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Analysis by Chibi_Chu
Winter Marth - Royal Altean Duo

5

Obtainable as a 5 only

Hero Stats

Max Avg Total Stats at Lvl 40
174
HP 42
ATK 36
SPD 41
DEF 30
RES 25

Stat Variations

Level 1 Stat Variation
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 17 9 10 7 5
Middle 18 10 11 8 6
High 19 11 12 9 7

Level 40 Stat Variations
5★
HP ATK SPD DEF RES
Low 39 33 38 26 22
Middle 42 36 41 30 25
High 45 39 45 33 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

Two-Hit Winter Wonders! (Enemy Phase)

Build by Chibi_Chu
Recommended
Tanngrisnir (+Eff) A Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot
Positional Assist B Savvy Fighter 3
Alternate: Special Spiral 4
Fire Emblem C A/R Far Save 3
Alternate: A/D Far Save 3
IVs

+Atk and/or +Spd / -HP or -Def or -Res

SAtk/Spd Form 3

Show Explanation/Analysis

Weapon: Tanngrisnir (+Eff)

Assist: Positional Assist

Special: Fire Emblem

Passive A: Atk/Spd Boosting A Slot

Passive B: Savvy Fighter / Special Spiral 4 / Seal Def 4 / Mystic Boost 4 / Dull Ranged

Passive C: A/R Far Save / A/D Far Save

Sacred Seal: Atk/Spd Form 

  • Tanngrisnir’s refine sets the stage for Marth and Elice’s dominance, specifically in Enemy Phase.
    • Granting +8/11/8/8, +1 Special charge per attack, and a Spd-based Vantage + reverse Desperation effect against ranged enemies when they initiate (meaning the duo can counterattack and perform their follow-up attack before the enemy can counterattack), the duo can 2HKO a wide cast of ranged enemies before they can even attack.
  • As Tanngrisnir only functions against ranged enemies, Far Save, which allows the duo to step in and replace allies within two spaces when they are attacked by ranged enemies, is an even better choice for them than it usually already is for Armored units.
  • Assuming no Special-slowing effect is on the enemy, the +1 Special charge from Tanngrisnir allows the duo to activate Fire Emblem, their personal 2-cooldown Special that boosts damage by 30% of their Spd and grants +4 to all stats to the whole team after combat, on their follow-up counterattack.
  • In order to maximize follow-up control, consistently activate Tanngrisnir’s Spd-based Vantage effect, and boost damage from Fire Emblem, Spd investment is necessary. As such, Atk/Spd Boosting A slots and the Atk/Spd Form Sacred Seal work wonders, with the latter granting +1, +3, +5, or +7 Atk/Spd if the duo is within two spaces of zero, one, two, or three allies respectively. As the duo is an Armored unit, their limited mobility and access to Far Save to have “pseudo-mobility” encourage them to use skills that increase their offenses based on closeness to allies.
    • Particularly noteworthy Atk/Spd Boosting A slots include:
      • Atk/Spd Unity: +5 Atk/Spd during combat and reversal of visible Atk/Spd debuffs; best choice for consistency
      • Atk/Spd Ideal: +7 Atk/Spd if either the duo’s HP = 100% or the duo has a Bonus, and +9 Atk/Spd if both conditions are fulfilled; easy to achieve both conditions
  • Savvy Fighter is by far the strongest B slot option, as it neutralizes enemy follow-up prevention effects that would normally prevent the duo from performing a follow-up attack. If Null Follow-Up support is present (such as that from Legendary Byleth (M) through his Professorial Text), other B slot choices include:
    • Special Spiral 4: Grants +5 damage and neutralization of non-Special, percentage-based damage reduction when Fire Emblem is activated; grants -2 Special cooldown after combat if Special was activated, guaranteeing that the duo activates Fire Emblem every combat even if a Special-slowing effect is present, which is worth considering even if it renders the +1 Special charge part of Tanngrisnir obsolete
    • Seal Def 4: Inflicts -4 Def on the enemy during combat, plus an additional Def penalty = 7 - the enemy’s visible Def penalty if they do not have an effect that neutralizes visible Def penalties; great for additional raw damage
    • Mystic Boost 4: Inflicts -5 Atk on the enemy, heals 10 HP after combat, neutralizes adaptive damage (effects that target the lower of the duo’s Def and Res), and neutralizes Dazzling Staff (counterattack prevention for Staves); can be nice for survivability if the duo fails to 2HKO in addition to ensuring Staff units cannot shut them down

Dull Ranged: Neutralizes ranged enemies’ buffs, which can aid in a range of ways, from increased damage by neutralizing Def buffs to increased Spd control by neutralizing Spd buffs to increased bulk by neutralizing Atk buffs

Strengths

Strong Offenses

With a solid 36 Atk and excellent 41 Spd, Marth and Elice deal good damage and have strong follow-up control.

Tanngrisnir

At long last, a really cool duo gets a really cool weapon refine! Tanngrisnir grants:

  • +3 base Spd,
  • +4 to all stats and +1 Special charge per attack during combat if Marth and Elice have a Bonus active or are at ≥ 50% HP at the start of combat,
  • An additional +4 to all stats if they are within three spaces of an ally, and most importantly,
  • If the enemy is ranged, initiates combat, and has less Spd than Marth and Elice, the duo can counterattack and make a follow-up attack before the enemy can attack. This is effectively a combination of Vantage and an Enemy Phase version of Desperation, like Legendary Seliph’s Holy War’s End.

