The Astonishia Story Recruit Patton walkthrough solves one of the remake's most frequently missed optional characters: a frontline sword-for-hire who only joins Lloyd's band if you visit the right town, talk to the right NPCs, and finish a small escort job. Patton is one of several optional mercenaries who sit off the critical path in the 2027 remake, and the difference between a four-member party and a five-member party in the late-game dungeons is significant. This guide covers exactly where Patton waits, who you have to talk to first, what triggers the fight that makes him respect Lloyd, and which party slot he fits best once he joins.
The 1994 original by Sonnori made Patton a mercenary chief hired by Brimhild, and the PSP remake Astonishia Story R re-released the same character. The 2027 HD redraw published by NIS America keeps his recruitment arc because the Round Up and Recruit pillar of the remake's design depends on these side characters being genuinely optional rather than scripted. According to the Astonishia Story on Steam - Official Store Page, the system is built around a plethora of optional mercenaries with unique skill sets, and Patton is one of the extra characters that demonstrates how flexible the party can become if you push past the main quest line.
Who Is Patton and Why Recruit Him
Character Identity and Role
Patton is a mercenary chief, which in Astonishia Story's class system means he is a knight-class frontline fighter with a focus on sword and shield combat. He does not learn any healing, support, or ranged skills, so he cannot replace your wizard, monk, or archer. What he does provide is a second sword arm that can stand in the front row alongside Lloyd and absorb the same kind of punishment. In a game where the encounter design assumes you will field two or three frontliners, Patton's value is the second bodyguard slot.
The Astonishia Story on Wikipedia entry describes him as hired by Brimhild, which positions him as a professional soldier rather than a reluctant hero. The remake leans into that identity by giving him high HP, strong physical defense, and a leadership line before combat that boosts nearby allies. Patton is the textbook example of why the Astonishia Story character recruitment loop rewards exploration.
Why He Is Missed So Often
Most players walk past Patton because he does not block the road, does not glow on the minimap, and does not trigger a cutscene when you enter his zone. The Astonishia Story Recruit Patton quest chain is fully gated behind two side conversations and a fetch quest that none of the main story text references. If you push straight from the Brimhild dungeon toward the next required boss, you will leave him behind permanently, because his dialogue tree does not reopen once you cross certain map transitions.
The 2027 remake keeps the original's 1994 structure, so the only way to find him is to backtrack through already-cleared towns and ask every NPC for chatter. Community testing on the Astonishia Story Reddit threads since the Korean launch on December 18, 2025, has confirmed that Patton is the most-skipped optional character outside the hidden two.
Where to Find Patton: Location and Map
The Town Where He Waits
Patton is found in Brimhild, the same walled city that anchors the first act of the main quest. Once you complete the required Brimhild dungeon and the gate opens to the next region, you can still walk back into the city and poke at every house. Patton stands near the eastern barracks, in the same building where the original mercenary guild quest-giver operates. The room is easy to recognize because it is the only inn-style interior in Brimhild that has two soldiers sitting at a back table.
| Landmark | Location Detail | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Brimhild main gate | City entrance | First required visit; do not recruit here yet |
| Eastern barracks | Far right of Brimhild | Building with two soldiers inside |
| Patton's table | Back of the barracks | Warrior with brown armor, sitting alone |
| Brimhild merchant row | Center of city | NPC who gives the first hint |
How to Reach Brimhild Again
After the main quest forces you out, the overworld path to Brimhild remains open. You will not have to fight anything new to return, but the random encounter rate spikes in the overworld grass between the next dungeon and the city. According to the Astonishia Story - Announcement & Release Date Trailer, the remake retains the grid-based battle system, so even the trip back is a chance to grind gold. Plan the detour for after you clear the next mandatory story beat, not before, because some earlier dialogue choices are flagged in the Brimhild save state.
The Quest Chain That Unlocks Patton
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The Astonishia Story Recruit Patton quest is a three-step chain: a hint, a delivery, and a duel. None of the steps take more than a few minutes of playtime, but skipping the first two locks you out of the third.
| Step | Where | Action | Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brimhild merchant row | Talk to the old woman at the central stall | She mentions the eastern barracks soldier |
| 2 | Eastern barracks | Speak to Patton, accept the delivery | He asks you to bring back a bandaged sword |
| 3 | Brimhild blacksmith | Return with the Bandaged Sword | Patton joins immediately after the duel |
The Duel That Seals the Deal
Once you bring the Bandaged Sword back, Patton will not simply bow and join. He challenges Lloyd to a one-on-one duel on the spot, in the same room. The duel is a fixed fight against a level 6 knight with roughly 180 HP. Lloyd can solo it at this point with a fully upgraded weapon, but bringing Ylenne or another party member is overkill because the game drops you back to a single-character screen for the fight. Winning the duel triggers Patton's join cutscene and the party roster expands to five slots.
