Part 5: Flame Poem Arc - Skirmish

Skirmish

Before we roll out, let's make sure we're prepared. It's actually fairly easy to lose this fight, for reasons we'll get to soon, but overall, it's considerably more difficult than the previous stage. So, let's get some Install Skills installed.



And this is the menu. Once you've acquired an Install Skill, you can put it in any of the empty slots. Copies of the same Install Skill will combine to produce a greater effect (up to 20). There is generally a color-coded way to tell what skills are involved. Red is for general combat (adding elemental properties to your attacks or making your attacks stronger, and so on), blue is for defensive abilities (more health / defense, etc.), and yellow is for support (like making your Servant run faster, or the Extella Gauge charge faster).

Now, once you've played the game a bunch and have a bunch of really strong Install Skills, it's certainly possible to create combinations that render your Servant virtually invincible. You can install as many copies of a skill on your Servant as much as you want (once 20 copies have been acquired and fused together, you'll just start building up another stock of 20 of a particular skill), but that's a handicap I'll be placing on myself, not to do that. You just can't feel alive if you're not staring defeat in the face, you know?



For this second outing, I'll be going with Prana Burst (Fire) and Prana Burst (Lightning), to add the chance of fire and lightning attacks to Nero's basic attacks. If you want a simple way to increase a skill's effectiveness, place same-colored skills in nodes that are connected to each other with lines. As your Servant's bond level goes up, you'll get more nodes and more lines.

Also, every Servant has their own Install Skill configuration. Some are simply more effective than others, but it's not something that should make or break your enjoyment of a particular player character. Also, it should go without saying everyone draws from the same Install Skill pool. No need to collect new ones for a new character.



Next, we'll be making our first Mystic Code (I'm not counting the one you have by default). As I mentioned, QP is basically the game's currency that you get by killing enemies in the combat stages. Once you have enough, you can make a new one. You may also need particular parts, ranked B to S, as part of the crafting process. Assuming you have everything, feel free to make one. You can preview what you'll get in the box on the right.

We'll be making the Cohort Mantle, which adds the (decoy) skill to the one we already had (though it is a separate Mystic Code). (decoy) is pretty good one, though I regret I forgot to use it in the coming up stage. Well, that's about all the preparation we can do.



And this is the Stage Select. The game mentions you can go back and play old stages, with a choice between "Play the whole Chapter" or "Play the Battle stage". The difference is that the first will incorporate the entire stage, beginning and all, whereas the second will start at the fight's beginning and incorporate the ending. We will pressing forward at all times.

Before you start a stage, you can check out the mini-map for the upcoming stage, previewing any peculiaries about the stage. Here, you can see we have two Servant allies (Li Shuwen and Cu Chulainn), and we've got a lot of red to clear out.



Before you begin, you can also check out the recommended levels. I would highly advise you play Normal for a while, at least until Nero's at level 15 or something. Higher difficulties adds the usual "More damage done to you", but Hard and above (Very Hard is only unlocked after finishing the final chapter of the game's story) add a few more surprises on top of that. We'll be ignoring that for now.


A familiar battlefront





For Type-Moon veterans, the look of this stage should be instantly recognizable. It's based on none other than Fuyuki City, a fictional city in Japan that is the setting of stay night, hollow ataraxia, and zero. While we won't be hitting up all the major landmarks, we'll be hitting a few. While slaughtering a bunch of mooks, of course.



Can you hear me, Your Majesty? it is time to release the Regalia's hidden power.

It has a hidden power? I knew it!

Indeed. By its Royal Authority, you can draw mana from the Moon Cell.

Directly from the Moon Cell...? So even the Moon Cell itself provides tribute to its ruler, then.

Your Majesty, Hakuno Kishinami, both of you need to pour your own mana into the Regalia first.

Yes, understood! I'm counting on you, Praetor!



