Need advice on Revelation pairings

[Nihilon]

So, I'm about a third of the way through Revelation now (just finished Chapter 12) and I need to start figuring out who to pair with whom. Now, besides Caeldori, Ophelia, Soleil and possibly Shiro and Shigure I don't actually plan to use most of the children - so I'm mostly concerned with which parents to choose for those five, and for all the other parents, what I get for Partner Sealing them.

For reference, here are the relevant pairings I used on my Conquest and Birthright playthroughs:

Azura x Xander: Shigure made a pretty strong Kinshi Knight, but I feel like I should have given him a different father to access other classes - Shigure is not quite tanky enough to be a good Paladin or Great Knight. Likewise goes for Azura - I Partner Sealed her into a Paladin for a few levels to get her Aegis, but she can't stay in that class for long, she is just far too glassy.

Camilla x Laslow: This is a pairing that actually worked out rather well. I kept Soleil as a Hero for a while, then turned her into a Ninja later on, where she excelled, thanks to the extra SPD and SKL growths she got from her mother. Camilla benefitted a little from the Partner Seal to Mercenary, but it was probably not an ideal choice.

Nyx x Odin: In retrospect, I should have probably used a different mother for Ophelia for a better classpool - then again, Nyx as her mother ended up turning her into, essentially, a walking magical nuke that could oneshot anything except the final boss. I never used her parents again, though.

Kaze x Selena: Midori was pseudo-benched most of the time (I just had her run around the battlefield for Profiteer; gold is scarce in Conquest), and Kaze ended up gathering dust in the end as well, because Selena just turned out to be so much better at being a Ninja than him.

Benny x Beruka: I didn't use Ignatius, but having Savage Blow on Benny was awesome - and Beruka really appreciated getting Wary Fighter, with her terrible SPD.

Peri x Leo: A bad pairing in retrospect - it added nothing to Peri's class pool or to Leo's.

Femui (+SPD/-LCK) x Subaki: I ended up passing no noteworthy classes (as I almost always take Samurai as a talent), but Caeldori turned out to be a terrific Swordmaster anyway - her STR was blessed by the RNG, so she ended up being basically a tankier version of Hana (that still hits almost as hard). Subaki ended up being benched, however.

Mozu x Ryoma: Sadly, it seemed like Shiro ended up being RNG-screwed on his defenses - his DEF was okay, but his RES spent a long time sitting in the single digits (and was only at 13 by the time I reached Endgame), so he wasn't as good a tank as Hinoka and Oboro were as Spear Masters. Mozu did benefit from Sword Master, however - with her naturally high SKL and SPD, it was a natural fit for her, so after letting her spend some time as Master of Arms to help her bulk up, I did that.

Now, here are the pairings I'm considering for Revelation:

Azura pairings:

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Azura x Takumi: Given that both Azura and her son have naturall high STR, SKL and SPD, Sniper seems like a natural fit for them. Then again, since I already have Takumi, the only question is whether I need more Snipers...

Azura x Saizo: Similar to the reasoning for Sniper, both Azura and Shigure might make good Ninjas, as they can stay at range and snipe enemies from two tiles away.

Azura x Kaze: Similar to Azura x Saizo, the difference being that I won't be able to marry Kaze to Selena (who also made a surprisingly good Ninja on my Conquest run).

Azura x Xander: The Cavalier class line doesn't suit either of them, but Aegis really helps those support units stay alive...

Azura x Ryoma: Who knows, maybe I really want Azura to be THE ULTIMATE glass cannon. Like Hana, except even more extreme.

Kaze pairings:

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Kaze x Selena: What I used on my Conquest run. What I'm aiming for here is mostly getting Selena the Ninja into her classpool.

Kaze x Hana: Similar in reasoning to Kaze x Selena; what with Hana being so incredibly glassy, she might appreciate the safety of Shuriken.

