Treehouse blogs

Nintendo Treehouse wrote:https://nintendotreehouse.tumblr.com/post/159995665167/almed-and-dangerousSo if you’re like me and find yourself playing a certain mobile game somewhat obsessively (give me Camilla already!) while waiting for the next Fire Emblem game to come out, you might appreciate a peek at a few characters from the Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia game. All of these characters are members of one of the two armies you control (in this case, Alm’s). So without further ado, let’s jump into this roster of new heroes!
Alm
Raised in the quiet and rural Ram Village, this young warrior was trained in swordsmanship and military tactics and taught how to overcome challenging weather and terrain from a young age by his grandfather, the knight Mycen. At the start of the game, Alm is a formidable, if untested, Fighter. As the game progresses, his battle-filled journey will take him far from the village he’s called home.Protecting his homeland, Zofia, is his goal, and Alm’s history with combat has taught him that when you stand up and fight, you have a chance to help those who are suffering.
Even from the beginning of the game, Alm is adept at close combat and (unsurprisingly) one of the best early fighters you’ll get. He’s got pretty even stats across the board, and his high Speed means he can frequently land two blows at once against slower enemies. Make sure to equip him with a good blade, like the Lightning Sword.
On a more personal note, Alm enjoyed a close friendship with Celica as a child. Separated for seven years, he still wonders what became of her and where in the world she is…Clair
A headstrong and fearless young noblewoman as well as a valuable fighter, this Pegasus Knight is not only a member of the Deliverance—a force created to counter the recent coup d’etat—but also a queen bee of Zofian high society who absolutely LOATHES being excluded from anything. Her proud, overbearing attitude can be a bit overwhelming…but it’s kind of admirable that she doesn’t give a damn about what people think of her, isn’t it?
Though she’s close with her elder brother Clive and childhood friends with fellow knight Fernand (and she has a bit of a secret crush on Alm, as well), Clair doesn’t have much of an opportunity to interact with the more common people of Zofia. As a result, she rather desperately wants to know more about cows, pigs, and other aspects of day-to-day village life.
She has a broad range of movement due to her Pegasus Knight class, and she can work well both as a harrier and front-line attacker. She does well with a spear or shield, so experiment with what works best for your playstyle. Her highest stats are her Speed, Skill, and Luck…which makes sense when you think about it. I mean, her job is to attack moving targets from a flying horse.And Classic players, take note! Clair is the ONLY Pegasus Knight in Alm’s army, with the potential exception of Faye, who can be classed that way if you so choose, so keep that in mind while you strategize.Faye
This young woman from Ram Village grew up with Alm and has had a…not-so-subtle thing for him ever since they were kids. Faye’s affection for Alm is unfortunately (or fortunately) unrequited, but she’s intensely devoted to him and, if asked, she’ll accompany him on his journey and join up with the Deliverance.Faye starts out as a Villager but, like many other plucky young Villagers we’ve grown to love in the Fire Emblem universe, if you devote time to her training she’ll grow to be a formidable fighter whether she takes the path of Pegasus Knight, Cavalier, Cleric, or Mage.Keep in mind, though, that while she’s a well-rounded character who does well in these classes, she’s not the strongest candidate you might come across for each of them, and she can be a bit squishy through her earlier levels. But give her time to grow, and she’ll be a solid member of your army.Lukas
A loyal member of the Deliverance, Lukas grew up on the borderlands at the kingdom’s edge before becoming a Soldier whose considerable merits have caused him to rise quickly up the ranks.He’s level-headed, quiet, cool, and collected—and certainly not lacking in either grit or determination. These qualities have made him a close advisor to Knight Captain Clive, though some of his other colleagues find Lukas to be a bit distant and detached. He has a dry sense of humor that’s easy to miss if you aren’t expecting it.
As a Soldier, Lukas is a tank who can take pretty much anything physical attackers throw at him early in the game. He’s slightly lower than the commoner Knight Forsyth stat-wise, but his earlier recruitment into your team gives him a bit of an edge that balances the two out.
We’ll take them down anyway, though, because XP…and it’s the right thing to do.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this intro to a slice of Alm’s army! Keep in mind, of course, that each character has his or her own unique set of stats in addition to the strengths and weaknesses of his or her class, so please take my observations here with a grain of salt. I know what’s worked for me, but your experiences may be quite different as you learn how best to leverage each character, from the most fragile of glass cannons to the mightiest of brick walls, to best fit your personal strategy and play style.

