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Hoshidan Summer Ryoma

Analysis by milkyytoast
Hoshidan Summer Ryoma - Dancing Samurai

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
140
HP 36
ATK 32
SPD 34
DEF 21
RES 17

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 13 5 7 3 3
Middle 14 6 8 4 4
High 15 7 9 5 5

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 32 29 31 18 13
Middle 36 32 34 21 17
High 39 35 37 24 20

IV Sets

Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible.
Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase.
Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature.
HPATKSPDDEFRES

Summer Ryoma is in the awkward position of possessing two superbanes (-4 to the stat instead of -3) and no corresponding superboon. For this reason, while his ideal boons are pretty obvious, his best banes are a bit more complicated.

Boons

  • +ATK: More Attack is rarely -- if ever -- a bad thing, and Ryoma is not an exception to the rule.
  • +SPD: A +Speed IV helps Ryoma secure more doubles and deny more follow-ups when he absolutely must take a hit.

Neutral

  • HP: Ryoma’s base HP is already quite low, and to make matters worse it is a superbane that drops him a BST bin. For preserving his bulk (which is already pretty pitiful as it is), this stat should be kept neutral.

Banes

  • -RES: Even though this may seem like Ryoma’s obvious dump stat, his superbane in RES means that not only will it hurt him more than usual, it also drops him a BST bin (ouch) causing him to score less in the Arena. If Arena scoring isn’t a a concern, though, a -RES Ryoma is a great choice.
  • -DEF: This is the ideal bane if Arena scoring is a factor in the considerations, as it neither is a superbane nor affects Ryoma particularly detrimentally.

Skill Sets

Dancing☆Samurai! (Generalist)

Build by
Recommended
Barb Shuriken+ (+Spd)
Alternate: Lethal Carrot+ (+Spd)
A Fury 3
Alternate: Swift Sparrow 2
Dance B Chill Spd 3
Alternate: Desperation 3
Moonbow
Alternate: Glimmer
C Even Spd Wave 3
Alternate: Atk Smoke 3
IVsSSpeed +3

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -DEF or -RES
  • Weapon: Barb Shuriken (+Spd) / Lethal Carrot (+Spd)
  • Assist: Dance
  • Special: Moonbow / Glimmer
  • Passive A: Fury / Swift Sparrow
  • Passive B: Chill Spd / Desperation / Swordbreaker
  • Passive C: Even Spd Wave / Atk Smoke / Speed Smoke / Varies
  • Sacred Seal: Speed +3 / Flashing Blade

This build seeks to not overspecialize in any particular area, and instead takes advantage of Ryoma’s decent offensive statline to offer the greatest possible offensive utility.

+SPD is the preferred IV to allow Ryoma to reach higher Speed tiers, therefore securing more follow-ups, but +ATK is a good option for boosting his damage output. For Arena scoring, a Defense bane is a must to avoid dropping Ryoma down one BST bin, but for general use -RES works nicely as Ryoma’s magical bulk is already pitiful.

Barb Shuriken is the weapon of choice because its consistent cooldown reduction allows Ryoma to consistently fire off a heavily-damaging Special on foes he outspeeds -- something that shouldn’t be too difficult with the Speed boost from his refinement, Fury, Even Spd Wave, and his Seal. Lethal Carrot is an alternative option that allows Ryoma to hit quite hard due to the +10 flat damage bonus it adds when his Special activates, but should be used with the Flashing Blade seal to allow for more consistent procs.

Moonbow and Glimmer are used because of their low cooldowns. Which one is chosen depends on the foes that Ryoma will be facing -- generally, the more Defense a foe possesses, the more potent Moonbow will be, whereas Glimmer is more suitable against foes with lower Defense like mages.

Fury is almost always an excellent choice, and in Ryoma’s case it not only helps him boost his offensive stats, but also his low defensive stats as well, hopefully allowing him to take a hit if he must. Swift Sparrow offers a slightly higher offensive boost that is only active on Player Phase -- but because this might negatively affect Ryoma’s ability to deny follow-ups, it may be slightly less effective than Fury in the long run.

Chill Spd allows Ryoma to heavily debuff common speedy threats such as Brave Lyn, Karla, and Ayra without any need to pay mind to positioning, and when used in conjunction with Even Spd Wave and/or team support it secures KOs that he would not net otherwise. Desperation is a standard B-Slot on speedy units, and though Ryoma will struggle to take enough damage for it to activate without him getting KO’d, Fury damage can help him reach the ≤ 75% HP threshold. Swordbreaker is also a good option if Karla and Ayra are particularly big issues and counters them without the Chill Spd/Even Spd Wave combo.

Even Spd Wave helps further boost Ryoma’s Speed to the point that he can outspeed most common threats on even-numbered turns, but if this Skill is not available, what is used here can vary. Atk or Spd Smoke can help Ryoma further debuff his foes once he attacks, while any Drive, Spur, or even Hone or Fortify can provide team support.

