Special Heroes - Of Lost Kingdoms

[Fire Emblem Fan]

 

Looks like the desert theme this year is Tellius's desert, Hatari, where Nailah and the wolf laguz live. We have Nailah, Karla, Xane, and Harmonic Azura/Leanne on the banner, and Deen (the Gaiden/Shadows of Valentia one, not the Thracia 776 one) as the Tempest Trial unit.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Fire Emblem Fan

[LoneStar]

Oh boy the Azura apocalypse is back, and her Legendary version is getting a remix in a few months. Not going to lie when I saw the long-haired silhouette Karla was the person that came to mind, but it was kind of random. Interesting that this is how Deen is added, I guess you do meet him in a desert so that's fitting.

[Sunwoo]

I legitimately find this banner super not exciting, tbh. We've got ourselves a third Nailah, instead of the nonexistent Volug (is Nailah even that popular to begin with?) and Xane joining Dorothea in the "two seasonal alts before regular version" club, and ... another Azura.

[Diovani Bressan]

So they are releasing a Green Tome Cav Dancer that also has a Prf Dance skill... In a month which also reruns Ótr, who has G Duel Cav 4.

Looks like Desert Azura will become one of the best users of that A skill.

[Ice Dragon]

So basically it's Nailah-themed.

In terms of skills, Xane is the only interesting unit, coming with a staff that inflicts Deep Wounds and Dazzling Staff as a 4-star summonable unit. And once again, we get a completely wasted 5-star unit with literally zero skills of note.

I'm curious what Deen's weapon does since we have no non-staff inheritable weapons on the banner.

I guess I'll just pull one of each character and call it a day since none of them really interest me, though I might grab an extra Azura or two for scoring. Gray Waves is at least useful, even if I barely use dancers these days.

 

3 minutes ago, Diovani Bressan said:

So they are releasing a Green Tome Cav Dancer that also has a Prf Dance skill... In a month which also reruns Ótr, who has G Duel Cav 4.

Looks like Desert Azura will become one of the best users of that A skill.

Duo and Harmonic Heroes already have a Duel effect from their Duo/Harmonic status.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Ice Dragon

[Diovani Bressan]

1 minute ago, Ice Dragon said:

Duo and Harmonic Heroes already have a Duel effect from their Duo/Harmonic status.

That's wrong. Only Duo Heroes have Duel effect. Harmonized Heroes do not have that.

[Tybrosion]

Oh boy, a unit that's an Azura alt and a Tellius character. So much for getting New Year's Fafnir because now I have to go for the spark here (plus Karla and Nailah are cool too).

Why they used Xane as the 4* focus again (and made him less interesting than last time), I'll never know. Also for those who don't want to watch the trailer, Deen is a colorless dagger cav and is the Valentian swordsman rather than the Thracian dracoknight.

6 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

We've got ourselves a third Nailah, instead of the nonexistent Volug (is Nailah even that popular to begin with?)

It doesn't matter if she's popular. They're going to have to keep recycling the same beast shifters if they want to keep adding to the beast roster.

They could've had Volug here too, but for some reason they wanted to use Xane again in the exact same role as his previous seasonal appearance (a colorless 4* Focus unit).

5 minutes ago, Diovani Bressan said:

So they are releasing a Green Tome Cav Dancer that also has a Prf Dance skill... In a month which also reruns Ótr, who has G Duel Cav 4.

Looks like Desert Azura will become one of the best users of that A skill.

She and Leanne are also an instant contender to win A Hero Rises 2022. At the very least, there's no way they don't make it into the Voting Gauntlet stage.

[Othin]

What an odd lineup. Nailah completes her trifecta of colors and introduces another Surge skill, Karla doesn't have an A skill at all, and Xane becomes the first unit to have two seasonal demotes with them constituting both of his versions so far. And Azura is there.

Deen is a nice addition, at least.

[Ice Dragon]

1 minute ago, Diovani Bressan said:

That's wrong. Only Duo Heroes have Duel effect. Harmonized Heroes do not have that.

Huh. Interesting. Shows exactly how often I use Harmonic Heroes.

[Florete]

3rd Nailah, still no Volug, smh.

