Shanty Pete's 1st Mate

So, the only potential Tornado users are Leif, Arthur, Tinne, Ced, and Coirpre. But of those, the latter four can only do so with Lewyn as their father. And the potential sons will have *-rank Wind and Forseti by default. So there's no real motive to give them Tornado. As such, Lewyn!Tinne is the only real competition Leif ever has for access to the Tornado. Up to you whom you leave it with. Leif will have basically exclusive Bolganone access, but then again, Bolganone's higher Weight makes it less likely to Pursuit or Adept. Tinne can do Thoron regardless, which actually might be the better pick against the Rotenritter. Whew, and I had thought Kaga wouldn't make good axe infantry until the next game! This Johalvier is cracked. I feel kinda bad for the wyverns in this game. All hunched over like that? Must have some mad scoliosis. The way Charlot calls Hannibal immensely reminds me of Nikolaj in Brooklyn 99. Very wholesome! It's actually really kinda funny that there are no playable infantry classes with inherent A-rank in any offensive magic type. Like, who is writing these tomes that only a handful of people with the proper blood type can use? Unfortunately, it kinda undermines the magic types being threshed out. We have Wind Mages, but no Wind Sages. Or, maybe they could've made three types of War Mage: "Wind/Axe", "Fire/Lance", and "Thunder/Sword". Something along those lines. Actually, that was his father. Very OldMan. Oh yeah, I'm not saying Coirpre is a good unit, in any case. He might be the second-worst unit in gen II, after Hannibal. Oh, and in your listing of staffers, you actually forgot Ced! I will say that, of these units, Nanna and Fee only have C-rank staves (unless Father Claud got around), while Leif tends to have a pretty meh Magic stat. So in the case of status staves, Coirpre will be one of your better options, especially with a magic daddy. 5 move sucks, but Lana is in the same spot, while Ced and Tinne are slightly better with 6. The Res boost (with Claud as his father) makes him resilient against enemy status staves and siege tomes - and likewise for Lene! You don't want your dancer sleeping on the job, after all. @Saint Rubenio *flashes back to Pitfall Bridge map* I really like the idea that this might be Arion's and Julius' first time meeting. Like, he just warps in for this stranger who can use a super-powered weapon and shares a common enemy. And all his life, Arion will be forced to carry the indignity of having his skin saved by some edgy redheaded punk.

Obviously, Gary OldMan is an integral part of our army. Altenna couldn't meet him, and discover his wisdom, until she defected. I gave 'em an A. Not only does Coirpre become a mini-Charlot, but Leen gets 20 EXP per Dance. The defense boost usually helps, though it can occasionally make Miracle strats trickier. Not sure if it's as good as Claud passing down his own Staves (and major Bragi blood for stupid Mag and Res), though. I mean, he did give her a cursed lance, so... father of the year? Once answer could've been: Travant remains the main boss, and doesn't make his "suicide charge". After Seliph seizes the second-to-last castle, Travant orders Arion to retreat. The future of Thracia lay in his hands, and cannot afgord to die today. Arion, reluctantly, obliges his father's last command. Travant wields the Gungnir, but is still slain in battle. After the battle, Altenna takes Gungnir with her. When she reunites with Arion in the final chapter, she gives the lance back, and offers him a choice - to join her, or else to duel to the death. He chooses the former. Hannibals actually reproduce by budding. The current one spawned out of the beard of the previous Hannibal.

Great idea, to spin this off as its own thread! One question to ask is - what will the theming of the next Paper Mario game be? I haven't played Princess Peach: Showtime! beyond the demo, but I know its trademark quality is presenting the player with different aesthetic themes and gameplay styles to go along with them. There's Mermaid Peach, Cowgirl Peach, Musketeer Peach, and many others - each inhabiting their own scene. Could a future Paper Mario game offer different settings, and specialized enemies to go along with them? Such as a Privateer Parakoopa in the Pirate World, or a Gunslinger Goomba in the Wild Wild West World. Alternatively, what if the next game saw Mario travel through time? Or simply, various settings themed to particularly times and places? In Ancient Egypt, Mario might find himself faced with "Mummy Bones", whereas a "Samurai Guy" might be one of the foes in Edo Japan. Hang out with some "Koopunks" in 70's London, or "Gangnam Goombas" in 2010s Korea. ...Okay, maybe not that last one. But there's still potential, I swear! Thinking on it, the first couple Paper Mario games were no strangers to visually distinguishing members of a given species... when it came to overworld generics. In Toad Town, Rogueport, and plenty of places around the world, there was plenty of variety. But whenever you faced Koopas in battle, they always look the same. ...I mean, they can look different, but only when it affects the gameplay. Stuff like "Dark Koopa" vs. "Koopa Troopa". ...Okay, the KP Koopas are an exception to this, but they kinda stand out on this front. The fact that you have to Tattle them - when they're just a Koopa and Paratroopa by any other color - is honestly kinda funny. In any case, this has been kinda rambly. But broadly speaking, I'm on the side of "character design variation good". Either when it's thematic, or something as simple as a color swap. It'd be great to see more of it, in the next Paper Mario series entry.

