GamePress
Analysis by Chibi_Chu
Seliph - Heir of Light

3-4

Obtainable as a 3 - 4 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
157
HP 47
ATK 34
SPD 24
DEF 30
RES 22

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 18 7 6 7 4
Middle 19 8 7 8 5
High 20 9 8 9 6

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 44 31 21 26 19
Middle 47 34 24 30 22
High 50 37 27 33 25

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

Skill Sets

Freedom-Sworn (Enemy Phase Melee Specialist)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Recommended
Divine Tyrfing (+Eff) A Sturdy Stance 3
Alternate: Close Def 4
Positional Assist B Null Follow-Up 3
Noontime
Alternate: Ignis
C Joint Drive Atk
Alternate: Joint Drive Def
IVs

+Atk and/or +Def / -Spd

SSteady Breath

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Divine Tyrfing (+Eff) 

Assist: Positional Assist 

Special: Noontime / Ignis / Bonfire

Passive A: Sturdy Stance 3 / Close Def 4 / Atk/Def Unity

Passive B: Null Follow-Up 

Passive C: Joint Drive Skills 

Sacred Seal: Steady Breath 

  • By pairing Seliph with a Far Save ally, he can focus specifically on his performance against melee threats. Most notably, this frees his A Slot from the usual Distant Countering A Slot, allowing him to use other choices such as:
    • Sturdy Stance 3, which grants +6 Atk/Def and a Guard effect on Enemy Phase.
    • Close Def 4, which grants +8 Def/Res and neutralizes the enemy’s visible buffs when defending against a melee enemy.
    • Atk/Def Unity, which grants +5 Atk/Def and reverses visible Atk/Def debuffs and panicked Atk/Def buffs if Seliph is within two spaces of an ally.
  • Steady Breath allows Seliph to activate two-cooldown Specials on his first counterattack (assuming no Guard effect is active), making Noontime a strong option for sustainability. Alternatives include Ignis and Bonfire, which both grant additional damage on activation that scales with Seliph’s Def.
  • Null Follow-Up is vital; as Divine Tyrfing’s main draw is its guaranteed follow-up attack, neutralizing follow-up prevention effects such as those from Impact skills means that the only way Seliph will not perform a follow-up is if the enemy has both Null Follow-Up and ≥ 5 more Spd than him. Additionally, neutralizing effects that guarantee follow-ups improves Seliph’s sustainability.
  • Joint Drive C Slots, which benefit both Seliph and allies within two spaces via additional stats, are even more valued than usual because melee specialist Seliph is ideally paired with a Far Save ally that receives ranged attacks for him.

Gateway to Light (Galeforce / Player Phase)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Recommended
Divine Tyrfing (+Eff) A Atk/Def Bond 4
Alternate: Atk/Def Solo 4
Positional Assist B Wings of Mercy 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Galeforce
Alternate: Bonfire
C Time's Pulse 3
Alternate: Atk/Def Menace
IVs

+Atk / -Spd

SHeavy Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Divine Tyrfing (+Eff) 

Assist: Positional Assist 

Special: Galeforce / Bonfire 

Passive A: Atk/Def Bond 4 / Atk/Def Solo 4 / Atk/Def Unity

Passive B: Wings of Mercy / Null Follow-Up

Passive C: Time’s Pulse / Atk/Def Menace / Atk Smoke / Def Smoke

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade

  • With Divine Tyrfing’s conditional +10 Atk/Def and guaranteed follow-up, Seliph can be a strong Player Phase unit that receives physical counterattacks particularly well.
  • Galeforce:
    • Because of Seliph’s high HP, he is ill-suited for being a beacon that drops to ≤ 50% HP so that allies with Wings of Mercy can teleport to spaces adjacent to him. Rather than being a Wings of Mercy enabler, Seliph is best at being a Wings of Mercy user, and as such, this is his B Slot of choice. If not using Seliph for Galeforce strategies on Aether Raids Offense, however, then Null Follow-Up is best to ensure his guaranteed follow-up is not neutralized by follow-up prevention effects.
    • If using Wings of Mercy, Atk/Def Bond 4 and Atk/Def Unity are particularly strong and consistent choices, as Seliph will typically be adjacent to an ally. The former grants +7 Atk/Def and neutralizes visible Atk/Def debuffs and panicked Atk/Def buffs, while the latter grants +5 Atk/Def and reverses these rather than neutralizing them. While the former is arguably more consistent, the latter has a much higher ceiling.
    • As Galeforce is a five-cooldown Special, Seliph needs Time’s Pulse and Heavy Blade in his C and S Slots respectively to activate it after two attacks without relying on receiving a counterattack.
  • Bonfire:
    • A Slots that increase Seliph’s Atk/Def maximize his damage and bulk, making them his best options. Atk/Def Solo 4 is particularly noteworthy, as Player Phase units are typically away from allies and it does not inflict any recoil damage.
    • Null Follow-Up neutralizes effects that prevent Seliph’s follow-up or guarantee the enemy’s, making it incredibly valuable for securing his damage and survival.
    • As Bonfire is a three-cooldown Special, Seliph needs Time’s Pulse and Heavy Blade in his C and S Slots respectively to activate it on his follow-up attack without relying on receiving a counterattack. Alternatively, if players don’t mind relying on receiving a counterattack, he can replace Time’s Pulse for C Slots that increase his damage output and/or bulk such as Atk/Def Menace, Atk Smoke, and Def Smoke.

