Ravager (Final Fantasy XIII)

Ravager (Blaster in the Japanese version) is a Paradigm role in Final Fantasy XIII. This role's main function is to increase the foe's chain gauge so that damage inflicted to the foe is increased. Computer-controlled Ravagers tend to attack the same target as the player. If the player controls a Ravager and there are computer controlled Commando(s), usually one Commando will attack the player's target. Merely being in the Ravager role boost the person's chain gauge bonus. The benefits also extends to other party members to a lesser degree. The amount increased depends on the role level of the Ravager. However, without Commando's support attack, the target's chain gauge will restore too quickly to effectively fill it. The command abilities of the Ravagers primarily consist of offensive elemental spells, granting them a stereotype of being Magical attackers, similar to Black Mages. Some Ravagers can also learn elemental Physical attacks ("strikes"), similar to a weaker version of Mystic Knight. While elemental spells of Fire, Ice, Lightning, Water, and Air are all present in their traditional three-tiers (normal, -"ra", -"ga"), the Ravager is notably unable to deal any Earth-elemental damage. Instead, Quake can only be found as a TP Ability.

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.''

Every character, with the exception of Fang, majors in Ravager. The purpose of a Ravager is to get the enemy into Stagger as quickly as possible so the Commandos can do the damage.

Sazh
Although Sazh has the lowest base Strength and Magic stat in the game, he has the best and most powerful weapons. He also has the Antares and the Procyons. The Antares gives a larger chain bonus increase when maxed out and the maxed out Procyons speeds up the Stagger gauge. Also, Sazh's unique attack, Cold Blood, can increase the enemy's chain gauge by over 200%. He may not deal much damage as a Ravager, but he is the quickest at the getting the enemy's chain gauge up.

Lightning
Lightning has the third highest Magic stat in the game, she also gets the strike abilities which give a 1.2 multiplier instead of a 1.0 multiplier. Lightning is the second best Ravager because of the Lionheart, which gets the enemy into the Staggered state, fastest. She's also pretty fast and the Axis Blade will help speed her up even more. Also, she has her unique attack, Army of One, which increases the enemy's chain gauge by 150-200%.

Hope
Hope has the highest Magic stat in the game, beating Vanille by a margin. However, the true reason he's the best Ravager is because he gets every single elemental spell to the "ga"-rank. He can get huge mobs of enemies into Stagger instantly and can also deal the most damage. He gets Last Resort which only increases the enemy's chain gauge by 100% and that's only if there's just one enemy.

Fang
Fang does not major in Ravager and isn't that great for getting the enemy into Stagger. The only difference between Fang and Vanille is that she has the strike abilities, which have a 1.2 multiplier and deals the most damage as a Ravager because the strikes uses her Strength stat. You can use her "ga" spells to try to stagger big mobs.

Vanille
Vanille has the second highest Magic in the game being slightly behind Hope. However, she's not a good Ravager because she only gets Firaga and Blizzaga. She can still stagger big mobs with ease.

Snow
Snow is tied for Vanille as the worst Ravager. Snow can only learn Blizzaga, Waterga, and Aeroga, Fang can outdamage him because she has higher Magic.

AI Mechanics

 * Unless the Ravager is the only offensive role in the currently chosen paradigm, the computer-controlled Ravager will always choose the same target as the other characters, and will continue to attack that target until it is defeated or until the other characters change their target.
 * The computer-controlled Ravager only attacks when their ATB gauge is completely filled.
 * The computer-controlled Ravager assesses the known strengths and weaknesses of the target's elemental, physical and magic affinities, what status effects they are under, and how many other enemies there are nearby when choosing their commands.
 * Unlike the Commando, Ravagers have no preferences when choosing between physical and magic abilities. If the target is under Deprotect, Shell, weak against physical attacks or strong against magic attacks, Ravagers will only choose Strike abilities such as Flamestrike. If the target is under Deshell, Protect, weak against magic attacks or strong against physical attacks, Ravagers will only choose magic spells such as Fire.
 * If the target's Notes section flag up any elemental weaknesses, the Ravager always chooses abilities geared towards that element, even if they have other elemental weaknesses. If the target's Notes section do not flag up any weaknesses, the Ravager will instead choose elements that the target is weakest against, based on the target's Vulnerabilities section. Elements under "Weakness" are given the highest priority, followed by "Normal", "Halved", "Resistant" and "Immune", in that order. If the target absorbs all elements the Ravager can utilise, the Ravager will not attack that target.
 * If the target's elemental, physical or magic affinities are not currently known, the Ravager will choose abilities at random until more information is obtained.
 * If a few enemies are grouped together, the Ravager will use second-tier "-ara" spells. When battling against several enemies, the Ravager will use third-tier "-aga" spells.
 * When a target is staggered, the Ravager will use second-tier "-ara" spells, as well as Wind-elemental spells such as Aero to attempt to launch the target in the air, even if the target is not weakest against Wind.
 * Computer-controlled Ravagers will never choose Full ATB Skills such as Lightning's Army of One.