Should You Pull - Leif: Unifier of Thracia Edition

• Rates start at 8%
• You can only pull the advertised 5 star units, a.k.a no “pity breakers”
• Your odds of getting specific units on a Legendary Banner are lower than if they were in their own banner
• Legendary Banners are typically poor choices for color sniping, particularly for merges, unless you’re interested in the Legendary unit or 2/3 of the units in that particular color.

Wings of Justice

Legendary Leif’s statline complements his intended playstyle and the nature of his exclusive skills quite well. Most notably, the young lord carries the highest Attack stat of any archer at a massive a massive base value 38, which can be elevated to even greater extents thanks to its status as a four-point Asset; this allows him to wield his PRF to devastating effect and quickly take down opposing foes across long distances. While not extraordinary, his overall durability isn’t lacking either and provides him with the flexibility of being able to tank an enemy hit if necessary. This does come at the cost of Legendary Leif’s Speed being absolutely horrendous, but this is mitigated significantly by his PRF’s Brave effect that remains active regardless of who initiates combat. 

Compared with the five star Roy (LA)

Compared with the five star Brave Lyn

Compared with the five star Claude

Light’s Descent

Legendary Leif’s personal weapon, Meisterbogen, is a rather simple weapon that functions as an improved version of a Brave Bow, boasting higher Mt and the ability to retain its effect regardless of who initiates combat but with the same Speed penalty. In simpler terms, this weapon is essentially a bow version of Reinhardt (WT)’s Meisterschwert. However, Meisterbogen also boasts one other distinct effect: when Legendary Leif is under the player’s control (and not the AI’s), it will also negate his opponent’s follow-up attack. 

• Meisterborgen’s Brave effect pairs beautifully with Leif’s high Attack and enables him to easily present a terrifying offensive threat, unleashing two powerful strikes in quick succession before his opponent even has the chance to react. Since his Speed is far too low to attempt a quad strike setup, its highly recommended to heighten his Attack stat as much as possible to maximize his chances of ORKOing his opponent with just his first salvo alone.

• The fact that Meisterborgen’s applications are not restricted to a specific phase provides him with some much-needed flexibility. Although his status as a cavalry unit and the nature of his PRF Special do encourage him to focus primarily on his performance on the offensive, this nonetheless remains an appreciable bonus since it does mean that he can hold his own in the Enemy Phase if necessary. Furthermore, this also serves the purpose of expanding on his build flexibility and lets him make good use of a Vantage sweeper setup for Aether Raids Offense. 

• Meisterborgen’s negation of enemy follow-up attacks -- an effect quite similar to that of Sturdy Impact -- when under player control is both surprisingly balanced and effective. This makes initiating combat a much safer task, especially against bulky opponents who may have killed him with their second attack, and grants him a distinct niche as one of the few cavalry units capable of benefiting from such an effect. Conversely, though, this restriction does make him a bit worse than he otherwise would have been in Aether Raids Defense teams, but this is only a minor nitpick. 

Canto 2.0: Electric Boogaloo

Legendary Leif’s second exclusive skill comes in the form of a Special: Njörun's Zeal. Functioning similarly to Galeforce, this Special will refresh the young lord and grant him another action upon activation, though this comes at the cost of being afflicted by the Gravity debuff at the same time. 

• In contrast to many recent additions, Njörun's Zeal is surprisingly well balanced from a gameplay standpoint and provides him with a good deal of additional maneuverability in the Player Phase despite the fact that it limits him to one-space movement after activating, as the impact of this demerit is circumvented notably by his status as a ranged unit. 

• While Njörun's Zeal may seem geared solely for offensive play, it has some noteworthy applications when utilized with Enemy Phase builds as well. For example, if equipped with a Vantage sweeper setup for use in Aether Raids, Legendary Leif can pair Njörun's Zeal with Savage Blow to repeatedly apply its chip damage in the Player Phase; this allows him to set himself up for the following Enemy Phase and quickly demolish the remaining forces. 

• If nothing else, this Special still makes Legendary Leif highly unique amongst his peers, as he is the only ranged unit in the entire game capable of leveraging a self-refreshing Special for improved maneuverability. Even someone like Legendary Lucina who can mimic such an effect and extend her range via her Assist must sacrifice her first action in order to do so. 

He Need Some Milk

Interestingly enough, Legendary Leif marks the second time a Legendary Hero (the first being Legendary Marth) has received three exclusive skills, as opposed to the typical two. In this instance, he comes with his original incarnation’s PRF B slot skill: S Drink. At the start of the first Turn, S Drink will heal the young lord for 99 HP and reduce his Special cooldown by 1. 

• While the healing aspect of this skill will typically go unnoticed for modes other than Tempest Trials and Chain Challenges, the cooldown reduction it provides can actually prove quite useful. Since Njörun's Zeal is on a three turn cooldown, S Drink allows Legendary Leif to potentially activate it in his first round of combat and immediately benefit from its effect, provided his opponent isn’t equipped with a skill like Guard.

