Sire

Arena Team Roster (Any combination of these work, but currently I am running Ephraim, Erika, Nino, and Sharena. Spring Lucina and Camilla are currently listed since they are 5* characters, but I have not optimized them enough for proper Arena play.) Ephraim Siegmund || Moonbow, Rally RES* || Defiant DEF*, Swordbreaker*, Threaten DEF Ryoma Raijinto || Astra, Swap* || Defiant ATT, Vantage*, Hone SPD Eirika Sieglinde || Iceberg*, Rally DEF* || Distant Counter*, Renewal*, Hone SPD Nino Gronnblade+ || Draconic Aura*, Draw Back || Life and Death*, Desperation*, B. of Life* Sharena Fensalir || Luna*, Rally Attack || Fury*, Renewal*, Fortify DEF S!Camilla Green Egg+ || Ignis*, Rally Attack || Triangle Adept*, Quick Riposte*, Threaten Atk* S!Lucina Blue Egg+ || Galeforce*, Rally Speed || Swift Sparrow, Seal RES, Spur Atk* Unfavorable Matchups - Dancers: I despite Dancers with a passion, especially if the opponent fields multiple ranged magic units. I rely on Ephraim to tank and everyone else is a bit squishy (sans Ryoma who can handle Green Mages). Magic is lethal to Ephraim, more so because he is rather slow... - Linde, Reinhardt: I dislike these two and always have problems with them. If I have Nino around, they are less of a threat, but still. Otherwise, off the top of my head I can't think of much else. Dancers and mages are the main problems for me.

I love Crystals and Shards. Specifically, I use Crystals for the last-minute rush to 40 (so promoting a level 35 character or so up to 40) so I can use them immediately in the Arena or in some Lunatic missions. Shards I mostly use for skill fodder characters or healers, since healers take forever to level up. I may not use them all the time, but when I do, they are extremely useful. Badges and Great Badges I have in excess. A part of me would like to see a trade in feature so I can get something that is more useful to me at the present, but am otherwise indifference about them. As for Feathers, FE:Heroes has done plenty to alleviate Feather concerns. We now have Hero Merits and the Voting Gauntlet, not to mention the raised rewards in Offensive Arena (it was previously lower). Sure, Feathers are in also in higher demand due to Skill Inheritance and more Feathers would be nice, but right now I am content with Feather progression.

Would've posted this in Jokes & Memes about Fates, but that topic may be considered old now and we could use another Fan Works topic. So, feel free to post and share your fan art, fan fiction, or other fan works relating to Fates here. This includes jokes and memes like in the previous topic. * * * * * As for me, I wanted to share some custom support conversations and scenes made by a certain individual on Youtube. For the most part, Fate's story has been criticized ever since the JPN release. Some fans have decided to make their own fanfics or versions of Fate's storyline while others expand upon the Fate's universe. This particular creator uses Fates assets and edits together a video that mimics dialogue conversations. So, we can have custom supports, custom scenes, and even custom epilogues. The channel did become inactive for a while, but it seems the creator is back to a schedule of sorts releasing a new video every two weeks or so. I highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy the characters of Fates and wanted a better more story than what we got initially.

For reference, here is a Youtube Video that has all the recruitment themes up to Shadows of Valentia (even including Heroes). * * * * * As for me, I ranked I all the games instead of the ones just listed in the poll. 1. With Us! & Stalwarts Unite! (An excellent piece from Tellius, being an epic and grandiose recruitment theme! I prefer the Radiant Dawn version for obvious reasons. Yes, Tellius beats out Together We Ride, despite its countless versions.) 2. Together We Ride (It is the classic recruitment theme. However, it does also have the benefit of having plenty of different versions to pick from. My personal favorite is the Shadow Dragon version, followed by Blazing Blade Sword. Heroes is all right, but it is mostly tuned to trying to hype the player up for the random summons and to lead to disappointment.) 3. Encounter (Holy ****. The more I hear of the original Gaiden, the more I see why its OST is one of the best things ever. It is definitely different to the other recruitment themes [unless we count Awakening], and the Echoes version also sounds amazing. Thing is, the piece is so good both for both the remastered and original NES versions!) 4. Awakening - "Here we are! The Shepherd's Garrison" (A different take on the more upbeat recruitment theme. I love this theme because it represents the strong bonds of an army.) 5. Comrades (While I love Sacred Stones and Comrades is an upbeat tune, the GBA style holds it back against its competition. If only we had a remastered version...) 6. Join Us! (I haven't really played the games, but I think Genealogy's version sounds better than Binding Blade.) 7. Joining a Group (Never played the game. It sounds all right and regal in a sense, but it lacks the intensity or feeling of the others. This also may just be due because I never played Thracia.) 8. Fates - "Guest of the Light/Dark" (Both versions are forgettable. Fates does have some awesome tracks, but the recruitment themes are not to my taste.)

