Canto

To each their own, I guess. I prefer Chrom's hair on Cynthia over Henry's. Though, I personally think Gaius's looks the best.

I'd personally go Sage with VV/Tomefaire/Galeforce/LB.

Doesn't matter what Henry passes, though I'd recommend Vengeance because Henry can get that easily. Lissa needs to pass Galeforce. So, something like: Vantage Vengeance Aggressor/-faire Galeforce Limit Breaker Though to be honest, Dread Fighter's kinda meh. Well, at least you get two-three weapons to switch between, but at the very least switch back to Celica's during the enemy phase. Hybrid weapons aren't really much of a perk, though. It depends on whether you want a Vengeance/Vantage/Galeforce user or a Luna/Galeforce user, who his partner is, and what your preferences are. Luna is no-maintenance, and adds an adequate amount of damage for Apo. Vengeance is higher maintenance (getting under half health) but has higher damage potential, and Vantage+Vengeance = enemy phase enemies except for the few guys with Counter get wiped in the first six strikes. However, I personally wouldn't pair two Vantage+Vengeance users together, just because an LG user usually has more slots for -faires/AS+2 to increase damage with in dual strikes.

In the current metagame (or whatever you want to call it), there are certain combinations of skills that work very well for clearing out enemies. Those would be, for the most part, Luna+Galeforce (High Power+Mobility), and Vantage+Vengeance (Safely and effectively take out enemies on the Enemy Phase). Other skills of note are the -faires (more power), the -breakers (for going up against certain enemies, like using Lancebreaker on Anna), Aether (stack it on Luna for more Luna, but Chrom/Lucina/Lucina's sister/daughter only), Aggressor (more power), and Dual Strike+ (Lucina/Chrom only, but you can get 100% Dual Strike). As such, your pairings are suboptimal because they don't optimize for those resources. Stahl/Sully wastes Luna and Vantage (with opportunity cost of Kjelle not getting Galeforce and Stahl not going somewhere better), Henry/Tharja wastes Vengeance (same opportunity cost as Kjelle), and Donnel/Nowi wastes Galeforce (because Donnel could have gone to Kjelle or Noire instead, for Luna+Galeforce). So, an optimal list would generally try to satisfy the needs for each kid. Which would probably follow this sort of priority: Lucina wants Galeforce. Kjelle and Noire also want Galeforce, but they have to get them from a male (Donnel, Gaius, MaMU though MaMU's suboptimal). Brady and Cynthia don't really care, since they start out with Luna and Galeforce (and get Tomefaire as well). Owain and Inigo want a proc (since they start out with Vantage and Galeforce), so either Luna or Vengeance. Severa can take fathers who give either Luna or Vantage (since she starts with Galeforce and Vengeance). Laurent wants Vantage (to combo with Vengeance). Yarne and Gerome are considered hard-supports, since they can't get LG/VV, so usually they take a setup with a -faire/Aggressor/Breakers/maybe Dual Guard+. So pick fathers who can give that sort of build. Still considered meh. Nah... usually people just give her Vaike, Frederick, or Kellam and let her be a Manakete, or sometimes Hero when it's Vaike. It's... alright, but LG/VV's considered more efficient. Nowadays most people just don't even use her. 3rd-gen Male Morgan has to exist. (For a Luna+Galeforce+Aggressor+-faire unit with absurd stats.) For usual parents given in optimal scenarios, well... Lucina absolutely should get either Maribelle, Sumia, or Olivia. Cynthia really should get either Chrom or Henry. Frederick can go here, but he's not doing Cynthia any favors except maybe for Lancebreaker. Meh. Brady don't care, but Henry and Lon'qu are pretty common. Severa typically gets Lon'qu or Stahl, though I'll throw in Vaike (for an Axefaire Hero that hits like a goddamn brick) and Ricken (for a second Cynthia). Frederick and Kellam also are alright here. Owain usually gets Ricken or Libra/Henry. Stahl ocassionally. Inigo should get Libra or Chrom, though this is also a pretty good spot to toss Ricken or Stahl in, and Kellam and Frederick are alright. Laurent usually get Gregor or Lon'qu, though Stahl's not unheard of. Kjelle mostly gets Donnel and occasionally Gaius, because the latter's Vantage-inefficient. Noire mostly gets Gaius and occasionally Donnel. See above. Gerome usually takes Vaike/Gregor/Henry for Axefaire. Yarne and Nah just take whatever's left that seems decent.

Since the Maribelle Brigade didn't pan out, I'm jumping ship to the Cynthia Worshipers.

sharlow is such a skank

Except for the fact that, you know, Maribelle!Lucina is considered optimal in certain scenarios.