Pouring mana into the Regalia... Since I'm fused with the ring, I can easily visualize how to do that. I wrap around Saber's finger and move as close to her as possible. I try to imagine the paths of the intertwined circuits. The ring, connected to Saber. Myself. I lay my breathing over hers. I lay my mana over hers. And...


Flame Poem Stage 2



















Yep, upon activating the Moon Crux for Nero, she'll transform her combat abilities, adding on jet-powered rocket boots and fire-spewing cestuses to smack them around with the best of them. Nero's attacks become considerably more powerful, and every basic strike will stagger an enemy. There's still square for weaker attacks and triangle for stronger, but with the damage you're outputting, there's not much of a difference.

It's actually fairly hard to control Nero with her jumping around so much, but most her attacks will involve launching up into the air and crashing back down. Basically, if I really tried, I could attempt to learn exactly what everything does. But when a super power mode is activated, is your first instinct to learn how everything is played and control yourself rationally? Of course not. You just want to smack things around.



But alas, the fun must end sometime. You'll be able to charge up for next time by killing enemies and attacking, as you might expect. Luckily the game isn't too stingy with such things, and within any given stage, you'll be able to activate it 3-4 times.



Now, this particular area? I'm fairly sure this area is based on the arena where the first battle of Fate/zero, between Lancer and Saber, took place.



Once you've conquered this land (as in the first stage, the starting sector is locked down until you take it over)...





This place is already under my eye... Locked in my Blood Fort Andromeda.





Archimedes will helpfully point out which Sectors are responsible for the maintaining of the Blood Fort.



While it's not immediately obvious, the Blood Fort is sapping the strength of you and your buddies. If you suffer too long under it, you lose. So, there's not much time to waste. We'll be going in counter-clockwise order, starting from the northeast.



For an overview, Cu will quickly advance from G to C, conquering it, and will then head to I, taking it over, and also stopping there. He's a brother, is what I'm saying. Li Shuwen is holding F, but about 10 tons of shit is headed his way. There's also two Plants this time, so there's a lot of ground to cover.



Just as a random aside, I do like the detail of having one of the Blood Fort runes on the floor of the target Sectors. Medusa did the same thing in stay night, and she used runes to do it, but that one just covered a single school, because her Master was crap.



After a bit, one of the enemy Servants will attack. None other than the Berserker, Lu Bu. Now, you might want to help Li Shuwen, but with the Blood Fort Andromeda present, Lu Bu is *considerably* more powerful than you, and, even with the Regalia, is basically invulnerable from attack.

That's not to say Li won't hold out for a while, but he's basically doomed. The best thing you can do for him as things stand is to dispel the Blood Fort as soon as possible. Once Lu Bu is finished with his fellow Chinese Servant, he'll come after Cu Chulainn. Ideally, that's when you take him down.



With our allies under attack everywhere, and with few territorial holdings, our backs are against the wall. But that's when a cornered animal is most dangerous. The enemy's Sector Key gauge will start to pulsate, and the DANGER icon will show up when a few more enemy conquests will result in your defeat. Best get your ass in gear to make sure that doesn't happen.

But, you know, I've been thinking...



Even with all this red, this is no place for a lover of the arts and a burning fiery spirit of passion like Nero Claudius. This is dirty work here, which means it's perfect for Nameless.



Yes, with a simple press of the left d-pad button, you can change to Nero's lieutenant Nameless (and no one else. That'll never change). That's how you use Mystic Codes, just pressing the corresponding d-pad button when there's an icon corresponding to the button.

Now, while Nameless is a lot of fun when he gets all his moves, he's somewhat limited at such a low level. That's not to say he's not still fun, however. His most effective move right now is S S T, where he'll jump into the air, ready his bow and a sword-turned-explosive arrow Caladbolg, and fire it straight at the ground, scattering anyone in the blast radius. It can very quickly take you out of danger and deliver some payback to the crowd below. Very effective when utilized properly.

