So I'm on FE4 Chapter 1...

[solrocknroll]

This is so hard. The enemies move in formations of like 10 and gang up on the same unit while everyone has a Hand Axe it feels.

;_; I'm floundering. Any advice.

[PKLucas531]

Use Sigurd

Use Lex

Use Finn

[Darros]

Don't be too afraid to use Sigurd and Cuan, especially Sigurd. He's your main lord, so there's no harm in him being attacked by things and killing them in return. Terrain is also your friend if you use it right. Sticking units on road tiles increases the chance that an enemy will hit them by 10%. Deploy everyone, and if someone is feeble and dies quickly ((I'm looking at you, Midayle)), stick them in the back where they won't get hurt and have them attack things on player phase. Also, don't bumrush the enemy too fast. Have one unit sit just inside their range, at the farthest back the enemy will have to reach to hit you. That way you'll only get attacked once or twice on the enemy phase, and have the player phase to kill off a lot of the red units.

EDIT: PKLucas, note he's in Chapter 1, where Fin is really not a powerhouse yet. In Chapter 1, Fin isn't really capable of dodging, because of his lancelock and the fact that his speed shouldn't be caught up yet. He should certainly be using Fin, but not as a crutch. You can't stick him into a horde of enemies and expect him to do fine like Lex, Cuan, or Sigurd can.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Aversa

[PKLucas531]

He doesn't really get going until he gets his Brave Lance, yeah. I don't remember enemy stats in FE4 in general being that great, but I do give him the Speed Ring and he does well enough even in Axe-city in all of my playthroughs.

But I show massive favoritism to Finn

I guess something to note is that, other than chipping or something some units fall off really hard, like the 2 starting Cavs, so it isn't so bad to let certain "good/better" characters do most of the work. You're at a point where they're still usable, but don't be afraid of delegating them to saving villages or something later.

Edited June 5, 2013 by PKLucas531

[solrocknroll]

Lex...

died.

I'm using Ethlin, Sigurd, Quan, Finn, Azel, and Midir right now, with Arden deligated to guarding and the Cavs to Villaging. I also get Princess Whats-her-face and Dew trapped between a rock and a hard place.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Viridi

[Darros]

Did he die in the prologue or in chapter 1? Either way, I would advise resetting. Lex can become one of your most powerful units, especially after he gets a secret weapon.

In chapter 1, you need to have Lex move on the marked spot on this map and he'll get the Hero Axe, a weapon which allows him to strike twice. This is exclusively his until you promote Ardan or Lachesis, but he still works the best with it for the game.

[PKLucas531]

You kinda don't want Lex dead... I'd actually restart for him, even.

He's a great father since he passes down Paragon/Elite, promotes really fast, gets a Brave Axe later in Chapter 1, and basically becomes indestructible against anything that doesn't use magic. He's miles ahead of the crappy Cavs.

I also recommend (if you're not against using guides) looking at the Events + Secret Events guide on the main site so you don't miss any conversations/events that give you good stuff. Like Finn gets +1 Str/Skl/Def(might be off on what stats, but they're good buffs) from talking to Quan in Ch 1. It depends on if you want to have a fresh blind run or want to save yourself some trouble.

Edited June 5, 2013 by PKLucas531

[solrocknroll]

I was going to restart for Lex, but I was on like, turn 18 of the Prologue. I hadn't known about autosave.

I'll probably restart, because I used Alec, Noish, and Arden in the Prologue. I'll think, but right now I'm going to play Harvest Moon.

[Darros]

There's nothing wrong with using Alec, Noish, and Arden. FE4 is designed so that you can use everyone, really. I'd say the best advice now is starting the game over. Sorry to tell you that, be glad you're not far in. Use one save file for the beginning of your chapter, and another for autosave if you want to better manage saves in the future. You can also save at the beginning of every turn.

[Eldigan]

Like the others said, you probably don't want to lose Lex. He's one of the better generation 1 characters once he gets the Hero Axe, and he's useful for passing down stat growths/skills to his potential children. The prologue is actually one of the shorter chapters (despite what it might seem at first), so it won't take you too long to get back to where you were.

And you definitely want to use Sigurd. He's a beast.

[Mighty Kamina]

Lex is worth resetting over.

I'm assuming this is your first time through the game, so all I'm gonna say is good luck recruiting Ayra.

[Xinnidy]

I'd think you'll still do well without the brave axe since you'll still get it in *story skip*, but I reckon you'd benefit from Lex, mainly because having good mounted units is just much more handy and less of a hassle than having good foot units in this game.

Also enemies will usually send waves of units at once against you, so really, the thing you do is make a wall or send a good few units side to side to clash with them. Axes are easy times, too, so you'll get accostumed to handling waves in no time.

