The Duty of the Silver Knight

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Blonde Panther, May 27, 2013.

  1. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Pre-battle thoughts
    Ohhhh god I haven’t updated since March why did I leave such a long opening. Fortunately this chapter should be okay enough, barring the fog of war. There’s three Chest Keys to be gotten and two chests that I kinda want to get… Time to start building my key buffer, I guess!

    Opening scenes
    We’re going into the Mountains! The Caer Pelyn range, to be exact, guided by Tethys’s little brother Ewan on our way to Jehanna now that the normal route is no longer safe. But once more, the narrator warns us that yet again we are going into dangerous territory, because Eirika can’t catch a break.

    Ewan is very enthusiastic, as expected of a kid his age, even as Innes attempts a slower, if more tactical, approach to our destination.
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    Needless to say Innes doesn’t appreciate being talked to like this, but Eirika calms him down and Ewan points out that without him, they’d never know where they were going. He then tries to run ahead once more, however…
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    Don’t be clever with Innes, Ewan. Especially when he’s already irritated. Innes asks about the nearby fort, which looks like it has been abandoned for a while. Ewan points out that it’s been empty for ages and no one uses it because it’s so run-down, which he would know because he’s been inside.
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    He’s no Ephraim, but he’ll do.

    Ewan is told to stand back, and we get some new arrivals on the other side of the map.
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    That may not be such a good idea, L’Arachel.
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    YOU ARE A TROUBADOUR L’ARACHEL

    Preparations Screen
    No mandatory units aside from Eirika this time, lovely. Well, her and L’Arachel and Dozla down there, but they don’t count for my intents and purposes.
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    I know what’s in all three of these chests –left, right, and down middle- and while one of them is useless because of my limited roster, I really want to get the other two. Fortunately, I know that three enemies in this chapter drop Chest Keys. I’ll send Seth ahead to get the chest near the south of the map since that one’s furthest away and he has the best movement range of the two; meanwhile, I’ll let Eirika take care of the one on the right side of the map. (For those curious, the chest on the far left contains a Restore Staff. Normally I would HIGHLY recommend getting it, since it removes status like Sleep, Poison, and Berserk, but I have no staff users.) For this reason, I’ll keep one slot open in Seth’s inventory, for the key he needs. Same for Eirika, although worst-case scenario she can just access the convoy.

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    I… don’t think there are any monsters counting as cavalry on this map, so I’ll leave the Rapier where it is… for now.

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    I think this is as good a starting position as I’m gonna get.

    Battle start
    Our goal for this map is to rout the enemy. There’s just one problem:
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    It’s a fog of war map, so we can’t see anything, and the status screen doesn’t give us anything to go by, either. I have no torches and even if I did, I’m terrible at using them, so I fully expect to run into more than my fair share of enemies obstructing my path.

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    Let’s just hope for the best.

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    WELP. At least Seth has his lance equipped so he should be able to take these three level 10 Bonewalkers with relative ease.

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    …and I think Dozla has things covered on the L’Arachel side of things. Aw man, he’s gonna eat all of Seth’s precious EXP.

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    I choose to ignore this new Bonewalker in favour of moving Seth as far ahead as I can- Eirika can take a single archer on her own. Seth’s streak of moving unopposed: two turns. However, his movement reveals a new kind of enemy: the Mauthe Doog.
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    These things are pretty annoying, on account of being outright FAST. They don’t hit hard, but they’re pretty good at harassing and I’ve lost many a unit to them. And with his 18 SPD, Seth can’t even double attack them because of how fast they are!
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    At least their defences suck.

    While Eirika takes out the archer, using the nearby woods for cover, Seth holds the line and defeats, among others, a random Bonewalker.
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    That’s the first one. Now, I COULD use it on that chest down there, but I’m not going to. Remember- I want to go further down so I can grab the relevant chests quickly.

    Reinforcements show up from behind, so it’s now important to move Eirika forwards quickly, as well.

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    Seth’s streak of moving unopposed: three turns.

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    Yay Gargoyles. Gargoyles are the physically-oriented flying units of the Monster classes. Nothing much else to them, other than that they’re decently quick and use lances. On normal runs, throw archers or Bishops or axe users at them and you should be golden. Careful for Javelin-toting ones, though.

    This particular one gives Seth a level.
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    There should be another Bonewalker with a key near the Southeast. I want to get that real quick so Eirika can get to work on her chest. Seth’s streak of moving unopposed continues into turn four. I am impressed.

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    …huh. Deathgoyles already. Deathgoyles are basically the promoted versions of Gargoyles. Bit faster, bit more accurate, hit a bit harder. Have a lot more HP.
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    Taken out just as easily by your resident Paladin.

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    For the fifth time in a row Seth is not interrupted. I think they might be afraid of him.

    Bloody Bonewalkers and Mogalls try to grab L’Arachel and reduce her to 1 HP, though. Fortunately her and Dozla’s AI is acceptable.
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    I suggest we help.

    Since I’m not finding that second Bonewalker, let’s instead get our hands on what’s in chest number one.
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    Short Spears are like Javelins, except more powerful. Sadly, they’re heavier too- heavier to the point where they’ll reduce Seth’s speed by 1 point. And that with these damnable Mauthe Doogs and Gargoyles around. Also let’s keep looking for those Bonewalkers, because I want that other chest…
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    Meanwhile, Eirika recruits L’Arachel, and L’Arachel recruits Dozla.
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    These two, man. With no more experience-stealing, my quest for the second Chest Key continues…

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    Oops.

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    CHEST KEY THOUGH. Because Seth’s inventory is full, he’s forced to send the key to the Convoy, where Eirika can take it to open the chest on the right.

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    Sadly, she’s in a bit of a tight spot and I can’t send Dozla and L’Arachel over to help.

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    Fortunately, helping is what we pay Seth to do. And at least fighting that many enemies gives Eirika a chance for another level.
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    The chest on the right contains a Secret Book. Eirika has 16 SKL and 21 levels left to grow, as well as a 60% growth in SKL and her promoted class caps the stat at 29. Seth, on the other hand, only has 20 SKL at level 14, with 6 levels left to grow, a SKL growth of 45%, and a SKL cap of 26. I’ll be slapping that Secret Book onto Seth off-screen.

    With that out of the way, though, I should start cleaning out the last few enemies.
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    I suspect this one with the Poison Bow here is the last one. Let’s see if I’m right about that.
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    I’m not. Meet you when I find more enemies.

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    Found it.
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    Killed it. Levelled up. Seth is now officially level 15 and learns the Aegis Skill.
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    That… wasn’t the last one either.

    Okay, the last one was up there with the last treasure chest. So I can finally say…
    Chapter 11: CLEAR
    Seth level: 15.
    Eirika level: 19.
    Ephraim level: 16.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0.


    I went over the image limit again: ending scenes in the next post.
  2. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Be sure to look at the previous post for the opening scenes and the battle.

    Ending scenes
    Eirika thanks L’Arachel, and finally gets a chance to introduce herself.
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    (Usage of real name to Seth’s concern, but as Eirika points out, L’Arachel is not the enemy. And even if she were, what’s she gonna do? Bash us upside the head with her staff*?)
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    So Eirika explains. And L’Arachel is altogether WAY too excited.
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    I don’t think anyone’s too sure about anything in this scenario, Seth.

    Later, higher in the mountains, Ewan goes about looking for his teacher, with us in tow.
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    Ohai it’s you we found your missing person. He and Eirika recognize each other, but we quickly cut to business as Ewan explains we hope to go through Caer Pelyn. He thinks it’s wise if this man, Saleh, were to guide us alongside Ewan.

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    He warns us that the road is not easy and we look weary (agreed, just look at Ewan there), so he recommends we rest a night, first. Innes agrees, citing our fight as part of the reason.
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    EWAN WAIT
    *zoom*
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    We’re set to depart at sunrise, but the next morning we’re interrupted…

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    Valter? No, this dragon looks different.

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    Glen! General Glen the Sunstone! An acquaintance of Eirika’s as explained before, Glen explains that he is here on orders of the Emperor, to stop the leader of the rebel army that’s been terrorizing Carcino. Namely, Eirika.
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    Crapcrapcrap Seth’s the only one killing people if that helps?

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    Um Innes I know you’re an archer and all but is this really the wisest idea?
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    Glen is astounded by this news, but takes our words into consideration as both he and Duessel have had their doubts about the emperor for a little while now.
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    He returns to the capital to question his emperor, although promising that if we have lied, we will live to regret it.

    At least, that’s the plan.

    However, just as we leave…
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    And this dragon does look awfully familiar…

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    Glen will not be intimidated and states his plans once more: get answers from the emperor and act accordingly. We’re taught that Valter was in the army before, but fired for the slaughter of innocents. He was kept alive by a desire for vengeance…
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    I’m afraid you’ve long since failed.
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    And as we all know, Valter doesn’t say this if he’s not serious about it…
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    At the moment? I’m GLAD Seth had the sense to run off when he had the chance, back in the Prologue. Valter orders the remaining Wyvern Riders to go and give chase, stating that the small fish are for them.

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    Dangit Glen
    Shoulda gone with that Dragonspear

    Closing thoughts
    FEWiki lied to me. There was no third Bonewalker with a third Chest Key. Either that, or I completely missed it. Oh, well- I got the important items. That’s all that matters. Now I’m wondering if I should go into the trouble of recruiting a certain unit in a few chapters, though, especially since he’s not as easy to get as L’Arachel and Dozla here. Well, I guess we’ll find out. …this time in less than half a year, hopefully.

    *If you look at one of L’Arachel’s supports with Eirika, you’ll see that hitting monsters upside the head with her staff is exactly what she does. It just doesn’t translate into game mechanics.
  3. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Pre-battle thoughts
    I… actually don’t remember all that much about this chapter! I DO, however, know that there’s an Energy Ring to be gotten here, and I want that thing. Additionally, I need to make sure to visit the store in this chapter, even if it’s a little detour… hm-hm.

    Opening scenes
    This chapter is actually one of the few without World map narrator. We’re thrust straight into the action! …the action of pre-battle dialog screens.

    We last left off with the party trekking into the mountains to get to Caer Pelyn, guided there by the Sage Saleh and his pupil, Ewan. The climb is taking its toll on us, however.
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    Sadly, according to Saleh, we still have half a day’s worth of walking to do. Seth begins to argue for a moment’s rest, seeing as everyone is exhausted, but Eirika insists that they can’t afford to be slowed down. Innes questions whether there even is a village up ahead, as the crags seem entirely unfit for human inhabitation.
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    Just as Eirika asks what the Great Dragon is…
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    Oh man there’s a lot of them. They’re not native to the region, and according to Saleh it’s been a long time since they were seen this far outside Darkling Woods. Never mind that we’ve seen them all the way into Renais. L’Arachel of all people stops us before we go off on a tangent.
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    Preparations Screen
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    God dammit, Saleh. I never realised how many chapters in this game have mandatory units. Anyway, now that I’ve deselected everyone but Seth and the two mandatory candidates, let’s have a look at the map.
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    So… it looks like we’ve got a lot of Baels and Gargoyles, some Mauthe Doogs, and some new enemies that count as cavalry. So I think I want a little bit of everything- brute force, light weapons, and range. Oh, and let’s bring Eirika’s Rapier- Tarvos and Maelduin (The new enemies) pack a lot of HP.
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    As for our starting formation… Well, I want to move a bit slowly because of all the monsters in the mountains and because Saleh, our mandatory weight, is unarmed. I think a slow and steady approach is my best bet, so I’ll want to keep the company compact…
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    Both Eirika and Saleh’s positions are fixed, so this’ll do.

    Battle start
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    Dangit, Ewan. He flees into the lower of the two houses there. Well… if we’re going to be doing Saleh any favours, we’re gonna have to help the kid.

    That’ll take a while, though. For now, let’s take out the Revenant blocking our way and move Saleh and Eirika as far forward as they will go.
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    I should probably point out that if you’re a spastic A-button masher like I can be in boring chapters, putting Eirika and Saleh together like this when you’re not planning to support them can be dangerous. Saleh is one of Eirika’s other potential husbands. I suppose all Lords must have their strange, out-of-nowhere love interests… (Also, all units being grey and my turn not ending is something I’ve changed in the settings. Let’s see how long it takes until that drives me up the wall.)

    The Baels slowly skitter forward, one tile at a time. They’re hardly any threat as long as they’re in the mountains, but be warned:
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    That is some serious AVO boost. It’s always recommended to lure enemies OFF the mountains before fighting them, unless you’re really confident in your SKL rating. Also, while the Baels only have limited movement and most other enemies will likely be bottlenecked by Seth, the Gargoyles can move freely.

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    That thing has a javelin, so I’ll equip Seth with his own so he can kill all four of these enemies during the enemy phase. Saleh and Eirika keep moving slowly, but they should be fine as long as Seth can take the Gargoyles… and no reinforcements come from behind.

    For the next few turns, Seth keeps moving forward to destroy most enemies while Saleh stays just out of reach of the survivors and Eirika fights Baels.
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    Faaaaaawk. Looks like I have to abandon the ‘check on Ewan’ plan for now. Fortunately, they’re far enough away that a single turn of movement can’t get them within attacking range, which gives Seth some time to return to Eirika and Saleh’s side.

    The Baels keep skittering (some of them now on the ground and moving towards us much more quickly than I would have liked) but now Gargoyles are flying towards us too. Seth better hurry.
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    Aaaaand he’s made it. Pretty much no enemy can reach Saleh where he is now, and with Eirika in her current position, she and Seth get their support bonuses. Clobbering time!

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    Ohhhhh. Melike. I’ll send that to the Convoy for now, but it should be good for the boss or for later chapters.

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    Saleh’s situation is getting a little complex, here… I’m afraid there’s only one way around it.
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    I’m REALLY not happy with that SPD penalty when I’m up against Mauthe Doogs and Gargoyles, but unlike Saleh, Seth has had training and gets an Avoid boost from an A-support. With Seth unable to fight this turn, it falls to Eirika to take out the Gargoyle, and I’m not willing to take any risks with her.
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    Attagirl.
    Side note: As it turns out, Seth can handle the SPD penalty; one hit from his lance is enough to take out a Mauthe Doog, even if his hit rate suffers.
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    Gargoyles, though…

    While helping Seth take care of the four remaining Gargoyles, Eirika reaches her max level for now.
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    Ideally, this means I would give her no more battles until Seth reaches level 20 or she promotes, whichever happens sooner. Sadly, I’m currently in no position to decide that- I don’t control who the enemies attack. Case in point: The next enemy phase, all but one enemy within range decides to attack Eirika instead of Seth.
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    That’s the last one I’ll consciously make her fight- next turn onwards, Seth is putting down Saleh and we’ll have Eirika guard him while Seth clears out the rest of the chapter.
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    Ahhh, breathing room.
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    On the other hand, Mogalls. So many Mogalls on my low-RES Paladin. Back in the old days, people got EXP from just dodging attacks, and that’s apparently just enough for Seth to level up.
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    His SKL is getting close to the cap thanks to that Secret Book from last chapter, but his SPD is lagging behind and I don’t know if I can get a Speedwings at any point in the game without a Thief…

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    Okay, finally. That takes care of the last Mogall; which took forever because Seth’s Javelin broke midway through. Time to get his HP back up to full and finally check on Ewan.
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    He’s fine, and decides to join us on the spot. As I’ve said before, the masses are divided on Ewan; I’ve met people who love to use him, but I’ve also met people who consider him a colossal waste of time. Personally I like him better than Ross, but that’s entirely because I prefer magic-users over axe-users. Personality-wise the two are equally annoying, anyway. At least Amelia has a cute support with Franz.

