Worst weapon type in this game overall

[A2ZOMG]

I say Lances. There is nothing Lances are particularly good at. They have poor hit overall, and are never reliably accurate against anything. Axes to a large extent outclass them in this game, doing significantly better against those common lance and axe users, while both are rather bleh against those super fast sword users that have existent evade. Lances are only practical when you have tremendous stats to back them up and when you're a cavalier that needs that extra damage to kill that loldier over there.

Right, so you're going to tell me about how Bows are fail and all. However in this game, you do not need to devote everyone to counterattack killing, since that option is generally quite risky for most units in many situations (minus obvious exceptions like when you're a superfast myrmidon against those fighters). Your team is better balanced by having a bow user (Shin) since that additional "free" damage your doing on the player phase helps you so much in safely eliminating that one enemy that absolutely needs to be eliminated. Bows are the most accurate and powerful ranged weaponry, something that matters a lot since Javelins are lol, and so are Handaxes to a lesser extent.

And on a side note, I'm pretty convinced that after magic, swords are the most useful weapon type in this game. You don't have any terrible sword users (lol all of them are fast), and because swords are accurate, your sword users are all easy to raise. Just have your underleveled sword user kill off a weakened enemy. They can do this easily thanks to high accuracy.

Edited June 24, 2009 by A2ZOMG

[grandjackal]

Swords. At least bows can do chip damage, you always have to take damage when using swords. Problem is, due to all the lances that using swords just puts you at greater risk more often than not. No range, meaning swords are always a prime target for any range weapon. With that in mind, swords are weak and in exchange using swords just makes you less durable as well. All it's good for is greater insurance of hitting something to finish something off. At least bows kill wyverns to shit and rock in Sacae.

[A2ZOMG]

You don't have to take damage when you use swords. Kill off a weakened enemy or oneround an archer on the doubleattack. Also, there is a Light Brand. And enemy fighters are lol against most of your sword dudes.

All your sword users have so much spd in general that Javelins will almost never hit them so you actually want enemy Javelin users throwing them at them since you're not likely to get hit.

Edited June 24, 2009 by A2ZOMG

[Dr. Tarrasque]

Swords. At least bows can do chip damage, you always have to take damage when using swords. Problem is, due to all the lances that using swords just puts you at greater risk more often than not. No range, meaning swords are always a prime target for any range weapon. With that in mind, swords are weak and in exchange using swords just makes you less durable as well. All it's good for is greater insurance of hitting something to finish something off. At least bows kill wyverns to shit and rock in Sacae.

Then what the hell is Rutger doing so high on the tier list and why is Marcus so awesome in the earlygame O_o? Seriously, this is like saying Rutger is flat out useless in the latgame and that's just bullshit. This ain't FESD where swords lose up to 4 ATK per attack when facing Lances.

Bows are good against Wyverns true but what about everything else?

Edited June 24, 2009 by Sirius

[General Spoon]

Swords. At least bows can do chip damage, you always have to take damage when using swords. Problem is, due to all the lances that using swords just puts you at greater risk more often than not. No range, meaning swords are always a prime target for any range weapon. With that in mind, swords are weak and in exchange using swords just makes you less durable as well. All it's good for is greater insurance of hitting something to finish something off. At least bows kill wyverns to shit and rock in Sacae.

Swords aren't that bad. Just as an example here, the most practical ways to deal with those earlygame armors are the Armorslayer and Lugh.

Edited June 24, 2009 by Miror B.

[Colonel M]

In response to it all, Bows are one of the most accurate ranged weapons you have. Next to Anima, of course.

[grandjackal]

Then what the hell is Rutger doing so high on the tier list and why is Marcus so awesome in the earlygame O_o? Seriously, this is like saying Rutger is flat out useless in the latgame and that's just bullshit. This ain't FESD where swords lose up to 4 ATK per attack when facing Lances.

You implying swords alone are the reason he's up there? Swords are like the reason he's not the top of the list.

Bows are good against Wyverns true but what about everything else?

