Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
The Ike Solo FAQ
Version 1.0, Created 4.15.2008
Copyright 2008 Michael Tanner, AKA shadow_arrowny
Version Information
1.0: 4.15.08 Well, here's my first FAQ! It's not formatted to be easily
searchable, and although at this point it's not super specific, I believe it
contains all of the necessary detail to complete a painless Ike solo.
CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION
THE WALKTHROUGH
CHAPTER _ (enter a number)
OTHER STUFF
INTRODUCTION
So one day I was bored over Christmas break and decided I needed something
to do while cleaning the house, and a moment of epiphany came: an Ike solo
on Fire Emblem! I mean, seriously, with only one character I could make a
move and then do something else (like cleaning) for 15 minutes while all of
the enemies moved -- especially if I left the animation on.
So you're probably thinking, "Ike SOLO? It was hard enough just using my
favorite characters without getting killed. How on earth is this supposed
to happen???" Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but it's not only possible
-- it's got to be one of the easiest ways to play the game, and perhaps the
fastest! Seriously. Even on hard mode. Only 2 chapters are problematic;
everything else is just watching the enemies run head-on into Ike's
outreached sword. And now you know why Ike is so incredibly powerful in
Smash Brothers.
The Rules
Simply put, you use Ike and only Ike for everything that you do, and avoid
using anyone else in your little shining force. The only problem is that
some levels force you to have other characters on the battlefield. In this
case, your job is to simply keep them out of the way as much as possible.
No letting Titania take hits for you, buddy (at least not on purpose). You
could just let everyone die in the chapter you get them, but you know it's
really boring to have Titania sit around while someone hacks at her for 50
turns on Chapter 1. It makes for an interesting ending (I did it this way
on easy mode the first time I tried), and it makes some of the early
chapters just plain easier to deal with because you don't have to worry
about anyone else, but doesn't your heart just BREAK when ickle Tormod tries
to keep going when there's an axe sticking out of his head? Besides, then
you don't have to deal with the whole "they took all the hits for you!"
accusation.
The one instance where you are allowed to use others is for storage in the
early chapters where you can't send items to the caravan. I would avoid
this altogether, but you'll run out of swords before you can buy them
otherwise (if you find a way around this, be sure to let me know!).
When you get new characters, feel free to raid their inventories, though.
That way they can at least feel warm and fuzzy about contributing to Crimean
liberation while sitting on the sidelines while watching Ike rain
destruction on Daein.
The Proof
So, you want to brag to all of your friends that you actually did this? The
best proof I can see is during the ending when the kills of all of the
characters scroll. The zeroes next to the kills of all of the other
characters is as close as you'll get to proof as far as I know(with the
probable exception of Geoffrey -- I'm pretty sure that it counts any kills
he made on Chapter whatever it is when he's a green unit -- usually one
kill). This is also the only way to get Reyson in the top 5 -- when
everyone's kills are zero, the ones at the top of the list are the last ones
to join. If you do decide to go the let-all-of-the-other-characters-die
route, it's kind of humorous to see all of the characters fall in the chaper
that you got them. I really should post my video of those as my first
Youtube moment.
Note about Difficulty
There really isn't anything too different about the FAQ on the different
difficulty levels. The only difference is that on easy mode you don't need
to be paranoid about making the best steel swords in preparation for chapter
17, whereas on hard mode it is an absolute necessity.
THE WALKTHROUGH
Prologue, AKA Daddy made me do it
Nothing special here, kids. Since you had to do this one solo anyways, it
just doesn't matter. Either way, since you've probably played this game at
least once through if you're trying this, here's something fun you should
do: you get to see some awesome "My son is stupid" dialogue if you manage to
get Greil to kill you. Knowing how bright the future WOULD have been had
you bested your daddy makes the "Game Over" screen seem all the more
hilarious. Yeah, you COULD have saved Crimea and had a princess fall in
love with you, but you couldn't just because you were a whiner. See folks?
This game has moral overtones! Play it with your kids when you're older!
So, stop whining in real life and go achieve something. Aside from this
solo.
