FIRE EMBLEM 5: Thracia 776 Retrospective - ShaneBrained

[@GamesBrained]

Correction: Staff misses are based on skill, not weapon rank.

[@coonrat1]

Wrath only gives a guaranteed critical on the first hit, the second hit calculates critical normally

[@leemeyer9395]

Staff misses gives you weapon exp though

[@piojoaquinlopez8881]

@Gator Down Productions He was called King Blume multiple times in fe4 and fe5

[@0y1on]

@Gator Down Productions Blume is essentially a tyrant king

[@DaniDoyle]

I was just about to say this. If they have 10 skill they never Miss

[@Mekkkah]

This is a great retrospective and a very fresh take on my personal favourite Fire Emblem. Well written and honest. Your point about challenges and overcoming them is especially fitting for this game. I do have certain nitpicks (like the staff hitting goof and the thing about criticals someone else already mentioned) but overall this is just a really nice video.

[@GamesBrained]

Thanks Mekkkah. I've been watching through your channel a lot lately and was wondering what your take on this would be if you saw it

[@voltron77]

Fe6 is better

[@xAfterTomorrowx]

@@voltron77stop fanboying this game, your activity on this channel shows your acting toxic bout the title to people that don't feel the same way

[@voltron77]

@@xAfterTomorrowx Yeah, it’s been 1 year since that comment, I should probably just delete it. I was just bitter that he didn’t like fe6 that much and I really just was annoying on all of his videos. Still, not having played hard mode is kind of weird if you want to judge fe6 because it’s the combat and strategy that makes people like me love it, not so much the story. Anyways, have a great day.

[@thesuperthingymabob8209]

Lowkey you have a lot of really interesting takes because of the order you played the series. Like most people nowadays would take for granted that weapon level goes up when you use that weapon I think the reason people don't remember the good stuff thracia introduced so much is because most of it just became mainstays that are now in every game so people don't think of it as a big thing lol

[@saliver5909]

I fell in love with defense missions after playing Thracia 776. Usually the player is outnumbered in such missions and careful strategy is needed to prevent unit death. These missions can be very intense and really convey the sense of hopelessness. I am not really a fan of everyone praising the avatar for doing the slightest thing (like in later games), so leading a weak protagonist against a hopeless defense/escape situation (like the castle defense chapter) is really intense and satisfying for me.

[@NieOrginalny]

I really liked a lot of your points about how much power the game gives to you. Another thing you didn't mention is that the usual plentiful vulnearies work equivalent to elixirs in this game, they heal all health, which drastically reduced the need for having to use healers. The only reason you have them try to heal, is often just to gain staff experience, which they can get more of if they miss.

[@pandymandy]

The whole reason Thracia is fun is because it opens that can of worms - unlike the other entries - that gives near full power to the player. There is nothing stopping you from playing on the relative straight and narrow but the commodity of break bits and pieces apart makes it a wild, creative and wholly unique experience on the play by play. I remember before even getting very far recognising I could just go scoop up a Bolting tome from an enemy, were I able to approach. There is no barrier that tells you; 'No, this tome will be available to you at Chapter X', it instead says; 'This is something the enemy holds over you, but the smart can reverse the playing field'. Like any good game, the tides can shift in your favour if you are willing to work for them. It made the whole process of evolving and constructing my team, not just in stats but in items as well, a true delight.

[@heim8099]

This series is amazing, you have a great knack for critical analysis. Keep it up!

[@GamesBrained]

Thanks so much! It's been a lot of fun making this series, especially this entry.

[@TyGuy9001]

26:14 I see Leif wielding his iconic silver bow, nice. Great video and analysis all around. I’ve got to check out your other vids now!

[@NieOrginalny]

30:10 correction, the movement penalty is only applied if the rescued/captured person con is greater than half the con of the person carrying them. Since mounted units are treated as having 20 con for the purposes of the system, mounted units can carry anyone up to 10 con with no movement penalty

[@theholyalex4806]

I haven't finished Thracia, but as SOON as I do, you can bet money that I will be back here.

[@GamesBrained]

Glad you're going through it!

[@theholyalex4806]

@@GamesBrained I've got to so that I can watch your retrospective, haha

[@DoctorTopper]

Still at it?

[@will__mem9rno]

How's progress?

[@cd4playa1245]

How is it? Does it suck?

