A Look at Joshua

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  • čas přidán 30. 06. 2023
  • Joshua is one of the most fun units to use in Sacred Stones, but he's often written off as JUST being fun to use, but not being very good. I discuss the strengths and limitations of Joshua, and why I think you should use him in every Eirika route run of FE8.
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Komentáře • 82

  • @Merk2
    @Merk2 Před rokem +111

    Great video! It's neat that Joshua is mechanically a good fit for fighting Caellach since that's also one of the best match-ups from a story perspective

    • @actuallizard
      @actuallizard  Před rokem +28

      One of my favoriteboss conversations in the series!

  • @ussgordoncaptain
    @ussgordoncaptain Před rokem +30

    One thing to note is that Swordmaster has +40 weapon rank, and the iron blade gives double Weapon EXP. Joshua gets weighed down 4 by the iron blade but he can still double many things even with that steep penalty. So it's really possible to get Joshua to A swords before promo (since he needs 110 WEXP which can be obtained with just 1 iron blade quite easily). Then you only need 30 more after swordmaster which is only like 6 enemies with an iron blade.

  • @thedom2753
    @thedom2753 Před rokem +37

    I love having Rennac steal Caellach's hoplon guard and just watching Josh clown on him, gotta be my favourite little moment in sacred stones

  • @robertwatts7894
    @robertwatts7894 Před rokem +74

    I'm sad you didn't mention any of his story aspects it's what makes him one of my favorite characters in the whole series. He has actually quite a nice character ark for a background character he goes from a runaway Prince who was a womanizing gambling scumbag to avenging his mother's death and accepting his mantle as the new ruler of his people.

    • @Arcanist_The
      @Arcanist_The Před rokem +28

      Not to mention his supports (Joshua/Natasha is one of the best ships in FE and no one can change my mind)

  • @Luigiofthegods
    @Luigiofthegods Před rokem +41

    One other thing: Joshua can promote as early as Chapter 10 on Ephraim route just in time for Phantom Ship, where he can go Assassin and stunt his long-term combat (which as mentioned is less important on Ephraim) in exchange for Fog of War sight on a competent combat unit instead of Mr. E Swords

  • @wakkaseta8351
    @wakkaseta8351 Před rokem +26

    I still remember the time I did Ch.15 and had Joshua attack Caellach just for the special dialogue, knowing it would take a few rounds to take him, down, and then right after the dialogue Joshua proceeded to just Crit One-Shot him instead on a low crit chance.

    • @enigmatic2878
      @enigmatic2878 Před rokem +7

      "I've always wanted to see which one of us stronger- *dies*
      "Karma's a bitch, huh?"

    • @bongcloudopening5404
      @bongcloudopening5404 Před 22 dny

      @@wakkaseta8351 doesn't he have an anti crit item? Did you take it out first before critting him?

    • @wakkaseta8351
      @wakkaseta8351 Před 21 dnem

      @@bongcloudopening5404 Thieves are fun.

  • @noishfanboy1141
    @noishfanboy1141 Před rokem +23

    Joshua actually just an unprompted kagetsu if he couldnt reclass

  • @BTrainStudio
    @BTrainStudio Před rokem +21

    I feel like being an easy to trained unit should be considered when you add someone to the roster. I agree with all of the Joshua points. It's a factor to consider with availability.

  • @centurosproductions8827
    @centurosproductions8827 Před 2 měsíci +2

    "Joshua is almost the king of the flunkies."
    You're right, as explained in the Caellach dialogue, he's actually prince of the flunkies.

  • @mileztheelectricfox6070
    @mileztheelectricfox6070 Před rokem +18

    The thing is that units like Franz and Artur are good because of 1-2 range, mounts/extra ability, staff utility, but Joshua is good just because of his stats

  • @kirafleur9870
    @kirafleur9870 Před rokem +19

    I find him to be fun. His usability right out of the gate and his awesome lategame bosskilling potential make him a blast to use.
    Thought I may be biased: I don't care too much for LTC FE8... as it's often just "Beeline Seth to the boss and win" simulator. Playing slower and getting to use a wider variety of units is half the fun of that game (to me at least). In my most recent FE8 run Niemi, the crappy archer, was RNG blessed and became a godly ranger. She's godawful by *any* LTC standard, but I had a blast with her and she even ended up soloing Morva at the end of the game with a crit.

