#but tanith gets to be the special exception :3

[ajentmm]

February '23 Refine Theorycraft

Hey, Hey, Hey. Here we go again. You know what's going down. Well, except for one thing. Usually, the one's I theorycrafted ahead of time are linked here. I'm going to link them individually next to their a past reposting of the effect.

Sigrun: Loyal Protector 

Lvl 40 5 Star 37/32/36/28/34 Max Invest 45/39/44/35/42 

Reprisal Lance+: If foe initiates combat, grants Atk+6 during combat. 

Swap – Def/Res Link 3 – Hone Fliers 

Sigrun is the commander of Begnion’s Holy Guard, and a pegasus flier that was the GHB prize during CYL3. Her ties to Begnion’s Empress Sanaki, and her deputy Tanith, are strong. Sigrun’s kit, notably, grants Atk/Spd bonus for flyers who go on the offencive, and Def/Res bonus to allies she swaps with. Imagine Sanaki getting swapped with Sigrun and they both get the bonus to protect from the on coming offensive. Here’s might idea for that. 

Command Lance: Allies within 2 spaces can move to a space adjacent to unit. If foe initiates combat or unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants bonus to unit's Atk/Spd/Def/Res during combat = 4 + current highest bonus on allies within 2 spaces. Calculates each stat bonus independently. 

So, my idea will be different from our last GHB flyer Cynthia. Instead of coming in for the rescues, she sends in other allies to attack, and then comes in to pull them out and harden her defenses. This weapon has Flier Formations and Guidance, and OG! Erika’s Sieglinde, with an addition +4 to all stats. This can give her +10 to all stats, compared to Cynthia (who is behind in BST) +12 in her base effect and +22 (on average) with her extra effect. Instead of giving another +10 to all stats, however, I’m going to borrow from Sanaki’s Cymbeline and Quan’s Gáe Bolg. 

If there is a magic, staff, or flying ally on your team (excluding unit), grants Atk/Res+5 to unit during combat. Grants Atk/Res+5 to magic, staff, or flying allies within 3 spaces of unit during combat. 

While Sanaki gave Atk/Res to herself while near fliers, Sigrun will get Atk/Res if there is a flier, mage, or healer, no distance requires. She then gives the Atk/Res to thoses allies within 3 spaces. It’s a bit lame, but for a GHB lance unit coming off Arcane Qiang and Death Knight, it’s appropriate and true to the character.  

Lethe: New Year's Claw 

Lvl 40 5 Star 41/35/41/27/18 Max Invest 49/43/49/34/23 

Guardian Fang: Grants Spd+3. If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, deals damage = 70% of difference between stats. (Maximum bonus of +7 damage. Combos with Phantom Spd.) If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 4 (max 40%). [Beast (Calvary)] 

Glimmer – Atk/Spd Solo 3 – Lull Spd/Def 3 

The cat is out of the bag. Now you may remember back when normal Lethe was getting a refine, I compared her to a Swordmaster. Well, this is the version of her with dodge and bonus damage when out speeding. All she needs now is to barrow somethings from that new refine. 

Guardian Fang: Grants Spd+3. If foe's HP >75%, grant Atk/Spd+6 to unit during combat. If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, deals damage = 15% of unit’s Spd and reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 4 (max 40%). [Beast (Calvary)]  

I didn’t want to nest the two effects into another condition so that I could add more in-combat stats. Instead, I took the condition that most stat check conditions have as a fall back, put those stats in, than she can use that Spd for the Spd checks. Next, I made the true damage based on 15% of her spd the true damage instead of the differences because than, it doesn’t matter how much more or less you beat your opponent, it will be 6-10 everytime. 

If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+6 to unit during combat and neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks, and also, if unit transforms, grants Special cooldown charge +1 to unit per attack (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.) 

And with this, Lethe can get more offensive. Her normal version put the Fast Charge in an HP condition with Guard in the transform condition. Here, I gave her the Player Phase Standard, to give Null Follow-up, while putting the Fast Charge in her transformed version. Also, no Def/Res. This Lethe is banking all her New Year coins into her Dodge (and Beast Cavalry Impact) to save her from counter attacks. 

Thrasir: Omnicidal Witch 

Lvl 40 5 Star 40/33/39/23/27 Max Invest 48/41/47/30/32 

Ífingr: Effective against dragon foes. If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 and neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks during combat, but after combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on nearest ally through its next action. 

Killing Intent II: At start of turn, inflicts [Exposure] on nearest foes within 5 spaces of unit and foes within 2 spaces of those foes through their next actions. At start for combat, if foe’s HP < 99% of if [Penalty] is active on foe, inflicts Spd/Res-5 on foe during combat, and also, if unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack. 

Moonbow – Flashing Blade 4 / Atk/Spd Ideal 4 – Killing Intent II – Panic Smoke 3 

Thrasir, the gelatin belly goth gf, is her to play, and she plays unfairly. She has a powerful desperation nuking power that’s comes with the downside of inflicting penilties on allies. We now have mages with insane power and a full lock down of foe’s skills that tanks rely on, and all of that doesn’t come with that downside. Best comparison is Legenday Veronica (for reasons-do I need to spoiler tag this?) She has AS, unconditional desperation, a Draconic Aura with Null “RD by X%” and Null Guard, and effectively 14 Atk/Spd if shooting into a crowd (Which can be a downside if she is unable to escape with Canto, she is a glass cannon cavalry after all). Thrasir gets Def/Res and the defensive haft of null follow up, so their goal wasn’t to make her a glass cannon, but a reliable player phase nuke that picks of choice targets (like dragons).  

Now, with Killing Intent II, she can inflict [Exposure] on the traget that she, or another closer ally, can attack. Since it counts as a penalty, she can get the Spd/Res and Desperation. I also see they got rid of Flashing Blade 4 and replaced it with Atk/Spd Ideal. Let’s work on that base effect first.      

Ífingr: Effective against dragon foes. If unit is within 3 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 and neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks and guarantee foe's follow-up attacks during combat, and also, if Special triggers (excluding area-of-effect Specials), neutralizes "reduces damage by X%" effects from non-Special skills, but after combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on nearest ally through its next action. 

With this change to give her full null follow-up and Null “RD by X%” with any Special, she should have the benefits that can out way the effects of the penalties that she inflicts on her allies. Now, why did I keep that? Being able to control how you get penalties is a great benefit to certain unit’s, from those with Unity to Fallen! Ike. Of course, not everyone has Fallen! Ike’s unity spectrum, and she’s not making good use of that Special bonus if there’s no AC. Allow me to fix that.   

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit’s HP >25%, grant unit Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 to unit, and also, if unit’s Special triggers before or during combat, and after combat, inflict Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on unit through its next action, and grant unit and nearest ally [Grand Strategy] for one turn. 

That’s right, now she can grant herself and her allies the [Grand Strategy] bonus, and effect that’s only available in Valentine! Chrom’s Duo button. I did however tie this effect to having that Special trigger, so make sure you have Noontime, put Flashing Blade back on, and avoid anyone with Guard until we get a Tempo seal.   

Peony: Sweet Dreams  

Base lvl 40 5 ☆ 38/31/36/16/24 Max Invest 41/34/39/19/27  

Flower of Joy: Grants Res+3. Grants Atk/Spd+3 to any ally in a cardinal direction from unit during that ally's combat.  

Gentle Dream II: Grants another action to target ally. Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 and the following statuses to target ally and allies in cardinal directions of unit and target (excluding unit): "Unit can move to a space adjacent to any ally within 2 spaces" and “neutralizes penalties.” * 

B Duel Flying 3 – Aerobatics 3 – Fortify Res 4 / Cross Spur Res 

Okay, great. In my Peony theorycraft here, I expected the bonus to be raised in Gentle Dream II, but I wasn’t expecting Cross Spur Res replacing Fortify Res 4. I expected the useless B Duel Flying to get replaced. At this point, I’m just going to keep my refineing, but I’m expecting the real one to not be heavily based on ally bonuses. 

Flower of Joy: Grants Res+3. Grants Atk/Spd+4 to any ally in a cardinal direction from unit during that ally's combat. If unit is within a cardinal direction of an ally or unit’s HP >50%, grants Atk/Spd+6 to unit during combat.  If unit initiates combat or is within 2 tile radius of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+6 to unit during combat, and grant bonuses to unit's Atk/Spd/Def/Res equal to penalties active on unit plus highest bonuses on either unit or allies within 2 spaces. Calculate stats individually. 

