As a veteran Fire Emblem player with over 200 hours across the series, I‘ve explored Engage extensively on every available setting. In this comprehensive guide from a professional gamer‘s perspective, I‘ll share detailed insights to help you master Engage‘s difficulty options for an optimal playthrough.
Demystifying Each Difficulty Level
Let‘s break down exactly how the three core settings differ and the unique challenges they present:
Normal Mode
Normal is the most beginner-friendly difficulty. However, even seasoned tacticians may find value crafting their "perfect run" here before attempting higher difficulties. With infinite Divine Pulses and ability to save mid-battle, Normal allows ample margin to experiment.
For newcomers, normal provides a gentle introduction to turn-based combat fundamentals. Though enemies pose little threat, it remains satisfying uncovering the game‘s lore and relationships across the campaign‘s 30+ hour adventure.
Hard Mode
In Hard Mode, battles become markedly more complex. The Divine Pulse charges are now capped at 10 per fight instead of infinite. Moreover, enemies gain substantial stat increases over Normal:
| Difficulty | HP | Str | Mag | Dex | Spd | Lck | Def | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Base | Base | Base | Base | Base | Base | Base | Base |
| Hard | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 | Base * 1.5 |
As you can observe, every single stat receives a 50% boost over Normal foes. With only 10 opportunities to rewind mistakes, battles shift from pure tactical to truly life-and-death.
Maddening Mode
Maddening ratchets difficulty to sheer insanity. Enemies gain a further x1.5 boost over their Hard modes stats, while player units get no increases. Death now lurks around every corner, eager to permanently fell your forces.
To further stack odds against you, Intelligent Systems also upgraded specific enemies with additional skills, making even basic troop varieties more lethal. We recommend Maddening only for seasoned masochists yearning for ultimate challenge.
Navigating Engage‘s Modes: Classic vs Casual
Beyond raw difficulty, players must also weigh their preference for unforgiving classic Fire Emblem permadeath versus softer casual unit retreat…
