Fire Emblem Cipher - Rules and Q&A

[Hardin]

Okay, I am really curious about something. Does anyone know why Wrys looks the way he does in his 2nd card? In his first card he looks like his usual peaceful self, while in his 2nd card he looks insane. Is it some sort of joke i'm not getting or what? With the red eyes and pale skin it almost looks like hes being controlled by the darksphere.

It's just a funny "What if?" promotional card for Cipher.

[Touya]

Okay, I am really curious about something. Does anyone know why Wrys looks the way he does in his 2nd card? In his first card he looks like his usual peaceful self, while in his 2nd card he looks insane. Is it some sort of joke i'm not getting or what? With the red eyes and pale skin it almost looks like hes being controlled by the darksphere.

Wrys is considered Really Funny in the Japanese fandom, sort of in the way that westerners think of Error in Zelda II. His introductory line is very quotable to them, hence the Cipher flavor text on the B01 Wrys is identical to the original while the promo is a humorous spin on it. The idea of Wrys, the feeble old man and humble curate, reclassing as a holy terror of a hero and rampaging through the battlefield breaking skulls, is just inherently funny for longtime FE1/3/11 fans.

[Hardin]

It's especially funny when you notice that the regular Wrys is holding the vulnerary that replaced him in FE3.

[pasu]

Hi guys, just wanted to point out a typo/error spotted from another thread:

On the wiki (and presumably the gdocs too) unpromoted Robin(F)'s skill is written as "If you have less bonds than your opponent, this unit’s attack is increased by 10." But according to the original jp it's actually If you have lesser orbs (オーブ）.

[burbash]

Hi all,

I purchased both the starter decks and have been playing a few games with friends. I have a couple of general questions. Searched the topic but haven't found answers (might be using the wrong keywords). Hoping someone can help!

1. You're not allowed two of the same character on your field, but are you allowed two of the same in your Bond Area?

2. Are you allowed one character (say, Chrom) in your Bond Area, and another Chrom on your battlefield?

3. I need some clarification with Lon'qu and Navarre's Killing Edge skill. Does this guarantee an automatic defeat of the target enemy, or does it just deny them the use of Godspeed Evade for that attack? A 3 bond flip is quite expensive, so I'm hoping it's an automatic defeat.

4. Sully and Stahl's Aegis skill stops enemy rear guard units attacking. Does it only stop them from attacking Sully/Stahl, or all units on your field?

5. Finally, can you promote/class change a unit on the same turn you deploy it (providing you have the correct number of bonds)? When playing, we've been deploying a unit then promoting it on the same turn if both cards are in our hand.

Thanks!

[Ayra]

Hi all,

I purchased both the starter decks and have been playing a few games with friends. I have a couple of general questions. Searched the topic but haven't found answers (might be using the wrong keywords). Hoping someone can help!

1. You're not allowed two of the same character on your field, but are you allowed two of the same in your Bond Area?

2. Are you allowed one character (say, Chrom) in your Bond Area, and another Chrom on your battlefield?

3. I need some clarification with Lon'qu and Navarre's Killing Edge skill. Does this guarantee an automatic defeat of the target enemy, or does it just deny them the use of Godspeed Evade for that attack? A 3 bond flip is quite expensive, so I'm hoping it's an automatic defeat.

4. Sully and Stahl's Aegis skill stops enemy rear guard units attacking. Does it only stop them from attacking Sully/Stahl, or all units on your field?

5. Finally, can you promote/class change a unit on the same turn you deploy it (providing you have the correct number of bonds)? When playing, we've been deploying a unit then promoting it on the same turn if both cards are in our hand.

Thanks!

Here's as far as I know.

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) Just make the enemy unable to evade. While 3 is definitively expensive, from what I can see the "best" strategy is to take all the hits to your main character until you are down to 0 orbs left so that you have more cards to play with. If an opponent does that and you have a Navarre, this allows you to probably finish them off even if they have like 5 copies of their main character in their hand.

4) From my understanding, it stops all enemy rear guard attacks period. It is a skill that's only active if class-changed though (hence why I prefer Sully to Chrom as main character in the starter deck); if you compare with Cain or Abel, they have an inferior version of the skill, but it does not require a promotion.

5) I believe you can. However, unless the unit has a CCS clause, you probably are better off just playing the promoted version directly. The cost is the same, and the number of cards you will be left in your hands will be the same. You'll only be trading the chance to crit or dodge with your new promoted unit for a random card instead if you play the base and promote on the same turn.

[pasu]

However, unless the unit has a CCS clause, you probably are better off just playing the promoted version directly. The cost is the same, and the number of cards you will be left in your hands will be the same. You'll only be trading the chance to crit or dodge with your new promoted unit for a random card instead if you play the base and promote on the same turn.

