I wanted to make a forum post detailing a system I’ve implemented for FE playthroughs called “Point Buy”. If you’re interested in what it is and learning how to play yourself, just check out the guide below.
What is Point Buy?
Point Buy was made to enhance the replayability of Fire Emblem games. It is a system adapted from other RPGs that associates a “cost” to using any particular unit. It is a self-imposed ruleset that enables a unique challenge run experience. With a limited deployment amount based on a per-chapter basis, this allows a player to plan their army and play the game in a completely different way than they normally would.
If video explanations are more your thing, check this out. The first half of the video is background/justification, system mechanics are explained about 6 minutes in.
Point Buy Rules
Point Buy requires a “Unit Deployment Cost” list before playing, which is detailed in the next section. In this list, each playable unit in the game is assigned a “Deployment Cost”. This is the amount of slots they take up on any given map.
The simplest way to understand Point Buy is by using an example. For the sake of this, we will use Radiant Dawn Part 3 Chapter 2:Stormclouds. On this map, we have 16 deployment slots on the preparation screen (with one slot being a force deployed Ike). If we are choosing our units on this map, we have 16 points total to work with. Using my handy Unit Deployment Cost list, I decide to field the following units:
Ike (3) + Titania (2.5) + Oscar (2) + Gatrie (2) + Soren (2) + Brom (1.5) + Rolf (1.5) + Rhys (1.5) = 16 points
With this example, you should get an idea of what Point Buy is doing. If I want to take any other units, I will have to budget my Unit Deployment Allowance accordingly. Keep in mind that every map has a different deployment limit and potentially forced deployed units, which will affect how many points you have to work with.
Unit Deployment Cost Lists (and Example Lists)
As mentioned in the Point Buy Rules section, you need a Unit Deployment Cost List in order to play using the Point Buy system. My recommendation for the best possible experience is that you either create your own list or make modifications to other user submitted lists. Blindly grabbing a list and jamming a game could lead to feel-bad situations. Not everyone’s experience with FE games is unilateral. Opinions on playstyles, unit value, and desired level of difficulty will vary.
Example Lists
I have made the following example lists for my own playthroughs and to share with others.
Disclaimer: My opinions and unit evaluations may be wrong.
FE Radiant Dawn Point Buy List
FE Sacred Stones Point Buy List
More to come..
Additional Rules and Mods (Supplementary)
People have suggested additional rulings / modifications to Point Buy to me before, and I wanted to list some of the more popular suggestions here. Feel free to add or ignore these to further enhance your Point Buy experience. A video detailing these mods has also been made here.
- Adjust the Deployment Limit formula: Could be 1.5 or 2x the regular deployment limit
- Assign a static value to force deployed units (including Lords): I recommend at least 1 point. Alternatively, use a metric such as ‘half of their regular deployment cost’ if appropriate.
- Anti-snowball Incentive: Raise a unit’s deploy cost upon promotion to prevent juggernauting. Something like +0.5 cost per promotions (highly game dependent).
- Break Glass in Case of Emergency: If you are playing with banned characters, consider a 1-time usage policy for particularly challenging maps or portions of the game.
See Point Buy in Action
I have a Point Buy run going for Radiant Dawn right now and I’m recording them on a weekly basis. If you’re interested in how Point Buy works, consider checking out the latest video.
Let me know what you think of the system, and I would be very interested in anyone’s experiences with it if you try it out.