[@Miacisjaune]

An hour straight of effective synthesis of the game's story and systems while also articulating some very pertinent points. It's rare to see such good critical analysis from a blind player, let alone someone who started the series not long ago. I do kinda wish you had mentioned Leif's character arc a bit more (I was lead editor for Project Exile, and am still working on Thracia with my Lil' Manster patch, and the French translation, so I'm *very* invested in this game's script, haha.). I just really love how Thracia 776 plays more with its shades of grey (especially compared to its predecessor) and how all of this is imprinted upon Leif until he becomes a literal Sage King from it. But on the other hand, it's also true that most of the game's atmosphere and themes are delivered through gameplay, and a lot of your analysis ended up focusing on that, which is also great? Plus, good points on comparing with FE4's story structure and how it affected characterization, something this game *does* struggle with (Poor Kane, Alba and Robert...). What I'm desperately trying to say is I wish this had been 2 hours long instead. Gotta cram all the content! ~~or I can just go and watch the other Retrospective videos, I should prob go do that~~

[@kaanaltntas3966]

30:38 had me rolling on the floor. Leif fits in too well.

[@hyperion3145]

The Great Depression hits different

[@ThunderManEX]

"No one ever talks about how much power Thracia gives to the player" "Some enemies can seem like great bounties" Hahah right? I've turned Marty into a beast with the Crusader Scrolls, Karin into a Magic Swordmaster with a mount and Asbel into an army destroyer with Thoron + Vantage and there's still more you can pull off thanks to the Thief Staff.

[@pf9878]

Ayy I did the first two as well!

[@TheTardysoap]

Hey man, just discovered your series. These are the best Fire Emblem videos I’ve ever seen, thankyou so much for making these.

[@GamesBrained]

Thanks so much!

[@weepingdalek2568]

Thracia is so easy to break if you know what you're doing For the most part it's only difficult the first time through

[@boldknock7436]

Its simplicity to break is why its fun. The game is more enjoyable the more times you replay through it

[@boredomkiller9985]

To put it simple Tharica is hard to learn due to all the mechanics and stage design but once you understand all the tools the game gives you you can trounce it.

[@l30S3UX]

You sure have lots of free time

[@nah4467]

Yeah, it is easy to break when you know what to do. However, I feel like it's the hardest for anyone even if you are new to get into for a Fire Emblem game. I feel like it's just all over the place and way too spastic for the formula in some ways for me to really like it that much. I think it's a good game in the series but I feel like I always end up just taking huge breaks from it because I am not a fan of the level design, how unbalanced it is. I think the story is cool and the idea that you're just running away from battles, not even winning is cool but the game expects this "you know what's going to happen" knowledge that it's not my favorite game of the series as a result. Like I played it for the first time recently and I just find it difficult to continue or bring myself to even finish the game even though I've a lot of the other games in the series as it feels a bit of a slog like FE4's part 2 later chapters imo. I love FE4 Part 1 but Part 2 later chapters are a slog fest as well.

[@ramenbomberdeluxe4958]

When you HAVE to be perfect, play a specific way, and break it every way to Sunday, that’s not exactly a compliment, that means something has gone horribly horribly wrong in the design process and you needed a re-evaluation.

[@Briskicedtea06]

This game was so satisfying on the first run. Everytime I came up with a good strategy, everytime I capped a unit, and the 2+ hours I spent on xavier, I looked back feeling super accomplished

[@peytonibarra8992]

What makes a good FE game? Being the underdog. That's what all these new games are missing. That feeling of being on the razors edge, in the dirt, struggling to survive and pulling through anyways. It's what makes these games enjoyable. XCOM does a fantastic job with making things consistently difficult early, shame new FE games don't match that anymore.

[@pizzabagel3840]

I've been so excited for this video. When I clicked on it I wondered for just a moment why it already had a like from me, then I remembered that I liked it back when it was first put up and scheduled.

