Best in the game - week 1: sword users

[Claude C Kenny]

Alright, new idea. Choose who you think is the best sword user in FE7 based on anything you feel makes them the best. Feel free to share your reasoning for who you picked, and feel free to debate it if you wish. The 3 characters with the most votes will be considered the top 3 in the game.

After all weapon catagories have been decided, i'm going to do a recorded run of me playing FE7 on HHM with the chosen characters to see if they truly are the best in the game. Remember that almost all characters have multiple weapons to choose from either before or after promotion, so most characters have multiple shots at being on the team. And some do better with certain weapons than others.

To explain the placeholders, there are 22 sword users in the game, too many for one question, so it had to be split. Basically, you make your choice, then choose the placeholder in the other group of choices. If it's too confusing, i'll explain it better.

Have at it!

Edited May 15, 2011 by Valmanway

[Parrhesia]

Raven, because he has axes eventually.

Oh, the choices are broader than I'd figured; uh, still Raven as a swordsman overall. Marcus is superior and all, but as a swordsman itself...Raven's the best one that, for me, fits the bill.

Then I remembered Sain, and this post grows more unnecessarily long by the second. Someone hit me if I try to change it again.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Furetchen

[Bearissoslow]

lol @ mine being the only Lyn vote

In all honesty, Guy is the best sword unit in the game with only an arguable dispute between him and Raven. I chose Lyn purely out of favoritism and the fact that I don't recall ever having a Lyn that hasn't been able to contribute well in some way.

By the by, I'm not sure if counting units that don't use swords primarily is necessarily fair. I mean, shit, the Paladins will have a fun time being in the axes and lances poles as well. And I don't think of sword unit when I see Hector and Heath. Just suggesting a better way to run this shin-dig would be to weed out some of the other options.

[Fei Mao]

I voted Marcus because his base stats and high mobility carries him through the game. Though in my opinion Isadora, Harken, and Raven are the other best sword users in this game.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Generic Officer

[Mekkah]

Looks like Marcus is going to win about 500 polls.

[Integrity]

Marcus has better things to do than use swords, like use:

Javelins

Hand Axes

Bigger Axes

Silver Lance

So I voted Eliwood, because

I was going to vote Isadora, but then I remembered that she's the best Axe user in the game, not Sword.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Integrity

[Anouleth]

Marcus is not only the best sword user, he's also the best axe user, the best lance user, the best horse user, and the best Dracoshield user. Second place probably goes to Sain, Hector or Raven.

Edited May 15, 2011 by Black★Star

[Integrity]

Hector using swords for the last third of the game doesn't even compare to even Guy, let alone half the list.

[Anouleth]

Hector using swords for the last third of the game doesn't even compare to even Guy, let alone half the list.

The topic does not ask 'who uses Swords most effectively'. It asks 'who is the best sword user'. Hector is a sword user - he is also a very good unit. Thus, he is definitely in the running for best sword user.

[Integrity]

The topic does not ask 'who uses Swords most effectively'. It asks 'who is the best sword user'. Hector is a sword user - he is also a very good unit. Thus, he is definitely in the running for best sword user.

That's really taking this exactly to the letter, dude.

I like it.

[Florete]

The topic does not ask 'who uses Swords most effectively'. It asks 'who is the best sword user'. Hector is a sword user - he is also a very good unit. Thus, he is definitely in the running for best sword user.

Actually, it does.

"Who is the best Sword user?"

"Who is the best user of Swords?"

I'd sooner say that's asking who uses Swords most effectively than who is the best unit among all the ones that can use Swords. The way it says "Sword user" is kind of the determining point here. If it said "Sword unit" I would agree with you.

[Radiant Dragon]

In my playthroughs, Marcus and Hector do not use Swords, so they're disqualified and my vote goes to Raven.

[Raven]

Raven. He's powerful as fuck, and has great skill and speed to boot.

Axes on promotion make him even better, as axes add more strength to his blows, and his massive speed doesn't give a shit about getting weighed down by any axe.

[Rewjeo]

Actually, it does.

"Who is the best Sword user?"

"Who is the best user of Swords?"

I'd sooner say that's asking who uses Swords most effectively than who is the best unit among all the ones that can use Swords. The way it says "Sword user" is kind of the determining point here. If it said "Sword unit" I would agree with you.

That just means someone who uses swords. Marcus uses swords. Not very much, but he uses them. Therefor, he is a sword user.

[Florete]

That just means someone who uses swords. Marcus uses swords. Not very much, but he uses them. Therefor, he is a sword user.

There is a difference between "Person who can use Swords" and "Person who uses Swords." One implies ability, the other is the more direct action. This topic is (or at least seems to be) the latter.

[Claude C Kenny]

To clear things up, anyone who can wield a sword, whether before or after promotion, will be considered. This will be the same for all weapon types. Sorry for any confusion.

[Mekkah]

Even if you restrict Marcus to just using swords, he's still better than all the units in this list. (be it just at fighting with a sword, or at everything a unit can do) If Marcus didn't count as a sword user at all according to the OP, then why is he in the poll to begin with? So there really is no reason to vote for anything but Marcus.

Edited May 17, 2011 by Mekkah

[Lwik]

i personally love all the sword users in this game, some times yes the myrms get str screwed , but they are all really good characters, personally i NEVER finish the game without kent or raven on my team , dunno why , could be the fact that i like kents personality and raven is the only merc in the game ( harken being just a hero ) and mercs have always been a favorite of mine

[Integrity]

( harken being just a hero )

...unlike Raven, you mean?

[Radiant Dragon]

...unlike Raven, you mean?

Maybe he never promotes Raven?

[Integrity]

Maybe he never promotes Raven?

Ah, and takes a 20/-- Raven to Endgame. That makes perfect sense!

[Radiant Dragon]

I never said it made sense, it's just a possible explanation. More likely, he's one of those people who just doesn't like to use the prepromoted units.

[WeaponsofMassConstruction]

I would bet that he meant it in the sense that while Raven and Harken can both be heroes, Harken can't be a merc, though it is better to wait for someone to clarify before making assumptions about them.

Marcus is Marcus, though I figured at least one person would've voted for Matthew.

[Florete]

I voted for Florina because early flier.

[Anouleth]

Actually, it does.

"Who is the best Sword user?"

"Who is the best user of Swords?"

I'd sooner say that's asking who uses Swords most effectively than who is the best unit among all the ones that can use Swords. The way it says "Sword user" is kind of the determining point here. If it said "Sword unit" I would agree with you.

Actually, the way I see it, the two sentences have distinct meanings.

"Who is the best (Sword user)?"

Means that of the characters who are sword users, which is the best?

"Who is the (best user) of swords?"

Asks who uses Swords the best. As in, who will give you the most bang for your buck if you give them a sword. But even in this case, characters such as Marcus and Hector are still great sword users, since they have good stats and in Marcus' case, good movement. As a result, they produce the best results with a sword. One could argue that they don't 'need' swords to provide combat output while units such as Guy do need swords to provide combat output, but of course one needs some kind of weapon in order to provide combat output, and I feel like it would be penalising them for being able to equip weapons other than swords, which is just nonsensical.