Chapter 5: An Ominous ClashMinor spoilers

At the start, wait for nearby enemies to approach. Break barricades and advance while rain disables the artillery instead of rushing its operators. If your own units lack damage, rely on the guest squad, especially Anatolia, for your main offense. When the rain stops, heal the front line before checking artillery Range on both flanks. The ballista you can operate fires only downward and cannot help your northward advance. Bartholomé advances on his own. Block the passage with a unit who can take his attacks, and calculate survival against two shots when taking arrows.

Let nearby enemies approach before the rain#

Two barricades block the route to the artillery, so you cannot reach the operators immediately. Advance slowly and wait for rain, then break through while the artillery is disabled.

Before taking a nearby kill, check whether enemies to the upper left can kill your unit at its destination next turn. If moving forward for the kill is fatal, stay where you are and let the enemy approach. Do not lose a unit for that one kill.

Break obstacles in the rain and use guests for damage#

Approach 1: if your own units lack damage, rely on the guest squad to advance, with Anatolia handling most of the offense. Even if your front line can withstand physical attacks, check the mages behind the enemy separately. Do not keep tanking magic with insufficient Resistance. Terrain slows your advance, so check that you can reach an attack position before committing.

Approach 2: break the obstacles during the rain, then move Theodora across to throw stones. Check whether the throw can secure a kill first. A guest character’s Blaze Art is another option for the artillery, but confirm that the art is ready before planning around it.

A unit with 28 HP has 8 left after taking 20 damage, but movement distance still matters. If 4 Movement cannot reach the planned tile, attack next turn or use a skill to cover the distance.

Heal when the rain stops, then check both artillery flanks#

When the rain stops, heal your forward units and check artillery Range on both flanks. Do not assume the edge of the map is safe. If both sides are threatened, consider passing through the center while checking whether your units are blocking the passage. The operable ballista fires only downward, so it cannot remove the enemies ahead.

Check ordinary bow users before pushing farther too. There are two Archers ahead, and moving straight up exposes you to concentrated fire. Do not calculate artillery damage alone.

Block the boss and calculate damage from two arrows#

Approach 1: after Bartholomé comes out on his own, block the passage with a unit who can currently survive his attacks and wait for him to approach.

Approach 2: if you engage as the boss moves right and the rain is about to stop, calculate survival against 17 Attack Speed and two shots before considering a rear attack. Do not budget HP for only one arrow.

Recheck maximum HP after using skills with drawbacks. The cost here includes a 10-point maximum HP reduction, with Theodora also losing 10. Calculate later incoming damage using the current maximum. Check equipment before acting after the rain stops too. Do not follow an earlier plan with a setup that has since switched to a sword. If you changed weapons by mistake, reload and reorganize.

Secure healing before budgeting for gifts#

If you lack healing, give Sofia food and complete her recruitment first. Then buy gifts and speak to each yellow-dot character to check who you can currently recruit. Turn in military preparation requests for Renown and rewards. Battalions sent exploring cannot be equipped at the same time, so account for that conflict during battle preparations.

Check equipment requirements before buying bows and leave money for gifts. If you cannot meet a new bow’s requirements, keep a Bronze Bow available. When money is tight, compare Killing Edge and Iron Sword Weight, Might, and Combat Art costs. The lighter Iron Sword can offer worthwhile Might, while normal attacks save money.

Chapter objective and guest units#