[@GamesBrained]

Woo! Thanks! Keep it up if you can haha :)

[@the9thinning1]

another high quality ShaneBrained video. keep up the good work

[@CosmicToad5000]

As always I really respect these videos, as they honestly have a fantastic viewpoint as a new player that actually does their research but isn’t biased like all us veterans. You bring out the right positives and negatives of these games and I’d easily give this series to anyone new to the games in question. FE5 isn’t my favourite FE game, but I sure love it to bits. Taking the path you took by playing the games in order, you were really able to appreciate stuff like bosses being stuck with their equipped weapon or multiple map objectives, whereas most people start with a more modern game and take that stuff for granted. The thing I love most about this game is the great ties between the gameplay & story, which no other fire emblem game even comes close to. You mention how the player will really feel how Leif does in the story but it can’t be overstated that the difficulty of the maps are really linked to what’s going on with the story. The prison maps are brutal, but it’s so tense and exhilarating to play them, and seizing a castle has never felt so good.

[@sovietbirdz]

Just finished my first playthrough of Thracia, I can see why it's so dearly beloved.

[@CirosanWastesHisTime]

Hey there! I was the translator and project lead responsible for Project Exile, and I really enjoyed your story analysis. How Thracia synthesizes its themes with its gameplay was part of what drew me to the game, and I'm glad you were able to appreciate that dynamic - and articulate it so eloquently in your video.

[@OwnD1]

Haven’t played the game yet, but thank you for making it accessible!!

[@l30S3UX]

Youre a True Hero

[@CirosanWastesHisTime]

@@l30S3UX Thank you!

[@CirosanWastesHisTime]

@@MrRaven-dh9oj Thank you so much!

[@CirosanWastesHisTime]

@@OwnD1 I hope you enjoy the game! Good luck!

[@bigarcana5553]

Fuck, this is good. These analyses are so good, and your Genealogy/Thracia ones are my favorite so far. This is some high quality shit you've got here, chief. Like You just started the series, playing it mostly blind, and you've already gotten through the titles that most modern fans would never dare touch.

[@GamesBrained]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you like them 8-)

[@GoonCommander]

I personally like the Dynamic that Veld treats Raydrik with disgust, he finds him unable to feel apologetic and he acts as though his support of Raydrik is a blessing. Raydrik is a puppet and Veld is his master. However when Raydrik is slain and Veld is cornered in his own altar he finds himself in exactly the situation he put Raydrik in, Veld is a joke of a boss (as is Raydrik) and he relies on the tools that his higher up bestows upon him, a higher up who treats him like dirt. Manfroy > Veld > Raydrik. This Toxic Power ranking system made up with pawns of pawns is what conveys how horrible the Empire is to me. Sure they sacrifice children but they can't even respect their own allies.

[@LordZemosa]

Never seen a better Thracia overview. Much respect to you and the fans of this great game. All hail Lord Leif and the New Kingdom of Thracia!

[@Xertaron.]

The thing with missing staves is that it's just one of many things about this game that are simply annoying. If you miss an attack, no big deal another unit can take that enemy out, but you have considerably less staff users and healers than combat units so every miss hurts. So while this argument might be overblown, it's not completely unwaranted. It's hard to overlook issues like permanent status effects, causing potential softlocks if you didn't bring restore staves as well as lack of sorting in the convoy or battle preperations, making some chapters (19 in particular) needlessly difficult if you get unlucky with unit placement. The game also has arbitrary rules when it comes to dark tomes - they only poison when used by enemies. Salem can poison you in ch12, but if you recruit him he suddenly loses that ability for no reason. Same is true for poison weapons which just morph into iron ones when you steal them. Thracia doesn't have any deal breaking flaws, but it has countless ammount of small ones that stack up on top of each other and make the whole experience a very mixed bag, especially on first playthrough. Like Saias arriving just to put 3 of your units to sleep and leaving without elaborating any further or game never suggesting that you should stack up on your supply of door keys to avoid a hassle later on. It makes parts of the game difficult for all the wrong reasons.

[@polecats6922]

found it very strange that leif's blunder in trying to liberate a near by city is not mentioned in the story synopsis. it does lead to another moment of character growth and the death of his advisor

[@astrisperspecto4130]

I love the retrospectives as you summarize the story as well providing insight into the game play. I never got into the older titles prior to Awakening (and I tried, I really did) but always was kinda interested in the overall games

[@mrgwei]

chapter 12: didnt bring a flyer, didnt have a warp staff, killed pirate that stole the bridge key from a house I couldnt see due to fog of war = unable to make it across & unable to seize thus forced to reset the map. Fun!