Chapter 1, AKA "But Mommy I Want It!" by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
This is one of the 2 chapters you'll have problems clearing. The first
problem is randomness; it's really easy to get Ike killed at this point if
the axe-weilders get lucky and score some hits. Thankfully, you probably
won't have to redo this one too much in order to get a good outcome. After
this one it's smooth sailing until Chapter 17: Day Breaks.
The second big problem with this chapter is greed (hence my alternate
chapter name). Since you are doing a solo, it makes perfect sense to go
grab the seraph robe from the house and throw it around Ike's shoulders
right away. The only problem is Ike can't make it in time! After
salivating over the robe awhile for myself, I decided that it wouldn't be a
true solo if I used Titania to run over and pick it up before the house got
destroyed. Don't worry; you won't miss it.
The first thing to do is give all but one of Ike's swords to the other guys
-- Boyd deserves nothing more than life as a professional caddy after that
humiliating loss to Ike (and you'll realize he deserves it all the more
after the fat jokes he makes about your 'lil sister Mist). Have them do the
trades with you so you can move Ike. While you're at it, fill him up with
vulnaries, too, and give Ike the band of your choice, which in my opinion is
the fighter band. In reality I don't think you'll need the measly 5% stat
bonus, but you'll be at level 20 way before you'll need the extra inventory
space from ditching it.
Position Ike in the spot between the fence and the house so that none of
your comrades will accidentally be a target. The only problem you'll have
here is if Ike kills your foes as they attack you, allowing more of them the
opportunity to attack, equalling gameover. This is sometimes unavoidable
with the chance involved, but if you're smart with choosing to attack, do
nothing, or vulnary it up, you should be fine.
After the immediate threats are dead, pick up the steel sword from the house
on the right, heal yourself up, and the rest of the level should be fine.
Guess what? This is one of the only levels you'll have problems with! Good
job, it's smooth sailing until Chapter 17.
Chapter 2
Nothing too special of note in this chapter. Since having the other
characters be attacked is basically unavoidable, make sure to unequip all of
the items from the other characters, or even better, give them to characters
that can't use them. Also make sure to give Ike an extra item space to get
the speedwing that the boss drops. Don't use it -- Ike will probably max
out his speed before he promotes, so save it for until after he promotes to
get the full benefit from it.
Try to sequester everyone on the upper left part of the field, and send Ike
there before them to do some damage and prevent him from being attacked on
all sides. After that, the rest of the level should be easy.
Chapter 3
Start with giving Ike an extra inventory space for the elixer you get from
the house, which you'll really need later. Unequip or switch out all of the
other characters' weapons and let Ike go to town while they cower in the
entrance where they started. Take things easy and let the enemy come to you
so you don't have Marcia come so early that she gets killed. By the end of
this level Ike should be very well leveled, and you'll be able to stop
paying so close attention to him and how the battle goes. You can start
doing homework while all of the enemies rush to their death on Ike's sword,
or cleaning, or whatnot.
I think you get the regal sword some time about now. Use it if you want;
it's slightly better than the swords you'll want to use in Chapter 17, so
you may not want to touch it (see chapter 17 for more info to make your
decision). In this case, you should have -barely- enough swords to last you
until you get more from Mia in chapter 7, which will hold you over until you
can buy them.
Chapter 4
In the beginning of the level you'll have to pay close attention as you move
everyone to the northeast. Save Soren and Rhys so they don't accidentally
die, and make a nice wall of your more experienced non-Ike characters in the
northeast area around the bushes while Ike dispatches everyone else.
Chapter 5
Okay, you can really take a popcorn break during this one. Make sure
everyone's weapons are unequipped, INCLUDING IKE. On your first move, move
everyone to the right-hand side as far away from Ike as possible, and make a
little human wall protecting wimpy Rhys and Soren against the real wall.
The idea here is to get all of the enemies to attack Ike, and have as few as
possible attack everyone else. Be wary of archers, too -- they may come up
and attack someone behind the wall, but there should be enough space around
you that you can switch things up to keep some characters protected from
arrows and still switch out the human wall as each character becomes too
battered. Don't be tempted to use vulnaries -- they aren't allowed to!
Leave Ike parked on the flashing green tile without a weapon. What damage
he takes will be healed by it, and you've got vulnaries to boot. After the
battle, the game will congratulate you with some nice bonus experience for
"did not fight."
