What is your ideal combination of Fates base classes for one path?

[AnonymousSpeed]

Nohr and Hoshido both have some pretty cool classes, be they slight changes to series staples or entirely new creations.

Many of these classes are parallel to each other, and the game more or less has a list for what parallels what that it uses (on rare occasion) for inheritance.

Spoiler

Cavalier / Ninja

Knight / Spear Fighter

Oni Savage / Fighter

Mercenary / Samurai

Outlaw / Archer

Dark Mage / Diviner

Wyvern Rider / Sky Knight

Then there are some classes like Villager, Apothecary, the healers and the stone users which aren't on that char. The healers and the stone users at least have fairly clear practical parallels.

Of course, this list doesn't always reflect the function of those classes.

Considering that, rather than going the boring and inflexible route of choosing which one of each "pair" you prefer, I think it'd be more interesting to ask for you to pick whichever eight classes you like.

So, if you were making a roster of base classes for some fictional hodgepodge path, which eight would you choose?

You can also pick if you'd prefer Nohr Noble or Hoshido Noble.

[eclipse]

Eight classes in general?  Hmmm. . .

- Apothecary is damn interesting, and the +1 to tonic effects is pretty good
- Sky Knights have the more amusing promotion paths
- Outlaw gets Adventurer, which IMO is the more amusing thief-style class
- I like the Mercenary skills better, so there's the sword class
- Diviners solely for the aesthetic.  I'm vain like that.
- Spear Fighters have Basara, which is a weird but cool class
- For axe things. . .let's go with the Wyverns.  Yeah.
- Troubadour to round off the list, as both promotion paths offer some nifty things

And we're going Nohrian Noble, because we're a little short on mages.

[Eltosian Kadath]

Hmm... I am showing my Nohrian bias, but of the pairs...

Cavalier - The utility of Shelter is what won the day here. It can be used in so many ways, from acting as a poor man's dance, protect a unit, or simply clearing vital space for units.

Knight - Easy choice, Knights are actually fairly good in Fates, with the brick walls that Generals become with the help of their skills, or shift to the mobile offensive capabilities of great knights.

Fighter - I find the Berserker class funner to use, especially as attack stance partners (hey when you have >50 crit you might as well get as many attack stances to roll for those spicy crits...)

Samurai - The Mercenary class and promotions are kinda underwhelming in Fates, while the Samurai class have far more interesting options.

Archer - If there is no way for any unit to have lock touch as a personal, or way to compensate for the utter lack of lock touch I might change it, but both the archer promotions are much more interesting than the outlaw versions.

Dark Mage - I like Dark Mage and Sorcerers better than the alternative.

Wyvern Rider - This was probably the hardest decision on this list, as both class lines are really good and interesting. Oddly enough its the movement utility that was opened up by lunge that finally sold me on it. Lunge can move enemies close enough for other units finish off, break up enemy attack stance, or simply for the extra movement whenever they attack.

Troubadour- This class line has some of the best classic utility abilities out there.

And

Nohrian Noble - Easy choice, the more aggressive tome rank (as opposed to staff) on promotion is far better, and Draconic Hex is one of the best Lv 5 skills in the game.

[Pengaius]

Knight, Good defense and a double negater are definitely good picks. 

The right unit as a ninja will demolish any enemy, also good 1-2 range wrecks enemy magic users, replicate can be fun to mess with too. 

Samurai, because vantage + LnD is one hell of a drug

Archer, if we don't need outlaws for lockpicking the archer is a much better combat choice (Kinshi > not kinshi)

Diviner, if only for onmyoji healing utility

Oni Savage, I like the blacksmith class, sue me

Mercenary, mainly because if you can promote to a Bow Knight, and bows are super good in Fates (damage wise Yumi are better than axes, deal effective damage AND grant +2 res, stupid good)

Cavalier, Shelter, nuff said. 

Hoshido noble, if only because healing is good from E rank, whereas tomes only get good at D and great at C, meaning you'd need to burn an arms scroll for instant viability. 

Just for fun if you have to be limited to one of each style of weapon. 

