The four protagonists and tactical combat: Check counterattack range, then plan your preparationsMinor spoilers

Original video: “Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave — The four protagonists and gameplay explained” | Bilibili creator Youxi Tiantian Jiang.

The four protagonists enter for their own wishes before becoming involved in a continental crisis. This article covers gameplay from the prerelease Direct: check victory conditions and counter ranges in battle, and fit training, recruitment, and expedition returns into limited time between matches.

Why each protagonist enters the games#

The Heroic Games gather powerful fighters from across the continent in the imperial capital. The champion receives a wish. All four protagonists arrive with reasons they cannot abandon.

Cai lived in a peaceful village until his father was arrested on his fifteenth birthday. He sets out with childhood companions to rescue him. Dietrich seeks stronger opponents. After danger at sea leaves him stranded abroad, he hears about the games and gathers allies to enter.

Theodora fights to protect her kingdom and her people's faith, restoring honor to a goddess overshadowed by prejudice. Experienced retainers accompany her. Leda comes from a distinguished family and excels in music. After her father's murder, she learns that the killer will enter the games and begins her pursuit of revenge. All four clash because each has a reason they cannot lose.

Use range to avoid counters#

Choose units and starting positions before battle. Blue tiles show movement and red tiles show attack range. After your side finishes, the enemy acts. Check each map's victory condition instead of focusing only on defeating the boss.

Swords are approachable, gauntlets favor Avoid, lances target cavalry, axes offer high Attack with lower Hit, bows attack from range and counter fliers, and magic breaks heavy armor while also providing healing and support. Switching a unit's weapon changes the enemies they can handle.

Check enemy range before attacking. Use ranged attacks against melee enemies, or approach ranged enemies unable to counter at close range, to avoid a counterattack. Terrain and adjacent support also change outcomes. Positioning often matters more than Attack alone.

Combat Arts spend durability; Blaze Arts spend HP#

Combat Arts spend weapon durability for damage, extended range, or special effects, securing kills at key moments. Blaze Arts also cost HP. Cai releases wide-area flames, Dietrich moves into hard-to-reach positions, Theodora bombards enemy formations, and Leda strengthens allies through music and summons giant beasts.

Use these tools when you need to turn the situation around. Calculate remaining HP before activating so the caster does not fall in the next enemy attack.

After a positioning or input mistake, Rewind returns to earlier actions so you can rearrange positions and attack order.

Check class weapons, then meet exam requirements#

Sword classes, cavalry, and white magic classes have very different jobs. Reclassing changes weapon access and movement. Armor holds the front, fliers cross obstacles, Charioteer charges in straight lines, and Elephant Rider uses its large footprint. Choose classes around the problems your team needs to solve.

Before a Certification Exam, check proficiency requirements and pass chance. Do not gamble simply because a class looks powerful. Train to a sufficient level before applying to avoid wasting exam resources.

Leave return time when planning expeditions between matches#

Preview the next opponent before deciding how to spend free time. Weekly arena training improves proficiencies, match days offer spectating, and the shopping district sells equipment and upgrades weapons with materials. Temple offerings grant Blessings for temporary boosts or damage reduction.

Residents offer requests with deadlines, and powerful people in town can be invited after gifts and meals. At your base, rest, automatically earn EXP and materials, and view support conversations between close characters. After unlocking the Pale Raven's perch, return there to switch protagonists, with each route's progress saved separately.

Time passes when moving outside the imperial capital. Plan towns, purchases, and dungeons as one route before an expedition. Field enemies appear randomly, while dungeons offer upgrade materials and chests. Budget battle and return time as well as travel. Dietrich can reveal hidden enemies and Theodora can form soldier teams, so incorporate protagonist map abilities too.

The continental crisis after the games#

SpoilersThe later story revealed in the Direct

Wishes and the championship are only the beginning. A revived Demon God brings the continent toward destruction, and the four protagonists disappear in succession. A summoned savior soul must either confront the Demon God's army directly or use Fortuna's power over time and space to revisit their fates for a way forward. The companions met and developed earlier thus connect to the later struggle to save the world.