Ephraim route maps

[Espinosa]

I started an FE8 EphRoute!LTC very many months back and tonight I decided I haven't touched it for too long.

Some questions/issues:

1) Chapter 9

http://www.fireemblemwod.net/fe8/guiafe8/capituloeph9fe8.htm

Just by counting squares, Seth carrying Ephraim can drop him just within seize range on turn 7, so theoretically a 8-turn should be possible. However, Seth needs to position himself on the square the archer is occupying, and the archer cannot be baited in any ways before then (not even through the wall). So the only way to deal with the archer is to ORKO him on turn 7, right before Seth does the Ephraim drop.

But that's not all; see that AK below the archer? He also needs to go down on turn 7 and cannot be attacked earlier than that.

So if Seth is busy dropping Eph, there need to be two extra units to break the chokepoint. Let's say Cav1 and Cav2.

I suppose things wouldn't look so bleak if I had a second Paladin (an instapromoted Franz probably, since you do get a Knight Crest very early and somebody does need to be prioritised for the earlygame kills). However, my Franz is 3 levels away from promotion because my earlygame exp allocation centered around Artur - prospect Warper due to Saleh's late jointime.

So without a second 8-move unit, I'm considering further opportunities: have Seth takedrop both the Cavs somewhere along the way. This sounds good on paper and if you had a FE game where enemies would be OHKO'd by anything I'm sure you'd get it to work out. In practice, it just doesn't work. The gap in space between Seth and the other units continues growing in a 8-9 turn completion, and by the time Seth needs two helpers in breaking the chokepoint, nobody is really around anymore.

Can we conclude that the map can only be 9-turned without Paladin Franz? Would having a second Paladin around even ensure an 8-turn clear?

2) Chapter 10

http://www.fireemblemwod.net/fe8/guiafe8/capituloeph10fe8.htm

I managed to 4-turn this map with Duessel recruited when I first started this and now I'm not happy.

My strategy was to carry Seth for the bosskill with fliers, keeping the latter out of arrow range, while Ephraim gets some minor rescuedrop help to reach Duessel on turn 4, who then visit the village for the Hero Crest (my Joshua could promote soon as questionable as the value of this may be).

Now, 3-turning while avoiding Duessel's recruitment is easy.

However, it's a simple bosskill map (okay a defence one technically), and either Seth or Ephraim could talk to Duessel and, in fact, Seth reaches his friend on turn 3; the problem is that besides Seth nobody is really ready to take on the boss. Beran sits at 44 HP/17 def/57 avo (slightly less if equipped with Longbow), 14-15 AS, so barely anybody can hurt him, and you (Seth) need to double with the Killing Edge and crit both times (or once on each PP and EP) to ORKO. Now Ephraim, if dropped in boss's range on turn 2 and provoking the boss to unequip the nasty Lancereaver, can tear off 25/44 HP - quite far from a OHKO. Cormag should be around (assuming he wasn't sniped) and deals 7 damage with the Killer Lance - 21 in a crit. The crit is a lot more likely to happen than Ephraim's (15 crit with Reginleif vs 7 luck) but the hit rate is even less reliable.

While I wrote all that down, I think I can see a distant, vague 3-turn possible, but let's see what you can make of it.

I opened this thread to see if anyone doing LTC or drafts had experienced something close to what I'm trying to achieve here (which is plain old LTC with all characters in play).

[charlie_]

Pretty sure Chapter 10 can be 1 turned with a suicidal flier and a strongbosskiller, if you're into that.

[ZemZem]

Pretty sure Chapter 10 can be 1 turned with a suicidal flier and a strongbosskiller, if you're into that.

I think he wants Cormag, though.

[Espinosa]

I just suicided a Steel Lance Tana carrying Ephraim, guess where he ended up:

But even if I could get him (or better, Killing Edge Seth) right under the boss, I'd have just one flier remaining and I have a feeling that would cost a turn in the Phantom Ship chapter and most probably a couple more later on.

Anyway, I should be more attentive (or revise my game knowledge) because apparently Duessel joins after the map ends anyway (providing he doesn't die, but good luck with having Duessel die ever unless he's, like, attacking an entire enemy team with the Devil Axe or something), so all I'm missing out on is the Hero Crest and Gerik brings his own (out of him and Joshua, guess who's more useful... though my Josh has 12 strength). I suppose this also means Seth might as well take the bosskill (duh).

