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Analysis by Chibi_Chu
Larcei - Keen Kin

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
172
HP 41
ATK 36
SPD 40
DEF 30
RES 25

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 16 7 9 7 7
Middle 17 8 10 8 8
High 18 9 11 9 9

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 38 33 37 26 22
Middle 41 36 40 30 25
High 44 39 44 33 28

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

Shooting Stars (Aether Raids Defense Frontliner)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Recommended
Larcei's Edge A Distant Counter
Alternate: Atk/Spd Bond 4

Alternate: Positional Assist
B Spurn 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Regnal Astra C Time's Pulse 3
IVs

+SPD / -DEF or -RES

SAtk/Spd Bond 3
Alternate: Spd/Res Bond 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Larcei’s Edge 

Assist: No Assist / Positional Assist 

Special: Regnal Astra 

Passive A: Distant Counter / Atk/Spd Bond 4 / Atk/Spd Push 4

Passive B: Spurn / Null Follow-Up / Close Call / Repel

Passive C: Time’s Pulse

Sacred Seal: Atk/Spd Bond / Spd/Res Bond 

  • Thanks to Larcei’s Edge, Regnal Astra’s cooldown is decreased from 2 to 1; this allows Larcei to use Time’s Pulse to decrease its cooldown to 0 at the start of every turn. In tandem with Larcei’s overall strong statline granting her high damage output and bulk (via Speed-based damage reduction from Spurn, one of her strongest B slots), she can be an irritating frontliner for many Aether Raids Offense players to snipe.
  • No Assist is preferred for Larcei because it allows her to receive extra actions from refreshers more consistently; the AI generally moves units without Assists before units with Assists, so Larcei would likely be one of the first units to move. Alternatively, she can use a Positional Assist such as Reposition to bring a frail, but powerful ally to the backlines either for safety or to be refreshed by an ally.
  • Distant Counter allows Larcei to counterattack against ranged enemies, making her much more of a threat for players wanting to simply snipe her. However, the lack of a stat-increasing A slot can be problematic if Larcei wishes to use Spurn, Close Call, or Repel as her B slot for damage reduction (Spurn being preferred because of its +5 damage on Special activation), as Speed-stacking is very common in Aether Raids Offense (especially with Mythics such as Peony). Therefore, Larcei can use Atk/Spd Push 4 or Atk/Spd Bond 4 instead to bolster her offenses. Atk/Spd Bond 4 neutralizes her visible Atk/Spd debuffs as well, which is very valuable given the ubiquity of Attack and/or Speed-debuffing skills such as Temari, Sabotage Atk, Sabotage Spd, and Yune’s Whispers.
  • Null Follow-Up can serve as an alternative to a damage reduction skill, as it stops units such as Fallen Julia in their tracks. Neutralization of effects that prevent Larcei’s follow-up attack can potentially allow her to activate Regnal Astra twice in one combat as well, which is valuable given that it may be very difficult for enemies to survive 2 Regnal Astras in one combat.
  • Atk/Spd Bond and Spd/Res Bond both serve to make it more difficult for enemies to snipe Larcei through added damage reduction and more consistent follow-up performance/avoidance. The former grants higher damage output while the latter grants higher magical bulk, so the choice is generally up to player preference.

In Remembrance of Her (General Offense / Galeforce)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Recommended
Larcei's Edge A Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot
Alternate: Heavy Blade 4 / Flashing Blade 4
Positional Assist B Desperation 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Regnal Astra
Alternate: Galeforce
C Joint Drive Spd
Alternate: Time's Pulse 3
IVs

+ATK or +SPD / -DEF or -RES

SAtk/Spd Solo 3
Alternate: Flashing Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Larcei’s Edge

Assist: Positional Assist 

Special: Regnal Astra / Galeforce

Passive A: Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot / Heavy Blade 4 / Flashing Blade 4