Another example of beating Maniac Mode in 0% growths. Of course, this one's an LTC, so it comes with certain risky strats. Still, that doesn't mean doing so as an Ironman is "statistically impossible". It just means a different, more reliable strategy would need to be found - even at a cost to turns. What? The Black Knight was already "ruined" in PoR, when he threatened to Greil that he would torture his children. He's been ruthless from his first appearance. If anything, RD tried to make him more sympathetic. How so? Let's say I'm trying to raise Brad, and then Chad shows up. Chad is better than Brad in every way. Is this the game "punishing me" for training up Brad? Chad would've been just as strong regardless of whether I'd invested in Brad. So it's not like, by doing so, I've put myself in any worse a position. The counter-argument is "the investment I gave Brad, I could've given to Tad instead". Maybe Tad, while not necessarily better than Chad, provides something that he's missing. Sure, I can see this being the case. But it's hardly unique to RD, and is almost certainly the case in PoR - and other titles - as well. Some units do more with the investment you provide them than others. Strong agree with this one. It's a damn shame that Fixed Mode has never made a proper reappearance.

Ooh, I like the name! Might have to implement that. And yeah, this "Boss Rush" would be... dubiously canon at best. Like, I don't think if the Shadow Queen came back, that her first destination would be the Glitz Pit. But maybe Jolene could have sone nasty words to say about Grubba when he shows up? Or maybe "He's promised to be on his best behavior!" (Small text: "Fat chance of that..."). Happy to inspire! I've really enjoyed your idea, even if I haven't contributed a ton lately. Notable male enemies: Notable female enemies: Notable gender-ambiguous enemies: Yeah, some of these placements are debatable. And there's an argument for including more minibosses, like Gus or the Armored Harriers (which would strengthen the male side). There's an imbalance, but not an overwhleming one. One place where it's most severe, I'd say, is the Glitz Pit. There are a lot of named generic enemies there, like Cleftor, King K, and Master Crash. Anyway, I don't think a single one is explicitly female. They're all either male, or don't have a gender specified. Maybe there's a "locker room" argument, but Goombella, Flurrie, and Jolene don't seem to mind. I do think this raises an interesting point of discussion, on the best way to represent gender diversity among genetic enemies. On the one hand, if we give the "Goombettes" lipstick and long eyelashes, then we're employing stereotypical symbology, and inadvertently reinforcing "male = default". But, if we make all the Goombas look the same, then people comimg in with "male = default" will be wondering "hey, where are all the girls?" There are, of course, ways to draw distinction non-stereotypically. Pokemon did it with subtle differences in Gen IV - Floatzel having different stripes on the back, or male Bidoof having more "tail tufts". Although, even some of those, like Jellicent or Pikachu, kinda make me raise an eyebrow. For a comparable case: maybe the female Goombas could be a lighter shade, or the female Bob-Ombs could have longer fuses? That said, given the general aesthetic of the Paper Mario games - and the Mario franchise as a whole - I'd expect explicit markers of "femaleness" over such subtle variations. Do I think that'd be a bad thing? ...Eh, not really. We personify most of these species, so it makes some degree of sense for them to share "gender markers" to reflect those in human societies. That's sorta how the partners go: Goombario's baseball cap vs. Goombella's ponytail, for instance. These are the sort of cultural flags players will expect, so I can't really fault the game for going along with them. (Inb4 I use the Punies to inspire a genderless society). Paper Mario: The Origami King is secretly the pinnacle of the series, because Birdo made an appearance.

