casting something every turn.
- Seek Out the "Lost" Classes: Prioritize the "The Terrapin" quest and the "South Varennes" cleanup. Unlocking the Nereid and the Salamander (fire-resistant smiths) gives you a massive edge in the endgame zones where fire and water damage are constant.
- Check the Chrono-Registry: Use the new timeline feature in the remake to see exactly when your characters will act. If a class is consistently acting after the enemies, swap their gear for lighter armor or change their position in the formation.
Building the right team isn't about finding one "best" character; it's about layering these Class Abilities and formations until you’ve built a machine that can take down a god. Keep your formations flexible, watch your Spark Types, and never underestimate the power of a simple Parry.