Highlights off the top of my head... Smash Amiibo - Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta get 2 versions (Corrin is male and female while Cloud and Bayonetta have different outfits) Splatoon 2 - Gets a Horde Mode (I am excited for this if I ever get around to getting a Switch) Arms - While initially I did not care much for the title, the more I see of it, the more interested I am in it. However, I probably still won't be picking it up. Other mentions... Mario Kart 8 - Probably already known, but it goes over Battle Mode and some Online Functionality. If it includes all the DLC from the Wii U pre-packaged, then I'll definitely want to pick this up at some point. FE: Echoes DLC - Basically this information is already known, but at least we have NA confirmation. 2D Pikmin - Seems interesting, but I probably won't go out of my way to get it. A Pikmin amiibo is also coming out. * * * * * There is more information, but either I do not remember it or it did not resonate with me. Otherwise, it was a fairly underwhelming Direct, but I expect the big stuff to happen at E3. Either way, some of the stuff does look interesting, so it is not a complete loss.

Round 33 [Spring Festival]: 3* Sophia || 3* Serra || 3* Serra || 4* Saizo || 5* Spring Camilla (+ATT, -SPD) Blue = Active Duty (Good or Perfect IVs, New Desired Character)Red = Reserves (Character Merging, Skill Inheritance, Retirement) * * * * * * * * * * It seems as if I have been suddenly blessed after going through the despair of Blazing Shadows (10.6 full pulls on that banner, no 5* unit.) Since Blazing Shadows passed and the Spring Festival popped up, I got four 5-star units (Spring Lucina, Peri, Olwen, Spring Camilla) in three pulls. Not only that, they also happen to have good natures (save for Peri, who was fed to Minerva, Cherche's Wyvern). I went into the Spring Festival with the mindset of "why not," because these heroes are likely to be limited until next year. While I am interested in the next banner, there is always the chance I can pull them "normally" down the line when they get incorporated into the default pool. So, did a full pull for the Spring Festival, hoping for either Chrom (for the +ATT & DEF skill, as well as the Axe EXP), or Camilla (flying mage, extra Tower shards). So, for this pull, Sophia is useful for passing on Fortify RES or Dragon Fang. Serra I already have optimized (+SPD, -DEF) and I do not need an army of Serras. I have a feeling the Serras I retired previously just decided to come back on their own. Saizo is good for passing on Poison Strike, which will likely go on Kagero so she can still help out against non-Infantry targets. As for Spring Camila, the -SPD will initially look to be undesirable. However, S!Camilla is on the slow side anyway at 25 base SPD, so moving her to 22 SPD is not that bad. The reason to go for a speedy S!Camilla is to take advantage of her innate Defiant SPD skill. A +SPD Camilla has 29 SPD while Defiant SPD will bump that up to 36 SPD! All that -SPD does is lock out the "easy build" for Spring Camilla. As for some build ideas for Spring Camilla, see the spoiler. Otherwise, until next time! * * * * * Past Pulls

1. How essential are the L & R Buttons for gameplay? My 3DS does not have working L&R buttons. I ask this because I am hesitant in buying a New 3DS XL since it was originally released in 2015 (Oct 2014 in JPN). With E3 in June, I am wondering if Nintendo will announce a successor to the 3DS line or yet another upgrade to the handheld. My current 3DS has worn down over the years (had it since launch - I am a 3DS Ambassador!). I can play Awakening and Fates just fine without the L&R Buttons, so I am wondering if I am do the same for Echoes. 2. For the Alm and Celica amiibo, how exactly do their special dungeons work and do they have any other functions besides their special summon? When picking up Echoes, I also want to try and get the Alm and Celica amiibo. Besides collecting them (and eventually Ike, Robin, and Lucina), I want to know the specifics of their function to use as influence on my possible purchase of a New 3DS. * * * * * Thanks in advance for your help!

