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Analysis by milkyytoast
Oscar - Agile Horseman

3-4

Obtainable as a 3 - 4 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
154
HP 40
ATK 33
SPD 34
DEF 26
RES 21

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 17 6 7 6 5
Middle 18 7 8 7 6
High 19 8 9 8 7

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
4★
3★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 36 30 31 23 18
Middle 40 33 34 26 21
High 43 36 37 30 24

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

Assets

  • +ATK: While not quite as good for Oscar’s survivability, an Asset that boosts damage output is rarely – if ever – a bad thing.

  • +SPD: Since Oscar has reasonably good Attack, it’s a good idea to invest in his Speed. Doing so will help him deny follow-ups from foes and perform follow-ups of his own.

Neutral

  • DEF: This stat is kept neutral to help Oscar handle physical threats. As his Defense is the higher of his two defensive stats, there is no reason to choose it as a Flaw.

  • HP: Oscar’s natural physical bulk is decent, so compromising it by reducing his HP is an undesirable choice.

Flaws

  • -RES: Resistance is undoubtedly meant to be Oscar’s dump stat. It’s already so low that losing a few extra points of it won’t make a difference in his performance.

Skill Sets

Best of Both Worlds (AR Mixed Offense/Support)

Build by
Recommended
Loyal Greatlance (+Eff)
Alternate: Loyal Greatlance (+Spd)
A Life and Death 3
Alternate: Swift Sparrow 3
Shove
Alternate: Rally Spd/Def
B Escape Route 3
Alternate: Atk/Spd Link 3
Galeforce
Alternate: Luna
C Drive Def 2
Alternate: Goad Cavalry
IVsSHeavy Blade 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -RES

Oscar’s neutral Attack is quite good, so its preferable to boost his Speed to increase his doubling potential if possible. +ATK, however, is still a decent alternative.

Weapon: Loyal Greatlance (+Eff) / Loyal Greatlance (+Spd)

  • There is no discernible reason to use a Slaying Lance over Oscar’s prf, the Loyal Greatlance. It offers the same mt as an Attack refined Slaying Lance, the same cooldown reduction, and an extra effect when refined for it.

  • The Loyal Greatlance’s effect grants Oscar +3 Attack/Speed when he’s within 2 spaces of an infantry or cavalry ally, and also grants them the same Attack/Speed boost. While this combat buff isn’t outright fantastic, the fact that Oscar can support both himself and his allies (with minimal restrictions, all things considered) is a nice thing to receive for basically nothing.

  • Oscar can also use a +spd refine for more consistency, but it should be noted that the hybrid offense/support role he can fill with his +eff refine is unique to him and him alone. Therefore unless consistency is valued above all else, a +eff refine is recommended.

Assist: Shove / Smite / Dual Rally 

  • Since it is intended to make use of this build in AR, movement assists that grant allies more flexibility in their movement are preferred. Shove and Smite allow units to activate traps without losing their turn, making them good choices for an offensive support hybrid unit like Oscar.

  • A Dual Rally is also an option that grants greater stat bonuses to a nearby ally, but should not be used in conjunction with a Link Skill.

Special: Galeforce / Luna

  • Galeforce is the crux of this build, allowing Oscar to attack, hopefully KO a foe, and then attack again.

  • When paired with the Heavy Blade seal and the Loyal Greatlance’s consistent -1 cooldown, Oscar will activate Galeforce against any foe he doubles who has less Attack than him.

  • This not only allows Oscar to attack again, but also grants him the ability to use his cavalry movement to reach weaker opponents that may be hiding in the foe’s backline.

  • If a damage-dealing Special is a must, then Luna is an option that will help Oscar pierce through more bulky foes.

Passive A: Life and Death / Swift Sparrow 3 / Atk/Spd Solo

  • While Life and Death will decrease Oscar’s defensive stats, it also grants him a permanent +5 Attack and Speed. This allows him to deny more enemy follow-ups and perform more follow-ups of his own on both phases.

  • Although Swift Sparrow 3 and Atk/Spd Solo offer higher Attack and Speed boosts, the fact that they are not active on Enemy Phase means that Oscar is more likely to be followed-up on by a foe. This means in practice they have a much bigger effect on his bulk than -5 Defense or Resistance, but does not mean they absolutely shouldn't be used.

Passive B: Escape Route / Link Skill / Desperation

  • Since flexibility of movement is a key feature of a Galeforce user, Escape Route is suggested since, once he’s at or below 50% HP, it grants Oscar even more movement options. Oscar can even reach this threshold by being damaged by a Lightning Trap – no combat required. 

