#Clash of FE Classes: Opening round

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 7

(pictured: a Troubadour icon from Sacred Stones, a Mage Knight icon from Sacred Stones, and a Horseman icon from Shadow Dragon, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Troubadours are typically cavalry units who carry healing staves. they promote into Valkyries, which usually nets them access to offensive magic, although it's not unheard of for them to pick up swords instead. good mobility tends to make them naturally better for utility purposes than infantry Clerics, but there's usually a catch somewhere, such as lower Magic (which can mean less efficient healing and/or less prospects for utilizing offensive staves like Silence and Sleep) or, at the promoted level, weaker overall combat. Troubadours and Valkyries are almost always female, with Fates again bringing the rare exceptions (and still having a gnc femboy as one of them); this is in spite of the fact that "troubadour" is a masculine word, with the feminine being "trobairitz" (thanks again, treehouse!). other closely associated classes include the staff-wielding Paladin variant from Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776; the Strategist, Butler and Maid from Fates; and the Holy Knight from Three Houses. Mist from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn also has Valkyrie as her unique class, promoting from a Cleric variant.

Mage Knights, Dark Knights, and other such forms of offensive horseback magic-wielding have appeared at several points in the franchise, with inconsistent incarnations; for example, sometimes they're a class branch in their own right, and sometimes they appear as advanced-only parts of flexible promotion trees. sometimes they wield magic tomes exclusively, sometimes they can still carry a staff, and sometimes they'll mix up might and magic and get a melee physical weapon type into their kit. whatever the case, though, they will generally be balancing out their unique perks against lower Magic and Resistance than the typical magic-wielding unit.

while the Bow Knight or Ranger or Horseman or what have you brings horseback archery -- a venerable staple in historical warfare -- its presence in Fire Emblem has been quite inconsistent. they've variously been seen as distinct class branches (most notably as Nomads and Nomadic Troopers in Binding Blade and Blazing Blade) or as side-path promotions (usually fitting between the Archer and the Mercenary). it's most customary for them, at least at the promoted class level, wield swords as well as bows; they have at times been locked to the bow, though, usually in games that keep all of their cavalry classes single-weapon. the Oliphantier from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is closely related. Fogado from Engage plays very similar to a Bow Knight while belonging to a pair of Lord-unique classes.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 5

(pictured: a Sage icon from Shadow Dragon, a Cleric icon from Shadow Dragon, and a Sorcerer icon from Shadow Dragon, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Mages are typically infantry units who cast magic with their tomes, and promote into Sages, who typically wield staves as well as tome magic. in games that divide magic types, Mages and Sages wield Anima (although Sages sometimes dabble into Light magic as well), and in games that divide types of Anima, there is typically one branch of Mage for each type of Anima magic, with few mechanical distinctions otherwise. Mages are typically distinguished from Clerics and their associated classes by having a higher focus on offense instead of Resistance, although both class lines share a penchant for extremely low durability against physical weapons. closely associated classes include the Priestess from Gaiden/Echoes: Shadows of Valentia; the War Mage from Genealogy of the Holy War; the Archsage from Blazing Blade and Radiant Dawn; the Diviner and Onmyoji from Fates; the Guru and Enchantress from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia; and the Warlock and Gremory from Three Houses.

(NOTE: refer to Match 7 for Mage Knights, Dark Knights, etc.)

Clerics, more rarely known as Priests or Curates, are typically infantry units who cannot fight, but these staves they carry can heal your wonded. they typically promote into Bishops, and thusly gain the ability to defend themselves with magic tomes, although they're usually still sub-par offensive units then -- it's their high Resistance that will shine as their primary asset instead. in games that divide magic types, Bishops will use Light magic -- and the relatively rare classes that focus on wielding Light magic offensively tend to be closely associated with the Cleric line regardless. besides those, closely associated classes include the Saint from Gaiden/Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and Radiant Dawn; the High Priest from Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776 and Engage; the War Monk and War Cleric from Awakening and Three Houses; the Monk from Fates and Three Houses; the Shrine Maiden and Pristess from Fates; the Master Monk from Fates and Engage; the Exemplar from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia; and the Martial Monk from Engage.

