Chapter 13 in Blue Lions and Church on maddening gets the reward for being the most frustrating chapter in FE.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

8 hours ago, eclipse said:

Doesn't Blue Lions looks a lot better now?

But on a serious note, you'll have to take advantage of Claude's flying as much as possible.  This chapter threw me a curve ball on Hard. I don't want to think of how bad it is on Maddening.

Claude can find save spots a bit easier as a flyer, but he and Byleth have literally no enemy phase. Both need sword breaker (at least Byleth if Claude stays as a flyer) to have a chance to survive. And thunder sword is also important to have because it negates terrain boosts. Thankfully I had a second save file after chapter 10, so I will redo it and give Byleth the equipment and skills she needs in chapter 12. 

I think it is a bit easier in Blue Lions because Dimitri, although being slow, has a decent enemy phase in a forest tile for having weapon advantage. However bow users, if they can double him, will massively hurt him with poison strike.

Edited October 14, 2019 by Ingrid Brandl Galatea

[Cysx]

On 10/12/2019 at 2:51 PM, Ingrid Brandl Galatea said:

Sigh... I am doing this chapter in Golden Deer route right now, and honestly I am even more screwed right now than I was in Blue Lions. I totally forgot to set equipment and skills in chapter 12. Byleth neither got sword breaker nor she got a thunder sword which would be helpful against enemies in forest tiles. The worst is that Byleth is really BAD because slow. Speed wings cannot fix it. And Claude has no enemy phase, will be ORKO'ed by pretty much everyone. I have no idea how to come through this chapter.

Make use of the Failnaught's combat art, it will allow Claude to deal damage to one target on enemy phase, even snipers, since they cannot hit him. And do use his gambit as well. You can keep Byleth hidden and rely only on Claude for the first few turns if needed.

[Silly]

There is a relatively reliable 5/6 turn clear of chapter 13 on Maddening for Golden Deer and Church Routes. If you're really struggling with the map because a lot of your units are bad then you can potentially use this tactic to mostly skip the map, as the only unit that really needs to have good combat is Byleth.

Requirements:

• Relatively strong flier Byleth. Swordbreaker and Alert Stance really helps here. You also want enough damage to ORKO Pallardo. Requires 48 attack and 35 AS, alternatively rig a crit on him.
• Warp on Linhardt/Lysithea based on route, with 16+ magic (but preferably more).
• Bernadetta/Ferdinand or Raphael/Marianne based on route as your Dancer.

Strategy is to just have Byleth slowly make his/her way to Pallardo. You can mostly dodgetank with Alert Stance. (Can also dismount in bushes for additional avoid.) On turn 5/6 you kill Pallardo. Then your warper warps your dancer as close to Byleth as possible, you dance Byleth, and then Byleth kills Pallardo again. This is the only turn that you don't have Alert Stance active, but it doesn't matter because the map should be over.

The upper left and upper right group of students shouldn't be in danger. Claude/Seteth also should be relatively safe because they fly. The bottom left group is the only one that is potentially in danger (Petra on Church and Hilda + Leonie on GD), but if you reclass them into a flying class (which should be relatively standard) they can also remain relatively safe.

[paladin21]

I remember my first playthrough (silver snow hard), where I had most of my units grinding skills from the previous map. That meant no dancer (Dorothea was a warlock, fair enough), Petra was an assassin (she was the designated flyer, usually at least), Caspar was a brawler (just for the laughs, he had just mastered pavise, so being a fortress would have made this all easier), the other three were in nice classes on the other side. Still, I learned a valuable lesson: story missions, not good for grinding.

However, I think Flayn should appear in that map. She's part of the class at the moment of the promise, and, along with Seteth, would give you a full roster. She even gives Byleth the lord bonus to damage.

However, after having some struggling on hard on level, I can see how problematic it can become on maddening.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

I managed to beat chapter 13, but I did no find a succesful strategy to keep Ignatz and Lorenz alive in timr. Byleth with sword breaker was not even close to death in any enemy phase. Lys and Mary could speed up the chapter (beaten in 22 turns), but I could easily get along without them. Wished Ignatz and Raphael would have switched places because Ignatz was really good, even blessed, in my run.

I will redo the chapter later by pressing forward with Byleth to top instead of bottom to keep the both, at least Ignatz, alive. 

