I don't get how Mercenaries/heroes are great at all.....

[Harvey]

I tried a couple of mercenaries in the FE games that I played and honestly, I can't picture one besides Flavia( who isn't a mercenary but whatever....) that I like. I tried Selena/Severa in Fates and she's just alright but not that great compared to Hana.

In Holy War, I tried using Beowulf but he's just too weak. Delmund didn't do so much either. Compared to Mymordians and Swordmasters, Mercenaries/Heroes don't so so much.

I don't know what wrong I'm doing here....just how the hell I was suppose to make Laslow a good unit as a hero/mercenary if he can't take that many hits?

[Rezzy]

Heroes generally have very nice, balanced stats and growths, as well as access to 2/3 of the weapon triangle. Having Axes also gives them 1-2 range weapons, since they usually have a decent enough Skill to make up for Axes usually low hit rate.

Depending on the game, being Sword locked can be bad, hurting Swordmasters.

[General Horace]

The mercenaries in recent games have been pretty underwhelming, Gregor and Laslow are on the lower end of the spectrum in their respective games and Selena is mediocre. Ryoma is basically an entirely different class because of Rajinto too, swordmasters never really have good 1-2 range, but Rajinto is totally broken.

In the older games, most merceneries joined fairly early on with high base stats, and were generally better than swordmasters because they had more durability/strength while still having enough speed to double, and then on promotion they gained 1-2 range with hand axes.

Also related Beowulf and Delmud aren't mercenaries (the class anyway), Holyn's the closest thing to one in FE4.

[Draco]

fe13/14 mercs are underwhelming usually

they're solid units everywhere else tho

[Rezzy]

3DS games are a different story due to rampant reclassing, unlimited leveling, and skill consideration.

Armsthrift was great, though.

[MCProductions]

FE2: Awesome simply by the nature of FE 2 where everything is good

FE3: Ogma and Navarre are pretty good, but the other three options are underwhelming

FE4: Technically, they do not exist

FE6: Deke is great, but he's just outclassed by the likes of Rutger

FE7: Raven's eh tbh, but Harken's decent if only since he comes with a Brave Sword

FE8: Awesome

I think they don't exist in FE9 and 10

FE11: Ogma is amazing, Caesar and Samson are trash

FE12: See FE11

FE13: Gregor is pair up fodder for Nowi and Flavia is just garbage due to lack of supports and absurdly late join time

FE14: Laslow is lol bad, but Selena's pretty good

[Magical Glace]

I think they don't exist in FE9 and 10

Ike's Lord class in FE9 is basically a Merc with a different name.

[Rend Keaven]

Heroes are kind of nerfed in the newer games despite having very good skill sets.

In the older games, they are a different story.

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

Ike's Lord class in FE9 is basically a Merc with a different name.

i wouldn't say his promotion in 9 is hero tho, no axes.

definitely the case in FE10 tho.

[Harvey]

Ok so I don't get it here.....how is it that you guys claim that mercenaries have good skillsets when the ones that myrmidons have are more powerful besides the Armsthrift and Sol?

[MCProductions]

Ok so I don't get it here.....how is it that you guys claim that mercenaries have good skillsets when the ones that myrmidons have are more powerful besides the Armsthrift and Sol?

.. Because Armsthrift and Sol are that awesome, especially compared to Myrm/Swdmaster's Shit Vantage and "Hope you don't encounter anyone with counter" Astra

[BBM]

The reputation of mercs being awesome mostly comes from FE7-FE8 really. Raven and Gerik are both among the best units in the game, at least if you're not considering purely speed, while Guy and Joshua/Marisa are average or bad.

[Jedi]

The reputation of mercs being awesome mostly comes from FE7-FE8 really.

I'd say also from Marth's games, considering in FE1, FE3 & FE11/12, Merc/Hero's are generally pretty good (especially in 3 because Ogma, Navarre[no myrms existed] Samson etc) and in the re-classing world they were a really solid class.

[Dr. Tarrasque]

The reputation of mercs being awesome mostly comes from FE7-FE8 really.

False.

I'll keep this short: Mercenaries had the reputation for being awesome because their base stats made them usable and great as soon as you get them and more often than not, remained competent/great throughout most of the game. When compared, the immediate class people turn to is something like Myrmidon as they're both basically infantry swordsmen.

The Myrmidon typically has better SKL and SPD than the Merc while the latter had better HP, STR, DEF. In most cases, both the Merc and Myrmidon were capable of double attacking any enemy they come across and seeing as how 1 skill is just 2% hit and hit rates generally favor the player through the series, the Myrmidon's SKL and SPD lead on the Merc was redundant and the Merc's better stats had a higher chance of more significant factors: The ability to take an extra hit or the ability to kill/deal enough damage for another attack to finish the enemy off.

Now, if you're the type of player that just grinds characters to heights where anyone just stomps anything, then all this goes out the window because all those grinded units will be relatively effective enough to deal with just about anything and then the thing people will turn to is green numbers. The fact that recent mercs have later join times and Lunatic lategames actually giving SPD caps significance also puts the Myrmidon/Swordmaster line in a better light.

[Troykv]

The reputation of mercs being awesome mostly comes from FE7-FE8 really. Raven and Gerik are both among the best units in the game, at least if you're not considering purely speed, while Guy and Joshua/Marisa are average or bad.

Actually Ogma (FE1/3/11/12) has a really good reputation too.

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

yeah more or less mercenary's and heros were a super version of "jack of all" like "master of all" but as of awakening and fates they are more like a "master of none"

its sad.

[Yvette]

Mercenaries tend to be more bulky myrmidons only without dodge tanking abilities. They won't be able to double the fastest of enemy units and typically you can't consistently rely on them to dodge, so they often take significantly more hits. I guess it's up to your playstyle whether or not to use them. I almost always use Ogma, at the very least. They're capable units prior to FE13/14.