Kaze x Peri: I always found that neither Paladin nor Great Knight really fit Peri, what with her glassy DEF - I ended up turning her into a hit-and-run Paladin with Lifetaker, Armored Blow and Galeforce, but I think that she, much like Hana, would appreciate the safety of Shuriken.

Kaze x Femui: Having Lethality would be nice for my Swordmaster Avatar.

Ryoma pairings:

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Ryoma x Mozu: What I used in my Birthright run and what I might use again (if I don't go for Ryoma x Femui). Mozu makes a decent Swordmaster, and as there is no lack of Snipers in Birthright and Revelation, I don't feel compelled to have her take up the bow.

Ryoma x Femui: While this will give neither of them something useful to Partner Seal, it will give Shiro some really good SPD (as my Femui is +SPD), so if he gets RNG-screwed on his defenses again, I can always turn him into a Swordmaster instead of a Spear Master tank.

Ryoma x Azura: Ryoma doesn't really get anything from this (he doesn't really have any business with the Sky Knight line or its skills), but Swordmaster Shigure would be funny.

Takumi pairings:

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Takumi x Azura: See Azura's entry on this. Takumi sadly doesn't get anything out of this - the only skill in the Sky Knight line he'd care about is Amaterasu (which I REALLY like having on as many units as possible), but Archer can already promote into that anyway... Only problem is that I have no idea who else I could possibly marry Takumi to.

Saizo pairings:

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Saizo x Femui: Gets my Femui access to Ninja, which I like... plus, I REALLY like Saizo.

Saizo x Azura: See also Azura's entry. Having Saizo as a Kinshi Knight would be funny just for how out-of-character it is, plus it gets him Amaterasu (which is useful even if I class him back into a Ninja), but he might also make a surprisingly good Falcon Knight with his decent MAG.

Subaki pairings:

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Subaki x Femui: What I used on my Birthright run. In retrospect, it wasn't that good a decision as I don't need any Sky Knight skills on my Femui, I ended up benching Subaki and Caeldori already naturally has access to the Samurai class line anyway. What can I say, I liked the idea of having Caeldori as a daughter...

Subaki x Oboro: Having Amaterasu on Oboro will be nice (Amaterasu on EVERYTHING is nice), plus Caeldori appreciates the extra DEF and RES growths from her mother, and the Spear Fighter line has some nice skills for her to pick up.

Subaki x Selena: For added hey-Caeldori-kinda-looks-like-Cordelia fun, only worry is that I can't turn Selena into a Ninja this way (her performance as one in Conquest was VERY impressive). Also, Caeldori might appreciate some of the Mercenary line of skills, like Sol or Shurikenbreaker.

Xander pairings:

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Xander x Azura: See also Azura's entry. Xander gets Amaterasu out of this, which is always nice... but beyond that, not particularly good.

Xander x Hinoka: Another way for Xander to get Sky Knight access - plus, Hinoka may find the Cavalier class line to be a decent fit for her.

Leo pairings:

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Leo x Hinoka: Hinoka might appreciate some Dark Mage skills (everyone likes Bowbreaker, especially if I decide to keep her as a flying class after all), and having Amaterasu is always good on everyone, including Leo. Plus, Forrest may appreciate being a Falcon Knight - I may actually use him that way, though Hinoka as a mother sadly hurts his MAG pretty bad.

Leo x Nyx: Though neither parent gets much out of this, I've heard that Adventurer Forrest (with Shining Bow) is actually pretty good - so I might end up trying that out if I don't pair Nyx with Odin to make Ophelia the walking nuke again.

Benny pairings:

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Benny x Beruka: What I did on my Conquest run and what I might do again. Both really appreciate the skills they get via Partner Seal this way - Savage Blow is nice on someone like Benny who can just walk into a group of enemies without fearing much, and Trample is a nice damage boost to have. Beruka, on the other hand, REALLY appreciates having Wary Fighter thanks to her terrible SPD.

Benny x Oboro: Benny likes Lancefaire, Seal Defense, Seal Speed and other nice skills the Spear Fighter line gives him - Oboro will also serve much better as a tank if I can Partner Seal her into a Knight/General, and even if I don't, everyone likes having Armored Blow.