[@vonmalvarius]

For people interested in playing FE with this amazing translation + A LOT of Quality of Life updates, The project is now called lil Manster and it is the THE definitive way to enjoy this great game!

[@Mangs1337]

This was really fucking well done.

[@casp3213]

Finished Thracia myself today andI gotta say, the feeling of not being able to finish this game was real, and I am fairly experienced with FE at this point. But watching your vid back in January really motivated me to keep going! What an awesome experience. Consider this my thanks!

[@GoonCommander]

Imagine combining Chapter 14 and 14x (gameplay wise). You have to hold off the four choke points while citizens escape into the castle. It's essentially just chapter 14 except there might be citizens you need to rescue out of harms way, and they might even block off valuable tiles.

[@RpgtheMute]

I think fatigue as a system is how Fire Emblem should be since it forces you to rotate your units around rather than just using the same ones every chapter so that they're all powerful and destroy everything. If you use all units you have to actually find ways that every unit can be useful and care about more than just exp hording, which I feel like people overemphasize the importance of in every FE but is even less of an effective strategy here, making it more about the strategy rather than just abusing a few units that you dumped everything into.

[@MagikarpPower]

if the games were designed around that I would enjoy fe a lot more. crusader scrolls and fatigue should be in every fe alongside lower overall enemy stats so its not a stats arms race.

[@LiveFromTheAsylum]

One of the problems with the reception of Thracia 776 in the west is that the old translation patches were god awful. I played through the game with one of those, and every single one of the games non-standard mechanics was explained incorrectly. The way the old patches explained escape missions, for instance, was usually just flat out wrong, saying that you needed to have Leif escape first. Made the whole experience so much more frustrating. I do need to give it another go with the new patch, though.

[@kingcrimson4504]

This game is hard to get in because you have to play the 775 other thracia games before it

[@TakeFortyTwo]

Weirdly, you can see how a lot of the design decisions in this particular game were echoed or expanded on in Advance Wars. Gaiden or side missions, which unlock specific characters under certain conditions. Fog of War and defense maps, both of which are used multiple times in Advance Wars.

[@alexmartin6561]

This game sounds a lot like the dawn brigade from radiant dawn. I truly felt like an underdog when I was playing as them and it matched the story. When I played as Ike's team I felt powerful in comparison which also reflects the story. I loved that about radiant dawn. I could play from two different perspectives. #dawnbrigandewasgreat

[@derrosenkavalier8890]

I've been into FE for nearly 13 years and have repeatedly tried, but failed, to get into this game - one of only 2 pre-Awakening titles that I *haven't* played (Mystery of the Emblem being the other, and I plan on changing that this summer with its DS remake). I *immensely* appreciate the chapter timestamps and your explicit, lengthy invitation to skip the plot synopsis and analysis so as to remain unspoiled, as I am.

[@imafreakinninja12]

If I made a Fire Emblem, I would bring back capture and have it grant more EXP if you kill an enemy that way.

[@larissamitie9808]

This appeared on my recomendations and I couldn't be ever happier! So glad someone else gets it, that's why Thracia is my favorite fire emblem title, the mechanics isn't just something fun to play with, it enhances the story elements and the impression of how much of an unprepared underdogs we are in this tale. Heck, I love even this game's fatigue system! I found it cool how all the units in Prison Break chapters were fatigued. They pressed on and pushed themselves as hard as they could, finally resting after they got through by miracle.(Reminded me of the Dalmatian movie from Disney when the puppies were super exhausted while escaping lol) Leif might not have to save the world from an apocalypitic abomination as a personal threat to his story but I always felt that of all the Lords he had the most hopeless odds stacked agaisnt him with how many in-story losses he took under his belt(being imprisoned, forced to leave Petrified Eyvel behind and escape with the others, failing to successfuly defend Tahra, losing Dorias and a chunk of his force for bitting more than he could chew and almost having the recently reconquered castle fall again), Leif literally couldn't catch a break. This is why I respect Leif the most as a Lord character, the achievements felt even more rewarding despite the unfairness and I like his more pragmatic approach to some stuff like not being above mugging his enemies because it was necessary. It also helps that Leif is never portrayed as a generic nice and perfect person, Thracia is as unforgiving on him as the players and he's shat on when he deserves it. The most glaring flaw of this game is what you pointed about poor characterization of characters not named Leif. It's the biggest issue I wish would be adressed if they ever made a remake of this game, the problem is that I don't know if it could be made. While Gaiden had also the same issue of flat characters at least the cast was small enough to work with. It also helped that most of the cast could be separated in mini "factions" as people of Celica's, Alm's and Clive's circle of friends/aquaintances so we had characters that had justified reasons to interact a lot with each other and expand their characterization. Meanwhile Fe5's cast is way too big and with tons of random one note characters like Meme archer Ronan, Dalsin, Hicks, Ralph, etc. It would be harder to flesh them. Mechanics wise the only thing I would wish for them to fix would be to allow mounted units to stick with their primary weapon, the thing that makes the Prison Break section so hard is how a lot of our units are locked to swords. Before it and during it we don't really have a lot of opportunities to replenish them.

