When do you use stat boosters?

[dondon151]

I think it's kind of a waste to use stat boosters so I don't use them, especially when they're in short supply.

this sentence doesn't make sense. it's a waste to not use them. that's the definition of waste.

[Florete]

this sentence doesn't make sense. it's a waste to not use them. that's the definition of waste.

FE7 even says this when you get the first Angelic Robe. Something like "Choose wisely, but don't waste it by not giving it to anyone."

Oh, the topic.

I used to - and sometimes still do - hoard stat boosters a lot, not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid I would use it and then later wish I still had it for someone else. Ever since I determined that that kind of situation almost never happens, I began using them quicker, but sometimes I just forget about them.

[Irysa]

I hoard statboosters in my first playthrough until I decide to dump them all onto one unit, unless someone says otherwise. Once I'm familiar with the game and what kind of benchmarks are neccessary, they get distributed more sensibly throughout.

I enjoy saving the body ring, dracoshield, a speedwing and robe for Niime a lot though.

[Hamicsat]

Boots go to dancers and body rings go to pegs and goddess icons get pawned. Other than that, I use stat boosters to patch any weaknesses in units I plan on using.

[The Geek]

I give them to whoever I think needs it most (read: whoever has the lowest number in that particular stat/someone I know won't grow much in that stat)

[Book Bro]

I usually use them as soon as I get them, on the prep screen if possible or in the first few turns of the next chapter. I generally give them to whoever has the lowest stat in the team I'm using, unless I have a preferred character that might not need it as much as a less liked one, or if I know someone is coming up soon that will need it more. The exception is Arms Scrolls, I save those to use if I suddenly need someone to be able to use Hand Axes or Javelins or something.

[Loki Laufeyson]

I usually wait until i recruit everyone i plan on using and then divvy up the boosters. Except in specific situations. (example: Florina getting the Robe and/or Energy Ring from Lyn Mode, etc) Thats when they are reserved for a specific unit.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Loki Laufeyson

[PKL]

I tend to use them ASAP so I can get the most benefit out of them. (the earlier you use them the more chapters you'll have a powered up unit in)

Though I sometimes do save them for a later unit.

This is pretty much how I've use them in the past::

FE6:

Angelic Robe- Roy, Shanna (NM), Tate, Lalum, Niime

Energy Ring- Shanna, Tate, Warpers, Sue, Lugh, Fir

Secret Book- sold for more Boots

Speedwing- Miledy

Goddess Icon- sold for more Boots

Dracoshield- Miledy, Shanna, Tate

Talisman- Miledy, Shanna, Tate

Body Ring- Tate, Shanna

Boots (desert)- Miledy

FE7:

Angelic Robe- Florina (LM), Fiora

Energy Ring- Florina (LM), Kent (LM), Fiora (EHM)

Secret Book- Sold for some reason but whenever I play FE7 again im definetely saving it for Sainadin like dondon suggested to me once.

Speedwing- Marcus, Heath

Goddess Icon- Marcus

Dracoshield- Marcus, Florina, Fiora if Florina turned out awful

Talisman- Sainadin, Fiora

Body Ring- Fiora after Hector promotes because then she doesnt care because she cant rescue him anyway

Boots- Heath, Fiora (EHM) or Florina usually

FE8:

Angelic Robe- Vanessa, Tana

Energy Ring- Vanessa, Tana, Warpers

Secret Book- dont remember I think I usually didnt get the ch5 one, knowing me I probably sell em.

Speedwing- Seth, Duessel, Cormag

Goddess Icon- sold or to Vanessa because I can

Dracoshield- Vanessa, Tana

Talisman- Vanessa, Seth, Tana

Body Ring- Vanessa or Tana if shes a combat unit as Wyvern, otherwise I give it to excalibur user like Saleh

Boots- Vanessa, Tana, Cormag (if Eph)

FE9:

Angelic Robe- Marcia, Tanith

Energy Drop- Marcia, Tanith

Spirit Dust- Soren, Calill, Tormod

Secret Book- usually don't obtain them

Speedwing- Jill, Soren, Tormod, Calill, Body

Goddess Icon- Marcia

Dracoshield- Marcia, Tanith

Talisman- Marcia, Ike, Jill, Tanith

Boots- Marcia

FE10:

