Fae - the (Wind) Shaman
==============Theorycrafting===============
Fae's unspecialized stat spread and breath user characteristics narrow her possibilities for optimization, nonetheless, she can have a lot of different purposes in one's team.
Let's focus on 2 builds, a all-rounder build and a more specialized build, both trying to utilize Fae's high natural BST (so no TA, no L&D3, it's unoptimal on her!)
Build 1) Fae the furious chicken : "the classic KFC menu"
W: LightningBreath+
Sp: Iceberg
A: Fury 3
B: Quick Ripost 3
C: Threaten Res 3
This build1 works with most IVs set, as +Atk reach 52atk, +res empower Iceberg and kill most green mages on the 2nd hit (thx to QR), +def provides 4 extra def, mostly useful to tank braveAxe and braveBow. A boon in Hp isn't too valuable since she'll get doubled most of the time, so it's a good stat to bane. 28spd is a good value, enabling to double slow units, a bane would nullify this advantage to 0, and a boon wouldn't improve any significant matchup.
=============Theorycrafting 2.0===============
Build 2) Fae the shaman : "Earth, storm and fire, hear my call !" -the shaman
W: LightningBreath+
Sp: Best-3turn CD according to the A-skill (Moonbow if A is Windboost)
A: Elemental boost (Wind is best)
B: Quick ripost (Vantage if A is Windboost)
C: InfantryPulse or Honebuff (this build of Fae is self-sufficient, it's best to use her C skill to benefit the team).
recommended Seal: HP+3
Thanks to her built-in distant counter, Fae can draw the most out of the elemental boost (that provide the advantage of being effective on both Player and Ennemy Phases).
Concerning the IV sets, just like the build 1, she can benefit of most IVs set, but for the build 2, it's better to focus the elemental boost with the boon. This time, it's mostly effective to get a Spd boon since it enables Fae to benefit offensively and defensively from it. Moreover, it's not recommended to dump her HP since it's now part of the condition to utilize her A-skill. This way she can reach either 37spd (doesn't need QR anymore), 55atk (can OS some foes) or specialize on a tank side with 35def or 39res).
==> Basically, the Windboost version is the optimal skill variant for the Shaman build (build2), however it requires a Spn boon. Otherwise focus on the boon of your Fae to exploit it best with 3CD-special and QR.
==================END===================
Question) Why don't you use TA on Fae ?
Answer) Using your A-skill slot to overkill Blue and get overkilled by Red isn't the smarter option. Get an elemental boost, some blue units will survive, some red units won't kill you, you'll kill more green. It's better.
Wind boost... Hmm... Normally it'd be an inconsistent skill to run on other units but with Fae it might be possible to make it work.
I'll keep an eye on this post and see about any suggestions I can make for it, but so far great work!
Edit: Because I have a (+SPD) Nowi I understand speed is an incredibly useful skill to make her better. Wind boost wouldn't work on her all that well, and Fury was sometimes a hindrance, I'm kind of excited about the idea now!
Don't underestimate a 34 speed (38 with Hone) Nowi running Threaten Speed man. I don't know how well this could work for Fae but I do have first-hand experience what a fast Nowi can do.
I'm really interested in seeing how far along we can take our dear little Fae, honestly... Heheh.
I never said it was bad but it's certainly a new approach to the character. I am personally against threaten skills myself since I feel they trigger less when you need them due to te long range bait and kill meta we have but I understand it's uses and all but we need more heroes with plot skills because they're frikken good and useful in many ways threaten isn't.
I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just trying to make a point! I love your input, so don't get me wrong. Also, considering Fae's really high resistance Ploy skills would work really well on her, wouldn't they? The reason I use Threaten Speed on my Nowi is so it can synergize with one of my builds and secure a Vantaged KO or get a hit in without getting doubled in return. Other units appreciate Speed debuffs like crazy though (B!Cordelia).
About threaten skills... I believe they're best suited to bulky front line units that aren't armor emblem. Nowi and Ike for example. I still run Hone skills but yeah, Threaten skills, I feel, are worth looking into some more for who's optimal to run them and such.
