Vantage 3

One of the most notorious skills in the game, Vantage is an effective skill in nearly any sitiation. Vantage’s ability to force foes to take damage is unparalleled, and it makes the users of the skill very annoying to trade damage with. Vantage is useful on a wide range of units, cementing its place as one of the most common B slot skills. It is a powerful answer to many offensive skill effects, such as Life and Death, Desperation, Blow skills and Poison Strike. Vantage forces attackers to take heavy damage before they can apply their effects, making them think twice before initiating risky attacks. Vantage is also a safe way to finish off low-HP enemies without them trading heavy damage.

Vantage synergises the most with Distant/Close Counter skills, enabling users of the combo to benefit from Vantage no matter who attacks them. This combination is very difficult to bypass when attacking. The amount of damage that Vantage causes is directly proportional to the user’s attack, making high attack units the best users of the skill. Hector is an extremely noteworthy user, as his weapon possesses Quick Riposte 2. This means he can trade heavy damage at any health level if he is given Vantage as a B slot skill. HP management skills such as Ardent Sacrifice and Reciprocal Aid are useful as they can allow a unit to activate the skill without direct danger.

Vantage has three weaknesses: The first two are typical of HP-threshold skills. Vantage requires the unit to have taken damage before it activates, which means unless a HP management skill is used, the user must engage in combat without the effects of the skill. This means the skill is not active at the start of the round. Finally, great care must be taken when using Vantage. When luring a foe to attack you, you must be certain that your Vantage unit can secure the KO. In the hands of the AI, Vantage’s ability to shut down offense can be annoying. The Distant/Close Counter + Vantage combination is tricky, but there are a few ways around it. The first is to ensure the unit never activates the skill: investing in a quick KO is the best way to circumvent the skill. The next best thing is to have a unit with Vantage on your own team: This way, you can lure the foe to attack you, and instead hit them first.