Chapter 6
Finally, a level where you don't have to worry about getting everyone else
out of the way! Spend your first turn moving all of the other characters
deeper into the trees, and move Ike to the fringe. Have him launch an
attack on the poor, unsuspecting archer. You should be quite strong enough
by now to take care of everyone else. Try to take care of the magic users
here (and everywhere else) before they make it to you, because they're the
only ones that really present you with any threat.
Chapter 7
Make sure Ike has an extra inventory spot in weapons and items before
starting so he can get one treasure chest. By now most of your swords will
be broken, so that shouldn't be a problem in the weapons department.
Your first goal in this chapter is to get everyone into the treasure room on
the right where they will be protected by Titania standing guard. Start by
moving Ike upwards to a position where the treasure guard (and several other
characters) will attack him. Move everyone else just out of range, and be
sure to save your slower characters.
By now you should be almost completely out of your swords if you're saving
the regal sword for chapter 17, but Mia comes just in time with a
replacement. Take it from her and let her go play patticake with Mist.
On the next turn, depending on how the battles turned out, you may have to
have Ike shove someone out of the way so everyone else can make a speedy
exodus into the treasure room. On the following turn, though it is tempting
to have Ike stay and dispatch all of the remaining enemies, it is in your
best interest to move him as far north as possible because he'll need to
blaze a trail for Shinon and Gatrie to make it out of where they pop up
alive. Don't worry; Titania can take a few hits. After blazing a trail and
escorting them to the treasure room, Ike can continue to dispatch the other
foes.
Conveniently, the one treasure chest that you are guarding is the one useful
one to you: the armorslayer. Let the silly thief steal the Miracle ability
-- you don't need it; you're just that awesome by yourself.
Chapter 8
This chapter will make you want to shout HALLELUJAH! You can finally choose
to NOT include all of the other characters! Also, since you have access to
the base, you won't have to worry about throwing away perfectly good items
you get during the battles. Stock Ike up with some swords, and sell all of
your unnecessary items.
Now that you can forge items, over the course of the next several chapters
you'll want to save all of your money to forge the most powerful steel
swords available. You won't need them until Chapter 17, but you'll want to
make sure you have 4 completely unused steel swords with maximum stats in
all areas. Make sure that you give them cool names, too, like "Pichu
Slayer," "Laser Surgeon,"or one of my favorites, "Iron Bow." Just imagine
how psyched out those close-ranger enemies will be when they see you have an
"Iron Bow," feel comfortable coming up to attack you, and then find
themselves covered in blood. The cool names are totally the key to victory
in Chapter 17.
Okay, on to the battle; it's another yawner. Just unequip Ike's sword and
let everyone run at him and try to slash him. It's funny how the AI can't
realize if it moved a couple of its units it could do a lot more damage....
Anyways, just let him sit there, and all of your foes will trip over each
other and clog up their way to get to you. Blow Illyana a kiss while you're
at it; it'll be your only opportunity to do so. Congratulate yourself on
earning more "did not fight" bonus experience.
Chapter 9
Unequip Rolf as soon as he shows up. Move Ike towards the beach, and make
sure before you end your turn that you DIRECT the silly Laguz to go hide in
the corner. Have Mist and Rolf stay out of range. After taking care of the
first beach bum, have Ike go back and take care of the Daeins that are
rushing northward on the east. Once they're taken care of, Ike can have a
leisurely walk on the beach before he ends the level. Sorry, no talisman
for you; Ike is too slow to make it!
Don't sell the beorc guard, as it may come in handy in the final battle.
Chapter 10
Sorry, you can't really sneak your way through this one -- but you can make
it so a million enemies aren't attacking you at once. There's a few ways to
do this -- either bust open Sephiran's door and hide inside so you only face
one enemy at a time (BORING!), or sneak behind the guards outside of their
range of attack and get as close to the exit as you can before alerting the
guards. You can make it all the way to the upper part of the screen before
this happens. Then you just need to stuff yourself in the northernmost
corridor and wait for the enemies to come to you. try to manipulate things
so you aren't facing mages, because they're the only ones who should be able
to deal you real damage at this point. Okay, I admit that the first method
is easier, but the only one I've actually done is the second method.