Passive B: Desperation / Null Follow-Up

Passive C: Joint Drive Spd / Flexible 

Sacred Seal: Atk/Spd Solo / Flashing Blade 

  • 36/40 offenses naturally lend themselves well to a Player Phase, offense-oriented set. Larcei’s Edge further amplifies Larcei’s performance, with its -1 Special cooldown allowing for easier and more frequent Special activations and +4 to all stats and nullification of the enemy’s visible buffs having both offensive and defensive uses. While the latter 2 effects are locked behind the condition of either Larcei’s visible Speed being greater than the enemy’s Speed or the enemy having 100% HP, both conditions are relatively easy to fulfill.
  • Regnal Astra and Galeforce are Larcei’s Specials of choice; the former grants Larcei bonus damage equal to 40% of her Speed when activated, while the latter grants Larcei an additional action when it is charged/ready after a combat that Larcei initiates.
    • Thanks to -1 Special cooldown from Larcei’s Edge, Regnal Astra’s cooldown is reduced to 1 while Galeforce’s cooldown is reduced to 4. In combination with Desperation, a B slot that allows Larcei to perform her follow-up attack before the enemy can counterattack if her HP is ≤ 75%, Larcei can activate Regnal Astra on her follow-up attack if no Guard effect is active. Alternatively, with Galeforce and Heavy or Flashing Blade in her A or S slot, Larcei can 2HKO the enemy without taking damage, then activate Galeforce.
  • A slots that increase Larcei’s Attack and/or Speed will naturally increase her damage output and follow-up consistency as well. Fury and Atk/Spd Push 4 inflict recoil damage, which can be taken advantage of since Desperation has an HP condition of ≤ 75%. Atk/Spd Solo and Swift Sparrow are strong choices as well, with the latter even activating on Enemy Phase should Larcei find herself needing to defend. Joint Drive Spd and Atk/Spd Solo for Larcei’s C and S slots respectively serve the same purpose, although she will need the aforementioned Heavy or Flashing Blade in her A or S slot if she is using Galeforce as her Special.
  • Alternatively, Time’s Pulse allows Larcei to have Regnal Astra ready at the start of every turn; Larcei’s Edge permanently reduces Regnal Astra’s maximum cooldown from 2 to 1, and Time’s Pulse grants +1 Special charge if Larcei’s Special is at its maximum cooldown, reducing it to 0. This can enable Larcei to OHKO much more consistently on her first combat of each Player Phase.

A Sacrifice Unforgotten (Superunit)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Larcei's Edge A Distant Counter
Positional Assist B Spurn 3
Alternate: Null Follow-Up 3
Noontime
Alternate: Sol
C Pulse Smoke 3
Alternate: Atk Smoke 3
IVs

+SPD / -DEF

SSpd/Res Solo 3
Alternate: Mystic Boost 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Larcei’s Edge 

Assist: Positional Assist 

Special: Noontime / Sol

Passive A: Distant Counter 

Passive B: Spurn / Null Follow-Up 

Passive C: Pulse Smoke / Atk Smoke

Sacred Seal: Spd/Res Solo / Mystic Boost 

  • With a strong statline and Larcei’s Edge granting Slaying, +4 to all stats, and buff neutralization under easy conditions (having more visible Speed or the enemy having full HP at the start of combat), Larcei can be a strong carry unit in Aether Raids Offense. 
  • Thanks to Larcei’s Edge’s -1 Special cooldown, Noontime becomes a 1-cooldown Special, meaning she can activate it on her counterattack if no Guard effect is active. The same can be achieved with Sol, but Larcei will need additional Special charge from support such as Brave Lucina’s Geirskögul or New Year Velouria’s Renewed Fang.
  • Distant Counter allows Larcei to counterattack against ranged enemies, making it essential for Enemy Phase damage output and sustainability via activating healing Specials. On the flip side, Pulse Smoke inflicts +1 Special cooldown on the target and enemies within 2 spaces after combat, allowing Larcei to shut down common Aether Raids Defense teams that focus on using Specials to nuke Raiding Parties. Atk Smoke works well as a more consistent alternative, inflicting -7 Attack on enemies within 2 spaces of the target after combat.
  • Spurn, Close Call, and Repel allow Larcei to take advantage of her high Speed via damage reduction equal to the gap between her Speed and the enemy’s Speed x 4% (up to 40%, so a gap of 10 Speed). Spurn is very slightly preferred because of its +5 damage on Special activation being more valuable/consistent than Close Call and Repel’s movement after initiation. Alternatively, if using Flayn or Duo Eirika for damage reduction, Larcei can use Null Follow-Up instead, granting her higher consistency via neutralizing effects that prevent her follow-up attacks or guarantee the enemy’s follow-up attacks.
  • Given that Speed and magical bulk are particularly valuable for Aether Raids Offense, Spd/Res Solo is a great choice, granting Larcei +6 Spd/Res if she is not adjacent to an ally (which is an easy condition given that putting superunits adjacent to their support units can be very dangerous against 2-ranged enemies). Alternatively, Larcei can heal 6 HP after every combat and neutralize Wrathful Staff (makes Staves deal normal damage as opposed to halved damage) with Mystic Boost.

Strengths

Great offenses

With 36 Attack and 40 Speed, Larcei can deal strong hits and consistently perform follow-up attacks, especially with support via visible and in-combat buffs and visible and in-combat debuffs.