    But back to the situation at haa-
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    GIMME THAT
    I’m actually honestly not sure who the better candidate is for that Energy Ring. I’ll put it into the Convoy for now, and see how Seth develops before I slap it onto him; after all, depending on what the RNG does, it’s still entirely possible for him to reach his STR cap naturally.

    The upper right house gives a Barrier Staff. Again, useless for me, but it’s basically a Pure Water that can be applied to allies over a short range so it could be useful during a normal run. Now, really back to the situation at hand.
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    Aside from one centaur-monster below the border of the screenshot, this is all that remains. Now, I’m going to have Seth plow through the Mauthedoogs and slaughter the Gargoyles and that Entombed there so I can visit the store…
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    (Passive aggressive Tarvos isn’t so passive. Tarvos and Maelduin always use axes, so in retrospect that Horseslayer really isn’t all that great to take them on with. Dat hit rate though.)
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    DAMMIT GAME CAN I JUST VISIT THE STORE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THE BACKLINES BEING EATEN

    Finally. Now, most of what’s in this store isn’t too terribly interesting for a solo run. That is, except for one thing:
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    Yes, this is the first of the three stores in the main story that sell Elixirs. I have a decent collection of them in the convoy, but I’m still going to buy three or four new ones, just because I can and I have like two characters to tank with. I don’t need any Antitoxins or Pure Waters, though. I still have five uses’ worth of the latter, which should be enough to get me through the game from here on out.

    For those curious, this is the current situation:
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    Basically, I moved Saleh and Ewan down out of their range and Eirika towards Seth for the Support Bonus.
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    I’ve also put all of Eirika’s weapons into the Convoy; both in order to keep her from stealing Seth’s EXP and to nullify the WTD against the lance-wielding Gargoyles.

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    That hilarious, hilarious moment when a boss with weapon effectiveness has a 3% hit rate. Knowing the FE8 RNG though, watch as that thing hits Seth.
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    Hey, that’s kinda cool RNG!

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    GO BONEWALKER WE TOTALLY CARE ABOUT YOU RIGHT NOW

    Felling the Maelduin levels Seth up. Not that that’s much to write home about…
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    This isn’t over until the fat lady sings, of course, but I can kind of see where Seth’s final stats will end up. He’s not TOO bad I guess… but he could definitely have turned out better. Especially for Seth.

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    But regardless, he fells the last of the foul beasts and we clear the chapter!

    Chapter 12: CLEAR
    Seth level: 17.
    Eirika level: MAX
    Ephraim level: 16.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0.


    Ending scenes
    We’ve reached Caer Pelyn, the Village of Silence!
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    HELLO GRANNY!
    No, really. Dead serious. This is Saleh’s grandmother. She asks about the Great Dragon, only for Saleh to admit that he hasn’t found it. Then, granny makes a different observation…
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    Innes is first to speak up and introduce himself, requesting passage through the village.
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    Can we take a moment to realise and appreciate that Innes just got told by a hundred-something-year-old lady? Okay, moving on.

    Granny offers food and bedding, little though they have, as well as promising we can rest for as long as we like. Innes seems to suddenly have eaten his arrogance, saying that we don’t want to burden the village.
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    That’s twice in two batches of screenshots, Innes. Granny explains that Eirika is not just tired, but also ill because of the height they’re at- which makes sense when you consider that air gets thinner the higher one climbs. Oh, granny also insists on being called Grandmother since that’s what everyone does. So I’m technically not being disrespectful. Might also mean she’s not so much Saleh’s own grandmother. Hm. I did not think this all the way through.

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    Granny explains that the Great Dragon she and Saleh have spoken of is a blessing of sorts, a creature who was as responsible for the defeat and sealing of the Demon King as the hero Grado was; Humans just conveniently forgot. (This is a common theme in several FE games, as you may notice later if/when we get to FE7 and maybe even FE6.) Fortunately, the Great Dragon’s memory is a lot better than that, and it continues to watch over the Demon King’s remains in Darkling Woods, as well as keeping its dark brood from swarming the world of men. Great job it’s doing, this was like the third chapter of monster-only enemies!
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    Eirika probably has the better way of putting it.

    Granny speaks of an ‘omen’ that has appeared in the south- an energy that has fouled the air and darkened the sky. She explains the Great Dragon left Darkling Woods to investigate—whoa, stop the presses!
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    Didn’t Myrrh say something about investigating an ominous energy from the south- and with Saleh, no less!?
    Eirika makes the same connection and asks if the Great Dragon is one of the Manakete. Granny’s reaction is less than favourable.
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    …so Myrrh IS the Great Dragon.
    …which makes the Great Dragon a Manakete.
    …Granny, don’t be a jerk.

    Eirika explains that Myrrh was with Ephraim, who has taken off for Grado. Granny immediately flips all the tables in the room and orders Saleh to go to Grado to save Myrrh, because Saleh is -definitely- a better protector than Ephraim could ever hope to be (spoilers: He’s not), and L’Arachel once again proves herself more intelligent than she lets on:
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    Saleh agrees with this and joins our party permanently.

    Much later…
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    Grandmother, Innes. Granny if you’re the narrator. Saleh points us to the road to Jehanna, while Eirika and Innes thank Granny for the help.

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    GRANNY IS SALEH’S ACTUAL GRANDMOTHER
    JUSTIFICATION

    Closing thoughts
    Bloody mandatory units I’m not using this run. Tight spots and close calls appear to be a running theme these past few chapters, too, but as long as they stay close calls, that should be fine. Also, Seth is rapidly approaching the level 20, more so now that we have Eirika at the maximum level.

    The next chapter has a unit that I’m not sure I should recruit. I guess I’ll let it depend upon what equipment he brings to the table.
  4. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Pre-battle thoughts
    WHY AM I PLAYING FE8 WHEN FE14 HYPE

    Opening scenes
    [​IMG]
    You stay right the fuck over there, Mogall.

    We descend down from the Caer Pelyn range and into the desert country of Jehanna. Jehanna is home to a lot of mercenary forces, amongst which Gerik’s, and is governed by Ismaire, the Queen of White Dunes. The narrator makes mention of a son who left home and was never heard from, but before we can go to Jehanna, we have to pass through Hamill Canyon.

    First, though, Grado Keep. It looks like Ephraim has not yet claimed it, and Valter is busy confronting Cormag with the dead body of his elder brother…
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    …what the hell did Valter DO to poor Glen?
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Ohhh, that is filthy. Fortunately, Cormag is having none of Valter’s bullshit, and demands to know who did this to his brother. Obviously, Valter points the finger at Eirika, claiming he witnessed her killing Glen and fleeing. Obviously there’s a lot wrong with his story, but Cormag is not in a reasonable state, and when Valter tells him where Eirika went, he wastes no time clambering aboard Genarog and flying off in pursuit.

    Valter proceeds to be his usual creepy self.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    We skip to Eirika’s group, where a Pegasus Knight messenger flies up to Innes. It turns out that word of Carcino’s betrayal was not received well.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Innes hypothesizes they must be trying to meet up with Grado, which is fighting the Jehannan forces. Eirika asks about Ephraim, about whom the messenger also has word:
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    If we were playing Ephraim mode, we would be very close to defeating Vigarde, now. However, we are not playing Ephraim mode. Innes questions the wisdom in Ephraim’s route, expressing that it’s too much of a challenge even for the prince of Renais, but Eirika has faith that Ephraim will make it.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika, dear, you didn’t think she would listen to you, did you?

    Nope, L’Arachel insists on going with us, saying that if Grado’s goal is the Sacred Stone of Jehanna, she cannot stand by and watch it be destroyed. Naturally, Eirika is confused and suspicious as to how L’Arachel acquired this information…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    If we can hold out until these knights from Rausten arrive, we’ll win the battle. Still, it’s really strange that L’Arachel knows this and says it with such certainty… Seth would have a field day with this, but I think Eirika’s brain is shutting down more as she spends more time around L’Arachel. That, or she’s prioritizing.

    Once again though, she sums up what we’re all thinking.
    [​IMG]

    We jumpcut to the fortress where the enemy commander is hanging out.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    We didn’t beat Glen, but we are foes to be reckoned with on account of me pumping all the experience in the entire game into three units.

    Caellach reveals that he and Aias are friends, and while Aias is not interested in the trappings of the Grado army, Caellach has a different view…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    He departs to delay the Rausten knights coming from the North, leaving us to deal with Aias.

    Now, Eirika’s company arrives in Hamill Canyon. Seth has information, aaaaaand it looks like we have a problem: [​IMG][​IMG]
    We’re caught in a pincer movement.

    All we have to do is hold out until Rausten delivers on L’Arachel’s prophecy and their knights come to our rescue…

    Preparation Screen
    …but that doesn’t mean we’re bringing her along to break the rules and let her break herself against enemies twenty levels higher than her.
    This is finally a chapter in which I’m only obligated to bring Eirika, so finally, I can focus on her and Seth. And there are. A LOT. Of cavaliers and Knights on this map, so I’ll be bringing Class Busters along for the ride:
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika’s inventory consists of healing items because she is level 20, and I don’t want her eating experience I want to feed to Seth from here on out. Should she be caught in an emergency, she can always grab an iron sword from the Convoy. Seth gets the Horseslayer from last chapter for the huge numbers of Cavalry, and the Armourslayer from earlier in the game for the Knights. I don’t know if I’ll need the Lancereaver, but I’ll bring it along just in case.
    [​IMG]
    This’ll work for formation. I have to take out the nearby archers quickly, and then defend myself.

    Battle start
    [​IMG]
    This is a cruel number of enemies, especially for a solo run. Still, let’s not lose our heads here, and first thing’s first: We need to take out those archers, preventing them from pelting us with the Ballistae. Eirika can stay where she is, the AVO boost from the forests will do her good and she won’t get in Seth’s way.

    [​IMG]
    On second thought, a lot of enemies have immediately started moving towards her, so I’ll put her somewhere she’s within Support Bonus range. I’m not worried about her- she’s still in a forest, gets an Avoid boost from her support with Seth, and since she doesn’t have a sword equipped, WTD doesn’t exist. Still, I want to clean up the enemies surrounding her so she and Seth can continue to profit from their support.

    [​IMG]
    Huh… there’s a reason to try and recruit Amelia. Fortunately, she’s not within range of Seth, so she can’t be killed by his counter. I’ll give it a shot.

    [​IMG]
    Amelia can be recruited by speaking to her with Eirika or, in a normal run, Franz.
    [​IMG]
    So, Amelia’s on our side now. I fully expect her to die on the next enemy phase since I have no one to roadblock the enemies, so I’ll put her inventory in the convoy right away.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Words do not describe how hard I called this. Normally, this would be where I restart the game, but I only got her for the Speedwings, so I’m gonna truck on.

    [​IMG]
    Ffffffaaaaawk. He’s already here.

    Cormag will immediately move to separate Eirika’s head from her shoulders, so if you want to recruit him you have to be fast about it.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Or just put the only other character, who can kill him, out of his range.

    Seth kills the Mercenary below him, giving me the only conventional loot item of this chapter:
    [​IMG]

    Zanbato, or Longsword in every other installment, is a horse-slaying sword-type weapon. It should be really useful to have, all things well considered. For now, though, it’s going into the Convoy- Seth’s inventory is full and he still has the Horseslayer.

    Here’s the thing with Cormag.
    [​IMG]
    He has goodies. I definitely want that Killer Lance for Seth. Cormag, much like Amelia and like you may have inferred from the story up until now, can be recruited by talking to him with Eirika:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    (Cormag I’d like to point out that all Eirika is holding is healing mixtures)
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Wait for it…
    [​IMG]
    Finally, someone catches on.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Sadly, Cormag will not be seeing battle with Valter due to the nature of my run, but yeah. If you dug through that recruitment conversation of epic proportions, you may or may not like Cormag. I’m personally pretty fond of him and he has some good supports; I can really recommend using him in a normal run, especially if you’re not using any other fliers.

    For now, much like Amelia before him, Cormag can dump his stuff in the convoy, and retreat to safety.

    [​IMG]
    The game says we have five turns left to fight for now. That should be easy enough, since I can play defensively and just wait it out… but where’s the fun in that? Seth is gaining pathetically little EXP from the enemies here, so I want to get him in the thick of the enemy lines so he can kill a lot of them in one go.
    [​IMG]
    Fortunately, it looks like they’re coming towards us.

    I like how the vast majority of these guys targets Eirika to absolutely no avail. And every so often, one will attack Seth, only to be brutally murdered in retaliation.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Ohhhh. More enemies. And some of them are promoted, so maybe I can mooch some EXP off of them…

    [​IMG]
    WERE IT NOT THAT ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE BLOCKS SETH FROM GETTING TO THEM!

    Unfortunately, this happened…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    And I’m not going to stop now. Purge and Bolting are tomes with 10 tiles of range, and sadly, Pablo moves. Well, I got the Killer Lance that I wanted, and in the Enemy phase something good actually happened…
    [​IMG]
    A lot of the old enemies have broken themselves against Seth (and been replaced by new ones), and the Warrior has gotten within his range. It looks like I won’t be killing Pablo this run, but at least Seth can get some EXP here.

    Pablo sends his forces at us with everything he’s got, but the entire Enemy Phase pretty much comes down to this…
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    And then, Aias realizes it’s the end of the last turn.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    The separation between Battle and Ending Scenes isn’t as clear here as it is in other chapters, so I’ll take this opportunity to say:
    Chapter 13: CLEAR
    Seth level: 17.
    Eirika level: MAX
    Ephraim level: 16.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0
  5. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Ending scenes
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Yes, and they’ve cut us off from killing a BUTTLOAD of enemies that could have levelled Seth all the way to level 19 if we had just had time. …still, thanks for the help, I guess.
    [​IMG]

    One of the soldiers comes up to us to check…
    [​IMG]
    I’m sorry, have we… met?
    [​IMG]
    Wait, L’Arachel?
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Dozla points out that her cover is irrefutably blown, though, and L’Arachel is forced to explain.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This explains so much on so many levels and yet I have so many questions left.
    [​IMG]
    Oh okay, that answers one of them. Kinda. It turns out L’Arachel was divinely inspired to go and left the soldiers of Rausten no choice but to let her do so anonymously. Honestly, for a Troubadour incapable of fighting, protected only by an axe-user and a runaway Rogue, she didn’t do badly at all.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Yay war funds I totally didn’t need but are super welcome in normal runs by this point. L’Arachel exclaims the beginning of an inspiring speech, but Seth barges in with a message that stops the victory music…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Bad. Bad. Baaaaad.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon! No way!

    Closing thoughts
    Aaaand that’s the end of that. Wow. I knew there was no way Amelia was going to live on that one, but Cormag… such a shame. At least I got both their inventories, with one of the sweetest weapons in the game for Seth from Cormag and a stat booster from Amelia. Now then, BACK TO FE14 HYPE
  6. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-Battle Thoughts
    We interrupt your regularly scheduled Marx fangirling FE14 hype for Seth fangirling FE8. If this chapter is the one I think it is, I’m gonna be psychologically tortured on account of only using Seth and Eirika. DAMN YOU COMPLETIONIST NATURE!

    Opening Scenes
    The narrator recaps that Jehanna Hall is under siege, and by the time we arrive, it has been captured by Grado. Our mission? To save Queen Ismaire and secure Jehanna’s Sacred Stone, of course!

    But first, flashback!
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Eh well that depends Lyon. Lots of Lords use swords, yes, but it’s not unheard of for FE royalty to use magic instead. Lyon, as we’re going to find out soon, has a self-image that is, if possible, worse than mine was before I started medication and therapy.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika points out that an emperor without compassion will never hold the people’s love, and generally tries to cheer Lyon up, with moderate success. And theeeen…
    [​IMG]
    THE SHIPS

    THE SHIIIIIIIIPS

    We never do learn what it was Lyon gave her, though, because Seth is a pragmatic asshole:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Aaand Eirika doesn’t want to talk to the man she has a crush on about the man who has a crush on her. Sorry people: I’m not one of the fans who ship mutual Lyon/Eirika.