[Darros]

I'd think you'll still do well without the brave axe since you'll still get it in *story skip*, but I reckon you'd benefit from Lex, mainly because having good mounted units is just much more handy and less of a hassle than having good foot units in this game.

Still, in first gen you don't get everything right away. The hero axe is the first hero weapon you get, and it's the first one available. The hero lance is around mid chapter 2, the hero sword and bow are conditional. The hero axe is also pretty much locked to Lex, and will help him so much with his combat. The other axes aren't really that good to be honest. The silver axe kind of blows in lategame, and ranged weaponry in FE4 is laughable.

[Ema Skye]

FE4 is unique in that it lets you use everyone, and so don't be afraid to deploy everyone and let everyone gain EXP. Using the Base Arena is a great way to help people catch up if you feel like they didn't get enough EXP in the last map.

What I usually do with Chapter 1 is send down Sigurd and a bunch of the cavaliers with Swords, and everyone else provides support. Silver Sword!Sigurd ORKOs all of the fighters if I remember correctly, but giving Alec, Noish, Midir, Quan and Finn some EXP. FE4 has a lot of EXP so it's not a big deal to give some to characters you aren't using. Then before seizing Genoa, I help out Dew and Aideen because Dew's combat is terrible against those guys, and he's 2HKOed iirc. Then you grab Ayra by luring her out with Noish/Alec/Ardan/Finn, then have Sigurd seize Genoa and recruit Ayra. Then the rest of the map is pretty straightforward.

[Sublime Manic]

If for no other reason, you should be using Alec in Chapter 1 at least because it makes recruiting Ayra a lot easier thanks to Awareness, also.

[Tamanoir]

Alec and Noishe are usefull early on, and Alecis really important to recruit Ayra.

Arden shouldn't be used. His only use is to obtain the pursuit ring for someone else.

Honnestly, this game isn't that hard, it's just really different than the usual FE. Just be used to take a lot of turns moving characters along...

Inthe true Chapter 1, you'll have access to the Arena, so don't hesitate to use it !

[MacLovin]

Alec has ok combat, but mediocre fathering. Noish has meh combat that is fixed with the pursuit ring and good fathering.

and Sigurd can hold up your team by himself, Cuan/FInn/Lex/Ethlin/Fury exist so he doesn't have to get all the fun to himself

[ZemZem]

Alec has ok combat, but mediocre fathering. Noish has meh combat that is fixed with the pursuit ring and good fathering.

Alec is helpful as a father to kids like Patty and Faval, because he'll pass down Pursuit to Patty and Faval likes to have Awareness under his belt in case a situation arises where the Yewfelle is needed, like going against Julius in Chapter 10.

Fee also likes Awareness, but she'd rather have someone else as a father like Lewyn or Lex. She shouldn't be even near a bow, anyway.

[MacLovin]

Alec!Fee dies to everything else :/

Besides, Noish!Fee is fun. Noish!Ayra is really solid and gives fun skills.

[ZemZem]

How so? I've never done Alec!Fee.

My favorite father for Fee is definitely Lex.

[MacLovin]

well there's your thing.

Alec!Fee is the bane of darros' choices of pairings iirc.

next to midayle/aideen

[Darros]

Alec!Fee isn't really my ((secondary)) bane, she's just kind of really bad. Her stats were awful and it made me sad.

Either way, I don't think the OP is worried about pairings right now. He's just trying to get through the beginning of the game.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Aversa

[CT075]

wrt "alec is needed to recruit ayra" i'm like 50% sure i've had ayra ORKO alec even without astra once

[Refa]

wrt "alec is needed to recruit ayra" i'm like 50% sure i've had ayra ORKO alec even without astra once

She ORKOes him at base HP/DEF IIRC. Alec is so boned in 0% growths.

Also Sharpy is totally wrong, Alec is far better as a parent than he ever was as a unit in the first generation.

EDIT: PKLucas, note he's in Chapter 1, where Fin is really not a powerhouse yet. In Chapter 1, Fin isn't really capable of dodging, because of his lancelock and the fact that his speed shouldn't be caught up yet. He should certainly be using Fin, but not as a crutch. You can't stick him into a horde of enemies and expect him to do fine like Lex, Cuan, or Sigurd can.

Fin ORKOes pretty much everything in the first chapter with Steel Lance and Speed Ring (which he's the best user of in the first chapter) at base stats, and can easily go into "Hello, I'm invincible, piss off" Prayer range, especially if Sigurd's nearby and he's not on a road.

Edited June 6, 2013 by Refa

[MacLovin]

well Alec's combat is mediocre and his parenting is average because passing pursuit is cool.