Path of Radiance Chapters 1–3 | Secure house rewards and Marcia's recruitment condition

The northwestern house provides a Seraph Robe, and the southeastern one a Steel Sword. The northwestern house in particular can be destroyed, so first assign someone to rescue it. One approach is to use Titania's mobility while the others handle nearby enemies and the southeastern visit.

Check how many enemy attacks each unit will face even while heading to a house. Getting there first is not enough: actually visit and receive the item. You can decide who uses the Seraph Robe later, so prioritize securing it.

Work with Oscar and Boyd to reduce enemy HP, then let Ike finish enemies whose counterattacks are unlikely to defeat him. Having Titania defeat enemies is also an option. If leaving enemies alive for training would concentrate attacks on a weak ally, defeat them first.

The Steel Sword is heavier than the Iron Sword, so compare combat forecasts instead of making it your default immediately. Finish the chapter by defeating the commander and seizing with Ike. First check that you visited both houses and can use the equipment you collected in the next fight.

Rhys can heal in Chapter 2, but he is not a front-line unit. Check enemy attack ranges and place him behind where Ike and the others fight. After moving him to heal a wounded ally, check again whether another enemy can target him.

Titania joins partway through. Until then, avoid drawing too many enemies at once or becoming surrounded from several directions. Use Vulneraries while allies wait for healing, rather than assuming Rhys can heal everyone by himself.

The victory condition is to defeat every enemy. Once Titania joins, reduce dangerous enemies and create room for the others to attack. Assign weakening, finishing, and healing roles as needed to make it easier to see who will be targeted next enemy phase.

You do not have to give every finishing blow to one particular ally. Keep someone available to respond to a miss instead of staking everything on an unreliable attack. Before the last enemy falls, check remaining uses of weapons and healing items you will take into the next chapter.

Shinon and Gatrie deploy in Chapter 3; Rhys does not. You can organize inventories before combat, so give Vulneraries to Ike and the other advancing units. Having a preparation screen does not mean you can freely change the roster yet.

Consider Gatrie for the front line and Shinon for support, setting up safe attacks for Ike. The house on the right provides an Elixir, so assign its visitor too. Avoid spreading out too far and stay close enough to help Ike as he moves toward the ship.

Marcia appears as you approach the ship. Rather than assuming you only need to wait until a fixed turn, reduce nearby enemies before advancing on that side and bring the army close enough for Ike to reach her. Avoid sending one distant unit ahead while Ike cannot catch up.

When Marcia appears, have Ike speak to her so she withdraws. She does not join yet in Chapter 3, but this conversation is a requirement for recruiting her in Chapter 9. Ike must talk to her again in that later chapter, so this conversation alone does not complete recruitment.

Chapter 3 ends when the commander is defeated. Before entering his range, check that you finished the Marcia conversation and visited for the Elixir. Even if an enemy looks easy to defeat, finish Ike's conversation first if he is still needed for it.

Restore HP before attacking the commander. If giving Ike the finishing blow is dangerous, Titania or someone else can defeat him. Judge success in this segment by whether you secured the needed rewards and conversations and everyone advanced together, as well as by levels.

• You obtained the Seraph Robe and Steel Sword in Chapter 1
• You protected Rhys from enemy attacks in Chapter 2
• You distributed Vulneraries before Chapter 3
• Ike talked to Marcia in Chapter 3
• You visited the Elixir house and defeated the commander

Her withdrawal after speaking to Ike in Chapter 3 is the progression toward later recruitment. When she returns in Chapter 9, have Ike talk to her again.

The deployed roster is fixed at this stage. Prepare Vulneraries and collect the Elixir from the house to manage healing.