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Analysis by MackerelPye
Díthorba - Cutting Knight

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
172
HP 43
ATK 35
SPD 38
DEF 23
RES 33

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 18 6 9 5 8
Middle 19 7 10 6 9
High 20 8 11 7 10

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 40 32 35 20 30
Middle 43 35 38 23 33
High 46 38 41 26 36

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

This unit requires use of Trait Fruits to get access to IVs

Skill Sets

YES, CAPES! (Firesweep / Low-Investment)

Build by MackerelPye
Recommended
Firesweep Lance+ A Life and Death (3 or 4)
Alternate: Swift Sparrow 3
Positional Assist B Flier Formation 3
Alternate: Hit and Run
Moonbow
Alternate: Iceberg
C Spd/Res Oath 3
Alternate: Goad Fliers
IVs

+SPD or +ATK / -HP or -DEF

SSwift Sparrow 2
Alternate: Life and Death 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Firesweep Lance+

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Moonbow / Iceberg / Luna

Passive A: Life and Death / Swift Sparrow / Atk/Spd Solo / Atk/Spd Push 4

Passive B: Flier Formation / Hit-and-Run / Chill Def

Passive C: Spd/Res Oath / Goad Fliers / Other buffs

Sacred Seal: Swift Sparrow / Life and Death / Atk/Spd Solo / Poison Strike

  • Díthorba's native weapon, Firesweep Lance, is already a nice choice to use by default. It runs very well going off of Díthorba's solid offensive stats (superior to Cordelia's, the previous main user of the lance) and the Lance's ability to disable any enemy counterattacks whatsoever unless they have Null C-Disrupt.
  • Due to Firesweep Lance also disabling Díthorba's ability to counterattack, the build takes a total all-in offensive approach with little regard to defensive capabilities. Thus, Life and Death is a pretty easy choice to take for both the A slot and Sacred Seal, though other Atk/Spd-boosting alternatives such as Swift Sparrow and Atk/Spd Solo may take precedence if you'd like to maintain some bulk in emergencies. 
  • Díthorba's native B slot skill Flier Formation is also a pretty solid choice on flier-only compositions as it potentially expands her attack and escape routes. Else"
    • Hit and Run improves Díthorba's escapability after being done with a successful matchup/kill. It also pairs well with the Poison Strike Sacred Seal and some refresher support to chip away at particularly difficult enemies while having an escape route.
    • Chill Def debuffs the Defense of the enemy with the highest in that stat and thus improves Dithorna's or an ally's damage output against them.
  • Spd/Res Oath can stay on Díthorba for budget purposes, though given this build's offensive leanings, it's only useful for the relatively easy Speed. If you can get a Speed bonus elsewhere or simply don't mind taking another C-slot skill, some ally-buffing skills, especially Flier-exclusive ones like Goad Fliers, will suffice depending on other allies used.
  • Moonbow and Luna are perfectly good Specials that works regardless of Dithrorba's own stats (especially if using Life and Death) and targets the enemy's Defense instead. Provided you keep Díthorba's Resistance at a decent number, however, Iceberg deals a chunk of damage based off of that — around 15-19 depending on her final stat. 

It's from Milan, Darling. (High-Investment Resistance Tank)

Build by MackerelPye
Recommended
Flowing Lance+ (+Res)
Alternate: Barrier Lance+ (+Res)
A Fort. Def/Res 3
Alternate: Distant Ward
Positional Assist B Pegasus Flight 3
Alternate: Chill Atk 3
Sol
Alternate: Iceberg
C Atk/Def Rein 3
Alternate: Joint Drive Res
IVs

+RES or +SPD / -HP

SAtk/Spd Solo 3
Alternate: Fort. Def Res 2

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Flowing Lance+ (+Res) / Barrier Lance+ (+Res) / Slaying Lance+ (+Res) /

 Vanguard (+Res)

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Sol / Iceberg / Noontime

Passive A: Fort. Def/Res / Distant Counter / Distant Ward / Mirror Stance 3 / Atk/Spd Solo / Atk/Res Solo

Passive B: Pegasus Flight / Guard / Chill Atk / Sabotage Atk

Passive C: Atk/Def Rein / Atk/Spd Rein / Spd/Def Rein / Joint Drive Res / Joint Drive Spd / Spd/Res Oath / Atk Smoke

Sacred Seal: Atk/Spd Solo / Fort/Def Res / Close Def / Spd/Res Solo / Mirror Stance / Iote's Shield

