Fire Emblem Thread II: Stalwarts Unite!

[Geno9999]

In the beginning, there was a dragon of darkness, a sword of light and...

~Fire Emblem~

Stalwarts Unite!

FAQ:
What's Fire Emblem?
Fire Emblem is a series of Turn Based Strategy Roleplaying Game that started back in 1990 for the Famicom (the Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System.) While the series was popular in Japan, the games didn't reach international shores until after Marth and Roy, protagonists from some of the games, made an appearance as playable fighters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. With the characters becoming popular among Melee players, Nintendo released the series worldwide, starting with Blazing Sword (though internationally, it is simply referred as Fire Emblem.)

Okay what do we do here on this thread?
Basically discuss and debate what characters to use in a play through, favorite shipping support pairs, share tactics, favorite music, advertise PbP games, etc. Basically, what we like about the series.

What's with FE7, or FE10, etc?
While the games aren't numbered, fans have adopted to referring each of the Fire Emblem games with numbers are by order of release, counting the games that were released in Japan only (so Fire Emblem: Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light, the first game, is referred as FE1, while Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, the eighth game released, is called FE8.)

Is Marth, Roy, and Ike in this game?
The thing is, the Fire Emblem series have lots and lots of worlds. Aside from the mechanics and similar plot structure, the games have little in common with one another, being set in different continents/worlds. In fact, the series has few direct sequels (so sort of like the Legend of Zelda in a way, if not all the princesses were called Zelda, and not all the heroes were called Link.) So one game might star Marth, another some guy named Eliwood (or was it Hector?), and another still star Ike (hero of the Crimean Liberation, leader of the Greil Mercenaries, and father of Sothe's children), but their stories do not interact with the other, with at best a passing, blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference if they do refer to each other at all. However, there is a certain new game for the 3DS that has past characters available for DLC.

Previous thread: Fire Emblem

[ZeltArruin]

Your link at the end of the last thread doesn't work quite right

[Anteros]

End game is not the only factor that you judge characters by. In fact, in RD in particular, late game has almost zero impact on which characters are considered good/great/whatever. Partly because Laguz Royals.

I never meant to imply that it was. My point was directed at the comments of "such character can be good if you get lucky" because in my experience virutally every character in that game has insane growths. To the point of maxing every single stat if you use them.

As for that bad characters like Sothe and Micaiah...sure they're terrible, but the game makes you use them anyway, so there's no point in whining about them. I will grant that there are a few characters who are completely bad/useless...but that's true of almost any Fire Emblem game.

Also, personally I didn't use any of the royals. The last thing I want in a "strategy" RPG is to be given free, completely unearned godlike characters who absolutely trivialize any potential difficulty you may have had. Not that Fire Emblem is particularly heavy on the strategy anyway...but at least my normal characters are powerful because I built them up to be that way.

[ZeltArruin]

I never meant to imply that it was. My point was directed at the comments of "such character can be good if you get lucky" because in my experience virutally every character in that game has insane growths. To the point of maxing every single stat if you use them.

As for that bad characters like Sothe and Micaiah...sure they're terrible, but the game makes you use them anyway, so there's no point in whining about them. I will grant that there are a few characters who are completely bad/useless...but that's true of almost any Fire Emblem game.

Also, personally I didn't use any of the royals. The last thing I want in a "strategy" RPG is to be given free, completely unearned godlike characters who absolutely trivialize any potential difficulty you may have had. Not that Fire Emblem is particularly heavy on the strategy anyway...but at least my normal characters are powerful because I built them up to be that way.

Fair enough, just making it clear what we were discussing. I will say though, that Fire Emblem Awakening has no bad characters (at end game). With infinite levels and high growths on pretty much everyone, all characters are ultimately usable, unlike Meg.

[Geno9999]

Fair enough, just making it clear what we were discussing. I will say though, that Fire Emblem Awakening has no bad characters (at end game). With infinite levels and high growths on pretty much everyone, all characters are ultimately usable, unlike Fiona.

