Grithalmur

Hm... I'll take Cord then.

I'm feeling Castor. Also I'm having a feeling Reclassing will be in these special rules after the draft is done that were mentioned earlier.

I'll take Abel, then.

Best: FE8 I just think it's music is the most well-done overall for both map and plot. Honorable mentions to FE7 (first-game nostalgia also has good music,) and FE4 (only listened to some tracks online, but I'm seeing where it gets its fans.) Worst: FE9 Most plot music sounds the same after a while, so a big part of my enjoyment in the music are the player/enemy phase map themes. Taking away those musics for one neutral-ish map theme was a big mistake in my opinion. (RD gets a pass for improving the battle music though.)

I want in please! Heard a lot about these draft tournaments and have been wanting to try one out for a while now.

Best: FE7!Zephiel Secretly save a man from assassination once, get his mother's thanks and proceed on your way. Have that prince save himself from assassination once, and he kills his jerk-ass father and becomes king of his nation. Unfortunately, I hear things kinda take a dive after that... Honorable Mention to Skrimir, since getting in the bad guy's base and kicking ass is, sadly, one of the most sensible plans in Radiant Dawn. And it turns out that's what is needed to fix everything in the end. YAY VIOLENCE! Worst: Michalis (In Shadow Dragon, at least.) Until I see you possibly developed more in the sequel, I'll just have to go with the fact that you're an ambitious jerk who didn't think far enough ahead. Dishonorable mention to Joshua who, while he is a pretty awesome fighter, did basically run away from home to screw around and ends up stuck in the middle of a war; not even making it home to witness his mother's final moments unless it's Eirika Route. And a Nomination for Best FE Map Theme.

I'm fine with it in most cases, but 4-1 in Radiant Dawn can die. (1-9 barely gets a pass thanks to the black knight.) Fog of War is not fun when Reinforcements can port anywhere on the map, and you can't see the sparkling warp symbols if you don't have vision there for some reason. Especially that one swordmaster who ports in the blind spot of your camp, and doubles/crits someone who can't take the punishment. First time playing through, there is no way you're going to know about that, even if the thought had crossed your mind.

As much as I'd like to go with FE7, with Sacred Stones and Path of Radiance close behind, they're not just being sold new anymore, meaning you either get lucky in the used section or have to get lucky online. Also, while Wiis are backwards compatible, there is a chance that the person you want to introduce the series to may not have a spare GBA or GBA-compatible DS lying around, especially if they're new to video games in general. So, unless you want to lend your copy to a friend, I'd have to go with Shadow Dragon, as the only other choice (Radiant Dawn,) is 1. definitely not for beginners, and 2. meant to be played after Path of Radiance.

Best: Minerva. Even though she was bound by both duty and having her sister hostage, she made sure to do whatever it took both to protect her family and right the wrongs of her country. Even if she couldn't do it as well as her special forces could (Whitewings.) I do like Tana and L'Arachel, but they kinda fail on the judgement part it takes to rule a country. L'Arachel gets trapped by monsters (intentionally,) and Tana's hotheadedness gets her captured and stripped of her weapons on Ephraim's Route. Worst: Almedha. Definitely Almedha. Sure, there's princesses who don't do anything, but then there's this one who makes obstructing progress an art form. It's so caring of you to constantly bemoan poor Pelleas' fate and all that when you do nothing at all to help out. And then you blame Michaiah, Sothe, and Tauroneo who, rashness and other possible issues aside, actually tried to do something in all this; at Pelleas' request no less! (Haven't gotten around to a second PT yet to see how saving him changes her reactions.) That scene in part 4 where Nasir, (I think?) puts her in her place, forcing her to realize how she messed up EVERYTHING was very cathartic. And since we have Best/Worst Princess here, why not have a nomination for Best/Worst Prince?

It could be that they simply can't avoid as well as they could in the GBA games. As far as I know, LUCK in RD does not contribute to avoid, it only lessens critical hit chances in this game, while in the GBA games every point of LUCK meant one more avoid. The enemies are also a lot stronger in every way, while most enemies in past games didn't have SKILL above the mid teens until the very end and only if they were snipers/swordmasters/high hit people, all the enemies in RD have taken their multivitamins, especially on Hard/Maniac. (This is probably the biggest reason.) A low HP cap also hurts, as even if you're a powerful mage, naturally low defenses and a forced lower health pool means that you will die in only a couple of hits, especially if you're screwed on speed, as mentioned before. And finally, Biorhythm mixes things up. If enemies are at their Best, they will hit, a lot. Even more so if your guy is in Bad or Worst condition.