[@Anthony-dy2cv]

I haven't played Thracia yet, but I have finished Genealogy not too long ago. The theme of overcoming adversities truly fits the story of Leif, (and the second generation as a whole). The difference seems to be that, in Genealogy, the second generation is absolutely stacked if you played the first generation even sub-optimally. Though I hold FE4's story in high regard, it never truly felt like you were leading a small, vulnerable army that gradually grew in strength as the story went on. It never felt like a long, arduous war. The way you described Thracia 776 is exactly what I expected the second generation to feel like, and I'm so excited to experience it.

[@XellosNi]

It's kind of amazing how much FE7 took after FE5, despite being fairly different beasts...

[@Ephraim225]

FE7 is a good game. What are you talking about

[@mcihay246]

@@Ephraim225 FE7 is... Serviceable. However both Thracia 776 and FE7 are different in regards to challenge and atmosphere. But that does not mean that they're bad games of course.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

@@Ephraim225 they never said it was bad, just that it's a very different game.

[@The_Pikaboi]

Bye bye Kaga Saga. We move on to a new year and Start the GBA Era, the start of a generation just as dear as the last. Fe6 is honestly one of my mpst enjoyed FEs. Excited to see this through

[@shanner]

hiii pika

[@silverdollar8884]

This game Will always be my favorite FE game, Regardless of what anyone says. Shout out to all The Thracia Lovers

[@jamesl5623]

Been waiting on your play throughs almost daily since gaiden. Which was coincidentally my first fire emblem. Which I played through blind and in Japanese (which I have no knowledge of) when I first got a hold of the miracle of emulators. Didn't know about translations....... In the long ass time since your fe4 vid, I picked up Thracia 776 as it is the only one I've only ever done the 1 run through of it. Thanks for that. Resolidifying it as my second fav after fe4. As much easier as it is now. Definately has a few chapters that are rough regardless how prepared you are. Loving the series. Keep it up and thanks again

[@JetpackCat1106]

I just started my own dive through FE history actually, having atarted the series with shadow dragon for the ds i never experienced any of the early games. Ive heard allot of bad rhings about 776, but you honestly made me excited to try it and maybe ill even move it up in my que. Ive enjoyed the videos so far, this is a great retrospective/introduction to me for the older FE games (I skipped your video for 4, no spoilers on that game).

[@artisticcannibalism1350]

I've taken the challenge of a mountain before and I still remember the view and the feeling of accomplishment... or at least I would if I had felt any.

[@Murphdog405]

23:46 if the Manster arc is survival horror then Galzus is this game's Nemesis

[@laprayprey]

I couldn't help but chuckle when Tina's recruitment was shown while you said "a level one cleric might miss a few times". It just reminded me of all the bizarre / hilarious Tina moments when she would miss, proc a movement star, just to miss again. Amazing video though. I recently finished this game blind and I'm on my second attempt trying to improve the turn counts and ranks. This game definitely felt like a fun challenge and was a very enjoyable experience, pretty much the same feelings as you mentioned in this video in fact. Personally I feel like having hit rate floored to 1% and capped to 99% also gave me quite a different experience during battles compared to other Fire Emblems, in no other Fire Emblem game can I recall missing so many 99% and getting hit by so many 1% except this one.

[@Hesketh32]

Thak YOU for doing this!! Such an amazing series

[@GamesBrained]

Cheers!

[@BiggestSniff]

you did the series justice, best on youtube

[@irresponsibledad]

Great video! Thracia 776 is the best blend of story and gameplay I've ever experienced in a game

[@Firguy]

This game was released only 5 or 6 years before KZbin made its debut. And it was released on the SFC which premiered in 1990.

