Aran

[Junkhead]

Also, he isn't even underrated. Nephenee just makes him look that way. Smash even overrated him at times.

[Esaka]

Honestly Smash was spot on with him.

He's very likely to cap def, str, and skill by around level 10 in second tier meaning he can take a hit and not get murdered like the rest of the DB in 3-13 and 3-6. That's pretty much all that needs to be said. When everyone else is 2 and 1 KOd Aran seems very important. You can BEXP his speed on normal and while BEXP is rare on hard, it is there. So he tanks and caps his major statrs QUICKER then Nepheenee. People also love to forget his speed growth is = to Nephenees str growth. So while Arans not doubling shes not dealing much damage AND she loses speed from heavy weapons. Overall I think Aran is the best sentinal and I really consider him the Haar of the DB. But whatever. His earlygame sucks a bit because of his bio but that because pointless as the game goes on.

[Interceptor]

He's very likely to cap def, str, and skill by around level 10 in second tier meaning he can take a hit and not get murdered like the rest of the DB in 3-13 and 3-6. [..] When everyone else is 2 and 1 KOd Aran seems very important.

Sure, for small values of "everyone". Let's just pretend that Nolan, Jill and Volug don't exist. Also, let's pretend that 20/1 Aran is not getting doubled by cats, and 2HKO'ed by tigers. It's inconvenient to your argument that Aran is lording over a squad full of porcelin dolls, after all.

[nflchamp]

You can also spend the time explaining to me how Aran is

1)Getting to 20/10

2)Getting loads of BEXP which everyone wants

[RNG Princess]

You can also spend the time explaining to me how Aran is

1)Getting to 20/10

2)Getting loads of BEXP which everyone wants

For #2 he'd be next after Jill and Nolan wouldn't he?

[nflchamp]

For #2 he'd be next after Jill and Nolan wouldn't he?

Which leaves him how much BEXP?

[Rewjeo]

He said some things that implied that he was talking about NM. It's not that hard to assume that he can get higher up in NM (still not 20/10, though) and get BEXP that he needs to help him. In fact, in NM, it's possible to make him reach 3RKOd status in 1-4 via BEXP. He also doesn't face any crit from tigers. He might from cats, but he's at least 4HKOd by them, so it doesn't matter.

Aran definitely peaks in NM.

[nflchamp]

Aran is in 3RKO range at base in 1-4 NM.

[Interceptor]

He said some things that implied that he was talking about NM.

Other than the part about everyone else getting 1-2HKOed, which absolutely does not happen on NM. Even Eddie is not that bad. Sure, Aran in Part 3 in Normal Mode is basically invincible, I think he actually get cats down to "tink" damage, but everyone else is doing alright.

[Fenrir]

Honestly Smash was spot on with him.

He's very likely to cap def, str, and skill by around level 10 in second tier meaning he can take a hit and not get murdered like the rest of the DB in 3-13 and 3-6. That's pretty much all that needs to be said. When everyone else is 2 and 1 KOd Aran seems very important. You can BEXP his speed on normal and while BEXP is rare on hard, it is there. So he tanks and caps his major statrs QUICKER then Nepheenee. People also love to forget his speed growth is = to Nephenees str growth. So while Arans not doubling shes not dealing much damage AND she loses speed from heavy weapons. Overall I think Aran is the best sentinal and I really consider him the Haar of the DB. But whatever. His earlygame sucks a bit because of his bio but that because pointless as the game goes on.

So, even if all this is true, which it isn't imo, aran has two good stages? that is not better than neph.

[Esaka]

So, even if all this is true, which it isn't imo, aran has two good stages? that is not better than neph.

Wait... Neph has good stages? ...err... with transfers yes... but without shes pretty much useless without major babying <_<

[Rewjeo]

Aran is in 3RKO range at base in 1-4 NM.

But with BEXP you can get him to guaranteed 3RKO. Some tigers 2HKO at base and some cats might 3HKO or 4HKO and double with crit at base. It's been a while since I played 1-4 on NM, but I remember giving Aran a level or two of BEXP to give guaranteed 3RKO status against everything.

[Fenrir]

Wait... Neph has good stages? ...err... with transfers yes... but without shes pretty much useless without major babying <_<

There is no babying with aran at all, all the bexp it takes to get him, good none of that is sandbagging or babying. and yes, nephenee does have good stages, 2-1 it's hard to deny she's good because without her you have to solo stage with brom, by mid part 3 if your using her(which is easier than using aran) she's doing a real nice job, 3-5 is where she starts getting good. Aran on the other hand is he ever better than Nolan? and when you can have nolan/volug deal with most of part 3 why is aran so helpful? jill is more helpful as well.

Edited June 23, 2010 by King Soren

[Interceptor]

Nephenee doesn't need babying, she just needs favoritism. She's not getting 1HKO'ed and she's capable of taking her own kills, so babying is not happening here.

In Normal Mode, she wants kill favoritism in Part 2, and access to the BEXP pool in 2-E. In Hard Mode, she wants that, plus stat boosters in Part 3 and a forge or two. That's it. It's not necessary to gum things down to 5HP like you'd have to do for Fiona.

[Esaka]

You can also spend the time explaining to me how Aran is

1)Getting to 20/10 Getting promoted then using paragon <_<. Sounds simple to me... I think Nolan and Jill are his only competition. (Well I find Jill useless but whatever)

2)Getting loads of BEXP which everyone wants Granted... it's not ideal... since playing more of hard mode is a ***** with BEXP but it is an option.