At the very least, you ought to pass Galeforce. Brady can get all those skills on his own.

I'll toss in a vote for Maribelle as well, if you're not going for Sumia or Olivia.

Would it also increase Despoil?

I think it also affects Pavise/Aegis too.

Panne - If only Yarne could get Galeforce... 1/10 Cordelia - Severa's base set is still probably one of the better ones, but what really makes it shine is that it (like Inigo's) has strong reciprocal synergy. Severa, since she starts out with innate Vengeance and Galeforce, can take any parent that passes either Vantage or Luna and shine. Severa's super-customizable as a result, and I think it's fun to have a lot of viable variety. Also pigtails. 8/10, because Severa does need a bit of a push.

Eh... I've never really considered Dark Knight a hybrid class. More a class where mages can sling magic without dying to a single hit (that for whatever reason can use swords). After going through a few runs, I find that I really prefer DK!Ricken over Sage!Ricken, since the former isn't made of tissue paper.

*raises hand*

Sage!Maribelle!Lucina with Dual Strike+ is another damn good reason to do Chrom/Maribelle. Just saying. Anyways, for pairings, well, here's a template. Gaius!Noire Donnel!Kjelle I'd say should be standard. Following that, next priority should be... Galeforce!Lucina Vengeance/Luna!Owain Vengeance/Luna!Inigo Vantage/Luna!Severa Vantage!Laurent And for low-priority units... (always good) Anyone!Brady Anyone!Cynthia (always meh) Faire!Gerome Whocares!Yarne (Maybe aim for Dual Guard+ or Bowfaire if you care enough. I usually do Frederick.) Pavise!Nah I'd also suggest Sage!Stahl!Nah/Gerome if Stahl weren't already taken.

I find all of Severa's quotes hilarious and my voting reflects that.

Comically great on Inigo, Good on Owain, Alright on Kjelle, Brady on Brady, shit everywhere else. 3/10.

Fixed that for you. As for my list... 1. Maribelle 2. Virion 3. Libra 4. Brady 5. Noire I didn't bother putting reasons because it'd be me trying to find five different ways to say 'I like their supports' and I'm tired.

Not even Frederick? I could have sworn Great Knight had +SPD. And well, if he doesn't, maybe you could reclass to Paladin? You do have 12-13 chapters before you get to him...

Works only with certain characters, but those children are some of the best. Owain, Inigo, and Gerome don't really want him, because overlap. Yarne, Severa, Brady, and Laurent use him like an inferior Lon'qu or Gregor. Which is actually a compliment. (Though you still shouldn't do it.) However, with the remaining four... Gaius!Cynthia is the only pairing where Cynthia gets Vantage. Either this or Chrom!Cynthia I'd say is in the running for best Cynthia. I think I prefer Chrom!Cynthia being able to do Aether + Luna, though. Gaius!Kjelle beats Donnel!Kjelle in every area. Loses out on Troubadour/Hero, but I'd still say this is the best Kjelle. Gaius!Noire is basically Stahl!Severa without Armsthrift. Considering Noire's competition is between being Kellam!Severa without Tomefaire or Gregor!Laurent without Tomefaire, I'd say this is pretty handily the best Noire. Gaius!Nah is the only circumstance where Nah can get a proc (not a very good one, mind) and Galeforce, beyond MaMU parentage. So yeah, 8.5/10.

Would you say the delivery is... special?

Uh, I'm fairly sure it's +5 MAG for Ricken!Brady/Owain, and +6 MAG for Ricken!Laurent, but I digress. Severa/Owain/Inigo (particularly Owain) like him for Sage/Tomefaire + Luna, Gerome and Yarne can use him for Tomefaire/Bowfaire and Dual Guard+, Laurent can use him as an ingredient for R!L!M, and Brady can use him for mods (Again, he's not desperately in need for skills because of base Galeforce/Tomefaire/Luna/Agressor). Honestly, having neutral speed makes him leagues better than Frederick/Kellam, and being Stahl without Vantage isn't a bad gig -- Owain and Inigo get it at base, and Severa doesn't need it if she's just going to be a second Cynthia. 8/10. I kind of think people underrate Ricken because they don't like him as a character.

Which one? Maribelle totally canonically promotes to War Cleric.

It's more optimal to go 3rd-gen. Lon'qu!Laurent, Ricken!Owain, and Vaike!Gerome would all make serviceable partners for a FeMU.

For the full effect, sprinkle the term 'NTR' into it every other sentence or so.