Arena Discussion Thread (inc. Assault)

[Okigen]

3 hours ago, Ice Dragon said:

Score is still 4,982 (0 deaths).
Rank is now 227.

It looks like I picked up two new successful defenses with my new defense team, one worth 301 and the other 303.

Current defense team:

+10 Ninian [+Spd, -Res] (Lightning Breath+, Dance, Triangle Adept 3, Escape Route 3, Fortify Dragons, S HP +3)
+10 Nowi [+Atk, -Res] (Lightning Breath+, Rally Def, Triangle Adept 3, Quick Riposte 3, Fortify Dragons, S Atk +1)
+4 Reinhardt [+Atk, -Spd] (Dire Thunder, Blazing Thunder, Death Blow 3, Vantage 3, Goad Cavalry)
+10 Lucina [+Spd, -Res] (Falchion, Luna, Fury 3, Desperation 2, Spur Atk 3, S Spd +1)

 

Currently grinding SP for Ninian and Lucina to learn more things. I'll work on Reinhardt later.

M-may I ask why Reinhardt has Goad Cavalry while none of the rest is cavalry?

EDIT: lol no worries someone asked it already xD

Edited April 17, 2017 by OKigen

[Ice Dragon]

1 minute ago, OKigen said:

M-may I ask why Reinhardt has Goad Cavalry while none of the rest is cavalry?

Everyone else is actually on invisible horses. You just can't see them because they are invisible.

 

Seriously, though, this:

1 hour ago, Ice Dragon said:

Filler. He'll be running way in front of everyone else anyways, so I don't really mind leaving it as it is until I can give him some proper attention.

 

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

Score of 4768 (all new matches)

• Ground Zero (1AM PST Apr 13) - #979
• 14 Hours Later - #1535
• 38 Hours Later - #2453
• 62 Hours later - #3693
• 86 Hours Later - #4776
• 97 Hours Later - #5322

So, I lied. Decided that since I get two whole weeks with my favoured team, to give the old team one more kick at the can with the last 6 swords plus a crest. Just bumped my score up to 4806. I am completely fried, though, so there's no way I'm waiting for the hour to see the rank. I'll grab it when I get up, I guess. Still no defenses, but the fact that I've likely bounced back into the top 5k softens that a little.

[pianime94]

I like seeing inheritance gimmick team on the Arena. Just met a dedicated Flying Horse Emblem in the Arena.

I battled them for fun to the point of one hit is all I need to win, but since they struck me with admiration, I surrendered.

 

[Fei Mao]

^Nice guy Pianime

11 hours left and ranked at 7,858 with my score of 4,758 guess I'm good for those 2,000 feathers. I don't think I'll get a defense win this season, stacking color team isn't cutting it for me, probably going to 5* Kagero (when I get the feathers) and add in Olivia for my defense team. (I'm open to suggestions if anyone has a more optimal way of setting a defense team)

 

[Okigen]

49 minutes ago, Fei Mao said:

^Nice guy Pianime

11 hours left and ranked at 7,858 with my score of 4,758 guess I'm good for those 2,000 feathers. I don't think I'll get a defense win this season, stacking color team isn't cutting it for me, probably going to 5* Kagero (when I get the feathers) and add in Olivia for my defense team. (I'm open to suggestions if anyone has a more optimal way of setting a defense team)

 

I find stacking Wings of Mercy (even level 1) on the team is super helpful. The AI is really good in suiciding an unit to allow other WoM units to gang up on one enemy and many people will surrender after losing 1 unit. Works best with the suicider being a ranged attacker and the WoM ones are melee.

Edited April 17, 2017 by OKigen

[Thor Odinson]

I finally got defense, after making numerous adjustments. Blue wasn't cutting it, but apparently red did.

Went with Sanaki (+spd -hp, default skills), Ryoma (+spd -atk, same as my offense one, +swap and vantage), Olivia (+atk -res, also the same as offense, +Fury and Swordbreaker), and Minerva (+spd -def, +1, desperation/moonbow but I can probably find her a spare QR somewhere)

Switched to this last night, with Sanaki lead. Got 2.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Thor Odinson

[XeKr]

I don’t really like how clustered people are (easy to get into 670-680 range), and how scores for individual matches vary so much (like at least 10 pts, maybe more). 

4736 was rank 12kish on Sat. I saw a few 680+ matches and just replacing 3 670 matches would result in 4766 or something, near Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi’s old rank which was around 5k. Currently at 4752 which was rank 6k or something on the weekend, but has now fallen to 10050 (Fei Mao has 6 more points and is over 2000 better rank). I have like 40 crests so I certainly could blow them selecting matches, but it just feels kinda lame that it’s necessary due to rng in points alone. 