  • Díthorba is fitted with a pretty good balance of base Speed, Attack, and Resistance, allowing her to perform the role of a magic tank quite well. 
  • Though her crowded and stereotypical lance flier archetype weighs her down in a few respects, it also grants her a few nice exclusive tools at her disposal:
    • The lance weapon library is full of versatile defensive options. For example, Flowing Lance grants a fantastic all-in-one package of bulk and power due to debuffing enemies in Atk/Def -5 and canceling buff bonuses as long as Díthorba isn't adjacent to allies — which can be supplemented with Solo skills anyway. However, it's only obtainable seasonally, though with Slaying Lance (quicker-activating Specials), Barrier Lance (focuses harder on improving Díthorba's Res with no positioning requirements), and Vanguard (patches up Díthorba's rather drab physical Defense), lacking it is no fret. Any lance you choose should be Resistance or Speed-refined depending on desired stat focus. 
    • Díthorba is one of the few actual good users of Pegasus Flight due to her great visible Speed and Resistance stats, which helps her dominate most Spd- and Resistance-based matchups more often than not and get the full incombat Atk/Def debuffs from the skill. It is overall her best B slot option, but should that not be available, other options like Guard (though not necessary, it's nice to have some form of it in Díthorba's build) and Chill or Sabotage Atk (debuff enemies' damage for basically free) are valid substitutions. 
    • Finally, Díthorba gets access to the Rein skill list, which, like Flowing Lance and Pegasus Flight (and even more ridiculous when stacked with them), applies incombat debuffs for basically very little cost. Depending on your desired stat focus, this boils down to Atk/Def Rein, Atk/Spd Rein, or Spd/Def Rein. Various Joint Drives are also a close-enough substitution, while Spd/Res Oath comes on Díthorba by default and visibly improves on the stats Pegasus Flight calculates. Atk Smoke as always is 
  • On a tanky build such as this, skills and seals that help increase Díthorba's defensive presence are obviously appreciated. 
    • Assuming Pegasus Flight is used, almost nothing trumps Fort Def/Res in terms of improving Díthorba's visible stats. It also happens to improve Díthorba's Defense, something she badly needs to improve in. 
    • Distant Counter or Distant Ward allows Díthorba to make use of her magic resilience-building by allowing her to counterattack ranged enemies, and is the recommended Aether Raids Offense option. For coverage's sake, Distant Counter is recommended over Ward, though there is no shame in running Ward as Díthorba is one of the few good users of it and rarely takes on dagger units — let alone bows — particularly well. 
    • There are several good in-combat skill swing options Díthorba can run, though they don't directly improve Pegasus Flight's conditions as Fortress skills do. That being said, Solo-type skills stack beautifully with the also-Solo conditions of Flowing Lance, allowing Díthorba to operate both phases as a powerful mixed threat. Thus, Atk/Spd Solo, Atk/Res Solo, and Spd/Res Solo are fantastic choices in either the A-slot or Sacred Seal or both. Mirror Stance also provides good Atk/Res swings, and its tier 3 variant grants a form of Guard without needing to run it in the B slot.
    • Forgoing a stat-boosting Seal kinda bites, but running Distant Counter gives a good opportunity to also make use of Iote's Shield, granting more favorable matchups against bow users, who otherwise maul Díthorba on her effective weakness. 

Strengths

Good Stat Distribution Especially In Attack, Speed, and Resistance

From a stat-only view, Díthorba can be seen as a directly improved version of Cordelia, Clair, and even Fiora (except for the slight Resistance drop) before her. This is thanks to her improved base stat total afforded by being a fifth-generation flier, with much of the distribution being poured into her Attack, Speed, and Resistance. As a result, Díthorba can play the role of either a hyper offensive lance flier or magic tank or mixed phase bruiser quite well. 

Lance Flier Perks

Being both a lance user and flier grants Díthorba a nice list of perks exclusive to her, including a colorful variety of great lance weapons and some neat flier-exclusive skills, especially Pegasus Flight — it should be noted she's one of the few who actually uses it well. Additionally, unhindered mobility over terrains such as mountains and trees is always a good advantage in obstacle-heavy maps. 

Grand Hero Battle Unit

Fortunately, having 'orb' in your name doesn't mean the end of your balance; rather, the Cutting Knight can be freely acquired through her Grand Hero Battle as well as Heroic Grails.

Weaknesses

Cripplingly Low Defense

Let's be real, 23 Defense is not a great thing to have on a melee unit in 2021 and onwards. It makes natural melee matchups with even Sword units awkward and disadvantageous overall, while making her survivability against fast and powerful daggers — and let's not even mention bows — suspect at best. 

Flier Blues

Boosted effective damage from bows is something Díthorba definitely does not appreciate being a flying unit, and given her awful defense, it's not exactly hard to take her out with almost any old archer unit. Additionally, though her flier status grants her some neat tools, it doesn't fold too well in the skill inheritance department as she is lacking in good skills like Null Follow-Up or Special Spiral.

Trouble Standing Out

Though Díthorba can definitely be molded into a solid competitive pick, it can be a bit difficult to justify using her as other units min-max their stats (versus her good Atk/Spd/Res balance) and/or have unique skills that punts them up several notches in value. Of particular note is Cordelia, who is a popular choice as an offensive flier still due to her easy-to-summon availability (getting copies of Díthorba takes time, and Heroic Grails is a precious resource best spent on things you absolutely want to invest in) and hard-to-beat damage output thanks to her unique weapon

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Lance
Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Lance Users Only
50 1 6
Steel Lance
Learns by default at 3 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Lance Users Only
100 1 8
Firesweep Lance

Unit and enemies cannot use counterattacks.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Lance Users Only
200 1 11
Firesweep Lance+

Unit and enemies cannot use counterattacks.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Lance Users Only
300 1 15
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Chilling Wind

Boosts damage dealt by 50% of unit's Res.

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

Boosts damage dealt by 80% of unit's Res.

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

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Flier Formation 1

If unit has 100% HP, unit can move to a space adjacent to a flier ally within 2 spaces.

Only inheritable by flier units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
B
Flier Formation 2

If unit has ≥ 50% HP, unit can move to a space adjacent to a flier ally within 2 spaces.

Only inheritable by flier units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
B
Flier Formation 3

Unit can move to a space adjacent to a flier ally within 2 spaces

Only inheritable by flier units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
B
Spd/Res Oath 1

At start of turn, if unit is adjacent to an ally, grants Spd/Res+3 to unit for 1 turn.

Infantry & Flying Units Only
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
C
Spd/Res Oath 2

At start of turn, if unit is adjacent to an ally, grants Spd/Res+4 to unit for 1 turn.

Infantry & Flying Units Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
C
Spd/Res Oath 3

At start of turn, if unit is adjacent to an ally, grants Spd/Res+5 to unit for 1 turn.

Infantry & Flying Units Only
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

Banners Featured In

None