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Analysis by StanTheWoz
Summer Nifl - Tropical Ice God

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
174
HP 39
ATK 38
SPD 43
DEF 28
RES 26

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 16 9 12 5 3
Middle 17 10 13 6 4
High 18 11 14 7 5

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 35 35 40 24 22
Middle 39 38 43 28 26
High 42 41 47 31 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

Summer’s…Chilling Winds? (Player Phase)

Build by StanTheWoz
Recommended
Chilled Breath A Atk/Spd Catch 4
Alternate: Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot
Positional Assist B S/R Near Trace 3
Alternate: Lull Spd/Res 3
Moonbow
Alternate: Glimmer
C Domain of Ice
IVs

 +Atk or +Spd / -Res

SBlade Session 3
Alternate: Atk/Spd Solo 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Chilled Breath

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Moonbow / Glimmer 

IVs: +Atk or +Spd / -Res

Passive A: Atk/Spd Catch / Flexible

Passive B: S/R Near Trace / Lull Spd/Res / Flexible

Passive C: Domain of Ice

Sacred Seal: Blade Session / Atk/Spd Solo / Flexible

  • Nifl can run a great player phase build with essentially her base kit, dealing high damage to most foes. While the focus is on player phase, most of her skills also activate on enemy phase and can allow her to survive some hits and threaten melee enemies with strong counterattacks. 
  • Moonbow and Glimmer provide extra damage on a Special activation. A 2-cooldown Special is generally the best choice, as it is accelerated to 1 by Chilled Breath, allowing Nifl to activate it on her second hit against foes that do not counter, as long as she is not under the effect of a skill like Guard
  • Both Atk and Spd are good choices of boon, with Spd being arguably the better choice due to Nifl’s reliance on her Spd to follow-up and deny counterattacks. Res is generally Nifl’s least useful stat, as most melee foes that can counterattack target Def. 
  • Atk/Spd Catch is a great A skill that provides up to +9 Atk and Spd depending on whether Nifl’s foe is debuffed and at 100% HP. It is generally a great choice. If Nifl is used on Aether Raids defense specifically, AR-D Atk/Spd provides a larger stat boost so long as enough allied buildings are present. However, it is useless in other modes. 
  • The B skill is flexible, with S/R Near Trace providing a useful Canto effect as well as a small debuff to Nifl’s foe’s Spd and Res. Lull Spd/Res forgoes the Canto effect to instead nullify any buffs in their Spd and Res, which is more useful in contexts where Canto is not useful. 
  • Domain of Ice is a great C skill that provides 30% damage reduction and Spd/Res +4 to allies within 2 spaces, and to Nifl if there is an ally within 2 spaces. It is a great choice that allows Nifl to support herself and her team. 
  • The seal is flexible. Blade Session provides a stat boost of up to +9 in Atk and Spd when initiating combat if two allies have ended their turns before Nifl acts. Other options like Atk/Spd Solo provide a smaller but more consistent stat boost under different conditions, like not being adjacent to allies. 

Tropical Glacier (Mixed/Enemy Phase Tank)

Build by StanTheWoz
Chilled Breath A Atk/Spd Catch 4
Alternate: Kestrel Stance 3
Positional Assist B Lull Atk/Spd 3
Alternate: Dragon's Wrath 3
Noontime
Alternate: Glimmer
C Domain of Ice
IVs

+Atk or +Spd / -Res

SMystic Boost 3
Alternate: Atk/Spd Solo 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Chilled Breath

