The most optimal transfers for a low turn HM run

[dondon151]

Disclaimer: I do not intend for this topic to have anything to do with the tier list.

It's kind of a given that transfer units are clearly better than vanilla units - +2 in most stats is a huge difference, after all. After doing 0% growths, though, I've learned that, for most FE games, the difference in end results between having growths and not having growths, at least turncount-wise, is generally quite small. For FE10, I estimated the difference at about 17 turns of 227. For FE8, probably less than 10 turns of 118. And so on. For FE10 in particular, if 0% growths resulted in such a small difference, then what kind of difference would transfer units make?

So I've been thinking for awhile that if a player wanted to create a transfer file with just the sufficient transfers for, hypothetically, a lowest turncount clear of RD, what units and stats would he transfer? Hypothetically this could be on random mode where one can cap whatever he wants, or on fixed mode where there are limits to what can be capped and what can't be transferred.

So here are my thoughts:

Sothe (random, HP, str, def) - this is a no-brainer. +2 str on base helps with some KOs that Sothe tends to miss later in part 1 and +5 HP, +6 def allow him to reach 3RKO'd territory in 3-6.

Jill (fixed, HP (?), str, skl, spd, def) - transfers allow her to promote in 1-6-1 without much repercussion, and she can help Tauroneo 4 turn the map. It'll also make 3-6, 3-12, 3-13, and part 4 chapters a little easier, and presumably there would be less negative consequence of low turning 3-6. Jill needs robes for HP, but we can probably give them to her. These are basically the same bonuses she wants from random mode transfer.

Nephenee (fixed, str, skl, spd) - Nephenee gets a huge boost in performance in 2-1 and 2-2, going from not doubling with a Stl Greatlance to doubling with a Stl Greatlance with +4 HP damage on top of that. It makes it so much easier to get the KO on Yeardley and her offense in 2-2 is about as good as Lucia's, although I'm not sure if Nephenee (T) can get a 3 turn.

Haar (random, spd) - Haar doesn't need a Speedwings anymore, and he can promote earlier. There's no RNG abuse required for a 1 turn clear of 2-E.

Ike (fixed, HP, str, skl, spd, def, res) - Ike won't really need a lot of EXP. In fact, at this point it might be better to use Ike as little as possible in part 3 so that he'd be easier to kill in 3-13. I think it would be best if the player tried capping the rest of his stats and left his spd at 26, then BEXP it up in 3-E. Heck, since we have basically a free Speedwings from Titania (T), we could up Ike's spd to 28 and give it to Volug instead.

Titania (fixed, skl, spd) - Titania doesn't need a Speedwings now, either. At least, not before promotion. Having 23 spd in 3-P and 3-1 is good, although I think she ends up not doubling a lot of enemies here for whatever reason.

Ulki (fixed, str) - Ulki doesn't need an Energy Drop now. We can reduce 2-E and 3-5 to 1 turn clears.

Tanith (fixed, str, skl, spd) - Promotion at around level 18 puts her AS at 28, which is enough to double a whole lot of enemies in 4-2 should she go that way. She flies and isn't all that bad offensively, and requires little effort. Assuming that Haar and Jill go to 4-P and 4-3, having Tanith there is kind of redundant.

[Anouleth]

There's also Boyd, if you have an extra Speedwing available. Being able to ORKO Generals with a hand axe forge in 3-8 and in 3-10 is incredibly useful.

I'm pretty certain that with transfers, a 4 turn clear of 3-9 is within reach. You'd need +mag on Calill, +spd/def on Geoffrey, +str/skl/spd on Marcia, and +str/skl on Kieran.

[dondon151]

There's also Boyd, if you have an extra Speedwing available. Being able to ORKO Generals with a hand axe forge in 3-8 and in 3-10 is incredibly useful.

See, I'm not sure about this. Given that 3-8 and 3-10 are routs, I highly doubt that Boyd (T) would yield any significant benefit over Boyd (N) in those maps.