Round 31 [Spring Festival]: ??? || ??? || 3* Beruka (+DEF, -SPD) || 4* Tharja (+ATT, -DEF) || 5* Spring Lucina (+SPD?, -DEF? or -HP?) Round 32 [Pegasus Knights]: 3* Cecilia (+SPD, -DEF) || 3* Lissa (+SPD, -HP) || 3* Shanna (+HP, -DEF) || 5* Peri (+RES, -SPD) || 5* Olwen (+SPD, -HP) Blue = Active Duty (Good or Perfect IVs, New Desired Character)Red = Reserves (Character Merging, Skill Inheritance, Retirement) * * * * * * * * * * It's been a while since I last posted here. Getting a job means free time goes away, yay!~ So, apparently my horrible luck decided to turn around and Heroes starting giving me free stuff left and right. I pulled on the Spring Festival when it was still relatively new and I was rewarded with Spring Lucina (who had perfect natures, but I didn't write them down at the time) and Tharja (I would prefer +SPD than +ATT, but she is still really good). I kept Beruka since I thought about using her, but decided against it as I already have an optimized Beruka (+DEF, -SPD). The other two heroes are forgotten as I did not write everything down immediately as I usually do, and I recently cleaned up my roster of Heroes. Then, when pulling for Pegasus Knights, FE:H gave me 2 more 5-Star characters. Peri had poor IVs and was eaten up by Minerva (Cherche's Wyvern) for Threaten DEF, while Olwen seems pretty good save for her abysmal ATT stat. At least Olwen can make up her poor offense with Life and Death, excellent SPD, and with the Cavalry buffs. Give her Iceberg or Glacies, and she can also start doing some decent burst damage. Cecilia was a good candidate as she gains 4 points in SPD and may be able to make excellent use of Defiant SPD or Threaten SPD, but I decided to keep my +ATT, -DEF Cecilia instead. Close Counter + Quick Riposte seem like an excellent, if expensive, option for Cecilia. Lissa would have been perfect is she just had -ATT instead, and Shanna will no longer be a Pegasus Knight in training as soon as she passed on her Desperation passive. On a side note, I recently promoted my 4* Nino (+SPD, -DEF) to 5-Star status. She already has Desperation and I gave her Breath of Life for her C Passive, while she inherited Draconic Aura for when overkill is required. All that is left is to give her Life and Death and its three levels, and max out all of her skills! * * * * * Past Pulls

@Ryu Yuki It is found in the General Fire Emblem section. Anyways, here you go. One day I shall start from the beginning and amass my collection, but that day is not this day... * * * * * Back on topic, I am fine with the "fan art" also being featured here. As far as I am concerned, the "Spring (x)" is a meme, even if it technically isn't. Also, the art is where some of the greatest things come from, such as the Ephraim vs Chrom stuff from the previous Voting Gauntlet.

I am going to make a simple-minded response and just say this: "If it doesn't affect me, then I don't care." Honestly, I don't mind people datamining or hacking things for the sake of entertainment or science. It's when hackers deliberately ruin the experience of other players (the "normal definition" of hackers, such as FPS aimbotters or multiplayer-hacked super teams) when it becomes an issue. So, if one "hacks" heroes to make a "sandbox account" that is isolated away from the rest of the world, then I am completely fine with it. If I begin seeing hacked Arena teams or hacked results in the Voting Gauntlet, then that is when I take issues with hacking, Otherwise, just have fun and be responsible while doing so. * * * * * Hackers are going to hack. Pirates are gonna pirate. It mostly comes down to the company that runs the service. Provide a better service and/or access to the information, and some may not hack or pirate and just use the service instead. Putting up a massive barrier (a normal one is fine and expected) will begin to harm legitimate consumers. The question here then becomes, is the company to blame for over-protecting their product, or the hackers that may have prompted the response? Perspectives will differ, but I lean more toward the company being overprotective.

It's a shame that Cherche is losing to Cordelia. I expected this due to the matchup, but I would have liked it if Cherche made it to Round 2.... As for supporting other characters, I'm likely to go Camilla because that is the only good character I have. I would support Minerva instead, but I do not have Minerva and really do not feel like going all out this Voting Gauntlet like I did the previous. I'll just join the "winning team" and ride the rest of the way for feathers, using up my flags for maximum feather earnings on top of the victory bonuses. This is mostly due to my interest with Heroes slowly dwindling. I rediscovered Shadowverse and began playing Starcraft II again. Not only that, but I'm going to be working the night shift soon, so I need to adapt my sleeping schedule and all that stuff. I'll still play Heroes casually, but I don't think I'll be doing any more theorycrafting in the near future. It's amazing how much free time I have when I'm not on message boards 24/7...

I was going to do a lot more with custom characters, but other projects ended up taking up my time. So, I'll just post my unfinished concepts (which are probably not balanced whatsoever). All of it will be in the spoiler since they mainly come as a single set (save for two).

