Building a successful squad in Divinity Original Sin 2 requires a strong understanding of how physical and magical armor systems interact during combat encounters. Players must assemble four adventurers who complement each other's elemental skills, crowd control options, and tactical mobility. Selecting the right combination of roles ensures your squad can adapt to unexpected hazards and overcome challenging encounters throughout Rivellon.

The Split Damage Balanced Squad

A classic balanced team features two physical damage dealers and two magical damage combatants to target enemy weaknesses efficiently. Pair a heavy Warfare frontline warrior with a Scoundrel rogue to strip physical armor and apply control effects like Knockdown and Chicken Form. Support them from afar with an Aerotheurge Stormchaser and a Pyromancer wizard who can sweep the battlefield with widespread elemental damage.

This composition excels because it allows players to adapt dynamically based on enemy armor distributions. If an opponent possesses high magic resistance but low physical defense, your physical damage dealers can focus them down rapidly. Managing turn order effectively ensures your mages strip magical barriers right before your physical fighters apply disabling status effects.

The All Physical Powerhouse

Focusing entirely on physical damage is one of the most consistent ways to streamline your combat strategy in tactical encounters. A frontline Warfare Knight paired with a Huntsman ranger provides immense single-target damage across any distance. Adding a Necromancer caster allows you to deal heavy physical damage while healing your squad using blood surfaces.

To round out this physical setup, include a Polymorph utility fighter who can control enemy movements and manipulate terrain. This synergy makes breaking physical armor remarkably simple, allowing your team to chain Knockdown and Atrophy statuses constantly. Simplifying your target armor type prevents wasted action points and speeds up difficult encounters.

The Elemental Synergy Magic Team

Magic-focused party compositions thrive when combining elemental surfaces to create devastating environmental hazards. Pair a Hydrosophist healer with an Aerotheurge mage to freeze water surfaces and stun wet targets across large areas. Meanwhile, a Geomancer paired with a Pyromancer can trigger massive oil and poison explosions to obliterate groups of foes.

Positioning is crucial when running a full magic composition to avoid friendly fire from widespread elemental effects. Utilizing high initiative stats ensures your elemental mages set up control zones before enemies can close the distance. Proper surface management allows you to dominate entire choke points while keeping your party safe.

Utility and Support Considerations

Every balanced party requires essential support abilities regardless of whether you choose a physical, magical, or hybrid damage approach. Abilities like Teleportation, Nether Swap, and First Aid provide vital tactical control over player positioning and status recovery. Distributing utility skills across multiple characters ensures no single companion becomes a single point of failure during intense fights.

Investing a few points into Summoning early in the game can provide an extra target to absorb damage and distract dangerous enemies. Equipping every party member with basic mobility skills like Tactical Retreat or Phoenix Dive ensures rapid repositioning. Maintaining flexible support capabilities guarantees your squad stays prepared for every unexpected threat in your journey.