Xenomata

My Kinshi Hinoka... well both of them... have bad natures. +HP -Atk and +Def -Spd on the other. Since I need to expect not getting another Hinoka, I'm gonna have to work around their bad natures. I checked their matchups with Warrior Princess, Brave Bow+, and Firesweep Bow+ as well as their default skillset (Flier Guidance is liable to be changed to Fortify Fliers, and Atk/Spd Bond 3 is liable to change to Life and Death 3), the Atk +3 seal, full flier buffs, and +1 merge (I don't think I'll be using either Hinoka for skill fodder). These are the best results from each weapon... Warrior Princess : 211-8-10 (+Def -Spd) (LnD3: 209-11-9) Brave Bow+: 214-4-11 (+Def -Spd) (LnD3: 212-6-11) Firesweep Bow+: 183-0-46 (+Def -Spd) (LnD3: Does not change results) While (+HP -Atk) is not listed in any scenario, it was listed in the Brave Bow set before the merge was applied. So Brave Bow+ has the best results of the 3, and I admit that, but it also would be the most expensive for me (need to promote Klein or Gordin for it) and couldn't be acted upon immediately. Warrior Princess has slightly worse results, but is notably able to take out armors. Firesweep Bow has the worst results, but also can't counterattack, which is something. Please keep in mind, if giving advise, that I will intend to put Hinoka on my Flier team (with ToD!Nowi, FeMorgan, and HNY!Azura, meaning she will have full flier support and dancer support), and that I only tested this with the Attack +3 seal (the seal that Catria uses, and also the seal that gave the best results).

Eyyy, golden week has given me the Blue Sky Warrior! ...twice. I GOT KINSHI KNIGHT HINOKA TWICE IN THE SAME SUMMONING SESSION. The first is +HP -Atk, bad, and the second is +Def -Spd, so I guess I'm still summoning for her, but still...

...meh, I'm really not feeling Lyn here. The first colorled bow we get, and they're green? I'm starting to think that IS or whoever believes that Green units need as much powerful representation as possible, and now we have all these greens and not many reds to counter them properly. Meanwhile, Marth still doesn't even have a swimsuit alt. I swear, he better get "The One True Falchion" with the effect "the enemy dies if they initiate combat on this unit" for this criminal wait for even one alt when Catria gets a seasonal alt before him.

Depends. A healer with Pain+, for instance, would be able to chip the enemy down without letting them charge their Special, ergo permitting an ally to fly in and land the killing blow, but at the same time they forgo the ability to deal in-combat damage because they can't run Wrathful Staff, ergo forcing them to be a chipper over an offensive presence. And you'd be surprised at the damage that a healer can do with in-combat Pain+ damage. With Gravity+, it permits the healer to be a chipper who also halts the enemy advancement, though here you will need some form of positioning/dancing to get the healer away from the units who were just inflicted with Gravity. I wouldn't bother if you are using Candlelight+, since even if you have someone else coming in for the kill, the enemy can't counterattack anyways, so unless they have a defensive special (Pavise, Aegis, Escutcheon, Sacred Cowl) charged up, they won't be triggering their special. And if you position the healer out of the way after they do their combat, then you aren't really using Candlelight+ debuff the right way and would be better using Gravity+.

I say some some sort of Risen Greatsword that has the reverse of Flame Siegmund, permitting follow-up attacks if Chrom has more allies within 2 spaces of him than the target has allies near them. A sort of nod to the numerical nature of Risen in the ruined future, at least that I can remember. Or Risen Greataxe or Greatlance or whatever, gotta promote weapon variety after all.

I did not know about that, but damn, can we get Risen King Chrom now?

There's a lot of ways one could run with Fallen Heroes now that they're an existing concept. Possessed Young Tiki, Hypnotized Delthea, Vallite Scarlet/Sumeragi/Mikoto/Arete, any of the 4 Priestesses from MotE's final boss, heck we could even get Lehran's Medallion possessed Ike from Cipher.

