Just like in the 2010 release, there are 3 routes—Chaos, Neutral, and Law.

To enter Neutral, you have to go refuse Leonar in Balmamusa at the end of CH1—effectively entering CH2. At the end of CH2, you must then rejoin Leonar to enter CH3 Neutral.

You only need to complete up to Coda Episode 1: The Songstress.

In relation to achievements, it does not matter which one you start/end with. Thanks to the World Tarot (unlocked after completing CH4 for the first time), you can go back to all the relevant points in the story to redo events and unlock the achievements tied to them.

For the purpose of this guide, I will start with Neutral, then Chaos, and end with Law. I'm ending with the Law route in the event that you want to proceed with the rest of the Coda episodes for the sake of fluidity. You can do it in any order without any major consequences to your final run.

Going forward, I will roughly list the battles involved in each chapter. I will write larger notes about the more important battles that I think are valuable in relation to achievements and maybe other end-game content.

Tynemouth Hill (Canopus joins) > Krysaro

• If you save Donnalto in Krysaro, he joins you along with 2 other units (Sara and Voltare) that come with higher base stats than generic recruits. I personally kept Voltare trained up all the way to the end as a reliable knight. Note: If Donnalto dies in this battle, a replacement Sibyl named Felicia will join instead.
  
  Donnalto is a great Cleric by virtue of being a unique character. He has high MND growth so if you feel good about your other cleric(s), later on you can turn him into a Wizard/Warlock to have a reliable unit for debuffs (MND helps with debuff success chance).

Golborza Plain > (choice 1 = must protect Cistina) The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime

• You don't have to protect Cistina, but she's a great rotational unit. She and her sisters are all great Shaman candidates (each locked into an element) and at least one of them is required to complete the Shrine Battle achievements in chapter 4.

Phidoch Castle (cutscene) > Almorica Castle (cutscene)

Hero of Golyat
Rescued Duke Ronwey from imprisonment in Almorica Castle.


Qadriga Fortress

• Before entering this battle, head to the shop under the consumables section and buy 3-4 Grimoire Exorcisme. This lets you exorcise STILLED (downed) undead units that are within melee range of the item user to greatly reduce the exorcism pressure on your cleric(s).

Corpse Dancer
Confronted the Necromancer Nybeth at Qadriga Fortress and put an end to his dark experiments.

Lake Bordu > Xeod Moors

• Focus Ganpp, Berda, or Orbda to end the battle immediately. The battle ends when any of them reach low HP.

Balmamusa

• There are 2 battles in Balmamusa. The 2nd battle happens after you make a choice that propels you into a specific route.
  
• Refuse to participate → CH2 Chaos

Fallen Hero
Refused to participate in Duke Ronwey's heartless plan to massacre the innocents of Balmamusa, for which you were then blamed and made a wanted man.

• Participate → CH2 Law

Butcher of Golyat
Carried out Duke Ronwey's chilling plan to slay the five thousand innocents in Balmamusa.

Port Asyton (Arycelle retreats at low HP) > Rhea Boum > Xeod Moors (keep Arycelle alive)

• Another optional unit to keep alive to recruit later on. She's the only Archer on my team and has her moments with a bow/crossbow depending on the terrain.

Lake Bordu (keep Arycelle alive) > Tynemouth Hill (keep Arycelle alive)

• If she survives, the troublesome archer will finally join your team after the conclusion of this battle. Depending on which job you picked for Denam, equip Heal on him to keep Arycelle healthy.

Open Warren Report > Talk > "Phorampa Open to Hunting"

• Reading this Talk topic unlocks the repeatable dungeon—Phorampa Wildwood. I suggest visiting this place now to recruit a couple of Dragons (for tanking) and any number of Gryphon/Cockatrice for scaling walls in upcoming battles. Gryphons and Cockatrice are good nimble units that scale walls easily and can act as diversions to allow Canopus to revive/heal important AI guest units using the Beastmaster's Lobber skill.
  
• If you want to recruit Deneb and her unique Wicce class later, I suggest taming 1 of each Dragon now. Arc/Dark Dragons and Hydras can be found in later story battles and dungeons.

Man of Proven Worth
Joined forces with Arycelle—one of the few who knew the truth of Balmamusa—and fought free of a trap laid by Vyce.

Krysaro > Qadriga > (agree to save) Ndamsa> Golyat > Boed Fortress (cutscene)

• Keep Folcurt, Bayin, and Cistina alive for a chance to recruit them at Boed Fortress
  
• I suggest having at least 1 Dragoon on standby for the Qadriga and Ndamsa battles.
  
• At the Boed Fort cutscene, select "Come with us" for an achievement.
  
• Folcurt is a great Knight/TK candidate & Bayin is stronger than your current Wizard

Man Among Friends
Befriended members of the Liberation Front at Boed Fortress.


The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime

• Denam and Catiua start off far from your main force. Thankfully, Catiua's AI will make the wise choice of retreating. I suggest setting Denam as a melee job for survival reasons and creating 2 choke points with melee units at points A and B (marked below). Ensure that the B group at least has Rampart aura and/or Phalanx. Xapan's own units will bodyblock the choke points by crowding the entry points.
  
• Use Poison to debuff multiple enemies and keep enemy clerics busy. Utilize this window of opportunity and the stalemate to prepare Canopus/Beasts/Archers/Wizards with card buffs for a 1-round nuke on Xapan.
  
  

Almorica Castle

• The Gates of Almorica - Focus Ramidos
  
• Almorica Passageway - There are a few ways you can approach this, but it's typically good to debuff Vyce with Breach (Dynast-King's Mead). Pick up buff cards when possible. On the same note, smack Vyce into a red debuff card or magic buff card (to overwrite his current buffs) when possible. Entering this fight as a Berserker with Sanguine Assault or a Knight with Rampart and Phalanx is recommended. There are other ways to win this fight, but these are my recommendations.
  
• After defeating Vyce, you are presented with the option to rejoin the Resistance.
  
• Rejoin → CH3 Neutral

The Hero Returned
Heeded Sir Leonar's entreaty to return to the Resistance.

