Whether you’re new to the series, or a returning veteran, it’s always a good idea to brush up on the fundamentals — and Valkyria Chronicles 4 should be very familiar to long-time fans of the series. The game doesn’t break new ground, but it does refine and add new wrinkles to the original formula that places you in turn-based control of a squad as they take down enemies in 3D-environment, dodging interception fire and capturing base camps.
What makes the Valkyria Chronicles series unique is that way you actually move and shoot. Instead of a top-down map, you’ll take direct control of your soldiers. You select who you want to move, then run them around accordingly. Movement (and planning) is crucial, because enemy soldiers can still shoot at you if step into their crosshairs. That isn’t true of every enemy type, though.
Knowing which soldiers to use in every situation is the first step. I’ve played through every Valkyria game, even the unreleased (in the US) Valkyria Chronicles 3, dumping hundreds of hours into tactical battles. Here are my top eleven tips you should know about Valkyria Chronicles 4.
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Understanding Your Units | What Makes Each Class Special
Valkyria Chronicles 4 drops you directly into battle without a whole lot of explanation, or even a deep tutorial. They dump all the information you need right into your lap as you play, which is nice for veterans, but can seem very overwhelming for beginner’s. Here’s the first basic thing you need to know — what every class is used for.
- Scout: The unit that can move the longest range. They’re relatively weak, but have a good medium-range rifle that can score headshots. Be very careful when engaging shocktroopers — they can easily defeat Scouts.
- Has a grenade, useful for destroying cover or knocking enemies out of the grass.
- The right orders (Evasion Boost, etc) Scouts can become the most valuable runners in the game.
- Weak interception fire.
- Shocktrooper: Your tough front-line troops. Shocktroopers can withstand interception fire much better than Scouts, but have much, much lower movement range. Their assault rifles are also a lot less accurate, so you need to get close to take enemies out. Shocktroopers are ideal for defending captured base camps.
- Also has a grenade. Unlike Scouts, Shocktroopers don’t need to rely on grenades as much for damage.
- Strong interception fire. Great for defending.
- Engineer: The Engineer is a versatile, useful unit you don’t want to send into the front-lines. The Engineer can heal other units, repair tanks, refill ammo, or fix destroyed sandbag emplacement. In Valkyria 4, they can even directly revive downed soldiers to return them to combat faster.
- Engineers are weaker than scouts, and slower. Keep them near a tank, or a base camp and behind cover.
- Weak interception fire.
- Sniper: A deadly long-range unit. Snipers are extremely vulnerable to attack, and have very low stamina for moving around, but they’re one of the deadliest units in your arsenal. A good headshot can kill most enemy types in one (or two, or three) hits.
- Snipers are long-range killers only. If there is an enemy you want to clear so Snipers can sprint through, use Snipers to pick them off. Always aim for the head.
- No interception fire. Snipers don’t shoot enemies they see on an enemy turn.
- Lancer: A slow-moving, heavily-armored anti-tank soldier. Lancers wear special Blast Suits, giving them higher protection than other units, but they’re slow and equipped with anti-tank weapons that are weak against soldiers.
- Lancers, despite their speed, are usually the best way to destroy enemy tanks. When you spot an enemy tank, look on the map for a way to flank around to the back of the tank and hit the radiator.
- No interception fire. Lancers don’t shoot at enemy units at all during their turn.
- Mortar: A totally new unit introduced in Valkyria 4, this is a powerful class — it’s kind of a mix, giving the Lancer the range of a Sniper. The Mortar can drop explosive shells at extreme range, allowing you to knock out multiple enemy soldiers. They’re also incredibly useful defensive units.
- Mortars are very, very slow. They also can’t take cover or hide, making them really vulnerable to Snipers when deployed. Keep them far away from the frontline, unless they’re protected.
- Mortals have a unique interception fire ability. They can drop mortar shells on any enemy in range, as long as an ally can see them.
There’s a whole lot more you need to know about units as you progress through the game. Every unit eventually unlocks sub-classes and extra abilities to expand their versatility. You’re probably also noticed your squad starts with a massive tank. Let’s talk about that.
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