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Table of Contents
Tier Rating
- Default
- Attack
- Special
- Injured
| Brave Ike - Brave Mercenary |
|---|
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Related Heroes
Hero Stats
Stat Variations
| HP | ATK | SPD | DEF | RES | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 16 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Middle | 17 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| High | 18 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| HP | ATK | SPD | DEF | RES | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 40 | 33 | 24 | 32 | 17 |
| Middle | 43 | 36 | 28 | 35 | 20 |
| High | 46 | 39 | 31 | 38 | 23 |
IV Sets
| Key stats worth increasing through nature if possible. | |
| Complementary stats that matter, but not to the point of picking them over key stats for nature increase. | |
| Relatively worthless stat that can safely be decreased through nature. |
| HP | ATK | SPD | DEF | RES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Boon
- +ATK: is a very powerful boon for Ike, as it improves both his raw damage output as well as his sustain with Aether.
- +SPD: is also an excellent choice, as avoiding doubles will vastly reduce the amount of damage that Ike receives. Due to the cooldown reduction on Urvan, Ike does not need to be doubled to activate Aether every round.
- +DEF: is a good choice for turning Ike into a strong physical tank, as he can potentially stack enough Defense (including his native Steady Breath) to be incredibly resilient versus physical damage threats.
Bane
- -RES: is a good bane for Ike, as his base Resistance is low enough that it won't make much of a difference. When tanking mages, he can easily make up for this bane due to Urvan's effect.
- -HP: is also a good choice of bane, as reducing Ike's HP won't have much of an effect on his actual tankiness; most of his bulk comes from raw damage mitigation and sustain from Aether. It also makes him easier to support with Infantry Pulse.
Skill Sets
Greil's Legacy (Defensive Bruiser)
 |
Urvan | A | Steady Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Reposition | B | Quick Riposte 3 Alternate: Beorc's Blessing |
 |
Aether | C | Threaten Def 3 |
| SP | 1,525 | S | Close Def 3 |
- Preferred IV: +ATK or +SPD or +DEF / -RES or -HP
- Weapon: Urvan
- Assist: Reposition
- Special: Aether
- Passive A: Steady Breath
- Passive B: Quick Riposte / Guard / Beorc's Blessing
- Passive C: Threaten Def / Varies
- Sacred Seal: Close Def / Quick Riposte
This build changes very little of Brave Ike's base kit, and for good reason: it's incredibly effective. With the simple addition of Quick Riposte, Ike becomes an incredibly resilient KO machine.
The main reason Brave Ike is so resilient is his unique weapon, Urvan. 80% damage reduction on consecutive hits means that not only are brave weapons completely negated as a threat, but also that ranged damage dealers have a very difficult time killing him. Keep in mind that Urvan is not foolproof; if Ike takes too much damage from the first hit, it's possible that he'll either be KO'd from the second hit (even through the 80% reduction), or simply be KO'd in one hit (such as if he's hit by a high Attack red mage such as Sanaki or Lilina, particularly if they have Triangle Adept).
Steady Breath is the other reason that Brave Ike is so deceptively bulky. In addition to the +4 Defense, he also gains an additional Special charge for each attack (the enemy's as well as his own) when initiated on. This means that when combined with Quick Riposte, Ike will always be able to activate Aether, even if he is not getting doubled (this is why +SPD IV is good). It also contributes to Ike completely shutting down all melee Brave weapon users; when a melee Brave weapon user initiates onto him, he gets 80% damage reduction on the second hit, and instantly charges Aether (even at full cooldown) thanks to the additional charges from Steady Breath.
Ike's B slot is based mostly on preference. No matter what, he needs Quick Riposte, as his Speed is too low to reliably double otherwise; if it isn't run in his B slot, then it must be run as his sacred seal. If running the Quick Riposte seal, then choose between Guard and Beorc's Blessing. Guard significantly improves Ike's matchups versus units that rely on Special activations for their damage, such as units running Moonbow or Bold Fighter armor units. Keep in mind that even with Guard, Ike will have issues fighting strong red units such as Ayra and Zelgius, as Weapon Triangle Advantage will allow them to power through even without a Special activation. Beorc's Blessing is Brave Ike's native B skill, and is useful for keeping fliers and cavalry in check by preventing them from abusing their synergistic buffs. However, he can struggle to make effective use of it due to the strongest cavalry units being ranged (such as Reinhardt and Brave Lyn), while the strongest fliers tend to utilize Firesweep weapons (such as Cordelia, Tana, and New Year Camilla).
