Sire

New update looks interesting. Looks like Xander has a Training Tower farming skill. Don't know why you would want more Badges, but it is there... Chrom's Axe Experience though... x2 experience for all axe users if he survives at the end of a battle? That is insane! Granted, it does not stack with other EXP multipliers (like the ongoing event), but it is still useful for leveling up axes. Swift Sparrow - Great, so now Darting Blow and Death Blow had a baby and named it Swift Sparrow for +4 ATT & SPD when on the offensive. I can see it having some uses, but I prefer my Life and Death currently.

I'm on the Ryoma boat. Set Ryoma up in range of Takumi and Takumi will usually rush to his demise. +SPD, -ATT Ryoma just needs a speed buff to handle +SPD Takumis, otherwise he can handle Takumis fairly well on his own. I don't remember if he needs extra stuff for +DEF or +HP Takumis, but my guy has Vantage. Vantage Ryoma solves almost everything.

Managed to get an Offensive Rating of 4512, putting me at Rank 4631. I think this is the highest rating and rank I've been, but I guess I should not hold my breath and hope to remain in the top 5k... My team consisted of the usual - Ephraim, Erika, Ryoma, and 4* Lvl 40 Anna as my bonus character. I guess I just lucked out when dealing with enemy teams - there were some close calls, but I managed to do a Deathless streak. These characters do have some inherited skills, notable ones being Ephraim with Swordbreaker and Defiant DEF, Ryoma with Vantage, Erika with Rally DEF, and Anna with Rally SPD. While Anna did not accomplish much on the battlefield, I think I was able to take advantage of the AI and lure them to positions more suitable for my liking. Having a bunch of Reds chase after Anna while I handle troublesome foes definitely makes it easier for me, since the other three characters can handle Reds reliably well.

Eh, I sorta of expected it to turn out poorly as my luck has not been great as of late. Today wasn't the best day to be pulling either since I was not in a joyful mood to begin with. So much for taking a risk and breaking my "only pull at 20 Orbs" rule so I can get maximum Orb efficiency. The chances are naught but lies, I tell you! Pessimism aside, I now have Shanna for Desperation 3, and Subaki for Quick Riposte 2. I could try using Eliwood for Ward Cavalry or Sacred Cowl, but those skills are not in high demand. Yay for small victory? Also, as for formatting, I copy & paste my previous pulls and edit things to reflect the latest updates. It has slowly been refined over time, getting more informative with Boons & Banes, a more simpler color code, and re-introducing the Past Pulls section. For current and later posts, I'll just try bringing something to entertain those reading because I will likely repeat myself if I explain why characters are "retired all the time." Detailed stuff may follow if I get a good pull, but most of that now will likely be done in my theorycraft topic whenever I get around to doing that again.

Round 30A [Blazing Shadows]: 3* Shanna (+SPD, -RES) || 3* Eliwood (+HP, -DEF) || 4* Subaki (+ATT, -HP) Blue = Active Duty (Good or Perfect IVs, New Desired Character)Red = Reserves (Character Merging, Skill Inheritance, Retirement) * * * * * * * * * * "Daring to cling on to the last remnants of hope, the Summoner attempts one last time to call upon the power of Blazing Shadows. The Tarot Cards whispered fortunes into his ear as the moonlight struck the eldritch shrine. Surely now he would receive a favorable answer? The Orbs shattered and brought forth three apparitions from other worlds. Yet, these beings were not what the Summoner was hoping for. In anguish, the Summoner cracks and sacrifices these wastes of flesh so that those already under his service can further grow in power. The task ahead would require those of sterner stock, and weakness cannot be tolerated. Remind yourself that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer. There can be no hope in this hell, no hope at all..." * * * * * Past Pulls

While I can see that perspective ("I am a man enough to know that even when wearing an effeminate costume, I'm still a masculine man." or "Screw social standards, I set my own standards for who I am."), it's more about the appearance for me really. I have warmed up to Chrom's inclusion since headcanons work in wondrous ways (Gaius taking Chrom to these festivals, Chrom being in several festivals before, Chrom not caring and is simply having a good time, etc.) but I would be fine without Bunny Chrom. Either way, I'm not that heavily invested in the matter. I just hope everyone enjoys their egg hunts and bunny costumes!