I guess I am finding arena a little easier now, though I still see decent number of midrange +5ish merges of Eirika/mages/dancers (no merges of my own and using 4* Palla). 

Defense wise I have 8 with the typical Linde, Eirika, Robin(M), Anna so that seems to be working fine for me.

Edited April 17, 2017 by XeKr

[Ice Dragon]

Okay, put some thought into changing up my offense team for next season's arena bonus heroes. Can anyone see any obvious flaws with the following team before I start actually working on putting it together?

• Sophia [=] (Raudhrraven+, Dragon Fang, Triangle Adept 3, G Tomebreaker 3, Fortify Res 3)
• +10 Ninian [+Spd, -Res] (Lightning Breath+, Dance, Triangle Adept 3, Escape Route 3, Fortify Dragons)
• +4 Reinhardt [+Atk, -Spd] (Dire Thunder, Reposition?, Blazing Thunder, Death Blow 3, Vantage 3, Hone Cavalry)
• Cecilia [+Atk, -Def] (Gronnblade+, Reposition?, Death Blow 3?, Escape Route 3)

Notes and questions:

• G Tomebreaker on Sophia guarantees a one-round kill on Julia and Spring Camilla. Boosted Spring Camilla deals a bit too much damage to Sophia.
• Ninian is keeping Fortify Dragons since it's the same Ninian on my defense team.
• Reinhardt switches Goad Cavalry out for Hone Cavalry to boost Cecilia's Gronnblade+. My long-term goal is to have all cavalry have both Hone Cavalry and Fortify Cavalry and switch them on and off as needed, though I'll start by getting Hone Cavalry on everyone.
• I honestly have no idea what to do with Cecilia. Gronnblade+ is a given, but I don't really know what to do with her passives. +Atk Death Blow 3 lets her one-hit kill any Hector that isn't +HP or +Res after Hone Cavalry buffs.
• +Atk on Cecilia? I have a [+Spd, -Def], but I believe her base Spd is too low to be properly salvageable with +Spd even with Hone Cavalry.
• Reposition for the assist skill on both cavalry units for hit-and-run tactics? Low priority since Ninian exists.

[salinea]

Fuck yeah deathless run at last!

I've been struggling but I managed it finally *feeeeewww*

[pianime94]

20 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

Okay, put some thought into changing up my offense team for next season's arena bonus heroes. Can anyone see any obvious flaws with the following team before I start actually working on putting it together?

• Sophia [=] (Raudhrraven+, Dragon Fang, Triangle Adept 3, G Tomebreaker 3, Fortify Res 3)
• +10 Ninian [+Spd, -Res] (Lightning Breath+, Dance, Triangle Adept 3, Escape Route 3, Fortify Dragons)
• +4 Reinhardt [+Atk, -Spd] (Dire Thunder, Reposition?, Blazing Thunder, Death Blow 3, Vantage 3, Hone Cavalry)
• Cecilia [+Atk, -Def] (Gronnblade+, Reposition?, Death Blow 3?, Escape Route 3)

Notes and questions:

• G Tomebreaker on Sophia guarantees a one-round kill on Julia and Spring Camilla. Boosted Spring Camilla deals a bit too much damage to Sophia.
• Ninian is keeping Fortify Dragons since it's the same Ninian on my defense team.
• Reinhardt switches Goad Cavalry out for Hone Cavalry to boost Cecilia's Gronnblade+. My long-term goal is to have all cavalry have both Hone Cavalry and Fortify Cavalry and switch them on and off as needed, though I'll start by getting Hone Cavalry on everyone.
• I honestly have no idea what to do with Cecilia. Gronnblade+ is a given, but I don't really know what to do with her passives. +Atk Death Blow 3 lets her one-hit kill any Hector that isn't +HP or +Res after Hone Cavalry buffs.
• +Atk on Cecilia? I have a [+Spd, -Def], but I believe her base Spd is too low to be properly salvageable with +Spd even with Hone Cavalry.
• Reposition for the assist skill on both cavalry units for hit-and-run tactics? Low priority since Ninian exists.

For movement skill, I'd say Swap also works fine, but I can imagine how Reposition is put in practice. DB is a fine option I think.

+Spd is salvageable if you give her the Speed seal and Darting Blow/Spd+3. Losing firepower over it might hurt tho.