Dimitri: The Protector

Grants Atk+3. If foe initiates combat or foe’s HP > 75%, inflicts Atk/Def-6 on foe during combat, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack and foe cannot make a follow-up attack. At start of combat, if both unit’s and foe’s HP ≥ 75%, grants Atk+5 to unit and inflicts Atk-5 on foe during combat and deals damage = X% of unit’s Atk when Special triggers (X = unit’s max Special cooldown count value × 5; excludes area-of-effect Specials).

Read more here.

Norne: The Volunteer

Volunteer Longbow: Effective against flying foes. If unit initiates combat or foe uses bow, dagger, magic, or staff, grants Atk/Spd+4, Def/Res+6 to unit during combat. If unit’s HP > 25%, grant to following effects: if foe initiates combat, foe cannot make a follow-up attack, if unit initiates combat, foe cannot counterattack. If unit’s HP<25% or foe’s Spd>unit’s Spd, unit cannot counterattack.

Read more here.

Catria: Mild Middle Sister

Astra Blade: Grants Atk+3. If unit’s Atk > foe’s Def, deals damage = 50% of unit’s Atk minus foe’s Def. If unit initiate combat or are within 2 spaces of an ally, grant Atk/Spd +6 to unit during combat. Enables [Canto (Ally 2)]. At start of turn, if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants "unit can move to a space adjacent to an ally within 2 spaces” and [Triangle Attack] to unit and allies within 2 spaces.

Read more here.

[erythristicbones]

alright new blorbo musing time (picrew used)

This is Liona Eve! (she/her)

A Phoenix disguised as a human, who, despite being over 200 years old, still dresses like a 12 year old. Someone pls tell her there's more things in life than overalls. Lowkey into cottagecore aesthetic. Dyes her hair blue specifically bc you don't expect fire magic to come from the blue-coded character. Cannot focus worth a damn but she sure is good at bluffing. Is actually the nerd out of the two of them

This is Tanith Fox! (primarily they/them, sometimes she/her)

So smart it's stupid. A Siren who's wings are specifically based on Snowy Egrets, eyes look like cuttlefish eyes. You expect that they're just a nerd who doesn't know how to fight, but if you upset them you better fuckin run. Technically scarier than Liona, even though Liona's essentially a God in my lore. Is actually the fighter of the two of them

no i don't have a plot figured out for the two of them yet. yes i adore them immensely already

[af1899]

FEH — [New Heroes & Ascended Laegjarn] banner revealed + thoughts

(Link to video)

Aaaaand... I've been so engrossed with anime I had forgotten this was coming this night... lmao.

Anyway, my usual dump of thoughts and some key info highlights below the cut, I hope there's any info you'll find useful!

Resources

Here are the stats on Ascended Laegjarn, the only unit whose stats were revealed in the trailer, I discounted buffs and base stat boost of speed+3 from [Flame of Múspell] for you:

HP: 40

ATT: 39

SPD: 38

DEF: 30

RES: 18

BST: 160

As for the banner, it is themed after Path of Radiance, Bertram is our free unit and Tanith makes it right onto the 3★/4★ pool as a sword flier.

Thoughts

Well, would you look at that? The leaker gained yet another point of credibility. (Quick, act surprised!)

At any rate...

Volke is added as an infantry red dagger user with quite the kit, which gives the player some flexibility on how he can be built (but we'll ascertain better once we know his stats), but his base kit makes it so that he's best working as a player phase unit, I'm going to guess [Lethality] (which turns out it reduces defenses from foe by �� of the maximum, as well as neutralizing passive damage reduction effects, in one strike... it was originally a skill for [Assassins] that, if it activated, would fell an enemy in a single blow) is inheritable, but even if not, it's fine, he's still crawling with some damn nice fodder you might not even need to pour in much effort in taking 2 skills.

Astrid plays out as a sidegrade to Annette, except that Astrid has more mobility and is focused more towards self-defense, and specially movement support, stat stacking for allies and surviving. Also, took I.S. long to add [Spd/Def Bond 4].

Marcia is probably going to play similarly to Fiora but with an updated statline and different weapon, she's the demote, so she'll be easier to run into.

Laegjarn finally gets her Ascended Hero form, which I guess we'll probably see participating in the next episode of {Ice & Flame}, but we can play with her in advance, whether it is fodder or use, shows that Ascended Heroes can surprise us anytime, so if you're looking forward to an OC getting one of those alts, best to assume it could be added anytime. Anyway, Ascended Laegjarn is a purely offensive physical ranged attacker who comes pre-built with mobility and hitting hard in mind, but she can also take physical attacks quite well as her statline is essentially the same as her original form.

So, in a nutshell

This banner doesn't offer anything super broken or that could generate significant changes in the meta game (thankfully), I don't think Laegjarn will be around as Fjorm would, then again, I haven't found Fjorm either, in PvP, shows how good, yet "balanced" they are, in a sense.

I like the artwork in general, and Astrid is so pretty as I remember her but Marcia's artwork preview is promising, it's probably going to be my favorite... and who knows, I might end up building her once she shows up for me.

Plans

Needless to say, I'll skip despite the good value there's to it — kind of like the banner that introduced Ascended Fjorm.

I'll, however, prioritize where to make my free pulls, in this case, I'll aim for colorless, with green being the backup pick, then red and finally blue in the worst case scenario. But the idea is that if I get Ascended Laegjarn, I can pick a third unit for the second boon.

Granted, it'd have been tough to skip if Lucia was here, but she's not, (un)fortunately so I keep saving, guess I mean the leak being more trustworthy in its entirety means I can pull for Idoun without reservations, implying she's going to get a rerun, as doubtful as it is.

The End

Thanks as always for reading my posts if you did, and I hope there's been something you found useful, it'd mean a lot to me. 🙏🏻

Anyway, have a good day.

[asklordcaptaincastronova]

Refilled tea, off we go again

Saves: 3 types, Armor, Invulnerable, and Cover

Armor I’ve been over before.

Invulnerable: Mostly the domain of characters, Daemons, Kroot, and Termies. Very few weapons, notably phase weapons, necron warshythes, vortex weapons, Psicannons,and Daemon weapons ignored invulnerable saves. Also Perils of the Warp ignored them. Sisters did not have an invul save, they could spend faith points to give them 3+ invulnerable for a turn though. Some space marine chapters also got a invulnerable of 6 v shooting... at the cost of losing cover saves. You could also buy a army upgrade for guard that gave them an invul of 6 [Except abhumans and stormies]

Cover: ranged weapons only If you were in ‘cover’ you got a cover save.

Light cover: 6, Heavy cover 5+, fortifications 4+, destroy able bunkers: 3+

Some people, like ratlings, grots, swarms, and tanith guard got +1 to cover saves... if they already could get them

Catachans, being the worst army in all existence, got +1, but only in ‘jungle terrain’. They really were the ultimate overspecialized army

Eldar rangers got +1, regardless of being in cover or not, and thus had a 6+ cover save even if hanging out in plaza, because The Eldar Are Better Than You.

Very few ranged weapons ignored coversaves

Feel no pain was a special rule available to some armies units, were even if they failed the save, as long as it was not a “melee weapon that ignored armor saves” or something that triggered the Chunky Salsa Rule, they could ignore the rule on a roll, sometimes as high as a 4+. HH Mechanicus for example have FNP, and pre 8th edition skitarri had FNP 6+

Morale:

So, did you lose close combat(take more wounds than your opponent)? Did you sustain 25%+ shooting casualties? Were you hit by a pinning weapon? Time to test morale

Vehicles do not care about morale. “The crew’s faith in their vehicle is absolute)

Morale was 2d6 roll

If number is less than leadership, congrats you pass

if less, you run away/are pinned

If you run away, you run 2d6 inches towards the nearest table edge until you run off the table or successfully roll leadership to regroup

Pinned means, well, you’re pinned and can’t moved or charge.

If you sweeping advance after winning close combat and reach the fleeing unit. They die. No ifs ands or whatfors. Termies cannot sweeping adavance.

Modifiers -1, unit took more than 50% casulties. -1 outnumbered, another -1 if more than 2:1, another if 3:1

If you fall below 50% unit strength, you can’t regroup unless you have a special rule. (Cadians for example)

Space marine commanders, as long as they are alive, let their army use their leadership value

Guard commanders can do this if you have a radio linl

Non chaos space marines autoregroup, to “reassess” (airquotes in rulebook) the situation

Some units are Fearless! They don’t care about morale. Most monsters are fearless, as are Space marine champlains, Greyknights, all garguantuan creatures, Eldar near an Avatar, Arco flagellets, etc. Fearless units never run, which means they make take extra wounds in close cobat when they are losing at outnumbered

Stubborn units don’t run, but can be pinned.

