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Is getting all these children a specific goal of your campaign? You will end with double the characters that you can field per map. Then again, mine may probably not be the best advice, for I prefer smaller parties. Do not worry about late skills, just remember to organise the skill order (in the menu) before recruiting a child, so that they inherit the more useful skill of the ones currently available. Note that, in some cases, if a parent learns a new skill during the recruitment map, this will be the one handed down. I firmly believe that it is better to recruit the children as early as possible; the more you know a unit, the better. For example, Sophie, Nina and Ophelia can all be recruited around Chapter 12, always. As "broken" as any of them could be by late game with careful skill planning, I would rather know them for ten more maps and watch them become powerful. Try to understand your mistakes, so that Casual mode does not become a bad habit. Some general advices about Conquest here and here, and about Fire Emblem here.

As much as I enjoy playing (and replaying) Conquest, I do not try crazy parties precisely because I do not use the characters that I dislike, regardless of their objective value as units. I later decided to do without the pre-promoted units and to reduce the party to ten members, which limited my options but allowed me to know the characters-units that I like in many situations. • Favourites Velouria, Odin, Ophelia • Top units Mozu, Elise, female Cornflakes • Like Silas, Sophie, Nina, Kaze, Anna, Haitaka • Like but rarely use Xander, Leo, Benny, Felicia, Flora, Gunther, Rally Man • Neutral Effie, Azura, Shigure, Laslow, Soleil, Camilla, Keaton, Niles, Siegbert, Ignatius, Midori • Dislike and do not use Selena, Beruka, Arthur, Percy, Nyx, Shura, male Kanna, Peri, Charlotte, Forrest, Izana • Commits suicide by Chapter 7 Jakob • Never met Dwyer

Hey, there! I gave you more options so that you could choose at will, but I am glad that more than one were useful. By coincidence, I am re-trying Berserker Azura and Berserker Velouria in my current campaign (silly me, thinking that Shigure would also inherit Fighter), and the girls are walking Delete Buttons. I was also lucky enough to get a Berserker's Axe around mid-game, to one-hit at will. I have not tried Mechanist Anna in a while, but she was a great surprise. Here is probably my first try of her, from a couple of years ago. Note that if you want Silas to father Shigure, then you cannot have Berserker Azura. (Berserker Shigure is more fun, though. 😈🔥)

Four odd, perfectly functional units that you could try: • Let Azura learn +5 Speed and then go - Berserker, from Arthur, to class-change as early as possible; or - Sniper, from Cornflakes. Both classes are broken on her, just pick the weapon that you prefer. • Mechanist Anna. Recruit her as early as Chapter 9, class-change her immediately into Apothecary, user her own Arms Scroll to increase proficiency in daggers. • Wolfskin Shigure You may want to plan his recruitment or grind Supports in Before Awakening, so that you can get him relatively early. Broken.

I would only consider Conquest's Lunatic Endgame as unfair. Not because of its being difficult, but because of the specificity of the difficulty. Lunatic Endgame is a puzzle that can only be solved with a very clear idea of its mechanics. I, for example, have no issues with with Chapters 17 or 19, which many people complain about. The defensive thresholds are rather low so that multiple builds of multiple characters can play the exact same role and succeed in a perfectly reproducible way, and the mechanics involved are clear and consistent. Of course one may find these chapters difficult, but they are certainly not unfair. On the other hand, and as Eltosian Kadath has explained here and in other opportunities, Chapter 20 is indeed unfair because its mechanics are not clearly explained, and the only way to fully understand how the map plays is to play it first. Having said that, I may be an exception, but I enjoy replaying maps. Not because I try to "save-scum" an outcome, but to actually come up with a better, more efficient approach. Therefore the idea of how Conquest fares as a blind play through is very odd to me.

As much as I enjoy playing Conquest, I do not know how to objectively rate it, for its weakest point (its ridiculous storytelling) is something that I do not take seriously or primarily in this genre. Therefore it deters me less that it does other players. Assuming that one can enjoy a tactics game with a terrible storytelling, I would give Conquest an 8/10. Acknowledging that it can never be a whole experience without at least a basic, coherent story; and taking off another point because its map design and gameplay mechanics, while engaging, are not perfect. • Birthright, 3/10 Weak map design and no challenge. It breaks itself. I prefer the characters of Conquest. • Revelation, 1/10 Not even useful as a mechanics tutorial due to how tedious it is. • Awakening, 4/10 Weak map design, but it is irrelevant because of how easily it breaks itself. No challenge. At least it has characters that are more fun. • Shadows of Valentia, 4/10 Tedious map design and basic mechanics. A whole extra point for its presentation and funny voice acting. • Four Houses, 3/10 Weak map design and basic mechanics. The padding between battles does not translate into a more engaging gameplay. It is either very tedious or very easy. I have tried the GBA and DS games, but not long enough to rate them. If the gameplay of Advance Wars is more engaging than that of a Fire Emblem game, then the latter is doing it wrong, for it does not even fulfil its basics.

