Best Archetypes in Metaphor: ReFantazio

Key conclusions

• Mage Lineage focuses on a variety of elemental spells, but unfolds slowly due to the development of the story.
• Knight Lineage offers versatile defensive skills for party members with valuable late-game options.
• Gunner Lineage excels in back row fights thanks to versatile skills such as piercing attacks and status conditions.

JRPGs are no strangers to quest systems, and Atlus' fantasy adventure game Metaphor: ReFantazio fully embraces this common mechanic with its archetype system. While the rapidly expanding and growing network of class offerings may seem confusing at first glance, the system is surprisingly intuitive and easy to navigate even in the first few hours of play.

But when you dig into this massive game, you might wonder which of the many archetypes available is the best and which one should you invest your hard-earned muggle money into? While there is a way to make each of the archetypes work for most party members, which ones are the best?

7 Genealogy of magicians

Wizard, wizard, elemental master and warlock

The Mage Line is one of the earliest archetypes you can discover, thanks to its connection to the main character's first friend, Galika. Even if you don't plan on making this the main cast for any of your party members, just put some time into this job and they'll suddenly have access to three basic but versatile elemental spells.

However, the main weakness of this line is its connection with Galicia. Her bond only increases at set points in the story, so you'll very slowly unlock the next archetypes in the lineage, with the last two being saved until the end of the game. So unless you plan to go all-in on Wizard in the mid-game, you'll likely find yourself using this archetype in the early game and then again much later.

6 Knightly family

Knight, Magic Knight, Dark Knight and Paladin

Unlocked after you add Hulkenberg to your team, the Knight lineage is one of the most versatile sets of archetypes in the game, with four unlockable as you approach Roussainte's party member.

At first it may seem like an odd skill set since it's more focused on making the knight take hits, but once you realize how useful it is for protecting your party members from the glass cannon, it becomes an invaluable skill to have. It's also worth investing time into this archetype tree, as both Dark Knight and Paladin will be useful for accessing them later in the game.

5 Origin of the gunner

Gunner, sniper and dragoon

Once you start helping Neuras in his search for relics around the map, you'll gain access to the gunner line, and you'll want at least one of your party members to use access to a versatile skill set.

This class works great in melee so you don't have to worry about them taking too much damage. With access to powerful multi-target piercing attacks, as well as the ability to inflict status conditions, their versatility makes them invaluable.

4 Lineage Masked Dancer

A masked dancer and master of personas

About a third of the way through Metaphor: ReFantazio, you finally get the chance to add Juna to your party, and with that you gain access to one of the most diverse lineage archetypes in the game, with the Masked Dancer.

With access to a useful base set of skills, this archetype has the advantage of using the masks you create in Akademia with More (equipped as accessories) to borrow key skills from other classes without having to spend slots or magla with the inheritance system. Gathering the materials for the ultimate masks can take some time, but with the variety of skills available, it's a fantastic archetype worth trying.

3 Faker Lineage

A fraud and a deceiver

One lineage that is easy to overlook if you haven't been paying attention while in Martira is the Faker archetype. Helping Alonzo isn't very appealing, thanks to Nydia's prickly antagonism towards the protagonist, but once you crack their shell, you gain access to not only one of the more interesting connections, but a useful archetype.

It will take some time to make the lineage easy to learn thanks to Alonzo's bond stretching over a longer period of play, but having Faker's skills is ideal as this archetype focuses on debuffs that can make even the toughest bosses much easier to take down.

2 Pedigree of a warrior

Warrior, swordsman and samurai

Origin Warrior is probably the easiest archetype to deal with, focusing almost exclusively on dealing heavy damage. Also helpful is that since this archetype is related to the Stroll connection, you can even unlock the last stage of the lineage much earlier than many other lineage archetypes.

If you want to have a solid damage output for most of the game, then investing in Stroll as a warrior, then a swordsman, and eventually a samurai is an easy option that really shouldn't be avoided. Even so, you'll want to inherit perhaps a few skills from different archetypes to add some variety to a somewhat limited moveset.

1 Line of doctors

Healer, Cleric and Savior

It's simple, but you'll always want to have access to a healer, and with how easy it can be to deplete your supply of healing items, especially in the early game, healing spells can save you not only in battles, but your wallet as well.

Maria is a relatively easy link to upgrade, and making sure at least one of your party members has access to the Healer Origin skill is very helpful. While you can transfer these skills to different archetype lines, it's usually best to use this archetype as a base for learning other skills, as passive buffs from this line will make healing much more effective.