Omnislasher483
Posterboy for FFVII
It is either or for Red XIII if you want to dedicate him to either magic or melee attacks. I on the other hand have found a great balance for for characters like Cid & Red XIII. Give Red XIII the cure-all combo, the enemyskill materia, and all the summons you can. Summons unlike magic materia, dont reduce your strength, only your HP and that's easily remedied by an HP plus or two. Also, depending on which way you want to lean with him, give him a Power Wrist if you want him to be a little more warrior than mage, or the Earring if you want to go the other way. Later in the game, you can go further either way with either the Circlet for magic use, or the Championship Belt for attacking. Also, ther is is a materia called 'Magic Plus' (not MP Plus) that you can get after you pass through the City of the Ancients.