[@AlejandroRodolfoMendez]

Awesome video, I love the detailed info that a lot of people miss to inform like the scrolls.

[@Z-Mikes00]

I had a friend who was very in to fire emblem playing all of them. And I mean all of them He always described the fan base as split into 2 (no hostility between them). Classic fans. And modern fans. He was a classic fan. He respects the modern games but doesnt really like them (he says awakening is the best entry point in the series). He always hyped up genealogy. When it came to 776. The way he always described it was like it was like Mario the lost levels. But toned down a bit and actually fair. Saying it was more of a game for vets and experienced fe players. And new comers should stay away untill they beat a couple games especially genealogy. He never said the game was bs but just more geared towards hardened fe players. I think he also said you can also tell what kind of a fan they are by their opinion on 776. Not as a dig but as a general statement

[@3n1x9]

Berwick saga on PS2 i love this game!!!

[@xylon7333]

Fantastic video! My personal second favorite game in the series, i really felt you did it justice , even if there is much more i wish i could say. I also was a team member on the translation that you used, and am very glad you enjoyed it! Very much looking forward to fire emblem path of radiance, my personal favorite entry.

[@TerryKashat]

Greatness does come out of limitations.

[@stdiogypsy]

"I would sooner sit someone through bloodborne" I'm baffled by this comment time and again. Is Bloodborne really considered that hard? I platinumed that game in one playthrough, and some of the bosses people were screaming about were done first try. Hell, I've platinumed Demon's Souls with a thief, meaning I used a bloody dagger and not a mage build like most people I know. It seems to me most people who grew up with the NES and SNES have a wildly different understanding of what constitutes difficulty. The only reason Fire Emblem games on the SNES make me scream at times is because I play them on actual hardware, meaning a good long hour will go in and I could end up having to restart after getting my ass kicked. Regardless, great job with the video and I do appreciate a thorough critique. Still haven't started Thracia yet, but it's definitely the white whale for me at this point, and I look forward to tackling it even more after this vid. Cheers!

[@squirtleknight8333]

Found you this week and I've been loving your videos!

[@thewindysage1538]

This would be the moment where i comment little things to add on to your review but i have to say im at odds to even find one,really ,you expressed everything I would say about this gem and perfectly encapsulated the factors that make it so fun Despite this,maybe its my forgetful mind but i didnt hear you bring up pcc(pursuit critical coefficient)which multiplies your crit when you counterattack your enemy Its a fairly hidden stat in the game as much like growth rates there isnt a"legal" way to find out I think its a fairly important thing to bring up as there are units with 0 pcc which disables their crits when they counterarrack unless said unit has wrath

[@TheAurgelmir]

Build is the "Official" term for the stat though, as it's used in later games such as Engage.

[@TheBoodercg]

Theres a bigger chance this gets a remake over Geneology due to easier transitions of smaller map layouts, just as boisterous a power system as Geneology, and the bloodline weapons being an easy gimmick to milk. Also, Leif having beloved characteristics that of an Avatar without taking away from his genuine uniqueness.

[@riggel8804]

This was my first Fire Emblem game. I beat it but it was traumatic. Hardest RPG I have ever played.

[@deathcon6261]

Chapter 22: Beyond The River 4 Turns …Are you gonna actually fight Reinhardt next time? Also, not mentioning Reinhardt when reviewing Thracia 776? Blasphemy!

[@killuazoldyck7705]

What an awesome video! Great jon

[@TheAurgelmir]

The topic of difficulty. I'm quite new to Fire Emblem, got into it due to watching a lets player play Three Houses on maddening. Which made me decide to play my first game on Hard. I really enjoyed playing it, and had a good challenge, but not a frustrating time. I did a new game + on Hard as well, but due to NG+ allowing for some carry over of things I was able to power level a lot more. Which made the game somewhat easy, so I think I will do any more NG+ on that game on madning.

[@BiggestSniff]

6:21 that’s crazy. N64 was already on its way out.