Threaten Def is a solid skill that can garner Ike some extra KOs on bulky units with the proper positioning. However, it is easily the least critical skill in this build, and can freely be swapped out for another skill that suits the team.
For seals, Close Def works very well if running Quick Riposte in Ike's B slot, as it significantly improves his bulk versus the melee units he is specialized in handling. However, if not running Quick Riposte in Ike's B slot, then it will need to be run it as his seal.
The Avenger (Defensive Duelist)
|
Urvan | A | Steady Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reposition | B | Wrath 3 |
|
Aether | C | Threaten Def 3 |
| SP | 1,525 | S | Quick Riposte 3 |
- Preferred IV: +ATK / -HP or -RES
- Weapon: Urvan
- Assist: Reposition
- Special: Aether / Ignis / Bonfire
- Passive A: Steady Breath
- Passive B: Wrath
- Passive C: Threaten Def / Varies
- Sacred Seal: Quick Riposte / Quickened Pulse
Although this is a defensive build in that it functions as an Enemy Phase oriented build, it is significantly more aggressive than the first build. This build is based around maximizing the potential of Brave Ike's Special activations.
The choice of Aether, Ignis, and Bonfire is dependent on the amount of team support Ike has available. With Aether, he is going to want -2 cooldown, meaning that either the team must include two allies with Infantry Pulse, or Brave Ike must run the Quickened Pulse seal along with one ally with Infantry Pulse. He only needs -1 cooldown for Ignis, so either a single ally with Infantry Pulse or just the Quickened Pulse seal will suffice. Ike does not require any support if running Bonfire. The difference between the three specials is that Aether provides healing on top of the damage, Ignis deals maximum damage, and Bonfire deals the most consistent damage (it will stay at 2 cooldown even after the first activation, allowing the combo to be done multiple times, or even activate Bonfire multiple times in a single combat).
The reason that Aether and Ignis require cooldown reduction is that ideally, Brave Ike's Special cooldown will be two at the start of combat, so that when he gets initiated on, he will instantly activate his Special thanks to Steady Breath. When combined with Wrath, this can be an incredibly devastating combo, as the +10 bonus damage leads to him often outright KOing most units in a single hit.
Wrath is the centerpiece of this build, as the +10 bonus damage on Special activations significantly increases Ike's damage output to the point that he can often KO enemies in a single hit with a Special. -HP is a particularly good bane for this build, as the lower HP makes it easier to enter Wrath range in the first place.
Ike's seal is dependent upon the chosen Special and the level of Infantry Pulse support he receives from his allies. If he doesn't need the Quickened Pulse seal to hit 2 cooldown on his chosen special, then Quick Riposte is the best choice as it allows Ike to still have a strong damage-dealing presence even without his Specials. Aether has particularly good synergy with Wrath and Quick Riposte; the extra damage from Wrath results in more potential healing, which can result in Ike re-entering Quick Riposte range. The downside is that two allies must provide Infantry Pulse support, which is a hefty cost for team-building considerations.
Introduction
As expected of the most popular unit in the series, Brave Ike is a force to be reckoned with. With just his base kit, he is immediately ready to tear his enemies apart while retaining little damage in return, thanks to Aether. His unique axe, Urvan, gives him a unique niche in that not only is he practically immune to Brave weapons, but he is also very difficult to KO with ranged units. Urvan's additional effect of reducing Special cooldown by 1, combined with his native Steady Breath, results in Ike being able to easily fire off Specials over and over.
Brave Ike's power is such that he can sometimes completely ignore the weapon triangle and KO red units. However, the stronger reds can still easily handle him; for example, a powerhouse red mage like Sanaki or Lilina will completely blow him away, particularly if they are running Triangle Adept.
Overall, Brave Ike is a powerful asset to any team. He has his weaknesses, as being a melee specialist means he really struggles to handle ranged threats. However, his ability to output tremendous damage and tank incredibly effectively, all while being able to sustain via Aether makes him extremely versatile.
Strengths
Urvan
Brave Ike's unique weapon allows him to tank a truly ridiculous amount of damage. The reduced Special cooldown pushes this weapon's effect over the top, as it also allows him to be able to activate Aether in every single round of combat without having to resort to getting doubled (which significantly increases the amount of damage taken).