Inquisitors can choose to pass or fail morale checks rather than rolling

If you were guard and you failed morale, then blam but pass. Except commissars are deployed to officer squads first, then your choice and you cannot shift them from squad to squad unless you are tanith or terrax. Meaning the useless team killing bastard just killed your ld9 officer who was keeping your army from collapsing and your army Ld falls to 7. The commissar is Ld10, but he’s outside the chain of command, so sorry. Catachan commissars could die during deployment.

Purity seals let you roll 3 and pick 2 for fallback distance.

Pisonics:

Powers are bought, or if you’re the guard, you roll. All guard powers suck anyway, with a 1/6 chance of “nope no powers today boss” you brought those idiots for the force weapon anyway

Want to activate a power/forceweapon? Roll leadership. on a 2 or 12, you get perils of the warp’d though on a 2 the power still works... unless the commissar is there. He blams the psyker. Psykers follow the same deployment to officers squad as commissars. You might be noticing a pattern.

Perils of the warp is a S6 no saves auto hit attack on the psyker. If you’re tzeetch, you ignore it. If you’re eldar and were not stupid and bought a ghost helm, you can cancel it on a 4+. If it triggers on a guard psyker the commissar blams them, nullifying even that 1/6 chance to survive.

No deny the witch.

Can’t use psonics around pariahs or Culuxus assassains. 24″ radius of Nope iirc

Vehicles are largely immune to psionics, as they have no Ld and many psionic abilities make Ld rolls happen. Superheavy vechicles and garguantuan creatures even more so.

[Next up: Deep strike]

@particularcustodian

[dailydoseofcolor]

FEH Divine Code Path Breakdown

So I am a near-launch player and am semi-F2P outside of the FEH Pass and occasional orb packs. I’m a hoarder of premium currency that isn’t orbs and I was starting to wonder what the overall return on investment a full path of Divine Codes would yield to someone who might also be a F2P hoarder. Since many F2P players who have hoarded their Divine Codes will begin hitting the 6,000 Divine Codes mark soon, I figured now was a good a time as any to look at this from a mostly fodder standpoint (no need to tell people who to go for if they’re looking specifically for merges). The final member of each path’s fodder more or less speaks for itself, so what else will you get along the way?

It’s been almost half a year since we learned what the Divine Codes were going to do, and the meta has already shifted in some ways, so I suspect this semi-analysis will be outdated by the time new paths are added.

The last obvious asterisk to all of this is that every player can and should evaluate exactly which path yields them the most usage, whether via merges or fodder. This is colored by my experience, but I’m going for objectivity.

Below is the full write-up, but here are a couple of interesting facts that I found after reviewing all of these:

Every route offers roughly 8 or 9 full skill sets, depending on what you invest in additional fodder. Radiance is the highest, but requires the most additional outside inheritance investment. 

Almost every single additional investment to make the most of your choices requires sacrificing a unit available in the Grail pool.

Every route except for Holy War includes at least one inheritable weapon. Heroes is the most at 4 inheritable weapons. The vast majority of them are powercrept or less “meta” choices, but they are super fun aesthetic weapons.

Four of the six paths will net you Swift Sparrow 2.

Only three of the thirty available units have specials that are worth inheriting. I personally view that as IS needing to increase the number of interesting specials we have. I'm tired of mostly every unit showcase having one of the same 5 specials.

It goes without saying, but IS has some very, very strange positions on what skills are considered more premium than others. But, I find that most of the routes are balanced and, true to intent, will draw different players for different reasons.

Let me know what Paths you choose! I’ll probably choose mine in the next week or so.

Awakening/Fates 

Summer Cordelia — Fallen M!Robin — Owain — Dancer Xander — Adrift M!Corrin

Summer Cordelia — It’s safe to say that S!Cordelia’s main skills are her Shell Lance+ and Dull Close 3. Neither of these are top tier fodder, but Shell Lance+ provides at least a little bit of utility with its inherit spectrum blow and Dull Close has the distinction of being a decent B Skill for physically-minded fliers. Shell Lance+ also has the aesthetic factor for many, never count that out. Dull Close 3 is only available at 4* on Cormag, so not a bad way to avoid spending grails. If you want her lance, you can also get Sturdy Blow 2 (make sure to pick up Armored Blow 1 from Gunter, Titania, Athena, or Catria). Otherwise you’re getting her lance and Dull Close 2.

Fallen M!Robin — The prize for continuing down this Path is either A) a merge for the OG Armored Dragon or B) Vengeful Fighter 3 and maybe Ward Dragons. If you’re here for the merge, you’ve already likely grabbed it. Otherwise you’re probably here for Vengeful Fighter 3. We don’t have a 4* option for Vengeful Fighter yet, so this is a solid fodder gift. For what it’s worth, the only other character with Ward Dragons is Spring Idunn. I wouldn’t blame you if you were shooting for Ward Dragons, but I’d have to ask how your Dragon Emblem team was holding up a year after the meta moved on.

Owain — The man with the hungering hand will net you Blue Flame (if you’re not considering this, I suppose I’d just be confused) and your choice of one extra ability: Atk/Def Bond, Wrath, or Spur Spd/Def 2. Theoretically, you can get Spur Spd/Def 2 and also level 1 of the other two, but that’s just dealer’s choice. Atk/Def Bond is also on Fjorm, Young Summer Tiki, New Year’s Hrid, Rutger (at 4*), Groom Hinata (at 4*), and, funnily enough, Adrift M!Corrin. Wrath is now on a cavalcade of 5* heroes and is most notably available on Astram. Wrath isn’t the premium fodder it once was, but it’s got its uses. If you’re looking for a more or less “free” Wrath without spending the grails and feathers to get Astram to 5*, then this is a pretty solid choice. Spur Spd/Def 2 is available on Oscar, just pull on Blue for a while and you’ll get it.

Dancer Xander — This is the first place in this Path where the choice for fodder is not an enviable one. Close Counter is the prize here, no doubt about that. So what do you take in addition? Dusk Uchiwa+ is a budget version of Dancer Micaiah’s Dawn Suzu and has at least some utility in AR and other modes. However, that requires choosing a dagger user that wants to be used in that way. The other (and more likely option, from my vantage point) is Quick Riposte 3. We’re 3+ years deep into this game and there’s still not a common unit with 4* QR 3, that value is hard to pass up for F2P. Another small note of commentary — it’s interested that Close Counter is considered less valuable than Distant Counter, even with no character having unconditional Close Counter built into a weapon, I’ve stopped trying to decide why IS makes the decisions it does.

Adrift M!Corrin — Finally, your grand prize for this Path is a character who just got powercrept by his own nightmare/fallen form. Null Follow-Up 3 is the jewel of this path and it makes sense — it’s still the main tried and true method for Infantry units who want to punch through those big, nasty armored units and their fighter skills. You can snag Atk/Def Bond 1 or, if you’re merging onto another infantry dragon, Hone Dragons. The only other character with Hone Dragons is Myrrh, so you’d be forgiven for pausing to consider infantry dragons that could utilize this skill. 

All in all, you get Shell Lance+ OR Dull Close 3; Vengeful Fighter 3 with potential for Ward Dragons; Blue Flame, dealer’s choice of Atk/Def Bond 3, Wrath 3, or Spur Spd/Def 2; Close Counter, Dusk Uchiwa+ OR Quick Riposte 3; Null Follow-Up 3 with potential for Hone Dragons. That’s 7 to 9 full skill sets across 5 units, which is an okay haul. 

Radiance 

 Leanne — Dancer Elincia — Lethe — Bridal Tanith — Valentine’s Greil

Leanne — Leanne might actually have the most interesting fodder of the 400 Divine Code options. But you’re likely here for one of two things: a Leanne merge or Flier Formation 3. If you’re interested in the merge, you’ve already likely grabbed it. Flier Formation 3 is only available at 4* on two grail units that are both popular in their own ways: Spring Loki and Young Minerva. As noted before, fliers don’t have access to a ton of B skills so this is a solid way to get it for “free.” Interestingly enough, Mirror Stance 2 is only available at 4* on Gharnef, so you’re spending grails for this. It’s by no means a top tier skill, but it has its uses on some builds (or, specifically, holding onto it as an easy way to get Mirror Stance 3 from Osian with a little less headache.) Finally, Hone Beasts is only available on Leanne and Lethe, who also makes an appearance on this path. You can grab both Flier Formation 3 and Hone Beasts for some special flying beastie.

