Marth

• Preferred IV: +SPD / -RES
• Weapon: Falchion (Refined)
• Assist: Reciprocal Aid / Ardent Sacrifice
• Special: Luna / Moonbow
• Passive A: Distant Counter
• Passive B: Quick Riposte / Renewal / Swordbreaker
• Passive C: Drive Spd / Drive Atk / Drive Def / Drive Res / Flexible
• Sacred Seal: Distant Def

As a red sword with decent bulk, it stands to reason that Marth would make for a good Distant Counter candidate. Moreover, the valuable support he can give his teammates through the Refined Falchion’s effect along with an additional Drive skill means that they’ll likely be able to handle any and all threats that give them trouble.

+SPD is his suggested boon as it grants Marth the ability to prevent follow-ups from most unbuffed enemies (barring those who carry Brave weapons or Bold Fighter). Though -RES may seem anti-synergistic with Distant Counter, the addition of the Distant Def seal to this build allows him to survive most green Blade mages assuming they are only partially buffed.

Refined Falchion is amazing, offering effective damage against dragons, Renewal 3, as well as Drive Atk/Spd/Def/Res 1 all at once. It’s definitely one of the more impressive and potent weapon effects currently in the game, and turns Marth into an excellent support unit who is more than capable of holding his own in combat. Combined with Reciprocal Aid or Ardent Sacrifice, the Falchion allows Marth to provide valuable healing if necessary.

Distant Counter allows Marth to check most green mages (including Blade mages) provided they are not fully buffed. It also allows him to KO if not put a sizeable dent in most archers (provided their name is not Brave Lyn, as she totes Sacae’s Blessing). This wouldn’t be possible if not for the Distant Def seal, which adds to his already considerable bulk -- it enables him to take hits from ranged enemies, charge his mid-to-low cooldown Special, and then KO another threat on the field.

Marth’s B Slot is perhaps the most flexible part of this build. Quick Riposte is ideal because it guarantees follow-ups while Marth is being attacked, allowing him to bait more effectively. Renewal, however, synergizes with the Refined Falchion’s HP recovery effect, granting Marth 20 HP of recovery every second turn. Swordbreaker is also a potential option here if a team has issues dealing with Sword units, as it allows Marth to check most of them and then heal up the damage he takes with Falchion.

Finally, Marth’s C slot can be filled by a Drive Skill of choice. Due to Drive effects stacking, along with Falchion’s effect, Marth will be granting all allied units within two spaces +5 to a single stat, and +2 to all the others.

• Preferred IV: +SPD / -RES
• Weapon: Falchion (Refined)
• Assist: Reciprocal Aid / Ardent Sacrifice
• Special: Aether / Luna
• Passive A: Steady Breath / Warding Breath / Close Def
• Passive B: Quick Riposte / Swordbreaker / Renewal
• Passive C:  Drive Spd / Drive Atk / Drive Def / Drive Res / Flexible
• Sacred Seal: Close Defense

Due to Marth’s physical bulk and his ability to serve as a safe check to most dragons and armors (barring blues, of course), he is able to run a melee duelist build with a great degree of effectiveness.

+SPD once again ensures Marth is not doubled by most units, while -RES is patched up by the Close Def seal when battling dragons. Refined Falchion continues to be Marth’s best weapon option, providing 3 unique effects (effectiveness against dragons, Renewal 3, and Drive Atk/Spd/Def/Res 1) at once.

The A slot chosen will be largely dependent on what purpose Marth needs to serve. Steady Breath allows Marth to duel other swords much more effectively, especially when combined with the effect of the Close Def seal and Swordbreaker. Together, these three elements of this build grant Marth +10 Defense when attacked by a melee unit, extra cooldown reduction, prevention of follow-ups from speedy swords like Mia, and guaranteed follow-ups against them. It’s a rather potent mix. Quick Riposte is preferable, however, as it offers wider coverage, and 37 Speed is not enough to guarantee follow-ups on greens Marth should be able to handle such as Amelia.

Alternatively, if Marth will be primarily battling dragons, Warding Breath is a serviceable option, especially since Marth’s Speed prevents him from being doubled by most dragon units. If the intent is to have him to be able to check all types of melee units, then Close Defense will work here as well. Note that it is suggested to use a lower cooldown Special like Luna in this case, however -- Aether will take forever to charge without Steady / Warding Breath’s effect.

If Marth is to instead take a more supportive role, he can run Renewal 3 in his B Slot in order to double the Refined Falchion’s healing. When combined with Reciprocal Aid or Ardent Sacrifice, this makes him a potent combat medic and source of HP management. Once again, his C slot is variable, though a Drive Skill is ideal since it will stack with Refined Falchion’s Drive Atk/Spd/Def/Res 1 effect.

• Preferred IV: +SPD / -RES
• Weapon: Falchion (Refined)
• Assist: Reciprocal Aid / Ardent Sacrifice
• Special: Moonbow / Glimmer / Luna / Draconic Aura
• Passive A: Fury
• Passive B: Renewal / Swordbreaker
• Passive C:  Drive Spd / Drive Atk / Drive Def / Drive Res / Flexible Spur 
• Sacred Seal: Drive Def

Summoners on a budget need not despair -- Marth is perfectly able to run a low investment build that still allows him to perform reasonably well in combat while maximizing his team support potential.

The reasoning on Preferred IV choice, Assist choice, and Weapon choice is the same as above builds. Fury gives Marth a nice stat boost both offensively and defensively, while the damage it deals is easily mitigated by the stacked Refined Falchion and Renewal healing effect. Swordbreaker is also another potential option if you need Marth to handle swords, but note that this does reduce his medic utility a fair bit. Low cooldown Specials like Glimmer and Moonbow allow Marth to hit back hard once he takes a hit and counterattacks, while mid-cooldown Specials like Luna and Draconic Aura give him a bit of extra firepower. Once again, Drive skills were chosen for Marth’s C slot since they stack with the Refined Falchion’s Drive effect, and also stack with the Drive Def seal. A Spur can also be used if a Drive skill is unavailable, although more precise positioning will be required in that case.