Nintendo has now released its second published game based on an established franchise for iOS and Android. Fans of the Fire Emblem series have been awaiting the release of this mobile entry called Fire Emblem Heroes since its brief announcement in April 2016. It is now here, streamlined and created from the ground up with mobile devices in mind by Fire Emblem Fates developer, Intelligent Systems.
As this is very much designed as a free-to-play title with microtransactions in the vein of popular gacha-style games like Phantom of the Kill and Terra Battle, there are many different systems at play in Fire Emblem Heroes that will be a bit confusing to Fire Emblem fans and newbies alike. This is only made harder by the fact that the game has only a brief combat tutorial and almost no explanation of its many other mechanics. So, here are some beginner tips to get your and your team started on the right track towards conquering the battlefield.
Link A Nintendo Account
Much like any other Internet-required game out there, there is the option to connect an account to Fire Emblem Heroes. However, unlike most games, it is in your best interest to connect a Nintendo account to the game as it stores your game data on there. In the event of server trouble or an accidental app delete, you will not have to worry about losing all of your hard-earned characters and potentially money.
This also allows for using your same game file on multiple devices, even cross-platform in the case of having both an Android phone and iPad. Conversely, initially not linking a Nintendo account can be a benefit for stat-obsessive gamers. Being a gacha game in which you “pay” a certain amount to receive a random character with the high possibility of getting a dud, this uncertainty can be an issue for certain players.
Similar to soft resets in Pokemon for shinies, it is possible to not link an account and simply delete and reinstall the app over and over until you are given your preferred characters and stats, all of which are determined by RNG (random number generator).
Save Up Orbs
Orbs are the bread and butter of Fire Emblem Heroes. Used as the main currency for everything from summoning new heroes to expanding your castle, it is vital to use them wisely. There are only a limited but somewhat generous amount of orbs given for completing missions and the story, inevitably leading to having to purchase them with real money.
It is best to save up these orbs, especially at the beginning of the game. Summoning one hero takes five orbs, but you shouldn’t immediately go out and get that hero even if you have five already. Instead, wait until you have collected 20 because the game allows for five summons at once. With each subsequent summon, the price changes resulting in only needing 20 orbs total to summon five heroes, saving you five whole orbs in the long run.
Pay Attention To Your Team
There are many things that are unexplained and can be missed on how your team makeup works. Each character has its own set of skills that it can use in combat. These skills can be anything from defensive to offensive to passive. The game only vaguely says that these skills can be activated under certain conditions.
However, it is possible to see every skill and stat your characters have by going to Allies, then Edit Teams. By selecting each character, you can view their stats, weapon, skills, and more. Further touching each stat, weapon, or skill will give your specific info on them. This allows you to better strategize.
HP, Attack, and Defense are pretty self-explanatory but some of the other stats are not. If your character is up against a foe with five less Speed, it will be able to attack twice in a row. Defense covers physical attacks, but Resistance is for magical defense against spells and the like.
Knowing all of this about your team is necessary, as well as knowing your enemy. The game always lets you know ahead of time how many enemies you are facing and what class they are. Just a quick glance at the next mission you are about to do lets you know which party members to take with you to have the best advantage over the competition.
If you have extras of the same character, sacrifice the weaker one to make another stronger by going to Allies, Advanced Growth, Merge Allies.
Don’t Let Your Stamina Go To Waste
The game starts you out with 50 total stamina. This stamina is spent on story missions and the training tower, beginning with costs of one stamina and increasing with difficulty. While that may sound like it will go fast (and it will), the game does a great job of replacing it quickly as well.
The game does not explain that you regain one point of stamina every five real-world minutes, basically refreshing your entire supply in a little over four hours. The best course of action is to play missions in short bursts every so often, allowing for maximum experience for your team while also not wasting any stamina that’s just sitting there not refreshing.
Also, it is unwise to use orbs to regain stamina if you run out as they are precious and it is only a short wait to regain it.
Check Your Quests
While on the home screen of your castle, there are many different icons available to choose from that are not spelled out for you. Among them is a fountain in the bottom right corner that hosts all of your monthly and yearly quests. These quests come with varying rewards from orbs to crystals for leveling up your characters.
Checking them out to see what you must do to complete them is important, as it allows for you to streamline your missions and finish them faster. For example, a quest might say “kill five enemies with a red character” and another might be “complete missions one through five with a bow character.” Knowing something like this, you can make sure to have both a red character and a bow character in your party, thus completing both quests faster and at the same time.
Once completed, the game does not outright give you rewards for quests. For better or for worse, you must actually go back to where the quest section is located and individually collect the rewards yourself to receive them.
Do The Special Maps and Arena
Shortly into the story, you unlock special maps and the arena. These extra modes are both time-based and a huge help in creating the best team possible, so it is recommended to do them whenever possible.
Special Maps are specific missions that change each day. These requires a quick completion of them to receive unique rewards like new characters for your team. It also has higher difficulties that give even better quality characters.
Arena is not nearly as time-sensitive but it is just as vital. A multiplayer aspect of the game similar to Toad Rally in Super Mario Run, you face other players’ teams online. Winning battles one after another gives you bonus points until you win seven in a row and it starts all over again. You are only able to play three arena matches per day (unless you use items), but each match contributes to your overall score for the season a lot like Hearthstone.
Your score determines your rank, tier for next season, and what rewards you will get at the end of the season. As of right now, the rewards for this season are Hero Feathers that are used to unlock the potential of characters over level 20, so it is best to fight as many arena battles as possible before it ends.
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