Fixed for you.

[Sylthia]

Maybe it's just that half the characters from RD are so forgettable, but I didn't even remember who Fiona was. Must be a product of the butchered support system from that game.

[Geno9999]

Maybe it's just that half the characters from RD are so forgettable, but I didn't even remember who Fiona was. Must be a product of the butchered support system from that game.

She's that one Lance Knight you get after you beat Part 1 Chapter 6. Her best growths are Speed, Defense, and Luck. Subsequent chapters goes as follows: indoor map (-2 movement,) Swamp (Mounted Knights can't through mud,) chapter 9 where Micaiah is alone with the Black Knight, Indoor map, Swamp, crowded mountain map with lots of enemies, and finally hold the Line for 12 turns.

As such, I'm not surprised you haven't used her at all.

[Laughing Dog]

She's that one Lance Knight you get after you beat Part 1 Chapter 6. Her best growths are Speed, Defense, and Luck. Subsequent chapters goes as follows: indoor map (-2 movement,) Swamp (Mounted Knights can't through mud,) chapter 9 where Micaiah is alone with the Black Knight, Indoor map, Swamp, crowded mountain map with lots of enemies, and finally hold the Line for 12 turns.

As such, I'm not surprised you haven't used her at all.

As someone who decided to actually use her once, I can tell you that as long as you're persistent and RNG doesn't screw you over she turns in to a relatively good unit. Does that mean I suggest you use Fiona, much less bring her to the endgame?

No. Just, no.

However, for characters that are made of suck in Radiant Dawn: They are Tormod, Vika, and Muarim. You get them for, what three chapters in part one, then not at all until Ike's second Map in Part four? What are you thinking, Intsys? Seriously. Tormod is utterly useless at that point, and you don't need another Fire Mage for endgame because thou must bring Sanaki (who I force feed energy drops) no matter what. Muarim's too slow, such that even transformed, he get's doubled in part four. And Vika... Nealuchi is better that her when you first get him. It says something when the young raven girl is worse than the guy easily pushing 150, if not a higher age.

[Geno9999]

Speaking of Tormod, WHERE WAS HE DURING PART 3?!?!

[Laughing Dog]

I'd probably say with Vika. While doing that things that make Muarim wish he didn't have Laguz senses.

Anyone else feel slightly gypped that the only pairings in that game were Micaiah Sue & Sothe; Hinata & Naruto I mean Astrid and Makalov; Naesala & Leanne; Mist & Boyd; and (if recall correctly) Elincia and Geoffery?

[Mando Knight]

Nealuchi is better that her when you first get him. It says something when the young raven girl is worse than the guy easily pushing 150, if not a higher age.

He starts out 9 levels ahead. If Vika was able to get more XP, she'd be better.

Than Nealuchi. Which isn't saying much.

[ZeltArruin]

Tormod would actually be pretty good with play time and bonus EXP, he's got the str to wield heavy tomes and the def to not suck entirely. Sadly he doesn't get the Rudol Gem like the other good fire mage.

[Sylthia]

I'd probably say with Vika. While doing that things that make Muarim wish he didn't have Laguz senses.

Anyone else feel slightly gypped that the only pairings in that game were Micaiah Sue & Sothe; Hinata & Naruto I mean Astrid and Makalov; Naesala & Leanne; Mist & Boyd; and (if recall correctly) Elincia and Geoffery?

Don't Ike and Soren get a bonus scene at the end? Not exactly a pairing per se, but they get a lot of screen time for their bromance.

[Mando Knight]

Ike and Ranulf can also set up a bromance. Not nearly as much as Ike and Soren, though.

[Knaight]

Radiant Dawn had terrible characterization in general. Even Ike is a flat cardboard cutout who only has any personality at all because you remember what he was like in the last game.

