Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - Character Statistics Version 1.0 by KholdStare88 KholdStare88@gmail.com ================= Table of Contents ================= I. Versions and Updates II. Mission Statement III. Characters & Ratings 1. Paladins 2. Snipers 3. Horsemen 4. Heroes 5. Swordmasters 6. Warriors 7. Falco/Draco Knights 8. Generals 9. Sages 10. Bishops 11. Ballisticians 12. Lords & Thieves VII. Building a Team X. Credits & Acknowledgement =============================================================================== I. Versions and Updates =============================================================================== Version 1.0, November 8, 2010 -The bulk of the guide was created. =============================================================================== II. Mission Statement =============================================================================== If you just scrolled down a bit and see big tables with numbers, don't be alarmed! This isn't that guide where there's statistics all over the place that makes absolutely no sense. The numbers I list will be explained in a simple manner, and you will be able to use those tables to your own benefit without being a mathematician. This may be just another character guide, but it's really not. There's more data to back up my claims than the usual subjective character guide. You can still disagree with how I interpret the stats. Simply put, I don't tell you which characters are better in this guide, but instead I show you. For example, you will get a sense of which paladin has the highest strength, which one is fastest, and which one is most balanced. You can then read which character I feel is best or use the character that best suits your playing style. There are two tables for each class. The first table lists the average stats of each character at level 20/10 or 30, and 20/10 means level 10 after promotion. Most characters can reach level 20/20, but from my experience, you can't get all characters to 20/20 if you play 10 or more regularly. Thus, it's more meaningful to have 20/10 stats. The second table gives a rating from 0 to 10, 10 being highest, of the character's stats compared to all other characters except manaketes. The most useful table is the second, which shows you how good a character's stats are comparatively to those within the same class and how good they are overall. The two columns between Res and Total in the second table are used to give you a good idea of attack and defensive power. Total is the sum of all stats from HP to Res, so it will give you an overall feel of the character. Here are how the two columns before it are calculated: Atk: Str + Spd Def: HP + Def + Res Crit: Str + Skl + Spd + Lck Blst: Skl + Spd + Lck Evd: Spd + Lck Mgc: Mag + Spd Heal: Mag + Spd (because bishops can attack) =============================================================================== III. Characters & Ratings =============================================================================== =========== 1. Paladins =========== Cavalier (lance, sword) -> Paladin Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Frey | 44.4 | 18.8 | 1.0 | 24.4 | 22.4 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 6.0 | P Abel | 42.2 | 19.2 | 1.0 | 24.0 | 22.0 | 9.0 | 13.6 | 6.0 | P Cain | 45.0 | 18.8 | 1.0 | 22.0 | 21.0 | 14.2 | 13.6 | 6.0 | P Jagen | 25.6 | 8.8 | 1.0 | 13.2 | 9.4 | 3.7 | 10.8 | 6.0 | P Matthis | 48.3 | 17.8 | 1.0 | 13.1 | 12.4 | 8.1 | 16.1 | 6.0 | 4 Hardin | 39.5 | 17.9 | 1.0 | 22.7 | 21.7 | 9.9 | 13.6 | 7.0 | 5 Roshea | 49.4 | 18.4 | 1.0 | 22.3 | 10.6 | 6.6 | 13.2 | 6.0 | 5 Vyland | 40.8 | 15.4 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 18.2 | 10.4 | 12.2 | 6.0 | 5 Midia | 31.2 | 9.7 | 1.0 | 15.5 | 13.5 | 7.9 | 10.8 | 6.0 | 12 Arran | 24.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 16 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Frey | 6.6 | 7.4 | 0.6 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 15.4 | 13.8 | 43.3 Abel | 5.9 | 7.6 | 0.6 | 9.0 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 15.3 | 13.1 | 40.1 Cain | 6.8 | 7.4 | 0.6 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 14.7 | 14.0 | 41.5 Jagen | 0.8 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 16.1 Matthis | 7.8 | 7.0 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 5.2 | 3.0 | 9.8 | 16.0 | 32.2 Hardin | 5.1 | 7.0 | 0.6 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 14.6 | 12.7 | 38.8 Roshea | 8.2 | 7.2 | 0.6 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 9.1 | 15.1 | 34.2 Vyland | 5.5 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 11.8 | 12.1 | 31.3 Midia | 2.6 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 8.6 | 23.1 Arran | 0.