So Long, Adele... Was Only Pain and NO Whimsy
Once again, Dr. Eve is a little late to the party, but you must understand that even 11 days into the year, I am already a month and a half behind on everything I wish I could have been doing.
So instead of lamenting my unfinished fanfics and the cross-stitch that's been in box jail since the end of November, we're going on an adventure with Eyjafjalla.
Fair to say, that I didn't finish anything during the rerun last time. It was right after New Year's and let me tell you... I was not in the mood for that at all.
Naturally, we start off with an update on how RI-8 is doing right now.
This means we have the opportunity to look back into it from the POV of someone very opinionated about men and entirely blind to the women on the field.
A...
Ah--- W...Welcome maam. I've been waiting for
A while.
Welcome to the team of my light-hair-coloured women, ignore the Sarkaz sisters, and I hope you have a pleasant stay.
My fields were barren... Still are.
I'm pretty sure whatever I had was already wasted, but that's alright so far. Surely, there's nothing that could possibly mess up your future career as my favourite Instructor...
But why do I hear Kazimierz's music?
Right, it's because Flametail has also joined the team, in an attempt to rally that E1Max Texas that I've been trying to ignore for the last hm 3 years.
Also, HAPPY NEW YEAR from RI-8 and all of Yan, who are here to celebrate with me in a wild mix between 'enjoy this while you can before we all die' and 'RI has never seen such bliss, glad you're here' type of way.
Okay, updates are done. It was a slow descent into madness this time, nothing too fancy-schmancy.
Here's how So Long, Adele went for me.
---
EyjaBerry is THE best medic so far in my experience. She's not just a single target Wandering Medic like the rest of the Berries, her skills just make healing trivial the way W'Alter manages to make dealing damage feel trivial.
Her S1M3? Unlimited and covers 2 people at the same time.
S2M3? Become an AOE Shining, but better for all I know, because I don't have her. Would I have pulled for her now? Absolutely, she is doing a much better job protecting my allies from the enemy than anybody else could.
I'm sorry Lumen, despite Dr. Pinkie's constant confusion between the words, being a Wanderer and a Therapist are two different things and you specialize in the things you do.
S3M3? Don'tDieInator3000, global.
---
Last time I saw Sw'Alter actually being used was during the Icebreaker Event and it was because Dr. Pinkie had the ingenious idea to use her bottles to charge the machines. For any players out there, you know what I am talking about.
After ages of playing this game, I finally realized that some peaceable objects like that charge the SP machines just like that.
She looks good though. Merchant. With Lee and Mr. Nothing, I don't need another DP-leech for the job. I'm comparing her to Lee, so Sw'Alter seems to have less health, but better damage in the base stages. Her abilities have a funky range.
S1M3 - Medic defenders all over the place with 1 block.
S2M3 - A typical Trapmaster ability
S3M3 - An unlimited duration skill, with a knockback that
---
If there were characters who were thrown in a black hole never to be seen again, it's Conviction and Poncirus. From what I know about the story, she only shows up at the end too.
We've been talking with the other Doctors about how recently the characters who are featured on the banner alongside the 6 star are completely irrelevant story-wise.
None of the new Babel characters were ever shown up. They weren't even FROM Babel.
These gripes aside,
Compared to Texas, exact same S1 with the same 12 DP, wait time and everything on M3. However, what I just found out was that her second skill actually looks pretty good. She's with better health, less attack and better defence on the Max levels. Defensive Pioneer Vanguards have served me better than offensive ones.
---
Bryophyta is in a weird spot because he's an Instructor in a world where only 5 in total exist. Which isn't a few, but it's not a lot either.
Pallas is the best by a margin because of Bryo's 5-star debuff (and he's a shop-erator), but since he's Dr. Lundi claimed, I have to say something nice about him or the sniper on the roof next door is going to get me.
I feel like all of them would benefit from the INS-Y Module, being able to be deployed on a ranged tile extends their versatility better since their whole gimmick is 'Don't Block for Damage'.
His S1M3 is a delight to see. The second the words 'Next attack' show up on screen I feel power. Nothing to write home about though.
But what about his S2M3----
Oh. Stuns self. Okay. I didn't need him anyway.
---
That was all for the operators. Now to the event itself.
Did I read anything out of this event's story? I did not. Would I let Pinkie explain everything to me? They did. Did I love the trailer and the music? You bet. Did I hate the event? Entirely.
You see, while I do like this 'being forced to think' situation during events, especially for EX or S stages because I understand that the enjoyment of the game is as much gimmick and working with what you have, as it is... a strategy game.
