Chapter 5, Side Mission 2: Requiem's Revisionist History

Map 23 (Chapter 5, Side Mission 2) is a 5x8 small-sized map in TinyGroove. Its S-rank can be achieved if completed in  < 35 days. The side mission difficult to reach, as it involves having Achievement 23, then applying Ragna's clue to Map 11 to unlock.

Mission Background
This deceptively small map is surprisingly long and occurs in two phases. This mission provides the back story behind Mercia's transition to Dark Mercia, and connection to Requiem after being severely injured by Sedge.

Ultimately, the multiple cut scenes in this side mission reveal that Ragna saves Mercia from certain death again as Mercia and Ragna flee Sedge, and we discover that Sigrid is now somehow involved in helping Sedge in a shaky alliance to release Requiem. Mercia inevitably makes it to the central cave, which shifts the battle into Phase 2 of this mission, where you are converted to Dark Mercia by Requiem.

Phase 1
The first phase is the flight from Sedge with Ragna as she tries to reach Emeric and the Royal Guard who are attempting to find her. Mercia ultimately hides in the central cave on the map, where Requiem is not coincidentally locked away (as Sigrid attempts to bait her there), and the second phase involves Dark Mercia familiarizing herself with her newfound powers from Requiem, and then putting down the start of a Floran Invasion into Aurania. In TinyGroove's story line, Sedge is responsible for the scars on Dark Mercia's face, which forms two scars in an 'X' shape on her face, and is notably different than the single scar Mercia has on her face in WarGroove. This also serves as a nod to the fragments of Artefact 'X', hidden in these three side missions. As Mercia pieces together her past before her facial injuries in Map 22, acquisition of Requiem in Map 23, and alignment with the Outlaws in Map 24, Chapter 5's three Side Missions occur as flashback maps, without the benefit of the player's accrued arsenal of game play-altering artefacts. Thus, these three hidden Artefact 'X' fragments are earned as the player progresses through the three side missions and restores a part of Dark Mercia's memories. Additionally, these artefact fragments are the only artefacts that impact the outcomes of the later Chapter 5 Side Missions. This phase lasts until about Day 4-6, when the player enters the central cave on the map to hide from Sedge after Emeric's search party fails to find Mercia.

Phase 2
Upon visiting the cave, a cut scene plays, and Mercia enters a binding pact with Requiem to trade her past memories and her will for a hope for her future. Upon doing so, she is healed and becomes Dark Mercia and emerges from the cave. At this point, the Floran begin constructing villages and barracks, and the player is provided the new mission directive to eliminate all enemy structures. The artefact fragment from Map 22 can aid the player in the second phase of this map as Sedge uses forest alters to recruit/spawn new units of different types every few turns. Having the dog-shaped fragment from the chronologically prior map can prevent Sedge from spawning these units each time he attempts. Having found the fragment from the subsequent Map 24, does nothing since its events are chronologically later than the events portrayed in this flashback mission.

To succeed on this map, the player must use their knowledge of turn-based tactics and forest bonus defense cover to overcome the odds to defeat the advancing Floran. Move to the bottom left and claim the new Barracks, then push across the map to claim the central village and one to the top right. Once those two are owned, the player can slowly defeat the enemy with the mildly modest income they provide. Use mages in the forest for their critical advantage and to heal units. Position them on the southern creek to gain the extra defense advantage of forcing the enemy to attack them from the disadvantageous creek positions. Alternatively, pikemen and dogs can slowly cross the map. Getting a single dog on the mountaintop will pierce the fog of war in the forests across the map, so use this to your advantage to pick off the enemy archers or recruit some of your own. The three flagged Floran alters/spawning sites, if simultaneously blocked by three of the player's units, can end the enemy Floran's spawning cycles. This, in turn, awards the player this map's fragment of Artefact 'X', needed to unlock Chapter 6.

All of this information was gleaned from the in-game spoilers unlocked in the Achievement Castle by completing at least 60% of the game and destroying the red gates comprising the 'Campaign Completion Counter'.

A29: Briskly Back from the Brink
Conditions: Swiftly recover from your injuries by pulling off a victory within 30 days.

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