The Lunatic Club

[Panthera]

Welp, just beat Lunatic mode. After the early chapters were brutal, the game got easier. I heard about the difficulty spike from chapter 16/17 on, but it didn't matter. I think that aside from a few times where I messed up my first turn actions (danced the wrong person, had rescue users in dumb places), I only had to reset twice from 18 onwards (once in 18 when a Griffon Rider killed Anna, once in Cynthia's paralogue where I forgot that her inheriting Rally Move meant she could use it to let her allies get closer and kill me). Granted, I had heard enough about the mode to know what I should do - FeMU x Chrom, pass down Galeforce, Veteran godkid army. By the end of the game Morgan was basically invincible, Rightful King + Sol + Armsthrift meant from Chapter 22 on half my strategy was "nuke with Yewfelle, Helswath tank". Infinite use Helswath is pretty absurd for those last few maps. Grima got one rounded, in retrospect if I'd been smarter with Rescue/Olivia I could have taken him down on turn one without even bothering to have Morgan's pair up partner equipped with anything, which would have been funny.

Honestly the hardest map for me was chapter 7. I had Robin as a Pegasus Knight at that point, which allowed her and Chrom to steamroll a ton of the map but the archers were a huge obstacle; without the ability to charge headfirst into their range, I couldn't begin to advance far enough forward to not get nuked by the reinforcements. Eventually I needed to get fairly lucky with dual strikes to rout the map before those wyverns showed up from behind, it simply wasn't possible for me to get out of their range without getting killed.

[Czar_Yoshi]

That's odd, Cht.7 is usually one of the easier chapters. Did you try turtling on the mountain with Chrom up front to get some easy exp for him (he doesn't mind Archers)?

Edited April 3, 2015 by Czar_Yoshi

[Panthera]

Nah, Chrom was paired with Robin the whole time. The problem wasn't being able to tank the reinforcements - I had the personnel to do it easy. The problem was the enemies on the map from the start all rushing ahead, and with a Robin that couldn't be exposed to bows, I couldn't have her mow them down in large enough numbers to clear room for Lissa/Maribelle to get out of reinforcement range. Even Fred would have needed to dodge/dual guard once or twice to clear a free path, by which point the reinforcements would never spawn anyway since the map would be done. It's really funny for me to see the talk of chapter 7 being so easy, but I guess I made it harder on myself with the Pegasus Knight Robin thing. Which in turn allowed the entire last third of the game to be trivialized with three Galeforce users clearing out any and all threatening enemy phase stuff or just one turning maps, so I shouldn't complain.

EDIT: Tanking on a mountain pre-reinforcements: I basically needed Chrom's help to make sure Robin could keep the Wyverns under control with his dual strikes one rounding them. From what I've read Chrom can handle way more than I gave him credit for, so I'll probably do that next time I play.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Panthera

[Blaze The Great]

Nah, Chrom was paired with Robin the whole time. The problem wasn't being able to tank the reinforcements - I had the personnel to do it easy. The problem was the enemies on the map from the start all rushing ahead, and with a Robin that couldn't be exposed to bows, I couldn't have her mow them down in large enough numbers to clear room for Lissa/Maribelle to get out of reinforcement range. Even Fred would have needed to dodge/dual guard once or twice to clear a free path, by which point the reinforcements would never spawn anyway since the map would be done. It's really funny for me to see the talk of chapter 7 being so easy, but I guess I made it harder on myself with the Pegasus Knight Robin thing. Which in turn allowed the entire last third of the game to be trivialized with three Galeforce users clearing out any and all threatening enemy phase stuff or just one turning maps, so I shouldn't complain.

EDIT: Tanking on a mountain pre-reinforcements: I basically needed Chrom's help to make sure Robin could keep the Wyverns under control with his dual strikes one rounding them. From what I've read Chrom can handle way more than I gave him credit for, so I'll probably do that next time I play.

Really all you need is a Chrom with at least several good levels put into him and Robin/another good support unit in back. You can easily kill off all of the wyvern riders while standing on the mountain and then pick off everybody else at your leisure. Even with Chrom.

[Czar_Yoshi]

You need to get enough units up on the mountain that when the reinforcements come they get bodyblocked and can't kill people. There are only three of them and they spawn low enough down that it's possible to get folks at the top they can't reach.

You want Chrom up front on the mountain, not DSing. Assuming he has around 10 Spd and 7 Lck with 10/10 boosts from a Peg Avatar at A/S, his Avo against Wyverns is looking like 28(base) +15 (support: S Avatar and normal adjacent or A Avatar and C/two normals adjacent- getting up to 20 is feasible) +20(mountain) +10(remove Wyvern's WRB) +10(B Swd WTA) =83. 83 Avo in Cht.7, think about it. Those Wyverns have all of 103 Hit. You're looking at an 8.2% chance of getting hit (true hit), and since Chrom can easily take a blow to the face and live thanks to mountain, pairup and a tonic if necessary, he'll take two hits to get rid of (and they have to be in the same EP, or he can just heal up). The odds of that happening are lower than they are of you dying to the Elthunder Mage in the Prologue over 3-4 battles while doing the Water Trick.