Hey now, the Great Gonzales is no sexist! If Goombaria wants a fight, then he'll stomp him with the same tenacity he would any male Goomba. In any case, depending on how much time's passed between these games, Goombaria in TTYD is probably as old as Goombario was in PM64. Maybe a touch older, even. Sure, Lady Bow hasn't visibly aged in her cameo... but she's dead! ...In my defense, I totally forgot that she exists. It'd be nice to see her team up with Lakilester, but I don't want to remove "Generic Lakitu" from the Pit. Alternatively, Lakilulu could have a team-up with Koopie Koo? Not exactly my own idea - in TTYD Hero Mode, she proves herself a fierce opponent. I might make a few tweaks. But for the time being... Round 3 is here! Yes, after much anticipation, I'm finally delivering. Round 3 would become playable after two conditions are met: you've completed Round 2, and you've defeated the Shadow Queen. That's because it's designed as something of a Boss Rush. Including not only this game's bosses, but those of the original Paper Mario 64, as well. Most of them have seen their stats boosted, so that they present something of a challenge. Now, let's get into it! 19. The Goombosses 18. Blooper Reel 17. Ninjakoopa Troupe 16. Hooked on a Feeling 15. Tomb of the Koop 14. Boo-tonium 13. Scourge of the Seas 12. Venus Fire Trap 11. Smorgasbord 10. Tubba & Grubba Bonus: Jr. Troopa 9. Shy Guy Surprise 8. Gloomy Gus 7. Head in the Clouds 6. All for Naut 5. Mineral Monarch 4. He's Taking His Tube Out! 3. Toad's Mojo Dojo Casa House 2. The Shadow Beauties 1. Stars Above! Bonus: Moorinyz Ch: Shadow of a Doubt Again, each battle will provide Coins and Star Points. And even if the battles don't sound too tough, don't forget about the conditions that Jolene can set! As for the reward for beating the course as a whole, what should it be? One option would be another badge. I'm thinking the "Star Saver" badge. This would reduce the Star Power Cost of special attacks by 1 - except for those that cost just 1 SP already. So, Earth Tremor would cost just 1 SP, while Sweet Feast would cost 4 SP, for example. This badge would require 4 BP to equip. Anyway, what are your thoughts on this list? Any notable bosses that I've missed? Any alterations that you're not so sure about? Please let me know, in the comments below!

Thanks, I hate this wording. Wait, isn't he inadvertently responsible for Eirika's reunion with her brother? Orson traps her in the castle, shortly before Ephraim arrives via a different entrance point. Had the bridge not been blown out, she might've fled immediately, and the siblings would just miss each other. Also, is four appearances really so few? That seems roughly on-par with what most of the "Sacred Stones of Grado" received. Two or three backstory appearances, then the one time you fight them. Two, in Riev's case. Selena disappears off the face of the earth for Eirika, while Glen does the same for Ephraim. Orson might actually be more important than some of them. Thracian Pure Water go brrr. Meg is honestly cute-as-a-button. I love her design, and what we get of her as a character, so flipping much. Dorothy, too, I really like. Just have more normal-looking characters, please! In a world of anime waifus and hasubandos, that's what it takes to stand out.

I've gotta give it to Lumineon. It's literally just a fish, three generations after that was deemed acceptable design. And yet, it has the audacity to take an "eon" name. Two, if we want to count "Finneon" as well. Those are now names that Eevee will never have the chance to evolve into. All for some fish that nobody ever uses. Godspeed, Lumineon.

