First battles revisited: avoiding a counter now does not prevent enemy-phase follow-upsMinor spoilers
Replan actions and positioning after a missed follow-up threat, uneven auto-battle experience, and chariot attack warnings.
Original video: Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave launch-day stream replay; Bilibili creator CSZDCR.
Initiating is safer, but watch for follow-ups
First inspect the boss’s buffs and find the three devices. Damage, Attack Speed, and Hit are boosted, so attacking its health bar blindly is unsafe.
I overlooked Attack Speed. When initiating, the enemy could not counter, so I counted only my damage. On enemy phase, consecutive attacks immediately defeated the unit. I had to Rewind and reorder device removal, healing, and attacks.
When recalculating, compare combat art damage and Hit first, then share counterattack damage. Whoever stays forward must also avoid enemy follow-ups next turn. The other two allies are slow and repeatedly take follow-ups. A position the protagonist survives may not be safe for them.
Weapon traits and resource costs
| Weapon | Combat trait |
|---|---|
| Sword | Follow-up damage ×1.2 |
| Spear | Effective against cavalry |
| Axe | At least 5 damage |
| Bow | Effective against fliers |
| Gauntlets | Easier to evade attacks from weapons other than gauntlets |
Swords receive the extra follow-up damage only if they actually follow up. Against mounted enemies, expected lance damage also differs greatly from judging Might alone.
Check what remains after use. Sword durability spent on combat arts does not automatically return next battle, while displayed spell uses recover. Do not treat those two numbers as the same resource when preparing again.
Experience distribution and exploration time
Auto-battle in the mine is convenient, but the protagonist keeps acting and receives MVP again, widening the level gap. To train others, stop and adjust actions so they actually earn experience.
I also wanted to open shortcuts and collect chests. On leaving, it was already morning, unlike my estimate. What seemed sufficient before departure changed after the full trip. Recheck the date before traveling farther.
Merchant exchanges also change how ingredients are used. Materials I assumed were only food can buy medicine and equipment. Check exchange requirements before consuming everything casually.
Check carriage lines and approach large enemies carefully
Carriages travel between unlocked stations on the same line. I initially thought two nearby stations connected directly, then discovered they headed in different directions. Check the line and destination rather than treating every station icon as full-map teleportation.
Do not judge large enemies by appearance alone. This level-26 large unit came with a part-breaking tutorial. Comparing Defense and Attack Speed showed it could follow up against most allies besides the protagonist. My plan to clear everything had to stop for a route reassessment.
Chariot warning areas and shield Weight
A chariot preparing Onslaught displays a purple area and charges next turn. Allied units inside are hit together, and obstacles are destroyed. Check the impact area before assigning positions.
This battle also has controllable teal guest units. Experience from their kills is distributed to our team after clearing, and items they obtain enter the convoy. There is no need to keep them behind just to reserve experience and loot.
Fragile pillars can be toppled to block roads and trap enemies. If you can kill directly, though, there is no need for an extra mechanism detour.
Against a chariot, I wondered why 
Iron Spear suddenly dealt so much damage, then remembered spears are effective against cavalry. 
Iron Shield caused a different problem: Defense increased, but weight lowered Attack Speed, so I had to unequip it. Judge weapons and shields in the current fight: the target, follow-ups, and enemy follow-ups matter more than one isolated stat.
I later found that a link from an adjacent ally adds 1 Attack Speed, enough to change follow-up eligibility. If just short, reconsider allied positions as well as lighter equipment.