I'd agree with this, but there are exceptions. Skrimir legitimately develops over the course of the game, Ranulf is decently characterized, Naesala is far more developed than he was in PoR, and Zelgius manages fairly good characterization as well. The Dawn Brigade is lacking though - honestly, I think it would have been a better game if The Dawn Brigade had been used for the entirety of it, while developing them further in the additional space they had. Plus, that would have made it more challenging, if only because the Dawn Brigade is somewhat short on competence.

[chiasaur11]

I'd agree with this, but there are exceptions. Skrimir legitimately develops over the course of the game, Ranulf is decently characterized, Naesala is far more developed than he was in PoR, and Zelgius manages fairly good characterization as well. The Dawn Brigade is lacking though - honestly, I think it would have been a better game if The Dawn Brigade had been used for the entirety of it, while developing them further in the additional space they had. Plus, that would have made it more challenging, if only because the Dawn Brigade is somewhat short on competence.

Naesala gets more screentime, sure. But it replaces "Backstabs everyone for fun and profit" with "Oh, no, he had to do it. Because blood pacts."

Blood pacts are maybe the dumbest part of 10's plot. And it's a game with a lot of dumb.

[Starsign]

If we're talking about bad units, can we mention Lyre? It says something when you're with the Greil Mercenaries are are worse than almost any member of the Dawn Brigade. Lyre may be able to grow well, but she starts off so bad that she cannot harm anything, cannot take a hit, and like all laguz, is utterly screwed over by BEXP. She's right down there with Fiona and Vika for worst character in the game.

And let's not forget, she has all of Part 3 and 4 to grind on and she still sucks. I'd call her worst character just because of that. Why did I even think about using her that one time?

[Knaight]

Naesala gets more screentime, sure. But it replaces "Backstabs everyone for fun and profit" with "Oh, no, he had to do it. Because blood pacts."

Blood pacts are maybe the dumbest part of 10's plot. And it's a game with a lot of dumb.

I'm no fan of blood pacts. However, Naesala has more than "Oh, no, he had to do it." There's the matter of how he chose to do it, and how he chose to present it. There's the matter of keeping the blood pact secret, and what that means regarding the trust he has in other laguz. There's the matter of his deliberately presenting himself as an untrustworthy scoundrel and trying to keep Kilvas as a whole out of it, and the extent to which he failed to do so because he had trouble cutting ties with Kilvas's culture as a whole. So on and so forth.

[Sylthia]

If we're talking about bad units, can we mention Lyre? It says something when you're with the Greil Mercenaries are are worse than almost any member of the Dawn Brigade. Lyre may be able to grow well, but she starts off so bad that she cannot harm anything, cannot take a hit, and like all laguz, is utterly screwed over by BEXP. She's right down there with Fiona and Vika for worst character in the game.

And let's not forget, she has all of Part 3 and 4 to grind on and she still sucks. I'd call her worst character just because of that. Why did I even think about using her that one time?

I was never a fan of the Laguz units in general. The only reason I used them in PoR was for support convos.

[Laughing Dog]

I was never a fan of the Laguz units in general. The only reason I used them in PoR was for support convos.

In PoR, I am a great fan of Lethe, and (now that I'm using him again) Mordecai. Current run excluded, I've pretty much used Lethe in every run I've ever done. Mordecai, as I've noted before, is the meatshield of all meatshields.

In Radiant Dawn, I am still fond of Lethe, though less so than in PoR. Mordecai, however, becomes even more of a favorite unit in that, while he's slower than mollasses, as long as he isn't attacked by a mage, he can just tank hits till kingdom come.

I also find a bit of (guilty) pleasure in using Leanne to kill enemies. Just so wrong, yet so right. I also bring Naesala to the endgame just for his theme music, Wheeling Corby.

My most hated Laguz unit of all time? Kyza. Just, why bother with him? You have Mordecai for your tiger need, and Mordecai does a better job to boot.

[Anteros]

Naesala is the only Laguz I actually like using. He's a royal so he has infinite transformation, but he doesn't break the game balance wide open like all the other royals do.

