Prologue Ties that Bind: Chapters 1 5

Embark on your journey in Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation! This guide covers Prologue: Ties that Bind, Chapters 1-5, offering tips on combat, phases, and unit advantages.

Alright, so you're diving into Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, and we're starting with the Prologue, specifically 'Ties that Bind' covering Chapters 1 through 5. Think of this as your first taste of the game, where Hinoka herself will be showing you the ropes. Don't get too comfortable though, because a Nohrian soldier is about to give you a rather rude awakening with an axe! This is where the real tutorial begins.

You'll see a bunch of tutorials pop up on the touch screen. You can skip them if you're feeling confident, but since you're here, let's break down what you need to know. The first one, 'Combat,' is super important. When you select your character using the (A) button, you'll see a colored grid. Blue squares show where you can move, and red squares are either blocked, out of reach, or occupied by an enemy. That last part is key right now.

Once you've picked your character, Hinoka will nudge you along (she's eager!). Focus on the enemy in front of you. This is your 'Player phase.' Your units have blue health bars and names, neutral characters have green, and enemies have red. Target that jerk who just hit you and press (A) to attack. You'll see flashing bars showing your damage and their counter-attack. Remember, there are no free hits in Fire Emblem – attack, and you'll be attacked back. Don't worry too much for this first fight; you're guaranteed to hit and can't be defeated, so just go for it and enjoy the battle cinematic. You'll get some experience for your trouble.

After the fight, you might notice you've lost a few Hit Points and you're wielding a Bronze Sword. The unit/map screen gives you more info, so keep an eye on that as we go.

Once your turn is over, the 'Enemy phase' begins, and another tutorial pops up about phases. Basically, you have your turn, then the enemies get theirs, and sometimes allies will get a turn too. Simple enough!

Now, back to the action. Ryoma and Xander are about to have a little showdown. After they trade blows, Xander's siblings will show up and use a 'Dragon Vein' to create a bridge, letting them cross. Hinoka will definitely notice how this changes the battle. More reinforcements will arrive for both sides, and Sakura will even heal you up. Nice!

Here comes the tricky part on your second turn. A Nohrian soldier will appear right in front of you – talk about breaking the rules! Sakura and Takumi will warn you, and Hinoka will tell you not to mess this up. Now, Takumi is under your control. Select him, and he'll explain combo attacks. If you attack an enemy that another adjacent character can also reach, both of you get to attack in one turn. So, if Takumi attacks, your protagonist will too, and since Takumi is out of the Nohrian's range, there's no counter-attack. Using ranged units with melee units to avoid counters is a solid strategy. Just remember, if a melee enemy gets close to a ranged unit, they can't counter-attack because they can't hit adjacent foes, as the tutorial 'Combat (Bows)' will explain.

Go ahead and attack with Takumi, and your protagonist will join in. If needed, have your protagonist finish the job, with Takumi assisting. Pay attention to something else that's crucial later: Fire Emblem: Fates has a rock-paper-scissors weapon triangle. Swords and magic (red) beat axes and bows (green), but lose to lances (blue). Green beats blue, but loses to red. Blue beats red, but loses to green. This will be super important down the line, but for now, just defeat that Nohrian foe. This part of the stage will end, and you'll get through the combat. There's still some talking to do, but you've got this!