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Analysis by lordhelpme
Duo Ephraim - Dynastic Duo

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
172
HP 41
ATK 39
SPD 30
DEF 37
RES 25

Stat Variations

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

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 37 36 26 34 22
Middle 41 39 30 37 25
High 44 43 33 40 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

the original prince + demonic boyfriend archetype (Galeforce)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Reginleif (+Eff) A Heavy Blade 4
Alternate: Atk/Def Ideal 4
Positional Assist B Spd/Def Tempo 3
Alternate: Wings of Mercy 3
Galeforce C Odd Tempest 3
IVs

+ATK / -RES

SQuickened Pulse

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Reginleif (+Eff)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Galeforce 

Passive A: Heavy Blade 4 / Atk/Def Ideal / Atk/Def Push 

Passive B: Spd/Def Tempo / Wings of Mercy 

Passive C: Odd Tempest 

Sacred Seal: Quickened Pulse 

  • The greatly expanded mobility options and sheer offensive power granted by refined Reginleif make Ephraim a prime choice of unit for a Galeforce build for Aether Raids Offense play. His Duo Skill’s AoE +1 movement buff can also make him a pretty neat support tool in such contexts, but this is unreliable due to the prominence of the Duo’s Hindrance structure.  
  • Galeforce is a crucial aspect of this build as it helps Ephraim make the greatest use of Reginleif’s extended mobility through its unique self-refreshing effect, letting him quickly zip through enemy forces with minimal positioning constraints — and since he has access to 【Canto (Rem. +1)】from his weapon also, he is usually free to always use his additional action to attack as Canto can be used to retreat when needed.
    • The main caveat of Galeforce’s powerful capabilities lies in its lengthy five-turn cooldown, requiring a few considerations to ensure Ephraim can access it quick enough to matter — usually meaning, ideally, in a single combat. 
      • At minimum, this means keeping Ephraim’s Heavy Blade A skill and equipping the Quickened Pulse Sacred Seal; assuming he passes the Heavy Blade check and no Guard effect is in play, this minimizes the number of hits necessary to activate Galeforce down to two so it can be triggered in one round once both land. 
      • While definitely a bit tricky, those seeking to optimize Ephraim’s consistency may want to consider making it so the Special can trigger in one strike instead. Unless you’re comfortable with removing Odd Tempest from his C slot (which should generally be avoided), achieving one-tap Galeforce here relies entirely on outside support; he’ll need two external charges, which can be gained from Infantry Pulse support or specific allies like Velouria, Askr, and Groom Rafiel.
      • As a last mention, it’s worth Heavy Blade can also be made nonessential if accelerated cooldown support is available through specific ally options. The most seamless means of accessing this is Thorr with her Worldbreaker skill, but can include other sources like Fallen Ninian, Nah with her refined weapon, and New Year Velouria.
  • Another crucial aspect of this build lies in Ephraim’s choice of C skill: Odd Tempest. This ensures he can always move three spaces for optimized mobility, and moreover helps him maintain nearly all of his weapon’s effects permanently active seamlessly. The only other real standout option anyway is Time’s Pulse to lessen the support necessary to trigger Galeforce in one strike, but it’s typically not worth giving up the movement benefits unless you’re really strapped for means of accessing the Special charges.
  • Ephraim’s B skill comes down to the choice between Spd/Def Tempo or Wings of Mercy. Wings of Mercy is typically a staple among AR-O Galeforce builds, primarily for the quick access it grants the enemy team without sacrificing momentum — all that’s required is someone to act as a low HP beacon, which are already standard for such set-ups. However, as he does have a little more wiggle room compared to normal infantry units because of his +1 movement, it’s definitely worth considering Spd/Def Tempo (or Atk/Def Tempo once it’s released) for maximum consistency, completely eliminating the risk of Guard effects entirely.

