The JRPGL – Division 3

Rabanastre Rats

GM: Ryan McCarthy
Pick #13 in rounds 1 and 3; Pick #4 in rounds 2 and 4

• Balthier (Final Fantasy XII)
  
• Lulu (Final Fantasy X)
  
• Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4)
  
• Melia Antiqua (Xenoblade Chronicles)

We have a, shall we say, eclectic set of players for the Ranbanastre Rats. First up is Balthier, who likes to declare himself the hero and show off on what a lovable rogue he is. His specialties are being able to have the opponents focus on him so as to ignore the other members of the team.

Next up, we have the black mage, Lulu, who will not hesitate to ice you if you get on her bad side. She is sharp-tongued and is a lot tougher than she appears. Her magic can be used to exploit enemy weaknesses.

And that brings up to our third member, Kanji Tatsumi. He is a high school student from the rural town of Inaba, Japan. He likes sewing and other activities that are thought of as being for girls but can still pulverize you if you ever cross them.

And finally, there’s the healer, Melia Antiqua, who can heal the other teammates as well as use status effects to hinder the opposing team. She may not seem like much but she always comes prepared for any given situation.

In this game, they all hope to win the grand prize and will not be stopped by anyone who gets in their way.

Unova Unison

GM: Cassandra Ramos
Pick #15 in rounds 1 and 3; Pick #2 in rounds 2 and 4

• Lucina (Fire Emblem: Awakening)
  
• Neku Sakuraba (The World Ends with You)
  
• Xelha (Baten Kaitos)
  
• Yew Geneolgia (Bravely Second: End Layer)

The Unova region in the Pokémon world is known for its variety and unity, so I wanted to give that ideal to this eclectic team. These four are balanced, admittedly through use of Yew’s Asterisks, allowing him to change jobs and fill any role needed in a battle. Mainly, I brought them together because I like them as individuals and I think it would be amazing to have them come together in unison. They have the strength, intellect, and skills to get through just about anything. I imagine they would get along swimmingly, even if Neku would be standoffish at first.

Xelha of Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean would be the de facto leader of the group. She’s amiable and understanding, but can focus on what needs to be done. She can act like the glue holding the team together, as she does with both her own party and the nations of the world of Baten Kaitos. She has her wings of the heart, which allow her to fly for short distances and would be useful for scouting and getting past obstacles. She’s a powerful witch and surprisingly fast, meaning she’ll be able to shoot off powerful spells quickly as well as use healing Magnus cards.

Lucina of Fire Emblem: Awakening is a skilled swordswoman and also a good leader with a lot of determination. She can be serious to the point of unintentional goofiness, but she does have a good head on her shoulders. She values her friends and comrades, so I can see her being protective of the others. Lucina brings her excellent sword abilities along with the Parallel Falchion, a blade that can cut down any dragon as well as powerful skills like Aether.

Neku Sakuraba of The World Ends with You is more trusting of people by the end of the game, but he may be at the very least a little wary around the group. He may not be outright friendly, but he wouldn’t be abrasive, and maybe even genuinely like them. Neku is probably the oddest of the bunch in terms of combat ability. He has a wide variety of psyches to use, such as using telekinesis to throw objects and shoot bullets of light. He even has limited healing. How exactly his abilities can be used outside of the UG is probably best left unsaid.

Yew Geneolgia of Bravely Second: End Layer is a cheerful, quirky young man who is both braver than he believes and more cowardly than he lets on. Despite being one of the Three Cavaliers and trained with a sword, he’s a scholar at heart, and his intelligence and deductive skills can really help out. He can take on 30 jobs using the Asterisks available in Bravely Second. With this party, though, he’d probably mostly use defensive classes like the Templar, Knight, and Guardian to support the others, and perhaps more dedicated healer jobs. He has excellent magic, so when needed, he can use powerful spells as well.

Zenobia White Wolves

GM: Ryan Radcliff
Pick #6 in rounds 1 and 3; Pick #11 in rounds 2 and 4

• Chris Lightfellow (Suikoden III)
  
• Lenneth (Valkyrie Profile)
  
• 2B (NieR: Automata)
  
• Jane Maxwell (Wild Arms Alter Code F)

The Zenobia White Wolves are a formidable bunch and it starts with team captain Chris Lightfellow from Suikoden III. The Silver Maiden is able to control the tide of battle with her unstoppable Silent Lake spell, which immediately halts any magic from being used in the battle. If the White Wolves face an imposing mage, Silent Lake will neuter them. If the opponents don’t rely on magic, she can use her True Water Rune to help heal her allies. Chris also brings to the table top end physical damage and is a reliable frontline fighter with many victories under her belt. A truly ferocious formidable female fighter.

Backing up Chris is Lenneth Valkyrie from the Valkyrie Profile series. Being the goddess of fate and present, this battle maiden was tasked with searching out worthy humans to help out in Ragnarok. She is a frontline fighter who has no weakness and her sword Levantine only fuels her strength the more damage she soaks up. Being a fighter that relies on physical damage, the lack of magic caused by Silent Lake will not slow her down one bit.

The wild card on the team is YoRHa No.2 Type B from NieR: Automata. Better known as 2B, this battle android is equipped with close- and long-range physical capabilities. Equipped with the game-breaking Auto Evade support chip, she is nigh untouchable. 2B is a combo specialist and loves to juggle foes in an array of stylish acrobatic finesse. Just don’t make her execute her self-destruct mode, that sort of fan service is not needed in the tournament.

Finally, the team needs someone that can heal without relying on using magic to dish out cures. Enter one Calamity Jane Maxwell from Wild Arms: Alter Code F. She is a quick fighter who can boost and buff the team while also using her recovery items to keep the squad’s health in the green. Luck is always on this sharpshooter’s side, so watch out or she will steal your heart as well as your wallet.

Balamb Garden Breakfast Club

GM: Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed
Pick #4 in rounds 1 and 3; Pick #13 in rounds 2 and 4

• Joachim Valentine (Shadow Hearts: Covenant)
  
• Lezard Valeth (Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria)
  
• Alice Elliot (Shadow Hearts)
  
• Ulala Serizawa (Persona 2: Eternal Punishment)

They are an unlikely ensemble of deviants bound together by impulsive dispositions, morally ambiguous behavior, and… alternative lifestyles. Additionally, none of them have any explicit relationship to their own team name. What could be more punk than that?!

Joachim is a free-loving man-tank who is able to restore his own health while also damaging enemies; Ulala is a reckless pugilist constantly on the offensive with swift punches and a constant barrage of disorienting profanity. Lezard Valeth dishes out ruthless magic damage of all elements, cackling madly all the way.

But how did Alice Elliot fall in with such a bad crowd? Perhaps her experiences with the occult in her own journey have sparked her curiosity; perhaps she believes that to fight evil she must be intimate with its many faces; perhaps the party just needed a healer who fit the gothic lewk. We may never know.