10 Tips for new Players

Non-Spoiler Advice for making the most out of your first playthrough.

Introduction

Hello, you can call me Mack.

I really have enjoyed this game, and sunk more hours into it than I would have anticipated for what seems to be the studio's first game. After trying out their new release, Veil of the Witch (worth looking into, but still in Early Access) I decided to come back and share some thoughts for anyone who might be picking this game up for the first time. Whether you stumbled on this from Veil of the Witch, or because of your enjoyment of Fire Emblem and similar Tactical RPGs, I hope this little article will be helpful.

Advice for Beginners

Before we begin, I want to make it clear; this is not a walkthrough. This is just 10 pieces of advice I've learned from playing this game. Some of this advice is tactical, some is strategic, and some is just general gameplay advice.

1: Have fun! If you're not having fun, why are you playing this game?

2: Generally, unless someone gets a Critical Hit, it will take 2-3 strikes to take down most 'normal' sized enemies. Basically, humans and creatures that are the same 'size' as your troops, taking up one tile on the battle map. This means that, in order to take down a normal sized enemy in one turn, you will need to devote 2 or more troops to target that enemy.

3: Go for the kill. An injured enemy can be healed by any healers on the field. Further, they can still attack and do just as much damage as an enemy at full health. In most cases, it is a better use of your time and resources to eliminate one enemy entirely than it is to injure multiple. Exceptions exist, and it's up to your judgment to determine if you're facing a situation that is an exception.

4: Character development. On your first play-through, take a moment to look at the 'Affinities' section of your troops. You'll see that every character has two classes they have an affinity for. These will always be 'Master' level classes (classes are tiered; Basic, Beginner, Advanced, and Master. You must reach certain Chapters in the game for higher level classes to unlock). For each character, pick a single Master class. Focus on building their skills to open up access to that Master Class. Once they qualify for that class, focus on building their skills for the other. Don't worry about opening them up to other Master classes until you've unlocked their Affinities, especially for your first play-through. Don't worry about mastering all classes; you can do that in New Game +.

5: Hybrid Classes. Any characters who have an affinity for the 'Hybrid' Master classes (Templar, Battle Mage, or Overlord - Eden Exclusive) should prioritize unlocking those. Not just because these classes are very strong, and useful (which they are), but also because these classes can wear any armor, wield weapons, and use Grimoires. So, if Gabriel - as an example - unlocks Battle Mage, you can give him Leather Armor, a Bow, an Axe, and an Elemental Grimoire. And he can build his skill with Leather Armor and Bows, in order to unlock his other Affinity with Ranger, while he is a Battle Mage.

6: Rapport unlocks. Some Rapport Unlocks are more significant than others. Building Gilbert to Level 3, Leon to Level 2, Robin to Level 3, Gabriel and Viturin to Level 2, these are the ones I think are most significant. These all either have direct and significant repercussions, or are on a time table due to in-game events. Pick a handful of relationships you want to prioritize, and focus on them. You don't have time to max all relationships, especially not in your first playthrough. It might be possible to max all relationships in a subsequent New Game + if you stockpile all the gifts, carry your items over, and focus on Gifting extensively, but I'm not sure.
Note: Besides these, my personal next top priorities are Linard 3 (Unique Grimoire), Albrecht 3 (Unique Grimoire), Karin 3 (2 Rare items), and Gisep + Leta (if you get both to 3, there's a Legendary Item in it). Not saying you have to prioritize things the same way, this is just how I do it.

7: Aides. At some point in the campaign, you'll unlock the ability to assign your inactive party members as Aides to your active party members. It can be tempting to do this based on the Aide bonuses each one gives. I suggest you do not do this. Instead, I suggest you assign Aides based on what the Aide needs to qualify for their Master classes. Karin needs Light Magic training to qualify for Templare? Assign her to someone acting as a a Healer with a Light Magic Grimoire. Robere needs Elemental training to qualify for Battle Mage? Assign him as an Aide to one of your casters using Elemental magic.

8: Party Balance. Pay attention to what gear your party is using. Ideally, you're going to want at least 2 of every type of Weapon, and one of each type of magic,so you can deal with a variety of enemies and situations. Axes for Heavy Armor, Swords for Leather, Spears/Bows for Cloth, Light Magic for Healing, Elemental for damage and taking advantage of Terrain, Dark Magic for a combination of Damage and debuffing/control.

9: Different weapons, armors, and magic excel in different areas. Swords are good vs Leather, Axes vs Heavy Armor, Spears/Bows vs Cloth, Light Magic excels in healing and status removal, Elemental Magic focuses on damage and utilizing terrain conditions (Lightning spreading on Wet tiles, Ice freezing drenched opponents), and Dark Magic is good at both damage and debuffing (Silence, Sleep). Knowing what they're each good at will let you use them more effectively.

10: Skill Mastery. Throughout much of the game, various weapon, armor, and magic skills are capped at Level 10. But, in the late game, you'll discover that Master Classes can advance specific skills associated with those classes to Level 15. Usually, this is their magic or weapon + armor skill. It's a good idea to do so early, before you worry about broadening their skill training for others.

There's plenty more to learn, but I wanted to keep this short and accessible to new players. I hope you enjoy the game!

[scrocchi87]

Excellent tips, thanks