Asteria Island Story (Free SRPG) Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This is an introductory article for "Asteria Island Story," a game created using SRPG Studio.
This SRPG features maps with a limited number of units and a small area, making it a challenging game where you can't get away with anything.

The playtime for the cleared save data was approximately 15 hours on normal difficulty.
Including the time needed for rework, I think it would take about 15 to 18 hours.

Game Overview

This story depicts the battles that unfold on Asteria Island over the power of the dragon.
The game system is fairly standard, but it incorporates several unique elements.

Difficulty Selection

You can select the difficulty level at the start of the game.
For your first playthrough, I recommend starting on Normal or Easy difficulty, but be aware that it's more challenging than typical SRPGs, so those who aren't good at SRPGs should be cautious.

If you know you're not good at SRPGs, I recommend playing on easy mode without hesitation.
Since the enemy strength is the same on Easy mode as on Normal mode, I assume the difficulty of completing the game won't change much.

The difficulty level can be lowered at specific points in the game.
It's not something that can be lowered at any time; it's merely a relief measure.
In this game, you can save and load at any time, not just at the start of a turn.

No character loss

In this game, units are not permanently lost even if they are defeated.
It will only be unavailable for that stage; it will be available again in the next map without any penalty.
There are many situations where you can get through a difficult battle by deliberately using units as expendable pawns.

fixed growth

All unit growth in this game is fixed.
What grows is predetermined, and you won't be unlucky enough to have poor stat growth.
In that sense, I think the game balance is stable.

Class Change

Class changes occur automatically as the story progresses.
Since your level doesn't reset to 1 or anything like that, players don't need to worry about anything.

skill

As the story progresses, each unit will acquire new skills.
Skills can be divided into two types: command-type skills that can only be used once per stage, and passive skills that are always active.

Command-type units come in two types: those that enter combat with a bonus added when attacking, and those that grant themselves a buff effect for several turns and then wait.
Each of these is important because, depending on how you use them, they can make the game considerably easier.

My thoughts (not spoiler-free)

I managed to clear the game on normal difficulty.
It was a very challenging game, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I finally completed it.

Up until the middle of the game, it gave the impression of a fairly standard SRPG with a compact map and a good pace.
However, from around chapter 12 onwards, the difficulty gradually increased, and I began to feel that it wouldn't be easy to clear.
If your units take a direct hit from enemy attacks, they will be defeated in two or three hits, so it is necessary to carefully monitor the enemy's attack range while advancing your troops.
Conversely, if you keep that in mind and position your units appropriately, I think the game design allows you to advance steadily and surely.
I felt that the real appeal of this game lies in gradually and surely dismantling the seemingly difficult enemy placements, starting from the edges.

Since I frequently need to check the enemy's attack range, a plugin that displays who the enemy units are targeting might have made things more convenient.
Also, it would have been convenient if there were more colors for the attack range markers that can be set on enemies, besides yellow and purple, so that they could be set on more enemies (I know, I'm asking for too much).
Also, since I need a lot of save slots, I would be happy if there were more save slots available.

In Normal mode, you'll rarely have any money problems in the early stages.
You won't often find yourself struggling financially in the later stages of the game, so if you use inexpensive weapons strategically and avoid wasting money, you should be able to progress smoothly.

As the game progresses into the second half, knowing when to use your allied units' command skills becomes crucial.
While it's tempting to conserve skills, I never encountered a situation where I couldn't defeat a boss and had to restart because I ran out of skills.
Therefore, I don't think it will be much of a problem if you use it when you feel it's too difficult.
On the contrary, being stingy with your skills and letting your allied units get defeated is what could potentially make it impossible to clear the stage.
I think deciding where and how to use your skills is one of the ways a player's skill comes into play.

Overall, this game has a difficulty level that doesn't allow for any shortcuts; you can't just dominate with overpowered characters.
However, the timing of reinforcements and enemy behavior patterns are clearly stated, and you can get hints about specific tactics by gathering information.
I feel this is a fair game that reveals the necessary information to the player beforehand, minimizing stress from unexpected attacks.

However, I think it would be difficult for beginners or those who are not good at SRPGs to clear it on their own.
Conversely, I personally believe that if you can clear the game on Normal difficulty, you'll have developed enough skill to call yourself an intermediate or advanced player.

Strategy Notes - Normal Mode (Spoiler Warning)

Basic tactics, etc.

