The Lunatic Club

[Alastor15243]

Updated the post with stats. Also I remembered why I didn't promote Lissa: I only have one master seal left at the moment and I'm going to keep it for Stahl.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Alastor15243

[eclipse]

1. Master Seals are buyable in Chapter 12.

2. Can you include HP as well? Since you're not pairing up, it'll determine how many attacks your guys can take before going down.

[Alastor15243]

Done.

Also, shoot, can't believe I double-posted. There goes my perfect forum standing...

[eclipse]

I'd go Paladin. Your team could use a bit more mobility. I'd also promote Lissa ASAP, for a bit more staff range, and so she can hit back.

And what the hell is up with that Sumia? Like, how'd she break 20 STR without a bajillion reclasses?!

(I'm salty, don't mind me)

[Alastor15243]

I'd go Paladin. Your team could use a bit more mobility. I'd also promote Lissa ASAP, for a bit more staff range, and so she can hit back.

And what the hell is up with that Sumia? Like, how'd she break 20 STR without a bajillion reclasses?!

(I'm salty, don't mind me)

I gave her one energy drop and reclassed her at like level 11, I got a lot of lucky level ups.

Thanks for the advice! Also, should I wait until Stahl's level 20 or do it now?

Edited May 13, 2015 by Alastor15243

[Knusperkeks]

Thanks for the advice! Also, should I wait until Stahl's level 20 or do it now?

If you can afford it, wait until he is either lv 20 or capped 3-4 of his primary stats. That's my approach. Generally, delaying promotions and staying in a unpromoted class will give you the edge in the long haul.

[Alastor15243]

Alright, Stahl's level 20 now, any second opinions on paladin vs. Great Knight? Will Paladin!Stahl get enough defense to keep being a tank lategame?

[Czar_Yoshi]

I also support Paladin for Stahl. He really does not need GK's Spd drop and the Res bonus will be useful for all the promoted magic in Valm/Plegia.

[Alastor15243]

I also support Paladin for Stahl. He really does not need GK's Spd drop and the Res bonus will be useful for all the promoted magic in Valm/Plegia.

Alright, that settles it then, thanks everyone!

[bookwormbabe29]

Hey again ;)

So as a semi follow up, I beat chapter 4 without stat boosters (as mentioned, it's much easier than the earlier stages). DLC is unlocked, and I'm beginning the slow process of making my roster not so squishy. I haven't quite decided on my main team members this run; I have my eye on a few people but waiting to see how the levels turn out. Anywho, any suggestions for the second seal from the renown? FeMU is already level 18 and I have no other seals at this point, so I'm thinking it should go to her. Thief is tempting with extra/early locktouch and movement+1, as is mage for Mag+2 and focus. Getting vantage would normally be tempting, but I have no idea how that works going up against enemies with vantage+. So yes, any suggestions?

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

If you go Thief or Myrmidon, absolutely make sure you have C Swords first. Being melee-locked against Counter is really, really bad. Also keep in mind that Levin Swords are a bit pricey. I would actually recommend Dark Mage because tomes and its skills are just so good (plus Nos, if that's your style). It just kind of overshadows Mage, as far as Robin options go.

Both of the Vantage skills only work on the opposing phase. Therefore, your Vantage will still make you attack first during EP (provided you make the HP requirement).

[Cat1803]

I'd say also keep in mind the possible promotions for your FeMU.

Thief and Myrmidon both have an Assassin promotion option, and Pass is a nice skill to have if you'd like to be using Bows to avoid Counter damage. Unfortunately Assassin is the only real worthwhile promotion for those two classes in-game - Swordmaster and Trickster keep you melee-locked and don't have the stats to back it up.

If you still want to go into a Swordlocked class, I'd have to recommend Mercenary. Armsthrift will let you keep your Levin Swords for longer, Patience is really nice for Enemy Phase Avoid, and both of Merc's promotions are worth considering. Hero's Sol is really potent and getting D Axes will give you a cheaper ranged option, while Bow Knight allows you to equip Bows to avoid Counter and gives you Bowbreaker, which is more potent than you'd think against enemy Snipers (who have pretty dangerous Hit even with Hawkeye). Despite melee lock, Swords are nice for Wyrmslayers, and you'll be preserving those expensive things with Armsthrift (makes Counter Wyverns a non-issue unless they also have Pavise+). Bows will alternatively give you a very potent option against Wyverns and especially Pegasus Knights. I'd give Merc a higher recommendation, but a Lck flaw will make it hard to get the most out of Armsthrift.