• Refuse → CH3 Chaos

Man of Principles
Refused Sir Leonar's entreaty to return to the Resistance.

Balmamusa > Xeod Moors > Rhea Boum Aqueduct > Port Asyton

• Although the map is pretty narrow, plug a couple of entry points using Knights and their Rampart Aura. Focus any Octopus that enters your Rampart range. Although Josephine is weak, she's nested in a very safe position so rushing her isn't the best move or you risk getting your flank exposed to Octopi.
  
• Port Asyton features 2 fights. The second fight is triggered when you try to move OUT of Port Asyton—triggering a fight with Arycelle.

Read all current Talk topics on your Warren Report > The Reisan Way

• This is one of the easier 'Save the AI' battles. Ravness isn't fragile and she's at an acceptable distance from the enemy. Just move your squad up as normal to protect her.

Port Asyton (restock) > Qadriga Fortress

• Employ a Lobber Canopus to buy time. Xapan starts is in a very dangerous position and can easily get overwhelmed if left unsupported.
  
• If he survived, you'll have the option to recruit Xapan after the battle.

Piratebane
Saved Xapan the Mercenary from pirates at Qadriga Fortress.


Tynemouth Hill

• Phorampa Wildwoods becomes available by reading the related Talk topic.

Golborza Plain > Phidoch Castle > The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime

Rhime - Vyce and Arycelle spawn on the high ground directly in front of you. Just rush Vyce since he's in an accessible position to end the battle swiftly. Use Magic and Crossbows to support your melee since you don't want to clog up the only path leading to him with too many melee units. Ignore Arycelle so you can recruit her later.

Almorica Castle > The Gates of Almorica > Almorica Passageway x2

• Though the second battle in Almorica Passageway looks like a lopsided 4v1 going against Leonar's favor, treat it like you would any 1v1 duel and employ the same strategy (Buffs/Debuffs) because Leonar will still hit hard.

Leader of Men
Struck down Sir Leonar after he slew Duke Ronwey, becoming the leader of the Resistance.


Enter → CH3 Law

At the start of Chapter 3, you will have access to the Ranged Weapons II recipe from the shop. This recipe allows you to craft Baldur Blowguns by simply buying the ingredients from the shop directly. It costs a total of 2,450 Goth to craft and sells for 6,400 Goth—almost tripling your investment. By using this recipe, you can earn unlimited Goth and focus solely on your battles. If this method doesn't sit right with you, Phorampa Wildwoods can be farmed for Oberyths instead.

Anyway, use the money earned to stock up on HP consumables (to craft up to stronger versions), consumable buffs and debuffs such as Plumes and Dynast-King's Mead, and craft Fruits of the Adept for light MP restoration.

By selecting this route, Arycelle's loyalty will plummet meaning she may leave your squad if left unattended. To remedy this, go do a few training battles to raise her proficiency with another weapon. Gaining a few weapon levels will quickly restore her loyalty.

Almorica Castle (automatic battle w/ Hektor) > Boed Fortress

• You'll have to save Cerya to earn the achievement. This is one of those times when you should send up Canopus as a temporary beastmaster with Lobber to heal Cerya. Her AI will gradually retreat down to your squad.
  
• Along with Canopus, it's a good idea to field a few of the Gryphons and Cockatrice you should have recruited from Phorampa in CH2. Their inability to equip armor will spread out the enemy units' attention evenly among your flying units and make healing Cerya a little more manageable.

Dark Knight Slayer
Slew the Dark Knight Oz at Boed Fortress and rescued Cerya.


Tynemouth Hill

• Don't kill any of Ganpp's beasts or else it will trigger disadvantageous conditions for your team. Aside from the usual breach/weaken strat, you can also charm some of the reptiles before focusing down Ganpp.

Read all Talk topics in your Warren Report > Krysaro (cutscene) > Qadriga Fortress

• You can try to save all 3 of your incapacitated allies here, but it will be tough. Achievement-wise there is no major consequence in failing to save them. I personally only managed to save Phaesta and Tamuz and I was still able to get the achievement by rescuing Leonar at the end of this battle.

Miracle Worker
Rescued Sir Leonar from imprisonment in Qadriga Fortress.

• You'll also have the chance to recruit Hobyrim afterward (no achievement in Nuetral)

Port Asyton

• Undead level - bring Grimoire Exorcisme and Cleric(s) with Exorcism
  
• Revive Oelias and protect both allies to recruit them after the battle.
  
• If you recruit Dievold and Oelias and do the subsequent battles below, you will have the option in CH4 to pursue Nybeth in the Palace of the Dead.

Mount Hedon > Hagia Banhamuda > Ndamsa Fortress

• NOTE: Field Oelias AND Dievold in the Ndamsa Fortress battle if you want to fight Nybeth in PotD CH4. You can always fight him in other routes so don't worry too much about it.
  
• Before fighting Nybeth in Ndamsa Fortress, I suggest performing a gear check and crafting +1 rings granting elemental resistances. I remember Nybeth having extremely high INT compared to my ~100 resistances and it's somewhat of a painful fight. Don't clump up your units because all the enemy casters have access to AoE spells.
  
• This is another battle where fielding Gryphons and Cockatrice along with any winged units can be beneficial to avoid clumping at the main entry point leading up to the fortress. Knock Nybeth off the ledge if the opportunity presents itself.
  
  

Almorica Castle (custcene) > Coritanae Keep

• Gates of Coritanae - use Dragoon(s) to create an early advantage
  
• Coritanae Ward - Use Knights (or any unit) with Rampart Aura to clog up the middle path. Push Xaebos into a red card if the opportunity presents itself (shield bash or tremendous shot). Additionally, I recommend lobbing a Rood Upright consumable debuff on Xaebos to inflict Enfeeble (-magic resist). As an armored-type boss, he's very resistant to arrows and regular melee attacks. Debuffing him with enfeeble and using Ninjutsu/Magic will definitely get the job done.

Slayer of the Dying
Defeated Sir Xaebos, commander of the Galgastani army remnants, at Coritanae Keep.