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 13.6 Summary ~~~~~~~ Paladins have good Str and great Spd with mediocre Def and low Res. They have great movement and are well-rounded characters. Although they might have trouble going solo against a group of enemies due to mediocre defenses, their ability to use different types of weapons will enable them to win most 1-on-1 battles. Wow, this game has a lot of paladins. The first three you get (Frey, Abel, and Cain) are the best, but I'd suggest you only pick two. Frey ends up the best overall with notably more Lck than Cain. Note that Hardin is also a great paladin something should happen to one of your paladins. With slightly lower Atk and Spd than the trio, Hardin makes up for slightly higher HP and Res. ========== 2. Snipers ========== Archer (bow) -> Sniper Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Gordin | 42.8 | 12.6 | 1.0 | 19.2 | 18.8 | 15.2 | 15.4 | 3.0 | P Norne | 40.8 | 13.0 | 1.0 | 17.2 | 25.4 | 11.4 | 12.6 | 3.0 | P Jeorge | 29.6 | 9.8 | 1.0 | 17.0 | 17.6 | 6.8 | 9.4 | 3.0 | 9 Tomas | 46.9 | 15.5 | 1.0 | 18.8 | 23.0 | 10.5 | 9.6 | 3.0 | 12 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Gordon | 6.1 | 4.8 | 0.6 | 6.9 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 10.9 | 12.5 | 35.5 Norne | 5.5 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 6.0 | 9.6 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 14.5 | 10.8 | 35.0 Jeorge | 2.1 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 9.2 | 6.1 | 22.9 Tomas | 7.4 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 14.3 | 11.5 | 35.8 Summary ~~~~~~~ These ranged units have average Str and good Spd while suffering from low Def and the ability to counter-attack at close range. They are quite weak, but they can snipe enemies from two squares away and slay them with the occasional critical hit. While snipers offer variety, horsemen have overall better stats plus the ability to use swords. To be honest, Wolf and Sedgar are so good that I wouldn't play an sniper. Since you should technically protect them from being hit, we should weight the Atk stat more heavily. In this category, Norne wins with amazing Spd. While Tomas is technically the best sniper, his starting level and availability makes him not that great. If you must pick a sniper, Norne is your best bet. Remember the requirement to get her: two characters must be dead by the end of the prologue. =========== 3. Horsemen =========== Hunter (bow) -> Horsemen (+sword) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Castor | 33.4 | 17.4 | 1.0 | 15.4 | 18.4 | 8.2 | 12.2 | 3.0 | 2 Wolf | 41.2 | 18.0 | 0.0 | 16.2 | 18.2 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 1.0 | 5 Sedgar | 42.4 | 17.2 | 1.0 | 19.3 | 18.9 | 6.2 | 17.9 | 2.0 | 5 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Castor | 3.2 | 6.8 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 12.7 | 8.3 | 28.6 Wolf* | 5.6 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 12.9 | 10.4 | 31.7 Sedgar* | 6.0 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 1.0 | 5.9 | 1.0 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 34.3 Summary ~~~~~~~ These horsemen start out as hunters but become mounted and is able to use swords upon promotion. They are well-rounded characters with good Str and great Spd with average Def. They are less frail than snipers and have higher movement plus being able to use swords. Wolf and Sedgar are special cases where they start out promoted with low stats but have amazing growths. Wolf and Sedgar have amazing stats if you level them to 20/20. Sedgar is better overall since he has higher defenses, but Wolf will end up with about 2 Str higher than Sedgar. I would pick Sedgar because he will get about 23 Spd at 20/20, which rivals Frey/Abel's Spd thanks to paladin's 25 Spd cap. Even though they are both great, I would pick only Wolf or Sedgar, especially if you want to level a thief regularly and plan on using a mamkute. * Because Wolf and Sedgar have amazing growths but start out promoted with low stats, I used their 20/15 stats, which is a better representation of their comparative strengths. Their stat ratings of 31.7 and 34.3 are probably lower than their actual strength at 20/20. ========= 4. Heroes ========= Mercenary (sword) -> Hero (+axe) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Ogma | 50.5 | 18.0 | 1.0 | 23.0 | 21.5 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 2 Caesar | 49.4 | 17.4 | 1.0 | 19.1 | 25.7 | 11.2 | 12.9 | 3.0 | 8 Astram | 34.1 | 12.5 | 1.0 | 17.6 | 15.8 | 7.5 | 8.9 | 3.0 | 13 Samson | 24.