Narcian, Wyvern General

[DLNarshen]

Narcian, Wyvern General
Green Axe Flier

5★ Lv. 40 Stats:

Hp: 42
Atk: 29
Spd: 29
Def: 32
Res: 26
Total: 158

Default Skills:

Weapon: Emerald Axe+
Assist: --
Special: Vengeance
Passive A: --
Passive B: Lancebreaker 3
Passive C: Savage Blow 3

Overview:

A quick glance at Narcian’s stat spread reveal a very well-rounded unit – perhaps too well rounded.  Narcian’s stats put him in a very awkward place where nearly any build he can run is done better by another axe flier.  Even his “strength” of physical bulk is outdone by both Beruka and Michalis.  Narcian does sport high Res for an axe flier, which brings to mind a possible magic-baiting, DC build, but it is difficult to justify using this when Camilla: Bewitching Beauty has +5 Res on him in addition to slighter higher offensive stats at the cost of some physical bulk.  Things are bleak for the man of unparalleled abilities, but such is the life of a low tier unit, and in this analysis I will attempt to highlight builds that allow Narcian the limelight he so desperately craves.

Pros:

• He is a flier, and therefore is extremely mobile and can take advantage of powerful flier buffs.
• Green color and decent magical bulk allow him to tank the oppressive Reinhardt.
• His default skill set is perfect for assassinating lance units, making him a worthwhile Arena Assault unit with minimal investment.
• He makes use of all his stats, making him a solid choice for Summoner and Ally support.
• Has glorious hair.

Cons:

• His well-rounded stats mean he’s going to be outclassed by his green axe rivals in nearly any role he tries to fulfill.
• 29/29 offensive stats means he generally struggles against non-blue units.
• Limited merge potential – at this time of writing can only be raised to +5. 
• No access to IVs/natures to help rectify his statistical woes.
• If he passes a mirror, he will cease battling to admire his prowess.

Builds:

(A Note on Passive C Skills and Sacred Seals:  These skills are very flexible by nature.  You can put more or less anything here to complement whatever your team needs.  Generally speaking, the skills I listed in these slots in the builds below are the ones I feel are his best options while giving the most flexibility in the type of Sacred Seals he can use.  Adjust according to your intended team composition.)

The Strong
High Investment – Arena (Offense) – Standard Horse Emblem check

Spoiler

Weapon: Emerald Axe+
Assist: Reposition / Swap
Special: Ignis
Passive A: Distant Counter
Passive B: Hit and Run / Drag Back
Passive C: Panic Ploy / Goad Fliers
Sacred Seal: Distant Def / Panic Ploy

This set capitalizes on Narcian’s decent magical bulk and default Emerald Axe to serve as a check to common “Horse Emblem” threats.  After baiting out and killing a standard Reinhardt, Narcian will have his Ignis fully charged and ready to unleash on any non-red that dares stand in the way.  The 25 extra damage it provides should prove more than enough to OHKO stray Lyn: Brave Lady and Cecilia, among the more common targets.  Hit and Run / Drag Back help even the gap in his mobility and those of cavalry, especially if multiple of them are ranged.  Narcian’s Hp is high enough to reliably Panic Ploy the three aforementioned “Horse Emblem” threats, effectively neutering their stats before engagement.

NOTE:  Be careful with Panic Ploy when the enemy Reinhardt is getting a Fortify Cavalry buff.  A +0 Reinhardt with neutral Hp and Def will only survive Narcian’s first counter with 2 Hp.  If Narcian’s Atk is buffed, or if Reinhardt has an Hp or Def bane, you run the risk of one-shotting him out right, therefore necessitating another attack to charge your Ignis.  

The Clever
Low Investment – Arena Assault – Lance Counter

Spoiler

Weapon: Emerald Axe+
Assist: Reposition / Swap
Special: Moonbow / Glimmer
Passive A: Fury 3
Passive B: Lancebreaker 3
Passive C: Threaten Def 3 / Goad Fliers
Sacred Seal: Panic Ploy / Close Def

Distant Counter is tough to come by, so this budget build is reworked to be a hard counter to lance units, utilizing his innate Emerald Axe and Lancebreaker skills.  Facing down a tough looking Lucina: Brave Princess in Arena Assault?  Just sit Narcian in her path and watch him work.  Moonbow and Glimmer will proc every time he engages in combat with a Lance user at 50% Hp or more, which gives him a little extra power to muscle through bulkier threats like Effie or Shiro.  Fury 3 is a good budget option for units with balanced stats. 