Viva☆Samurai! (Effective Sweep)

Build by
Sky Maiougi+ (+Atk)
Alternate: Cloud Maiougi+ (+Atk)
A Death Blow 4
Alternate: Death Blow 3
Dance B Windsweep 3
Alternate: Watersweep 3
Moonbow C Odd Atk Wave 3
Alternate: Atk Smoke 3
IVsSFlashing Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +ATK / -DEF or -RES
  • Weapon: Sky Maiougi+ (+Atk) / Cloud Maiougi+ (+Atk)
  • Assist: Dance
  • Special: Moonbow / Glimmer
  • Passive A: Death Blow / Life and Death
  • Passive B: Windsweep / Watersweep
  • Passive C: Odd Atk Wave / Atk Smoke / Varies
  • Sacred Seal: Flashing Blade

Ryoma’s debut banner has given us new toys to play with in the form of the Maiougis, which both deal effective damage to a specific kind of unit and also disable Skills that change attack priority such as Vantage. This makes Ryoma able to battle toe-to-toe with armors and dragons… as long as he isn’t counterattacked in the process.

Since Windsweep and Watersweep disallow Ryoma from performing follow-ups, this build seeks to maximize his attack to enable him to one-shot foes he deals effective damage to -- or barring that heavily damage them so another unit can finish them off. A +ATK IV boosts Ryoma’s Attack to base 35, bringing him to a respectable 48 Attack with a +ATK refinement. Combined with the Maiougi’s x1.5 damage multiplier, Ryoma will be hitting hard when he targets foes his weapon is effective against.

Whether the Sky Maiougi or the Cloud Maiougi is used is largely dependent on the kinds of foes that are primarily being faced. The Sky Maiougi is effective against Armors and the Cloud Maiougi is effective against Dragons, making them both excellent choices for those selecting the Advanced difficulty in the Arena (as Advanced difficulty is populated with teams who possess a score above your own, and Armors/Dragons are usually scored generously due to the high BST bins among other factors). Because of this, what is used here is largely a matter of personal preference.

Moonbow and Glimmer are once again used for their low cooldowns -- this is even more pivotal than the above build as Ryoma will not be counterattacked when his sweep Skill activates, and won’t be able to follow-up. This makes cooldown management particularly pivotal, and is why the Flashing Blade seal is used so that Ryoma can fire off his Special after he attacks a foe he outspeeds. Death Blow is an obvious choice to maximize Ryoma’s OHKO potential -- except in the case of using the Cloud Maiougi. If facing speedy dragons like Female Corrin or Summer Young Tiki, Life and Death can be used instead to attempt to secure the Watersweep activation against them.

Windsweep/Watersweep is the crux of this build, allowing Ryoma to safely attack Distant Counter units without fear of getting counterattacked if he can’t OHKO (which he won’t always be able to do despite the effective damage he deals). It also allows him to attack units that he has a Weapon Triangle disadvantage against without fear of retaliation, dealing heavy damage against powerful foes. He’s able to do this without a lot of Speed investment because of his reasonably high base Speed, and the relatively  low Speed of Armors and Dragons. Of course, Windsweep should be used with Sky Maiougi builds, and Watersweep with Cloud Maiougi builds, given that they correspond with the types of foes Ryoma will be targeting.

Odd Atk Wave is an excellent C-Slot Skill, giving Ryoma a sizeable buff to his Attack, further boosting his ability to OHKO or deal heavy damage and buffing adjacent allies on odd-numbered turns. Atk Smoke, though, allows him to heavily debuff foes whenever he attacks. Again, though, the Skill that fills this slot can vary depending on what is available.

Ordinary☆Samurai! (Budget)

Build by
Sky Maiougi+ (+Atk) A Death Blow 4
Alternate: Death Blow 3
Dance B Chill Def 3
Moonbow C Spur Spd/Res 2
IVsSAttack +3

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD / -RES or -HP or -DEF
  • Weapon: Sky Maiougi+ (+Atk)
  • Assist: Dance
  • Special: Moonbow
  • Passive A: Death Blow
  • Passive B: Chill Def
  • Passive C: Spur Spd/Res / Varies
  • Sacred Seal: Attack +3 / Atk Smoke / Earth Dance

Although not as specialized or general-use as other builds, this set makes use of most of Ryoma’s base kit to try to make the best of what he’s been given.

IVs really can vary -- really any combination of boons and banes can be used aside from -ATK, as it brings Ryoma’s Attack to frankly awful levels. Everything in this build seeks to hit Armors hard with the least amount of investment possible: the Sky Maiougi deals effective damage to them and is refined for an extra point of Might, Death Blow gives Ryoma +6 Attack when he initiates, Chill Def will debuff their high Defense to allow Ryoma to break through their bulk, and the Attack +3 Seal further boosts his ability to make this happen. Moonbow’s low cooldown means it will activate more often, while Spur Spd/Res is… okay, and could be replaced with any Drive or Fortify.

