Chapter 3: Builders of a Legacy

Now that you’ve had your first taste of BLADE, it’s time to be officially welcomed into the fold.

Chapter Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this mission—it’s triggered as soon as you complete Chapter 2.

Story Mission Walkthrough

Once you’re done with Chapter 2, you’re whisked directly into Chapter 3. You learn about the specific divisions of BLADE here before choosing one for your own.

Division choice is an important decision…which you can change your mind about at any time in the future. In other words, don’t sweat it too much.

Go ahead and choose your division, making sure it’s your final answer, and you’re officially a BLADE. Welcome to the big leagues. Once you’re inducted, it’s time for a new job—locating a Pathfinder team that’s mysteriously gone missing.

New Story Mission: Chapter 3

Search for Nelson’s missing team in southeast Primordia.

Objective 1

Head to the Pathfinders’ last known location in southeast Primordia.

Mechanical Advancement: BLADE Services Now that you’re officially a BLADE, all of the goodies hanging about the Concourse and Armory Alley are yours for the buying. You can grab missions from Mission Control or shop till you drop at the armory and various shops. Be sure to check all of these spots often—they’re your key to personal growth!

Mechanical Advancement: Fast Travel You can now fast-travel using the segment map on the Wii U GamePad. Simply point to a fast-travel-capable location (places where you’ve installed data probes are excellent candidates) and off you go! Fast travel is also great for heading back to New LA after a mission.

Mechanical Advancement: R&D Support Miranium, which can be donated to corporations at the armory, can help fund new breakthroughs for better gear. For more info on this, check out the BLADE and Its Benefits section of the Primer.

You’ll definitely want to take this time to truly fortify your team and raise some levels. Outfit your party with gear from Armory Alley, hunt some indigens for experience and rewards, and take on some missions from Mission Control’s job board or people scattered about New LA for more spoils.

This will be the general flow of the game from here onward, so learn it well. Once you think you’re comfortable with your party and how the game is set up, look for Nelson’s team. Note the yellow arrow on the mini-map marking the location, but to reach it, you can’t travel in a straight line. Wrap around a mountain and possibly avoid or fight enemies, including some disguised as plants!

The team’s disappearance site is marked by a suspiciously wrecked Skell.

Lin detects multiple signals, some which belong to BLADE, some to…other life-forms. All of them originate from an unnatural structure. It’s time to investigate.

Around this time, you’re set upon by weapon-brandishing intelligent life-forms.

Whatever your answer, you’ll be thrust into a battle. Diplomacy is not an option with these particular newcomers!

Objective 2

Achieve all objectives:

• Defeat the Prone scout.
• Defeat the Prone scout.

Prone Scout x2

Lv. 1-10: Enemy

Honestly, even if you went straight here from the Volkampf fight, you should be able to take these two. If you did sufficiently gear yourself up from Armory Alley and gain some levels in the field beforehand, then this fight will practically be over before it starts. Be sure to use the same teamwork you always have, and sync your attacks with your party members’ using Soul Voices. Stay vigilant, however—this is merely the calm before the storm.

The scout attack was out of left field, but Elma remains optimistic. Perhaps someone higher up the chain of command might be receptive to diplomacy. The only way to find out is to venture into the belly of the beast.

Objective 3

Enter Primordia’s Seaswept base and search for the Pathfinders.

When you’re ready, follow your radar into the stronghold ahead. Lin notices a building in the distance, and your party makes haste. Be sure to follow the road for a safe trip—veer off and you could see some super-high-level enemies lying in wait!

As you make your way to the Seaswept Base, battle all of the new enemy types you see so that you can get new and stronger gear for your party, as well as upgrade your party’s Arts and Skills. You’ll pass by packs of Prone, puges, indigens, and the occasional pugilith on the way to your destination. Keep inching ever forward.

The building summit next to your destination is guarded by a group of level 9 pawn puges. Be sure you’re at least strong enough to take them out so you can arrive where you need to be. A level 11-12 party is suggested, but you can even get by with level 9 if you have Healing Aura as a class skill and Chrome Armor as part of your Arts set by now.

Finally, open the door and learn the intentions of the Prone, as well as the fate of Nelson’s team. Neither is pretty, but both lead to your next boss battle.

Objective 4

Achieve all objectives:

• Defeat the Prone ruffian.
• Defeat the Prone ruffian.
• Defeat Glennar.

Prone Ruffian x2

Lv. 1-30: Enem1

Glennar

Lv. 10: Boss

Diplomacy has failed—and then some! Looks like fighting is the only choice.

Much like the grex battle in the Prologue, in this fight you have a leader backed by two grunts. It’s your choice whether or not you want to concentrate on each grunt one at time while bearing Glennar’s attacks, or go for Glennar first. Otherwise, it’s business as usual—coordinate your party’s attacks and make sure to flank whenever possible, since these guys don’t have any non-front-facing defenses.

With the situation as resolved as it can be given the circumstances, the party gets ready to report back to New LA. However, just then, a newcomer makes itself known in an unorthodox manner.

Meet Tatsu. He’s your new team ambassador and Lin’s go-to object of psychological torture. Fortunately, he’s helpful in a pinch. This is one of those times. Listen as he comically explains the Prone menace.

For your help, Tatsu has a gift for all of you—one of the most useful items in the game.

Mechanical Advancement: Tatsu’s Follow Ball Mira’s a big planet that’s easy to get lost in. Bring it down to size with the Follow Ball! Deploy it by holding (R) and pressing (X) when you have a mission’s destination set. WARNING: If the priceless and indestructible Follow Ball is somehow destroyed, the cost is full price plus restock fee. Do not attempt to engage in conversation with Follow Ball, as it contains no vocabulary to speak of. Should user find Follow Ball’s movement speed to be excessive or purpose-impairing, the only existing course of action is to simply—as phrased in contemporary intergalactic vernacular—“step it up.”

Don’t try to add Tatsu to your party—you’ll find you can’t. He’s more of an idea man and prefers to stay on the sidelines during battles.

Objective 5

Report back to Commander Vandham at The BLADE barracks.

This is a great chance to try out fast-travel if you haven’t already.

Once this chapter’s mission is marked as complete, Elma decides to see if you’ve become acclimated to the status quo. Listen as she explains the situation and about squad missions, answering her questions along the way.

After the briefing you’re turned loose, in more ways than one. Your BLADE adventure starts here, and many significant characters you’ve met up to now can be officially added to your party by visiting their NLA hangouts. Congrats!