Some questions regarding which/how many characters to use.

[Time Mage]

So, I started playing the game and I'm on 1-5 so far (Normal, EU version). Like in the previous Fire Emblem games, my goal is to use as many characters as possible without being gimped badly. Since, as far as I know, in each chapter of this FE you use a different set of characters, and then most of them in the final chapter, I thought that maybe this time I will be able to use most characters (because there won't be as many character limitations per battle, I think), but I don't know. So far I'm using all the low leveled characters (minus Meg, she doesn't seem very good) as much as I can to bring them closer to the higher leveled ones, using Sothe as a weaponless decoy to not lose exp by killing enemies with him. Once the low level characters catch up on levels a certain character, that character is allowed to actively participate (instead of using them as less as possible), etc.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask is: Can I continue doing this most of the time (that is, using the low leveled characters until they catch up), and still have reasonably god levels with mostly everyone in the final chapters of the game? If not, is there certain character(s) I should avoid using? What's a reasonable number of characters I should focus on?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[SlippyToasterTrooper_UK]

I found most groups in the game don't get enough screentime to be able to level up too highly unless you give them some special treatment late game. Without spoiling too much I found the bulk of my final chapter units to come from the group that is the main focus of part 3.

However, I found myself near the start of part 4 with a huge amount of bonus EXP. Now bonus EXP isn't the ideal way to level units up due to always giving 3 stats.

Also in part 4 you get to pick 3 groups with some freedom over what characters join what group. The rightmost group has a chapter which will be an absolute sea of experiance if you really feel you want to level a unit really highly. I didn't really take advantage of the opportunity (out of that whole group 3 units made it into my final chapter party...and two of them didn't need leveling) and instead chose to try and beat the map quickly as it can be kind of annoying.

[Ice Dragon]

Pretty much what Starwolf said.

Screentime is the only big limiting factor to some characters' leveling abilities. Your part one characters by endgame will likely end up as four or five high level characters and the rest unpromoted, excluding prepromotes, especially since you really only get about five units promoted by the end of part one, and the little screentime in part three that you have to use them is mostly in missions with the objective of "kill xx enemy units", limiting leveling ability by quite a lot. There aren't quite enough reinforcements (save the part four chapter mentioned by Starwolf) to train too many characters (and also, there are simply too many characters to choose from, totalling 73, I think).

I think most people choose about 12 characters to train up (roughly 4 per part) excluding Micaiah, Sothe, and part three's main character (all three of whom are forced into the final chapter).

[Time Mage]

Thanks a lot, that was the kind of advice I was looking for. I guess I'll try to promote at the end of part 1 at least Edward, Aran, probably Nolan and if I can, Leonardo, too (aside from Micaiah, of course). Their levels are in the 13-15 range now that I'm in the middle of 1-6, so I think that's a reasonable objective.

I'll keep an eye to that moment in part 4 where I have to choose groups, in case I want someone leveled.


Oh, now that I think of it, I have another question: Now promotion items (Master Seals) work for every class and "only" save you from spending another 100 exp in a level 20 unit to promote it, right? That's really an improvement from previous FE games: I've always considered that limited and specific promotional items to be a liability.

[Mekkah]

That's a good set of units to train up...Leonardo isn't too great, but he will do if you already worked on him anyway. Jill would have been nice, but she's not necessary.

For Master Seals, yes, that is entirely correct.

[kryptonite]

Like Ice Dragon said, but I suggest using only few in every group ONLY. You might want to neglect everyone in part 2 but Nephenee, Brom, and Haar if at all... If you do that, even your part 1 characters won't be too underlevelled for part 4. Of course, you can always use the overpowered units they give you at the end, or just use part 3 characters, but you don't want Micaiah's group to sufffer...

For part 1, I would suggest cutting 2 more. Out of those, probably Nolan and Aran/Eddie. Nolan's Earth affinity is too good to pass up, and Eddie gets a good weapon, whereas Aran is more durable at the beginning and has a better affinity. Leo is hit or miss (ram Skl and Res? >___>).

[Time Mage]

Thanks for the advice everyone, now I'm starting to get an idea of what choices I'll have to do. BTW, Tormod just appeared, is he a good sage? I didn't use him in FE9, but if he is even half decent, I'd like to use him here as my fire mage (probably instead of Calill, since I already used her in FE9). I think he's a lv 5 Sage when he joins, so I won't have to feed him exp for a while.