Henry and Sophia TA/Raven can rock Threaten Attack well because they get doubled by everyone, my Sophia's perfect that way.
I wish I had Wind Boost to try out that build, as it sounds intriguing.
So regarding Quick Riposte vs. a Breaker skill in the B slot: this is a tricky one based on my experience using both skillsets. Obviously QR offers broader counter options than breaker skills.
Minus Breakers or QR, Fae will often not secure a ORKO on units like Olwen, Summer Lucina, and Delthea that have high speed and res. On the other hand, she doesn't take much damage from these units unless they're using Blade tomes. Reinhardt barely singes her clothing.
Blade Tome Nino can ORKO her if she can double Fae, and Cecilia with every buff possible can OHKO most builds (though the AI rarely utilizes its buffs properly). In those cases, Green Tomebreaker is better.
Summary: QR is the better option for baiting blues, but there are extreme cases where you want something else to bait green mages even though she generally won't get ORKO by greens. Keeping Renewal 3 obviously is kind of making her a bit more general-purpose. Since I started using TA Xander more often, QR has made more sense for my Fae.
Thanks everyone for your positive feedbacks.
I'll keep reading them until Ryu's lawyers send me to jail, so keep sharing ;)
In fact, being a new-meta unit is good, but being a creative one is even better ! I'll keep looking at all the options for next theorycrafts so that we can get a use out of the forgotten skills !
==================Answers=================
@Zylo With the Shaman build, Fae can reach 37Spd unbuffed (38 with a spd seal but +3hp seal is prefered to ensure Windboost utilization).
However, the build is called "Shaman" because she can use other Elemental Boost too, to unlock new potential with each of her stats (55atk to OS , 35def or 39res to burst hard with her Special and respectively tank archers and axes OR mages(bladetomes) better).
Plus, 34spd isn't as great as 37, since you lose most of the doubling potential (I wouldn't recommend to sit on that value).
Finally, Threaten skills are tricky to take benefit from, as Ryu stated it. That's why it's the C-skill of the 1st build, but not the second build, which could benefit from it, but most likely won't trigger it, while build1 will trigger it.
@Ryusuke I might do some theorycrafting too, but I mostly do on units I like, for now it's about Green and Grey units. But you should try to look at the suggestion I made, there is some very good potential new-meta units.
@Cav829 In my opinion, QR is the superior choice with Fae, since it enables her to bait ORKO the blue units (it's very important because the olwen and reinhart can go out-of-control if they don't get neutralize as quickly as possible, due to their mobility/range).
Since Fae won't get ORKO versus green, she can prock her QR so it's a free-hit added to the trade and potentially a kill (or a kill on the next turn).
Actually, breakers are good but inferior to QR on Fae because Fae has the ability to tank 2 hits (according to the elemental boost and IV boon she has), so it actually benefits her to charge her Special and synergize it with QR's second hit (getting a lot of ORKO thanks to it).
Finally, I don't value Renewal too much, although 10 extra potential HP is very valuable, when your unit is controled by the IA, it will rarely happen (she need to be alive at the start of her turn (the good turn out of 2) after getting damaged, it never happen) and when it does, it most likely won't change the outcome of the duel, since the opponent decided to let its unit tank Fae (thus, it's probably a hardcounter).
I would tend to agree. I used to follow builds that were a little broader, but I've actually found more success the more I assign my 3 primary Arena units (as we know know in advance what will be a bonus character) a specific role. Also, while Blue Tomebreaker might fit along those lines, it's a limited quantity right now since it's only on F. Robin. And also it works better on units like Delthea who need it to win duels against Linde, Olwen, and Spring Lucina.
But if you need Fae to be a bit more of a Green Mage counter, I just wanted to cover it as an option.
Pokemon GO
Fire Emblem Heroes
Fate Grand Order
Dragonball Legends
Dragalia Lost
IV Calc
Heroes