Johann

Also nice is that they're so easy that you can send bulky units in more or less by themselves to solo the whole thing (the unit has to get in at least one attack per fight on an enemy at least level 35, so bringing a full crew can mess things up). I usually send Robin in alone with Renewal while I read or do dishes. For Frederick, I use Fury, WoM, Hone Cavalry, and Atk/Def Bond, so realistically the same kind of skills should work great on Haar. The idea is that you should be able to kill the units he can't bait (like Winter Eirika) and have no problem tanking & ideally counter killing the ones he can bait (pretty much all physical melee armors, even Surtr). I've even had success with him killing Halloween Myrrh due to the stat boosts and having Hone Cavalry. Given that you also have Caeda, I think those two would make an excellent pair. You'd probably have a lot of situations where Caeda can run in and kill something while getting into WoM range, giving Haar a chance to warp in on his own. That's basically what I do with my cavalry setup (Ursula being the Frederick's partner and easy to get into WoM range). Just keep in mind that many armors in AR use Wary Fighter (or are Duma) and therefore won't be doubled so easily (hence why a single blow from a high Atk effective weapon is usually needed). Given the popularity of armors, a build like that for Haar would last well past his time as a bonus unit, though there may be times where you need to have some way to buff his Atk (like Hone Fliers) as foes get more defensive. Legendary Ephraim is another amazing AR unit due to how reliable his weapon is, which makes him one of the best Galeforce users, especially in AR. Between him and Tibarn, you would need to pick, but both are truly excellent. Note that next week will be Fire+Light season, so Ephraim would get you a score boost. If you haven't given Tibarn Galeforce yet, maybe consider Caeda for that role too. While she lacks Tibarn's guaranteed double (which is usually enough to get through Wary Fighter), she does at least have the armor/cav effectiveness and no need for Heavy Blade seal, freeing up her build options. Both are excellent choices. Yeah I'm not sure how to build Naesala myself, but he's definitely usable. I think he's a good choice against certain teams that are hard to reach on maps like Lava Floes, but I'll have to think a bit about what would be the best build for him. Hit and Run is a good call though. When in doubt, I always go with Wings of Mercy. If Myrrh is dying to Reinhardt, you're doing something wrong. Are those Reinhardts buffed? Consider bringing along Panic Ploy or Aversa; with Panic and Atk Smoke, even red units can shrug off Reinhardt's specials. Dorcas is good, though his middling Res means you'll want to give him some kind of boost (Warding/Mirror Stance, that sort of thing). I use Hawkeye in Astra season, and he's got 42 Res but only 52 Atk and 32 Def. The biggest threat to both of them are people bringing anti-Surtr builds, which usually include Axebreaker and either Deathblow or TA. Otherwise, they're pretty great. Dorcas is a very good counter against flying lance users and Eir, both of which are very popular (and often on the same teams). Hmm yeah I have Smite and Draw Back on my Eirs. I also gave them different accessories so I can tell them apart better. I maintain that one of them should keep Smite, since it's rare that your best strategy is to send them both in. I'm not fond of Vantage users since there's that risk of not being strong enough on certain foes or going against foes that ignore Vantage, but Ares truly is one of the best (some would say he's #1 even). I don't think more merges is required, it just helps against some of the bulkier foes. At most, going all in on merges (at least up to +9 since the last one is Spd and Res) means he'll get +3 to Atk and Def, which is like 4 or 5 damage to his attacks (assuming he's running Bonfire). Against most foes, that's not super necessary, and definitely not as significant as giving him the right support. I'd say play around with him in other modes for a bit before making a big investment and get a feel for it, see if he grows on you. Yeah, learning the AI sequence in order to deal with dancers (especially Azura) and Lucina is very important, especially as more and more players acquire them. I've been updating the main page guide slowly during work hours, with a priority on the AI stuff. Knowing how Lucina is going to move is extremely important, and there are definitely tricks you can learn to screw with her. Don't you have two Dumas? That's a guaranteed 40 Lift saved on Defense right there, pop those bad boys in with some Legendaries or random units with Astra blessing