[@papersonic9941]

Great video. Some nitpicks: -Your point about reinforcements is the result of you only playing the first games. The reason people don't like reinforcements in this game is due to being used to later games, where reinforcements spawn at the end of Enemy phase rather than at the beginning of it. The latter type are refered to as ambush spawns or Same Turn Reinforcement, and they are seen as cheap. -You said Kaga was responsible for Intelligent System's first flagship franchise, but TECHNICALLY Famicom Wars came out before FE1. -Your section about crits isn't wrong, but a bit misleading. Crits are a non-issue in FE4, because in order to crit you need to have a particular skill (which is uncommon amongst enemies; even bosses) or have 50 kills in a weapon, which enemies can't get. By comparison, in Thracia, the only way to prevent crits is either give the unit a Scroll or have double luck that of the enemies's crit rate. And some enemies have more than 10 crit, which means you NEED a scroll to prevent any risk, since stats cap at 20. -The movement penalty for rescuing only applies if the rescued unit (edit) has half or more con than the rescuer. I'd like if you brought up some of the game's more... annoying aspects, like the excessive amount of ballista, the inability to easily change your units' position on the prep screen, forced dismounting making lances way less useful, and the game's stingyness regarding door keys and lockpicks (it is possible for the player to get softlocked due to lack of Door Keys). I guess part of this comes from playing the games in chronological order, and not being used to the polish of later entries.

[@forklauncher]

Correction, the movement penalty for rescuing only applies if the rescued unit is more than half as heavy as the rescuer. If they were completely heavier, they wouldn't be able to be rescued at all.

[@boldknock7436]

@@forklauncher That or the unit you are rescuing has 10 or more con

[@forklauncher]

@@boldknock7436 ...considering max Con is 20, that's not any different from what I said.

[@boldknock7436]

@@forklauncher Its worth mentioning though because its still important. I just continued what you said lol

[@Mekkkah]

"and the game's stingyness regarding door keys and lockpicks (it is possible for the player to get softlocked due to lack of Door Keys)" While it is possible to softlock yourself, I think the game does all it takes to not let you. There's two easily accessible vendors that sell Door Keys (Ch8 and Ch15), a lot of enemies hold them, Lockpicks have 30 uses and you get 3 of them very early, and you can also use Warp/Rescue/Rewarp to get past doors. I do try to tell people to buy about 10 Door Keys when they're playing for the first time though because it make things smooth.

[@tuskoub]

From this being one of the series’ first purely protagonist-driven stories pre-FE16, to the unique and interesting gameplay mechanics strengthening the game’s themes, this entry is very great and I’m confident it will remain my favorite for a long time

[@FreezingInfernos]

I'm not that great at Fire Emblem (only beat Echoes on Casual and Sacred Stones this year) but I have done lots of other hard games, and I found your detailed thoughts on breaking down the intimidation factor of the supposed hardest one and breaking out of your comfort zone quite insightful! Great analysis =)

[@GamesBrained]

This is exactly what I like to see! Hope you take the dive!

[@5h3nn0ng]

Interesting tidbit. In FEH, Legendary Leif uses the Meisterbogen, basically a better Brave Bow and is only seen in FE5 in the main FE titles. Bot only that, his art was done by Hino Shinnosuke, a manga artist who did the drawings for ine if many Thracia 776 manga adaptations

[@ixlness]

I can finally watch this since I just beat Thracia 776 for the first time. I didn’t go in blind, but This game was still mad tough. Really enjoyed it though, but I also don’t want to touch this game again for a while lol

[@PurpleRupees]

Did you keep the paladin from chapter 11 alive? I can't do it and I'm going crazy

[@TheAurgelmir]

Yeah, I was like: 1999 was when I bought my PS1, which was very late in that consoles lifespan.

[@SuperZez]

Hey, just wondering: did you use save states on these games? When you talked about the arena (something I never use as part of my own house rules) it occurred to me that I don't think you ever established what your rules for playing these games actually where when it came to grinding and save states and the like.

[@luckyc4t110]

You're coming into this game with a very different perspective than most. You started with FE1 and got here. Most players start with newer games and go backward to this one. Many of the things you mentioned being beneficial to the player are simply a part of the series now, not something to deserve special attention. As such, they're likely to overrate the archaic parts while ignoring the intelligent innovations that were kept

[@GenmaTheSamurai]

I am going through Thracia now, as aside from FE1-3 (the original versions) this is the only one I have left to beat. I just beat chapter 14, and man.....I don't think I'm a fan of this game's difficulty, but going to keep trying to push through. Legit almost threw my controller like 3 hours into my multiple attempts of that map. I'll be back here if I ever do beat it lol...

