FE8 - No Mounts Low Turn Counts Run: Prologue to Chapter 2

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MoogleBoss

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Published on September 25, 2013 4:11:02 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE8ueYNEHsE

Game:

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (2004)

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Vlog

Duration: 8:27

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22

Sick and tired of Sacred Stones runs? WELL I HOPE NOT, because I started another one. Playing challenges in this one game has been common practice for me in the last couple or so years, though most were unfinished as well as unpublished, so the only change is that I'm a little more sure the runs will be finished and I also feel like uploading them. So that's how that is.

The theme of this run is that no mounted units can be used for combat, infrastructure or even utility like visiting villages. That makes this another Sethless challenge, yet also lacking the top two draft picks in Franz and Vanessa, as well as other proficient mounted units (Kyle and Forde, Tana, Duessel, Eph!Cormag) and paths for unpromoted characters (Ranger!Gerik/Neimi, Mage Knight!Lute, Great Knight!Gilliam).

Though the lack of cavalry and fliers (besides Myrrh and Knoll's Phantoms way later) slows us down by default, this governing core behind all decisions made in this run is the accumulation of lowest turns by the end of the challenge. If the Female Only Challenge can finish the game in 93 turns, losing a dozen or so turns to a lowest turns run with a full party, how long will this one take? Let's play it out and see.

Rules in greater detail:
1) Only infantry units (i.e. cannot Canto) can fight, move other foot units around and visit villages.
2) In chapter 2, Vanessa is allowed to rescue Ross lest he gets killed. Franz and L'Arachel can be fielded to recruit Amelia and Rennac respectively, and we'll see if I end up using this chance, we'll see.
3) In Ephraim's early maps (5x and 8), the usage of Orson, Kyle and Forde is prohibited (so it's an Eph solo).
4) No skirmishes or Tower of Valni visits (I doubt I want an armour Amelia lol).

So far I haven't decided whether I'm going with Eirika or Ephraim after map 8 and I'm open to suggestions and advice.

So let's go?

Prologue - 2 turns

The generic Prologue 2-turn with the 1 RN burn letting Eirika critkill the two Bandits and the boss, followed by an offensive level-up (without Eirika sometimes fail to double and 2HKO Bandits in the next map but you get it each time so). Sorry Seth, this is yet another run you're missing out on.

Chapter 1 - 5 turns

Eirika can solo this map alone in the same 5 turns, and there's not much Gilliam can do to help. A 4-turn is not possible because Gilliam cannot kill the boss (doesn't double or have even 1% crit) to let Eirika seize, so she has to do the work on her lonesome anyway. I have Gilliam engage the southeasternmost reinforcements for experience and he even emerges with a +spd level-up at the end. Sweet (though +str is actually preferred for the next map).

Gilliam's mobility is a problem and even as a General he only matches the unpromoted units in movement, but an additional unit sure is helpful to have.

Chapter 2 - 5 turns

Vanessa and Mouldah join, latter fully usable. Vanessa is allowed to help recruit Ross here, who might otherwise die due to having scrubby base stats. Garcia is left alone so that he can deal with the archer down south. Gilliam lures the reinforcements from the hills (they proc'd less defence so he actually 2HKOs them albeit with WTD) while Eirika travels south to deal with the boss and Ross follows her to earn some exp. Moulder can't heal each turn and sometimes has to stay away from enemies' range not to spoil the enemy phases, so he spends some of that time visiting villages. Moulder... has some interesting uses in this run, as you will soon see.

Garcia and Ross are great characters. Garcia has nice base stats which make him very reliable early on, but having to share the first Hero Crest with Gerik and Joshua is competition that can be too much for him. Ross's bases suck but he levels up quickly enough to compensate for it and if he takes the Pirate route after level 10 his water and peak walk abilities provide unique utility to the army. For now both will be used.

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