Part 10: Chapter #5: Nordilain Assault, Part 2

Chapter 5: Nordilain Assault Continued



Er....the dialogue from last time made it seem as though our party had accidentally invaded Nordilain, but sure.

: I have ordered our spies to find out whatever they can of the relationship between Nordilain and the Empire. I also have some happier news...we have completely destroyed the cave those bandits were using.
: We, ah have repaired the damage to the castle, so, uh, there should be no problem defending it now.
: Ah, but I imagine the Empire believed the same thing before we came and took it from them. We must remain vigilant. It's impossible to know precisely when the next attack will come.
: Ah, yes, of course.



A messenger cometh!

: Indeed. We have received a visitor to Araba--a messenger from the Muspel Nation, asking to see His Highness.
: The Muspel Nation?! I must say that I'm apprehensive to learn what harebrained scheme Radcot's come up with now.
It involves a platypus and the mechanical incarnation of a Babylonian God.
: I might agree with you if I knew who Radcot WAS...
: He's the ruler of the Muspel Nation, a nefarious man who is constantly scheming to expand his influence. Muspel has engaged Avalon in warfare for many years. Occasional hit-and-run strikes on our border. Radcot's guerrilla tactics are the reason that Avalon cannot send more soldiers to fight the Empire. We have long suspected a connection between Radcot and the Empire, but proof has eluded us for years.
: What would you have us with the messenger?
: Send the snake back to the desert!
: With pleasure, Duke Zeira.



A choice! And one that actually has real consequences! I could let you all vote, but I'll just show off both paths.

: Actually, Zeira, I'll meet with him. What's the worst that could happen?
: I very strongly advise against this, Your Highness! Radcot is not to be trusted under any circumstances!
Oh, Galvas, there you are, stuck in the failed politics of the past. Only be engaging with our enemies, as well as our friends, can our great nation move forward!
: That may well be true, Galvas, but I shall hear what he has to say before I decide not to trust it! Please, bring the messenger here.
: Yes, your highness!
It must suck to be a peon. You apparently are required by law to wear bangs so long that they cover your eyes, your rulers are complete morons, and your only function besides playing messenger is dying in ATAC battles.
: (This is a mistake, Your Highness. A grave mistake which shall result in grave consequences...)
: I present to you the messenger of the Muspel Nation.



: Currently, the Duke is at war with the Southern Alliance, and requests your help securing victory.
If you take anything away from this update, know this: You don't fuck with the Southern Alliance!
: Duke Radcot asks you to travel to the Muspel Nation, where you and he can discuss these matters personally.
: I can scarcely believe what I'm hearing! If Radcot wishes to enlist our aid, why didn't he come and ask us personally?
: Duke Radcot wished to travel here in person, but was detained by news of the Ultragunner.
: Yeah, sure he...what?!
: What does Radcot know of the Ultragunner?!
: I was not told any of the rumors, sir. Only that the Duke found them to be quite interesting. Do you accept Duke Radcot's offer to visit us in Muspel, Prince Bastion?



Hmmm...so should we trust a lying liar who lies and wants us to come to his country where he has an army at his disposal?

: Yes. Tell him I will depart soon.
Courage!
: Highness!
: I implore you to reconsider, Bastion! This cannot be anything but some kind of trap!
: Inform the Duke that I intend to bring an entourage with me, of course.
: I shall return to Muspel at once and inform the Duke of your impending arrival, Prince Bastion. Thank you for your hospitality and graciousness. Good day to you.
: Bastion, you know I hold you in the highest regard, but what in THE hell is going on in your head?
I don't know, Zeira, but at least he knows how TO properly inflect.
: I don't want the war with the Empire to drag on any longer than necessary, Zeira. It must end quickly. And to do that, I need two things: a massive army, and the Ultragunner ATAC. If I meet with Duke Radcot, perhaps I can acquire both.
: I fear that all you acquire from associating with Radcot is a dagger in the back...
: Perhaps so, Zeira...but isn't it worth taking the risk at this point? If you were at peace with Muspel, you could devote more of your forces to defeating the Empire.
: Perhaps true, but...
: No "buts," Zeira. You promised that you would support my decisions, and I ask you to support this one.
: Your other decisions were the right ones, Bastion! It's much harder to follow the wrong ones!
: Zeira...
: You're a born leader, Bastion. That's for certain. I'll accompany you, despite my reservations...but I reserve the right to say "I told you so!"
Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that Bastion reserves the right to have you flogged for insubordination.
: As you wish, Zeira. Enough time has been wasted. Let's prepare for the journey...



