Monk (Ninja Path)

The hybrid healer-fighter who does everything decently but nothing excellently - a jack-of-all-trades that costs too much to obtain.

Rating: 5/10

Table of contents

  1. Overview
  2. Class Progression
    1. Advancement Levels
  3. Available Characters
  4. Statistics
    1. Stat Distribution
  5. Why Monk is 5/10
    1. The “Jack of All Trades” Problem
    2. Comparison: Monk vs Specialist Classes
  6. Why Only 5/10 (The Fatal Flaw)
    1. The Opportunity Cost Problem
    2. The “Why Not Just Use Both?” Argument
  7. Monk Spell Arsenal
    1. Monk-Exclusive Spells
    2. Spell Analysis
  8. Strategic Analysis
    1. When Monk Might Be Considered
    2. The Only Valid Use Case
  9. Comparison: Optimal vs Monk Parties
    1. Optimal Party (No Monks)
    2. Monk Party (1 Monk)
  10. Common Mistakes
    1. Mistake #1: Making Monk for “Variety”
    2. Mistake #2: “Monk Has Healing AND Offense”
    3. Mistake #3: “High AGI/Move Makes Up For It”
    4. Mistake #4: Thinking Ninja Is Worth It
  11. If You Made Monk Anyway (Damage Control)
    1. Acknowledging the Mistake
    2. Optimal Monk Usage
    3. MP Management
    4. Formation Placement
  12. FAQ Authors’ Consensus
    1. Jeff Chan (Atom Edge)
    2. Syonyx
  13. Final Verdict
  14. The Only Reason to Make Monk
  15. Next Steps

Overview

“Monk class isn’t that bad. Actually fairly decent combination of fighter and healer. Though does good job utilizing both attributes, does not excel in either. Main problem: To get it, must give up either Mage or Priest class, both of which are better.” - Jeff Chan

The Monk class is rated 5/10 by FAQ authors - a hybrid healer-fighter that’s decent at both roles but excels at neither. The fatal flaw: obtaining Monk requires sacrificing either Mage (10/10) or Priest (9/10), both of which are vastly superior.

Class Progression 

Level 1-9          Level 10-19        Level 20+
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════
Healer ──────────> Monk ──────────> Ninja
    OR
Mage ────────────> Monk ──────────> Ninja

Advancement Levels

Level Class Source Key Abilities
1-9 Healer or Mage Starting class Healing OR offensive magic
10-19 Monk From Healer/Mage at Lv.10 Hybrid healing + attack magic
20+ Ninja From Monk at Lv.20 Peak hybrid stats, all spells

CRITICAL WARNING: Choosing Monk at Level 10 means NEVER becoming Priest (9/10) or Mage (10/10)! This is permanent and irreversible!

Available Characters

Character Starting Class When Joins Can Become Monk? SHOULD They?
Huxley Hobbes Healer Chapter 1, Section 3 Yes (Healer → Monk) NO! (Priest 9/10 better)
Sara Healer Chapter 2, Section 2 Yes (Healer → Monk) NO! (Priest 9/10 better)
Eleni Dunbar Mage Chapter 1, Section 3 Yes (Mage → Monk) NO! (Mage 10/10 better)
Zohar Abu Sa’id Mage Chapter 3, Section 1 Yes (Mage → Monk) NO! (Mage 10/10 better)

RECOMMENDATION: Make ZERO Monks. Keep Healers as Priests (9/10) and Mages as Mages (10/10).

Statistics

Stat Distribution

Stat Rating Notes
ATK Average Decent but not exceptional
DEF Average Moderate survivability
AGL High Good evasion
MAG DEF High Strong magic resistance
MOVE High Better mobility than Priest/Mage

Special Ability: Hybrid attack + healing magic

High MP Costs: Most Monk spells expensive (10-15 MP)

Why Monk is 5/10

The “Jack of All Trades” Problem

“Though does good job utilizing both attributes, does not excel in either.” - Jeff Chan

What Monks Can Do:

  • ✓ Heal allies (Healing Circle, Healing Wave)
  • ✓ Attack enemies (Stone Shower, Thunder Flash)
  • ✓ Buff allies (Perfect Guard, Mystic Energy)
  • ✓ Cure status (Cure Wide)

The Problem:

  • Healing: Moderate (never matches Priest’s Supreme Healing)
  • Attacking: Moderate (never matches Mage’s Phase Shift/Salamander)
  • Result: Mediocre at everything, excellent at nothing

