After reading through some posts i've been struck by a little curiosity. Mainly, the levels of the posters team.
Here's mine:
Vaan - 38
Balthier - 22
Fran - 21
Basch - 37
Ashe - 37
Penelo - 22

Vaan, Basch and Ashe have been my mains up until now. I decided ,after being thumped 4 times, an even party is the only reliable way to beat Arhiman. That and Curaga.
Please post as im curious to see what levels you guys are! :)

Now I cant remember exactly what me levels were but one thing I know is that everyone was on the same level right through the game. I would say I was on at very very most level 30 but I never really leveled in this game.

I'm still playing the game and i'm past arhiman because i level up quite abit before going in to sochen. here are my levels:
Vaan: lvl 32
balthier:lvl 32
fran: lvl 31
basch: lvl 31
ashe: lvl 32
penelo: lvl 31

Last time I played Vaan and Fran were my party and both were level 85. The rest of them were level 72.

I've got my party a little more even than they were last night. here it is:
Vaan: 38
Balthier: 30
Fran: 29
Basch: 37
Ashe: 37
Penelo: 30

Gonna try Arhiman in a second.

Arhiman's kind of a cinche.

Just got beat by an inch.
He's a what?

File 1 (end of game/just before Sky Fortress Bahamut):

Vaan: 50
Balthier: 53
Fran: 54
Basch: 54
Ashe: 51
Penelo: 48

Current game file (currently at Raithwall's Tomb)

Vaan: 16
Balthier: 16
Fran: 17
Basch: 18
Ashe: 17
Penelo: 15
Vossler: 20

I tend to use all characters fairly equally, but Penelo the least. She's the weakest physically of all the characters, and I hardly ever use magicks or Technicks (excluding Telekinesis/1000 Needles) as a primary attack strategy. So I tend to neglect her a bit.

naff: I'm pretty sure Ahriman is undead and therefore takes damage from healing potions, so if you have an Elixir, use it and it'll take down its HP significantly.

Just got beat by an inch.
He's a what?

A cinche. Keep casting healing spells on him, or hit him with an Elixir. I think even Regen wittles his health down.

Seriously, I didn't even use a quickening. Then again, I never do. The normal bosses are too fucking easy! ;_;

OT: (This is off the top of my head as I sent in my PS3 yesterday) I just beat Dr. Cid, last I remember.
Vaan: 41
Fran: 41
Balthier: 41
Ashe: 16
Bache: 17
Penelo: 14

I didnt think of elixer's but it seems a good idea, would likely be better if i had one. ive been using curaga and quickenings up till now.I've also got Ashe equipped with a Nihopalaoa (reverses curative items effects) coupled with remedies and remedy lore 3. too bad he's immune to disease.

Who's your main magic user? Do they have the Magick Potency augments? Those help...

I use Ashe and she has some potency augments. i just got beat again so im gonna look for an elixir. any ideas?
Edit - im gonna do the waterfall puzzle which unlocks two chests with a 50% chance of an elixir in each, any easier suggestions still welcome.

I find it surprising that you have access to the Nihopalaoa and yet you aren't strong enough to beat Ahriman. As I recall, you need to reach a fairly high clan rank to get the Niho, and you don't reach that level without being fairly strong.

As far as Elixirs are concerned, without the guide I think you'll have problems finding any. They're the kind of item that only turns up in chests you can only open once, or chests in places that you only visit once, like the Leviathan. There may be some that respawn, but I can't remember any off hand.

Whenever a boss beat me i went after marks and i do a lot of chaining, i only got to ward of justice rank yesterday. i get real close to beating ahriman but when he gets all his dopplegangers out i never have enough mp for cura.
and i panic and use quickenings.

I usually make it a rule that every one of my mains has access to all the healing spells, just in case.

As for running out of MP, use an Ether. Make sure you have Ether Lore though, helps in saving them.

I think I have 3 elixirs... I'll never use them though ;_;

Don't waste your MP on his doppelgangers. They only survive one hit, and they don't cause your party any damage either, as far as I know.

once the dopplegangers arrive if i try to use curaga i can never find the real one, and tey still inflict status ailments. if the elixirs faill ill get everyone to level 40 then try again

Don't cast Curaga. Just hit them with normal physical attacks until there's just one (i.e. the real one), then hit that with Curaga.

Your levels aren't a problem, it's quite feasible to beat him in the high 20s, never mind the 40s.

I set a Gambit with Fran to constantly cast Cura on the enemy. I saved Curaga for my party members.

Works better, imo since any damage induced by a healing spell is halved from what the normal number would from healing. (i.e. if Curaga healed you for 2500ish, the damage would be 1250ish) So Cura is way more MP efficient.

im gonna try again now that i have the elixirs. any suggested plans before i get to him?edit - any good ways of getting rid of his dopplegangers would be appreciated

success. looks like a level head does, wonders. i whittled him down with Vaan Ashe and Basch and when he divided i kept my cool and used cura. nearer the end of the fight i used quickenings to finish. that was annoying to say the least.