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 16 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Ogma | 8.5 | 7.1 | 0.6 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 14.6 | 13.9 | 41.4 Caesar | 8.2 | 6.8 | 0.6 | 6.8 | 9.7 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 16.5 | 13.6 | 40.5 Astram | 3.5 | 4.8 | 0.6 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 24.9 Samson | 0.3 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 19.1 Summary ~~~~~~~ The hero class is similar to paladins in that their stats are well-rounded. While not being mounted, they have overall better stats than paladins. Heroes generally have good Str and Spd plus high HP, which makes their overall defense average. Ogma and Caesar are what heroes should be like while Astram and Samson are some kind of joke. Caesar is actually slightly better than the more popular Ogma, although Ogma has the advantage of appearing early. However, Barst gets stat bonuses fighting with Ogma, which makes those two almost unstoppable. =============== 5. Swordmasters =============== Myrmidon (sword) -> Swordmaster Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Nabarl | 48.4 | 14.8 | 1.0 | 21.4 | 26.0 | 18.4 | 10.6 | 3.0 | 3 Athena | 45.3 | 15.8 | 1.0 | 21.6 | 24.5 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 3.0 | 6x Radd | 46.4 | 17.2 | 1.0 | 19.8 | 24.6 | 12.2 | 13.6 | 3.0 | 8 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Crit | Evd | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Nabarl | 7.9 | 5.7 | 0.6 | 7.8 | 9.9 | 5.8 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 29.3 | 15.7 | 42.2 Athena | 6.9 | 6.1 | 0.6 | 7.9 | 9.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 25.9 | 11.9 | 38.0 Radd | 7.2 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 26.4 | 12.5 | 39.9 Summary ~~~~~~~ With amazing speed, swordmasters strike for fatal blows and dodge most attacks. When hit, however, they can suffer great damage. Comparing to heroes, they are more agile with less power, but swordmasters can actually boast having high HP and great Skl. Heroes are so much better than swordsmasters in my opinion, but for variety's sake, I usually use one of each. Statistical analysis won't make Athena fans happy, but she is the worst. If you're going for criticals, then Nabarl is the best option with the highest Lck by far. This is wise because you can reason that two non-critical hits from swordmasters may not kill due to low Str. Radd is most well-rounded and has the highest Str and higher Def, so he is the least risky to use. Even though it may be hard to train Radd, I would use him, especially when there is an arena nearby when you get him. But to be fair to Athena, she's pretty good. The others are just better. Note that I used Crit and Evd in place of Atk and Def. Since they all suck at taking damage, the Evd stat is a better indication of staying power. This means Nabarl is best at both getting critical blows and evading, making him the classic choice (as mentioned above). =========== 6. Warriors =========== Fighter (axe) -> Warrior (+bow) Pirate (axe) -> Berserker Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Barst | 54.8 | 24.4 | 0.0 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 17.4 | 12.7 | 1.0 | 2 Bord | 50.3 | 24.9 | 0.0 | 17.2 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 1.0 | 2 Cord | 47.6 | 22.5 | 0.0 | 11.4 | 20.8 | 15.8 | 9.7 | 1.0 | 2 Ymir | 46.0 | 18.0 | 0.0 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 5.