However, Dr. Eve being Eve, I end up thinking myself into a corner. The operators I level up aren't always the ones that I need.
Very rarely in fact.
Look at my wife's list. Look at my husband's list! Not a single person can handle 3 enemies at once unless they are a defender. Nobody does enough damage the way I needed them to.
I guided Dr. Kryo through SL-S-5 and some of the earlier challenges and he was adamant that he didn't want a W'Alter guide. I respect that, we're all quirky and he didn't get a W'Alter during her run. It worked out well for him.
I knew he struggled for the CM on SL-S-4 because we were in call during the time and I was crying about SL-S-3 CM, thinking 4 and 5 would be worse.
Mind you, this man thinks when he levels up (most of) his characters though. Mudrock Max, Ines, Kal'tsit, Blaze, Hoshi. He got Mlynar, he has Logos, EyjaBerry.
The last time we struggled so much was during Stultifera. A LONG time ago, because back then - me nor Dr. Kryo had Lappland.
I didn't even try to think too hard about the levels at first. EX-1 to 8 were absolutely fine, S-1 and 2, even 3 were great. I managed S-5 in three tries or something with Kryo guiding me since it was late and I didn't feel like thinking.
I spent an entire afternoon on SL-S-4 CM.
Watched every single video guide. Nothing worked.
I couldn't manage to put down bottles for Lundi's Ex'Alter in the top blue exit.
DP not enough at any point.
Why are these bottles taking so long???
My Mudrock wasn't strong enough when I needed W'Alter. She was also not lvl90 or S3M3.
Instead of Mudrock, why not use Penance, she's mean to handle more enemies, right? Wrong. Gets eaten alive by the sheep. You're starting to understand who was being problematic.
My Kal'tsit isn't lvl90 and only S3M1, which was not enough.
Also don't have the modules for Mudrock, nor for Kal.
My allies kept dying on the bottom side. Hoshiguma was useless, using Nian for her innate skill was perfect.
They kept leaking past the 15/20 enemy count. Bam, put Shu behind Nian.
I figured out that the leakage mainly happened topside. I need someone who could do a lot of damage to a lot of people in a line since the magician goats are being a bother.
Hoederer S2M3 but his second phase for the +1 block count. He's too slow, that's not S3, what was I even thinking???
I don't have Ines and Silverash/Puzzle doesn't work the way she does.
I don't have Ascalon. I don't have Reed Alter. I don't have Mlynar.
Logos instead of Eyjafjalla does wonders for my mental health though.
Freaking Kazdelian Bubbling Hotpot, why are my Ling's dragons so easily perishable, she's lvl60 with the module.
Fiddled with this video for a little bit, but my ability to look with one eye in one direction and use the other for the other direction really made things unfortunate when I had to manage Pinecone's skill and also block the oncoming enemies.
If that doesn't work out, fine.
This one should work. I'm just going to borrow a Sk'Alter.
Blaze dies.
Ah, I don't have Nightingale, so I thought putting perfumer there would work. Let's switch it up, Perfumer goes in Ptilopsis' place.
Blaze doesn't die. She leaks instead.
Alright, then I will add someone to help with the enemies. Uh.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Sanity is still 133 from how much I've been wasting my time
Tries again. Perfects the bottom side strat, so I need to pay attention to my Blaze.
Mission Failed.
Oh, come on.
I'm starting to get angry, because the problem isn't anything else, BUT Blaze.
Civilight Eterna S2, borrow a Nightingale from Dr. Kryo.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Tries again. Mission Failed.
Alright. I give up. I can't do this anymore. I'm gone. I'm done. I just won't get the complete medal set.
Goes to bed.
Wakes up.
...
...
...
New day, New me. Let's get Arknightsing.
Okay, that previous run should've worked fine. Let's go back and see what I was doing to figure out what to tweak.
Wanqing in front of bottom blue box.
Nian is in the corner. Soda box in front of her.
Myrtle below her to optimize DP.
Exusiai when I have 30 DP, so I can immediately plop Perfumer.
Box blows up a bit late because of the DP drawback with Exusiai and Perfumer, drop Bagpipe to break the box on the top blue exit because the skateboard sheep will be coming soon.
Earn back that 13 DP.
Logos under Perfumer, remove Myrtle after skill.
Blaze > Sk'Alter > Ptilopsis.
Remove Wanqing, put down Shu.
Discrepancy happens for Blaze again.
Wait a minute...
I don't want to look at this event ever again in my LIFE.
SO LONG, Adele.
