The Legend of Heroes Thread - Trails of Cold Steel in the Sky

[Modron]

If you wanted to talk about shitty hair you should talk about Kevin.

 

[Jinn]

Shitty hair, best protag! Bring Kevin back, damn you Falcom!

 

[Reinhardt]

Shitty hair, best protag!

Estelle had beautiful hair!

 

[Maxie]

glad to see more people acknowledging cold steel is a pile of manure

 

[frajaq]

omg what a wacky little girl >.<

 

[Abu Antar]

Worst character in the series.

 

[Jinn]

Like most of the characters in Cold Steel that I initially didn't care for, she actually grew on me quite a bit by the end of IV.

 

[frajaq]

Worst character in the series.

I can see why people would feel that way with her antics but I do enjoy her moments with Jusis

 

[Rean]

Speaking of Jusis, the way he grows combat-wise from CS1 to Reverie is something to behold.
Wish I could say the same for Laura, who's much stronger in the earlier games.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Speaking of Jusis, the way he grows combat-wise from CS1 to Reverie is something to behold.
Wish I could say the same for Laura, who's much stronger in the earlier games.

Laura shines in the first two CS games because of the smaller roster of characters. In Trails, characters are either 1. specialized for using craft damage, or if they're not then 2. you turn them into casters. In the first two CS games, the the four characters who naturally deal high craft damage are Rean, Laura, and Gaius. The other characters deal middling craft damage and can be built to deal more, but they're having to compete with Rean/Laura/Gaius who can already do much more, so you're incentivized to instead build those characters for their utility or for casting.

From CS3 onward, you have a bigger roster. Laura isn't just competing with Rean and Gaius for raw crafts damage, but also Ash, Duvalie, Estelle (her single-target S-craft with very high break damage), not to mention Reverie specific characters. And then in Reverie, everyone's S-craft gets upgraded to 4S and everyone gets an accessory that gives them +10 CP every turn, so it doesn't matter which character you bring since they're all doing at least 4S damage S-craft damage every 10 turns or less, so utility becomes more important (ie, Crow's range for evasion tanking, Rean being able to upgrade his S-craft damage to 5S+, Machias/Kurt/Lloyd/Sara for turn manipulation, etc).

As for Jusis' strength, he's not that strong in CS1 or CS3. Arts spamming is okay but not insane. It's in CS2, CS4, and Reverie when you gain access to incredible damage multipliers with Lost Arts and magic master quartz that he is able to one or two shot bosses on the hardest difficulty with his first art. Any other character can be built to do that, but Jusis is cooler. Also he has utility with Platinum Shield.

 

[Sarathiour]

Millum is arguably at damage bursting than laura in CS2, because all of her craft and S-craft got their power enhanced between 1 and 2. Gaius is a notch under Rean/Laura/Millum in 1 and 2, but he's the only character being able to rage, so he still got his niche, and howling heaven in CS3+ assure him a place among the most busted.

 

[frajaq]

Gaius really is useful when you can use him, being able to recover CP that fast helps a lot in Dungeons. However I just a powerful self buff for Laura and she upgraded her S Craft so I should use her more honestly

 

[cruel]

I've replaced Laura with Rixia for Reverie, whenever possible. Not only Laura is not as strong as she used to, but it doesn't help how one-dimensional they made her: 'you need to train harder', "I need to train more', just wtf.

Plus, Rixia has other 'benefits' as well.

 

[Rean]

Plus, Rixia has other 'benefits' as well.

Yeah, Rixia is top 10 strength-wise in Reverie. She was in my party 70% of the time. That stealth is just unfathomably good. Noel also ends up being really good.

 

[Jinn]

Rixia also makes a phenomenal evasion-tank. Truly a top-tier character.

 

[frajaq]

the game definetly starts out slow but I liked a lot by the end, and the ending pretty much makes me want to start Cold Steel 2 right away, so off I go!

 

[frajaq]

what Master Quartz do you guys use for Rean? in CS1 for most of the game I had him Falco so he's sturdy as a frontline evasion tank, does that strategy work the same in CS2? I'm noticing physical attacks are missing a lot more compared to the first game

also is there any reason to use Elliot here since I just got Alisa?

 

[Abu Antar]

In CS2, I kept Rean with his OG MQ for most of the game.

Imo, Elliot is good. He's a great support. You need everyone decently leveled, anyway.

 

[Sarathiour]

His base MQ in 2 give CP, right ? Yeah, basically any physical MQ that boost CP generation , and you could eventually switch to vermilion or some other physical MQ once you get enough CP trough item or teammate.

Eliot is decent support with a recuria+heal built-in on his craft list, and got his own niche later on when he unlock his second S-craft. But yeah, I also find Alisa vastly superior, status effect are manageable, Heavenly gift is a busted craft and she's overall got a lot more offensive option, plus she synergize very well with Rean for link, because Rean can proc cover for an angelic ring user, and Alisa cheer and auto-thelas work very well on him, espcailly after the second half of the game.

 

[Val the Moofia Boss]

what Master Quartz do you guys use for Rean?

Murakumo/Vermilion/Orochi to maximize damage. Raven if you want to stack delay and speed.

in CS1 for most of the game I had him Falco so he's sturdy as a frontline evasion tank, does that strategy work the same in CS2?

Yes though you can make an even more effective evasion tank with Wing and stacking magic immunity, which allows the tank party member to solo a difficult magic dealing boss later in the story while everyone else dies. But if you really want an evasion tank then you're better off making someone with longer reach into your evasion tank so you can gain CP from counterattacks.

is there any reason to use Elliot here since I just got Alisa?

He is fantastic for clearing out trash fights. Equip the Juggler master quartz and stack nightmare quartz on him, gear to increase his speed (not cast time), and then spam his Nocturne Bell craft to inflict nightmare which shuts down your enemies and lets you attack them without them waking up.

Alisa's main purpose is to be a CP battery to fuel the rest of your team.

 

[cruel]

Alisa's main purpose is to be a CP battery to fuel the rest of your team.

She is also great as a 'last resort' backup, due to her quartz with Space art delay reduction, 2x auto-revive per battle and Seraphic Ring on a very small delay. For more difficult fights, I kept both her and Elliot, if I remember correctly.

 

[Sarathiour]

Flamberge and mirror arrow are quite good for offensive craft, and miles ahead of what emma and Eliot got. Jusis one are also quite good for an art user, but he need to get close, a problem Alisa does not have. She can also be a plague spreader once you got molten rain, tough she's obviously not the best at this.
Reducing her to just a CP battery is quite a shame, and it's mostly done because she's unrivaled in this domain.

 

[Maxie]

Rixia is a fantastic character because 1. she has beautiful massive boobs 2. she stars in the Crossbell games

 

[Maxie]

the game definetly starts out slow but I liked a lot by the end, and the ending pretty much makes me want to start Cold Steel 2 right away, so off I go!

pedo

 

[frajaq]

I really enjoy these moments in Cold Steel 1/2, having played Zero/Azure before this (I defeated her just the same way also back in Azure, by spamming 200 power S-Crafts with everyone having +50 STR buff!!)