A full party splits XP seven ways and needs seven people online at once. A duo forms in a minute, splits loot in half, and often farms more consistently. The only real question is which two classes genuinely cover each other.
Combos that work
| Combo | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bishop + any DD | Heals remove the survival ceiling, the DD just hits | Most forgiving |
| EE or SE + mage | Recharge makes mana effectively infinite | Best adena per hour |
| Prophet + archer | Buffs raise damage, range removes the risk | Relaxed pace |
| Tank + dagger | Tank holds aggro, dagger lands backstab crits | Fastest kills |
| Dwarf + buffer | Spoil and craft under permanent buffs | Income rather than XP |
The recharge pairing wins on adena per hour: a mage with an EE or SE barely stops to rest. The healer pairing is more universal because it survives mistakes (see the healer guide).
If you duo regularly, level both characters together and at the same pace. A five or six level gap breaks both XP sharing and buffs, which stop reaching the target properly.
Duo versus solo versus party
Solo is easiest to organise but limited by class, since only a handful carry themselves (see best solo farming class). A full party is faster on XP per hour with AoE (see the AoE party guide) but needs people and discipline. A duo sits in between: nearly always available and nearly always enough.
Do not duo two pure DDs with no support. The damage looks great right up until the first mistake, after which both of you are on the floor. One of the two needs to heal, buff, or hold aggro.