You brought the armorslayer or regal sword, right? Knock out the boss on
your way out, if you like. You can get the treasures with keys if you
really want, but none of them are really useful. I still recommend you get
the statue fragment in the upper rightmost chest and use it immediately --
you know that a beefier Ike is much more popular with the ladies, needless
to say he looks more imposing to his foes.
Chapter 11
Make a beeline for the southwest house -- you want that dracoshield! Go
ahead and use it; you'll need it. Other than that, this level is very
straightforward: let everyone run their swords into you. You don't need any
of the other items.
Chapter 12
Put Ike in the lower left corner so he can only be attacked by 2 ravens at
once. Once Jill speaks to you, if the area is clear of ravens, have her
give the laguz guard to Ike, let him equip it, and get her into a corner of
safety. You'll also get a seraph robe here, but I don't believe you'll need
it until after you promote. If things get heated befor then, go ahead and
use it, though. You get a secret book, too, which I don't think you'll need
to use until after you promote.
Chapter 13
Poor Gatrie. Poor, Poor Gatrie and Astrid. You just can't save them, and I
must've tried at least 8 times. Well, since they're green, they aren't
really on your team anyways, so you can rationalize your decision to move
Ike onto the green panel and unequip his weapon with that knowledge. Okay,
it doesn't really soothe my conscience, but there's just no way around it:
they're dead. Oops. Well, that's all to this chapter. Go ahead and cry as
you see the crows fly away with your beautiful occult; there's nothing you
can do about it. If you come up with a way to save the doomed couple, let
me know, and I will shower you with love in a future edition of this FAQ.
Chapter 14
WARNING!!! If you are doing hard mode, this is your LAST CHANCE to start
forging all 4 killer steel swords (or 3, if you use the regal sword) to have
them in time for chapter 17, so make sure you get started.
Start out by grabbing the spirit dust from the southwest house and use it on
Ike just for kicks. You don't really need it for the magic, but you know
that Ike could use some magic in his personality.
Unfortunately, for the good of the horde you're going to have to kill
Makalov. You didn't know he was Marcia's brother anyways. He's just in the
way of the Vantage skill that you so desperately need. That's no
understatement -- you DESPERATELY NEED VANTAGE!!! Get the secret book, too,
and save it for later. If you're really feeling merciful, forge a slim
sword at the beginning of this chapter and lower its stats all the way.
Name it "Level Down," and have Ike equip it as he moves to the northwest.
Let Marcia join the battle, too, but have her hide until Makalov shows up,
and then have her talk to him on your turn, then move them both to safety.
"But that violates the rules of the solo!" you say. Well, let me know if
Makalov has any chance of killing you, and then we'll talk. I'll let this
one slide. You'll have to be quick if you do this, though, because those
piratey people will burn down the houses.
Chapter 15
Go ahead and let Ike learn Vantage before this chapter. Give him laguz
swords, too, if you like. Then go ahead and comb the desert for every
little item you want. The ESSENTIAL ITEMS are the GUARD SCROLL and BOOTS.
Go ahead and use the boots. You should also snag the statue fragment to
beef up Ike a bit just for the coolness factor. He needs it, anyways --
he's slated to appear on the cover of the next issue of "Begnion Fitness"
magazine (and Elincia secretly lists bulging biceps and big pecs on the top
of her desirables-in-a-guy list). Look on another FAQ to see where these
items are.
MOMMY, I WANT OCCULT!!! Too bad. "BUT STEFAN'S REALLY COOL!!! Well, he's
cool enough to give Ike a sword that you don't really need. I may let
Makalov live, but you just don't need the occult. Ike's too young to be
dabbling in black magic, anyways. You get a cool sword out of the deal, but
it only has so many uses and is weaker than the best steel sword that I
don't think you should take it with you to chapter 17, so just use it
whenever. If you do save it for chapter 17, beware that you may run out of
swords!
Once you get Muarim, DON'T SELL HIS DEMI BAND -- you'll need it for the
final battle.
Chapter 16
Have Ike learn Guard -- the Vantage-Guard combo will save you in the next
chapter and from then until you learn Aether.
