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Winter Robin (M)

Analysis by lordhelpme
Winter Robin (M) - Festive Tactician

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
174
HP 45
ATK 35
SPD 34
DEF 35
RES 25

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 22 8 7 8 5
Middle 23 9 8 9 6
High 24 10 9 10 7

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 41 32 31 32 22
Middle 45 35 34 35 25
High 48 38 37 38 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

Assets 

  • +ATK: Sitting on an excellent base Attack stat of 35, Winter Robin certainly appreciates raising it with an Asset to gain a sizeable boost to his raw damage output and offensive potential, being particularly deadly when equipped with one of the Fighter skills. 
  • +DEF: A Defense Asset is also a strong choice that serves to strengthen his physical durability and increase the power of Defense-scaling Specials, bumping the stat up to an impressive value of 38. 
  • +SPD: Winter Robin possesses one of the higher Speed stats amongst all armored units, benefitting immensely from augmenting it further if making use of Special Fighter due to the skill’s inability to grant him guaranteed follow-up attacks. A Speed Asset can also be useful when utilizing Bold Fighter to provide him with additional survivability, though Winter Robin will still generally benefit more from increasing his Attack or Defense stat instead in such instances. 

Neutral

  • HP: Winter Robin’s HP stat should generally be left untouched as raising it is not a priority, but lowering it detracts from his fantastic physical bulk of 80. 

Flaws

  • -RES: As his poorest and least important stat, Winter Robin’s Resistance makes for his optimal choice of Flaw. That being said, do keep in mind that taking a Resistance Asset is Winter Robin’s only way of reaching the 175-179 bin for Arena scoring purposes. 

Skill Sets

Thunder and Ice (Mixed Phase)

Build by
Recommended
Slaying Lance+ (+Def)
Alternate: Slaying Lance+ (+Spd)
A Distant Counter
Alternate: Brazen Atk/Spd 3
Pivot B Bold Fighter 3
Bonfire
Alternate: Ignis
C Armor March 3
IVsSQuick Riposte 3

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +ATK or +DEF or +SPD / -RES
  • Weapon: Slaying Lance (+Def/Spd)
  • Assist: Pivot / Flexible
  • Special: Bonfire / Ignis 
  • Passive A: Distant Counter / Steady Breath / Fierce Breath / Brazen Atk/Spd
  • Passive B: Bold Fighter 
  • Passive C: Armor March / Odd Atk Wave / Flexible
  • Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Quickened Pulse

Winter Robin’s remarkable overall statline and access to the coveted Bold Fighter + Quick Riposte combination allows him to perform as a powerful juggernaut in both the Player Phase and Enemy Phase. An Asset to his Attack or Defense stat will be most beneficial here, granting him a substantial boost to his damage output and physical bulk respectively. Although Bold Fighter guarantees his follow-up attack in the Player Phase regardless of his Speed, one can still take a Speed Asset here to diminish the amount of damage he receives by building upon his ability to deny his opponent’s follow-up attack. 

A Slaying Lance will be Winter Robin’s best choice for a weapon with this build as it allows him to activate his Special at a much faster rate, especially when combined with Bold Fighter’s effect of accelerated cooldown in the Player Phase. As for what refine to take, a Speed-refine will be ideal if working with a +SPD IV and if working with any other, a Defense-refine will be preferred instead; however, should one be providing him with the proper support, the decision over which refine to use will then essentially boil down to personal preference as both refines can be utilized rather interchangeably in such instances. 

For his Special, Bonfire is Winter Robin’s most consistent option, scaling well with his impressive Defense stat, and will always activate in either phase thanks to the combination of Slaying Lance, Bold Fighter, and Quick Riposte. Additionally, Bonfire has fantastic synergy with Steady/Fierce Breath, allowing for an instant Special activation on each of Winter Robin’s counterattacks in the Enemy Phase; this can also be replicated when utilizing a non-Breath A slot skill by using the Quickened Pulse seal, though this does come at the cost of losing out on Quick Riposte. Ignis is an option that one can make use of as well for stronger damage output but less overall consistency compared to Bonfire. 

