GamePress
Analysis by lordhelpme
Hríd - Icy Blade

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
157
HP 41
ATK 37
SPD 17
DEF 36
RES 26

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 18 6 3 11 3
Middle 19 7 4 12 4
High 20 8 5 13 5

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 37 34 13 33 22
Middle 41 37 17 36 26
High 44 41 20 39 29

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

my job here is done (Offensive / Damage Focus)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Gjöll (+Eff) A Atk/Def Catch 4
Alternate: Death Blow (3 or 4)
Positional Assist B Freezing Seal II
Glimmer
Alternate: Bonfire
C Fatal Smoke 3
Alternate: Joint Drive Atk
IVs

+ATK / -SPD

SDeath Blow 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Gjöll (+EFF)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Glimmer / Bonfire

Passive A: Atk/Def Catch / Death Blow / AR-D Atk/Def 

Passive B: Freezing Seal II

Passive C: Fatal Smoke / Joint Drive Skills / Atk/Def Menace / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Death Blow / Heavy Blade / Drive Skills / Atk/Def Form 

  • Hríd possesses a magnitude of means for punishing foes: he exploits penalties, applies powerful ones himself readily by simply existing, counteracts enemy bonuses, and further inhibits stat advantages during combat via staggering in-combat debuffs. This altogether makes him a respectable offensive threat — particularly in a supportive composition where allies can also reap the benefits of his Freezing Seal — to the point that he may even be worthwhile as an Aether Raids Defense pick if such utility is desired.
  • Glimmer scales nicely with Hríd’s typically solid damage output, eclipsing his default Moonbow in most cases given the extent to which he can already decrease an opponent’s Defense throughout both PRF skills. Bonfire also works due to the prince’s respectable starting Defense and may reach an activation rate comparable to Glimmer via the Heavy Blade seal. 
  • Atk/Def Catch synergizes beautifully with the fact that any enemy he engages will most likely be affected by his penalties, ensuring that he benefits from the skill’s full +9/+9 Attack/Defense augmentation with relative consistency; this works great in essentially all platforms. Alternatively, Death Blow is a more readily available alternative that offers a comparable damage boost (even its fourth-tier version), or AR-D Atk/Def for Defense compositions. 
  • For his C skill, Fatal Smoke is a notoriously potent candidate that further punishes tanks by denying enemy healing; coupled with Freezing Seal’s Guard debuff, this leaves Null Follow-Up as the main mechanic for Hríd to watch out for. Given its scarce availability, though, think carefully before investing it into the Icy Blade, and he does have other choices such as Joint Drives and his native Atk/Def Menace
  • Attack-increasing Sacred Seals like Death Blow, Sturdy Blow, and Atk/Def Form (as most Defense compositions tend to bundle together) are natural complements to Hríd’s performance here. One may also consider the Heavy Blade Sacred Seal to access Bonfire quickly, or Drive skills in Aether Raids Defense to aid nearby allies.

* whooshes cape dramatically * (Melee Specialist)

Build by lordhelpme
Gjöll (+Eff) A Atk/Def Unity
Alternate: Atk/Def Catch 4
Positional Assist B Freezing Seal II
Bonfire
Alternate: Sol
C Atk/Def Menace
Alternate: Joint Drive Def
IVs

+ATK or +DEF / -SPD

SAtk/Def Form 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Gjöll (+EFF)

Assist: Reposition / Flexible 

Special: Bonfire / Sol / Glimmer / Noontime

Passive A: Atk/Def Unity / Atk/Def Catch

Passive B: Freezing Seal II

Passive C: Atk/Def Menace / Joint Drive Skills / Smoke Skills / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Atk/Def Form / Heavy Blade / Mystic Boost / Sturdy Stance / Atk/Def Bond

