It’s time to talk about the biggest and meanest looking guy in the game, called Barret. Even though Barret might seem intimidating and a scary big guy, his heart is equally big and soft. Barret cares about his allies and does everything he can to protect them. 

Which also suits him, as he is the tank of the group. He is also the leader of the group Avalanche, which has a mission to protect the planet from Shinra. When it comes to Barret's weapon’s choice, he uses a gun-arm most of the time. 

He is also able to wield melee weapons, which change up his playstyle completely. As I previously mentioned, he is the tank. He doesn’t specialize in dealing damage but in protecting his team and soaking up the damage. He is the most durable party member and can withstand attacks that others wouldn’t be able to.

Barret Strengths:

• Can withstand attacks that other party members wouldn’t.
• The most durable party member.
• Specializes in soaking up damage and withstanding heavy attacks.
• Protecting his allies from enemies.
• Provoking enemies to only attack him.
• Specializes in ranged combat, mostly.
• Can use special melee weapons that deal damage in an area of effect, good for crowd control.

3. Ranged Mage Tank Build

I’ll set you ablaze!

If you already have Cloud and Tifa going with a tanky build, you might want to do a damage build with Barret. Specifically, a magic oriented build. Barret doesn’t have a great mana pool, so the “MP Absorption” materia is a must have. You’ll also want to go with the “Magnify” materia. 

For the weapon, you’ll want to go with the “EKG Cannon,” as that increases Barret’s magic capabilities while lowering his physical defenses and physical attack. As for the accessory, go for the “Platinum Earrings,” which increases his magic immensely. 

For the armor, go either for the “Chain Bangle,” as it has the most materia slots and gives equal defenses for physical and magical attacks. The capability of this build excels at dealing magic damage. It’s good to fill in the damage role if Cloud and Tifa are going for a more tankier build.

Ranged Mage Build Excels In:

• Dealing damage with magic or abilities from afar.
• Filling in the damage role for your party.
• Targeting enemy weaknesses with magic attacks.
• Having the spells “Cure” and “Revival” to help out your party members as a bit of a support.
• Increasing the damage on Barret’s ATB abilities.
• Having some defenses against physical and magic attacks.
• Having 10 materia slots.

Build Details:

• Weapon: EKG Cannon - leveled up to the max.
• Armor: Chain Bangle - 50 physical defenses, 50 magical defenses, 4 materia slots.
• Accessory: Platinum Earrings - Magic +10%.
• Spells: Cure, Raise, Fire, Thunder, Blizzard.
• Materia for EKG Cannon: Magnify, Cure, Raise, Fire, Blizzard, Thunder.
• Materia for Platinum Earrings: MP Absorption, MP Up, MP Up, Chocobo & Moogle
• Summon: Chocobo & Moogle

2. Offensive Melee Tank Build

Time to slap you to another dimension!

Now, this build focuses more on dealing damage than being the tank for the party. You can still resist attacks from opponents and have decent defenses, but you'll also deal a decent amount of damage. When it comes to the build, you can go with the “Wrecking Ball.” 

Since it's a melee weapon, it deals damage in an area of effect. Due to him being a tank and durable during fights, this weapon will boost him into the damage department. As well, he can provoke enemies to attack him. As for the armor, you can go with the “Supreme Bracer.” 

For the accessory, go with the “Champions Belt,” as that will increase his strength and damage. The capability of this build is to deal damage to enemies while also being able to tank a whole crowd of enemies. The build is also decent against a group of enemies and crowd control.

What Offensive Melee Build Excels In:

• Dealing with multiple enemies at once.
• Having a ton of HP.
• Being able to tank a ton of hits.
• Increasing the damage output.
• Dealing damage in an area of effect.
• Dispatching of low leveled enemies quickly.
• Being the frontline for your party members.

Build Details:

• Weapon: Wrecking Ball - leveled up to the max.
• Armor: Supreme Bracer - 62 physical defenses, 16 magical defenses, 3 materia slots.
• Accessory: Champions Belt - HP +10%, Strength +5%.
• Spells: Cure, Raise.
• Materia for Wrecking Ball: Deadly Dodge, Cure, Raise, Provoke, Steadfast Block, Parry.
• Materia for Supreme Bracelet: Ifrit, HP Up, HP Up.
• Summon: Ifrit.

1. Full Tank Build

Nothing will get past me!

The best build for Barret is the full tank build. This build focuses on increasing his HP to the max, providing as many defenses as possible, and being able to tank everything for his team. With this build, Barret will be able to tank every single enemy attacking him. 

The main weapon in the build being used is the “Big Bertha,” as it gives 1,250 HP in total. As for the armor, the “Chain Bangle” is the go-to. For the accessory, go with the “Champions Belt” for extra health and strength. Additionally, make sure that you have unlocked the ability called “Lifesaver,” which redirects damage intended for your party members onto Barret. 

The capability of this build to survive hits that would kill anyone else instantly. It also allows your other party members to solely focus on dealing damage. Another great part is that “Big Bertha” deals some decent damage, and Barret can take care of any pesky flying enemies with ease.

What Full Tank Excels In:

• Being able to survive multiple strong hits.
• Having a ton of defenses.
• Soaking up all damage that was intended for your party members and surviving.
• Being able to easily deal with flying enemies.
• Maximizing your HP to the fullest.
• Making sure that nobody from your party dies.

Build Details:

• Weapon: Big Bertha - leveled up to the max.
• Armor: Chain Bangle - 50 physical defenses, 50 magical defenses, 4 materia slots.
• Accessory: Champions Belt - HP +10%, Strength +5%.
• Spells: Raise.
• Materia for Big Bertha: Raise, Barrier, Provoke, Steadfast Block, First Strike, Prayer.
• Materia for Chain Bangle: HP Up, HP Up, Fat Chocobo, Chakra
• Summon: Fat Chocobo

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