    Back to business: Jehanna Hall is overrun with Grado Soldiers, which means Seth might finally get to level up a few times, and the queen has already been captured. Innes questions whether the one giving orders is indeed Lyon, but then, for the third chapter in a row, L’Arachel is the voice of reason:
    [​IMG]
    Until, at least, Innes reminds us why it’s relevant that Lyon is in there:
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika must have traumatized the poor boy. They point out that Lyon is supposed to dislike violence, but Innes murmurs that that may have been a ruse. He then decides they don’t have time to wait around, and if we don’t reclaim the palace, no one will.

    We jumpcut to inside the palace.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This guy. THIS. FUCKING. GUY. Fans of the series and my ship know exactly what I’m talking about, and newcomers will understand soon.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I’ll let Carlyle explain himself.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    If Ismaire is in the slightest touched by Carlyle’s confession, she hides it well, calling him out on killing their people and ruining their country. Carlyle, however, is beyond reason, caring no longer for his country and his people, but only for Ismaire.

    Preparation Screen
    As much as I would like to say on the topic of Carlyle, that will have to wait until the closing thoughts. Eirika is the only mandatory character this chapter, much to my relief, and from what I can see on the map we’re looking at pretty standard enemies, aside from a handful of Knights. There is, however, a factor of uncertainty.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    A sizeable portion of the map, about a quarter, is covered up by ‘Roof’ terrain. This roof will disappear once one of the doors connected to it is opened, but until then, we can neither access nor tell what lies below it. Don’t worry about opening the doors, there are ways. My problem is that I don’t know off-hand what lies beneath them, so I can only plan for the enemies I can see now.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This… seems about right. I’ve given Eirika a weapon as well because forward momentum, at least in the beginning of the chapter, is very important to me.
    [​IMG]
    For the same reason, I will be using this, standard, formation. To arms!

    Battle Start
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Ermagerd Rernerc

    Yes, Rennac is part of this chapter. He can be recruited with L’Arachel for free, or with Eirika for a fee of 9980 gold. However, due to the nature of the solo run, I will not be recruiting him. I do, however, require his services for a brief time.

    Which may be problematic considering he’s an Enemy Unit.

    As much as I would like to immediately take out the Soldier near Eirika, it’s much more in my best interest to start moving towards where Rennac is.
    [​IMG]
    As in RIGHT INTO HIS SMUG MUG. Or as close as I can get, anyway, since Seth’s horse can’t break that door down. You’d really think a purebred warhorse could kick down a door or two. Considering horses ridden for recreation can knock out your kneecaps on accident…

    During the enemy phase, the situation changes.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Despite Carlyle’s protests, Caellach and Lyon take Ismaire away.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Carlyle is instructed to defeat the pests trying to reclaim the palace (Hint: us), with Ismaire as Caellach’s hostage.

    Say, Lyon’s been awfully quiet, hasn’t he?
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    These… are interesting developments.

    Looks like Rennac don’t feel like opening no doors, so I’ll have to do it myself. The Soldier I mentioned before, the only one we can reach at the moment, is one of many carrying a droppable Door Key, so I’ll resume once I have that and have opened the door.

    [​IMG]
    There we go.

    Now, what you need to know: Rennac is going to HIGH-TAIL it out of here. If you want to give chase, and I do, you need to be OBSCENELY fast about it. Unfortunately, I was an idiot with my unit placement and Seth can’t catch up to him this turn…
    [​IMG]
    But fortunately, Rennac is slowed down because he has to stop to open a door.
    [​IMG]
    This is how you’re going to get through Jehanna Hall if you didn’t bring any Thieves or for whatever reason you’re not getting the Door Keys. However, I will be using the keys if I can help it, because of personal reasons…

    So let’s have Seth do away with the Shaman and hope Eirika can move far enough.
    [​IMG]
    She can’t.
    This is not starting out well.

    Damnit.
    [​IMG]
    I WANTED THAT. And there’s no way I’m going to be able to get it now that there’s a Myrmidon and two Shamans in my way. Welp. No sense in crying over spilled milk- I think I can get one later in the game, and if not I’ll just make do with Javelins. This isn’t FE6. I am, however, going to keep pushing forward.
    [​IMG]
    These reinforcements just showed up, reminding me that I need to find a fortifiable position soon.

    Rennac pilfers the second chest, which is the reason I can no longer get the Spear:
    [​IMG]
    I was GOING to kill him so he would drop it, but if I were to kill him now, he’d drop the Hammerne. I might be able to try something artsy, though…

    As I set my master plan of Rescuing Eirika and moving further into the palace into motion, Seth levels up.
    [​IMG]
    Slowly but surely, the end is coming into view. Capped STR is still possible.

    [​IMG]
    Rennac stopped here. Dropping Eirika in such a vulnerable spot may seem like a horrible idea, but she should be tough enough that she can survive, and if this gambit pays off, I’m going to have a LOT of resources in later chapters…

    [​IMG]
    RENNAC STAHP

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    That is a Berserk staff I do NOT want Berserk Staves
    Berserk Staves make a unit, well, berserk, so you no longer have control over them and they’re liable to attack their allies. NOT FUN WHEN YOU’RE SOLOING. Actually, never fun, since they tend to go after your best units.

    [​IMG]
    RENNAC PLS
    *sighs*
    There’s no way Eirika is ever going to catch up to Rennac and recruit him. The hallway is only one space wide, so I can’t roadblock him with Seth, either… I might as well kill the bastard to give Seth the EXP and as retribution for the trouble he’s giving me.
    [​IMG]
    Sucks to be you. That’s what you get for running away so the only character who can catch up to you is the one who doesn’t like criminals.

    [​IMG]
    And then it was time to farm EXP to relieve my frustration.
    [​IMG]
    Much better. There’s a bunch of enemies in the southern part of the map, too, but since that part of the map otherwise doesn’t really lead anywhere, I’ll cut back to here when I have that experience. Skip it if you’re grinding normally, it’s not worth the effort if you can’t get the treasure.

    [​IMG]
    Might as well take out this Sniper while I’m within range. Promoted units other than Seth around Eirika make me nervous.

    Ten minutes, two Javelins, and half a level later…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    A couple of Shamans spawned on the way there and my carelessness combined with the Rescue Penalty did a number on the good general. That’s all you need to know. Fortunately, it’s nothing an Elixir can’t fix while Eirika busts the door open. There’s two Archers and two Knights down there, but honestly, that’s all that can reach them at the moment and I’m not at all worried about them, not with my high levels and support bonus.

    [​IMG]
    The three Knights bodyguarding Carlyle start to move, but Seth punches his Armourslayer through their chestplates and never looks back. Except to see the sweet loot.
    [​IMG]
    BETTER

    [​IMG]
    Those Monks have like 6 MAG against Seth’s 13 RES, so I don’t need any Pure Water to take them out.

    Now then… let’s have a look at Carlyle.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Typical Swordmaster: ridiculous Skill and Speed, but crappy DEF. The bigger problem is that his sword can attack at range, like magic, so I want to attack him from up close since I don’t know if a ranged attack also counts against Seth’s RES instead of his DEF.
    [​IMG]
    Because the chapter goal is Seize Throne, I know Carlyle won’t move. Putting Eirika here for the support bonus is safe.

    [​IMG]
    Swordmasters are known for their Killing Edges, but two can play at that game! Time for the big guns!
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    …and that’s it!
    [​IMG]
    Seth even gets a halfway decent levelup out of it. Only one level left, everyone!

    Chapter 14: CLEAR
    Seth level: 19.
    Eirika level: MAX
    Ephraim level: 16.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0
  7. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Ending Scenes
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Ismaire claims she knows nothing of where the Sacred Stone is kept, but Caellach reveals that Lyon saw her go straight to the palace altar when the palace was attacked. He deduces she has the Sacred Stone with her as they speak, and threatens to kill her if she resists.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Wimp.

    Ismaire still refuses to hand over the Sacred Stone, and Caellach keeps word- he kills her and breaks it. However, Ismaire is not immediately dead…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    The two leave Ismaire to her fate, Caellach saying he has to wrap a few last things up before leaving.

    Back at the good guys, the royals wonder where Ismaire is with the Sacred Stone. Just as L’Arachel and Innes take off to search, however…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Took the words right out of my mouth.

    Upon seeing her, Lyon seems to change his mind and begins to run away from Eirika, but she stops him.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon apologises for having been unable to stop the invasion, and says that he cannot speak to her yet. Eirika, realizing he must have his reasons, gives him the benefit of the doubt.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG]Someone’s lucky Seth isn’t here to hear this

    Lyon departs, promising that he will always be Eirika’s friend despite his weakness and inability to stop the war. Just then, L’Arachel barges in, saying that they’ve found Ismaire.

    This is not going to be pretty.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    The queen’s injuries are too severe, she won’t last much longer. Just as we think she’s finally down and out, a single name escapes her...
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Joshua… wait, she wouldn’t happen to mean…

    OUR… Joshua, right?
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    She commands him to listen, and fills us in that the Sacred Stone has been destroyed. She says the responsible one is the man who tempted Carlyle, a man carrying a dark stone… A stone that should not exist and is the origin of all this.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    She calls them the Sacred Twins, weapons to be wielded by he who would rule their people. Just after Joshua accepts them, she breathes her last.

    A little later, Prince Joshua explains everything: little over ten years ago, he just up and left the palace, having grown bored and feeling he couldn’t understand the people if he stayed cooped up. His intention was to be worthy of becoming king upon his return. Now, he regrets his decision, questioning his own sincerity and wondering if he wasn’t just rebelling against his mother. Fortunately, he has succeeded in what he wanted to do; he has become the king he wanted to be, albeit at far too high a cost.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    With this, four of the Sacred Stone nations have been united against the fifth one. However, there is no time for celebration…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    It turns out the curtains had been soaked in oil and set aflame- this was what Caellach meant when he said he had things to wrap up!
    [​IMG]
    GEE, YA THINK?!

    We make it outside alive, and L’Arachel thinks the enemy’s trap has failed. Innes, however, knows better…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    L’Arachel isn’t sure if she believes Innes, but then Seth adds his two very well-informed cents…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Innes is no more pleased.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    We can only hope… as it stands, we have more urgent problems on our hands.

    Closing Thoughts
    I forgot what a ridiculously plot-heavy chapter this was. Wow. What I really want to talk about, though, is Carlyle. And not because of his awesome goatee, because I’m not into facial hair.

    To Seth/Eirika shippers, Carlyle is a very interesting character, as well as a fertile source of fanfiction material. His love for his queen, hidden away deep beneath his responsibilities as her most faithful retainer because she is unattainable, is similar to Seth’s feelings for Eirika, which he cannot –or doesn’t want to- pursue because they’re of different social status. Now, Carlyle ended up being tempted by the one with the Dark Stone and not only sold his country out to the invaders, but was also ready to give up the Sacred Stone, as long as Ismaire would befall no harm. His love for his queen drove him to actions that could very well have doomed the world.
    The idea among the shippers is that Seth could turn out very similar to Carlyle if nothing happens after his A-support with Eirika. Considering how incredibly well he is doing even in this mediocre run, and how stalwart an ally he is to both Ephraim and Eirika, if Seth were to snap and turn against Renais, that would be disastrous on both a technical and an emotional level. A man can only take so much pressure, only deny his own feelings for so long before the dam bursts… and Carlyle shows us what can happen when he reaches that point.

    There’s a few fics out there that deal with this idea, and most of them are pretty interesting reads. I just wanted to point that out, since I’m a rabid Seth/Eirika shipper and I’m very interested in this what if-scenario.
  8. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-battle Thoughts
    THIS. Is going to be Hell: The Fire Emblem chapter for me. Lots and lots of desert terrain, hidden treasure (a third of which I kind of WANT, too), TWO major bosses, and a horse-mounted carry… somebody please save me, I’m in for the longest battle of my Fire Embleming career.

    Opening Scenes
    Due to the intense urgency of the situation, there is no World Map and no opening narration. We’re sent right back into the desert sands of Jehanna, where Eirika appears not to be doing too well.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika, however, insists that they’re all suffering, and confirms that we’re still surrounded by Grado. Seth gives us an update on just how bad our situation is.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He also explains the main problem of this chapter for me.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He asks that Eirika leave the battlefield, for her own safety, and suggests using fliers and mages to keep Grado occupied. Eirika refuses to give up, however.
    [​IMG]

    On the other side of the map, Riev warps in to have a chat with Valter. He informs him that it’s time to stop playing around and that Ephraim has left the capital- Eirika’s forces have to be routed, and quickly. He then offers his help, which Valter refuses.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Valter never ceases to be creepy. Something even Riev decides to comment on:
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Unlike me, however, Riev PRAISES Valter for this mindset, saying it makes him stronger than any man alive. He then leaves the stage to Valter, reminding him to make sure he gets Eirika’s bracelet.

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Preparation Screen
    Creepy shit. Anyway! Seth has suggested to use fliers (Vanessa, Tana, and Cormag) and/or Magic users (Moulder, Lute, Arthur, Natasha, Saleh, and Ewan), and in a normal run I strongly recommend you do just that; they are the only units NOT slowed down by Desert terrain. However, this is a solo, so I’m stuck with Seth and Eirika.

    [​IMG]
    We have pretty standard enemies, except for over here, where Valter has a whole load of Wyvern Riders and cavalry with him. I don’t really have anything to take on the Wyvern Riders with, but with luck, I can remedy that during the chapter; and I should still have a Horseslayer for the cavalry.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    For now, the Lancereaver will have to suffice.

    [​IMG]
    Putting off going into the desert, I’ll be going after Caellach first; making this the best starting position for Seth.

    Battle Start
    The first thing I want to do during my turn is check out what the general store has for sale. It’s mostly tomes and staves which I don’t need, but also a couple of restorative items. I’m going to pick up three more Elixirs and an antitoxin just because I’m paranoid.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Meanwhile, Seth can lure the first enemy fighters towards him.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    I… totally forgot to give him a basic weapon with which to take on the majority of the enemies, didn’t I.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Fixed!

    As I end the second Player Phase, however, someone shows up!
    [​IMG]
    Ephraim has rejoined the battle, with his inventory and experience the same as it was, and he brings two new units to the table: Knoll the Shaman and Duessel the Great Knight. I should mention that had you played Ephraim mode, you would have recruited these two characters as well as everyone Eirika has recruited; except Innes and Saleh, who would have joined at this point.

    Duessel comes with a Silver Lance, which I’m going to give to Ephraim. Other than that I’ll probably use him and Knoll as distractions so Ephraim can rejoin Eirika and Seth safely.
    [​IMG]
    Because Seth and Eirika won’t be going anywhere while Caellach’s bodyguards are still here.

    [​IMG]
    Sooooo many incoming peggies that Seth can just rip clean through
    Seriously, though. Since the Wyvern Riders and the Pegasus Knights are closing in on the duo, I’m going to give Eirika that Lancereaver while Seth uses his Lances. Don’t worry about Valter; I have a different plan for him. (Although this particular plan historically hasn’t worked out too terribly well for me, so fingers crossed.)

    After a long and arduous journey through Grado the bogs of Jehanna’s Desert, Ephraim meets up with his beloved twin sister.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    From here on out, I can move as normal; but since Ephraim is only level 16 and Seth is level 19, with Eirika having her level capped, I’m going to try and prioritise giving Ephraim EXP from here on out.

    The Pegasus Knights kill Knoll, sadly, but Duessel remains tanking the majority of Valter’s cavalry- there’s plenty of enemies for everyone in this chapter, so I’m not worried about EXP.

    Almost immediately, Eirika and Ephraim reach their C-Support. The image limit would not allow me to upload the entire battle in this post if I were to include it, so I’ve put the support with the closing thoughts.