Angelic Robe: Jill, Micaiah (in drafts), Tanith/Sigrun

Energy Drop: Jill, Mia, Marcia, Nephenee

Spirit Dust: Usually not obtained

Secret Book: Usually not obtained

Speedwing: Haar, Titania, Ike

Goddess Icon: Sold for Gold

Dracoshield: Jill, Marcia

Talisman: dont remember

Boots- Jill, Haar

FE11:

Angelic Robe- Caeda, Marth

Energy Drop- Caeda, Palla

Spirit Dust- Merric, Wendell

Secret Book- sold

Speedwing- Palla, Barst

Goddess Icon- Palla

Dracoshield- Caeda, Palla, Marth

Talisman- Caeda, Marth

Boots- Marth

FE12 (theres a ton so im just gonna list who I think uses each well):

Angelic Robe- Marth, Palla, Caeda, Linde, Cecille, Minerva, Avatar

Energy Drop- Caeda, Catria, Minerva, Cecille, Draug

Spirit Dust- Linde, Merric, Etzel, Malicia, Katarina, Mage Avatar

Secret Book- Luke, Draug

Speedwing- Palla, Sirius, Luke, Ryan, Minerva, no-growth-drop-marth

Goddess Icon- Palla, Katarina, Catria

Dracoshield- Avatar, Marth, Palla, Catria, Luke, Draug, Ryan, Rody

Talisman- Luke, Draug, Ryan, Rody

Arms Scroll- Luke (bows), Draug (bows/swords), Ryan (swords), Rody (swords/bows)

Boots- Marth

FE13:

Angelic Robe- Cordelia, Sumia, Morgan, Lucina, Nowi

Energy Drop- Cordelia, Sumia, Morgan, Lucina, Sully

Spirit Dust- Avatar, Morgan, Anna, Libra, Ricken, Miriel, Dark Flier Sumia

Secret Book- Tharja

Speedwing- Stahl, Frederick, Vaike, Ricken, Cherche

Goddess Icon- Tharja, Cherche

Dracoshield- Cordelia, Sumia

Talisman- no one really minds having more res, though I tend to give it to whoever is the main flier.

Arms Scroll- Panne (axes), Dark Flier Sumia (tomes), anyone who could use Fortify with it in Lunatic and also Lucina or units that start out with lame rank in a weapon, basically every reclassed unit ever.

Boots- tend to give it to Morgan, Avatar, Cordelia, Sumia, Panne or Stahl/Sully

Naga Tear- usually the same as the Boots unit, though I give Naga Tear first obviously.

Edited July 28, 2014 by PKL

[Ercdouken]

I use them when I feel a unit needs a boost in a certain stat, or near the end of the game.

[DreadFighter]

Basically RNG can hurt a characters well balanced stat. Stat boosters can counteract the terrible RNG or bring a character to their true potential.

[FrostyFireMage]

Mostly sell them

[lazydoggamer]

I use them as soon as possible. Unless you bench the person you give the item to you can't really waste them.

[Paper Jam]

I use them as soon as possible. Unless you bench the person you give the item to you can't really waste them.

Or unless they max out the stat you boosted before they reach level 20/20.

Anyway, I generally use Boots on my Dancer or Bard, since they don't promote or gain movement any other way. The rest depends on the game.

FE7: Hoard the stat boosters from Lyn's story so that Lyn gets the White Gem in the main story. I generally hoard stat boosters (except the Boots) in the main story too, because of Funds rank.

FE8: Unless someone is severely Speed-screwed, I generally save stat boosters until my characters are 20/20 and see which stats they haven't maxed out, then use stat boosters to max them out.

FE9: Same as FE8, but focusing on characters I want to use in FE10.

FE10: Battle save makes it pretty easy increase characters' stats without stat boosters, so I generally don't use them.

FE11 and 12: I have no reason to hoard them, but I generally don't use them anyway.

FE13: Same as FE8.

[Mark the Tactician]

It's kind of a difficult decision every time I get statboosters...

I generally apply them at the beginning of a battle, giving them to the ones with the lowest stats depending on the item.

