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Analysis by raelet
Knoll - Darkness Watcher

3-4

Obtainable as a 3 - 4 only

4 Quest Reward

Obtainable as a 4 from Quest Reward

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
166
HP 43
ATK 37
SPD 32
DEF 19
RES 35

Stat Variations

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

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 40 34 29 16 32
Middle 43 37 32 19 35
High 46 40 35 22 38

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

Hey, Give That Back! (Speed Focus)

Build by raelet
Recommended
Rauðrfox+ (+Spd) A Swift Sparrow (2 or 3)
Alternate: Atk/Spd Solo (3 or 4)
Positional Assist B Lull Spd/Res 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Moonbow
Alternate: Luna
C Joint Drive Spd
Alternate: Res Smoke 3
IVs

+SPD / -DEF

SSwift Sparrow 2
Alternate: Darting Blow 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Rauðrfox (+SPD)

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Moonbow / Luna

Passive A: Swift Sparrow / Atk/Spd Solo / Atk/Spd Push

Passive B: Lull Spd/Res / Null Follow-Up

Passive C: Joint Drive Spd / Res Smoke

Sacred Seal: Swift Sparrow / Darting Blow

  • Thanks to Rauðrfox, Knoll's Speed stat of 32 is barely salvageable with a full investment. While he still won't be outspeeding the fastest units in the game, he can double units in the middling Speed tier with a Boon in Speed, double Swift Sparrow, Joint Drive Spd, and Lull Spd/Res in his B slot, all of which gives him an effective Speed stat of 51, while debuffing his opponent's Speed by 7 and nullifying their Speed-related buffs.
  • This enables Knoll to play like a faster unit, doubling foes and - more importantly - avoiding doubles in return.
  • Null Follow-Up offers Knoll some minor insurance against followup denials, and also prevents his opponents from auto-doubling him in turn, and is a safer skill for the current metagame than Lull Spd/Res.
  • While his Attack was naturally high, this set boosts it much higher and enables Knoll to hit extremely hard.
  • That being said, all of his investment could be better spent on another character with a better base statline. The only thing Knoll really has going for him at the moment is that you don't have to inherit a red tome, since Rauðrfox is among the best inheritable red tomes in the game.

The Summoner Returns (Budget)

Build by raelet
Rauðrfox+ (+Spd)
Alternate: Rauðrfox+ (+Res)
A Fury 3
Alternate: Death Blow 3
Positional Assist B Quick Riposte 3
Alternate: Chill Atk 3
Moonbow C Infantry Pulse 3
Alternate: Spd Ploy 3
IVs

+SPD or +ATK / -DEF

SDistant Def 3
Alternate: Speed +3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Rauðrfox (+SPD) or Rauðrfox (+RES)

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Moonbow / Luna

Passive A: Fury / Death Blow / Life and Death

Passive B: Quick Riposte / Chill Atk

Passive C: Infantry Pulse / Spd Ploy

Sacred Seal: Distant Def / Speed + 3

  • While Knoll suffers from poor stats, he can be built fairly well on a budget. Fury combined with his default Fox tome grants a 7 point stat swing between him and his foe, which could be enough to outspeed them or speed tie, particularly with a little investment in his tome's refine or a Speed seal.
  • This also allows him to hit fairly hard, particularly if you opt for Death Blow instead on his A slot.
  • Quick Riposte is mostly in his B slot as insurance, so that he can retaliate twice if he ties Speed with his foe.
  • Knoll's high HP stat gives him the ability to be a good Infantry Pulse user for your team, which helps him to support any infantry team.

Strengths

Easy Access to Rauðrfox

  • While Knoll is disappointing on many levels, he at least offers summoners a f2p access to Rauðrfox, a fantastic inheritable red tome that was previously only seen on Hubert.
  • This weapon is very flexible and can go on just about every red mage since it offers a free 4 point stat debuff on their opponents.

Better Than the Alternative

  • Knoll suffers steep competition among red mages when looking at them all. However, when compared to F2P red mages, he fares significantly better than Summer Lorenz, with 4 more BST and better Attack and Resistance.
  • Whether or not he stacks up to other free red mages, such as Julius, Iago or Gharnef... well, it depends on how much you value their prf tomes and Knoll's barely-salvageable Speed stat.

Weaknesses

Extremely Underwhelming

  • 37 Base Attack is not what it used to be and makes Knoll tied in 7th place for highest Attack stat among red infantry mages at the time of his release - lower than his F2P competition in Iago. His Speed is mediocre and his Resistance, while nice, isn't enough to save him.
  • Despite being tied with Ewan for the highest base stat total among red infantry mages, Knoll's overall stat distribution is poor, with a heavy investment in HP. Knoll lacks a superboon and so cannot reach the 170 BST bin in order to be competitive in Arena.

Stolen Tome

  • Knoll fans can be even more annoyed that SM Eirika is using his signature tome, Gleipnir, which has recently gotten a refine. To add insult to injury, Knoll's Rauðrfox seems to be a callback to this tome's refine, as they both have the same effect of reducing foe's stats by -4.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Flux
Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Red Tome Users Only
50 2 4
Ruin
Learns by default at 3 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Red Tome Users Only
100 2 6
Rauðrfox

If unit initiates combat, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on foe during combat.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Red Tome Users Only
200 2 8
Rauðrfox+

If unit initiates combat, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-4 on foe during combat.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Red Tome Users Only
300 2 12
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
Luna

Treats foe's Def/Res as if reduced by 50% during combat.

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

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Warding Blow 1

If unit initiates combat, grants Res+2 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
50
A
Mirror Strike 1

If unit initiates combat, grants Atk/Res+2 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
A
Mirror Strike 2

If unit initiates combat, grants Atk/Res+4 during combat.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
A
Spd Ploy 1

At start of turn, inflicts Spd-3 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
C
Spd Ploy 2

At start of turn, inflicts Spd-4 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
C
Spd Ploy 3

At start of turn, inflicts Spd-5 on foes in cardinal directions with Res < unit's Res through their next actions.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

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