Pokemon Conquest- Conquest Two: Brush Fire (4/8)

Oichi laments the inevitability of battle, and then it’s time for the next month.  Greenleaf and Fontaine are now available as places to do battle, and can be reached directly from Ignis- or from Aurora.  There is also a road linking the two newly-revealed fortresses.

Oichi comments on the freedom you are now afforded, pointing out that you can choose to march or not as is your wont- and requests that you keep her with you, rather than sending her to work where you are not.

The game then instructs you to select a fortress where you have Warriors- but allows you to do as you will.  You can send your Warriors scuttling about, try to defend both Aurora and Ignis, or even try to recruit new Warriors to your cause.  You don’t really need to worry about defense right now though- Kiyomasa is correct that neither of your current neighbors is belligerent or even vaguely interested in taking more territory.  Since things are quiet now, you can take a bit of time preparing yourself- but don’t get too comfortable.  Not only is more story on the way, further mechanics are just around the corner.  Keep an eye on your first target as well- Greenleaf will be easier, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be easy.

Greenleaf’s power is only 311 overall, and being full of Grass Pokemon, you should only have a little trouble thanks to your Charmander or Darumaka ally.  If you want to be careful, a little training or a second (or even third) Fire-type Pokemon will go a long way towards helping you take this new kingdom.  Fontaine, on the other hand, is likely beyond you with an overall power of 356 and four rather strong Water types in it.  Tactically speaking, the best option is to seek Greenleaf and some Grass Pokemon to ensure your takover of Fontaine.

The Cave in Ignis is a curious location- it contains not only a strip of lava but also two of water- these can be used to your advantage anytime you’re battling in here, though be wary of wild or enemy Fire Pokemon using the lava to heal themselves- some can gain HP automatically just by standing in the lava, and it can restrict your attack angles too.  Make sure to check here regularly- not only does this cave house Fire Pokemon and Bidoof, there are fairly frequent Zubat, and some interesting trainers can be found here- including whichever between Takatora and Rikyuu you didn’t choose to get in your first battle for allies.

Linger in the cave until you’re feeling ‘fired up’ enough to go on the move.