Recruitment Drives

If you are stuck in the Dunan Unification Wars; or wish for more details on the gameplay systems, this is the place.
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TwilightSky
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Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:58 pm

Recruitment Drives

Post by TwilightSky »

This doesn't supersede the recruitment table here on this site. That tells you how to recruit characters and when you need to do so before you lose the ability to recruit them.

A Recruitment 'Drive' is a period or window of opportunity that you can recruit characters before the story prevents otherwise.

For years I've always wanted to know exactly when you can go out and recruit characters and when you cannot throughout the game. For my last playthrough which was 2 years ago, I made notes of every time I was able to go out and recruit characters and when I was not able to because of story related stuff. This took a lot of resetting the game and loading up various saves to test my theories. I believe I came up with a 95% accurate list, the other 5% comes from leaving out when some of the drives end..for some reason that only 'past me' knows. Generally recruitment drives "end" when you can't recruit no more characters for that period because other characters are not available per their own requirements.


Before going back to the Fort the third time.¹
  • Mukumuku - the first recruitable character before having an HQ/castle.
Second recruitment drive begins when returning to Mercenary Fort from Kyaro village with Nanami, Jowy, Flik and Viktor.²
  • Rikimaru
    Millie
    Kinnison && Shiro
After getting Namami and having her in the party.³
  • Zamza - his first recruitment chance is missed if not recruited before toto burns.
    This occurs after leaving toto to head to Muse on errand for Pilika.
Recruitment Drive not available after the events at the mercenary fort(when Luca Blight brings it under siege).

Recruitment Drive begins when receiving the first assignment from Jess to spy on the highland camp for the size of provisions.
Don't forget to explore Muse to trigger the scene with Elza, if you're trying to do the mini quest involving her and Clive.
  • Tuta
    Anita - after the scene Leona in the tavern concerning Jess's assignment, leave the tavern and return and she'll appear.
    Templeton - may need to visit toto twice after meeting him at mercenary fort.
Recruitment Drive not available for some time after returning from Jess's assignment.⁴

Castle Level 1
Recruitment Drive begins when acquiring the castle after defeating Abomination.
  • Oulan
Recruitment Drive ends after recruiting Oulan and before going to Radat to recruit Shu.

Recruitment Drive begins after defeating Solon Jhee and deciding to become the leader of the army.
If you speak to Fitcher who will be wandering about near in the main walkway near the entrance of the Castle, this drive will end prematurely. This dialog is forced as it's a proximity trigger, so you will have to sneak by him via exiting the castle by taking the path through the Inn, and leaving through the opening in the wall outside.
  • Richmond
    Yoshino
Recruitment Drive ends when speaking to Fitcher.

Recruitment Drive begins after talking to Fitcher and agreeing to take him to Two-River.
  • Tai Ho
    Yam Koo
    Taki
    Hans
    Tetsu
Recruitment Drive begins after the events of Two-River when meeting up with Shu.
Don't go back to the Castle as this will end the drive, instead head straight to South Window.
  • Clive
Recruitment Drive begins with the start of Castle Level 2 when entering the castle when returning from Lakewest after the events of Two-River.
  • Alex + Hilda
    Stallion
    Shilo
    Adlai
    Tengaar + Hix
    Gabocha
    Sid
    Hai Yo
    Wakaba
    Tony
    Meg + Gadget
    • No more recruitable characters for this round. Character count should be 54.
End of Greenhil Events(when you go there as "students".)

Recruitment Drive begins after escaping Greenhill(scene with Culgen and Seed pledging loyalty to Jowy).
Don't go back to the Castle yet.
  • Jeane
    Yuzu
    • There are no more to recruit at this point.
Start of the mission to Rockaxe.
Recruitment Drive begins after Miklotov leaves for his solo mission.
  • Humphrey
    Futch
Recruitment Drive ends when you leave Rockaxe. This the earliest time you can recruit them before the Rockaxe briefing. Your last chance is before meeting Jowy at Jowston Hill, after which Rockaxe will close its borders until after the liberation.