Mount Weobry > The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime > Almorica Castle (custcene)

• Mirdyn joins you after the cutscene.

Phidoch Castle

• I typically prefer the right path (South Curtain Wall) because, at this point in the game, Dragons are easier to deal with compared to Golems thanks to Dragoons.
  
• Phidoch South Curtain Wall - Use Dragoons and use winged units to snipe down from the walls.
  
• Phidoch Great Hall - Slowly move your squad to the eastern wall as the enemies descend from the western staircase. As Ozma makes it down the stairs, you can use Canopus and any winged beasts to take her original position and attack from a higher vantage point. Additionally, employ debuff tactics based on your party's unit composition (Breach for Physical and Enfeeble for Magic). She's strong in both Magic and Range, but she's not as defensive as prior bosses. Just don't clump up, distract or kill the enemy clerics, and focus her down in 1 round.
  
  (PGH)

Southron Liberator
Drove the Dark Knights from Phidoch Castle and wrested control of the south of Valeria.


Enter → CH4

Port Asyton > Xeod Moors > Coritanae Keep > The Reisan Way > Bahanna Highlands

• Coritanae Ward - The same strategy applies in this Xaebos fight as the one in CH3 Neutral.
  
• The Reisan Way - Cassandra is pretty squishy for a boss. You can either rush her or safely exorcise stilled undead along the way.
  
• Bahanna Highlands - Hektor is a robust boss by virtue of being a Knight. Units like him are typically more susceptible to crushing and magic damage. Focus your attention on the rest of his squad whenever he activates Phalanx. As always, debuff him (Breach/Enfeeble) and take out his supporting Clerics.

Brigantys Castle

• Brigantys South Curtain Wall is the infinitely easier path to take because the boss, Kakrinoros, is a Wizard and therefore very easy to burst down in 1 round.
  
• Brigantys Great Hall - You should have gotten Warlock classmarks after your first encounter with Xaebos in Coritanae Ward. Upgrade your Wizards into Warlocks before the fight so you can use the auto-skill Golemsbane. Employ various debuffs using high MND characters to keep the enemy Clerics busy. I suggest charming Terror Knights whenever they pre-emptively use Fearful Impact. This gives you a free chance to inflict Fear while also diverting enemy Clerics from healing.

Untarnished Hero
Defeated Sir Xaebos, commander of the remnants of the Galgastani army, at Brigantys Castle.

Bahanna Highlands

• Just like with all the previous battles to save AI teammates, employ the Lobber strategy to keep Hobyrim healthy until you can reach him with your squad.
  
• If this is your second route after utilizing the World Tarot feature, this battle will be MUCH easier. Before the battle, equip Hobyrim with good gear (even if gets hit with level sync), a ranged weapon (blowgun), and change his AI settings to Distant Striker. This will make this second version of Hobyrim play more safely as AI. Just make sure you don't deploy him in the battle so you don't get 2 Hobyrims. The AI Hobyrim will have default gear if you do this.
  
• After the battle, you'll have the chance to recruit him to get the achievement.

The Unflinching
Saved the blind swordsman Hobyrim from the Resistance on the Bahanna Highlands.


Coritanae Keep

• Gates of Coritanae - Utilize Dragoon(s). Marino will slowly push towards you so you can focus down his Clerics and finish him off when he enters your kill range.
  
• Coritanae Ward - I recommend picking the duel option with Leonar. He might seem tough, but just employ the same strategy as the Vyce duel on CH2 Chaos. Charge your MP and self-buff before he reaches you. Debuff when he's in range, and take any opportunity to overwrite/erase his card buffs. If you are using a Knight to duel him, ending your turn sideways with Rampart Aura can stop him from beelining you and can waste his turn. Alternatively, you can kite him with more mobile jobs that have higher tile movement and lower RT.

Mount Weobry > The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime > Almorica Castle (cutscene)

• Mirdyn and Gildas join you after the cutscene.
  
• In CH3 Neutral, only Mirdyn joins you for story reasons.

Boed Fortress

• Unlike in Neutral, you don't have to dive into the Templar Knights to save Cerya. This should be a simpler battle, but don't relax too much since Oz is strong with both Magic and Physical attacks. Even though all the Templars look the same, inspect each unit to identify the healers and magic casters so you can adjust your priorities.
  
• Cerya will join you after the battle.

Phidoch Castle

• Essentially the same as Neutral except for the final battle.
  
• Phidoch South Curtain Wall - Use Dragoons and snipe down from the walls.
  
• Phidoch Great Hall - This fight is similar to Neutral, but this time Oz is deployed on the lower level in front of Denam who is also deployed away and in front of your squad. Have Denam retreat while you simultaneously and slowly move your squad against the eastern wall to create distance from the western threat. Charge up your MP and just before you are ready to burst down Oz, use your mages to debuff the main cluster of enemy units near the western staircase. Burst down Oz and repeat the same strategy for Ozma. There are more eloquent strategies for this fight, but this is how I personally approached it. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to share your strategy!
  
• If this is your first route taken, you'll get the Southron Liberator achievement.
  
  CTRL+F (PGH) for the map layout.

Enter → CH4

Madura Drift

• Hektor is the same as any hardy boss/Knight. Don't waste MP damaging him on any turn he has Phalanx activated.

Brigantys Castle

• Brigantys South Curtain Wall - Just like in the other routes, I prefer fighting the Wizard because it's much easier to get the job done since they haveterrible defensive stats.
  
• Brigantys Great Hall - Essentially the same concepts as the Madura Drift battle. I suggest focusing the Terror Knights first by casting poison on the largest cluster of units you can find and then bursting them down as the Clerics waste a turn curing poison. The Terror Knights create a bottleneck preventing you from making any meaningful push toward Hektor. Thankfully, enemy TKs typically have slightly lower defenses compared to enemy Knights by nature of their weapon choice and job stats. Target other units as needed, but I suggest prioritizing TK → Cleric → Closest available threat → Hektor.
  
• You'll have a chance to recruit Jeunan after the battle. Pick the reasonable option "How could they be?" to get him to join you. Even though he's optional, I strongly suggest recruiting him because he's necessary to recruit Ravness and Ocionne in CH4.

