Secret Holy Grail Wars

Fate/Grand Order had a big New Year’s event online event to celebrate the first few months of the game’s release as well as lay out some future developments. But the biggest piece of news was also probably the one that was equally vague. Fate/Grand Order was going to do a collaboration event in February. They did not announce what property they were doing the corssover with but speculation is running rampant. I see a lot of people predicting it will be a crossover with Kantai Collection especially after the 2014 April Fools video with Nero and Tamamo no Mae. But truth be told I know more about Love Live! than I know about KanColle and I know next to nothing about Love Live!

Therefore I thought it would be fun to imagine what Servants would be added to Fate/Grand Order if they crossover with other properties I do know really well. Theoretically the crossovers could be nothing more than some throw away Craft Essence power-ups that don’t do much more than add a little cross promotional art to the game. New servants on the other hand would really shake things up and be memorable. Plus it is more fun to write about that the more mundane reality that is far more likely to happen.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Fate Gudao Order #7 may have mostly been a silly joke but how cool would it be if there first crossover really was with Legend of the Galactic Heroes. It is certainly not the first series you see them doing a cross over with but given the love of the Type-Moon staff has for the series it is not utterly outside the realm of possibility. It would be interesting to see if they are ported over in their uniforms as is or would they be redrawn to fit in better with the Fate Universe. Seeing Takashi Takeuchi version of a spell casting Yang Wenli would be amazing. Also it would be a great promotion for Legend of Galactic Heroes Tactics to get some eyes from people play Fate/Grand Order.

• Ruler – Reinhard von Lohengramm

Reinhard could conceivably be placed in almost any category without too much massaging but he does not fit in any other category as perfectly as he does Ruler. As the first Kaiser of the Goldenlöwe Dynasty his natural state of being seems to be as a Ruler. As a Servant he would probably be a hard hitter who gives little boosts to the entire team he is on. Something distinctly in the vein of a powered up Joan Alter.

• Saber – Julian Mintz

I picked Julian as a Saber for a few reasons. First of all he is a major center of attention by the end of the series so it would be odd not to use him. Also he is a bit of a poster boy for the series so he makes a good Saber. Also I just needed some more Free Plants Alliance guys. I see Julian far more as a Quick Attack centered Saber much like Okita. He is not really a power character like Artoria but he is supports the rest of the team while also hitting what he focuses on really hard.

• Archer – Oskar von Reuenthal

Really you need to add Reuenthal to the game if they actually had a crossover. Since most of the other categories were filled I put him in Archer. He seems like the type who likes to bombard his opponents from a distance if he had his choice but is not above some hand to hand if need be. A Noble Phantasm that devastates his fellows Servants like Gilgamesh would be a wonderful fit. His skills would probably be a little selfish but they would be extremely powerful in compensation.

• Lancer – Fritz Josef Bittenfeld

His nickname is the Black Lancer. He is pretty much a perfect fit. Plus he is sort of super straightforward guy who knows how to smash things really well but keeps surviving when all probably says he should have died long ago. He seems like a LotGH version of Cu Chulainn. I see him having an area of effect Nobel Phantasm that does a crazy amount of damage but also stuns him. Other than that he is going to have guts and dodge to keep him in play for awhile.

• Caster – Yang Wen-li

Yang the Magician might be a tactical genius but he is not much of a solider. He works very well in the Caster class as it lets him have a skill set that boosts the rest of the part while weakening his enemies like Zhuge Liang. If anything Yang would probably hit softer than Zhuge Liang but boost the rest of the team even more.

• Assassin – Paul von Oberstein

Paul von Oberstein is the master of back room deals, underhanded plans, and skullduggery. He does not need to hit the hardest in a straight up fight. He is the sort of character that sets up a situation where he can’t lose and his opponent can’t win. Plus a Noble Phantasm that has a chance to instakill from behind is very Oberstein.

• Rider – Wolfgang Mittermeyer

Much like Reuenthal it would be a mediocre crossover without Mittermeyer being added to the game. His reputation as the Gale Wolf would make him perfect to be added to a high mobility class like Rider. He could be someone with a good deal of star generation backed up by emphasis on Quick attacks and skills that power up Quick attacks as well as generate stars.

• Berserker – Walter von Schenkopp

Walter von Schenkopp is the sort of guy who could survive in the Warhammer 40k universe so seeing him as a Berserker is simple. He would hit opponents like a freight train much like Vlad III. I see Walter von Schenkopp a little less focused on making sure he lives and have a greater emphasis on boosting his teammates as the head of the Rozen Ritters.

• Shielder – Neidhart Müller

Medusa personally asked for Iron Shield Müller. Who are we to deny her request?

I see him giving the whole party a dodge like David and a Noble Phantasm that heals and protects making him a discount Jean. He really should be much like his character in LotGH who does not win battles himself but instead supports the character who will win the day.