Dark Mages, Shamans, Loptr Mages, or whatever else they're going by at a given time, are typically infantry units who cast magic with their tomes. they figure most commonly and proeminently in games with divided magic types, where they'll be packing Dark magic -- but it's also not unheard of for them to wield Anima, or even unspecified tomes. their promoted forms are equally diverse in name, spanning the likes of the Sorcerer, Druid, and Dark Bishop. compared to run-of-the-mill Mages, Dark Mages tend to have the highest sheer Magic power as well as the better physical durability, but low Skill and Speed, as well as lower Resistance than other magical classes, may hold them back from that total supremacy that they often dream of. closely associated classes include the Arcanist, Cantor and Witch from Gaiden/Echoes: Shadows of Valentia; and the Summoner from Sacred Stones. many major antagonists who wield Dark magic are given a unique class of their own as well.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 4

(pictured: an Archer icon from Shadow Dragon, a Soldier icon from Shadow Dragon, and a generic Villager's portrait from Awakening, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Archers are bow-wielding infantry units, who promote into Snipers, still bow-wielding infantry units. they're quite possibly the one true mainstay of the Fire Emblem series, with the Sniper being the only class that appears in every single game, with the same name, using the same weapon type. as consistent as their identity can be, though, their efficacy varies wildly from game to game -- not just because their abilities do, but also because they typically have situational strengths and play best in games that actually put them in those situations at least somewhat often. the situation that they're best known to solve, of course, is an onslaught of enemy fliers -- almost invariably extra-vulnerable to damage from bows. closely associated classes include the Marksman from Radiant Dawn. Alcryst from Engage plays very similar to an Archer while belonging to a pair of Lord-unique classes.

(NOTE: Refer to Match 7 for Bow Knights, etc.)

Soldiers are lance-wielding infantry units. in some games, they're enemy-only and function as weak fodder; in other games, though, they're playable and appear as a balanced class, with a slight focus on defense -- as well as the ability to promote into the Halberdier. other closely associated classes include the Sentinel from Radiant Dawn; the Spear Fighter, Spear Master and Lancer from Fates; and the Lance Fighter from Engage. Timerra from Engage plays very similar to a Soldier while belonging to a pair of Lord-unique classes.

the so-called "Trainee" classes most often manifest in the form of Villagers wielding swords or lances, although they've generally been seen with a variety of possible weapons -- just never more than one at once. the catch-all "Trainee" term refers to various classes throughout the Fire Emblem franchise with basic, low combat capabilities, but with future potential -- often but not always in the form of high stat growths, and often but not always in the form of uniquely flexible promotion options. many of them are essentially a "tier" below the basic classes of the game, thusly requiring a spot of training just to even become part of the regular classes. the Commoner and Noble from Three Houses can be wonkily argued to fit into the category as well.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 1

(pictured: a Swordmaster icon from Shadow Dragon, a Hero icon from Shadow Dragon, and Eliwood's portrait from Blazing Blade, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Myrmidons are typically sword-wielding infantry units, who promote into Swordmasters, still sword-wielding infantry units. technically, the first Myrmidons promoted from Mercenaries in Gaiden and then into Dread Fighters; still, boundaries between two distinct styles of sword-wielding class would grow bigger and wonkier for the next three games. Binding Blade finally consolidated the distinct Myrmidon class, with its focus on Skill and Speed above all other stats -- as well as its signature eastern aesthetics. other closely associated classes include the Trueblade from Radiant Dawn; the Samurai from Fates; and the Mortal Savant from Three Houses. Lyn from Blazing Blade plays very similarly to a Myrmidon while belonging to a pair of unique Lord-type classes.

Mercenaries are typically sword-wielding infantry units, who promote into Heroes, sword- and axe-wielding infantry units (although sometimes they've remained sword-locked, and on rarer occasions they've picked up weapons other than the axe). since becoming a clearly distinct class from Mymridons, Mercenaries have emphatized balanced stats across the board -- fast, if not as fast as a Myrmidon or a Pegasus Knight; tough, if not as tough as a Knight or a Fighter. other closely associated classes include the Sword Fighter from Genealogy of the Holy War and Engage, and the Forrest from Genealogy of the Holy War. Ike from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, as well as Diamant from Engage, play very similarly to Mercenaries while belonging to various unique Lord-type classes.

