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Analysis by lordhelpme
Kliff - Curious Spirit

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
157
HP 37
ATK 30
SPD 37
DEF 25
RES 28

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 14 5 3 2 8
Middle 15 6 4 3 9
High 16 7 5 4 10

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 33 27 33 21 25
Middle 37 30 37 25 28
High 40 33 40 28 32

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

aight imma head out (Defensive Generalist)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Sagittae (+Eff) A Atk/Spd Solo (3 or 4)
Alternate: Atk/Res Solo (3 or 4)
Positional Assist B Null Follow-Up 3
Moonbow
Alternate: Ruptured Sky
C Joint Drive Spd
Alternate: Pulse Smoke 3
IVs

+SPD or +DEF or +RES

SMystic Boost 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Sagittae (+EFF)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Moonbow / Ruptured Sky / Luna 

Passive A: Atk/Spd Solo / Atk/Res Solo / Atk/Def Solo

Passive B: Null Follow-Up / Null C-Disrupt

Passive C: Joint Drive Spd / Pulse Smoke / Smoke Skills / Menace Skills / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Mystic Boost / Atk/Spd Solo / Atk/Res Solo / Atk/Def Solo

  • Refined Sagittae’s well-rounded stat and damage enhancements alongside its persistent Guard effect provide Kliff considerable defensive prowess; this build emphasizes this quality with consideration to his balanced statline and infantry skill access to have him operate as a surprisingly effective generalist. A +SPD IV is Kliff’s best bet and proves especially useful with Null Follow-Up; however, one can consider +DEF or +RES for specific damage mitigation. 
    • Although one may not find it strictly necessary, particularly if using him for general gameplay, pairing Kliff alongside a fellow Near Save armored ally can be quite handy as this helps him freely circumvent the loss of Close Counter and rounds out his melee match-ups.
  • Moonbow and Ruptured Sky are among Kliff’s preferred Specials of choice due to their low cooldowns, granting relatively quick access. In exchange for more inconsistent activation timing, Luna offers Kliff much stronger burst potential against bulkier foes — something worth considering at lower investment levels where he wants as many damage boosts as he can get his hands on. 
  • For his A skill, Solo skills are by far his best option; they work in both phases for added flexibility, feature some of the best stat augmentations around, and function during combat and therefore do not impede Sagittae’s activation. Atk/Spd Solo is excellent from both offensive and defensive viewpoints, though Atk/Def Solo and Atk/Res Solo are solid as well. 
    • Unity skills are tempting alternatives considering their high ceiling, but require a little more thoughtfulness to use: Kliff’s base stats aren’t high enough to be actively targeted by Chills and Shrine structures, so he’ll need to actively seek out being affected by Smoke and Panic effects to trigger its secondary effect. 
  • Null Follow-Up shines as Kliff’s premier B skill candidate for the immunity it provides to ubiquitous effects that would hinder his follow-up or ensure that of his opponents; this is crucial to neutralize common threats who rely on such mechanics and would otherwise cripple his performance, altogether granting offensive and defensive benefits. Null C-Disrupt is not quite as universal, but is helpful nonetheless against Dazzling Staff.
  • Kliff appreciates any source of additional stats greatly — as most units do, though this is especially true in his case due to his flat statline — and thus more than welcomes skills like Joint Drives, Smokes, and Menace that bring considerably stat upgrades for his C slot. The choice between which ultimately depends on personal preference and skill availability.
  • Aside from including further stat boosts through skills like Atk/Def Solo, Kliff’s Sacred Seal slot can also be filled by Mystic Boost; its additional counterplay against Wrathful Staff and adaptive damage can be handy, especially if not using Null C-Disrupt, but its main draw is the supplemental healing it grants for more survivability.

goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all in therapy (Melee Specialist / Defensive)

Build by lordhelpme
Sagittae (+Eff) A Close Foil
Alternate: Close Counter
Positional Assist B Special Spiral 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Bonfire
Alternate: Sol
C Res Smoke 3
Alternate: Joint Drive Atk
IVs

+SPD or +DEF

SAtk/Def Solo 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Sagittae (+Eff)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Bonfire / Moonbow / Luna / Sol