    • @actuallizard
      @actuallizard  Před rokem +7

      Yeah the most important thing in selecting units is that you enjoy them! I like playing fast in fe8, so Joshua is a nice combination of flashy and effective in that context.

    • @aprinnyonbreak1290
      @aprinnyonbreak1290 Před rokem

      I agree Neimi is fun, specifically as a Ranger.

  • @WillUA7
    @WillUA7 Před rokem +8

    love when i find new fire emblem content creators. great video on a great characrter. glad this showed up on my home page.

  • @Cast1410
    @Cast1410 Před rokem +3

    I’m loving the character specific video, please do more content like this. Also loved the video on Armor Knights

  • @sigmaklim2532
    @sigmaklim2532 Před rokem +3

    Interesting analysis! Makes me appreciate my favorite FE8 character even more.

  • @runningoncylinders3829
    @runningoncylinders3829 Před rokem +4

    Cool hat man!

  • @emptyaccount9647
    @emptyaccount9647 Před rokem

    Been watching your videos recently and forgot to subscribe. Seeing this in your feed reminded me to do so.

  • @ellenhalfmoon
    @ellenhalfmoon Před rokem +3

    As someone who has Joshua as my favourite character of Fire Emblem as a whole, i really liked this video.
    I always use him and Natasha, no matter if he is a good unit or not.
    Nice work!

  • @cmndchny
    @cmndchny Před rokem +7

    joshua and other units who just do decent combat and not much else are overally pretty good and useful in fe8 due to the abundance of rout maps with weak enemies, something that doesnt really apply to the similar but mostly seize/defense oriented fe7

  • @Katie-hb8iq
    @Katie-hb8iq Před rokem +3

    The competition for Joshua is actually Eirika on the Eirika route. She can use the Killing Edge and the Shamshir from Marisa. There's a not a big stat difference here either. The only thing Joshua has going for him is the S-tier sword item since Eirika gets her own sacred twin. But I usually give that to Seth since I tend to use the Steel Sword a lot at the beginning of the game with Seth and there are plenty of Lance users like Franz or Cormag or Vanessa or whatever to give the S-tier lance sacred twin to.

    • @actuallizard
      @actuallizard  Před rokem +4

      At the very end of the game Eirika is comparable to Joshua (though she never catches up on strength), but the differences are significant at base and for awhile. Even if we gave Eirika 4 levels before joshua joins, he has a 3 point strength lead a 5 point speed lead, and more def and hp. So he's a lot better in the immediate term.
      Longer term Eirika is also worse for fighting fast enemies like caellach, mercenaries, and quicker monsters since she loses speed on the heavy weapons she needs to kill them. Using caellach as an example, she can't use audhulma so she doesn't have a way to 2 round him, as she loses 8 speed to the silver blade. she only loses 3 speed to a silver sword, so she has to be level 20 to be a caellach killing option, but she still does it worse than an 11/1 Joshua. She also struggles a lot more to use a steel sword against generics because she loses 5 speed when using one.
      This isn't to say killing caellach is the end all be all of unit evaluation. Just that it takes a long time for Eirika to catch up to Joshua. She basically can't until after promotion.
      Promotion helps Eirika a lot but the game is also almost over by the time you get it, and neither of them are important for the last few maps. For this reason I think Eirika is a tougher sell for doing Joshua's jobs.
      You can also totally give Seth the audhulma in a run where you use Joshua. He only needs it for that one chapter if you want him to kill caellach with it. Then you can give it right back to Seth

  • @GC-ji3ye
    @GC-ji3ye Před 2 měsíci +1

    Joshua ALWAYS kills Caellach in my playthroughs after Colm swipes the Hoplon Guard and gets rescued out.

  • @dwbryant13
    @dwbryant13 Před rokem +5

    Joshua has hilariously high HP relative to his future generation peers. Joshua I so good that, he sets the minimum standard for useable 1-1 infantry units for the entire franchise. A minimum that is fairly competent tbh.

    • @aprinnyonbreak1290
      @aprinnyonbreak1290 Před rokem +1

      I do respect that about him.
      Mia is one of my favored myrmidons, entirely because of the circumstances of the game. You get her, have a few maps where you may as well use her because she's there, and then, based on what she levelled, can decide if she's going to stick around.
      And usually, what makes her stick around is a good amount of HP/Def. Having a unit with those nice layered defenses is great in PoR.
      While the need is less for it in Sacred Stones, I like that Joshua basically IS just a bulky myrm to start with.
      The class needs more units like him.
      Bulkier myrms are fun.