Lords are typically sword-wielding infantry units. this is typically the unique class of one or more protagonists in a given game. it's not entirely uncommon for Lords to wield weapons besides swords, but there's always at least one Lord (or Lord-like character) in each game who wields a sword. promoted lord classes vary a lot; in a few games they don't promote at all, and there's a lot of variation on whether these promoted classes acquire new weapon types, new movement types, or not much at all besides 20 more levels.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 6

(pictured: a Falcoknight icon from Shadow Dragon, a Dracoknight icon from Shadow Dragon, and a Manakete icon from Shadow Dragon, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Pegasus Knights are units who fly on a pegasus's back, typically wielding lances and promoting into sword- and lance-wielding Falcoknights (who still ride pegasi, not... falcons). a number of classes in the family have also dabbled in magic along the way, whether it be healing staves or tomes (the latter being typical of Dark Fliers). fast and extremely mobile, but low on durability and vulnerable to bows, Pegasus Knights can be challenging to utilize properly, but also highly rewarding. they also typically have the highest Resistance out of any physical melee class around, making them worth fielding against strong magic users. Pegasus Knights and their ilk are almost always exclusively female characters, with the series's lore conteding that pegasi take poorly to male riders. (there seems to be no particular indication of how well they take to nonbinary people, but Nergal's genderless morphs from Blazing Blade can appear as Pegasus Knights, so make of that what you will). the rare exception to this is the Sky Knight from Fates, although their mount is -- varying, best as I recall, on which side of Treehouse's handiwork you're on -- described as either a rare breed of pegasus, or a creature related to but distinct from the pegasus. closely associated classes include the Harrier from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, who also goes on pegasusback; and the Kinshi Knight from Fates, as well as the Griffin Knight from Engage, who splurge on new mounts. Elincia and Hortensia each have their own unique pegasus-riding classes.

are they Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords, or Dracoknights and Dragon Masters? the answer is not consistent across the series, as aren't the translations. and as aren't, for that matter, their typical weapon types; historically, they've wielded lances primarily and sometimes swords, as Pegasus Knights do, but Path of Radiance gave them axes as a new secondary weapon, which then became their primary weapon in Radiant Dawn, and this has since remained that way. whatever it is exactly that these people are riding, though, they're as mobile as Pegasus Knights and a lot more durable to boot, which consistently makes them powerful and versatile units -- although their Speed isn't always up to snuff, their Resistance can let them down, and they usually still take heavy damage from bows. closely associated classes include the Wyvern Knight from Sacred Stones (who is on a different mount than that of the Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords of the same game, thanks treehouse); the Dragonlord from Radiant Dawn; the Griffon Rider from Awakening; and the Malig Knight from Fates. Ashnard from Path of Radiance, as well as Ivy, Zephia and Zelestia from Engage, all have unique wyvern-riding classes (although it's, uh, definitely not a wyvern that Ashnard rides...).

Maneketes are mostly human-looking, but look out -- they can shapeshift into mighty dragons! and they fight in this altered state, eschewing weapons of metal, wood, string and whatnot -- who needs those when you're a fire-breathing, mother-fucking dragon? in any case, we're also including here other natural-born draconic fighters, such as regular wild dragons, the Dragon Tribe Laguz, and the likes of the monstrous Necrodragon. although, funny enough, Engage in particular has a fair number of characters with draconic ancestry, and unique classes to match them, but only two of them actually ever exhibit the ability to transform in battle. (although, technially, any playable character in the game can transform by Engaging with Emblem Tiki, I guess)

(NOTE: Refer to Match 8 for non-draconic transforming races, such as Taguel and beast or bird Laguz)

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 8

(pictured: a Dancer icon from Thracia 776, a Thief icon from Shadow Dragon, and a generic Wolfskin's portrait from Fates, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Dancers are the most typical incarnation of a very distinct type of support unit, which can also manifest in such ways as the Bard, the Heron Tribe Laguz, or the Songstress. the common thread there, besides musical performance, is that these classes have the often unique ability to grant their allies an additional move per turn. this is an incredibly powerful ability that invariably cements these characters' worth as units, even if they generally can't hold their own in combat (and many can't defend themselves at all, in fact). Dancers have exclusively been female for much of the series -- although male characters have figured in the other variants of the class -- until Three Houses made it possible to reclass male characters into Dancer, and Engage subsequently introduced the series's first canonical male Dancer.