  • The eldest prince of Nifl can also perform well defensively thanks to how strongly he can inhibit enemy damage output, all while continuing to bear meaningful damage output and dual-phase functionality. This build maximizes these qualities in the hopes of leveraging them against melee threats, as the advent of Far Save allows Hríd to focus exclusively on such matchups and circumvents the loss of Distant Counter (though this may not be necessary depending where you use him). 
  • Bonfire offers the greatest enhancement to Hríd’s damage output while still featuring a reasonable activation rate, especially when equipped with Heavy Blade as this allows for a potential trigger in every round of combat thanks to his PRF. Alternatively, Sol works if greater sustain is desired, or something like Glimmer, Noontime, or even his base Moonbow for frequent activations without needing the aforementioned Heavy Blade seal. 
  • Since Distant Counter is not needed here, Hríd’s A slot is open to options that actually bolster his stats further, most notable of which being Atk/Def Unity for its uniquely powerful debuff reversal effect; it bears the greatest ceiling of any option available and helps substantially in penalty-heavy maps. If pure stats with greater consistency is preferred (as it's possible for Unity’s effect to not actually come into play), Atk/Def Catch is a great alternative that can be easily maintained given the debuffs applied by Freezing Seal II
    • Do note, however, that while Close Def and Sturdy Stance are phenomenal skills to their own right, they are more than a little awkward in Hríd’s case: the former directly counteracts his means of punishing enemy bonuses through Gjöll’s refinement, whereas the latter can be redundant considering his upgraded B skill.
  •  As remains the case with most units, Hríd’s C skill is flexible. One’s choice of Joint Drive, Smoke, and Menace skill are always solid for further stat superiority, but otherwise feel free to equip anything that best suits the team’s needs — he is a generous king, after all. The same flexibility applies for his Sacred Seal as anything that enhances Attack and Defense easily fits well, though Heavy Blade and Mystic Boost deserve mention as well for providing enhanced Special activation rates and sustain respectively.

what is a ponpon dance and why do you want me to do it (All-Purpose Generalist)

Build by lordhelpme
Gjöll (+Eff) A Distant Counter
Positional Assist B Freezing Seal II
Glimmer
Alternate: Sol
C Atk/Def Menace
Alternate: Pulse Smoke 3
IVs

+ATK or +DEF or +RES / -SPD

SMystic Boost 3
Alternate: Heavy Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Gjöll (+EFF)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Glimmer / Sol / Noontime

Passive A: Distant Counter / Distant Stance

Passive B: Freezing Seal II

Passive C: Atk/Def Menace / Pulse Smoke / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Mystic Boost / Atk/Res Solo / Atk/Def Solo / Stance Skills / Heavy Blade

  • In a similar vein to the first set, this build leans more towards Hríd’s Enemy Phase capabilities, but offers a more generalist approach to have him counter a wide breadth of foes. This essentially lives up to the intended playstyle demonstrated in his base kit — which, speaking of, can be kept almost entirely for such purposes beyond upgrading to the updated versions of Gjöll and Freezing Seal. 
  • That being said, there are a few possible sidegrades one can consider if aiming to fully develop his generalist role:
    • His default Moonbow is alright, but generally is better off replaced since his Defense debuffs prevent it from being as effective as normal. If possible, it should be replaced by either Glimmer or Bonfire, or potentially Sol or Noontime if a sustain focus is desired instead. 
    • Distant Counter is phenomenal and does the job perfectly fine, expanding his versatility through removal of counterattack restrictions. Distant Stance is a slightly stronger alternative since it further complements his bulk with +5 Resistance in the Enemy Phase, but it’s a pretty limited resource. 
    • His newly acquired Atk/Def Menace makes it even more likely to fully leverage the scope of his weapon’s effects on the off-chance that a foe manages to escape Freezing Seal’s range, but Pulse Smoke is a pretty handy defensive tool to fully deter enemy Special activations since his Guard debuff doesn’t affect those that are pre-charged. 
  • Any Assist Skill works fine in accordance to personal preference and for his Sacred Seal, Mystic Boost should receive greatest priority for its supplemental healing and negation of Wrathful Staff; Hríd lacks access to Null C-Disrupt to counterattack healers, but this at least reduces their impact on his longevity. Otherwise, his usual options of a stat-booster (with Resistance boosts being possible contenders now too) or Heavy Blade remain.

Strengths

Gjöll

Retaining an inclination towards exploiting penalties similar to his sister Gunnthrá, Hríd’s exclusive Gjöll massively improves his combat performance against debuffed opponents through the crucial ability to deny enemy follow-up attacks while enabling his own. This allows him to freely circumvent the drawbacks of his low Speed for great control over the course of battle, and his refinement only adds on to his damage and durability through an assortment of in-combat detriments to his foe’s Attack and Defense. Considering how simple it is for Hríd to maintain all the various effects of this weapon (especially as any penalty applied on his foe triggers the base effect), Gjöll ensures that he can hit hard, tank effectively, and carry out such intentions simultaneously in both Phases with relative ease.

