Commando (Final Fantasy XIII)

Commando (aka "Attacker" in the Japanese version) is a Paradigm role in Final Fantasy XIII. This role's main function is to deal damage and prevent the enemy chain gauge from decreasing rapidly. The Commando has the least amount of command abilities among the six roles, being the most straightforward of all.

When there are multiple attackers in the party, the strategy is usually for them to hit different targets. This has the result of maximizing the number of enemies whose Chain gauge decreases at a slower rate.

Merely being in the attacker role boost the person's Physical and Magical power greatly. The benefits also extends to other party members to a lesser degree. The amount increased depends on the role level of the attacker.

Given the same Physical Attack stat and Magical Attack stat, a Commando's basic physical attack ability tend to deal more damage than the basic magical attack ability. This leads to a general stereotype of Commando being primarily a physical attack role.

Role Levels
The Crystarium Levels when each character can advance in role level.

Abilities
The right-side columns show the Crystarium Level when the character can learn the skill, if at all.

Character Analysis
''Note: this section mostly applies to the point after you can freely choose party members. Member limit and role restrictions in the earlier stages of the game makes much of the analysis moot.''

The four characters who major in Commando are Lightning, Snow, Fang, and Sazh.

Fang
Fang has the highest Physical power when all stats are maxed out. As she can learn all the Commando auto abilities and has a personal special Commando attack, she should be the best Commando possible under most circumstances once fully developed (notable exception being when the foe is weaker towards Magic than Physical).

Lightning
Lightning ranks second in both Physical and Magical power (when maxed), and only lacks two HP threshold-related auto abilities (which would have a lower chance of triggering anyways due to her having overall the lowest max HP). While unlike Fang and Snow, Lightning's personal attack is a Ravager ability, it can still gain the attack bonus of Commando by performing a Paradigm Shift once her special attack has initiated. Thus while not quite as powerful when directly compared to Fang, Lightning's flexibility in going either Physical or Magical makes her quite a versatile Commando as well. Compared to Fang, Lightning also has the advantage of picking up most of her Commando auto abilities and leveling up the role relatively earlier, whereas Fang's repertoire of abilities mature later.

Snow
Snow's Physical power ranks 3rd overall (when maxed), which is still decent. The two auto abilities that he cannot learn are of the Aspire line, bereft him of some conditional ATB bonuses. He is the only other person (than Fang) who has a personal special Commando attack.

Sazh
Sazh has the lowest Physical and Magical power of all 6 characters, and has less than half of the auto abilities. The range advantage of his guns only gives him an edge over Fang, Snow, and Lightning when the enemy deals extra damage by proximity and is immune/resistant to magic (as each of the trio has more Magic Attack than Sazh has Physical attack). Thus despite majoring in it, Sazh is notably a less ideal choice as a Commando under most circumstances.

Hope
Hope, while not majoring in Commando, has the strongest Magic power (when maxed out) among all 6 characters. Thus against foes with strong Physical defense, Hope may be a viable choice as a magical Attacker.

Vanille
Vanille stands out as the only character who cannot learn Area Blast. As she ties with Lightning for having the second highest Magical power (when maxed), she may be a viable choice as magical Attacker against strong anti-Physical foes when neither Hope nor Lightning are available due to Paradigm planning.