  • Alternatively, Oscar can take a more support-focused role by running a Link Skill. Whenever he uses a movement Assist (or a movement Assist is used on him), he and the target ally will receive +6 to certain stats. Any Link Skill can be used depending on the type of support that is needed.

  • Oscar can alternatively run Desperation in order to attack consecutively and, with any luck, KO foes without allowing them to attack him. He will, however, need to take damage to activate its effect, which is naturally less than ideal.

Passive C: Drive Skill / Goad Cavalry / Ward Cavalry

  • Since ideally Oscar will be within 2 spaces of his infantry or cavalry allies, a Drive Skill is a perfect fit to allow him to further support them. Any Drive Skill can be used here depending on the type of support that is needed.

  • Goad Cavalry and Ward Cavalry are slightly more specialized options that offer more potent effects to Oscar’s cavalry allies.

Sacred Seal: Heavy Blade 

  • Heavy Blade will grant Oscar 1 additional cooldown when he attacks any foe with less Attack than him. Considering Oscar’s Attack can reach quite high with a comparatively low amount of support, this Seal should activate with reasonable consistency.

Smells Like Team Spirit (Support)

Build by
Loyal Greatlance (+Eff) A Fury 3
Shove
Alternate: Rally Spd/Def
B Atk/Spd Link 3
Alternate: Chill Spd 3
Moonbow
Alternate: Luna
C Drive Def 2
Alternate: Spur Spd/Def 2
IVsSDrive Def 2
Alternate: Spur Def/Res 2

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -RES

Even though Oscar doesn’t desperately need more Attack, an Attack Asset won’t hurt him. More Speed, however, helps deny enemy follow-ups and allows Oscar to perform more follow-ups of his own, and is therefore the preferable stat to boost.

Weapon: Loyal Greatlance (+Eff) 

  • As stated in the above build, there are very few reasons for Oscar to not use the Loyal Greatlance, and this is especially true when he is running a support build. The Drive effect it offers to Infantry and Cavalry allies makes it a great choice, especially since it also boosts Oscar’s Attack and Speed when he is nearby an Infantry/Cavalry ally.

  • Moreover, the Loyal Greatlance consistently reduces Oscar’s cooldown by one. This allows him to run Moonbow and only need 1 attack to charge it – meaning he’ll hit any physical foe that approaches him much harder.

Assist: Shove / Smite / Dual Rally 

  • If Oscar is making use of a Link Skill, a movement Assist is useful so he can easily activate the Link’s effects. Shove and Smite are both good options, as they allow Oscar to push an ally forward into a trap and activate it without that ally losing their turn.

  • Alternatively, if Oscar is instead using a Chill Skill, a Dual Rally (or Dual Rally+) always offers a consistently useful stat boost.

Special: Moonbow / Luna

  • Because this build’s main focus is not combat, Moonbow is the choice of Special because it offers the most consistent burst damage potential. If Oscar is initiated on by a foe, he will consistently activate Moonbow against them when he counterattacks. If he is the one initiating, he will activate Moonbow if or when he doubles.

  • Luna can instead be used if Oscar will be initiating and if he receives enough support to consistently follow-up.

Passive A: Fury

  • Since Oscar’s primary job is to support his allies, it is ideal to increase his bulk so that he can survive more enemy attacks. Fury also gives him a nice offensive boost, allowing him to deny more enemy follow-ups and hit harder when he attacks.

Passive B: Link Skill / Chill Skill

  • If Oscar uses a Link Skill, whenever he uses a movement Assist (or a movement Assist is used on him), he and the target ally will receive +6 to certain stats. Since this build’s focus is support, though, it’s a better idea for Oscar to target his allies than it is for his allies to target him. Any Link Skill can be used depending on the type of support that is needed.

  • Chill Skills are also excellent Support Skills due to their wide-reaching debuff. Since it is possible to soak Chills with a certain unit, however, Link Skills are a bit more consistent.

Passive C: Drive Skill / Goad Cavalry / Ward Cavalry / Spur Spd/Def

  • As stated in the build above, since ideally Oscar will be within 2 spaces of his infantry or cavalry allies, a Drive Skill is a perfect fit to allow him to further support them. Any Drive Skill can be used here depending on the type of support that is needed.

  • Once again, Goad Cavalry and Ward Cavalry are slightly more specialized options that offer more potent effects to Oscar’s cavalry allies.

  • Oscar naturally carries Spur Spd/Def, which is also a nice alternative Skill. Given its more stringent positioning requirements, though, it isn’t the most ideal.

