"Ask Fire Emblem Heroes Questions and Get Them Answered Here" Thread

[Azure the Scale Tipper]

2 hours ago, XRay said:

+Atk/Def are his best Assets if you are sticking with Aether, with +Atk giving more kills while +Def giving less deaths. If you are going for performance, +Def with Bonfire (he can trigger 2 Bonfires if he gets doubled versus 1 Ignis with Urvan) is better. If you merge, then the Flaw does not matter, but his ideal Flaw would be -Spd. -Res is also okay if you do not plan to have him face dragons.

Challenger List

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CHALLENGER LIST  
Ike (Brave) (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Urvan  
Special: Aether  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Quick Riposte 3  
C: Threaten Def 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
 
Ike (Brave) (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Urvan  
Special: Aether  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Quick Riposte 3  
C: Threaten Def 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
 
Ike (Brave) (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Urvan  
Special: Bonfire  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Quick Riposte 3  
C: Threaten Def 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
 
Ike (Brave) (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Urvan  
Special: Bonfire  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Guard 3  
C: Threaten Def 3  
S: Quick Riposte 3 

 

Ok, so I am good.

So, Quick Riposte is needed for B!Ike. At least Urvan does as much as it needs to to keep B!Ike as Reinbait.

[XRay]

1 hour ago, Azure in a Roundabout said:

Ok, so I am good.

So, Quick Riposte is needed for B!Ike. At least Urvan does as much as it needs to to keep B!Ike as Reinbait.

Yeah. If you cannot afford Quick Riposte on the B slot, then you can just put Guard on the B slot and run Quick Riposte on the Sacred Seal slot.

[Humanoid]

It took a full half year for the final two copies to arrive, but I can finally +10 Nowi. However a quick check of the usual resources shows there's no clear consensus about which boon to take, with both +Spd and +Def having just as many proponents, if not more, than my current +Atk base and so I'd like to hear some opinions here.

Currently she has a budget Fury - Vantage - Hone Spd - QR Seal build because that' what I gave her almost two years ago, and is currently using the Def refine. That said, I am open to eventually setting her up with the standard premium build of Steady Breath - Aether should I ever get enough fodder if this affects the decision. (Right now I have one spare Bike and can't decide between merging him to +1 to eliminate his bane, or otherwise decide which of my dragons should get it)

 

P.S. Fully expecting a new personal weapon to be announced for her as soon as I commit to my build.

[XRay]

On 2/13/2019 at 4:59 PM, Humanoid said:

It took a full half year for the final two copies to arrive, but I can finally +10 Nowi. However a quick check of the usual resources shows there's no clear consensus about which boon to take, with both +Spd and +Def having just as many proponents, if not more, than my current +Atk base and so I'd like to hear some opinions here.

Currently she has a budget Fury - Vantage - Hone Spd - QR Seal build because that' what I gave her almost two years ago, and is currently using the Def refine. That said, I am open to eventually setting her up with the standard premium build of Steady Breath - Aether should I ever get enough fodder if this affects the decision. (Right now I have one spare Bike and can't decide between merging him to +1 to eliminate his bane, or otherwise decide which of my dragons should get it)

 

P.S. Fully expecting a new personal weapon to be announced for her as soon as I commit to my build.

+Atk/Spd/Def/Res and neutral are all fine. I lean towards the +Def/Res set since Darting Breath is not out yet, but the +Spd set is also nice if you are willing to wait.

— — — — — — —

I personally prefer +Res and try to balance out the two defensive stats rather that purely stacking Def. Nowi can get equal Def/Res by running +Res and then have the Refinement boost the defensive stat that the A slot Breath does not boost. +Atk is also okay if Nowi is mostly just fighting reds. Neutral gives HP/Atk/Def+1, so it is kind of compromise between +Atk and +Def. Unless you need it for score, I prefer Bonfire over Aether for quicker and higher damage. Offloading sustainability to a healer is also more efficient in my opinion; Aether often times heals shit if it triggers during the second counter attack, and Nowi is not slow enough to trigger Aether reliably.