While I don't care much for the theme, the only thing I would change is replacing Chrom with someone else. I feel Chrom with his bunny ears takes away some of his masculinity, especially after the epic bromance and craziness that went down with Ephraim during the Voting Gauntlet. Laslow or Inigo would make some more sense, but I can see Chrom throwing caution to the wind and simply enjoy the Spring Festival regardless of how he looks like. (I don't see Xander dressing up either, but I am not that invested in him to complain about it.) Besides that, I remain indifferent to the event. Lucina and Camilla look nice while Chrom and Xander are dressed for the occasion. However, while I do like these characters (Lucina being my favorite one of the four), they are not "must-haves" characters that I would go crazy for. If I could make one request, it be that a "normal Focus" takes place during this time period. The "Spring Festival" can be the "bonus Focus," like they did with the Princes and Princesses banner during the Voting Gauntlet. Now granted, this may still happen, but nothing's confirmed yet.

It's been a hectic morning for me, and every time I look away from this topic for a mere hour, there's tons of posts here... Regarding fanservice, I am fine with it. Personally, I prefer fanservice to be balanced among the sexes instead of being primarily aimed at the male audience all the time. Want a girl in a bikini? Include a hot guy running around in his swimwear. If adding in Maids, why not Butlers? If there are Succubi, why not Incubi? Bunny suits and school uniforms for everybody!~ I like my fanservice as much as the next guy (save for when it is overdone and not necessary - "CG Cameraman vs Camilla," as well as Camilla's default outfit), but I always did wonder what fanservice the girls had to look forward to, if any were included in the first place. As for the designs, they look fine. Lucina and Camilla wear clothes that mimic the classic bunny girl archetype (I am not a man of fashion, so I have no idea what all the technical terms are). Xander looks fabulous while Chrom is enjoying himself at the Spring Festival (blame Gaius for showing Chrom the Carnival or the Circus). Lucina's little hat looks adorable and it is nice to see her be happy for one instead of depressed all the time. Camilla serves her role as the sensual model. Maybe the designs or the theme of the Spring Festival is not to one's particular liking. That is perfectly fine. Maybe some are still desperately waiting for their one true hero or heroine to appear in Heroes and are wondering why they are not arriving sooner. That is also fine. But seriously, there's no need to kill the hype for those enthusiastic or simply having a laugh at what is going on. This very discussion can sour some individuals who would have had a fantastic time with the event, but was ruined by simply reading negative comments. All it takes is a single seed of doubt or negativity to transform a possibly good experience into a poor one. Fire Emblem Heroes is not meant to be taken seriously. It is a casual gacha game that allows players to collect and play with their favorite heroes throughout the franchise, and do so all in one place. Even the developers don't mind having some comic relief and "out-there" moments, so when these happen, embrace it. Heroes is Fanservice Central, and while some fans may get their favorites first, others will get theirs too in due time. So, look forward to the Summer Festival where everyone is in their swimsuits. Go to Halloween for horror-inspired outfits (Risen King Chrom) or crazy costumes (Vampire Leo, Pirate Xander). Have some Christmas cheer with M!Robin being Santa, or possibly playing with a naughty Tharja. Then, even with all these alternative outfits, look forward to the alternative weaponry and colors these heroes can be from a gameplay standpoint! At the end of the day, Fire Emblem: Heroes is just a video game. Just try to have some fun, or at the very least not spoil it for others, okay?

Game: Mental Omega for Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge

That works, but it also depends on how you want your image to be presented. I do the rest of this in spoilers to save space and not go too off-topic.

For my images, I personally upload them externally and then link the image to show up on the message boards. (In other words, I do not upload my pictures to Serenes Forest itself. I upload them to an Image Hosting site and link the image from there.) I use imgur, all you need to do is create a free account and go through the process of uploading pictures there then sharing the links (or the IMG code ones) here. While it may seem Imgur is used for other stuff (it likely is), it works perfectly fine for gaming-related images.

