So now that I've completed my first run on Hard Classic with little intended grinding and various other stupid decisions like never touching the forge ever and never getting the Boots from the DLC I figure I should do another run with some better foresight to prepare myself for the notoriously difficult postgame content. Testimony claims people have done it before DLC overclassing was even available so I am going to do it without 'em too.
- I will be doing the second run on Hard Casual. Because it feels stupid to me to have to deal with permadeath in a postgame dungeon and because Normal Casual is for chumps. I will also be turning animations off the whole way through and shamelessly abuse the hell out of the turnwheel because I already got the proper experience on my first run anyway.
- I will be focusing on ten units because only that many can go into Thabes Labyrinth anyway. Camus and Faye will be given the free DLC Villager's forks. for extra levels. Camus, along with Atlas, Kliff, and Deen, will go through at least one mercenary loop to make up for my inability to overclass.
- I saw that bridge next to Rigel Falls on the map before, had a whimsical thought of "lol, wouldn't it be funny if I could cross that?" even though it wasn't connected to the lines, and didn't bother trying on my first run. Turns out I can cross it and that it's great for lategame grinding. Gotta be ready for anything.
- I will use absolutely no stat fountains at all until after I have recruited Tatiana and Conrad, and I will then have those two hog ALL the stat boosts from them and stat boosting food. I'm playing on casual anyway, they won't be as important as they were on classic.
- I will look up which sidequests are actually worth doing for rewards.
- I will use the Boots on Faye because she has Rescue.
- I will make sure to forge the Rapier, Rhomphaia, Saunion and Beloved Zofia.
- I will hold the Taurus Star Shard when grinding.
- I won't recruit anyone I don't need, outside of the characters they force you to have. Valbar can go to hell.
My team will be:
- Alm/Hero
- Celica/Princess
- Tatiana/Saint
- Faye/Saint
- Silque/Saint
- Camus/Gold Knight
- Kliff/Gold Knight
- Conrad/Gold Knight
- Atlas/Gold Knight
- Deen/Gold Knight
Because who needs class balance when your team has the best dresses and armors.
Items I will need to keep in mind (because people will need them and because Alm/Celica can switch their equipment via the convoy without issue) include...
- Rapier (Super effective against armored units and cavalry units)
- Rhomphaia (Combat arts which are super effective against armored/cavalry)
- Saunion (Range+2, meaning 2-5 range in total)
- Beloved Zofia (I don't know how good Ragnarok Omega will be for sure but it sounds OP.)
- Gradivus (1-2 range and Camus' official weapon, in the final dungeon)
- Blessed Shield (Half damage from terrors)
- Hexlock Shield (Half damage from magic)
- Speed Ring (TEN SPEED BOOST, either going to someone with stupidly high strength or Silque)
- Mage Ring (Range+2)
- Rusted Ring (Potentially forged into a Mage Ring, can't be savescum'd for it though)
Are you going to be crazy enough to take on the Thabes Labyrinth without paid DLC too?