[Thor Odinson]

There is always Life or Death 2/3 as an option. She can't really take hits well anyway.

[pianime94]

Ah yes, that option somehow escaped me.

[Elieson]

Single Death 7-streak got me 4,690, and I'm sitting comfortably now in the 21,###s. Typical placement for me. Ran:

• Sharena
• Alfonse
• Nowi (+Def/-Res)
• Julia (+Spd/-Def)

@Quintessence I 5*'d the boy! I hope you're happy!

Struggling to get any Def this season though. Running Sharena/Nowi/Nowi/Olivia scored me some last season but nothing this season :X

[Arcanite]

13 minutes ago, Elieson said:

Single Death 7-streak got me 4,690, and I'm sitting comfortably now in the 21,###s. Typical placement for me. Ran:

• Sharena
• Alfonse
• Nowi (+Def/-Res)
• Julia (+Spd/-Def)

@Quintessence I 5*'d the boy! I hope you're happy!

Struggling to get any Def this season though. Running Sharena/Nowi/Nowi/Olivia scored me some last season but nothing this season :X

LOL 2 Nowis?

I say screw Olivia and put your stereotypical 5 star sword user in there instead

[Elieson]

1 minute ago, Arcanite said:

LOL 2 Nowis?

I say screw Olivia and put your stereotypical 5 star sword user in there instead

Yep. one +Def/-Res and one that's the opposite.

I could throw in Marthypan in over Olivia. I figured dancy dancing would mess up people more than a hard swordie but THAT MIGHT BE THE KEY

[MaskedAmpharos]

57 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

Okay, put some thought into changing up my offense team for next season's arena bonus heroes. Can anyone see any obvious flaws with the following team before I start actually working on putting it together?

• Sophia [=] (Raudhrraven+, Dragon Fang, Triangle Adept 3, G Tomebreaker 3, Fortify Res 3)
• +10 Ninian [+Spd, -Res] (Lightning Breath+, Dance, Triangle Adept 3, Escape Route 3, Fortify Dragons)
• +4 Reinhardt [+Atk, -Spd] (Dire Thunder, Reposition?, Blazing Thunder, Death Blow 3, Vantage 3, Hone Cavalry)
• Cecilia [+Atk, -Def] (Gronnblade+, Reposition?, Death Blow 3?, Escape Route 3)

Notes and questions:

• G Tomebreaker on Sophia guarantees a one-round kill on Julia and Spring Camilla. Boosted Spring Camilla deals a bit too much damage to Sophia.
• Ninian is keeping Fortify Dragons since it's the same Ninian on my defense team.
• Reinhardt switches Goad Cavalry out for Hone Cavalry to boost Cecilia's Gronnblade+. My long-term goal is to have all cavalry have both Hone Cavalry and Fortify Cavalry and switch them on and off as needed, though I'll start by getting Hone Cavalry on everyone.
• I honestly have no idea what to do with Cecilia. Gronnblade+ is a given, but I don't really know what to do with her passives. +Atk Death Blow 3 lets her one-hit kill any Hector that isn't +HP or +Res after Hone Cavalry buffs.
• +Atk on Cecilia? I have a [+Spd, -Def], but I believe her base Spd is too low to be properly salvageable with +Spd even with Hone Cavalry.
• Reposition for the assist skill on both cavalry units for hit-and-run tactics? Low priority since Ninian exists.

Overall it looks great, but there are some minor things I want to point out:

I think you should change out Reinhardt's Blazing Thunder and Vantage for Luna or Draconic Aura and Lancebreaker respectively (though you have Cecilia for lances already, so you may get more mileage out of a positioning skill like Wings of Mercy). I understand Reinhardt isn't a priority for you though. 

+Spd Cecilia with Life and Death plus Hone Cavalry hits 39 spd, which is respectable. That also pairs well with taking Desperation as her B-skill to secure kills she may not have gotten otherwise due to her squishiness (if you do go with Desperation, then consider Ardent Sacrifice for her Assist skill to easily get her past the HP threshold). If you go with +Atk instead though, then WoM may serve her better in her B-slot. 

I personally favor +Spd w/ Life and Death and Desperation over +Atk w/ Death Blow. 

I ran a few basic matchups, and that set seemed to grab more KOs (assuming same # of buffs) than +Atk w/ Death Blow even without Desperation (and Desperation nets her even more kills). I could have missed some factors or neglected specific matchups, so you may want to run your own calcs later, but I believe +Spd Cecilia w/ LD is better for your team than +Atk w/ Death Blow. 

