For this iteration of Hall of Forms, we return to the wonderful world of Tellius. Our four options include a very powerful Infantry Sword, in the context of Aether Raids, a Blue Beast Flier who also happens to be a Grand Hero Battle unit, a Green Tome Flier, and a demote Infantry dagger. Players have the chance to build up and possibly add the following units to their roster permanently by spending a Forma Soul:
- Fallen Ike - Zeal Unleashed
- Naesala - Sky's Shadow
- Brave Micaiah - Queen of Dawn
- Sothe - Zephyr
We will briefly display optimal inheritance options for each unit and the advantages/disadvantages of spending your Forma Soul on them. As Forma Souls take a considerable amount of resources to acquire, it is important to get the most out of your Forma units before purchasing.
General Considerations
Forma Unit Rules
- Any Forma unit you purchase will come with their base skills already. Therefore, there is little need to inherit these base skills during Hall of Forms unless you need to save refinery costs (especially PRF weapons needing Divine Dew) or simply don’t care for hyper-optimal inheritance.
- Formas are acquired completely neutral with no Assets and Flaws. If you desire a certain Asset/Flaw combination, you will have to utilize Trait Fruits. Since you cannot merge Forma units into existing copies, this may pose an issue on resource spending if you already have the same unit with an ideal Asset.
Skill Considerations
- When rolling skills from the current Forma skill pool, unique PRF skills are often prioritized over inheritables. It's a good idea to take PRF skills first to improve your chances at finding good inheritable alternatives; Hall of Forms will pretty much constantly hound you to take the PRF skills if you don't take them otherwise.
- Due to their extreme rarity and superior SP value over most other Special skills, Ruptured Sky (typically available only on Byleth and their variations) and Blue Flame (available only on Owain) will vastly be preferred as a final Special choice. For bow-using units, this extends to the bow-exclusive Deadeye.
- For the same reason as above, high-tier Assist skills like Rally+'s and Harsh Command+ are preferred on a potential purchased Forma to increase the unit's Arena scoring slightly as well as their overall value.
- These, too, are also not necessarily optimal as positional Assists like Reposition are vastly preferred in most situations, and those can easily be inherited from lower rarity units like Norne or Barst.
- Inheriting rally skills or Harsh Command+ too early in your Hall of Forms run can also inhibit your unit's ability to support other Forma allies and escape enemy range as well, increasing the likelihood of wasted Torches (the stamina currency for Hall of Forms) and thus wasted opportunities to get better skills.
- Though optimal C Passive skills exist on a case-to-case basis, Joint Drives are essentially the most universal there is as they boost the stats of the unit as well as surrounding allies. Go for these (especially Joint Drive Atk) if available and there aren't better C slot options for your unit in particular. Likewise, Time's Pulse has fantastic overall value on infantry units due to the importance of frequent Special triggers in combat.
Fallen Ike
Summary:
If you’re looking for a solid Aether Raids Offense carry, then Fallen Ike is going to be a solid option for you. Chaos Ragnell’s ability to revert penalties and turn them into bonuses is a solid niche to have in a meta-game full of Panic and units that inflict penalties such as Mirabilis. Moreover, his effect is stackable with other Unity skills, so it can be exemplified to a significant degree. That, on top of having a solid statline, makes Fallen Ike a really desirable carry in Aether Raids Offense.
That being said, if your intention with Fallen Ike is to use him in other modes, then I wouldn’t be able to recommend him. Fallen Ike mainly functions as an Aether Raids Offense carry as Chaos Ragnell has little applications in every other mode. And sure, Fallen Ike is still a fast Infantry Sword, but there are plenty of those in the game. So, unless you already have a highly merged Fallen Ike, in which case you can use him for Arena purposes, I can only recommend using your Forma Soul on Fallen Ike if you plan to use him in Aether Raids. Otherwise, you may either want to spend it on one of the other three options available or save it for a future option. In any case, if you plan to use a Forma Soul on Fallen Ike, consider the following skills and recommended builds before you decide to pursue building him up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Chaos Ragnell
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Mayhem Aether / Ruptured Sky
A-Passive: Atk/Def Unity / Atk/Res Unity / Atk/Spd Unity / Mirror Stance 3 / Steady Posture 3 / Sturdy Stance 3
B-Passive: Spurn / Null Follow-Up / Special Spiral
C-Passive: Pulse Smoke / Joint Drive Atk / Joint Drive Spd / Joint Dist. Guard
Given that Fallen Ike comes with a lot of premium skills in his base kit, it’s not going to be all too bad if you can’t manage to get a couple of skills. That being said, he does have some desired and optimal options worth considering.