Well, Selena did try to get Xander to "obtain a sense of humor," but it had the opposite effect. Elise was crying, Camilla was concerned, and Leo went to find a healer. If Eggxander is Selena's idea of humor, then I think I would fall in with the Nohr siblings and believe something is amiss. To reiterate, I'm mostly indifferent to the Spring Festival. While it does sadden me that Chrom dons the bunny ears and Xander doing so makes little sense, Lucina and Camilla look all right in their outfits (Lucina is known to have an "exotic taste" in fashion and Camilla is the sex appeal character). The only reason I would pull is to get an Axe Chrom, a Flying Magic Camilla, or a Magical Lucina. Carrot Xander I'll pass on. I love the idea of taking existing characters and putting a spin to them and going crazy every once in a while, but this particular event just doesn't resonate with me. Still, I hope everyone else enjoys their bunnies and egg hunts when it goes live! I'll just be hoarding my precious orbs while I wait for the opportune time to spend them. Choose Your Legends Skins when?

To reiterate what I said in the General Topic...

Well, I saw Chrom coming, but didn't think Camilla took the silhouette of who I originally thought was Ninian. I'm a sad man that Chrom's bunny self has better artwork than his Heroes incarnation, but at least it is still Matthew Mercer who voices him. As for Lucina, I guess they got someone new since Laura Bailey can't always be around (or she is using an assumed name, I have no idea). She looks all right. Xander is... He suits the bunny outfit less than Chrom does. I guess he also changed VAs, so I have no desire to get him. Camilla is Camilla, she does what she wants. As for other stuff... Chrom - Green Axe (Looks like an Axe to me) Lucina - Blue Tome (Thunder Spell) Xander - Blue Lance (Carrot of Doom) Camilla - Green Tome (Wind Spell) Edit: Long story short, while Lucina and Camilla look okay, I don't care much for this special event overall. Xander is off completely while Chrom (despite me disliking the concept) and Camilla pull it off decently. Lucina looks fine, but the (possible) VA change is not motivating me to pick them up.

Sounds about right. The AI has a tendency to position themselves to counter the opposing color, and with 2 Reds (Olivia, Tharja) 1 Blue (Subaki) and 1 Green (Narcian), it makes sense that the Sword Flier will immediately gun for Narcian, messing up the entire placement. Subaki being to the right of Narcian may not have been enough to discourage the Sword Flier, and I'm not sure if Michalis will try moving towards Subaki if he was on the left (keeping the "move 2 down" strategy in place). But hey, I did have a disclaimer up saying I didn't try that strat myself since I don't have those characters, so my hands are clean! Luckily though, I didn't have anything on the line on the bet. I'm just the random guy wandering through town, says his piece, and wanders on. But am I a tactician, or an agent of chaos disguising myself as one? The Black Market will gladly take your Orbs in exchange for Stamina Potions. All we need to figure out is out to drain the current excess out in the wild...

Going to go off of previous posts and say the female may be Ninian. The existing Heroes artwork suggests that one of her ribbons may be in the rear, while a Dragonstone can easily be substituted for an Easter Egg. (Hey, if M!Robin can wield a Christmas Tree as a Sword, Ninian can wield an Easter Egg as a Dragonstone.) However, I sincerely hope that is not Chrom with bunny ears. He just had a magnificant showing with the epic battle with Ephraim, and now he will be made a laughing stock if he is in that costume. Thing is, I have a sinking feeling that it is Chrom. His Heroes Artwork looks similar to that of the promo, although a part of me is holding out that it may just be Laslow instead because it makes some more sense... Please no Bunny Chrom. Pls no...

Never really played much of SoulCalibur save for picking up V one day. I also never played much Assassin's Creed much either, even though I heard a lot about AC. Either way, I did enjoy the tracks of Soulcalibur V, for what it was worth. * * * * * = = = = = Edit = = = = = Have another song!

As for the Warcraft RTS argument, Starcraft II has been getting more and more "hero characters" which was the main feature of Warcraft 3. Granted, there still are no heroes in competitive multiplayer (just Co-Op, and then only with certain commanders), but things look slim for the classic Warcraft RTS franchise, even if there is the Sci-Fi and Fantasy aesthetic differences. // A part of me missing the naval combat from War 2 (War 3 TFT did not do the navy justice) and I would like a story reset back to the ending of War3 instead of whatever they came up with for WoW. Alas, that is just wishful thinking... Back to Starcraft: Brood War Remastered, I was never really a Starcraft guy. I ended up picking up the original Starcraft years after its original release and loved the campaigns, but it never drew me in as did the Warcraft series. Then again, I enjoy the more fantastical settings than science-fiction. so there is that. Also, any word if existing Starcraft Anthology owners will get the remastered version for free (or at a discount) or will the remastered version need to be bought again?