I don't find it that hard to be honest. It's as simple as "look at enemy Atk, check for Hones/Fortifies next to enemy, check for Spurs/Drives/Goads/Wards near enemies attack space, check own units defense/resistance, etc etc etc", and I don't usually fail. Now I've been playing Fates lately... that is uncomfortable. Even when I think I'm going to take low damage, it turns out that I'm taking a lot more for one reason or another, perhaps because I failed to put Sakura within the right amount of spaces, or I forgot I'm using Felicia, or the enemy changed weapons when I wasn't looking, or it turns out the enemy did lower damage because of Voice of Peace, and DAMNIT I have to tone down the number of games that require my knowledge brain...

The one Red orb... the ONE... there were 2 blues and 2 colorless... oh no, THOSE had 3* Oboro, Reinhardt, Klein, and 4* Gaius... The ONE FREAKING RED ORB HAD A 5* PITY BREAKER IN IT. This Brave Roy isn't even good, +HP -Res, and I don't put Galeforce on many units, plus I already have 2 Lyns if I really wanted to put Galeforce on someone. Oh no, don't give me any of the Red units I don't own yet, please give me more of the same unit that I have pulled 3 separate times off focus since his September 2017 release, not counting this instance mind you, who gives a skill I already have 2 fodder for, and lets also make his nature as bland as possible while we're here. Yes, please and thank you game, for making me waste 20 orbs on this. *grumble*

This was... laughable. Fjorm being put in range of both the Blue Mage Cav and Takumi cleans them both out in one go, and she didn't even take damage. Anna only needed to initiate against Hinoka to get the kill. And Bridelia + PAzura cleaned the rest out.

Now that's not very nice, everyone will love to see the alts for everyones favorite little sisters that you can marry for far more than just fodder!

Speaking of Hell-badours, you think we'll be getting Dazzling Staff put in the summoning pool anytime soon? I mean, sure we've had a grand total of... one new Staff units since the initial Bridal Blessings banner, not counting Loki in all her unobtainable-ness, but we're in an age now of old skills once kinda hard to get now being a lot easier to get. There really isn't a difference between having Wrathful over Dazzling in the B slot, but that'd be two pity breaking colorless units with the same good skill rather than just the one.

Two skills, but she doesn't come pre-equipped with an attacking staff. In fact, she comes pre-equipped with Restore+ and that's it, not even Imbue or Heavenly Light like other healers do. Also she is a lot scarier on Horse Emblem, and while Elise is to, Elise now can't say she is the only great Horse Staff and has to compete with better availability.

Aaand got Kana. From what I can tell, she is +Def -Spd, which... I guess is a thing? I dunno, she is so balanced stat-wise.

Funny that Nanna got demoted today, because when summoning from a horrid session of Wings of Fate (3 red orbs and 2 colorless), I got her +Atk -Def, which by my calculations is... 100% better than the +HP -Spd trash I had before. Never was I so excited to get 2,000 more feathers.

Fortunately Speed isn't her most necessary stat, as she gets outsped by most meta units anyways. I wouldn't run Desperation on her even if you did run Darting Blow 3 (I run Death Blow 3 personally), as unmerged she will only have 30 speed with -Spd (34 in Tempest Trial bonus score battles). Rather, you could run a weapon breaker skill on her to expand her potential kill count. I personally run Bowbreaker as a safety net in AA, but you could run a different breaker to fit your needs. If you want to run Desperation anyways, you should consider the Brash Assault SS, as that's a niche but deadly combo to run, plus it goes with her default Assist Sacrifice. Other SS's to consider are any of the Ploy skills, which she can usually trigger due to her high Res plus Thani's res bonus, or the new Drive Atk to stack with her default Drive Atk for a +6 atk combat buff. BTW, I know you thanked me earlier, but to be honest I don't actually remember helping you that often...? Usually the unit building gets handled by @XRay by the time I come to your questions.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised that Shigure isn't another Flying Dancer, but I been so used to PA!Shigure... Also crap, now I have to specify PA!Shigure, can't just say Shigure anymore. Finally... I guess if we're gonna get an alt, I'm more okay with Kinshi Knight Hinoka than I've been with other alts. Plus that's a really cool skillset she has. So... what you guys thinking for Kaze and M!Kana? Grand Hero Battles, TT bonus units, or another Ayra and Rhajat, being "revealed" much earlier than the banner they are made available in?

Think about it... QUAN in a swimsuit... BEFORE his official appearance ever gets in the game, ala Charlotte (really where is she?)

