Balcerzak

Jade to 8,8 drop Lavinia on 7,8

The zombie didn't even try to hide the warm smile that easily slipped across her face as her passenger climbed aboard. "We ride, then." Jade rescue Lavinia, move to 11,4

"Side entrance, huh..." Lavinia's logic was undeniable, and if successful, such a pincer would be a powerful tactic for their forces to leverage. It was possible the entrance would be barred and they'd have to force it open, but the same could be said about the gates the others were rallying toward right now. While the vampire's call had come only after the pegasus knight had begun her charge, it shouldn't be too late for her to correct course. Most of the progress she'd made was still in a useful direction. As the zombie pondered, she saw Gabriela too fly off in the direction the royal knight had suggested. The siren's flight would certainly be handy for clearing the abundant trees, but even so, Jade wondered whether she'd be able to keep pace with either her nightmares or with Vilkiss, as they travelled along the full length of the keep, circling around for the side entrance. And that was assuming this Lucille even came around to the idea. But assuming she did, it would be doubtful whether she'd offer a tired companion a lift, especially given how that pair's initial meeting had gone. Well, if worst came to worst, Gabriela could probably alight atop her wagon for a spell to rest up every now and again. However for the merchant's primary passenger, there was already another name etched clearly in her mind: "Lavinia?" The zombie asked quietly. There was no need to shout, they were still very near to each other, and far from any clashing on the battlefield. "You know, it would be helpful to have a healer along," for Gabriela and the human, at least. Jade would be most likely all right on her own, unless she were swarmed... though given the mission here, that couldn't be ruled out. "...And there's no need for this expedition to be just the mounts, right? A single passenger each shouldn't slow us down any, and well..." She inclined her head in the direction of the siren, to further illustrate the point. "I think I'd be a lot more at ease if you were leading this smaller task force. It should be okay let the General keep command of the main assault, yes? You're not desperately needed to command them, are you?"

Double Date After Dinner

So, apologies for the break in posting. A couple of reasons for it. One was work was a little busier than normal, and the other was after I did a first draft of chapter 11 I noticed Beecha was ending that mission having accumulated 70pp, which is a helluva lot. That's one Hit & Away's worth, and I'd been planning on benching him late-game once enemy levels were suitable enough that trying to get Elle up to Bless and eventual Daunt wouldn't be too bad. So I sat down, and took a good long look at things and asked myself: Judau has a Luck, it's not as cheap as Beecha's but as a main character of his series his stats are a lot better. In fact, he has the sort of staying power that I'd been thinking of just using him in the ReGZ when Kamille brings it along, so why not just start using him from the beginning? I did some calculations, found that overall I probably wouldn't lose more than 7.5k on the levels I'd already done, which didn't break any of the damage thresholds my upgrades needed. Further, only a couple of levels would need any real rerouting of strategy, due to lack of Accel/swapping Support Attack for Assist Attack. So I went back to Chapter 3 and worked my way back up. As mentioned, the strats for most of these were exactly the same, barring some lack of Luck casts before Judau hit 12, and then before he got enough SP to cast it twice (level 18 is the magic threshold). The biggest reroute I needed to do was on Chapter 8, which had multiple bosses, and initially I thought I would have to forgo getting money from one of them entirely, but I had overlooked in the initial run that Aqua levelled up enough after one kill to be able to afford a second cast. So they ended up grabbing the Satan and Phenomenon kills, while Judau got Diondora, and Getter got Altair like previously. I'm including a possibly impenetrable screenshot of my planning for the stage, as not being able to toggle turns' layers to see exact positioning loses some of the detail. The second major reroute was on Chapter 9, since Judau couldn't support Raideen on the initial spawn turn. I had to let Rei do it instead, which meant she couldn't move as far, and with her not as far forward that meant Chibodee targetted someone on my Argo-fighting team instead (I still don't know why he doesn't want to fight Hugo), and trying to fix one small thing led to another small thing breaking and eventually it became a bit of a mess. In the end I did almost a complete reroute, and since it had come this far I decided to let Judau take the Chibodee kill to boost him to level 18 and get that second Luck cast secured, drastically reducing any future money loss compared to a Beecha playthrough. Since I still need Hugo to be on track for level goals, however (despite Aqua not getting Valor, Hugo still is probably my best shot for an early user, plus my Medius kill on ch11 that I mathed out needed him keeping up with where he had been), so the kill that had previously gone to Getter couldn't go to them, and they ended slightly behind. This meant slightly less xp on some of my repairs, but that should be so minor as to come out in the wash and I am unconcerned. Now we can get to the meat of the new content. Chapter "11", ｄｏ　ｊｕｓｔｉｃｅ　ｔｏ, in 5 turns: Chapter "12", Inflamed Inundation, Frozen Foxfire, in 5 turns: Chapter 13, in 3 turns: Chapter 14, in 3 turns: Total Turns: 62