Sacred Seal: Drive Seal / Dual Spur Seal

  • Since Oscar’s primary purpose with this build is to provide support to his team, a Seal that further enables him to do this is key. A Drive seal has the same activation requirements as his weapon and will stack with its effect and a C-Slot Drive. However, a Dual Spur can be used instead if making use of Oscar’s native Spur Spd/Def.

We Didn’t Start the Fire (Firesweep)

Build by
Firesweep Lance+ A Life and Death 3
Swap
Alternate: Ardent Sacrifice
B Chill Spd 3
Alternate: Drag Back
Luna
Alternate: Moonbow
C Hone Cavalry
Alternate: Spur Spd/Def 2
IVsSDarting Blow 3
Alternate: Speed +3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Preferred IV: +SPD or +ATK / -RES

Since it’s quite important to secure follow-ups with a Firesweep build, a +SPD Asset is preferable here. Given Oscar’s availability, an optimal Asset/Flaw should not be difficult to obtain. However, +ATK can be used instead in conjunction with the Heavy Blade Seal.

Weapon: Firesweep Lance  

  • While Oscar’s Defense isn’t particularly awful, it’s low enough that he naturally prefers to not be counterattacked. The Firesweep Lance will allow him to do this – assuming the foe is not carrying a Skill such as Null C-Disrupt.

  • Oscar will be unable to attack on Enemy Phase with this weapon, though, meaning that he will have to KO his foe outright, rely on an assist from a team member, or retreat once he attacks. For this reason, providing buffs and support will be particularly important for this build to perform optimally.

Assist: Swap / Rally Spd/Def / Ardent Sacrifice / Reciprocal Aid 

  • If Oscar is not running a Brazen Skill, really any Assist can be used. Swap, another movement Skill, or his native Rally Spd/Def are all good options.

  • If Oscar is making use of a Brazen Skill, he should instead use Ardent Sacrifice or Reciprocal Aid. Without the interference of Blessings or Fortress Advantage, Oscar can activate a Brazen with Ardent Sacrifice without entering combat. If his HP is boosted, however, he can instead use Reciprocal Aid to swap HP with a more heavily damaged ally to hit the ≤ 80% HP threshold.

Special: Luna / Moonbow 

  • Without the Heavy Blade Seal, Luna is Oscar’s ideal Special. Assuming he is adequately supported to secure follow-ups, he will hit his foe with a Special activation on the second attack of his second initiation.

  • If Oscar is running the Heavy Blade Seal, though, Moonbow should be used instead. Again, assuming he is adequately supported to have higher Attack than his opponent, he will fully charge Moonbow on his first attack. If he has enough Speed to follow-up, he’ll hit his foe hard with a Moonbow proc. 

Passive A: Life and Death / Swift Sparrow  3 / Atk/Spd Solo / Brazen Atk/Spd

  • To reiterate, while Life and Death will decrease Oscar’s defensive stats, it grants him a permanent +5 Attack and Speed. This allows him to deny more enemy follow-ups and perform more follow-ups of his own on both phases.

  • Although Swift Sparrow 3 and Atk/Spd Solo offer higher Attack and Speed boosts, the fact that they are not active on Enemy Phase means that Oscar is more likely to be followed-up on by a foe. This means in practice they have a much bigger effect on his bulk than -5 Defense or Resistance, but does not mean they absolutely shouldn’t be used. This is especially true with this build, as Oscar appreciates every extra point of Attack and Speed he can get. 

  • Alternatively, Brazen Atk/Spd can be used to grant Oscar a considerable boost to his offenses when he is at or below 80% HP. Since as a Firesweep unit he would rather avoid getting hit, however, he should activate this effect with a Lightning trap, Ardent Sacrifice, or Reciprocal Aid.

Passive B: Chill Spd / Chill Def / Drag Back / Hit and Run

  • As Oscar’s goal with this build is to deal as much damage as possible without taking damage in return, Chill Skills allow him to heavily debuff a foe regardless of his distance to them. This allows him to more consistently perform follow-ups or hit his foes harder by softening their Defense. 

  • As with all melee Firesweep units, though, Drag Back and Hit and Run are potential alternatives. Drag Back is slightly more ideal since it allows Oscar to move a foe he does not KO outright closer to his allies, but Hit and Run also has its uses – it makes it easier to Swap or Reposition Oscar out of danger.

Passive C: Hone Cavalry / Spur Spd/Def / Flexible 

  • While really any C-Skill can be used here, since Oscar prefers Hone Cavalry support, it only makes sense for him to provide the same support to his cavalry allies.