I dunno about other people, but I aim to use just enough lances in the first two rounds to get into the top 3, since there are people like you who seem to have a billion saved up for the final round. Usually end up using 5 or 6 lances in each of the first two rounds, and I tend to have around 11-13 for the final. No way is my luck gonna leave me with enough lances to compete with a score like yours haha

Best way to quickly build S Support is to autobattle Chain Challenge chapters 1&2 on Normal with a unit. It'll take 8 complete runs (or 4 if you've S Supported them before), but it's very much worth it for any super tank unit. I usually bounce it around between Fjorm, Robin, and Hrid. Haar with a hammer should be fine against Surtr, but he shouldn't need QR (which is bad against Surtr anyway since Sinmara will take your HP down). Brazen Atk/Def in A slot could be a great choice though, if you're not using Fury or something. I don't think Sharena is great except for when she's a bonus unit and with a great deal of investment, her only notable advantage is her rotation as a bonus unit and weapon's Dull effect. Fjorm, on the other hand, has the bulk and doesn't require much effort to build into an ideal unit. She's one of the best AR Offense units, without question, and has little to no issue with a great number of common threats. Consider saving a 4* Kaze to teach her Atk Smoke since she'll want her seal slot for something like Close Def. It's hard enough to get one armored unit into an ideal position, having a second on hand would be redundant in most situations. Duma's not particularly great for Offense runs compared to other dragons (like Nowi, Myrrh, or Legendary Robin) or armors (particularly Caineghis), and adding a second one isn't going to address whatever weaknesses the first one has. Duma's got great firepower, but more often than not, the issue is about approaching the enemy safely. The other units I listed are notable for their extreme bulk and ability to counter kill or shrug off a great number of units, whereas Duma would require considerable skill investment to perform the same role. He's really just there to be a bonus unit, and looking more closely at your other options, he might not be your best one this week. Tibarn is an excellent choice, especially if you're willing to give him Galeforce. Just be warned that his performance can suffer if you're bringing Duma with Upheaval since he wants the enemies at full HP. Naesala is also great, even though he lacks the Heavy Blade Galeforce setup of Tibarn, but he's better suited for killing dragons than Tibarn is since his Res isn't awful. Leanne and Reyson are both great, though you might find yourself in situations wishing you had Azura (though I guess less so if you're bringing almost all Laguz). Myrrh is another amazing AR unit since she's crazy bulky. I'd suggest you bring her on a variety of teams, you'll find there are many situations where she can safely tank a great number of units. Consider saving a 4* Kaze to teach her Atk Smoke since she'll probably want to keep her seal slot for Iote's (though Distant Def seal is a good choice too). Mia's nice, her main use is using Witchy Wand on Pulse setups. Hone Fliers is a nice boost, and being able to top anyone off after Duma's Upheavel kicks in is very helpful in defeating him. Healers in general can be hard to use though, since they lack the positioning skills like Smite or Draw Back. Ares is amazing, he can wreck entire teams if they don't have Hardy Bearing or Dazzling/Firesweep to stop him. You would need to give him DC to reach his full AR potential though. Def Smoke works great on him too if you have a 4* Panne to spare. Fae is kind of redundant when you already have Myrrh, stick with Myrrh. L'Arachel would fulfil the same sort of roles Reinhardt does, I don't think you'd get anything new from making her. Frederick and Haar have near identical stats and uses, I wouldn't bother with Fred if you're already a fan of Haar unless you're interested in having a cavalry version of the same role. For what it's worth, the only armor effective unit I bring is Frederick, and only in Astra season. I don't think you need to go all out, and looking at who you have, I think it'll be possible without making any major investments (really just a few 4* skills to inherit here and there for bonus units or tweaking some builds). My advice to you, as you're doing your runs this week, is to take note of the fights where things go wrong. What went wrong? Was it the enemy units being too powerful? Their map/arrangement? Is there something about the AI you're not aware of? When I say take note, you might want to literally write down the things you're been up against (maybe even screen cap them) so you can reflect on what your biggest threats are and consider how a different team could have handled the situation.

