I've thoroughly enjoyed Awakening, but never got into Fates. I've got the Birthright edition. The castle part was a bit too overwhelming.
I want to give it another go. I'd like my Avatar to be a Fighter/Mage with good offense and good staying power.
Boon Speed & Bane Luck seems to be the way to go and I think Dark Mage would be a good pick for Talent, since Dark Knight has stat growths in all stats and has both melee (you get a good sword, IIRC) and magic and it has good movement.
All the Hoshido classes can be accessed via Heart Seals, correct? So no need to pick one of those as talent?
Am I overlooking something?
Which skills should I aim for? The Life Force from Dark Knight was good, IIRC, and perhaps Astra from Sword Master? (The five hits?) Anything else?
Thanks in advance!