Break down the enemy's formation from one end to the other.

Units with weapons that have an advantage in the rock-paper-scissors system are positioned within the enemy's attack range to lure them in.
By luring enemies in and having your rear-line units defeat them, while your front-line units move to lure the next group of enemies, you can advance without slowing down your marching speed.

Intercepting the invading army

It's important to reduce the number of enemies as much as possible.
Deliberately position your units within the enemy's attack range, and then whittle them down with counterattacks during their turn.
The important thing is to create as many enemies as possible that you can finish off on your next turn.

Use a decoy to distract enemies with long-range firepower.

When charging into enemy lines with long-range attacks, there's a technique of deliberately placing units with low defense or magic defense within their range to protect the attacking force.
As mentioned in the information gathering section of the game, if the enemy doesn't have a unit that can deliver the finishing blow, they will target the unit that will inflict the most damage.
By having your rear guard absorb the enemy's long-range attacks in this way, you can distribute the damage.

However, be aware that if an enemy with long-range attacks acts late in the turn order, they may target the assault team, who have been injured by other enemy attacks, in an attempt to finish them off.
Not only in long-range attacks, but it's also possible to intentionally place weaker characters who can't counterattack within the enemy's attack range to draw their attention and distribute the damage to your front line.

Give everyone medicinal herbs.

In this game, the basic strategy is to lure out and attack defensive enemy units, so your units will inevitably take a lot of damage.
Since healing with a staff alone is often insufficient, make sure everyone carries herbs in every stage.
By doing so, you can respond flexibly to various situations.

If you have two healers, you should generally limit the number of enemies you lure out to two at a time.
Since the unit that lures out the enemy will take damage, if you only have two healers, luring out more enemies than that will naturally result in insufficient healing.
Always try to keep all your teammates at full health.

Various strategies for boss battles

Many bosses switch to an aggressive playstyle after the initial encounter.
If the boss has multiple weapons, position your allies to use the weaker weapon and have them attack during the enemy's turn.
By doing so, all of your troops will be able to engage in combat with weaker weapons during your next turn.

Since defeating the boss clears the stage, don't worry too much about your allies getting defeated and just keep attacking.
Chloe and Alice are prone to dealing significant damage, so try to avoid having them defeated during the battle.

A compilation of walkthrough videos by Zatsumi Togarashi (Chapters 17, 30, and 31)

The creator of the free game, Zatsumi Togarashi, has tweeted videos about chapters 17, 30, and 31, offering tips and strategies for completing the game.
Even if you're not struggling with the stages mentioned above, this information on strategies for clearing them should be helpful.

Chapter 12: The Legend of the Dragon

This map is significantly more difficult.
The objective of this defense map is to survive 12 turns.
As preparation, make sure all your units are carrying medicinal herbs.
Since healing resources are often insufficient, it's extremely important to have your own means of healing.

The main battlefield is near the stairs, but if the enemy units are clustered together, your units will be subjected to concentrated fire and their numbers will be steadily reduced.
Before the enemy gets too close, spread your units out a bit and try to keep your unit count as high as possible until the late game.
Specifically, it's a good idea to intentionally position your units within the enemy's attack range, weaken them with counterattacks during their turn, and then finish them off during your turn.
However, you will almost always be defeated if you take more than three hits from the enemy, so you need to position your allies well to be able to counterattack.
In some cases, it's important to deliberately place Eila or Mio within the enemy's attack range to use them as decoys to divert attacks from other units (Mio is fairly resilient).

When fighting the high-attack Forest Boar, try to minimize the chances of taking counterattacks by weakening it with ranged attacks and then finishing it off with Kloe's Dragon Ring attack, or by weakening it with Alice's Crystal Ray and then delivering the final blow.

Towards the end of the game, when victory is in sight, you can use your units like expendables, assuming they will be defeated.
Losing units early in the game can be fatal, as you won't be able to handle the enemy effectively.

Episode 13: The Land of the Dragon's Vein

Each mid-boss becomes more aggressive after you fight them once.
If you attack during your turn, it becomes troublesome because the enemy can move freely unless you defeat them within that turn.
To use the Guardian of Power, first position Kloe next to it, and then have the opponent attack you during their turn.
This way, the enemy will attack with its Adamant Axe, which has a range of 1, allowing Alice to safely attack from a range of 2, making it easier to defeat.