What do you mean it’s not 2019 anymore? (Aether Raids Defense)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Tyrfing (+Eff) A Distant Countering A Slot
Positional Assist
Alternate: Assistless
B Vantage 3
Vengeance C Time's Pulse 3
Alternate: Infantry Pulse 3
IVs

+HP and/or +Atk / -Spd

SAtk/Def Form 3
Alternate: Brazen Atk/Def 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Tyrfing (+Eff) 

Assist: Positional Assist / Assistless 

Special: Vengeance 

Passive A: Distant Countering A Slot 

Passive B: Vantage

Passive C: Time’s Pulse / Infantry Pulse / Joint Drive Atk 

Sacred Seal: Atk/Def Form / Brazen Atk/Def

  • Pretty much here only for posterity given how uncommon it is nowadays, this set is nonetheless incredibly unique and worth noting given that it was Seliph’s most notable and successful gimmick for quite a while. This set uses the combination of Tyrfing’s Miracle effect, a Distant Countering A Slot, Vantage, and precharged Vengeance so that Seliph can counterattack for significant damage, making it difficult for teams that abuse AoE Special damage or the Bolt Tower/Trap structures to approach Seliph and allies.
  • Whether Seliph has a positional Assist or no Assist depends on if players want him to move before or after other allies: for the former, he should not have any Assist (as the AI prioritizes moving Assistless units), while for the latter, he should have a positional Assist. Positional Assists such as Reposition and Draw Back can also help move allies toward the backline, making them more difficult to snipe.
  • In order to precharge Vengeance, Seliph needs Special charge from allies and Time’s Pulse. If he does not need Time’s Pulse, he himself can provide Special charge for Infantry allies with lower HP than him with Infantry Pulse, or he can maximize the damage output of both himself and allies within two spaces by providing +4 Atk via Joint Drive Atk.
  • Atk/Def Form and Brazen Atk/Def both grant +7 Atk/Def under ideal conditions. While the former requires three allies within two spaces, the latter requires Seliph to be at ≤ 80% HP, making the former generally easier and more consistent; given that this set is for Aether Raids Defense, Seliph and his allies will be clumped together for, at the very least, their initial formation.

Strengths

Good HP, Attack, and Defense

With 47 HP, 34 Atk, and 30 Def, Seliph can be a potent damage dealer and physical defender. Access to the maximum number of Dragonflowers and a Resplendent only further these points.

Tyrfing

Seliph’s original claim to fame was his refined Tyrfing, which effectively has both Atk/Def Bond and Miracle (except the HP condition is ≥ 50% rather than > 1). While his niche as an Aether Raids Defense nuke with pre-charged Vengeance has dissipated over time, it is still a unique and potentially threatening gimmick that was once the bane of many Raiding Parties. In particular, Bolt Towers may end up backfiring, as Seliph will likely be in Vantage range to activate a high-damage Vengeance before receiving an attack.

Divine Tyrfing

Inherited from his father, Seliph’s current claim to fame is Divine Tyrfing.

  • In addition to granting +3 Res, if the enemy uses magic, the damage Seliph receives from their first attack is halved.
  • If Seliph’s HP is ≥ 50% at the start of combat, he gains +5 Atk/Def during combat.
  • Most importantly, if the enemy’s HP is ≥ 50% at the start of combat, Seliph gains an additional +5 Atk/Def and makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Significantly improving both his offensive and defensive capabilities, Divine Tyrfing is an excellent personal weapon that matches well with Seliph’s overall statline. Additionally, it gives Seliph options for both Player Phase and Enemy Phase sets, making him a flexible unit.

Infantry Advantages

Access to skills such as Null Follow-Up, Lull Atk/Def, and Time’s Pulse improve Seliph’s damage output and consistency, making his Infantry status a valuable asset.

Weaknesses

Low Speed and Resistance

Even with Divine Tyrfing’s magical damage reduction, Seliph may struggle to survive against magical enemies due to his low Spd/Res. If his guaranteed follow-up is neutralized by follow-up negation or Null Follow-Up, Seliph may also struggle to perform follow-ups.

Inconsistent

Tyrfing and Divine Tyrfing suffer from problems that can make Seliph’s performance rather inconsistent.

  • Despite his aforementioned Defense niche with Tyrfing, Seliph is rarely seen anymore. Skills such as Staff of the Saint, Even Pulse Tie, and Pulse Smoke can prevent/remove Seliph’s pre-charged Vengeance, making his Vantage counterattack much less threatening. Additionally, Seliph’s firepower is simply not enough to break through many modern tanks.
  • The ubiquity of Impact skills on Defense makes it almost a necessity for Seliph to use Null Follow-Up as his B Slot in order to take advantage of Divine Tyrfing’s guaranteed follow-up. Should the enemy also have Null Follow-Up, it is unlikely that Seliph will perform a follow-up attack at all, decreasing his damage output. Additionally, Divine Tyrfing’s HP conditions can be difficult to achieve at times, particularly if his team is using the Bolt Tower structure that may knock enemies out of the ≥ 50% HP condition.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Sword
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
50 1 6
Steel Sword
Learns by default at 3 ★
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
100 1 8
Silver Sword
Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
200 1 11
Tyrfing

Grants Def+4 in battle if unit's HP ≤ 50%

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 1 16
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Rally Speed

Grants Spd+4 to target ally for 1 turn.

Learns by default at 4 ★
1 150

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
HP +3

Grants +3 to max HP.

Inheritable by all units.
40
A
HP +4

Grants +4 to max HP.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
80
A
HP +5

Grants +5 to max HP.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
160
A
Brash Assault 1

If unit initiates combat against a foe that can counter and unit's HP ≤ 30%, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
50
B
Brash Assault 2

If unit initiates combat against a foe that can counter and unit's HP ≤ 40%, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
100
B
Brash Assault 3

If unit initiates combat against a foe that can counter and unit's HP ≤ 50%, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
200
B

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

Banners Featured In

Official Hero Artwork