Go for the dracoshield post-haste and use it, then have Ike cower in that
room and kill all of the enemies that rush at him until they're done. Then
go up the right corridor (not the left one; we love Devdan, even if he's a
bit dim) and take out the boss.
Chapter 17
Here it is, the most difficult battle of the solo. But, really, it's not so
bad if you've done everything appropriately. Ike should've reached level 20
quite a while ago. If his stats aren't maxed out and you have stat-boosting
items, be sure to use them. He'll need top defense (and probably top HP,
but you may let that one slide, because I think it's only 2 HP if you play a
fixed game).
Give Ike the 4 untouched steel swords that you forged with max stats, and
fill his inventory with unused elixers and vulnaries (you probably only need
one elixer -- I think you have 2 at this point). With any luck you won't
have to touch them until the 4th part of this chapter. Make sure to put
GUARD on him, so you'll have the VANTAGE-GUARD combination. You could also
switch one of his 4 swords out for the untouched regal sword, if you want --
It's slightly better, especially against some pesky paladins in part 4 of
this chapter. In my opinion it really cuts down the frustration, so take
it.
17-1
This one's pretty straightforward. You can make it through this without
touching a vulnary, but it may be hard -- don't worry if you do have to use
one dose, it should be okay. Just play very defensively. The goal is to
NOT use your restorative items, as your HP will be refilled after each
chapter's increment. Be careful about advancing too fast, because you don't
want a ton of ranged units on you at the same time. Try to stick to the
bushes and you'll be okay.
17-2
This one just makes you want to say "nanny-nanny boo-boo" to Oliver's
troops. Remember those boots you used? Yeah, they make it so all you have
to do is give them a Miss America wave as you glide by to the exit.
Basically ignore them -- go to the right and head straight for the arrival
tile. Your movement is more than enough to let you sneak right past most of
the units and into the exit. It's so simple that I don't need to elaborate
further!
17-3
OH NO!!! So many troops, Ike's gonna die! Or so you thought. Too bad
Oliver's troops didn't take any lessons on battle tactics in school. Go
ahead and unequip Ike's weapon -- you won't be fighting here. Move yourself
downward to a point where there's a column of bushes, and directly to your
left is unpassable terrain (trees). You may think that moving into the
little corner bush may be the best idea, but trust me, this one's better.
Move into the bush directly above the corner bush, and just sit there. Let
the enemies come to you, let them surround you. "Oh no! That one has a
hammer! Ouch, it hurt me!" Yeah, remember those statue fragments you used?
Ike is tougher than you think. Have him go ahead and shove him one space
away, and then laugh as his compatriots that can't do any damage rush to
fill in the space. In the end, you'll be surrounded with people that can do
zero or one damage at most, and none of the dangerous mages will be in
range. You'll likely get poisoned from the venom edges that the swordsmen
do (even though they register as "no damage" when they hit), but you should
be fine if you just sit there. Vulnary if needed, which is probably only if
that ugly hammer-weilding brute managed to hit you. Wait and laugh as
Oliver runs out and proclaims that he can't handle the awesomeness that is
Ike.
17-4
This is the only really hard one of them all. You've now got to carry
around a fainted heron princess on your back while fighting. Don't worry --
the way Boyd insulted your sister makes you angry enough to not even notice
the weight (okay, I admit that there are only 2 fat joke-type comments in
the whole game, and only one is made by Boyd, but you gotta admit they were
semi-funny). Move Ike into the little enclave at the far upper-right of the
screen, and have him wait there with his swords of awesomeness for the
onslaught. With any luck, you'll see your Vantage-Guard combo work pretty
often so you'll get to kill your enemies without being touched.
The problem comes when the mountet units start coming and use ranged attack
-- those pesky paladins. Not only do they attack from afar, but if you
don't kill them, they run away to get healed! Since you've got your ultra-
decked-out swords, though, you should occasionally get a critical hit to
outright kill them. Watch out for the javelin-weilder -- he's the worst.
When they start coming out, you may want to head for the bushes in the south
to get a little more coverage, but AVOID THE MAGE AT ALL COST!
Use wise judgment in deciding when to attacked the ranged people, and don't
be afraid to use those elixers -- this is the reason that you brought them.
