The Battle for Solm is the fourteenth chapter in Fire Emblem Engage.
Story[]
Alear, Timerra, and Ivy arrive in Solm Palace, where they find Hortensia taking Queen Seforia hostage. Hortensia tells them that she was able to enter the palace easily by simply telling the guards she was separated from Ivy. Hortensia offers the group an ultimatum: give her the Emblem Rings, or she kills the queen. Ivy urges her to reconsider, but Hortensia berates her in response, calling her a traitor. Alear refuses to hand over the rings, and Timerra stands by them, refusing to let the hostage situation affect her. Hortensia breaks down, begging for her situation to return to how it was before Hyacinth was killed. Alear and Seforia even challenge Hortensia to kill her, showing that she lacks the conviction to do so. Ivy consoles her sister.
Zephia then arrives, chastises Hortensia for taking one of the Emblem Rings from her, and informs her that her retainers could not hold her back. Following this, Marni and Mauvier arrive, with the former taking Seforia away so she can be kept as a sacrifice for Sombron. Zephia brainwashes Hortensia into fighting for her, then aids her, as well as a battalion of Elusian soldiers, against Alear's army. Alear and company manage to fend off their forces.
Hortensia comes to her senses and notices that all the Elusian soldiers have left. She considers returning to Elusia to ensure that it has somebody to lead it, but Ivy makes her reconsider, stating that Elusia is now under Sombron's and the Four Hounds' control. Ivy tells Hortensia that she understands her pain, but that returning is no longer an option. Dejected at having left everyone else behind, Hortensia joins with Ivy and Alear, and hands over the Ring of the Instructor. Alear then invokes the ring's Emblem, Byleth.
Timerra brings out Seforia, who was saved from her hostage situation by the Solm royal guard. Seforia thanks Alear for their aid, likening them to their mother Lumera. Hortensia and Ivy apologize to Seforia, with Alear vouching for them, though Seforia is unconvinced. Despite this, she chooses not to punish them, reasoning that Hortensia had only followed along the true invaders, i.e. the Fell Dragon's forces. Seforia urges the two to make amends by defeating Sombron and restoring Elusia. Timerra then begins lead Alear's army to the Northern Fortress, where Solm's second Emblem Ring is held.
Out in the desert, Veyle takes note that Alear has obtained another Emblem Ring, and suddenly convulses from exhaustion. She then wakes up with the purple eyes she had when she had first met Alear, and finds herself confused at being in the desert instead of the snow-laden Elusia.
Items[]
- Ring of the Instructor - End of Chapter
- Steel Blade - Middle Swordmaster
- Silver Sword - Throne room Hero
- Hurricane Axe - Marni
- Silver-Spirit Art - Left Chestroom, Left Chest
- Wyrmslayer - Left Chestroom, Right Chest
- Boots - Right Chestroom, Left Chest
- Radiant Bow - Right Chestroom, Right Chest
Enemies[]
- 4x Lance Fighters
- 5x Axe Fighters
- 1x Sword Fighter
- 2x Lance Armors
- 1x Axe Armor
- 2x Halberdiers
- 1x Wolf Knight
- 1x Berserker
- 2x Mages
- 1x Sword Flier
- 1x Axe Flier
- 2x Wyvern Knights
- 2x Lance Cavaliers
- 2x Paladins
- 1x Archer
- 1x Martial Monk
- 1x High Priest
- 1x Swordmaster
- 1x Hero
- Hortensia - Equipped with the Ring of the Instructor
- Zephia
- Mauvier
- Marni
Rienforcements
- 2x Thieves
- 2x Lance Cavaliers
- 2x Sword Fighters
- 1x Sword Flier
- 1x Axe Flier
- 1x Wyvern Knight
Hortensia's Backup after she uses her revival stone
- 1x Sword Fighter
- 1x Lance Fighter
- 1x Axe Fighter
- 1x Archer
Strategy[]
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Subjective: The following part of this article is based upon the editor's personal experiences and opinions, and therefore may not be applicable for all readers.
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The limited enemy reinforcements and vulnerable starting position of the two Thieves make this one of the easiest missions in the game. The player can choose to only bring as many units as they have Emblem Rings and Bracelets, and deploy a low-level unit that will appreciate a chance to catch up in experience. Turn 1 should see the player split their army and simultaneously attack towards the east and west with maximum force; this is the only part of the mission where worrying about who gets the experience from kills is ill-advised. At the end of turn 1, two thieves will spawn, a player who did a strong initial push will find themselves in an excellent position to eliminate the thieves before they make any headway.
Once the thieves are destroyed, the next few turns can be spent fighting a few more enemies near where the thieves spawned, but the player's army should regroup in the initial deployment zone (southern entrance to the map) by turn 11.
At end of turn 11, a somewhat dangerous wave of 3 fliers will spawn, with the player's army in a perfect position to destroy them before they move. An identical, final reinforcement wave will spawn 1 turn later. By this time, the two earlier reinforcement waves (infantry and cavalry) from the north may be closing in on the player's position, along with any non-reinforcement enemies who were provoked into moving. The numerous nearby pillars can be used to stall these attackers until the duck shoot at the main entrance is concluded. If the player's army is very small or otherwise struggling to destroy the enemies faster than they arrive, it's possible to form a strong defensive formation in the pillars and fight at a slower pace.
Once the reinforcements are destroyed, the enemy will be completely passive and the player can clear the rest of the map at their leisure. There are 4 chests with valuable treasure and 8 gauge-recharging powerups that can optionally be converted into experience by Tiki. Attacking the lone enemy unit on the throne room's stairs is safe, it will not provoke Hortensia's party. The throne room itself poses little challenge, with Hortensia preferring dancing over reaching for her moderately dangerous weapons.