Bahanna Highlands

• If you want to recruit Ravness, deploy Jeunan, lower Roberval's HP to about half, and wait until all of the dialogue between Denam and Jeunan are exhausted. Once Denam says "What?!" you are free to finish off Roberval and end the battle.

The Reisan Way > Coritanae Castle (Gates > Ward) > Bahanna Highlands

• Coritanae Ward - Use the Hektor strat on Apollinaire. She has the same Knight shenanigans (primarily Phalanx) going for her.

The Conqueror
Took Coritanae Keep and brought Hierophant Balbatos to justice.

• Bahanna Highlands - Unlike the previous battle to protect Ravness, this one may require Lobber support if this is your first route taken. World Tarot users can probably get away with +5 Spell Range healing. Just to be safe, strip Canopus and get Lobbing!
  
• Ravness will join your party if she survives this battle.

The Psonji Weald / Lake Bordu

• The choice between these 2 location boils down to 2 things: Which kind of boss do you want to fight? And which unit do you prefer at center stage?
  
• The Psonji Weald has a Sorcerer boss and Dragoon(s) will have a larger impact due to the enemy unit composition.
  
• Lake Bordu has a Necromancer boss and will require the usual Exorcism options.
  
• I chose The Psonji Weald because Dragoon(s) can cull the battlefield faster than Clerics with a lot less preparation. If you like fighting undead, choose Lake Bordu.

Tynemouth Hill

• This battle is exactly the same as the one on Neutral. Don't kill Ganpp's beasts to avoid enraging him and triggering buffs and debuffs to make things harder.

Almorica Castle

• The Gates of Almorica - Deploy Dragoon(s)
  
• Almorica Passageway - Just like in all the other routes, Xaebos has crazy defensive stats. I typically use Hammers and Magic to whittle him down after applying the appropriate debuffs (Breach+Enfeeble). Weaken him with consumables as well if your frontline units are having trouble tanking his heavy attacks.
  
• Vyce and Arycelle join your party after the battle.

Destroyer of Galgastan
Defeated Sir Xaebos, commander of the Galgastani army remnants, at Almorica Castle.


Mount Weobry

• Lots of dragons in this battle! Tame or slay them all. I strongly suggest picking up an Arc Dragon and a Dark Dragon if you want Deneb (Wicce) later on.

The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime

• This is the toughest Hobyrim 'Save the AI' timeline because of how lethal Ozma can be. A Lobber is nearly mandatory unless you've used the World Tarot already and used the same advice I gave in the CH3 Chaos route. Hobyrim's positioning will be awkward. Initially, he's close to Ozma's striking zone and his flank is open to danger. On top of the Lobber for heals, push your entire squad with reckless disregard to envelop Hobyrim and support his flank.
  
• He will offer to join after the battle if he survives. He's necessary for the achievement and to recruit Ozma later in CH4 when entering from the Law route.

He Who Walks In Darkness
Defeated the Bakram forces under the command of the Dark Knight Ozma and rescued the blind swordsman Hobyrim at the Arkhaiopolis of Rhime.

Phidoch Castle

• As always, the South Curtain Wall is the easier battle because the boss is a Wizard. If you want to fight/recruit golems, pick the other path.
  
• Phidoch South Curtain Wall - 1 Dragoon and a Crossbow hit squad should be plenty.
  Phidoch Great Hall - Utilize the same strategy as the one employed in the fight against Ozma and Oz in the Chaos route. Retreat with Denam, stick to the eastern wall, divert/kill the enemy Clerics, and then focus Oz. Repeat the strategy against Balxephon. NEVER face them both at the same time. Use buffs and debuff consumables as necessary.
  
• If this is your first route taken, you'll get the Southron Liberator achievement.
  
  CTRL+F (PGH) for the map layout.

Enter → CH4

Warren Report > Read ALL the initial Talk topics > Bahanna Highlands

• If entering the chapter from CH3 Chaos and you want to fight Nybeth in PotD (F100) for the achievement on this run, you should complete The Balmamusa Dead and recruit Cressida to ensure the conditions to do so are met.
  
• If entering the chapter from CH3 Law, pay attention to the conditions to recruit Ozma.
  
• You can technically start the process to recruit Azelstan right now, but he is optional and it's a lot less of a hassle to start his time-sensitive questline once you have the World Tarot feature. I recommend recruiting him after completing the game for the first time and under the Chaos/Law versions of chapter 4. You can then complete his sidequest to get a timesaving shortcut when completing Coda Episode 1: The Songstress.

Brigantys Castle

• Take the right path and deploy Denam alone without equipment.

Man of Peace
Journeyed to Brigantys Castle, alone and unarmed, to parley with the Order of Philaha.

• Olivya will join your party after a few cutscenes.
  
• CHAOS: Now is a good time to recruit Cressida. CTRL+F "The Balmamusa Dead"

Almorica Castle (cutscene) > Mount Hedon

• LAW: Cutscene will trigger if you read "A Rift in the Dark Knights" at the start of CH4.

Hagia Banhamuba

• Don't kill Sherri to recruit her later. She will retreat at low HP if you don't deal a killing blow.
  
• Bow/Magic attacks with Engulf should reach Sherri if you just push slightly in front of your spawn. The map is relatively small so it's easy to hold a defensive line down the stairs. Avoid edges since getting knocked in results in permadeath.
  
  
  
  
• Abuna Mreuva will pose a question.
  "That I cannot do" = Catiua will join in the Barnicia Grand Staircase battle
  "I shall do what I must" = She abstains from the battle

NEUTRAL: Read Talk topic "Pirates of Qadriga Fortress" > Qadriga Fortress (cutscene)

• Answer Ehlrig with "Will you aid us?" and he will join alongside Cerya.

LAW: Phidoch Castle (cutscene) > Krysaro

• Deploy Hobyrim so you can recruit Ozma after.
  
