Choosing Your Cavaliers - Melee

So we’ve discussed the basics of a cavalry team, how to build a cavalry team, and how to use a cavalry team. Now, it’s time to choose the units themselves. There are a wide selection of cavalry available and only four team slots, so choosing the right ones for you can be a daunting task.

The next two pages will provide you with a basic overview of each cavalier available and what they’re capable of. Due to the sheer number of cavaliers available, they are being split over two pages. This page will cover melee cavaliers (Sword, Lance, Axe, and Beast) while the next page will cover ranged cavaliers (Tome, Bow, Dagger, and Staff). A link to their full page will also be provided if you want a more in-depth look.

The Sword Cavaliers are a varied category with many different specific niches, primarily due to the majority of sword cavaliers having a personal weapon available. Many sword cavaliers can perform well both offensively and defensively, with only a few being specialised one way or the other.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Ares is an extremely strong contender in the sword category due to availability and raw power. His amazing 36 Attack combined with Dark Mystletainn, his fantastic personal weapon with Special Spiral built-in, make him a potent force on the battlefield, allowing him to consistently activate Special attacks with ease. To make things even better, he’s available at 4 star rarity.

Ranking: 4/5

Coming with good all-round stats and Heavy Blade built into his weapon, Brave Roy serves as a versatile sword cavalier who can perform great both offensively and defensively. Heavy Blade built into Blazing Durandal is what gives him this versatility, helping his performance in almost any situation.

Ranking: 4/5

Statistically speaking, Cain is very average. He doesn’t possess stats that can be considered anything above average, coming with a 32/32 offensive spread and decent physical bulk. What makes Cain special though is his strong personal weapon, which grants him bonus Attack and Defense based on the number of nearby allies and gets a brave effect whenever he has a nearby cavalry ally that uses sword, lance, or axe. This makes him potentially very strong with the right allies.

Ranking: 4/5

Eldigan has access to not one, but two powerful weapons: His regular Mystletainn which can be refined to grant the Fury skill, or Dark Mystletainn which grants the Special Spiral skill. This freedom of choice, combined with his strong defensive statline of 32 Attack and 34 Defense, makes him a great option.

Ranking: 4/5

In the past, Eliwood was mostly just an inferior version of Brave Roy, but his refined Durandal changed all that. He has a overall weaker statline, possessing only a 31/30 offensive spread, but his refined Durandal gives him a huge offensive boost and putting his offensive capabilites on part with units like Siegbert. He can also use Blazing Durandal, but with Refined Durandal being so good, one should just use this weapon on Brave Roy. Eliwood also has high Resistance, making him a good choice for Distant Counter.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Exalted Chrom is nothing special outside of a cavalry team, but in a cavalry setting, Chrom shines as he has access to Sealed Falchion. This allows him to effectively counter one of cavalry’s biggest weaknesses: Dragons. On top of this niche, he is also simply a solid defensive cavalier, helped by Sealed Falchion which boosts his stats when even damaged slightly. A fantastic choice overall.

Ranking: 5/5

Hríd is almost everything one could want in a sword cavalier. With practically every basis covered, Hríd easily secures his position as one of, if not the best sword cavalier available. Hríd’s weapon grants him incredible power through giving him a guaranteed follow-up attack and preventing the follow-up attack of any opponent that has a debuff. With his exclusive B slot skill and debuffs being relatively easy to apply, Hríd can activate this effect with great consistency. On top of all this, his statline is steller with amazing Attack and Defense with good HP and Resistance. Even his weakest point, his low Speed, is almost completely nullified by his weapon. With Cavalry buffs backing him up, little can stand in the way of Hríd

Ranking: 5/5

Legendary Eirika possesses amazing potential to deal massive amounts of damage with relative ease, securing her spot as one of the best sword cavalier available. Her strong 31/39 offensive statline combined with her exclusive B slot skill, which boosts the power of her Special by half of the opponents Defense, gives her incredible offensive potential through some of the strongest Special attacks in the entire game. While her weapon is not as ideal as it could be, given it requires Legendary Eirika to be away from her team, her raw power is still undeniable, and unlike Legendary Ephraim, doesn’t even need her weapon to shine, so it can be replaced by a Slaying Edge for easier access to Cavalry buffs and arguably more power.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Almost unrivaled in raw buffing potential, Legendary Eliwood is a very strong contender for a sword cavalier both on and off cavalry teams. For cavalry teams, his Ardent Durandal allows him to grant the Bonus Doubler skill, a skill normally unavailable to cavaliers, to his ally with the highest Attack. Given the whole purpose of a cavalry team is to keep everyone buffed with Cavalry Buffs, this will be a massive power boost for whoever this weapon targets. His C slot, while powerful, will require him to be alongside a beast cavalry which can be awkward for a cavalry team. For the icing on the cake, this support potential is not even at the cost of his own combat, possessing a strong 36/34 offensive spread and good physical bulk. However, as his exclusive skills do little for Legendary Eliwood personally, he does falter in combat more compared to the other top choices.