His basic triangle attack is an arrow fired in a straight line, which also has a lot of utility. His S T is also an arrow that will knock nearby targets into the air, ripe for follow-up.



Nameless also has a special ability shared by a few others. Do you see that yellow gauge with READY over it? By pressing L1 + T, you'll go into this brief animation.



He'll transform his twin blades Kanshou and Bakuya into Kanshou and Bakuya Overedge, where they have longer reach and I think a bit more damage. The Overedge version of the swords are a direct reference to the 2006 Fate/stay night anime, where Nameless (also more generally well-known as Archer) used Overedge in his climactic battle against Berserker (which was a fight that was referenced but never seen in the original visual novel). Nasu liked them so much they've been incorporated back into other entries in the series, and are never far behind when Nameless shows up.

To be honest, there is a LOT to talk about with Nameless, but bear with me. A more appropriate time will come, trust me. Before we get back to the gameplay, one more fun little fact: Nameless was the first-ever seen Servant in the entire franchise. He first showed up in the prologue to Fate/stay night, so his connection with this stage is highly appropriate. A long, long pedigree surrounds this man.





His Extella Maneuver is also good. This is actually a reference to a single line he used in stay night, and that special sword he's using, well... We'll get to that, too.

Another note about his L1 + T thing is that it has a short cooldown between uses, but it's never too long. I sometimes forget about it, but it is (almost) always there.



All but two Servants also have an Over Limit mode, but it's called the Moon Drive, and it's basically a less-elaborate version of Nero's. There's no dramatic transformation sequence or changed moves, just powered-up versions of that Servant's regular attacks. As before, every regular attack will stagger the enemy, and you are (mostly) invulnerable to stagger yourself.

After taking over this Sector, my current agenda is to sweep through the left-center of the map, taking out one of the two Plants on our way to the last Blood Fort Sector.



One of the things I really like about this game are the basic attack animations for a lot of characters. A lot of subtle flourishes and details are added to even basic attacks, that you might not even notice a lot. For example, Nameless' air attack ends with him tossing a spear he conjured up (projected, if you want to use the proper term for it) and knocking the target down. I'll point out others as I notice / find them worthy of mention.



If I could help, I would...

Also, here's a weird fact for you. When you are not in an allied Servant's sector, they actually have a lot more health than when you are. It's hard to notice at first, but when there's a super-powered Servant like Lu Bu attacking, they go down pretty fast to their attacks when you're around. For both of our sakes, I'm gonna stay away.



When it comes to leveling up, sub-Servants are permanently tied to the host Servant. For example, right now, Nero is leveling up, not Nameless, who has his own levels. This is why I'm not going to play as sub-Servants at all after this. This is Nero's story, not his. He'll get his time in the sun (and, I mean, as of the last character poll, which admittedly was done a while ago, Nameless was the most popular male Type-Moon character, and he's got some stiff competition. We need to show our love to those less popular), but that day is far off.



Lu Bu's first conquest is complete. We'll need to go to Cu's aid, and fast. Also, that's an Install Skill, if you see these out in the field.







Well, now things are looking much nicer, indeed. I think Nameless can go back to his regular duties, and Nero can wrap the rest of this up nicely.



The appearance of this temple, called the Ryudou Temple, is a reference to the final sequence of FSN's second route, Unlimited Blade Works.





Also, that bottle in the back there is a Sake Jug or whatever. It fully restores the Extella Gauge. Also picked up the Phantasm Circuit located just beyond. My agenda now is to reassert my control over the two most northern-sectors under attack, then swing around and take out the last Plant and take on Lu Bu.



Nero's transformation sequence, while nice, is rather long, so I'll be skipping it with the PS4's touchpad when it comes up in the future. Well, mostly. You can skip every cutscene with the touchpad, for the record.



A fine result. One Extella Maneuver took over the entire Sector, and stopped two invasions before they started. There's also a Phantasm Circuit here. Now to confront one of China's great warlords.







