Sidequest 13 Rival Bands

Learn how to tackle Sidequest 13: Rival Bands in Fire Emblem: Awakening. Choose your allegiance or fight both sides for maximum rewards and experience.

Alright, let's dive into Sidequest 13, 'Rival Bands'! This one's a bit different because you get to choose which side to support, or you can go it alone. It's a cool choice that impacts how you play the map and what rewards you get.

Bosses:

• Gyral (Stonewall Knights): General, Level 13. Drops Tomahawk, Bullion (M).
• Dalen (Riders of Dawn): Paladin, Level 13. Drops Spear, Bullion (M).

New Unit:

• Yarne: Taguel, Level 10. Recruit by talking with Chrom or Panne. He starts as an NPC or enemy depending on your choices.

Walkthrough:

When you start this map, you'll see two factions: the Riders of Dawn (Green) and the Stonewall Knights (Red). The Riders are mostly mounted units and have trouble with the woods, but are generally balanced. The Stonewall Knights are heavy on defense and are the ones who have Yarne. You'll have to decide which side to support, or if you want to fight both.

1. Your Choice:
• Side with Riders of Dawn (Green): They're more balanced but struggle in the woods.
• Side with Stonewall Knights (Red): They're defensive and have Yarne.
• Side with Neither: This is actually the best for experience and Gold. You'll earn 10,000 G upon completion, plus the two Bullion (M) items from each boss. However, the map will be significantly harder because you'll be fighting both factions against you.
2. Recruiting Yarne:

Yarne is a key recruit here. He's a Taguel and starts at Level 10. To recruit him, you need to talk to him with either Chrom or Panne. Be careful, though – Yarne will attack you on sight! If you're siding with neither, it's a good idea to send Chrom or Panne to get him early, before he gets caught up fighting the Riders of Dawn. You might need to lure him closer if he's in a dangerous spot. To do this, have a strong unit with low evasion or defense stand in his path, or un-equip a weapon from a strong unit and place them where he'll move towards them. Once he's close, use Chrom or Panne to initiate the talk command.

3. Fighting Strategy (Siding with Neither):

If you choose to fight both sides, a strong defensive formation is your best bet. Use the terrain to your advantage. Once Yarne is recruited, have Chrom or Panne retreat him back to your main defensive line. The Stonewall Knights are generally easier to deal with than the Riders, especially if you have units with high speed. Remember, if you fight both factions, they won't attack each other; they'll both focus their aggression on you.

4. Rewards:
• Siding with one faction: ~500 G per unit killed.
• Siding with neither faction: 10,000 G upon completion.
• From each boss (Gyral or Dalen): 1 Bullion (M).