Distant Counter is a great option to use as Winter Robin’s chosen A slot skill, granting him the ability to effectively shut down incoming ranged foes and allows him to have much greater versatility. Alternatively, one can take a Breath skill to augment his defensive abilities through additional accelerated Special cooldown in the Enemy Phase and give him much stronger (and consistent) OHKO capabilities. Steady Breath and Fierce Breath are his most notable choices in this regard, granting him +4 Attack and +4 Defense in-combat boosts respectively. His native Brazen Atk/Spd can also be taken should one have absolutely no other option, but keep in mind that it will not behave synergistically with Quick Riposte due to the incredibly small window in HP thresholds where both will be active. 

Despite being a rather hefty investment to make, Bold Fighter sits as an utterly irreplaceable component of this build and is necessary for Winter Robin to function at his fullest capacity, granting him +1 Special charge for each of his attacks as well as guaranteed follow-up attacks in the Player Phase -- when used in tandem with the Quick Riposte seal, Winter Robin will be capable of taking down an extremely wide breadth of units while retaining the same level of potency on both phases. His native Armor March is a great skill to use when pairing him with other fellow armored units, though skills like Odd Atk Wave can also be considered to make him more self-sufficient. 

Underneath the Mistletoe (Defensive Tank)

Build by
Recommended
Slaying Lance+ (+Def)
Alternate: Harmonic Lance+ (+Spd)
A Distant Counter
Alternate: Atk/Spd Bond 3
Pivot B Special Fighter 3
Aether
Alternate: Bonfire
C Atk Smoke 3
Alternate: Armor March 3
IVsSQuick Riposte 3

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD or +DEF / -RES
  • Weapon: Slaying Lance (+Def) / Harmonic Lance (+Spd)
  • Assist: Pivot / Flexible
  • Special: Aether / Bonfire / Ignis 
  • Passive A: Distant Counter / Fortress Def/Res / Atk/Spd Bond / Atk/Def Bond
  • Passive B: Special Fighter 
  • Passive C: Atk Smoke / Def Smoke / Armor March / Flexible
  • Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Atk/Def Bond / Atk/Spd Bond / Close Def

Thanks to Winter Robin’s respectable mixed bulk, he can serve as a strong defensive tank capable of easily shrugging off and dealing surprising amounts of damage. This build is most effective when supported by armor-exclusive buffs like Ward Armor, but are not entirely necessary as Winter Robin can still perform competently without them. A Speed Asset is preferred here as to minimize the damage he takes by negating his opponent’s follow-up attack in addition to making him less reliant on Quick Riposte. Assets to his Attack and Defense stats will also work excellently should a Speed Asset be unavailable. 

The combination of Distant Counter + Special Fighter is what truly allows Winter Robin to shine as a defensive tank, working together to grant him the effects of a Breath skill and Guard while still retaining the ability to handle ranged foes -- coupled with his ability to exploit his increased Special charge in either phase and versatile statline, Winter Robin has incredible potential with this build and can quite easily function as a wall to most foes. Depending on what kinds of opponents one commonly runs into, however, Winter Robin can forego the use of Distant Counter entirely in favor of other alternatives. Fortress Def/Res is an option of particular note that serves to dramatically elevate his defensive stats, improving his match-ups against melee foes significantly. Atk/Spd Bond or Atk/Def Bond can also be considered to provide two of his two most important stats with a substantial +5 in-combat boost, provided that he has at least one ally in a space adjacent to him. 

Winter Robin’s choice of weapon and Special essentially boils down to a mix of player preference and the intended playstyle one wishes to use with him. Should one wish to give him sustain as to allow him to stay above Special Fighter’s HP threshold more reliably, it is advised to use a Slaying Lance and Aether. When utilized in tandem with his B slot skill, Winter Robin will be able to activate Aether in any combat in which he can counterattack twice, simultaneously gaining increased damage output and sustain each time upon activation. For greater burst damage, Bonfire should be taken instead of Aether to instantly unleash a powerful Special activation on his opponent on his first counterattack; Ignis and the Quickened Pulse seal can also be used to replicate this but will only work in Winter Robin’s first round of combat. He can also make excellent use of a Harmonic Lance and Ignis to fully maximize his raw damage output and consistently add a massive 38 points of damage each time upon activation -- this does, however, come at the cost of losing out on instant Special activations. 

