The Job System in Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles offers unparalleled customization, but choosing the right Support Ability is critical for players focused on maximum Physical Damage. Here's the best Support Ability to maximize Physical Damage.
NOTE: Guide based on damage tests conducted in Enhanced Mode's Tactician difficulty, repeated three times under the same conditions to verify consistency. Although enemy stats and damage values differ in Knight and Squire difficulties, the findings from the tests show consistent damage differences. Screenshots captured from the up-to-date Steam version of the game as of October 13, 2025.
Table of contents
All Support Abilities That Boost Physical Damage
| Ability Name | Description | Job | JP Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual Wield | Allows the unit to wield a weapon in each hand, even if not a Ninja. Certain weapons can be equipped in this manner, allowing the unit to attack twice each turn. | Ninja | 1,000 JP |
| Doublehand | Allows the unit to wield a single-handed weapon with both hands. Certain weapons can be equipped in this manner, greatly increasing (2x) their attack power. | Samurai | 900 JP |
| Attack Boost | Increase the unit's physical attack power (33% bonus) | Geomancer | 400 JP |
| Brawler | Delivers more powerful bare-handed attacks, even if not a Monk. | Monk | 450 JP |
The Best Physical Damage Support Ability
If you are only interested in the definitive answer to maximize your unit's physical damage with the basic Attack command, here is the conclusion based on the extensive testing: Dual Wield is the best Support Ability for maximum Physical Damage as soon as you can deal 500 damage consistently in a single hit. If your unit is not yet hitting high damage totals, Doublehand and Barehanded damage with a Monk with high Bravery and Dual Wield Support Ability are better choices.
| Scenario | Best Support Ability | Key Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute Maximum Damage | Dual Wield | Allows two hits of up to 999 damage, resulting in maximum 1998 total damage, bypassing the single-hit cap. |
| High-Level/Pre-Cap Damage | Doublehand | Maximizes the power of your single best weapon, providing a higher overall damage multiplier until you consistently hit 500+ damage. |
| Barehanded Damage (Monk+Dual Wield Support Ability) | Dual Wield | A Monk's innate Brawler works on both barehanded strikes from Dual Wield, exceeding damage dealt by weapons the Ninja can natively equip. |
| Physical Skills (Martial Arts, Holy Sword, Swordplay, Unyielding Blade) | Attack Boost | Applies the damage bonus to nearly all physical abilities (like Martial Arts, Holy Sword), which Dual Wield and Doublehand do not. |
Testing Methodology
To conclude that Doublehand and a Monk using the Dual Wield ability are better choices before being able to hit an enemy for more than 500 damage in a single hit, I conducted some tests in a random battle set in the Zeklaus Desert map, using my level 55 Ramza with 97 Bravery right before the final gauntlet of battles at Orbonne Monastery in late Chapter 4. The enemy used as a test dummy was a Level 49 Virgo Minotaur, which had neutral compatibility with my Ramza's Aries Zodiac sign.
Dual Wield Damage Testing
- Dual Wielding two Defender Knight Swords (16 Physical Attack Power) with 15 Physical Attack, Ramza dealt 156 damage twice, for a total of 312 damage.
- Note: This ability, however, has some potential instability, as either of the two attacks may miss, significantly reducing the total damage.
Doublehand Damage testing
- Wielding the Defender Knight Sword (16 Physical Attack Power) with 15 Physical Attack, Ramza dealt 313 damage, consistent with Doublehand's 2x damage multiplier.
- Note: This resulted in the highest single hit damage with no risk of total damage reduction from a miss.
Monk (Dual Wield) Damage Testing
- Changing Ramza's Job to Monk and using Dual Wield to make him attack twice (bare-handed), the character dealt 215 damage twice, for a total of 430 damage.
- Note: This combination achieved the highest total damage of all tests performed under the same conditions.
Attack Boost Damage Testing
- Wielding the Defender Knight Sword (16 Physical Attack Power) with 15 Physical Attack and Attack Boost equipped, Ramza dealt 201 damage, the lowest total damage value of the test.
While Attack Boost provides the lowest damage increase for the basic Attack command, it is invaluable for abilities that scale with Physical Attack. It applies a 33% bonus to the Physical Attack stat, resulting in a damage bonus for nearly all physical abilities (like Martial Arts, Jump, Holy Sword, Swordplay, and Unyielding Blade), where Dual Wield and Doublehand have no effect.
Now that you know how to optimize your Physical Attack damage, you are ready to take on some of the game's most powerful enemies, like the one waiting for Ramza inside Riovanes Castle in Chapter 3. If you need more help, check out our other Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles guides.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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