And I think I have another (hopefully last) question: When chapters change, does the inventory reset? I guess the items that the characters are holding part with them, but what about the items in the cart? And what about BEXP, does that disappear if not used? I'm not using BEXP much because of the 3 stats limit (I abused the hell of it in FE9 xD), but I wouldn't like to throw it away, either.

Thanks again for the replies.


Oh, and hi, Mekkah! It's good to see a familiar name around.

[Neofox]

Tormod, Vika, and Muarim have very, very low playtime until the end of the game. It's probably best not to bother with them unless you really, really want to.

When you progress to a new story arc, all items in each chracter's inventory and the convoy stay with the team you left behind, and likewise, their share of money and BEXP stays with them as well. Everyone's items, money, and BEXP are pooled in part 4, so rest assured you lose nothing.

[theshim is the shimiest shim of all the shims that ever shim]

Stuff can be passed around, though, when characters change groups.  If you want to give some stuff from part 1 to the group in part 3, Ilyana will join them fairly early.  Likewise with Nephenee and Brom from part 2 to 3.

[Time Mage]

Thanks a lot for the replies. Now I'm in part 2, and I managed to get to level 3-5 promoted Edward, Nolan, Aran and Leonardo. I finally decided to not use Tormod, although since he ended part 1 with roughly the same level as the others, I can always change my mind anyway.

[General Narshen]

Yes but by the time you get Tormod back, most of your final party will be nearing the mid-levels of the Second Promotion.

[Ice Dragon]

Topuck (Tormod) and his gang return literally about a chapter before the final chapter. By then, they'll be horribly outleveled by the rest of your units. Though, in my first play-through, I managed to get Vize (Vika) to level 25-30-ish on Chapter 1-F by spending about 100 turns kicking armors (I only stopped because she SS-ranked her Strike and started killing the armors too quickly)...

[General Narshen]

I actually did the same thing. I was planning on using her in my final party, but I had too many good characters and had to leave her.

[Ayanami]

Tormod, Vika, and Muarim have very, very low playtime until the end of the game. It's probably best not to bother with them unless you really, really want to.

When you progress to a new story arc, all items in each chracter's inventory and the convoy stay with the team you left behind, and likewise, their share of money and BEXP stays with them as well. Everyone's items, money, and BEXP are pooled in part 4, so rest assured you lose nothing.

Tormod, Vika, and Muarim have very, very low playtime until the end of the game. It's probably best not to bother with them unless you really, really want to.

Even though that they have very small availibility, Vika is the only one worth using out of those three. She is like the best non royal Laguz in the game. She becomes a frekin dodge queen and with some bonus EXP, she can catch up with the others. Oh, but be sure to give her Pargon skill before beginning Part 4-4, so that you can get her high enough to teach her the Tear skill by the end of the chapter.

-----

It is recommended to play only about 15 characters in every playthrough. You get them to a much higher level, and that you won't be using half of the characters anyway (that is if you've trained them all). Experiment with about 15 characters in every playthough. It will take 3 playthroughs to try out most/all of the characters.

[Neofox]

Even though that they have very small availibility, Vika is the only one worth using out of those three. She is like the best non royal Laguz in the game. She becomes a frekin dodge queen and with some bonus EXP, she can catch up with the others. Oh, but be sure to give her Pargon skill before beginning Part 4-4, so that you can get her high enough to teach her the Tear skill by the end of the chapter.

But the problem is getting her level up. She has some absurd growths to compensate for coming so late, but it's not worth the effort when you can just use a hawk if you really want a non-royal bird.

It is recommended to play only about 15 characters in every playthrough. You get them to a much higher level, and that you won't be using half of the characters anyway (that is if you've trained them all). Experiment with about 15 characters in every playthough. It will take 3 playthroughs to try out most/all of the characters.

This isn't nearly as easy to do as you say. You can't skip an entire story arc's worth of characters, so it's kind of impossible to do a playthrough where you only use say... the Dawn Brigade and that's it. You're going to have to use other people eventually.

[Time Mage]

This isn't nearly as easy to do as you say. You can't skip an entire story arc's worth of characters, so it's kind of impossible to do a playthrough where you only use say... the Dawn Brigade and that's it. You're going to have to use other people eventually.

Yeah, that's totally right. When I first heard that RD was going to be separated into chapters, and that each chapter would have its own set of characters, I thought "finally, I will be able to use most characters in one playthrough!". It appears I was wrong again, and also appears that it is actually more difficult to focus on a certain group of characters each time, because you have to use at least 4 or 5 per part if you want to clear it reasonably easily.