Suikofan

Definitely Echidna. Percival is good, though not great, on NM, while Echidna is great on both modes, so that counts for something. On HM, he definitely wins in stats/mobility, but he doesn't have many good support options(Klein and Lalum are decent, Cecilia and Dorothy give good bonuses, but they're both pretty bad). Echidna is around for an extra 4 chapters or so, which are certainly more difficult than when Percy joins(mainly because you'll usually have promoted people when he joins, but usually not when Echidna joins). She has also has many good supports, which are mutually beneficial for both characters involved(Lalum, Gonzales, Geese, and Lot all want her).

Jamka x Aideen Lex x Fury Dew x Ayra :P

What about Alec=Noish?

Well, Azel can run around killing stuff AFTER promotion. I guess I should have specified. ;)

Alec w/a Steel Sword may be better than Noish, but he's still not worth fielding. When you have Jamka, Levin, Brigid, Sigurd, Ayra, Holyn, and Azel running around killing everything, why bring Alec? Cuan and Lex at least are tanky, Aideen is healing, and Sylvia is dancing. Alec is, uh...poking stuff? He can't kill jack shit.

Oscar- Bows if you're using Boyd and Rofl. Otherwise, Axes. Kieran- Bows. Axes are the only close range weapon anyone needs in this game, so you might as well let him one-shot Pegs or something. Makalov/Astrid- Axes, definitely. Axes are indisputably the best weapon type.

Uh...Hero Axe weighs 12 lbs. Lex ain't doubling even with the Pursuit Ring.

Ninji- I'm not saying this list is any better, but since there's no list set in stone as of yet, I figured we might as well discuss one. As for Alec vs. Noish, there's no reason why Noish can't get the Pursuit Ring. Levin doesn't need it after lolsety, Tiltyu fails at life, and Jamka kills everything as is. Alec, on the other hand, needs the Hero Sword to kill stuff, which isn't going to happen. Lex>Cuan, I guess I see that happening. I still don't see Ethlin moving out of top though. Healer on a pony is nice. Maybe bottom of Top.

You're going to have to prove me how Alec>Noish, b/c I'm not buying it. Fin is a bit low, maybe, but for someone with no durability, mediocre offense, and who leaves halfway through, I'm not seeing him much higher. The Hero Lance is worth something, but since Fury wants it just as much as he does, I don't see him using it for long. Cuan is just as tanky as Lex is, but with Continue instead of the Hero Axe. He also has a MUCH higher Str base, and an extra point of Move. I can't see him going much lower, if at all. This was directed at Mac, obviously.

Alec, the superior unit? Lol. Noish is 10* the better father, and arguably the best father for Ayra's kids, and the 2nd best father for Brigid's kids, which automatically makes him worth using. Both of them need one thing to become great combat units. Alec needs the Hero Sword, which means taking it away from Ayra, and that's not going to happen. Even Noish makes arguably better use of the Hero Sword than Alec does, as well as Lachesis on promotion. Noish needs the Pursuit Ring, which means taking it away from...uh...Levin? Once he gets Holsety, he doesn't need it, and the only other characters who might are Jamka(Hero Bow, Killer Bow, Continue/Charge...no, he doesn't need it) and Tiltyu(lol). There is MUCH less competition for the Pursuit Ring than there is for the Hero Sword, which means Noish is more likely to not suck. Without their respective items, they both suck, so it doesn't really matter.

I'm not posting the latest one from either Serenes or GameFAQ's, b/c they both suck. I'll just post my proposed list, and then you guys can comment. Sigurd tier: Sigurd Top tier: Ethlin Sylvia Ayra Cuan High tier: Lex Jamka Holyn Levin Brigid Aideen Mid tier: Beowolf Midir Fury Azel Noish Low tier: Fin Lachesis Claude Bottom tier: Alec Dew Tiltyu Diadora Ardan tier: Ardan DISCUSS.