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 20x Darros | 50.4 | 23.6 | 0.0 | 8.2 | 10.6 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 0.0 | 2 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Barst | 9.8 | 9.7 | 0.0 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 16.1 | 14.1 | 42.6 Bord | 8.4 | 9.9 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 32.0 Cord | 7.6 | 8.9 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 16.1 | 10.7 | 35.0 Ymir | 7.1 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 25.3 Darros | 8.5 | 9.4 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 11.2 | 13.1 | 30.2 Summary ~~~~~~~ Warriors are the axe-wielding version of well-rounded heroes. They excel at attacking with high Str and decent Spd, and they have great HP yielding average defense. Since their wield axes, Skl becomes in important stat, since it determines the accuracy of the inaccurate axes. They can also use bows upon promotion, which gives them some accuracy from far away. Berserkers cannot use bows, but they have similar stats and can walk on water. Barst is the only real option here. Bord has no Spd and Cord has no Skl so he will miss often. Ymir isn't even a choice. Darros is a Berserker, but he has both Bord's low Spd and Cord's low Skl...in exchange of higher Def and being able to walk across water. All in all, Barst is the only warrior you should use and he is damn well good at it, especially when paired with Ogma. ======================= 7. Falcon/Draco Knights ======================= Pegasus Knight (lance) -> Falcon Knight (+sword) Pegasus Knight (lance) -> Dracoknight (+axe) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Caeda | 32.1 | 13.6 | 0.0 | 22.8 | 23.0 | 26.3 | 14.8 | 3.0 | 1 Palla | 39.5 | 22.6 | 1.0 | 22.7 | 18.3 | 7.1 | 18.3 | 5.1 | 14 Catria | 39.3 | 20.8 | 1.0 | 26.0 | 23.0 | 16.6 | 19.0 | 4.2 | 14 Est | 34.3 | 23.3 | 1.0 | 21.6 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 17.2 | 4.3 | 18 Minerva | 27.6 | 12.2 | 0.0 | 10.5 | 15.2 | 9.6 | 14.7 | 3.0 | 10 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Caeda | 2.8 | 5.2 | 0.0 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 4.7 | 1.5 | 13.5 | 9.0 | 39.9 Palla | 5.1 | 8.9 | 0.6 | 8.4 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 14.8 | 13.6 | 38.8 Catria | 5.1 | 8.2 | 0.6 | 9.9 | 8.3 | 5.1 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 16.5 | 13.4 | 45.6 Est | 3.5 | 9.3 | 0.6 | 7.9 | 8.3 | 8.1 | 5.6 | 2.1 | 17.6 | 11.2 | 45.4 Minerva | 1.4 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 8.9 | 7.5 | 21.7 Summary ~~~~~~~ These fliers boast high movement and speed. They ignore terrain and can pass enemies to get into position. However, they will fall to arrows and they could have trouble flying if there is an enemy ballistician. Fortunately, they can defeat archers on their own, but they would have to watch out for others. Their signature move is the triangle, where three pegasus knights attack together resulting in a devastating blow. I have lots of things to say about this group. Catria and Est are obviously the best with highest Str and Spd. But Catria comes rather late and Est comes even later. If you want to wait for Catria, that's fine, but I wouldn't use Est. Caeda looks really weak, but she can use her Wing Spear (Caeda-only) to great effect. In Shadow Dragon, you can actually purchase Wing Spear regularly, so you don't have to worry about saving it. She also has excellent Skl and Lck, so a Killer Lance would be a great backup, and she could use it on enermies that her Wing Spear can't kill. Therefore, I would have to place Caeda as almost as good as Catria, but you would have to get all the Wing Spears and Killer Lances you can. The thing I like about Caeda is that she will double hit everything and she is guaranteed to defeat mounted units. Caeda will cap her speed rather fast though, which is such a waste because she had great Spd growths. To promote pegasus knights to falcon knights, you need to buy an Elysian Whip on certain days in the online store. In my opinion, dracoknights are better due to a surplus of swords. You have Marth, a swordmaster, a thief, and if you use two cavaliers, that's 5 sword users. For variety, I only keep one fighter, which means 1 axe plus a promoted hero that comes later in the game. So it would make sense for me to promote Caeda to dracoknight. I play two pegasus knights, so if you want, Catria can be promoted into falcon knight. But axes deal the most damage and its low accuracy is negated by Catria's Skl. So unless you really like playing falcon knights, I feel that they are inferior. Also, Minerva