Grius appears early in Metaphor ReFantazio, and you can teach your co-conspirator how to use the power of Archetypes to further your mission. At first, he can pick from three options, each with advantages and downsides.
After the protagonist and Strohl awaken to their new power, you can choose one of three different Archetypes for Grius: the Warrior, Seeker, and Mage. I chose based on the theme, but each choice in Metaphor ReFantazio has merit.
I used Grius as a Warrior in my first playthrough. I felt it would be the best choice thematically, and I flexed the protagonist to play a Mage instead. This allowed him and Strohl to deliver devastating physical attacks to foes while the protagonist exploited weaknesses for more turns. No one used the Seeker, but that wasn’t that much of a downside. I stuck to that strategy in my second playthrough because it worked well enough.
That said, there’s no one right answer to this question since it hinges on your team composition and preference. Like other party members, Grius isn’t beholden to a single Archetype, either. You can teach him new ones in Akadeimia. His stats change based on your choice of Archetype, with Warrior peaking at 19 Strength, Seeker getting 17 St and nine Magic, and Mage changing to 16 Ma and only 11 St.
Early on, I recommend having at least one Mage in your party. But this doesn’t have to be Grius. In Nord Mines specifically, most enemies are weak to some form of elemental damage (generally Ice), so the Mage can exploit those weaknesses easily. Plus, Mages and Warriors resist Fire, a tool in a certain enemy’s arsenal.
In my first playthrough, having two Warriors and no Seeker worked generally well. The Gelatinos enemies resist Slash but are weak to Fire, Ice, and Shock, so the Mage put in some work to take them out. Nocrosses (the moths) are weak to Wind, and though we lacked the means to exploit their weakness, it still worked out well. Don’t hesitate to swap Archetypes if needed, too—for instance, by making Grius a Mage if your protagonist is low on MP.