Short answer: Conquest. Long answer: I played a couple of chapters of Sacred Stones about eight years ago. I then got a New 3DS along with the special version of Fates in 2017. Since everyone else said so, I tried Birthright first, but got bored after some chapters. I then played Conquest and never looked back. I have completed over twenty campaigns, and always start a new campaign along with any other game that I am currently playing. I love its puzzles. Fortunately, in Conquest I found a game that I enjoy. Unfortunately, no other Fire Emblem game that I have tried does the same.

Man, this is a tough one. I know from experience that Odin (main) with his intended Cornflakes can take on any and all Onis west or southeast. That Effie & Silas/ Mozu/ Niles or Silas & Mozu/ Anna can take care of the eastern bridge and then hold the Pegasus ladies. And that Silas & Mozu/ Anna can take on and hold all western Onis. The thing is that, even when Camilla is banned, I have always had more units (ten) to deal with those pesky Pegasus. Jakob is somehow always six feet under by Chapter 8, but Paladin/ Great Knight Jakob would play the role that I usually assign to Silas. Nyx would be a Dark Knight and Arthur… I do not know, I would say Paladin or Great Knight, after an early (Chapter 7) Heart Seal; so that he can gain access to more useful weapons for this chapter (Javelin and Iron Swords.) But if he calls dibs on the earliest Heart Seal, then Jakob will struggle to gain proficiency. Niles would be a Bow Knight for the extra movement and might. Mozu’s map and Invasion 1 would have to be played after Chapter 9 to ensure some thresholds are met. Chapter 10 would finally be played as a defending map, even though it is actually a rout one. I might try it, but I honestly never use Jakob or Nyx, and I doubt that the remaining party has any value afterwards (after all the early promotions.) If successful, the campaign ends after Chapter 10 anyway.

Interesting. I had never heard about this. One thing I did notice in Chapter 27 is that, playing with only ten units, all paired, the Entrap maidens always ignore the healer/ staff user. Thus, I make mixed pairs (say, a magical unit and a physical one) and leave the “weakest” unit paired with the healer (healer as main), for they will be left in the corridor and can assist other pairs on the next turn.

While I not always clear the west corridor of Chapter 26, I am pretty sure that I have got the Spy Shuriken on Hard multiple times. I remember this because there was no dagger wielder in many parties, and therefore this weapon was only a sellable. I am about to start Chapter 21 on my current campaign, and the only dagger wielder was Kaze in Chapter 12 (Jakob always commits suicide in Chapter 6 or 7, poor soul.) I will check Kaze’s proficiency level, though, for he soloed Chapter 5 and was very active in Chapter 12. I will pay attention to this Spy weapon.

Eltosian Kadath already addressed this, and his approach to Chapter 25 is probably more efficient than mine (also with ten units, no royals, no backpacks.) For me the key is to Entrap the Spy Ninjas. You then you bait the Master of Arms in the corridor (everyone will come towards the doors), wipe the area and Freeze the survivor or sustain a phase. Two Entraps in the eastern side should suffice, for you also want to Entrap one or both Spy Automatons and the Life or Death Sword Master guarding Saizo in the west. Instead of Entrap, this can also be done with Freeze, but you need more charges and a couple more turns. A Sniper is usually the MVP here. +Magic Nohr Noble Cornflakes with Mjölnir and Heart Seeker is my best bet against Ryoma. Man, I have yet to come up with an efficient approach for Velouria's map. No matter what I do, I always end up using around twenty turns. 😒 I know, ten units is a small party, but this map takes ages for me. Even when I play it before Chapter 15 (by grinding supports with Keaton in 'Before Awakening.')

Another man of culture. It is a hack. Just remember that Effie also gets Sniper from Mozu.