[@aleelrecopilador702]

Although Thracia has cool stuff, I can't ignore that not being able to move units in the setup is a flaw. And yes, it is, because a previous game allowed it, and that prevents, the creation of strategies, or for example, making sure that the mounted ones were in the lead. and I know there are patches that fix that, but it's still a defect in the vanilla game

[@haroldallaberg6359]

the fatigue system is genius IMO and should have been brought back for later games. why? because it forces you to use more than just your favorite 10-12 units.

[@marioluigijam3612]

I have really enjoyed what I have played of fe5. Despite me never finishing it I really enjoyed it for what it was. For me it has a similar feeling to 6. I enjoyed the game alot for its difficulty but its a pain to replay (or finish) due to some dated difficulty design.

[@Hilversumborn]

For me, Thracia has great highs but also deep lows so my feelings are mixed. If I have to rank it with other entries in the series it’s right in the middle.

[@ty_sylicus]

Honestly, this game sounds a lot like future games. I'm thinking 6 and 7.

[@xAfterTomorrowx]

Great synopsis though I will say gameplay critique you're absolutely crazy for moving Glade away from the castle gate on his joining chapter during one part of the video😂, just jokes. I binge watch these videos and love going through them

[@voltron77]

Can’t wait for Fe6, it’s the best one, it’s hard, has a good story and is just overall amazing.

[@cliffjumper1984]

I just beat holy war a few days ago. I need to finish mystery of the new emblem, then I'll play this.

[@crimsonkawasaki]

Very cool

[@giovannygallardo692]

This is one of the few fire emblems I’ve never played Not sure if am going to love it or hate it I play FE 4 in English and really enjoyed it

[@abicrystalwing1543]

2:20 i wouldn't say he's young. The guy was 40 years old when fe1 came out

[@raythemankit]

I don’t really have the means to play games like Thracia, but after beating church tours and blue lions videos like this are really interesting it makes me want to play it way more now

[@d2productions417]

Keep the fire emblem videos coming

[@Mr.KokoPudgeFudge]

I know this is a nitpick, but it's pronounced 'Thruhkeeuh' not 'Thrashyuh', as indicated by the katakana below 'Fire Emblem' on the box art.

[@ryanwolfe659]

“Thracia 776 puts more power in your hands than any other game i’ve touched thus far in the series” Are you sure that you played gaiden?

[@pr0xi_zura.]

41:14 Watching this in 2023 How Ironic that this would get referenced on LIEF’s ring in Engage

[@drewwitte8473]

Why give Lithis 4 of your crusader scrolls? Can he actually be a viable unit? Also, I think one of the best parts about Thracia is being able to give any unit you want the skills using the manuals you get, especially since the skills in Thracia are busted. I gave my Olwen vantage which, when paired with dire thunder and some good level ups, basically makes her untouchable. Great video, btw 👍

[@GenmaTheSamurai]

I wonder what your take would be on this game after finishing this whole retrospective. For me, I am....So very split on this game. I just beat it, and it has a lot of genuinely great mechanics, and definitely set into stone what Fire Emblem would become. That said....Man I feel like this game genuinely is the one that will screw you over the hardest in the whole series if you aren't stealing items. Intentional or not, this was a game that I have no idea how I'd be able to get through it without being already knowledgeable in FE, or using save-states. This game is absolutely the king of beginners traps. I also appreciate your defense points, although 90% of those defense points are true of every FE after this, but none of those are as brutal as this one. I think this game is good, but hoo boy is this one far from one of my favorites. At the same time, I don't think it's bad or even mediocre. I like a lot of what it's attempting to do, but I think this game is just too brutal for me. Mind you I am one of those players who never lets units die, and considering how hard it is to come across good weapons and units in this game, I feel that even more so.

[@valsioncustom]

This was a very nice video. Welp, back to my Super Thracia file.

[@zujaayy799]

if thracia 776 is so good, then why isnt their a thracia 776 2?

[@GamesBrained]

checkmate

[@Alvosploio]

7:10 Wrong. Roms for Thracia have been available since years before the publishing of this video

[@deusvultorsomething4328]

Such a great retrospective! Btw does anyone know what's the ost that plays during the chapter II segment?