Dancer Elincia — They continue to increase the difficulty of the inheritance math with Dancer Elincia. At her release, Dancer Elincia was probably the 3rd most enticing member of her banner, with her dragon-effective dagger being the main draw. Push skills were flawed and only desirable as one of the only options offensive healers got. Now, with the advent of Push 4 skills and the growth in dragon effective weapons, the calculus on Dancer Elincia’s fodder has changed. Her best fodder utility is to help you get Atk/Spd Push 4 onto the unit of your choice. If you do go the dagger route, you’ll get that and Atk/Spd Push 2. Drive Res 2 is available on Soleil, Lyon, and Summer Rhys, so you could at least get Atk/Spd Push 3 and Drive Res 1. If you’re here for her Dancer Skill in Rockslide Dance 2, you’re also getting one level one of the other two skills.

Lethe — The calculus for Lethe, on the other hand, isn’t hard at all. She’s the only character with Spd/Def Solo 3 and (as stated) one of only two characters with Hone Beasts. While it’s not the same as Atk/Spd Solo, boosting Speed by any means necessary is the name of the game for most units. Plenty of Calvary units would thank Manual Lethe for her sacrifice. Funnily enough, Lethe falls into that barrel of heroes where her base kit is mostly asynchronous, especially since she’s the one that wants the Hone Beasts buff. If you have a character in mind that can inherit all four, you’re a lucky Summoner.

Bridal Tanith — Again, they’ve decided to make the Summoner’s decision pretty hard. Getting both Lofty Blossoms+ and Swift Sparrow 2 on your favorite lance unit is nothing to sneeze at. However, you’d be forgiven for taking a few extra seconds to consider the other combinations. While Chill Attack 3 is available on 11 different units (tied with Chill Speed 3 at the time of writing), all of them have Chill Attack 3 5* locked. Gharnef and Conrad, two grail units, are the only characters that are easily obtainable, and you’ll be spending 20k feathers for the pleasure of inheriting that skill — not exactly economical. Sacrificing a 4* Gharnef or Conrad for Chill Attack 2 helps with the math, but you’ll have to make your own decision about that. If you do go that route, you can snag Chill Attack 3, Swift Sparrow 1 & 2, and Harsh Command+ (Harsh Command can be found on Clair, Gunter, and Saizo in the common pool) OR Fortify Fliers. So while this set up requires sacrificing a grail unit and a common, it’s a pretty potent combo. Fortify Flyers is available on Caeda, don’t spend 1,600 hard-earned Divine Codes on Fortify Fliers alone

Valentine’s Greil — You’ve made it to the end of this path! Your prizes are Aether and Fury 4, with some combination of Faithful Axe+ and Armor March thrown in for good measure. Ike’s heroic, if flawed, father has two skills that are excellent for Arena scoring, if that’s your thing. If that arena scoring character happens to be an axe unit, even better! You’ll get Faithful Axe+, Aether, and Fury 4 (make sure to pay homage to our Fury 3 lord, Hinata, beforehand). If these skills are destined for an armored unit, I’d suggest Fury 4 and Armor March 3. Grab a wayward infantry Chrom, stuff him full of 20,000 feathers, and Aether is yours as well. Obviously there are plenty of units that would love an Aether/Fury 4 combo and those alone are a pretty solid gift from Greil, don’t fret too much about the decision (Faithful Axe+ isn’t that great anyway).

This Path nets you the following: Flier Formation 3 or Mirror Stance 2 and potentially Hone Beasts; Atk/Spd Push 3 and Drive Res 1 OR Cloud Maiougi+ and Atk/Spd Push 2 or Drive Res 2; Spd/Def Solo 3 with potential for Hone Beasts; Lofty Blossoms 2 and Swift Sparrow 2 OR Chill Attack 3 and Swift Sparrow 1 or 2 (depending on other fodder) OR Chill Attack 3, Swift Sparrow 2, and Harsh Command+, for those willing to spend; Aether and Fury 4 with potential for either Faithful Axe+ OR Armor March. All told, this Path nets you 9 - 12 full skill sets over 5 units (with maximum inheritance investment). That’s pretty solid for people willing to make the math work. 

Blades / Sacred Stones 

Valentine’s Lilina — Amelia — Flying Nino — Winter Ephraim — Valentine’s Hector 

Valentine’s Lilina — Hector’s pride and joy’s first Alt didn’t age well. She personally pity broke me 4 times while attempting to entice her father to come home, which he never did. I’d say she was Atk Tactic 3 fodder, but Legault really has that covered. HP/Atk 2 has some utility on HP-support builds, but is available at 4* on both Valbar and Iago. Green Gift+ has Dull Ranged built in, which provides some interesting builds, but that’s all there really is to say about it. After all that…yeah, she’s Atk Tactic 3 fodder. 

Amelia — While hovering on Amelia shows you her PRF weapon in Grado Poleaxe, Amelia is also packing Slaying Axe+. She’s the only character who comes with Slaying Axe+ naturally, otherwise you’re evolving it from Beruka, Hawkeye, and Sheena. This is the default “best axe” for Axe Heroes who don’t have a PRF, so I’d actually give it a bit more weight than the original draw of Amelia — Armor March. If the intended recipient is an Armored Axe, you’ll need to choose between the two unless you want to spend 20k feathers to inherit Killer Axe+ and send it on over.

Flying Nino — She can’t read, but she sure can fly! Your likely goal here is a “free” Swift Sparrow 2, and you’re not wrong. However, Aerobatics is great for flying units and, something I’ll mention for a 3rd time on this write-up, Fliers are hurting for B-skill options. Speed Smoke is a great skill, but is available on the otherwise lackluster Chad as well as Fallen Takumi (although you’ll spend 20k feathers for it from him). You’ll need to make a not-so-fun choice between those, but Swift Sparrow fodder is becoming more available every few months, so I personally feel Aerobatics is worth more.

Winter Ephraim — I will break F2P form slightly with W!Ephraim. At the time of writing, the man who can’t be bothered to put down Siegmund in any of his alts is featured as a Hall of Forms unit. Now would be a pretty decent time (if you like him) to grab a merge and enjoy using him with some primo fodder. If not, he’s got plenty of options for the more casual Summoner. Atk/Def Solo 3 is the main draw. Only available on 4 total units, this skill is regularly coveted by those who want a little more bulk. However, Bold Fighter 3 might be more your speed. I will caution, however. Bold Fighter 3 is available on 12 unique units and that list grows every time IS wants to add an Armored Unit but can’t think of what to put in their B slot. You’ll likely find other options for it (from personal experience, Kjelle might as well change her name to be Bold Fighter Fodder). Close Guard 3 is a Sacred Seal and also available at 4* on the Death Knight. Grab it if you really want, but know you have better options.

Valentine’s Hector — He’s DC fodder. If you know you need DC fodder (which is more or less evergreen in this game), this has been your prize from the start. Pamper your favorite new unit that wants to smack others from near or far. 

Our friends from the Blazing Blade and Sacred Stones Path gets you Attack Tactic 3 OR HP/Atk 2 and Green Gift+; Slaying Axe+ and Armor March 2 OR Armor March 3; Aerobatics 3 and Swift Sparrow 2 (with investment) OR Aerobatics 3 and Speed Smoke 1 OR Swift Sparrow 2 and Aerobatics 2 etc; Atk/Def Solo 3 and Close Guard 3 (with investment) OR Bold Fighter 3 and Close Guard 3; Distant Counter. This totals to roughly 7 or 8 full skill sets across 5 units, which is the lowest return on investment so far. However, you now have Distant Counter fodder, so was it worth it? 

Holy War 

 Leif — Deirdre — Sigurd — Lewyn — Dancer Ishtar

Leif — If you’re here for his merge, take it and go and don’t look back. If you’re looking to use him for fodder well, Drive Atk 2 is your main bet. However, with proper investment from common units, you can get Steady Blow 2 and Drive Atk 2 in one fell swoop. Easy, simple, no fuss.

Deirdre — So, Gamepress has Deirdre listed as Tier 2 on their Heroes Tier list. They make some questionable recommendations, but this one is a real head scratcher. Her Res holds up well and she has decent flexibility with her Dragon effective weapons but, I just don’t see it. Regardless, you’re here for one of two things: Quick Riposte or Speed Ploy. As mentioned four Paths ago, there aren’t any 4* QR users, so a free QR that’ll save you 20k feathers is excellent. Especially considering Speed Ploy is available at 4* from Saias, a rather unremarkable Grail unit. If anything, this goes to show you that the Ploy skills really need an upgrade and also they need to spread out their skills a little more evenly, this is just ludicrous. Take QR and don’t sweat the decision.

