Valkyria Chronicles 4 Part 26 walkthrough covering Skirmish 9 Hard and Skirmish 1 Challenge, with strategies for Ace sniper rifles and Claude's telescope.
Skirmish 9 Hard (3t) - From the Capital
This skirmish requires careful unit selection, opting for two lancers instead of an anti-armor Grenadier and a Lancer to maximize tank destruction on turns 1 and 2. Splitting your limited deployment of 6 units is not advised; instead, the APC carries 5 units through the lower map area while Claude and Kai defend the base. Raz can equip the telescope to grant his gun 250 range, outranging enemy Gatling turrets, which is useful as map arches can block Grenadier fire unless firing from underneath. Be aware that sandbags on this skirmish can impede vehicle movement; wait for them to disappear after breaking before proceeding.
- 1Turn 1: Kai performs a surprise attack on the sniper leader and hides. The APC boards the remaining units and heads southwest. Minerva destroys nearby cannons, clearing a path for the APC to move west and hide. Lancers deploy and destroy two nearby tanks. Claude advances, mortars two Grenadiers, and then retreats to the main camp.
- 2Turn 2: One lancer advances and destroys two cannons. The APC moves forward, passes assault tanks, and positions to block enemy ace interception fire. Lancers are deployed to destroy two assault tanks, followed by Raz/Minerva destroying two Gatling turrets. The two nearby lancers are also eliminated. The APC advances on the ace and destroys it with an undodgeable shot, then proceeds north. Enemies near the main enemy camp are eliminated. With the ace destroyed and the main camp open, capture is possible on turn 2, but further tanks and leaders remain. On enemy turn 2, some shocktroopers will advance on the main camp, but Claude's presence there prevents them from succeeding.
- 3Turn 3: Claude eliminates any shocktroopers near the main camp, destroys a nearby tank, and advances north. The APC and other units spread out to destroy the remaining tanks, Gatling turrets, and the shock leader on the map.
Skirmish 1 Challenge (2t) - A True Battlefield
This skirmish allows for powerful actions such as destroying AT cannons with a single sniper shot, tanks with a single Lancer shot, one-shotting unspotted enemies through their defense bonus, and eliminating crouched shock leaders with a single grenade. The damage multiplier generally favors you if you avoid taking hits. This skirmish would have taken longer without the damage multiplier. Units are deployed to avoid the sniper near the main enemy camp. Similar to Skirmish 4 Hard, the AI has more available units than command points, meaning almost any infantry can move, leading to varied enemy arrangements. The AI will target exposed infantry and rush your main camp if not managed. This strategy accounts for any enemy activity by keeping units hidden in grass and using three vehicles for base defense.
- 1Turn 1: Riley eliminates a grenadier and a crouched scout, then hides. Aladdin advances and hides. Eileen takes Gertrude and Kai southwest. Some targets are eliminated, and all units end the turn hidden in the grass. Claude repositions for base defense.
- 2Turn 2: Aladdin eliminates more targets.
- Ace sniper rifles offer increased effective accuracy due to higher attack power during support attacks, allowing them to one-shot the ace on this skirmish, despite their shorter range.
- Reliability is increased by sniping from within steam vent clouds, making attacks undodgeable, though manual aiming is required.
- Claude's telescope allows for long-range grenade tosses to break sandbags without needing a lancer.
- Riley the Grenadier has limited target reach based on position, and this map is not ideal for Grenadiers. However, she can achieve surprise attacks on lower-level shocktroopers from behind barricades near east stairs.
- The fence in the southeast corner is breakable with explosives, despite its appearance and marking. Breaking it could allow surprise attacks on the ace and shocktrooper near the goal, potentially clearing the map on turn 1.
- Splitting infantry is not recommended due to the limited deployment of 6 units in Skirmish 9 Hard.
- Raz's telescope grants his gun 250 range, outranging enemy Gatling turrets.
- Sandbags on Skirmish 9 Hard can disrupt vehicle movement; wait for them to disappear after breaking before proceeding.
- In Skirmish 1 Challenge, allied infantry move west through grass to avoid detection and gain surprise attacks. Vehicles are used for camp defense rather than dismantling antitank cannons due to command point costs.
- Snipers in Skirmish 1 Challenge are used for surprise attacks from grass while an engineer and lancer advance to eliminate tanks, leaders, aces, and capture the objective.
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