For the first time in over a decade since Fire Emblem Awakening's release, the main duo of Awakening return as playable characters in the newest Fire Emblem game in the series. After Wave 3 of Fire Emblem Engage's DLC, Ylisse's crown prince Chrom and his fellow Avatar and Shepherd Robin can be recruited as Emblems by defeating Chrom and Robin in their exclusive Divine Paralogue, The Shepherd Exalt.
Unlike some of the other DLC-exclusive Paralogues available for players to try out in Fire EmblemEngage, though, The Shepherd Exalt is not as easy as it may seem. For tips and advice on how to overcome the fairly challenging, Awakening-inspired Paralogue map and on what special items and dialogue options can be obtained, read on!
Fire Emblem Engage DLC: The Shepherd Exalt
First and foremost, before beginning The Shepherd Exalt Paralogue, players should be aware that special dialogue can be unlocked by using Emblem Lucina, another iconic Awakening character, in battle. Emblem Lucina is unlocked in the base-game Engage story after Chapter 11. By using Lucina in battle, players will be able to use two rounds of gameplay with Lucina to speak to both Chrom and Robin once individually. This dialogue can't be accessed outside this battle or with any other character beyond Lucina, so this is a must-have for players invested in Easter eggs like special battle-only dialogue.
As for the Paralogue itself, players should prepare themselves for a hard-fought battle. While the Paralogue starts out relatively simple, it comes with a difficulty spike that comes at players fast and hard, and it only gets more difficult as the map goes on. Because of this, players should ensure that all of their units are well-built before taking on this battle. As for useful units and Emblems, players should definitely bring archers thanks to the way they outclass flying units, since there are a ton on this map. As well as archers, mages will be incredibly important thanks to the number of enemies with low Res that will be found during this Paralogue. Tanks, staff, and axe units will also be helpful, as will any unit or Emblem with good options for mobility, like Sigurd.
Players are allowed to deploy ten units on this map, though the number and type of units that the player will face on the enemy side will change depending on the player's level and chosen difficulty. On top of this, the player will also encounter special level mechanics and anywhere between two and eight enemy reinforcements that appear all across the map roughly every two turns for as long as the magical barrier is up.
Thanks to these reinforcements, it can be very difficult for players - particularly unprepared players - to avoid finding themselves overwhelmed. This map can also be a relatively difficult one to conceptualize, as it mostly splits itself into two parts. The first stage is where players need to focus on destroying the magical barrier that keeps them from being able to access the northern part of the map, where Chrom and Robin are waiting. The second stage focuses on defeating both Chrom and Robin.
What makes the first part of this stage difficult is the fact that destroying the magical barrier can only be done if players manage to break three crystals on the map on the same turn. Players can't stagger the destruction of these crystals - they must be destroyed at the same time - preferably in the first four turns of the map - or else the barrier won't come down. On top of this, as mentioned, there'll be more reinforcements appearing while players are trying to break these crystals, which is why getting rid of them quickly is essential. All in all - it can be a lot to focus on.
Once the crystals have been destroyed, though, the player will have full access to Chrom and Robin. Minus the reinforcements and the strong enemies surrounding them, these two are a little easier to deal with. Robin in particular will be much easier to focus on defeating, as he'll go down quickly against any fairly strong physical unit. With Robin out of the way, focusing on Chrom should be no problem.
The Treasure in Chrom and Robin's Battle
There are several treasures dotted around the map for eagle-eyed players to spot and get their hands on, as well as a handful of items that can be picked up during the exploration phase of this Awakening-inspired Divine Paralogue map.
- The first item, an Elixir, can be picked up after defeating the High Priest Fabrication waiting in the westernmost section of the map.
- Another Elixir can also be gained after defeating yet another High Priest Fabrication, this side on the opposite, easternmost side of the map.
- 1,000 Gold will also be dropped after defeating the Sage Fabrication which can be found in the middle of the Divine Paralogues map.
There are also obtainable items that can be found during the exploration section of the Paralogue, after Chrom and Robin have been defeated. This includes Steel Ingots and Iron Ingots.
Fire Emblem Engage is available for Nintendo Switch.