Xenomata

But, like, just imagine... Black Knight wearing a bikini top. Now that there is some innovation, Noire.

I fucking hate the summer banners. Summer Returns was a nightmare just getting all 4 units, so only getting 2 and maybe also Innes from Summer's Arrival should have been easy, right? NOPE, Innes was the only easy one. Tana and Noire, the two I didn't have? NIGHTMARES THE BOTH OF THEM. And of course they both have the absolute indecency to be -Spd, making them useless and making ME be tempted to put merges on them, causing me much grief. FUCK SUMMER, I'm going back to winter... And goddamnit, I have to do this again with the Ylissean Summer AND the other summer banners. God...

Er... nothing at all. Like I said, I was mostly hoping someone had ideas for what I could strive to do. I already have a number of units that do all the jobs I need done, and I'll probably still be holding onto my dews for the foreseeable future, or at least until inspiration strikes. HAHAHAHAHAHA. As if Special Spiral is a problem for me! Sorry sorry, but I not only +10ed Lewyn, but I still have spares of him! Eheh... anyway, thanks for the input there. Saber always struck me as having potential, but nobody seemed to want to talk about him.

...oh. Well then, guess the original Helbindi stays the base. Since Arena Assault is generally where bindi will be most used (an environment where I can control how many buffers are on the field), Byleistr should in that case be fine for the forseeable future. I'll consider Hack-o'-Lantern if I ever build an element team with Helbindi in it. It doesn't, I generally pick +Def/+Res if I intend for the unit to be a tank rather than slightly stronger Special Triggers. It is a point to add in, at least, since Iceberg triggers on Helbindi will never be as strong as Bonfire triggers, and HP only matters for special triggers if Vengeance/Reprisal are involved. ...the only way I see it mattering is on a Slaying Weapon + Stance Breath + Bonfire/Iceberg build (such as what my own Lukas runs), where stacking the defensive stat as high as possible also means stronger special triggers, which as long as Guard/Special Fighter aren't on the enemy you get a special every counterattack. Of course Atk will still matter, but trading Def/Res for Atk on such a build would lessen the raw defensive ability of the unit. @Nimrod First off, do you intend to reset your entire FEH account to be able to reroll for your first 5* unit? It seems doubtful you have any valuable units if you quit soon after the game launched. Is it too late to start? No. Sure you don't have as many of the resources we who have been playing since launch have had, but you can still catch up over time. The game has also not become... well, not so complex that it's impossible for a newbie to understand what's going on. There's certainly a lot of elements of combat to try and understand though... As for valuable units in current banners, as of today... So out of all of the above... I personally recommend aiming for Bride Ninian above all else. She has a powerful role in the army as a Dancer, and flying dancers are not common yet. While Legendary Azura remains the top of Flying Dancers, Bride Ninian is still a great dancer to have. If you want her, however, you will need to hurry, as her banner ends at midnight PST, aka 12 hours from now. As for free units, I honestly don't know what the currently available free units are.

I can +10 Helbindi, but I can also switch his Asset to a more defensive option. Literally all but +Spd is an option. >HP would supplement both his defensive stats and enable the use of Panic Ploy on more units (Sudden Panic is not available as fodder) in favor of weaker special triggers and not guaranteeing taking no damage at all. >Keeping it Atk would mean more raw damage. Never can go wrong with raw damage. >Def means his raw bulk is all beef and no fat. Also means his Bonfire/Ignis triggers will go off all the stronger. >Res lets him take magic hits better, opening his world to using Distant Counter. Even without, he'll still be able to tank dragons a little better. Also wanna ask, since we're here, does keeping Byleistr seem a good idea? It's a good axe, no doubts there, but it's a purely supportive axe with Odd Spectrum Waves. Sure Helbindi benefits to, but the only thing it really does on even-numbered turns is add to his menacing appearance. I'm just wondering if maybe he'd appreciate a different axe that provides a powerful effect on all turns... I'd even shell out for a Hack o Lantern+