Similarly, to make it easier to defeat the Guardian of Wisdom in one go during your turn, first position a character with high magic defense, such as Listia, next to it and have her attack during the enemy's turn.
I think we can defeat them all if everyone attacks at once during our turn.

Since the dragon's remnants don't switch to an aggressive type, there's no need to deliberately start combat during the enemy's turn.
However, if you can get your opponent to use Flame Roar, which has a range of 2-3, then you won't be counterattacked when you perform close-range attacks, which makes things considerably easier.
Let's use Kloe's Dragon Ring and Alice's Quick Spell to launch a full-scale attack.
Even if reinforcements appear, you can ignore them as you're close to clearing the stage.

Chapter 15: The Battle of Bren Shore

The battle will be about how to defeat each enemy individually who attacks from a distance.
In the early stages, after eliminating the land-based enemies, start by eliminating the large ships.
I'll have Listia wait with Javelin just outside the attack range of the large ship, and then position a unit with high defensive capabilities within the enemy's attack range to lure them in.
On the next turn, have Listia quickly approach and attack.
Be careful, as Listia will be defeated by artillery fire if you move more than 5 squares away.

Once we've eliminated the large ships, we'll begin our assault on the indoor areas.
Basically, you should lure and eliminate as many enemies as possible around the Evil Rain user before moving in.
The important thing to remember at this time is to be extremely careful not to enter the attack range of both players with Evil Rain at the same time.
The enemy with Evil Rain on the cliff in the upper left should be defeated by Listia using Sky Shield.
Be careful, as defeating them will inevitably lead to an attack from someone wielding a Clear Tomahawk.
Since Theresia has low magic defense, she is likely to be targeted by Evil Rain, so positioning her within the attack range of Evil Rain as a tank will increase the safety of the attacking party.

Chapter 16: The Flames

Many enemies become more aggressive if you take too long, so it's easier to defeat them if you advance quickly.
The two mages with Evil Rain, who are directly under Riparia's command, will be much easier to deal with if you prioritize eliminating them during combat, even if it means incurring some casualties.
Identifying who they prioritize targeting will make it easier to get out of the situation.
Personally, I find the battle against the Riparia Squad to be the most difficult, so I think it's a good idea to invest some of your skills here.

Bergamot and the other flying units will not move until a specific turn.
Therefore, let's eliminate them aggressively with bows and wind cutters.
Let's use the momentum from dealing with the flying units to take down Bergamot as well.
If you can get adjacent to it and force it to switch to Skypole, you can fight much more easily with ranged attacks of 2.

Dingley should first eliminate the surrounding archers before engaging in a direct attack.
If things have gone smoothly up to this point, I think we should be able to defeat them shortly after the cavalry on both sides starts to move.

Chapter 23: The Divine Bird Resurrected

This is a very difficult stage.
I think the key to clearing the game will be how well you can keep your units alive until the boss fight.
Conversely, the Behemoth & Garuda battles, where you don't have to worry about unit survival, are actually quite easy.

The following is an example of a strategy.

Turn 1
Instead of a head-on confrontation, we'll advance by shifting to one side.
Since it's difficult to defeat all the enemies in front of you, prioritize taking down enemies with dangerous equipment, including those with Lightning.

Turns 2-3

We'll eliminate the enemies on the right while positioning ourselves to intercept any enemies approaching from the left.
It's quite difficult to defeat them completely, so I think it's okay to use some skills if necessary.

4-7 turns

We will eliminate the incoming reinforcements.
The elite Fafnir warriors in the center have an instant kill skill attack that you can't withstand, so you should whittle them down with ranged attacks to prevent them from attacking and then defeat them (or use Eila's blessing to take the attack).
On the seventh turn, the first wave of enemies will approach from the top of the screen, so you'll want to defeat them quickly before then.

8 to 11 turns

Enemies, including Titans, are advancing south.
The enemies with Storm Gain are troublesome, so let's position our forces to take them out first.
Titans have a relatively low movement speed of 4, so you can use them to shift the timing of engagements with other enemies by retreating.
Assassins have low attack power and pose little threat, so it's best to leave them for later and prioritize fighting Mages > Titans > Assassins.

・12 turns ~

Let's leave the slow-moving Behemoth for later and take on Garuda first.
Spit Chain's attack range is troublesome, so position each unit in a knight's move arrangement to prevent multiple units from being attacked at once.
Since Garuda is treated as a flying unit, focus on using weapons that are effective against it, such as bows and Wind Cutter (including Quick Spell), to whittle down its health.

