Too scared to do a Lunatic run

[luksnasc]

Hey guys.

I joined this forum some days ago, and I have to say I feel dumb.

I see people doing Avatar only Lunatic runs, No Royals, thing like that, and in the meantime I get my Odin killed cause my positioning is crap. And yes, I'm playing hard preparing to do a Lunatic, but I feel like I won't be able to complete it.

Tips on how to play Fire Emblem right?

(sorry for my bad english)

[Arkayjiya]

I'm far too inexperienced to give you tips, but I feel for you and share the sentiment. I've started lunatic in both fates game and it terrifies me. I feel dumb and inadequate too compared to some people so I came here to say, you're not alone! I can just tell you not to worry too much, on a rational level, I know that you'll get through it with perseverance even if it feels hopeless. You did well to start with an easier playthrough although "hard" in conquest is still tough as hell ><

[Sieghart]

Fate Lunatic is not so hard as awakening Lunatic.

In fates Lunatic the enemies have higher stats and range weapons(like range silver swords) and some skills and thats all, here you wont see pavise+ , Luna+ or vantage + is more balance.

[kcirrot]

Remember, many of the people doing these types of runs aren't just rolling over the game. I doubt anyone doesn't screw up once in awhile. Additionally, the RNG can screw you because random.

But best tips I can give you if you want to do Lunatic:

1. Take your time.

You should carefully consider nearly every enemy you can see and change your skill loadout, items carried, weapons, etc.

2. Focus on a core group of characters

Whether they are royals or not, the key is to have a good number of really good characters, instead of a lot of mediocre ones.

3. Look for legal cheese.

The game doesn't play honorably so you don't have to either. For example, I have an Ophelia that has a +2 Mjolnir, death blow, gamble, Sol, renewal and tomefaire. I also fed her every secret book. She usually crits 60+ percent and doesn't die unless overwhelmed.

Edited June 3, 2016 by kcirrot

[Sieghart]

Remember, many of the people doing these types of runs are just rolling over the game. I doubt anyone doesn't screw up once in awhile. Additionally, the RNG can screw you because random.

But best tips I can give you if you want to do Lunatic:

1.Take your time.

Yes i forgot the RNG sometimes she can be really evil, like letting the enemy hit you with a 23% of hit and critical you with just 2% critical chance.

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

Trust me, Lunatic mode is one of those things that everyone made scary summary of, but when you actually tried it its actually not that hard

[TanatatKnight]

Lunatic Mode (at least with Fates) is really more trial and error. You learn as you fail as with every game. Don't let that sort of challenge hinder your spirit. We all play the game very differently. Don't let other people playstyle ruin your fun of the game. If you want to try lunatic but you're scared of failing? Look up walkthroughs or tips on the internet, it won't hurt you and no one will look down on you for it. So give it a try, if there is a problem, ask or research. I wish you the best of luck on your Fire Emblem journey.

[kisaragi]

Lunatic Mode (at least with Fates) is really more trial and error. You learn as you fail as with every game. Don't let that sort of challenge hinder your spirit. We all play the game very differently. Don't let other people playstyle ruin your fun of the game. If you want to try lunatic but you're scared of failing? Look up walkthroughs or tips on the internet, it won't hurt you and no one will look down on you for it. So give it a try, if there is a problem, ask or research. I wish you the best of luck on your Fire Emblem journey.

This! I'm actually not that good with lunatic either but wanted to try it for fun. I had a really rough time with the first few chapters especially on conquest.

Everyone plays a game differently so don't worry too much about "playing fire emblem right"

[Chelone]

I actually started all my runs on Lunatic but ended up tuning it down... mostly because I wanted to know the story. Planning on doing a lunatic run once I know the characters better. As for tips, almost every decision counts. Take your time and focus on a small group of characters.

[MrStardustRicon]

Just be prepared to restart a lot and allocate EXP wisely.

[kcirrot]

Yes i forgot the RNG sometimes she can be really evil, like letting the enemy hit you with a 23% of hit and critical you with just 2% critical chance.

Got killed by a Beserker who had a 10% chance to hit; 17% crit chance.