So in the end, after untold amounts of orbs... >Helbini is still +Res +1 merge. Figured that he's pretty much literally his normal self but Red, so may as well treat him that way. >Gunnthra is still +Def -HP no merge. It'd have been one thing if I didn't already have Summer Linde, who is very similar to Gunnthra save a few small point allocations and much less HP, but I also already have Summer Linde at +10 merge. I couldn't be less interested in Summer Gunnthra than I already am. >Laevatein is +Res +1 merge. Not worth trying for +Atk or even Neutral, +Res is still a superboon so it's alright. >Laegjarn I managed to pull with a perfect +Spd -Def. Don't think she needs a merge, and I pulled two copies of her with meh assets/flaws, so that's either a merge and Swift Sparrow 3 fodder or two Swift Sparrow 3 fodders. I'd say I literally could not afford to summon anymore if I wanted to also afford summoning the remaining units I don't have yet, but fortunately I'll be starting work soon (at a library!), so that should help to finish up before I can officially say "I'm done, I do not need anymore units thank you". But now to just wait for the Summer Banner revivals to finally get Lance Valor... and also the remaining summer units I don't own I guess. Now who among my army wants this tasty, tasty Swift Sparrow 3 most...?

Huh, All-Piering Arrows is the first Grandmaster TD I managed to solve on my own! ...listen, maybe it was easy for you, but I usually don't have the patience for these things. I consider this mildly impressive.

This banner is fucking stupid. Of course the first unit was easy, Summer Helbindi, but he's fucking +Spd -Atk. So I decide "Okay, I'll keep summoning Red because +Spd sucks". Summer Laevatein wasn't too far off, +Def -Res. And then fucking Pity City. Among them? TWO Laevateins (normal) and Surtr. Pity, pity, pity, and then I got so mad I just turned my phone off, chucked it to a corner of the bed, and went to sleep. On waking up? Oh hey there's Sumbindi. +Res -Spd is good, thanks. Almost immediately Summer Gunnthra came +Def -HP. And maaany summons later, Def -Res Summer Laegjarn. ...but not without another fucking Surtr in between. GODDAMN MAN, just put a speedo on if you wanna go swimming so badly. The other pitys? Two Tibarns, Flora, Sumia, Adrift M!Corrin, FemKana, and Lugh were all off-focus pity breakers.

Armored Blow? Eh, maybe throw that on Flora. The other two seals are good for... obvious reasons, I hope.

I just realized that every summer we get a Flying Blue Mage on an undead dragon akin to Fates Malig Knights. ... How many bets that next month the New Heroes banner will finally be the banner to drop a Swift Sparrow unit to 4*? I highly doubt it, but even precious children grow up at some point.

... ...fuck. >Wow, Gunnthra is literally worthless as skill fodder. Rally Def/Res+ is not exactly what I'd call worth pulling for, and her dagger is... well it's alright, but seriously, two Aether Keep skills? At least give her a Hone/Fortify! Not even a Joint or Tier 4, just Hone Atk would be fine! >There it is, Mirror Impact... and also Summer Laevatein. Pretty neat I guess. >Helbindi looks like he might have some good tanking ability. Don't know why he needs to be the provider of another Duel Infantry skill, but not like I'm complaining. Mostly just means Dance Micaiah can be safely used in Arena... >Oh god... Swift Sparrow 3 is literally just Death Blow 3 and Darting Blow 3.3, but that's still deadly... not sure it's worth pulling more Laegjarns than would be necessary to +10 her, just like one or two Laegs will be fine. But man... Aether Defense teams with Flier Formation balls are gonna have a field day with blue flying Lewyn.

@XRay I don't really know what to say, considering about 99% of our interaction is me asking a semi-mundane question and you responding, and I also cannot say I know what it's like, considering I am both nowhere near fit-looking enough to be recruited and being too deathly scared to even want to be in the military, but... well, don't regret your decision I guess. However things go, try not to think what if. Maybe if things aren't going your way, try to think about the good things? ...or maybe if things aren't going your way, just remember that you don't have to like it? God this is hard... GOOD LUCK BRO, let's leave it at that...

So I guess we're going to learn everything about the new summer units hours before they are to be released? Or is the banner itself gonna be delayed?

