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Weapon triangle

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.

Weapons in the Fire Emblem series have been arranged into a few different categories. In earlier games, such as Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, there are three basic weapons: swords, axes, and lances. This also introduces the way weapons work. Each weapon has a strength and weakness in the triangle.

The weapon triangle, as the game refers to it (first in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War), is in a "rock-paper scissors" format. Swords are more effective against axes but less effective against lances, lances are more effective against swords but less effective against axes, and axes are effective against lances but less effective against swords.

However, a character with a sword can still defeat an enemy with a lance, and the same holds for the other weapons. Not to mention, there are weapons that reverse the triangle such as a Lancereaver (a type of sword).

Although the weapon triangle does affect damage, it does not necessarily determine the outcome of a battle. It merely determines the strength of the weapon and the chance the unit can hit his or her opponent.

The weapon triangle has been reorganized slightly in Fire Emblem Fates, to encompass almost all available weapon types: Swords and tomes are effective against axes and bows, axes and bows are effective against lances and daggers, and lances and daggers are effective against swords and magic.[1]

Etymology and other languages

Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

Weapon triangle

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Spanish

Triángulo de las armes

Triangle of the weapons

French

Triangle des armes

Triangle of weapons

German

Waffen-Dreieck

Weapon triangle

Italian

Triangolo delle armi

Triangle of weapons

References

  1. "To begin with–and probably the biggest surprise: apparently the weapon triangle has been revised. Part of this could already be observed (in multiple screenshots, swords were strong against bows), but here’s the rest. Sword and Magic > Axe and Bow > Lance and Hidden Weapon > Sword and Magic" — VincentASM, Fire Emblem if 21st May Famitsu leak: Weapon Triangle Revamped, Serenes Forest, Published: 19 May 2015, Retrieved: 19 May 2015

See also

Game mechanics
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