Neutral or +Atk/Def/Res
Lightning Breath [Def] — Lightning Breath [Res]
Swap
Bonfire — Aether — Moonbow (with Steady Stance 4)
Steady Breath — Warding Breath — Steady Stance
Quick Riposte — Guard
(Any C)
Close Def — Atk/Def Bond — Quick Riposte

A Nowi with equal Def/Res running Guard-Quick Riposte can also take out the following Reinhardt and Ishtar if Nowi gets Fortify Dragons or Res Tactic buffs; Nowi's health will be in the single digits though, so she will need a healer. Ishtar running Moonbow-Flashing Blade will break Nowi's Guard and kill Nowi though.

Spoiler

ENEMIES - CUSTOM LIST  
Reinhardt (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Dire Thunder  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Death Blow 4  
B: Chill Res 3  
C: Odd Atk Wave 3  
S: Quickened Pulse  
 
Ishtar (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Mjolnir  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Swift Sparrow 2  
B: Desperation 3  
C: Odd Atk Wave 3  
S: Attack 3 

— — — — — — —

If you want to go with the +Spd build, I would wait until Darting Breath comes out to turn her into a Spd tank.

+Spd
Lightning Breath [Spd]
Swap
Bonfire
Darting Breath
Quick Riposte
(Any C)
Darting Stance — Atk/Spd Bond

When fully Spd stacked, this Nowi would have 43/47 Spd at +0/10, which means only the most Spd stacked nukes can double her, and you can further prevent that with double Drive Spd buffs from one of her allies.

Edited February 16, 2019 by XRay

[Chrom-ulent]

So based on the discussion in other threads, I'm hearing that Cleaner+ is a good option for Summer Linde? Would breathe new life into a +10. Or would I be better off with Galeforce Tibarn?

[XRay]

1 hour ago, Chrom-ulent said:

So based on the discussion in other threads, I'm hearing that Cleaner+ is a good option for Summer Linde? Would breathe new life into a +10. Or would I be better off with Galeforce Tibarn?

What I proposed in the Weapon Refinement thread is a hypothetical Weapon. Super Cleaner is considered broken, but Super Cleaner does not exist.

I think The Cleaner is just okay. If you see enemies using buffs a lot, it is good, but its damage output is not exactly reliable in my opinion since not all enemies run Bonus buffs, and I do not see them utilize it effectively very much. At the same time though, l do not notice buffs that much since I run Firesweep and Blade nukes, where the former disables most counterattacks while the latter just overwhelms foes with brute force, so buffs do not really impact them that much. During climbing season, I run Sharena so her Fensalir ignores buffs.

@Ice Dragon sees buffs utilized more effectively in Aether Raids Tier 21 so it is probably more effective up there. @DehNutCase is up in Tier 21 too, and he seems to do combat math a lot during battles, so he probably notices buff usage among foes more often.

Edited February 16, 2019 by XRay

[Alexmender]

So I just got a -Atk Helbindi from the Valentine's banner and I'm thinking on foddering him for G Duel Infantry. The question would be who's the best choice from these units:

• Young Azura. She's been my Grail project since forever so she's guaranteed to be at +10, not to mention as a dancer her support capabilities are the absolute best you can ask for. The bad news is that her Sing skill hurts her arena score. 
• Nino. Classic nuke and thanks to her getting a new Prf she'll score pretty well. Downside is that because she's a nuke she'll struggle at supporting the bonus unit. 
• F!Robin. Great support and can get up to +7 before factoring Grails. The bad part is that she's quite weak so it seems unlikely for her to deal any damage to the beefy armors I find in tier 20.5. 

[XRay]

11 minutes ago, Alexmender said:

So I just got a -Atk Helbindi from the Valentine's banner and I'm thinking on foddering him for G Duel Infantry. The question would be who's the best choice from these units:

• Young Azura. She's been my Grail project since forever so she's guaranteed to be at +10, not to mention as a dancer her support capabilities are the absolute best you can ask for. The bad news is that her Sing skill hurts her arena score. 
• Nino. Classic nuke and thanks to her getting a new Prf she'll score pretty well. Downside is that because she's a nuke she'll struggle at supporting the bonus unit. 
• F!Robin. Great support and can get up to +7 before factoring Grails. The bad part is that she's quite weak so it seems unlikely for her to deal any damage to the beefy armors I find in tier 20.5. 

I lean towards A!Azura or Nino.