is terrible with low Spd, having even less Str than Caeda at 20/10, so just get her axe for Caeda to use later on. With Wing Spear, Killer Lance, and Hauteclere, Caeda's low Str will not be in your way. =========== 8. Generals =========== Knight (lance) -> General (+bow) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Draug | 46.8 | 14.6 | 1.0 | 15.2 | 18.2 | 9.4 | 23.4 | 3.0 | 1 Roger | 48.8 | 21.0 | 1.0 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 21.2 | 24.2 | 3.0 | 8 Dolph | 49.5 | 17.5 | 1.0 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 5.5 | 28.1 | 3.0 | 12 Macellan | 45.6 | 19.1 | 1.0 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11.8 | 23.8 | 3.0 | 12 Horace | 36.2 | 16.1 | 1.0 | 14.5 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 19.5 | 3.0 | 12x Lorenz | 37.5 | 13.5 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 18.5 | 3.0 | 20 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Draug | 7.4 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 8.1 | 1.5 | 11.5 | 16.9 | 36.3 Roger | 8.0 | 8.3 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 1.5 | 10.6 | 17.8 | 39.3 Dolph | 8.2 | 6.8 | 0.6 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 0.7 | 9.9 | 1.5 | 11.8 | 19.6 | 38.6 Macellan | 7.0 | 7.5 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 8.2 | 1.5 | 10.9 | 16.7 | 35.3 Horace | 4.1 | 6.2 | 0.6 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 7.1 | 12.1 | 26.3 Lorenz | 4.5 | 5.2 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 6.1 | 1.5 | 5.2 | 12.1 | 19.2 Summary ~~~~~~~ These heavily armored units are slow but sturdy. They have high Str and great Def, but they rare double hit. They also have low movement, so they may lack behind other units. Magic can pierce through their armor, but in most cases, generals will be a great wall to protect your other units. All generals in Shadow Dragon have excellent Def, so all that's left is whether you prefer low Str/decent Spd or high Str/terrible Spd. Draug actually has nice speed for a general albeit low Str, so he can double hit at least half of the enemies in normal difficulty, defeating most of them. Roger is more of your typical general, good for weakening units or killing already weakened units. I don't use them in normal mode because there isn't usually a need to defend and generals lag behind, not being useful and not gaining experience. Also, the lack of gaining axe makes them quite worse than generals in other games. ======== 9. Sages ======== Mage (tome) -> Sage (+staff) Dark Mage (tome) -> Sorcerer (+staff) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Merric | 42.8 | 3.0 | 14.3 | 18.0 | 18.7 | 15.6 | 6.4 | 11.5 | 4 Wendell | 25.6 | 3.0 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 13.8 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 8.2 | 6 Linde | 35.2 | 3.0 | 16.1 | 16.2 | 18.3 | 23.8 | 4.0 | 11.1 | 11 Gotoh | 35.2 | 3.0 | 10.4 | 18.5 | 18.2 | 13.3 | 13.0 | 11.1 | 24x Etzel | 31.6 | 2.0 | 12.2 | 15.6 | 10.6 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 13.2 | 17x Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Mgc | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Merric | 6.1 | 0.8 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 5.7 | 14.8 | 13.1 | 39.9 Wendell | 0.8 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 13.9 Linde | 3.8 | 0.8 | 9.9 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 8.0 | 0.4 | 5.5 | 15.7 | 9.7 | 39.7 Gotoh | 3.8 | 0.8 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 12.2 | 13.2 | 36.6 Etzel | 2.7 | 0.4 | 7.5 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 6.5 | 9.4 | 10.8 | 27.4 Sages ~~~~~ Sages and sorcerers are magic users who can heal after promotion. They usually have good to excellent Mag and decent Spd along with decent Res. The downside is that they have low HP and Def, making them very fragile. Since most enemies (and allies) have close to nothing Res, magic users deal the most damage and are very valuable in any team. The two sages in question are Merric and Linde. Linde has higher Mag and just about the same Spd. However, Merric has notably more HP + Def, so he has more staying power. In the end, I will favor Merric because of the slight increase in defenses and availability. Etzel isn't that good in my opinion, not even for variety. He just has way too low Spd to do anything. It's