19 minutes ago, Sunwoo said:

Xane joining Dorothea in the "two seasonal alts before regular version" club

And Inigo.

[Sunwoo]

2 minutes ago, Florete said:

And Inigo.

I legit forgot he existed

Edited January 15, 2022 by Sunwoo

[Diovani Bressan]

18 minutes ago, Ice Dragon said:

I'm curious what Deen's weapon does since we have no non-staff inheritable weapons on the banner.

I wonder if they will give Deen the same as that Xane got: Poison Strike 2 + Savage Bow 3 + Fatal Smoke weapon, but since its a dagger it will also have [Dagger: 7].

[Othin]

1 minute ago, Sunwoo said:

I legit forgot he existed

In fairness, he at least has Laslow. Not quite the same as an actual Inigo, but it does make things feel a bit different.

[Sunwoo]

Just now, Othin said:

In fairness, he at least has Laslow. Not quite the same as an actual Inigo, but it does make things feel a bit different.

True, lol. Inigo and Severa are in such a weird spot with Laslow and Selena being in since launch, but not really being "them". But I do expect Inigo and Severa to basically be a shoo-in for an Awakening banner. Eventually. They're popular even now, IS be smoking something really strong if they never release them.

[LoneStar]

20 minutes ago, Tybrosion said:

She and Leanne are also an instant contender to win A Hero Rises 2022. At the very least, there's no way they don't make it into the Voting Gauntlet stage.

You say this but Duo Sigurd wasn't in the top 10, they were close at 12 though. Azura is kind of popular I guess, but knowing the player base Fallen Edelgard and CYL units are going to dominate the ranks. Even Duo Peony who's also broken was at 13.

[Xenomata]

• Nailah brings Sturdy Surge for the people who like Surge Sparrow but don't need the Spd... uh sure. I kinda prefer Sturdy Impact though, follow-up denial is pretty good.
  ...right, Nailah. Well... spectrum +5, NFU, and Canto [Rem +1] are all good effects, and when transformed having Null Blade/Guard remains good. Welcome to the group of units who would love Windsweep, leave your coat on the hanger and join all the other Windsweep lovers. Kinda think she'd prefer a Tempest skill instead of Glare, but that's just me.
• Whoa... kinda weird seeing a 5* unit with no 4th tier passives...
  Karla looks like she might be able to do good with Galeforce, but always having a 3 cooldown special ready on her attacks is good as well for OHKO strats. Life and Death would be an easy slot-in for her.
• Ah... shoulda seen the Fatal Smoke staff coming someday... but on a 4 unit?
• Azura/Leanne seem a better fit for G Duel Cav 4 than Otter, but... eh whatever. Looks good, spectrum +6 boost when dancing along with Gray Waves feels a lot better than keeping a Dance skill equipped to LegAzura at all times. Cross Spur Res is now here as well... cool I guess.

21 minutes ago, LoneStar said:

Oh boy the Azura apocalypse is back, and her Legendary version is getting a remix in a few months.

Not sure if that's actually gonna happen... keep in mind, Dancers have been COMPLETELY shafted ever since weapon refines have gotten past Book 1 units, so there's a chance they'll just bypass LegAzura completely as well. I know LegLucina still got turned into a Snag goddess, but she technically doesn't have a dance, so... I dunno. Doesn't feel likely, as much as I would still like it to happen.
Now is it totally possible that I missed someone saying that she is actually gonna get remixed? Yes it is, but... well, not exactly optimistic.

[Tybrosion]

10 minutes ago, LoneStar said:

You say this but Duo Sigurd wasn't in the top 10, they were close at 12 though. Azura is kind of popular I guess, but knowing the player base Fallen Edelgard and CYL units are going to dominate the ranks. Even Duo Peony who's also broken was at 13.

That's fair, plus I am prone to being dead wrong. Though, Legendary Azura made it to 19th last time and was in the VG bracket in 2020 (both despite already being featured in the Find and Vote travesty of 2019).

And yeah, the Adrestian Abomination is definitely guaranteed a spot because the Edeglard simps are legitimately hopeless. We very nearly got Legendary Edelgard in the VG bracket last time in addition to CYL Edelgard.

