✠ FE Genealogy: 1st generation builds ✠

[Fenreir]

 

so, after gathering enough data regarding the 1st gen( and finally ending the first session of the game for the last time ), i've decided to make this thread in order to not only share some infos, but also to eventually give ideas to new players and veterans alike in case they wanted to try out something new/different in terms of unit build for both 1st and 2nd generation with inheritance.

what follows are some of the best units i've managed to obtain throu the first part of the game. there was actually more, however some of them were not promoted yet, so i've decided to leave them out since they didn't manage to reach their default potential.

for details about classes and skills:

https://serenesforest.net/genealogy-of-the-holy-war/classes/introduction/

https://serenesforest.net/genealogy-of-the-holy-war/classes/weapon-ranks/

https://serenesforest.net/genealogy-of-the-holy-war/miscellaneous/skills/

...and be prepared for a long topic!

 

[ disclaimer: keep in mind that items swapping was also partially involved, so it's virtually impossible to have multiple rings of the same type in 1st generation, along with other unique items ]

- Mid game units -

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Mobile tank | Mobile damage dealer

- Pros: Cuan's role is basicly a mobile frontline tank that can hit&run, and also counter ranged units with a Javelin when needed. relies mainly on one-shot tactics when dealing damage, and works well at covering angles in wall-formations. works even better with a Shield ring, as he basicly gets close to no damage by physical attacks.

can eventually defend castles, as long as there's not many mages around.

- Cons: sadly, by the time he will obtain his Crusader weapon, he won't actually be able to use it for long due to story development. his low Resistance also makes him a good target for mages. weak to Knight Killer lances.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Mobile healer

- Pros: Ethlin starts as main healer in the first chapter of the game, and becomes a good kiting unit once she obtains the Light sword. her Skill will let her land critical hits quite often, and even more with a Skill ring equipped. a well balanced, multi-role unit.

- Cons: same as Cuan, by the time she promotes it will be too late to actually enjoy her new class due to story development. weak to Knight Killer lances.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Mobile damage dealer | Mobile Dodge-tank

- Pros: a speed-based version of the Duke Knight, Fin will be able to land 4 hits on most enemies thanks to the sinergy between his base speed, Pursuit and the Hero lance. Prayer also gives him more survival chances when he gets low on hp, and becomes almost untouchable by most enemies. the Speed ring is a nice boost for both damage dealing and survival chances. can counter ranged units as well with a Javelin.

can also defend castles well, as long as there's not many mages around.

- Cons: low Res means getting tons of damage from magic units, so always be careful about wich targets you want to pick. weak to Knight Killer lances.

 

- Late game units -

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Mobile damage dealer | Mobile Anti-mage unit | Mobile Dodge-tank

- Pros: here's our main Lord in top form, the anti-mage unit by excellence: Sigurd. he mainly plays as mobile frontline tank, and thanks to Prayer on his Crusader weapon he will become almost impossible to hit when he gets low on hp.

he can eventually counter ranged units too with magic swords and Javelins, but against mages it would probably be better to equip the Tyrfing in order to not only lower the damage, but also to increase the chances to dodge attacks. together with a Barrier ring, it's the bane of mages.

using his Silver sword as much as possible would be a wise idea as well, since it can unlock the weapon's critical chance quite early compared to other units( 50 kills in total ).

the Leg and Elite rings aren't necessary, but Seliph can always make good use of them pre-promotion.

- Cons: he can get his Crusader weapon only in the last chapter of 1st gen, he needs to save a certain NPC to actually obtain it, and he even needs to repair it in order to use it( 50.000 gold isn't cheap either, but it can be made easily by visiting villages and farming arenas ). weak to Knight Killer lances.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Mobile tank | Mobile damage dealer

- Pros: yet another mobile frontline tank unit, Lex is probably one of the strongest mounted units in 1st generation when equipped with the right tools. he can often deal 4 attacks on armored units with the Hero axe+Pursuit ring, and double on other common enemies as well. the Elite passive skill will help him to become a good unit quite early in the game, and Vantage will turn him into a good counter-attack unit as well when he gets low on hp. he can counter from the distance too with a Hand axe.

can also defend castles very well, as long as there's not many mages around.

- Cons: low res makes him weak against mages. you also need to know some secret event locations in order to obtain the Hero axe for Lex, and the Pursuit ring from another character. weak to Knight Killer lances.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Damage dealer

- Pros: a killing machine, Aira is one of the strongest sword users in the game. due to her high speed, Pursuit, Hero sword and Astra, she'll kill anything that moves in most situations, and even armored units with Great Shield will struggle against her. the Speed ring will also give her better evasion chances, since it's her main way to survive enemy attacks.

- Cons: you'll have to be very careful when trying to recruit her, because there's specific conditions that have to be met before being able to talk with her, and she starts the chapter as an enemy unit to make things harder. she will also need some care before promotion, in order to allow her speed to grow properly.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Damage dealer

- Pros: an awesome unit, Holyn is yet another strong sword user that will literally destroy the arena. his high Skill will allow him to use properly most Blades, and with Pursuit+Luna he'll deal tons of damage against any unit. he can eventually counter ranged units too, but close quarters combat is where he truly shines. he relies mainly on Speed to avoid damage as well.

- Cons: you need to actually defeat him in the arena first in order to recruit him, wich is something that can become quite tedious at times. his default stats also makes him weak to magic.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Healer | Supporter (becomes mobile after promotion)

- Pros: she has pretty much the same role as Ethlin, with the difference that she starts on foot, and gains different kinds of gear as the game goes on. an overall balanced unit meant for supporting allies with Charisma, that can eventually kite with magic swords and increase her survival chances with the Prayer sword on low hp. the Earth sword should also be able to negate the Big Shield effect of armored units, while the Thief sword helps with getting some money out of brigands attacking towns.