Passive A: Close Foil / Close Counter

Passive B: Special Spiral / Lull Atk/Res / Null Follow-Up 

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

Sacred Seal: Atk/Def Solo / Close Def / Mystic Boost

  • This build retains a defensive focus, but shifts attention specifically to Kliff’s ability t o tank hits and mitigate damage from melee threats. Either a +SPD IV to reliably perform and avoid follow-up attacks or +DEF IV for direct damage mitigation should be taken.
  • The ability to counterattack regardless of range is crucial, as this enables Kliff to actually defeat enemies he baits rather than simply tanking without any further impact. Close Foil is preferred above other options available — it permits counterattacks against the majority of foes he’ll be fighting and comes with a bonus +5 Atk/Def, so what’s not to like? To stay on the safe side, though, one can always simply equip Close Counter instead which lets him counterattack against dragons as well.
  • Special Spiral makes for an interesting B skill choice here that allows for consistent activation of otherwise more inconsistent Specials, most notably Sol and Bonfire; it does take some setup, but their initial three-turn cooldown means that Kliff can activate them upon each counterattack once the loop starts. Other B skill options include Lull Atk/Res for greater stat advantages and the ever-useful Null Follow Up.
  • Smoke, Menace, and Joint Drive skills are once again a natural complement to Kliff’s defensive playstyle here, providing an ample advantage through more effective stats — just keep in mind that Atk Smoke specifically is actually a little counterintuitive, as it can make it potentially complicate Sagittae’s activation. 

Strengths

Sagittae

Initially nothing less than underwhelming, Kliff’s unique Sagittae received a hefty and much-needed power upgrade through its refinement. 

  • The base effect was revamped notably, reducing the stringency of its original activation requirement (as Kliff now gets +5 stats anytime his Attack is lower than his foe’s) and packing a mini-Ruptured Sky effect upon each strike.
  • Combined with an additional +4 Atk/Spd/Def/Res from its refinement, Sagittae becomes substantially more worthwhile than before as his stat boosts are now not only readily accessible with ease, but bear greater potency as well. It greatly remedies Kliff’s base statline to keep pace with more modern additions, especially where his damage is concerned. 
  • The new inclusion of Guard is also quite handy as it imparts the Curious Spirit with genuine, innate defensive capacity — a rarity among many modern mages. On top of having a much more lenient HP threshold than actual Guard, having this integrated into his weapon is also pretty useful in expanding his flexibility since it renders Stance 4 skills entirely unnecessary and makes initiations altogether safer.

Also, do keep in mind that Kliff can freely equip skills that provide in-combat boosts like Atk/Spd Solo without impeding on his performance. Sagittae scales purely on visible Attack for the base effect’s check!

Good Speed 

Although the majority of his statline fails to impress before Sagittae kicks in, Kliff’s Speed is surprisingly solid and certainly remains one of his main strengths. With an innate value of 37, it provides a reasonable starting point for performing and denying follow-up attacks against opposing enemies, particularly when supplemented by his PRF and ally support.

Infantry Benefits

Kliff’s infantry status allows him to fully tap into the potential of his weapon through exceptional and powerful skill access. With an abundance of options to choose from like Null Follow-Up, Special Spiral, and Null C-Disrupt, Kliff showcases excellent versatility; he can easily be fine-tuned to best serve one’s needs in a way that he couldn’t if he were another movement type

Weaknesses

Requires High Investment & Heavy Competition

Unlike before, there is legitimate merit in utilizing Kliff given the solid defensive and generalist properties of his refined Sagittae. However, the impact of his statline’s overall unimpressive base values (barring his Speed) does make it difficult to truly maximize his performance until enough investment can be given to him. Avid merges, Skill Inheritance, and Dragonflowers are needed so that Kliff doesn’t fall off too much compared to more modern or specialized contemporaries — and being unable to give such investment can make it difficult to justify slotting him in a given team at all when compared to mages like Micaiah can fulfill similar defensive roles with less management.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Light
Blue Tome Users Only
50 2 4
Ellight
Blue Tome Users Only
100 2 6
Shine
Blue Tome Users Only
200 2 9
Sagittae

Grants Def+3. At start of combat, if foe's Atk ≥ unit's Atk+5, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 during combat.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 2 14
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Rising Light

Before combat this unit initiates, foes in an area near target take damage equal to (unit's Atk minus foe's Def or Res).

Learns by default at 5 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
150 4
Growing Light

Before combat this unit initiates, foes in a wide area around target take damage equal to (unit's Atk minus foe's Def or Res).

Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
300 4

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Fortress Def 1

Grants Def+3. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
40
A
Fort. Def/Res 1

Grants Def/Res+3. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
100
A
Fort. Def/Res 2

Grants Def/Res+4. Inflicts Atk-3.

Inheritable by all units.
200
A
Fort. Def/Res 3

Grants Def/Res+6. Inflicts Atk-2.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
Chill Spd 1

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

Inheritable by all units.
60
B
Chill Spd 2

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

Inheritable by all units.
120
B
Chill Spd 3

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

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
B
Fortify Res 1

Grants adajacent allies Res+2 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
50
C
Fortify Res 2

Grants adajacent allies Res+3 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
100
C
Fortify Res 3

Grants adjacent allies Res+4 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
200
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Echoes

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