Once Behemoth is the only one left, it's an all-out battle.
Since indirect attacks don't incur counterattacks, Alice's magic attacks are very effective.
If you use other units to create a wall to protect Alice, you should be able to defeat them all.

Chapter 25: Clash with a Great Army

The elite warriors directly under Langra are wielding Graviton Axes and are extremely powerful.
Furthermore, when its HP drops to half, it activates an invincible skill, making it virtually impossible to deal any damage for three turns.
You could try to reduce its HP by half and defeat it in one go, or you could keep your distance until the effect of your skills wears off.
Since its movement range is only 4, it's relatively easy to retreat while maintaining distance.

Chapter 26 Intertwining Destinies

Ignore the group in the lower right and Eureka's unit, and advance north from your starting position, taking a route that will defeat Meyer's unit.
Ideally, we want to defeat the Flores-wielding units before the 10th turn, when Meyer's unit starts to move.

Suppress your urge to rush forward and instead lure them out one or two at a time and defeat them.
The unit responsible for luring enemies should be healed during your turn and positioned to continuously draw in the next wave of enemies.
The enemies that are lured in are finished off by your rear guard, while the guides are positioned further and further ahead to draw them out.

If all goes well, I think we'll reach this situation by turn 8, so I'll use a unit with relatively high magic defense to quickly close in.
Naturally, you will take damage from Flores's attack during the enemy's turn, but as long as Theresia stays out of the enemy's attack range, the attacks will spread out and no one will be defeated (if this doesn't happen, you'll need to experiment; Theresia will be attacked again and defeated).
When it's your turn, prioritize defeating Meyer's unit, which will be able to move freely on turn 10.

After that, the Eureka team will head towards you, but it's dangerous to fight them near their boss, Raymond.
Let's move back to the left, create enough distance, and then engage in combat.
There's plenty of time before the turn limit expires, so don't panic and retreat.

Raymond changes to an aggressive type when he is within 5 squares of the board.
To avoid entering that range, use Hines's repositioning ability to defeat the surrounding enemies.
We can only attack once per turn, but we'll prepare carefully for this.

Once Raymond is alone, surround him with your entire army to restrict his movement while gradually wearing him down.
The temporary barrier skill is troublesome when it activates, so if possible, reduce its HP to just under half, and then defeat it in one go.
The temporary barrier doesn't provide a devastatingly significant increase in defensive capabilities, so you might as well just push through without going through these steps.

Be careful, because even if you defeat Raymond once, he will revive with 1 HP.
Even after reviving, its HP remains at 1, so you can defeat it by having someone land an attack on it.
In my case, I didn't particularly try to whittle down my opponents' health until the very last moment before launching a final attack, so I was defeated one after another by their counterattacks.
In the end, only Mio and Eila remained, and Mio's attack managed to defeat them.

Chapter 27: Feast of the Dead

The key to this map is to reduce the four orbs to their bare minimum and then defeat them in the same turn.
I think that if you carefully plan your positioning on the first turn and no one gets defeated, you should be able to proceed smoothly from there.
In the first turn, don't worry about any lurking enemies; retreat and engage them from a safe distance.
Let's proceed carefully, making sure not to lure out all the enemies at once.

If all goes well, we should have everything ready to destroy the orb by the time the lurking enemy starts to move.
The boss itself isn't that strong, so as long as you destroy the orb, you can do whatever you want.

Chapter 30: At the End of Revenge

If you don't eliminate the shooter in the center of the map by turn 10, when Meyer's unit begins its operation, things will be quite difficult.
It would be difficult to advance directly north from our starting position, so let's move towards the left flank.

Ideally, we'd like to eliminate at least the shooters on the left flank before engaging the advancing Foss unit, but it's okay to do so while fighting, as trying to do so would be risky.
Clearly distinguishing the attack range of each shooter makes it easier to see.

After that, by turn 10, prepare to have a wide area of the battlefield available.
Since Meyer's troops are advancing south, theresia, Remrit, and Kate, who have low magic defense, should try to stay as far south as possible to avoid overlapping with the enemy's attack range and take the hits there.
They want to recover on their own as much as possible, so it's a good idea to give them plenty of golden grass beforehand.
The rest of the main team should rapidly approach Meyer and his group without worrying about their range.
I want to avoid clashing with the Eureka unit's initial movement, so I'll try to use the left half of the map as the battlefield as much as possible.