• As with any Dark Knight boss battle, it's suicidal to try and tackle both at the same time due to their disgusting amounts of magic and physical damage. Utilize the narrow path and Ozma's horrible positioning to shield bash her into the eastern lake as she pushes further. This will buy you time to deal with the rest of the enemy force. Spread your units behind the southwestern corner of the map, utilizing the subtle high ground, behind the cover of some Dragon(s) and Knight(s) with Rampart aura. Additionally, you can plug Ozma's path back to you if you need more time. Eliminate Volaq when the opportunity arises and send Ozma into critical HP so she gives up and you get a chance to recruit her.
  
  
  
  
• After the battle, pick "As I owe you for my father" to recruit Ozma.
  
  

The Vanessan Way > Lambiss Hill

• The Vanessan Way - TK bosses are typically more aggressive than other boss-types. You'll have an opportunity to 1-round KO Alessandro, but you'll still have to fight some of his goons to get to him since TKs are naturally slow and he will not outpace his vanguard's push.
  
• Lambiss Hill - Pajeot's main threat comes from his 2H sword Air finisher—Cyclone Saber. Optional: If you caught a few Dragons from Phorampa, deploy 1 Dragon to trail behind your Knight as an extra sponge. In addition to inflicting Weaken on Pajeot using Lobber, prioritize buffing your tank(s) with RESILIENCE and FORTIFIED because there is no natural chokepoint on this map. This means that tanks can't isolate fights and can get hit with more than 3 attacks per turn.

Tzorious Field

• Turtle up at your starting position but spread your units out a bit once Andoras gets within striking range. He employs Lightning AoE attacks so a Lightning Dragon can effectively meet him head-on.
  
• Deploy at least 1 Dragoon to meet the incoming Gryphon that will cut through the middle.

OPTIONAL: Recruit Sherri at Balmamusa

• You can now recruit Sherri in Balmamusa if you didn't kill her earlier.
  
• Make sure Olivya is basically capped out on loyalty and should say "This unit supports you in all things---a loyal ally to the end." when inspected. If her loyalty is not yet capped out, you can easily achieve it by leveling any of her weapon skills a few times.
  
• Start a Training Battle in Balmamusa and use 2+ Horn of the Savage to get stormy weather.
  
• Retreat and an event will trigger ending with Sherri joining your party.

Barnicia Castle

• The Gates of Barnicia - Make sure someone has Golemsbane. Identify the Templar Clerics and Archers to prioritize and then it's business as usual.
  
• Barnicia Courtyard - Even though Barbas and his army have the high ground, it's pretty easy to block off the path to your spawn by sticking any tanky unit on the solitary elevated cell against the wall (see R on the image below). The Templars can only effectively push your left flank if they jump down on that elevated cell (they can't jump deeper) so it acts as a choke point. Stick another tank around the corner on your right and that should buy you enough time to thin out enemy Templars before Barbas gets close to reaching you.
  
• I recommend 2-3 Warlocks (Deneb/Bayin/Sherri/etc) and 1-2 Crossbows (Arycelle & Canopus). Indirect AoE attacks is the name of the game (T2 indirect magic and Brimstone Hail). Pick up any damage buff cards situated on low ground for your Magic/Crossbow users as you pick off the Templars.
  
• Barbas has a Light-element ranged Finisher that deals extreme damage to a single unit so expect one of your mid-liners to possibly go down if he gets within range. Finally, focus him once you have inflicted debuffs and have the MP to 1-round KO him.
  
  
  
  
• Barnicia Grand Staircase - I prefer creating a defensive position on the western staircase close to my spawn. Insert a Rampart unit at the top steps of the stairs to block enemies and prevent them from jumping on the side. The Rampart unit on the right of your green position is optional if you manage your troops in that small area. Any further advances on the right may trigger enemies to start jumping down the ledge north of your spawn point. Leave it up to your judgement if and when to deploy that second Rampart. Just keep your healer(s) at a manageable distance to cover both Ramparts as necessary.
  
• Catiua may or may not be in your battle depending on how you answered Mreuva after rescuing him. I suggest answering to leave her out of the fight at least for your first run.
  
• Just like in the fight against Barbas, I employed mainly Warlocks/Shamans/Crossbows to deal damage effectively from a lower position. Canopus can fly up and down on the western wall to pick off the 2 ranged Templars stationed and provide support as the other Templars pour down. As with any Templar/Dark Knight battle, identify the healing Templars first to prioritize accordingly. There are also Swordmaster versions of the templar that use AoE heals so add them to your naughty list. Charm is effective on most 2h-wielding Templars so use that to your advantage as you clog up that western staircase even more.
  
  

After the battle, you'll have a cutscene with Catiua. You have 2 choices based on your answers: A) She joins you and you get her exlusive job—Princess (and the achievement). B) She dies and you get Denam's exlusive job—Lord. Don't worry as you can get whichever one you missed later by using the World Tarot.

To get Catiua (and Princess):

• Catiua was in battle: "I did only what I had to do" and "You are my sister, and I love you."
  
• Catiua abstained from battle: "I never abandoned you" and "I took no joy in our parting."
  
  Princess Savior
  Stormed Barnicia Castle and rescued Catiua from the Dark Knights.

Deviating from these answers will get you the Lord job instead.

Phidoch Castle (cutscene) > Read all Talk topics

• If you entered from the LAW route and have Jeunan, now is a good time to recruit Ocionne by completing the "Mysterious Blast on Exeter" sidequest. Recruiting her also gets you an Arc Dragon which will be useful in Heim Great Hall.
  
• After this sidequest (any route) you'll have access to Palace of the Dead. You can explore some or all of it now if you want. I suggest you partially explore up to Floor 24 (the shop) at Union Level 40 to get access to Summons and the other strong spells sold there. As far as full exploration goes, I waited to fight Nybeth on my last playthrough but that is up to personal preference.
  
• Now is also a good time to obtain the Apocrypha and complete the Shrine Battles.
  
• Check the CH4 Sidequests category below for more information.

Ioruzma Canyon > Oeram

• Oeram - Bring a Dragoon to delete the Cockatrice that will dive straight into your spawn. Seal the lone entry point on the right side of your spawn with a Rampart unit. Wait for Hanzo to be within striking range of your finishers/magic from below and pick off Cleric(s) as you wait. The enemy forces are very divided and there are a lot of elevation changes so it's easy to pick targets off as they pathfind their way closer to you.