Well... uh... that was awkward. Pulling from the new banner, free pull was Bartre (3* of freaking course), and the only other orb worth pulling from was colorless, so I pull from it. ...a movie starts playing after the smoke emerges. +Def -HP Takumi, which... I mean, it's not BAD, certainly better than +Res on Takumi at least. I'm in this awkward spot where I don't necessarily need anyone to have Close Counter, but at the same time it'd feel like a waste to merge my old Takumi into this new one... Dangit, couldn't I have just gotten a terrible Brave Lyn? At least Swift Sparrow would be easier to fodder off. I also got 4*s of Jagen, Abel, and Tailtiu, all good fodder.

Brave Bow is good to run, as even if you do eventually fix her speed, she will still be a fast Brave user thanks in part to her naturally good speed and Horse Emblem buffs. For the time being, she will be able to hit 50 atk with just a Brave Bow+, Horse Emblem buffs, and Swift Sparrow 2. While that's okay for Draconic Aura, I'd much rather give her Luna to deal with high defense units. As for C and SS slots, I'd use a Horse Emblem buff and choose between Atk+3 and Def Ploy 3 for SS. While Def Ploy offers more potential damage, Atk +3 does offer raw damage against all targets rather than just the ones who have less than 30 res. As for if she should replace Klein, if you only mean as your main bow user, then yes. She is slightly weaker, but only slightly, and has the benefit of higher reach and ability to cancel out Distant Counter. But I wouldn't go and use your main Klein as the Brave Bow fodder. Having more than a few Brave Bow units, especially one as cheap as Klein, isn't a bad thing.

(On Soleil [+Atk -Res] +1 merge 5*) TA2 Armorslayer+ does net the kills against greens that I'd look for, but in checking there is a big difference in kills between the two, specifically it makes Soleil only good against Green Armors and WE!Tharja versus Green Armors and Red Armors while still doing heavy damage against the blues she either ties or loses against. It would indeed be cheaper to run 3 cheap anti armor units, but one heavy duty anti-armor unit can do their job with some Hone Atk/Atk Tactic and Savage Blow support (hence why I listed Savage Blow) and can still be used in some other battles or game modes without having to change skillset. ...plus I get the satisfaction of having another powerful unit, but another tale for another day... I understand what you mean at least, same reason why Gem weapon wielders are considered good. Odd fact I noticed, but the units who have Heavy Spears have good speed bases but bad speed growths, Hammer wielders have average speed and bad speed growths, and the units with Armorslayers have... good speed bases and growths, even though the armor-effective weaponry is slowing the others down clearly? Tobin doesn't, but he also didn't have that great a speed growth in either Gaiden or SoV. Sorry this is just interesting to me.)

Only sort of related to earlier, but there is actually a unit I've been thinking of making a specialized build for, for reasons I am sure will be made clear momentarily... Any reason why the unit, skills used, or set as a whole wouldn't work? If it would work, alternate skills or blank skill recommendations? Yes she would be strictly an AA unit (and for maps with more than a few armors). EDIT: I also checked her results against armors with Firesweep Sword, since she comes with it, and... she only gets 5 kills, and they aren't even against Vhector or Santa Chrom.

I mean, I'm an advocate for the "Finn should have gotten a personal weapon, Rein shouldn't even have gotten an alt that doesn't even look any freakin different", but I wouldn't go so far as to agree with what the OP image says. I mean, all things considered he is the Camus of Thracia, and Camus's tend to have more character than the other bosses you see throughout the game. Also, for those who may care, Reinhardt was placed at 584th (137 votes) in the original CYL poll, far below many of the heroes that were placed in the game even as time went on (and ignoring Gaiden units, as Shadows of Valentia was not revealed at the time). Finn, meanwhile, was placed at 239th (1,003 votes) for his Thracia 776 appearance (His GotHW appearance was 172nd (1,053 votes)). In the second CYL, Finns Thracia appearance was placed 153rd (1,655 votes), and his GotHW appearance was 183rd (1,403 votes). And of course Reinhardt had 11th (15,931 votes) in the second CYL.

While I see what you mean, I won't be able to act immediately on your build, as the only Pain unit I have is an Azama with an ideal nature. Plus I still think Gravity would be, overall, better due to the movement penalty being harsh against cavalry, especially if Nanna were moved away immediately via Repo or dancing. But then again, I have time to think on it...