Everyone but Ione and Zeira file out



: And doesn't it seem strange that the Empire captured Araba so easily?
: Are you implying what I think you are, Duke Zeira?
: I am only noting that caution may be the best course where Ganlon is concerned. I shall stay here and keep watch on him. He's up to something...and I intend to find out what.
: I pray you're wrong, for all our sakes, Zeira.



: You and I both know that Radcot is scheming something! He doesn't merit any sort of trust! Your Highness, please listen to us! There is still time to return home and forgo this foolishness!
Man, with this many warnings, you know this is going to be good! Just like lawn darts! Or slap bracelets!
: Galvas, your concern is duly noted...and duly ignored. This matter is settled. I don't wish to hear any more of your complaints! Is that understood?
: Like I've said before, Bastion has his own manner of making decisions. Our job is support the decisions he makes. Just because we hold the advantage in years does not automatically imbue us with more wisdom, Galvas.
: You speak so blithely of the future of the Kingdom and the Continent! This is of the utmost seriousness! What will we do if Duke Radcot has set a trap, as we suspect?
: Well, you will protect me from harm, of course! I would want no one else at my side, Galvas. Your strength and honor are without equal!
: Your Highness! I am most unworthy of such high praise...But I cannot deny that your kind words fill me with pride! I will protect you even if I have to give up my life to protect yours!
: Bastion's quite a smooth talker!
: That's certainly true, Reyna! I don't believe I've ever seen Galvas blush like that before!



Going down to Muspel! In case you're wondering, the Southern Alliance is just past the Muspel Nation, to the south. But you can't handle the Southern Alliance...

: Duke Radcot is already on his way to meet with you, and he will arrive soon.
: Radcot is meeting with us here, in the middle of the desert? That strikes me as highly unusual...
: Duke Radcot is here! Excellent! Please move forward to meet with him
Preferably on the giant red x...

END CHAPTER 5

But now, for a bonus. You've probably noticed that my tactics haven't been...outstanding, and I'm leaving a lot of XP on the table. That's a fair point, although I have my reason for doing it the way I'm doing it. Still, you deserve to see the best, so here's a better version of the Chapter 5 battle...



Step One: Keep your forces together. DO NOT split them! The AI doesn't really know how to deal with a massed formation, and there is not a single attack in this game that can hit more than one ATAC at a time.



The AI will rush at your block in a haphazard way, exposing its back to you. In later levels, you'll need to keep your formation tight even at this point, but as long as you don't let your forces get too far apart (thus letting the enemy attack you piecemeal), the bandits aren't that much of a threat. Also, the looming Nordilain Assault means you don't have the time to overly cautious.



At this point, the bandits are basically done, and Zeira is tying up the Bandit Chief, the only bandit who's even marginally a threat. At this point, the Nordilains will attack. Finish off the bandits first, and try and keep your units as far away from the Nordilains as possible until you can reform your unit into a block. Unlike the bandits, massed attacks from Claire and her troops can really fuck you up.



Now all you need is a lure. Zeira, still controlled by the AI, will handle that role whether you like it or not. He's not going to win a fight with all of those Nordilains, but he'll give you the time you need to bring your units together. He'll probably die, but seeing as he'll almost certainly knock Claire, and thus the rest of the Nordilains out of the fight given a chance, you'll probably have to let him die.



At this point, you can knock out the Nordilains and Shion. Do it one, or at most two, at a time, because if you can get them past 60 FP, not too difficult since Fireball cost 24 FP as an attack, and 49 FP as a counter, they won't move or attack their next turn. Protect Reyna. Look at the amount of damage that Claire can do to Galvas, Reyna has much less defense than he does.



Be cautious. It's easy to lose a unit by being overly aggressive. Still, it will get progressively easier as the Nordilains die off. The only concern is that you can't take out Claire until you've killed everyone else, but you can mitigate that by constantly attacking her with weaker attacks to keep her FP above 60.



Eventually, Claire will be alone. As you can see, it is possible to kill Claire outright, although I kind of screwed it up here. All you need is an attack capable of doing more than half of Claire's health in a single hit, like Devlin's fireball.

: Like, you guys are good! I can totally see why Faulkner got spanked at Araba Castle. I must leave for now, but, like, let's have a rematch soon, okay?

Next Time: In a parallel universe!