KoT's S Rank Marcus-less HHM Run Log

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Health? What an interesting character. Wonder if he uses Heal staves?

*hit over the head repeatedly*

I'm just shocked I failed the experience requirement so badly this attempt.

[General Horace]

I still wouldn't be too worried about exp, you still have Crazed Beast, FFO, Night of Farewells and Victory of Life (if you need it) to feast on.

You also forgot Rath in the character list.

Edited November 17, 2011 by General Horace

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

I still wouldn't be too worried about exp, you still have Crazed Beast, FFO, Night of Farewells and Victory of Life (if you need it) to feast on.

You also forgot Rath in the character list.

I also forgot Isadora. Thanks...it put me to a more reasonable level.

[General Horace]

Also, Heath isn't in your stat list, I'm thinking that's where I got more exp than you this chapter, I think I got something like 3.5 levels on him here.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Also, Heath isn't in your stat list, I'm thinking that's where I got more exp than you this chapter, I think I got something like 3.5 levels on him here.

Nah, I included him on my total experience, just forgot to list him. He gained about 1.5 levels.

P.S. It looks like I'll make up my XP losses next chapter, as my magic units are all low level and gaining experience like mad compared to 21/22. Before they die horrible deaths. Anyways, if I field Florina, Heath, and my low level casters, I should do well experience-wise.

Edited November 17, 2011 by Kngt_Of_Titania

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Chapter 23: Living Legend (...And If There's One Thing In This World That Will Drive Me To the Madhouse, It'll Be FE Desert Maps...)

Turn Limit: 9

Turns Taken: 9

Aggravation Level: You wake up one night, and for some reason you're nervous...you're not sure why, but you just know something's....wrong, not done. So, after double and triple checking, you realize that the essay you were assigned three months ago and completely forgot about is due the next morning. You burst out into the computer room, turn Word on, and drink about as much caffine as you possibly can without your heart literally exploding in your chest. You type out what might possibly be a legible 10 page paper on the emotional development of Frankenstein's monster as dawn breaks, and then the power goes out. It is only then you forgot that, in all of this time, you had forgotten to save your work.

Characters Used: Serra, Ninian, Erk, Lucius, Heath, Legault, Florina, Hector; Hawkeye joins on turn 2.

Analysis:

This chapter was hard...but it wasn't, when I finally admitted to myself that I was probably going to need Hawkeye to kill the bosses (I mean, technically Hector could do it, but Hawkeye's getting 75 experience a kill and Hector would get...well, none). It was more trying to get as much swag in 9 turns as possible, which I actually did by turning to General_Horace's video, at least a little bit. While I already figured out that I needed to use a flier to move Legault across the map (in this case, it was Florina), I used G_H's clever "pick up, Ninian, drop off by guiding ring mage" technique he used in turn 1 in order to save a torch use and get the guiding ring stolen by turn 2 (on a side note, that guiding ring/Elfire mage packs a goddamn punch!).

My biggest issue was surviving the onslaught of turn 1 (and to a lesser exten, turn 2) and still setting it up perfectly for a low turn playthrough. Basically, both of the initial wyvern knights had to die without killing somebody in turn -- Lucius was out (as he got OHKO'd barely by them), and Canas was out (since he couldn't double and thus ORKO them on enemy phase, AND he got doubled with Nosferatu, I tried that), so Erk was left. Erk only managed to pull it off by critting the first wyvern knight and gaining a +MAG, +SPD level up, which allowed him to barely double and then barely ORKO the second wyvern knight. It was the first of only two strokes of luck that I needed to pull it off, the second being the godly Elfire mage missing my 1 HP Florina on turn 2 enemy phase. I also happened to have good luck with digging up the Body Ring with a non-thief, possibly saving me a turn.

It wasn't all good luck, though. While my Hawkeye got a 5 stat level up (which, considering his at best anemic growths, is pretty insane), my Lucius got a 1 stat level up in MAG and my Heath got a 1 stat level up in DEF (so that makes his only 2 level ups 1-staters...I think, barring amazing luck, he's ****ed for this playthrough). Erk had a couple close calls while pushing left on the bottom of the map...I miscalculated when the spawns would turn into shaman, so Erk dipped to 1 or 2 health a couple of times. THANK ME FOR BEING SMART ENOUGH TO BUY PURE WATERS ON NEW RESOLVE! Erk, Florina, Legault, and Heath all really benefited from it, and they definitely saved my ass.

Serra was basically spamming physic and torch as necessary, often given second actions by Ninian; it was pretty much necessary to keep up with the healing needed. The only time Ninian gave Hawkeye a second action was when he refused to crit the second boss after a good 3-4 swings. Guess what? He refused to crit again (it actually took Hawkeye until turn 7 or 8 to land the kill and about 2 mend uses)!

I tried to keep Hector's kills to a minimum, but I had to use his hand axe to deal with a couple of problem archers. Even if he was like 17/-- or 18/--, he probably only would've gotten like 15-21 experience from them anyways (total), so I'm not too worried. Lucius and Heath spent most of their time killing most of the enemies on the right-hand edge of the map (as in, the only non-desert portion of the map) and sucking at level ups. Overall, I might've possibly done a 8 turn clear (1 in 4 chance), but I didn't know there was a cav that refused to move from the very top-right corner. I managed to get everything but the Light Brand, which isn't THAT good, and is only worth like 1250G (which I can make up with 2 arena wins).