Swords >>> Katana ( The AS boost, is almost negligible and the .5 extra avoid is a terrible trade off for 1 whole point of defense)

Lances < Naginata (Def/Res boost are much better than 1 extra might)

Axes > Clubs (5 crit is not worth the guarenteed damage)

Tomes < Scrolls (in a game where Nostanking isn't viable, the general stat boosts of scrolls, give a unit a lot more options than tomes)

Daggers > Shuriken (while the 2 spd from shuriken makes them better than standard daggers, the soldiers knife is just that good, also the fruit knife and kris knife grant more healing utility. Since there are no Butler/Maids in this run our dagger users won't benefit much from res targeting)

Bows < Yumi (Yumi are just better bows)

Staves > Festals (while festals are better with 1-2 range healing, the freeze staff offers too much tactical options to lose)

[starburst]

19 hours ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

So, if you were making a roster of base classes for some fictional hodgepodge path, which eight would you choose?

The thing is that there are classes that I would choose for an unknown path but not for a known one. Say, I would probably choose Wyvern Lord for an unknown campaign because of its mobility, even though I do not need it for Conquest, where, depending on the chapter, a Hero or Wolfssegner or Spear Master or Paladin or Nohr Noble can play the same role.

Perhaps I can say something more useful if I name the roles that I use and then name the classes. I usually play with only ten units, meaning that the roles are more defined and the classes are set.

"Tanks"

1. Nohr Noble. I will always defend that +Magic Cornflakes is the best tank in Conquest. Precisely because the defensive thresholds are never that high is that a versatile class like Nohr Noble can fulfil the role and also be great on Player Phase, with tomes and stones.
The game makes it super easy for this class to shine because Chapter 15 conveniently has enough enemies to invariably go from E-rank to D-rank in tomes before the chapter ends. Then the game gives you a Dragon Stone Plus to one-hit any one Faceless in the following chapter. And getting Draconic Hex in between is just unfair, a steal.
Sure, she is not allowed into the Heroes Room of Chapter 26, but she is just taking a break before she dispatches the entire Berserker-General Army.

2. Spear Master. Now, I usually use Hero or Wyvern Lord here, but Spear Master has skills specifically tailored for front liners: not one but both most relevant Seals, and Swap. The latter might seem like a worse alternative to Shelter, but it is perfect for smaller parties because the "tanks" are always the last to move, thus they exchange places with any Player-Phase unit that was left uncovered after their attack and let you start the next phase with all units unpaired.
The class gets Critical Hit and Dodge bonuses, and Lance Mastery is a blessing. The Beast Killer has a clear niche and the Sacred Lance saves actions through item exchanges.


Spell casters

Sorcerer. -20 % Stackable Enemy Avoid is extremely useful against various bosses. Malefic Aura is a bonus that stacks and benefits your whole party. Vengeance equals extra damage, for ending the turn at 1 HP or 999 HP makes no difference to Player-Phase units whose one role is to wipe areas. The sweet +10 Critical Hit bonus is always welcome.
Cannot hit Ryoma or that elusive ninja? Put a Sorcerer next to them, then hit. Ninja reinforcements in the cave? A Sorcerer with Calamity Gate can tank them all. Fat Twin Generals kidnapped your false family? Send a Sorcerer with Lightning. Stoneborns on the stairs? Told you, send a Sorcerer with Lightning. Chieftains, Spear Masters, Counter Snipers, Hans bullying you? S-e-n-d a Sorcerer with Lightning!

True, Japanese magicians have similar statistics and can use staves. But one healer per party is enough for me, therefore I only think about the enemies and not about teammates when I move the spell casters. Why would my most powerful magician spend their turn healing a teammate or casting a rally instead of killing the most dangerous enemy? It makes no sense to me.

Physical heavy hitters

1. Sniper. Easily the best physical Player-Phase unit. Fast, strong, accurate; never fails, hits hard, doubles most, crits often. What is not to like? The reason why it gets Skill +2 is because if it had a more useful skill then it would not be fair for the other 99 classes in the game.
2-range locked? Great, because 90 % of Conquest takes place on your turn. It actually means that paper units can be great Snipers too.

2. Wolfssegner. The Beast Stones are broken. Seriously, those bonuses are ridiculous. They are fast, strong, deft, sturdy, eat horses for breakfast, recover every other turn, and poison you worse than a Ninja. Oh!, they also get critical hit bonuses, both from the class and from the stones.
1-range locked? They can take any one hit, positioning is always your fault.

Healer Strategist. Staves, horse, tomes. Next!

Utility Master Ninja. Locks, poison, mastery, anti-magic and de-buffs. Oh!, and the Hunter's Knife is just broken on them.

[Shanty Pete's 1st Mate]

If I'm just doing 8 classes (9 with Corrin), let's say...