    More importantly, Ephraim also meets up with Seth.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    More testosterone flying about the place. But I’m with them.

    Fighting the pursuing forces, Ephraim levels up:
    [​IMG]
    He needs that Speed so badly, I’ve noticed.
    [​IMG]
    BATTLE OF THE PALADINS!

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Seth SO got this shit covered.

    Ephraim levels up again as we fell the last two pursuers and finally free ourselves up to deal with Caellach.
    [​IMG]
    Okay now I’m starting to get worried about his STRENGTH. But I do still have that Energy Ring, I guess.

    Since Ephraim is only a level 18 First Tier and Eirika is at capped level, there’s really only one person to send after Caellach. And he’s going to do it with his signature weapon if I have a say in it.
    [​IMG]
    I don’t care how crappy of a matchup it is.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    I SHOULD POINT OUT!

    [​IMG]
    Caellach has a unique item called the Hoplon Guard, which reduces the enemy’s CRIT to a flat 0. Killer Lances and Support Bonuses do NOTHING. So use a weapon with high Base Attack (and don’t be me, just use a damn sword), don’t bother wasting your Killer resources on him.

    [​IMG]
    This is starting to get iffy…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG] Nevermind! Caellach is down; that leaves Valter and his truckload of soldiers. In ADDITION:

    [​IMG]
    This is it, folks! This is our finalized Silver Knight, barring any stat boosters I might slap onto him later. I’ll save the full analysis of his stats and growth for later, however. For now, I’m putting his Silver Lance back into the Convoy so he can continue to carry the Hoplon Guard.

    [​IMG]
    With this part of the battlefield now entirely clear of enemies, I can go either right or down. I want to go DOWN, for reasons of my own that will become clear (hopefully) soon.

    For you see, the Desert chapter is a staple of the Fire Emblem series. In every game, from Ankoku Ryu to Awakening, there has always been at least one chapter that has taken place in a desert and that had a bunch of treasure hidden about in the sands. Awakening is the exception with the treasure thing, and Binding Blade makes its desert chapter a complete nightmare, but that will come if and when I get around to that. Here is my problem, however; there are three treasures I want in this chapter, and since I’m not using Rogues and Thieves I will either have to be VERY lucky or wait a LONG time to get them.

    Fortunately, after just two turns of trying, Ephraim finds the first one:
    [​IMG]
    Body Rings. Are amazing. They are a stat booster for CON. If I were to use this on Seth, he would be able to use any Lance or Sword, barring Blades, without Speed Penalty. This is tempting, but I will have to look into the weights of weapons I want Eirika and Ephraim to wield, too, before I decide who to give it to. Into the Convoy for now.

    Seth does him one better and gets the second treasure on his first try:
    [​IMG]
    This is my trump card for Valter. Wyrmslayers have Effectiveness against Wyverns, after all, and Valter is by far the most threatening of them all. However, the problem with using Wyrmslayers is that Wyvern Riders most often use lances, so the user almost always has WTD. And… that is where my master plan choked last time I tried this… so maybe it’s a good thing Eirika hasn’t fully wrecked her Lancereaver during the barrage of Pegasus Knights earlier.

    The last item is halfway across the desert, so bear with me while I make my way over there.

    [​IMG]
    UUUUURGH SETH IS SO PAINFULLY SLOOOOOOOW

    [​IMG]
    NOT THAT EIRIKA IS MUCH BETTER

    Okay, here we are. On the first go, Ephraim finds one of the most valuable items in any FE game:
    [​IMG]
    The Swiftsole, otherwise known as the Boots, is the stat booster for… are you sitting down? The stat booster for MOVEMENT. There is only one of these in any FE game (except Awakening, which has a second one through Renown), and they increase any unit’s movement by 2. I will give these to Seth later, but if I may make a suggestion for the people at home: Tana. Tana is an incredible flier, and her improved movement, unlike Seth’s, is ENTIRELY UNINHIBITED.

    But enough treasure hunting: back to the battle. I’m leaving Seth and Eirika off to the side there for a bit so Ephraim can slowly grind off of the enemies that come for him.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Can I just point out this is the most entertaining thing ever? Eclipse is, in theory, a terrifying tome that reduces the target’s HP to half. But it’s so notoriously inaccurate that the enemies might as well not even bother TRYING.

    Ephraim makes it to level 19!
    [​IMG]

    And to level 20!
    [​IMG]

    And at this point, this is what the battlefield looks like:
    [​IMG]
    Eirika and Ephraim are only first tiers, so I’ll play it safe and use Seth, with a combination of Steel, Silver, and Javelins, to take out everyone but Valter. I will point out that Valter will NOT MOVE. He’s going to sit there and wait until his prey comes to him. Well, Valter, I have bad news for you…

    [​IMG]
    THIS IS NOT THE PREY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. Seth has come to exact revenge for the wound he took in the Prologue!

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    How’s THIS for prey to sate your bloodlust?!

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    HAH! Seth lands a grievous blow to the Moonstone, but he’s not down and out yet, attempting to completely take off the Silver Knight’s lance arm this time!

    [​IMG]
    This time, however, Seth recognizes the attack in time to twist out of its way, and counters hard!

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    It’s a direct, fatal blow, ending the foul life of Valter, the Moonstone!

    And with this payback for fifteen chapters and nineteen levels ago, this marks the end of Chapter 15: Scorched Sand!

    Chapter 15: CLEAR
    Seth level: MAX.
    Eirika level: MAX.
    Ephraim level: MAX.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0.
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2015
  9. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Ending Scenes
    Ephraim and Eirika reunite, relieved to see their respective twin safe, but Ephraim quickly cut to business again:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    These are the Sacred Twins of Grado! Ephraim reveals that he has defeated Emperor Vigarde, and the capital of Grado has fallen. Something seems to bother him, however, so L’Arachel steps in…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    We return to a small fort near to Jehanna Hall, and exchange introductions between those people who haven’t met. Ephraim then recaps his mission, explaining that it was a success; Vigarde has fallen and Grado has been captured by the Renais/Frelia alliance.
    [​IMG]
    However, he says something still bothers him. Knoll, who I’ve allowed to die rather unceremoniously, has told Ephraim about something called the Dark Stone.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He continues on to say that it seems the power of the stone had an influence on Vigarde, playing him for a puppet although he had died some time before the war had started… meaning that not Vigarde, but the Dark Stone’s master is behind the invasion.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    That… doesn’t seem right, and understandably, Eirika responds with shock and denial. She admits that she saw him recently, and recaps her own journey to Ephraim. She says that Lyon insisted he was on their side when she last saw him, just a chapter ago.
    [​IMG]
    Really?

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Neither of the twins wants to accept this so easily, however, having known him as a gentle person for so long. According to Ephraim’s information, upon getting the Dark Stone Lyon changed.
    [​IMG]
    Innes doesn’t have the inhibitions Eirika and Ephraim do, however, proving himself, once again, the hardest-ass in the company.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    And then, L’Arachel happened.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Innes is unwilling to pin the fate of the world on a legend, but as Ephraim and Eirika point out, Grado has been making it an awfully sharp point to destroy the Sacred Stones. So there may well be something to it.

    Grado, Jehanna, and Frelia have all had their Stones destroyed. However…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Closing Thoughts
    SO.
    MANY.
    SCREENSHOTS.

    Between me trying to make the battle between Seth and Valter as epic as I could, the ridiculous plot-heavyness of this chapter, and the support between Eirika and Ephraim, I have more screenshots in this chapter than I know what to do with. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME.

    That said, for all the nightmares that is Seth in Desert terrain, I’ve always liked this chapter for plot reasons, and I just love to make Seth fight Valter (as evidenced by me getting completely and utterly carried away in narrating that fight).

    Also, now that Eirika and Ephraim have rejoined forces, I would like to remark that I usually consider this the end of the second third of the game. However, I would like to put off the analysis of stats and performance until after the next chapter, as I’m going to be doing something very important and significant then. I owe you this analysis then.

    And, because of the image limit disallowing it before, here is the Eirika/Ephraim C-support along with my thoughts on it:
    C-support (open)
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I. Have come. To HATE. This support. There is a lot of Eirika/Ephraim shipping for some reason, and this support is so often cited as the reason. People forget that in Japan, where this game originated, ANY public display of familiarity/affection/friendship is seen as exuberant and inappropriate. And on a technical level- this is the C-support. C. Eirika already has an A-support with a romantic partner; even if there were any incest going on here, it would be revealed in the A-support so the two relationships wouldn’t conflict. Not in the bleeding C-support.
  10. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-battle thoughts
    We are going to Renaaaaaais! I’m so excited for this chapter. Super important stuff will be going down at the end of it, and it’s something I’ve been waiting for almost all LP, other than Seth hitting level 20!

    Opening scenes
    As we approach the castle of Renais, Ephraim is shocked at the state his country is in.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Seth informs us that Orson, the traitor, has been placed in charge of the castle. Ephraim mentions that in retrospect, the paladin had been acting a bit strangely, and seemed dispirited. Seth may have an explanation:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Today, however, he isolates himself from everyone else, spending his time alone in the late king’s chambers; he doesn’t eat and doesn’t even bother trying to govern the people or deal with the demons in the country.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Ephraim remarks that they can’t allow that to happen, and declares that they’re going home; going to reclaim the castle.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Don’t worry about this tiny little girl being on the battlefield
    She’s quite literally a monster
    Shame this is a solo run

    Moving away from Eirika and Ephraim, we’re shown inside the castle, where Orson becomes the center of our attention. He seems to be talking to himself…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He… looks awful. And something’s not right about this. Didn’t Seth say his wife was… well, dead?

    [​IMG]
    Oh man, I’m almost happy to see the two of you here.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    So, we learn that it was Riev who convinced Orson to betray Renais. Orson demands that he leave, as the room belongs to him and Monica and he will not have their peace disturbed. He’s kept his promise- he betrayed his lieges. Unfortunately for us, Riev did not come to gloat.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He points out the twins aren’t likely to forgive Orson’s treachery, and that it has shattered his entire family’s name. He also sheds some light on this entire Monica thing…

    [​IMG]
    He claims that Eirika and Ephraim will send her right back, which sets Orson off. Riev tells him he knows what to do, and leaves. Orson does the same, although not before promising Monica he will be back soon…
    [​IMG]

    On their way out, Riev and Lyon stop to talk. Or rather, Riev does most of the talking while Lyon struggles to get air in or out of his lungs.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    They then port out, sending us to the preparation screen.

    Preparation screen
    Eirika is the only technically mandatory character for this chapter, but in later chapters, Ephraim becomes mandatory as well. So, in order to grow used to it, I’ll be bringing him as well. Now, because I’m playing Eirika mode, there’s a lot of physical enemies on the map –just as well, with Seth’s RES- but only a few of them have a class weakness.

    Before I get to weapons and formation, I’d like to bring you all up to speed. Looking at everyone’s endgame weapons, I’ve decided to NOT give the Body Ring to Seth, but to Eirika. Eirika has by far the lowest CON of the three, and Seth can use his endgame weapon without speed penalties as it falls just within his 11 CON. I did, however, give Seth the Swiftsole, raising his movement to a staggering 10.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    If my money is inconsistent, that’s because I made some space in the Convoy by selling off all items I couldn’t use. Their inventories are pretty standard, I know, but worth taking note of regardless.

    [​IMG]
    This formation should allow Seth to crash forward as quickly as possible. There’s reasons why I want this, bear with me. (By now, you should really know that when I say ‘reasons,’ I mean ‘treasure.’)

    Battle start
    Welp. My plan was to open up with Ephraim taking out one of those Mercenaries up there so Seth would have free passage, but…
    [​IMG]
    Ephraim’s speed is too low to attack twice, so there goes that idea. Instead, I let the redhead take out the other one, himself. I’m moving Eirika into position below Ephraim to keep her moving. And then this shows up.

    [​IMG]
    That is how long that last chapter took. It got them all the way to B-support. It’s in the next post again, due to image limits.

    Now, it’s a couple of fighters that stand in our way, so I let Eirika clean them out so Seth can move freely…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    There you have it. That’s the Swiftsole in action, right there. There’s actually a good reason why I’m depriving Eirika of her support bonus with Seth, and why I gave him the Swiftsole now instead of waiting a few chapters to make up my mind.

    You see, there’s a very important treasure I’d like to grab from this chapter, and unless I’m grossly mistaken, it’s in one of the chests up here:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    And this Druid on the other side of the map has a Chest Key he’ll drop upon being defeated, so the sooner I get Seth on that side to secure it, and then get him back to the right to claim the chests, the better it will be. These chapters usually have Thieves pour out to nab my loot.

    And so, with Eirika and Ephraim staying behind to clear out the enemies, Seth swiftly rides towards the west wing of the castle.
    [​IMG]
    Really. Damn swiftly. There’s a chest to his left, too, but I don’t think that one has the treasure I’m looking for.

    As I move, however, a few magic-based problems arise.
    [​IMG]
    A Sage with the long-range Anima tome Bolting…
    [​IMG]
    One with Purge…

    [​IMG]
    A bunch of DARK Magic-users here…

    [​IMG]
    And a buttload of cavalry reinforcements here.

    [​IMG]
    Oh, and the Thief I mentioned before.

    Evidently, Seth needs his support boost more desperately than I care to admit, so I send him back to Eirika’s side. It should take that Thief a while to get to the chest I want to loot instead of him, and Seth moves ridiculously far now, so I can give him some leeway.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This should help, too.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Pointing out: The Pure Water doesn’t help against enemies using a Luna tome. Luna’s damage is always X, with X being equal to the wielder’s MAG stat. It completely ignores the enemy’s RES. It doesn’t matter, though, since Ephraim takes him out by throwing his Javelin at him twice.

    It looks like we’re no longer within Bolting Range, either, and the Thief stops to open a door a few tiles above him, allowing him entry into the castle.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Okay that Purge bastard is starting to become a problem.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    That should keep Ephraim safe for now, with Reginleif giving him all the leverage he needs to take on the cavalry reinforcements.

    [​IMG]
    Now that Ephraim is out of range, the Sage is forced to attack Seth, who has a much better Avoid stat because Eirika is within support range.

    [​IMG]
    The thief is still manageable, too.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    GOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM!
    Oh god I’m so going to regret this decision when those Heroes jump him next turn
    Actually only one of them has an axe, should be good

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Yeah, he’s fine.

    I’m more worried about Ephraim, though- the remaining Warrior near him has reduced him to 7 HP. If that Bolting Sage decides to attack him, I could be done for.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    CRUD DID I REMEMBER SETH’S ELIXIR

    [​IMG]
    PRAISE NAGA

    And the Thief again stops to open a door. So far, I’m more worried about keeping my people alive than I am about the treasure. Seth and Ephraim recover all their health with their Elixirs, and Seth equips his Silver Lance so he’ll have the highest possible Avoid WHILE having either neutral matchups or WTA over all but one of his enemies.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    I SO did not think this all the way through

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    But then, neither did the AI
    Also, did Seth just take TWO hits from a TWENTY-EIGHT PERCENT HIT RATE in a row?! The hell, RNG!?

    [​IMG]
    Okay. GOOD. That’s what I THOUGHT was in that chest. Okay, so I won’t have to go after that Thief for now. Suits me just fine, since I have other things to worry about… such as getting Eirika and Seth’s HP back up to full. Man, am I glad I stocked up on Elixirs.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    WHAT THE HELL
    IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE

    [​IMG]
    FINALLY, SOMEONE GETS WHAT ‘LOW HIT RATE’ MEANS!

    Thankfully, that Sage doesn’t want to move to get people back into his range, so I can take a moment to take out the cavalry that’s caught up with me here.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Aaaand there’s another Thief, so Seth will have to get moving again. Fortunately, there’s a lot less drama going on now than there was last time. Eirika and Ephraim can handle the remaining cavaliers, anyway.
    [​IMG]
    So glad I saved that Rapier.