Tsukihime

This would simultaneously be the least exciting pick but also possibly the smartest. It is already a Type-Moon property so there have already been quite a few cross overs between the two series. On the other hand it might actually make the Tsukihime fans happy for a little while they wait for the remake. That alone would be invaluable.

• Ruler – Arcueid Brunestud

I know most people would put her in Berserker but I already had someone better there. Also you can always throw in a second version of her as a Berserker just based on her appearance in Fate/Extra. This is her overpowered Tsukihime only version. The White Princess of the True Ancestors in her Archetype: Earth outfit has the regal appearance for a proper Ruler. I see her being a very different type of Ruler than either version of Joan we have seen so far. She is just going to be a monster that deals horrific amount of damage at a singular target while taking far less from anyone foolish enough to attack her.

• Saber – Mech-Hisui

So despite the number of people running around with swords in Fate there is a distinct lack of swords in Tsukihime. I could have Ciel wielding some Black Keys but the less you remind people who play Fate/Grand Order of Black Keys the better off you are. I could have thrown Ryougi here but I felt she is a really a Kara no Kyoukai character when push comes to shove.

Therefore I went with Mecha-Hisui as a Saber. The various models of Mecha-Hisui fight with a diverse menagerie of weapons so a Mecha-Hisui with a sword is hardly inconceivable. I think she would be a very unusual Saber who has a set of skills that would set her apart from the standard Saber. I’m also thinking someone with lots of Arts cards to help boost the Noble Phantasm.

• Archer –  Sion Eltnam Atlasia

The Barrel Replica makes her #1 with a bullet as the person to fill the Archer slot. I see her looking to charge up her Noble Phantasm on an Arts team to do a solid AOE attack like Nobunaga or Emiya. She also could have a stun skill with her Etherlite wires. 

• Lancer – Ciel

Ciel with Black keys is cool. Ciel with Seventh Holy Scripture is pure rock ‘n’ roll. She is going to be another Lancer that is hard to remove because of her insane healing factor. I also see her as someone whose Noble Phantasm does not allow healing or regeneration as that is the whole purpose of Seventh Holy Scripture. It is a weapon that only has to kill you once because you never get up after that.

• Caster –  Aoko Aozaki

There are lots of characters who could have qualified as a Caster but none of them hold a candle to the Miss Blue. Unlike the previous five Star casters Aoko is not going to be about team boosting but instead is going to dole out damage like she was a Berserker with Buster Brave Chains. Her skills will probably be all about upping her damage while increasing her meter for her Noble Phantasm.

You better hide if you any sort of Rider because she is going to get you.

• Assassin – Shiki Tohno

Jack can’t be the only 5 star Assassin forever. If anyone deserves an instakill Noble Phantasm it is this guy right here.  I see him being a bit light on HP but making up for it by generating stars like they were going out of style and having a nice punch to his moves. You might want to make him an Arts based Assassin so he can Noble Phantasm all day with a proper arts team backing him up. Every time he uses his Noble Phantasm something it probably going to die.

• Rider – Kohaku (Broomstick Girl Magical Amber)

This magical girl version of Kohaku could be a Caster as well but instead she is going to ride her broom like a Quidditch superstar. Her big gimmick has to be stats boots for her teammates and status aliments for the enemy. She may call herself magical Amber but she is still the master of questionable medicine at her core. I see one of her skills just giving you team a random array of boosts and her Nobel Phantasm just dropping a random batch of penalties on the enemy along side some solid damage. She will be the Servant for people who are gamblers because one time be might just give your team a little boost to attack and defense but another time she might top off everyone’s HP and Noble Phantasm bars.

• Berserker –  Satsuki Yumizuka

Sacchin might not get her own path but she can be a very valuable card in Fate/Grand Order. I see her being a solid Berserker with a Bloodsucker skill to really made her attractive. Her Noble Phantasm Depletion Garden could make a devastating Nobel Phantasm that not only damages the enemy but also steals their Noble Phantasm energy. She would make a great counter for any enemy who seems to constantly throw out their own Nobel Phantasm.

• Shielder – Riesbyfe Stridberg

Just because you’re a Shielder does not mean you can lay down some serious smack down while you defend your teammates. I see her as a Shielder who is a little less of a tank but in turn gets a Noble Phantasm that does damage. You basically use her taunt to power up her Noble Phantasm and then lay down the hurting with True Apocrypha. She is a great way of surviving a team of Berserkers but also has the chops to strike back after taking what they dish out.

Record of Lodoss War

In 2013 Takashi Takeuchi did a wonderful piece of official crossover art for the 25th anniversary of the Record of Lodoss War. There is a MMO version of Record of Lodoss War going out soon so it would not be hard to see how these two hands could come together once again. Plus the Record of Lodoss War characters could all be easily part of the Fate Universe without a single change and vice versa.