Had to walk away for an hour or so lest I destroy my 3DS! :)

[B.Leu]

Breath, relax, gather lot and lot of info, planning, It's not as scary as it look like.
Just keep in mind, Lunatic mode hates you, so you can hate and screw it back freely, like kcirrot said.

It's like an Atlus game, a broken strategy is merely a valid strategy.

Don't be afraid to lose and restart, it's Lunatic mode, you are obviously going to lose, like any game, just more often than usual.

... Strangely I think this last one will only sound encouraging to me and me alone. But seriously, losing is not that scary.

Also, it seems dumb to say this, but don't force yourself to play, feel free to take a break, do... something else, play another game, and come back later or much later, that's what I do sometime.

[TheWerdna]

To echo what people said, do the following

1) Take your time. Consider your move's carefully and make sure you know which units can reach who when you position your units.

2) Focus on a core team of good units.

3) Treat deaths and resets as a learning experience. Make sure you understand what you did wrong each failed attempt and fix that the next try.

4) Gets skills needed for powerful character builds. Buying skills from other castles is a valid thing to do.

5) Use tonics and the mess hall.

6) If on Birthright or Revelations, there is no shame in grinding if you really need to. On Conquest you do have the grinding DLC as a last resort.

7) On Conquest capture Rallyguy.

[luksnasc]

Thank you all who posted here. The thing is: this is my first time at a game forum (lol), so it's... intimidating, I guess, seeing that you are a newbie and everyone else knows how to play and knows how to slay the game. But I guess I just need practicing... The only other FE I've already played is Awakening, and I was scared as hell of Aegis+ and stuff. Now I feel like I'm learning...

I think I'll do a beginner Lunatic, buying skills and grinding maybe, until I feel good enough to do it like everyone else.

(srsly guys is my english that bad? cause I feel like it is)

7) On Conquest capture Rallyguy.

Which boss is that?

[steshii]

Which boss is that?

Haha. Haitaka from Chapter 9. He has Rally Defense.

[Shadow Mir]

Which boss is that?

Actually, I doubt they're referring to a boss, but rather, a generic enemy that has like 4-5 rallies.

That being said, Haitaka (the boss of chapter 9) is worth capturing for Rally Defence.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[Thor Odinson]

Which boss is that?

On chapter 23 there's a Master of Arms with like 4 or 5 rallies (I forget) close to the boss. Haitaka does have a rally and is very good and useful and you should definitely get him too, but he's not the same person as rallyman.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Thor Odinson

[Delfino]

Fire Emblem is primarily about positioning, and you seem to know that already. No one expects you to be godly at it right off the bat, you'll get better at is as you play more. Even if you keep losing, there's always something to learn from it, right? The most stressful situations in the game are the most helpful in getting you better at it because they make you search desperately for an answer in situations that seem hopeless. You dig deep and discover plays you can make that you wouldn't have even thought about were the situation any easier, and then you feel like a genius! Haha.

I guess what I would say is:

1) Plan out your entire turn before you make a single move so you have as few "oops" moments as possible. Whenever you are going to move someone into enemy range, remember to always check who can attack him/her and scope out if they can survive the enemy phase since damage is calculable.

2) Remember that you can abuse the "Transfer" ability with paired up units in a lot of ways. If you have a paired up unit who barely can't kill an enemy, yet has an adjacent, non-paired ally, you can pawn off the pair-up with Transfer before attacking to get Dual Strike damage with the adjacent ally. You can also steal the secondary unit from an allied pair-up with Transfer, allowing you to switch to that unit and take an action. I've had to do this so many times on higher difficulties, it's not even funny.

3) If you have a unit that has already moved, but their equipped weapon is unfavorable for the enemy phase or for a Dual Strike, don't forget that you can abuse the "Trade" ability with an ally to rearrange their weapons. Whichever weapon you move to the top of the list is the one they'll have equipped. The enemy doesn't play fair, so neither should you!

Maybe you know all of this already and I'm telling you nothing, but oh well... good luck, and don't give up!