This, unless you have promoted Chrom as your Main Character then you'll want to promote them from their base unit so they get that awesome +20 atk and 2 orb destruction on the turn they're promoted.

3. I need some clarification with Lon'qu and Navarre's Killing Edge skill. Does this guarantee an automatic defeat of the target enemy, or does it just deny them the use of Godspeed Evade for that attack? A 3 bond flip is quite expensive, so I'm hoping it's an automatic defeat.

No, it only denys them the use of GSE. You're right, a 3 bond flip is really expensive for a 60 atk unit...

[Coopa]

A few rules that need clarification.

First, is the battle phase a subsection of the action phase. If YES, this means that after you declare an attack with unit A, you may retreat unit B from the front row to the back row. You are not stuck, unable to move unit B because you already swung with Unit B.

The question simply is, does it go like this. Action phase (movement, abilities) Battle phase -> Action phase -> Battle Phase over and over until you are done? This is pretty important for certain decisions in the game.

Second, the rule, if the front line doesn't exist, the back line must move up. Are you allowed to move your SOLO LEADER from the front line to the back line, thus emptying out the front line, forcing all your backline units to move up (at the cost of your leader being tapped because he moved). This is also another tactical move that I think is important, but I haven't read a rule that says to the contrary.

[Tuvillo]

That mechanic is more interesting offensively.

Can you move the enemy solo frontliner to the backline, forcing the entire team to the front?

Also doesn't a Forced March tap your units?

Edited July 5, 2015 by Tuvillo

[Coopa]

That mechanic is more interesting offensively.

Can you move the enemy solo frontliner to the backline, forcing the entire team to the front?

Also doesn't a Forced March tap your units?

Dear God. That question of mine and your interpretation just made the Marth deck that much stronger. I'm more worried now than before.

Edit: Looking at the 4/3 marth he can only move rearguard units to the front, so it's not so bad. But the unpromoted marth cost 1 doesn't specify if it can't move the leader (it just move enemy unit) and it can move a unit to either line.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Coopa

[FutureKnightX]

Action Phase is where you do all your actions. You can use ACT abilities, move, and battle all in the same phase and in any order you wish and can even go back and forth. Basically, you can attack with one unit, move another, use an ability, move another, then attack with another. You can use any action and in any order (provided it is legal, naturally. For example, cost 1 Marth has to use his ability before you do any other action).

And I do assume "forced march" would mean the units moving don't tap, but I wouldn't still use that very often nevertheless as ranged units are very important.

[Fallsmyer]

Dear God. That question of mine and your interpretation just made the Marth deck that much stronger. I'm more worried now than before.

Edit: Looking at the 4/3 marth he can only move rearguard units to the front, so it's not so bad. But the unpromoted marth cost 1 doesn't specify if it can't move the leader (it just move enemy unit) and it can move a unit to either line.

That interpretation plays more to the Awakening cards Robin and Chrom since they can move Vanguard or Rearguard.

[Touya]

So I knew that there was something more going on with the Super Rare Marth.

His illustrator is Hakoda Maki, author of the second FE1 manga! Have any other returning artists been noticed? I suppose Yamada Koutarou will be back for whenever Elibe support rolls around.

[eclipse]

So I knew that there was something more going on with the Super Rare Marth.

His illustrator is Hakoda Maki, author of the second FE1 manga! Have any other returning artists been noticed? I suppose Yamada Koutarou will be back for whenever Elibe support rolls around.

I just grabbed one card that a particular artist did.

Yusuke Kozaki (lodestar Marth) - artist for Awakening/Fates

Douji Shiki (cost 3 Caeda) - Elincia's DLC art in Awakening

Daisuke Izuka (promo cost 1 Marth) - seems like he did FE12's art, too

Sachiko Wada (promo cost 3 Marth) - Sacred Stones, Leif's DLC art in Awakening

HACCAN (Bord) - Alm's DLC art in Awakening

Senri Kita (cost 4 Navarre) - the Tellius series, Marth's DLC art in Awakening

. . .may have missed a few, too.

[Nanaka]

Regarding Battle phase: You can attack and use the ACT abilities in any order you want.

Regarding Forced March: Units will be be tapped when Marched. Also if you move a single vanguard unit to rear guard manually, it will trigger a forced march also.

Regarding "Move an enemy unit" : Please be careful with this, as there are different versions of this. Morgan (F)'s Emblem skill allows you to move anyone except the defending unit, ST Marth only allows you to move enemy rear guards, 3/2 Shiida allows you to move any amount of your units。

Regarding Promoting a unit you just played: Yes , you can.

[DifferentFight]

Hi hi everyone, I'm gonna be posting a lot of Cipher videos this week, here's the first of 'em!