Dancers/Singers are not super necessary in 720+ Arena since enemies are generally pretty easy, but it is still nice to make the mode even easier.

Nino can run Odd Atk Wave to have a pseudo Hone Atk 3.5, and if necessary, she can take stuff out that the bonus unit cannot.

I am not a fan of F!Robin since Atk Tactic is pretty easy to get and we have Def Tactic and Res Tactic as Sacred Seals, so buffing your bonus unit through those buffs is better than utilizing F!Robin in my opinion since her buffs are a bit weak. She cannot support your Bonus unit like A!Azura can, and she cannot kill units like Nino can during emergencies.

[Alastor15243]

So I'm debating what movement skills to give to my main tank duo, Valentine Ike and Brave Ephraim. They're both kitted out rather similarly, in that I gave Ephraim Aether and distant counter (I'm liking the survivability, but the fact that he doesn't have access to radiant Aether like Ike means I can't count on it activating every round like I could with draconic aura, so his one-rounding power is suffering). I also rigged their stats to have the same attack so they get the full atk/def/res buffs from Winter Eirika. But I haven't given either of them green movement skills yet, and I'm trying  to figure out which ones would be ideal for two enemy phase tanks who need to stick together to maintain their armor march and their stat bonuses. Reposition is a big candidate, but draw back and swap have also been pretty useful to me. Any advice?

Edited February 18, 2019 by Alastor15243

[XRay]

34 minutes ago, Alastor15243 said:

So I'm debating what movement skills to give to my main tank duo, Valentine Ike and Brave Ephraim. They're both kitted out rather similarly, in that I gave Ephraim Aether and distant counter (I'm liking the survivability, but the fact that he doesn't have access to radiant Aether like Ike means I can't count on it activating every round like I could with draconic aura, so his one-rounding power is suffering). I also rigged their stats to have the same attack so they get the full atk/def/res buffs from Winter Eirika. But I haven't given either of them green movement skills yet, and I'm trying  to figure out which ones would be ideal for two enemy phase tanks who need to stick together to maintain their armor march and their stat bonuses. Reposition is a big candidate, but draw back and swap have also been pretty useful to me. Any advice?

If you use them as mostly Enemy Phase units and you are not using them in Aether Raids, I recommend Ward Armor instead of Armor March. Enemy Phase units do not need very much mobility since you are waiting for the enemy to come to you instead of you going to the enemy. I would also give them Swap so it is easier to fine tune their formation to bait foes.

If you use them as dual phase units, I would keep their Armor March and go with Reposition.

If you are running GOW!Eirika, I would get rid of Aether on Ephraim and maybe Radiant Aether too on GD!Ike, and switch to Bonfire and Ignis respectively. In my opinion, there is no point in running sustainability skills on a combat unit if you have a healer on the team.

[Ice Dragon]

1 hour ago, Alastor15243 said:

So I'm debating what movement skills to give to my main tank duo, Valentine Ike and Brave Ephraim. They're both kitted out rather similarly, in that I gave Ephraim Aether and distant counter (I'm liking the survivability, but the fact that he doesn't have access to radiant Aether like Ike means I can't count on it activating every round like I could with draconic aura, so his one-rounding power is suffering). I also rigged their stats to have the same attack so they get the full atk/def/res buffs from Winter Eirika. But I haven't given either of them green movement skills yet, and I'm trying  to figure out which ones would be ideal for two enemy phase tanks who need to stick together to maintain their armor march and their stat bonuses. Reposition is a big candidate, but draw back and swap have also been pretty useful to me. Any advice?

If you're running Armor March, use Swap or Reposition. If you're running Ward Armor, use Swap.

[Alastor15243]

Is there a way, other than merging and dragon flowers, to give a unit exactly one more innate atk without wasting a skill slot on something stupid like atk/res +1? I have a team of armors that I’ve currently managed to get to equal attack levels for Winter Eirika’s buffs to kick in for all three of them, but I had to waste an A skill slot on Hardin (very bad) and a seal skill slot on Valentine Ike (not as bad but still far from desirable) to give them both the single points of attack they needed to equal my brave Ephraim. Aside from praying for a merge or grinding the shit out of dragon flowers until I get the atk bonus at like level 3 for both of them, is there any other way I could get this to work without being so wasteful of skill slots?