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

Yes i forgot the RNG sometimes she can be really evil, like letting the enemy hit you with a 23% of hit and critical you with just 2% critical chance.

Get into the habit of assuming any listed hit means that your unit is going to get hit (especially in Fates, where Avoid tanking is heavily nerfed) and any listed crit is going to crit. To this end, you can compensate by ensuring that your unit has enough concrete defenses to survive getting hit by everything (don't forget to account for Dual Guards, though) and possibly getting crit (not always possible, but units with a ton of Def or Res can sometimes get away with it). To avoid crits at all, brass and bronze weapons, in addition to Guard Stance, are your friend. The weapon types give you +10 Dodge and the Guard Stance gives you +5 Dodge. Most enemies don't get more than 20 crit, so it only takes a nominal amount of Luk after brass/bronze and Guard Stance to completely negate it. The big exception will be Bersekers with Gamble. Try to lure or fight those in a way that won't let them get the first strike (or rig a Dual Guard and laugh at them).

On the flipside, try not to rely on crits yourself. Even with a very high crit rate, there's no guarantee (prime example: I had two 88% crits fail to proc in the span of four attacks). The same goes for procs, such as Luna or Rend Heaven. Also, try to get 100% hit, because even a 99 can and will whiff. Have a back-up plan whenever imperfect hit rates are involved.

[TheWerdna]

Which boss is that?

He is not a boss, but a generic Master of Arms on chapter 23 who has Rally Speed, Rally Strength, Rally Defense, and Rally Resistance. Basically he can be a super useful as a rally bot. You can even use DLC items to get him Rally Spectrum.

As others pointed out, the boss of chapter 9 on Conquest is also pretty useful.

[Shadow Mir]

Get into the habit of assuming any listed hit means that your unit is going to get hit (especially in Fates, where Avoid tanking is heavily nerfed) and any listed crit is going to crit. To this end, you can compensate by ensuring that your unit has enough concrete defenses to survive getting hit by everything (don't forget to account for Dual Guards, though) and possibly getting crit (not always possible, but units with a ton of Def or Res can sometimes get away with it). To avoid crits at all, brass and bronze weapons, in addition to Guard Stance, are your friend. The weapon types give you +10 Dodge and the Guard Stance gives you +5 Dodge. Most enemies don't get more than 20 crit, so it only takes a nominal amount of Luk after brass/bronze and Guard Stance to completely negate it. The big exception will be Bersekers with Gamble. Try to lure or fight those in a way that won't let them get the first strike (or rig a Dual Guard and laugh at them).

On the flipside, try not to rely on crits yourself. Even with a very high crit rate, there's no guarantee (prime example: I had two 88% crits fail to proc in the span of four attacks). The same goes for procs, such as Luna or Rend Heaven. Also, try to get 100% hit, because even a 99 can and will whiff. Have a back-up plan whenever imperfect hit rates are involved.

Speaking of which, on the weapon front, Xander and Leo's personal weapons give +10 Crit evade.

As for tips, whilst this would apply to any FE game, it's always a good idea to check your enemy's equipment. Also, it helps to look over them for whatever skills they may have.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[kcirrot]

Get into the habit of assuming any listed hit means that your unit is going to get hit (especially in Fates, where Avoid tanking is heavily nerfed) and any listed crit is going to crit. To this end, you can compensate by ensuring that your unit has enough concrete defenses to survive getting hit by everything (don't forget to account for Dual Guards, though) and possibly getting crit (not always possible, but units with a ton of Def or Res can sometimes get away with it). To avoid crits at all, brass and bronze weapons, in addition to Guard Stance, are your friend. The weapon types give you +10 Dodge and the Guard Stance gives you +5 Dodge. Most enemies don't get more than 20 crit, so it only takes a nominal amount of Luk after brass/bronze and Guard Stance to completely negate it. The big exception will be Bersekers with Gamble. Try to lure or fight those in a way that won't let them get the first strike (or rig a Dual Guard and laugh at them).