Thieves are the series's premier utility-oriented staple class. usually armed with swords, sometimes settling for daggers instead, characters of this class have on occasion proven to have combat mettle -- especially the ones who can promote into classes like Assassin or Rogue -- but fighting isn't really their raison d'etre. they're more at home breaking away from the struggle to crack open the locked doors of the world and loot treasure chests. they're also frequently given additional utilities as well, such as stealing items off enemies' inventories and seeing farther ahead in Fog of War. enemy thieves are a well-known nuisance, what with their penchant to race the player to points of interest; left alone, they will carry treasure away and destroy villages. dealing with them is usually worth it not just for securing the bounty, though, but also for the great amounts of EXP that defeating them is worth. other closely associated classes include the Whisper from Radiant Dawn; the Trickster from Awakening and Three Houses; and the Ninja, Master Ninja, Outlaw and Adventurer from Fates.

the Laguz from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn -- Cat Tribe, Tiger Tribe, Lion Tribe, Wolf Tribe, Hawk Tribe and Raven Tribe alike -- started out as unique additions to the specific Tellius setting, and had (or, more often, were held back by) a unique Transformation Gauge mechanic that set them apart from the dragon-shifters of the series's past. since then, in Tellius's wake, other titles have played with Beast-shifter classes, albeit usually in a vein more reminiscent of the Manaketes; thusly, the Taguel hare-people from Awakening, the Nine-Tails and Kitsune fox-people from Fates, and the Wolfskin and Wolfssegner wolf-people from the other side of Fates. the definition could also easily extend to cover many of the monstrosities in the series which use natural weapons, such as the Bael and Elder Bael giant spiders of Sacred Stones, the fist-fighting Faceless and Stoneborn of Fates, or a majority of the giant beasts from Three Houses. Fire Emblem Heroes took until its third year of runtime to introduce these beast-type units into their system, but since then, the game's roster of original characters has definitely come to contain a colorful menagerie as well.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 3

(pictured: a Warrior icon from Shadow Dragon, a Pirate icon from Shadow Dragon, and a generic Revenant portrait from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Fighters are typically axe-wielding infantry units, who promote into Warriors, typically axe- and bow-wielding infantry units. low Skill and Speed usually makes them relatively unpopular units among players, but their sheer Strength shouldn't be underestimated; they can be the key to defeating sturdy enemies, and unlike most other classes with high damage-dealing potential, they also tend not be absolute liabilities when exposed to enemies' attacks. closely associated classes include the Reaver from Radiant Dawn; the Oni Savage and Oni Chieftain from Fates; the War Master from Three Houses; and the monstrous Cyclops from Sacred Stones.

Brigands have been known by several names across the years; often, there's a small distinction between them as mountain-dwelling ruffians, contrasted with the sea-dwelling Pirates. other names given to the class include Barbarian and Bandit -- but in any case, when they get to promote, they become Berserkers. as enemies, they typically have the ability to loot and destroy points of interest on the map, and as playable characters -- well, they're fairly rare. the exact mechanical differences between Fighters and Brigands vary, but Brigands tend to be speedier and more offense-oriented, at the cost of either lower durability or even lower Skill. oh, and by the way? we do not talk about the Corsair from Blazing Blade.

Revenants and Entombed are enemy-exclusive monster classes -- and specifically, the single monster class with the most appearances across the franchise. along that way, they've also etched themselves a distinct mechanical role: with high HP and low everything else, they make for exceptionally stubborn nuisances. still, it's hard to feel that an encounter with Entombed in particular is an annoyance -- those piñatas are known to drop lots of sweet, sweet EXP when smashed open.