"You.. can't just," Jade pushed farther away after having been separated from resting against the dullahan, almost recoiling from the offered flesh. She did grab the forearm in her face firmly though, pulling it away from eye-level, then the zombie turned and began dragging Aithlin along by the wrist as she made for one of the convenient new holes in the city walls. "If you're that... determined, maybe you _can_ help." She was not asking. "Maybe I'll bite you in the end, even... But, if I do it will not... cannot be while I am me... You could be right... I could need a hunt, a kill. And maybe after finding and tearing a deer or the like limb from limb I'll still be going apeshit. But maybe I won't. Watch me. Make sure no-one else gets caught up in it."

Jade had spat her hand out from her mouth after a couple dozen seconds had passed. She hadn't been followed. Good. That meant not needing to try a last resort... which probably would have backfired, thinking on it a touch more soberly. Unlike when she was alive, biting her finger off wouldn't have even brought the sense of pain to maybe jolt her out of a frenzy. In fact, it probably would have made matters worse, what with the taste of blood and all. Not to mention the hassle it would cause. Just sewing a finger back on was enough trouble, but who was to say she wouldn't have swallowed it or something. She liked that finger. She needed that finger. The zombie's frantic shamble now slowed to a more pedestrian shuffle, as she stared down at her hand, lost in thought. A grasping touch on her shoulder prompted a snarl in response. She should have expected it, there'd been a low background buzz of voices in her ears, but it had seemed farther away. The potent scent of living flesh and blood certainly was, which meant...? This? Cool calm hand... was another like her. Undead. The ebbing urge did not swell again, hot and fierce, or if it did at least it was not by much. Still... unwanted. Shrugging off the touch, she stumbled to rest against the nearby wall. Unwanted? Was it? Could she be sure? Maybe...? At the very least, it was one who would help... keep things from the worst? But who? Dull, flat eyes focused slightly, a spark of life returning to them. She perceived her pursuer. Ah, right. The elf who had been with them, this made sense. Not, Lavinia... but... "Ai, I'm... Ai, I'm hungry... so hungry. I shouldn't... it was never this bad when I travelled alone... or if it was, I don't remember... there was nobody to bother... but now?" Jade sighed and shuddered. Half-consciously she reached out, took the hand that had been on her and roughly pulled. Her mouth opened wide a moment, and then shut. She pressed her forehead hard against the dullahan's collarbone, now right before her face. "I'm... scared. Silly... as that might sound." Her brain was in too much fog to figure out anything else to say.

Good heavens. Was Ren even aware how... delicious he smelled right now? The scent of fresh wounds, barely held back from the loose bandages, tantalizingly close beneath that casual, lightly-fitting garment. If he wasn't dating Gabriela, she could just eat him right--- Wait.... What. Oh... Oh no. Jade raised one hand to her face in horror, pressing it tight up against her nose, one eye blazing out a bit between splayed fingers as she reached with her other hand to the shoulder of siren beside her for support. Then she almost, no, the zombie did stumble, and she ended up squeezing down a bit painfully. Probably. She was beyond knowing. "I should... go," Jade croaked hoarsely. "I am... not well... right now." She pulled her hand down, slipping it across her face, and brought her index finger into her mouth horizontally, biting down on it, trying to take the edge off as she turned and pushed away from Gabriela roughly. Staggering, she shambled away from the oni as fast as she could manage. The next words were muffled almost beyond recognition, but the zombie tried to speak past the blockage in her mouth a very simple, "Don't... follow... please." She had to get to her room, she had to calm down. At this point the elf no longer even registered to her, her apologies were the furthest thing from relevant.