• Ruler – Emperor Beld

I think I have a few too many good guys on the list so it is time for a villain. Plus at one point Beld was one of the six great heroes but then he went over to the dark side. I see him being the upgraded version of Joan Alter with an array of skills that give huge bonus to charterers with an Evil alignment. He is the sort of character you can’t throw into any party and get his max potential but if you build a party around him they will be unstoppable.

You could also do a Saber version of him of when he was still a hero or even one based on his role in the old Dreamcast game.

• Saber – Parn

In many way Parn is the quintessential young swordsman.  I see him as a powered up version of Le Chevalier d’Eon. He is going to duel characters one on one so he can draw the enemy to him with a taunt. At the same time he we have a Noble Phantasm that does a great deal of damage to one opponent as opposed to a good deal of damage to everyone. Other than that he is a standard Saber just like he is the prototypical shonen hero.

• Archer –  Deedlit

I know that Deedlit is usually a magical swordswoman but we have Sabers and Casters all over the place in Lodoss. Plus the only thing more iconic than an Elvin mage it is an elf with a bow thanks in no small part to Legolas. That does not mean she can’t have an elementalist flair as well. I see her skills being based around her elemental spells giving her own version of Protection from Arrows via a wind elemental and maybe a boost to her damage and Noble Phantasm thanks to a water elemental. I see her Noble Phantasm being a beatdown that combines magic and archery.

• Lancer – Shiris

If you want art of Deedlit or Pirotess just do the simplest of searches and you will find more than you will ever need. But finding a good picture of Shiris was a bit of a search. I guess all the old GeoCities fan shires to Lodoss are truly gone.

As a mercenary I assume she would at least be competent with a spear. Since the Sword World RPG was originally based on D&D she should be proficient with a lance so I can throw her in Lancer to fill the spot.

She seems like the type to be a solid three star. She does some respectable damage, has some nice boosts that don’t wow anyone but are worth using, and fills a good hole until you get a gold Lancer. She is someone you would bring out if you need to take on some Archers and need a back up for Cu Chulainn.

• Caster –  Slayn

I see Slayn filling the same niche that the Halloween Elizabeth Bathory does right now. A solid character for farming that also doubles for anyone who does not have five star Caster. I just see his skills being very different. He will probably have something that boots arts damage, maybe a minor boots to Nobel Phantasm, and a good Noble Phantasm Damage Up skill. I would be interesting if he cast a random elemental skill for his noble phantasm that did damage and a random status effect like burning for something like a fire spell or stun with an ice spell.

• Assassin – Woodchuck

I threw Woodchuck in Assassin but at his core he is a rogue. In fact in D&D rouge in the main class and Assassin is just a specialist. Therefore I see him being a very different type of character in the class. He would be more of a thief. I see him stealing Nobel Phantasm, doing a back stab that allows him to do additional damage to enemies with status alignments, and having a sweet dodge. He would not really have an instakill attack but he would have a Noble Phantasm that hurts like Robin Hood.

I actually see his major gimmick being that he boosts the drop rate for materials. It would make him a stable in party that is farming for Ascension Materials and when Holiday events come around I would see him being insanely popular. Anything that gets you a better chance of getting the Holiday Craft Essences would make you a superstar.

• Rider – King Kashue

King Kashue has always been a stand out character in the series so you have to throw him in here. Etoh technically could also go here but he is really a Cleric but that is not a class in Fate/Stay Night. The closest thing you have is a healing Caster like Medea Lily and Slayn just fits so much better as a Caster.

Since the only 5 Star Rider that has come out is Francis Drake there is a good deal of spaces for someone like him to fill. I see him having a boosted version skill set of Ushiwakamaru while having the hard hitting Noble Phantasm of Anne Bonny & Mary Read. He is a king that supports the people around him but can step up to the plat when a major threat moves towards his kingdom.

• Berserker –  Orson

Berserkers are a fairly straight forward class with some interesting variants.  Orson is your classic D&D Barbarian so he is not really going to have anything that makes him play radically different than most Berserkers. I see him having some skills that boosts this attack more than healing or defense boosts. Maybe even a Noble Phantasm boost as well. He is mainly there to finish battles FAST. If you want someone who does the distance then look elsewhere.

• Shielder – Ghim

There is a proud tradition of Dwarven Defenders in D&D and I see Ghim stepping into that role. He was always about protecting the party as a whole and recursing Leylia. In the end he even dies protecting the party and saving Leylia. He is going to boost the teams defense, throw around a some invincibility, and have Guts now that Mashu no longer has that. I see his Noble Phantasm doing some solid damage with his ax while also boosting everyone’s defense.