He Wants to Order (Offensive Nuke)

Build by lordhelpme
Recommended
Reginleif (+Eff) A Sturdy Surge
Alternate: Atk/Def Ideal 4
Positional Assist B Lull Atk/Def 3
Alternate: Spd/Def Tempo 3
Draconic Aura
Alternate: Bonfire
C Odd Tempest 3
IVs

+ATK / -RES

SHeavy Blade 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Reginleif (+Eff)

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible 

Special: Draconic Aura / Bonfire / Luna / Glimmer

Passive A: Sturdy Surge / Atk/Def Ideal / Atk/Def Unity / Heavy Blade

Passive B: Lull Atk/Def / Spd/Def Tempo / Null Follow-Up 

Passive C: Odd Tempest / Atk/Def Menace / Flexible

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade / Null Follow-Up / Atk/Def Form / Sturdy Blow / Death Blow 

  • This build trades the former’s more specialized capabilities for a more generalist approach to Ephraim’s immense combat prowess — the goal is basically just to make the already hard-hitting prince hit even harder. Since the intention remains offensive, though, a +ATK IV is recommended again to frontload as much damage as possible. 
  • Specials with a three-turn cooldown are Ephraim’s best options; combined with Heavy Blade (either in his A slot or Sacred Seal), these Specials will activate in each round of combat provided Reginleif is active and his opponent can counterattack. Of those available, Bonfire and his native Draconic Aura both scale nicely with his statline, though Luna may be considered as well to cleave through bulkier foes with greater ease. Glimmer is also a decent choice for its more frequent trigger rate.
  • While his default Heavy Blade 4 is actually a pretty good A skill, those with the resources available may want to consider utilizing the skill as a Sacred Seal to wield more powerful A slot alternatives instead. Among them, Sturdy Surge proves a phenomenal choice as it not only sharpens his key stats greatly, but supplements his damage ceiling with pretty beefy healing on each Special trigger; this can help him stay on the field much more self-sufficiently. For pure stats, Atk/Def Ideal and Atk/Def Unity are good choices.
  • Ephraim’s default Lull Atk/Def is perhaps his best option for those seeking to fully hone his damage potential through its buff neutralization effect and supplement in-combat debuffs on his enemies. However, those wanting more overall consistency can consider Null Follow-Up (to avoid worrying about winning Spd contests against other foes wielding follow-up mechanics in their weapon) or Spd/Def Tempo (to make charging his Special even more of a breeze).
  • Odd Tempest once again presents itself as Ephraim’s optimal C skill, especially when using Ephraim on Aether Raids Defense teams to ensure he is a constant threat. That said, for general usage, it may not be as necessary so you can consider other options, such as Atk/Def Menace. For his Sacred Seal, besides Heavy Blade, any that enhances both Atk and Def is usually ideal, though the Null Follow-Up Seal can be nifty if not equipped as his B skill. 

Strengths

Reginleif

Among a few other select units, Ephraim’s refined Reginleif is basically an answer to the question: “What if we make an infantry unit actually a cavalry unit — but better?” 

The combination of +1 movement on even turns, immunity to forests, and 【Canto (Rem. +1)】all make Ephraim an extremely mobile unit who can easily overextend into enemy range without much demerit, granting a plethora of offensive and retreating options during the Player Phase. This becomes especially highlighted through his superior skill access compared to normal cavalry units, including Odd Tempest to maintain a permanent three-tile movement every round. 

Reginleif, however, takes this heightened mobility one step further by supplementing this with pretty useful in-combat mechanics, securing his follow-up attack, denying that of his foes, and boosting all of his stats by a potential +8 for free — none of which are particularly exciting, but still coveted to solidify his consistency. The weapon also features a rare (and very powerful) strength in carrying dual effectiveness against cavalry and armored units, with bonus damage against the latter on an offensive unit being extremely useful for tankbusting.

Strong Attack & Great Physical Bulk

At a strong base value of 39, Ephraim’s Atk is definitely his strong suit and enables him to make great use of Reginleif’s miscellaneous benefits to become a lean, mean, damage-dealing machine, in addition to letting him make good use of skills that scale off the stat (most notably, Heavy Blade). The prince isn’t slacking in the physical bulk department either; a starting value of 78 is very solid to ensure he can trade blows against opposing physical hitters without suffering too much because of initiating. 