Ranking: 3/5

Luke is nothing particularly special, but he does have some good stats. His high 34 Attack makes him a decent offensive option with a Brave Sword. He does also possess solid physical bulk also makes him a good option for a defensive set.

Ranking: 4.5/5

With a weapon of impressive raw power, WT Reinhardt stands proud as a extremely strong sword cavalier and one that’s definitely worthy of consideration. Meisterschwert grants him an immediate follow-up attack on both phases, making him an incredibly oppressive unit. This is on top of solid Attack and mixed bulk. When armed with Distant Counter and Vantage, whoever he faces will be forced to take two powerful attacks before even having a chance to attack. He can also be built for full offensive play, just like the original Reinhardt.

Ranking: 3/5

Seth is a very average unit, possessing no real weak points but no real strong points either. His Attack, Speed, and Defense are all average, but his lack of standout stats and personal weapon makes him a lackluster choice compared to the opposition.

Ranking: 4/5

If an offensive sword cavalier is what you’re looking for, Siegbert is an impressive choice. His sword grants him Swift Sparrow, one of the best offensive skills available. On top of this, his offensive 34/35 statline is also great, while also not skimping on physical bulk either.

Ranking: 4/5

Sigurd is a strong defensive sword cavalier who can tank magic like no other sword cavalier. Despite having 17 Resistance, his personal weapon combined with his personal B slot makes him capable of surviving even prominent blue mages. On top of this, all his other stats are solid too. If you want a sword cavalier to act as a solid wall, Sigurd is a top choice.

Ranking: 2.5/5

Stahl simply has little to offer over any other sword cavalier. His only standout stat is his high 45 HP, with everything else being average at best. Panther Sword, his personal weapon, has a good effect that grants him a brave effect when foes attack him, but it still retains Triangle Adept. It is difficult to recommend him over any other sword cavalier.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Xander is a defensive sword cavalier with a distinctive strength: natural access to Distant Counter. His personal weapon comes by default with said skill, allowing him to immediately start countering archers and mages on enemy phase. This makes him a great choice for newer players or anyone on a budget for Skill Inheritance. He also possesses a solid 37 Defense and a good 32 Attack, further solidifying his presence as a good defensive cavalier.

The Lance Cavaliers have many options available. Unfortunately though, quite a few of them are very similar to one another, to the point where they can be almost interchangeable. This is the case with a group of similar lance cavaliers which I will refer to as the ‘generic lance cavaliers’. Still, there are plenty of strong options to choose from.

Ranking: 4/5

Abel was the pioneer of the generic lance cavalier group, but thanks to his personal weapon, he now stands out from the crowd as a strong lance cavalier option. His lance grants him extra Attack and Defense depending on the number of nearby allies and even a brave effect when he has a nearby cavalier ally using a sword, lance, or axe. Combine this with his good 33/33 offensive spread and decent mixed bulk and Abel forms a solid package.

Ranking: 3/5

Berkut is a defensive lance cavalier. He has a great 34 Attack with good physical bulk at 43 HP and 31 Defense. Unfortunately, he is hindered somewhat by his terrible 22 Speed. While his Resistance is below average, his default weapon can grant him a considerable Resistance boost to make for a solid mixed wall.

Ranking: 4/5

Camus is a strong lance cavalier that can perform well in almost any situation. His weapon comes with Distant Counter built-in, freeing up his A slot for something else while still retaining the ability to fight at range. He also possesses a good 32/33 offensive spread and good physical bulk. Definitely a recommended promotion for any newcomer in particular.

Ranking: 3/5

Clive may not have much special about him, but he can serve as a good defensive option. His physical bulk in particular is very good, with 45 HP and 32 Defense. He also comes with a good 33 Attack. He unfortunately pales in comparison to other defensive options, be he’s a serviceable choice.

Ranking: 4/5

Fallen Berkut is very peculiar, to say the least. He has a lot of things working in his favor, but they, unfortunately, come with significant downsides. His stat spread is amazing for a defensive cavalier, coming with strong values in every stat except Speed and a personal weapon that grants him Distant Counter and prevention of ranged enemy follow-up whenever he has a nearby ally. His two main downsides are that Kriemhild offers him nothing against melee units and that the weapon eats away at the HP of his nearest ally whenever it is used. Overall, Fallen Berkut is a strong lance cavalier with a lot to offer, but he won’t be right for every situation. His artwork is objectively incredible though.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Finn comes with solid stats across the board bar Resistance. His 34/33 offensive spread is great, and he also comes with good physical bulk. He can perform on part with the other generic lance cavaliers, Even with his lack of access to IVs.

