In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, there are two girls that the fans adore. They are Tifa and Aerith. I've already talked about Aerith, so let's talk about Tifa. She is an agile close combat fighter who specializes in attack speed, damage, combos and using her ATB abilities. Additionally, her fast attack speed allows her to charge up enemy stagger meter quickly.
When playing Tifa, your main point is to build up “chi” through an ability called “Unbridled Strength.” Tifa has the second-highest strength attribute in the game and the highest speed attribute. Tifa’s main weapon of choice are knuckles as she is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and, in the past, she was trained by Zagan.
Her character plays an integral part in the story as she is a childhood friend of Cloud, as they both grew up in Nibleheim, but she lost contact with him when he went on to join the SOLDIER ranks. She supports Cloud throughout the story and convinces him to join the fight against Shinra. Tifa is the moral character of the group and is always trying to convince them to do the right thing.
Tifa's Strengths:
- Being able to build up ATB quickly.
- Having the second-highest strength attribute.
- Having the highest speed attribute.
- Building up the enemy stagger meter quickly.
- Dealing extra damage to staggered enemies if her “chi” level is high.
- Has strong special abilities.
- The higher her “chi” level the deadlier her abilities become.
3. Speed Mage
When it comes to Tifa, she's not that efficient at magic, as she doesn’t have a lot of MP. Keep in mind that this build works around enhancing her ATB abilities. When it comes to the build, you'll want to use “Magnify” and “Cure” or “Barrier” to support your party. If you want to go the damage route instead, you can go “Fire”, “Blizzard”, “Thunder”, or “Aero.”
As for the armor, the best one is the “Chain Bangle”, as it offers 4 materia slots and great defenses. As for the accessory, go for the “Circlet.” Additionally, don't forget to equip the materia “MP Absorb” and “MP Up,” as you will definitely need them. Additionally, you’ll want to go for the “Shiva” summon, as that will bump her magic attack damage.
The capability of this build excels in keeping the attack speed of Tifa while enhancing her magic capabilities. The whole build centers around enhancing the damage on her abilities while also having some extra damage from spells or being able to support your party with supportive spells.
Speed Mage Excels In:
- Enhancing Tifa's ATB abilities.
- Having a ton of materia slots.
- Dealing more damage with her ATB abilities.
- Keeping her attack speed attribute the same.
- Being able to support her party members if you equip supportive spells.
- Being able to deal decent damage from spells.
- Enhancing her MP or mana pool.
Build Details:
- Weapons: Mythril Claws - leveled up to the max.
- Armor: Chain Bangle - 50 physical defenses, 50 magical defenses, 4 materia slots.
- Accessory: Circlet - Max MP +10%, Magic +5%.
- Spells: Cure, Barrier, or Fire/Blizzard/Thunder/Aero, Prayer.
- Materia for Mythril Claws: Magnify, Cure, Barrier, Prayer, Fire/Blizzard/Thunder/Aero, Magic Up.
- Materia for Chain Bangle: HP Up, MP Up, MP Absorption, Shiva.
- Summon: Shiva
2. Speed Tank
This build will maximize the speed attribute of Tifa while also giving her a ton of survivability. She is the squishiest party member and can die easily if you're not careful. Since she only deals damage from up close, having extra defenses and health will come in useful.
The weapon you'll want to use with the build is “Purple Pain,” as it increases health, speed, and overall defenses. For the armor, you'll want to go with the “Chain Bangle,” as it offers the best defense attributes and has 4 materia slots.
As for the accessory, go for the “Survival Vest,” as it increases Tifa’s vitality by 10%. The capability of this build is to survive deadly hits from enemies while also retaining attack speed and damage. With the build, you won't be harshly punished if you don’t dodge a deadly attack.
Speed Tank Excels In:
- Being able to survive deadly hits from enemies.
- Retaining enough attack speed so you can charge the stagger meter of enemies quickly.
- Being able to deal a decent amount of damage.
- Not having to focus on dodging every single attack.
- Still being fast and quick during fight encounters.
Build Details:
- Weapon: Purple Pain - leveled up to the max.
- Armor: Chain Bangle - 50 physical defenses, 50 magical defenses, 4 materia slots.
- Accessory: Survival Vest - vitality +10%
- Spells: Cure, Barrier
- Materia for Leather Gloves: Deadly Dodge, Steadfast Block, Parry, First Strike, ATB Stagger, Ifrit.
- Materia for Chain Bangle: HP Up, HP Up, Cure, Barrier.
- Summon: Ifrit
1. Power & Speed
The best build for Tifa is the one that focuses on her strengths, which are damage and speed. This build does exactly that, as it enhances her best attributes and makes her a brutal killing machine. With this build, you can quickly stagger enemies and fill your ATB bar. You'll also have two options for knuckles, such as the “Metal Knuckles” and “Feathered Gloves.”
The “Metal Knuckles” will enhance Tifa’s strength and increase her damage immensely. Alongside that, her special abilities will get a significant boost in damage. If you opt for the “Feathered Gloves,” instead, you'll gain a massive boost to attack speed and a 10% increase in ATB recharge.
Furthermore, with this build, you want to spam your ATB abilities and try to combo as much as possible. The build is centered around dealing a ton of damage in a short time span. It enhances Tifa's strengths and makes her one of the most agile damage dealing party members, right next to Cloud.
What Power & Speed Excels In:
- Dealing a ton of damage in a short span.
- Immensely increasing the damage of her ATB abilities.
- Being able to combo easily.
- Being able to easily fill up the stagger meter on enemies.
- Being able to quickly recharge the ATB bar.
- Allows you to combine her moves and ATB abilities easier.
- Doing extremely well against single-target enemies.
- Having the highest attack speed in the game.
Build Details:
- Weapon: Metal Knuckles or Feathered Gloves.
- Armor: Chain Bangle - 50 physical defenses, 50 magical defenses, 4 materia slots.
- Accessory: Supernatural Wristguards - strength +10%.
- Spells: Cure.
- Materia for Metal Knuckles or Feathered Gloves: Cure, ATB Stagger, First Strike, Steadfast Block, Refocus, Deadly Dodge.
- Materia for Chain Bangle: HP Up, HP Up, ATB Boost, Bahamut.
- Summon: Bahamut