Rate the unit, Day 4: Serra

[Thor Odinson]

When I said "better staves", I really was referring to physic. Lucius CAN use it if he manages to get B staves (which is certainly possible, but you'd have to make an active effort), but it likely won't be until late-game.

If you're gonna make an active effort of Lucius get to B, Barrier is 4 wexp, super spammable, and 15 uses. Takes 50 Wexp to get to B so he won't even have to go through one Barrier to hit B Staves. I wouldn't say the 13 turns with Barrier would take him to lategame unless you promote him super late or something. Takes 2-3 chapters depends on how fast you're going, really. And if there's FoW between his promotion and before he hits B, Torch is even better spam for a delicious 5 WEXP a pop. So it's not only possible, but downright easy.

Anything less and it's active-efforting it up wrong.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Luminescent Blade

[riariadne]

So far, serra's a 6.3 if I mathed this right.

... shouldn't this have closed 2 hours ago?

[Raven]

OP doesn't say anything about LHM being excluded. The way I see the only constant factor is that the main game portion is HHM, not ENM, EHM, or HNM. Anything else goes.

That much is true. I was under the impression OP wanted only HHM ranks.

I believe it's simply easier to exclude everything else except HHM because at least then things such as HHM joining level, stats, weapon levels and the rest are basically laid out to us on a platter. from then on it's simply down to a matter of opinion.

As for a new rate the unit topic, my guess is that OP is busy IRL.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

If you're gonna make an active effort of Lucius get to B, Barrier is 4 wexp, super spammable, and 15 uses. Takes 50 Wexp to get to B so he won't even have to go through one Barrier to hit B Staves. I wouldn't say the 13 turns with Barrier would take him to lategame unless you promote him super late or something. Takes 2-3 chapters depends on how fast you're going, really. And if there's FoW between his promotion and before he hits B, Torch is even better spam for a delicious 5 WEXP a pop. So it's not only possible, but downright easy.

Anything less and it's active-efforting it up wrong.

First, Lucius has to promote. Then he has to spend something like 13 turns doing this just to get him to B staves, which is 13 turns he's probably being worthless (no, you do not need barrier THAT much). That's...in a S rank run, 2 maps worth of turns usually...on an efficient runthrough, nearly 3...where you're using up a valuable character slot just to get him a staff rank so he can finally physic.

Prissy and Serra basically get it for free (and, come on, if you use them at all, they're B staves by Kinship's Bond). However, I'll admit that at least it is feasible to do with Lucius and not ridiculous like for Nino and Erk.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Kngt_Of_Titania

[Florete]

Promote Lucius by Ch 26 and that's, what, 12 free turns right there? And that's not even assuming Dancing for him. A couple maps later and Battle Before Dawn is 15 free turns. This is getting late in the game but Cog of Destiny and the like are still coming.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Promote Lucius by Ch 26 and that's, what, 12 free turns right there? And that's not even assuming Dancing for him. A couple maps later and Battle Before Dawn is 15 free turns. This is getting late in the game but Cog of Destiny and the like are still coming.

Right, right. But I said with active effort he'd still have to wait for late-game to physic. Serra and Priscilla get it at mid-game (and don't need to promote to do so) and right before a couple chapters where physic is really nice (*cough*Living Legend and Genesis*cough*).

Doesn't Ch. 26 count as late-game?

Edited December 22, 2011 by Kngt_Of_Titania

[Thor Odinson]

That's assuming Lucius even promotes that late. For all I cares he could even take the first Ring in case Prissy and Serra didn't hit 10 yet, since staffexp is pretty damn low. Especially if you use both of them going efficiency, they aren't hitting 10 for a while. And in ranked, you want Prissy and Serra to promote at 20. The first Guiding Ring is what, 17?

Barrier is often used to just speed-level someone's staff rank rather than actually boosting res to be useful, since pure waters do exist and they don't stack and it isn't like Barrier isn't buyable either.

I'm not saying Lucius is a better staffbot than Serra, though he does have better mag than her for more physic range, but it really doesn't take him that long to hit B as you say it does.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Luminescent Blade

[Raven]

Efficiency-wise, you're not promoting Priscilla or Serra anytime soon. The first ring is more than likely going to Erk or Lucius, if anyone at all, before one of the healers hits 20.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

That's assuming Lucius even promotes that late. For all I cares he could even take the first Ring in case Prissy and Serra didn't hit 10 yet, since staffexp is pretty damn low. Especially if you use both of them going efficiency, they aren't hitting 10 for a while. And in ranked, you want Prissy and Serra to promote at 20. The first Guiding Ring is what, 17?

When are we assuming Lucius is promoted? In S ranked runs, people tend to promote around FFO. Given the best non-dancer case scenario for active use, add ~2 chapters for physic use. That's chapter 25E/26H. More realistically, it'll probably be something like 26E/27-28H. That's...well, that's late-game. Also, in S rank runs, healers are sometimes the first to promote due to the fact you need to constantly rotate combat units (see: General_Horace S rank runs).

Pure efficiency, he'll probably reach it sooner if you promote him early, sure. How much sooner, idk. My guess would be somewhere around Kinship's Bond or LL for physic use, since you'll want somebody that can properly use physic for LL.

EDIT: In pure efficiency, Serra drops a good bit since it becomes way harder to level her.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Kngt_Of_Titania

[Bluedoom]

HHM has no Lyn mode

@RFF: this. I think he doesn't consider Lyn Mode, so anyone who's basing their ratings on Lyn mode is not correct I guess.

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

@RFF: this. I think he doesn't consider Lyn Mode, so anyone who's basing their ratings on Lyn mode is not correct I guess.

Seems silly to discount LHM. Ergo, I won't.

[Thor Odinson]

And promoting at 20 is silly except in ranked due to exp rank because nobody hits 20/20 ever if you're going efficiently. Except like, Seth in Sethskip FE8 and even that's a maybe. So yet, I'm assuming early promotion.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Luminescent Blade

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

And promoting at 20 is silly except in ranked due to exp rank because nobody hits 20/20 ever if you're going efficiently. Except like, Seth in Sethskip FE8 and even that's a maybe. So yet, I'm assuming early promotion.

Which is...what I said. I assume Lucius promotes at 20 in S rank and early in efficiency.

[Thor Odinson]

Your post was confusing.

So in efficency, promote Lucius super early, spam the hell out of whatever he can, and get Physic. Serra needs to be 20/2 to match Lucius's 10/1 mag and Lucius's superior magic growth just furthers their physic range discrepancy from there. Serra'll have it earlier, but once Lucius gets it he does it better.

Pent best Physic user

[Kngt_Of_Titania]

Pent best Physic user

Wil best bow user

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Ein]

8/10

Serra's pretty good and a bundle of fun. But then again Prissy and Pent exist but that's up to the player and junk. She'll get to level 10 eventually anyway so yeah but then again many players here have a GOTTA GO FAST! mentality going so that's also a thing. Hm...

Serra's offense is pretty decent and her SPD and LUCK are decent as well.

If anything she can she used as a dodge tank of sorts for chip damage and such. At least I do. >_>

I suck at these things so eh.

Oh what? HHM? Gah...

Edited December 22, 2011 by Ein Silver Rose

[Vorena]

Its gotten quite far away from Serra lol Pent does have the highest magic on average above every unit except Lucius.