Fire Emblem Blazing Sword Primer
Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword is about to drop on NSO for Switch! Known simply as Fire Emblem here, this was the first game to be localized outside of Japan. Twenty years later, the series’s popularity has skyrocketed to heights I could not have ever dreamed of and it’s beautiful.
With all the new blood introduced by Awakening, Three Houses, and even Engage, you might be curious about this entry and want to check it out. This post will serve as a quick guide for getting started.
I’m not kidding. It’s not like new games where it’s a blip on the screen and then it’s gone. Lyn’s going to be talking the most basic of basics. Remember this was the first game in the series to be released to a western audience, so the training wheels are going to be on for a while. Like, the next 10 chapters. It will drag if you know your shit, but for newbies, I would argue this is the one of the best ways to get acquainted with the series. It will beat the basics into you and help you establish good habits for executing your strategy. Bear with it for the time being, I promise it gets better! In future playthroughs you can disable the tutorial messaging.
#2: Permadeath is on, but NSO rewind is your Turnwheel, so it’s going to be okay.
This was made before Casual Mode or Mila’s Turnwheel Divine Pulse Draconic Time Crystal was a thing, so back in the day if you made an error, you’d either have to live with it or restart the chapter from the beginning. Fuck that, though, it’s 2023 and we have the technology. If you want to relive those days as a challenge, by all means go off, but I won’t be wagging my finger at you if you decide you don’t have time for that shit anymore. Do what you gotta to enjoy this game.
#3 Experience is limited in this game, so make sure you distribute it evenly among your team*
I mean it. For the love of God, don’t funnel it all into Rath. For all the characters you’ll be able to recruit, you’ll only be able to deploy 10-15 per map. Build a strong core, and you’ll be ready for anything the game throws at you.
#4 Pursuant to the above, Marcus is a great unit, but don’t rely on him too heavily.
Newer players might assume Marcus to be a trap unit like Vander at first blush, but he’s a surprisingly decent unit throughout. The issue is that he starts out promoted, meaning he won’t get nearly as much experience on killing an enemy unit as another unit lower in levels will. Efficiency is the word of the day, dear readers. Use Marcus when you need him, but not at the expense of your other characters’ growth. Give him a weaker weapon, bait out the enemies, soften ‘em up, then let the units you want to level finish ‘em off and you’ll have your army up and running like a well-oiled machine.
#5 Double-check enemy ranges
This was sadly before there was a handy dandy button you could push to see the Danger Zone, so be extra mindful when you play. Also, keep in mind that even though the range might display it, only a handful of bosses actually move from where they’re parked.
#6 Get in formation, soldier!
God dammit, stick together. You don’t have Emblem superpowers anymore and enemy reinforcements aren’t as loudly telegraphed in older games as they are now. Building a solid defensive line and being aware of how many enemies can approach a unit at any given time might save your life. Always have at least one buddy!
#7 Always have at least one unit guard Merlinus’s tent
Merlinus is your convoy in this game. If you want to be able to put items into an inventory during a map, you’ll have to deploy him. The caveat is he’s a stationary unit who can’t fight, and while it’s usually not a problem, sometimes IS is cheeky and puts reinforcements by him. This will become less of an issue as the game persists and he promotes, but until then, hang in there.
#8 When you play fog-of-war maps, have your thieves use torches
Thieves have the best vision in night/fog maps, and torches further enhance this, so this is the best bang for your buck.
#9 Weapon weight is tested against CON, similar to Build in Engage
The difference is a unit’s build isn’t something that can grow like in Engage. The only way for a character to get more build is to either promote or use a Body Ring, and those are pretty rare.
#10 As a result of the above, you’re going to be using Iron weapons most of the time.
It’s okay. Most of the time Iron will do the trick.
#11 Conserve Rapier/Wolf Beil/Mani Katti charges when you can, but don’t wait till it’s fucking Christmas to use them
Lyn will get her Mani Katti charges reset after chapter 10 and I think there’s one more of Eliwood’s Rapier or Hector’s Wolf Beil depending on which story you do. You can also get the Hammerne staff that repairs weapons, but it only has three charges.
#12 If possible, wait for a unit to hit level 20 before you promote them.
Since the levels you can get are finite, you’ll need to make the most of your units’ growth rates.
#13 Effective damage is only x2 in this game, not x3 like other games.
It’s still gonna hurt if you make a mistake, but it’s going to make your life harder half the time.
#14 The support system in this game is rough
If you think gathering supports in Engage was painful, you’re in for a rude awakening. The only way to gather support points in Blazing Sword is to have two units end their turn next to each other, and some of them take a lot of turns to trigger. What’s more, each unit can have five support conversations per playthrough (for example, an A support with one character and a B support with another character, or an A or two Cs). This means if you want to collect all the supports, you will need to replay the game several times. As always, hit up Serenes Forest if you want more information on the particulars.
Bonus* #15: Okay, I lied, there is a way to get more experience.
There are arenas on certain maps where units can fight for money, but it’s a risky proposition, considering they can die in there. NSO rewind/save states will mitigate this somewhat, however, and starting on chapter 20E/21H, Ninian will trivialize this.
Her ring, Ninis’ Grace, grants a defense buff for one turn when she dances for a unit. This buff does not go away if a unit is rescued before enemy phase starts. See where I’m going with this?
1) Buff unit with Ninis’ Grace
2) Have them fight in the arena
3) Rescue them once they’re done fighting
5) Have rescuer #2 take/drop unit
7) Have Ninian do a regular dance
And there you have it. Blazing Sword is a lovely game and holds a special place in my heart. It’s very much a product of its time, but I still hope y’all enjoy—
Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.
You had one job, Nintendo.
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