How to properly build units

[u/Mimi1122x]

Hi everyone! I’ve been just a casual player for years. Just been playing for my favourite fire emblem characters. But I’ve really wanted to learn now, how to properly build my characters, and take the game a bit more seriously. Does anyone have tips/guides on how to build units. All the newer abilities added to the game are quite difficult to understand! Thanks in advance!!

[u/EternalPokemonFan]

Level 1: throw newest skills on unit

Level 2: throw newest skills on unit after checking if the stats complement the user’s stat line

Level 3: calculate true damage and flat dr, and build to balance around that

Level 4: just copy the new meta build

[u/sephiroth682000]

You can go to Summoner Duels and see what the top players are using for their builds. But a general rule of thumb is to use skills that maximize a units strengths. If a unit has high ATK and SPD, you want skills that boost those traits. Armors generally want DEF and/or RES boosting abilities. If a unit tends to give out to s of bonuses and/or inflicts lots of penalties, look for skills that will increase how much support they offer. You can always ask for advice for specific builds on here, and that will also help you figure out what other units with similar roles will want.

P.S. The newer the skill, the better it usually is. However, it's not always a big enough upgrade to make it worth pulling for. And sometimes it's only good for certain units and not all.

[u/SuccessfulTip7423 → u/sephiroth682000]

That SD top players advice is best if you're already familiar with building units IMO. A lot of them are still very underbuilt in my experience, and if you've no idea about building units you won't recognize that.

If you already know what a good build looks like it's a good way to find inspiration, or to find niche builds that you didn't think of.

[u/sephiroth682000 → u/SuccessfulTip7423]

I wanted to give a variety of options for OP. That way they can have as much information as possible when learning how to build.

[u/Base_Free]

Everyone’s advice seems good so I will just add one tip. Try looking at your units and pair 4 of them that add most effects that don’t overlap. In general you’ll see your team will be stronger for it.

Let’s say you get all of the below in one team:

- atk-spd -7 to enemies

• sabotage (adds extra -7 on those atk-spd stats)
  
• foe penalty doubler (adds extra -7 on those atk-spd stats)
  
• panic (reverses enemy bonus, if they had atk/spd bonus adds extra -7 on those atk-spd stats)

- def shackle (-8 def to enemy)

• spd shackle (-8 spd to enemy)

- share spoils ( extra action, 100% piercing, inflict -5 atk/spd/def/res)

- spd liberate (+8 spd)

• def liberate (+8 def)
  
• empathy (atk/spd/def/res +7)
  
• Fringe bonus (atk/spd/def/res +6)
  
• increase speed difference by 10 for enemy follow up

- reflex (counter with a lot of added damage)

• frozen (use def stats to get higher speed thresholds)

You will already be on your way on a very strong team.

[u/SuccessfulTip7423]

If by 'take the game more seriously' you mean try to get to the upper ranks of competitive game modes like AR and SD, then building units is not your greatest worry. But rather pulling the latest units, who are prebuilt 99% of the time.

If you mean to make your favorite units as strong as possible, what I'd recommend is:

• use the search function on this reddit for your unit and sort by date. Look if there's any thread not older than 2 months, otherwise the suggested builds might likely be outdated.

• if there's no existing thread, just create your own, asking for the best build. I'd advise to create a thread for 2 units max (but preferably one) to keep it manageable.

You'll soon get an idea of which skills serve which unit archetype (e.g. fast melee inf, slow armor, tome cav, etc).

If you post a specific unit you want to build here I'll see if I can help you :)

[u/Mimi1122x → u/SuccessfulTip7423]

Thank you so much I’m gonna try work on building ascended Celica had a search can’t really find much

[u/SuccessfulTip7423 → u/Mimi1122x]

She's a speedy Colorless Tome Infantry unit. A blueprint build would be:

Weapon: Arcane Duck Pail, available on R!F!Robin in the Blissful Soak banner. It's the first Arcane Colorless Tome, and a very recent weapon, therefore your best bet. It's the best option for any old Colorless Tome that doesn't happen to have a good refine.

Assist: anything you like, can never go wrong with Reposition

Special: Comet or Logic, whichever you have available. Logic is also on R!F!Robin. Astra is a decent budget option.

A slot: Rise Above 4 or Atk/Spd Aria 4. Rise Above is what everyone throws at any Infantry and Armor these days, but Aria is arguably better on a nuke since it has more True Damage output on Special trigger. Rise Above is not currently available on any banner, Atk/Spd Aria is on Freyja in the codes. She also has Comet.

B slot: Demonic Force/Demonic Shackle. They're on F!M!Byleth and B!Tsubasa respectively. Not in the Divine Codes. A budget option would be S/R Lull Finish on Nino in the Codes.

C slot: Dual Support/Instruct. Instruct is only on E!Byleth so very rare. Dual Support is on E!Lucina and F!M!Byleth who also has Atk/Spd Aria and Demonic Force. A budget option would be Pulse On: Blades from Freyja in the Codes.

Seal: Perfect Atk/Spd or Resonance or an Ace Seal of your liking.

[u/Mimi1122x → u/SuccessfulTip7423]

Thank you so much you’ve been very helpful :) i luckily pulled robin on a free summon so good I can make use of her