Sigurd — Our favorite BBQ father is an example of the level of power creep that now takes place every few months. Six months ago, we were only a month removed from the inclusion of Chad — a straight to 3/4* unit that packs Speed Smoke at 4* in the hell that is pulling on colorless. Most Summoners have now had 7 months to pull on colorless and find Chad waiting for them. You maybe are here for Close Defense, because you have a pretty solid idea for stacking Close Def on the A and SS slots on a stall tank. I respect it. Also, Miracle isn’t rare, but it’s here. Take Close Def 3 or Speed Smoke 3 for fodder but, I suspect you’re here for a merge. Honestly Sigurd and Deirdre should be switched, if they were following any kind of real rarity considerations, so just thank the stars you got QR 3 1,200 Divine Codes ago. 

Lewyn — Special Spiral. Don’t even hesitate. Swift Sparrow 2 is great, and you can snag that as well if you’re judicious with your Grail sacrifices, but don’t let Odd Atk Wave 3 cloud your judgement, especially since Spring Bartre was just added to the Grail pool. It’s Special Spiral or bust.

Dancer Ishtar — One of the few dancers that can boast to have offensive utility outside of dancing, maybe you’d like a merge. Otherwise, you’re here for Swift Sparrow 3 and I don’t blame you. However, if you’re content to hoard a little longer, this skill will continue to be added on newer units that you might snag and not care for. Outside of Distant Counter, Swift Sparrow 3 is the second most available skill of the 2,000 Divine Code options. If you don’t spend them, you pretty much have enough to snag the first three options from any other Path…sometimes F2P is about quantity over quality. One last thought: if you’re particularly fond of Flier teams, Air Orders is an excellent C skill and some lucky flier could get both Air Orders 3 and Swift Sparrow 3 as new tools in their tool box.

This Path has the distinction of having only one unit that’s a seasonal, everything else is in the summoning pool. This makes it the Path I suspect the fewest people will take (as well as a testament to just how little IS seems to care for the Jugdral cast.) You’re getting Steady Blow 2 and Drive Atk 2; Quick Riposte 3 and Spd Ploy 1; Close Defense 3 and Miracle OR Speed Smoke and Miracle; Special Spiral 3 and Swift Sparrow 2 with the right move; and Swift Sparrow 3 OR Air Orders and Swift Sparrow 3, depending. That’s roughly 9 skill sets across 5 units, but I’d say the quality of those skills is lower, simply because most of this path’s units are available in the summoning pool. 

Mystery / Shadows 

Bridal Caeda — Celica — Picnic Genny — Spring Palla — Kliff

Bridal Caeda — Listen, Bridal Caeda has a nigh-useless weapon, and skills that are either borderline between useless and powercrept. You started on this path for a Bridal Caeda merge, and you likely took it months ago.

Celica — Another candidate for “you likely wanted a merge.” Distant Def 3, while 5* locked, is best used on units that can Distant Def stack (Guard Bow+ users), everyone else can just use the SS. If you’ve got a good Guard Bow+ user in mind, that’s solid fodder. Spur Def 3 is available on both Sully AND M!Robin at 4*… you have this.

Picnic Genny — Here’s where this calculus starts to get fun. The least painful decision is Toasty Skewer + and Fireflood Balm+, these are direct upgrades for most common healers (plus the aesthetic of Toasty Skewer+ is top tier). Your other options are weird, less satisfying choices of Wrathful Staff 3 and Def Opening 3. Similar to how new 5* armors get Bold/Vengeful Fighter 3 if Intelligent Systems is having a bad brain day, new 5* healers get either Wrathful/Dazzling Staff 3. Stay focused. Def Opening 3 isn’t a bad choice, but it is available on Cormag, a grail unit +20k feathers. It’s also just not as useful as Attack or Speed Opening. Your most satisfying bet is Toasty Skewer+ and Fireflood Balm+.

Spring Palla — IS is showing us that they really, really value the AR-related skills highly. For the layman, take Pegasus Carrot+ and Swift Sparrow 2 for your favorite dagger user, they deserve to be spoiled a little bit. Hone Fliers is one of those weird rarer skills that find their use on Flier teams. If that’s what you need for your barracks, no one will hold it against you. Otherwise, Armored effective items are always excellent to have for things like AA and various high-level Lunatic/Abyssal maps. If you must take Disarm Trap…I’ll leave it at that.

Kliff — I’ll actually say that, while Kliff isn’t a particularly effective unit, you gotta give IS props for trying to be creative. Fortress Def/Res 3 is your prize for finishing this Path. Make sure you inherit either Fortress Def or Res 1 from one of the various common units that possess it. Chill Speed 3 is enticing, but there are other avenues for it (or sacrifice a Panne). Enjoy your unit’s newly enhanced defenses! 

This Path really doesn’t hit its stride until the third option. All told, you’re getting Blessed Bouquet+ and Attack/Res 2; Distant Def 3; Toasty Skewer+ and Fireflood Balm+ OR Def Opening 3 OR Wrathful Staff 3; Pegasus Carrot+ and Swift Sparrow 2 OR Disarm Trap 3 and Hone Fliers; and Fortress Def/Res 3 and Chill Speed 3 (if you sacrifice a Panne). Roughly 8 or 9 full skill sets from 5 units, half of which are (debatably) not worth the cost. 

Heroes 

Spring Alfonse — Yglr — Spring Bruno — New Year’s Fjorm — Summer Laevatein

Spring Alfonse — Alfonse’s first alt hasn’t aged well, but packs a couple of useful skills, namely Giant Spoon+. The seasonal version of Wo Gun+ has aesthetic appeal for many. You can also snag Def Smoke 3 if you sacrifice a 4* Panne or Rath as well, which is a decent return on investment.

Ylgr — The only non-seasonal unit in this Path. For a while, Ylgr was one of the only source of Speed Tactic that wasn’t on a Legendary Hero and is still the only source of Sorcery Blade (both of which are now seals). Speed Tactic obviously still has use on mixed teams, but the cost is much lower with the addition of Summer Lute. Sorcery Blade, while a fun skill, is actually better as a sacred seal, allowing units to shine with an A skill as well. Chill Speed technically has wide-spread availability, but on either 5* locked units, seasonals, or Panne. The skill is usually very nice to have on a team, and I suspect most Ylgr’s pulled will be for Chill Speed.

Spring Bruno — As with Picnic Genny before, Spring Bruno’s main draw is his Ovoid Staff+, which provides solid utility to teammates, especially in longer maps like Chain Challenges or Tempest Trials. Atk/Def Push 3 was rare for a period of time before released on Heath a few months ago. Dazzling Staff is useful, but widespread, with more units packing it surely to come. Atk/Def Push 3 is the main draw for boosting other staff merge projects and will be useful to hold on to for when Atk/Def Push 4 is released on a character not named Bramimond. Either pull and wait or use him for his staff.

New Year’s Fjorm — Another unit that will make you do some major inheritance math. Fjorm packs the Kabura Ya+ bow (which has Chill Speed 3 built in) as well as Atk/Spd Bond 3, Atk/Spd Link 3, and Even Res Wave 3. Chill Speed in a weapon allows its inheritor to be one of a short list of characters able to run the Triple Chill strategy, which has significant merit. Unfortunately, going that route more or less locks you out of a full skill in addition. Atk/Spd Bond 3 is available on 11 different units, the cheapest being Bridal Louise. Sacrificing a 4* Bridal Louise will allow you to snag Atk/Spd Bond 3 as well. Atk/Spd Link 3 is even rarer, appearing only on seasonal units, none of which appear at 4 stars. Even Res Wave is slightly cheaper, being on Brave Hector, but it’s honestly a skill you can pass on. If you’re willing to spend a Bridal Louise, grabbing Kabura Ya+, Atk/Spd Bond 3 (after sacrificing Bridal Louise), and a “free” Reposition is your best bet.

Summer Laevatein — And finally, the last unit on the last route, S!Laevatein. You’re gonna grab Mirror Impact, currently a skill only available on a Legendary unit and two seasonals. If you take the time to sacrifice an Oliver, you’ll be able to snag your choice of either Def/Res Link 3 or Odd Attack Wave 3 — both of which are available at 4* on Grail units (Sigurn for Def/Res Link 3, Spring Bartre for Odd Attack Wave 3). Feel free to attempt to snag Buoyboard+ as well for the aesthetic, but you’re better off with other tomes. All in all, dealer’s choice! 