Not knowing that you could kill the player units of the other group's army and that they wouldn't die for good in Radiant Dawn was very annoying. 3-13 would have been a bit easier my first time if I knew I wouldn't have killed Oscar/Boyd/etc. for good if I fought back. Another thing is not knowing when bosses actually do move from their starting location. My first time fighting Lloyd (Pretty sure it was Hector Normal,) on Cog of Destiny, I was having Wil chip away at his health with a Longbow for EXP, but then Lloyd decides to move and Double-Magic Wil to death with the Light Brand. It's less of an issue now, but still...

I usually just use normal names, but a few come to mind... Wil - Eyebrows Lucius - Luscious (Don't ask...) Rebecca - Becca-re (I don't even know...) Rhys - Rice Ball Ike - Freakin' OP! (Though that's more a description than a nickname) Every prepromoted character in any game - Jagen (This made RD from part 2 onwards very, very awkward...)

Not sure if you still need this, but here goes: 1. Linus, Lloyd, Zelgius, Caellach (CC doesn't count for me,) and Eubans (FE7) 2. Kent and Sain 3. Not counting generic NPCs or unimportant end-of-map bosses... Lundgren, Uhai, Darin, Ephidel, Elbert, Uther, Linus, Lloyd, Ursula, Brendan, Sonia, Limstella, Nergal, Athos, Bramimond, Desmond, Canas, Karla, Hector (FE7/6) Fado, Glen, Selena, Valter, Caellach, Ismaire, Vigarde, Morva, Lyon (FE8) Elena, Greil, Petrine, Bryce, Ashnard, Rajaion (FE9) Jarod, Ludveck, Izuka, Lekain, Zelgius, Dheginsea (FE10) Jiol, and Gharnef and Medeus, but those last two get better it seems. (Shadow Dragon) 4. The boss of Shadow Dragon Chapter 5. I forget both his name and whether or not he's a cavalier, knight, or general (pretty sure he's not a paladin) 5. For the Generics of Shadow Dragon, their souls were taken by Gharnef and served to all the FE villains at the 20th Anniversary Potluck Dinner. He was aiming for some named characters, but they escaped as you can see in the sequel. In Magvel they would have been zombified, but with the Demon King out of the picture that's no longer possible... So, I have to say something Valhalla-esque. Die on the battlefield, cursed to fight on the battlefield in the afterlife or something like that. I dunno... 6. Since I'm not in the habit of sacrificing people, I'll take this to mean someone I bait the enemy with often. Ike. Even more so if he has Ragnell.

Since there's already a Peg. Knight --> Pally... Matthis Archer --> Sniper

Just checked his portrait again. Whoops. Don't agree with the pug kicked in the face, (though he did have pretty bad luck in the prologue,) but I see what you mean. Still have a general + opinion of him though. Except for those few moments where people actually talk in SD, everyone has that gloomy/dour/general :( or anger look in their portrait. Maybe their moods will improve when they talk more in New Mystery...