Odin pairings:

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Odin x Nyx: What I used on my Conquest run, and might do again. Ophelia ended up being a walking nuke that doubled nearly everything except Master Ninjas, hit for 20+ damage per hit and had a 30%-40% crit chance on most enemies.

Odin x Orochi: The other "nuclear option" for Ophelia. Orochi passes some slightly tankier growths than Nyx does and even higher MAG, but I'm worried about Ophelia's SPD in this case - still, Tomefaire is very appealing...

Laslow pairings:

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Laslow x Camilla: What I used on my Conquest run. Camilla doesn't really need the Mercenary line (though Sol is nice to have), but she passes stat growths to Soleil in the areas where it really matters, giving her daughter some extra HP, RES, SKL and SPD, while only hurting her phenomenal STR slightly.

Laslow x Charlotte: Appealing, since it really fixes Soleil's low HP, but it pretty much nukes her defensive stats. Soleil may appreciate Axefaire if I don't turn her into a Ninja again, though.

Laslow x Effie: This one seems pretty good, at least on paper. Armored Blow is always nice on everyone, and it makes Soleil really good STR and SPD-wise - I'm just worried about her defensive stats with this one.

Laslow x Hana: Hana may appreciate getting Sol and Shurikenbreaker from the Mercenary line, while Soleil may make an impressively good Swordmaster - sure, Hana as a mother leaves her pretty glassy, but as far as I'm concerned, having another Swordmaster is never, ever a bad thing.

So... that's it for my thoughts. I'd like advice and opinions to help me decide, or just discussion!

EDIT: Corrected some errors.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Nihilon

[deactivated]

If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't go for the same exact pairings that you did in your Birthright and Conquest files, if you want to unlock all of the supports. I would also keep in mind that the support options for the partners might affect the A+ support classes.

Anyways, I would do this,

Azura and Saizo

Kaze and Kamui/Corrin/whatever she's called by the fandom

Ryoma and Mozu

Odin and Orochi

Laslow and Peri (I know that wasn't an option, but it doesn't sound too bad, otherwise I'd pair him up with Hana)

Subaki and Selena (also, you won't get Ninja as a class and no other class for Selena, so that kind sucks)

and Benny and Beruka.

I hope I helped you out a bit.

[singularity]

for Azura, I suggest getting Azura/Kaze. -1 Str and -3 Def mods might seem a bit iffy but you get +4 Skl and +7 Spd in return, plus Shigure won't be outclassed by the other child growth-wise. The pairing also gives Lck+4 to Midori without skill buying, and Replicate to both children.

Shigure should A+ Hisame. One of my gripes is that he doesn't have much A+ options(only 2 when other children have like 3/4), and Hisame is pretty much the best option for him because Samurai.

Shiro is pretty hard to screw up, unless you give him a magic mom. He's one of the few children that won't be screwed by Rinkah, but if you want more power you can go with Kagero instead. I heard Camilla is quite good for him too, but Ryoma/Camilla support isn't the best(and that hair color is just terrible on him).

I usually give Hinoka to Subaki, gives Caeldori decent mods/growths and Spear Fighter(Oboro could work too but I prefer keeping the red hair aesthetic). Despite how much the game hints on Selena, she isn't the best mom for her sadly.

Odin/Elise is supposedly the best Ophelia pairing. For Soleil, Laslow/Peri is good.

[Nihilon]

So far, I've finalized Saizo x Femui and Subaki x Selena. Caeldori is looking pretty good so far, and Asugi has hilariously absurd SPD as the result of Femui having +SPD. I'm currently in the process of grinding Ryoma x Camilla as well, so that takes a few possible pairings out of the equation. Having given it all a little more thought, the following pairings are still on the table:

Azura x Takumi: As mentioned in the first post, Azura and Shigure might make good Snipers.

Azura x Kaze: They also might make good Ninjas.