As stated, this route has the distinction of only having one non-seasonal unit and provides a decent amount of variety. You’ll get Giant Spoon+ and Def Smoke 3 (with Panne/Rath sacrifice) OR Sturdy Blow 2 and Def Smoke 3 with common sacrifice from someone like Athena; Sorcery Blade 3 OR Chill Speed 3 OR Speed Tactic by themselves OR Chill Speed 3 and your choice of the others with a Panne sacrifice; Ovoid Staff+ and Atk/Def Push OR Wrathful Staff 2, or one of those fully and a Martyr+ to avoid other feather costs; Kabura Ya+ and Atk/Spd Bond 3 (with Bridal Louise sacrifice) OR Atk/Spd Link 3 with Atk/Spd Bond 3, thanks to Bridal Louise’s sacrifice; and Mirror Impact and Def/Res Link 3 OR Odd Attack Wave 3 with Oliver sacrifice. All in all, you’re looking at 8 or 9 full skill sets across 5 units, which is an average return, but the variety in these skills is slightly higher due to the number of seasonals and Ylgr having a strangely high number of desirable skills. 

If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. I hope some people found this helpful!

[tacticsroom]

Tanith: Forthright Heart (Unit Review)

Available at 5★ (Special Hero)

Lvl 40 Stats (Flaw/Neutral/Asset)

HP: 34/37/41

Atk: 31/34/37

Spd: 33/36/39

Def: 30/33/36

Res: 18/21/24

Neutral BST: 161

Max Dragonflowers: 5

Skills

Weapon: Lofty Blossoms+  (300 SP)

Mt: 14. Rng: 1. If unit initiates attack, grants Atk/Spd +4 in combat.

Lance. Can be inherited. Can be refined.

Assist: Harsh Command+ (400 SP)

Neutralizes status effects (limited movement, preventing counterattacks, etc) and removes target ally’s penalties (from panic, ploy, etc) and lasts through ally target’s next actions. Converts penalty buffs into bonuses.

Can be inherited. Cannot use: Staff.

Special: None

A: Swift Sparrow 2 (240 SP)

If unit initiates combat, grants Atk/Spd +4 during combat.

Can be inherited. Cannot use: Staff.

B: Chill Atk 3 (240 SP)

At start of turn, inflicts Atk -7 on foe with highest attack on enemy team throughout their next action.

Can be inherited.

C: Fortify Fliers (200 SP)

On start of turn if unit is adjacent to flying ally, grant ally Def/Res +6 for duration of their next action.

Can be inherited. Fliers only.

Analysis

Alongside her commander following her empress comes Tanith, the latest lance flier in game. Tanith possesses a decent statline for a lance flier with decent offenses and physical bulk with her only downfall being her Res. Tanith’s base kit heavily encourages her to be offensive but with her impressive bulk she can be easily built to be tanky. Tanith’s main downside lies with her being a lance flier in an already bloated flier pool. While her stats alone are impressive other lance fliers such as Thea, Shigure and Est are easily summonable units that can be built to suit similar roles. Tanith’s limited availability is cause for concern as obtaining multiple copies of her will require the use of Legendary/Mythic banners and future Bridal banners.

Tanith’s base stats alone are quite impressive for a lance flier. She may carry a good offensive statline much like her competitors but is able to distinguish herself (albeit slightly) with her decent defense of 33. Her base kit is great, carrying one of the most valuable offensive skills, Swift Sparrow 2, both in her weapon and as her A skill. Chill Atk 3 as her B skill allows her to perform her job as an offensive flier while mitigating how much damage she’ll take during a fight. Her C skill, Fortify Fliers, encourages her to be paired with flying allies but can be easily switched off with a Smoke skill or buffing skill depending on what a player’s team composition needs.

Similar Units

Valter: Dark Moonstone (42/32/31/34/19)

Tanith: Forthright Heart (-5/+2/+5/-1/+2)

Note: Valter has access to uninheritable skills and lacks boons/banes and is thus not directly comparable.

Tana: Winged Princess (36/34/36/25/25)

Tanith: Forthright Heart (+1/+0/+0/+7/-4)

Note: Tana has access to uninheritable skills and is thus not directly comparable.

Hostile Springs Ryoma (40/35/36/28/23)

Tanith: Forthright Heart(-3/-1/+0/+5/-2)

Builds

Budget/Low Investment:

Tanith already comes with a powerful base kit. Wielding one of the most powerful A skills in game on her weapon and A skill slot she requires very little in terms of investment. Her C skill is rather flexible and depends on team composition.

The build on the left focuses on utilizing her Atk stack to more consistently proc longer cooldown specials more reliably. Utilizing her weapon and default A skill grants her +8 Atk/Spd if she initiates combat taking her Atk stat from 50 to 58. In combination with Chill Atk ploying the foe with the highest Atk for -7 Atk allows her to use Heavy Blade 3 as her seal with better reliability. With Heavy Blade she can use higher turn cooldown specials such as Luna or Draconic Aura and activate them in a single round of combat.

The build on the right opts to focus on her speed. As stated before her weapon and A skill grant her +8 Atk/Spd. In combination with the Atk/Spd 2 seal her offenses can reach as high as 58/49 Atk/Spd without the addition of ally support or buffs. Her B slot in this instance can be freely swapped out for Hit and Run or Desperation depending on a player’s playstyle.

Tanith’s seal options include but aren’t limited to: Attack+3, Speed+3, Atk/Spd 2, Spd/Def 2, Atk/Def 2, Heavy Blade, Darting Blow, Brazen skills and Bond skills.

Hit and Run:

Much like her competitors within her weapon and unit type, Tanith is more than capable of running Hit and Run builds that allow her to wipe a foe and immediately ducking away to safety.

The build on the left takes a look at the standard Firesweep L+ setup. Because Tanith possesses similar offenses as her other lance competitors she is more than capable of running a similar setup. Firesweep weapons allow us to initiate combat without the enemy getting a chance to counterattack (except if the foe has the skill Null C Disrupt equipped) thus whenever Tanith initiates combat she won’t have to take any damage from said combat. After hitting her foe she will be able to retreat out of range of her foe and back to safety towards her allies. Because we’re focusing on sweeping we use Heavy Blade as the seal of choice and Galeforce which, when activated after a round of combat, will let Tanith move again without the use of a dancer back to safety or allow her to wipe another opponent.

The build on the left functions with a similar purpose albeit with a different weapon. Here we utilize Brave Lance+ for its ability to make a follow-up attack before the foe gets a chance to reply. Due to its low might we utilize Even Atk Wave 3 as her C skill to help bolster her Atk. With the addition of Swift Sparrow 2 and Darting Blow 3 as her seal, Tanith is poised to reach 52/44 Atk/Spd on even numbered turns leaving her more than capable of dealing a heavy amount of damage and at times allowing her to even quad her foes. Luna is used her to help chip away at bulkier enemy’s defenses but can be swapped out for a different special if desired.

Enemy Phase:

Tanith’s defenses and weapon type make her more than capable of running defensive setups in contrast to her offensively geared kit.

The first set focuses on her physical bulk and combines multiple stance skills making her a sturdy wall. Luncheon Lance+ provides a unit Atk/Def +4 in combat if a foe initiates a fight. Meanwhile Steady Posture will grant Spd/Def +4 if a foe initiates. Finally her seal slot of choice, Close Def 3, will grant her +6 Def/Res if a melee unit initiates a fight against her. In total, she sees a stat increase of +8 Atk/+4 Spd/+14 Def/+6 Res, bringing her stats up to 56/40/54/24 Atk/Spd/Def/Res. Because of the ever-growing presence of faster sword and lance units, Quick Riposte 3 is used to guarantee she will activate Bonfire if combat is initiated against her.

The second set focuses on evening out her defensive stats. While 21 Res may not seem like a lot to work with, in combination with Warding Stance 4 and Berkut’s Lance+ Tanith’s Res vastly improves. Berkut’s Lance will grant her +7 Res and Warding Stance 4 will grant her +8 Res if a foe initiates combat against her. This stacks for a massive +15 to her Res stats bringing it from a measly 21 to a decent 34. On top of Warding Stance 4’s res boost it provides Tanith with Guard meaning that enemies using armor Fighter skills and Blade skills will not be able to gain their turn cooldowns. Because Tanith already carries a good defensive stat we use Dull Ranged and Iote’s Shield to better protect her from archers and negate their buffs against her.