[XRay]

8 hours ago, Alastor15243 said:

Is there a way, other than merging and dragon flowers, to give a unit exactly one more innate atk without wasting a skill slot on something stupid like atk/res +1? I have a team of armors that I’ve currently managed to get to equal attack levels for Winter Eirika’s buffs to kick in for all three of them, but I had to waste an A skill slot on Hardin (very bad) and a seal skill slot on Valentine Ike (not as bad but still far from desirable) to give them both the single points of attack they needed to equal my brave Ephraim. Aside from praying for a merge or grinding the shit out of dragon flowers until I get the atk bonus at like level 3 for both of them, is there any other way I could get this to work without being so wasteful of skill slots?

If you are using them on offense, you can give Ephraim Fortress Def or Fortress Res (Atk-3) Sacred Seal and then give him Summoner Support (Atk+2) for a net Atk-1.

Otherwise, you will need to give the other two some sort of Atk+1 via merges, Dragonflowers, or skills.

[mcsilas]

So I've obtained an extra Hot Springs Hinoka (+Atk/-HP) to replace my -Spd one.

Now, should I merge to get rid of the -HP superflaw or fodder off the another Hinoka for her dagger?

Speaking of, any good users of the Splashy Bucket? If I do fodder it, I was thinking of maybe giving it to a colourless dagger for colourless dragon-effectiveness.

The options I have would be +Def/-HP Halloween Sakura, Kaze (+Spd or +Atk), +Atk/-Def Spring Kagero, +Atk normal Kagero and maybe Winter Cecilia. Maybe not so much Winter Cecilia since I like her defensive dagger. if I go Spring Kagero I can also give her Air Orders (but not the full upgrade :( ) at least, but Lethal Carrot seems like a good weapon as well with the true damage (and maybe normal Kagero can get a weapon refine in the future if they do more Fates retainer refines?)

I don't really do merges except for bad bane removals, so ease of merging doesn't really factor for me.

---

Also a summoning-related question for those who know more about probability. What has a better chance of getting a focus unit? I'm thinking of spending only 15 orbs on the new beasts banners since I'm saving for Red Micaiah.

A- free summon + 15 orbs for first session, then 4 summon-ticket-only pulls?

B- Or do first free pull only, then 3 summon-ticket-only pulls, then spend 15 orbs on the 4th summon ticket pull?

Edited February 19, 2019 by mcsilas

[Baldrick]

2 hours ago, mcsilas said:

Now, should I merge to get rid of the -HP superflaw or fodder off the another Hinoka for her dagger?

Unless you find she gets killed in one hit I wouldn't worry about the flaw. For the dagger, a Kagero would be the best recipient since effective weapon users want as much attack as possible. Since Aerobatics is now a seal, I don't think Air Orders is that valuable.

If you have Bow Lucina, Atk/Spd Link is another option to consider.

2 hours ago, mcsilas said:

Also a summoning-related question for those who know more about probability. What has a better chance of getting a focus unit? I'm thinking of spending only 15 orbs on the new beasts banners since I'm saving for Red Micaiah.

A- free summon + 15 orbs for first session, then 4 summon-ticket-only pulls?

B- Or do first free pull only, then 3 summon-ticket-only pulls, then spend 15 orbs on the 4th summon ticket pull?

A would give you more pulls at a boosted pity rate.

That said, the colour of the orbs has a greater effect on your chances. With no shared colours, green orbs are always the most likely to have a focus unit, and red orbs are least likely.

[XRay]

4 hours ago, mcsilas said:

So I've obtained an extra Hot Springs Hinoka (+Atk/-HP) to replace my -Spd one.

Now, should I merge to get rid of the -HP superflaw or fodder off the another Hinoka for her dagger?

4 hours ago, mcsilas said:

I don't really do merges except for bad bane removals, so ease of merging doesn't really factor for me.

Unless you have trouble with dragons, I would not bother with Splashy Bucket and go for a merge. Effective Weapons are pretty niche, so unless you really have trouble with a specific type of unit, generalist Weapons are generally good enough against them and are more useful against a large variety of units. For example, I do not bother with armor nor dragon effective Weapons since I use Firesweep and Blade nukes a lot, and they have no trouble taking out bulky units.

