Eltosian Kadath

Ah DLC content...I have never been one to buy those on principle (barring the Fate's route split costs, but those had a very different feel them...) That is a fair point, I am guessing the devs felt anyone invested enough to buy the DLC 6ish months after release probably played through the game once already. But they had the opportunity to integrate this DLC content into the main game in a way that makes more sense, like you suggested.

Not sure why I feel like script doctoring this, but I think this would work better if Manuela was trying to help with the Flayn investigation too, and the faculty knew her plan was to use her acting skills to go undercover. Then have her eek out some phrase saying they though I led you to them before collapsing from her fresh wound (in a way that points to the secret passage), that way her being attacked early is tied directly to you discovering the truth early, and explains what she was doing, and why there isn't a more official response to one of the main teachers being missing for a month... Sounds in line with the numerous other terribly parents with massive wealth from this game. Probably didn't want her back, or particularly care she was safe, and just sent the church some money to take care of her in their stead. If they just gave you some option to skip the almost identical first half of the game it would have been so much more bearable, like FE7 letting you skip Lyn and jump strait to Eliwood, or Hector mode after your first run, or Fate's letting you skip straight to the route split after the first run. Even in FE8 (or FE5) you could always copy your save (so the same save is in two slots) before the Eirika/Ephraim (or Route A/B) route split to just have to repeat one map to jump to the new route. If they just let you jump to the new stuff (even if it was a little clunky), instead of forcing us to repeat that samey section over and over again it would have helped so much. Not to mention these two routes being mindnumbingly similar just exacerbated the problem (fortunately I didn't play those two back to back, but still...)

How well did you handle the co-op area and the gank squad boss at the end of it (where there are three human enemies, one in Havel set, one in Alva, and the archer)? I found his weapon breaking mechanics obnoxious to deal with, but otherwise a fun fight. The DLC tends to get praised for its bosses... Nice, I never did much with dual wielding (usually either two handing, or doing a bit of magic in one, and weapon in the other), but it is an interesting addition. As far as I know its a DS2 only mechanic (although I have heard that DS3's paired weapons can do some similar things)

Took a week off from my Nuzlocke, but I am back at it with another update. Tragically this is the first Gym that Zelda the Dunsparce didn't sweep on her own, as Chuck the fighting gym leader is a bit too scary to face with a normal type...at least now that Midna the gastley is dead. If Midna were still around I would have tried using spite to pp stall the fighting moves on the Primeape (which is unable to hit her with any of its moves), then defense curl to max and rage with Dunsparce, but instead it was a stalling sweep with Mido the Jumpluff. Mido just leech seeded and poisoned both his mons, and used his resists and synthesis to stall his mons till their death.

I delayed a bit on my big DS2 ramble, but here it be @Benice

The director took inspiration from the most traumatic memory from his childhood for the final boss. Earthbound always had a fair bit of darkness throughout it, but that final section is where it becomes unbound, and unmasked by humor. I have always found it a fitting end as at its core it was a coming of age story, and that ending successfully embodied the end of childlike innocence.

His promotion is tied to a story event at the end of the chapter. Don't worry, just finish the chapter and he will promote.

Sorry I missed the end of Shadows of Valentia, as I seemed to be the closest thing that game had to a defender, and I think having opposing opinions helps to sharpen critique. I would have commented sooner, but it didn't feel right to do so before catching up, and while it didn't take long to get through the rest of your Shadows of Valentia coverage, I find reading about Three Houses exhausting, in part because I find a lot of similar opinions about how Three Houses plays. I don't usually talk about Three Houses, as I really forced my way through all of the routes of the game too quickly, playing well after the point where I was enjoying it, and its really clear to me that the Three Houses burnout I was feeling after I was done with the fourth route has highly colored my opinion in a way I do not think is entirely fair to the game (maybe I will have more to say after the mind numbing White Clouds section)...although I do have a few comments on your biggest hot-takes First, I agree a lot with your opinion on Three Houses support, one of the few places I think we disagree is with the paired endings, as I like the idea in concept, the way they obscure the mechanics to make it seem more like the characters are in control over who they will end up marrying, although I find your point about the romantic undertones of potentially pairing A rank supports undercuts this idea in execution. Also some nuance that I think was lost when people were talking about the gameplay effects of supports is that Three Houses have a far more generic effect compared to the rest of the series. It either gives extra hit, or if its a "special" support, some extra might on top of that same hit bonus. As soon as supports became a thing that would grow, there was more variety in its mechanical effects, from the proto supports of Genealogy's love mechanics leading to highly divergent children characters; the GBA and Tellius era's affinities gave a fair bit of variety to the boosts you could get; New Mysteries was the most generic in effect before, but even that gave you a Bond item based on which support you are getting; Awakening gave the variety of children like Genealogy; Fates went all out with both children, and linking the defense stance stat bonuses, and attack stance calculated stat bonuses based on character and support level, and Echoes gives a lot of creative though into what bonuses its supports give. These differences in the gameplay bonuses supports give make individual supports feel more special and distinguishable (even if you don't read it) which has been greatly diminished in Three Houses, and something distinguishable is desperately needed with the overwhelming glut of supports that rapidly drown you as you play. This is probably its own massive can of worms to open, but I do have a complaint about Three Houses class system. I find the massive amount of possibilities in the system leading to an exhausting amount of decision fatigue. The massive number of endgame classes, and the even more variable paths you can take to get there with multiple tiers, gets exhausting to consider, and is more difficult to ignore than a lot of other clear sources of decision fatigue in the series. In other FE games, I can fairly easily ignore the class change systems if I don't feel like dealing with that, and even if I do engage with it (barring Robin and their kids) Three Houses has more options than any other game at every tier. Sure I could follow a guide to make that decision for me, or just declare a single-class challenge run or do the challenge run where I do ignore its class system, or something, but a more manageable number of choices would make for a more enjoyable system to deal with...or at least a less draining system one to deal with.