P.S. Did anybody else notice that I've fielded Florina for like 40% of the maps, yet she's still like 7/--? It's not like she's had bad level ups, it's just that it's hard to fight and not die when your speed is halved and you take a 4 CON loss with an iron lance and your STR is anemic. Poor Florina -- I'm trying! I really am!

P.S.S. G_H (or anybody else with S rank HHM experience), since I've gotten EVERYTHING of significant value in this run besides that one guiding ring from Zolam, I shouldn't have a huge problem funds-wise if I get Farina/an assassin, right? I did in EHM, but HHM has lighter funds reqs and more loot to steal.

P.S.S.S. Yeah, this is getting much more reasonable than early-game. It's becoming more of a S rank HHM run than a Marcus-less S rank HHM run, which is notably easier. Btw, I promised Eclipse I'm promoting Nino by the end of Cogs of Destiny. Watch as I fail to do it.

Experience Gained: 1213/1200

Wait, physic and torch spam, fielding level 7-10 fliers/mages, and I barely make the rank? What do I have to do to pass it with flying colors, be able to beat it blindfolded, with one arm behind my back, while playing a tuba with my asshole on the mouthpiece?

Overall Ranking:

Tactics: 5 (141/148)

Funds: 5

Experience: 5 (17956/15500) -- roughly a 24.6 level lead.

Survival: 5

Combat: 5

[spoiler=Stats]

UNIT 		LEVEL	HP  ST  SK  SP  LK  DF  RS   WEP LEVEL               		SUPPORT
Hector   	20.00	36  16  17  16  08  15  03   A Axe                   		C Eliwood
Eliwood  	12.86	26  10  13  13  14  10  06   A Sword                 		C Hector
Lyn      	14.02	34  10  14  17  10  06  04   A Sword
Marcus   	21.23	Base
Rebecca  	11.63	24  10  12  14  11  04  04   B Bow
Lowen    	13.37	34  11  06  13  09  11  03   B Lance D Sword
Bartre   	09.31	35  14  10  05  04  08  02   C Axe
Oswin    	10.23	29  13  09  05  04  13  04   B Lance
Guy      	15.17	34  12  20  20  11  07  04   A Sword
Dorcas   	06.26	33  08  08  08  06  04  00   C Axe
Serra    	17.84	26  10  12  14  18  05  16   A Staff
Matthew  	15.09	25  06  09  20  06  05  02   B Sword
Erk      	13.17	25  11  10  15  08  06  06   B Anima
Priscilla	06.55	19  06  08  10  10  04  09   B Staff
Sain 		18.12	33  20  10  15  09  13  04   A Lance D Sword
Kent 		20.00	37  16  13  17  07  13  10   A Lance C Sword
Florina  	07.34	20  08  12  14  09  04  06   C Lance
Wil      	15.80	31  12  14  14  12  11  02   A Bow
Raven    	12.94	36  13  16  17  06  09  03   B Sword
Lucius   	09.85	21  12  09  12  03  01  10   C Light
Canas    	10.23	21  11  10  09  07  05  09   B Dark 
Fiora    	07.99	Base
Legault  	15.77	31  11  15  18  13  09  05   C Sword
Ninian   	09.42	21  01  00  19  18  07  11   
Rath 		08.18	26  09  10  10  06  07  02   C Bow
Isadora  	21.26	28  13  12  16  10  08  06   A Sword B Lance D Axe
Heath    	09.48	32  13  09  08  07  13  01   B Lance   
Hawkeye  	05.80	50  18  15  11  13  14  11   A Axe               		

Edited November 21, 2011 by Kngt_Of_Titania

[General Horace]

For the funds, don't sell too much shit, and make sure you loot the stat boosters in The Berserker, getting the extra Wolf Beil would be very nice as well; it's a zero req chapter with a lot of stuff in it.

I mean, I recruited Farina, and was fine, and didn't pay a ton of attention to funds.

Also note that in my ending screenshot, the gold is kind of incorrect, I promoted Raven, Canas, and Bartre before final, but I forgot to mention it. If you're smart with the silver card, you'll be fine.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

For the funds, don't sell too much shit, and make sure you loot the stat boosters in The Berserker, getting the extra Wolf Beil would be very nice as well; it's a zero req chapter with a lot of stuff in it.

I mean, I recruited Farina, and was fine, and didn't pay a ton of attention to funds.

Also note that in my ending screenshot, the gold is kind of incorrect, I promoted Raven, Canas, and Bartre before final, but I forgot to mention it. If you're smart with the silver card, you'll be fine.

Only things I ever sold in any of my playthroughs were the gems this time around, and since I basically spent all of the gold on weapons with the silver card, I basically broke even on assets. But yeah, if you managed to do that, I should be fine -- although I will make a save file before I get Farina/assassin just to be safe.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Having just downloaded it last night, I've accidentally started to enjoy playing FE12 Lunatic mode. As such, I'll probably be putting this run on hold (as in, this log is not dead, I'm just giving FE7 a break after beating it like 3-4 and a half times).

I promise that I will try to get back to it.