Expanding your army in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles isn’t just about picking up soldiers from the Warrior’s Guild. The game allows you to bring formidable monsters and even enemy units under your banner. Mastering this system adds depth to your roster and opens up creative strategies for tough battles. Here’s everything you need to know.
How to Recruit Human Units in Final Fantasy Tactics
The most straightforward way to bolster your squad is through the Warrior’s Guild.
- Accessing the Guild: Open the World Map and visit any town with a Warrior’s Guild.
- Selecting New Recruits: Choose from the randomized selection of level 1 units. Each costs 1,500 gil, and their starting stats vary, so you can reroll until you find solid options.
- Managing Your Roster: You can hold up to 24 units. If you need to make space, dismiss weaker soldiers from the Units tab in the main menu.
Tip: Pay attention to a recruit’s Zodiac Sign, Bravery, and Faith values. These determine compatibility, physical strength, and magical potential, which are crucial for long-term planning.
Recruiting Monsters
Monsters can be turned into permanent allies, but the process requires specialized skills from the Orator Job (unlocked after progressing through the Chemist line).
Key Orator Skills
- Entice (Invite): A Speechcraft skill that persuades enemies to switch sides. If successful, they become recruitable after the battle.
- Tame: Automatically converts a monster when you land a finishing blow that drops it into Critical HP with a basic attack.
- Beast Tongue: A support ability that allows non-Orator jobs to use Speechcraft on monsters.
Recommended Setup
- Equip high Magic Attack gear (like Brass Coronet or rods) to boost success rates with Speechcraft.
- Consider classes like Black Mage or Summoner with Beast Tongue to maximize invite chances.
- Late in the game, Reis shines as the ultimate monster recruiter, since she innately has Beast Tongue and Tame, along with strong magic growth.
Recruitable Monsters
Almost every monster type can be recruited, including:
Chocobos, Goblins, Bombs, Behemoths, Dragons, Hydras, Treants, and more.
However, Demons and specific story-related characters cannot be persuaded under any circumstance.
Recruiting Enemy Units
Human enemies are a tougher challenge, but still possible. The Orator’s Invite skill works on them as well, though the odds are low.
How It Works
- Invite (100 JP): Inflicts the “Traitor” status, temporarily converting the target for the remainder of the battle. If they survive to the end, you’ll be offered the chance to recruit them permanently.
- Limitations: While Traitor is active, the unit acts independently, and enemy forces will target them. This makes survival tricky.
Best Strategies for Recruitment
- Eliminate other threats first, leaving the recruitable unit alive.
- Equip Magic-boosting gear to improve Invite’s chances.
- Raise Speed to allow multiple attempts in a single battle.
- Avoid fights with enemies that can inflict Berserk or Confusion, as these debuffs can ruin recruitment attempts.
Story-Driven Recruits
Some monsters and guest characters join you automatically through the story or side quests:
- Boco (the loyal Chocobo)
- Byblos (an incredibly strong monster unlocked late-game)
- Special units like Beowulf, Reis, and Cloud via quest chains
These characters often outclass generic recruits, but having a mix of unique and custom-built units keeps your roster flexible.
Managing Your Army
Since your roster caps at 24 units, you’ll eventually need to dismiss underperformers. While this can sting—characters even voice their frustration when dismissed—it’s necessary to make room for stronger recruits. Note that Ramza and guest story units cannot be dismissed.
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- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Review (4.5/5)
Recruitment in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is more than a side system—it’s a way to personalize your army, experiment with hybrid builds, and gain powerful allies you’d otherwise face as enemies. Whether you’re charming a Dragon with Speechcraft, taming a wounded Behemoth, or persuading a human rival to defect, the process adds a rewarding layer of strategy to the battlefield.
Building a balanced squad of soldiers, monsters, and unique characters ensures you’ll always have the right tools to adapt to Ivalice’s most brutal encounters. Play Now!
