Lightning

Lightning – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Sentinel

Lightning is an interesting Sentinel, relying on the Elude Ability rather than Mediguard or Steelguard. This Ability (the only one she can use besides Provoke) allows her to dodge attacks with a very high rate of success. However, it only works on Physical attacks, making Lightning a sitting duck against Magic-wielding foes. Still, when it works, it's very effective and requires very little healing.

Compare Lightning – Sentinel Crystarium to other Crystariums

Stage 1
HP +103,000 CP
Strength +33,000 CP
HP +103,000 CP
Magic +33,000 CP
HP +103,000 CP
Provoke6,000 CP
Stage 2
HP +106,000 CP
Strength +46,000 CP
HP +106,000 CP
HP +106,000 CP
Evade12,000 CP
Stage 3
HP +159,000 CP
Magic +59,000 CP
HP +159,000 CP
Strength +59,000 CP
Elude18,000 CP
Stage 4
HP +1512,000 CP
Strength +612,000 CP
Magic +612,000 CP
HP +1512,000 CP
HP +1512,000 CP
Stage 5
Strength +715,000 CP
HP +2015,000 CP
HP +2015,000 CP
Magic +715,000 CP
Counter30,000 CP
Stage 6
HP +2018,000 CP
Magic +818,000 CP
HP +2018,000 CP
Strength +818,000 CP
HP +2018,000 CP
Stage 7
HP +2521,000 CP
Magic +921,000 CP
HP +2521,000 CP
Strength +921,000 CP
Deathward42,000 CP
Stage 8
Strength +924,000 CP
HP +2524,000 CP
Magic +1024,000 CP
HP +2524,000 CP
HP +2524,000 CP
Stage 9
Role Level 260,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
Strength +930,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
Magic +1030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
Strength +930,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
Magic +1030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
HP +3030,000 CP
Fringeward60,000 CP
Stage 10
Role Level 3120,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
Strength +960,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
Magic +1060,000 CP
Role Level 4120,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
HP +10060,000 CP
Strength +960,000 CP
Reprieve120,000 CP
Magic +1060,000 CP
Strength +960,000 CP
Role Level 5120,000 CP

Eidolon Odin (Chapter 4)

Base HP 200

Maximum HP 20,000

Base Strength 15

Maximum Strength 1,700

Base Magic 15

Maximum Magic 1,700

Starting Weapon Blazefire Saber

Primary Roles Commando, Ravager, Medic

Accessory Crystal Medic 3

Accessory Crystal Ravager 8

Accessory Crystal Commando 10

ATB Level Crystal Commando 8

Chapter 1

Fang – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Fang

Role Sentinel

Like Snow, Fang has access to every standard Sentinel Ability (i.e., except Elude), though her lower HP total and relative lack of defensive Weapons makes her a bit less effective than him. She does get Mediguard first, so I guess that's something.

Hope – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Hope

Role Sentinel

Despite having the lowest HP in the game, Hope makes for a fairly interesting Sentinel. Like Lightning, he doesn't get Challenge and favors Elude over Mediguard and Steelguard, but Hope also gets the counterattack Abilities, Entrench and Vendetta. He's fun to play around with, but not much use against truly powerful enemies.

Lightning – Commando Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Commando

Lightning is an effective Commando, lacking only the Adrenaline and Deathblow auto Abilities. She's your most effective Commando until Fang shows up, and remains powerful until late in the game, though her low HP total does become an issue against the most powerful enemies out there.

Lightning – Medic Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Medic

For most of the game, Lightning is an effective Medic, if not quite on par with Vanille and Hope. As the game wears on, she becomes better as a secondary Medic, and by the time you're mastering multiple Crystarium Roles, she's all but worthless. This is entirely due to her lack of access to the Curasa Ability (to say nothing of Curaja). Cure just won't cut it once your party's HP is in the five-digit range, limiting Lightning's job as a Medic to casting Esuna and perhaps Raise.

Lightning – Ravager Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Ravager

Ravager is perhaps Lightning's best overall Role. She gets a complete set of auto Abilities and every spell in the first two tiers. What she lacks is -ga spells, getting only Thundaga. While you can certainly live without them, the lack of Aeroga in particular is a bit painful. On the upside, her unique Army of One Ability is fantastic for building chain bonuses against staggered opponents, and combos very well with her Attack: ATB Charge Weapons.

Lightning – Saboteur Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Saboteur

As a secondary Role, it's not surprising that Lightning has a rather limited set of Saboteur Abilities. She lacks any way to inflict Slow, Curse, Daze, Fog, or Pain, and also lacks Dispel, which can be a problem against some foes. However, she does get both the single- and multiple-target forms of Deprotect, Deshell, Imperil, and Poison, making her quite good at lowering defenses of single enemies or entire groups.

Lightning – Synergist Crystarium

Character Lightning

Role Synergist

Lightning is a surprisingly effective Synergist, gaining all of the basic Abilities with the exception of Bar-spells. Her biggest failing is not learning Haste or Vigilance until Crystarium stage 10, however. Once all is said and done, she's quite effective simply because Bar-spells aren't of much use against the toughest enemies anyway. Too bad there's no Barstone in this game.

Sazh – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Sazh

Role Sentinel

Sazh is all about defense as a Sentinel. That may seem to go without saying, but he doesn't get any evasion Abilities, and while he does get Vendetta he does not get Entrench or the Counter auto Ability. He also doesn't get Mediguard, so if Sazh is your defender, you'll need to keep an eye on his HP. He does have the second-highest HP total in the game, though, and is the only non-primary Sentinel with Challenge.

Snow – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Snow

Role Sentinel

Snow is the prototypical Sentinel, gaining every Ability except Elude. Snow's job is to stand there and take punishment. While he has the same Ability list as Fang, Snow is a bit better as a Sentinel because of his high HP total and access to Weapons with the Improved Guard and Improved Ward abilities.

Vanille – Sentinel Crystarium

Character Vanille

Role Sentinel

Vanille as a Sentinel? Surely not! And truth be told, she's not very good at it. She has Mediguard at least, but not much else, including Challenge. She does have more HP than Lightning or Hope, but both of them are evasion Sentinels anyway. Basically, you don't want Vanille to be your main Sentinel. She's fine in the Tortoise (SEN/SEN/SEN) paradigm, but not much else.