Part 64: Job Profile: Monk
Job Profile: Monk
In-Game Description posted:
Monks are very resilient melee fighters. Their Retaliate ability allows them to counterattack while on the defensive.
Unlocked: Wind Crystal
Weapons: Bare Hands, Fist Weapons
Shields: No
Armour: Light
Unique Command: Retaliate
Stats (Level 50):
Str 45 Agi 34 Vit 38 Int 22 Mnd 26
Stats (Level 99):
Str 85 Agi 63 Vit 71 Int 38 Mnd 45
Monks are a class that hits things, and hits things hard. Part of why they're so good at hitting hard is because every job level the Monk picks up translates into a two-point gain to barehanded attack power, so you're better off leaving them weaponless if you're going to use them at all. Even if you do equip a weapon, though, there's only one elemental claw for the Monk, and it hits wind. As far as bosses go, there are only two that are weak against wind, and by the time you fight them, you will have a much better class to fight them with. Retaliate, the Monk's unique command, lets them use a beefed-up form of Defend for a turn (using Retaliate doubles your defense, then adds your job level on top of that), with the bonus that if they get hit, they hit back with a double-power punch. Basically, it's the standard Counter ability, but at the cost of a round of attacking, and the Monk comes with no way to draw attacks toward it, which seems like the logical counterpart to Retaliate. You could, theoretically, use Retaliate and hit back against multiple enemies, or against a boss, where you're likely to enjoy the reduced damage, but you probably don't need it if you have a good setup, and I wouldn't consider it a class-maker.
As far as stats go, Monks have the requisite high Strength, and their Vitality is really quite good as well, which might give you a reason to keep them around a bit longer because you're really obsessive about having high HP. I like the Monk as a class, because I like being able to hit hard, and Retaliate is pretty good if you're in the right situation, plus the Monk is pretty solid if you stick with it for a long time, because their attack will increase consistently, but at the end of the day, the Monk is my fifth pick from the Wind Crystal jobs, and there are only four party members, so I usually pass it over.