Ninja -> Mechanist: Shurikens are a busted weapon type, and this class has great speed, not to mention Lockpick utility. Mechanist gains bows, movement, and Replicate shenanigans. 

Cavalier -> Paladin: Great mobility, and the only first-tier class with two weapon types (why does IS keep doing this), this is a no-brainer.

Wyvern Rider -> Malig Knight: Fliers are great, these have great offense, and Malig getting spells means reliable 2-range lunge-ing.

Archer -> Kinshi Knight: An Archer is nice for ballistae and ranged attacking in general. Promoting, they finally gave us a flying bow class, and it's incredible.

Troubadour -> Maid: A healer, before I forget, and being mounted means more mobility. Jumping to Maid may seem odd, but let me reiterate: Shurikens good.

Armor Knight -> Great Knight: Armors offer the best defense (or defensive pair-up bonuses) in the first-tier. Going Great Knight means combining this asset with acceptable movement and weapon triangle mastery.

Dark Mage -> Dark Knight: I don't really have a magic specialist here otherwise. Dark Mage is preferred over Diviner for Nosferatu access, but Dark Knight over Sorceror because horse.

Kitsune -> Nine-Tails: This last one is totally self-indulgent, I'm just a big fan of their design (the only good non-Laguz beastformers IMO). Perpetual anti-cav effectiveness is welcome too.

Nohr Princess -> Hoshido Noble: I only have one other staff-using class, so this makes up for that. Also sole dragonstone access, and one of my few sword users.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Shanty Pete's 1st Mate
Master Ninja to Mechanist

[blackestheart13]

Nohr Noble will forever and always be better than Hoshido Noble in my opinion

Ninja > Cavalier. Cavalier gets good skills for sure but mages generally wind up being more of a nuisance for my team so ninja are built to dismantle them

Wyvern > Sky Knight: Axes are super good in fates imo especially in conquest. Dual Club + Swordbreaker Berserker Camilla is stupid (thanks Keaton!)

Archer > Outlaw: Specialist classes are WAY strong in fates the more I play it. With the free passive bonuses to stats and better caps.

Dark Mage > Clown Mages: Vantage NosTank Ophelia for emergencies and then calamity gate, lightning and horse spirit for the rest. Again specialist

Fighter > Oni: Delete buttons. Shaky ones but super fun to use.

Troubadour > Shrine Maiden: The only horse class I like. Ultimate support units

Samurai > Merc: I love them both but Samurai is better for SM and MoA skills. Hero is super nice late game conquest though

As for lancers I really can't decide. I love both so much. Effie and Oboro are the defining faces for those classes and they are among my favorite units of their routes. It sucks unless you male corrin marry effie she cannot get spear fighter >.<

[CatManThree]

- Malig Knight because they are broken

- Cavalier/Paladin because mount, nice stats, and fantastic skills

- Adventurer because amazing pairup bonuses, shining bows, and staves

- Strategist because mounted staff

- Sorcerer because pair-up bonuses and powerful magic

- Berserker because Berserker

- Ninja/Master Ninja because debuffing and great pairup bonuses

- Songstress because dancer

[JoCalibur]

I chose mine based on skill access. Yay supports and skill spreading! 

-Shrine Maiden/Monk = Renewal, Tomefaire

-Wyvern Rider = Trample

-Archer = Certain Blow, Bowfaire, Amaterasu

-Oni Savage = Death Blow

-Ninja = Locktouch, Shurikenfaire

-Samurai = Astra, Swordfaire

-Spear Fighter = Rend Heaven, Lancefaire

-Fighter = Gamble, Axefaire

-Hoshidan Noble = more staff access

[MagicCanonBalls]

Mercenary- Because Hero's outfit in Fates is really cool. 

Samurai- Dual wielding swords is also cool. Besides, both Mercenary and Swordmaster coexist in most FE games.

Spear Fighter- Rend Heaven. Also can act as tank.

Dark Mage/Diviner- Assuming scrolls and tomes aren't mutually exclusive, well then, magic is magic no matter what, so either is fine.

Ninja- Thief who can fight, debuff enemies and deal with mages. Awesome.

Outlaw- Adventurer is more fun to use for me.

Sky Knight- I don't like dragon and wyvern. Pegasus is much more elegant anyway.

Troubadour- Healer on horse is a plus.

I didn't put in oni savage or fighter because most physical classes I listed can promote into classes that can wield axe. 

