Thought I'd share the basic party composition that have just successfully compelted the Age of Worms campaign (pretty sure there's no old thread like this...)
Admiral Ogrynorek Damminson “Ogryn”
LG male Ogre/Fighter/Kensai 6/8/8 (22) (was NG originally)
AC: 44; hp: 257
STR: 34, DEX: 20, CON: 24, INT: 14, WIS: 11, CHA: 2
FORTITUDE: +24, REFLEX: +16, WILL: +14
primary melee: over-sized +5 Adamantine Maul +35/+28/+23/+18 (4d6+23)
Combat Expertise, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Ride-By Attack, Flyby Attack, Mounted Combat (PH 98), Spirited Charge, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus (Maul), Monkey Grip
Owns a massive number of magic items, including an Admiral's Bicorne, mithral full plate of speed and winged boots (standard issue for the fighter-types) and a War-Beast Dire Elk which hardly ever got used except for transport.
Favourite tactics: power surge, move in to do hasted, full-round attacks, using as much power attack as possible without ruining chances of hitting at least 3 times (preferably hitting on all 5)
Nianna Winterbourne ("Nia")
NG female Human (Oeridian) Cleric of Bleredd/Rogue/Shadowbane Stalker 8/2/12 (22) (started as a Wizard/rogue, changed wizard to cleric around 5th level)
AC: 35; hp: 196
STR: 11, DEX: 20, CON: 18, INT: 16, WIS: 24, CHA: 24,
FORTITUDE: +18, REFLEX: +15, WILL: +12
primary melee: hasn't swung the Lightning Sword (+2 keen sh-burst mithral s-sw) for some time now
Endurance, Diehard, Negotiator, Leadership, Practiced Spellcaster, Domain Spontaneity (Fire), Domain Spontaneity (Metal), Divine Ward, Divine Spell Power
Owns "Iron Manor", a mining operation in Diamond Lake with a mansion etc, as well as numerous magic items e.g. Robe of Eyes, three Ioun Stones, ...
Favourite tactics: negotiation (diplomacy +36, Sense Motive +38), party eyes (spot +26, search +38, see invis etc) and spells like mass heal, destruction, Summon Monster VIII, Fire Storm, Fire Seeds, Greater Dispel Magic, Heroes' Feast (daily), Magnetism (from Oriental Adventures). If had time to prepare, used mass death ward for party, and bead of Karma to give +4 caster level.
Mélinde (Heironean Bon Vivant; follower of Nia)
LG female Human (Oeridian) Paladin/Shining Blade of Heironeous 11/9 (20)
AC: 35; hp: 223
STR: 20, DEX: 14, CON: 20, INT: 10, WIS: 18, CHA: 23,
FORTITUDE: +18, REFLEX: +15, WILL: +12
primary melee: Sword of Aaqa (enhanced to be +5 Axiomatic Mithral L-sw) +33/+28/+23/+18 (1d8+10)
Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Longsword), Extra Smiting, Improved Smiting, Celestial Mount, Divine Might
Not a lot of magic, except self-buffing items, but Helm of Brilliance useful if melee not a good option
Favourite tactics: back-up Ogryn, flanking and using full attacks where possible (preferably avoid AoO on way in), with lots of smites and power attacks if possible. Power-up sword first, if opponent tough (holy, brilliant energy, etc).
Fonkin Hoddyspeak
LN male Elf Fighter/Sorcerer/Eldritch Knight/Abjurant Champion 1/6/8/5 (20)
AC: 28; hp: 170
STR: 22, DEX: 22, CON: 18, INT: 15, WIS: 10, CHA: 26,
FORTITUDE: 21, REFLEX: 18, WILL: 17
primary melee: Cambion Ice (+4 Frost Defender longsword) +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d8+10+1d6 cold) and Prickle (+3 flaming sh-sw) +26 (1d6+6+1d6 fire)
Owns a large array of metamagic rods, and Staff of the Magi, amongst other cool arcane items etc
Favourite tactics: time-stop, then Giant Size, Righteous Might (via limited wish), divine power (via limited wish) if have time, then get in to within 30' for full-round attacks (now Callosal, with +110 hp, +1 AC nett, DR 9/good or evil, etc.), with liberal application of Arcane Strike (usually 8th level spells so +8 to hit, average +20 dmg; often used +8 power attack to make it +28 damage per hit). Occasionally used Polymorph Any Object if melee not such a good option, and a lot of Dimension Doors used to move the whole party around. If had time to prepare, would use mass energy resistance (fire, cold etc), sometimes fire shields, and displacements to buff whole party.
In total, Nia died once, and Mel twice; both pretty early on in the campaign. I can't remember if another PC died and was instantly revived, or if they were merely incapacitated and wished back into action, perhaps it was both; at high levels, there's not a big difference really. Oh, and a number of animal companions died along the way...
All up, I'd say this was only a moderately optimised party, using some of the splat books but not a huge amount. Until near the end, there was a Druid / Wizard / Mystic Theurge / Arcane Heirophant in the party as the arcane caster (and druidic); Fonkin was a late replacement for the last couple of adventures (he was an NPC the party had met earlier on a side-trek in Istivin). The one thing the group lacked was a full-time spell caster, so it was only in the last adventure or so that every spell caster actually had 9th level spells available (which made a big difference).
The biggest things that made the difference were continuity of players and their PC's, and good players to start with. So the players had "grown up" with their PC's so to speak and hence knew how to use them really well; Ogryn & Nia started this campaign at first level, Mel was picked up as a follower from 6th level, and even Fonkin was run by one of my players two times in the past (one in an earlier campaign), so so-one was ever running a character they were not very familiar with. And of course I had fairly strong players in general i.e. experienced D&D players who are smart, have good build strategies, and can come up with good tactics in virtually every situation thrown at them. Not that they were perfect, but individually and collectively they were certainly above average, managing to survive a large number of situations I wasn't sure how they would when I'd looked at it on paper...