On the flipside, try not to rely on crits yourself. Even with a very high crit rate, there's no guarantee (prime example: I had two 88% crits fail to proc in the span of four attacks). The same goes for procs, such as Luna or Rend Heaven. Also, try to get 100% hit, because even a 99 can and will whiff. Have a back-up plan whenever imperfect hit rates are involved.

I understand this view, but ultimately, you're going to have to accept some risk on a Lunatic run. It's just inevitable.

With respect to crits and specials, sometimes it's worth the gamble to see if the RNG will smile on you. Especially with a 30+% crit rate. That happens enough that you should incorporate it into your strategy.

[Kuroi Tsubasa Tenshi]

Yes, some calculated risk is going to come up, but taking risks should not be the default. I've watched numerous players take the first move they see because low 80s seems like "good enough" and then get enraged when they miss when planning out the turn more carefully could have avoided the whole issue. Or someone goes "Oh, this enemy's 2% crit won't ruin me at the end of this map" and then, well... More often than not, it's very possible for a given turn to have a 0% or very near 0% chance of getting someone killed. For those that don't, it's the player's job to then take the route with the minimal chance of failure—that's when risk is acceptable.

They should be incorporated, sure, but not relied upon. For instance, if I lead on a Spear Master with Niles and a Killer Bow, thinking, "Okay, if Niles crits, that frees Camilla up to do something else. Otherwise, she can come clean up his mess.", that's integrating the possibility of crits without banking on them (likewise with procs). What's not okay is what I see a lot of people do where they'll charge someone out into the open with a killer weapon, having no back-up plan because they assume that 30% crit is going to kill the target, then being utterly baffled when it fails (and then scrambling to find someone who can bail that unit out). Treat crits/procs as a gift, not a given.

[Shadow Mir]

I understand this view, but ultimately, you're going to have to accept some risk on a Lunatic run. It's just inevitable.

With respect to crits and specials, sometimes it's worth the gamble to see if the RNG will smile on you. Especially with a 30+% crit rate. That happens enough that you should incorporate it into your strategy.

Yes, there are some times where risks need to be taken, but that doesn't make it okay to do something like risk taking a fatal crit that only has a 1-2% chance to kick in near the end of a map.

Maybe, but in general, it's not something to bank on, especially since killer weapons in general have the Mt of unforged iron weapons in this game. In a situation where, say, attacking with a steel will do enough damage that I only need one other ally to kill, whereas a killer won't if the RNG doesn't smile upon me, I'd rather use the steel.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[Yunanuy]

OP, you should definitely start with BR Lunatic to get a feel for what Lunatic can do. Although BR and CQ Lunatic are very different, BR allows you to get an understanding of what Lunatic can do. Focus on few (your favourite) units and don't spread your exp too far and wide. In a Lunatic run you are not going to use all your characters, so focusing on a select few and their pair-up partners is what's important. I find making a list of who's going to support who helps a lot.

Secondly, for the first few chapters, focus on giving Kamui all the kills. Felicia/Jakob can get exp from staff usage, and Gunter shouldn't be eating exp in the first place. You can easily give Kamui every single kill in the chapter where you fight Rinka and Kaze (except one I think) by positioning Kamui-Felicia/Jakob-Gunter in a line like that on the healing tiles. Paralogues are also great sources for exp.

Lastly, stat-boosts are incredibly important. Make good use of the Capture feature (Orochi/Niles), and get units that have Rally Skills, staves or High Move units who can carry you places. Tonics are your best friend. But make sure you don't mindlessly throw tonics on a character as they honestly don't need them all. Try doing a chapter without any tonics first and see if any units get doubled and if a speed tonic will fix that, or if a def tonic will help your unit survive one of those hits. You can easily calculate damage by looking at an opponent's unit Atk and subtracting your defense from it. That should help you figure out if a unit will die or not by placing them somewhere.

All in all, Lunatic is all about trial and error and finding out what works and what doesn't. Rely on the "Royals" if you don't think you can manage without them, just because people are doing no-royal runs and whatnot doesn't mean you have to throw yourself in there with them. At some point in time, we were all new to Fire Emblem and we all still make mistakes.

Best of luck! You can do this!

Edited June 4, 2016 by Yunanuy