As for Magic options, I have to second Dark Mage as an ideal class change option. Hex and Anathema are really nice - Anathema especially often allows you to crit through stuff before Counter comes into play. Remaining in a Tome-using class is also beneficial for a less expensive ranged option, as well as keeping Wind Tomes - Plegia loves Wyverns and 7 Mov Counter enemies can really ruin your day, but OHKOing them with Wind ruins their day. You can also avoid Counter by equipping Mire on the enemy phase, but this comes with the bummer of not being able to counterattack 2-3 range enemies in addition to the melee Counter damage you'd be trying to avoid.

Other class options: Cavalier lets you keep Swords and is really nice for Discipline (and Paladin promotion), while Pegasus Knight gives you a Dark Flier promotion (just be wary of Lance-lock in Axe-heavy Plegia). Archer can work if you want to start avoiding Counter immediately - as a bonus it comes with Longbows, Sniper promotion, and the aforementioned Bow Knight promotion it shares with Merc.

Quite a few of those base classes have their selling points, but in the process of choosing one, you'll have to consider a few things: What base class skills do you want the most? Does that class have strong promotions? Does that class retain any of your previous weapon ranks, or at the very least have strong weapons for that point of the game? Does the class have strong stats that complement your FeMU's current stats and growth rates?

For your situation, I'd recommend Dark Mage with a somewhat lesser recommendation of Merc. The other options I've listed and the ones you're considering are kind of on equal footing below that (though Pegasus Knight does have a small edge thanks to Dark Flier promotion).

Hope this helps, sorry it's a little text-heavy.

[Czar_Yoshi]

A quick note on DLC grinding in Lunatic+: with very few exceptions, the enemy 2HKOes your starting units. Read this as "knocks Stahl to 1HP with Luna+ and WTD".

Say you put five levels of grinding under your belt and somehow get him perfect levels each time. Stahl is now 1 Spd ahead of whoever was doing that to him (previously 1 Spd shy of being doubled), is taking 2 less damage from Luna+ and has 5 more HP... And is now getting knocked down to ~8 HP by Luna+ instead of 1. Not even enough leeway for him to take a Counter, or an extra non-Luna+ hit.

In order for him to take more than one hit, he'll need significantly more than those levels... And even a unit who can take two hits without dying isn't going to have fun being mobbed on EP.

Basically there's almost no difference in utility between a unit who barely gets 2HKOed and a unit who nearly gets OHKOed, so be prepared to grind a lot to make a large team useful. That said, to get the most out of your Second Seal, I'd strongly recommend promoting to Grandmaster and reaching Lv.20 before reclassing back to a base class. You'll get a lot more stats that way and Master Seals can be farmed reliably from DLC (the boss in Harvest Scramble has one).

[Alastor15243]

Hey, me again! I just got Laurent and Yarne, I'm on chapter 17, and I'm debating what to do with the former. Just a reminder, I'm not on lunatic, I'm doing no grind, no braves, no pair up hard.

The recent acquisition of Anna (I held off on her paralogue in case one of my children arrived too weak for the latest chapter, and good thing I did, because that was exactly the case with Yarne) means I now have 4 staff users: her, Miriel, Libra, and Lissa. Laurent got tomefaire and renewal from his parents and I'm debating whether or not I really need another staff user, or if at this point I might want to make him a dark knight for mobility and durability considering he's a 2nd gen unit since he already has tomefaire.

Just in case my party's stats influence this decision, here they are:

Chrom: Lvl 1 Great Lord, HP 39, Str 19, Mag 2, Skill 19, Spd 18, Lck 17, def 16, res 9. There really haven't been any good opportunities to train him since like chapter 9, I'm content to keep him to the sidelines. Skills: DS+, Charm.

