Chapter 2, Side Mission 1: An Aqueous Solution

Map 10 (Chapter 2, Side Mission 1) is a 8x9 medium-sized map in TinyGroove. Its S-rank can be achieved if completed in < 13 days.

Mission Background
This side mission involves the player competing with Valder to sway the allegiances of the Knights of Levanthall into doing either army's bidding by collecting the most gold through capturing the villages on the map. Whoever controls the most seats of power at any given point controls the Knights at the map's center. Furthermore, as either player defeats the Knights, more will join their ranks whenever there are less than 4 on the map, making their influence a relevant construct throughout the battle.

Initially, Valder has the advantage early in the mission by possessing one village at the mission's outset with another in close capturing range for his dreadspear. However, with tact and some skill, the map is easier than it seems. The knights are trapped in a wooded spiral-shaped labyrinth with intermittent ponds displaying potential respawn locations for the knights leading to each party's stronghold. The weather is also consistently rainy, which decreases the effectiveness of ranged units and movement ranges, making this a slow slog through the puddles throughout the map.

Since the knights cannot capture villages, if the map devolves into a constant struggle over their control, the fight then plays out over the map's perimeter to capture and control the map's less central villages since the central villages are easy to lose in a turnover. Naturally, with the many mountaintops, forests, and knights on the map, mages and spearmen are useful here, and dogs aid in spotting the enemies hidden in the forests from mountaintops, so a strategic blend of units can help tremendously as you attempt to advance your battlefront diagonally across the map without the knights disrupting your tactics if you lose control of them.

Helpful Tips
Of note for this map, Valder is recruit-able in this mission if you defeat him before destroying the enemy stronghold to claim victory. He is significantly useful for the advantages he affords you on Map 9 in this Chapter, and having Valder in your party is required to unlock a side mission (Map 19) in Chapter 4 as well. The player acquires Artefact 'I', the Luminary Levanthrone, in this mission by destroying Valder's Stronghold, which provides its holder with additional funds on every mission. Completing this mission's achievement also unlocks this Chapter's Floran side castle.

The map contains no treasure chests, but lots of villages to capture to secure a steady revenue stream. The achievement for this map counts the total number of knights lost (6 are already on the map when the mission starts). Whenever the total number of knights on the map drops below 4, a new one is spawned over one of the puddles in the central spiral path on the map.

All of this information was gleaned from the in-game spoilers unlocked in the Achievement Castle by completing at least 40% of the game and destroying the red gates comprising the 'Campaign Completion Counter'.

A13: Chinchilla Knights?
Conditions: Defeat enough of the Knights of Levanthall (either under your control or Valder's, they will respawn when there are less than 4 on the battlefield, regardless) that they run out of Knights!

When this happens, a random Floran knight will join the battle, tipping you off to a weird Camoflaged Floran Castle in the Forest nearby, not only unlocking this achievement, but also Map 11.

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