Ranking: 1/5

Oh poor Jagen. Jagen has a very weak statline, with both the worst offensive spread of any lance cavalier and poor physical bulk. The one thing saving Jagen from complete obsoletion is his very high 35 Resistance. This makes him alright with Distant Counter for a mage counter, but Peri can perform this role much better.

Ranking: 4.5/5

The ultimate divisive cavalier, Legendary Ephraim is difficult to rank. On one hand, his weapon combined with his solid 36 Attack gives him the highest raw combat potential of all lance cavaliers. On the other hand however, the restrictive requirement of Flame Siegmund goes against one of a cavalry team’s fundamental principles, sticking together to keep buffs. While his consistency is shaky, his raw combat potential cannot be ignored.

Ranking: 2.5/5

Mathilda is a rarity among the lance cavaliers, focusing on magical bulk over all else. Her Resistance is very high at 34, which can be buffed up much further to exceed even 50 Resistance. Unfortunately, the rest of her stats leave a lot to be desired, coming with a below average 29/32 offensive spread and poor physical bulk.

Ranking: 3.5/5

New Year Laegjarn is pretty similar to another TT lance Cav: Finn. She comes with less Attack than him, but more Speed and Defense. 32/35 is pretty good for an offensive spread and 35 Defense is nothing to scoff at either. She’s roughly on par with Finn and the other generic lance cavs, even without IVs.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Once the top of the generic lance cavalier group, Oscar is a standout lance cavalier that is both strong in combat and strong in support. Statistically, he has a strong 33/34 offensive spread and good physical bulk. His personal weapon is a Slaying Lance that not only buffs the offenses of nearby cavaliers, but also buffs his own offensive stats when there’s nearby cavaliers. Overall, Oscar has a lot to offer and is a very strong choice.

Ranking: 4/5

Peri is a standout within the lance cavalier group. Her offensive spread of 33/33 is very good, but the standout stat is her good Resistance of 30, making her a good option for a defensive Distant Counter set. She also comes with a great personal weapon, a Slaying Lance that grants her a good stat boost whenever she’s not at full HP.

Ranking: 4/5

Quan is a defensive lance cavalier, and a solid one at that. His personal weapon grants him bonus Attack and Defense against any non-flier opponent, helping his defensive capabilities. He also comes with an incredible 37 Attack, making him capable of even running an offensive build with a Brave Lance.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Roderick is another member of the generic lance cavalier group. He comes with a good 31/34 offensive spread and alright bulk across the board. While he is arguably the weakest cavalier in this group, he is still more than capable of performing well.

Ranking: 4/5

If a defensive lance cavalier is what you’re looking for, Silas is a strong contender. While he has nothing particularly unique, he makes up for it with simply strong stats. Namely, his 40 HP and 36 Defense, giving him great physical bulk. His Speed and Resistance are both lacking however, so caution should be taken around mages. Even then, with Berkut’s Lance, Silas can make for a good mixed wall.

Ranking: 2/5

While Spring Xander does possess good physical bulk, everything else about him is lackluster. 40 HP and 35 Defense makes him perform well defensively against physical threats, but he suffers majorly from a poor 25/28 offensive spread. Among the defensive lance cavaliers, Spring Xander is one of the weaker options.

Ranking: 1.5/5

Sully suffers from a rather unfortunate statline. Her 34 Speed and 42 HP are good, but that’s where the good points end. Her defenses on both ends are poor, and her low Attack of 26 hinders what offensive potential she might’ve had. Her personal weapons is relatively ill-suited for her since it not only acts as a Sapphire Lance but also requires her to be attacked. There’s little reason to use her over the generic lance cavaliers, even the ones which lack a personal weapon.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Summer Cordelia sets herself apart from the generic lance cavaliers in a major way: her Speed stat. Coming in with a blistering 38 Speed and a good 32 Attack, Summer Cordelia possesses an excellent offensive spread. On top of this, she even possesses solid physical bulk with 41 HP and 28 Defense. She is a very consistent option and one of the best choices for a lance cavalier.

The Axe Cavaliers are a fairly underwhelming class overall. While the options here range from alright to good, there is nobody who stands out at amazing. Most of these are defensive-oriented, with some capable of doing offensive play.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Frederick is one of the standout axe cavaliers, coming with solid stats that make him well suited to a defensive playstyle. 43 HP and 36 Defense secure his place as a solid physical wall. He also has a great 35 Attack, making him also capable of running offensively with a Brave Axe.