[♠Soul♠]

I'd say I'm immune to the power of boobs right now, but I'd be lying to myself. Leanne sporting a cleavage and midriff isn't helping. Regardless, I'm smart enough not to let that slip on my orbs.

Where's Volug.

Edited January 15, 2022 by ♠Soul♠

[Alexmender]

Triple Nailah, huh? Well, I'm not that interested in the remaining RD laguz characters after Vika and Lyre got in, but it's weird that Nailah got a 3rd alt (and this one looks almost the same as OG) before Volug got in. Someone at IS really likes her, it seems.

Harmonic Azura feels a bit like bait for AHR, but a cav dancer that can do 2 dances in one turn is certainly very valuable. She'd be absurdly disgusting alongside Ninja F!Corrin, despite them sharing the same color and doubling down on being weak to red TA units (Henriette stocks may go up for AR-D). Azura & Leanne also pair well with Galeforce units for obvious reasons, but I still think they are tailor made to be Ninja Corrin's premier dancer. 

Karla's prf is very interesting. It's incredibly similar to B!Eirika's prf, but with less effects and the true dmg scales based on Karla's spd rather than the foe's def. From what I can tell, she'd like something like Close Call to Hit & Run just like B!Eirika does with her Canto, but that would cost her due to a lack of NFU. She seems strong on paper, but I feel her prf is kinda lacking in term of effects to let her be a top tier unit nowadays. In terms of Galeforce her Prf is just an Slaying Lance with 2 extra Atk so I'd bet that this Karla would end up as Odd Tempest fodder for Summer Norne if one was set on using an infantry lance as their blue Galeforcer.

Xane is eh. Fatal Smoke staff offers good utility, but the same can be said of every other inheritable staff. The staff to bring will depend heavily on what a team needs and more often than not it's stuff that can only be found on Prf staffs like Flayn's or Sara's. Not bad, but very situational. 

So the TT+ unit will be Deen. Hmm...if he brings an inheritable weapon, it'll probably be like Xane's with Fatal Smoke. It'd be crazy if his Dagger had a weaker form of Karla's prf weapon effect, but I don't think that's going to happen.

[Othin]

Azura seems to be a more popular character than Sigurd or Peony, and the new Azura combines Sigurd's mobility with an improved dance skill and a refresher duo skill. It's true that there's no guarantees, but I think she has good odds.

[Dylan Corona]

I down for more Queen, but I'm very low on orbs...I may need to buy more XD, I at least want 2. I wish Lennie was the main and not the backup, we need a new one. I would have rather had Volug, but the blue wolf Nailah is a bit weak, though her recent weapon update has helped her. 

[LoneStar]

10 minutes ago, Alexmender said:

but it's weird that Nailah got a 3rd alt

These type of desert theme banners are seemingly going to have one character that's sort of a representative of the area, like Tharja last year. So maybe we' get out 3rd Igrene if they continue this trend.

13 minutes ago, Alexmender said:

It'd be crazy if his Dagger had a weaker form of Karla's prf weapon effect, but I don't think that's going to happen.

Probably not since they just literally released a copy pasted Ouch Pouch on a banner unit. It would be weird to powercreep it so soon.

[Ice Dragon]

Translation things, I guess. A bit lacking in enthusiasm, as this banner's pretty underwhelming after the holiday banners.

 

The name of the banner, "Of Lost Kingdoms", is "幻の国の女王" (maboroshi no kuni no joō), "Queen of the Fabled Nation".

Nailah's epithet, "Hatari Scorcher", is "ハタリの熱風" (hatari no neppū), "Hot Winds of Hatari".

Royal Hatari Fang is "砂漠の狼女王の牙" (sabaku no ookami joō no kiba), "Fangs of the Desert's Wolf Queen".

Sturdy Surge is "鬼神金剛の迫撃" (kishin kongōō no hakugeki), "Close Strike of Fierce Deity and Adamant". As usual, "鬼神" (kishin), "Fierce Deity", is the series name for Atk-boosting Blow/Stance skills, and "金剛" (kongō), "Adamant" (referring to an unbreakable material and often referring to diamond in the real world, both in English and in Japanese), is the series name for Def-boosting Blow/Stance skills.