[+Atk, -HP] is really good though, and I generally see -HP on Player Phase units as a benefit rather than as a detriment since -HP means that the unit can get into Desperation range easier. Merging does fuck up her HP by increasing it, but the bulk does mean she can eat counters better and she gets Atk+1.

If you are unsure, I would just turn the -Spd copy into a Combat Manual for now and see if you really need the Splashy Bucket over the next few weeks.

4 hours ago, mcsilas said:

if I go Spring Kagero I can also give her Air Orders (but not the full upgrade

I would not bother with Air Orders. Flyers have very little mobility issues, and the opportunity cost for Air Orders is way too high. Goad Fliers and Hone Fliers are just so much better in my opinion.

4 hours ago, mcsilas said:

The options I have would be +Def/-HP Halloween Sakura, Kaze (+Spd or +Atk), +Atk/-Def Spring Kagero, +Atk normal Kagero and maybe Winter Cecilia.

I lean towards Kagero or Kaze. Both are decent options. Kagero is more suited for killing things in one round of combat, but Kaze can double a lot more frequently for a more reliable higher total damage output. Splashy Bucket disables adaptive damage, so Kaze's low Def does not matter. I think I lean slightly more towards Kaze since Kagero might get a Refinement.

TOD!Sakura got Kitty Paddle, so I would keep that on her so she can specialize against mages. HATF!Kagero got Harmonic Dagger, so I do not see the point in replacing her generalist Weapon for a niche Weapon unless you really have trouble with dragons. If you like GOW!Cecilia's default Weapon, then I would just stick with that.

[Alastor15243]

Thanks again for your advice @XRay. That was an interesting option you suggested, but unfortunately I already S supported Ike and gave Ephraim Fortress Res to make this atk lineup happen in the first place. I guess I'll have to start doing Aether raids to get some dragon flowers. Thankfully even with a wasted skill slot each, this team is utterly kickass.

Speaking of which... I'm trying to assemble some more cohesive teams to use now that I'm tackling Squad Assault. I just beat all the Lunatic Chain Challenges the other day, so now squad assault is one of the very few sources of orbs available to me, but the problem is that I only really have 3 teams I consider "seaworthy" for top-tier challenges, and one of them only barely.

My two big winners are my aforementioned armor team (Valentine Ike, Brave Ephraim with distant counter and Aether, Dark Emperor Hardin, and Winter Eirika) and my Laguz team (Tibarn, Nailah, Leanne and Reyson). They've been able to wipe the floor with most of the major chain challenges.

My pretty good team is what I've codenamed the Pony Brigade. It's Reinhardt, Valentine Mist, Valentine Titania, and New Year Laevatein. I've given Reinhardt Death Blow 3, Chill res 3, Moonbow, Reposition and Goad Cavalry, I've given Mist Hone Cavalry, and I've given Titania Hone Cavalry and Reposition. While I've had some success with them, they struggle greatly with high density of powerful melee units since none of them can tank for shit and rely on the nearby enemies being dead by the time the turn is over.

So I'm wondering if I have any more good potential teams among my current list of five stars that I could start working on in preparation for tackling squad assault. I'll list my remaining 5 stars below, and I'd appreciate it if anyone can give me their thoughts on what sticks out to you as a potential team. If any skills are necessary, I also have a bunch of 4 and 3 stars (I'm pretty much at the roster cap) so I might have what's needed if they need investment.

 

Spoiler

Alphonse

Marth

Brave Celica

Leif

Karel

Vanguard Ike

Black Knight

Knight Exalt Chrom

Tharja

Sharena

Fjorm

Summer Robin

Winter Ephraim

Effie

Tana

Naesala

Ophelia

Anna

Dorcas

Minerva

Myrrh

Julia (two of them)

Jeorge

Faye

Brave Lyn

Jaffar

Eir

Hostile Springs Camilla

Loki

Thanks again!

[XRay]

6 minutes ago, Alastor15243 said:

My pretty good team is what I've codenamed the Pony Brigade. It's Reinhardt, Valentine Mist, Valentine Titania, and New Year Laevatein. I've given Reinhardt Death Blow 3, Chill res 3, Moonbow, Reposition and Goad Cavalry, I've given Mist Hone Cavalry, and I've given Titania Hone Cavalry and Reposition. While I've had some success with them, they struggle greatly with high density of powerful melee units since none of them can tank for shit and rely on the nearby enemies being dead by the time the turn is over.