• However, this skill is not entirely necessary to ensure his success as a unit and should merely be looked at as an added bonus to his already exemplary base kit. If needed, S Drink can easily be swapped out for skills like Lull Atk/Def or Vantage depending on what one needs from him. 

Should You Pull?

Here are some reasons to try your luck on colorless orbs:

• You like Legendary Leif, Legendary Alm, and Fallen Tiki (Young), as you could get any of the three. 

• You want one of the strongest archers currently available. 

• You want to mess around with strategies revolving around the unique mechanics of Njörun's Zeal. 

• You want to inherit Atk/Res Push 4 onto another unit. 

• You want a Legendary Hero with the Pair Up mechanic for Allegiance Battles. 

Here are a few reasons you may want to stay away from colorless orbs: 

• You dislike Njörun's Zeal’s demerit of applying the Gravity debuff on Legendary Leif upon activation, as this can be potentially do more harm than good. 

• You want to save your orbs for a certain unit or the potential banners based on the rankings from the Choose Your Legends 3 event that are likely soon to arrive. 

• You dislike using cavalry units.

Legendary Alm stands in a league of his own as one of the premier Player Phase units in the game, remaining thoroughly  infamous for his sheer offensive might. His exclusive skills, Luna Arc and Lunar Flash, enable him to shred through the bulkiest of foes, and his lack of disadvantaged match-ups (for the most part) further solidifies his offensive capabilities by making them quite applicable in nature. When taken into consideration alongside his extended range and status as an infantry unit, Legendary Alm will undoubtedly prove useful to Summoners for virtually any game modes, though he is especially notorious for his effectiveness in Aether Raids Defense teams. His base kit even includes highly valuable skills like Darting Blow 4 and Null Follow-Up for those looking to optimize the performance of other units, making the Saint King an overall wonderful unit to pull. 

A more in-depth analysis of Legendary Alm can be found in the Should You Pull article for his original Legendary banner, located here.

Another formidable unit to occupy the colorless pool this banner, Fallen Tiki (Young) boasts a myriad of different strengths that distinguish her as one of the strongest armored heroes around. Her statline itself is simply impeccable, Razing Breath offers her great versatility through built-in Distant Counter and dragon effectiveness, and her status as an armored unit grants her access to powerful skills like her native Special Fighter to further bolster potential. She even comes with an exclusive C slot skill of her own, Solitary Dream, which effectively bypasses one of armored units’ most debilitating weaknesses -- their low mobility -- and buffs her simultaneously at no opportunity cost to her allies. Combined with her exceptional applicability (which stems from her typical lack of disadvantaged match-ups), Fallen Tiki is sure to make a welcome addition to the barracks of Summoners everywhere.

Valentine’s Ike breaks the mold and features one of the strongest offensive statlines seen amongst all heroes despite his status as an armored hero, coming with 37 Attack and 38 Speed on top of excellent physical bulk. Although his resilience against magical threats may initially seem rather underwhelming, the power of his exclusive Special, Radiant Aether, allows him to boast a surprising amount of overall survivability through considerable healing, which he can leverage at a rather consistent rate when paired with his native Special Fighter. What’s more, Ike’s base kit is extremely synergistic and is fully functional in its original state, rendering him relatively cheap to build; having access to Distant Counter and Special Fighter in his base kit also makes him a particularly strong choice of Skill Inheritance fodder. 

A more in-depth analysis of Valentine’s Ike can be found in the Should You Pull article for the Greil’s Devoted banner, located here.

Hoppity hop! This iteration of the eldest Whitewing sister comes in the form of a formidable red flying dagger unit with a clear specialization towards Player Phase usage, sporting a strong offensive statline of 37/34 and can even benefit from a four-point Attack Asset. However, while she can run conventional offensive builds perfectly fine, her status as a dagger unit does grant her access to a variety of different weapons (such as Broadleaf Fan and effective damage daggers like Cloud Maiougi), making her exceedingly versatile. In terms of her Skill Inheritance options, her Pegasus Carrot and (to a much lesser extent) Disarm Trap make her an excellent choice of fodder for other dagger units. 

A more in-depth analysis of Spring Palla can be found in the Should You Pull article for the Regal Rabbits banner, located here.

Riding in on a majestic Kinshi, the lobster prince Legendary Ryoma completes the red pool for this Legendary Banner. His fantastic offensive statline of 34/39 sets him apart from much of his direct competition (such as Elincia, Laegjarn, and New Year Gunnthrá), but his truly defining characteristic is his exclusive B slot skill: Bushido. A relatively straightforward skill, Bushido complements the young prince’s offensively oriented playstyle wonderfully and grants him a flat +10 damage boost upon Special activations; this allows him to increase his damage to surprisingly high levels. While he doesn’t offer much when it comes to fodder, he does come with Guidance which can be especially useful in mixed team compositions. 