Beorc's Blessing
While this skill isn't quite as powerful as it may seem at first glance, it is still a potent skill that allows Brave Ike to completely shut down the cavalry and flier units that fall within his field of expertise (this mostly means non-red and melee units).
Strong Physical Bulk
With 78 physical bulk at neutral (82 with Steady Breath), Brave Ike is extremely resilient to most forms of physical damage. Not only does he take less damage, but he can also heal the majority of the damage he takes with Aether.
High Attack
The combination of Brave Ike's 36 base Attack and his 16 mt weapon Urvan means that he will be hitting very hard, even without activating his special.
High Arena Score Weight
Brave Ike's boosted BST, Legendary weapon Urvan, unique skill Beorc's Blessing, and high SP base kit (Aether and Steady Breath) all result in him being worth a lot of points in Arena. This has an additional benefit in that the higher an arena score range, the more melee units will be seen. So Brave Ike actually gets significantly more effective in the Arena with more merges!
Weaknesses
Struggles Versus Ranged
As a melee specialist, Brave Ike has issues handling ranged units. Running Distant Counter to fix this causes a different problem in that Urvan, one of his most powerful features, is significantly less useful; with Distant Counter, Urvan's 80% damage reduction will only ever take effect versus Brave weapon users or units with Desperation active. Fortunately, even though Ike struggles to KO ranged units, they can also seriously struggle to KO him in return.
Vulnerable Against Strong Single Hits
While Urvan is incredibly powerful, it doesn't help Brave Ike against units capable of KOing him in a single hit. The most common units capable of this are the high Attack red mages Sanaki and Lilina, particularly if they are running Triangle Adept. Ike is also susceptible to being KO'd via other units if they have a powerful Special charged and immediately hit him with it.
Low Speed
Brave Ike can potentially increase his Speed enough to avoid doubles from a good number of units with a +SPD boon, but he will still be doubled by a huge portion of speedier units unless he gets team support. Getting doubled is extremely problematic for him, as Urvan can't save him from a second enemy attack if he counterattacks in between them (with Quick Riposte).
Weak Player Phase
While he excels in Enemy Phase, Brave Ike has issues when forced on the offensive, mainly due to his poor Speed. In particular, Firesweep weapon users can prove highly problematic to Brave Ike, as while they likely can't KO him in one round, Ike will also struggle to KO them as well.
Team Options
Counters
Strong red units can easily destroy Brave Ike, particularly mages. While he has good Attack, units that shut down Brave Ike's Special activations with Guard can heavily dampen his damage, particular if they're a bulky red. As an Enemy Phase focused unit, Brave Ike struggles against units who can prevent him from countering. Finally, Brave Ike's low Resistance makes him vulnerable to getting hit by Ploys.
- Strong Reds: Ayra, Mia, Zelgius, and Young Tiki can break through Brave Ike's low Speed and take him out. Sanaki, Lilina, and Celica can all KO Brave Ike even through Urvan due to targetting his lower magical bulk. He will likely be KO'd in a single hit if they run Triangle Adept. Finally, Adult Tiki, Legendary Ike, Siegbert, and Xander can shut out Brave Ike due to their bulk, especially if they run Guard.
- Units who Prevent Counters: Units running Firesweep weapons such as New Year Camilla or Sweep skills such as Sanaki can easily handle him by negating Brave Ike's ability to attack them back. Even if Brave Ike insists on running Distant Counter, Brave Lyn can easily take him on even without Firesweep Bow, as she also has access to Sacae’s Blessing.
- Units who Run Ploys: Ploys will easily land on Brave Ike due to his low Resistance, so a unit with built-in ploys like Arvis or simply inherited Ploys like Sanaki or Lyon can both heavily debuff Brave Ike as well as likely KO him due to their strong magical red damage.
|
Urvan | A | Steady Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reposition | B | Quick Riposte 3 |
|
Bonfire | C | Threaten Def 3 |
| S | Close Def 3 | ||
Brave Ike is a defensive powerhouse, and most of the builds in the arena I see don't fully utilize his potential for destruction. Instead of running the usual Aether build I did something to better utilize his stats. With Urvan's -1 special cooldown that puts bonfire at 2 cooldown. This is good for player phase since Aether has 5(4 with Urvan) it would never proc if Ike initiated. Then add steady breath into the fold and you'll find every counter attack is a bonfire and he might even get 2 bonfires on a foe thanks to his low speed and quick riposte. His default Threaten Defense is perfect for him, if he is forced to initiate he'll have better odds of doing some real dmg. The Close Def seal works together with, 1) Ike's low res count, and 2), Stacks with steady Breath for ultimate enemy phase defense. Reposition is the best support skill for and tank(in my humble opinion).