Assist: Positional Assist / Flexible

Special: Noontime / Glimmer / Moonbow / Flexible

IVs: +Atk or +Spd / -Res

Passive A: Atk/Spd Catch / Kestrel Stance 3

Passive B: Lull Atk/Spd / Lull Atk/Res / Dragon’s Wrath / Flexible

Passive C: Domain of Ice

Sacred Seal: Mystic Boost / Atk/Spd Solo / Flexible

  • While Nifl functions well on player phase, she can also run an interesting tank build to focus on surviving hits and getting KOs on enemy phase. Many of the skill choices are flexible, with several good options depending on which you want to focus on and what you have available. 
  • The Special is flexible, with Noontime providing healing and Glimmer providing extra damage. 
  • The A skill is flexible. Atk/Spd Catch is a great option that provides +7 so long as the foe is debuffed or at 100% HP. Kestrel Stance 3 is another option that forgoes activation on player phase and provides a smaller stat boost of +6, but without any conditions on the foe’s status, as well as an extra Guard effect, slowing their Special charge. 
  • The B skill is flexible. Lull skills like Lull Atk/Spd and Lull Atk/Res provide a small debuff to Nifl’s foe stats while also nullifying buffs in those two stats. Dragon’s Wrath is another good option that provides a 20% boost to Nifl’s first attack and 20% damage reduction on her foe’s first attack on enemy phase. Her base S/R Near Trace is a decent option, but the Canto effect does nothing on enemy phase, so that’s a better choice for a mixed phase build. 
  • Domain of Ice is a great C skill that provides Nifl with 30% damage reduction and 4 Spd and Res so long as there is at least one ally within two spaces, as well as providing those buffs to allies within 2 spaces. It is generally the best C skill for this build. 
  • The seal is flexible. Mystic Boost provides healing of 6 HP after combat, which is quite useful, as well as disabling Wrathful Staff and adaptive damage. Other seals like Atk/Spd Solo or Atk/Spd Bond can provide good stat boosts, with the ideal choice depending on how Nifl will be used and whether she will generally be adjacent to allies. 

Strengths

Chilled Breath

Chilled Breath is a great weapon with several useful effects. It accelerates Special trigger, allowing Nifl to activate Specials more quickly, and provides the standard Breath effect of targeting the lower of ranged foes’ Def or Res. It also provides a stat boost of Atk/Spd +6 and the Null Follow-Up effect when Nifl initiates combat or is within two spaces of an ally, and prevents counterattacks if her Spd is 5 or more above her foe’s. These effects combine to allow Nifl to deal good damage to many foes while avoiding taking damage herself. 

Domain of Ice

Summer Nifl shares original Nifl’s C skill, Domain of Ice, which provides a Joint Drive effect of 30% damage reduction in combat and Spd/Res +4 to Nifl’s allies within 2 spaces, and to herself if there are any allies within 2 spaces. This is a great effect to support various allies, and makes Nifl herself more difficult to KO. 

Colorless Cavalry Dragon

At the time of writing, Nifl is the only colorless cavalry dragon. This gives her good matchups against every color of unit as well as high movement through open terrain, and the ability to use good skills like S/R Near Trace and Atk/Spd Catch

Great Atk and Spd

Nifl’s base 38 Atk and 43 Spd are great and allow her to deal high damage and follow-up against most foes. 

Decent HP, Def, and Res

Nifl’s base 39 HP, 28 Def, and 26 Res are decent. Combined with her Null Follow-Up effect and damage reduction from Domain of Ice, she can take hits relatively well. 

Weaknesses

Dragon and Cavalry-Effective Weapons

As a dragon cavalry, Nifl takes extra damage from weapons effecitve against dragons and those effective against cavalry, such as Exalted Falchion and Thani

Terrain

As a cavalry unit, Nifl is more affected by terrain than other movement types, being unable to move through forests and slowed significantly by trenches. 

Near Save

Units using a skill like A/R Near Save can protect several units on their team from attacks from melee units like Nifl, while taking little damage themselves. However, as most of these units are slow, Nifl will generally deny their counterattacks, somewhat improving the matchup. 

Faster Units and Null C-Disrupt

Nifl’s counterattack denial only works if she outspeeds her foe by at least 5, and it does not work at all if the foe is benefitting from a skill like Null C-Disrupt

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Fire Breath
Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Only inheritable by Dragon units.
50 1 6
Fire Breath+
Learns by default at 2 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Only inheritable by Dragon units.
100 1 8
Flametongue
Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Only inheritable by Dragon units.
200 1 11
Chilled Breath

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit initiates combat or is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+6 to unit during combat, neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and prevent unit's follow-up attacks, and also, if unit’s Spd ≥ foe's Spd+5, foe cannot counterattack. If foe's Range = 2, calculates damage using the lower of foe's Def or Res.

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
Night Sky

Boosts damage dealt by 50%.