S02: Awakening Starter Deck Opening

[Fallsmyer]

3. I need some clarification with Lon'qu and Navarre's Killing Edge skill. Does this guarantee an automatic defeat of the target enemy, or does it just deny them the use of Godspeed Evade for that attack? A 3 bond flip is quite expensive, so I'm hoping it's an automatic defeat.

Here's as far as I know.

3) Just make the enemy unable to evade. While 3 is definitively expensive, from what I can see the "best" strategy is to take all the hits to your main character until you are down to 0 orbs left so that you have more cards to play with. If an opponent does that and you have a Navarre, this allows you to probably finish them off even if they have like 5 copies of their main character in their hand.

While technically battle calculations are for the highest attack power. If your attack power is lower than your opponent then that counts as an evasion doesn't it? Since it's really just a hit or miss calculation I was under the impression it's a force kill effect due to the high cost.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Fallsmyer

[FutureKnightX]

Regarding Battle phase: You can attack and use the ACT abilities in any order you want.

Regarding Forced March: Units will be be tapped when Marched. Also if you move a single vanguard unit to rear guard manually, it will trigger a forced march also.

Regarding "Move an enemy unit" : Please be careful with this, as there are different versions of this. Morgan (F)'s Emblem skill allows you to move anyone except the defending unit, ST Marth only allows you to move enemy rear guards, 3/2 Shiida allows you to move any amount of your units。

Regarding Promoting a unit you just played: Yes , you can.

Just added this to the rules on the wiki:

*When a player has no units on the vanguard, all of their rearguard will do a "forced march" and move to the vanguard. This is mandatory.

**As usual when moving, the units tap if they are not already tapped.

**You may move all of your vanguard units to the rearguard to force all of your rearguard units to the front.

Now, I have another question I only just realized. Does a forced march interrupt the action like a deck refresh does? For example, you are a attacking a rearguard with Virion and check cost 1 female Robin for support and decide to move the opponent's sole vanguard unit to the rear, what happens? Do they all march right then, or does it happen after the attack?

[Fallsmyer]

Now, I have another question I only just realized. Does a forced march interrupt the action like a deck refresh does? For example, you are a attacking a rearguard with Virion and check cost 1 female Robin for support and decide to move the opponent's sole vanguard unit to the rear, what happens? Do they all march right then, or does it happen after the attack?

This would probably activate before battle continues since the wording says "may" that means you can choose to not activate her effect as it would interrupt actions like that.

[Tuvillo]

Would the attack of an Archer continue, as during the attack, they leave his range? (I want to say yes because Supports already happened and everything)

[Fallsmyer]

In other games when the field changes you have to restart the battle by choosing a valid target so the attack would be canceled. But because this occurs after supports are called I /really/ want to lean towards that the unit you're currently engaged with cannot be moved.

[Tuvillo]

By the way, can you control Lucina 1 and a Marth? (And can Lucina 1 Support with Marth?)

The card text seems to be absolute, which is implies that she's always treated as Marth at all times, which is not the case.

[Fallsmyer]

Since her true name is Lucina, I believe you can have them both on the field. But you can also use her as discard for crit/evasion. I think the reverse works as well for her Cost 1 form since she calls herself Marth.

Wait a sec. Checking official rulings looks there's a bunch of stuff here.

You can't sortie them since their name is the same.

If you pull Masked Lucina as support for Marth or Marth as support for Masked Lucina it will fail.

You can discard Marths/Masked Lucina for each others Evasion/Crit/Discard cost.

You can Promote or Level Up Masked Lucina into Marth.

You cannot use Cost 3 Maria to pull Marth and Masked Lucina.

Masked Lucina will get the +10 buff from Elice.

The neat thing is that you can actually transform grade 1 Lucina into actual Marth. That could have some nice implications for my mixed deck.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Fallsmyer

[FutureKnightX]

Since her true name is Lucina, I believe you can have them both on the field. But you can also use her as discard for crit/evasion. I think the reverse works as well for her Cost 1 form since she calls herself Marth.

Wait a sec. Checking official rulings looks there's a bunch of stuff here.

You can't sortie them since their name is the same.

If you pull Masked Lucina as support for Marth or Marth as support for Masked Lucina it will fail.

You can discard Marths/Masked Lucina for each others Evasion/Crit/Discard cost.

You can Promote or Level Up Masked Lucina into Marth.

You cannot use Cost 3 Maria to pull Marth and Masked Lucina.

Masked Lucina will get the +10 buff from Elice.

The neat thing is that you can actually transform grade 1 Lucina into actual Marth. That could have some nice implications for my mixed deck.

Yep, this is all true. Double-edged sword type of effect. I think it's cool and I hope to see more of that stuff.

[Tuvillo]

Does that mean you can't promote Lucina into Lucina because she's permanently a Marth? I'd say you can since the printed name is still Lucina, I guess.