Ike, Young Mercenary [Complete!]

[MrSmokestack]

The following analysis has been adapted from a previous one I wrote back in April. You can peruse the original here. If there are any concerns or if I missed any rules, please let me know. Thanks.

Background

Spoiler

In Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Ike is the son of Gawain--otherwise known as Greil--and Elena, as well as the older brother to his sister Mist. Though born in Gallia, he was raised in Crimea and trained to become a member of his father's Greil Mercenaries. After his father's death at the hands of an enigma known only as the Black Knight, Ike is suddenly thrust into a position where he must lead his band of mercenaries as their commander. Offering his services to a displaced Crimean royal, Elincia, he and the Greil Mercenaries travel throughout Tellius to rally support against the growing might of Daein, led by the cruel King Ashnard. In time, Ike proves himself and becomes the general of the Crimean Liberation Army, with the forces of Begnion and Gallius at his side, and becomes worthy of wielding the legendary sword Ragnell, which he uses to avenge his father's death and reclaim the continent.

Red Sword users remain a niche class of units, largely due to both over-saturation within the pool itself, and the existence of superior offensive options in ranged units like mages and archers. However, those with Prf weapons like Ryoma, Ike, Ayra, Lucina, and Mia can still compete for a team slot due to their improved scoring potential over the other options, which have either a limited number of merges (Black Knight, Xander, Joshua) or offer nothing unique of their own whatsoever. Out of all of them, Ike has arguably the best enemy phase potential when factoring in skill inheritance, but he can also be built to have an offensive presence.

Default Ike

Spoiler

Neutral Stats:
42 / 35 / 31 / 32 / 18
Total: 158

Starting Skills:
Weapon: Ragnell
Assist: None
Special: Aether
Passive A: Heavy Blade 3
Passive B: Swordbreaker 3
Passive C: None

Note that Ike suffers a -4 stat penalty if he takes Res as his bane, which will reduce his stat total by 1.
For every other + or - stat, simply add or subtract 3 to get the stat total without weapons or skills.
Ike's bases are fantastically distributed. He possesses high base Atk as well as above-average physical bulk, with Spd being his only relevant weak point. Having poor Res is negligible, and it is not a stat in demand for the niche units like Ike normally fill. In general, ideal Ikes will roll with +Atk and either -Res or -HP; while the former offers better survivability over the latter, it slightly reduces his stat total for Arena scoring, which may want to be considered for those looking to optimize.

Compared to Ryoma, Ike has 4 less Spd in exchange for higher Atk and physical bulk. While this lends Ryoma to being more versatile, Ike is more specialized as an enemy phase unit. This is arguably better than Ryoma's player phase offense due to being limited by infantry movement; it's easier for a melee unit to bait an enemy than to approach them.

At base, Ike can't utilize Heavy Blade very well with Aether, but fortunately his prerequisite skill Luna makes good use of it. Aether still has the edge when it comes to arena scoring, and when resources aren't taken into account it may be best to build Ike around being able to use this special so that it offers more than a bump to your points. Swordbreaker compensates for his middling Spd base and lets him check speedy Sword users that would otherwise make quick work of him. Combined with his high Atk, this makes a fine budget option if your team has trouble dealing with Ayra. Quick Riposte is generally more useful, both for his other matchups and for arena scoring.

Default Ike is minimalist, and yet so very effective. As a popular FE character, he has appeared in numerous summoning focuses. He is an excellent unit to roll for as a free or new player, requiring little investment to get off the ground and becoming even better the more he gets.

Example Sets

Spoiler

Steady Breath Counterkiller

Spoiler

(+Atk  -Res)
42 / 54 / 31 / 32 / 14
Weapon: Ragnell
Assist: Reposition / Dual Rally Skill
Special: Dragon Fang / Aether
Passive A: Steady Breath
Passive B: Quick Riposte 3
Passive C: Hone Atk 3 / Spur Atk 3 / Drive Atk 2 / Drive Spd 2
Sacred Seal: Distant Def 3 / Panic Ploy 3

This is Ike's best set, offering both a potent enemy phase and high scoring potential in arena. Steady Breath combined with Quick Riposte lets Ike proc a 4 CD special in one round of combat, and Dragon Fang hits the hardest out of all his options, adding a whopping 27 damage to his next Atk. Aether is a 5 CD skill, however, and it will simply be charged up for the next player phase instead of activating. The choice between consistent counterkilling and arena points is yours alone. For the same reason, Reposition and the Dual Rally skills have been slashed together.

Like always, the Passive C is flexible. The most relevant options have been slashed above, however. If going for arena points, the Drive skills cost more SP, but they are also solid skills in their own right. The Sacred Seals are chosen due to the SP cost of their passive versions as well as their utility; Distant Defense gives Ike a better enemy phase versus the ranged units he is likely to be baiting, while Panic Ploy lends him to a more passive role in debuffing the powerful but frail nukes on the enemy team.

Resolve (LaD Swordbreaker)

Spoiler

(+Spd -Res)
42 / 56 / 39 / 27 / 9 OR 42 / 54 / 37 / 35 / 17
Weapon: Ragnell
Assist: Reposition / Dual Rally Skill
Special: Draconic Aura / Luna
Passive A: Life and Death 3 / Fury 3
Passive B: Swordbreaker 3
Passive C: Hone Atk 3 / Spur Atk 3 / Drive Atk 2 / Drive Spd 2
Sacred Seal: Distant Def 3 / Panic Ploy 3 / Atk +3 / Spd +3

The reasoning on the Assist and Passive C is the same as described above. This set cuts into Ike's bulk to improve his offensive presence. Even with the loss of Def, running Distant Def as the seal still offers a net +1 to Def and Res, giving him passable bulk versus ranged threats. Fury can be used as an alternative if Life and Death is not available or if a slight boost to offense in both phases is preferred over having a stat drop.

Budget

Spoiler

(+Atk- Res)
42 / 54 / 31 / 32 / 14 OR 42 / 57 / 34 / 35 / 17
Weapon: Ragnell
Assist: Reposition
Special: Luna / Draconic Aura
Passive A: Heavy Blade 3 / Fury 3
Passive B: Swordbreaker 3 / Vantage 3
Passive C: Hone Atk 3 / Spur Atk 3
Sacred Seal: Distant Def 3 / Panic Ploy 3 / Atk +3

This set is preferable for those who want Ike in as usable a state as possible without heavy investment. All of the skills can either be cheaply obtained from 3*-4* units or are already in Ike's own kit. Vantage has good synergy with Fury for consistent procs, letting Ike net OHKOs on frailer threats before they can finish him off.

 

Closing Thoughts

As more and more sword users are introduced into Heroes, Ike maintains his position for best enemy phase among them. He is easy to use and requires little investment on the part of the free player, while also having a kit that makes him a safe choice for long term investment. His superior Atk and bulk paired with his Prf weapon make him a solid choice for almost any arena team, whether to plug an enemy phase weakness or to improve scoring potential.

As of this edit made on 9 December at 11:24 PM, this unit analysis is now complete. Feel free to post suggestions and criticisms below.

Edited December 19, 2017 by MrSmokestack