I get it, I just believe that you would have to make calculations on every turn of every map. If Forrest does not one-hit, he will get hit, and he has relatively low Defence and low HP. And in order to one-round, you must first ensure that he can double. If he triggers Vantage, he will already be at half of his HP, meaning that he will most likely endure one more hit. And if you use him on Enemy Phase against enemies that he can already tank (like magicians), he will be a very expensive Ninja or Adventurer. In any case, go for it. It should work, it is just not the way I play. But I am interested in seeing how effective this build is. Keep us posted and have fun. 😊

The effective growth rates are one thing to consider [1], but probably more important are its averages and caps. [2] Forrest has no Skill and low Luck, and plays like Elise, who relies on forged Fire tomes. On the other hand, part of Ophelia's sex appeal is that she lands critical hits like crazy. He will need Speed boosters to double, and he has worse availability, for Ophelia can always be recruited around Chapter 12, but he appears around Chapter 20. (If you allow DLC, you may want to play "Before Awakening" six times right after Chapter 14, so that Forrest is available immediately after recruiting his father and you can enjoy him longer.) Vantage sounds fun but it is useless on Player Phase units. Elbow Room or Quick Riposte would cost you 4.000 Gold each, they are not worth it. Not to mention that there is no reason for a magician to Support a Paladin during battle. Make him a Sorcerer and grab Dragon Fang or Draconic Hex from his mama. Befriend Ophelia to increase their attack bonuses. 1. https://soapy4159.github.io/ferevpairings/ 2. https://zekareisoujin.github.io/FEFatesStatCalc/

In my case, more aggressive approaches come up more often because I enjoy playing Conquest with fewer units. My parties do not "tank" very well, and backpacks are forbidden, therefore, cleaning areas on Player Phase is very often the safest bet. Focus on damage output and not on defence, favour Berserkers, Sorcerers and bow wielders. They wipe any given area. Eight out of ten units must either one-hit or one-round in Attack Stance, or they are useless. There are not enough movements to care about chip damage. I cannot answer this question fairly because I actually enjoy replaying games. I always play a game first to "test" it, for some minutes or for several hours, and then I restart it and play a more "serious" run. This is how I learn. You see, I started a campaign of Conquest some weeks ago. I had an idea about using the royals in alternate classes, given that I had not played with them in years. Well, life happened, I left it on hold around Chapter 15, and picked it up this weekend. Since I could not remember the pairs and classes that I wanted to use, I wiped the data and started it over. I have other ideas now and enjoy the replays. 😬 In the case of Fire Emblem, it helps immensely that I do not get mad when I die, not even when it happens against a two-percent-chance critical hit on the last encounter of the map. I laugh at it and come back later. Even though I have played Conquest many, many times, I do not have notes about the offensive or defensive thresholds for a given section, nor have I memorised the numbers; I just play it and trust that my party will be able to wipe the area or survive the following phase. There is always some novelty and thrill to its puzzles, even if you know exactly what to do. I find Blind Lunatic impossible, though, for it demands specific thresholds that one must take into account various chapters in advance.

Ah, you mean playing it blind, and not exactly Iron Man. Using only ten units during the entire game is very much opposed to the dynamics of an Iron Man, but I have no problem playing the late-game maps in Iron Man mode for a challenge. I lose units way more often during mid-game than in the later chapters, and I have completed the last third of the game without deaths multiple times. I usually have two or three mounted units. And it would not matter if the enemies attacked you, for there is no way they all could hit you. It is impossible because they all can move six squares, and start in different positions. You on the other hand can kill them all in a single Player Phase, no exceptions. If you could not wipe them all, leave the one who cannot kill you, or use Freeze, or use Rescue, or use Shelter... In no section of Chapter 23 can the enemies corner or ambush you. Reinforcements appear far away from you. I can tell you when I believe each enemy group moves, if you are interested. To ease your concern, this map plays exactly the same in Hard and Lunatic, and can be reliably completed with ten units and no mounted units, without ever using a Dragon Vein, in under twenty turns. Granted, if you are playing it blind, you do not know when the reinforcements arrive, but the movement gimmick is more annoying that it is dangerous. Adventurers, Kaze and Elise are immune to any and all Magic Pegasus or Magician; every single flyer is one-hit by Bows, Beast Killers, Hunter's Knife or a Wolf; trained Sorcerers cannot be touched by Kinshis; Onis have no Resistance... If you are ambushed, use a Cross formation and hold one turn, then wipe the area on Player Phase. I fucking hate Azama, I give you that. Man, this made me laugh out loud. You summed it up. Around Chapter 12. I am not joking.