Recruitment Drive not available after Kiba is captured and then joins the SoD.

Character count 67

Recruitment Drive begins after the meeting between Sheena and Apple in the war room.
  • Lebrante
    Badeaux
    Feather
    Ayda
    Sigfried
    Simone
    Lorelai
    Mondo
    Sasuke
    Hoi (after you return from Toran Republic and haven't gone to the HQ.)
Able to recruit the following after the scene with Sasarai, Luc and Jowy:
  • Annallee
    Killey
    Bob (If missing one character before getting Kasumi/Valeria)
    Tomo - Tsai will approach you after the meeting with Shu and others, and you return to your room.
Character Count: 82 (if missed Hoi)

Recruitment Drive begins after defeating Luca Blight and Nanami wants to go for a walk, either Kuskus or South Window.
  • Hoi(if you missed him)
    Karen: Don't talk to the two guys outside the inn yet, for this will 'pause' the drive.
    Maximillian
Recruitment Drive still in progress when you go on the Tinto mission.
  • LChanChan
    Tenkou
    Raura
Recruitment Drive begins when Shu asks whether to retake Greenhill or rest - choose rest so you can leave the castle.
  • Tenkou
    Gentetsu
Character count: 98 ~ including the characters you will gain automatically from the story.

¹: Memory fails me here and I see I didn't provide good notes for myself on this one. This generally needs to be done before Kyaro is off limits for the rest of the game and that occurs when you go to fight the Mist Shade. You can get him later and before the SoD Lockout of course. This is just the absolute earliest you can get him.

²⁻³: Didn't provide good notes.

⁴: There is a long sequence of events that plays out after you complete Jess's assignment. Muse gets taken over among other things.
Last edited by TwilightSky on Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:30 pm, edited 4 times in total.
OneRune
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:29 pm

Re: Recruitment Drives

Post by OneRune »

On my most recent playthrough, I forgot all about Futch and Humphrey until it was too late. I think the last possible time to recruit them is when you go to meet Jowy at Jowston Hill. After leaving the Muse area, you are not able to get into Rockaxe area again until the liberation, but by that time it is too late to get the "best ending."
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TwilightSky
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 1:58 pm

Re: Recruitment Drives

Post by TwilightSky »

I've added that to the list. At some point I need to do a new playthrough and make changes to my notes. Thankfully, I have a save file after I got a whopping 3 freaking Double-Beat Runes lol.
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JuveLeo
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Location: Canada

Re: Recruitment Drives

Post by JuveLeo »

OneRune wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 10:08 am On my most recent playthrough, I forgot all about Futch and Humphrey until it was too late. I think the last possible time to recruit them is when you go to meet Jowy at Jowston Hill. After leaving the Muse area, you are not able to get into Rockaxe area again until the liberation, but by that time it is too late to get the "best ending."
This happened to me a few months ago. I've played this game at least 50+ times and I've never had that happen to me. I was absolutely gutted lol. I suppose I'm a tad rusty.
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wataru14
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Re: Recruitment Drives

Post by wataru14 »

You can get Clive before going to Two River. He is available as soon as the boat is launched for the first time. If you go to Kuskus and then to South Window before going to Lakewest for the first time, you can get him.
OneRune
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:29 pm

Re: Recruitment Drives

Post by OneRune »

JuveLeo wrote: Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:00 am
OneRune wrote: Sun Dec 27, 2020 10:08 am On my most recent playthrough, I forgot all about Futch and Humphrey until it was too late. I think the last possible time to recruit them is when you go to meet Jowy at Jowston Hill. After leaving the Muse area, you are not able to get into Rockaxe area again until the liberation, but by that time it is too late to get the "best ending."
This happened to me a few months ago. I've played this game at least 50+ times and I've never had that happen to me. I was absolutely gutted lol. I suppose I'm a tad rusty.

I was too concerned with accomplishing the Recipes/Cook Off stuff since I never completed that quest.
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