    [​IMG]
    SETH FINALLY GOT THE MEMO, GEEZE!

    [​IMG]
    THIEF THIS IS NOT WHAT

    [​IMG]
    OI VEY

    What is it with Thieves just going ahead and attacking Seth instead of stealing things so I can steal from them? At least that other one is still prowling about.

    [​IMG]
    And now that the coast is finally clear again, Eirika and Ephraim can get moving as well.

    [​IMG]
    FECKING-

    With the Thieves being difficult, I’m just going to grab that Chest key and HOPE TO GOD that I pick the right chest.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Hmmm… I like starting as far away as I can and working my way back. Let’s go for it!

    [​IMG]
    YES! A RES-boosting item! Just what I needed on this low-RES team! I knew this was here, this is the treasure I wanted. The other chests contain a Knight’s Crest and 5000 Gold, but I have no use for either, so good thing I picked well.

    Now, then… time to take out Orson. And although all three of my current characters have great battle convos with him, who better to destroy the traitorous knight…
    [​IMG]
    Than the faithful one?

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Seth seems to have a habit of critting when it’s most epic.

    Chapter 16: CLEAR
    Seth level: MAX.
    Eirika level: MAX.
    Ephraim level: MAX.
    Game Over count: 2.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0.
  11. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Ending scenes
    [​IMG]
    YES! It was a long, hard-fought battle that almost claimed all three of their lives at least once, but we did it! The castle is ours once more! However, Seth has found something…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Monica, or what remains of her, is capable only of vocalising that one word, over and over. Ephraim and Eirika are, understandably, horrified.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    He sends Eirika out of the room, telling her she doesn’t have to watch any longer.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Monica’s corpse is taken care of, either by Seth or by Ephraim, and the twins relocate back to the throne room.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    But then Seth rides in, asking that the twins join him atop the battlements.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    You were saying, Ephraim?

    Unfortunately, Seth’s down-to-earthness dispels any illusions we may have had. The people do not cheer for Ephraim- they cheer because Orson is gone. For the hope for a better tomorrow. Ephraim swears that tomorrow will indeed be better, and that he will be the best king he can be. Eirika, for her part, promises to help him as best she can.

    Once more, we relocate back to the throne room, this time with everyone.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika and Ephraim do exactly that…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Below the throne room, there’s an altar and two treasure chests.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Eirika and Ephraim marvel at the Stone and how they managed to protect it, as well as stating once more how important it is that they use it to stop this madness. As they prepare to go back, however…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Yes! All this time, Ephraim and Eirika’s bracelets were their promotional items, and this is the reason I put off the discussion of Seth’s stats!

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Eirika marvels at the power contained in the bracelets, and Ephraim wonders if Fado had known about this all along. He laments that he and his father never understood one another, especially because Ephraim had no interest in governing, only battle. Eirika comforts him, assuring him that Fado understood at least his son’s feelings, and that when Renais fell, he was concerned for his well-being.

    Seth interjects to confirm that Fado inquired about Ephraim’s exploits daily, stating what a fine king he would be one day. And then, just before we can truly leave this place behind us…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Finally, we leave the altar and return to the throne room. L’Arachel remarks not on the sudden appearance of Eirika and Ephraim’s horses, but on the Sacred Stone:

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    There is another Sacred Stone in Rausten, of course.
    [​IMG]

    Closing thoughts
    I have had altogether too many close calls this chapter. Also, the most screenshots I’ve ever used in any chapter, but that was to be expected, with the Sacred Stone, promotion of the twins, and obtaining the Sacred Twins. Now I just need Seth’s endgame weapon, and then I’ll be set; then I can wreck the Silver Lances all I like and still have a trump card for the hardest enemies in the game, which are still a few chapters away.

    As a side note, on the names of Eirika and Ephraim’s Sacred Twins. Yes, Siegmund and Sieglinde were an incestuous pair of siblings. Yes, the pointy namesakes are PRF Ephraim and PRF Eirika, respectively. This does not make Eirika and Ephraim incestuous. In my headcanon, and more importantly, for all intents and purposes of this particular run, Eirika is in love with Seth, with whom she has an A-support, not with Ephraim. Are we clear on this? Good. Moving on.

    As for the analysis of everyone’s stats, I’ll do that in a separate post. For now, just take your Eirika/Ephraim B-support.

    Eirika/Ephraim B (open)
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I don’t feel as strongly about this support as about the C–support. Ephraim does raise an interesting point, though; people are inherently violent and hungry for glory and adrenaline, which could be a possible explanation for our kind’s tendency to wage war amongs ourselves. Either that, or Ephraim is just an adrenaline junkie. In addition, it establishes Eirika as someone who, despite being very gifted in the sword, hates bloodshed and battle. This is a common trait of Fire Emblem Lords, but in Eirika’s case it’s often used more explicitly in fanfiction.
  12. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Evaluation: 2/3rds of the game

    Before I go into the evaluation, I should bring you up to speed: After writing up their stats and my thoughts on them, I decided to give the Speedwings and the Energy Ring to Seth, increasing his final STR by 1 and final SPD by 2 so he could hit his caps. I still have a Talisman in storage and will decide who to give it to once Ephraim and Eirika level up a bit.

    The average stats I’ve used to determine how Seth, Eirika, and Ephraim are measuring up to expectations were taken from Serenes Forest; they were calculated by multiplying their level with their growth for each stat and rounding down.

    [​IMG]
    General Seth of the Knights of Renais
    Level: ??/20
    HP 46/60 (Average: 47)
    STR 25/25 (Average: 23)
    SKL 25/26 (Average: 21)
    SPD 24/24 (Average: 20)
    LUK 18/30 (Average: 17)
    DEF 16/25 (Average: 18)
    RES 13/25 (Average: 13)
    I am extremely satisfied with this Seth. His STR and SPD are capped, and his SKL is only one point away from his cap. And hey, with a wound like the one he took in the prologue, would YOU be hitting every last mark? As you can see, barring HP and DEF he has matched or well surpassed each of his expected final stats, meaning he’s performing well above average. Adding in the support bonus from Eirika (we’ve seen in chapter 16 how much of a difference it makes) and the DEF bonus his endgame weapon will give him, I’m entirely confident that Seth will carry us to the end of the game admirably. Great job, general!

    [​IMG]
    Her Highness Princess Eirika of Renais
    Level: 20/1
    HP 36/60 (Average: 33)
    STR 14/24 (Average: 13)
    SKL 19/29 (Average: 21)
    SPD 21/30 (Average: 21)
    LUK 17/30 (Average: 16)
    DEF 12/22 (Average: 11)
    RES 12/25 (Average: 11)
    With only her SKL below average, Eirika is turning out great. During this run, it’s more important for her to dodge incoming attacks than to clean up the enemies –that’s what Seth gets paid to do- and her SPD and LUK are as good as expected of her, if nowhere near capping. She could still cap both without stat boosters, though. In fact, in theory, Eirika can still cap ALL of her stats naturally. But that would require a HUGE blessing from the RNG, so I’m not counting on that. Additionally, her STR is frighteningly low, but Sieglinde gives her +5 STR to make up for it so I’m not worried about that.

    [​IMG]
    His Royal Majesty King Ephraim of Renais
    HP 36/60 (Average: 39)
    STR 19/27 (Average: 18)
    SKL 20/26 (Average: 20)
    SPD 21/24 (Average: 20)
    LUK 18/30 (Average: 16)
    DEF 16/23 (Average: 14)
    RES 11/23 (Average: 11)
    Ephraim is not your king. Ephraim is your god. He’s matched or surpassed all his expected stats other than HP, even his abysmal RES. Like Eirika, Ephraim has a good shot at capping all of his non-HP stats naturally, although it would take a blessing from the RNG. I have absolutely no reason to be anything but impressed with Ephraim, who will probably end up as good or even better than Seth. Then again, he’s one of our two Lords- if anyone were going to surpass Seth, it was always going to be him.

    Deaths:
    Seth: 1. Was forced to withdraw in Chapter 11, due to having been overwhelmed while suffering a SPD and SKL penalty from Rescuing Eirika.
    Eirika: 1. Died in Chapter 1 due to a tactical error on my part.
    Ephraim: 0. Ephraim MVP

    I’m suffering a lot less death than I was anticipating. I fully expected at least one of them to die in that last chapter, but somehow I made it through that unscathed. I hope I’ll be able to keep this up in the last part of the game; 2 deaths in 17 chapters is not bad at all!

    Overall:
    I am extremely happy with how my fighters have turned out or are turning out, and death-wise I’m doing great, as well. I’m super stoked for the last few chapters, and I hope you are, too! Let’s go and get Lyon!
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2015
  13. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-battle thoughts
    First chapter with both Eirika and Ephraim mounted. And I normally absolutely ABHOR this chapter, but it should be doable now… I just need to figure out what I’m going to do EXP-wise. Also, THE STORE IN THIS CHAPTER IS AWESOME.

    Opening Scenes
    Last time on Fire Emblem: the Sacred Stones, we reclaimed Renais, as well as its Sacred Stone, and promoted Ephraim and Eirika. Today, we set out for Rausten! However, evil seeks to destroy the Sacred Stone, seeing as it is the only hope mankind has against the darkness…

    We tune in to another flashback from Eirika.
    [​IMG]
    The twins are discussing the Sacred Stones with Lyon, with the latter claiming that while his research isn’t complete yet, the Sacred Stone of Grado is especially responsive to his dark magic, attributing this to it having both sacred and demonic properties. He intends to tap into its great power to heal his father’s illness.

    [​IMG]

    Eirika questions the wisdom in this plan, however.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    It turns out their teacher, Father McGregor, is against it as well, and Lyon has thus far been unable to gain direct access to the Stone of Grado. He’s had to study the energies that surround it. He asks the twins what they think, suspecting they don’t think it’s a very good idea at all.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Ephraim does point out that Lyon has always done everything in his power to help others, and that he wants the power to make others happy. So, he trusts Lyon. Eirika agrees, and both voice approval and support of Lyon’s plan. Lyon then reveals something that has yet to be made public knowledge.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    He gets excited about using dark magic not only to heal wounds but also cure illnesses, and many other, more ambitious applications…
    [​IMG]
    The twins stop him before he gets too carried away, and Ephraim suggests they take some time off and head into the city. Lyon points out Ephraim has a history report due, but seeing as Ephraim is the character we all most identify with on this front…
    [​IMG]
    Even Eirika is in on this, saying how much fun it will be!

    The flashback ends here, and we’re back in the present where Eirika asks L’Arachel if she can tell us anything about the stone of Rausten. Well, she quite literally asked for it…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Innes mentions he’s sent the Frelian army ahead and that they should be able to rendez-vous on the banks of a nearby river.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    This is Fire Emblem, people. Did you really think IS was going to give us an army of NPCs, just like that?

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Syrene advises calm and caution, as the enemy will simply surround panicking civilians.
    [​IMG]
    Pfft. I’ve never seen an AI-controlled character be that competent.

    Fortunately, this is when we show up!
    [​IMG]
    Innes recognizes Syrene, one of Frelia’s knights, and immediately calls to action. But L’Arachel notices the music has cut out…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Or… she sensed Lyon porting in. That works, too.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Ephraim asks Lyon if he remembers what he told him in Grado Keep, when they last met: That the war was entirely Lyon’s doing. Lyon asks why Ephraim is so angry with him, and what has happened, since they haven’t seen each other in so long. Eirika feels for him, but Ephraim is more than a little cautious.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Eirika gets fed up with Ephraim, telling him there must be something wrong with him, since Lyon told HER he would always be on their side.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    LYON
    LYON WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT
    DUDE
    NOT IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE ARMY

    [​IMG]
    Welp. Either Ephraim (or Seth, with this support setup he’s hard to predict) kicked Lyon in the nuts really hard, or…
    [​IMG]
    This can’t be good. Lyon’s text bubble returns to normal for long enough to tell Eirika to get back and stay away, before he destroys her…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    I’m…. pretty sure there’s pills for this?

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Yikes. This definitely does not look good for anyone in this screen. Eirika is astounded, but Ephraim keeps his wits about him…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Ephraim protests: Lyon was the twins’ friend, even though there were things they kept to themselves, of course. Lyon would never betray them. By that logic, the Valter Lite we’re looking at here cannot be Lyon.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    The black voice declares that while he’s had fun pretending to be human, the time for charades is over. This body? It’s no longer Lyon’s. Ephraim demands to know who this is.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Uh-oh… I think this is our cue to slowly back away.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    The Demon King bursts into laughter, mocking Lyon as being a prince of misery, and tells him to come out, much to Eirika and Ephraim’s confusion.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG] [​IMG][​IMG]

    With that, he ports out, towards his Boss Space of this chapter.

    Preparation Screen
    Welp, after that incredibly disturbing spectacle, it’s time to gear up.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Important to remember is that, now that they’re promoted into mounted classes, Ephraim and Eirika share Seth’s Cavalry weakness and as such must be careful for enemies wielding Horseslayers, Halberds, and Zanbatos.

    Important to note is also that Ephraim and Seth are carrying the last of our throwing weapons.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Fortunately, this chapter has both an Armoury and a General Store. Formation is set, so…

    Onwards!

    Battle Start
    In retrospect, putting Seth that far ahead was really dumb. He’s the only one with the MOV required to reach the vendor, and since we’re going to be up against a LOT of really powerful magic users in the endgame, there’s something I want to stock up on…
    [​IMG]
    Pure Waters and Elixirs. I can never have too many of those. And it’s not like I can’t afford it, either. Meanwhile, the twins start moving towards the centre island to help protect the citizens on it.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This Druid draws first blood, but is killed in retribution.

    [​IMG]
    Seth will stay behind and protect the rear…

    [​IMG]
    While the twins do what they can here. Noooooo illusions whatsoever about any NPCs surviving this chapter.

    [​IMG]
    Don’t worry, I like to call this controlled chaos.

    I’m fine.

    Really…

    [​IMG]
    And with that, all of the NPCs are dead. This means the enemies are going to be coming at my cavalry full force. However, since I’ve put them all back together, the support bonuses should help them stave off the attack.

    Ephraim even levels up while we do this.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Fffffffricking Brave Weapons. Brave Weapons double your attacks, up to a maximum of four attacks in one battle. With that, the RNG being an ass, and there being mages ready to deal the final blow, I’m starting to worry…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    WOULD YOU LOOK AT CLUTCHPHRAIM OVER HERE

    Seth takes out the Hero with the Brave Axe so Ephraim should be mostly safe, but he’s now the only one with HP below max. Let’s see how this pans out.

    Thus far extremely well, with most enemies targeting and outright missing Ephraim, who gets another level out of this.
    [​IMG]
    RES

    PRECIOUS REEEEEES

    Everybody keeps surviving enemy phases, but at the same time, without any throwing weapons to our name and hordes upon hordes of magic users at our door, we appear to be at a standstill. I don’t have the nerve to push, for fear that anything less than a full HP bar will result in death, and I can’t rely on counters to take them out because the AI is smart enough to stay out of my range. This could take a while.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    CLUTCHPHRAAAAAAAIM

    [​IMG]
    Okay, this is where I start to worry…

    [​IMG]
    The moment of truth! If he dodges this, I live to stall another phase!

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    CRAP

    PRINCE EPHRAIM FALLEN -- GAME OVER

    Welp. I’ll… see you all in the next post, guys.
  14. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Preparation Screen
    Well, at least everyone has died once, now. Balance in all things I guess. And now like I mean it.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I’m going to play very differently this time, very defensively, and move slowly so I can take advantage of forests, and later hills, as well as keep all three together for support bonuses. Let’s see if that helps any.

