Damn, that sucks. Looks like I'll stick with the steel bow. I just gotta hide Rolf (Shin can survive).

I actually agree that triple damage criticals are a little overboard. When you add in the chance to strike twice if you have high speed and the chance to get special procs for even more attacks, the damage can get insanely bursty very quickly, and it can be very hard to plan to survive such an attack. The enemy could just hit once and do normal damage, or he could crit twice and get a special proc for 8x normal damage.

Such enemies are rare, but they can be a huge pain when you have to deal with them.

That true hit article was very enlightening. I wonder if they used the same scheme with critical chance...

famousringo said: I actually agree that triple damage criticals are a little overboard. When you add in the chance to strike twice if you have high speed and the chance to get special procs for even more attacks, the damage can get insanely bursty very quickly, and it can be very hard to plan to survive such an attack. The enemy could just hit once and do normal damage, or he could crit twice and get a special proc for 8x normal damage. Such enemies are rare, but they can be a huge pain when you have to deal with them. That true hit article was very enlightening. I wonder if they used the same scheme with critical chance...

True Hit is just for attack, not criticals.  ^_^

Words Of Wisdom said: izaaz101 said: Words Of Wisdom said: izaaz101 said: BengaBenga said: Bows can only attack from a distance, magic close and far away. You have axes and spears that can be used from a range, but they are weaker than the ones that can only be used close etc. There are also weapons that allow for 4x attacks or have a high chance on a critical hit. One correction to your awesome description..........there are bows that can attack enemies in adjacent squares (crossbow and bowgun I think). Yep.  Crossbow, bowgun, Taksh, Aqqar, and Arberlest all let you attack adjacent enemies but they're not particularly useful since they don't let you apply strength to the damage.  The Double Bow, on the other hand, not only has a 1~2 range but also gives you +3 Strength for extra damage. Man, I haven't even come into contact with the last 4 weapons yet.  Do they still attack regularly from 2 squaes away, or is strength gone for all attacks? All strength is gone.  I dislike the xbow line of weapons.  They're never useful unless you have nothing else at your disposal and even then they can barely penetrate defense (if at all).

I agree that xbows are generally weak but they still do have there uses. Quite often if Shinnon (my current archer) can kill someone who has already been damaged with the crossbow/bowgun I do it. This either ensures that a close range enemy will not attack him during the enemy phase or if they do attack him take some damage making them easier to kill the next turn (which can be beneficial if you are trying to level up a weaker character). With Adept equiped on him he can often kill units with the extra attacks also. I need some help to if anyone has played through on Hard mode yet. *SPOILIER ALERT FOR ANYONE NOT PAST PART 3 CHAPTER 7*. This is the mission where Ikes mercenaries fight against Micaiah for the first time. In order to unlock Lehran later on I have to have Ike fight the Black Knight. I've played this level twice now and both times the BK has clobbered Ike in the first hit. I have been unable to see the stats window that comes up when your unit attacks an enemy unit because he was initiating the attacks both times. Im wondering if its even possible to dodge one of his two attacks or if there is another method for surviving him. The rest of the mission is not very difficult and this is the only area that I need assistance or ideas on. Thanks guys.

Crabmaster2000 said: *SPOILIER ALERT FOR ANYONE NOT PAST PART 3 CHAPTER 7*. This is the mission where Ikes mercenaries fight against Micaiah for the first time. In order to unlock Lehran later on I have to have Ike fight the Black Knight. I've played this level twice now and both times the BK has clobbered Ike in the first hit. I have been unable to see the stats window that comes up when your unit attacks an enemy unit because he was initiating the attacks both times. Im wondering if its even possible to dodge one of his two attacks or if there is another method for surviving him. The rest of the mission is not very difficult and this is the only area that I need assistance or ideas on. Thanks guys.

Ike needs enough speed to prevent the him from getting two attacks.  Look through your inventory and pray you saved a Speed Wings item.  If not, you're kind of screwed.

PS:  Black highlight spoilers.

Honestly, the game is so difficult and unforgiving that without the Battle Saves I wouldn't have bothered even trying it out. You guys still have your pure hard mode. :p

Did anyone else find the mages eventually useless because at the end everything could retaliate from two squares away?

Sullla said: Well, that's pretty much the response I was expecting. I've seen this on many other message boards: anyone who dares to criticize any of the gameplay elements in Fire Emblem gets labeled with the "your tactics suck" label. Thanks to Words of Wisdom and Benga Benga for intelligent responses. (ookaze, please explain to me how losing a unit to a critical hit at 1% or 2% means "this is a case of your tactics sucking really"?) For the record, I'm damned good at the Fire Emblem games. (How many of you have actually played the Japanese FE games? I have.) I'm halfway through Hard mode in Radiant Dawn, and had to replay levels about four or five times so far. I've had to do LESS replaying on Hard than Normal, because on this second time around I know where the enemy reinforcements are going to appear, I know which characters/supports to build, and I know where the enemies are located on the night maps. My point though is that Radiant Dawn is as much about memorizing the scripted events as it is about forming a tactical plan for victory, and there's really no need for it to be that way. Some very simple tweaks to the gameplay would remove many of the most tedious and frustrating elements. As I said, I really like this series. But it has its flaws, major flaws too.

