Skill Nodes, Magatama and Landscaping
Guardians of Azuma can be played by a novice or an expert and you can move towards ultimate victory, shrugging off niceties like Stats or finely hone not o ly your own skills but those of every character.
Here arw the meanings of those abbreviations:
STR: This boosts physical damage from any weapon you wield in combat, but not Sacred Treasures.
VIT: This increases defence against physical attacks.
INT: This increases damage you cause with magic attacks including Talismans.
MND: This increases your defence against magic attacks.
DEX: This gives 1% Critical Rate for each point.
Thus, STR is linked to ATK, MND to M. DEF and so on.
Personally, nowadays I simply fight and fight, taking the hits as they come, having a quick meal during combat to restore whatever I have lost by not employing evasive tactics and counting on my own Level increases to improve my Stats. It is not elegant but it works.
Completing Frog Statue Activations:
There is a Frog Statue high in the Winter Foreat area. I found it by making the effort to reach the last of the trees with Blight. You must hop up to a higher altitude and then walk across a fallen branch.
It gives you Red Bean and Dango Soup and Red Bean and Chestnut Soup Recipes.
There is another Frog high in the rocks that gives a Juice Recipe.
While you are searching for the three trees with Blight, look for three archery targets below you and to the left. The reward is 10 Eggplant Level 3 Seeds, making me feel I should have done this long ago when the Earth was new.
Landscaping and Village Level:
One reason to raise the levels of the four Villages to maximum is the new Recipe you receive for each.
Another is increased productivity.