Quartz builds for endgame? (spoilers)

[FlashStep]

I'm at the part in the imperial villa where I have to fight Altina and two machine dudes. I can't seem to win. I'm on hard, first playthrough, and wondering what quartz I can tweak for my characters (laura, rean, emma, machias, sara and gaius) to help me out.

I've just used the auto balance to fill in all the quartz but it's worked for me up to this point.

Thanks

[Macros]

Hmm. Rean, Sara and Gaius can probably keep their usual master quartzs. Laura might benefit more from Tauros or Vermillion to boost her damage output if you have someone else to buff strength (a shame you don't have Jusis, he's good for that, but Rean will do, plus maybe a spell buff). You can play around a bit with Emma's master quartz, there are a lot that work well - personally, I like Pandora, but it's far from the only one who's good. I remember I played a bit with Machias and ended up giving him a Master Quartz raising his chances of inflicting status effects, but I can't remember the name.

On more specific quartz set-up, since you didn't take Fie, you might want to gear Gaius up to serve as a dodge-tank (though it can only last as long as Insight is up, and you didn't take Alisa for the easiest way to put that status back up either). Laura can benefit a lot from Domination, plus every STR bonus you can find, to deliver a massive S-Craft right at the start of the battle. Rean will do as your usual delay-spammer, though I don't remember if Altina is really vulnerable to delay status. Maybe give Emma a lost art, go overdrive and blast away, you may switch her afterward for another member - and maybe switch her back during a zero-art turn to do it again.

Anyway, that's just a few random thoughts, there are a lot of ways to do it (though in my personal opinion, benching Fie, Alisa and maybe Jusis do not help, those three are pretty good - then again, nearly everyone can be pretty good when built correctly)

EDIT: if you are looking for more specific combinations, you might want to look at the "Share your builds!" topic. It might not always be applicable, since those are really end-game, but at least it can show you what people are going for and the basic strategy they use.

[Zane Greedon]

Use Emma with a Master Quartz that increases her Arts damage, Use Hades Quartz, buff her with a food that gives her +50% ATS, then use one of the Ultimate Lost Arts to infict about 100,000+ Damge in 1 hit, once you do that then keep Rean with he Force MQ in Ogre Mode and spam Lethal Dragon Blade to deal about 25,000+ each attack.

If I remember there are DLC items to get too, if you keep at least 1 person with immunity on your team and have them with Chrono Burst you can resurrect 2 others and have them use thir S-breaks even to keep the battle going

[Wilq]

I don't see much point changing Laura's Master Quartz to Tauros without having evasive tank (and Wrath Orb).

I would leave it to Brave or change it to Vermillion. Since you don't have Alisa to cast her buffs I recommend to Buff your def via Emma's Crescent Shell and be sure to have Adamantine Shield on your party before her S-Craft. Delay enemies via Rean and Sara's Craft as much as possible. Emma might cast some Arts (remember to equip her with Bell Orb) and have Seraphic Ring as backup. Machy could use his Burst Drive to speed up Emma or other Party members. Be sure to equip your party with Orb like Action 3 etc.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

You can run Gaius, Masutā Supiaman and win every battle in the game within a couple turns.

Quartz setup[i.imgur.com]
Items[i.imgur.com]

Gaius just needs 200 CP and you win. For random battles before the finale dungeon, even 100 CP will be enough. Have Gaius cast Wild Rage and/or Alisa cast Blessed Arrow on him, and GG. You don't even need to bother with buffing up his STR to 50%. He will one shot anyone who isn't a finale boss. With the 50% STR buff, he will one shot every finale boss who isn't the final boss, and he will highhandedly remove half of the final boss' health.

(SPOILERS: Damage inflicted on a couple of epilogue bosses for reference[i.imgur.com]

If you don't have access to the Ice Crown on NG+, you can use Chevalier and the True Gladiator Headband and get the same result. Just make sure that you don't cancel out Gaius' damage boost after he uses Wild Rage; have Alisa cast Heavenly Gift instead.

[Sugoi]

IMO Vermillion is better for her than Brave. It has the potential for much higher damage overall.

[Tiasmoon]

Tauros is the best choice, and Vermillion after that. Brave is good at the start, or if you dont want to use buffs or items.