For reference, here are the enemy units for when he appeared in Shadow Dragon. 7 Fighters || 2 Thieves || 1 Leveled!Fighter ||1 Hunter ||1 Boss!Fighter || Navarre Then combined with the roster (Caeda, Sophia, Effie, Kagero), I would guess... Caeda - Counters Green Axes, Counters Navarre's SPD Effie - Counters Navarre Sophia - Counters Green Axes from Range Kagero - Annihilates Infantry. So, going off of a 5 member team, I would guess this would be the enemy composition. 1. Navarre || 2. Green Axe || 3. Green Axe || 4. Grey Bow || 5. Grey Dagger Then you throw in insane skill combinations and stats to top it all off. * * * * * The alternative is that the initial picture is correct and we have to deal with Navaree, Green Axe, 2 Grey Daggers, and a Grey Staff. If so, (color)Raven will have a field day with this map...

New Datamined Banners look good. For Battling Navarre, I could use an Effie. I also like Caeda can can use Kagero for merging fodder. Sophia is all right, but is not the best character. For Pegasus Knights, I want them all save for Subaki. I could use a better Palla and do not own Hinoka or Cordelia. For Wyvern Riders, I could use a Minerva. Getting a good IV Camilla and more Cherches are bonuses for me. Beruka too has her uses as I intend on making her into a flying fortress. Thing is, I already said to myself I will not spend money on Heroes for April, but with all these excellent choices, it is very tempting. The best I can hope for is my luck becomes insanely good and I don't have to spend that many Orbs to get the characters I want. As for teams, I am Team Cherche. She was my Avatar's spouse, and she remains one of my favorite characters. That, and I already got two Cherches that are pretty well off in terms of inherited skills. I just need the feathers to promote them to 5* status and the 5* exclusive skills to finish up their sets...

Welp, here are my predictions... Cordelia: Will likely make it to the finals for Pegasus Knights. Hinoka: May reach the second bracket. Palla: May reach the second bracket, but may lose to Hinoka. Subaki: The perfect loser. (He stands no chance, just like Elise.) Camilla: Lucina 2.0, will likely annihilate everyone else. Minerva: May be the Ephraim for this particular Voting Gauntlet. Cherche: Personal favorite and to whom I will be sending my support. However, Cherche may just make it to the second round. Beruka: Has better odds than Alfonse because Snake Eater and Headband. Will likely lose the first bracket. * * * * * When Cherche falls, I'll likely end up going Camilla as she is the only unit I have besides Beruka. If I get a Minerva, then I'll support her instead of Camilla. // The Pegasus Knights are all right, with Palla being my favorite out of them all. I would rate Cordelia higher, but her Heroes artwork is not to my liking. Also, keep in mind if they have that "final round bonus" thing again to save up on Flags for maximum Feather gain.

Glad to see everyone's luck going well with their pulls! The Easter characters actually have some interesting skills that are making me tempted to pull them when I get some more Orbs. As for me though, I'll just be over here...

If Camilla is for crystals and shards, then she definitely useful for Tower Dailies. Also, Chrom's Axe Experience is nice to have. Xander's though for Badges? Useless. As for the actual stuff though... Attack/Def +2: Grants Atk/Def +2 [Honestly a straight up upgrade if it is in the "A" slot passive, since it grants a total of +4 stats than +3. This skill definitely has its uses on more defensive characters if not running Defiants and the like.] Swift Sparrow: If unit initiates combat , unit granted Atk/Spd +4 during battle. [A union between Darting Blow and Death Blow. Due to the way the game calculates doubling, I suspect Swift Sparrow will become the best thing ever while the previous Blows are a thing of the past. The only reason to run the "pure" build is dependant on the character's SPD and now many units that character can double or not. Slow Characters will likely still rely on Death Blow while fast ones may opt for Darting Blow to gain that extra edge. Also, this may end up being the new Life and Death for non-Brave users. Since L&D is mostly taken for the offensive anyways, losing 1 ATT & SPD on the offensive is nothing compared to losing 5 DEF & RES at all times. Sure, the character will not be able to hit hard when on the defensive, but they are not meant to do that in the first place. Braves may still keep L&D to make up for the SPD loss from the Brave Weapon, unless that character is super sonic to begin with, like Hana.] New Weapons: The closest comparison is being +1 MT to Armorslayer & Gem Weapons but with a Heal Effect. Thing is, 4 HP is not really that substantial, especially if battles only last like 4 turns (so a max of 16 HP healed if attacking every turn). It has a niche that the number crunchers can figure out, but even then, I bet other weapons are superior.