Someone was calling her name, curious. It wasn't Gabriela, they were side by side already, having been together for awhile, chatting about this and that. Lavinia and the others she could think of were in a meeting. Turning to the voice revealed a fit elf in shorts and a light shirt, with knee-high boots. Oh... and by the neck. There, that answered everything. "Oh, it wasn't much," the merchant answered a bit flippantly. "Ithraxl's men decided to have a little play with siege weaponry, but they got interrupted when some of Coteon's holy goons showed up. Really nothing to lose one's head over, right Gabriela?" Unfortunately, the siren had different ideas about how to handle things, and just as quickly ruined Jade's joke. Ah well, it had been worth a shot.

It was oddly cursed, that the removal of the immediate threat occasionally--who was she kidding, frequently--caused a bit of a descent into disorganized chaos. If the enemy were smart, now would be their best time to strike. Those were the thoughts Jade had as she watched various squabbles breaking out across the group. The zombie sighed, turning to one nearby companion with a good, steady head on her shoulders. "Things did get a little worrisome there for a moment. You're good in a fight, no doubt about it, and it wasn't that you over-extended... Just, they really pierced deep into the town, didn't they? I'm glad enough of us were able to rally together, and nobody was badly hurt." Jade shrugged and continued, "And at times like these, it's an odd feeling of not knowing what to do for me. I can't heal anyone, am probably better off staying away from the wounded, actually. I don't have enough familiarity with strategy or tactics to be of any use in planning retaliations or to properly fortify defenses either. It's... uncomfortable, not knowing what to do after a battle. I'm sure there's something I should be doing, you know? Can't always just go, take a bath, get changed, pretend it didn't happen..." A small light came to her eyes, as a bit of realization hit the zombie. "Actually, I should feed my 'mares. They worked hard for me, and did a good job." Fishing out a pair of silver apples from her pouch, she turned to the siren. "I forget, have I ever had you help me with this before? I kind of think I haven't? Do you want to?"

I'm even more justified in my Raideen decision now.

"Yeah, you better run!" Jade scowled as the cavaliers beat a quick retreat. She had no doubt her nightmares could keep pace, but the chance of running into an ambush was too great, it was better to stay back and better assess their situation. It was almost amusing to her though, that she had to wonder if Suki had done more damage to her than any of the actual enemy had managed. It was really hard to tell, with what a zombie's "pain" sensation could provide. She was feeling well enough, at any rate, and no sign of hunger. Chalk that up as the victory it was. Lavinia hadn't called for her, so whatever had gone down in the center must've proceeded smoothly. They were all probably going to gather and discuss options. The important people anyway: the Generals, the Heros, the Captains of the Guard, the Royal Knights. Probably not the time for the Transportation to poke her head in. You're her girlfriend, you can at least be excused to show your face, a small voice whispered in the back of her head. Yeah, her girlfriend with no name, family, or status, she argued back to herself, conflicted. The urge to sigh won out and her gaze sunk to her lap. ...You also have the Holy Sword. The merchant had to admit, when she'd bargained with Marina for a chance to look at it, this had not been what she'd expected. When she'd asked in the middle of battle to relieve her of anything she wasn't planning on using, when she was just trying to help out and be useful... she really couldn't have been expected to foresee this outcome, could she? There was a potent curiosity regarding Myrithali, to be sure, but now was not the time or place. In a private room, alone, perhaps, but not in the middle of a ruined town, walls literally collapsing around her. And also that warning burning in the back of her mind, tossed in nonchalantly as the exchange for the Wind Edge had happened. The scabbard is safe, but don't touch the blade, huh... Well, she couldn't just sit here all day. Bet those human ballisticians wished she would get a move on already too, didn't they? No. Stop. That's the insecurities talking. That bit of racist self-hate just now, and honestly all of the self-indulgent crap before it. Jades doubts were nagging louder than ever, and why? The whole reason she'd initially taken the leap of faith, signed on to the mission in the first place--abandoning her destination and turning her trip around--was to get that foothold. To work her way up. Yes, things had taken some unexpected turns in the meantime, sure, and for the better, but why would that be any cause for her to grow cold feet? Her reasons now were different than before, profit no longer topped the list, but that shouldn't matter, right? Shaking her head and slapping her cheeks--which did absolutely nothing by the way, just an old carryover from the days she was alive--she rode back around the corner, toward the center square. Yes, look, even that half-wraith, that new girl, uh... her name would come to Jade in time, certainly. If she didn't have any troubles congregating with the group, why should the zombie be any different? If nothing else it should be fine to be seen and not heard. To speak when spoken to... unless there were something pressing and important to say. Which at the moment, no, not really. She could be patient and wait.