I'm not giving any opinions until the units are officially and fully revealed. Who they are is one thing, but if they're worth anything to me is another.

Eheh... yeah, tell that to everyone in this game. Seriously, they all just jump in and are neck-deep in hot spring water...

First off, I appreciate the Serenes Forest editor who wrote this line on the front page: One’s a beefy beefcake wielding a shovel/large spade, while the other is rather slender with quite long hair. That narrows it down to about half the FE cast, then. ~A Serenes Forest editor Second... hell, I dunno. Yeah I'm getting those Sev/Sel vibes to, but I just can't decide which musclehead could fit that. Can't even tell what his head looks like.

So minor complaint... What the hell Umbra Calamity?? One trigger, especially on Clair's Rokkr, and it's a freaking dance party in here. Positioning means jack crap in here! Also Absorb+ is OP. My Winter Eirika doesn't even need Miracle because one attack on the Rokkr and she's healthy again. And between the healing from Aether and Absorb+, so are the dragon lolis and the dreamy dragon.

I don't know when you quit, so... >Invasion of the furries- I mean beasts. >Armors, Dragons, and also Armor Dragons. Oh, and Legendary Alm is bullshit. >Sudden Panic can be hell to get around if you don't expect it, but then so is Aversa. >Louise has Atk/Spd Bond and a Swift Sparrow 2 bow... I guess. >Ty got ya covered.

200 Divine Dews, but... I don't know what to do with them. I know holding onto them is an option, but... that's the thing, I think I am gonna hold onto them. But it's because I have literally no one I want to use them on right now. I'm kinda just hoping someone has a sound opinion on what I could strive to do, especially since I could consider +10ing whoever gets the Divine Refine. Er... sorry if you read through all that, this is... kinda what happens when there's a lot of people have refinable Prfs...

Hey I +10ed Delthea! ...wait wrong Delthea wait shi- This couldn't be even more impulsive. I don't even have a seal picked out for her, or even plans to refine Dark Aura. But... she's here!

@Diovani Bressan not sure if it counts, but Minerva/Michalis's Hauteclere got the Wo Dao refine despite at the time Blazing Thunder not being affected by Wo Dao effects, and also Minerva having Sacred Cowl.

Oh nope, there it is. Really, I think there's a difference between being called something and sounding like one... you can say whatever you want, and someone is gonna say you sound like a homophobic nazi if you don't pick the right words...

I'm just spoilering this if there are people who'd rather not read this nonsense. One last thing I want out in the open: I'm neither upset or trying to defend this decision. I'm not a big fan of the thought that there's simply pokemon I won't be able to get just because I'm not allowed to bring them over from past games; like I said before, I'm being affected to, or at least I assume I'm not going to be able to bring any of the pokemon I'm attached to over to Sw/Sh. I don't like that they don't have plans to let players bring in non-Galar pokemon in future patches and updates, because that just means every time we learn who will be in the Galardex is another opportunity to learn which of my treasured mons won't be seeing the beauty of not-England. But I know better than to let that stop me from going out, buying Sword and Shield for me and my sister, and having a good time. If I got upset every time I wouldn't be able to do a thing, fuck I don't think I'd even still be playing video games now. ...also I now feel very hypocritical, because literally the one example I gave of a pokemon I am personally attached to, my Galvantula, I just assumed wouldn't be in Sw/Sh... but it turns out it will be, so... fuck.

Okay I was being quiet on the topic, but on seeing another #BringBackNationalDex post on my twitter... I kinda got mad. ...damn, I made myself angrier as I typed, but I refuse to believe anything except that that needed to be said. Just gonna spoiler that...

For once I did a semi-themed clear! ...I wanted to do all Awakening Kids, but then I realized that my Awakening kids mostly had filler build, so I settled for three Awakening alts (Legendary Lucina, Bride Cordelia, and Flier Olivia) and also my Walhart. Took a few repeats to find out how to get through it, but eventually I found a clear path that I was able to get a good few kills per round while also leaving alive units who couldn't kill Lucina and Walhart. Walhart actually went pretty far into enemy lines to kill off mages and wall against the physical units.