GamePress
Analysis by StanTheWoz
Volke - Man of Mysteries

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
177
HP 40
ATK 41
SPD 43
DEF 28
RES 25

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 17 10 12 5 2
Middle 18 11 13 6 3
High 19 12 14 7 4

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 36 38 40 24 21
Middle 40 41 43 28 25
High 43 45 47 31 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

Sharp Object Thrower (Player Phase Lethality)

Build by StanTheWoz
Recommended
Fireman's Hook A Sturdy Impact
Alternate: Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot
Positional Assist B Null Follow-Up 3
Lethality C Time's Pulse 3
IVs

+Atk or +Spd / -Res

SBlade Session 3
Alternate: Atk/Def Solo 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Fireman’s Hook

Assist: Positional Assist / flexible

Special: Lethality

IVs: +Atk or +Spd / -Res

Passive A: Sturdy Impact / Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot

Passive B: Null Follow-Up / flexible

Passive C: Time’s Pulse / flexible

Sacred Seal: Blade Session / flexible

  • Volke’s kit is designed to allow him to activate Lethality as quickly and reliably as possible, doing extremely high damage to his foe in almost every instance by adding damage equal to 75% of foe’s Def, and ignoring damage reduction (aside from Special-based damage reduction from skills like Ice Mirror or Pavise). Lethality’s cooldown is 3 when considering the Slaying effect from Fireman’s Hook, so Volke generally relies on attacking twice to activate it on the second hit. This set is highly effective at allowing Volke to activate Lethality against one foe, provided he does not fall to their counterattack and is fast enough to follow-up attack.
  • +Spd is arguably the best boon, as Volke relies on his Spd to gain follow-up attacks and activate Lethality. While extra damage from +Atk is helpful against foes that Volke does not need more Spd to double, gaining the second hit and activating Lethality is a huge difference in damage. -Res is arguably the best bane, as Volke prefers to avoid reducing his physical bulk against the myriad of physical threats he may need to take a counterattack from. 
  • The choice of A slot is flexible. Sturdy Impact gives Volke a substantial boost to Atk and Def when initiating combat, while also preventing his foe from gaining a follow-up attack under normal circumstances. Alternatively, he can use an A skill that boosts Atk and Spd to more reliably follow-up attack against faster foes, such as Swift Sparrow 3 or Atk/Spd Solo
  • Null Follow-Up is a solid choice of B slot that prevents foes from denying Volke’s follow-up and disabling their guaranteed follow-ups from skills like Quick Riposte. Other skills like Disarm Trap or Guard may be useful in specific cases or against specific units. 
  • Time’s Pulse charges Volke’s Special by 1 at the start of his turn, if its cooldown is at max. This leaves Lethality at 2 charge, meaning that Volke can strike once to gain the remaining 2 charge, then activate Lethality on his second attack. Without Time’s Pulse, Volke cannot reliably activate Lethality in a single combat unless he gets counterattacked before making a follow-up attack. However, if he is receiving an effect like Infantry Pulse or Grandscratcher+ from a teammate, other C slots like Fatal Smoke can be highly useful against particular units (those that heal, in the case of Fatal Smoke). 
  • Blade Session provides Volke with a substantial boost to Atk and Spd, up to 9 if two allies have ended their turn before he acts. He can also opt for another Atk and Spd-boosting seal, or an Atk and Def boosting seal if more bulk is desired. Atk/Spd Solo, Swift Sparrow, or Atk/Def Solo are good options in those cases. 

Life and Deathbringer (Blazing Spam)

Build by StanTheWoz
Fireman's Hook A Life and Death 4
Alternate: Life and Death 3
Positional Assist B Special Spiral 3
Blazing Wind C Time's Pulse 3
IVs

+Atk / -HP or -Def or -Res

SLife and Death 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Fireman’s Hook

Assist: Positional Assist / flexible

Special: Blazing Wind

IVs: +Atk / -HP or -Def or -Res

Passive A: Life and Death

Passive B: Special Spiral

Passive C: Time’s Pulse 

Sacred Seal: Life and Death

  • Volke’s high Atk allows him to use an AoE special build well with Blazing Wind, allowing him to damage several foes at once with a Special before combat. The skills and boon are chosen to boost Atk as much as possible to increase Blazing Wind’s damage, while using Special Spiral to reduce Blazing Wind’s cooldown after each combat, allowing him to activate it reliably at the start of each combat after his first. This build benefits greatly from Pulse effects from teammates using skills like Infantry Pulse or Ostia’s Pulse to charge Volke’s Special at the start of turn 1. 
  • Fireman’s Hook reduces Blazing Wind to 3 cooldown. Time’s Pulse charges it by 1 at the start of the map, leaving it at 2 cooldown. Volke can charge the remaining 2 cooldown himself by attacking one foe once, leaving him ready to go for the rest of the map, but sometimes this is not feasible, so additional Pulses are helpful. Time’s Pulse could be exchanged for another C slot, but Volke then relies more on outside pulses or combats in which he can safely attack foes. 