Trust in Chrom. His stats and level may not show it, but he's a pro at killing Wyverns.

For the record, I've never been able to do a successful charge of Cht.7 that I'm happy with- the only way to actually hold back all the enemies is to just kill them all as you advance, and that gives Avatar all the exp in what should be a lucrative training chapter for scrubs (Miriel isn't as safe as Chrom from Wyverns, but she's even better at KOing them).

Edited April 3, 2015 by Czar_Yoshi

[Panthera]

I didn't really mind the missing experience much, Chrom got enough from dual strikes and did well for himself in the previous two chapters to be good (he was like...actually a viable front line character come endgame, even though I rarely used him that way), Panne and Sumia managed a little bit and otherwise I wasn't really using any characters available at that point in the game anyway. I'll definitely have to mountain turtle a bit next time I play though, if nothing else it sounds a lot less luck based than what I was doing.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Even if he doesn't need the exp, it's generally a better strategy than to let a Peg (who doesn't get terrain bonuses) tank a bunch of Axes and Bows.

[omega zero]

Cleared my first Lunatic no-grind run.

Offense+Pair Up Partner:

MaMU+Miriel

Chrom+Sully

Lucina+Kjelle

Morgan+Laurent

Henry+Cordelia

First Aid and Rescue Squad:

Lissa

Maribelle

Morale and Utility:

Olivia

Anna

Early Game Vanguard:

The Fred

The pair-up partners didn't get much training, I used them mostly for support/pairup bonuses. I ended up not using any perma-stat boosters, though I was tempted to use a Speedwing on Morgan since she ended up a bit on the slow side. I bought a ton of consumable heals for The Conqueror chapter, and ended up using just one. I also bought too many spotpass Fortifies for Sibling Blades, when I could have gotten away with just one. MU's Axebreaker+Fort trivialized Chapter 24, which I otherwise would have to low-man. I really don't like low-manning, which is why The Conq was probably my least favorite chapter. I forged a few weapons, but they ended up being completely unneeded/overkill. Rally-buffed Chrom Brave Bow paired with Lucina P. Falchion comfortably 2-rounded Grima.

I just wish the EXP nerfs on spotpass teams would be removed after completing the main story, since I want to fool around with spotpass characters, and I don't have any DLC.

Edited April 5, 2015 by omega zero

[Ownagepuffs]

Congrats, mate.

[eclipse]

I just wish the EXP nerfs on spotpass teams would be removed after completing the main story, since I want to fool around with spotpass characters, and I don't have any DLC.

Have you done the postgame chapters? They should get you a bit of experience, unless you're dead-set on training someone like Wolt. Otherwise, you can use your OP team and attempt skirmishes, and use the Spotpass character in back, OR use a really easy Spotpass chapter and reclass the character you want to level into a staff-wielding class. If done correctly, you should be able to gain a few levels on Rescue spam.

[omega zero]

I like the idea of staff spam. I have some other ideas too.

[Ownagepuffs]

Hey Omega Zero what did you think of Anna in your run? I feel she's a bit of an unsung Hero in the Lunatic modes.

[Blaze The Great]

Ownage I know the question wasn't directed to me but I totally agree with you. Anna is a great low input, high output character. When you recruit her she comes in at Level 1 promoted, with great skill, speed, and luck bases, and alright magic. Right off the bat, she can take on many unpromoted enemies, in addition to healing and doing thief duties. Later on, her Lucky 7 skill is very useful, especially for the early chapter rush in some chapter, (Chapter 13, Chapter 17, Chapter 18) and Acrobat is a very solid skill. Overall, she has solid growths, and while she should be ditched by Endgame, she is a great jack-of-all-trades for midgame/lategame.

[omega zero]

I really liked the +1 move for Olivia, and she was the go to chest cracker of course. She helped with Rescuing/Healing on a few occasions when Maribelle and Lissa had other staffing to do.

I didn't get a chance to try Lucky 7 avotank, though.

Oh yeah, and she helped bring enemies into kill range on some training chapters.

Edited April 6, 2015 by omega zero

[Shin]

Just cleared Lunatic no grind a few days ago. Paladin!Ricken and Warrior!Pothead were worth it.

[Ownagepuffs]

Oh snap Shin's part of da club now get hype.

Edit: Oh and I don't know how many of you visit the fire emblem subreddit, but a user by the name of Grivek did a really good Lunatic+ low reset run with 1760 Renown, No Nos, No Grind, and Male MU (so no Robin x Chrom stomp). It's really good. He even did the Spotpass six.

Here's the run if any of you are interested in checking it out. His reset count was 4 by the end.

One surprising thing to me was that he was able to get Galeforce to Lucina by C13 (easy on Lunatic, but I didn't think it was possible on L+) while still having an extremely powerful Robin. Even crazier is how he got Galeforce to Morgan by C14. Looks like Czar Yoshi was right about what a Male Robin playthrough looks like (Chrom/Sumia + Robin/Cordelia).