- Cons: if you want the Knight ring for double movement when on foot, you'll have to save all of her Paladins and keep them alive by the end of the chapter. getting the Earth sword is also no easy task, as she will need to speak with her brother during a specific battle. pre-promotion, she's not very suited for combat either, so it would be better to use her mostly as a healer until she can become a Master Knight.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Damage dealer

- Pros: probably the best archer in 1st generation, Jamka is meant to be a critical machine thanks to his stats and unique bow. a Skill ring always help with increasing his critical rate, and the Killer bow alone will be more than enough from early to late game chapters due to his passive Critical skill built in, and good accuracy/weight. he relies mostly on one-shot tactics, but can also deal double/multiple attacks on most enemies thanks to his passive skills.

- Cons: he's actually even harder to recruit compared to Aira, and starting as an enemy ranged unit fighting inside a forest doesn't make things easier either. prepare yourself for many restarts, if you really want this unit. he is worth the trouble thou, i guarantee on that.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Healer | Debuffer (can be a damage dealer after promotion)

- Pros: a good healer that can eventually become quite strong against armored units, Aideen will be the one taking care of your un-mounted units for most of the game. her high Magic will also allow her to debuff most enemies with staffs such as Sleep or Silence.

- Cons: starting as a "pure" healer, she'll be stuck with only healing until promotion, and even then, she'll always be more suited for healing rather than dealing damage. her low defence makes her a good target for physical classes, so don't leave her without protection. you'll have to be fast in order to save her from some bandits, and she's also the only one who can recruit Jamka.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Damage dealer | Dodge-tank (can be a healer/debuffer after promotion)

- Pros: stats and skills-wise, the best mage in 1st generation, Levin can obliterate pretty much any enemy without Great Shield thanks to Holsety and his critical hits. after promotion, he can also debuff enemies with staffs, and heal allies when needed. his Crusader weapon will eventually allow him to play as dodge-tank as well, althou it's not something really viable due to weapon repair costs.

- Cons: he needs some time and dedication before becoming really good. damage spikes based mainly on rng.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Damage dealer | Anti-mage unit

- Pros: a good archer that can double attack quite often, brigid can one/two-shot most common enemies thanks to her Crusader weapon, while keeping a good evasion rate too. with a Hero bow, she can deal up to 4 hits and save money to repair the Ichival, wich will become more like a survival tool for critical situations in this case. she works well as anti-mage unit too, even better with a Barrier ring.

- Cons: same as Aideen, you'll have to hurry up if you want to save her from some pirates chasing after her. you'll also need some specific pairing if you want to give her the Hero bow too.

[ Overview ]

- Main roles: Healer | Debuffer | Damage dealer

- Pros: actually the best healer in 1st generation, he can AoE heal allies and even resurrect fallen comrades once thanks to the Valkyrie staff. he can't be touched by most enemy spells, and can deal some damage to armored units too.

- Cons: you'll need to keep him alive during the pirates raid involving Brigid. while he's very strong against magic, he's also very weak against physical classes, so don't push his luck too much.

 

 

well, i guess that's all for now.

if anyone else is willing to share his/her ideas and discuss about different units and builds, feel free to do so.

Edited June 1, 2019 by Fenreir

[Fenreir]

here we go again: while i was checking infos about sword users builds, i decided to share some more theorycraft regarding the tactical use of specific skills.

before that, let's take a look at what can be gained from each unit:

[ main skills - https://serenesforest.net/genealogy-of-the-holy-war/miscellaneous/skills/ ]

» Aira

   + Odo Holy Blood stats

» Holyn

  + Odo Holy Blood stats

» Dew

  

 

[ children that can inherit sword skills ]

  »»»    +  

Aira »»» Lakche + Skasaher

  »»»    +  

Briggid »»» Patty + Faval

  »»»    +  

Sylvia »»» Leen + Corpul

 

now, if we want to use efficient builds, we need to consider the role of each unit:

- Lackche/Skasaher will be main damage dealers, however since both already gain Astra+Holy Blood from Aira, there's no need to pair Holyn with their mother.

Dew could be a better alternative due to Sol, however there would be no Holy Blood to gain from him, therefore there's better candidates for Aira in terms of skills/stats inheritance.

- Patty will be attacking mostly(if not only) brigands and pirates due to her weak starting stats and role( steal money/sleep enemies attacking villages ), however she may become a decent unit depending on Holy Blood, dedication and gear you give her.

by pairing Briggid with Holyn, she would gain a B rank in swords, allowing her to use Steel/Hero swords and Armor/Flier Crusher swords.

Luna from Holyn would help a lot in dealing more damage, and with Pursuit+Hero sword she could also perform 4 hits at once against many slow enemies.

Dew can be an alternative for Patty, but the weapon rank and stats growth wouldn't be as good as that from Holyn. Faval could profit from Bargain due to lower Crusader weapon repair costs.

- Leen will be dancing all the time, therefore her main role would be to support allies.

in this case, Holyn's stats and skills would be wasted on a support unit, so the natural choice would be Dew.

thanks to Sol, she would have better survival chances in the arenas/on the field, and Corpul could profit a lot from Bargain due to being a healer, and also because he joins our army quite late in the game with limited money.

 

 

keep in mind that this is only about efficiency builds for sword users, so it's just to show alternatives for the units listed above.

to be clear, this is by no means a "best build/meta" thread.

any unit can be good/useful, as long as it's played as intended. a dedicated build can give more advantages to each class in the long run, however even a non-efficient build can be fine as long as the unit is played properly.

if anyone else has other infos to share or corrections to make, feel free to do so.