The Royal City of Heim

• The Gates of Heim - I picked this left path because Terror Knight bosses are typically easier to deal with. Deploy at least 1 Dragoon.
  
• Heim Courtyard - Employ the same strategy as a Hektor/Xaebos/Knight boss battle. Deploy at least 1 unit with the Golemsbane auto-skill.
  
• Heim Great Hall - On top of your regular debuff items, bring enough Crystallized Flame (Resilience) for your frontline and a couple of Echo Stones (Spoilspell) to combat Brantyn's insane Magic power.
  
• Optional: A Swordmaster focused on utility can save you several turns so you can focus on reactive healing. Bring Lion Dance (Strengthen), Bellows Dance (Fortify), and Comely Dance (Breach) to help you buff up and deal with the many Terror Knights as Brantyn approaches.
  
• Spend the 1st couple of turns buffing and don't send out a Knight until the Resilience buff is in play. Make use of Guardian Force and have an Arc Dragon and other high HP units inch along with the tank so that Brantyn's summon attack is less likely to 1HKO your units. You can also send a second tank to one of the corners just below the first row of enemies to pull some Terror Knights away from the middle of the map.
  
• If you want to come prepared, bringing a Storm and/or Cataract Orb will make your life a lot easier. A Storm/Cataract Orb inflicts an AoE Stun and Poison at a very wide range. Throwing one or both of these items will effectively seal the enemy Clerics for the majority of the battle. If you charm a unit on top of those debuffs, the enemy Cleric will typically prioritize removing the Poison (contributed by rmstitanic94).
  
  
  
  Bringer of Peace
  Defeated Regent Brantyn at the Royal City of Heim, enabling Catiua to declare an end to the blood war.
  
  
• This achievement is only available on the same run if you saved Catiua.

The Hanging Gardens

• Foot of the Gardens - Very simple Templar battle. Make sure you activate the hidden door on the leftmost part of the map to fight the least amount of battles before the boss.
  
  
  
  
• Twixt Heaven and Earth - Nothing has changed with Andoras since you last fought him. The only thing you need to be mindful of is the terrain as that first choke point leading up to his platform can be a potential pitfall. Deploy a Dragoon and a unit with Golemsbane.

Heart of the Gardens

• The Tomb Below - Undead battle. Bring Exorcism.
  
• Relics of the Past - Simple Templar battle.
  
• Chamber of the Seal (1) - 5v2 battle against 2 Knight Commanders. Bring 3-4 Hardy units and 1-2 non-melee units. I do not recommend archers because they need a minimum distance to fight and since there are only 2 targets, it will be annoying to reposition them every turn. Ravness, Gildas, and Mirdyn are great here as White Knights since you can stack Velocity Shift when collapsing on an enemy. Don't neglect shield-bashing any of the Martym/Barbas into Red cards. Always position the non-melee unit(s) behind your melee line.
  
  

The final battle is divided into 2 halves.

The 1st half features the boss with a team of Doppelgangers mirroring your units.
They share the same equipment and can use their respective Item Effects. After lowering Dorgalua's HP and entering the 2nd half, he becomes statistically stronger in every way at the cost of losing all his Doppelganger support. During this phase, he starts to use strong Dark Magic that can drain your MP, Stun, and Fear your units in a large area of effect. Employ some or all of the strategies below and you'll come out just fine.

Thankfully, you can still manipulate starting positions to your advantage just like in the older game. You can intentionally place your units in a way that exposes the opposing backline units by spawning them within striking distance of your units. As you can see, the first row of your team spawns in a clockwise inner circle next to Dorgalua. The next 2 rows spawn as halves of an outer circle to make enemy positions easier to remember. Huge thanks to Zoid13 and u/Uzpian for pointing this out to me!



On your first run, it is very likely that Lombardia and Brynhildr will be your only melee weapons that can effectively damage Dorgalua. To make up for this lopsided situation, u/Trisice gave me the awesome suggestion of using the Holy Hand Grenades that can be lobbed by Beastmasters, Fusiliers, and Rangers! They are a very cost-effective damaging consumable that is extra effective against Dorgalua who happens to be weak to Light-based attacks. The grenades seem to scale in damage with Dexterity, Strength, or Physical Attack Power since they did nearly double the damage when thrown by my Vyce who was previously fed some charms. Trisice also mentioned that Weapon Skill Level greatly impacts the resulting damage of the grenades. As a result, it may be a good idea to craft relevant +20 Weapon Skill Level Jewelry for your Lobbers.



Additionally, it may be a good idea to bring some various Orbs into the fight. Dorgalua sometimes uses Risk Management so Orbs, which serve as a good AoE attacks that come with Debuffs, are effective against his meat shields. Another benefit of Orbs is that they do not damage your allies. Bring and use a few if you want another edge in this fight. Note: Orbs are stronger when used by a unit of the same element.



As previously mentioned, Lombardia and Brynhildr will most likely be your only melee weapons that are effective against the boss. If you did not mind obtaining the Catiua-related achievements in a subsequent run and chose to get Lord Denam instead, you can place all your hopes and dreams on him by having him dual-wield Lombardia and Brynhildr. This ensures he has maximum striking power against the boss when combined with Instill Light, Berserker, Sanguine Assault, and Double Attack. Additionally:

• Use Strengthen (Plume or Hobyrim War Dance)
  
• Breach (Mead or Hobyrim War Dance)
  
• Physical Attack Buff Cards

Ignore the higher-tier armor. It was scaled down/not utilized for the test video below.


The following video is just a recording trying to show some damage outcomes from using the Holy Grenades and various Elemental Orbs. It also shows the damage of Lombardia and Brynhildr in the hands of Lord Denam (with some Charms used). Most of the gear is not representative of your first encounter with him which is why took my time to check out the damage values instead of ending everything early using summons. Watch the video if you just want to get a sense of how Dorgalua attacks and how to use the consumables mentioned.