Edited April 7, 2015 by Ownagepuffs

[Junk]

makes me sad that the only time I can beat lunatic without grinding is avatar solo :(, i'm pretty horrible at FE. Lunatic plus I don't think I can BS with avatar haha

Edited April 7, 2015 by Junk

[Irysa]

Lunatic+ can be pretty much cheesed by an AvatarxChrom duo, same as Lunatic. It just takes a bit longer for Avatar to get off the ground seeing as Counter will be owning your face until you get the money/stats to oneshot enemies with Forges, or can buy Nosferatu. Rew did a playthrough banning any healing abilities (no Nos, Sol), and made a VV crit build with Male Avatar pretty much soloing everything via crits, where Chrom was pretty much useless.

Using more units is less about skill and more about raw patience and knowledge of where to maximise EXP (reinforcements/breaking enemy weapons/chokepointing unequipped/staff abuse/etc). I say that as someone who took a full entourage through Lunatic. The more units you aim to use, the slower you have to progress and the more you have to set up or feed kills. There's a greater margin for error but it isn't like you need some extra hidden talent to do it since it's primarily the same strategies on a greater scale, so the only thing being tested is your patience. I think the only argument against this is that +Def Water Trick Robin on vanilla Lunatic allows a player to "avoid" having to learn or apply some of the strategies one would otherwise need in order to train units, in which case I'd agree somewhat that it takes less skill.

However, Lunatic+ definitely requires a new mindset and as a result, a skillset to approach but if you have the ability to do it with a RobinxChrom duo there's really not much stopping you from doing it with more units, since that isn't really a "restriction" in the same way that "no grind" or "very limited renown" or "no bonus box" or "no spotpass" is since these inherantly limit your strategies wheras using more units doesn't. Well I suppose past a certain amount of units it does, and some units are harder to train than others, but within reasonable boundaries...most units in this game are worth training, which is rather at contrast with the majority games in the series.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Irysa

[Ownagepuffs]

Most units are worth training because IS finally decided to give almost everyone a good growth spread.

[---Deactivate Me--]

Im gonna start a lunatic run i'll probably start on newcomer for now. I need help for what should Asset/Flaw should be if my waifu would be Cordelia & maybe some general tips on what to do so I don't get screwed.

I don't have DLC and I don't have the time to grind on 1exp giving spotpass Characters.

So if you have any suggestions reply please would really help me out <3.

[Knusperkeks]

Asset: Speed or defense.

Flaw: Skill or luck.

Think two turns ahead, if you can, three.

Before you make a move, ask yourself "Will my unit die somehow if I do this?". Check enemy weaponry before you start a chapter and figure out mentally how to deal with each enemy, even a rough plan on how you want to go about beating the chapter goes a long way.

Read what the enemy boss unit says, and think what it means. No enemy in this game says anything useless. Everything the enemy says has a meaning.

[Czar_Yoshi]

Also, never waste money or exp. Know right from the beginning who you plan on using and for how long, and don't give exp to anyone else- try to avoid more than one level on anyone you don't plan on a) taking to Endgame, b) getting kids from, or c) is Fred. If you want someone as a parent but not for endgame, drop them once you get their kid (unless you need them as a support for a few maps for the kid). Fred is going to be taking some early exp, but try not to overdo it- two kills in the Prologue is ideal, and he shouldn't need any more (have him constantly supporting Avatar).

Staves are also really good. You can never have too many staffbots (though if you have a bunch, prioritize giving staff exp to the ones who will get more useful skills).

[Yatagarasu0612]

I have successfully completed Lunatic+. the save is gone (lost the cartridge && had to buy a new one D,: ) but it was mostly a combination of luck and optimal play. Tight formations, galeforce, and a deep understanding of the RNJesus and the enemy AI are absolutely imperative, as well as the Infinite Regalia DLC pack, R&R 3, Lost bloodlines 2 & 3, Champs of yore 3, and Smash Brethren 2 dlc. this will give you some of the most important things for completion;

• Money (golden Gaffe)
• easy EXP (EXPonential Growth, Lost bloodlines 3)
• Paragon skill (Lost bloodlines 3)
• Dread fighter class for res +10 and aggressor (Lost bloodlines 2)
• Limit breaker (R&R 3)[this one is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE]
• all stats +2 (Champs of yore 3) [this one to a slightly lesser extent]
• the Bride class (Smash Brethren 2)
• And the silver card (forget which one gave you this)

It also helps to start out with 99999 renown, because those items will help a ton, and the Supreme emblem is A HUGE boost to money. The biggest problems you will face however, are the fist few missions where you don't have access to DLC and/or items, so you are basically limited to trying over and over again until something works. Aside from that... grind the $(-)!t out of everything and it'll work eventually!

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

None of that is at all necessary to finish Lunatic+ (especially not Limit Breaker). We also have reasonably reliable clears for each of the pre-Outrealm chapters (reliable enough that I have personally reached Outrealm availability several times on stream without ever saving).

[Czar_Yoshi]

but it was mostly a combination of luck and optimal play.

I hate to be that guy but if you had all that stuff and still needed luck to get through, there must have been something extremely non-optimal you were doing. That's a massive amount of overkill for Apo, let alone Lunatic+.

Still, uh, congrats on completion!