What Pairings Would be Best for a Ranked Playthrough?

[FionordeQuester]

It seems to me that the obvious ones are...

LevinXTiltyu

AiraXHolyn

But other than that, I'm at a loss. Anyone wanna help me out here? This is the playthrough I'll be attempting next, it sounds like it's pretty difficult, so I'm gonna need some help with this one...

[Chalis]

Does anyone even know how a ranked run on FE4 works? I'd like to know. I'll never attempt it, but it's nice knowing.

Take the subs.

[Mekkah]

Ranked on FE4 is awful. If you've ever tried to play ranked FE7 HHM, you might have noticed how much of an asshole the EXP rank is. Forces you to raise crap like Rath and Nino and that still isn't enough. And then, you pretty much have to use savestates, because the game's combat rank (essentially a survival rank where you can have an accident three times) has a permanent memory that remembers your Dew bit the dust even if you load an old save.

http://www.serenesforest.net/fe4/rank.html

As you can see, you need 1000 level-ups during the whole game. Over the 48 playable characters, so 20-21 level-ups on average per character. No probs for good ones or ones with staves, but you try doing it with Ardan, Dew, Deirdre, Noish, Patty...and that's forgetting about those units that start at such a high level that they can't even make it to 20 level-ups, such as Holyn, Shannan, Hannibal.

The best pairings are probably the really fast ones you can do without hurting your tactics in gen 1, while still having good pairings in gen 2. Levin x Tiltyu is probably doable. They just need 47 turns together, or they can trade three turns together for eight turns not together. Just the huge idleness in Ch4 and the tail of Ch5 for second gen preps should do the trick there.

For the rest, I'd say

Lex/Ayra - To get the most use out of Elite.

Holyn/Brigid - To get a somewhat usable Patty.

Beowulf/Lachesis - No explanation needed. Lachesis can staffwhore on Beowulf during Ch3 in order to promote at Ch4, and build up lovepoints that way.

Ardan/Sylvia - Yeah, I'm serious. Ambush + Sleep Sword ftw. Alternatively, don't pair Sylvia.

Levin/Tiltyu - No need to explain.

Noish/Fury - Fee with powers and skillz. Sety can whore himself to L30 with staves, and do decently with four multi-hit skills even if his Mag growth is crap.

Midir/Aideen - Hero Bow in Ch6 is crucial. Lana is just a healbot.

Edited December 22, 2008 by Mekkah

[FionordeQuester]

Actually, on an S-Ranked playthrough of Eliwood Hard, I have a 4 in experience on Cog of Destiny right now, but wait, you mean, even if I start the chapter over, my Survival rank will still be ruined if someone dies?!

[Swordsalmon]

Indeed, restarting the turn still clocks in a defeat. Unless you're using savestates, of course.

The EXP rank is very difficult, but try selling the Elite Ring and having everyone use it at the Arena at the start of each chapter. Makes things quite easier. ^_^

Fin probably should not be paired for ranked. He's a great father for Delmud and Nanna normally, but it takes too many turns.

[Mekkah]

The EXP rank is very difficult, but try selling the Elite Ring and having everyone use it at the Arena at the start of each chapter. Makes things quite easier.

Makes it possible instead of impossible.

but wait, you mean, even if I start the chapter over, my Survival rank will still be ruined if someone dies?!

Survival = the game counts how many units are alive at the end of Ch5 and Epilogue. If that number is the maximum, you get 5 stars.

Combat = the game counts the amount of deaths/defeats (Deirdre, Julia, Cuan, Ethlin, Fin etc don't really die, but they count anyway), and if the number is 3 or below, you get 5 stars.

Basically, use savestates to manipulate arena wins. Put people who are shaky in the arena first, saving before every fight using a savestate. For example, we have Midir, who has a hard time winning consistently, and we have Sigurd, who rapes. Save, fight with Midir, and save every time you win. If you lose, load, and let Sigurd have a round to waste RNs, then try again with Midir.

Also, near the end of a chapter, you can Warp/Return people to let them try again in the arena.