Special Heroes: Nabata's Shield

[Fire Emblem Fan]

This Special Heroes banner is giving us Altina, Juno, Tormod, a Harmonic with Igrene and Louise, and Hawkeye as the TT+ reward.

 

[Sunwoo]

You know ... I'm aware people will tell me that I should be happy that my favorite character even made it into FEH at this point when Fire Emblem Fan is still waiting for Brom and the like. But I'm really not.

Didn't get a prf because demote-not-from-3H, his alt is literally the same weapon type color and movement as what his regular self would be, and it drops right in the middle of CYL voting so it's definitely going to siphon off votes from him because now people will consider him as being "in" and it'll tank his score forever.

And Nino fucking stole his extra move gimmick too and he can't use any of the tempest skills because ranged unit.

I really should be happy, but I'm all sorts of pissed right now.

[indigoasis]

@Etrurian emperor tormod is in the game now, the perpetual snubbing is over

As for my own thoughts, I think Altina is a new contender for best art in the game. Also, Atk/Def Oath 4 took longer than it should have, but you know how it is.

Edited January 18 by indigoasis

[Diovani Bressan]

I wonder if Hawkeye's Lance will have the same effects are Tormod's tome, or maybe change Desperation for Guaranteed Follow-up, since I can see Hawkeye being slow but quite tanky.

Overall, this is an easy skip to me. Getting lucky here with 2 banners that didn't bait me at all. Now I wait for the Anniversary FEH Channel, Mythic Banner and Valentines.

Edited January 18 by Diovani Bressan

[Tybrosion]

I'm legitimately confused as to both why Juno is here and why does she now join Dorothea, Ashe, etc. as a character with multiple seasonals but no base version. I was seriously expecting to see some popular Fodlan character like Yuri here, but I guess IS is entirely fine with this banner month in general being underwhelming after they made bank in December.

@Sunwoo I know this won't mean much, but Tormod at least has a lot of Tellius friends in alt only hell. I'm sorry that IS did this to him. I wanted Tormod too (not as much as you, obviously) but on a New Heroes banner.

[Sunwoo]

2 minutes ago, Tybrosion said:

I'm legitimately confused as to both why Juno is here and why does she now join Dorothea, Ashe, etc. as a character with multiple seasonals but no base version. I was seriously expecting to see some popular Fodlan character like Yuri here, but I guess IS is entirely fine with this banner month in general being underwhelming after they made bank in December.

@Sunwoo I know this won't mean much, but Tormod at least has a lot of Tellius friends in alt only hell. I'm sorry that IS did this to him. I wanted Tormod too (not as much as you, obviously) but on a New Heroes banner.

Yeah, I was hoping that if Tormod could get his CYL rank up high enough, IS would have to put him on a regular banner someday hopefully with Muarim and Vika. I wouldn't be so annoyed with him debuting as a seasonal unit if I had confidence that he'd eventually migrate to a regular banner. But Tellius just has too many characters competing for spots and he's a dude, so I'm not optimistic I'll see him there anytime soon. I might be less annoyed if he got a prf weapon along with the rest of the banner, but prf-less seasonal units aren't good enough to get them I suppose.

I do feel bad complaining because he at least exists, but still ... the seasonal units just aren't the same as getting a default form, since the seasonal units are railroaded into talking about things related to the season they're repping.

At least he still has his dignity, unlike Saleh in a bunny suit.

[Fire Emblem Fan]

One thing this banner makes me wonder about is the next New Heroes banner for Binding Blade. Juno's VA is obviously getting work, so I wonder if that means she's a lock for the next NH banner for her game. It'd likely be around the time we get Heroes OCs for whatever TT+ storyline they got going, so maybe it'll be an OC, Juno, Zelot, and Trec as a freebie, with Shanna/Thea being an alt? GHB that one pegasus boss who happened to be Juno's rival or whatever?

[Humanoid]

Yeah, I can be as irritated as anyone regarding the preferential treatment given to Altina, but dang that art is great. Hawkeye is dang solid in more ways than one too. The rest I can take or leave (mostly leave to be honest). I will observe that Louise kinda looks like Cyndi Lauper here though.

As for the actual kits, the only thing that stood out to me was the Harmonic granting extra mobility. That's nice, vote her into AHR please?

 

P.S. I always thought Tormod sounded like a name they'd give to an old man, so imagine my surprise seeing it's a kid.

[Florete]

I want that Altina. And the Igrene/Louise duo, but not as high priority. Although I am a little upset that Altina doesn't seem to have visible abs.

[Tybrosion]

23 minutes ago, Fire Emblem Fan said:

One thing this banner makes me wonder about is the next New Heroes banner for Binding Blade. Juno's VA is obviously getting work, so I wonder if that means she's a lock for the next NH banner for her game. It'd likely be around the time we get Heroes OCs for whatever TT+ storyline they got going, so maybe it'll be an OC, Juno, Zelot, and Trec as a freebie, with Shanna/Thea being an alt? GHB that one pegasus boss who happened to be Juno's rival or whatever?