Its not impossible, but it is harder than the mage room. I ended up facing that half on my Lunatic challenge run, so that I could then take advantage of the Berserkers being able to outpace the Generals in the room after.

Well Done !!! Sounds like your team was better than even you expected. I have been waiting for a sale myself, and would be game for some Ace Attorney posts, but I have kind played the whole series barring that one (and the Japanese only Edgeworth Investigations 2... which I should finish one of these days...), plus that seems like the kinda game which would lead to oodles of spoilers.

Probably not going to be 4 paragraphs, but I do think people complain about it more than it deserves. Inevitable End is more about getting you to cycle through the troops you are using mid-map, being careful not to overuse (thus over debuff) your units, encouraging having built a well rounded team, over having a few units carrying you through. This is also one of the maps that really encourages careful planning and resource management, as certain skills and staff make it a lot easier to deal with if you have prepared for it. Finally, worst comes to worst, you have a clear out available for you. Also random question completely unrelated to this little bit of Fate's talk, but I am curious if you have played, or plan on playing the Phoenix Wright, Professor Layton crossover game?

My first though is tonics, but with withdrawal symptoms after long term use, first a small penalty to the stat they give that get overwritten by the tonic boost, growing with the more chapters they use it (adding an addiction like mechanic), but soon they are getting penalties to other stats, which don't simply go away with more tonic use, having to suffer through the penalties, or go cold turkey as they go away one point at a time per map...

Hopefully not, as the idiot one is trying to kill the one that gives you the Ashen Mist Heart before they have the opportunity to give it to you... ...opps, I hope you didn't use it after reading my comment... if so Sorry.

Giant Soul, not the Last Giant's Soul (although I understand the confusion), the description on the Giant Souls hint at its use, although only one is available to you (two if you are an idiot) before you get the Ashen Mist Heart. Edit: Note keep them in your inventory don't try to use them.

Depending on your health, you might need one of the items that reduce fall damage, like the cat ring the cat will sell you, or the Jester's outfit's pants With each Giant Soul you acquire he becomes weaker and weaker, as they were his bane in life, and moreso in their death. You don't have to face him now (or at all technically), and should probably wait until you have more of them...

I almost forgot about this, but if you wait till you get the Ashen Mist Heart, you can get some extra lines from the Memory of the King about the Crowns as you get them (plus you need it to face one of the bosses in the Old Iron Crown DLC). Do you not have the key yet? You find it by falling into the fiery pits in the Forest of Fallen Giants (just be wary of the flaming salamanders) Huh, I guess you faced the Old Dragonslayer rather late into the game. Also it sounds like you finally met Vendrick... a bit of a story rant will be forthcoming, I just want to get some responses out before the walls of text.

Well I am a bit late to the pokemon music party, but my little Nuzlocke has gotten me to really appreciate Congrats on clearing your Conquest with Birthright characters run! How was endgame?

Yup, even suggested I take the Birthright route, in hopes that this will finally be the kind of challenge run that makes for an enjoyable and memorable Birthright run, like my intense Conquest run w/ write-up, and PMU Revelation LP did for those two routes. Daaawww...dragon types are always my favorites ever since the beginning (plus that little cutie will make the end game of your Nuzlocke much easier...)

Sad little update to my ironman, I lost Tetra the Chinchou before she truly had the chance to shine while trying to capture a Slowbro in Slowpoke well to a critical hit Confusion (the first time he used his best attack...urg). Oh well, at least I caught the Slowbro ( named Spirit as a joke reference to the Spirit of Seashell Mansion from Link's Awakening, an obscure minor character), which will hopefully help against Chuck. I guess I can share another excerpt from the writeup, it might end up helping if you try to do it the long way, and don't just stick with the Ryoma kill you got.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That one is tricky... Usually Hardcore Nuzlockes also have level caps (usually based on the next gym's ace), and I am guessing the no items in battle don't include hold items. I know those are the rules for my Nuzlocke (plus the standard Nuzlocke rules, with a species clause, but no gift pokemon clause, or shiny clause) Sorry to hear that, hopefully it has passed by now... It takes a lot of strategic consideration at the start to really pull it off, as figuring out who should be on which side is the key to the whole map (when you go for the split method), but it is a lot more fun going for the split method. If there is still room I will gladly join, and take any route (although oddly enough I am feeling like Birthright, in the hopes this odd run finally gives me a memorable, and enjoyable Birthright run).

Nice!!! Edit: Despite the fact that opted out of it on my playthrough, I am glad DS2 made that an option for dealing with its challenges (and that there is a way to opt out of it at all, or arguably reverse it with bonfire aesthetics, although those come with their some serious ramifications when used...)

I guess that works. I seem to remember dealing with the mages being a lot about careful positioning (and which is killed when for aggroing purposes) to limit the number that could target me while I charge one, and kill it quickly and decisively (usually after luring the melee enemies between me and them out to wipe them), and then running for cover to figure out the next best place to deal with them. I went through the entire game as part of the challenge rock covenant, so the wipe out ten wasn't really an option for me.

Oof, hopefully you didn't kill the singers. Keep a careful eye out, note you can lock onto the beasts that hide before they aggro (so you can sorta scout them out with it if you are careful), and they are attracted to torches like moths to a flame (although it helps you see the holes in the water, making for a bit of a risk-reward in using one). Slow and steady wins the race here.

A bit of Pokemon talk too thanks to my Nuzlocke