Kaze x Hana: Given how incredibly outclassed Hana is in terms of damage output in this run (Femui has been blessed by the RNG this time), turning her into a Ninja is looking more and more appealing for its added safety...

Kaze x Peri: Still on the table but unlikely, given that I don't see myself using Peri at the moment.

Xander x Hinoka: Currently the only pairing I consider worthwhile on Xander. Or does anyone have a better suggestion?

Leo x Nyx: Adventurer Forrest sounds cool for Shining Bow shenanigans.

Leo x Sakura: Gets Forrest access to Onmyoji and with it, Tomefaire.

Benny x Beruka: What I originally used and still consider viable... mostly. But it's probably time to experiment.

Benny x Rinkah: Gets Benny access to Counter, which is nice, considering that his entire purpose is standing on a chokepoint and soaking up damage...

Benny x Oboro: Given that Benny's primary weapon is a lance, Lancefaire will be nice to have - as will some of the Seal skills.

Odin x Nyx: It worked out very well on my Conquest run, but if I marry Nyx to Leo for Adventurer Forrest shenanigans...

Odin x Orochi: Ophelia gets access to Tomefaire this way, but her SPD takes a nasty hit as a result.

Odin x Elise: Gives Ophelia plenty of MAG and SPD, but her defenses are bombed...

Laslow x Charlotte: I'm mostly worried about Soleil's DEF and RES growths in this case.

Laslow x Effie: So far the one I'm considering the most.

Laslow x Hana: For when I figure that Soleil might make a good Swordmaster.

[eclipse]

Pity, because Laslow/Selena gives Laslow a class he doesn't mind, and Selena her Ninja class.

Anyway. . .I'd do:

- Azura/Takumi (since Azura wants nothing to do with the front lines, and Bowfaire on a Kinshi Knight is also funny)

- Kaze/Effie (this is surprisingly effective on both of them, but if you REALLY want that wife pool you mentioned, go with Kaze/Peri, because I have other plans for Hana)

- Xander/Charlotte (Siegbert gets 'zerker access, and his skill works best in the back)

- Leo/Sakura (it also gives Forrest access to another tome/staff class)

- Benny/Rinkah (Rinkah is fine with being an armored unit, and Ignatius with Death Blow is funny; Beruka works if you really REALLY want a pure tank)

- Odin/Orochi (Ophelia's Speed is irrelevant if she nukes enemies in one hit)

- Laslow/Hana (yes, Soliel makes a good swordmaster, though I adore her as a ninja).

[Nihilon]

Pity, because Laslow/Selena gives Laslow a class he doesn't mind, and Selena her Ninja class.

Anyway. . .I'd do:

- Azura/Takumi (since Azura wants nothing to do with the front lines, and Bowfaire on a Kinshi Knight is also funny)

- Kaze/Effie (this is surprisingly effective on both of them, but if you REALLY want that wife pool you mentioned, go with Kaze/Peri, because I have other plans for Hana)

- Xander/Charlotte (Siegbert gets 'zerker access, and his skill works best in the back)

- Leo/Sakura (it also gives Forrest access to another tome/staff class)

- Benny/Rinkah (Rinkah is fine with being an armored unit, and Ignatius with Death Blow is funny; Beruka works if you really REALLY want a pure tank)

- Odin/Orochi (Ophelia's Speed is irrelevant if she nukes enemies in one hit)

- Laslow/Hana (yes, Soliel makes a good swordmaster, though I adore her as a ninja).

Thanks for your input. Here are my comments:

Azura x Takumi: Probably the one I'll go for. I will likely just give both Azura and Shigure Amaterasu + Bowfaire/Quick Draw/Aggressor for really big damages with good backline support.

Kaze x Effie: I don't use Kaze in this playthrough, as he has been completely outclassed by Saizo in every possible way. I didn't originally intend to use Effie, but Ninja Effie sounds interesting, so I might go for that if I don't do Laslow x Effie.