A hero whose own reputation precedes her, Legendary Azura is widely held in high regard and is commonly referred to as one of the strongest support units in the game, though understandably so. Her unique Assist skill, Gray Waves, retains the refreshing properties of Sing and Dance, but takes it a step further by granting extended mobility to any infantry or flying ally she uses it on -- and as if this weren’t enough, her Prayer Wheel allows her to simultaneously buff all the stats of the same ally she uses Gray Waves on. This is not to mention her access to numerous mobility-based skills like Ground Orders and Guidance, which she can utilize to further build upon the extent to which she can improve her allies’ mobility; she can even be used in Colosseum modes without much repercussion by merit of being a Legendary Hero. While her Skill Inheritance options are mostly unimpressive, it’s worth noting that Legendary Azura is currently the sole carrier of B Duel Flying for those who wish to maximize their scoring potential. 

A more in-depth analysis of Legendary Azura can be found in the Should You Pull article for her original Legendary banner, located here.

Legendary Lucina is a blue infantry archer who shines brightest when on the offensive. Aside from her respectable values in Attack and Speed, her PRF Assist skill, Future Vision, is undoubtedly her most distinguishing attribute and functions as an improved version of Swap, granting the princess another action after using it. This allows her to augment her overall mobility in the Player Phase massively without requiring the assistance of a refresher unit and synergizes particularly well with Link skills. Legendary Lucina’s exclusive weapon, Thögn, further solidifies her combat prowess and grants her a solid +4 in-combat boost when fighting against melee threats, though this can easily be swapped out in favor of a Firesweep Bow or Brave Bow depending on personal preference. Overall, she’s certainly one of the more unique archers around thanks to Future Vision’s unique mechanism (as it remains the only skill of its kind since its introduction) and can hold her weight in numerous team compositions. 

Spring Marisa is a competent lance flier whose reasonable offensive statline of 33/38, phenomenal mobility, and access to class-exclusive buffs enable her to present a respectable offensive threat when properly supported. While she fails to bring anything new to the table (especially when compared to other lance fliers with access to PRFs), Spring Marisa does stand out a bit due to her ability to benefit from a four-point Speed Asset, bringing her up to massive 42 Speed without accounting for skills or support. She also comes with the elusive Flier Guidance, which can be a good option for flier-exclusive team compositions to improve everyone’s overall maneuverability. 

A more in-depth analysis of Spring Marisa can be found in the Should You Pull article for the Regal Rabbits banner, located here.

Following the trend seemingly every iteration of the young lord is meant to, Legendary Hector remains a shining example of what it means to be a dependable defensive hero. At a precursory glance, his statline follows the standard formula for an armored unit to a tee; at the cost of his Speed, all of his other statlines showcase incredible values, with his raw damage output being especially notable due to his four-point Attack Asset. However, Legendary Hector’s main differentiator lies in the power of his unique weapon, Thunder Armads, which denies his opponent’s follow-up attack if he has more allies than enemies nearby, bolstering his survivability massively. Ostia’s Pulse is also a strong component of his kit and offers a -1 Special cooldown to all allies on Turn 1, provided that its prerequisite condition is met. The inclusion of Distant Counter and Vengeful Fighter in his base kit only adds on to his effectiveness as this makes him extremely cheap to build (and potentially a good choice of fodder).

Ranulf is a green beast cavalry unit who boasts a good deal of offensive and supportive utility thanks to Covert Cat Fang, which grants him and any allies within two spaces a solid +3 in-combat boost to their Attack and Defense stats. While the boosts he can provide are not necessarily as potent as other similar buffers like Brave Lucina and Corrin (M), the fact that Ranulf can benefit from them concurrently does make him a tad more flexible than his direct competition, as he can quickly alternate between roles depending on what is needed of him during the course of the battle. Furthermore, as a beast cavalry unit, he sits at a powerful niche amongst his brethren as one of the few cavaliers capable of benefiting from an effect similar to that of Sturdy Impact and Mirror Impact, negating his opponent’s follow-up attack upon transformation. 

Picnic Felicia makes for a rather welcome divergence to the typical armored unit, placing a primary emphasis on maintaining high levels of survivability rather than damage output. This is most aptly attributed to the potential in-combat debuffs she can apply via Eldhrímnir, which decreases her opponent’s Attack and Speed stats (translating to a boost to her own Speed and durability) depending on the difference between their Resistance stats. Coupled with her balanced overall statline, Picnic Felicia can withstand a significant amount of damage from incoming threats. This is especially true when equipped with her native Special Fighter, as this slows the rate at which her opponent activates her Special; in turn, this skill also augments her own firepower by granting her a Breath-like effect of Special acceleration simultaneously.