Robin: Lvl 9 Dark Flier, HP 49, Str 26, Mag 21, Skill 36, Spd 31, Lck 20, Def 15, Res 22. Gonna get her to level 15 and marry Yarne as soon as possible so I can get Morgan out there hopefully at least by the time I reach the dragon's table. Skills: Veteran (Useless in my run, much to my annoyance), Solidarity, Spd +2, Relief, Rally Move.

Miriel: Lvl 16 Sage, HP 42, Str 7, Mag 30, Skill 29, Spd 30, Lck 21, Def 11, Res 16. A serious glass cannon here. I love how she turned out offensively, and she's handy during player phase all-out assaults, and she's my best rescuer. Skills: Mag+2, Focus, Rally Magic, Tomefaire.

Libra: Lvl 16 War Monk, HP 53, Str 20, Mag 23, Skill 21, Speed 21, Lck 14, Def 16, Res 22. Mostly only good for staff use and genetics, where he gets a lot of mileage. Skills: Healtouch, Miracle, Rally Luck, Renewal.

Lucina: Lvl 6 Great Lord, HP 52, Str 25, Mag 4, Skill 31, Spd 32, Lck 28, Def 20, Res 17. THIS is why I always focus on getting Sumia to dark flier level 15 before the end of Chapter 13. It makes the difference between Lucina constantly lagging behind and being THIS. Skills: DS+, Charm, Aether, Galeforce.

Yarne: Lvl 21 Taguel, HP 55, Str 25+5, Mag 6, Skill 22+5, Spd 25+5, Lck 20+4, Def 20+1, Res 7. I am so glad I replaced Lon'qu with Gregor, Yarne's so much less fragile in this run, which is absolutely crucial when nobody can hide in pairup. Keeping him as a taguel because anti-cavalry is obscenely useful at this point in the game. Skills: Str+2, Even Rhythm, Patience, Beastbane.

Lissa: Lvl 9 Sage, HP 45, Str 11, Mag 25, Skill 21, Spd 24, Lck 24, Def 11, Res 18. She never really graduated to fighter, probably because she classed up at a point where I couldn't afford to put her in danger and she always had healing to do. As such she still has an E rank in tomes. Skills: Miracle, Healtouch, Rally Magic.

Sumia: Lvl 3 Great Knight, HP 51, Str 29, Mag 7, Skill 27, Spd 28, Lck 23, Def 27, Res 15. I don't know what happened with her, but she's absolutely amazing. An extremely useful heavy-hitting galeforce fighter who supports with my other galeforce fighter, and she's got the second highest defense of anyone in my party despite spending most of her time as a pegasus knight and only getting (I swear) one dracoshield. I chose to make her a great knight because I needed another reasonably high def unit for walling, which was crucial to getting Yarne relatively early. Skills: Spd+2, Relief, Rally Move, Galeforce.

Nowi: Lvl 26 Manakete, HP 57, Str 17+8, Mag 4+5, Skill 15+3, Spd 15+2, Lck 25, Def 20+10, Res 12+7. She's my party's best tank, and I'll be getting her daughter soon, hopefully she'll be even better. Skills: Odd Rhythm, Wyrmsbane.

Stahl: Lvl 6 Paladin, HP 52, Str 28, Mag 3, Skill 19, Spd 22, Lck 17, Def 22, Res 12. Paladin worked out really well, thanks guys. He's not as much as a tank as he used to be, but he does alright. Skills: Discipline, Outdoor Fighter, Defender (useless).

Panne: Lvl 2 Wyvern Rider, HP 52, Str 27, Mag 5, Skill 26 (cap), Spd 27 (cap), Lck 15, Def 18, Res 2. I found myself forced to do this when I remembered that Gregor doesn't pass down wyvern rider to Yarne so this was the only way for Yarne to get Str+2, a skill he'll need as a hard support in the postgame. She fights reasonably well as it, I just hope it doesn't slow her down too much until I can promote her or second seal her back to taguel. Skills: Even Rhythm, Beastbane, Str+2.

Gregor: Lvl 7 Bow Knight, HP 51, Str 23, Mag 4, Skill 21, Spd 20, Lck 10, Def 20, Res 8. REALLY glad I picked this over hero. Having weapon range options is obscenely useful when trying to position yourself for dual strikes against enemies who could be in any formation. Skills: Rally Skill, Armsthrift, Patience.