  • @naotoueda2838
    @naotoueda2838 Před rokem +13

    To me, Joshua is a great unit in fe8 0% growths

    • @actuallizard
      @actuallizard  Před rokem +11

      I was surprised how long I used him in 0%, fun unit!

  • @mjbrownii
    @mjbrownii Před 27 dny +1

    Joshua sounds like 6th man of the year

  • @MetalGearRaxis
    @MetalGearRaxis Před rokem +6

    Could you maybe do these for more Eirika route units? When I was playing I had a tough time getting Vanessa to promotion fast, then even when I managed it I had a kinda tough time deciding where best to use her. Thanks!

    • @Crouton-
      @Crouton- Před rokem

      Vanessa is extreamly good. She is like THE flyer to promote because of her join time and solid stats. She is a really strong candidate to farm xp with in the monster maps early game to level up and grow.
      Her and gilliam really carried my iron man because I knew wherever they were at, my units around them would be safe. Ether through movement w/rescue drop + solid resistance + angelic robe bulk. Or Gilliam's chad defenses/rescue drop/speed wing=kill everything he touches (great knight).
      My man gilliam could literally solo some chapter, my god. So glad I decided to train him despite his rough early game. What a fucking unit.
      Tana is just pain to train up. Honestly wouldn't even blame you if you tower of valni her.

    • @aprinnyonbreak1290
      @aprinnyonbreak1290 Před rokem

      Vanessa is just solid, however I can never resist promoting her into Wyvern. Kaiba complex, see dragon, must have dragon.

  • @balsamon69
    @balsamon69 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Hear me out
    Been playing Sacred Stones JP Hard Mode lately, and Josh is quite good on there. He has the same kind of utility as Rutger in FE6. Enemies in JP HM tend to be dodgier and faster, due to having higher speed and an actual luck stat, so it's nice to have a unit who's very fast and accurate. He doubles everything, even Swordmasters, is very accurate, on a difficulty mode where accuracy can genuinely be so-so. Because of that, i've used him all game long and recommend people who try JP HM to at least try him

  • @ladygrima
    @ladygrima Před rokem

    I love Joshua and his little hat

  • @midnalight6419
    @midnalight6419 Před rokem +2

    My friend, Erika, appreciates this.
    (No relation)

  • @DDTT1
    @DDTT1 Před rokem +2

    Can someone tell me the background music ? It’s amazing

    • @Syngrafer
      @Syngrafer Před rokem

      They're in the description

  • @MetalGearRaxis
    @MetalGearRaxis Před rokem +2

    2:18 nice 3.6% there, Franz.

  • @matthewjenkins4391
    @matthewjenkins4391 Před rokem +1

    He has a hat. Triple SSS+ tier, no argument.

  • @KelikNSG2
    @KelikNSG2 Před 6 měsíci

    One thing that strikes me is the similarities and differences between Joshua and RD Mia. Parts 3 and 4 of Radiant Dawn have several chapters where the main objective is to defeat all of the enemies, and her superb base stats and particular suitability to the BEXP system means she is always good at this. She can keep this up for potentially the whole game if trained, as well. The low caps of cavalry, friend and enemy alike, means that she will always be particularly good at taking down enemies. I feel like she is essentially the same unit as Joshua, except that her game is far more suited to the strengths of the Myrmidon and Swordmaster

  • @MattDustyParker
    @MattDustyParker Před rokem

    Ooh second

  • @nathanjohnson2382
    @nathanjohnson2382 Před rokem

    On a normal playthrough I play pretty efficiently and do the same with Joshua. He’s much better if you slow down the game and don’t try to warp skip or fly the late game. But rating units he is definitely in the right spot

  • @254zero
    @254zero Před rokem

    One of my favorite units. Idc if he doesn't have 1-2 range. He still kills everything I throw him at and is always a reliable boss killer

  • @henryreturns1397
    @henryreturns1397 Před rokem

    The word is "depends" on what you are playing :
    - For LTC for obvious reasons , its pretty much "Seth go brrrr" and Vanessa gets to lvl 10 for your Wyvern Knight lol
    - For 0% Growth run that does not applied LTC , Joshua is actually a pretty decent character since his bases are good enough all the way until even chapter 15 or so
    - For Ironman (if you bench Seth and Dussel) Joshua is actually a pretty good unit. He can become an assasin if you want so he can use "lockpick" and he have his good bases to actually hold his own. He also does not need babying as mentioned in the video. Or even as a Swordmaster as your "boss killer" if you need one but Sacred Stones bosses overall are a joke.
    - For Draft Race he is kind of like "in the middle of the pack" but a bit more higher. Its like someone you dont mind having and can yield you some results from the get go.
    - Joshua also suffers a lot in "Epharim route" other than what the video shows , Dussel whose a second juggernaut joins you at Chapter 10 holy crap , most enemies from Epharim route are either lance wielding units and range units.