If looking for a little more utility, Atk Smoke allows Ryoma to debuff three stats at once when he attacks, while Earth Dance boosts the Defense of whomever he refreshes by four. While this build may not be the most effective in the Arena where Armors with Distant Counter tend to reign supreme, it’ll work well enough in other game modes where they’re less of a potent threat but still an annoyance (such as Grand Hero Battles, Bound Hero Battles, and Tempest Trials).

Introduction

SA-MUR-AI! Ryoma enters the stage as a refresher, as well as one of the first colored dagger units to be added to the game -- as a fresh addition, he certainly brings a good amount of interesting strengths to the table. His native weapon, the Sky Maiougi, deals effective damage to armored foes, and his 32/34 offensive statline certainly means he can make decent use of it. Moreover, his status as a blue unit means that he possesses a Weapons Triangle advantage over a variety of common threats such as Zelgius, Black Knight, Karla, Ayra, and Summer Young Tiki.

Unfortunately, though, with these strengths also come weaknesses. Ryoma’s Attack and Speed aren’t that high, meaning that he’ll struggle to KO outright or follow-up on speedy foes. Moreover, his direct competition for a ranged blue physical unit, Legendary Lucina, has a variety of unique and versatile qualities that make Ryoma a hard sell -- even compared to other refreshers like YT Olivia and PA Azura, his utility is quite limited. Despite these issues, as far as refreshers go, you can definitely do worse than Ryoma. Only time will tell if he falls to the bottom of the heap, but for now he still shows some promise.

Strengths

Passable Offensive Stats

For a refresher, Ryoma’s Speed and Attack are quite good. Although he’s no offensive juggernaut, his ability to secure follow-ups and damage foes is far from non-existent.

This ability can be further bolstered with Skills and Seals, meaning that Ryoma isn’t as utility-centric unlike a good amount of refreshers.

Effective Weapon

Ryoma’s utility is further boosted by his native weapon, the Sky Maiougi. It deals effective damage against armored foes, allowing him to heavily damage if not KO certain common threats.

Since Ryoma’s Attack isn’t the highest, the x1.5 multiplier this weapon offers against armors does wonders in boosting his damage output against them.

He's Blue

Again, because Ryoma’s raw damage output isn’t the best, his color works as a strength, as it allows him to possess a Weapons Triangle advantage.

Weaknesses

No Standout Defensive Stat

Unlike some of his Hoshidan Summer contemporaries, Ryoma possesses no particularly high defensive stat.

This makes it difficult to have him act as a hard counter to any type of foe given that his offensive stats are good, but not great.

Low HP

This issue is further exacerbated by Ryoma’s low HP, which is lowered even further if it is his bane stat as it is a superbane.

His frailty means that he will often be KO’d if he is counterattacked, which is a big issue unless he runs builds where he can’t be retaliated against.

He’s Blue 

Ryoma’s status as a colored dagger is as much of a curse as it is a blessing; being blue makes him susceptible to attacks from green units.

This matter is made even worse by the fact that his native weapon is effective against armors -- the (arguably) most powerful of which are green.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Dagger

After combat, inflicts Def/Res-3 on foe through its next action.

Dagger users only.
50 2 3
Steel Dagger

After combat, inflicts Def/Res-3 on foe through its next action.

Dagger users only.
100 2 5
Sky Maiougi

Effective against armored foes. Disables unit's and foe's skills that change attack priority. After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Def/Res-5 on target and foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions.

Dagger users only.
200 2 8
Sky Maiougi+

Effective against armored foes. Disables unit's and foe's skills that change attack priority. After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Def/Res-7 on target and foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Dagger users only.
300 2 12
Available Rearmed Weapons
Arcane Void
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Dance

Grants another action to target ally. (Cannot target an ally with Sing or Dance.)

Learns by default at 5 ★
1 150

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Triangle Adept 1

Gives Atk+10% if weapon-triangle advantage, Atk-10% if disadvantage.

Excludes Colorless Weapon Users.
50
A
Triangle Adept 2

Gives Atk+15% if weapon-triangle advantage, Atk-15% if disadvantage.

Excludes Colorless Weapon Users.
100
A
Triangle Adept 3

Gives Atk+20% if weapon-triangle advantage, Atk-20% if disadvantage.

Excludes Colorless Weapon Users.
Unlocks at 5 ★
200
A
Chill Def 1

At start of turn, inflicts Def-3 on foe on the enemy team with the highest Def through its next action.

Inheritable by all units.
60
B
Chill Def 2

At start of turn, inflicts Def-5 on foe on the enemy team with the highest Def through its next action.

Inheritable by all units.
120
B
Chill Def 3

At start of turn, inflicts Def-7 on foe on the enemy team with the highest Def through its next action.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
B
Spur Spd 1

Grants Spd+2 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
50
C
Spur Spd/Res 1

Grants Spd/Res+2 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
120
C
Spur Spd/Res 2

Grants Spd/Res+3 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Heroes

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