Anna: Lvl 3 Trickster, HP 38 Str 13, Mag 18, Skill 25, Spd 24, Lck 27, Def 9, Res 10. She's on as a spare staff bot and a sturdier and faster gaius. No more needs to be said. Skills: Move+1, Locktouch.

And Finally:

Laurent: Lvl 17 Mage, HP 41, Str 9, Mag 24, Skill 23, Spd 22, Lck 17, Def 12, Res 14. He's shaping up decently, having tomefaire from the getgo has really helped his offensive power. Skills: Mag+2, Focus, Renewal, Tomefaire.

So what do you guys think? What should I do with Laurent?

Edited May 15, 2015 by Alastor15243

[Czar_Yoshi]

Gregor: Lvl 7 Bow Knight, HP 51, Str 23, Mag 4, Skill 21, Spd 20, Lck 10, Def 20, Res 8. REALLY glad I picked this over hero. Having weapon range options is obscenely useful when trying to position yourself for dual strikes against enemies who could be in any formation.

Hand Axes?

[Alastor15243]

Hand Axes?

Yeah, but they're expensive and weaker, and this duo already has an emphasis on player-phase combat. Plus bows reach 2 range even in bronze, unlike axes, and I had no arms scrolls at the time. So it's more convenient in the beginning and more convenient in the long run.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Alastor15243

[eclipse]

Laurent: DARK MAGE! Focus + Anathema gives Laurent a very impressive crit chance, should he ever get separated from the group. But if you're out of Second Seals, I'd go Dark Knight - Lifetaker + Renewal means that you should go into every single enemy phase at full health. Sage has better stats, but you already have Tomefaire, and Lissa can handle Rally Magic duty.

[Alastor15243]

Laurent: DARK MAGE! Focus + Anathema gives Laurent a very impressive crit chance, should he ever get separated from the group. But if you're out of Second Seals, I'd go Dark Knight - Lifetaker + Renewal means that you should go into every single enemy phase at full health. Sage has better stats, but you already have Tomefaire, and Lissa can handle Rally Magic duty.

So reclass into dark mage and then promote into dark knight, or is Sorcerer preferable and Dark Knight was only the better option if I couldn't pick dark mage/sorcerer?

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

Sorcerer is generally preferred, but since you said your army tends to be player phase-based, it could probably make pretty good use of a Dark Knight and its skills. I guess it comes down to whether you'd rather shore up your enemy phase or lean even more on your player phase.

[Alastor15243]

Sorcerer is generally preferred, but since you said your army tends to be player phase-based, it could probably make pretty good use of a Dark Knight and its skills. I guess it comes down to whether you'd rather shore up your enemy phase or lean even more on your player phase.

Oh no, I was specifically referring to the pair of Panne and Gregor when I was talking about player-phase emphasis, mostly because Panne's a little bit fragile. I have tanks that are pretty good, especially Nowi and Sumia. I learned my lesson from my last attempt where I had way too few units with reasonable defense.

[eclipse]

So reclass into dark mage and then promote into dark knight, or is Sorcerer preferable and Dark Knight was only the better option if I couldn't pick dark mage/sorcerer?

Dark Mage to Sorcerer is ideal. If you don't have the Second Seals to spare, then promote him to Dark Knight (instead of Sage).

[Alastor15243]

Dark Mage to Sorcerer is ideal. If you don't have the Second Seals to spare, then promote him to Dark Knight (instead of Sage).

Is it just nostanking that makes sorcerer so useful, or is it other stuff too?

[Knusperkeks]

They have excellent HP growth too. And their def/res is nothing to scoff at.

[eclipse]

Is it just nostanking that makes sorcerer so useful, or is it other stuff too?

Vengeance is a nice filler proc, and Tomebreaker is a nice situational skill.

Dark Mage's Anathema is really nice, and Hex is pretty useful, too.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Tomebreaker basically goes well on anything other than a magical class and their stats are all really good (for ingame purposes).

I really like DKs as ingame classes but their skills aren't that great so they're more of an ending class (so you wouldn't want to promote a child directly to one). Definitely consider it for Laurent later.