- Introduction
- Tactical Link: Swap & Movement
- Extra Movement
- Protecting Vulnerable Characters
- Farming XP
This article was written under Lost Eidolons Ver1.5.4.R29.eb474865.
I am happy to make any corrections if more accurate information is discovered. If you have any comments, you can either post here or e-mail me at: byzantinekitty@gmail.com
All of the screenshots in this post were taken by me.
1. INTRODUCTION
Lost Eidolons is a turn-based tactics RPG in the tradition of games like Shining Force, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics. It is also similar to Dark Deity, which I recently played. However, Lost Eidolons does have impressive, realistic graphics instead of cartoon-style artwork.
Several articles and guides I have read have maligned the value of Tactical Link: Movement and Tactical Link: Swap but I think they are both extremely useful skills.
This guide is intended to explore some of the strategic applications that the Tactical Link skills have. In particular, they can provide additional movement for a key character, help protect a vulnerable character, and allows for farming experience during turns you don't otherwise have something productive to do.
2. TACTICAL LINK: SWAP & MOVEMENT
Players typically encounter Tactical Link: Swap first since this skill becomes unlocked with the Squire, a beginning character class. You get access to this skill once you complete the Squire class and can use it as an active skill even if you change to another class.
This skill can be used twice in a battle and lets you swap positions with an adjacent ally. Using this ability counts as the character's turn - they do not get to attack, though using this Tactical Link does generate experience.
Tactical Link: Movement is an active skill that becomes available once a character has completed the Warrior class (an intermediate class beyond the basic Fighter class). This skill can be assigned to an active skill slot even if you change to another class.
The skill can be used twice in a battle and moves an adjacent ally one tile away (making it similar to Dark Deity's "Push" ability). Note that there needs to be an empty tile to push that character into. Using this ability counts as the character's turn - they do not get to attack, though using this Tactical Link does generate experience.
3. EXTRA MOVEMENT
Lost Eidolons strongly encourages finishing a battle in the fewest number of turns. There is a limited number of turns (though you can choose an easier game setting with unlimited turns) and each battle awards extra experience based on how quickly you complete the battle objective (which is usually to defeat all enemies or defeat a specific boss unit).
Tactical Link: Movement and Tactical Link: Swap do not give direct bonuses to attacking or defending but since movement (typically 4-5 depending on class) tends to be a major constraint, strategic use of Tactical Links can often shave a turn or more off of many battles.
Keep in mind that the Tactical Links each let you move a character an additional tile. Depending on the terrain, this could actually be worth more than 1 movement point.
Sometimes the extra movement is what is needed to finish off an enemy unit. Other times the extra movement lets you reach an objective or treasure chest. And in other scenarios, the extra tile puts you within range of the enemy, which is needed to draw them in instead of having them just sit there idling.
Extra movement can be especially helpful against monsters since their vulnerabilities and vulnerable tiles change every turn. Sometimes you need to get a specific character to a specific tile to attack and, even after factoring how you can change the orientation of the monster, you need just a little bit of additional movement.
Here is an example where my magic unit is 1 tile too far away from being able to use a range 3 offensive spell against an enemy archer on a rampart. However, using Tactical Link: Movement to push my magic unit 1 tile is enough to let them finish off the enemy with an attack spell:
This next battle has a special beacon that attracts additional enemies each turn until it is extinguished. Not only do you need your unit to reach one of the special tiles where you can interact with the beacon but you also need to have left over movement to extinguish the beacon on that turn.
Initially, Eden (on a mount) is one tile away but since all of the relevant tiles are rapids or rough terrain they actually cost 2 movement points each. But chaining together a series of two Tactical Link: Movement pushes (I also had an additional Tactical Link: Swap available which I didn't need) allows Eden to reach the beacon this turn (instead of next turn), which saves me from having to deal with additional enemies:
4. PROTECTING VULNERABLE CHARACTERS
The Tactical Link skills can also be used to protect vulnerable characters from being eliminated. In Lost Eidolons, if a character is reduced to 0 health, not only are they removed from battle but they are also removed from the active roster of characters you can use in all future battles. Thus, keeping your characters alive is crucial for later chapters.
While there are some alternative options for crowd control, like Taunting skills, those Provoked statuses are often removed by an enemy priest's Purification spell. Plus it assumes that the enemy units are within immediate range.
Using Tactical Link: Swap means the character using it will be in range of the enemy though they might not necessarily be the new target. A character using Tactical Link: Movement will often still be within range of the enemy but not always. If the vulnerable character is right at the edge of an enemy's range and your tactical character is coming from a perpendicular direction it is possible that both of them will be safe. Note that there are some monsters with charged 3x3 attacks. Since the Tactical Links work orthogonally (but not diagonally), there will still be someone in the 3x3 area of attack.
Here is an example of using Tactical Link: Swap to protect another character with low health. Under normal circumstances, Eden can just swap directly since his zone of control will block the enemy from attacking the ally who will be placed behind him. In this case, the enemy Anaspida has a tail strike ability that attacks all characters in a line so you are better off moving Eden diagonally (to the orange square) and using Tactical Link: Swap from there. However, since this was the last turn it didn't really matter:
5. FARMING XP
In tactical games like Lost Eidolons, characters gain experience each turn after making an attack, getting attacked, and/or using a special ability or skill. They do not get experience during turns where they only move and/or do not interact with enemy units or allies.
In many battles, your characters won't gain experience on the first turn when the enemy is out of range. There may be intermediate turns when your team is mostly moving (after they have dispatched one group of enemies and need to move within range of another group). And during the final turn when there aren't many enemies left, not everyone is going to be able to attack to gain experience.
That's where the subtle beauty of Tactical Link skills lie. Since they generate experience without the need of an enemy, twice each battle they allow you to gain experience during an otherwise unproductive turn. For min/maxers or those really focused on long-term character development, getting extra experience (often during the first and last turns) can really add up over multiple battles.
Here's an example of milking experience out of the first turn. In this battle, you initially have to get two characters up to the gate. You can't even attack any enemies at this point. But I'm able to use Tactical Link: Swap to gain experience during the otherwise unproductive turn. (Scripted events then cause your units to move which is why they are positioned differently afterwards):
Here's a case where after dispatching one group of enemies I need to move within range of another. I don't have enough movement to actually attack them. Normally this would just be a movement turn where I don't get experience but I can use Tactical Link skills to gain experience - you just need to be careful about positioning:
And last of all, here is an example at the end of a battle. With only one enemy left, not everyone can gain experience by attacking. But careful use of Tactical Link: Swap lets me gain experience for that character and their aide:
Hopefully, after reading this guide you have a better appreciation for how useful Tactical Link: Movement and Tactical Link: Swap are!