Nintendo Treehouse wrote:Celica
It’s hard to give a lot of information without venturing into spoiler territory, and in the interest of saving the surprises for your play through, I’ll be keeping this pretty topline. There are still a few spoilers here, though—if you are someone who wants an entirely unspoiled experience, feel free to skip ahead to the paragraph after the picture of Celica on a boat. (Are they gone? Good. Then here we go!)
Celica is a princess in hiding and close childhood friends with Alm, whom she hasn’t seen in 7 years. Raised in a priory on a far-flung island, Celica has grown into a skilled Priestess who is equally adept with both spells and swords.Celica leaves the shelter of the priory on a journey back across the sea to Mila’s Temple, which she believes holds the key to the misfortunes plaguing the Zofian people: the death of the king, the looming shadow of war, and barren croplands being invaded by undead Terrors.
Celica is a down-to-earth and approachable leader. Her willingness to help folk at even the smallest of hamlets not only fills out her army with willing recruits (from burly mercenaries, to villagers, even a knight or two…), some of whom are driven by revenge. This is also something that makes those who join her grow fiercely loyal to her and her cause.Like her fellow protagonist Alm, Celica is a formidable warrior in her own right. She’s somewhat less squishy than the mage friends who join her in the early part of the game and has solid stats throughout. Give her an item or weapon that lets her recover health every round (I liked the Blessed Sword, since the Angel Ring works better on Genny for me), and Celica will devastate any undead opponents she faces with her sword and her Seraphim spell. Mae
A talented Mage from the priory located on Novis Island and one of Celica’s closest friends and confidants, Mae is the first to join Celica on her journey to Mila’s Temple. Along with Boey and Genny, Mae is one of the handful of people in the priory who is aware that Celica is a princess, not that her friend’s royal heritage phases this spell-slinger. She has a tendency to banter with her friend and fellow Mage, Boey.Mae has a joie de vivre, and tends to find the fun in just about anything. In many ways, she’s the life and soul of Celica’s army. While Mae comprehends the gravity of the journey, she’s “super crazy excited” about the opportunity to journey off Novis Island and get some practice by “zapping fools.” She’s more than happy to engage in girl talk…just don’t ask her about her love life.
Celica’s army, especially early in her journey, is heavily weighted with magic users and mercenaries. Mae is a solid starter who, unlike Boey, comes out the gate with the slightly-longer-than-standard-range spell “Thunder”. Stat-wise, she has higher Attack, Speed, and Resistance than the male Mage, too. This translates into a powerful ranged unit who—like all magic users in this game—delivers attacks that ignore terrain effects. This comes in really handy when fighting among ruins in cemeteries.Boey
The self-appointed main protector of Celica, Boey is a Mage from the priory on Novis Island. While he always assumed he would live and die without ever leaving the island, Boey is one of the first to volunteer to come on the journey (he can’t well let Mae and Celica go off on their own). He’s not too keen on undead opponents like Terrors, but he will help take them down alongside any other enemies that come his way.
Boey comes from a home that isn’t high in station, but his family is close-knit. Fiercely loyal to Celica, he’s determined to stay by her side to the bitter end.Boey has higher Defense and Luck than Mae early in the game and is another strong ranged unit with attacks that ignore terrain effects. In short, Boey is a solid unit, especially in the beginning of the game. He’s not your best mage by a long-shot, but as one of the few characters who can Class Change to Sage (depending on how you spec your villagers), Boey can become a decent asset. Just make sure to equip him with a Mage Ring to raise his power and range).Genny
A Cleric from the priory where Celica grew up, Genny is another of Celica’s first companions on her journey off Novis Island (that is, if you invite her to join you). While she has not spent long at the priory and is quite an introvert compared to her friends, Genny has become like a sister to Celica, Boey, and Mae. Unlike Boey and Mae, who are excited to leave the priory, Genny is a bit more worried about what is to come. She’s more the type to stay home and read or work on a new manuscript rather than go on adventures. But perhaps she’ll find inspiration out there in the world—as an aspiring writer, hopefully she finds that prospect appealing. Genny is one of your early-game healers, and while squishy, she’s your only caster who can cast the spell Invoke, which summons a number of illusory soldiers to her side. She’s very effective against undead opponents like Terrors, though you’ll want to maximize terrain advantages to keep her as safe as possible from nearby enemies. She is squishy and can only take so much damage (plus she needs that HP for her healing spells).