Also, this is super minor, but if you don't want Reposition on everyone, Draw Back is another really good Assist skill to have, especially on high movement units like Reinhardt, though Reposition is fine. 

[Arcanite]

Just now, Elieson said:

Yep. one +Def/-Res and one that's the opposite.

I could throw in Marthypan in over Olivia. I figured dancy dancing would mess up people more than a hard swordie but THAT MIGHT BE THE KEY

OH YEAH

I remember when you were asking which one was better or something

Spoiler

DId you give them both Fury, Renewal, Breath of Life and the +def one rally defense while the other has rally resistance?

You can also run hone speed on Sharena

What's the IVs on Marf? Wanna try something like Sharena Nowi Marf and Olivia? 2 blues a red and Nancy Dancy McNasty herself?

[Elieson]

16 minutes ago, Arcanite said:

OH YEAH

I remember when you were asking which one was better or something

  Hide contents

DId you give them both Fury, Renewal, Breath of Life and the +def one rally defense while the other has rally resistance?

You can also run hone speed on Sharena

What's the IVs on Marf? Wanna try something like Sharena Nowi Marf and Olivia? 2 blues a red and Nancy Dancy McNasty herself?

I'm running stock on all of my units, sans 4* Ursula that I gave Blarblade to, and a 4* +Atk/-Spd M!Robin with TA3.

Here's my full (Natures included) roster

[MaskedAmpharos]

@Elieson Personally I think your problem is not enough ranged, so I'd honestly rather put Julia in over Marth for your defense team (or even Ursula, if you have people to buff her). 

[Arcanite]

5 minutes ago, Elieson said:

I'm running stock on all of my units, sans 4* Ursula that I gave Blarblade to, and a 4* +Atk/-Spd M!Robin with TA3.

Here's my full (Natures included) roster

First off: You have a 3* Hinata

You have a Felicia

You have a Fae

In other words, Fury, Breath of life, Renewal Nowi, with Bonfire from M Robin

Second off: I was gonna say exacty what Amph said

3rd off: Your Nino Boons and Banes are an incredible dissapointment

4th off: Who you giving dat Vantage to?

 

[Clogon]

33 minutes ago, MaskedAmpharos said:

I think you should change out Reinhardt's Blazing Thunder and Vantage for Luna or Draconic Aura and Lancebreaker respectively (though you have Cecilia for lances already, so you may get more mileage out of a positioning skill like Wings of Mercy). I understand Reinhardt isn't a priority for you though. 

I don't understand why people are giving Reinhardt Lance Breaker. I have yet to meet a Blue that I didn't kill with Eirika's +3 ATK and Spur ATK or Draconic Aura. What Lances does he need Lance Breaker + Draconic Aura to kill?

[MrSmokestack]

2 minutes ago, Clogon said:

I don't understand why people are giving Reinhardt Lance Breaker. I have yet to meet a Blue that I didn't kill with Eirika's +3 ATK and Spur ATK or Draconic Aura. What Lances does he need Lance Breaker + Draconic Aura to kill?

Lancebreaker lets him get ORKO's on lances he couldn't get otherwise. Swordbreaker is overkill and he has an excellent matchup spread against colorless already, save Felicia who tanks him while being left with single-digit health. That, and the other B skills don't benefit him nearly as much.

With it + Atk roll + Death Blow he basically ORKO's three different colors and even some low-res Greens

Edited April 17, 2017 by MrSmokestack

[Clogon]

1 minute ago, MrSmokestack said:

Lancebreaker lets him get ORKO's on lances he couldn't get otherwise. 

Yes and I am asking which ones specifically. Again I have NEVER met a Blue, let alone a Lance, that survived a Draconic Aura or +7 ATK from Hone and Spur ATK.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Clogon

[MrSmokestack]

4 minutes ago, Clogon said:

Yes and I am asking which ones specifically. Again I have NEVER met a Lance that survived a Draconic Aura or +7 ATK from Hone and Spur ATK.

Off the top of my head? I can't tell you. I did go over the numbers a while back and can link you to the post that goes over this in detail, but it's been a while.

Here.

 

EDIT: I'll get back to you on this, on mobile rn sorry

 

EDIT: Without Lancebreaker, he misses ORKO's on high-Res blues, specifically Claire, Florina, Gwendolyn, Jagen, and Peri. With them, he has a perfect matchup spread. Mind you, this is without buffs or Draconic Aura procs, just a +Atk roll and Death Blow.

Without +Atk only Effie survives with like 2HP.

Edited April 17, 2017 by MrSmokestack