For his C slot, Smoke skills such as Atk Smoke and Def Smoke are fantastic options and can be considered to strengthen his defensive potential when baiting multiple foes in a single Enemy Phase. Otherwise, his C slot is flexible and is open to any skill that best suits the rest of his team’s needs. His native Armor March is a particularly good option when using him alongside fellow armored units. If providing him with enough support to his Speed stat such that Quick Riposte is no longer necessary, Atk/Def Bond, Atk/Spd Bond, and Close Def are strong options that serve to augment his Enemy Phase prowess further. 
 

Guess I’ll Die (Special Fighter Offensive)

Build by
Slaying Lance+ (+Spd)
Alternate: Harmonic Lance+ (+Spd)
A Atk/Spd Solo 3
Alternate: Brazen Atk/Spd 3
Pivot B Special Fighter 3
Aether
Alternate: Bonfire
C Even Spd Wave 3
Alternate: Armor March 3
IVsSArmored Boots

Show Explanation/Analysis
  • Preferred IV: +SPD / -RES
  • Weapon: Slaying Lance (+Spd) / Harmonic Lance (+Spd)
  • Assist: Pivot / Flexible
  • Special: Aether / Bonfire / Ignis
  • Passive A: Atk/Spd Solo / Swift Sparrow / Atk/Spd Bond / Brazen Atk/Spd
  • Passive B: Special Fighter 
  • Passive C: Even Spd Wave / Armor March / Flexible
  • Sacred Seal: Armored Boots / Speed +3

As one of the few armors with a good base Speed stat, Winter Robin can take full advantage of Special Fighter and run an all-out offensive build quite well. Special Fighter is an extremely powerful skill that combines the increased Special charge effect of Breath skills and Guard all in one -- this allows Winter Robin to effectively control the course of any given battle and attain impressive combat prowess. However, since Special Fighter does nothing to guarantee his follow-up attacks, a Speed Asset, a Speed-refine on his weapon, and accompanying team support to his Speed stat are of the utmost necessity in order to maximize this build’s potency. 

A Slaying Lance will generally be Winter Robin’s best option for a weapon due to its synergy with Special Fighter, enabling him to make effective use of Specials with long cooldowns. In particular, Aether is a great choice that grants him the ability to heal off most, if not all damage he may have suffered during combat while simultaneously giving him a solid boost to his damage output -- this sustain can be especially beneficial if using the Armored Boots seal as it provides him with the means to reliably stay at 100% HP without outside support. Bonfire can also be considered should one favor consistency over sustain and will activate in any round of combat in which Winter Robin performs a follow-up attack, regardless of whether or not they can counterattack. The young tactician can also use Harmonic Lance and Ignis in tandem to maximize his raw damage output but in addition to requiring him to perform a follow-up attack, his opponent must also be able to counterattack in order for Ignis to activate in the same round of combat. 

Most offensively oriented A slot skills will work here, with Atk/Spd Solo being by far his strongest option when providing him with Armor March support or if making use of the Armored Boots seal. Although somewhat difficult to fully utilize in practice, the fact that armored units typically stay close together does allow Atk/Spd Bond to be a decent option as well. Should one wish to not have a positioning requirement attached to his chosen A slot skill, though, Swift Sparrow will be Winter Robin’s best overall option, granting him with a solid +4/+4 Atk/Spd in-combat boost so long as he initiates combat. On a budget, his native Brazen Atk/Spd is a serviceable option that gets the job done, but will also disallow the use of Aether or the Armored Boots seal due to the lack of synergy between them. 

Even Spd Wave is a potent skill to utilize in his C slot to heighten his Speed stat to even further extents as well as provide team support on even-numbered turns, functioning wonderfully when used alongside the Armored Boots seal which enables him to be entirely self-sufficient. However, should the seal’s 100% HP requirement be a little too inflexible for one’s taste, his native Armor March can be kept and the Speed +3 seal should be taken instead. 