But yeah they suck in Awakening. In Fates too, though I felt that they made them a bit better. I at least think mercenary is a viable class for your avatar depending on what stat mods you choose but then again, the right mods can make any class work for Robin and Corrin.

Only talking Awakening and Fates, I'd say Sol makes it worth it (besides for Laslow, the embodiment of underwhelming). It's relatively easy to activate with the formula literally just being activation rate = skill stat. Astra is better for dealing damage yeah, but considering that your hero is probably taking more hits than your swordmaster means that the health recovered from Sol can make your merc into a potentially tanky unit who just heals his own wounds (hopefully). It's a less broken form of nosferatu, in a sense. Don't have to stay in the class if you don't want to

Gregor is eh. Laslow sucks, though Selena is good enough to make mercenary work.

[Shadow Mir]

Mercenaries tend to be more bulky myrmidons only without dodge tanking abilities. They won't be able to double the fastest of enemy units and typically you can't consistently rely on them to dodge, so they often take significantly more hits. I guess it's up to your playstyle whether or not to use them. I almost always use Ogma, at the very least. They're capable units prior to FE13/14.

But yeah they suck in Awakening. In Fates too, though I felt that they made them a bit better. I at least think mercenary is a viable class for your avatar depending on what stat mods you choose but then again, the right mods can make any class work for Robin and Corrin.

Only talking Awakening and Fates, I'd say Sol makes it worth it (besides for Laslow, the embodiment of underwhelming). It's relatively easy to activate with the formula literally just being activation rate = skill stat. Astra is better for dealing damage yeah, but considering that your hero is probably taking more hits than your swordmaster means that the health recovered from Sol can make your merc into a potentially tanky unit who just heals his own wounds (hopefully). It's a less broken form of nosferatu, in a sense. Don't have to stay in the class if you don't want to

Gregor is eh. Laslow sucks, though Selena is good enough to make mercenary work.

Tbf, I think Sol is meh - it's not exactly something I'd be relying on to save my bacon when I really need it, especially since healing items and healers are a thing.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[sirmola]

WHy has no one mentioned fe5 Mercenary (which really more like hero) yet. Besides, glasus being awesome, a variety of good to exelent sword fighters and axe fighters promote into it, and sword fighters get D lances for instant hand axe usage. Granted, sword master may be a better class due to better base stats, better MOV, and the fact that weapon ranks are REALLY hard. to gain in fe5.

[MCProductions]

WHy has no one mentioned fe5 Mercenary (which really more like hero) yet. Besides, glasus being awesome, a variety of good to exelent sword fighters and axe fighters promote into it, and sword fighters get D lances for instant hand axe usage. Granted, sword master may be a better class due to better base stats, better MOV, and the fact that weapon ranks are REALLY hard. to gain in fe5.

I prolly would've, but I haven't gotten that far in FE5 yet

[Yvette]

Tbf, I think Sol is meh - it's not exactly something I'd be relying on to save my bacon when I really need it, especially since healing items and healers are a thing.

I'd say it depends on the unit: a mercenary with good strength and defense who is only taking small amounts of damage at a time can potentially be relied upon to have Sol activate just that one-out-of-four times and heal up. That's what I meant by the mercenary class being shit in the hands of Laslow, he's not very good and thus doesn't reap the benefits of the skillset. But yeah, in the case of sir generic mercenary I agree with you.

Even if it's not saving your unit, it's just convenient to have one less unit to heal at the start of the next player phase.

[Shadow Mir]

I'd say it depends on the unit: a mercenary with good strength and defense who is only taking small amounts of damage at a time can potentially be relied upon to have Sol activate just that one-out-of-four times and heal up. That's what I meant by the mercenary class being shit in the hands of Laslow, he's not very good and thus doesn't reap the benefits of the skillset. But yeah, in the case of sir generic mercenary I agree with you.

Even if it's not saving your unit, it's just convenient to have one less unit to heal at the start of the next player phase.

That'd actually be a good point if Sol actually was reliable, which it isn't. And even if it was, it doesn't mean anything if the attack misses.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[Draco]

I find Sol to be really good actually

I think it's saved many a unit in my case

Also, Armsthrift is super fun, since I can use the Legendary Weapons in Awakening without worry

[Shadow Mir]

I find Sol to be really good actually

I think it's saved many a unit in my case

Also, Armsthrift is super fun, since I can use the Legendary Weapons in Awakening without worry

As I see it, Sol has reliability issues - I have to hope that (1) Sol kicks in, (2) I'm doing a decent amount of damage to whatever I'm facing, and (3) the attack doesn't miss. Not exactly the circumstances I'd want to hope align in my favour. As for Armsthrift, it's alright, but out of all the non-Robin characters, most of them that have Merc access either don't have the luck to have it kick in frequently (Cordelia, Severa, Gregor, Flavia) or have availability issues (Severa, Inigo, Flavia, Priam).

[KoimanZX]

As I see it, Sol has reliability issues - I have to hope that (1) Sol kicks in, (2) I'm doing a decent amount of damage to whatever I'm facing, and (3) the attack doesn't miss. Not exactly the circumstances I'd want to hope align in my favour. As for Armsthrift, it's alright, but out of all the non-Robin characters, most of them that have Merc access either don't have the luck to have it kick in frequently (Cordelia, Severa, Gregor, Flavia) or have availability issues (Severa, Inigo, Flavia, Priam).

Donnel makes really good use of Armsthrift due to his super high luck stat (that is, if one really wants to put in the effort to make him usable).

Edited August 8, 2016 by KoimanZX