Nah, Suzie Yeung already did work before this. They had her voice Patty back in September.

And speaking of Patty, they sure have Febail's English VA voicing Tormod. Between that and Krizia Bajos casually voicing two characters on the same banner, I somehow get the impression IS didn't want to spend too much money on the English voice acting for this banner.

[Othin]

One silver lining to seasonal-locked characters is that they do have the chance to show up in Forging Bonds, without as much focus on the seasonal theme.

I'm glad he finally got something, at least.

[Ice Dragon]

I'm never going to get used to Igrene having Hara Yumi as her voice actor.

 

And the usual translation notes:

 

The banner name, "Nabata's Shield", is "理想郷の守護者" (risōkyō no shugosha), "Guardians of Utopia".

Altina's epithet, "Unrivaled Dawn", is "無双なる暁光" (musō-naru gyōkō), "Peerless Light of Dawn".

Arcadian Axes is "永遠の理想郷の双斧" (eien no risōkyō no sōfu), "Dual Axes of the Eternal Utopia".

Arms of the Three is "三雄の双刃" (san'yū no sōjin), "Dual Blades of the Three Heroes".

Atk/Def Bulwark is "攻撃守備の防壁" (kōgeki shubi no bōheki), "Atk/Def Bulwark".

Juno's epithet, "Nimble Grace", is "優美なる天馬騎士" (yūmi-naru tenba kishi), "Graceful Pegasus Knight".

Blade of Sands is "砂漠の天馬騎士の剣" (sabaku no tenba kishi no ken), "Sword of the Desert's Pegasus Knight". Anything but a "sword".

Atk/Def Oath is "攻撃守備の信義" (kōgeki shubi no shingi), "Atk/Def Faith".

Tormod's epithet, "Indomitable Will", is "不屈なる壮志" (fukutsu-naru sōshi), "Indomitable Ambition".

Nabata Beacon is "ナバタの燭台" (nabata no shokudai), "Nabatan Candle Holder".

Igrene's epithet, "Sworn Protectors", is "愛と護りの神射手" (ai to mamori no shin-shashu), "Sagittaries of Love and Protection". "神射手" (unsure if pronounced "shin-shashu" or "kami-ite"), literally "divine archer", is the name of the Sagittary class from Radiant Dawn, localized as "Marksman".

Sandglass Bow is "悠久の黄砂の絆弓" (yūkyū no kōsa no hankyū), "Linking Bow of the Eternal Yellow Sands".

Pulse Up: Blades is "鍛錬の鼓動・刃" (tanren no kodō: jin), "Pulse of Training: Blade".

Hawkeye's epithet, "Taciturn Guardian", is "寡黙なる守護戦士" (kamoku-naru shugo senshi), "Taciturn Guardian Warrior".

Nabata Lance is "ナバタの槍" (nabata no yari), "Lance of Nabata".

Edited January 20 by Ice Dragon

[Midnox]

1 hour ago, Florete said:

I want that Altina. And the Igrene/Louise duo, but not as high priority. Although I am a little upset that Altina doesn't seem to have visible abs.

My Christmas Altina is already kicking major butt on her own. An axe Altina covering for the usual Christmas’s lance weaknesses will complete my team. ABYSSAL HERO BATTLES ARE AS GOOD AS DONE

[Etrurian emperor]

Huh. Didn’t expect Tormod or that Rindo would be voicing him.

[GrandeRampel]

1 hour ago, Sunwoo said:

I do feel bad complaining because he at least exists, but still ... the seasonal units just aren't the same as getting a default form, since the seasonal units are railroaded into talking about things related to the season they're repping.

Look at it this way, not only there's the fact that he is lucky to be in the game at all, given that the Dawn Brigade, the remaining Greil Mercs, the remaining Laguz Royals (it's Skrimir, Kurth, Rafiel for the banner and maybe some kind of related GHB? Izuka? For all the bad things he does to Laguz? Dheg is mythic material obviously) are all likely/guaranteed to be the next three New Heroes banners for Tellius in any order. Which means the first free slot for the New Heroes banner would be in like 5 years.

You could have had to wait 5 more years to get him in the game at all. Instead he is here now.

But also, when five years finally pass and all the obvious thematic banners for Tellius have been done, the three base versions of the Laguz Emancipation army + Attuned Sanaki (she has a connection to Tormod and is popular in Heroes. The GHB can be a senator idk) sounds like one of the few thematic banners they would think about doing.

Which means not only Tormod, but his buddies two would habe two versions in Heroes by then.

Not too shabby considering that some very popular/with vocal fanbases characters like Kaze from Fates and Sumia from Awakening still can't seem to be able to get a second version after YEARS. 

[Tybrosion]

33 minutes ago, Etrurian emperor said:

Huh. Didn’t expect Tormod or that Rindo would be voicing him.

Meanwhile on the Japanese side, he happens to have a VA who hasn't been seen in quite some time: Maaya Uchida (Sharena's VA).

Is the drought of Sharena content finally near its end, dare I ask?