When it comes to inheritable weaponry, Fallen Ike doesn’t really have any worthwhile substitutes. This is mainly due to the fact that inheritable sword options aren’t all too amazing. That being said, since Forma units come with their base kit after the event, it may be worth snagging an inheritable sword just for clearing Hall of Forms since Chaos Ragnell may not perform all too well if there aren’t any Panic or debuffs present. Similarly, with his Special, Mayhem Aether is going to be his best option. However, since it will be available after the event, you can always go for other premium options, such as Ruptured Sky, or simply snag a Special that will help you get through each map.
For Fallen Ike’s A Passive, he has a lot more options at his disposal. Any Unity skill is going to be his best option as it stacks with Chaos Ragnell. Likewise, because Fallen Ike is mainly built for Aether Raids, it’ll be worth prioritizing skills that focus on that game mode. However, if you cannot get any Unity skills, he can always go with a Stance skill, whether that’s Mirror Stance 3, Steady Posture 3, or Sturdy Stance 3. It won’t really matter all too much which one of these three Stance skills you go for, depending on what kind of role you slot him into, but if you want him to tackle all sorts of foes, then Mirror Stance 3 will be your best option.
Fallen Ike doesn’t generally have to worry about his B Passive all too much since his base kit comes with Repel. However, there are always better options depending on the set you run on him. If you want to simply have damage reduction, then Fallen Ike can try and go for Spurn since it can grant additional damage. However, you can always settle for Repel. Fallen Ike can also go for Special Spiral as well as Null Follow-Up. Special Spiral can be nice if you plan to run a Breath skill in his kit. This can allow him to always retaliate with Mayhem Aether every time he gets initiated on, provided that there aren't any Guard effects present. Meanwhile, Null Follow-Up is nice in general for preventing guaranteed follow-up attacks as well as securing natural doubles. It’ll be especially important in Aether Raids since many foes will either attempt to prevent follow-ups or make guaranteed ones.
Finally, Fallen Ike can opt for skills that either increase his offensive capabilities or go for Pulse Smoke or Joint Dist. Guard. For increasing offensive capabilities, Fallen Ike can either go for Joint Drive Atk or Joint Drive Spd, as both skills increase each respective stat by four points when near allies. Meanwhile, Pulse Smoke can be used for shutting down instant Specials as well as Infantry Pulse teams, albeit the latter isn’t nearly as common. If neither of these options appeal to you, then he can always go for Joint Dist. Guard as it’ll increase his bulk against ranged foes.
Naesala
Summary:
Naesala is one of the better Hall of Forms candidates for this month mainly due to his availability and Arena prowess. Being that he is a Grand Hero Battle unit, he is easily mergeable and using a Forma Soul on Naesala can also cut down on the overall cost it would take to max merge him. For Arena purposes, he can gain additional movement and use Trace, so he can essentially run a really solid Galeforce set for Hit and Run purposes. Moreover, because Arena maps tend to favor Fliers, Naesala will end up performing really well overall. On another note, given that Beasts don’t have access to inheritable weapons, players going for skills on Naesala won’t have to worry about RNG when it comes to getting his PRF. As a result, they can spend more chances at getting other skills.
Unfortunately, if you do decide to invest into him, at least for arena purposes, you’ll have to pull for B Duel Flying 4 as it is unavailable in Hall of Forms. However, if that barrier is no issue for you, then going for Naesala might be worth considering. So, if you plan to use a Forma Soul on Naesala, consider the following skills and recommended builds before you decide to pursue building him up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Raven King Beak
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Galeforce
A-Passive: Swift Sparrow 3 / Atk/Spd Solo 4 / Heavy Blade 4 / Atk/Spd Catch 4
B-Passive: A/D Near Trace / S/D Near Trace / Dive-Bomb
C-Passive: Atk/Spd Rein / Spd/Def Rein / Atk/Def Rein
Naesala is going to need a bit of an overhaul when it comes to his kit as what he comes with will only carry him so much. Thankfully, we get a lot of torches and there are plenty of options available, so there will be a good amount of opportunities to get as many desired skills for him.
Given that Naesala doesn’t have access to inheritable weapons, he won’t have to worry about going for any specific weapon. Likewise, due to the nature of the unit, his most desired Special is going to be Galeforce. So, if possible, go for Galeforce, but don’t worry about getting it if you can’t as it’s easily available in the summoning pool. He’ll mainly want to focus on getting some solid Passives.