 

 

[Alistair]

Cavalier: No-brainer. Like Shanty Pete said, between Shelter and being the only non-protag base class to be able to use more than one weapon type, they're very good.

Samurai, Spear Fighter, Fighter: Honestly, these are mostly for access to S-Ranks, but the classes are great, between Fighters awesome Pair-Up bonuses to Spear Fighter's tanking. 

Troubadour: Better staff bot because of S-rank access and skills like Inspiration and Rally Resistance. 

Ninja: More interesting thief class and hidden weapons' debuffs are great. 

Archer: Bows are great, and with utility filled by the troubadour and the ninja, outlaws don't have a lot to offer. Plus, Kinshi Knight is, imo, one of the more interesting new classes.

Wyvern Rider: Malig Knight's skills are excellent and flying utility is great. 

Nohr Noble: Better combat unit between the two promotions and staff utility doesn't matter when there are better options. Also the class to use tomes. 

[GlitchWarrior]

So, just eight? In that case...

1: Sky Knight.
Sky Knight is the only flier on this list, simply because... I prefer these sky-high res-tanks to dragon riding axe-users.

2: Ninja
One thing I noticed after a deeper look at Fates is that this is the ONLY base class that uses daggers. Weird, right? The only other classes that get them are their promotions and the Butler/Maid class, so that's why Ninjas are here.

3: Archer
The OG bow unit. I don't think we need two thief classes anyway. If I could, I'd give the MOV+1 Outlaws get to Ninjas. Poison Strike is cool, though.

4: Samurai/Myrmidon
You could use either name, and I'd know what class you meant. I picked these over Mercenaries, but in all honesty I prefer the two mercenary units to the two samurai units, even though Samurai as a class is my preference. Huh.

5: Fighter
In here over the Oni Savage, because... well, the two classes are actually functionally identical. Weird, right?

6: Shrine Maiden / Monk
Yes, I know this is two classes, and yes, I know I'm shafting Troubadours. I just prefer the non-mounted healers in this game.

7: Diviner
This and Dark Mage are basically interchangable too. But the reason I picked Diviner is because of versatility. It's probably one of my weirder decisions, but it's what works.

8: Armored Knight
It was actually a tough decision for me between not this and Spear Fighter, but this and Cavalier. I'm an import from FE7, so it makes sense why I'd want cavaliers on the roster. Since Ninjas are already present here, though, and since the team needs a unit that can actually take a hit or two, that's why the Knight is present.

As for promotion, I'd go with the Nohr Noble, due to Draconic Hex and the additional magic.

So, that's my list. It's got... 2/8 Nohr classes and 6/8 Hoshido classes. I think I'm a bit partial to Hoshido...

For reference, this is by preference, not by actual class power.

Edited May 24, 2020 by GlitchWarrior
addendum about preference

[starburst]

5 hours ago, GlitchWarrior said:

One thing I noticed after a deeper look at Fates is that this is the ONLY base class that uses daggers. Weird, right? The only other classes that get them are their promotions and the Butler/Maid class, so that's why Ninjas are here.

The fact that Kaze has appropriate growths for a specialised unit stresses the importance of a Ninja in Conquest. Despite Clumsy and Jerk’s being with you from the very beginning and their wielding daggers.
Also, Laslow does not have the Speed to be your only Ninja. And even though Soleil can be better than Kaze, she joins much later.

And do not forget The Curious Case of Apothecary » Mechanist.
Mechanist Anna blows everything up with the Shining Bow and the Flame Shuriken.

[AnonymousSpeed]

Apothecary: The skills are more interesting that archer, even if the promotions are sort of gimmicky

Ninja: Only unpromoted hidden weapon user, fascinating mix of utility and combat support (with debuffs/poison strike)

Diviner: Dark magic is kind of lame, so staves on promotion and Basara access are preferred

Dark Mage: Yeah actually, I don't know what I was thinking. Nosferatu is kinda busted actually.

Troubadour: I really like Butler / Maid to be honest

Fighter: Berserker is my favorite class, but Fighter also has really good pair-up bonuses.

Spear Fighter: I was torn between this an Oni Savage, but since the promotion options for Oni Savage have the same weapon combinations as Hero and Malig Knight (also on this list), I decided to go with the basic lance infantry.

Cavalier: It has two weapon options, solid stats, and Shelter, which is fantastic.

Wyvern Rider: A powerful flying unit with Lunge

Hoshido Noble: Staves

Edited November 27, 2022 by AnonymousSpeed