Wait... "Deng-lish"? Oh, mein Gott. It all makes sense now. This whole time, "ping" has been short for "Xiaoping". I can't wait until you get to the next game, and get to experience "Fire Emblem with Thracian characteristics". Admittedly, this is one I could see going either way. I do believe that Chulainn produces the best Patty. As for Faval, though - Chulainn provides him the best possible Skill and HP. Jamke, however, gives higher Strength and Luck. Additionally, while Chulainn provides our Archer with no skills, Jamke gives Adept and Accost. So even if he misses, he has a chance to hit again. Oh, and he's hitting harder. Finally, Jamke starts with an extra 100 love points. So Chulainn x Brigid takes an extra 20 turns of adjacency to get going. In any case, there's a debate to be had on the best partner for Brigid. Much like Lex vs. Chulainn for Ayra, or Lewyn vs. Azelle for Tailtiu. I'm no more an authority than any other overenthusiastic player with too much time on their hands. All these music references, and you were still missing one! Added it for ya. Faval, on the other hand, simply apologized until he was blue in the frame. TBH I think you might have it backwards here. My assumption, when Travant refers to Altenna's "mother", is that he's referring to Ethlyn. He's not wrong about her being brash - riding horses and bringing her daughter into the desert with her. No idea who Arion's mother is. Presumably she died offscreen, probably a long time ago. Hell, maybe before Altenna was kidnapped. "Honey, where did this baby with a giant lance come from?" I don't know how much is in the original, and how much is the fanslation. But honestly, Ishtar vacillates so frequently between "vaguely sympathetic enemy" and "pathetic simp for the Spawn of Satan". "This is the ideal Sage body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like." Eat rock! Heh, that was pretty clever. Holy moly, Kaga did it first! They wouldn't just stop at Travant. With two Sages on his trail, Arvis' days would be numbered. Would be neat, in a potential remake, for variable dialogue based on the fathers. Like, Claud!Ced could say something like "Our Father was a man of the cloth, devoted to helping and healing the hurting. That's why I couldn't leave Munster." Or Naoise!Ced could mention his father being one of Sigurd's oldest compatriots, when meeting up with Seliph. It was strangely merciful of Kaga, not to feature more enemy Thieves and Rogues. I wonder - what made him hate the world, between this game and the next? A classic FE game treating the enemy king of a Wyvern-riding country more sympathetically than he deserves? I'm shocked, I say, shocked! Well, the Miracle Sword only works for women. Travant could invent some tripe about both the Gungnir and Gae Bolg being associated with Dainn holy blood - but only men can wield the former, while only women use the latter. BOTTOM TEXT

Beloved Zofia? Ah, you must be thinking of Saber's Golden Dagger. Celica is far too honorable to demand he return the sword that she had given him as payment, after all. But, perhaps she could use the Ladyblade? It can do magical damage, and tends to outdamage the Beloved Zofia regardless. Even if it's not technically a Celica exclusive. I get what you're saying, but "rude blue-haired dude who mostly uses Axes" isn't Ike - it's Hector. Obviously they share a lot of traits, but I worry it'd be "salt in the wound" to those fans who really wanted an Ostian noble in the mix. I might be biased - having played RD first - but I have basically no affection for the "Rapier by another name". Not only does it kinda suck, in a game with 2x effective damage, but it makes no sense. Why is Ike, our first (debatably) Commoner Lord, using a "regal" sword? Maybe it'd make sense as a gift from Elincia, but it was from Greil, so ???. As for the Ettard, it actually feels like it allows Ike to be his own character. Rather than walking in the footsteps of previous Lords, with their pseudo-Rapiers, he decides to bring a chonky blade into battle. That weight might slow a lesser fighter down, but not the beefed-up, growth-spurted Ike. It doesn't do effective damage, but that's how badass Ike is: he doesn't need effective damage to one-round his enemies. Just a good, solid, natural extension of his arm. The kind of weapon that his father might've used, when he wasn't in a life-or-death scenario, at least. Costume customization would be very cool, of course. Imagine, Peach getting multiple designs (and movesets) based on her Showtime! appearance. ...Oh, without changing the mechanical properties? That'd be easier to program, and therefore more likely.

Actually, I tend to think of "Kris" as more female-leaning than "Chris". Maybe because that's the default name for the generic female Pokémon trainer in Crystal? I think "Sandy" could actually work. I've known both male and female Sandys (er, Sandies?). As for "Mark", interestingly enough, that's also the name Morgan has in Awakening. "Morgan" would've been a great gender-neutral name for the tactician. Or maybe "Max", or "Matty". D O N G A R M O R T I M E

TBH I went back and forth between Anna and Celica. What I like about Anna is, after Marth, she's the closest thing this series has to a mascot. On the other hand, Celica does have a game where she's a main character... hm... I do like the idea of having her work Pichu-style, although I do worry she might be too much like Micaiah. That said, if you stuck with Ike as the Tellius rep, then yeah, Celica would be a no-brainer. How about the Ettard for his A-button attacks, and the Urvan for his B-button attacks? That way, Ike's signature weapon - and his father's signature weapon - are both represented. And obviously, Ragnell for the Final Smash.

