Part 34: Chapter #19: Capital Clash, Part 1

It's time.

Chapter #19: Capitol Clash

Briefing



: Nothing will stand in our way! Nothing!!

Interview



: Get a grip on your emotions, Bastion! If you fail, the world will be forever cloaked in darkness!
: The time is here and now, Bastion! Time to bathe Faulkner in the bright flames of your burning heart!
: Reyna said if I do a good job fighting the Imperials today, she'll let me dive into her muffins!
Sadly, due to a momentary tactical lapse of my part, Barlow doesn't do a good job.
: Faulkner thinks you a boy, Bastion, but he's wrong. You're a man, and I expect you to show him that!
: Bastion, I'll be honest. Even with my invaluable help, I'm stunned that we made it this far. Uh...good luck!
: Bastion! If you're not going to marry me, you're going to be my daddy instead!
Well, that's kind of creepy.
: Bastion, if I perish in this battle, I want your assurance that you will return my remains to Hibernia...
: You say you haven't changed at all, Bastion, but this journey has changed you in many ways.
: According to legend, the ultimate mystery of the Ultragunner can be unlocked with balanced power.

Mission



Hmmm. Three Sharkings. Not ideal, I suppose, but manageable.
: At last! Dhe Kingdom minions who haff defeated me so many times vill now taste defeat for dhemselffs! Fokkner has given me one more chance to prove myselff, ant I shall not vaste it! I vill dance dhe jig uff joy upon the burning wreckage uff your ATACs!
: We might be more intimidated if we understood what you were saying...
: Shut up! All units ATTACK!!



Huh.



Ah, seven Sharkings. Now that is a problem. Okay, here's the deal, you are surrounded by enemies, each of whom is stronger than the vast majority of your ATACs. It's possible to get through this mission without any casualties, but it's tricky, and I don't quite manage it in this playthrough, though part of that is due to poor luck on my part. For starters, the Sharkings will get their first turn before most of your troops and will launch Cutting Wheels at anyone in their range, so there's a good chance that several of your team members will be down to half-health before you can even move.



Okay, the first thing you need to do is understand that you can't stop all of the Sharkings from attacking. At best, you'll be able to direct them to attack the stronger members of your team. Collect your troops into two groups on either side of the fountain. It would be nice to get everyone together in one group, but the Sharkings are too fast to make that a realistic possibility.



After that, have your ATACs with Turbulence try and immobilize as many Sharkings as possible by driving up their FP. Then, attack any other Sharkings, but only with attacks they cannot counter, so collision and knockdown type attacks only. The Sharkings are tough, but, with a bit of time and planning, they'll start to go down...



...Except this mission has one last trick up its sleeve. The four Sharkings that attacked you from side and rear? When you kill one of them, another Sharking will arrive to take its place. This isn't a fight against seven Sharkings, it's a fight against eleven.



As you can see, Barlow's dead, and Devlin is soon to follow. Why? Well, Barlow just got a bit unlucky by being hit with a Cutting Wheel at the outset, and then catching another a few turns later, not much you can really do about that, seeing as the range for Turbulence and Cutting Wheel is the same. Now, Devlin? That was just a mistake on my part. Look at what I did. I put him right up against a Sharking. Some of your units will be able to survive that for a while, like Alden or Dionne, but Devlin sure as fuck can't, and it gets him killed.



After a while, Zakov will start moving towards the team. He's no more or less threatening that any other Sharking on the field.



Also, be prepared to move your ATACs around if one group is looking weak. Here, I moved Bastion and Andrew in once Barlow and Devlin bought it so that Alden and Milea wouldn't be next.



After a while, the reinforcements stop and it starts to get a bit easier as the total number of Sharkings on the map goes down. Well, it's time for Zakov's last gleaming...

: You never tire of taking a beating, do you, Zakov?
: You and your friends shall receive dhe vhooping on dhis day!



: I vill never forgive you for vhat you haff done to me? NEVER!! I spit on your Ultragunner! Ptooey!
: Did you just spit into the inside of your cockpit, dullard?
: Damn you! Not AGAIN!! I hate you! I HATE YOU ALL!!



Final Score: Bastion 11, Sharkings 2. Winning this mission is all about control. Control your troops' positions, control the Sharkings with Turbulence, and control the terror that comes with knowing that it still might not be enough.

: Let's hurry to the castle before any more of those damnable Sharkings crawl out of the foliage. It's just us and Faulkner now!



: Sadira?! Where have you been?!
: Bastion, I...I...

Next Time: Where the fuck has Sadira been?