By doing this, Meyer and his group will likely pursue Theresia and her companions deep south, aiming to inflict maximum damage.
If that happens, the main force will be able to approach Meyer's unit and launch a swift attack to destroy them.
Even if you can't defeat them all, they will continue to pursue the units with low magic defense, so I think you won't have much trouble as long as you have this formation.

Since the Eureka unit has a range of 1-5, which is lower than the Meyer unit, there should be no problem if we prepare a normal interception posture.
Once you defeat Meyer and Eureka, Raymond will take action, so to buy yourself some time to prepare for the counterattack, retreat as far south as possible on the map.

When Raymond's HP drops below half, he will use a temporary barrier that increases his defense for two turns, and will also use the area-of-effect attack Eclipse.
Furthermore, when its HP drops below 80, its attack power increases dramatically due to rage and tenacity (and it always attacks first).
It seems that the skills Rage and Tenacity do not stack on Eclipse, so be prepared to let him use Eclipse at least once.
When the "Tenacity" ability is activated, you will be unable to attack effectively with anything other than weapons with a range of 3 or Neil's Mortal Blow.
Reduce its HP to just under 80, then finish it off with Moonblade, equipped with Kloe's Dragon Ring.
If you still can't defeat it, finish it off with Icicle Fall, Sky Arch (Longbow), or something similar.

Chapter 31: The Moment of Decisive Battle

The battle against Geisel's unit is arguably one of the most difficult parts of this game.
Their coordinated attacks are highly effective, making it difficult to engage and defeat the Geisel unit in a direct confrontation.
Therefore, let's start by trying to catch only Geisel.

The Geisel unit will not switch to an aggressive stance until Geisel engages in combat.
In other words, if you attack only Geisel's unit to avoid engaging Geisel, only Geisel will switch to an aggressive stance.

By taking advantage of Hines's extra action, we inflict damage on Geisel's unit with indirect attacks and then retreat out of their attack range.
Then, only the Geisel that has switched to the aggressive mode will move.
However, if you attack Geisel at the position shown in the image above, even if you manage to defeat him, Geisel's troops will then charge at you, making it difficult for everyone to survive.
Geisel's Killer Boost is troublesome, but if you lure him out to the south for one more turn and fight him around the middle of the stairs, you should be able to defeat him relatively safely.

When Geisel becomes enraged, it becomes dangerous to engage in close-range attacks, so it's best to initiate a close-range attack first, and then finish him off with ranged attacks from Alice and others.

After defeating the Geisel Squad, the next opponent is the Cherimoya Squad.
The plan is to lure out Fafnir's squad leader and then quickly eliminate the approaching enemies.
If the timing of reinforcements coincides and things get difficult, don't push your luck; retreat to the bottom of the stairs and fight there for safety.
However, since it's troublesome to approach an enemy with Storm Gain once you've moved away from it, it's best to defeat it in one go if possible.

However, if any units get injured by pushing too hard, it will have repercussions later, so it might be a good idea to have Remrit use Shadow Assault to charge in and whittle down the enemy.

When you engage Cherimoya, Behemoth and Chronomachia, who are beyond the barrier, will take action.
It's dangerous to fight near the Cherimoya's attack range, so we retreat while pulling the moving Behemoths downwards.
In that situation, you can safely whittle down the enemy's health by attacking with Hines' Javelin while retreating using the repositioning function.
Furthermore, since Chronomachia and Behemoth have different movement speeds, the further you retreat, the more you can engage them separately.
However, Chronomachia unleashes an extremely powerful attack on turns that are multiples of eight, so be careful not to get hit by it on those turns.

*Added on June 3, 2023:
I realized that if you engage Cherimoya even once, Behemoth Chronomachia will take action, so it's easier to ignore it for a while and eliminate all enemies other than Beleza and Weiss first.
I'm a little worried about the reinforcements they'll bring in through summoning, but it seems easier in the end to just let them do as they please.

Once we've defeated the Behemoths, we'll start chipping away at the Cherimoya.
However, when its HP is halved, two Chronomachia will appear.
Without panicking or making a fuss, lure it out of Cherimoya's range and defeat it calmly.
Once you've defeated these two, it's Beleza and Weiss's turn.