[spiritgriffon]

Rachael’s Favorite FE Characters

Well, since I posted my favorite Pokemon... everything a while ago, I figured I’d post my favorite FE characters class-by-class as well! I’ll also post my least favorites.

The games I own are Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery on an emulator, Awakening, Heroes, all 3 Fates & Echoes. I’ve played a bit of FE4 too but I’m not far enough into it to pick favorite characters.

Favorite Lord:

Male- Chrom (He’s pretty vanilla but I still love me my Blueberry Dorklord)

Female- Erika (Who is not NEARLY as foolish as recent entries would have you believe. She’s quite a bit better than Celica at any rate- there’s no way she’d fall for fkn JEDAH)

Least Favorite- Ephraim (He’s such a... warmonger. There is no point in the entirety of SS where I go “Yes, he’ll make a good king!”)

Favorite Avatar

Robin! Robin’s the best. Robin has the best coat. Do I need to say more?

Well, I guess I’ll say too that Robin’s personality is quite a bit like my own, which is why I prefer Fem!Robin. I too, would relentlessly pelt Lon’qu with figs and, when faced with unwinnable odds would, just resort to a Big Fire™

Least favorite goes to... IDK, I want to say Kiran but Kiran can marry Navarre so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Favorite Cavalier/Paladin/Great Knight

Seth wins, but Xander and Berkut are close seconds. Seth/Erika is my ultimate FE OTP- they’re the only ones in the whole series I can’t even bear to pair with anyone else for a playthrough to get their supports. I like Xander/Corrin and Xander/Sakura quite a bit, but neither come anywhere close honestly. And Berkut is my angry garbage son~

Least favorite goes to Jagan. You honestly think I’m going to kill Frey who arguably has better stat growths than both Cain and Abel and keep you? Screw canon, off you go, old man!

Favorite Myrmidon/Swordsmaster/Trueblade

Joushua, obviously!

...

I mean, Navarre doesn’t really count because he’s my favorite FE character PERIOD. Besides Navarre, I like Joshua.

Least favorite is Marissa. Not that crazy about Mia either, but Marissa is just so inferior to Josh stats wise and while he’s tons of fun, she’s no fun at all. If she were in another game it’d different but Joshua makes her look really bad in comparison. Plus she took his spot in Awakening AND I’M STILL SALTY 4 YEARS LATER

Favorite Mercenary/Hero/Dreadfighter

Navarre in FE1

Ike!... Yes, I’m counting him here... Oh fine, Ogma then. They’re both big gay softies that are 40% pure iron muscle and 60% heart. I bet they give the best hugs!

(And no, I don’t believe Ogma’s “feelings” for Caeda are in any way romantic bc he met her when she was like 5 and he was probably 20. He probably feels like her big brother or father- which is equally impossible for him to express due to his lot in life. Plus, Marth never gets jealous around him, while he practically turns green around any of the other characters interested in her.)

(Oh, and I consider Soren to be the more canon partner for Ike over Sothe and Ranulf bc Priam is a thing and I’m like 70% sure Soren is supposed to be trans. And yes, there is a canon lesbian whose name is currently escaping me & Sothe is canonically bi, they just went with the “heavy implied to the point of being basically irrefutable” route instead of outright stating it, so it is VERY possible Soren is trans. I like all 3 ships tho)

Least favorite is... The dude from SS. I can’t even remember his name. He’s the only freaking mercenary in SS and his personality doesn’t do anything for me.

Favorite Knight/General/Baron

The Black Knight of course! His writing is bit... a lot of a mess, but you can’t deny how badass he is.

On a less villainous note, Forsythe is pretty cool too.

Least favorite is... IDK, was there one in Awakening? I thought there was one on the cover but he’s so forgettable...

Favorite Archer/Sniper/Ballistician/Bow Knight/Hunter

Tacomeme :)

Leon is also pretty cool, but he’s not nearly as useful in-game. I like Niles too! But I’d be lying if I said a good part of that wasn’t bc of Takehito Koyasu and his sexy voice rip

Least favorite is Faye in Heroes Python’s inability to hit the broad side of a barn Zero’s stupid name change to Niles Innes. His stats are nice but his personality rubs me the wrong way.

Favorite Pegasus/Falcon Knight/Sky/Kinshi Knight

Probably Claire! I didn’t expect to like her much (I got Maribelle vibes at first), but she really grew on me throughout the game and her supports. I love the way her friendship with Alm was written- if it had evolved into a romance I would have found it believable, but it’s one of the VERY, VERY few times I think IntSys has handled a one sided crush on the main character well.

Least favorite is... Probably Cordelia. Like I said, VERY few times. (Vanessa, Sumia, Syrene, Palla, Catria, Est, Hinoka, Subaki, Tanith and Sigrun all tie for second to last. This is... not my favorite class.)

Favorite Dracoknight/Wyvern Rider/Wyvern Lord

Hmmm... I would say Camilla, but my headcanon version of her is quite a bit different from the way she actually is in canon lol. So... Probably promoted Caeda. Minerva is utterly useless on the battlefield, unfortunately, and I like Caeda about the same as Clare so I put her here.

I guess I like Haar, Jill, Cormag, Gwin, and Valter (As a villain, not as a person) somewhat too.

Least favorite has to go to Beruka. I find her... bland.

Favorite Villager/Recruit

AMELIA THE GENERAL IS COMING THROUGH! MAKE WAY, MORTALS

Do I need to say who my least favorite is? Do I really need to?

It’s Faye. Because... she’s Faye.

Favorite Thief/Trickster/Assassin/Rogue/Ninja

That has to go to Julian! He’s very similar to Gaius, but instead of candy, his thing is puns. Fun fact: I have a blood sugar condition similar to diabetes IRL that makes me unable to eat sugar, so Gaius just made me crave sweets I can’t have most of the time :/

Second place goes to Gangrel or Rennac. Gangrel is actually my second favorite character to romance in Awakening due to his great redemption arc in his supports with both Robins & his talks with Em in the DLC, and IMO he makes the second best dad to Morgan (And yes, I have ALL of male Morgan’s supports with his fathers, yes, it was boring, repetitive, and took hours, and yes, the only one I like better is Chrom), and Rennac is just... so hilariously cranky. They also both go in the “They deserved better in their endings” bin- Rennac can’t marry L’rachel despite their great chemistry and Gangrel flat-out dies if you don’t marry him.

Least favorite... I guess Nina. I never found her very funny.

Favorite Cleric/Troubadour/Valkyrie/Bishop/War monk

Elise! She is... one of two healers I like. In the entire series.

The other is L’rachel.

And Sakura, Lissa, Natasha, and Rena I... don’t particularly dislike.

I don’t like any others. Tat/iana is the worst of the bunch. Tat/iana is actually my least favorite character in the series

Favorite Fighter/Pirate/Warrior/Barbarian

Maybe... Vaike or Ross? Or Boyd? Basilio? Wow, there aren’t any I really like a lot. Guess this is my least favorite class.

My least favorite of all HAS to be Arthur though.

Favorite Mage/Monk/Dark Knight/Sage

Soren! He’s really well written. At first he comes off as a racist asshole, but as the game goes on & you get his supports, he proves himself to be a really great, three-dimensional character. And he’s so gay for Ike. Like, so, so gay.

Least favorite is all of the little red-headed boys that are clones of each other. Except maybe Ewan, because he’s actually useful in-game. Most of the others aren’t.

Favorite Dark Mage/Sorcerer/Summoner/Necromancer/Druid/Witch/Cantor

LYON!!!! Oh man, I don’t want to spoil exactly what happens but suffice to say that he is my FAVORITE antagonist in the series.

My least favorite is either Validar or Iago... I don’t know which to pick. They are how NOT to do a decent sorcerer villain in FE. But all of the Cantors in Echoes also get a special mention for being FREAKING ANNOYING.

Favorite Manakete/Dragon Laguz

Tiki- particularly young Tiki! She’s so sweet... and badass!

Least favorite... ugh, I have to say Myrrh. I do like her, but her uses of Dragonstone are so limited that you can barely use her and while she’s just as cute as Tiki, she’s not nearly as tough. She also has a lot sadder story than Tiki- she’s a really good character, but she just doesn’t make me feel bubbly and happy when I see her the way Tiki does.

Favorite Beast Laguz/Bird Laguz/Taguel/Wolfskin/Kitsune

All hail King Naesala! He’s another character that brings a smile to my face when I see him-and that’s saying quite a bit, since he has a pretty serious story. This man oozes personality- He shows up on screen and you know he’s there to kick the world and rule the ass. And no, that’s not backwards.