Sacred Seal: Darting Blow / Speed +3 / Heavy Blade / Brazen Atk/Spd

  • Darting Blow is the top recommendation for Oscar’s Seal slot since it grants him a whopping +6 Speed upon initiation. It does, however, have the same problem discussed in the A-Slot section – since it is only active on Player Phase, it does nothing to add to Oscar’s survivability if he is stuck in a sticky situation on Enemy Phase. If this is a big concern, then Spd +3 can be used instead.

  • Though Oscar would prefer to invest in Speed, Heavy Blade is an alternative that offers quicker and more consistent Special activations.

  • If Oscar is making use of Brazen Atk/Spd in his A-Slot, then he can further stack Brazens in his Seal slot for a massive stat boost under the right conditions.

Introduction

I wish I were an Oscar Myer… Cavalier? Well, among the throngs of lance-wielding horseback riders, Oscar is what the likes of Mathilda, Sully, and Berkut wish they were. Featuring a solid statline with a primary focus in Attack and Speed, Oscar offers up a potent offensive presence on the battlefield. This is especially true when he is under the effects of Cavalry buffs – though his strengths do not stop there.

Oscar’s exclusive weapon, the Loyal Greatlance, only further helps him stand out. Offering the same cooldown reduction as a Slaying Lance with higher mt, it can be further refined to either give Oscar extra stats or for an effect. This effect, while not the most exciting refine we’ve received, gives Oscar and his Infantry and Cavalry allies +3 Attack and Speed, and is subject to a Drive restriction that isn’t particularly difficult to fulfill. It alone gives Oscar the option of offering support while not having to focus exclusively on one role, and it is this kind of flexibility that makes Oscar one of the better lance cavaliers.

Overall, while Oscar does leave a bit to be desired when it comes to his defensive options, he still performs admirably in both support and offense-intensive roles. His ability to boost both his own and his allies’ combat ability should not be understated, especially considering his availability and ease of merging.

Strengths

Exclusive Weapon

While the Loyal Greatlance isn’t the most exciting prf in the world, the sheer utility it offers can’t really be understated. Even without considering its effect, the Loyal Greatlance is essentially a refinable higher mt Slaying Lance, which unto itself is an excellent weapon. 

Good Stat Distribution

Although it isn’t perfect, Oscar’s stat distribution is quite good considering he has less BST to work with due to being a cavalier. A solid focus on Attack and Speed makes him one of the better users of offensive builds among his peers, while decent HP and Defense means he can take a hit when he needs to.

Excellent Flexibility

The Loyal Greatlance especially grants Oscar the ability to fill more than one role on a team, which is almost never a bad thing. Most offensively-focused units can’t dream of offering support while also being a threat to opponents, but Oscar – with the right support, of course – doesn’t have to choose.

Weaknesses

Mediocre Bulk

While his native Sapphire Lance perhaps allows him to soak up more damage from red units, the Loyal Greatlance doesn’t have the same effect. 40 HP and 26 base Defense isn’t awful, but Oscar is far from bulky – and he won’t be battling mages or dragons with only 21 Resistance at base.

Somewhat Awkward Speed

Oscar’s base 34 Speed is in the awkward position of not quite being too slow to invest in, but not quite being stellar either. Taking an Asset in Speed does help with this a bit, but that means that Oscar can’t use an Attack Asset to help activate Skills like Heavy Blade.

Weapon Skills

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

Gives Atk+20% if weapon-triangle advantage, Atk-20% if disadvantge.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Lance Users Only
200 1 8
Sapphire Lance+

Gives Atk+20% if weapon-triangle advantage, Atk-20% if disadvantge.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Lance Users Only
300 1 12
Loyal Greatlance

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1).

Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 1 16
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Rally Speed

Grants Spd+4 to target ally for 1 turn.

Learns by default at 4 ★
1 150
Rally Spd/Def

Grants Spd/Def+3 to an adjacent ally until the end of the turn.

1 300

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Lancebreaker 1

If unit's HP > 90% in combat against a lance user, unit makes a follow-up attack and foe cannot.

Non-Inheritable by red units.
50
B
Lancebreaker 2

If unit's HP > 70% in combat against a lance user, unit makes a follow-up attack and foe cannot.

Non-Inheritable by red units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
100
B
Lancebreaker 3

If unit's HP > 50% in combat against a lance user, unit makes a follow-up attack and foe cannot.

Non-Inheritable by red units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
200
B
Spur Def 1

Grants Def+2 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
50
C
Spur Spd/Def 1

Grants Spd/Def+2 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
C
Spur Spd/Def 2

Grants Spd/Def+3 to adjacent allies during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Banners Featured In

Official Hero Artwork