Loving these new features! Repositioning is something I really wanted in Heroes for a while, and the stamina increase / EXP increase for lower star units are also welcome additions. For the latter, I'll be happier knowing I don't have to babysit my phone all day for optimal stamina usage, and the EXP increase will definitely help me level up my 2* and 3* units for "optimal SP gain." I still would like to see to see detailed enemy information before charging in. It still would be very useful to know if the enemy is Armored, Flier, Cavalry, or Infantry besides the default Color & Weapon loadout. Then if we want to go even further, check to see if the enemy units are merged (or have AI hacked Lunatic stats), and if they have custom skills...

If I was to guess the next focus, I would say Fire Emblem 6 - Binding Blade. If they also go off the xenologues and the way the story is currently going, I can totally see "Binding Shadows" to be the title of the next mini-chapter. I hope for a Sacred Stones focus to stick with the GBA titles and to give Sacred Stones more representation, but they may end up doing one of those JPN-Only titles instead.

It's too early in the morning for me. I'm usually a night person, not a man awake at 8:00 AM...

For 9-2 and dealing with Wary Fighter, the "Breaker" skills work really well as they will negate the effects of the Wary Fighter. As most units tend to be faster than armors, your guys should be able to double them if Wary Fighter is disabled. I used an Ephraim (with Swordbreaker), 4* F!Robin, Ryoma, and Erika. Narcian should work well since he comes with Lancebreaker by default. For 9-5, try to get rid of Veronica and Xander as soon as possible. Place your anti-Xander unit in your second deployment slot while the Anti-Veronica unit goes in your fourth. I used Ryoma to kill Veronica on the retaliation while I used Swordbreaker Ephraim to deal with Xander. I also fielded 4*F!Robin and an Olivia to provide support.

Flier Quest should be finished today, with my Cherche (+ATT, -RES), Cherche (+DEF, -RES), Palla, and Camilla team doing good work. Only two more clears left to go. I actually had an epic battle with the Fliers on the Sacred Stones map (mountains with a small river and bridge on the top left). Since my team was all fliers, I was able to be completely out of the attack range of the opposing team. If I remember correctly, I was up against Jagen?, Odin, Azura, and Hana. Needless to say, with Azura and Hana around, Hana could easily have wiped my team all by herself. Luckily I had terrain advantage and a human brain to overpower the AI, so I manipulated it so I could slowly kill off their heroes one by one. Jagen died first. Then, with too much time spent on positioning, Odin fell second. Shortly afterwards Azura too fell, and Hana could not withstand the might of Camilla with Goad Fliers (and maybe her Draconic Aura proc). Also, as a bonus, here is a picture of my Cavalry Team playing "Catch Me If You Can" with Gwendolyn. Stahl went back and forth luring her while Ursula just attacked through the wall. Cain and Jagen had a picnic outside the fortress.

Round 30 [Blazing Shadows]: 3* Hinata (+HP, -ATT) || 3* Olivia (+DEF, -SPD) || 3* Selena (+HP, -RES) || 3* Nino (+ATT, -HP) || 4* Arthur (+HP, -SPD) Blue = Active Duty (Good or Perfect IVs, New Desired Character)Red = Reserves (Character Merging, Skill Inheritance, Retirement) * * * * * * * * * * Welp, I give up. 10 Pulls, 50 Characters, and I am now at 5.50% (11%) for a 5* character. I exhausted all of my orbs on Blazing Shadows and did not get a 5* character. Sure, over the past few pulls I got a few salvageable characters, but alas, 5-Stars elude me for 10 pulls straight. So much for effort versus reward, right? And so it came to pass that RNG is still RNG. I suppose I'll just wait for the next banner and wave farewell to whatever rate I have for Blazing Shadows... * * * * * Past Pulls