Long post incoming! These are only from what I've played. Let's get the bad out of the way first. Dislike! FE7 Nils- Only slightly, but still. We're sorry your sister died, but could you have at least had a support with someone? Renault had the same time as you did and is not nearly as useful as you. Your hate is understandable, but still... Merlinus- Funny and likeable, but could you let me go please? It's getting hard to breathe... FE8 Neimi- A bit too weepy for my taste. It's a bit too much when your ending describes you as such... Rennac- Just admit you don't find L'Arachel's company too bad and things will go easier for you. Syrene- ...meh... FE10 Laura - Despite what some of us in the series expect, the world of Radiant Dawn is one of the bleakest Fire Emblems ever. It's not fun and games Laura! Listen to Aran and Micaiah on this one (though your heals are useful.) Volug/Leanne - For being untranslatable. Fun Fact! After reading through some of their translations on this site, I found out they actually made the most sense of all the characters on the field! Too bad not all of us can read super-swervy cursive and miss all of this. Lehran- For causing all this mayhem from what amounts to a selfish hissy fit. Failed to convince me; even FE1 (Shadow Dragon) Medeus and Fomortiis made better villains imo. Special! People from PoR that failed in RD Sothe- Damn it, just admit you're happy to be fighting with Ike again when you rejoin! Don't question it! Ilyana- I could've sworn there was something more to you than food in the previous game (though I haven't gotten all your supports yet.) Danved- So... why is it so important that you are not Devdan again? Largo- Why'd you have to get yourself crippled? Your eagerness would have been fun on the battlefield. Astrid- When you get to the point where even the notorious AND self-admitted lowlife gambler is questioning why the hell you are putting up with his presence, something is seriously wrong with you. Yune (Not Micaiah, oddly enough) - You know why Ashera is breaking your agreement and such? Because, as revealed by the character portraits, you are just a little girl who couldn't understand that she lied to you so that you would just stop pestering her. It's probably why she split apart from you in the first place! Flooding the continent by accident (Uh-huh...) and making people insane if they touch your bed when you're asleep isn't fun either. Thing is, including the gods in this game probably made everything more convoluted (though from what I've heard, the god thing actually works in Gaiden and Holy War.) And lastly... Ike- At times you made sense, at times you didn't... I wonder how things would have been if you didn't have to share this game's Lord Duty with Micaiah, Elincia, and Sanaki, as well as a few Jagens... Shadow Dragon DS Arran/Samson - The fact that both of you say I should have gone to the other village when in reality you both are pretty bad isn't filling me with confidence right now... Marth - But only for actually saying "Yow! An enemy ambush!" in the prologue. Hilarious, yes, but it made both me and Gordin face palm, and he was completely tied up at the moment! Final judgements will be held until I play New Mystery when it gets released in NA (I believe it will!) Now! On to the likes! FE7 Lyn - First FE I ever played, first Lord, and first impressions are awesome. Not afraid to speak her mind and kick ass doing so. Kent + Sain - Each likeable in their own ways, but as a duo they really stand out. Florina - I dunno... something about how she wants to succeed so much, and that she's apparently the life of a party (See Farina A) just makes me like to use her. Wil - Normal Archer # 3 represent! (See Rath's B+ supports with him if you're confused.) Serra - Annoying, but perky, which wins out in the end. Matthew - Oh, you lovable rogue who's serious at just the right times. Bartre - For showing you're much more than what your recruitment dialogue led me to believe in both Canas' supports (B+) and when recruiting Karla (Stuff like this is what's making me excited for New Mystery!) Hector - Taking badass to the next level and being a caring guy on top of all that. Canas - Elder magic indeed. Not sure why but he just stands out for me. Dart - For his own loyalty, and hidden secrets as well. Oddly enough, I don't use him too much for some reason. Legault - See Matthew Nino - Life will get better for you! Even if most of your paired endings result in you becoming a hobo on the run! Jaffar - Completely Nino's fault. Though the fact that the two get a few chapters devoted to them normally helps the fact. FE8 Gilliam - There's just something about him that draws him to me, in a way. Strong dependableness? Ross - You know, a lot more FE games could use your enthusiasm, especially RD and SD. Lute/Artur - Kinda bland on their own, but really shine in their supports, especially with each other. Spiders... he he. Joshua - The only reason I would do Eirika route nowadays is thanks to his coming home subplot. A lot more to this mercenary than his hat would suggest. Innes - You know, despite what people say about you, you actually mean very well. Seriousness isn't always a bad thing, especially when you're the only sane man at times. Gerik - Dependable Mercenary leader type, looks out for his men. I like that. L'Arachel - A bit annoying at first, but her rare serious moments bump her up a notch for me. Knoll - One of the two reasons I prefer Ephraim route. Nothing on Eirika route, but his introduction on Ephraim and his subsequent supports actually make him fairly deep. Gloomy, yet endearing at the same time. Lyon - On Ephraim's Route only, and the second reason I prefer Ephraim's route. The whole story of him being consumed completely on Eirika's Route seems like a cop-out and just trying to protect her. The fact that on Ephraim's Route it's revealed that he is not only still barely alive/sane, but was always fully aware of everything that's been happening and yet he is still willing to revive the Demon King to save his country. This shows a lot more about the much spoken-of love and devotion Lyon possesses than simply the pining for Eirika we see on her route. Also, I prefer how Ephraim reacts when confronting him as opposed to Eirika's reactions. FE9 Ike - Naive, yet courageous at the same time, not going to let injustices slide in front of him. Too bad of that quagmire of a sequel where you and everybody else is a pawn until the very end. Boyd - Energetic, yet