Xander x Charlotte: I don't intend to use Siegbert or Charlotte, so this pairing doesn't interest me much. The reason I intend to go for Xander x Hinoka is to get Xander Sky Knight access for Amaterasu - I like having that on as many units as possible.

Leo x Sakura: This looks like the one I'll go for. Tomefaire is just really good, plus I just like pairing up the royals...

Benny x Rinkah: I don't use Rinkah (or Ignatius), but having Counter on Benny would be nice. Rinkah vs Beruka is mostly a question of whether I want Counter or Savage Blow/Trample more.

Odin x Orochi: You do have a point. Tomefaire is also very appealing...

Laslow x Hana: Since Hana got mostly RNG-screwed in this run, going Hero might succeed in making her slightly less glassy. It also turns Soleil into a glass cannon much like her mother... I'll have to see how this one holds up vs Laslow x Effie.

Somewhat off-topic: Saizo was blessed by the RNG gods to the point that I'm wondering why I even still use any other units. He could probably solo most levels with just a healer backing him up. I'll likely not take that many ninjas along at this point; probably just Soleil, if at all.

[Thor Odinson]

Xander/Hinoka is solid. Still gives Xander speed, which is what he wants anyway. Darting blow + speed pairup combo should get get Xander to start doubling. If he still doesn't hit doubling thresholds in paladin, there's always A+ Ryoma for Swordmaster.

Since it looks like you're set on Azura/Takumi, I recommend putting Takumi into Kinshi for at least 1 level, because that gives Takumi Darting Blow, which fixes any speed issues he may have. He can still Fuujin snipe people in it anyway. I like his stats better in Sniper and he does have psedoflight in BR, but Kinshi might be more useful in RV terrain.

[Nihilon]

Xander/Hinoka is solid. Still gives Xander speed, which is what he wants anyway. Darting blow + speed pairup combo should get get Xander to start doubling. If he still doesn't hit doubling thresholds in paladin, there's always A+ Ryoma for Swordmaster.

Since it looks like you're set on Azura/Takumi, I recommend putting Takumi into Kinshi for at least 1 level, because that gives Takumi Darting Blow, which fixes any speed issues he may have. He can still Fuujin snipe people in it anyway. I like his stats better in Sniper and he does have psedoflight in BR, but Kinshi might be more useful in RV terrain.

I'll probably make Xander a Lodestar for a couple of levels, too - Speedtaker is glorious on him. But it's nice to have confirmation that Xander x Hinoka is worthwhile.

As for Azura x Takumi, it's primarily because I can't think of a better pairing. The closest competitor is Azura x Kaze, but that one depends a lot on whether I can find someone else appropriate for Takumi, and on whom I want to give Ninja to.

I'm also a little worried about what to do with Odin and by extension, Elise. If I marry Odin x Orochi, I don't really have anyone else to marry her to... She can't S-support Hayato, so the only worthwhile marriage I can think of is to Niles, which would make Nina into a Shining Bow abuser, but this isn't quite optimal. I call this the "Magic Marriage Problem". If I take my current constellation of marriages and I marry Odin x Orochi, the following will ensue:

- Leo x Sakura OR Leo x Nyx to give Forrest decent stats;

- Sakura x Azama or Sakura x Hayato if Leo x Nyx is done (and I don't like either of those pairings for Sakura);

...which leaves Niles as the only real option for Elise.

On the other hand, if I marry Odin x Nyx:

- Leo x Sakura is pretty much locked in this case

- Orochi x Azama or Orochi x Hayato (which is pretty much for completeness's sake; I don't use any of these characters, or their children)

- Elise is again left with Niles

If I marry Odin x Elise:

- Leo x Sakura or Leo x Nyx is possible

- If I marry Leo x Sakura, I can marry Hayato x Nyx

...So basically, if I don't marry Odin x Elise, Elise's phenomenal MAG and SPD growths don't get passed on to any worthwhile children, but this also means that I miss out on the fantastic Tomefaire for Ophelia... I'm really not sure how to resolve this.