Chapter 8, in 1+4 turns: Chapter 9, in 3 turns: Chapter "10", Manipulated Majin, in 1+5 turns: Total Cash: 119392 Total Turns: 46

Good, the ballisticians listened. But they were slow as everything. She still had work to do. "Lavinia, I'm going to go plug the hole we forgot about on the left side, holler if you need me back here for anything." Jade to 6,31 shoot Cav 1 with Glacial Gun, canto to 6,30

"Of course, what are friends for?" Jade flashed a smile at the siren before the latter flew off a bit to tend her wounds, and then seeing that Ren and his cousin were cleaning up the remains of the enemy vanguard, she had to look around for the next point to defend. Jade spotted Agni and the new girl--mmmm, she was going to need to get that name again... later--making their way toward the rest of the group from the breach in the side they'd been plugging up earlier. "Everything all wrapped up over there then, I take it," the zombie asked, as she and her nightmares made back over that direction. But a somewhat surprising response that there was a force of cavaliers incoming, though still a ways back, troubled her. It was worth keeping an eye on. "If there's another wave coming, you need to retreat, quick-like," she called out to the archers manning the siege weapons as she approached. "With two holes in the wall, I won't be able to hold them alone." Jade moves to 9,30.

Sadly, I'm not aware of any translation patches, partial or not. And I certainly wouldn't complain if you just had the most basic of barebones for entries if you do decide to try and pick it up. On that note, I have a couple more chapters: Chapter "5", Blue Miracle, in 3 turns: Chapter "6", Sad Eyes Beneath the Mask, in 6 turns: Chapter 7, in 3 turns: Total Cash: 90464 Total Turns: 32

"Marina, here," Jade fished out a magic sword that had recently come into her possession and passed it to the Hero as she rode up. "There's no mistaking these armored foes are sturdy. I've been finding a lot more luck using this gun, imbued with magic, over my old rifle, so maybe this wind edge would have similar results for you..." A quick look at the girl showed that she was already loaded down. In addition to Jade's own pistol that she'd lent her, the girl was already sporting three scabbard belts crisscrossing her body. "But give me whatever you don't think you'll be using. I wouldn't want to see you tripped up and hurt because I gave you too much to carry." The zombie held a hand out with the offered sword, and waited for whatever its replacement might be while aiming down the sight of her gun at a nearby foe. She'd sort and file it appropriately when she had a spare moment, maybe right after this... ...Wait, where was Gabriela going all alone. That looks distinctly dangerous. She can't let her friend face down that whole mob. It did look like a few others might be moving that direction, but still, she'd be a lot more comfortable supporting her in person. Jade takes out Wind Edge from the convoy, moves to 13,30, trades Wind Edge to Marina for the Hero's choice of weapon, fires her Glacial Gun at Cav #14, cantos to 15,31

Haha, that's a perfect use of that image. As for your question, I only had myself in mind when I revived the thread, but if any of the others are still around and want to chime in with updates, they're more than welcome to.

Okay, so, I kind of left this forgotten for ages, but here we are, finally getting around to it. Chapter 0, in 1 turn: I think this was added to Portable, which is why it's getting called 0 instead of something else, but that's the version we're all playing so it gets a mention. It's braindead simple 1 turn though, nothing to talk about. Chapter 1, in 4 turns: Chapter 2, in 5 turns: Chapter 3, in 2+3 turns: Chapter "4", Nightmare Gundam Fight, in 5 turns: Total Cash: 72448 Total Turns: 20

The threat on this end nearly spent, and Agni claiming responsibility for the rest, Jade faltered for a moment. Part of her contemplated grabbing him and running along, passing him off to someone further ahead and letting the enemies fall upon her as a rear guard. But then a new girl also pushed her way forward to join him, and a plan to grab her as well would be too much of a bother to figure out. Too much time lost. Better to just follow Lavinia and the general. But not before firing a parting shot. Jade glacial gun lance armor #3, canto to 9,30

Well, old reliable did the trick just then, but... hmm, maybe it was time to see how the new piece operated? Jade stays put, fires Glacial Gun at Archer #5