lazy, yet fun at the same time. Matches your biorhythm perfectly (Despite my intense hatred for the Biorhythm system.) Rhys - Nice, dependable guy who cares about his comrades/family. The same could be said for a lot of the Greil Mercenaries in this respect. Mist/Rolf - You show them that you can succeed on the Battlefield! Mist even gets a pretty badass conversation if Ashnard attacks her, which is neat! (Though he ended up one-shotting her, and it was hard mode so I didn't want to restart and she wasn't a corpse story-wise.) Volke - Sneaky guy who replaces the other thieves' humor with subtlety and espionage, yet still pulls it off (even if I don't use him in combat.) The reveal concerning him and Greil cements his likeability for me. Tormod - One of the few characters who didn't lose points with me plot-wise in RD, even if his usefulness in battle took a huge plunge. Fun guy all around. Haar - With his sleepy time, you know he's secretly awesome on the inside. Him taking care of Jill as a promise to Shihiram (also awesome,) just takes the cake on this one. Tibarn - Tellius' version of Hector, pretty much. FE10 Edward/Leonardo/Nolan - The main members of the Dawn Brigade. Although they didn't get too much development, they got enough to be positive in my eyes overall. From Edward's enthusiasm and just going with the flow on a lot of things, contrasted by Leonardo's seriousness making a good foil for Edward, and Nolan being a mentor type to the two boys, this trio deserved more love in my opinion. Meg - If you've been paying attention to this list, then me liking the underleveled characters should come as no surprise. As for Meg, she just brings a happy face to the table, which is nice, though her crossing the known world just to track down Zihark with basically no confirmation anywhere (again, haven't seen all of PoR's supports,) was a little creepy. Nailah - Badass Wolf, and one of the only sane people when everything was going to pieces. I don't know how you put up with all these guys, Nailah. Brom/Nephenee - While they were okay in PoR, they really shine here in RD. Being two of the first to notice the rebellions in Crimea, they drop their hoes and pick up their weapons once more (though Brom's change to axe confuses me, much appreciated though,) to protect their homes. Their honesty and down-to-earthness is refreshing when nearly every other character is just going along for either the hell of it or doing it through orders or coercion. Kieran - You really are a strong and dependable knight after all! Sorry for abandoning you in PoR for Boyd and Titania. Shinon - Another character improvement. Who would have thought that your racism and dourness in PoR would change into a strong voice of reason (though only in side conversations.) How did you accomplish this? By changing nothing about yourself at all. Props for being true to your mean, jerkish self when everyone else was influenced easily or stubborn in the wrong way. Skrimir - Quite possibly one of the few new characters to actually get character development. Though the change from bull-headed idiot to dependable leader is a common, nearly cliche one, it works for him for some reason. Stefan - Mysterious badass who I completely missed in PoR AND RD in my first playthroughs. Even though a lot of the mystery is revealed in an impossible to miss side conversation (even if you didn't recruit him,) my likeness for him doesn't decrease. The clincher is when he was talking to Yune before 4-E about how screwed up being a Branded was and asking what they did to deserve it. When Yune truthfully tells him that there was no reason and things just, happened, then watching as he just falls apart in hollow laughter, I'm floored with sympathy for him and rage at everyone who forced him into this situation in the first place (including Ashera, Yune, Lehran, and the Senators.) Shadow Dragon DS Jagen - Gameplay-wise? Usable but very weak. Personality-wise? From his conversation with Cain in the prologue, awesome! He just really gives the impression of a grizzled veteran who's seen it all; caring, yet stern with his troops. Frey - For being the canon sacrifice and facing near-certain death with dignity and honor. Gordin - Sure, you're kinda weak, but there's just something about you that has a good charm. Perhaps it's cause you're one of the few character pictures that doesn't have a gloomy/dour face as it's default position for the game. Caeda - Caring, yet crafty and manipulative as well. Maybe it's because I like certain manipulative villains from other series, but this didn't diminish her quality at all. If she wasn't an ally, she'd make a pretty good enemy. Poor Roger never knew what hit him. Julian - Only a few conversations here and you still pull off that roguish quality all thieves are contractually obligated to have. Nice job! Hardin - Having spoiled myself on a few plot details of Mystery before Shadow Dragon was released (i.e. Hardin is the bad guy,) it's just tragic seeing him express his wishes for a long, healthy friendship with Marth in his extra conversation with him. Midia - Only because her character portrait's face has this dark, super-serious look when she says "Hello, my lover," when recruiting Astram. It's just so out of place that it makes it unintentionally hilarious. Reunions are not supposed to work that way! Finally, the Sacrificial Gaiden Characters (Athena/Horace/Etzel/Ymir) - For getting more than one scene of dialogue and appearing in chapters that would actually be okay-ish in modern Fire Emblems, getting somewhat of a personality in the process. Still felt sad at having to sacrifice my teammates souls to Gharnef's Fancy Dinner Potluck for the villains at the 20th anniversary just to see them, but it's looking like that won't be an issue in the sequel. Final judgements will be held until I play New Mystery when it gets released in NA, as stated above.

"Any Other Suggestions/Rules?" No Arena Abuse No blocking fortresses (any and all reinforcements must appear,) but you can still kill the boss to stop them. No forging And one final thought, limited weapon use. Either use ONLY the weakest weapons that are available forever or ONLY weapons at your current weapon rank (E=Iron, D=Steel, etc.), except for exclusives (A Ranks, Excalibur, and Aura), which can be used at your own discretion and staves, since limiting based on weapon level for staves is fairly unfeasible. If any of these sound good, go ahead and use 'em. If not, that's okay.