In my opinion, full pony teams are less powerful than semi pony teams since there are currently no pony Dancers/Singers. Player Phase units really need that Dance/Sing support as a defense mechanism to get out of enemy range.

Since you have BH!Lyn, I would replace NYOFAI!Laevatein with her. BH!Lyn is better in my opinion since she offers physical damage to take out Res tanks/walls who may give your mage cavalry trouble. She also has access to Reposition which NYOFAI!Laevatein lacks, which means BH!Lyn can go a little deeper into enemy range while still being able to back out and Reposition her Dance/Sing ally out of enemy range.

15 minutes ago, Alastor15243 said:

So I'm wondering if I have any more good potential teams among my current list of five stars that I could start working on in preparation for tackling squad assault. I'll list my remaining 5 stars below, and I'd appreciate it if anyone can give me their thoughts on what sticks out to you as a potential team. If any skills are necessary, I also have a bunch of 4 and 3 stars (I'm pretty much at the roster cap) so I might have what's needed if they need investment.

You can try VL!Ike, Fjorm, Dorcas, and Loki to emulate your armor team. The team is far more mobile, but they do lag quite behind in bulk compared to armor units, and VL!Ike and Dorcas are particularly vulnerable to mages. The higher mobility might not always be useful either since Enemy Phase teams might not need that much mobility in the first place, but the mobility is useful on some maps to get to defensive tiles before the enemy. Loki is there to provide sustainability as well as providing a source of magic damage in case you encounter a Def wall and need a magical unit to punch through; she also somewhat helps reduce the mobility of ranged foes with Thökk so you have more time to prepare.

If you have access to Special Spiral, you can give that to Ophelia and give her Hardy Bearing Sacred Seal; I would also swap out Blazing Light for Blazing Wind for more efficient area coverage, but I do not think that matters too much and it is more down to personal preference. You can then pair her with Tharja and A!Azura to get Ophelia's Blazing Light/Wind ready at the start of turn 1. For physical damage coverage, I recommend using an offensive archer, so you can try Jeorge or BH!Lyn. In the 3*/4* pool, you also have Klein and Leon as additional options.

[Javi Blizz]

Considering the post merge asset/flaw stats of a unit (where there’s no longer a flaw), which assets let Effie to score higher?

[Ice Dragon]

2 hours ago, Javi Blizz said:

Considering the post merge asset/flaw stats of a unit (where there’s no longer a flaw), which assets let Effie to score higher?

Any of them. Her neutral stat total is 168, meaning she needs 2 more stat points to reach the next score bucket. Any Asset (as well as neutral) will give her at least 3 points, which is greater than the 2 points needed.

[mcsilas]

19 hours ago, XRay said:

Unless you have trouble with dragons, I would not bother with Splashy Bucket and go for a merge. Effective Weapons are pretty niche, so unless you really have trouble with a specific type of unit, generalist Weapons are generally good enough against them and are more useful against a large variety of units. For example, I do not bother with armor nor dragon effective Weapons since I use Firesweep and Blade nukes a lot, and they have no trouble taking out bulky units.

[+Atk, -HP] is really good though, and I generally see -HP on Player Phase units as a benefit rather than as a detriment since -HP means that the unit can get into Desperation range easier. Merging does fuck up her HP by increasing it, but the bulk does mean she can eat counters better and she gets Atk+1.

If you are unsure, I would just turn the -Spd copy into a Combat Manual for now and see if you really need the Splashy Bucket over the next few weeks.

I would not bother with Air Orders. Flyers have very little mobility issues, and the opportunity cost for Air Orders is way too high. Goad Fliers and Hone Fliers are just so much better in my opinion.

I lean towards Kagero or Kaze. Both are decent options. Kagero is more suited for killing things in one round of combat, but Kaze can double a lot more frequently for a more reliable higher total damage output. Splashy Bucket disables adaptive damage, so Kaze's low Def does not matter. I think I lean slightly more towards Kaze since Kagero might get a Refinement.

TOD!Sakura got Kitty Paddle, so I would keep that on her so she can specialize against mages. HATF!Kagero got Harmonic Dagger, so I do not see the point in replacing her generalist Weapon for a niche Weapon unless you really have trouble with dragons. If you like GOW!Cecilia's default Weapon, then I would just stick with that.