  • @Ephraim225
    @Ephraim225 Před rokem

    "Second Paladin" ??

  • @smaragdchaos
    @smaragdchaos Před rokem

    I love swordmasters and I like Joshua, so I build him up and use him in every playthrough together with Marisa, but he really does fall off and I eventually just bench him in favor of better units when I'm doing creature campaign. IS really kneecapped sword based classes with nothing to show for it, and it feels kinda sad. I guess they played the ultimate price for dominating FE6 so much

  • @jimjimson6208
    @jimjimson6208 Před 5 měsíci

    I think he would also be better if there were more speedy+evasive enemies to incentivise bringing a 1 range sword unit. But I guess that is a change to FE8, not Joshua.

  • @Kakashi10ist
    @Kakashi10ist Před 2 měsíci

    Hi, Just give him A support with Gerik plus a healer near and see hell on earth.

  • @wayward41
    @wayward41 Před rokem

    I feel like Joshua is slightly underrated in an efficiency setting because I don't think most players understand that, while Sacred Stones is an easy game, the enemies can be weirdly individually powerful. Specifically Fighters/Brigands (which Joshua obviously goobs) and some bosses are honestly pretty brolic, and tough individual enemies are, of course, the bread-and-butter use case for a Swordmaster.

  • @dessam3939
    @dessam3939 Před rokem +2

    FE8 for the most part is brutal to swordies but Joshua is one of those units that just supersedes that point by having a great base line and growth rates
    Still like using Marisa more tho but they’re great together too and can’t go wrong with Swordmaster dodge tanks

  • @madmaxiemartialartsnerd485

    joshua as C tier is honestly the perfect description because if you were to grade units by their classes and souly their classes, C tier is what i rate myrs and Sword masters.
    S being: peak ideal every play through
    A Being: Solid carry unit, or extremely useful. Only reason they aren't S, cause S tier units is simply broken in every way
    B: Great units, fun to use, but has some flaws
    C: Pretty flawed units, but they are still good enough to have fun with. USEABLE
    F: just trash, bench them the moment you get em.

  • @General12th
    @General12th Před rokem

    Hi Lizard!
    hats > stats

  • @kurichan142
    @kurichan142 Před rokem

    The Too Long; Didn't Watch of this video is essentially: Joshua is (narratively) a mercenary. They aren't your main fighting force, but they can do a lot of damage, so using them ain't that bad.

  • @tehphones
    @tehphones Před rokem +1

    Fewer*

  • @Circ00mspice
    @Circ00mspice Před rokem +1

    I've never heard anyone pronounce "Kyle" as "Kai-lay". I've only heard "Kai-yol" my entire life.

  • @GeorgisTrying
    @GeorgisTrying Před 10 měsíci

    Joshua is great, and fun, so just use him because you like him and he gets results. The rest is arbitrary

  • @Koppu1doragon
    @Koppu1doragon Před rokem

    If you want special utility why not make him an assassin then you could at least rig a silencer

  • @zimonzieclown1633
    @zimonzieclown1633 Před rokem +1

    Wait, can't you give Joshua the Wind Sword if you want him to fight at 1-2 range?

    • @elysium3687
      @elysium3687 Před rokem +1

      No, you don’t actually get one in the main game

    • @zimonzieclown1633
      @zimonzieclown1633 Před rokem

      @@elysium3687 According to my research the boss of chapter 14 drops a Wind Sword, and you can get another one from a Cyclops boss on the 8th floor of the Tower of Valni.

    • @fakesmile172
      @fakesmile172 Před rokem

      Ismaire comes with one if you recruit her, but most won't, and cyclops in the ruins can drop one. I don't think Carlyle drops his wind sword.