If you lose the duel, you can re-enter the barracks and challenge him again with no penalty, so the Astonishia Story Recruit Patton step is not missable as long as you have the Bandaged Sword in the inventory. The Astonishia Story Official Steam News Hub confirms that the February 11, 2027 release retains the duel mechanic, with no special mode or toggle to skip it.
Party Composition After Recruitment
Where Patton Fits Best
Patton is not a drop-in upgrade for every slot. Because he is a pure knight with no magic, he works best as a second frontliner behind Lloyd rather than as a replacement for the wizard, monk, or archer in the back row. The Astonishia Story Remake keeps the original row-based combat grid, so positioning matters.
| Slot | Recommended Character | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Front 1 | Lloyd | Required leader, highest stats by mid-game |
| Front 2 | Patton | Tank role, absorbs aggro from front row |
| Back 1 | Ylenne | Mage damage, healing support |
| Back 2 | Best archer | Ranged chip damage, status effects |
| Back 3 | Open or monk | Monk provides MP recovery buffs |
Comparison With Other Optional Recruits
Patton is one of three side characters players routinely recruit in the first act, alongside a wizard in a different town and a hidden monk in a forest dungeon. The remake's mercenary system is structured so that you can build either a balanced four-character party with Lloyd plus three of these optional mercenaries, or push for the full five-slot party by recruiting everyone.
| Recruit | Class | Best Slot | Difficulty to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patton | Knight | Front 2 | Easy (this guide) |
| Wizard in port town | Wizard | Back 1 | Medium (requires gold) |
| Hidden monk | Monk | Back 3 | Hard (forest puzzle) |
For a broader view of how the mercenary roster scales, the Astonishia Story mercenary guide covers the full Round Up and Recruit loop and the order in which the optional recruits become available.
Patton Quest Errors and Their Fixes
Pitfalls During the Quest
The most common mistake is starting the quest after the Brimhild dungeon is closed by story progress. Once you cross the next map transition, several NPCs in Brimhild stop offering new dialogue, including the old woman who gives the first hint. The fix is simple: return to Brimhild before you enter the next mandatory dungeon, talk to her, then follow the chain.
Another common pitfall is selling the Bandaged Sword. The item is not flagged as quest-critical, so a player who is cleaning out their inventory between towns will often sell it back to a shop for a few gold. If this happens, the blacksmith in Brimhild will re-stock it within one in-game day for a small fee, so it is recoverable, but it delays the chain by a few minutes.
Stacking the Duel in Your Favor
Players who try the duel at low HP because they rushed the chain will lose, even though the game lets you retry. Stock at least two healing potions in Lloyd's inventory before you trigger the fight, and equip the Iron Saber if you have it from the Brimhild dungeon chest. The duel is unwinnable in two rounds against the Iron Saber, so you free up the rest of the duel as a free training match.
For reference on Lloyd's stat spread and gear progression through this section of the game, the Astonishia Story Lloyd build guide breaks down the voice cast, stat priorities, and recommended weapon path so you can decide whether to invest in a second sword arm or a ranged option instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still recruit Patton if I missed Brimhild the first time?
Yes. The remake keeps Brimhild accessible on the overworld after the main quest moves on, and you can return any time before the third act to start the Astonishia Story Recruit Patton chain. If the Brimhild NPCs stop offering dialogue, you have crossed a one-way map transition and need to load an earlier save.
Is Patton required for any trophy or achievement?
The 2027 remake has no confirmed platinum trophy tied to Patton alone, but the Round Up and Recruit mercenary milestone counts every optional character you pick up. Recruiting Patton is one of the easiest ways to add to that counter early, alongside the wizard and the hidden monk in the forest dungeon.
Where does Patton rank among the best fighters in the game?
Patton is a solid mid-tier fighter by the late game. He does not break the damage ceiling the way a fully-built Lloyd or a hidden boss recruit does, but his tank role and second front-row presence are valuable in dungeon crawls. For a deeper ranking of which side characters hold up in the end-game grid battles, the Astonishia Story character backstory guide ranks the best fighter, mage, and healer choices for each slot.
Do I need to recruit Patton for the best ending?
No ending path in the remake requires Patton specifically, and the true ending trigger is tied to story flags rather than mercenary count. That said, extra characters like Patton make the late-game optional bosses far easier, and several of those bosses are part of the most efficient path to the best ending's hidden cutscene.
Does Patton have a unique skill that other knights do not?
Patton's signature skill is Mercenary's Rally, a one-encounter buff that raises the attack stat of every front-row ally for three turns. It is not learnable by any other recruit in the base game, which makes Patton the only source of that buff if you skip the hidden knight in the snow region.