Corrin: Enjoying Tradition

[Stercus]

"I hope that this year is kind to all my siblings."

In the not too distant past - the beginning of 2018 - we were gifted with a seasonal banner celebrating the new year. Included with those seasonal alts - but not included in the banner himself - was Corrin, dressed in traditional Hoshidan garb and joyfully exploring his cultural heritage and enjoying the traditions of his people. Some time after the banner dropped, Corrin ironically started a new tradition in FEH, being our first seasonal alt to be reserved as an exclusive Tempest Trial reward. Of course, this was met with some derision given the notable drawbacks of free units: a lack of both merging potential and IVs. And so, New Year's Corrin fell by the wayside, dismissed by a majority of players for his odd statline and limited potential. Now, with 2019 fast approaching and tempest trial units having new possibilities opened to them through the Heroic Grail system, it seems like it's time to take a look back at Corrin and - like him - discover just what we were missing out on.

The Statline

HP: 37

Atk: 32

Spd: 30

Def: 34

Res: 18

BST: 151

The Skills

Weapon: Hama Ya+

Assist: Rally Def/Res

Special: None

A Skill: Atk/Def 2

B Skill: None

C Skill: Spur Def/Res 2

Clocking in at an impressive 34, NYCorrin has - at the writing of this analysis - the highest neutral defense stat of any archer unit currently in the game, edging out even over the mighty and dreaded Halloween Jakob (by one point, admittedly). Of course, without IVs Corrin can't bolster that defense even further, and both Gordin and Halloween Jakob can overtake his defense stat if they have a boon in it. Unfortunately his offensive stats are middle of the road for an infantry archer, and the nicest thing one can say about his resistance is that it's not the worst Res stat for his class. With all that in mind, NYCorrin's physical bulk should not be ignored, especially given his accessibility as a free unit through Heroic Grails and the possibility of any Tempest Trial reruns in the future. Corrin is a solid choice for many enemy phase and support builds thanks to his excellent bulk and his access to many useful bows with refine bonuses to reinforce it.

Of course, Corrin is not without his flaws. While he can run a pretty decent support build with his base bow and skills from common 3 or 4 star units, a build that takes full advantage of his strengths can be much costlier, demanding the sacrifice of either other Grail units or 5 star exclusive skills. Building Corrin to his full potential will require a great deal of hero feathers and refining stones, and it may not feel worth it unless you have a particular fondness for the character or the way he plays. As noted above, Corrin's resistance is particularly bad and his speed is middling; a fast mage - particularly one using a raventome - or an adaptive damage dealer like Felicia or Ylgr can bypass Corrin's bulk entirely and punch a hole right through him. Corrin also struggles to match the damage output of other archers; fellow easy access archers like Jamke, Clarisse, Setsuna and Leon can handily outspeed him, outgun him or both, and the gap only gets bigger when considering rarer bow units like Legendary Lucina, Kinshi Knight Hinoka and of course, Bridal Cordelia. Halloween Jakob - despite being considerably rarer and more expensive - also makes a much more balanced bow tank, particularly with his access to armour buffs and fighter skills. Nonetheless, New Year's Corrin is a fun and well balanced unit who can fill a unique niche for his class and accessibility.

The Builds

Close Counter Build

Spoiler

Weapon: Slaying Bow+ (Defense Refined) / Guard Bow+ (Defense Refined)
Assist: Reposition / Rally Def/Res
Special: Bonfire / Ignis
A Skill: Close Counter
B Skill: Chill Atk / Guard / Quick Riposte
C Skill: Odd/Even Def Wave / Spur Def/Res 2
Seal: Quick Riposte / Close Defense

A general use build for NYCorrin, giving him the ability to fight melee units on their own terms. Slaying Bow accelerates Corrin's special, making Ignis viable for him or allowing him to proc Bonfire within one round of combat, provided he has Quick Riposte active. Guard Bow instead offers you access to Distant Defense, which is an excellent choice of skill for Corrin that sadly can't quite fit into this build otherwise. Both bows are refineable, meaning that they can bolster Corrin's defense and HP to greater heights, which is a welcome addition to the build. Chill Attack requires the foddering of a Gharnef or a five star exclusive, but it can put a significant dent in the offenses of the strongest enemy unit, aiding Corrin's defense. Guard is there to deny the enemy the use of their special, which is important against units that can use Moonbow or Luna to punch through Corrin's defense. Defense Wave can be a difficult skill to get - with only one of its users, Silas, being lower than seasonal/legendary rarity - but it synergizes amazingly with Corrin's build as a whole.

Budget Support

Spoiler

Weapon: Hama Ya+ (Defense Refined)
Assist: Rally Def/Res / Reposition
Special: Bonfire
A Skill: Atk/Def 2 / Fury 3 / Death Blow 3 / Armoured Blow 3
B Skill: Guard 3 / Renewal 3
C Skill: Spur Def/Res 2 / Breath of Life 3 / Savage Blow 3 / Atk Smoke 3
Seal: Drive (any) / Breath of Life 3 / Savage Blow 3 / Spd Smoke 3

For the player who doesn't want to invest more orbs or feathers than they have to, this build uses Corrin's natural kit in conjunction with only skills that are accessible on 3/4* rarity units and are inheritable at full strength at 4* (with the exception of Guard 3, which is available on 3/4* rarity units but is only unlocked at 5*. Frankly there were very few B skills worth consideration that fit the criteria. NYCorrin's bow - the Hama Ya - is an excellent support weapon that functions as both Drive Def 1 and Drive Res 1 at the same time. Given that it has access to the same refine based stats as the Slaying Bow or Guard Bow, it's worth considering for players who don't want to spend the time and feathers - and in the case of the guard bow, extra refining stones - foddering off a 5* Leon or Setsuna. From there, the focus of the build is to support allies with your support skills from Hama Ya, any spurs or drives you have equipped, and your ability to fire on melee units without having to fear Distant Counter in most cases. Atk/Def 2 is a fine skill for Corrin if you don't want to invest, but Fury is definitely worth considering, netting you a neutral defense of 40 when combined with a defense refine. This build - particularly when using Breath of Life, Savage Blow or the Smoke skills - is based around attacking during Player Phase, meaning Death Blow is a viable option for dealing damage. Conversely, if you want added insurance against Distant Counter units or enemy archers, Armored Blow is an option. From there, your choice of C Skill and Seal are quite vast. Spur Def/Res 2 is a good stat support skill if you have an ally that thrives from being beside someone. Savage Blow and Smoke are all built around being able to get safe attacks in on units clustered together, spreading damage or debuffs with minimal risk to Corrin. Breath of Life follows a similar concept, but revolves around sticking to the backline and attacking from behind or beside your allies in order to top up their health.

Will be adding more builds as my schedule allows

Edited December 2, 2018 by Stercus

[MacLovin]

Silas has a defense wave skill at 5*s.

[Stercus]

I edited the build accordingly to address that, and will be adding more builds this evening after work.