  • @shiru5713
    @shiru5713 Před 11 měsíci

    2:06 the true dodge tank

  • @Neogears1312
    @Neogears1312 Před rokem +1

    It’s funny. Western speed runners rate him say, 4/5 and Japanese runners rate him as 2-2.5/5. There’s a distinct difference of perceived value between the west and the east. A lot of this comes with a different definition of efficiency between the two. It’s funny that he’s either like a lot or kinda not cared about at all just because different countries have a different view of what’s useful.

  • @DaniDoyle
    @DaniDoyle Před rokem +2

    Is thoa video finally going to prove that Joshua >>> Franz?

  • @dabbingpengun1758
    @dabbingpengun1758 Před rokem

    I fed all my secret books to Joshua and now he has a 60 crit against most enemies with a killing edge and used it to crit Caellach somehow.

  • @MsShadowrunner
    @MsShadowrunner Před 11 měsíci

    People think Joshua doesn't have a 1-2 range weapon?...Er...what? Did they forget about the Rune Sword? I mean, yes, I understand that he doesn't get a horse but does he need one? Sword Master is OP as is and Assassin is something that I don't think I've seen anyone promote him to but Assassins have the Silent ability. Am I missing something here?

    • @mysteryman9488
      @mysteryman9488 Před 9 měsíci +2

      Magic swords are very rare it's basically more of a band aid then fixing JOshua's 1-2 range problem. Like after that breaks it's all back to 1 range.

  • @stoopidyoutubehandle
    @stoopidyoutubehandle Před rokem

    This is all very impressive but I bench him for purple-haired waifu.

  • @AdamTheGameBoy
    @AdamTheGameBoy Před rokem

    He's pretty good, but as soon as you get a couple levels on Marisa, she starts to snowball and he stays just good. Joshua is built to take hits a little better than her, but swordmasters are very squishy, it's better to have one who just doesn't take hits. High speed and luck are the most important things to have on your swordmaster.

    • @cartooncritic7045
      @cartooncritic7045 Před rokem +4

      It’s a bit more important to have raw damage on pure combat units like Swordmasters if they’re going to be any useful and that’s something Marisa sorely lacks.

    • @AdamTheGameBoy
      @AdamTheGameBoy Před rokem

      @@cartooncritic7045 for most classes that's true, but swordmasters not so much given their high skill giving them among the highest crit chances. This goes for both of them; a mediocre strength stat getting a crit is great damage. Joshua only has 1 point of strength and 5% strength growth advantage over Marisa. In practice, they will have near identical strength, but Marisa is safer to throw at enemies.

    • @cartooncritic7045
      @cartooncritic7045 Před rokem +3

      @@AdamTheGameBoy Joshua also has at least four more chapters ahead of when Marisa joins, which he can spend getting EXP to push his stats much further ahead than her, and that’s on the route where she joins earlier. It is much more likely that Joshua’s head start on availability will result in him being the overall much better unit.

    • @cmck362
      @cmck362 Před rokem +6

      @@AdamTheGameBoy No Marisa is never better than Joshua. He's available sooner, will be a higher level than her when she joins if you used him, and has better average stats than her at 20/20 Swordmaster. A 20/20 Joshua will have better hp, strength, and defense. Marisa has better luck and res. They both cap speed and skill, but Marisa caps them on average two levels sooner which really doesn't matter. I like my sword users with good strength.
      Also let's not forget that both Joshua and Marisa join as a level 5 myrmidon so we can directly compare their base stats on joining too. Joshua has +1 point in hp, strength, skill, speed, and defense. He also has +3 constitution so he can use heavier swords while doubling and comes with C rank swords unlike Marisa who starts with D rank. Marisa has +2 in luck and +1 in res over him and that's it.
      Oh and lets not forget that Joshua joins with a killing edge while Marisa gets a shamshir. Killing edge has +1 might in exchange for -5 crit so I'd personally give it to the killing edge even though it's also +2 weight as well. Joshua doesn't mind with his +3 con and +1 speed over Marisa's base stats.
      One final thing worth mentioning is that Joshua is wind affinity while Marisa is ice. Ice is hands down the worst affinity while wind is third best. So he has a bit of an edge for supports too although not a giant one given who they both can pair up with for free stats.

    • @aprinnyonbreak1290
      @aprinnyonbreak1290 Před rokem +2

      I dunno
      I just think Sword Ranger Neimi is pretty neat

  • @Ken-ru6or
    @Ken-ru6or Před 5 měsíci +1

    Wait how the fuck is Joshua better than Ephraim lmao