57 replies to this topic

[Helswath]

WOW that's a lot of tips. I've altered the list accordingly, and gave Jeigans their own section. Look it over and argue amongst yourselves. I'll check back later.

[Aquaman]

Also, for fe9/10.

Don't be afraid to use bexp, hoarding will just result in having alot of shit lategame when everyone is a god.

And, don't be afraid to use stat-boosters, and don't be afraid to skip treasure, sometimes its not worth it

[Defeatist Elitist]

I think your section on Jeigans is going too much to the "DON'T USE THEM" side of things. If we're talking about any of the FE's from about 6 onward, especially from 7 to 10 (and only because I am most familiar with these), you really don't need to hold back at all in casual play with your Jeigans. Like, you can pretty heavily rely on Marcus in FE7 and be totally fine for the endgame as a casual player, it's not guaranteed to fuck you up or anything.

Using Marcus won't give you a shit endgame. Most of the anecdotes I've seen about Marcus go like "I was a dumb noob and used Marcus a lot in my first game and let a bunch of other characters die, lol I wonder how I was even able to beat that game, then I went on line and read guids and looked at growth rates and realized how he was soooo bad", which would suggest to me that casual players are completely capable of beating the game with heavy reliance on Jeigan characters. I mean, somebody did an analysis that demonstrated that Jeigans don't even "steal" XP ages ago, and I would argue that that still holds true even in casual play, and the first time I played most Fire Emblem games, I was undoubtedly hurt far more than I was helped by the idea of only using Jeigans to weaken enemies and then dropping them in the mid game than I was helped by it.

tl;dr Jeigans usually make the game significantly easier, it's as simple as that.

[arvilino]

^This, as long as they aren't completley relied on Jeigans like Marcus won't waste much EXP and can make the game more managable if they're used the same way regular units are. In FE7 having Marcus reliably kill certain foes(or even groups of foes) can save you a lot of trouble for the enemy phase and as long as you've got other characters in range the enemies shouldn't target him so you have good control over how many enemies he's fighting each turn.

Oh another thing is the Boss EXP. Since there's a base amount in the GBA games pre-promotes get significantly better EXP(like the equivalent of tens of regular enemies for them) relative to unpromoted units from the bosses, so it can be a good idea for Marcus or Seth to kill the bosses during early game.

Edited by arvilino, 18 March 2012 - 06:29 PM.

[Raven]

In regards to useful Jeigans: having Marcus kill the boss in FE7 Hector mode Ch.15 before turn 3 comes helps significantly in regards to not letting the tiny map become overflown with enemy units. The map is then usually cleared of all enemies by turn 5/6.

Edited by Raven, 19 March 2012 - 04:32 AM.

[Snowy_One]

Tier lists are designed by people with a specific goal in mind and ranks the characters based on how well they achieve that goal. Coming online and using a tier list may not be the best idea if you are just starting out and/or not trying to achieve that goal.

Devdan is not Nadved.

[Mekkah]

EXCEPTION 2: In FE5, due to the fatigue system and minimum chapter requirements, you will end up making use of more units than you otherwise would. 15-20 is normal for this game.

I kind of disagree with this. Being aware of fatigue is fine but you don't need anywhere near this amount of "trained" units, and even with prepromo fill-ins this is too much. The better way to fight fatigue is to not fight every enemy you find (which also helps conserving weapon uses), and try to funnel the fatigue so that it ends up being superfluous. For example, if your Fergus just got 20 fatigue through fighting a whole wave of enemies and is close to falling over, either just have him take as many more enemies as possible or let him fight just enough so that he can participate next map. This spares your other units, and lets you get rid of a huge chunk of fatigue by letting Fergus sit out once.

Generally I end up saving most of my S drinks for lategame where you need all those low HP staff chicks, but don't be afraid to use one when you need them. In fact, "don't be afraid to use anything if it helps you" is a great tip for all FEs, but FE5 in particular. Those prf weapons have 60 uses for a reason. Use them whenever they help. Especially the Hero Lance, I have never come close to seeing that thing break because of the indoor maps.