I'd definitely diversify those teams. Of all your bonus units, I'd say Lyon, Haar, and Duma are going to be the most useful, while Alfonse is probably going to be more of a liability. Here are some ideas based on those units: Duma, Legendary Azura, Reinhardt, Lyn, Leanne Duma, Legendary Azura, Reinhardt, Lyn, Grima Haar, Legendary Azura, Reinhardt, Lyn, Celica Haar, Legendary Azura, Reinhardt, Lyn, Leanne Lyon, Legendary Azura, Reinhardt, Lyn, Leanne I would also suggest considering other units that you haven't listed. There are definitely going to be maps where Lyn and Reinhardt aren't going to be useful, so consider a team with tankier stats but better mobility than Duma/Grima. You should anticipate seeing a lot of mage teams, armor teams, dragon teams, and armor-killing teams and plan your units accordingly. I don't think your selection of units will necessarily be prepared for all of those threats, so consider looking at high Res units, dragon killers, and mixed bulk DC units. Some build tips: Duma: The boots might be necessary, though if you decide not to, then make sure he has Pivot at the very least. . You can't afford to take baby steps in a 7-turn limit, after all, especially if the ideal strategy involves Smiting Duma into enemy lines. Haar: Use +Atk hammer. A lot of people are going to have armor teams set up. Aim more for Atk than Def, as his Atk is high enough that he may be able to one-shot a great number of armors. Atk/Def Bond seal is a decent choice if you decide to give him Wings of Mercy, or otherwise Atk+3, Atk/Def+2, or a Brazen Atk seal. He's your best bet against Caineghis since he has the stats to bait him. Lyon: Triangle Adept is ok if you intend to bait Veronicas or Lyn, but otherwise it probably won't do much beyond attacking Dumas and untransformed Caineghises (both of whom are so bulky that TA won't be a one shot). His default Atk/Res +2 or even Fury 2 from Bartre is also decent if you don't want to invest too much into him. With his crap Spd, he'd probably want QR and either Distant Def seal or Atk Smoke seal. Azura: Default kit, with WoM and Aerobatics seal if possible Leanne: Either Goad/Ward Flier or a Drive skill(s). Wings of Mercy is generally ideal, but Escape Route can also work well on her. Grima: Ward Dragons unless you have Armor March. Depending on your foes, you might find one of the two (Grima or Duma) to be a better tank for a given situation. Celica: Vantage and go all in on the Brazens (or Fierce Stance 3 seal). Maps with Duma on them are giving you that HP loss for free, after all. Remember to be mindful of Leanne's healing affecting Celica's HP % and position/plan accordingly. Highly recommended you bring at least one unit with Smite at least a couple teams. Even with a Dancer, it can be necessary for breaking traps. Your biggest threat is likely going to be Pulse mage teams, since these units would probably not survive an onslaught of specials from high Atk mages. To be fair, not many units can outside of Light season, so it's good that you at least have Reinhardt and Lyn to maybe pick off a dancer or mage, assuming they can get in range and do enough damage.

Actually, I've interpolated the seasons based on the hero being Earth, rather than the other way around. The logic supporting this is that this'll be the 4th hero of the 4th wave of Legendaries, and they have one of each element within each wave. In other words, Water/Wind/Fire have 4 heroes each and Earth has 3. Further corroborating this is the fact that this upcoming week is Earth season when last week was as well-- an occurrence that regularly happens as we transition into the week of the Legendary reveal. As for the other seasons, it's just going by whatever has gone the longest without appearing, which is very rarely more than 2 weeks. Oh, also I realized you skipped over Legendary Azura, who should be appearing before Roy on rotation. Water Season will align with Light season when she's a bonus unit.

Yeah that's correct. Also the seasons should go like this: April 23 - 29: Earth/Water/Astra/Anima April 30 - May 6: Earth/Fire/Light/Dark May 7 - 13: Earth/Wind/Astra/Anima May 14 - 20: Earth/Water/Light/Dark So, unfortunately, Hrid and Roy won't get the Light season boost during their time as bonus units. At least Lyon is a solid unit for AR and any Eir bonus season is a great thing. Getting Wind or Earth with Water and Light are some of the smoothest weeks if you've got a good amount of Legendaries to pick from. edit: Azura comes before Roy and will be a bonus unit during Water/Light week (May 14th)

They're nothing special. The Offense ones being based on your foe's structures is bad since it'll rarely ever be at full power. The Res one would be good if it was Offense instead of Defense, since mages are so popular. The Atk/Def one would be decent on Fjorm, but Steady Stance 3 is good enough and way more available.