[EricaofRenais]

 

 I will try some for the Harmonic but that is it.  I wounder if Altina will be in AHR this year since she looks great?  I am just really tiered of any FE 6 stuff snubbing Elffin for the 7th year in a row, I am just really sick of it.  

[Sunwoo]

2 minutes ago, Tybrosion said:

Meanwhile on the Japanese side, he happens to have a VA who hasn't been seen in quite some time: Maaya Uchida (Sharena's VA).

Is the drought of Sharena content finally near its end, dare I ask?

Wait, what.

Japanese Tormod being voiced by Japanese Sharena is kinda breaking my brain a little here XD;

[Sasori]

I like Tormod being in and I like the look, but did they really have to stick him with the male demote curse? Yuno is right there if they wanted a four star.

Did’t expect Louise, but i’m very happy to see her. Altina however feels like a complete waste of a slot for me.

[ARMADS!!!]

Damn! Altina's art is really top tier.

The banner looks cool, I feel bad sorta bad about Tormod but I found him to be a good enough demote for me to want to pull for him if my orbs let me (unless say, Thief Sothe, who I wanted as hell couldn't find it justifiable to spend orbs on such a poor unit...) and also so much people were complaining because he didn't get on a desert alt last year so it's nice that he got it now (although I feel a bit bad for @Sunwoo and seeing his hope being crashed before my eyes, I actually found out that the trailer came out because Sunwoo complained about it in another thread..., I feel you man, my condolences).

 Also, I thought about the possibility of a Igrene+Louise Harmonic (once we saw that Hawkwye wasn't with her, on the silhouettes, and after considering that they'd probably put Igrene on the banner), so now I feel bad for not having called it.

 The units look pretty good overall, but maybe I'll skip it (or only summon very few times), they don't look like a must for me.

3 hours ago, Fire Emblem Fan said:

One thing this banner makes me wonder about is the next New Heroes banner for Binding Blade. Juno's VA is obviously getting work, so I wonder if that means she's a lock for the next NH banner for her game. It'd likely be around the time we get Heroes OCs for whatever TT+ storyline they got going, so maybe it'll be an OC, Juno, Zelot, and Trec as a freebie, with Shanna/Thea being an alt? GHB that one pegasus boss who happened to be Juno's rival or whatever?

Who? Sigune?! The day they add Sigune to the game, I'll die of hapiness!

3 hours ago, Humanoid said:

Hawkeye is dang solid in more ways than one too. 

 Where do they show Hawkeye?? (I mean, his weapon description, skills, art and whatever).

2 hours ago, Florete said:

I want that Altina. And the Igrene/Louise duo, but not as high priority. Although I am a little upset that Altina doesn't seem to have visible abs.

Yes! Like don't they realize that the abs are half of the reasons for her to be popular? (her arms could be a bit more muscular here too). Her summer art did her worse though... And at least her dress has a window for the abs, and her art is so great... so I'll refrain from complaining too much, I could be angrier.

1 hour ago, Tybrosion said:

Meanwhile on the Japanese side, he happens to have a VA who hasn't been seen in quite some time: Maaya Uchida (Sharena's VA).

Is the drought of Sharena content finally near its end, dare I ask?

Please don't say that, it gives me the completely irracional hope that she'll finally have justice and get a Valentines alt... Hmpf, "the whole Askr royal family is here, reunited on Valentines! How nice!" No fuck they're not! You forgot one of your kids, you sickfuck!

[Humanoid]

7 minutes ago, ARMADS!!! said:

Where do they show Hawkeye?? (I mean, his weapon description, skills, art and whatever).

His art is here

His skills were just added to the announcements following the reset just now. Ignis, Def/Res Ideal, Panic Ploy. Weapon is Tormod's except instead of Desperation, it grants Hexblade instead.

[GrandeRampel]

Now that I think about it a little more. This banner kinda fits Tormod in a way.

Nabata is a place in which dragon people and humans live together as equals. And Tormod is all about humans and dragon people (and bird people, and cat people, and dog people) living together as equals. He would absolutely love Nabata.

So this is a pretty fitting alt for him all things considered.

[Tybrosion]

Just throwing it out there that, prior to Nabata Hawkeye, Panic Ploy was last given to a 2020 GHB (Gangrel). 

Anyways, the Sacred Seals for the next Tempest Trials are Threat. Atk/Res and Spd/Def Rein.

[Mercakete]

ToooOOORRMOOOOD?!??! Okay. All my orbs are being shot at red until I pull a Tormod. So glad he gets a desert version! It's neat how he gets his special movement ability folded into his weapon too! I just wish he had a skill or something that made it so that beast allies could transform next to him without the beasts themselves needing a skill to enable transformation next to humans. He would've been perfect if he had that.

Now we just have to deal with the awkwardness of Muarim only having a fallen version for Tormod to hang out with.

And now I read other people's reactions.

[Etrurian emperor]

18 minutes ago, Mercakete said:

Now we just have to deal with the awkwardness of Muarim only having a fallen version for Tormod to hang out with.

We can only hope Izuka joins the roster soon. Then Muarim has company.