Chapter 22 of FE5 is a commentary on the idea of a "fair fight" in the context of warfare. Leif is not backed by the force of an army, he's leading a small rebel force to reclaim his homeland and unify Thracia. Up against Reinhardt, who is a top general in one of the continent's strongest military forces, Leif has no chance in a battle that would be seen as fair. As such, he has to use warp staves to kill the commander and end the battle early. This brand of tactic is usually seen as underhanded or as "cheesing the game", but is it? How is it unfair for Leif to use what little resources are available but seemingly fine for Reinhardt to come down on him with the entire force of Freege when Leif's entire army comprises less than 50 people.

To bring this back to the idea that warp strats are the only way for Leif to win, it's worth noting that you get a warp staff from a village right next to your starting position. Because of this citizen giving Leif the warp staff, it becomes possible for any player to beat this map with as little risk of failure as possible. Thracia's freedom from the empire was not won through fair strategy, it was won through the citizens working together to fight back.

Reviewed on Nov 23, 2022


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