MA Ulm - you called me a forge what?

[cleveland]

Major complaint:
This guide isn't linked in your sig!

Awesome stuff, as usual.

If I can humbly suggest adding a mention of Living Statues:
Compared to Mechanical Men, Living Statues have nearly double the HP, higher Attack, higher Protection, lower AP (a bonus when employed as blockers), a MUCH better shield, and a longer weapon while still having strat move 3 and being mindless/lifeless. In other words, they make awesome offensive linemen (blockers to the non-US folks). Sure they lack lack fire resistance, but that doesn't help vs. friendly Magma Eruptions anyway.

Especially if you're taking A4E4 on your pretender, you can make the oft-forgotten Staff of Elemental Mastery...give one to that pretender, add Earth Boots & a Ring of Wizardry for E7, and each 20E Enliven Statues casting gives you 14 Living Statues, which is conveniently more efficient than Mechanical Men.