[Knaight]

My most hated Laguz unit of all time? Kyza. Just, why bother with him? You have Mordecai for your tiger need, and Mordecai does a better job to boot.

Kyza has some decent scenes, though he's not well characterized at all. That's about all he has going for him.

[Sylthia]

In PoR, I am a great fan of Lethe, and (now that I'm using him again) Mordecai. Current run excluded, I've pretty much used Lethe in every run I've ever done. Mordecai, as I've noted before, is the meatshield of all meatshields.

In Radiant Dawn, I am still fond of Lethe, though less so than in PoR. Mordecai, however, becomes even more of a favorite unit in that, while he's slower than mollasses, as long as he isn't attacked by a mage, he can just tank hits till kingdom come.

I also find a bit of (guilty) pleasure in using Leanne to kill enemies. Just so wrong, yet so right. I also bring Naesala to the endgame just for his theme music, Wheeling Corby.

My most hated Laguz unit of all time? Kyza. Just, why bother with him? You have Mordecai for your tiger need, and Mordecai does a better job to boot.

Laguz suffer the same thing from half the units in RD. Most are outclassed by an overpowered unit representing their respective class, but you're still forced to use quite a bit of them, since you don't get your whole army together until the very end.

[Laughing Dog]

Guys, if I ever start making noises about getting any lord to max stat w/out using stat-boosters, please kick me in the nuts. No I haven't given up, but dammit, I'm coming close to throwing the controller through the TV. On the other hand, Ike now has the highest luck score I've ever seen on him. Ashnard's going to be in for a rather nasty surprise

[The-Mage-King]

So, anyone got hacks they'd recommend/are waiting for?


Personally, I'd chuck a vote towards TactHack, if it'd get finished. At least the guy's releasing partial versions of it...


And I'm eagerly awaiting FE IV, since it wasn't just an April Fool's joke.

And from one of the screencaps he posted, there's a 4th page of stats... Which can only be a few things...

[ZeltArruin]

I remember watching some videos and reading some stuff about a hack where you play as young Uther, that seemed pretty cool.

[The-Mage-King]

I remember watching some videos and reading some stuff about a hack where you play as young Uther, that seemed pretty cool.

Ah, 7X.

It's building a new engine to do it, too. Should be great for the hacking community.

[Anarion]

Guys, I just got started in Awakening (a bit late to the party) and I figured, hey, why not just start on lunatic, that will be fun.

...oh god what have I done?


Oh, one thing that threw me for Radiant Dawn is that it's really not important at all to nurse your weak units to success. The lords are great, but endgame so much of your army is made up of special units and lords that's it's only really worth maxing out a few of your favorites. Maxed stat Eddy is a god though.

[ZeltArruin]

Yeah, lunatic is pretty rough, I haven't braved it yet, but I've gotten to mission...4? Then I get pissy and switch back to hard, which on classic is still pretty tough at times. Especially since reinforcements act the turn they arrive.

[Rising Phoenix]

Guys, I just got started in Awakening (a bit late to the party) and I figured, hey, why not just start on lunatic, that will be fun.

...oh god what have I done?


Oh, one thing that threw me for Radiant Dawn is that it's really not important at all to nurse your weak units to success. The lords are great, but endgame so much of your army is made up of special units and lords that's it's only really worth maxing out a few of your favorites. Maxed stat Eddy is a god though.

Some tips for the early chapters of Awakening in Lunatic:

-Don't let Frederic get many kills (save chapter 2 where you kinda have to.. I hate that map)
-In the prologue chapter it's entirely possible for Chrom and My Unit to be level 4-5 by the end of it if you abuse water movement.
-In the first chapter pair Chrom with Frederic. Assuming Chrom has gained a bit of defense, this duo should have no problems with soloing the map by standing on forts.
-The second chapter is arguably the hardest and depending on who's been lucky with their growths you'll want to use MU, Chrom and Frederic. Chrom being paired up with Sully are also useable.

-Alternatively you can feed all kills of the prologue and chapter one to MU and enjoy your god...