Honorable mention to Reyson- every time these two are on screen together you know that Reyson is about three seconds from punching Naesala right in the nose, never mind the fact he’d probably break every bone in his tiny, fragile fist. The fact that Naesala’s only paired ending is with Reyson’s sister is just hilarious to me.

I guess my least favorite is Lyre... She sort of feels like she’s just there to have one more playable character to me, since she has so little bearing on the story.

Favorite Dancer/Singer

In terms of personality, supports, and gameplay, Feena is far and away my favorite. However... I’m honestly not a huge fan of her design, so in terms of appearance, Azura, who I personally think has one of the best designs in the series, takes the cake. The fact she has such a catchy theme song is a huge bonus too!

Tethys gets the last spot because she’s completely useless in battle. I’ve heard Ninian can’t fight either but she boosts your stats- why did they give Tethys the shaft so badly?

Favorite Lancer/Soldier

And finally... ending this on a weird one. See, neither Nephenee nor Oboro do anything for me- I don’t dislike them, but I don’t particularly like them either. So, I guess this one goes to Azura!

[docrotten]

The Devil Rides Out (1968) - Episode 74 - Decades of Horror: The Classic Era

“I shall not be back... but something will.”  These are portentous words indeed uttered by the antagonist in this episode’s featured film. Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr - as they take a deep dive into Hammer-land and discuss The Devil Rides Out (1968).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 74 – The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Devil worshipers plan to convert two new victims.

IMDb

  Director: Terence Fisher

Writer:  Richard Matheson (screenplay), Dennis Wheatley (1934 novel)

Music:  James Bernard

Special makeup artist: Roy Ashton (uncredited) - on Baphomet in Black Mass 

Cast

Christopher Lee – Nicholas, Duc de Richleau

Charles Gray – Mocata

Niké Arrighi – Tanith Carlisle

Leon Greene – Rex Van Ryn (dubbed by Patrick Allen)

Patrick Mower – Simon Aron

Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies – Countess d'Urfe

Sarah Lawson – Marie Eaton

Paul Eddington – Richard Eaton

Rosalyn Landor – Peggy Eaton

How can you go wrong with The Devil Rides Out? With Terence Fisher, Richard Matheson, Dennis Wheatley, Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Sarah Lawson, and David Eddington all involved in creating a film for Hammer, it was bound to be memorable.

Whitney is taken with Christopher Lee’s turn as a protagonist while Chad has always been appreciative of director Terence Fisher’s work. You can always count on Richard Matheson to deliver a quality screenplay according to Joseph and The Devil Rides Out is no exception. Jeff, on the other hand, takes a deep, deep dive into the details surrounding this film and drones on way, way, way too much. The other members of the Classic Era Grue-Crew may want to get a mute button.

The Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Grue-Crew gives this film the highest recommendation and they all plan to watch The Devil Rides Out again and again. At this writing, the film is available as a Scream Factory Blu ray with a multitude of added features.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era is part of the Decades of Horror 3-week rotation with the 1970s and 1980s. In three weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule will be The Comedy of Terrors (1963), directed by Jacques Tourneur, written by Richard Matheson, and starring Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Joyce Jameson, and Basil Rathbone.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans:  leave them a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

To each of you from each of us, “Thank you so much for listening!”

Check out this episode!

[comicreliefmorlock]

QUESTIONS ABOUT BOOKS

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

...oh lord... I have so many. I'd have to say Ender's Game because I've ALWAYS had a copy of it. I don't even remember when I first read it; my mother threw it at my brother and I both when we were smols and it's been a yearly read ever since.

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you'll read next?

Let's see... I won't count all the rereads I've done because I reread a LOT of books. The current read is "Sideshow U.S.A" (nonfiction) and my most recent read is "The Last Wish" (fiction). The upcoming read is "The Prince of Darkness" (nonfiction) and I haven't gotten anything set up after that.

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

...

Fuck you, Patricia Cornwell. Fuck you.

{"Portrait of a Killer" and I will ALWAYS cover it up when I find it in bookstores.}

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

"The House of the Seven Gables" has been my Mt. Everest for nearly twenty-five years. I just canNOT get past that opening chapter, my GODS.

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

None. If I have a book, I'm going to read it. If I hear about a book that interests me, I am going to read it. I do NOT put off books. Reading is LIFE.

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

I wait until the end. To be fair, I read very, very quickly, so it's not much of a "wait" for me to reach that last page. Plus it's fun to make guesses and collect evidence to see if I'm right or wrong at the end!

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

Interesting asides! I always glance through the acknowledgements to see who was influential to the author, who they thought of when they finished penning that last word and who the book wouldn't be in my hands without.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

...oh gods it's so hard... >.< Ummmm... either Kassafeh or Dunziel from "Tales from the Flat Earth" and yes, it's entirely because I'd HAPPILY take Night's Master or Death's Master as my eternal lover, thank you very much.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

So very many... SO MANY.

"Alanna: the First Adventure" literally reminds me of my first period because I read it shortly before and oh boy, when that time of the month first came, I reread that scene with Alanna many times. It was surprisingly helpful for coping with the whole "wait what do you mean this happens forever and I'm now a 'woman' excuse you???"

All of my White Wolf rulebooks remind me of my college years when I'd read them at my ex-boyfriend's house. "Rose Red" reminds me of my second ex-boyfriend's house because it was the only book I'd left there, so I read it a LOT. "The Blue Sword" reminds me of my mother--she told me to read it, said I'd like it and she was SO right. "The Tales of Peter Rabbit" makes me think of my maternal grandmother's house. The Dragonlance Trilogy reminds me of my brother, as does the Sword of Truth series--we have dissected and discussed those books for YEARS.

Even though I've read it once and haven't really read it since, "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad will ALWAYS remind me of when @tlbodine and I met. (She knows why. :D) And rereading the play "Hamlet" is always guaranteed to make me grin because of that shared Shakespeare class and the tangent about fruit.

...I read a lot. A LOT. So I make a lot of associations to books. :D

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

-ahem- I hope I can't get in legal trouble for this now, but... >.>

I have a book called "Superstitions" that I found in the middle school library when I worked there. I fell in LOVE with it; it was my first introduction to folklore research and the details involved. I was never able to FIND a copy of the damn thing.

...so when I graduated high school, I went BACK to the middle school during the summer and... quite frankly, I stole the damn thing. :D (I know, I'm a horrible person.) It's still on my shelf and is consulted quite regularly.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Ask @tlbodine about the shiny new copy of Les Miserables I got her. :D Books, to me, are always a viable gift. I've bought and shipped copies of Tanith Lee (my goddess) books to people; I read one about the French Revolution and sent a copy to @house-leours because she is a History Buff™. And there was a book on dollmaking that my mother and I spent MONTHS hunting down via a rare book finder for my paternal grandmother.

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Considering how many books I have and how often I drag them all over the place, I don't think any ONE book has been with me to a ton of places. Except maybe my copy of "Paradise Lost" because I used to care about looking 'smart' and I'd read it in public places.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

"Romeo & Juliet" drove me nuts because EVERY FUCKING YEAR involved reading or analyzing it. I don't mind it so much now, but I still kind of wrinkle my nose when I pick it up. (I don't read it often.)

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A voucher for a D&D book given as a prize at a convention from 1987--it's still in a book on my shelf somewhere.

15. Used or brand new?

If the book is in my face and I want it, I'll buy it. Thriftbooks.com owns my soul, Amazon knows me intimately and the library book sale can hear me coming a mile away. Anywhere books are to be found, I will buy. I do like used bookstores better because I get MORE BOOKS for the same amount of money.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

I wouldn't call Master King a "literary genius." What I would call him is a damn good storyteller who creates PEOPLE, not characters. Even if I don't always find his books frightening, I find them enjoyable to read. {But that line in "The Green Mile" about "I can hear them screaming" will for-fucking-ever give me chills.}

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Jurassic Park. (@tlbodine  --I TOLD YOU.) And Jaws. Those books were soOO tedious.

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

My personal feelings on this may have little bearing to do with what others enjoy, but "The Legend of the Seeker" (it was a TV show that SURPRISE didn't last) was the worst mistake of all time. And Ender's Game just pissed me the hell off because it missed sO MUCH of what made the book a staple of my life.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

"Personal Darkness" by Tanith Lee. I canNOT read that book without eating something, gawd. EVERY TIME.

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

@tlbodine because she knows what I like. I'll always listen to my mother about science fiction (even if I don't dare confess to her that I didn't find "Rendevouz with Rama" riveting...) and my brother knows my book tastes very well, too.