Duo Hero

Like all other Duo Heroes, Ephraim’s status as one grants him a few appreciable bonus advantages, such as an inbuilt Duel effect for Arena scoring purposes and the ability to enable Duo Structures in Aether Raids. It’s worth mentioning that including him to trigger Duo’s Hindrance in Defense compositions, in particular, is much more effective now post-refinement, as he can maintain his cavalry-esque movement without needing to be under player control to use his Duo Skill. 

Speaking off, the current state of Ephraim’s Duo Skill is a bit… complicated. It’s definitely not nearly as strong as that of more recent Duo Heroes, nor is it really necessary to trigger for him specifically as he can maintain cavalry movement entirely through skills now. Using Duo Skills in Aether Raids is also finicky given the popularity of the Duo’s Hindrance, entirely preventing access to them. All that negativity aside, though, Ephraim’s Duo Skill is still – if nothing else – a neat support tool when it is accessible as it also buffs the movement of nearby infantry and armored allies (not just his own), allowing for greatly expanded offensive pressure.

Infantry Benefits

As mentioned previously, part of Ephraim’s strength lies in his ability to pair his cavalry-like nature from refined Reginleif with the astounding skill flexibility granted to infantry units. Beyond Odd Tempest to ensure he can always move three spaces, this means having access to  numerous powerful abilities like Lull Atk/Def, Tempo Skills, Infantry Pulse, and Null Follow-Up, helping him achieve a strong degree of consistency. 

Weaknesses

Middling Speed & Resistance 

Neither of Ephraim’s Spd or Res is actually that bad considering his archetype — especially as he can get a +8 boost to both of them for free – but they’re still pretty middling all the same. This can create issues in combat, with his mediocre Spd making it unlikely that he’ll be able to naturally perform or evade follow-up attacks against his foes; instead, Ephraim will likely often rely on Reginleif’s follow-up mechanics for both, which is problematic in a meta where most relevant units have some form of Null Follow-Up available to them. His Res also puts him at risk of taking significant amounts of damage against incoming magical threats, though this is moreso of a problem if you leave him in range during the Enemy Phase (which you really shouldn’t anyway).

Duo Skill

Grants Infantry and Armored allies within 2 spaces of unit (including unit) to move 1 extra space. (That turn only. Does not stack.)

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
Silver Lance
Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Lance Users Only
200 1 11
Reginleif

Effective against armored and cavalry foes.

Grants Atk+3.

If unit's Atk > foe's Atk and/or extra movement granted by another skill is active on unit, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

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
Dragon Gaze

Boosts damage by 30% of unit's Atk.

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

Boosts damage by 30% of unit's Atk.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 3

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Heavy Blade 1

If unit's Atk ≥ foe's Atk+5, grants Special cooldown charge +1 per unit's attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
60
A
Heavy Blade 2

If unit's Atk ≥ foe's Atk+3, grants Special cooldown charge +1 per unit's attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
120
A
Heavy Blade 3

If unit's Atk > foe's Atk, grants Special cooldown charge +1 per unit's attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
A
Heavy Blade 4

If unit's Attack > foe's Atk, grants Special cooldown charge +1 and deals +5 damage to foe per unit's attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
Lull Atk/Def 1

Inflicts Atk/Def-1 on foe and neutralizes foe's bonuses to Atk/Def (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.

Excludes Armor and Flying units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
B
Lull Atk/Def 2

Inflicts Atk/Def-2 on foe and neutralizes foe's bonuses to Atk/Def (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.

Excludes Armor and Flying units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
B
Lull Atk/Def 3

Inflicts Atk/Def-3 on foe and neutralizes foe's bonuses to Atk/Def (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.

Unlocks at 5 ★
240
B
Odd Atk Wave 1

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Atk+2 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
C
Odd Atk Wave 2

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Atk+4 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
C
Odd Atk Wave 3

At start of odd-numbered turns, grants Atk+6 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.
(Bonus granted to unit even if no allies are adjacent.)

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

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