Depends on the speed of the unit, as it can be generally good against everything. Do not blame the bow for the incompetent archers this game gives you.

[General Spoon]

You implying swords alone are the reason he's up there? Swords are like the reason he's not the top of the list.

Depends on the speed of the unit, as it can be generally good against everything. Do not blame the bow for the incompetent archers this game gives you.

Oh, the incompetent archers don't matter that much (and they're not all incompetent). Only being able to attack at 2~range gives them little action on the enemy phase.

Edited June 24, 2009 by Miror B.

[Dr. Tarrasque]

You implying swords alone are the reason he's up there? Swords are like the reason he's not the top of the list.

If I were, I think we'd be arguing about Shin moving up on your tier list because he can use Swords after promotion. My point is that you're exaggerating with the Sword hate. Rutger would drop if he was a glass cannon and that's what you're making Sword users look like with what you've just said.

Depends on the speed of the unit, as it can be generally good against everything. Do not blame the bow for the incompetent archers this game gives you.

Lovely, you talk about how ranged users will want to pick on Sword users and yet the fact that 1 range users (which are far more common than 1-2 or 2 range users) wanna rape bow users gets no mention? I'm not basing the bow arguments on the users.

[A2ZOMG]

Bows are good against Wyverns true but what about everything else?

Bows are good against every enemy that doesn't have range, which is the majority of enemies (ok, they have some damage issues against armors). When you use a bow, you get free damage on an enemy of your choosing. And eliminating enemies carefully matters quite a bit.

And also, while swords are mostly limited to 1 range (besides the light brand), the number of times you take counters with them is actually much lower than you would expect. Those sword users you have often oneround those enemy archers very reliably thanks to their high hit and your sword users not being terrible. Also thanks to your high hit, you get free kills on any weakened enemy there is since you will rarely, if ever miss when using a sword. And killing a weakened enemy before they get to counterattack does help you quite a bit. And then there is the fact that enemy fighters have very little real hit chances vs swords. Don't believe me that swords can get by with relative ease? Chad isn't hard to raise.

The reason why I think there are a lot of problems with lances is because they only are effective on inherently good units. The stats they demand in order to be effective are much higher than the ones you need in order for axes, swords, and bows to do what they need to do. As I mentioned, they don't have reliable hit on anything. And Axes generally do better in most situations, and their loss against swords compared to lances is very minor in comparison, since ultimately that lance user is still having significant hit issues trying to hit that fast merc/myrmidon.

Edited June 24, 2009 by A2ZOMG

[Mekkah]

Depends more on the character than on the weapon themselves, really. Gonzales sucks at using axes since it's his only weapon, but Heroes/Paladins like using axes when they can then switch over to something like a lance or a sword when they need more accuracy.

I don't think lances are the worst. Javelins, while "lol", are better than guaranteed zero damage against ranged threats. And reducing swordie damage by 1, especially when doubled (2) or critted (3) is useful. And they have quite large might.

[Colonel M]

Besides that, someone like Gonzales can whip out a Swordreaver and do alright on the Sword-user.

Problem is that the ranged weapons are so freaking innacurate that they require a lot of Skill and Luck to use them (and supports, I guess). Though considered "shitty", Bows have the advantage of being accurate, albiet lacking close combat (unless you're Shin then you're alright).

[DragonBladeSniper]

In this game, that's a tough question. I might say light magic despite the fact that it has 1-2 range. Bows are actually helpful in this game and swords to. Lances are always helpful when dealing with most of the enemies in the game (even though there are barely any sword users in this game) and axes help since there are a lot of lance/axe users in this game. This game made light magic look pretty weak, probably because of the possible users: Ellen, Saul and Yodel. Yodel comes way too late and is only helpful if your other healers suck (which is doubtful since there are a lot of magic users in this game who could heal) or if you want the legendary weapon you didn't get. Ellen and Saul aren't bad but the fact that even after they promote, they get a weapon that doesn't deal much damage that isn't all that useful. I don't know, I just don't like light magic in this game.