[sunshinescj]

Potentially helpful tip. While there isn't a preparations menu in the first post timeskip battle, you can retreat, accessing the select battlefield screen. I found out on my first run when I got to the timeskip super late at night and was desperate for a way to save. From the select battlefield screen, you should be able to save, manage inventory, and most importantly access options to turn the difficulty down. I am currently in chapter 6 of my NG+ Blue Lions run so it will be a looong while before I can double check if the same options are available from battlefield select in ch 13 but they are in ch 6 and I know you can retreat in ch 13.

If somehow else who is closer / has a save wants to check, it could be helpful for those willing to turn the difficulty down.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

^ This is actually very interesting as important.

I did not know that (never ever paid attention to the retreat command) and I think some other people her neither. It would give the player the chance to set Byleth's equipment and skills which decides the outcome of this chapter. I did not know about it, so I had to use a save file of the battle preparations of chapter 12.

[Altrosa]

I forgot all about this chapter, and sure enough I’m playing GD hard with half my class replaced by recruits...😬 

Only chapter 6 so I can fix this. 

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Since it is hard you do not have to fear about the biggest threat in this chapter, enemies with pass, who can break through your frontline and attack from multiple sides. 

[Altrosa]

2 hours ago, Ingrid Brandl Galatea said:

Since it is hard you do not have to fear about the biggest threat in this chapter, enemies with pass, who can break through your frontline and attack from multiple sides. 

Oh thank God. This is actually my first go at Hard/Classic anything FE, so mild panic happened lol

[Fire Flower]

You have plenty of time to work your house units up, so don't worry, especially if you can access multiple paralogue battles.

[Dark Holy Elf]

On Hard the map isn't a major problem. Especially on GD where Claude joins with a level boost, Failnaught, and Immortal Corps. I had no trouble even having benched like half of my house members.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

6 hours ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

On Hard the map isn't a major problem. Especially on GD where Claude joins with a level boost, Failnaught, and Immortal Corps. 

Allies (or Claude at least) are autoleveled after time skip? 

I never noticed it. 

 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Ingrid Brandl Galatea

[Dark Holy Elf]

Not all, but some (most?) definitely are. I've never sat down and made a list. (Has anyone?)

[Shadow Mir]

13 minutes ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

Not all, but some (most?) definitely are. I've never sat down and made a list. (Has anyone?)

I remember seeing something like that in the General Questions thread.

[Cysx]

4 hours ago, Dark Holy Elf said:

Not all, but some (most?) definitely are. I've never sat down and made a list. (Has anyone?)

Yeah, there's been a bunch. Do I still have that lying around...(I didn't)

Ashe gains 5 levels instead on GD and Church, and I still haven't verified Lorenz on BL/Church, but from what I recall it was around the same.
Also I've been told that on normal mode the level of students is pushed to at least 20 no matter what.

[FoliFF]

I just beated chapter 13 on GD. Now I have sort of prepared myself for this chapter since I mainly use GD students but when I got here I didn't have that much of a issue. Can't say how I would fare if I went into this unprepared or if more importantly my students being under leveled. I found the couple of first turns be the most tricky because of the nature of RNG till the rest of the students arrived. Like fuck off when the enemy repeated hits especially with gambits that have hit-rates between 30-40s while My Byleth miss most of his 80.

I also now know why people consider Claude personal Battalion be the strongest. 1-3 range and have huge AoE. It definitely saved Byleth from being overwhelmed. Now I'm interested how it will be when I'll tackle this map again in AZ and SS.

[Modirufa6317]

36 minutes ago, Cysx said:

Yeah, there's been a bunch. Do I still have that lying around...(I didn't)

Ashe gains 5 levels instead on GD and Church, and I still haven't verified Lorenz on BL/Church, but from what I recall it was around the same.
Also I've been told that on normal mode the level of students is pushed to at least 20 no matter what.

Doesn't Dedue have another factor in his final level upon joining back the team post-timeskip? I remember him appearing as level 28, and I'm certain none of my units were higher levels than the enemies pre-timeskip.

[Cysx]

14 minutes ago, Modirufa6317 said:

Doesn't Dedue have another factor in his final level upon joining back the team post-timeskip? I remember him appearing as level 28, and I'm certain none of my units were higher levels than the enemies pre-timeskip.

Level 24 is fairly average by the end of ch12 in my experience. And the above value matches with my playthrough, someone else's who reacted to the list in the general question thread, as well as Mangs' and Mekkah's.

Beyond that all I can say is maybe.

Edited October 20, 2019 by Cysx

[Fire Flower]

Lysithea on CF joins your team post-timeskip at somewhere in the high-20s as well, almost 30 I think? Might be 29 I'm not sure

Edited October 20, 2019 by Fire Flower