Decent physical bulk

Despite Larcei’s statline primarily focusing on her offenses, her physical bulk is quite respectable as well, sitting at 70 thanks to her 41 HP and 30 Defense. She will very often survive at least 1 physical attack, which can easily become multiple to many with damage reduction from skills such as Spurn and healing Specials such as Noontime, Sol, and Aether.

Larcei’s Edge

Unsurprisingly, Larcei’s Edge is Larcei’s personal weapon, and quite a strong one.

  • As is the case with many personal weapons, Larcei’s Edge grants a Slaying effect (-1 Special cooldown). In combination with Time’s Pulse, Larcei can always have Regnal Astra ready at the start of the turn, significantly increasing her damage output and consistency. Slaying also allows her to activate Noontime after receiving a counterattack, which grants her sustainability via healing. She can even upgrade to Sol if she receives Special charge acceleration through support such as Brave Lucina’s Geirskögul and New Year Velouria’s Renewed Fang.
  • If Larcei’s visible Speed is greater than the enemy’s visible Speed or the enemy’s HP = 100% at the start of combat, Larcei gains +4 Atk/Spd/Def/Res during combat and neutralizes the enemy’s visible buffs. This can be very beneficial given that Rally skills are very common in Arena and Aether Raids; in addition, Peony, Plumeria, Mirabilis, New Year Peony, and Legendary Azura are some of the most common refreshers in Aether Raids Defense, and all of them grant visible buffs with their personal Assists.

Infantry advantages

Larcei can augment her consistency and combat performance thanks to access to skills such as Spurn, Close Call, Repel, Null Follow-Up, Null C-Disrupt, Lull Spd/Def, and Time’s Pulse. Infantry-effective and Sword-effective weapons are very sparse as well, meaning Larcei rarely has to concern herself with taking effective damage.

Flexible

The combination of all of the above strengths allows Larcei to be a very flexible unit that can perform well in any mode.

Weaknesses

Low magical bulk

In classic Infantry Sword fashion, Larcei sacrifices magical bulk for the rest of her stats, sitting at an unimpressive 65. While damage reduction from skills like Spurn will help patch this, she is still prone to getting overwhelmed by multiple magical enemies.

Immense competition

The Infantry Sword unit pool has always been and still is incredibly bloated, meaning Infantry Swords need to be particularly strong in their roles or offer something unique to the team. While Larcei is undoubtedly a strong unit, she unfortunately can fall a bit short in comparison to competition such as Ayra (ironically), Mareeta, Byleth (M), Byleth (F), Kris (M), Fallen Ike, Winter Altina, and Young/Duo Eirika.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Sword
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
50 1 6
Steel Sword
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
100 1 8
Silver Sword
Only Inheritable by Sword Units.
200 1 11
Larcei's Edge

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). At start of combat, if unit's Spd > foe's Spd or if foe's HP = 100%, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit and neutralizes foe's bonuses (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.

Non-Inheritable skill.
400 1 16
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Night Sky

Boosts damage dealt by 50%.

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

Boosts damage dealt by 150%.

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

Boosts damage dealt by 40% of unit's Spd.
(Skill cannot be inherited.)

Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
500 2

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Atk/Spd Solo 1

If unit is not adjacent to an ally, grants Atk/Spd+2 during combat.

Unlocks at 1 ★
60
A
Atk/Spd Solo 2

If unit is not adjacent to an ally, grants Atk/Spd+4 during combat.

Unlocks at 2 ★
120
A
Atk/Spd Solo 3

If unit is not adjacent to an ally, grants Atk/Spd+6 during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
A
Repel 1

If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 2 (max 20%).

If unit initiates combat, foe is moved 1 space away after combat.

Infantry Sword, Lance & Axe Only
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
B
Repel 2

If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 3 (max 30%).

If unit initiates combat, foe is moved 1 space away after combat.

Infantry Sword, Lance & Axe Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
B
Repel 3

If unit's Spd > foe's Spd, reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by percentage = difference between stats × 4 (max 40%).

If unit initiates combat, foe is moved 1 space away after combat.

Infantry Sword, Lance & Axe Only
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
B
Panic Smoke 1

If unit initiates combat, inflicts【Panic】on target and foes within 1 space of target after combat.

【Panic】

Converts bonuses on target into penalties through its next action.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
C
Panic Smoke 2

If unit initiates combat, inflicts【Panic】on target and foes within 2 spaces of target after combat.

【Panic】

Converts bonuses on target into penalties through its next action.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
C
Panic Smoke 3

Inflicts【Panic】on target and foes within 2 spaces of target after combat.

【Panic】

Converts bonuses on target into penalties through its next action.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

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