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

Boosts damage dealt by 50%.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 2

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Atk/Spd Catch 1

At start of combat, if foe's HP = 100% or if【Penalty】is active on foe, grants Atk/Spd+3 to unit during combat. 

【Penalty】

All effects that last "on foe through its next action." Includes penalties inflicted by a skill like Panic or Threaten and negative status effects (preventing counterattacks, restricting movement, or the effects of a skill like Triangle Adept or Guard).

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 2 ★
60
A
Atk/Spd Catch 2

At start of combat, if foe’s HP = 100% or if【Penalty】is active on foe, grants Atk/Spd+4 to unit during combat. 

【Penalty】

All effects that last "on foe through its next action." Includes penalties inflicted by a skill like Panic or Threaten and negative status effects (preventing counterattacks, restricting movement, or the effects of a skill like Triangle Adept or Guard).

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 3 ★
120
A
Atk/Spd Catch 3

At start of combat, if foe’s HP = 100% or if【Penalty】is active on foe, grants Atk/Spd+5 to unit during combat. 

【Penalty】

All effects that last "on foe through its next action." Includes penalties inflicted by a skill like Panic or Threaten and negative status effects (preventing counterattacks, restricting movement, or the effects of a skill like Triangle Adept or Guard).

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
A
Atk/Spd Catch 4

At start of combat, if foe's HP = 100% or if【Penalty】is active on foe, grants Atk/Spd+7 to unit during combat. At start of combat, if foe's HP = 100% and【Penalty】is active on foe, grants an additional Atk/Spd+2 to unit during combat. 

【Penalty】 All effects that last "on foe through its next action." Includes penalties inflicted by a skill like Panic or Threaten and negative status effects (preventing counterattacks, restricting movement, or the effects of a skill like Triangle Adept or Guard).

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
S/R Near Trace 1

Enables【Canto (Rem. +1)】.  Inflicts Spd/Res-1 on foe during combat.  【Canto (Rem. +1)】 After an attack, Assist skill, or structure destruction, unit can move spaces = any movement not already used that turn +1. (If unit used a movement skill that warped them, its remaining movement is 0.)  (Unit moves according to movement type. Once per turn. Cannot attack or assist. Only highest value applied. Does not stack. After moving, if a skill that grants another action would be triggered (like with Galeforce), Canto will trigger after the granted action. Unit's base movement has no effect on movement granted. Cannot warp (using skills like Wings of Mercy) a distance greater than unit's remaining movement +1.)

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
B
S/R Near Trace 2

Enables【Canto (Rem. +1)】.  Inflicts Spd/Res-2 on foe during combat.  【Canto (Rem. +1)】 After an attack, Assist skill, or structure destruction, unit can move spaces = any movement not already used that turn +1. (If unit used a movement skill that warped them, its remaining movement is 0.)  (Unit moves according to movement type. Once per turn. Cannot attack or assist. Only highest value applied. Does not stack. After moving, if a skill that grants another action would be triggered (like with Galeforce), Canto will trigger after the granted action. Unit's base movement has no effect on movement granted. Cannot warp (using skills like Wings of Mercy) a distance greater than unit's remaining movement +1.)

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
B
S/R Near Trace 3

Enables【Canto (Rem. +1)】.  Inflicts Spd/Res-3 on foe during combat.  【Canto (Rem. +1)】 After an attack, Assist skill, or structure destruction, unit can move spaces = any movement not already used that turn +1. (If unit used a movement skill that warped them, its remaining movement is 0.)  (Unit moves according to movement type. Once per turn. Cannot attack or assist. Only highest value applied. Does not stack. After moving, if a skill that grants another action would be triggered (like with Galeforce), Canto will trigger after the granted action. Unit's base movement has no effect on movement granted. Cannot warp (using skills like Wings of Mercy) a distance greater than unit's remaining movement +1.)

Cavalry & Flying Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
B
Domain of Ice

Grants Spd/Res+4 and the effect "reduces damage from foe's first attack by 30%" to allies within 2 spaces during combat. If unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Spd/Res+4 to unit and reduces damage from foe's first attack by 30% during combat.

Non-Inheritable skill.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem Heroes

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