The Handsome
Medium Investment – Chain Modes – Medic, Support

Spoiler

Weapon: Emerald Axe+
Assist: Reciprocal Aid
Special: Sol / Noontime
Passive A: Iote’s Shield
Passive B: Renewal
Passive C: Goad Fliers / Breath of Life
Sacred Seal: Breath of Life / Panic Ploy / Close Def / Distant Def

As there are no flying staff users, running a dedicated flier team in chain modes such as Tempest Trials and Chain Challenge is a tough prospect.  This Narcian build is totally dedicated to providing healing and support to his flier allies.  Emerald Axe ensures that he still has good combat against blues, whom he will need to engage in to charge Sol / Noontime to restore himself after a Reciprocal Aid.  Renewal provides him with consistent health regen, and Iote’s Shield covers the second big weakness of all-flier teams in chain modes: Baiting Archers.  Narcian has enough physical bulk and speed to not take too much damage from most of them. 

Breath of Life is an option for the C slot, but Goad Fliers is preferable as it allows him to a fill a niche staff wielders and more standard medic builds can’t.

 

The Righteous
Very High Investment – Arena (Offense), Arena (Defense) – All-purpose

Spoiler

Weapon: Slaying Axe+ (Spd)
Assist: Reposition / Swap / Double Rally
Special: Aether
Passive A: Distant Counter
Passive B: Quick Riposte 3
Passive C: Panic Ploy / Goad Fliers
Sacred Seal: Distant Def / Panic Ploy

Summoners who find themselves helplessly captivated by this man’s style and grace may be able to unlock his true potential with this all-purpose build.  Unlike with “The Strong” build listed above, this one absolutely assumes he is being used on a dedicated flyer team, and is designed to earn as many arena points as possible.  He loses durability against blue units with replacing his default Emerald Axe, but gains some much needed boosts in Hp and Spd with a refined Slaying Axe.  With the Spd upgrade, Hone Buff, and one Goad, he avoids getting doubled by a +10 +Spd Fury Nino, and kills right back with Quick Riposte.  If he has a +5 merge and either summoner or adjacent ally support, he doesn’t even need the Goad. 

Aether provides the most points for Arena, and works similarly to Ignis in the first build.  One round of combat with the ever present Reinhardt fully charges it, more or less guaranteeing Narcian two kills in any match Reinhardt is around.

Make no mistake – this build is intended for whales, Tier 20 Arena contenders, and Narcian superfans.  While it is only natural you’d wish to pay tribute to Narcian, think hard before embarking on this path.

Other Options:

G Tomebreaker
Green Tomebreaker is an option on the first build if you don’t care about the retreating properties of Hit and Run, and want to better counter Cecilia and other fast infantry greens as well.

Bonfire
Bonfire is always a worthwhile Special on units who have good Def, and Narcian is no exception.  It works well on the The Clever build if you don’t think you need Moonbow, and it’s a solid option on The Righteous if you don’t care about wasting it on Reinhardt and can make the lost points up elsewhere.

Still sort of a WIP, and sort of not.  I'll edit and make changes to this depending on the kind of feedback received, and I'll probably add some more specific calc information especially for the fourth build.  

Edited December 19, 2017 by DLNarshen

[SoulWeaver]

Holy crap. I knew there was a reason I needed to keep my three Narcians all separate and unfoddered, I just didn't know until now it was so I could run all these builds for an all-Narcian team. Can't wait for his next rerun so I can pick up the last piece now!

[L9999]

This may not go on topic, but if Narcian could have IVs what would benefit him more? 

[XRay]

43 minutes ago, L9999 said:

This may not go on topic, but if Narcian could have IVs what would benefit him more? 

I would pick [+Atk, -HP/Spd] for his default set to kill lances and maybe tank blue mages. Add on Glimmer and Attack +3, he is all ready to go for Arena Assault.

[DLNarshen]

8 hours ago, L9999 said:

This may not go on topic, but if Narcian could have IVs what would benefit him more? 

 

7 hours ago, XRay said:

I would pick [+Atk, -HP/Spd] for his default set to kill lances and maybe tank blue mages. Add on Glimmer and Attack +3, he is all ready to go for Arena Assault.

Narcian could benefit from just about any +Atk boon.  +Atk/-Res or Def would probably be ideal on the first set, if only because -Hp would mean he could no longer reliably Panic Ploy common horse threats without wasting his seal on Hp+5.  -Hp would be good on merged, heavily invested sets. 

Also, I'll add Glimmer as an option on the second set -- I keep forgetting about its cooldown reduction.

[XRay]

4 hours ago, DLNarshen said:

Also, I'll add Glimmer as an option on the second set -- I keep forgetting about its cooldown reduction.

Yeah, I usually run Glimmer on Triangle Adept units now because it is cheap. No point in wasting good Moonbow fodder on Gem Weapon users if they just need a slight damage boost to kill whatever they counter in two hits.