For Naesala’s A Passive, he’ll want to prioritize skills that can grant additional Atk and Spd. This includes, but not limited to, Swift Sparrow 3, Atk/Spd Solo 4, and Atk/Spd Catch 4. These happen to be the best A Passives for increasing his overall Atk and Spd. That being said, it’s not his only option. Naesala can also opt for Heavy Blade 4, which is a really good alternative as he’ll be depending on accelerated cooldown for triggering Galeforce. However, don’t expect it to trigger all too often without having a high merge count as well as other skills that increase his overall Atk.
For Naesala’s Galeforce niche, he doesn’t really have all too many options for his B Passive. It mainly boils down to Near Trace, whether that’s A/D or S/D. A/D Near Trace is solid for securing Heavy Blade checks as well as helping with overall damage output. Meanwhile, S/D Near Trace is good for securing natural doubles. That being said, if you can’t get either of these skills, you can always go for Dive-Bomb instead. It’ll water down his Hit and Run abilities as he won’t be able to make an additional attack before running away, but he can secure his longevity by attacking twice before the foe can retaliate. However, since he lacks Slaying, he’ll want to either run Quickened Pulse or support such as Velouria, Groom Rafiel, or Legendary Hector.
Finally, for Naesala’s C Passive, he can choose from a variety of Rein skills. Mainly, he can opt for Atk/Spd Rein, Atk/Def Rein, or Spd/Def Rein. Each Rein has its own set of benefits. For example, Atk/Spd Rein increase Naesala’s ability to double as well as secure Heavy Blade checks. Meanwhile, Atk/Def Rein can increase his damage output while Spd/Def Rein helps secure doubles and kills more often. Any of these three Reins are worth considering for Naesala.
Brave Micaiah
Summary:
Brave Micaiah is a decent Forma option worth picking up if you’re looking for a worthwhile Coliseum unit. Because Brave Micaiah has a PRF B Passive, she can essentially score 185 with G Duel Flying 4. That being said, G Duel Flying 4 is currently locked to Spring Inigo, who is a seasonal locked unit. However, Spring Inigo is due for an appearance on a Double Special Heroes banner in the near future. So, if you do want to use Brave Micaiah for Coliseum purposes, you’ll have a good opportunity to pursue that endeavor when Spring Inigo returns within the next couple of months.
Likewise, the recent Light of Dawn refine grants her an additional follow-up attack, making Brave Micaiah a decent Fallen Edelgard check when running Windsweep. The guaranteed follow-up, alongside the Armor and Cavalry effectiveness as well as the workable Spd stat can be really nice to have around when doing Arena Assault. Moreover, you can save resources by getting her refine in Hall of Forms instead of spending Divine Dew afterward. As a result, she’s rather worthwhile as a Forma. So, if you plan to use a Forma Soul on Brave Micaiah, consider the following skills and recommended builds before you decide to pursue building her up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Light of Dawn (+Eff)
Assist: Sacrifice
Special: Aether / Ruptured Sky / Iceberg
A-Passive: Atk/Res Catch 4 / Atk/Spd Catch 4 / Death Blow 4 / Atk/Res Unity
B-Passive: A/R Far Trace / Mystic Boost / Windsweep
C-Passive: Atk/Res Rein / Atk/Res Menace / Atk/Spd Menace
Brave Micaiah naturally comes with a lot of premium options in her base kit, so even if you don’t necessarily get what you want for her, she’ll still have good skills to default to. That being said, the goal is to get said desired skills, so let’s focus on the best possible outcome.
Despite having a fair amount of Green Tome options available, Brave Micaiah will want to stick with her PRF as it helps her perform the most consistently. Likewise, you can save a bit of Divine Dew by getting her refine. As for her Special, you can simply go for anything that scores well, whether that’s Aether or Ruptured Sky, the latter being more appealing as it is much easier to trigger.
Since we’ll be sticking with Micaiah’s Light of Dawn, she’ll want to capitalize on its effects. Essentially, Light of Dawn benefits from debuffs on the foe, so she’ll want skills that can also benefit from that effect. Mainly, the Catch line of skills are going to be the most desired, whether that’s Atk/Res Catch or Atk/Spd Catch, depending on the type of build. Both can grant an upwards of +9 to their desired stats, so they’ll be the most worthwhile options. However, if you cannot get either of them, you can always settle for Death Blow 4, for a Player Phase set, or Atk/Res Unity, for an Enemy Phase set.
Brave Micaiah’s B Passive options are rather limited given her class archetype. That being said, you don’t have to worry all too much about getting any of the listed skills since she’ll most likely either be running Yune’s Whispers or Windsweep, which is easily accessible with grails. That being said, if you want to try and go for alternatives, Brave Micaiah can either run A/R Far Trace for potential Hit and Run strategies or Mystic Boost for sustainability as well as making Dragon matchups much easier to deal with.