Comparison: Monk vs Specialist Classes

Monk (5/10) vs Priest (9/10) - HEALING:

Aspect Monk Healing Priest Healing
Best Heal Healing Wave (10 MP, 0/2 area) Supreme Healing (30 MP, infinite range, ENTIRE PARTY)
Efficiency Moderate Excellent
MP Cost High (10-15 MP spells) Reasonable (3-5 MP standard heals)
Role Focus Split (healing + offense) Pure healing (better at it)

Verdict: Priest healing is drastically superior

Monk (5/10) vs Mage (10/10) - OFFENSE:

Aspect Monk Offense Mage Offense
Best Attack Thunder Flash (12 MP, 0/2 area) Phase Shift (12 MP, 0/7 area, 2-3x damage)
AOE Size Small (0/2 = 5 tiles) Massive (0/7 = 25+ tiles)
Damage 40-60 per enemy 80-120 per enemy
Ultimate None Salamander (0/10 area, 100+ damage)

Verdict: Mage offense is overwhelmingly superior

Why Only 5/10 (The Fatal Flaw)

The Opportunity Cost Problem

THE CRITICAL ISSUE: To get Monk (5/10), you must sacrifice either:

  • Mage (10/10) - Highest-rated class, walking death machine
  • Priest (9/10) - Second-highest rated, essential healer

This is NEVER worth it!

Scenario 1: Healer → Monk

  • What you gain: Mediocre offense + mediocre healing (Monk 5/10)
  • What you lose: Excellent healing + Supreme Healing (Priest 9/10)
  • Net result: Downgrade from 9/10 to 5/10
  • Math: You lose 4 points of value

Scenario 2: Mage → Monk

  • What you gain: Mediocre offense + mediocre healing (Monk 5/10)
  • What you lose: Devastating offense + Phase Shift + Salamander (Mage 10/10)
  • Net result: Downgrade from 10/10 to 5/10
  • Math: You lose 5 points of value

In both cases, you’re trading a top-tier class (9-10/10) for a below-average class (5/10). This is objectively bad.

The “Why Not Just Use Both?” Argument

Player Thinking:

  • “I’ll make Huxley a Priest AND Eleni a Monk”
  • “That way I have healing + hybrid!”

Why This Fails:

  • Better alternative: Huxley (Priest 9/10) + Eleni (Mage 10/10)
  • Priest: Excellent healing (9/10)
  • Mage: Excellent offense (10/10)
  • Monk: Mediocre at both (5/10)
  • Verdict: Priest + Mage » Priest + Monk

The Math:

  • Priest (9/10) + Mage (10/10) = 19 total value
  • Priest (9/10) + Monk (5/10) = 14 total value
  • Loss: 5 points of value

“Using Monk for damage not bright when Mage characters so much better. Using over Priest class equally wasteful - cannot compete in healing.” - Jeff Chan

Monk Spell Arsenal

Monk-Exclusive Spells

Spell Type R/F Cost Priority Notes
Stone Shower Attack 0/1 10 MP MEDIUM Earth damage, small AOE
Cure Wide Status 0/1 4 MP MEDIUM Remove status, small AOE
Healing Circle Heal 0/1 6 MP HIGH Heal nearby allies
Perfect Guard Buff 4/0 15 MP LOW AGL up (expensive!)
Thunder Flash Attack 0/2 12 MP HIGH Lightning AOE
Healing Wave Heal 0/2 10 MP HIGH Stronger heal, larger area
Mystic Energy Buff 4/0 15 MP LOW DEF+ATK up (expensive!)

Spell Analysis

Healing Spells:

  • Healing Circle (6 MP, 0/1) - Decent but small area
  • Healing Wave (10 MP, 0/2) - Better but expensive
  • Priest’s Supreme Healing: 30 MP, infinite range, ENTIRE PARTY
  • Verdict: Monk healing is cheap but limited

Attack Spells:

  • Stone Shower (10 MP, 0/1) - Weak damage, small area
  • Thunder Flash (12 MP, 0/2) - Decent damage, moderate area
  • Mage’s Phase Shift: 12 MP, 0/7, MASSIVE AREA + DAMAGE
  • Verdict: Monk offense is weak compared to Mage

Buff Spells:

  • Perfect Guard (15 MP!) - Too expensive
  • Mystic Energy (15 MP!) - Too expensive
  • Priest’s buffs: 3 MP each (much cheaper)
  • Verdict: Monk buffs not cost-effective

Strategic Analysis

When Monk Might Be Considered

Hypothetical Scenarios:

  1. If Monk didn’t require sacrificing Mage/Priest - Would be 7/10
  2. If you had 6 Healers and 6 Mages - Could spare one for Monk
  3. If Priest/Mage didn’t exist - Monk would be excellent

Reality:

  • Monk DOES require sacrificing Mage/Priest
  • You only have 2 Healers and 2 Mages (limited resources)
  • Priest/Mage DO exist and are far superior
  • Monk is never optimal choice

“If didn’t require characters to give up better class, this class might have actually been more useful. But you can’t win them all.” - Jeff Chan

The Only Valid Use Case

Theoretical Scenario:

  • You’ve already made 2 Priests (Huxley + Sara)
  • You’ve already made 2 Mages (Eleni + Zohar)
  • You get a 3rd Healer or 3rd Mage somehow
  • THEN you could make a Monk

Problem:

  • This scenario doesn’t exist in Vandal Hearts
  • Only 2 Healers, only 2 Mages
  • Cannot make Monk without sacrificing

Comparison: Optimal vs Monk Parties

Optimal Party (No Monks)

Class Distribution:

  • Ash: Hero → Champion → Paragon → Vandalier (8-10/10)
  • Clint/Grog/Dolan: Knight → Swordsman → Duelist (6/10 each)
  • Diego/Kira/Amon/Darius: 2-3 Archers (8/10) + 1-2 Airmen (7/10)
  • Huxley/Sara: Priest → Bishop → Archbishop (9/10 each)
  • Eleni/Zohar: Mage → Sorcerer → Enchanter (10/10 each)

Total Value: 1 Hero (8) + 3 Knights (18) + 3 Archers (24) + 1 Airman (7) + 2 Priests (18) + 2 Mages (20) = 95 points

Monk Party (1 Monk)

Class Distribution:

  • Ash: Hero (8/10)
  • Clint/Grog/Dolan: Knights (6/10 each)
  • Diego/Kira/Amon/Darius: 2-3 Archers + 1-2 Airmen
  • Huxley: Priest (9/10)
  • Sara: Monk (5/10) ← Downgrade!
  • Eleni/Zohar: Mages (10/10 each)

Total Value: 1 Hero (8) + 3 Knights (18) + 3 Archers (24) + 1 Airman (7) + 1 Priest (9) + 1 Monk (5) + 2 Mages (20) = 91 points

Loss: 4 points of value (Priest 9 → Monk 5)

Making even ONE Monk makes your party objectively weaker!

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Making Monk for “Variety”

WRONG!

Temptation:

  • “I want to try different classes”
  • “Hybrid sounds interesting”
  • “Let me make one Monk for fun”

Why It’s Bad:

  • Trading 9/10 or 10/10 for 5/10
  • Handicapping yourself deliberately
  • Making game harder for no benefit
  • Missing out on Supreme Healing or Phase Shift

Solution:

  • If you want variety: Make mix of Archers + Airmen
  • If you want hybrid: Use Ash (Hero has spells + physical)
  • Don’t sacrifice Priest/Mage for Monk

Mistake #2: “Monk Has Healing AND Offense”

FLAWED LOGIC!

Player Reasoning:

  • “Monk does both healing and offense”
  • “Two roles in one character = efficient?”
  • “More versatile than specialist”

Why It’s Wrong:

  • Priest healing (9/10) » Monk healing (5/10)
  • Mage offense (10/10) » Monk offense (5/10)
  • Mediocre at two things ≠ excellent at one thing
  • Better to have specialists

The Reality:

  • Priest (9/10 healing) + Mage (10/10 offense) = 19 total value
  • Monk (5/10 healing + 5/10 offense) = 5 total value
  • Specialists are 3.8x more valuable

Mistake #3: “High AGI/Move Makes Up For It”

INSUFFICIENT!

Player Thinking:

  • “Monks have high AGL/MOVE”
  • “Better mobility than Priest/Mage”
  • “That compensates for weaker spells?”

Why It Doesn’t:

  • Priest doesn’t need mobility (casts from range)
  • Mage doesn’t need mobility (casts from range)
  • High AGI/MOVE doesn’t make spells better
  • Healing Wave still « Supreme Healing
  • Thunder Flash still « Phase Shift
  • Mobility doesn’t fix fundamental weakness

Mistake #4: Thinking Ninja Is Worth It

STILL NOT WORTH!

Level 20 Advancement:

  • Monk → Ninja at Level 20
  • “Maybe Ninja is good?”