Strengths

Fireman’s Hook

Fireman’s Hook is a great weapon, with the Slaying effect (Special cooldown count -1), as well as boosting all of Volke’s stats by 5, neutralizing penalties to his Special charge, and giving extra Special charge on his attacks as long as he either initiates combat or is not adjacent to an ally. This allows him to hit hard and reliably activate Specials like Lethality as long as he is fast enough to follow-up attack. 

Red Dagger Infantry

Volke’s status as a dagger-wielding infantry unit lets him use great skills like Time’s Pulse, Null Follow-Up, Lethality, and Disarm Trap. His Red color also sets him apart from most other daggers, giving him triangle advantage against Green units. 

Fantastic Atk and Spd

Volke’s base 41 Atk and 43 Spd are incredible, and allow him to deal great damage and outspeed the majority of units. 

Weaknesses

Questionable Bulk

Volke’s base 28 Def, 25 Res, and 40 HP are all decent, but do leave him vulnerable to strong counterattacks, which he may get hit by before activating Lethality. 

Reliance on Spd

While Volke can deal extreme damage if he activates Lethality, its long cooldown means he almost always has to attack twice to activate it. Since he is generally completely dependent on Spd to do this, he is much less effective against foes that are fast enough to avoid his follow-ups. 

Color

While Volke’s status as a Red unit is helpful when fighting Green units, it is a drawback against Blues, causing him to deal less and take more damage compared to a normal Colorless dagger unit. 

Competition

While Volke’s damage potential with Lethality is high, and he can activate it more reliably than basically any other dagger unit, he lacks some of the strengths that other daggers have, such as Ninja Lyn’s self-refresh Duo skill and weapon that strikes twice, or Yuri’s March and Canto effect. 

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Dagger

After combat, inflicts Def/Res-3 on foe through its next action.

Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Dagger users only.
50 2 3
Steel Dagger

After combat, inflicts Def/Res-3 on foe through its next action.

Learns by default at 2 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Dagger users only.
100 2 5
Silver Dagger

After battle, inflicts Def/Res-5 on foe through its next action.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Dagger users only.
200 2 7
Fireman's Hook

Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If unit initiates combat or is not adjacent to an ally, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+5 to unit, neutralizes penalties that inflict "Special cooldown charge -X" on unit, and grants unit Special cooldown charge +1 per unit's attack during combat. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.) Effect:【Dagger 7】  【Dagger 7】 After combat, if unit attacked, inflicts Def/Res-7 on target and foes within 2 spaces of target through their next actions.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 2 14
Available Rearmed Weapons
Arcane Void
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
Lethality

When Special triggers, treats foe's Def/Res as if reduced by 75% during combat. Disables non-Special skills that "reduce damage by X%."

Unlocks at 5 ★
Dagger users only.
500 4

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Death Blow 1

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

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
50
A
Sturdy Blow 1

If unit initiates combat, unit granted Atk/Def+2 during battle.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
120
A
Sturdy Blow 2

If unit initiates combat, unit granted Atk/Def+4 during battle.

Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
A
Sturdy Impact

If unit initiates combat, grants Atk+6, Def+10 during combat and foe cannot make a follow-up attack.

Excludes Armor, Cavalry, and Staff Units
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
A
Null Follow-Up 1

At start of combat, if unit's HP = 100%, neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
B
Null Follow-Up 2

At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 50%, neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
B
Null Follow-Up 3

Neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
240
B
Time's Pulse 1

At the start of every third turn, if Special cooldown count is at its maximum value, grants Special cooldown count-1.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
C
Time's Pulse 2

At the start of every second turn, if Special cooldown count is at its maximum value, grants Special cooldown count-1.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
C
Time's Pulse 3

At start of turn, if Special cooldown count is at its maximum value, grants Special cooldown count-1.

Infantry Units Only
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

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