Karla's epithet, "Sun-Piercing Steel", is "熱砂を斬る闘気" (nessa o kiru tōki), "Fighting Spirit that Slices the Hot Sands".

Dryblade Lance is "砂漠の剣姫の槍" (sabaku no kenki no yari), "Lance of the Desert's Sword Princess". "剣姫" (kenki), "Sword Princess", is Karla's standard epithet, which is localized as "Sword Vassal".

Xane's epithet, "Desert Mirage", is "砂漠の幻影" (sabaku no gen'ei), "Desert Mirage".

Serpentine Staff is "蛇の杖" (hebi no tsue), "Snake Staff".

Azura's epithet, "Hatari Duet", is "武祭の歌姫たち" (busai no utahime-tachi), "Songstresses of the Battle Festival".

Dancing Flames is "響き渡る合唱の祭器" (hibiki-wataru gasshō no saiki), "Festival Implement of the Echoing Duet".

Cross Spur Res is "魔防の十字紋章" (mabō no jūji monshō), "Cross Emblem of Res". "紋章" (monshō), "Emblem", is the name of the Spur series. The word used for "cross" here is "十字" (jūji), which literally means "[in the shape of] the character 十 (jū, "ten")", i.e. an orthogonally oriented cross.

Deen's epithet, "Bladed Sandstorm", is "砂塵の剣士" (sajin no kenshi), "Sandstorm Swordsman". "剣士" (kenshi) is the name of the Myrmidon class, but I'm just translating it as "swordsman" here.

Bone Carver is "骨の暗器" (hone no anki), "Bone Dagger". Again, translating "暗器" (anki), "concealed weapon", as "dagger" because it's the name of the weapon type. The weapon's design is a mambele, like the Shuriken Cleaver, but this time it's used as a thrown weapon like a real-life mambele.

 

8 hours ago, LoneStar said:

You say this but Duo Sigurd wasn't in the top 10, they were close at 12 though. Azura is kind of popular I guess, but knowing the player base Fallen Edelgard and CYL units are going to dominate the ranks. Even Duo Peony who's also broken was at 13.

Sigurd didn't have the best exclusive dance skill in the game, a Duo/Harmonic skill with the dance effect, and a Trace skill. And Duo Peony is hardly broken.

 

8 hours ago, Tybrosion said:

And yeah, the Adrestian Abomination is definitely guaranteed a spot because the Edeglard simps are legitimately hopeless. We very nearly got Legendary Edelgard in the VG bracket last time in addition to CYL Edelgard.

Fallen Edelgard still defines the current meta, so even if she were just a blob of sludge instead of an Edelgard, she's basically guaranteed a slot.

Edited January 15, 2022 by Ice Dragon

[Use the Falchion]

The good news: 
No Volug, so no desperate splurging for me!

I really like Nailah and Azura/Leanne's artwork. 

 

The bad news: 

I really like Nailah and Azura/Leanne's artwork. 

I'm not surprised about the Azura/Leanne harmonic, but I really wanted Azura with someone else, like Olivia, Tharja, Dorothea (even though Dorothea got her Harmonic), or even Manuela or Marianne. Still, I see the reasoning behind this Harmonic, even if I don't care for the combination. 

 

I hopefully won't be spending much on this banner, if anything at all, if I can help it. I'd really like to wait until the rerun next year. 

[Roflolxp54]

Desert Azura looks disgusting as a support unit. Easy +6 to all stats to 1-4 allies upon dancing, extra action to potentially another (albeit only PoR/Fates) dancer, Gray Waves, and cavalry mobility.

Desert Xane's Serpentine Staff is pretty much a direct upgrade over the Pain staff -- while the post-combat damage is lessened, the Fatal Smoke effect more than makes up for it. The fact that he's a 4* Focus means that we can expect AR-D teams using staff units to potentially run Serpentine Staff+ (likely to contribute to the arms race against Fallen Edelgard, lol).

Desert Deen is automatically the best F2P-friendly colorless dagger cavalier in the game (since the only other is Merlinus).