I think that I used all 3 doses of one elixer and then 3 vulnaries.
After you dispatch the silly horsement, or if you have them on the run and
you've got some breathing room, make your way along the outside perimeter of
the level, being careful to stay away from all mages. Move far enough left
and Tibarn, Janaff, Ulki, and Reyson will see Leanne on your back and come
to your rescue. When that happens, just focus on staying alive when any
remaining mounted units attack. If there's no one rushing to attack you,
then just sit back, relax, and let Tibarn take care of the fat man that
pretends to be holy. Bishop, indeed. What? You think that's cheating on
the solo? Well, I'm sure killing Oliver yourself wouldn't be a problem, but
I'd like to see you beat Tibarn to him without getting yourself killed in
your haste to get there. Sure, Tibarn was, say, 300 years older you might
be able to safely beat him to Oliver, but in this case I wouldn't press your
luck. Besides, he's not really on your team, anyways, so you're still going
solo.
Chapter 18
Woo-hoo! You got promoted! Go ahead and equip Ike with a stat-boosting
brace if you like, and then slap all of the extra experience on him. I
guess you could get it the old-fashioned way, too, but it'll come quickly
enough that I don't think it makes much of a difference. Also use all of
your extra stat-boosting items on him.
Yeah, I don't need to say a word about this chapter. With all of that extra
experience, no one can touch Ike. And he doesn't even have Aether yet.
Chapter 19
Naesala? Who's he? You can cut down that bird real easily. And with your
current stats, you shouldn't even take damage from the ballistas. You
didn't want the knight ring, anyways. It's a symbol of Naesala's treachery,
and I wouldn't want that hanging around on my finger.
Chapter 20
Poor Jill's Daddy. Smite him, smite him good. 'Nuff said. Watch out for
mages and sages.
Chapter 21
The only thing to be worried about here are those mages with their silly
sleep staves. Stay out of their range of use unless either no one is
rushing at you or you can run far enough to kill them before they use them.
Grab the energy drop in the northeast room and the talisman in the north
room. Go ahead and recruit Tauroneo, thus finally getting your hands on the
coveted occult. Then tame Ena like the lizard she is. Simple, simple.
Chapter 22
Go ahead and lose Vantage and Guard. I know it's emotional, but you'll
forget your sadness once you use the occult scroll and give Ike the
awesomeness that is Aether.
You don't need any of the items. Just shove some priests around and try not
to have a sword equipped if you must stand next to a bishop. Remember, it's
a moral game -- you don't just go around beating up priests. Besides, you
get a nice staff that you won't even use for doing so! It's a nice family
heirloom.
Chapter 23
Nope, nothing special here. If only Lucia's troops would stay put; then no
one else on your side would die. You should make short work of General
Petrine.
Have you noticed how much shorter these chapters seem? By now you should
understand very well the principle of take your turn, do something else for
15 minutes.
Chapter 24
NOOOO!!! You have to deal with protecting wimps AGAIN??? Why didn't Lucia
and Bastian follow their consciences and protect their princess? No, they
had to go on listening to the ravings of a woman in love with her one-man-
army and wanted to protect him. Silly Elincia. Stay put long enough that
you won't have troops bothering your two weaklings (and be sure to unequip
them just in case), and you shouldn't have a problem keeping them away from
combat. Ignore the black knight -- he's just an old man in some armor he
never bothered to polish anyways (and you get a cooler ending to the
chapter, in my opinion). Go save Geoffrey, and try to make it to the green
tile before he kills many people so his final kill count will be low. This
is the only chapter where earning a kill is nearly unaviodable on a non-Ike
character -- and you don't even control him! Someone programmed that
wrong....
Chapter 25
Nothing special here, though it is kind of fun to march up one side of the
hill and then push boulders down on everyone else on the other side.
I actually waited several turns to see if the boss's bolt axe would ever hit
Ike. I think it hit once after like 7 turns, and it hardly scratched Lord
Ike. The next turn he got aethered, and it was all over.
Do a good deed while waiting for the enemies to move this time, like bake
cookies for your neighbor, write a letter to your granny, or wash the dishes
for your mom. A clean dish is a happy dish!