• Bring Magic Essence/Glass Pumpkin and Mending Essence
  
• Bring the usual Debuff Items
  
• War Dances are good. The Doppelganger won't utilize it as effectively.
  
• Tier I Summons are strong against the boss but can be a double-edged sword.

There are a lot more mechanics that can be applied in this boss battle.
For now, I'll leave it at that and I will add more advice in the future as it is suggested.

Dynast-King Slayer
Defeated Dorgalua, the Dynast-King, as he returned from the Abyss.


Captain of Fate
Ended the Heim Conflict in all three time lines.


To obtain Captain of Fate, you need to all 3 routes on CH3 completed and CH4 cleared at least twice—once on Law and once on either Neutral or Chaos. Huge thanks to CreativeCC, no2swtorfan, and Retro_Galaxy for confirming this bit of info in the comments section.

The following sidequests are directly/indirectly connected to achievements:

• Read the Talk topic on the Warren Report entitled "Mysterious Blast on Exeter"

Madura Drift > Belmorose Highwinds > Vasque

• Madura Drift - Bring Dragoons
  
• Vasque - Bring Exorcism for Undead

Lhazan Fortress / Bortegun Fens

• Lhazan Fortress Battle 1 - Bring Exorcism for Undead
  
• Lhazan Fortress Battle 2 - If doing this battle after entering from the Law route, deploy Jeunan in this battle if you want to recruit Ocionne and her Arc Dragon. Keep Reymos alive until Denam says "Yes, but his remorse is sincere". After the battle, you can recruit her.
  
• Bortegun Fens - Focus the Matriarch due to her strong magic. Deploy at least one Dragoon.

This sidequest is indirectly related to the Necromancer Scourge achievement because you need to complete it to open the way through Vasque and into the Palace of the Dead.

• Read the Talk topic on the Warren Report entitled "Rhamsen Wreck"

Leupha Coast > Grimsby

• Leupha Coast - Deploy Dragoon(s)
  
• Grimsby - Deploy the usual Lobber (or a healer if you have +5 range wands). Lindl is pretty strong compared to the typical AI you need to save, but keep his HP topped up nonetheless (to recruit him after). Focus Martym who is not too far off from Lindl's spawn.

Completing both sidequests above allows you to complete all the Shrine Battles below by opening the path to Lhazan Fortress and Gecho Fortress.

After defeating (and preferably recruiting) Sherri and completing the Barnicia Castle battles, you can complete 6 shrine dungeons to obtain powerful elemental magic called the Apocrypha.

• Read the Talk topic entitled "The Ancient Temples"
  
• After completing the Rhamsen Wreck sidequest, read "Fortresses Under Siege"
  
• Complete the initial battles in each of the 6 fortresses. They're not too hard and they all share the same uphill layout like the Nybeth fight from before.

• Once you complete the initial battles, go to Coritanae Keep to chat with Mreuva about the Apocrypha. Tell him you can handle it and to unlock the shrines for you to revisit and explore to obtain recipes and strong magic.

• Just like the initial battles, the shrine dungeons (and their guardians) aren't tough. Each shrine consists of 7 floors you can clear (including the one behind the entry point). Try to do all of the optional objectives along the way to get the many stat charms rewarded.
  
• The bosses at the end are just stronger versions of the dragons/beasts they resemble. The only difference is they are equipped with their respective Apocrypha so avoid bunching units up for fear of getting blasted with a juiced AoE. The guardians are all susceptible to magic so if you're going to debuff, I suggest Enfeeble followed by a magic-based barrage.
  
  Slayer of the Wind Watch
  Defeated the guardian Vainateya.
  
  
  Slayer of the Earth Watch
  Defeated the guardian Nathalork.
  
  
  Slayer of the Lightning Watch
  Defeated the guardian Xolotl.
  
  
  Slayer of the Water Watch
  Defeated the guardian Tlaloc.
  
  
  Slayer of the Fire Watch
  Defeated the guardian Ifrit.
  
  
  Slayer of the Ice Watch
  Defeated the guardian Lygenstzel.
  
  
  
• Once you clear all the shrine dungeons the first time, you can reclear them for a chance to obtain Tier II Apocrypha and some special equipment. I recommend getting Vainateya's Talons (a fist weapon) because it grants the strong summon spell Sylphide II as an Item Effect. I recommend reclearing them at Union Level 40 so the drops are activated. Feel free to save before the boss room/utilize chariot so you can have a higher chance at getting the rare equipment and Tier II Apocrypha.

• This quest is only relevant to achievements if you plan to complete Necromancer Scourge during a Chaos route playthrough. Otherwise, this quest's sole purpose is to recruit Cressida who is only available on a Chaos run.
  
• I recommend doing this sidequest after completing the game once and gaining the ability to view your Chaos Frame numbers. As you can imagine, being able to see your CF values allows you to take precise actions to reach the 50 Galgastani CF points needed to recruit Cressida.
  
  
  
  
• Since CF is a value calculated by the choices and events that happened before an anchor point, the time to adjust your Galgastani CF values is at the start of CH4 after entering from CH3 Chaos.
  
• To raise Galgastani CF, you need to recruit 12 level 1 Galgastani units (any will do but the squishier, the better) and deploy them to die in training battles. Until you reach about 45 Galgastani CF, you can deploy 11 Galgastani units + a magic caster that can AoE your friendly units on turn 2. This method will stop working around 45 points so after that, you can just deploy the 12 Galgastani units and auto-battle them to death. Once you reach 50 Galgastani CF, you are now ready to recruit Cressida.

Balmamusa > Qadriga Fortress > Golyat

• Read "The Balmamusa Dead" Talk topic and head to Balmamusa to trigger a battle.
  
• You'll enter a typical undead battle so bring Exorcism. Additionally, use a speedy/flying unit so that you can revive Oelias before her counter reaches 0. Don't worry about healing her because she retreats immediately by using a Shiftstone.
  
• Qadriga Fortress - Exorcise the undead as you march forward to defeat Dievold. He's just like any Terror Knight boss (very slow) so it's a simple battle.
  