For the last two enemies, it's best to take down Beleza first, as she has area-of-effect attacks.
Beleza has Resurrect Aura, so she cannot be defeated in one turn.
To prevent the magical corruption from activating, first reduce its HP to a level between 101 and 139.
During the enemy's turn, being adjacent to Beleza is extremely dangerous as she can confuse your units, so avoid attacking her from a distance.
Since Beleza can attack without taking counterattacks if her range is 3, it would be best to focus your attacks on Icicle Fall and Sky Arch.
It's most efficient to use any units that are free to chip away at Weiss with indirect attacks.

Beleza's Black Mist is an area-of-effect attack, but as long as you don't get defeated in one hit, you'll be fine.
Let's defeat Beleza in one go on the next turn.

Weiss is a formidable opponent, but unlike Beleza, he doesn't have area-of-effect attacks, so even if your allies are defeated, only one will be taken down per turn (be careful of his skill, Dark Torrent, which he uses when his HP is below 90).
If you don't rush and gradually wear them down with indirect attacks, you'll see a chance to win.

If Weiss's HP drops below 120, his HP will be reduced by 8 each turn.
Depending on the number of turns remaining, if you have units with high movement speed that survive, you can have them escape to the bottom of the map and safely self-destruct.

Final Chapter: The Dragon Ruler

Befitting the final chapter, this stage is even more difficult than Chapter 31.
As a general strategy, I think it's best to take down the water-type units first, as they are boosting the defenses of other enemy units.
In my case, I defeated them in the order of Water → Wind → Earth → Fire.
An example of a strategy is described below.

・Turns 1 to 3

To defeat the water, we'll lure it out while Alice's counterattacks whittle it down.
Listia, with her high mobility, will try to lure the fire in the longest possible direction.
If you can weaken it a couple of times with Alice, I think you can defeat the Water element with a combined attack from the other members.

4-6 turns

To defeat the wind, gather your allies on the right side of the map.
Let's focus on using Alice's Windcutter and Neil's Bow to whittle down their health.
While the storm's winds reduce movement speed, the wind's range is only 1-2, so it's not a major threat.
They can't be surrounded because they have the ability to pass through enemies, but their power won't be very high unless you force them to move a long distance (they have weapons whose power increases with the distance they move).
I think you can avoid fatal damage by keeping the flying units, which are the targets of the suicide attack, at a distance, while keeping the other units adjacent to them.

7 to 8 turns

We'll deal with the fire later, so we'll all focus on confronting the earth.
However, the attack won't go through unless the damage is greater than 20, so command skills that increase attack power are useful at the right time (Kate, Hines, Kloe, etc.).
It's difficult to defeat them in one turn, so it's best to weaken them somewhat with Chloe and Alice before finishing them off.
However, Dead Break will activate on turns that are multiples of three, so you have to be prepared for one of your characters to be defeated.

Since fire damage is more effective than earth damage, I think it would be easier to defeat if everyone attacks together.
However, if the battle drags on, you'll be hit with an area-of-effect attack at the start of each turn, so aim for a quick victory.

- Battle against Millia

Millia will activate a powerful skill each time her HP drops below a certain level.
However, they don't usually launch very powerful attacks, so you can maintain the front line if you have a healer.
Due to the nature of the skill that activates last, you'll be stuck if you don't have a certain number of allied units, so be careful.

When your HP is below 240, the Primordial Lightning attack will guarantee that your next attack will be a critical hit.
If you attack with Eila and activate her protective blessing, you can survive.

The Starlight Judgment attack, which activates when HP is below 160, doesn't deal much damage, but it does affect everyone.
This attack will be painful for units that are barely surviving Millia's attacks, so be careful about when you reduce their HP below 160.

When HP is 80 or below, the Primordial Light and Star-Crossing Shield abilities will activate.
The +8 bonus to attack and defense is tough enough, but the fact that it can nullify up to three attacks in one turn is really annoying.
Try to reduce its HP to just under 81, and then activate the ability after dealing as much damage as possible.

Depending on the remaining members, start by attacking with units that can't deal much damage, such as Eila and Mio, to force them to use up their shields.
Considering the number of surviving members, I think we only have about one turn to defeat her completely, so let's fight Millia while working backwards to decide who to sacrifice and who to keep alive.

Unit usage impressions (spoiler alert)

・ Closet

As expected of the main character, he was a reliable attacker with high attack power and a high rate of follow-up attacks.
The fact that its magic defense is fairly high is a plus.
Attacking using the Dragon Ring is an extremely reliable offensive and defensive skill when facing tough enemies.
Since this game has very few unique weapons, I felt it was a little disappointing that the strongest attack method until the middle of the game was the steel sword.