not bad to play two sages (Merric & Linde) and a healer, although I wouldn't recommend it in hard mode. =========== 10. Bishops =========== Curate (staff) -> Bishop (+tome) Cleric (staff) -> Bishop (+tome) Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Wrys | 27.6 | 1.0 | 10.5 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 13.2 | 3.0 | 19.7 | 1 Lena | 25.9 | 1.0 | 11.4 | 15.0 | 14.2 | 23.6 | 5.0 | 19.1 | 3 Maria | 26.9 | 1.0 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 10.5 | 19.5 | 6.0 | 20.1 | 10 Boah | 22.9 | 1.0 | 5.8 | 8.8 | 11.8 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 11.7 | 12 Elice | 35.4 | 1.0 | 10.6 | 16.0 | 18.4 | 18.2 | 5.0 | 12.8 | 24 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Heal | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Wrys | 1.4 | 0.0 | 6.5 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 9.7 | 8.8 | 11.2 | 27.4 Lena | 0.9 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 7.9 | 0.8 | 9.4 | 10.7 | 11.1 | 34.7 Maria | 1.2 | 0.0 | 6.2 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 9.9 | 8.0 | 12.3 | 29.4 Boah | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 15.7 Elice | 3.9 | 0.0 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 34.6 Summary ~~~~~~~ Clerics and bishops start out as healers who eventually gain the ability to attack after promotion. They cannot use staves to heal themselves, ironically, and they have even less HP and Def than sages. But because they can heal other characters, they are invaluable. It's best if you leave healers behind front lines where they can heal hurt characters safely. When stats are calculated, the hated Wrys actually isn't bad, with decent Mag and Spd! Note that none of the healers in Shadow Dragon have high Spd. That means even though healers can attack after promotion, they shouldn't be double hitting much. Lena has the best stats (barely), so she's should be your favored choice. Elice is the best attacking bishop with nice Spd, but she comes way too late in the game. ================= 11. Ballisticians ================= Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Jake | 31.6 | 13.7 | 0.0 | 15.5 | 8.8 | 17.5 | 19.8 | 0.0 | 11 Beck | 37.4 | 13.3 | 0.0 | 12.7 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 21.3 | 0.0 | 13 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Blst | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Jake | 2.7 | 5.3 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 0.9 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 16.0 | 9.3 | 26.2 Beck | 4.5 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 0.0 | 13.6 | 11.7 | 29.2 Summary ~~~~~~~ These units can fire ballista at very long distances although they cannot attack from three squares or less. They also cannot double hit, so they will rarely defeat an enemy in one shot. Ballisticians can stay well behind front lines and snipe at enemies, so they will also rarely get hit. These units can only get 30 levels instead of the usual 20/20. The first debate is whether or not ballisticians are useful. If you're planning on double hitting and killing all enemies in one round, then no. But chances are your characters are not overpowered. If you're using Caeda or a general, then you may want Jake or Beck to weaken the enemy or finish the job. Since they can't double, Spd is mostly pointless here. The Blst rating adds Str, Skl, and Lck, which is almost the same formula as Crit. In other words, Jake will miss less later on while Beck has more Def, so it all comes down to preference. I wouldn't let my ballisticians get hit, so I'd choose Jake. =================== 12. Lords & Thieves =================== Other | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Jn ---------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+---- Marth | 41.2 | 19.5 | 0.0 | 14.6 | 21.5 | 27.3 | 12.8 | 0.6 | P Julian | 38.6 | 17.5 | 0.0 | 19.5 | 25.5 | 28.6 | 12.1 | 0.5 | 3 Rikard | 29.5 | 17.5 | 0.0 | 10.1 | 22.5 | 10.8 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 6 Name | HP | Str | Mag | Skl | Spd | Lck | Def | Res | Atk | Def | Total ---------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------ Marth | 5.6 | 7.7 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 7.5 | 9.4 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 15.2 | 9.8 | 39.2 Julian | 4.8 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 7.0 | 9.6 | 9.