@XRay Alright thanks I was just being intrigued by the idea of having a colourless dragon-killer weapon and how useful in general would it be? I've have both Naga users and about 4 Falchion users + L!Tiki, so I think I'm fine with having enough dragon counters, but I guess it's more the curiosity of having a colourless dragon killer (and anti-Wrathful Staff) unit.

@Baldrick Alright, noted! Odin's is my Atk/Spd link user right now but I prefer someone having Def/Res link in the original pull for my L!Lucina.

[Javi Blizz]

2 hours ago, Ice Dragon said:

Any of them. Her neutral stat total is 168, meaning she needs 2 more stat points to reach the next score bucket. Any Asset (as well as neutral) will give her at least 3 points, which is greater than the 2 points needed.

I see, I’m not used to this new scoring factor.

So, if I’m running a Berkut’s Lance DC set, what would be better, +Res or +Atk (mostly for being able to change sets)?

[Xenomata]

Any ideas for +Def +2 merge Keaton?

It's not exactly +Atk, but Keaton still winds up being stronger than Swordhardt (even when untransformed) while being bulkier and reaping the benefits of Infantry Beast bonuses. I was originally thinking to give him DC and maybe the Atk/Def or Fierce Stance seal, but another idea would be giving him Sturdy Impact for stronger PP and stronger Bonfire triggers, or Sturdy Stance to keep him strictly a melee EP tank. Fierce or Steady Breath is also an option for letting him pack Ignis for extreme Special Triggers. One other idea is simply repeating Swordhardt, giving Fierce Stance/Breath or DC and Vantage, albeit it'd be quite the waste of a perfectly good Special Spiral.

I'm not sure I wanna try for +Atk Keaton, not really because I don't think it's a good Asset (because it's not an asset it's a Superasset), but because of the upcoming banners. But assuming I do, would it be safe to assume that Keaton works just as well with +Atk as he does +Def?

3 hours ago, Javi Blizz said:

I see, I’m not used to this new scoring factor.

So, if I’m running a Berkut’s Lance DC set, what would be better, +Res or +Atk (mostly for being able to change sets)?

+Res resonates most with the Berkut's Lance set, given it further lowers her magic damage intake. Being a Superasset helps in that regard as well.

+Atk resonates the most with any of Effie's sets, and in fact +Atk seems to usually be the default. It even works with the Berkut's Lance set, though she does wind up taking slightly more damage from magic.

Assuming you take Wary Fighter though, that's already a load of potential damage gone just by not being doubled, so if you ask me I'd lean most towards that.

[XRay]

6 hours ago, Javi Blizz said:

So, if I’m running a Berkut’s Lance DC set, what would be better, +Res or +Atk (mostly for being able to change sets)?

Either is fine, but I think +Atk is best.

I do not recommend changing her Weapon now unless you have the resources and want to maximize her performance, but Slaying Lance seems to do much better than Berkut's Lance under pressure.

Hard List +10
+Atk Slaying 135:19:20
+Res Slaying 135:17:22
+Atk Berkut's 135:17:22
+Res Berkut's 136:15:23

Hard List +10 Full Emblem Buffs
+Atk Slaying 116:37:21
+Res Slaying 110:43:21
+Atk Berkut's 107:44:23
+Res Berkut's 89:49:36

Effie 0/0/8/8; Hard List +10
+Atk Slaying 145:8:21
+Res Slaying 143:7:24
+Atk Berkut's 144:6:24
+Res Berkut's  143:6:25

Effie 0/0/8/8; Hard List +10 Full Emblem Buffs
+Atk Slaying 126:22:23
+Res Slaying 123:28:23
+Atk Berkut's 120:27:27
+Res Berkut's 99:32:43

Challenger List:

Spoiler

CHALLENGER LIST  
Effie (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Slaying Lance+  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Distant Counter  
B: Vengeful Fighter 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
Upgrade Path: 4  
 
Effie (5*+10 +res)  
Weapon: Slaying Lance+  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Distant Counter  
B: Vengeful Fighter 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
Upgrade Path: 4  
 
Effie (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Berkut's Lance+  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Distant Counter  
B: Vengeful Fighter 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
Upgrade Path: 4  
 
Effie (5*+10 +res)  
Weapon: Berkut's Lance+  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Distant Counter  
B: Vengeful Fighter 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
Upgrade Path: 4 

 

2 hours ago, Xenomata said:

Any ideas for +Def +2 merge Keaton?