Though, for some items, like Boots or Body Rings, I usually give them to the Lord unit.

[eclipse]

FE7 - Use ONE of the Angelic Robe/Energy Ring/Knight's Crest, and still get the White Gem. I usually give the Energy Ring to someone (who I give it to depends. . .)

As for the topic. . .if I don't need it for some specific benchmark (see: surviving the Dragon in FE7), I'll most likely sell it. . .with the exception of Speedwings and Energy Rings - the former goes to whoever needs it, and the latter to whoever's got Physic.

EDIT: Oh, and Arms Scrolls in FE11 onwards - those go to whoever needs to get the next weapon rank ASAP.

Edited July 28, 2014 by eclipse

[CT075]

Worth it!

Edited July 28, 2014 by CT075

[Ownagepuffs]

Worth it!

Omfg Cam pls my sides.

[Crooks]

I tend to use them immediately, especially when it comes to defense boosting or luck boosting items, which I give to Pegasus knights, mages, healers, or dancers (or anything similar).

However, in Awakening, I hoard them, mostly. I save them for 'later', which is really actually never. Except for luck boosting items, those immediately go to Inigo, Severa, my avatar, or Morgan (because of armsthrift).

Edited July 29, 2014 by Crooks

[RJWalker]

I save them till midgame since at that point, it's easy to tell who will be worth keeping and who won't.

[Aizenberg]

when they're un promoted and they reach level 20

[Narga_Rocks]

I use them as soon as possible. Unless you bench the person you give the item to you can't really waste them.

Depends how long you use them before benching them. Sometimes it helps to give a unit a boost for a few chapters before someone else shows up that is better.

Or unless they max out the stat you boosted before they reach level 20/20.

Wow. Really. Didn't know that thought was still out there. So you are telling me that if a unit starts with low spd but eventually hits cap at 20/20 normally that the 30 levels or so of having 2 more speed for extra doubling is a waste? Just wow. Also, do you like arena-grind or something to make everyone 20/20? In most of these games, 20/10 to 20/15 is a better target, or like 15/15 or even 10/15 depending on the game.

[Icon of Sin]

Wow. Really. Didn't know that thought was still out there. So you are telling me that if a unit starts with low spd but eventually hits cap at 20/20 normally that the 30 levels or so of having 2 more speed for extra doubling is a waste? Just wow. Also, do you like arena-grind or something to make everyone 20/20? In most of these games, 20/10 to 20/15 is a better target, or like 15/15 or even 10/15 depending on the game.

It's viable for transfer runs in FE9.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Woodshooter

[Narga_Rocks]

It's viable for transfer runs in FE9.

Oh, right, I always think of the mode with the least exp given. In HM (not even that J only maniac) you get enough exp to get maybe 7 units to 20/20 in fe9 unless you grind either staves or bosses or something. In other modes, you can easily get more 20/20 in most games, although some of them like fe8 can just be completed so incredibly quickly thanks to broken units that getting many 20/20 units means you went slow and clearly don't care about speed so the extra flashy numbers are really the only advantage to boosters.

[Icon of Sin]

Oh, right, I always think of the mode with the least exp given. In HM (not even that J only maniac) you get enough exp to get maybe 7 units to 20/20 in fe9 unless you grind either staves or bosses or something. In other modes, you can easily get more 20/20 in most games, although some of them like fe8 can just be completed so incredibly quickly thanks to broken units that getting many 20/20 units means you went slow and clearly don't care about speed so the extra flashy numbers are really the only advantage to boosters.

Games vary and so do the playstyles among different players and i'd say that's rather important to remember before bringing judgement. Furthermore, some games also have different experience forumlas. FE1 and FE3 always give the same experience on a kill whether you're a level 5 Est or a level 14 Jeigan.

This said, transferring the most units possible in FE9 revolves mostly around boss abuse that even I find tedious after a while. Rhys and Mist can even go from base level to max against the likes of Ena or Ashnard.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Woodshooter

[Rapier]

I use them as soon as I get them, as I don't see a reason to keep them unless I'm waiting to recruit a character that most likely will need it. I tend to sell Skill and Luck stat-boosters.