Finally, for Brave Micaiah’s C Passive, she can either opt for a Rein skill or a Menace skill. For Reins, Atk/Res Rein is going to be the desired option since it not only increases her damage output, but also allows her to take more hits from magical foes. That being said, Menace skills are going to be much more desirable for Arena modes as it can make Light of Dawn self-sufficient and meet Catch conditionals. Two Menace options include Atk/Res Menace and Atk/Spd Menace. Atk/Res Menace is to help capitalize on her two best stats while Atk/Spd Menace can be used to capitalize on her workable Spd. Likewise, Atk/Spd Menace can work well with her guaranteed follow-up attack and Windsweep so she can prevent counterattacks from slower units.
Sothe
Summary:
For our final Forma option this month, we have Sothe. Sothe is one of the better demotes we have in the game thanks to his solid offenses and weapon type allowing him to use an assortment of inheritable weapons. Moreover, having access to his Resplendent variant increases his offensive capabilities by a fair amount. And despite being easily available, he has a lot of value as a Forma unit due to all the available skills in Hall of Forms as well as being able to save Divine Dew for his Peshkatz refine, if you do decide to go for that. However, you are unable to merge Forma units into other copies. So, if you want to get a desired boon for him, you must use Trait Fruits. It’s a bit of a tradeoff but it may be worthwhile. So, if you plan to use a Forma Soul on Sothe, consider the following skills and recommended builds before you decide to pursue building him up.
Recommended Skills:
Weapons: Peshkatz (+Eff) / Broadleaf Fan+ / Courtly Fan+
Assist: Any Rally+ or Harsh Command+
Special: Ruptured Sky / Blue Flame / Moonbow / Glimmer
A-Passive: Life and Death 4 / Swift Sparrow 3 / Atk/Spd Ideal 4 / Flashing Blade 4 / Heavy Blade 4 / Close Foil
B-Passive: Special Spiral / Null Follow-Up / Windsweep / Vantage
C-Passive: Time’s Pulse / Atk/Spd Menace / Joint Drive Atk / Joint Drive Spd / Panic Smoke / Fatal Smoke
Out of the Forma units in this batch, Sothe will require the most investment as his base kit is rather limited. That being said, even if Sothe can’t get a decent inheritable dagger, he can always default to Peshkatz and refine it after the mode ends. So, it may be best to prioritize his Passives rather than his weapon whenever possible.
For Sothe’s weapon, he has a variety of options at his disposal. For starters, he has his PRF dagger Peshkatz. Even though he’ll come with it after, you can always get it refined in Hall of Forms and save some Divine Dew. Beyond that, he can opt for Broadleaf Fan+ as well as Courtly Fan+. As for his Special, there are plenty of easily available options for Sothe that do well enough, but if you want something premium for the sake of it, he can go for Ruptured Sky or Blue Flame.
Sothe has a bit of flexibility when it comes to his A Passive. Sure, he’ll want to prioritize his Atk and Spd as those are his best stats. However, he can also opt for Heavy Blade or Flashing Blade depending on the type of set you want to run on him. If running Courtly Fan+, he can run Heavy Blade or Flashing Blade to secure two cooldown triggers. However, if you want to stick with standard Atk/Spd increases, you can go for Life and Death 4, Atk/Spd Ideal, or Swift Sparrow 3. These are all solid options when it comes to simply increasing his Atk and Spd.
For Sothe’s B Passive, most of his options are relatively accessible in the normal pool as well as the grail shop. If running Broadleaf Fan+, he can opt for Vantage and if running Courtly Fan+, he can run Windsweep. Of course, since both of those skills are easily accessible, it may be worth going for Special Spiral or Null Follow-Up. Special Spiral can work really well with an AoE Peshkatz build since it’ll allow him to spam AoEs. Meanwhile, Null Follow-Up can be worthwhile if wanting to secure doubles in general, whether that’s with Peshkatz or Courtly Fan+.
Finally, for Sothe’s C Passive, he has plenty of options at his disposal. For standard offense stacking, he can run Joint Drive Atk or Joint Drive Spd, both of which increase the respective stat by four points. For debuffing purposes, Sothe can run Panic Smoke or Fatal Smoke. Combining either of these two Smoke skills with Peshkatz can end up inflicting a lot of effects on the foe. For a combination of the two, you can run Atk/Spd Menace. The additional Atk and Spd gained from it as well as the Atk/Spd debuff inflicted on the foe can make Windsweep and Heavy/Flashing Blade checks easier. Other than that, Time’s Pulse is a solid option if you don’t want to run Heavy/Flashing Blade with two cooldown Specials.