My favorite "Break the Targets" iteration has to be the Melee variant, with unique stages for each character. I'd love if they brought that through into Brawl, and subsequent games. Maybe include subtle difficulty options, or the ability to try one fighter's stage with a different fighter, after beating it once. "Everyone is here?" Try telling that to my Chansey balloon. On a related note, as far as Poké Balls go, I'd love to see Unown make a comeback. Yes, please! Honestly, I would've changed the whole history for FE representation: - Melee would still be Marth and Roy. - Brawl is now Marth and... Micaiah? That's right. I like Ike, but he was the fighter who turned "blue-haired sword guy" into a trend for FE reps in Smash. From thence, Lucina. And Chrom. And Byleth. Everyone looks the same. Micaiah would look different, and play different. - Smash 4 is Marth, Micaiah, and Robin. "Masked Marth" does show up as an alternate costume for Marth, with a unique voice. In the DLC, we get Azura. Rather than Roy, the other returning DLC character is Ice Climbers. If Rosalina & Luma can work, then so can these two. - In Ultimate, everyone is here! Marth, Roy, Micaiah, Robin, and Azura. Roy is treated as an "echo" of Marth*, while Anna is introduced as an "echo" of Robin. Within the DLC, we get Teach, but now as a pseudo Pokémon Trainer who can swap between Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. * One last thing: Dr. Mario, Pichu, Falco, and Young Link should be treated as echoes of Mario, Pikachu, Fox, and Link, respectively. It's exceedingly funny that the fact that they were among the first clones somehow immunizes them from being recognized as clones.

Shadow now joins Luigi, to share the vaunted heights of characters who have received their very own year. Also the van's initials are I.V.O. Some crafty bastards at SEGA.

I had the chance to see it! Including about two minutes of totality. Took a long car ride with my parents, and made a day trip of it. It's just a really cool, surreal experience - seeing sun trimmed down to a fingernail, and then to nothing at all - being surrounded by a couple minutes of twilight, in the middle of the day. Just a rare instance that makes me marvel at the universe, and think of all those things - on our planet, and amidst the cosmos beyond - that we simply take for granted. Well, that's enough waxing poetic. I'll wane to suggest that - if you're in a position where it'd be feasible to see the totality next time - you take it.

It's worth noting, also, that both route splits open, and close, before the "true ending" checkpoint. The split segements are chapters 10-11 and 17-20x, while the true ending occurs after chapter 22. Ergo, you can get the "true ending" just once out of two playthroughs, and still experience all the chapters and playable characters that the game has to offer.

Maybe Forrest, too! It'd be pretty neat, building off of Emmeryn, to see the whole Ylissean royal family swapped. More than anything else, to see how they translate Lissa's design to something more male-typical. And if F!Chrom gets to keep her bare bulging branded bicep... well, I won't be out complaining. Might confuse some players if they have to change the names around (i.e. "Lisso" and "Chromme", maybe?), admittedly.

Most likely, yes. Thank you for continuing to spead the Gospel of Hawke. Alternatively, Hawk appears on both sides of the conversation, if no Ced exists. It is then explained that he is talking to himself in the mirror. "I'm not owned! I'm not owned!" I insist as I gradually shrink down into a corncob. Farmers: 3000 Merchants: 600 Knights: 300 Wyvern Chow: 45000 Craftsmen: 1200 Someone who is good at the economy help me. My people are dying. *flashes back to Babi Yar*

"You're too late, Ping!" I never made that connection, but it makes sense, I guess. At least Travant isn't made of goo. Probably. TBH it'd be pretty funny if everyone hyped a Leif who died early in chapter 7. I mean, it's not like the commoners would know he's died. Except, of course, we live in a world where news travels instantaneously. I can't tell if Arion is disgusted, or impressed, with his father. Should be the latter, but his resting bitch face implies the former. Literally Malding. I don't think he'd have Pursuit, since I believe Arena enemies only haveclass skills. Adept is a class skill for War Mage, while Pursuit is not. Oh boy, five named enemies already? I'm sure the game will show restraint and not throw any more at you before Connaught. Oh you meant this guy? Yeah, tbat works, I guess. He does sound a bit "desperate" to be Hawk, though. Hawk should be a "trusted lieutenant" to Ced, IMO. Someone just as calm, cool, and collected as his boss. Oh yeah, I briefly forgor about this one! Kinda crazy strong for a generic enemy at this point. Take note of the Rogue's "Steal" skill. It's not just for show. ...Actually, I wonder if Nihil blocks Steal as well...