I guess I should have expected it as a possibility, but there was a little intentional slowdown here, and I know I didn't get parried. It was actually Cu getting parried, because Lu was blocking. I don't think I've ever seen that happen before, actually.



You gotta have a super-powered slap fight between Servants, right? Well, Lu Bu has activated his Moon Drive (whose transformation is one thing that can stagger a Moon Drive / Crux), and he's blocking. What to do...



Why, break the sonuva bitch's guard, of course. While transformed, circle will throw out a special attack that will break right through any enemy guard, while also doing a ton of damage. This attack is rife for follow-up, if necessary, of course. Here, it took out Lu Bu entirely, which means we're done with the biggest menace to our conquest of Digital Fuyuki.

The guard break is also why you should NEVER try to block an Over Limit'd enemy Servant. They have no qualms about guard breaking you, and trust me, that attack hurts. The reason you don't spam is is there's a bit of a wind-up on it.

Well, after killing one more Aggressor, the greater part of the battle is definitely in our favor. Only one Sector remains in enemy hands (right in the center, where Li Shuwen fell). Time to-



Cu is currently under attack by the Boss Servant, but she'll come after us on her own. Cu's gonna be just fine.



Two sectors are under attack. The fall of even one would prevent me from getting an EX rank here, if I defeat Medusa after that happens but before I take them back. Luckily, the game still considers both under our control until they actually fall into enemy hands. As long as we finish the Boss Servant off before that happens, we'll be fine.





But of course, won't be that easy.



One particularly hilarious detail you'll see every now and then is that enemy Servants who are close to the center of a Sector, when that Sector is conquered by you, just go FLYING.

I feel any game where characters can go flying for silly reasons is a good one.

But less funny for her, is that I NP'd her shortly thereafter. Hopefully I can finish her off quickly.



Unfortunately, it was not to be. Never mind, we'll resolve this momentarily.



Running away from Boss Servants will cause them to get mad at you and chase after you. Luckily, I am not overly concerned with their opinions.



It is just not her day.



There's always time to strike a pose.


Cinderella Girl



Is that easy enough to understand? Communication in battle must be swift and clear.



Hey, it's like an amusement park!

The "World of Tamamo" is the first thing I think of. It's rather long, I suppose...

But also rather brilliant! Oh, but we shouldn't call it that. It sounds too flattering. She is our enemy, after all. Now, only a few Tamamo Domains are left. Let us return to My Room and...





All of SE.RA.PH belongs to me! Tamamo? Regalia? What are those, appetizers? There's no need for Wizards or Servants anymore. All we need is for every sentient being in the world to bow to me. See, I'm...





It's you...

Yep, it's me! Now pinker and more powerful than ever! Dark Eli! No, make it Dark Eliza! Yes, call me that, you little squirrel!

Uh... Hmm.

I see Nero is as breathless as anyone.

Hehehe, hehehehehehe...! Oh, what's with the face? You surprised? You scared? Yeah, I can smell your fear from here! I, Dark Eli, the most beautiful princess ever to spawn from the depths, have come to conquer SE.RA.PH! And yes, I also go by Dark Eliza!

She has a lot of nicknames, actually. Aside from her actual name, she also likes Eli, the two she mentions above, and she has one more later in the game. I'm not sure why Nasu thought the Fate series needed a vampire dragon idol, but now that she's here, you don't see me complaining.

Dark Eliza. Well, it's simple. Like, "Tamamo Domain" simple. But that Servant... She has something in common with Saber, that's for sure...

Dark Erzabet... I... I see... This is all highly unfortunate... I have nothing more to say.

It's Dark Eli! Or Dark Eliza! What the hell name did YOU just call me?! Is my perfect new costume throwing off your eyesight or something?!

Oh, no, your costume is magnificent! Such melodic majesty, my archrival, who drives me to grow stronger with every clash! You may have changed your appearance, but you are, no doubt, my strongest bandmate, Elizabeth Bathory!