Choke that point, the general had said. Nobody else seemed to be stepping up to the plate, so that meant it fell to her, huh? Jade pulled out her trusty rifle, hoping to catch out one of the mages from beyond its effective range. Jade to 3,29 fire Rifle at Mage #6

It was nearly noon, as fitting a time for a lunch break as any, and Jade had been walking her nightmares, getting them a little bit of exercise and attention, when the attack came. A small bit of fortune that, mixed in with the bad. Even with her rifle, it didn't look like she'd be able to fire past the fort walls at any oncoming foe, if there was to be fighting, it would have to be after they breach. In the meantime, several of the nearby houses still seemed to be occupied, and they were much too close to the range of falling rocks. Time to warn some citizens to evacuate for the time being. Jade equip Rifle, Visit 3,33, canto to 4,31 Upon entering the house, Jade found it relatively undisturbed, save for a few leftover plates and some still warm food on the table... Before a sword swing out at her from the shadows! "Gaoooo! Out! Out!!" Jade certainly hadn't been expecting that reaction. Slow to react as she was, the sword only skittered along the shield as she raised it, slowing but not stopping before it bit into her side. Frowning at the thought of a new scar for her collection, she narrowed her eyes as she appraised her attacker. Scared, upset, and not without reason. Sighing, the zombie explained the purpose of her visit. "It's not safe here, we've got to move you deeper into the city, were the rocks won't fall. You can do that, right?" The beast girl gave Jade a confused stare. It took her a moment to process the words, but she slowly nodded, pulling her sword away from Jade... Who she was surprised was still standing despite getting a sword in her side. "I... S-Sorry. Amera, say hide. I, hide... There, is fight? Outside?" Good, actual conversation. She's stopped attacking and is listening. Nodding and with a bit of a sad smile, Jade answered. "It seems that way. The enemy hasn't crossed the walls in person, not yet. But that doesn't mean there isn't danger, and they might make their way in soon." Another, closer look. This girl didn't seem to be a child, despite her difficulty speaking. With Amera's name on her lips it was clear she knew the captain of the guard here, but from appearance alone Jade doubted she was the beastfolk's kin. But maybe there was still something there she could use to help persuade? "Amera was General Nessraya's friend right? I've been travelling with Nessraya, she's actually pretty close by outside. Would you like to see her?" Mentally, the merchant apologized to the general, for getting her mixed up in this, but hopefully it would keep the girl pacified, and help to get her to safety. "Ah! Yes! General friend! Amera, love her. Talk lots... Uh... Like to see? I see earlier..." She was confused by what Jade meant specifically, but one thing was for sure... "If... Men attack city, I help! Good with sword... Very strong! You let me fight, yes?" Well, that was a little troublesome. Jade didn't really want to get in trouble with Amera for letting this girl fight, especially when she had told the girl to hide, but on the other hand, being out in the open would give her a better chance of avoiding any stray boulders from the trebuchets. Not to mention, her enthusiasm was contagious. Laughing and reaching up to tousle the hair between her ears, the zombie answered, "Well, you definitely can swing a sword, there is that. Only a couple of worries about letting you fight, but if you can promise me you'll watch out for those, I can't really see the harm. One, don't attack any of the people on our side. Two, don't attack anyone stronger than you are. Think you can manage that?" The girl was hesitant of the hand at first, but quickly warmed up to the attention, tail wagging furiously behind her. "Y-Yes! Suki, do that! Promise~ I good at orders." She was very clearly also good at receiving pets, the sword in her hand almost falling out of her grasp as she enjoyed the attention between her ears. Oh no, that was kind of adorable. Fighting back a laugh, Jade pulled her hand back, and let it hang by her side. She didn't press it up against the wound for two reasons: it wouldn't do all that much in the first place, and she didn't want to worry the girl that she'd actually hurt her. Turning around and beginning to walk out of the house, she called back a final warning. "My horses might look scary, but as long as you don't mean me any harm, they won't hurt you. Don't be afraid when you see them." Suki definitely looked disappointed when the petting stopped, but she nodded at Jade's warning. "Y-Yes... I, not afraid. Ready to fight!"