    Battle Start
    Important to note is that since I have to restart the chapter, my purchases from last time have been undone. As such, my first course of action is to stock up again on Pure Waters and Elixirs.

    This time around, I’m not even going to pretend to care about the NPCs (I have no means of getting Syrene’s Javelin and Silver Lance, anyway), and instead I’m going to cut towards the northwest corner of the map.
    [​IMG]
    Those hills are perfect to take refuge in, especially with my promoted cavalry (and Seth’s horse having been given the Swiftsole, for hilarious mental images). As for the units that are already there… with twelve uses of Pure Water to my name, I’m not worried about them.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    That settles the Paladins…

    [​IMG]
    And that should protect Ephraim, who needs it the most, from the Valkyries.

    In fact, the next turn they target Seth and Eirika instead of him.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    That takes out all but one of the NPCs that have been distracting the enemy from me. Fortunately I’m not worried about the Wyvern Riders, and the Druids will take a while to reach me, so I can get set up.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    My last meat shield is down, and now the Wyvern Brigade comes for Seth and the twins in full force. Fortunately, Ephraim has just taken out the cavalry reinforcements so I can focus on them.
    [​IMG]
    Don’t worry, I see these guys setting up a pincer attack. I can take them.

    The next few turns go swimmingly, taking out a couple of Wyvern Riders, and I secure a very significant advantage I did not have last time…

    [​IMG]
    Fortresses. These will restore Ephraim and Eirika’s HP at the start of each turn, hopefully mitigating the need for me to do so and thus allowing me to push a little harder. In addition, now that I have the twins occupying them, they cannot provide reinforcements.

    Eirika levels up taking out the last remnants of these Wyvern Riders (although two more have spawned above us).
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    These should be the last Druids to spawn in this map, so any wizard we beat down now, WILL NOT BE REPLACED BY ANOTHER. This is a heartening prospect, especially considering I’m in control of the fortresses in the hills AND still have a few uses of my throwing weapons left.

    [​IMG]
    GLORY TO THE KINGDOM OF RENAIS YOU SICK FUCK!

    The Druids finally reach us. This is the hour of truth- if I can survive the barrage of magic users coming my way, I’ll be fine.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    And surviving should be doable.

    Ephraim levels up taking out the newly-spawned Wyvern Riders, who attack him:
    [​IMG]
    It’s so satisfying to wreck the Druids that gave me so much trouble last time. Especially since I’ve realized something else- I mean, I’ve made another very tactically sound decision…
    [​IMG]
    The Druids have to pass by a barrier of Hills before they can get to me. Because of their shitty MOV, that means only one, two at most, can reach me every turn. With that in mind, and not concerned about the types of reinforcements that spawn from my fortresses, I abandon them for the time being so I can take the Druids out more quickly and safely.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    See? Nothing to worry about. Ephraim even levels up again.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    WTD WHAT WTD
    FATHER DIDN’T TRAIN A COWARD WHO NEEDS THE WEAPON TRIANGLE

    Of course, with the Berserker now gone, the Druids can move more easily. Time to go on the offensive while our Pure Water hasn’t run out yet.

    Druids give great EXP, and Eirika levels up again:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    One,

    [​IMG]
    Two,

    [​IMG]
    And three. Those were the last Druids. There’s two Mages and a Sage on the map now, but I’m not worried about those at all. From here on out, I’m confident I can win the map.

    I am, however, going to send Seth back to the General Store to pick up a few more Pure Waters. They’re very important to me, and I don’t know if I can get them anywhere after this chapter.

    Eirika and Ephraim will have to fend for themselves for a little bit. Fortunately, this part of the map is practically empty.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Except for that one Wyvern Rider who causes Eirika to level up.

    [​IMG]
    Time to finally hit the Armoury! Now, this is going to be a two-step thing, and I’m not going to run you through the painstaking first step. It involves multiple turns, because the armoury can only be entered once per turn and I can’t sell directly from the convoy. I’m going to sell off my low-durability weapons, both for funds and to clear up convoy space.

    Actually, turns out that wasn’t so bad. I’ve broken most of the low-durability weapons in the battle leading up to this moment. So, let’s see what this armoury has for sale, then.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    REAVERS

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    KILLER WEAPONS

    [​IMG]
    JAVELINS

    *Cries tears of joy*

    Seriously though. The only thing that’s missing from this armoury is Silver Weapons, and it would have had everything I could ever wish for. I’m going to grab a number of each, and maybe one or two Iron or Steel weapons as well.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    SEXYYYYYY (Not as many Axereavers because I have two Sword users)

    I’ve finished just in time, it seems, because everything that hasn’t yet been wrecked by the Renais crew has now started moving towards us.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    GENTLEMEN. Shall we?

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    NOW we’re talking. NOW we’re back in the game!

    That leaves two more enemies on this map: Lyon and a Swordmaster.
    [​IMG]
    Oops. Only Lyon.

    [​IMG]
    Oops. Lyon and two Warriors.

    For the coming few turns, the game will keep spawning Warriors in those forts. I want to make the most of the experience here, so I’m going to use Ephraim and Eirika to kill them. I will meet you back here when I prepare to take down Lyon.

    Apparently, Ephraim smells like cinnamon and tastes like chocolate, because most of the Warriors attack him, giving enough experience for two levelups:
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Fortunately, I see an opportunity to shove Eirika forward to even out their levels:
    [​IMG]

    And that leaves us with…

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon.

    Now, Lyon is where the problems come in for Seth. 24 MAG and a 15 MT tome equals an IMMENSE amount of magic power output. If I were to shove Seth or Ephraim forward now, without any preparation, Lyon would kill them in two blows- and while he can only attack once a turn and doesn’t have too high a hit rate, I’m not taking any chances with this RNG.

    So that’s not what I’m going to do. Rather…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika has the best RES out of all of us, and gets the most out of her support bonuses. Of course, she’ll still go down in two hits, so let’s see what a Pure Water does for her…
    [​IMG]
    21 RES. I don’t have the turn left to attack Lyon, so there’s no way she can die in this battle. Here goes nothing.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Not if we have a say in it, Demon King. Look at that PATHETIC hit rate and even more pathetic damage output. Witness the true power of the Pure Water!
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika leaves him alive. Now, I know Lyon has no special battle conversation to share with Seth… but why don’t we see what he has to say to Ephraim?

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    And just to prove his point, Ephraim puts an end to his old friend.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    …right?
    [​IMG]

    Chapter 17: CLEAR
    Seth level: MAX.
    Eirika level: 20/5.
    Ephraim level: 20/6.
    Game Over count: 3.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 1.


    Ending scenes
    Lyon is, in fact, NOT yet dead, although he’s not too far from it if the Demon King is to be believed…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    The royals catch up with him in a mad gallop.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    With that, he ports out, and Ephraim commands a search; he will not let the fiend desecrate Lyon’s body any longer.

    Innes, however, speaks to Eirika, saying that Frelia’s trackers are on Lyon’s trail and will find him soon- so, there is no need to panic. In fact, he has something else he wants to talk to her about.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Yessssss.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Now then, you must know that I’m not really interested in Nidhogg for this run. However, Vidofnir is a different tale altogether. It’s an S-rank lance, and the best in the game at that. In fact, for this particular run, there is no real competition: Vidofnir is Seth’s ultimate weapon!

    Closing Thoughts
    Whew. That second time went a LOT better. I hope we’ve all learnt our lesson today; do not underestimate support bonuses, but do not underestimate terrain bonuses and hindrances, either. I’ve also stocked up on a BOATLOAD of Killer weapons and Reavers; and yes, in fact, Killer/Reaver/Javelin if appropriate/Steel or Iron/Elixir IS going to be my default setup for the next few chapters.

    Also, Vidofnir~ I have always given Vidofnir to Seth, even though I do admit it feels better to give it to Tana whose birthright it is to wield it. But this time, Tana is no competition, and Ephraim already has his ultimate weapon. On that note: Sieglinde, Siegmund, and Vidofnir all get bonus damage on monster units, so I won’t be wasting them in chapters where I don’t fight monsters. Don’t worry though, these radiant, glorious weapons will be making their entrance soon!

    Two closing comments:
    1). Possessed Lyon’s minimug is the stuff of nightmares.
    2). [WARNING! BAD TASTE JOKE INCOMING] Between Valter, Lyon, Seth, Saleh, Forde, Innes, and Ephraim depending on who you ask, does EVERYONE in this game want to get into Eirika’s panties?[/bad taste joke]
  15. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-battle thoughts
    Welp… we still have like half a year to wait for Fates and I don’t want to leave this file unfinished. I might as well see if I can shake the hype a bit and maybe spark some inspiration for a fic by playing the next chapter. …and what a chapter it’s going to be.

    Opening scenes
    When last we left off, we were in hot pursuit of Prince Lyon, helped by the Frelian troops under Innes’s command. Today, we learn that he headed North, to Mt. Neleras in the heart of Darkling Woods. The circumstances are unfit for human inhabitation, but something else does live here…
    [​IMG]

    Upon entry, Eirika asks L’Arachel for advice.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    As the princess of Rausten, the spiritual heart of Magvel, L’Arachel must know something, and Eirika begs her to help. However, L’Arachel apologises…
    [​IMG]
    Legend tells that Saint Latona, Rausten’s founder, was able to shake off the shackles of the Demon King, but it requires an incredibly strong will.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    And according to L’Arachel, not even the Sacred Stone scan perform a miracle so grand as the restoration of a shattered soul.

    This breaks Eirika’s heart, but L’Arachel reminds her that with Lyon gone, it’s more important that she keeps an eye on her own safety and health. (Isn’t that what Seth is for?) She suggests she head to the palace of Rausten to rest, which Eirika refuses; her place is with the company. She insists that she will try whatever she can to save Lyon, not wanting to believe he is beyond salvation.

    [​IMG]
    We arrive in a valley that looks… less than hospitable. This is where reports place Lyon…

    Eirika complains of the sulfur-like smell, but Ephraim notices something else.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    BAD NEWS! We’ve been led into a trap!

    [​IMG]

    Preparation screen
    Welp! Now that I have a well-stocked item convoy, I can safely place some good stuff on Seth and the twins.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Nothing ground-breaking, really. Just making sure I’ve got Weapon Triangle coverage, ranged attacks, and a massive crit rate. Especially since there’s nothing on this map with a class weakness.

    [​IMG]
    As far as formation goes, I think this’ll do.

    Battle start
    Ephraim’s advice, ‘steer clear of those eggs,’ is actually really good advice. These things are unique:
    [​IMG]
    They have maximum HP values ranging from 10 to 25 from what I can see at a first glance, but only 5 current HP. However, the moment someone steps within range of them…
    [​IMG]
    They activate, restoring 5 HP per turn. Once their HP is full, they will hatch into a Gorgon. What’s the problem with Gorgons, I hear you ask?
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    They’re magic-wielding monsters. With access to a long-ranged spell.

    That’s almost all there is to this level- you’re going around wrecking Gorgon eggs hopefully before they hatch while also taking out the few adult monsters that roam the map. Active Gorgon eggs can be told apart from slumbering ones by their white colour.

    Because they don’t activate until someone gets close to them, though, the chapter should be fairly doable.
    [​IMG]
    These two eggs form a roadblock, so I’ll have Ephraim and Eirika take those out…

    [​IMG]
    I think the best course of action is then to go to the bottom right of the map…

    [​IMG]
    Press on towards the top right…

    [​IMG]
    And cut across the top to the top left of the map and then finally come back to the middle. Let’s see if that works.

    It should be noted that Gorgon eggs give decent EXP, but terribad levelups.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    If this is enough distance between the twins and that egg, this map should go without a hitch.

    [​IMG]
    Ephraim… we need to talk about your dodging.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This is the other gimmick of this map! The cracked lava tiles are actually traps that deal damage at the end of every phase. In normal runs, they can be disabled by having a Thief or a Rogue land on them, but since I’m not using Colm or Rennac, Seth and the twins will have to avoid or tank them.

    At least that egg didn’t start hatching, so time to cut down to the bottom right.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    OH MY GOD IT’S TIME-BASED?! FEWiki lied to me!

    WELP, that just means I have to move a lot more quickly.
    [​IMG]
    Seth has the superior movement value, so I’ll let him take out the eggs that just started to hatch and the adult monsters that come after us from corners of the map.
    [​IMG]
    Ephraim and Eirika, meanwhile, stick to the plan and follow the route I laid out earlier.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    More eggs are starting to hatch over here, so I’ll just have Seth work on them while the twins are busy in the corner.

    Scrambling one of the eggs give Eirika a levelup:
    [​IMG]

    During this enemy phase, ALL EGGS BUT TWO begin to hatch. This is what I mean about the chapter- you think you’ve got a plan, and then you think you’ve got a backup plan, but then the monsters just go ‘nope, we’re gonna do it my way.’ …kinda like kids in real life.

    With that being the case, I think I’d rather have Seth hunt the hatched Gorgons while Eirika and Ephraim try to kill the eggs.
    [​IMG]
    The first eggs have fully hatched, let’s see how dangerous they are…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This is going to be by far the most common setup we’re going to see; some Gorgons may have Shadowshot, the ranged spell, in place of Stone, and some may only have Demon Surge, but with their insane MAG stat, they’re a serious threat. First priority is taking out the ones with Stone- When turned to stone, it’s impossible to dodge anything!

    Fortunately, I hav the traps to do part of the work for me.
    Eirika takes out the first Stone-wielding Gorgon and levels up from it:
    [​IMG]
    On fourth thought, maybe it’s a good idea to keep Seth in the back to provide support bonuses and let Eirika and Ephraim kill the Gorgons. The experience is amazing for this late in the game, and I could really stand to have a level 20/20 Eirika and Ephraim going into the final chapters.

    Here’s Ephraim agreeing that would be a good idea:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Whew. Not gonna lie; despite the low Hit Rate, seeing one of those things try to turn my people to stone makes my heart race a little.
    [​IMG]
    It’s just that IF it hits, the consequences will be so disastrous…

    [​IMG]
    Eirika couldn’t reach the ones with Stone, so I’ll let Seth kill the one Ephraim can’t take.

    And as of this turn, all Gorgon eggs have hatched. As previously stated, Gorgons with Stone are utmost priority because they make the others such a big threat- following them are the ones with Shadowshot.

    [​IMG]
    The Boss, a Stone-wielder, has moved within range. Let’s take her out first, she’s probably got more SKL than her sisters.
    [​IMG]
    The brakes on the level train are temporarily not working.

    [​IMG]
    FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!
    [​IMG]
    …yeah, Seth’s a dead man.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    To make matters worse, it seems his petrification has also increased the Gorgons’ CRIT rate. I’m VERY surprised he survived that turn and I’m going to try and save him.

    [​IMG]
    Let’s see where this leaves us…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Yep, we’re done.

    GENERAL SETH WITHDRAWN-- GAME OVER

    Attempt two in my next post.
  16. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Battle Start
    Let’s try that again, shall we? Now that I know staying away from the eggs doesn’t stop them from hatching, I’m going to take a different approach.
    [​IMG]
    Well, Ephraim’s first levelup is a bit better than the last one. That gives hope.

    Instead of going down the bottom of the map, I’m going to go up- I have more room to move around there and shouldn’t get surrounded as easily.

    [​IMG]
    Taking out this Shadowshotter early so she doesn’t become a problem later on.

    [​IMG]
    These two eggs haven’t even begun to hatch yet, making them prime targets for Ephraim and Eirika.

    [​IMG]
    That’s a level.

    [​IMG]
    Seth can’t reach the nearby Gargoyle or Mogall, so I’m going to leave him by Eirika’s side for the support bonuses.
    [​IMG]
    This was undoubtedly the better way to go- even now, none of these eggs have started to hatch. And the Baels and Gargoyles that have spawned to protect them are minor annoyances at most.

