Planning my party out. Ajantis or Minsc?

ZeroxSP7

So here’s what I’ve got so far.

Me (human fighter. Good tank and damage. Longsword and shield)
Imoen (dualed at level 2 because I wanted a regular mage over Dynaheir and Xan)
Branwen (my cleric and frontline tank. Will be replaced by Yeslick later on)
Might grab Safana if I feel Imoen’s thief skills won’t suffice until I reach Coran or if Imoen can’t reach mage level 3 in time for the Nashkel Mines. Coran will be taking this spot in the future
This leaves spots 5 and 6. Now I don’t wanna take Kivan YET because I don’t wanna rush his quest line. I don’t wanna take Garrick because I don’t see bards as that useful in this game. Magic identification is nice but bards song isn’t all that great unless you have a skald in my opinion. I also don’t wanna take Khalid or Jaheira because Jaheira isn’t all that great to me. Her strength is crap, druid spells are crap until higher levels (I much prefer cleric spells), her weapon selection is crap, and she needs the dexterity gauntlets. Khalid is better but requires the strength gauntlets which I won’t get until late game. So it’s really between Minsc and Ajantis on who gets to be in the party first. Who’s a more beneficial companion and why?

Silver_Arrow

Ajantis for sure, he has good, interesting relationships with most companions you have mentioned. He is the only paladin companion in the game while in your list of companions there is already a ranger. And unless your human fighter has 18 charisma, I think it is quite practical to have Ajantis as a leader with the Helm of the Noble, its always nice to become rich earlier in the game.
On the other hand, Boo will miss you!

jmerry

KIvan's timers really aren't that bad. Twenty/fourteen/seven days until he complains based on chapter, then another twenty/fourteen/seven days to actually reach the camp. I've beaten the whole game in less in-game time than Kivan's timer takes (though, admittedly, that was a speedrun).

As long as you don't go explore the whole wilderness, you should be fine. And if he complains, that's still enough time to reach the camp no matter where you are. And if you're looking to recruit characters in the Cloakwood, you shouldn't explore the whole wilderness before going there; the "catch up to party XP" joining triggers stop at 32K XP.

As for Khalid, I usually spec him as primarily an archer. Which I would also do for Kivan, Minsc, and Ajantis. No need for strength gauntlets in the midgame; the only issue is composite longbows that require 18 strength, and you can cheese that with temporary strength bonuses at level-up.

I've taken Garrick a few times, but it takes a skewed party to actually make him good. Like my "no spellcasting" run, in which the fear protection and ability to use wands were invaluable, and the luck bonus let him contribute a bit to everyone's fighting abilities.

Ajantis versus Minsc:
Starting weapon specialization: bastard swords for Ajantis, two-handed swords for Minsc. Bastard swords get you the best anti-werewolf weapons, while two-handers get you Spider's Bane. Not an obvious choice either way.
Magical support: Lay On Hands and Protection from Evil for Ajantis, Charm Animal and one spell slot when he reaches level 8 for Minsc. Definite advantage for Ajantis, though it's not a strong point for either.
Party compatibility: Ajantis conflicts with all evil characters, Minsc only conflicts with Edwin. No issue with your planned companions.
Stats: Ajantis has 17, 13, 16 physical stats and 17 charisma. Minsc has 18/93, 15, 15 physical stats and 9 charisma. Int and WIs really don't matter much for those classes. Minsc has a clear physical advantage, at least until you find the strength gaauntlets. Ajantis can be a party face if your protagonist didn't invest in Cha. Though Imoen with a Friends spell is your best bet for shopping discounts.