Started playing Shin Megami Tensei IV.

[Cloudman]

Hiku said:

The one thing I don't like is how you easily get a Game Over if you don't strike the enemy first before entering battle.
The reward for getting a premptive strike is reducing the enemies health by 5% or so, and the punishment can often result in your entire party being wiped out before you even get a chance to act.
I don't feel that the mechanic of striking enemies first outside of combat is interesting enough to warrant this. It's not challenging or fun, it's just annoying.

Started playing SMT IV huh? I recall a certain user doing that not too long ago too ; )

Anyways, that`s one of the most crushing parts of this game. It`s crazy how quick you can be stomped just from one weakness the enemy gets out of you. I think a good way yo combat this is to develop a diverse team of monsters  and try to cover as many weaknesses in your team as possible, thru fusion. Also, be sure to have a variety of elemental attacks, so you can exploit their weaknesses and dominate them.

The less holes you have in your team, the better off you will be in the long run. Try to make different kinds of monsters, like melee, magic, and support. You may find some monsters thrive better in certain battles. If you`re stumped, well, I suppose you`ll have to grind a bit, or try getting more monsters. Getting monsters and experimenting with them is key for this game.