You forgot Ice Climbers, who weren't included in Smash 4. But then again, Lucas probably shouldn't be here, since he was in the DLC for Smash 4. So it balances out. This might be my "hot take", but... I really hate the character select screen in Ultimate. It takes, like, a full 30 seconds to find the character I'm looking for. There are just so many of them. And it's not like the individual tiles for each character are particularly large. It just feels overwhelming. I'm not opposed to the game having new characters, of course. But I really don't have much appetite for Smash 6 having an even larger roster than the current one. Make it a game where I, a casual player, can spend some time with each fighter, and get to know them. Oh, I have nothing against how they play. But to me, they were always a "nostalgia" pick of long-requested characters. If we get a new Banjo-Kazooie title on the Switch (or its successor), though, then they could definitely justify their continuing inclusion. You didn't list them here, but fair to assume that Pichu is among this cadre?

Not wrong. You could also do the ol' "mass Return" strat to get the Leonster squad back to Rivough, after getting all the relevant information. Of course, neither is what the average player might be expected to do. ...Interestingly, this is actually a scenario where a Xane would be super useful. I like to send Fee westward, to help out Shannan and Patty. But it's also desirable for her to go south to Leonster. Getting one of each would be huge. You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is, never start a land war in Jugdral. But only slightly less famous: never cross sand tiles as a cavalry unit! Oh huh, I forgot about this. My despise for Rewarp, as a narrative feature, must have obfuscated the memory. ...At least it wasn't Julius ex machina this time...

Maybe Duke Knight? His parents always wanted him to go into the family business of Bows, but the Lances were a' callin'. Yeah, not really a plot hole, as there are a thousand and one ways to fill it. "Maybe she took it off of Gandolf's corpse." "Maybe she sent Midir ro pick it up between chapters." "Maybe it never left her side to begin with." Oh boy, I can't wait for her writing to be consistent, and not vacillate wildly between and within chapters! ...Wait, didn't this very chapter confirm that you don't actually have to cross the Yied Desert, to get from Leonster to Tirnanog? You can skirt it to the southeast, and avoid having to cross any sand tiles. Unless that portion is also treated as "desert", in spite of appearances. Kinda funny, in a meta sense, that Leif's small force is receiving information that would be far more beneficial to Seliph's army. How is Nanna learning about Ishtore, while the armies are still divided, supposed to help Seliph and company defeat him? Maybe he refers to commoners as "miss" and nobles as "ma'am"? Boom, Seliph is classist. Alternatively, it can be seen as reflective. Laylea address him as "Mister", so Seliph responds with "Miss". Tinne calls him "Sir", so Seliph calls her "Ma'am". If she ain't doubling sword cavalry with the Horseslayer, then she's still not fast enough, dammit! Wait, does marriage provide a Hit boost? I know it provides +20 Crit when adjacent, but I hadn't heard of a Hit boost until just now. This is actually really absurd. A gravely wounded Bloom, stumbling his way to Connaught in a full suit of armor. Seliph's army... inexplicably letting it happen. Leaving him plenty of time for the journey. Or what, is there an underground tunnel between these two castles? Insofar as that goes, I agree. I've played enough RD to recall no blessing greater than a Speed-blessed Micaiah. And no curse more foul than a Speed-cursed one. Yeah, Ethnia's children - the substitutes for Arthur and Tinne - can meet Jake in chapter 8, improving their Resistance. Unfortunately, his portrait is Unlike Anna's unique one. I mean, if you can find anyone in your army brave and vulgar enough to pry it from a Mage Girl corpse's leg, then by all means... See, Kaga actually planned a Book 3, where Marth went on an intercontinental fetch quest collecting the various trinkets and baubles that would be required for his coronation. But it wasn't in the budget. Alternatively, Altea operates under "Shrek 1" rules, and Marth can't become King until he gets married. That, or zombie shenanigans.