|
Beach Banner+ (+Spd) | A | Swift Sparrow 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reposition | B | Wrath 3 |
|
Moonbow | C | Spd Smoke 3 |
| S | Speed +3 | ||
This Brave Ike build is similar to my previous nuking build, but focuses more on doubling and landing quick kills. Summer Banner and Swift Sparrow gives him +6 to Attack and Speed on player phase (along with +2 Defense and Resistance). Speed Smoke is used as a failsafe and a skill to let him double some of the fastest units in the game (Such as Ayra). Speed +3 helps him double more since it does exactly what it says it does. This gives him a total of 40 speed (44 if you happen to have a +10 bike) when attacking (before applying Speed Smoke). Lastly, we have Wrath to let him nuke units like it's nothing.
BUDGET OPTIONS:
Weapon: Any weapon that can be given a speed refine, Slaying Axe+ is a good option.
A Slot: Death/Darting Blow 3
B Slot: Desperation 3
C Slot: Threaten Speed 3
|
Giant Spoon+ (Spd) | A | Brazen Atk/Spd 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reposition | B | Wrath 3 |
|
Aether | C | Spd Smoke 3 |
| S | Heavy Blade 3 | ||
After testing countless builds to find a build that is most suited to the current meta, this is the final product. This is the exact build of my +1 Brave Ike. Once he's under 43 HP, he hits an absurd 60/40 offensive spread, while retaining solid bulk. Giant Spoon is chosen over Urvan due to Urvan's decline in efficiency (brave weapons are declining). Giant Spoon synergises well with Wrath and Brazen Atk/Spd due to the respective boosts from each. Heavy Blade is chosen as a seal to maximize special procs. This build benefits from any buffer, but speed buffs are what make this build so effective. With a proper team setup he can reach 40 speed before brazen kicks in. This makes it so his Player Phase actually exists. Considering we are in an OHKO heavy meta, the build is designed to either OHKO or cripple the enemy with speed smoke. If used properly, this build is almost unstoppable.
|
Urvan | A | Steady Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Swap | B | Wrath 3 |
|
Ignis | C | Atk Smoke 3 |
| S | Close Def 3 | ||
Merge +10 and Infantry Pulse team support.
Seal: Close Defense 3 (preferred) or Quickened Pulse (necessary unless with Infantry Pulse ally)
So much volcanic rock (get it)....
Brave Ike is one of the closest things to a cure-all I could find... get ready for some bait-and-kill magic!
The example below is with neutral IV without merge,
Ignis count 4 running on a neutral IV with def 35 (+4 Std Brth) for +28 (31) damage
(Pr Seal)Close Def seal for an added 4-5 damage Ignis (+36) and serious stacked defense (d45/r26).
(2nd opt Seal)Quickened pulse count -1 (first turn)
Wrath count -1 when active (just when you began to miss Infantry/Quickened Pulse)... And best of all, +10 damage! (+46!!)
Urvan count -1 plus picnic ruining follow-up protection
Infantry Pulse -1 first turn
Steady breath count -1 per Atk (in and out) on enemy phase and that fancy +4 def of course
Atk Smoke 3 for awesome combined defensive potential or...
Panic ploy/Threaten/Infantry Pluse/Tactic to add insult to injury and emblem/blade defense
So...
Atk 36 + Urvan 16 + Ignis 28(31) + Close Defense 3 (4-5) + wrath 10*= Atk 52+33(36)/43(46)*... yes possible +46 unmodified damage from neutral IV, 0 merge
Ignis count 4 + Urvan -1 + enemy attack -1 + Steady Brth -1 + Infantry Pulse/Quicken pulse -1 (turn 1 start) or Wrath -1 (turn start with less than75% hp).... with all active, Ignis on the first counter attack each turn!!!
Enough with the math lesson! What does it mean?!......