Well I'd just like to point out that theres not much other units to care for.

Edited June 23, 2010 by 3-13Archer

[Junkhead]

1)Getting to 20/10 Getting promoted then using paragon . Sounds simple to me... I think Nolan and Jill are his only competition. (Well I find Jill useless but whatever)2)Getting loads of BEXP which everyone wants Granted... it's not ideal... since playing more of hard mode is a ***** with BEXP but it is an option.

Uh...no. Nolan and Jill aren't competing for Paragon, but Volug, Zihark and maybe Micaiah & Sothe are.

It's very ideal to actually save that BEXP for Nolan & Jill so you have them promote by 1-E. I don't think Aran is getting much.

[RNG Princess]

I'd say Zihark or Micaiah are better candidates for paragon, Sothe and Volug have sucky experience gain except Sothe against tigers/cats.

[BEST TRYNDAMERE PLAYER]

Uh...no. Nolan and Jill aren't competing for Paragon, but Volug, Zihark and maybe Micaiah & Sothe are.

Once Nolan and Jill promote they also become competition for it.

[Anouleth]

Well, I tried to ignore Nephenee in Part 2, I really did. But she ended up proccing speed three times in a row and strength twice, so I found it really hard not to use her. And by the time she reached Part 3, she was one of like four characters with 24AS (the others being Mia, Shinon, and Speedwing!Titania). Even now, she's still underlevelled (level ~12 in 3-8) and probably the worst character on my team by some margin, but that's only because Soren and Gatrie got Crowns. Otherwise, she'd still be better than Soren against all but Generals and Sages (since he wouldn't need the Crown to double those, and he can 1-round them at 2-range and takes next to no damage from the Sages). And even so, the only reason he doubles anything is because he was RNG-blessed and I favoured him with BEXP to improve his speed. If I have given BEXP to Nephenee for her strength, and remembered to ferry Adept over, she'd probably be better.

I'm not convinced that Aran is that great for 3-6 either. Even Zihark and Sothe, the wusses that get 2HKOed by everything, can perform adequately there, since it's not hard to get them to avoid multiple facings at once. Jill/Nolan/Volug supplied enough in the way of durability. Whereas I'd probably have needed to feed Aran BEXP to get his defense high enough to be 'durable', and he'd never have good offense.

Plus, Aran sucks massively in Part 4, while Nephenee is still tearing things to shreds.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Slowking

[Fenrir]

Well, I tried to ignore Nephenee in Part 2, I really did. But she ended up proccing speed three times in a row and strength twice, so I found it really hard not to use her. And by the time she reached Part 3, she was one of like four characters with 24AS (the others being Mia, Shinon, and Speedwing!Titania). Even now, she's still underlevelled (level ~12 in 3-8) and probably the worst character on my team by some margin, but that's only because Soren and Gatrie got Crowns. Otherwise, she'd still be better than Soren against all but Generals and Sages (since he wouldn't need the Crown to double those, and he can 1-round them at 2-range and takes next to no damage from the Sages). And even so, the only reason he doubles anything is because he was RNG-blessed and I favoured him with BEXP to improve his speed. If I have given BEXP to Nephenee for her strength, and remembered to ferry Adept over, she'd probably be better.

I'm not convinced that Aran is that great for 3-6 either. Even Zihark and Sothe, the wusses that get 2HKOed by everything, can perform adequately there, since it's not hard to get them to avoid multiple facings at once. Jill/Nolan/Volug supplied enough in the way of durability. Whereas I'd probably have needed to feed Aran BEXP to get his defense high enough to be 'durable', and he'd never have good offense.

Plus, Aran sucks massively in Part 4, while Nephenee is still tearing things to shreds.

bold is a major difference, aran unless speedwing'd and bexp'd cant do shit in P4, so i think neph has major advantage.

[Esaka]

Well, I tried to ignore Nephenee in Part 2, I really did. But she ended up proccing speed three times in a row and strength twice, so I found it really hard not to use her.

Personal experiance means nothing. If It did I would have said how my HM Aran has 20 str, 20 def, 21 skill, and 19 speed, at 20/1. <_<

I fail to see how an example of how your Nephenne did well helps your case <_<

Edited June 24, 2010 by 3-13Archer

[Renall]

I never really got the appeal of Soldiers anyway. Then again, I never liked Myrmidons either, so maybe the single-weapon foot class characters don't do it for me.

Except wait, I love Fighters. Now I don't know what I believe anymore.

[Anouleth]

Personal experiance means nothing. If It did I would have said how my HM Aran has 20 str, 20 def, 21 skill, and 19 speed, at 20/1. <_<

I fail to see how an example of how your Nephenne did well helps your case <_<

Oh, I know. But if I had been seriously interested in using her and favoured her for kills and gave her a forge, she probably wouldn't have been so underlevelled, so even if she had remained on her averages, she still would have been good.

And actually, that Aran isn't that great. Below average in strength and defense, and his extra speed is useless since it still won't double enemies in Part 3. Which just goes to show that even three and a half points above his speed average, Aran still isn't good.

[Fenrir]

I never really got the appeal of Soldiers anyway. Then again, I never liked Myrmidons either, so maybe the single-weapon foot class characters don't do it for me.

Except wait, I love Fighters. Now I don't know what I believe anymore.

single weapons are awesome, i love sword masters and warriors, and i like neph a lot.

[Junkhead]

bold is a major difference, aran unless speedwing'd and bexp'd cant do shit in P4, so i think neph has major advantage.

Even Danved does better because of doubling the possibilties of Luna.