• Golyat - Push your entire squad to Cressida's starting position. She'll start off incapacitated so before you revive her, reduce some of the threats surrounding her. Check your turn order to ensure you can heal her immediately once revived.

• Use that newly claimed high ground to establish a defensive position as you deal with the biggest magic threats: Nybeth, Moldova, and Cassandra.
  
• The rest of the enemies will climb up your new position from your original spawn. It'll be easy to hold your position with Rampart once the rest of Nybeth and his Necroprentices are gone.

• Once the battle is over (with Cressida alive), pick "You will not be judged by me".
  
  

• Read this post.

• Go to Warren Report and read the Talk topic "Deneb's Emporium"
  
• Auction 1 of each type of dragon/beast so you can unlock their associated orbs to buy at a later time. Any shop is fine. There's 1 per element and a non-elemental orb tied to Hydras.
  
  
  Associated Element

  What to Auction

  Resulting Orb

  Void

  Hydra

  Void Orb

  Light

  Arc Dragon / Baldur Golem

  Radiant Orb

  Dark

  Dark Dragon / Cockatrice

  Gloom Orb

  Fire

  Flame Dragon / Cyclops

  Inferno Orb

  Water

  Flood Dragon / Octopus

  Cataract Orb

  Thunder

  Thunder Dragon / Stone Golem

  Storm Orb

  Earth

  Earth Dragon / Clay Golem

  Dust Orb

  Wind

  Cloud Dragon / Gryphon

  Gale Orb

  Ice

  Frost Dragon / Iron Golem

  Black Ice Orb
  
  Source: New Guide to recruiting Deneb written by u/MerRyanSG of Reddit.
  
  
• Finish the "Mysterious Blast on Exeter" side quest to open up Vasque.
  
• Reach Floor 24 in Palace of the Dead to unlock the ability to upgrade Relics.
  
• Obtain 3 pairs of relics to upgrade.
  
• Find Deneb's shop and save your game (as insurance).
  
  
  Day

  Location

  Day

  Location

  1 / 15

  Port Omish

  8 / 22

  The Arkhaiopolis of Rhime

  2 / 16

  Grimsby

  9 / 23

  Krysaro

  3 / 17

  The Royal City of Heim

  10 / 24

  Phidoch Castle

  4 / 18

  Oeram

  11 / 25

  Balmamusa

  5 / 19

  Barnicia Castle

  12

  Coritanae Castle

  6 / 20

  Golyat

  13

  Port Asyton

  7 / 21

  Almorica Castle

  14

  Brigantys Castle
  
  
• Buy 1 of each orb and upgrade relics 3 times (before buying the last orb) at Deneb's shop.
  
• Try to leave her shop for a cutscene. Answer "No. Let's have it" to start Deneb's quest.
  
• Travel to Vasque and complete the quest. Keep Deneb alive.
  
• She'll join as her special job, Wicce, after Vasque if you did these steps in order.

• If you've read the related Talk topic, you'll unlock Neimrahava Wood after completing the "Rhamsen Wreck" sidequest.
  
• Go there to battle Ganpp. Don't kill his beasts and get his HP crtically low so he surrenders and you'll be able to recruit him. His 2 Gryphons will join you as well.

Please refer to the guide below for the 2 achievements related to the Palace of the Dead. Necromancer Scourge is for completing the Story Battle with Nybeth at Floor 100 in Chapter 4.

He Who Walks the Deeps
Discovered the secret door on the third level of the Palace of the Dead, allowing access to the depths below.

Necromancer Scourge
Defeated the Necromancer Nybeth, who had embraced death and become a lich.


https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2896840148

This episode cannot be completed on your 1st Neutral run because Gildas and Canopus are essential to trigger the start of this post-game chain of events.

CH4 Done > Read the Talk topic "The Songstress of Omish" > Port Omish (cutscene)

• A battle will start after the cutscene.
  
• Denam, Gildas, and Canopus will be outnumbered and although you can fight your way through, it's easier if you run via the dialogue options presented to you. The choices given are random so keep using a combination of "conciliary attitude", "you don't have time for this", and "suggest fleeing". Eventually, you'll exit the battle.

Read "Iuria's Requiem" > close and re-open the Warren Report > Read "Iuria's Secret"

Pirate's Graveyard

• If you recruited Azelstan in the same flowing timeline prior to doing CODA Episode 1, there will be a massive shortcut that leads you further to the final boss battle.
  
• Fight your way through the Pirate's Graveyard all the way to "Into The Darkness"
  
• Although there are 3 story battles prior to reaching "Into the Darkness", the enemies are not noteworthy. They are the typical vanquish-all battles with a mix of beasts, reptiles, umbra/undead, and winged enemies.
  
• Before starting the final battle, I suggest equipping at least your ranged/magic squad with Winged Rings or Boots. It's optional but really nice to have for my suggested approach.

• Split your Melee and Ranged units between high ground and low ground.
  
  Prioritize inflicting Charm on the 2 Fusiliers stationed at the solitary tower in the middle of the map. Deneb with Spellstrike is particularly effective for this job. Successfully charming these 2 sentries will make your initial approach a lot smoother because a majority of the enemy units cannot perform ranged counterattacks to prematurely break the Charm effect.
  
  Have your Melee units (no need for Rampart) make a slow advance toward Sirene. Don't advance too far ahead to allow your ranged units some time to focus fire on the enemy backline (Engulf). Throughout this process, keep your healer equally accessible to the Ranged and Melee units so you can react appropriately to healing needs on both sides.
  
  As you thin the herd, make a 2-pronged approach toward Sirene from both high and low ground. Disable (Sleep/Stun/Charm) remaining units as you approach her, but delay finishing everyone else off as it will force Sirene to summon more strong units (such as Ethereal Visions). Sirene alone is not a threat. She has access to Dark Magic and unlimited summoning potential, but once you collapse on her position she goes down easily.

• After the battle, Iuria will join your group.
  
  Slayer of the Sea Witch
  Defeated Sirene, releasing Iuria from her spell.

If you liked this guide, please consider checking out my other guides and showing some love!