[Reikken]

This game... is awesome. The weapon types are quite balanced. It's part of why it's my favorite FE.

Well, the physical ones are balanced. Light magic gets shafted. It's basically anima with less hit and no aircalibur or thunder.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Reikken

[Icon of Sin]

This game... is awesome. The weapon types are quite balanced. It's part of why it's my favorite FE.

Well, the physical ones are balanced. Light magic gets shafted. It's basically anima with less hit and no aircalibur or thunder.

Uh...

You have Radiant Dawn for favorite FE.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Dio

[Colonel M]

Uh...

You have Radiant Dawn for favorite FE.

...So?

Light Magic gets shafted in a lot of games. Except RD, I guess, due to Thani.

[grandjackal]

...So?

Light Magic gets shafted in a lot of games. Except RD, I guess, due to Thani.

Yeah, one spell only one person can use is TOTALLY not shafted.

In fact, RD has the worst magic. Only Thani and Bolting are of any real use.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Pretty Boi Wolf

[Colonel M]

Yeah, one spell only one person can use is TOTALLY not shafted.

Well... at least IS appreciated ONE person that uses Light Magic. There is Nosferatu, just shitty units in general (Laura needs a lot of training, lolRhys, lolOliver).

EDIT: Agreed. Perhaps if they had more Laguz as enemies to make use of the magic's effects, though Arch Sages in general aren't that great in RD. Crappy Spd cap is the main culprit.

EDIT2: Well... RexFlame or w/e it's called did give out +5 Spd, so you could say that at least is somewhat unique. Too bad Sanaki has non-existant Str and, once again, lolCalill and lolTormod.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Colonel M

[Reikken]

Uh...

You have Radiant Dawn for favorite FE.

mm, it's been a while since I set or even noticed that.

I guess RD's novelty wore off. It's #2. Perhaps I should change that display.

...if I can. Wtf how do I change it?

nvm, found

Edited June 25, 2009 by Reikken

[Icon of Sin]

...So?

Light Magic gets shafted in a lot of games. Except RD, I guess, due to Thani.

Notice that we're in a Sword of Seals board.

As for the subject at hand, I feel the weapons are balanced enough in this game. Magic isn't heavy like in the other GBA games and melee weapons are fine.

[Colonel M]

My Controls -> Profile Information -> Favorite Fire Emblem Game

EDIT: Too slow.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Colonel M

[grandjackal]

Well... at least IS appreciated ONE person that uses Light Magic. There is Nosferatu, just shitty units in general (Laura needs a lot of training, lolRhys, lolOliver).

Every light mage not Oliver dies in like one shot. Oliver is oddly enough, probably your best light mage in the sense of being useful in a game. Look where he is.

EDIT: Agreed. Perhaps if they had more Laguz as enemies to make use of the magic's effects, though Arch Sages in general aren't that great in RD.

It's terrible how bad magic sucks in RD.

Wardwood alone shafts any point of using them seriously. It's the fact mages suck in general, while magic itself isn't good at all. You never have good thunder when you need it, you never have good wind when you need it, and by the time you have fire there's no point in using a mage at that point seriously. Only point of a mage is to weaken like an archer till people who don't suck arrive.

God, I hate RD...

Also Reikken, I'm curious how RD managed to become #2 favorite for...uhh...anyone. You also change it by changing your personal portal info at your controls, or something like that.

[Colonel M]

Micaiah would be the most useful. Outside of her, I'd say Oliver is a tad bit worse due to availability.

Stat-wise he's alright, though it isn't saying a whole lot. Well, other than being doubled on HM.

Anyway... was there ever a phase where Light magic was good? EDIT: Well... maybe FE5 had a moment with Resire and Narga.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Colonel M

[Dr. Tarrasque]

Eh why does magic suck in RD again?

On topic: Lances or Bows would probably be the worst weapon in the game.

Edited June 25, 2009 by Sirius

[grandjackal]

How does magic not suck in RD?

As for Oliver, I think he's the only reason they bothered putting a Nosferatu tome in hte game.