General thoughts: If I had fully understood the power of Swap, I think I would have invested in it far sooner. However, it's hard to say how much I would have gained, because earlier on, losing a unit fielded can hurt considerably more. I probably only started leaning on it at the point where it could really be effectively abused. But maybe I didn't? Maybe there is still room for strategy improvement. I feel like I had more I was going to talk about here, but I've forgotten it, so we can just move on to the unit analysis below. Free Units: Calvina, sub Melua: 379 kills MC gets unbelievably more traction with the Real Robot spirit list, as Zeal far outweighs anything. This is true both for Touya, and for Calvina, though in Calvina's case she doesn't even get early Accel to possibly try to make up for it. I went with the B over C, because I felt the extra movement was worth it, and I think this is born out in practice as well. That said, I don't know what the other unit's MAP attack might look like, but I can't imagine it being enough of an edge to outweigh one point of movement. As far as male vs female, I think Touya maps are guaranteed to lose turns early, and I don't see anything he can do to make up for them. Maybe I overlooked something, and maybe a Touya-centric draft could stay even at the beginning. I really can't say. Melua is the clear sub-pilot of choice, for late-game Enable. There's just no other option. Katia's early Bless was nice, but make sure to budget your sorties so you are prepared with Melua when the upgrade happens. Murrue: 171 kills A powerhouse early. When it starts hemorrhaging sub-pilots, it loses handily to its competition, amplified even further by lack of Zeal or Devote, but the Archangel can still be a beast of a unit. If you have SEED splits in your future, don't neglect it completely. PSA: Don't be trapped into picking Natarle. Ruri: 296 kills The Nadesico is broken beyond belief, and the developers even give you a taste of it in puzzle robo. Main pilot/sub-pilot choice is probably a coin flip. Arguements can be made both ways, both when considering combat stats (will personalities vs IFS), or when considering module equips (who gets SP gear, who gets H&A etc.). I chose Ruri. That's just me personally. Either choice you get an absolute monster. Drafted units (in order of draft) Kaiser, Kouji: 176 kills The Mazinkaiser brings unparalleled firepower, but believe it or not, it rarely felt like its existence was the lynchpin of a successful strategy, with a few exceptions for certain forced stages, such as the showdown with Dr. Hell. That said, its status as an early joiner to the team is also worth significant consideration. Even with that, though, I feel like perhaps I overvalued it, and maybe its muscle could have been replaced with another hard hitter? Then again, Mazinpower as a baked in multiplier does go a long way. All in all, I'm somewhat on the fence about its status as first pick. Definitely in the first two rounds, and maybe first was better for deterrence, and also for securing the series bonus, which is a surprisingly generous 1.35 considering the large number of robots covered by it. Unlocking 15 bars on your power players is great, and the more of them you can squeeze into a family, the better. Layzner, Eiji: 376 kills On the other hand, the Blue Comet really felt like the MVP of the run, and you can see it in his kill count. Possessing unparalleled movement, a relatively early Zeal, and a surprisingly versatile MAP attack, the Layzner felt like a keystone part of nearly every strategy. With the size of J's maps, being able to quickly transverse them and either mop up far away squadrens all by himself, or to have softened them up for when the main force catches up in a following turn, well that brings a utility to the team that can't be replaced. His status as a main character often gave him advanced spaces in forced deploys as well, another couple of extra tiles here and there, which really added up over the course of the play. His series bonus was an impressive 1.45 as well, and much appreciated. In my eyes he's absolutely worthy of a first pick, no questions asked. Hikaru: 71 kills While I picked up Hikaru for early Luck, early join, and deterrence effect on others for drafting her combination partners, I feel like I probably overvalued the Aestivalis a little too much. While they absolutely carried the day on the route split map when I lost all my mazinger units, often it was just impossible to utilize them in effective ways. Having a soft tether to the Nadesico means it's very awkward for them to be effective Enemy Phase engines, and I just ran out of available favorite series bonuses to afford to give them one. All in all, I think I picked her too early, and should have focused on securing the Layzner formation bonus instead of this one. Baybull: Simone: 10 kills David: 14 kills Not going to lie, I grabbed Baybull solely for a robot to stuff Simone into, to make use of a good early-mid Bless caster in a series I was already going to invest in. I valued the resupply bot a little more than the repair bot (a little easier to grind support unit xp with resupplies, in my experience), but