Chapter 26
Elincia, now you have to go pretending you're a valyrie or something. I'm
not Sigfried, and you are not Brunhilde. No, Sigmund and Sieglinde don't
work either -- just stay away from this battle. Fortunately, she has a
decent enough movement range that she can avoid most of the conflict if
someone does come attack her in the southeast corner, giving Ike enough time
to high-tail it back.
This will be quite a long battle, given the number of people that throw
themselves at your feet begging Ike for mercy. Be sure to pack several new
swords for the occasion, because you may run out like I did once if you
don't. Iron swords are probably the best so you have some more hits -- you
should do enough damage for it to be worth it.
Chapter 27
You should be yawning by now. There's no new strategy in this chapter.
Even though mages can kind of hurt Ike, he aethers it up often enough that
it doesn't matter a bit. Just charge your way to the Black Knight and send
him to a place darker than the inside of his armor.
Confrontation with the Black Knight
Interestingly enough, I don't need to say anything about this battle. Have
Mist go ahead and run away, and let Ike pummel the Black Knight at close
range with Ragnell. The Black Knight is such an Ike wannabe -- he's just
jealous that Gawain became a father figure to Ike after he betrayed him. Of
course, I haven't played Radiant Dawn yet, so I have no idea, but I'm sure
that's all it is. Bring elixers just in case, but if your battle goes like
mine, you won't need them -- he'll fall faster than the statues of Saddam
did.
Chapter 28
Tell Tibarn to go hide in a corner and let Ike take everyone else out. If
you feel the need, give him the laguz guard. The only thing to be careful
of is another sleep stave, so watch out for that. Let the boss cast rexbolt
on you and leave the animation on so you can see how cool it is when it just
bounces off of Ike (okay, it actually can hurt him), and then Ike summarily
incapacitates him.
Endgame
Give Ike all of your remaining elixers -- it's time to administer justice.
Man, why did they give you another character to worry about in the endgame?
And a laguz at that -- you can't unequip their weapons! Or can you? Just
take Muarim's demi band and give it to Nasir (or Ena, if you were really
unlucky and have to fight next to a power-ranger-pink dragon). Start by
trying to move Ike and Nasir into the southeast corner, letting Ike take the
lead so less people attack Nasir. At the beginning of each turn have Nasir
equip and unequip the demi band, and then equip the beorc guard to give him
a little more defense in case of attacks. This way he'll never be attacked
when he's transformed!
When you get them in the corner, have them stay there with Ike protecting
one of Nasir's sides until all of the enemies are done pursuing you (or
they're far enough off that they won't bug Nasir). Then move Ike forward to
battle any remaining enemies as you move towards Ashnard, or more likely as
he moves towards you. When he comes to you, try to keep to the bushes to
reduce his attack chance, and then attack him close up to get a chance for
aether to activate. Use elixers if necessary. They shouldn't be necessary
for at least a few rounds, because enough other enemies will be attacking
you when it's not your turn that you are basically guaranteed to have aether
activate. If you want, you may even move Ike to where the enemies are close
enough to do this, but it's really not necessary.
When you beat his first form, choose whichever of the 3 laguz you want to
join you, perhaps one you never chose before (Tibarn's my favorite, but
Naesala's downright cool, and if I remember correctly, his ending dialogue
changes slightly if you choose him), then have him keep Nasir company. I
didn't think of it at the time, but I guess you could unequip whatever royal
band they have and purposely get them into battle just to see what their
highnesses look like in their demi-human form in the battle animation. But
don't kill them!
So, have Naesala, Tibarn, or Giffca go hide with Nasir, and then just
continue your same strategy with Ashnard. Before too long he'll fall, and
you'll get to see the delightful ending. Congratulations! You've done the
Ike solo! Now do you understand why he made it in Super Smash Brothers:
Brawl?
OTHER STUFF
Well, thanks for reading this -- I hope it was fun!
Coming Soon! (I hope) -- a new FAQ entitled "Aetherless Victory!" It
probably won't be solo-able -- at least not yet, but we'll see.
If you have any questions or suggestions, email me at
shadow_arrowny@yahoo.com and I'll get back to you... though perhaps not
promptly, as that's my junk email that I go through every now and again.