I figure the original idea behind AR was to appease the people who are always looking for a new challenge. By giving the players the ability to create maps, IS doesn't have to do much beyond adjusting the rules, making it (in theory) something that players can spend a good deal of time and effort on while IS themselves wouldn't have to devote too much of their own development resources towards it. I think it would be received much better if the penalty for losing (on both Offense and Defense) weren't so significant compared to other competitive modes.

Characters, art, voice work, all on point, this is a neat banner and the theme doesn't feel out of place or weird. I only wish Felicia was the freebie. Also Genny should be riding the deer for maximum picnic power.

That's a pretty good call. I kinda forgot about him myself. So far Spring Loki is pulling some serious weight for such a minimal investment (only fed her a 4* Bartre and refined her bow), but I do have to watch out for archers. I suppose Corrin would be at risk from mages too though.

How many do you usually save? I'm an extremely lucky person over all, so much so that my twin brother (who has garbage luck) has me do his summons for him, which has shown dramatic results.

Yeah I pretty much only can when it's Fjorm (or was Fjorm) for the bonus unit. Pulled it off when Ike, Robin, and Hawkeye were bonus units too. But overall it doesn't feel necessary or even worthwhile, the time it takes to fish for high enough scoring matches and then do perfectly gets me an extra orb and 500 feathers. On a normal week, I'm either demoting and can just collect my daily rewards and not care about score, or put in a decent showing with whoever and promote to T21.

I can use Cain and maintain T21 provided my bonus unit scores well enough, but yeah I feel the same way. At least cavalry are absolute monsters in GC and I love that mode more than any other.

Thanks! The only thing I seem to have lost is a WoM Reinhardt and WoM+Galeforce Raven, but I think I can figure something out. I'm hoping the new mode only factors score value from our own units, so people can just leave up whoever they want.

Hmm... @Rezzy at some point I might need to ask you to equip your Titania with Hone Cavalry and Def Ploy seal, that's the build I've been using for GC for months and I'm reluctant to lose that. I still need to get more WoM people on my list first though, a few key teammates have long since switched up their units from great for GC to like, anything but.

I suppose the silver lining is that a lot of other players are in the same position and their scores are suffering as a result, and so the highest ranks might not be as competitive.

On the plus side, if you give him Null C-Disrupt, he should be pretty safe since he'd at best fight like 2 or 3 units in a single turn. And if he's on a team with Eir, then what little damage he takes probably won't be a problem.

Yeah the hard part with these banners is whether or not I should save for someone new (especially if they're Mythic) or see if I can make progress on my merge projects (which is really any Legendary). I've got Ike at +7 so it'd be really nice to cap him off, but then the Astra hero is coming in May, so I guess Ike can wait.

I've got a lot of dew saved up, and I'm considering giving her Dark Aura and pairing her up with Ryoma for funsies

Got a free Linde from the New Power banner, neat. Never got her before. I also completely forgot about the 5* changes so I guess this is pretty lucky, huh

Nah, June is packed already. This new hero should be returning in like July/August time frame

Worth noting that the big threats for a Raventome user are Lyn and Veronica, and the two of them are never really going to have more than 50-60 Atk, so with Triangle Adept 3, you'd only need like 30-36 Def or Res, assuming you want to take zero damage from those hits. Lyns never use Cancel Affinity anymore, so no worries there.

Boey's a great choice. The Light Blessing will patch up his Res quite a bit, and that's not enough, you can always buff him or I guess build +Res. His Def is much higher than most others, so while a seal like Distant Def 3 might be needed on a low Def mage like Cecilia, Boey could use QR or Warding Stance seals. This is important since Distant Def 3 is one of the most valuable seals and generally best saved for a super tank.

I could see a variety of ways they could address it, like returning some of the Lift you lost, or extending the 20 hour safety window

In keeping with my luck in AR, my first Def result is a loss (killed one) and the next was a complete success. This has been happening for like 5 weeks in a row, guh. Really hope they're considering changing Def results in some way because it's frustrating to see my successes mean nothing, while screwing over a random person. Yeah, I know what ya mean. Feels lame that I have to spend anything at all on her just for one week of AR, after which I'll probably never use her.