[Espinosa]

Also wanted to ask: what stats does Myrrh need in order to 1RKO Lyon? Because Seth needs to take more than one turn.

[Refa]

Do you mean Final Chapter Lyon or Chapter 17 Lyon? Final Chapter Lyon she can't even ORKO with max stats, but you should settle for a 2RKO. She'll need at least 17 STR for that if my calculations are right (17 Str + 12 Bonus + 16 Might =45 Might - 26 Def = 19 x 4 = 76 damage)...Yeah, Lyon is ridiculous. Even with an Energy Ring, she'd need to be level 15 on average to be able to pull it off.

HOWEVER...at level 10 Myrrh has like 18% crit on Lyon on average, so if you bank on 1/4 attacks critting, the damage would be 13 x 6 = 78, so that seems like a much more pragmatic solution.

I really hope you weren't talking about Chapter 17 Lyon, but who uses Myrrh to take care of him?

[charlie_]

You might need a promoted flier, so the idea's even more invalid. Bleh.

[Espinosa]

Yeah, I think something like a 6HKO will do (4 hits, one of them critting). Going to need to run the calcs properly later though (for all of doubling, damage and survival). Energy Rings are going to Artur period, so that's out.

Chapter 10 3-turned as planned, with both Cormag and Duessel now in the party. Cormag even gained a level. Cormag, Franz and Kyle are all ready to promote (should be obvious into which jobs) but I'm not sure if there's any rush.

Seth has 19 AS, enough to double the Deathgoyle that shows up on turn 5. Still lacking in Mt for a 2HKO though, and a crit is not likely when swords is the weapon type I'm S-ranking in. Artur is a Sage, not a Bishop, so that option is also out. Not sure if I can 5-turn Phantom Ship at all.

[Refa]

Chapter 10 3-turned as planned, with both Cormag and Duessel now in the party. Cormag even gained a level. Cormag, Franz and Kyle are all ready to promote (should be obvious into which jobs) but I'm not sure if there's any rush.

Falconknight, Great Knight, and BENCH, right?

Maybe your Seth can rack up a bunch of kills on the first few turns and pray for STR? I mean, there are a fuckton of enemies over on Ship 2.

[Espinosa]

Falconknight wut

Seth currently has 18 str, which translates into 24 atk with a Javelin. The Deathgoyle has 14 def, so Seth will counter for only 20/40 damage. Because of where the Deathgoyle appears, Seth is unable to attack on turn 5 player phase and has to wait for the counter.

Some ways to get around it that I've just thought of:

1) Cormag nails the Deathgoyle with a Killer Lance, after which another flier rescues him and flies to a safe place (like behind a wall or smth). Seth/Artur/Duessel finish off the weakened Deathgoyle and the rest of the Gargoyle reinforcements (Duessel won't double these guys, but Artur can with one speed proc right now).

2) A flier occupies Deathgoyle's spawn spot, possibly causing him to appear in a different place - hopefully one where somebody like Artur can target him. Artur is really beastly and has 26 atk with Thunder, 2HKOing the boss. Artur might need some healing after taking the counter though, so a Cav might be needed to rescue Moulder and hide somewhere. Not sure if this one works though.

[charlie_]

Why did Artur go Sage anyway?

[General Horace]

more warp range im guessing

[PKL]

Huh, weird. I figured he'd go Bishop for the easier time getting Warp. From my experience in drafts, 2 fliers together in Eph is amazing.

[ZemZem]

Huh, weird. I figured he'd go Bishop for the easier time getting Warp. From my experience in drafts, 2 fliers together in Eph is amazing.

That's true, but remember that in Chapter 16 if you went Ephraim's route, the party starts at the bottom left-hand corner instead of at the entrance of the castle in Eirika's route.

[Espinosa]

Artur promoted on the second turn of chapter 8 so getting to A staves on time won't be a problem. He's entering the Phantom Ship with C staves already and will proceed to spam Torch.

Bishop gives more mag on promo, but Sage has the better mag caps.

I believe chapter 20 can only be 1-turned with a Sage warper, which dictated my choice for Artur.