I'm pretty certain that with transfers, a 4 turn clear of 3-9 is within reach. You'd need +mag on Calill, +spd/def on Geoffrey, +str/skl/spd on Marcia, and +str/skl on Kieran.

That would involve cutting through the thickets, right?

[Anouleth]

See, I'm not sure about this. Given that 3-8 and 3-10 are routs, I highly doubt that Boyd (T) would yield any significant benefit over Boyd (N) in those maps.

Why? I was able to beat both chapters in 4 turns... and it would be no exaggeration to suggest that was mainly due to Boyd, because he is the only person who can 1-round Generals at range. By positioning him in the south-east of 3-8 on turn 3, he single-handedly takes out most of the enemies in Septimus' area. He can also clear out the south side of 3-10. Obviously, he requires a lot of training to be able to do this, but I think the payoff is worth it.

That would involve cutting through the thickets, right?

Yeah. Geoffrey needs to move his max move every single turn to reach Roark on Turn 4, so there is not time to detour around the General. You might need to keep the Hammer and/or Brave Lance, though.

The main issue is Geoffrey's durability. Even with a +def transfer Geoffrey needs to dodge multiple times in order to make it to Roark alive. In addition, a certain amount of luck is needed with accuracy. +str/skl isn't actually necessary for Kieran, but being able to use the Silver Axe over the Steel Poleaxe and +2 skill gives him an effective +14 hit, which is crucial if you don't want to reset half the time because of him missing.

[Junkhead]

Str & Spd transfer Danved can 1RKO with a Brave lance, IIRC.

[RNG Princess]

I'd say Marcia belongs there, she seems more significant than Nephenee, and idk but maybe a speed transfer on Ilyana it permits to recruit Aran on turn 3 anyways ^_^.

[chococoke]

How does an Ulki transfer result in a 1 turn clear of 2-E?

[Anouleth]

How does an Ulki transfer result in a 1 turn clear of 2-E?

Because we don't need to get the Energy Drop, presumably.

[chococoke]

Because we don't need to get the Energy Drop, presumably.

Oh, duh, completely forgot there was an attainable Energy Drop on 2-E.

[dondon151]

I'd say Marcia belongs there, she seems more significant than Nephenee, and idk but maybe a speed transfer on Ilyana it permits to recruit Aran on turn 3 anyways ^_^.

Maybe Marcia would be a good choice if she turned out to be better than Tanith, but Marcia (T) has a lot of catching up to do to Tanith (T). Her stats don't matter on 2-P, and she doesn't need transfers to do her job on 2-3 and 3-9, but skl and luk transfers would improve her poor hit rates.

I like doubling Ilyana, but she's just not all that important.

[Silith]

Ike (NO SPD) In my low turning I used Volug a lot. When he gets no speed a Volug with Halfshift and maxed speed can double Ike. This indeed means I had no super Jill since Volug ate all cake.

[Anouleth]

Ike (NO SPD) In my low turning I used Volug a lot. When he gets no speed a Volug with Halfshift and maxed speed can double Ike. This indeed means I had no super Jill since Volug ate all cake.

He needs to gain 13 levels for that, though. That seems pretty excessive. It might just be easier to do it with Resolve.

Plus he'd only have 35atk against Ike's 26 defense, so he'd deal 9x2 damage, then Ike switches to Ragnell and Volug is only doing 4x2 damage. And you'd need to really gimp Ike in order to have him at base speed at the end of Part 3. You'd run into trouble later on in Endgame. It's not like it's a long process getting Volug to transform anyway.

[dondon151]

I think it would be fine to keep Ike at only around 26 spd. If we get him the transfer as listed, Ike would cap HP, str, skl naturally by --/13, and reach 26 spd by --/14. At this point, spd is Ike's second highest growth. We could just keep him at --/14 and BEXP him in 3-E up to around 30 spd.

Volug also would only need to be level 20 on average for 30 AS to double Ike. That's well within reach.