We could not disagree more about this map. Look at what I posted last week in this very thread! 😂 We simply play very, very different. My "tanks" are usually +Magic Cornflakes or whatever Silas. The real stars of the show are the other eight units, the ones who can actually blow things up and clear areas. Welcome to our world! 😎

Wait, is that the bow that hits twice?! Man, that is the greatest prize that I have seen. And I have played Conquest a dozen times. I have got various Silver weapons, Elixirs, and the best of the lot was probably a Mjölnir. I do enjoy playing the lottery as soon and as often as possible. I even have this theory that the prize depends on the Luck of the seller, or on the combined Luck of the seller and Cornflakes. 😬 Did you already use the Arms Scrolls? There is one in Chapter 21, and I think that there is another one in Chapter 13, I cannot remember. I usually save them for my Sorcerers, so that they can use Excalibur, but the Brave Bow is a life saver late game. If you have the DLC, Anna gives you another Arms Scroll after you recruit her.

You could pair-up and deploy everyone on either side of the map. I almost always send my ten units west. Are the de-buffs not dependant on the equipped dagger? If they are not, you can check the de-buff effects in the menu screen right after being attacked. (Not ideal, I know, but you will be de-buffed before you cross the half of the map no matter what.) I always train my one healer, but if you do not, Izana will have a greater weapon proficiency, which grants him immediate access to more staves and more accuracy with them. The best Sorcerers in the game already have natural access to Vantage, Vengeance and Life or Death. 😜

Turn on my Nintendo Switch at least ten times this year. 😬 Seriously, I cannot remember the last time that I played it. It was months ago; the operating system is still at version 7 or so. I download games that I say that I want to try, but I never really play them. The PS Vita does not fare much better. And while the New 3DS gets a little more love, it may remain stored in its case for weeks. A sad story indeed for my consoles. 😅

Oh, I get it now. And I agree with you in that individualised AI would make maps more interesting, for the puzzle would have more depth. It could also add variety to some skills and classes, like Generals and Paladins's deferring enemy attacks to themselves or Berserkers's provoking the enemy to attack them regardless of their AI.

Absolutely! I liked that in Octopath Traveller a cleric "guides" (based on her level) otherwise-Non-Playable-Characters, while a dancer seduces them (based on chance) to join your party for a couple of battles. Or that a huntress tames wild beasts to fight by her side, while a merchant hires mercenaries.

They probably did not do it because it would be impossible to "win" this chapter if Niles is dead by the time one plays it. (In other paralogues, one may not recruit the child if the father is dead, but the chapter can still be "won.") This map is way easier when played around Chapter 12, when enemies are still not promoted. Just send Cornflakes and a mounted unit west to get the Shining Bow and chase Nina, and everyone else east to get the treasures. No mounted units or Lunge are needed, just keep on marching. Also, the treasures are way more valuable early in the game. Interesting. I think that I like this approach, but I also enjoy replaying maps, and it is clear to me that not everyone does. If the enemy may or may not attack, then one must assume that it does. If the enemy can kill one, one will be inclined to wipe the area on Player Phase; and if it cannot, it does not matter, for one would simply march on. One must assume that the map design will be smart enough to not place powerful enemies far away from one's party, a situation wherein one would have no choice but to hope for the best.

In Chapter 21 in particular, I think that one is not supposed to "tank" Golems, but to one-hit or one-round them while paralysed, either by the Dragon Veins or by Freeze. With ten units, no flyers, no royals, it takes about eight turns to clear (on Hard), killing the boss pair on your way. I concede that I would not be able to do this on my first try, which ruins an Iron Man campaign, but it is perfectly reproducible with multiple set-ups once you have an idea about the map. I would go even further and let enemies ignore me if they deal less than 10 % (of total HP) damage or so. It discourages baiting, which is the simplest way to play these games. And there is nothing to learn there. Conquest can also be played about 90 % on Player Phase, which, to me, makes it a more fun and more appealing puzzle. For example, I enjoy Chapter 23 precisely because most of it can be wiped without letting the enemies engage in a single Enemy Phase. It is a thrilling march clearing areas at will. (Again, ten units, no royals, no backpacks.) Will enemies ignore me? I would not know; march and assault them anyway!

Conquest consists of 27 chapters, Xander joins your party in Chapter 16, and a couple needs seven maps to marry. Thus, unless you grind Supports or plan to unlock various children consecutively late in the game just for him, Siegbert will only be eligible for four or five maps. And he does not have the bases nor the growths to lead your party (he is, at best, a late-joining Silas.) Therefore, it does not really matter who his mama is, as long as she is physical. Just enjoy the ride and pick his mama based on the dialogues, hair colour and whatnot.