It's not exactly +Atk, but Keaton still winds up being stronger than Swordhardt (even when untransformed) while being bulkier and reaping the benefits of Infantry Beast bonuses. I was originally thinking to give him DC and maybe the Atk/Def or Fierce Stance seal, but another idea would be giving him Sturdy Impact for stronger PP and stronger Bonfire triggers, or Sturdy Stance to keep him strictly a melee EP tank. Fierce or Steady Breath is also an option for letting him pack Ignis for extreme Special Triggers. One other idea is simply repeating Swordhardt, giving Fierce Stance/Breath or DC and Vantage, albeit it'd be quite the waste of a perfectly good Special Spiral.

I'm not sure I wanna try for +Atk Keaton, not really because I don't think it's a good Asset (because it's not an asset it's a Superasset), but because of the upcoming banners. But assuming I do, would it be safe to assume that Keaton works just as well with +Atk as he does +Def?

+Atk is better for Player Phase builds and Vantage builds, so if you lean that way, +Atk is superior.
+Atk
Wolfskin Fang
(Any Assist)
Moonbow — Bonfire
Death Blow — Brazen Atk/Def — Sturdy Impact
Chill Def — Special Spiral — (Any B)
(Any C)
Heavy Blade — Brazen Atk/Def
If you are willing to set up Bonfire, then I would not bother with Sturdy Impact since Brazen Atk/Def seems to do better.
Red skill set has the best turn 1 performance.
Blue skill set has the best performance when it is set up.

Challenger List:

Spoiler

CHALLENGER LIST  
Keaton (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Moonbow  
A: Death Blow 4  
B: Special Spiral 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Heavy Blade 3  
 
Keaton (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Bonfire  
A: Sturdy Impact  
B: Special Spiral 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Attack 3  
 
Keaton (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Bonfire  
A: Sturdy Impact  
B: Special Spiral 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Brazen Atk Def 3  
 
Keaton (5*+10 +atk)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Bonfire  
A: Brazen Atk Def 3  
B: Special Spiral 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Brazen Atk Def 3 

If you are going for regular Enemy Phase, I would stick with +Def since that is usually the nature that does better. I do not recommend running Special Spiral since increasing their bulk usually contributes much more to their performance than increasing their Special triggering; Enemy Phase units also have much less problem triggering Specials since they can rely on the foe's attack to help them use higher cool down Specials. So if you are going Enemy Phase, I would go with something like:
+Def
Wolfskin Fang
(Any Assist)
Ignis — Moonbow
Steady Breath — Steady Stance — Sturdy Stance
Guard — Quick Riposte — Dull Close — Chill Atk
(Any C)
Atk/Def Bond — Quick Riposte
I did a little more testing and the bold skill set seems to do best. With Meisterschwert, it does not seem like he needs Quick Riposte at all. You can run Quick Riposte if the enemies do not hit very hard and you want to see him quad on Enemy Phase, so just keep in mind that Quick Riposte significantly reduces his bulk. I do not recommend Fierce Stance at all since tanks need bulk far more than Atk unless they have some skill that prevents foes' doubles, which Keaton does not have. Sturdy Stance is about as expensive as Steady Breath, but Steady Breath is superior since it allows Keaton to activate much stronger Specials that far surpasses the damage output of Atk+4 from Sturdy Stance, so I recommend saving Sturdy Stance for fliers and cavalry since they cannot use Steady Breath.

Challenger List:

Spoiler

CHALLENGER LIST  
Keaton (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Ignis  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Quick Riposte 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3  
 
Keaton (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Ignis  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Guard 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Quick Riposte 3  
 
Keaton (5*+10 +def)  
Weapon: Wolfskin Fang  
Special: Ignis  
A: Steady Breath  
B: Guard 3  
C: Beast Valor 3  
S: Atk Def Bond 3 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by XRay

[Javi Blizz]

I’ll go with +Atk then, thanks @Xenomata, @XRay!