    [​IMG]
    I had to open my mouth, didn’t I. Still, this isn’t TOO bad. All I have to do is check which ones have the least max HP, and kill those eggs first- the others can wait a turn. As it turns out, they all have 20 or 25 HP, so there’s no need to panic just yet.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Yeah, this is already looking better than last time. None of the eggs in this screenshot are hatching next turn or the turn after that, so I have time to take them out.

    [​IMG]
    NEVERMIND I’M DUMB

    At least this gives us a chance to take out the boss, though. Let’s go for it.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    First, move Eirika to kill the newly-hatched Gorgon so Ephraim can get his support bonus…
    [​IMG]
    And then use Ephraim’s Killer Lance to kill the boss.

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Of note: the unattended-to eggs on the bottom of the map have now all hatched and are making their way up. I’m going to keep Seth, Eirika, and Ephraim all very close together.

    With all eggs now hatched, let’s have a look at the score…
    Eight Gorgons have access to Stone and two have Shadowshot. Since the ones with Shadowshot don’t move until they’re out of Shadowshot, and also have Stone, that leaves 6 Stone-wielders of immediate concern.
    [​IMG]
    I am NOT moving them from this position for a while. As it stands, the Gorgons approach only from the right side, meaning they have to traverse a number of traps before reaching us that can whittle down their health. In addition, I may be able to defeat the ones in the top right before having to deal with most of the others.

    [​IMG]
    I am however going to kill this one before it becomes a problem.

    Actually, since only one of them moved and I really don’t want them having the first strike…
    [​IMG]
    Let’s take up position here instead.

    [​IMG]
    In addition to making Ephraim level 10, this leaves only two Stone-wielders within dangerous range.

    Miraculously, neither actually use Stone, instead opting to use Demon Surge in an attempt to kill Seth. One of them misses, however, leaving him barely alive.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    An Elixir and the twins take care of the imminent threats, further reducing the number of Stone-wielders by two. The others haven’t moved yet, so I think that after taking out the remaining monsters around me I can simply lure them out one by one. Hopefully with Eirika, she’s a little behind Ephraim in levels…

    [​IMG]
    That’s that- now to slowly move down.

    [​IMG]
    That settles those… two Stone-wielders left.

    [​IMG]
    And that leaves one.

    [​IMG]
    THIS one.

    I’m going to try and take out the remainder of the enemies with Eirika. She needs the EXP and really, nothing on this map other than that last Stone-wielding Gorgon is any real threat. As such, I’m putting all of Seth and Ephraim’s weapons into the convoy.

    A bunch of Baels show up and stall me so the Gorgon can get her Shadowshots off. No matter, though. It’s experience for Eirika.

    [​IMG]
    That’s the one! And since she’s still equipped with Shadowshot, she’s harmless!
    [​IMG]
    Now, I can take out the last three at my leisure.

    [​IMG]
    And level Eirika up one final time.

    Chapter 18: CLEAR
    Seth level: MAX.
    Eirika level: 20/9.
    Ephraim level: 20/10.
    Game Over count: 4.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 1.


    Ending scenes
    [​IMG]
    Lyon! He ports out as suddenly as he appeared, without saying a word.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Disregarding Ephraim’s warning, Eirika gives chase alone, calling out to her friend. He finally appears before her, weakened; likely from the combination of the Demon King possessing him and the wounds he took last chapter.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon tells her that if she gives him the Sacred Stone, he may be able to use its power to save himself. Eirika hesitates, presumably because of L’Arachel’s words at the beginning of the chapter.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    She asks him one more time if he’s certain the Sacred Stone can heal him, and when he confirms, she hands it over.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Uh-oh.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Not good.

    The Demon King resurfaces, revealing that he was deceiving Eirika all this time to get his hands on the Sacred Stone of Renais.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika demands that he return Lyon, but the Demon King insists that there’s nothing left of the prince of Grado and taunts her.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon can no longer be saved.

    Using Eirika’s shock to his advantage, the Demon King ports himself out of her reach and destroys the Sacred Stone while she’s too stunned to act.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Before he can turn his evil power against her personally, however, Ephraim and the others catch up.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    With that, he vanishes, just as the others arrive.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Eirika can barely speak out of grief, but they rejoin L’Arachel and Seth, who reports that the enemy fled over the cliff and there’s no way to pursue him now. L’Arachel proposes a new course of action:

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    She’s right. To Rausten, then!

    Closing Thoughts
    That was sooooo much worse than I remember. I know this chapter is not that bad normally- but then again, normally I have a bunch of high-RES units and a healer or two on me to deal with anyone being turned to stone. I’d also like to point out that I’m not attributing the game over in this chapter to my tactical ineptness or Seth being a bad unit; that was RNG shenanigans. That 15% should never have been a successful hit. The Game Over counts, but is not held against Seth’s performance. I am so not happy about having had to restart two chapters in a row.

    And now, chapter 19. *groaaaaaaaan* Chapter 19…
  17. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Pre-battle thoughts
    This chapter. This fucking chapter. I can see this being the choking point of this LP. Also, I know everyone who’s into FE is currently too hyped about Fates to care much for the older games, but I really want to get back to this and finish it so I can get started on my favourite game of all time. For those who are here to see chapter 19 all the same: thank you for being here, and I suggest we hop to it!

    Opening scenes
    Recap: Last time on Seth Soloes Sacred Stones, the Sacred Stone of Renais was broken, leaving the Stone of Rausten as mankind’s last hope against the forces of evil. As such, today L’Arachel leads us to Rausten Court, where she was born and raised.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    We are introduced to Pontifex Mansel, the sovereign of the theocracy of Rausten, and L’Arachel’s uncle. Eirika and Ephraim introduce themselves as well and explain our plight.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    L’Arachel requests permission to open the temple seal right away, but Mansel insists we rest after our long and heavy journey.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    We cut to a little later, when L’Arachel visits a tired and upset Eirika.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    L’Arachel reminds her that Lyon is gone, with only the Demon King remaining who pretends to be him. She says she cannot imagine how Eirika must feel because she never knew Lyon, but does understand that destroying him will not be as simple as she makes it sound.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    She invites Eirika to come to dinner with her, and that’s that.

    Later that night, however…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Utterly confused, the soldier is slaughtered, leaving Riev to attack the castle in peace…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    A soldier gives us the key points of today’s battle.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    L’Arachel says that her friends will help defend the palace until the Knights of Rausten arrive, but with Eirika in her present conditions…

    [​IMG]
    Seth, you are full of shit and you know it. You -need- her support bonus to survive, for crying out loud.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Preparation screen
    Eirika and the soldier have outlined today’s mission and the reason why during a solo run this chapter will be the bane of your existence. We have a severe numbers disadvantage, even more so since I’m only using Seth and the twins, enemy soldiers are coming from ALL directions, and the key objective of this chapter is to protect Mansel for a grand total of thirteen turns.

    I have an alternative strategy, but it will entirely depend on how well I can move Seth and the twins ahead, and I will have to be fast as balls. Fortunately, I gave Seth the Swiftsole and I have a few Pure Waters left.
    [​IMG]
    Uhhhh… weird glitch.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    This is the set-up I’m going with. Seth is our key player today, which is why he gets the Hoplon Guard. I am not taking any risks and I have seen too many stupid shit happening over the course of my years of playing Fire Emblem.

    [​IMG]
    We’ll go with this formation, I think that’d be best. Let’s see what we can do!

    Battle start
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Riev, don’t take your personal issues out on an entire race… seriously.

    Meanwhile it looks like Eirika has come to a decision.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    As I said before, the main goal of this chapter is to protect Mansel. However, there is an alternative victory condition…
    [​IMG]
    This will not be easy. But with three units, it is impossible to keep all these enemy soldiers away from Mansel, so killing Riev is the only way I’m going to be beating this chapter period. I know him to be around here somewhere…
    [​IMG]
    But I’m not sure where exactly, which is why Seth and Ephraim both have Javelins. Who am I kidding, Seth and Ephraim always get Javelins. Anyway, it’s a long ride, and with the Swiftsoles, Seth could get there in two turns… if he were moving unopposed. But the darkness, serving as Fog of War, hides enemies that –will- hinder his movement there. I will have to rely on Ephraim and Eirika to get some visibility, and on the NPC knights of Rausten to protect Mansel until Seth can put a lance in Riev. If I can get there, I will win. But getting there…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Well, we might as well start with Ephraim killing this Mercenary and getting some insight in what’s in his direct vicinity. Looks like another Mercenary and a Druid, and the Druid is the bigger problem, being able to rip through the knights like they’re made out of cardboard. (Which they kind of are. Do NOT rely on NPCs during battles like this.)

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Fortunately the Swiftsole is a thing. Unfortunately, there’s more where that Druid came from. Let’s see what the AI does.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    See? The Druids are even worse.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    THAT KNIGHT IS MVP. Unfortunately the Druid is fast enough to attack a second time and lays the knight flat.

    Well, let’s clear the road for Seth, see if we can’t get him any closer to Riev…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Looks like it… I think the road is largely clear?

    [​IMG]
    THERE HE IS, THE BASTARD. That was fast! If I can survive the next enemy phase, I can win this chapter!

    A number of enemies attack Ephraim and Eirika, but nothing appears to be within range of Seth or Mansel. To make matters even better, the twins hold their own perfectly, taking minimal damage and wrecking everything that comes close. I even get something out of the deal…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Brave Weapons are hilarious in that they let the user attack twice when they would normally only attack once. In other words, you can get up to four attacks in one turn out of these fuckers. With both a sword and a lance of this variety, I think we’re well-equipped. They’re pretty rare weapons, after all.

    Alright, let’s get that Brave Lance to Seth-
    [​IMG]
    EIRIKA DID YOU REALLY JUST. Well, I’m checking, and Seth will need a Brave Weapon if I want a guaranteed kill on Riev this turn. So I let Ephraim get the Brave Sword to Seth, and let’s see what we can do.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Onwards… to victory.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Ah, well, y’see, Seth isn’t really the ‘cower in fear’ type. ‘Put a stop to you or die trying’ is more his style.

    [​IMG]
    That’s after the first two attacks. See why I needed a Brave Sword? …also apparently the enemy’s animation begins before Seth’s has fully stopped. Huh. The things you learn from screenshots.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    With that, Riev retreats and this battle is WON. On my FIRST TRY. And in THREE TURNS.

    [​IMG]

    Chapter 19: CLEAR
    Seth Level: MAX
    Eirika Level: 20/9
    Ephraim Level: 20/11
    Game Over Count: 4
    Game Overs this chapter: 0


    Ending scenes
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    We immediately hurry to check on the Sacred Stone.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Oh L’Arachel.

    As Eirika says, it’s time to leave Rausten before the forces of evil gain more momentum against us and Riev returns. Even Myrrh confirms that ‘the poison spreads.’
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Before we can depart, Mansel approaches us. He’s not happy to see L’Arachel leave, but understands that it’s her calling to destroy the Demon King and its minions and trusts her friends to keep her safe.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    We also get 10000 gold but really, we can’t use it this run. Shame, too. If you’re playing a normal run of FE8, and you got the Member’s Card off of Rennac, seriously, use it in Rausten. The Secret Shop has a boatload of Brave Weapons and other cool stuff.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    LISTEN TO THE PRINCESS, DAMMIT. FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

    Closing thoughts
    TWINS MVP. For this entire chapter, no one had any support bonus going on and they TORE through promoted enemies. I had no idea Eirika had grown that much since setting out in Chapter 1. Additionally, I’m glad there weren’t as many enemies roadblocking Seth as I had feared there would be; I think that’s the only reason I beat this chapter as easily as I did. Since I don’t have the Member’s Card and am not using the World Map, I can’t stock up on weapons, so the Brave Sword and Brave Lance are VERY welcome additions to my arsenal, too.

    Next time, it’s time for Chapter 20, the penultimate chapter in Sacred Stones! Be sure to tune in then!
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2015
  18. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    Pre-battle thoughts
    Woo! Let’s see how I fare in the penultimate chapter of FE8 with three characters and on melatonin. I don’t remember much about this chapter, other than that it involves a lot of tough monsters and a lot of tough monster reinforcements. It should be doable since I don’t think there’s any gimmicks like in the last few chapters, but I could be mistaken.

    Opening scenes
    Welcome back to Seth Soloes Sacred Stones, where I trash the father of all evils so you won’t have to. We’re on our way to Darkling Woods, which is where the Demon King is hiding out with his most powerful minions and where today’s battle will be taking place.

    There’s more to it than that, though. The last time the Demon King was destroyed, it was in Darkling Woods. His body still lies there, and when his blood seeped into the land it corrupted every life form in it. Simply put… Darkling Woods is not a nice place.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    The Demon King’s musings are interrupted by Morva, the Great Dragon who helped the heroes of mankind defeat the Demon King in the past. The Demon King tries to wave him off, convinced Morva can’t defeat him a second time, but Morva has no intention of leaving so easily…
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    The Demon King brings up Myrrh, who is in fact Morva’s daughter, and taunts him with the uncertainty of her life or death. It is assumed that during the fade-out and the transition to Eirika’s company, they do battle…

    But we do not immediately see the results of that, although we can guess considering the game didn’t end right there and then. We’ve arrived in Darkling Woods, where everyone can feel the darkness oozing from every tree in the area.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Seth. Knows. All. No, seriously, it hasn’t struck me up until now HOW MUCH SHIT Seth knows. Either he secretly spends way more time reading than he should, or he has a shitload of contacts throughout Magvel that he’s been staying in touch with.

    (Honestly, it’s probably the latter. But I like the idea of Seth NEVER SLEEPING because he’s too busy self-improving in every conceivable way.)

    Myrrh agrees that the evil exuded by the forest is disturbing and painful, but insists that we have nothing to worry about.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I’m… afraid I have very bad news for you, Myrrh…
    [​IMG]
    Oh fuck, there go my heartstrings.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    It wouldn’t need a chapter dedicated to it if there weren’t a battle!

    [​IMG]
    So if I’m not mistaken, that’s Riev, the Demon King, and… oh boy. Our first enemy dragon.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Blargh. Couldn’t you have, you know, stayed dead? This is not Casual Mode. Fire Emblem 8 doesn’t HAVE a Casual Mode.

    Preparations screen
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    This chapter has a LOT of enemies. And they’re all either the stronger or only version of their kind, with only a handful of exceptions. We’ve got fliers, wizards, cavalry, powerhouses, and chaff… So I decided to adapt everyone’s inventory to that.

    I’ve also ended up giving the Talisman to Seth. He needs the extra RES, and Eirika and Ephraim both still have opportunities for levelups.

    [​IMG]
    My starting formation is as straightforward as it is simple; it just leaves that much less ground to cover. Onward!

    Battle start
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    When I say a little bit of everything, I do mean a little bit of everything. The cyclopses in the middle of the second screenshot are new, but nothing to really worry about: they’re just big meatheads that can be ripped clean through if you have a sword.

    No, the problem I foresee is the three highlighted Gorgons:
    [​IMG]
    All three of them have Stone. Fortunately, this time around I can move slowly and take advantage of avoid bonuses from forests, so I should be in much, much less of a pickle than I was last time.

    [​IMG]
    Let’s begin by setting up a bottleneck here and seeing how many of our foes we can take out from that position.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Riev, stop being creepy.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He’s not kidding, by the way. That Draco Zombie is a BEAST, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I know something Riev doesn’t.

    A number of monsters come our way, but they’re all things we’ve seen before, so I’m not too worried about breaking up my defensive formation a bit for the sake of speeding up the process of taking them out. I kinda wish I had Galeforce right now though, at least on Eirika.

    [​IMG]
    I can have Seth take out the first of the three Gorgons, making this area somewhat safer. However, the Gorgon can COUNTER with Stone if he doesn’t get her on the first round of combat. How do I deal with this?