Introduction

Winter Robin is a seasonal armored lance unit originally introduced alongside his Ylissean pals, toting a reasonably balanced stat spread consisting of a relatively decent Attack stat and excellent physical bulk. More significantly, however, his Speed stat is surprisingly good for an armored unit, resting at a comfortable base value of 34. Although this was initially a relatively unimpressive characteristic due to Bold Fighter’s complete disregard for Speed to perform follow-up attacks in the Player Phase, the introduction of Special Fighter has done much to change this, enabling the young tactician to differentiate himself as one of the few armored units to be able to fully make use of the powerful skill in both phases -- when combined with his statline, Winter Robin is capable of functioning as one of the most versatile armored units around. This is not to mention his access to class-exclusive buffs which he can use to enhance his overall performance significantly, further contributing to his surprising amount of versatility.

However, Winter Robin is not without his own weaknesses, one of which being his mediocre base Resistance stat. While not necessarily terrible, it can still spell trouble for him when facing off against strong offensive mages. Furthermore, although his status as an armored unit is one of his greatest strengths, it also means that he must deal with the drawbacks that come with it, namely his poor mobility and weakness to armor-effective weaponry. Nonetheless, Winter Robin is an exceedingly capable lance armored unit whose unique characteristics and tremendous versatility allow him to stand tall amongst some of the best that the blue pool has to offer, requiring only the proper investment to excel. 

Strengths

Good Offenses

Winter Robin’s neutral offensive spread of 35/34 is extremely solid for a unit of his class-typing, providing him with a good foundation for both dealing damage and performing/denying follow-up attacks. In particular, his relatively good Speed allows him to be one of the few armored units who can fully take advantage of Special Fighter in both phases. 

Excellent Physical Bulk

With his fantastic neutral physical bulk of 80, Winter Robin is quite adept at taking on most forms of physical damage and can perform as a capable defensive tank. 

Armored Unit

By merit of being an armored unit alone, Winter Robin possesses strong combat prowess thanks to his access to the Fighter skills, all of which he can use effectively to augment his damage output to impressive levels. This status also serves to grant him access to class-exclusive buffs in addition to a substantial boost to his BST. 

Versatile

Winter Robin’s role in any given team can be pretty flexible as his relatively balanced statline and access to the Fighter skills capacitate him to perform competently with a variety of different builds, enabling the young tactician to have a good amount of versatility. 

Weaknesses

Mediocre Resistance

At an unimpressive base value of 25, Winter Robin’s Resistance leaves much to be desired and renders him incapable of taking more than one or two hits from opposing mages. 

Poor Mobility

Being an armored unit also comes with its fair share of disadvantages, most notable of which being his poor mobility. Although this issue can be solved through the use of his native Armor March, this itself can limit his own team composition significantly and imposes somewhat troublesome positioning requirements on him and his allies.  

Effective Damage 

Despite his overall respectable mixed bulk, Winter Robin faces great difficulty when facing off against foes who wield armor-effective weaponry and will easily succumb to their onslaught. 

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Steel Lance
Lance Users Only
100 1 8
Tannenboom!

Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+2 during combat if foe initiates combat.

Lance Users Only
200 1 10
Tannenboom!+

Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+2 during combat if foe initiates combat.

Learns by default at 5 ★
Lance Users Only
300 1 14
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Support Skills

Support Skills Rng. SP
Reciprocal Aid

Swap HP with adjacent ally (neither unit can go above their max HP).

Learns by default at 5 ★
1 150

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Brazen Atk/Spd 1

If unit's HP ≤ 80% at the start of combat, grants Atk/Spd+3 during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
60
A
Brazen Atk/Spd 2

If unit's HP ≤ 80% at the start of combat, grants Atk/Spd+5 during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
120
A
Brazen Atk/Spd 3

If unit's HP ≤ 80% at the start of combat, grants Atk/Spd+7 during combat.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
A
Armor March 1

If unit has 100% HP and an adjacent armored ally at start of turn, unit and any such allies can move 1 extra space. (That turn only; does not stack.)

Only inheritable by armor units.
60
C
Armor March 2

If unit has ≥ 50% HP and an adjacent armored ally at start of turn, unit and any such allies can move 1 extra space. (That turn only; does not stack.)

Only inheritable by armor units.
120
C
Armor March 3

If unit has an adjacent armored ally at the start of turn, unit and any such allies can move 1 extra space. (That turn only, does not stack.)

Only inheritable by armor units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Awakening

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