[dondon151]

fatigue also accumulates at only 1 point per round of combat and high HP combat units (like dagda) can easily go 8+ maps without having to sit out a chapter. mekkah's point is right on the money - it kills 2 birds with 1 stone; you don't suffer from fatigue as much, and you won't eat through your prf weapons even with liberal use. just play faster, goddammit.

[Baldrick]

I kind of disagree with this. Being aware of fatigue is fine but you don't need anywhere near this amount of "trained" units, and even with prepromo fill-ins this is too much.

You're shooting yourself in the foot unless you use as many people as you can - I would say 15-20 is the minimum amount of units you should be using. Scrolls and 20 caps mean you're not affected by the reduced exp gain, especially in elite mode, and it's not like there are a lot of unsalvageable units. The game gives you about 50 units, why let most of them rot on the bench?

just play faster, goddammit.

14. Slow and steady wins the race.

[Anouleth]

You're shooting yourself in the foot unless you use as many people as you can - I would say 15-20 is the minimum amount of units you should be using. Scrolls and 20 caps mean you're not affected by the reduced exp gain, especially in elite mode, and it's not like there are a lot of unsalvageable units. The game gives you about 50 units, why let most of them rot on the bench?

When any unit will do, why bother training more?

[dondon151]

14. Slow and steady wins the race.

This is wrong when applied to so many circumstances.

[Aethereal]

14. Slow and steady wins the race.

Not when the person you're racing is going fast and steady.

[Baldrick]

When any unit will do, why bother training more?

The easiest way to beat the fatigue system is to have so many units at your disposal, you never need to use a unit in two consecutive chapters. Obviously, training more people beyond that point is a waste of time.

This is wrong when applied to so many circumstances.

True, but in the 'how can an inexperienced player manage a difficult game mechanic', it is the right answer.

Not when the person you're racing is going fast and steady.

It's enough to easily beat the person going slow and unsteady.

[dondon151]

True, but in the 'how can an inexperienced player manage a difficult game mechanic', it is the right answer.

pretty sure the right answer is to get better at the game and go faster

[Thor Odinson]

there are some chapters that are made a lot harder by going slow anyway
like BBD
You /want/ to Paladin rush there no matter if you play casual or for speed

[Othin]

Better for new players to have enough characters that they don't need to worry about managing fatigue carefully. Levels aren't much of an issue anyway.

Most important thing is, they shouldn't worry about overthinking things. Details can come later. Getting good at unnecessarily speedy runs can come if and when they're confident enough to care.

[Rehab]

Faster is obviously better in drafts and objective-based playthroughs, because that's the point of them, but I don't think the average, relatively uneducated player necessarily thinks playing faster means playing better, or even that making the chapter easier is objectively better. Maybe that would make them miss out on some loot, exp or support-building. If there's a right answer, I'd think it's to come to SF, see how everybody else plays and realize how much they suck learn how the decisions one makes as a player affect the outcomes, learn whether that leads to success on their terms, and learn what makes the game most enjoyable for them.

[Othin]

Faster is obviously better in drafts and objective-based playthroughs, because that's the point of them

No; it's the point of some drafts and some other objective-based playthroughs. They can and do play to objectives that don't involve speed.

Edited by Othin, 21 March 2012 - 05:45 PM.

[Rehab]

Right on, then, my bad.

[dondon151]

Faster is obviously better in drafts and objective-based playthroughs, because that's the point of them, but I don't think the average, relatively uneducated player necessarily thinks playing faster means playing better, or even that making the chapter easier is objectively better. Maybe that would make them miss out on some loot, exp or support-building. If there's a right answer, I'd think it's to come to SF, see how everybody else plays and realize how much they suck learn how the decisions one makes as a player affect the outcomes, learn whether that leads to success on their terms, and learn what makes the game most enjoyable for them.

did you read through the topic yet

playing faster alleviates common problems for inexperienced players such as:
- hoarding rare and strong weapons
- running out of weapons and money
- getting overwhelmed by reinforcements
- inability to complete faster objectives

no one is saying that every inexperienced player should immediately aim for LTC. but you'd be surprised at how often playing just a little faster makes a chapter significantly easier.