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 16.5 | 8.7 | 42.0 Rikard | 2.0 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 8.0 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 14.9 | 3.4 | 23.9 Summary ~~~~~~~ Lords and thieves have only 30 levels to gain stats instead of 20/20. This means they should be statistically worse than other characters, because they miss out on the last 10 levels. All three units use swords, and they have quite good to excellent Str and Spd along with excellent Lck and mediocre Def. But remember that the stats listed are final average, similar to 20/10 of other units' stats. For most of the units above, a total stat rating of around 40 is excellent. Guess what? Marth has a rating of 39.2, which makes him on par with the best characters for his 30 levels, so he's not that bad. Julian is the better thief, but note that the thieves' attack ratings (Str and Spd) are almost the same. So Rikard is just as good as attacking as Julian, but thieves aren't meant to attack really, so pick Julian for better stats overall, especially higher HP and Def. =============================================================================== IV. Building a Team =============================================================================== Now we get to the fun part, which is putting together a good team. Instead of giving you 50 different possibilities and putting you in more indecision, I will mostly be putting together the characters I think are best with a few spots for adjustment. Marth (sword) Frey (lance/sword) Abel (lance/sword) Caeda (lance + axe) Ogma (sword + axe) or Caesar Barst (axe + bow) Julian (sword) Lena (staff + tome) Merric (tome + staff) Sedgar (bow + sword) or Wolf Radd (sword) or Nabarl Jake (ballista) Catria (lance + axe) or (lance + sword) Tiki (dragonstone) or Nagi That's a total of 14 characters, 13 if you don't count Julian. I prefer to train Julian to level 30 because I use him so much, so why not level him up? I gave you four options for changes: Caesar, Wolf, Nabarl, and Nagi, although you don't have to use a manakete at all. You should make Catria a draco knight but a falcoknight is also fine. Notably missing are a sniper and a general. My preferred choices for those are Norne and Draug, and if you want to use either then replace Julian. You don't really want 15 or more characters in your team. If we take the first choice for all 14, then the weapons will follow: -Sword (6) -Lance (4) -Axe (4) -Bow (2) -Tome (2) -Staff (2) -Ballista (1) -Dragonstone (1) This is what I call a pretty balanced team. Note that you get 2 bow users without the help of a sniper, and you already have 6 sword users without any falcoknights. From my experience, this team of 14 will make playing Shadow Dragon enjoyable without any annoyance, such as myrmidon/archer having too low speed, knight having too short movement, and getting a character that is supposedly good near the end of the game but is too tedious to train. I did not talk about manaketes in this guide as all, simply because I really see not much of a difference between Tiki and Nagi. My preference would be Tiki simply because you get Tiki first. Just don't save the Firestone you get in the early chapters (don't use Bantu) and you'll be fine. The question then becomes whether or not you want to use a manakete at all. They are good, so I would use them, if you don't have 14 characters yet. If you do, then you may not want yet another character to spread EXP around, no matter how good that character may be. So using a manakete really depends on how big your team is. In conclusion, feel free to disagree with anything I wrote, but I can actually say I have the stats to back up my opinions. :D However, if you have an interpretation of the data that you think I missed, then please feel free to contact me. I may put your opinions on later versions of the guide, and if there's enough input, I'll make a new section for all the contributions. =============================================================================== V. Credits & Acknowledgement =============================================================================== -Intelligent Systems for making the Fire Emblem series -Serene's Forest for extremely helpful statistics -Fire Emblem Wiki as a great source for cross-referencing