    Simple.
    [​IMG]
    Vidofnir is flashing on the battle status screen, indicating that it has weapon effectiveness against Monster classes. This applies to ALL SACRED TWINS, so whether you’re doing a solo run or a normal run, I recommend saving the Sacred Twins for this and the final chapter since you’re going up against a couple of mighty terrifying beasts in them.

    I personally don’t want to OVERuse them, for fear of breaking them before I get to the final boss. For that reason, I’m only going to be using them against the most powerful of enemy units.

    [​IMG]
    Cyclops reinforcements

    They’re not on the move, though, unlike the Maelduins, Mogalls, and Gargoyles down below. I want to deal with those first before I start making movements to the North again.

    [​IMG]
    I had to open my mouth

    Well, fine, then. What I have to do now is make sure Eirika has Sieglinde equipped when she gets within range of the Cyclopses. They’re axe-wielders, and while that makes them notoriously inaccurate, if they DO hit their mark the hit hurts like… well, like a Cyclops bringing down a meat cleaver on your head.

    [​IMG]
    Seth can go with her to protect her, and while they take care of that, Ephraim can take out these Wights down here for the EXP.

    [​IMG]
    Looks like I overestimated the Cyclops’s offensive capabilities. That said though, look at that IMMENSE HP rating. You practically NEED a Sacred Twin to cut through that.

    [​IMG]
    The upside to having so many powerful monsters on the map is that it provides good EXP for the twins. In fact, if they really are that relatively harmless, I see no reason why I shouldn’t give some to Ephraim as well.

    [​IMG]
    Right… let’s see where this is going to leave us.

    Three of the four go after Eirika, which isn’t that bad- if worst comes to worst and Sieglinde breaks, I can give her Audhulma, the other Sacred Twin sword in the convoy. I don’t have that luxury with Seth and Ephraim, since Seth is already using the ‘other’ Sacred Twin lance. Ephraim takes out the fourth one and comes dangerously close to a levelup but doesn’t actually hit it.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    This means I’ve now cleared out the entire right side of the map, and am moving on to the middle and top left.

    [​IMG]
    Plenty of shit left to deal with up here.

    [​IMG]
    …even more shit as Deathgoyle reinforcements show up.

    Ephraim levels up from the Cyclopses:
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    This is where I realise the bigger, badder Mogalls have long-range magic and increase their priority.

    [​IMG]
    This is where the Gorgon realizes she probably shouldn’t have attacked Seth’s lady and beloved during the Enemy Phase.

    At any rate, barring the new Deathgoyles that have appeared, that takes care of most of the enemies in this corner. I suspect this bunch will start moving the next turn.
    [​IMG]
    So I should probably take the opportunity to get everyone’s HP back up to full. Right after Eirika levels up from the Deathgoyles.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Turns out my prediction was full of shit and it’s not the Wights and Cyclops that are on the move but these Maelduins and new Deathgoyles. This is gonna take a while.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Those are nasty reinforcements for ONE turn! I was not kidding when I said there were a lot of reinforcements in this chapter. The Deathgoyles and Maelduins just keep on coming, and now I’ve also got Gwyllgi, improved Mauthe Doogs, and Elder Bael, improved Baels, to deal with!

    [​IMG]
    More levelups for the twins though!

    [​IMG]
    YOU ARE NOT IMAGINING THINGS THAT IS A CYCLOPS WITH A BABY THROWING AXE AND IT IS AS WEIRD AS IT IS ADORABLE

    You doubt my word that there are altogether too many monsters in this chapter?
    You thought Seth was exaggerating when he spoke of a ‘horde?’
    [​IMG]
    This chapter can get… hectic.

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    One of the enemies drops a weapon I very much wanted to have:
    [​IMG]
    Which is the best throwing spear in the game. I think you can get them in a Secret Shop somewhere, but since I don’t have a Member Card and am not using world map stores… Well. Also I am going through Javelins like nobody’s business, holy SHIT.

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Sometimes, you can be playing a Fire Emblem chapter with a lot of reinforcements, and you’re going through a lot of weapons, and you’re desperately wondering to yourself, ‘will it ever end!?’

    Well, I’m here to tell you that yes…
    [​IMG]
    It does end.

    I think. These Gwyllgis and Elder Baels keep spawning according to my sources, so I best keep moving.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Dude, Eirika’s eyes are a hell of a lot nicer than yours.
    Also I just spent like thirty turns dealing with your pet dogs, I don’t have TIME to despair or surrender.

    [​IMG]
    Riev poses dick all of a threat in this chapter, by the way. The Draco Zombie is really the problem here.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Shush

    [​IMG]
    > Go down to deal with what you think are the last EXP wells for this map
    > Trigger more reinforcements
    > Not sure how to feel about this

    [​IMG]

    Let’s just… send Seth to try and deal with the Draco Zombie. I think we’ve seen enough.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Oh… dear me. It wasn’t enough for the Demon King to kill Morva. No, he had to turn him into a monster for us to fight. Why is this a problem, other than the obvious mental torture this is for Myrrh?

    Because his Wretched Air ignores DEF and deals a fixed 38 Damage every time it is used.

    I am not making this shit up.


    [​IMG]
    This is why you WANT a Sacred Twin to attack him with.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Those of you who are using Myrrh will know that Morva uses the same sprite as she does when attacking, except with a different colour palette. Talk about driving a point home, eh? Fortunately, Seth delivers ANOTHER critical hit when it’s most needed, felling Morva before he can get a single Wretched Air out, and leaves Eirika able to capture the gates to the Black Temple and finally, FINALLY ending this chapter.

    Chapter 20: CLEAR
    Seth level: MAX.
    Eirika level: 20/14.
    Ephraim level: 20/15.
    Game Over count: 4.
    Game Overs in this chapter: 0.


    Ending scenes
    [​IMG]
    Yeah…

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    THAT BATTLE TOOK SO LONG, THE DEMON KING HAS PROBABLY ALREADY REVIVED, CONQUERED THE WORLD, AND IS NOW HAVING TEA WITH LOPTYR AND GRIMA.

    But apparently, the Demon King is the biggest incompetent fuck in the world and is still arguing with Lyon.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Unholy piece of shit.

    Closing thoughts
    Wow. I did not check the final turn number, but OH MY GOD that battle took altogether much longer than I remember. There comes a moment in every game developer’s life when he must say, ‘I think that’s enough reinforcements.’ About halfway through this chapter was that moment, although I made it a lot harder on myself by only using three people. Still, it got Eirika and Ephraim’s levels up and while I burnt through a LOT of weapons in the convoy, I still have the Sacred Twins.

    Sadly, the next chapter promises to be as bad as this one as far as enemy numbers go, so even though I stocked up on a buttload of weapons, I’m a little worried about how well I can hold up for the final battle...

    Hey, pssssst! If you’re enjoying this and you know the first thing about this game’s predecessor, Fire Emblem (or Fire Emblem 7, or Rekka no Ken, or Blazing Sword), be sure to check this out and drop me a line with your input!

    Next time... we wreck the Demon King.
  19. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG]

    Pre-Battle thoughts
    Here we are, then… the final chapter of FE8. This chapter consists of two parts, but the second part is so short that I can do it along with the first part in one update. I’ve played through this on another file just recently, so I’m sure I can make do.

    Although admittedly I was using a lot more characters at the time.

    Opening scenes
    Before we go to the Black Temple for the final battle, we’re shown one final flashback…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Eirika promised Lyon that she and Ephraim would see him again, and expressed her faith that if he kept studying the Sacred Stones, he could do great things for his people. Lyon, for his part, admitted that Eirika’s support was what kept him going through failure, and came dangerously close to confessing to her:

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He promised to keep at it, to really do something of note with his studies.
    [​IMG]
    ….in retrospect, how did Eirika not catch on to this crush of his?

    [​IMG]
    Flash forward back to the temple, where Eirika confronts the shell that remains of Lyon.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    He manages to apologise for setting all of this into motion, for being too weak to resist the Demon King.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He admits to the jealousy and vanity in his heart, and although Eirika insists everyone has weaknesses, herself and Ephraim included, there is nothing left we can do for Lyon.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    He doesn’t even get a chance to finish his sentence.
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    …or at least have her devoted protector do it. The Demon King taunts her, wondering if she can bring herself to kill her dear friend.

    Eirika is having none of his bullshit.
    [​IMG]
    With that, the Demon King ports out to his Boss Space, and I am thrust into the preparation screen for the last time this game.

    Preparation screen
    Monsters don’t really have a class weakness other than Sacred Twins, so I’m going to go with a pretty straightforward inventory for all three of my fighting units.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    All Sacred Twins I can get, as well as range for Seth and Ephraim. I’ve also brought the Brave Weapons so I can beat down Lyon.

    I should mention that you do NOT get a Preparation Screen for the second half of the battle, so make sure that all weapons you want to use for the final battle are either on your units or in your supply convoy so Eirika can provide access to them.

    [​IMG]
    Let’s roll.

    Battle start
    Alright, we mostly have a lot of skeletons to deal with this battle. However, there are two bigger problems.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    In and of themselves, the Draco Zombies aren’t much of a problem, of course. However, unlike Morva in the last chapter, these two will move, meaning they can engage us on their terms rather than ours.

    Before I deal with them, however, I want to take a quick detour here.
    [​IMG]
    But BP, that’s a closed chest and there’s a door in the way!
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    I would lie if I said this hand-holding in the final chapter isn’t remarkable. Still, I’m glad for it, because I really want the item in this chest.
    [​IMG]
    This is the last stat booster available in the game proper. I couldn’t get the Angelic Robe earlier on in the game, but I would like that +7 Max HP for Seth. Just because.

    Time to go and take on the first Dracozombie. I trust Seth and the twins can handle anything else that approaches them, but I want to have those beasts out of the way before they become a problem; I’m not known to be the most observant of Fire Emblem players.

    Fortunately, dealing with a Dracozombie is simple enough if you keep your wits about you.
    [​IMG]
    I plan to use Eirika to lure it out, since she’s the only one who gets support bonuses from both of the other characters, and then on my phase throw everyone at it.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Looks plenty different from Morva, doesn’t it. I must say it’s interesting to have an enemy that breaks the HP cap that isn’t the final boss. I think this is the only time in all localized Fire Emblem games that it’s happened. Fortunately, Eirika dodges it, because much like Morva, the Draco Zombies ignore DEF. That’s why it’s best to lure them out with a dodgetank rather than a conventional tank.

    Let’s start with Ephraim, he’s close to a levelup.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Dang. I’d hoped for a critical there. At least he’s not within range of the other one.

    That being the case, Seth is up next. Let’s not waste Vidofnir when a Killing Edge will finish it.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    There we go. Let’s deal with the second one…

    While I prepare to deal with the second Draco Zombie in the same way, the Demon King’s foot soldiers attempt to finish Ephraim off. However, they only succeed in leveling him up:
    [​IMG]

    This turn, reinforcements show up. There are a few of these throughout the chapter, although if memory serves they shouldn’t be nearly as much of a problem as they were last chapter.
    [​IMG]
    That said, they’re going to be a nuisance. I just want to kill the Draco Zombie, dammit!

    But that’s concern for later- for now, let’s take up position near the archers and restore Ephraim’s HP. We’re gonna need him healthy.
    [​IMG]
    Sadly, this puts us in range of the two Shadowshot-wielding Gorgons that are helping guard Lyon. On the plus side, that also means we’re close to Lyon, and with it, the end of this part of the battle.

    [​IMG]
    More reinforcements. That said, they’re far enough away that I can deal with them once I finish the Draco Zombie.

    Her high Avoid and her support bonuses still make Eirika the most suitable person to draw the beast out.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Damn Eirika, you’re good at this.

    Since she dodges their attacks so reliably and there’s magic-wielding enemies within range, let’s open with Eirika’s Sieglinde, then.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Well. Damn.

    Seth, then…
    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Well, this leaves Eirika in an awkward spot. Fortunately she’s only in range of one of the Arch Mogalls, so the support bonuses from Seth and Ephraim should protect her.
    [​IMG]
    False alarm, she’s safe. I’ll heal her up and take out the Arch Mogalls before I move on to the next objective: Lyon.

    [​IMG]
    As we can see, Lyon is guarded by Gorgons and a few Wights. That’s a lot of magic-using enemies to deal with. Fortunately, I saved up my Pure Waters.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    There, that should do to protect them. Now to rip through the Demon King’s bodyguards and then through the monster himself!

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Sorry, everyone. I don’t think I can show you the battle convo between Lyon and Eirika. Two of those Gorgons have Stone, and after Chapter 18 I’m NOT taking any chances with that.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Honourable mentions to Ephraim for dodging an attack with a hit rate of 74%. However, Lyon is not finished yet. I see no better way to finish him off than with the very character we set out to test when we began this run. Especially with Eirika having already ended her turn.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Seth didn’t dodge like Ephraim did. He does, however, finish Lyon off.

    [​IMG][​IMG]
    But the game does not end there.
  20. Blonde Panther

    Blonde Panther Not always sweet and delicate vet

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    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Lyon thanks Eirika for stopping him, and finally fesses up:

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    These are his final words, as he finally breathes his last. To the twins’ horror, his body vanishes, and the lights in the temple turn off.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    Lightning strikes, the darkness pours out, and the Final Boss of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones reveals itself!
    [​IMG]
    Eirika is clearly terrified, but Ephraim is right there with her.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    She agrees, and L’Arachel rides in carrying the Sacred Stone of Rausten. She explains that while the stone does hold the power to banish the Demon King, it can only do so if the people wielding it truly believe and wish for a better future, which sets off a scene FE veterans will recognize as the moment where all units brought to the final chapter have a little line to say.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    …okay, so it’s tremendously underwhelming when you’re doing a solo run, but believe me, it’s cool in other games. I’ve always liked it.

    Meanwhile, the Demon King catches sight of the stone.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Contrary to his will, the Demon King’s soul is successfully bound to the Sacred Stone of Rausten. However, we’re not done yet…
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Cue round two of the Final Chapter!

    [​IMG]
    For this, everyone is restored to full health, so I don’t have to waste time taking care of that. I do, however, want to look at the Demon King’s stats.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    That looks like a god damn PROBLEM. Fortunately I have three very high-level units with Sacred Twins on me; you WANT Sacred Twins for this. Fomortiis does not move, but he has 3 tiles of range on his attacks and he hits like a truck.

    Fortunately, so do we.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    OH SHIT

    OH MY GOD

    IF THAT ISN’T THE RNG FLIPPING ME OFF THEN I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS

    [​IMG]
    FUCK YOU TOO FOMORTIIS

    Okay, that was bad. His HP is still at ?? following Ephraim’s attack. Let’s see if Eirika fares any better.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Eirika doesn’t finish him off, but in one final act of defiance, does level up from attacking him.

    Time for Seth to avenge his king, earn his title and reputation, and do what must be done.

    [​IMG]
    Time for the Silver Knight to vanquish the Demon King.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    NO.

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    It’s over. The Demon King is no more.

    Ending scenes
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    It’s over. The Demon King is gone, and as much as Eirika should like to believe it was everyone’s combined efforts that made it all possible… I think we all know who we have to thank for it.

    This marks the time for another staple of the series- the part where everyone on the roster remarks on the end and prepares to return home. I’ll omit the characters we haven’t used or spent much time on, but I do want to show the ones that matter.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]

    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    Ephraim totally grew a sense of responsibility, holy fuck

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Closing thoughts
    Gameplay is done. That settles the gameplay portion of Seth Soloes Sacred Stones, but not the project The Duty of the Silver Knight. There is still a story epilogue to cover, an evaluation to do, and final closing thoughts to deliver. I will do that in one final post, coming over the course of this week.

    So stay tuned for that, and don’t forget to leave your input on my next project!