Fire Emblem: Three Houses will painstakingly explain the mechanics of how to take out monsters when you first encounter them. But let’s be honest–with all the stuff going on in this game, you’ll probably forget about it by the time another one rolls around and just spam Gambit abilities at it, which is not the best way to do things.

Here’s what to remember when you take on monsters:

• Each monster has a number of different segments available for attack. These are all initially shielded, as indicated by the golden squares underneath it.

• You need to take down these shields by attacking them. You won’t do as much damage, but it’s a necessity–think about using your weaker units to help out with this.

• The gold squares that indicate shields will eventually crack, and then shatter. Once they’re gone, that particular square will be susceptible to full damage.

• Gambits will do damage to multiple segments, as well as stun the monster, which means it won’t be able to counterattack until it is hit again.

As you can imagine, the fastest way to take down a monster is to have units prepared to make targeted strikes one after the other. If you don’t think you can take it down in one phase, try and make your last attack a Gambit attack so the monster will be stunned during their phase.

For more in-game know-how, check our complete collection of essential advice and tips for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It’s a huge game, and after our multiple playthroughs, we have plenty of guidance we’re dying to give you.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the game, read our interview with the directors of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, where they talk about the series’ increasing popularity in the West, the dramatic changes they made to the combat system, and the refreshing new character designs.

In our Fire Emblem: Three Houses review, Kallie Plagge concluded: "When all was said and done, all I could think about was starting another playthrough… whether you’re managing inventories or battlefields, it’s the kind of game that’s hard to put down, even when it’s over."

Source: GameSpot