With the help of an incredibly powerful and potent personal weapon, the duo can consistently score 2HKOs on ranged enemies before they can even attack.

Fire Emblem

Naturally, the Royal Altean Duo has the series’ titular Special. Fire Emblem is a 2-cooldown Special that boosts damage by 30% of the duo’s Spd when activated, in addition to granting +4 to all stats to the entire team after combat.

Assuming no Guard effects are active and the duo can perform a follow-up attack, Fire Emblem will be activated on their follow-up counterattack before the enemy can attack, aiding in securing 2HKOs.

Duo Unit

Granting +3 to all stats and Bonus Doubler to both the duo and Armored and Flying allies within three rows centered on the duo, the Royal Altean Duo’s activatable Duo Skill is…rather underwhelming. However, what is not-so-underwhelming in the context of Aether Raids Defense is the ability to enable Duo’s Hindrance, a structure that prevents enemy Raiding Parties from activating their Duo Skills.

Armored Advantages

Access to the excellent Fighter and Far Save families of B and C slots respectively significantly improves Marth and Elice’s combat consistency and convenience of use. Savvy Fighter is a particularly strong B slot choice, as its Null Follow-Up effect neutralizes the enemy’s follow-up prevention effects that would otherwise result in the duo only attacking once before the enemy can attack. The Far Save family of C slots allows Marth and Elice to take the place of an ally within two spaces if they are attacked by a ranged enemy, which synergizes nicely with Tanngrisnir’s ranged-exclusive effects.

Weaknesses

Limited Consistency

A substantial number of effects can throw Marth and Elice for a loop, including:

  • Hardy Bearing, which neutralizes Tanngrisnir’s Vantage effect,
  • Counterattack prevention,
  • Follow-up prevention (can be circumvented with the aforementioned Savvy Fighter or Null Follow-Up support),
  • Being outsped,
  • Special-slowing effects, which prevent Fire Emblem from being activated on the duo’s follow-up counterattack, and
  • Embla’s Severance, which heavily limits ally positioning for activating Far Save.

When their full kit functions, the Royal Altean Duo is arguably the best Far Savior in the game, which says a lot. However, should any—or a combination—of these effects be present on the enemy team, the duo may be hard-pressed to find their footing and spread their Winter cheer.

Duo Skill

Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+3 and【Bonus Doubler】 to armored and flying allies within 3 rows centered on unit. (That turn only. Does not stack.) 【Bonus Doubler】 Grants bonus to Atk/Spd/Def/Res during combat = current bonus on each of unit's stats for 1 turn. Calculates each stat bonus independently.

Weapon Skills

Weapons SP Rng. Mt.
Iron Bow

Effective against flying units.

Learns by default at 1 ★
Unlocks at 1 ★
Only Inheritable by Bow users.
50 2 4
Steel Bow

Effective against flying units.

Learns by default at 3 ★
Unlocks at 2 ★
Only Inheritable by Bow users.
100 2 6
Silver Bow

Effective against flying units.

Learns by default at 4 ★
Unlocks at 3 ★
Only Inheritable by Bow users.
200 2 9
Tanngrisnir

Effective against flying foes. Grants Spd+3. If a bonus granted by a skill like Rally or Hone and/or extra movement granted by a skill like Armor March or Armored Boots is active, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+3 and Special cooldown charge +1 per unit's attack during combat. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Learns by default at 5 ★
Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
400 2 14
Weapon Evolution
Weapon Upgrades
Weapon Upgrades

Special Skills

Special Skills SP Turns
Dragon Gaze

Boosts damage by 30% of unit's Atk.

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

Boosts damage by 30% of unit's Atk.

Unlocks at 4 ★
Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
200 3
Fire Emblem

Boosts damage by 30% of unit's Spd.

Grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit and all allies for 1 turn after combat. (Bonus granted to allies even if unit's HP reaches 0.)

Unlocks at 5 ★
Non-Inheritable skill.
500 2

Passive Skills

Passive Skills SP Slot
Atk/Spd Form 1

If unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+X to unit during combat (X = number of allies within 2 spaces; max 3).

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 1 ★
60
A
Atk/Spd Form 2

If unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+X to unit during combat (X = number of allies within 2 spaces + 2; max 5).

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
120
A
Atk/Spd Form 3

If unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, grants Atk/Spd+X to unit during combat (X = 2 × number of allies within 2 spaces, + 1; max 7).

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

If unit initiates combat, neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat. If unit's HP ≤ 40% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Only inheritable by armor units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
60
B
Daring Fighter 2

If unit initiates combat, neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat. If unit's HP ≤ 60% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Only inheritable by armor units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
120
B
Daring Fighter 3

If unit initiates combat, neutralizes effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks during combat. If unit's HP ≤ 80% and unit initiates combat, unit can make a follow-up attack before foe can counterattack.

Only inheritable by armor units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
240
B
Hone Spd 1

Grants adjacent allies Spd+2 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 2 ★
50
C
Hone Spd 2

Grants adjacent allies Spd+3 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 3 ★
100
C
Hone Spd 3

Grants adjacent allies Spd+4 through their next actions at the start of each turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 4 ★
200
C
Joint Hone Spd

At start of turn, if unit is adjacent to an ally, grants Spd+5 to unit and adjacent allies for 1 turn.

Inheritable by all units.
Unlocks at 5 ★
300
C

Other Info

Origin
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

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