#marth is already plenty scary... and its not even his final form!

[ceaselessblade]

⚔️️!!

Marth. Ike’s seen him, fought him a little, and quite frankly, he’s impressed.  The prince is clearly faster than him, swifter and more agile. That’s not how he can fight him, but he must, at the very least, keep up with him. For that reason, Ike will at the very least try to match him in speed, because it’d be a disservice to himself to not hone himself in a key facet of the sword. He has no illusions that the only reason he was able to block the Black Knight’s strikes in the tower was absolutely due to his frequent sparring with Mia, a sword partner with a speed that exceeded his own.  Ike... Would likely not prefer Ragnell or Ettard for such a confrontation as a result-- he might prefer a slimmer claymore, or the regal sword. That said, he might just decide to use Ragnell anyway, because he needs the experience while using a heavier blade against a swifter one.  For combat approach, since he’s fighting on equal terms, the same swordfighting basics apply: Target vulnerable areas-- the fingers, usually, injure footwork, or major arteries. Obviously, he can’t actually strike these areas, so the best he can do is mock-threaten them or stop before inflicting the wound.  His advantage against Marth is very clearly-- reach. He simply has more room to maneuver than Marth does, which means that he has a wider angle to attack from and test him with. This is where he suspects Marth might not have as much experience as Lucina-- Marth’s dancing blade is slippery and deadly in equal measure, but he isn’t as skilled in defending from all angles as Lucina is, since he doesn’t appear to have fought in sparse guerilla-warfare much. Marth’s offense is deceptively strong. Ike can only try to deflect, and can’t contest it because he has suspicions that particular thrust would probably break just about anyone’s guard. Be on guard or light on foot at all times, because Ike has absolutely no illusions that the prince will slip in several hits somehow by piercing his own defense. Ike will have to expect taking some hits-- Marth is simply too fast. During exchanges where he’s going to lose-- Ike has to assure equal offense, because if he takes a chunk out of Marth while Marth takes a chunk out of him, he suspects that Marth will actually lose the exchange through attrition. Of course-- that also assumes that he’s not taking two hits for a single one of his own.  Marth’s footwork and stance requires him to be somewhat stable on at least his feet. Even if he does lean lower for quick maneuvers, his general stance puts his torso at a level height, which means that Ike can try to target Marth’s sides or core. If he manages to slip through and land an upward gut punch or fillet a strong cut to the waist, he could probably damage Marth’s form, making for an easier followup since the prince would be less able to exert his offensive pressure. It might be worth taking a deliberate hit just to damage Marth in that situation. 

All in all, Marth is a formidable opponent. He is seasoned-- but perhaps not entirely so, but already he is well-equipped to fell behemoths with his swordwork. Likely, he already has. Ike fully expects to lose a spar or two to him at some point or other-- Marth’s conviction and blade style exude that kind of explosive power, as if they could overturn heaven and earth! Now, what would the Prince need that power for, however... Ike isn’t sure of. Goddess knows his mere personality is already enough to unite nations.