It should be noted that Elizabeth Bathory is known as Hungary's Blood Countess, who, if we're going by her reputation, was probably not an overly pleasant person. This form of the Countess is from before she committed her crimes, but I'm still not sure how we get from "Elizabeth Bathory before the bloodshed" to "Wannabe-Top Idol".

It should be noted I am still not complaining.

Uh... Ack... Urgh...! Y-Yeah. That's right! Same as usual, Saber.

Now then, rival. The Praetor and I have business to attend to, so we must be off. But on the day when SE.RA.PH unites again, let us hold another concert and rise to even greater heights together.

Huh, a collaboration concert? R-Really? Y-You'd share your stage with me? ...Wait, NO! That's not what I'm talking about! Not at all!

Hm?



As your rival, and as the soon-to-be top idol of SE.RA.PH, I'm going to give you a first and final warning. Don't get in my way...and give me that Regalia now. Or I'll tear your Master's limbs off like big, meaty caterpillars.

That will never happen. The Regalia and the Praetor belong to me. Heed my words and understand.

Wh-What?! You're brushing off my whole monologue? Just gimme! Besides, it's weird for you to be the King! I ought to be a bigger King than you!

Hmm, and what about you is "bigger" than me? Nothing I can see. Do you follow me, Praetor?

I'm not even talking about that! And even if I were, I can make them bigger anytime I want!

Sorry, Dark Eli, but you can't. When Heroic Spirits are first created, they're already given their ideal form. No matter how much you may grow as a person, you...well, you'll never grow THAT way.

Basically, a place called the Throne of Heroes is the big dimensional bank all Heroic Spirits are drawn from. When an individual has acquired enough fame, having ingratiated themselves into the human experience, a new Heroic Spirit is created. When they die, they are then brought to the Throne of Heroes for all eternity, where they can be loaned out in any time or place for any number of reasons, in any number of circumstances.

The Throne of Heroes exists outside of all timelines and possibilities, and its members are as immutable as the mountains. When a Servant disappears (since they're not living things, they can't die, per se), they return to the Throne, to be loaned out again whenever they respond to a particular summon, be it from a simple Master or the Moon Cell itself. Heroic Spirits themselves are not limited to any region, time, or era. The oldest Servant on record so far is none other than the legendary king Gilgamesh, and the most recent (by birth) is Mata Hari, and by death, Nikola Tesla.

Yes, unless you are skilled at constructing new bodies, you're forever stuck in that one. But worry not. I find you adorable just as you are.

...Hmph. You just don't get it. You're thinking too small, that's your problem! I won't be tied down to SE.RA.PH's rules. And I don't need to overthrow you to get what I want. I'll overthrow the Moon Cell itself. That's right. Then I'll be the Great King of Terror, and reign like the god of the red planet!

"Great King of Terror...?" Why does that sound familiar?

Yes, where have I heard that before...? Somewhere in some minor culture's mythology, perhaps?

Seriously, you don't know the Great King of Terror? I'm quoting a pretty famous prophet here. You ever heard of him? Well, I'm going to bring that prophecy to life! And I'll be a BIG new star! Dark Eli Angolmois! ...Or something!

I hereby request everyone refer to Elizabeth as "Dark Eli Angolmois" until further notice.

Are you not merely plagiarizing...? Still the same as always... Dark Erzabet...



Quit calling me that! I told you to cut that out!



...Whatever. I'm done with this little sparring match. Remember, final warning! I'll never lose again. You'll never lock me up, and I don't need redemption. If evil's all I can be, that evil will bloom like a bloody flower. And I'll never hold back, no matter who I'm up against. Soldiers, bosses, chosen wielders of the Regalia, whoever! Cross me again, and you'll regret it. Saber. Hakuno Kishinami.



...There goes Elizabeth. Strange, she didn't seem her usual self. Regardless, we have realms to conquer. Let us return to My Room and prepare.

*nod*