This builds their relationship for support and helps you shelter weaker units from perishing

The same addictive gameplay from the previous titles returns with new mechanics, like unit merging for stat bonuses, and receiving boots to evasion and hit rate when allies are close by

Combining two of your best units together make a super-strong pair, and adding knights to mages will increase their flimsy defenses

The missions also feature harder units as the game goes on to provide the same difficulty throughout the entire game

This affects strategy because you cannot save your weaker units if you chose to have to them act in an enemies' line of movement

and I would lose units to permadeath

so nobody gets surrounded -- with a mix of melee and ranged attacks, each unit can be attacked by up to twelve enemies at once, and most units can't survive that.

They simply involve running ahead with strong units and keeping weaker units away from the fighting

The ability to choose between classic (units die forever) or casual (units are only gone for the current battle) which is something I didn't enjoy in previous games

If you have two units reach the "S" level support they will even get married and have kids, who may join you later on down the road

Your team is comprised of enough units to actually try different tactics, such as using tanks to defend mages, archers teamed with cavalry, or wizards paired with swordsmen

(some units work better together than others), the depth and uniqueness of the characters, class changes and upgrades

As units meet in battle, supporting characters will often throw taunts at the enemy then gloat in their victory after the opposing unit is defeated

Can be a tad on the easy side if you get the downloadable maps and grind your units to where it's not a challenge anymore.

However, in my experience of playing hard mode (classic) the AI actually uses its units to concentrate on the weaker units making strategy much more in depth

It didn't take long before my units were *too strong* for the main story.

Not only can your unit participate in battle, but you can support with any other character in your group

As units meet in battle, supporting characters will often throw taunts at the enemy then gloat in their victory after the opposing unit is defeated

Also the ability to more fully customize your favorite units in game is something I very much enjoy as every character has at-least two extra class options that can be accessed using a second-seal in game

Would have been more fun if more strategy was needed than pair up my 2 favorite units into one, block entire passageway with them.

You will definitely find yourself picking favorite units and creating marriages between your favorite characters

Although a strategy RPG, it's more of throwing your powerful unit with a powerful pair and throwing them in the middle of a battle field and watch them dominate the enemy.

They simply involve running ahead with strong units and keeping weaker units away from the fighting

The ability to choose between classic (units die forever) or casual (units are only gone for the current battle) which is something I didn't enjoy in previous games

Again, I can see what they are trying to do with the "pair up" system in helping your weaker units leveling up(which is very helpful) but it's more of just over powering your units and a MUST when it comes to fighting the enemy

Move your units on the grid, attack

Knights always reaches your weaker units.

Usually this gives me a team of units that can handle any mission with like four units, which is always fun

It makes the game that much more interesting, even if you will find yourself reseting much of the time to recover those units

There is even a newcasual mode that allows for your units to return after they've fallen, unlike previous fireemblem titles where they die for good and don't come back

I was interested in Shadow Dragon (the previous DS installment) but stayed away from it because I thought it would be too frustrating for me to permanently lose units

It seems anomalous to me to actually hope that your defending unit does not kill an attacking unit in a counter attack.

The only criticism I have is that, while the game is designed to make the player try to preserve each character to avoid permanent death (assuming you're not playing easy-mode), the AI uses a kamikaze/suicide bomber style, throwing unit after unit against you with no regard for death/harm, which of course will whittle down even your strongest units if you're unlucky

If you realize you are over-leveled or that turning on perma-death was a mistake, you are screwed*The AI relies too heavily on killing your weakest unit to make you restart the level in frustration (assuming you have perma-death

On top of that the fact that you can pair up any 2 units and boost the stats of the current active unit is a amazing feature

This is an interesting attempt as if you played previous Fire Emblem you would always have some useless units who doesn't do anything or is not needed because they're too weak.

Move your unit a fixed number of tiles, attack a foe standing next to you (or, in the case of some units such as archers, 2-3 tiles away), or heal a character nearby (in the case of other units)

Around halfway through is when I first noticed the gap, and while there were still some elements to each battle requiring a dash of planning, there was little fear of either failure or losing a unit unless I went completely reckless, two points yanking all tension from the experience.

your units can be still be used even if they fall in battle or if you choose normal difficulty they are gone for ever if they die during battle

Enemy units will gang up on your weakest units, making things even more frustrating

Want to level a weak unit without the constant threat of dying

There is just nothing quite like the feeling of losing a favorite unit on the battlefield

There are only two types of battles: beat a boss (not a spectacularly exotic and fantastic "boss" in the Zelda sense - just another unit hanging out somewhere on the grid), or beat every monster on the grid

When a defending unit kills an attacking unit with a counterattack, the tile that the attacking unit was occupying is vacated, allowing subsequent attacking units to move into the same space.

Endless game play compared to previous games- Flexibility in your ability to create the perfect team- DLC and new classesThings to improve:- Some of the powers (armsthrift and galeforced have dominated the game) and I wish only a few units could use them (like maybe only 1 or

It doesnt feel like Tharja would call your unit/avatar useless when she blocks an attack, especially if they are married

There is just nothing quite like the feeling of losing a favorite unit on the battlefield

You have to be ready to have your weak units attacked if you move them badly

(u of course dont have to worry about those on normal difficulty)Storyline and characters

its, a great game i

I understand the dichotomy is a part of the series' charm, and not one I can wholly fault as I'm the target market for oddities

n’t take advantage of that