Ranking: 3/5

Groom Marth can perform quite well thanks to a solid mix of stats. His offensive spread of 31/36 is pretty good. While he doesn’t hit as hard as other axe cavaliers, his high Speed makes up for it. He also possesses solid physical bulk too, helped further by his great Speed.

Ranking: 2/5

While Gunter is outclassed by his competition, he’s not necessarily terrible. He comes with a decent 32 Attack and 33 Defense, making him alright defensively. Unfortunately, there is little reason to use him over Frederick, who is better in every stat bar Resistance.

Ranking: 4/5

Spring Alfonse is another standout axe cavalier, and is arguably the best axe cavalier available if one wants one for their team. He comes with a solid 35/33 offensive spread, strictly better than Frederick offensively thanks to having much more Speed. He is weaker than Frederick defensively though, but Spring Alfonse still possesses good physical bulk.

Ranking: 2.5/5

Titania is very unique within the axe cavalier category, focusing primarily on magical bulk over physical bulk. She has a great Resistance stat of 30, making her a solid choice for a mage counter with Distant Counter. She also possesses great Speed at 34. Unfortunately, she suffers from very low Attack and a poor personal weapon which would optimally be replaced in most scenarios.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Walhart is a defensive axe cavalier, very similar statwise to Frederick. His lack of access to IVs actually hardly affects him in comparison to Frederick and the two are pretty much on par with each other. His personal weapon doesn’t help him too much, suffering from requiring to be away from his team in order to consistently activate, so one might want to opt for a different weapon.

Transforming units are an extremely new concept to cavaliers. While no cavalry dragons are presently available, a small selection of beasts can now be acquired and utilized, all of which being great. Something worth noting is that cavalry buffs will mostly make up for a lack of transformation with beasts, so don’t be scared to sacrifice their transformed state to give them a full range of cavalry buffs if need be.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Within the cavaliers, Kaden has undisputable unrivalled support capabilities when it comes to stat buffs. His weapon, which transfers his Field buffs and turns them into combat buffs that he can give to nearby teammates, is absolutely fantastic and makes him a fantastic partner for any defensive cavaliers in particular. Offensive cavaliers struggle more to benefit from his support, but they are still more than capable of doing so. His support capabilities alone carries Kaden to the top of the food chain for not just beasts, but green cavaliers in general. The only thing holding him back from being practically perfect is he’s not the strongest when it comes to actual combat, though he can still fight effectively.

Ranking: 4.5/5

Lethe is a very strong offensive option for a beast cavalier. Her personal weapon grants her the Atk/Spd Solo skill for completely free and she comes with a solid 33 Attack and 38 Speed. Her defensive capabilities are not too bad either, coming with good physical bulk, particularly if transformed. Lethe is still far from an enemy phase unit though and she’ll want to be making the first attack whenever possible.

Ranking: 4/5

Panne is a blue beast that can perform with great effectiveness. While her statline appears mediocre, possessing 29/34 offenses and a fairly good 27 Defense, she is able to hold her own thanks to her great weapon that grants her cavalry effective damage and a bonus to stats whenever she has no adjacent ally or an adjacent beast. Overall, a great choice, especially given she’s free.

Ranking: 3.5/5

Ranulf, much like Kaden, is another beast cavalier to offer support capabilities. While Ranulf cannot buff anywhere near the level Kaden can, his support capabilities do not require himself to be buffed, only that he be within two spaces of an ally so he can grant himself and said ally with an Attack and Defense boost. He also comes with a decent offensive spread and good physical bulk. A good choice overall, though probably one of the weaker beasts.

Ranking: 4/5

Selkie is very interesting. She’s a blue beast with a rather interesting specialisation into Resistance. This fits perfectly with her weapon that buffs all of her stats based on how much her Resistance is higher than her opponents. However, the fact that this weapon only activates against melee units and that her raw stats are pretty unimpressive hinder her somewhat. Still though, Selkie’s capabilities are undeniable.

Ranking: 4/5

Yarne is a strong offensive beast cavalier. He comes with a good 35/33 offensive spread and good physical bulk. His main strength lies in his personal weapon which grants him two free points of Special charge after combat whenever he is at 75% HP or below. This is an alternative take on Special Spiral except requires Yarne to be injured instead of trigger his Special during combat. One main niche is that this skill works with Galeforce, which Special Spiral does not, allowing him to utilize Galeforce with good consistency and without relying on Heavy Blade.