The Problem:

  • Ninja still has same spells (no improvement)
  • Still mediocre healing (no Supreme Healing)
  • Still mediocre offense (no Phase Shift/Salamander)
  • Archbishop (Priest Lv.20) » Ninja
  • Enchanter (Mage Lv.20) » Ninja

Verdict: Ninja doesn’t fix Monk’s problems

If You Made Monk Anyway (Damage Control)

Acknowledging the Mistake

If you’ve already made a Monk and can’t undo it (no earlier save), here’s how to minimize the damage.

Optimal Monk Usage

As Hybrid Support:

  1. Primary Role: Emergency healing (when Priest busy)
  2. Secondary Role: Offensive magic (when not healing)
  3. Positioning: Mid-range (3-4 tiles behind front)

Spell Priority:

  1. Healing Wave (10 MP) - Heal multiple wounded allies
  2. Thunder Flash (12 MP) - Attack clustered enemies
  3. Cure Wide (4 MP) - Remove status effects
  4. Healing Circle (6 MP) - Cheap heal for minor wounds

Avoid:

  • Perfect Guard (15 MP - too expensive)
  • Mystic Energy (15 MP - too expensive)
  • Trying to main-heal (Priest better)
  • Trying to main-damage (Mage better)

MP Management

Monk MP Problem:

  • Spells cost 10-15 MP (expensive!)
  • Monk has moderate MP pool
  • Runs out quickly

Solutions:

  1. Stock Mage Gems (restore 10 MP)
  2. Use Healing Circle (6 MP) over Healing Wave (10 MP) when possible
  3. Conserve MP (don’t spam expensive spells)
  4. Have Priest use Magic Charge on Monk (restore 10 MP)

Formation Placement

Optimal Position:

[Knight] [Knight] [Knight]
  [Priest] [Monk] [Mage]
   [Archer] [Archer] [Archer]

Monk in center-middle
Can reach front for healing
Can cast offense on enemies
Protected by formation

FAQ Authors’ Consensus

Jeff Chan (Atom Edge)

Rating: 5/10 Quote: “Fairly decent combination of fighter and healer. Though does good job utilizing both attributes, does not excel in either.” Critical Issue: “Main problem: To get it, must give up either Mage or Priest class, both of which are better” Verdict: “If didn’t require characters to give up better class, this class might have actually been more useful”

Syonyx

Rating: Moderate-low tier Focus: Hybrid attack and healing magic Issue: “Usually with high MP cost” Recommendation: Specialists (Priest/Mage) preferred

Final Verdict

NOT RECOMMENDED

Why Monk is 5/10:

  • Mediocre healing (never matches Priest)
  • Mediocre offense (never matches Mage)
  • High MP costs (expensive spells)
  • Fatal flaw: Must sacrifice Priest (9/10) or Mage (10/10) to obtain

The Math:

  • Opportunity Cost: Sacrifice 9/10 or 10/10 class
  • What You Get: 5/10 hybrid
  • Net Loss: 4-5 points of value
  • Verdict: NEVER worth it

Recommended:

  • Make ZERO Monks
  • Keep Huxley/Sara as Priests (9/10)
  • Keep Eleni/Zohar as Mages (10/10)
  • Don’t handicap yourself

“Using Monk for damage not bright when Mage characters so much better. Using over Priest class equally wasteful.” - Jeff Chan

The Only Reason to Make Monk

Valid Reason:

  • You want to challenge yourself with handicapped party
  • You enjoy playing on “hard mode”
  • You find optimal play boring
  • You understand you’re deliberately weakening your party

Invalid Reasons:

  • ✗ “Monk is better because hybrid”
  • ✗ “I need variety”
  • ✗ “Ninja sounds cool”
  • ✗ “One Monk won’t hurt”

If you want a challenge run or just enjoy playing sub-optimally for fun, go ahead! But understand: Making Monk makes game harder by giving up 9/10 or 10/10 class for 5/10 class.

Next Steps

  • DO: Read Priest Class Guide to understand what you’re sacrificing (9/10)
  • DO: Read Mage Class Guide to understand what you’re sacrificing (10/10)
  • DON’T: Make Monks in optimal play
  • Final guide: Armor Class (1/10 - even worse than Monk!)

“Jack of all trades, master of none.”

Monk - The Mediocre Hybrid

Copyright © Konami Co., Ltd. | Guide compiled from FAQs by Jeff Chan, Lancel0t, Shotgunnova, Syonyx, Richard Uyeyama, and Wolverine Inc.