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Clash of FE Classes Opening Round - Match 2

(pictured: a Cavalier icon from Shadow Dragon, a Knight icon from Shadow Dragon, and a generic Great Knight portrait from Three Houses, on a GBAFE arena background)

introductions to the classes, other closely associated classes, and explanations under the cut

Cavaliers are typically horse-riding units who wield swords as well as lances, and promote into Paladins. in some games, Cavaliers are only given one type of weapon, and divide into classes according to those weapon types, usually (but not always) remaining single-weapon even after promotion. no matter the weapon, though, Cavaliers stand out for their versatility, high movement, and balanced stats, with Paladins often being among the few physical melee classes with more than below average Resistance. Alfred from Engage plays very similar to a Cavalier while belonging to a pair of Lord-unique classes.

(NOTE: Refer to Match 7 for Bow Knights, etc.)

Armor Knights are typically heavy-armored, lance-wielding infantry units, who promote into Generals, thusly picking up at least one and sometimes several new weapons. in some games, Knights are instead given one of various types of weapon, and divide into classes according to these weapon types; however, even in such games, it's typical for the divided classes to eventually all promote their way into the same final class, which combines all of its potential predecessors' weapon proficiencies. Knights are infamous for their extreme stat spreads, with abysmal Speed but outstanding Defense and HP; they're difficult to take down, although they'll generally find themselves vulnerable against magic, effective-damage weapons, or just a sufficiently strong and persistent axe user. Knights and Generals are also extraordinarily common as enemy bosses, especially in the early- to mid-game; being formidable, but with discrete weaknesses, they naturally test a fledgeling player's ability to adapt to challenges. closely associated classes include the Baron from Gaiden/Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776; the Marshall from Radiant Dawn; the Fortress Knight from Three Houses; the Spartan from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia; and the monstrous Fiend from Gaiden/Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Hector from Blazing Blade and Edelgard from Three Houses play very similarly to Armor Knights while belonging to various Lord-unique classes.

Great Knights are staples of Fire Emblem games with flexible promotion options, typically acting as a common option for Cavaliers as well as Knights. heavily armored cavalry is a traditional image of medieval warfare, and Great Knights seal it in deeper than the likes of Paladins; they tend to compromise between mobility and toughness in a way that makes them very distinct from other classes, at least at a glance. Great Knights are typically afforded a broad range of weapon proficiencies by their middle-road promotion status, but they usually end up being associated with axes first of all.

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Introducing: Clash of FE Classes

Fire Emblem's classes are pretty interesting. they tell you at a glance most of what to expect from enemies and playable units alike, and the aesthetic throughlines they carry are often the beating heart of each individual game's look during gameplay proper. it's fair to say that they have a character in their own right, beyond the individual characters that compose each given class.

so, then -- if we can make characters fight over and over again in these polls, why not see how classes fare?

here's how it's going to roll:

this will be a straightforward elimination bracket poll tournament

this time around, there will be no submission stages, qualifiers, etc.; I've already picked out 24 classes to compete -- with a focus on classes that are actually at least somewhat recurrent in the series (which means I'll be avoiding one-offs, even iconic ones like Master Knight or Grappler)

for the opening round, the polls will be 1v1v1; afterwards, they'll be 1v1 all the way

all polls will be week-long

we'll be starting tomorrow (June 10th, Saturday), with that 1v1v1 opener. may the most powerful class win -- or, if nothing else, the one with the sicknastiest animations!

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welcome to the... voting gauntlet?

hi, I made this sideblog to run miscellaneous and outstandingly niche Fire Emblem poll tournaments. here's hoping you'll enjoy whatever you've tripped over at this time!

currently running:

nothing right now! look forward to the next tournament

previous tournaments:

#poll: Clash of FE Classes ||| opening round / quarterfinals / semifinals / final

#poll: Miniboss Battle ||| opening round / round of 16 / quarterfinals / semifinals / final

#poll: Year of the Dragon ||| opening round / quarterfinals / semifinals / final