But strategy elements in a strategy RPG sure enough are not flaws. This is so much a nonsense I can't start to understand how you could even believe criticals are a flaw.

And yes, your tactics suck if you complain about criticals doing 3x damage. This shouldn't even bother you if you're "damn good at the FE games". This is a case of adjusting your tactics.

BTW where is the flaw in criticals?

 

As for reinforcements, I can only talk about my experience in PoR. So In PoR, the sole thing that reinforcements did to me the first time, was me thinking : "Wow, it will be a bit harder than I thought, time to adjust my tactics". All the next chapters, it was just : "Heh, you have no chance even if you send more at me". In my last one, the one I'm doing now, it was more like I was actually waiting for the last reinforcements to appear to gain the most XP and sometimes steal the most good stuff.

 

So I'm surprised you see these two things as flaws, when I'm merely laughing at them. Surely they will surprise me in RD, which will fortunately add some bit of challenge and surprise, you know, emotions, fun!

I'm even more happy that these exist, as it's a way to force the people that play like brute and with no strategy or tactic, to realize that it's not so easy going head to head against some enemies. In PoR, there was always some way to go against an enemy, and kill him without him having any chance to hit you. Even with the most annoying one who had 1-2 range weapons and high criticals, like the last Daein general with the cursed armour IIRC. And I'm sure it's still the case in RD. Of course, when you play like a brute and haven't a good range of different types of attack (lack of strategy) because you've neglected most of your characters, it's hard to cope with these situations.

Words Of Wisdom said: Crabmaster2000 said: *SPOILIER ALERT FOR ANYONE NOT PAST PART 3 CHAPTER 7*. This is the mission where Ikes mercenaries fight against Micaiah for the first time. In order to unlock Lehran later on I have to have Ike fight the Black Knight. I've played this level twice now and both times the BK has clobbered Ike in the first hit. I have been unable to see the stats window that comes up when your unit attacks an enemy unit because he was initiating the attacks both times. Im wondering if its even possible to dodge one of his two attacks or if there is another method for surviving him. The rest of the mission is not very difficult and this is the only area that I need assistance or ideas on. Thanks guys. Ike needs enough speed to prevent the him from getting two attacks.  Look through your inventory and pray you saved a Speed Wings item.  If not, you're kind of screwed. PS:  Black highlight spoilers.

 

*SPOILERS* What about pairing him with an earth support. Would the extra bonus in avoid help against the black knight or would it make no difference. Also if you start a new support can you continue the old support later on or do you start it from scratch again. I have him supported with Oscar right now which rocks for all missions but this one, because of the water, Oscar can only travel about halfway through this level and therefor isnt close enough for the support to take effect. I havent used any items of the items that give stat boosts yet so hopefully its still kicking around in my inventory and I just overlooked it. I dont remember getting one with Ikes group though. Are you sure the speedwing wasnt with Micaiah or Elincias teams? Thanks for the help so far though WoW.

 

PS-how do you black out things in your posts?

DKII said: Did anyone else find the mages eventually useless because at the end everything could retaliate from two squares away?

That's why you have your Mages bless the tomes with 3~10 range for the final area.  Dragons die long before coming into contact with them.

Crabmaster2000 said: Words Of Wisdom said: Crabmaster2000 said: *SPOILIER ALERT FOR ANYONE NOT PAST PART 3 CHAPTER 7*. This is the mission where Ikes mercenaries fight against Micaiah for the first time. In order to unlock Lehran later on I have to have Ike fight the Black Knight. I've played this level twice now and both times the BK has clobbered Ike in the first hit. I have been unable to see the stats window that comes up when your unit attacks an enemy unit because he was initiating the attacks both times. Im wondering if its even possible to dodge one of his two attacks or if there is another method for surviving him. The rest of the mission is not very difficult and this is the only area that I need assistance or ideas on. Thanks guys. Ike needs enough speed to prevent the him from getting two attacks.  Look through your inventory and pray you saved a Speed Wings item.  If not, you're kind of screwed. PS:  Black highlight spoilers.   *SPOILERS* What about pairing him with an earth support. Would the extra bonus in avoid help against the black knight or would it make no difference. Also if you start a new support can you continue the old support later on or do you start it from scratch again. I have him supported with Oscar right now which rocks for all missions but this one, because of the water, Oscar can only travel about halfway through this level and therefor isnt close enough for the support to take effect. I havent used any items of the items that give stat boosts yet so hopefully its still kicking around in my inventory and I just overlooked it. I dont remember getting one with Ikes group though. Are you sure the speedwing wasnt with Micaiah or Elincias teams? Thanks for the help so far though WoW.   PS-how do you black out things in your posts?

1)  Anything you can do to boost speed and avoid would be helpful.

2)  You can start a new support and remove the old one but you'll have to start over at C level if you decide to switch back.

3)   I kept all my stat boost items until the very end of the game so I could fill in any gaps that were left over in characters so I'm not sure who got what when.

The upper right WYSIWYG button has an "ab" and a highlighter on it.  Click the arrow and select black.  ^_^