Maybe Blume didn't want to go, and would rather stay home? Or maybe he was part of the occupation of neighboring Augustria, which was supposed to go to Friege, right? Oh, I'm sure they intended it to be temporary. With all that chaos - the death of King Calf, for instance - Northern Thracia just needed a strong hand to guide them. It's a shame that so many others perished in a series of unfortunate accidents. If only they'd turn Prince Leif over, then they could get back to self-rule before you know it. Within Grannvale's bounds of acceptability, of course. Like, I don't see how this is massively different from Sigurd murdering the heads of three noble houses of Augustria. And then the other two. The only appreciable difference is intent. Sigurd never intended to eradicate the ruling class of Augustria, it was all a big oopsie! Whereas with House Friege... yeah, they're bad and they know it. But it's not unreasonable that, at least early on, they would try some propaganda to get the local yokels on their side. Try to convey themselves as "not the bad guys, really!" Ethnia could be a fitting dupe for such a ruse. One more thing - even if you totally disagree on my takes above, I think this last point will work regardless. Let Ethnia cameo at the end of chapter 3. She's working with her father, but specifically, she's worried for Tailtiu, and wants to bring her back home. She doesn't know about any of Reptor's treachery or deceit - she just wants her family back. This would not only establish her existence within the first generation, but also provide some small bit of characterization: good-hearted, but simple-minded. Doesn't want to hurt anyone, but does what she must for her family and House.

It's like poetry, it rhymes. Edain carrying Yewfelle everywhere, to give to Briggid, is another funny one. Actually, uh, when did she pick the weapon up? Did she bring it along when kidnapped by Gandolf? If so, the Verdanites would've taken it from her. But if she left it behind at Castle Jungby, then how'd she get it back? In gameplay, another case is the Brave Lance. If Quan had the Brave Lance from the start of chapter 2, he'd be an absolute nightmare. From there, it's player's choice: give the weapon to Finn to shore up his protege, or let Quan keep the glory to himself. Well, each point makes a big difference, but only situationally. Going from 15 to 16 AS makes a huge difference against 15 AS enemies, but essentially no difference against 8 AS enemies, or 24 AS enemies. FE4 effective weaponry moment. Seriously, these weapons suck. And not in an "oh at least they're cheap" way, given that they're equivalent to the Silvers. And since all they give is a guaranteed crit, you can actually outdamage them with a 50-kill Steel weapon (and a bit of luck... er, skill). Ooh, nice positioning. It'd be a real shame if they suddenly got 3 extra movement apiece. But what are the odds of that ever happening? It makes sense that this is a surprise for Seliph - who's never met Eldigan - but as a player, his shock is pretty humorous. On the level of "Ash, Misty, and Brock continuously failing to see through Team Rocket's thin disguises". Certified Patty Gaming moment. Easier, yes, but also more time-consuming. It took me 100 hours to complete my last playthrough, and I'm pretty sure about 30 of those hours were the Dancers Miracle'ing their way through the Arena. Laylea at least has a shot to get it over quicker, or die trying. Getting 20 EXP from Dancing with Lex!Lene is stupidly satisfying, though. Also the premier cause of death a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... "I kidnapped my traitorous sister and incompetent neice and let my wife torture them to build character, AITA?" This always struck me as odd, but actually, it seems to comport with the "Julia replaces Deirdre and Seliph replaces Sigurd" theory. Deirdre falls for Sigurd instantly, so she'd have no need of love bases or growths with any other man. May as well just leave those values at "0" each. The remake should have Laylea, in particular, emphasize her higher Strength growth by giving Bramsel a broken nose before she gets sent to the dungeon.

It's pretty funny to me that this would make a good deal of sense in-lore, and also have next-to-no gameplay impact. Hannibal can alreasy use A-rank Lances, while Charlot can never use Lances. All it offers them is +20% HP and +30% Speed. Which is... not the worst. Funny to think of a 40% Speed growth Hannibal. Thanks! And well, that's one way to do it, too. Still, I think an Ethnia who manages an occupation, but tries to be nice about, could be morally gray. That's basically what Sigurd was doing offscreen in Augustria, and people don't tend to think of him as any morally worse than "light gray".