Ryoma/Ayra... come at me bro(shebro)
Hector/Amila... guess you’re not the best axes
Fjorm/Brave Luc/Effie... at least it will be quick
Dragons... they get one shot then put them back to sleep
Fancy axe breaker melee... Ignis applies the status effect “Death” which like axe breaker causes ‘no follow-up’ but in addition Death applies ‘attract carrion’ *catches breath*...
Nino... hand over your lunch money
Reinhardt/Linde/Brave Lyn/Brave Bow... come here, I have a secret for you
Wrathful staff healer... you better know what you’re doing ‘cause here it comes (no triangle bonus=no ORKO)
Cecila/brooding red mage... gulp... hope it’s my turn... I did say “closest”
Maxed out blue Azura/Nina/combaty healer ally... Marry me and we’ll rule the world!... just not Mist... you’re gross for thinking that!
If they ever make a Distant Counter seal they’re gonna have to change his name to Divine Ike.
|
Urvan | A | Steady Breath |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Reposition | B | Shield Pulse 3 |
|
Pavise | C | Atk Smoke 3 |
| S | Quick Riposte 3 | ||
This build for Brave Ike uses Urvan in conjunction with Shield Pulse to provide as much survivability against melee units as possible for our axe wielding legend. Urvan provides a -1 special cd, allowing Pavise to be fully charged with Shield Pulse, and combined with Steady Breath should always activate against enemy attacks when Ike is defending, unless the opponent is using Guard. This works as well against brave weapons, as where there would be one attack Pavise cannot cover due to the brave effect activating Pavise on the first hit and the second hit being free, Urvan drastically reduces the damage of it instead through its damage reduction passive, making every one of the enemy's attacks negligible. This grants Ike massive amounts of survivability, being able to even survive a full quad attack from a Hone Fliers buffed Elincia with Moonbow and take her out with Quick Riposte, or be able to do the same with Zelgius and chunk his health.
This build works extremely well with a healer to provide sustain after particularly nasty attacks and further improve his survivability. It works extremely efficiently with pure survivability, which can even have extended use for the likes of arena defense teams, especially when combined with Wings of Mercy.
Weapon Skills
| Weapons | SP | Rng. | Mt. |
|---|---|---|---|
Iron AxeInheritable by Axe users only.
|
50 | 1 | 6 |
|
Steel Axe Inheritable by Axe users only.
|
100 | 1 | 8 |
|
Silver Axe Inheritable by Axe users only.
|
200 | 1 | 11 |
|
UrvanAccelerates Special trigger (cooldown count -1). If unit receives consecutive attacks, damage from second attack onward reduced by 80%.
Non-Inheritable skill.
|
400 | 1 | 16 |
Special Skills
| Special Skills | SP | Turns |
|---|---|---|
| New MoonResolve combat as if foe suffered Def/Res-30% Learns by default at 5 ★ Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
|
100 | 3 |
| LunaResolve combat as if foe suffered Def/Res-50% Unlocks at 5 ★ Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
|
200 | 3 |
| AetherResolve combat as if foe suffered Def/Res-50%.
Unit recovers HP=half damage dealt. Unlocks at 5 ★ Non-inheritable by Staff-wielding units.
|
500 | 5 |
Passive Skills
| Passive Skills | SP | Slot |
|---|---|---|
Steady Stance 1Grants Def+2 during combat when this unit is attacked.Inheritable by all units.
|
50 | A |
Steady Stance 2Grants Def+4 during combat when this unit is attacked.Inheritable by all units.
|
100 | A |
Steady BreathIf foe initiates combat, grants Def+4 during combat and Special cooldown charge +1 per attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)Unlocks at 5 ★ Melee, Infantry, and Armored Only
|
240 | A |
Beorc's BlessingNeutralizes cavalry and flying foe's bonuses (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.
Unlocks at 5 ★ Non-Inheritable skill.
|
300 | B |
Threaten Def 1Inflicts Def-3 on foes within 2 spaces through their next actions at the start of each turn
Inheritable by all units.
|
50 | C |
Threaten Def 2Inflicts Def-4 on foes within 2 spaces through their next actions at the start of each turn
Inheritable by all units.
|
100 | C |
Threaten Def 3Inflicts Def-5 on foes within 2 spaces through their next actions at the start of each turn
Unlocks at 5 ★ Inheritable by all units.
|
200 | C |
Other Info
| Origin |
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
|
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IV Calc
Heroes