I didn't consciously use Tri-Edge's skill much, but if I had actively used it when I had the opportunity to adjust my turns, I might have been able to clear the stage more easily.

Hines

With high defensive capabilities and surprisingly high agility, he was a very reliable, highly mobile tank and attacker.
After class change, this unit could wield two types of weapons, making it easy to lure out enemies.

Given the nature of this game, the ability to use hit-and-run tactics and reposition units is extremely useful, making them crucial units in various locations, including challenging maps.
Its low magic defense is its only drawback; if you're not careful, you'll often get taken down by long-range magic.

Eila

He played a crucial role as a healer.
I always clutched medicinal herbs in my hand, either to heal myself or to give to my allies.

The defensive blessing skill, which allows you to survive with 1 HP, was useful when facing unavoidable enemy attacks such as instant kill skills.
Furthermore, Holy Shower is quite powerful and easy to follow up with, so it shouldn't be underestimated.

Alice

She was extremely effective as a magic attacker, capable of dealing massive damage in one go with powerful magic attacks.
In this game, where there are few bosses with high magic defense, this character proved invaluable against many enemies.
The appeal of grimoires lies in their wide variety and the ease with which they can be used depending on the situation.

I feel that it's blessed with a good selection of equipment, such as Wind Cutter, which is especially effective against flying types; Icicle Fall, which is easy to use at long range; Explosion, which simply has high firepower; and Blue Spark, which has high firepower and accuracy and is suitable for finishing off enemies.
The ability to use quick spells against opponents with high agility is a subtle but welcome feature.

Neil

This ranged attacker's strength lies in their ability to use a longbow with a range of 3 early in the game.
While its defensive capabilities aren't particularly high, its magic defense is fairly good, making it quite effective against mages.

The biggest advantage is that by whittling down enemies from a range of 3, you can reduce the chances of your allies taking damage.
Voltec Arrow was a very useful skill against bosses with high agility because it could forcibly lower the enemy's agility.

・Theresia

This character is a damage-focused attacker with high single-hit attack power.
While the axe itself has high attack power, its low skill level and lack of precision were somewhat of a drawback.
While using mace-type weapons offers high accuracy, it doesn't allow you to fully utilize their high attack power.
Furthermore, it has a weakness: its agility is relatively low, making it easily pursued by enemies.

Although its magic defense is low, this weakness can be used to its advantage, as it can draw the target of long-range magic attacks, so it's not all bad.

Listia

With high magic defense and agility, it was a reliable unit as a highly mobile flying attacker.
While weak against bows and wind magic, its decent strength allows it to fight confidently even against mages.
Its movement speed of 9, the highest among your units, is reassuring and useful in a variety of situations.
It would have been even better if it had a repositioning skill, but unfortunately, it doesn't.

Sky Shield was very effective, especially when getting close to an opponent using magic attacks.
It seems like there are many ways to use Revenge Aura, but I haven't really been able to make the most of it myself.

・ Mio

Like Eila, Main took on the role of healer from the rear.
In addition to having high magic defense, it also has surprisingly good physical defense, making it useful as a tank or decoy.
I hardly paid any attention to the Enhance skill from the mid-game onwards.
If used in conjunction with Klose's Tri-Edge and Hines's Flag, it seems like it could produce considerable firepower.

Although she has a unique weapon, her attack power isn't as high as Eila's, so there were hardly any opportunities to use it.

Kate

This is a flying attacker that uses an axe.
While she is weaker than Theresia in terms of strength, she surpasses her in skill, speed, and mobility.
While it has decent agility and skill, this unit is more suited to being a finisher or skirmisher rather than fighting on the front lines.

To make the most of his skills, it would be best to have him act alone and use Deadly Blow, but I didn't have many opportunities to utilize that.

・Lemrit

While its defensive capabilities are practically nonexistent, this light attacker is convenient with its dagger that can be used both at close range and at close range.
Since it could barely withstand enemy attacks, it was mostly used to finish off enemies or chip away at their health.

Because it has surprisingly high strength, giving it a silver sword and having it fight makes it a good source of damage.
When you activate Shadow Assault, it feels great to equip a dagger, which makes it easier to counterattack, since you've already managed to dodge all of its attacks, and then chip away at the enemy's health.