I got sniped on Buldy anyway, so it didn't end up mattering. Simone's list also included Enable as a late-game special, so even after Bless ran out of usefulness it was guaranteed to still pay dividends in the endgame. That said, Bless had very long legs in this game, as I only really ended up maxing out all my weapons in the very final chapters. Given how broken Enable can be, I feel trying to secure at least one relatively soon after establishing a power core isn't a bad idea. Then again, I really should have prioritized Great a little more at this stage, I think. I honestly have no idea how it lasted as long as it did for me to pick it back up. Voltz, Kenichi: 79 kills Voltz was picked almost entirely on the strength of the map it and Combattler have to take on by themselves at the start, and having him definitely saved some turns there. I think I remember feeling that his sub-pilot spirit list was better than Combattler's as well, but the trade-off was not as early a join time. Lacking 15 bars really hurts late, and being a lone super series only magnifies the problem. Still, having Luck meant getting consistent kills, and he didn't end up as swap bait, so he must've been doing something right. If the previous slot went to Great, then Baybull should have been this one. If I kept Baybull as previous slot, this slot should have gone to Great. Great: Tetsuya: 69 kills Jun: 71 kills I will admit to not having a firm plan on the final pilot for Great. I knew Tetsuya was getting benched because he lacked good utility spirits, but I kept waffling between Jun and Boss. I should have just used Boss all the way, as that only loses access to Home Run Bat, and maybe if I'd properly stacked kills for acing better I could have saved a cast of Spirit or something? In the end, I'm not sure it mattered all that much. While I had to use him, Tetsuya's Accel was a big leg up over Kouji for him, but Boss's subs could replicate it when I needed it later. That said, having a robot to stick Jun into was part of the end goal. With her giant SP pool and Devote to keep up my Zeal/Enable batteries, I knew I needed to field her late, so starting her training right away was important. Venus, Sayaka: 16 kills Even if I didn't end up needing Sayaka's late game option in Renew, she was a good source of mid-game Bless, and if I missed out on drafting Million, I could have put those pilots in Venus, so its early join gives it the edge. If there's one thing I can say for Mazinger series, its support pilots are all pretty top notch. SEED on the other hand, looks like a lot more suffering, for a lot less payoff. Ryoko: 75 kills Izumi: 57 kills I drafted these two to round out the combination attack, and honestly, this was probably a miss. Izumi's Daunt was nice, but I could have also gotten that from Boss, which I still hadn't picked by this point, and who definitely ended up having longer legs. That said, these two did give me a strong base to fall on for Nadesico route splits, so it could have been far worse for me. They were early joins too, and I guess my mind is too occupied with late-game, almost certainly because it's freshest in my mind. Again, if they had an extra five bars, maybe I could have made more use of them. Hard to really say. Boss: 49 kills Lori: 4 kills Ignoring for now the qualities of the pilots (which as already discussed is exceptional for these two), their bots are ridiculously cheap to upgrade. A good pick for anyone with an already completed core. Allenby: 7 kills Honestly, she probably could have been picked one, maybe two rounds earlier than this. She's practically got Enable from the word go, and if you slap an SP mod on her, or give her Rations, that's 2 more moves for your best unit every map for forever. Draft Allenby. Just do it. Keeping Rain out of the way after recruitment isn't too great a problem. The map is so complicated that needing to wait to ferry her there isn't a problem either. Do you like free shit? Draft Allenby. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Buster: Dearka: 3 kills Kira: 13 kills Well... It has a couple of good MAP attacks, and for a few chapters I could stuff it with a Zeal caster. That's way more value out of something than you should be expecting at this stage in the draft, let's be honest. Julia: 43 kills Julia blows her competition, Gale, out of the water with her spirit access. Abundant Zeal lets her deliver heavy hitter support attacks, so even if her own damage suffers, your team will thank you for it. Unlike Gale, who requires Eiji to fight a combat round, you should be able to recruit Julia without him, though I can imagine it would definitely be a headache. It's hard to say if it would cost turns or not. The only reason she would be a last pick draft is because of the difficulties in a non-Layzner team to get Eiji to her. Her performance value is easily several picks higher.

Chapter 49, 1 turn Chapter 50, 1 turn Chapter 51, 1 turn Chapter 52, 1 turn I accidentally got 1 turn clears of these guys while collecting map data on practice runs so I just kept going and ended the game without taking any detailed notes or strategies. Postmortem thoughts and review in the next post.