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Fire Emblem If Fixes Weapon Balance

Fire Emblem If Fixes Weapon Balance

More and more Fire Emblem If news keeps pouring in as the game’s June 25, 2015 Japanese release date approaches. The most recent includes updates on how exactly people will be battling. There have been a number of alterations to the formula already, from durability removals and difficulty adjustments, but the latest will greatly change how people approach the game. Fire Emblem If tweaks the Weapon Triangle, and in doing so makes the title stronger strategically.

The Weapon Triangle is a Fire Emblem staple and essentially follows a rock-paper-scissors formula. Sword beats axe, axe beats lance, and lance beats sword. It’s a time honored tradition, and simple enough for anyone to remember. But it also left some weapons out. There are characters who use bows and knives in Fire Emblem , and the Weapon Triangle doesn’t take those into consideration. Not to mention, Fire Emblem If includes equipment like shuriken and the club-like kanabo. These wild cards left things unclear.

Magic had the same predicament. There used to be a Trinity of Magic, which functioned in a manner similar to the Weapon Triangle. Except it didn’t function the same way in each Fire Emblem , due to the magic varieties offered in each installment, and Fire Emblem: Awakening did away with it completely. There was no sense of organization.

Fire Emblem If rectifies both situations. The traditional Weapon Triangle has been expanded to factor in these additional weapons and abilities, making it easier for a person to outfit allies accordingly. Swords and magic best axes and bows, while axes and bows overpower lancers and hidden weapons. Naturally, lances and hidden weapons are stronger than swords and magic. Suddenly, everything is taken into account. Especially since those little weapons, like knives and shuriken, suddenly have a rightful place in the established order. Knowing where everything goes means more information on the part of player, allowing for more educated decisions.

Such knowledge will prove invaluable when it comes to analyzing opponents on the field. In previous games, you never really knew how to approach archers, other than to surround them with units so they’re boxed in, unable to run, and most likely unable to do any damage to a flying unit. Now, we know to send in the swords and mages. Similarly, mages could end up being the strongest of glass cannons, and this alteration makes them susceptible to more traditional attacks. It’s also rather brilliant, since Pegasus Knights tended to be the best mage killers due to their high resistence, and they’re typically lance wielders.

Fire Emblem If Fixes Weapon Balance

It helps when it comes to equipping characters as well. I personally tend to avoid axe users in my armies, because the weapon is too inaccurate for my tastes. It meant I missed out on some strategic opportunities, but I was okay with that since the sword and lance users had me covered. The new formula puts axes and bows in the same corner of the Weapon Triangle, allowing for another option. This means more customization options for people who are putting together a force.

Think about it. There are probably characters in previous Fire Emblem games that you might have liked, but they didn’t fit well into your established group. The expanded Weapon Triangle feels like it will make it easier to form a cohesive force that supports each other and anticipates any encounter. Or, on the other hand, someone could create self-imposed challenges. People might use a riskier army, one with more susceptible, but potentially powerful, characters that rely on magic, bows, and hidden weapons to prove they can.

The Fire Emblem If Weapon Triangle is going to make things much easier for players. The new formula answers questions about where every piece of equipment fits. This, in turn, will allow people every possible bit of information going into each match, guaranteeing a player the means necessary to assure success. Needing to remember additional weapons now may seem overwhelming, but it’ll be second nature once we start playing.

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