Intelligent Systems definitely lined up weird banners for 2019, didn’t they?
First we got hot springs units. Now we get picnic units.
The whole idea feels a lot like a springtime gimmick, which is unusual considering we’ve gotten our spring banner this year. But I do like this aesthetic over Playboy bunnies.
So these units can’t be that bad, can they?
Flora — Signature Dish
- Sæhrímnir (Might = 14, Range = 2)
- Effective against beast foes. Grants Attack +3. At start of combat, if unit’s Resistance > foe’s Resistance, reduces foe’s Attack and Defense by 50 percent of difference between stats during combat (calculated before combat, maximum penalty of -8). After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Defense and Resistance -7 on target and foes within two spaces of target through their next actions.
- Iceberg (Cooldown = 3)
- Boosts damage by 50 percent of unit’s Resistance.
- AR-D Attack/Resistance (A Skill)
- If defending in Aether Raids, grants Attack and Resistance +Number of defensive structures during combat.
- ≥5 grants +10, 4 grants +7, 3 grants +4, ≤2 grants +1
- If defending in Aether Raids, grants Attack and Resistance +Number of defensive structures during combat.
- Bold Fighter (B Skill)
- If unit initiates combat, grants Special Attack cooldown charge +1 per unit’s attack, and unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.
- Armor March (C Skill)
- At start of turn, if unit is adjacent to an armored ally, unit and allies can move one extra space.
Lukas — Buffet for One
- Luncheon Lance (Might = 14, Range = 1)
- If foe initiates combat, grants Attack and Defense +4 during combat.
- Pivot (Range = 1)
- Unit moves to opposite side of target ally.
- AR-O Attack/Defense (A Skill)
- If attacking in Aether Raids, grants Attack and Defense +Number of foe’s defensive structures during combat.
- ≤2 grants +10, 3 grants +7, 4 grants +4, ≥5 grants +1
- If attacking in Aether Raids, grants Attack and Defense +Number of foe’s defensive structures during combat.
- Wary Fighter (B Skill)
- If unit’s Health ≥ 50 percent, unit and foe cannot make a follow-up attack.
Genny — Dressed with Care
- Toasty Skewer (Might = 12, Range = 2)
- If a foe initiates combat against an ally within two spaces of unit, grants Defense and Resistance +3 to that ally during combat.
- Psychic (Range = 2)
- Restores Health = 50 percent of Attack (minimum of 8 Health).
- Fireflood Balm (Cooldown = 1)
- When healing an ally with a staff, grants Attack and Resistance +6 to all allies for one turn.
- Wrathful Staff (B Skill)
- Calculates damage from staff like other weapons.
- Defense Opening (C Skill)
- At start of turn, grants Defense +6 to ally with the highest Defense for one turn.
Felicia — Off the Menu
- Eldhrímnir (Might = 16, Range = 1)
- Effective against beast foes. Grants Speed +3. At start of combat, if unit’s Resistance > foe’s Resistance, reduces foe’s Attack and Speed by 50 percent of difference between stats during combat (calculated before combat, maximum penalty of -8).
- Glacies (Cooldown = 4)
- Boosts damage by 80 percent of unit’s Resistance.
- Speed/Defense Bond (A Skill)
- If unit is adjacent to an ally, grants Speed and Defense +5 during combat.
- Special Fighter (B Skill)
- At start of combat, if unit’s Health ≥ 50 percent, grants Special Attack cooldown charge +1 to unit and inflicts cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack (highest value applied, does not stack).
- Close Guard (C Skill)
- Allies within two spaces gain: “If foe uses sword, lance, axe, dragonstone, or beast damage, grants Defense and Resistance +4 during combat.”
I can’t say they’re bad, but I do have problems here.
Why did we decide to only do half an Echoes banner here? Genny and Lukas are great, especially considering Celica is the only unit we’ve gotten alternates for. But a banner cannot exist without Fates or Awakening units on it apparently.
I do like Flora and Felicia, and their norse mythology-themed weapons (a hog in Valhalla and the utensil to cook it) are cool.
But why couldn’t Flora have been a blue-haired girl from Echoes?
My other problem is the fact that Genny seemingly got shafted. The others are strong, mostly unique armored units (even if the Aether Raids skills make me further consider removing self-written text), but the perfect sheep girl is just another healing cavalier.
They didn’t even have her ride the doe in her artwork, which would have been incredible!
Oh well. I suppose that’s a nitpick.
Genny and Lukas are my top choices, with Flora as a close second. Felicia is good, but faces stiff competition in the “powerful axe armored” category.
Don’t feel bad, Felicia. You get to be the best part of this banner’s Paralogue at least!
Paralogue 33 — A Season for Picnics
Out of all 33 Paralogues, this picnic banner has to have the most bland premise.
Princess Sharena drags the Order of Heroes out for a picnic. Then constantly yells at them to act like normal, relaxed people until they become subservient to her will.
It’s a trope you’ve seen before, I’m sure.
Where this banner’s story stands out is with the alternate characters.
The first map has Flora feeding Genny delicious sandwiches before warning her to stay away from her sister Felicia’s food. It’s cute — as most things with Genny are.
The second map cuts to Felicia giving a sandwich to Lukas, who loves the taste (as he is so used to war rations like wheat flour).
Future Tempest Trials reward Leo is there, and the most brilliant writing in the series rears its head as he makes fun of Felicia’s cooking.
Hsays he’ll never eat it… Until she brings out tomatoes.
Reluctantly, he proclaims “I guess I have no choice.”
The sandwich he eats as a result is described as having a texture mixing slime and dust. It’s a great moment.
The third map loses that to an extent, but poking fun at Felicia continues. The battle is also shown to be one of those rare times where all five new units are on stage at once.
Luckily, that extended cast does not make the duel any more difficult. When the picnicking units are dispatched, Sharena once again shuts down the teams’ neuroses so they’ll relax and enjoy the sunny day.
The end.
And that’s another new special banner in the books.
Overall I’m really not sure how to feel about this one. Having Echoes units like Genny is wonderful, but when she’s the least impressive on the banner that excitement is quickly deflated.
Luckily that nice dialogue in the Paralogue made up for it, in my opinion.
But hey, that’s just my opinion. Let me know what you think about these alternate characters in the comments!
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