So for a Light Path party, my preferred option is indeed PACS, as Ossie recommended. You've got two decent fighters, and all four members can cast Paralyze. And as Ossie said, I find the combat tougher and more satisfying.

For a Dark Path party, the one I preferred was ACSS. This does give you a much easier ride, combat-wise, and there's a danger that you might consider it boring.

One other thing:– I found that in MM7, a party member needs to be able to grandmaster (GM) either combat spells or a weapon to be able to pull his full weight through the whole game. Mastery alone just doesn't cut it. Here is where the Druid falls down badly, because the only thing he can GM is Alchemy. I played one party which included a druid, and after he had prepared the black potions, I found the rest of his powers woefully inadequate. The only time he was able to get close to a full combat contribution was when using Meteor Shower; apart from that, he was used a couple of times when the Cleric either ran low on mana or got damaged. Even then, his spells were less effective than the Cleric's. (This was the reason I had no time for the Ranger in MM9.) I admit his high merchant ability and alchemy are useful support functions, but his GM in meditation and the consequent abundance of spell points are largely wasted for lack of top-line spells to use them on.