Kupo

Double post again >< Sorry!

Good point. It's true that Tear has the highest possible activation rate (that is, 50% with Naesala at max SPD - granted, that's at 36, but all the same). Even base Naesala has better activation rate than any beorc unit, even if it's only by 2%. And yes, it OHKO's red dragons (Hard Mode): Base Tibarn (hopefully by 4-E-3 he has at least a few levels, but I'll leave him at base) vs Red Dragon on a cover [36 * 3 + 20] - 47 = 81, OHKO. I never use laguz so I don't know a reasonable level for Ulki or Janaff or I guess Vika (all of whom break the 20 SPD cap). But it looks like they could probably pull it off if said dragon wasn't on a cover and possibly if it was. Base Naesala leaves them with something like 4-5 HP and he's doubling so he at least ORKOs (as do all hawks and ravens). This is definitely a big advantage for Tear. Rend doesn't get any bonuses in terms of activation rate, but yes it's been established that it is indeed the strongest skill in the game (although now that Tear can OHKO red dragons, I don't really see the benefits). Perhaps Tear's superior activation rate is enough to put it in the top spot.

Oops, double post.

1. Nephenee 2. Nolan 3. Haar 4. Mia 5. Jill Ike didn't get in! Yes! :D He was 6th though. I expected all of them to be there, but I thought Haar would be at the top instead of Nephenee. On my first PT Nolan was at the top but I don't remember the rest of them.

That never happened to me o_O Sothe only has about 27 luck on average at x/20 so it's uncommon. No, I haven't maxed all stats on all characters... especially not Herons because although I forget to use them periodically. It's not that I don't like them... I just forget. But obviously I have maxed stats on a few characters. Once Jill maxed everything at like 20/20/15 or something like that. It was good but her next five levels were so disappointing...

Double Bow also gives +3 STR. It's probably the best SS weapon (1-3 range to boot). What Paladin has 34 str? The only two paladins who can SS lances are Oscar and Geoffrey. Oscar will never hit 34 and if we assume he is 20/15 (which is quite high) he only has 30str. Geoffrey will have 33 str at 20/13 but it's highly unlikely he will reach even that by 4-E-3. For the sake of this we'll assume that it's Geoffrey who is attacking. 20/13 Geoffrey 3*(33 + 22 - 42) = 39 DMG. 20/14 Shinon (even though he's one base level higher than Oscar he doesn't have much of an enemy phase until 4-E-1) 3*(31 + 3 + 22 - 42) = 42 DMG Shinon has a MT lead and like Kirsche said if it activates on the first hit, he doesn't have to deal with getting counterattacked. Likewise though Sol improves if it activates on the 2nd hit because it will heal Geoffrey. Although Sol has a lead on this map it's not as much as you made it out to be. And you chose probably the most skewed map to compare it on... most other times Geoffrey won't be doubling and and Shinon will, and due to his great skill, Deadeye will be activating more often (~33% vs ~40%). And since on most other maps it's a ORKO, activation rate wins. You could argue Titania/Urvan though - but I'm not sure if she's doubling during the 4-E chapters. She'd win in 4-E-3 but not anywhere else if she can't double.

Rend will OHKO most enemies save dragons as well and has a better activation rate. Right, now you worry about effects (which wasn't the case when you were arguing Luna > Rend, and Rend has the exact same effect as what you're hyping here). The only enemies it doesn't work on are bosses. Which isn't good but it's not like that severely hinders the fact that it OHKOs any enemy (including dragons, which are the only enemy other mastery skills have trouble with). I don't see how Deadeye is better than this other than boss activation, which is a minor point. Not a tier difference. What? .Only the unexpectedness of Bane sucks more than Mercy. I think Bane is underrated. It isn't a good mastery skill. But honestly Whispers aren't going to be killing much anyway (28str cap? 18mt SS weapon?) and the majority of time Bane activates it's in your favour. And at least when it does activate it does good damage (unlike Corona, especially considering how weak light is).

Astra would be a lot better if skills could actually activate on each of the hits, and if the activation was Skill%. I think Astra's better than Deadeye; same activation rate and Astra will do more damage. The only thing Deadeye has on Astra is the sleep effect, which isn't very useful. Of course if we were to take into account the characters these mastery skills apply to then Deadeye would be better; but I think we're purely comparing mastery skills. IMO Colossus and Impale are the best mastery skills. But what exactly is colossus' damage formula? I can't figure it out from the skill description...

That depends on who else wants the item. Stat-up items are resources, like BEXP or Steel Greatlances. In a playthrough, it makes no sense not to use them. Generally it's decided that if a unit uses that item very well (benefits from it) and there isn't anyone else who benefits from it even better, then the unit will get that item. As for who benefits more; that's part of the discussion. Then there's the fact that not all units are always played; maybe Meg can use a robe better than Micaiah (just an example) but since Meg is not always deployed, Micaiah may still get the robe (unless we are arguing Meg specifically, in which case she is always deployed). I've never heard the term but I think that's what they call opportunity cost; forgive me if I'm using it wrong. Nephenee has a claim to a dracoshield because very few people benefit from it as well as she does, so there is little demand. This is a point in her favour because it means she can brush up on one of her weak points (defense) without stealing high-demand items from the team.