Freezing Seal II

The second of his exclusive skills, Freezing Seal II provides a much-appreciated upgrade to the original skill’s capabilities: the base -6/-6 Atk/Spd debuff was altered to Atk/Def, making it a greater contributor to Hríd’s performance as afflicting Speed was useless to him, and its values were boosted to a more impactful -7 as well while removing the HP requirement entirely. Most notably, Freezing Seal II also became capable of simultaneously afflicting its targeted foe with the Guard debuff — a very powerful advantage given how crucial Specials activations are to most units, imparting both Hríd and his team with marked safety during combat.

Further, the single-target nature of the skill was expanded upon as well similarly to Gunnthrá’s Chilling Seal as it now “spreads,” causing any enemies within two spaces of the initial lowest Resistance foe to also be debuffed by all aspects of the Freezing Seal — Guard and all. This makes it even easier for Hríd to exploit Gjöll and aid his teammates, especially considering that while there are multiple means of bypassing stat penalties, there are conversely very few for fully working around Guard.

Great Attack & Physical Bulk

Hríd’s starting Attack of 37 is perfectly respectable despite his age and provides a workable foundation to build from with the plethora of damage-enhancement options he has — a four-point +ATK Asset, the visible debuffs from Freezing Seal II, literally all of refined Gjöll’s effects — to shine on the frontlines. The Icy Blade’s base physical bulk is relatively solid as well, lending itself well with his PRF skills’ accompanying durability boosts. 

Cavalry Benefits

The three-space movement allotted by Hríd’s cavalry status complements offensive approaches quite nicely, enabling quick proximity to enemies with minimal outside assistance, while also  allowing more advantageous positioning options for defensive ones. Additionally, this lets him fit right at home among his cavalry brethren through access to class-exclusive buffs. 

Weaknesses

Legendary Hero Drawbacks

Considering how poorly his scoring benefits have aged compared to modern Legendary Heroes, Hríd is essentially left to contend with the limitations that his Legendary status imposes, as it renders usage in Aether Raids when it’s not Wind Season somewhat unwieldy. While he isn’t outright forbidden from being used, outside of his season, he becomes entirely unable to enhance one’s Aetheric Lift nor can he receive the stats of allied Mythics in Aether Raids — something he needs to keep pace given his combat-focused role.

Low Speed & Unremarkable Resistance

The Icy Blade’s horrible base Speed makes him entirely dependent on Gjöll’s follow-up mechanics for the majority of his offensive and defensive capabilities, in turn making foes who can work around his weapon extremely problematic — most notable of which being those equipped with Null Follow-Up, a notorious skill that will only continue to see conventional use on meta-relevant threats. Further, while not outright terrible, Hríd’s middling Resistance can create issues when trying to handle magical nukes during the Enemy Phase as they may be able to OHKO him outright, and those with Null Follow-Up will have no trouble straight-up killing him.

Cavalry Drawbacks

His cavalry status imposes a few additional detriments, such as an inherent weakness to effective weaponry and an inability to traverse certain terrain which impedes mobility. These issues are more easily resolved through mindful maneuvering, though

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Sword
Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
50 1 6
Steel Sword
Learns by default at 2 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
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
Gjöll

Grants Atk+3. If a penalty inflicted by a skill like Panic or Threaten and/or a negative status effect (preventing counterattacks or restricting movement) is active on foe, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack and foe cannot.

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

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
New Moon

Treats foe's Def/Res as if reduced by 30% during combat.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
100 3
Moonbow

Treats foe's Def/Res as if reduced by 30% during combat.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 2

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Distant Counter

Unit can counterattack regardless of foe's range.

Restricted to melee units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
Freezing Seal

At start of turn, if unit's HP ≥ 50%, inflicts Atk/Spd-6 on foe on the enemy team with the lowest Res through its next action.

Non-Inheritable skill.
Unlocks at 5 ★
400
B
Freezing Seal II

At start of turn, inflicts Atk/Def-7 and 【Guard】 on foes on the enemy team with the lowest Res and any foe within 2 spaces of those foes through their next actions.

【Guard】

Inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on target per attack during combat through its next action. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Non-Inheritable skill.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
B
Atk Smoke 1

Inflicts Atk-3 on foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions after combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
C
Atk Smoke 2

Inflicts Atk-5 on foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions after combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
C
Atk Smoke 3

Inflicts Atk-7 on foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions after combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
C
Atk/Def Menace

At start of turn, inflicts Atk/Def-6 on nearest foes within 4 spaces through their next actions and grants Atk/Def+6 to unit for 1 turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Heroes

Banners Featured In