One week after launch: Learning weapon roles, Blaze costs, and free explorationMinor spoilers
Weapons have distinct roles, while Curse Orbs and Blaze Arts share gauge management. Exploration, class changes, and support give development direction.
Original video: “Is Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave worth buying? A series veteran's impressions”; Bilibili creator Koudaimi ag. Watch the original
Weapon traits determine team roles. Manage Curse Orbs and Blaze Arts together through the gauge. Route switching, dungeon exploration, and visible growth rates add development choices.
Switch routes freely, but restarting rolls back development
Each protagonist enters the Heroic Games with a personal wish. I began with 
Leda and finished one story before switching for continuity. Switching partway is also possible, with separate progress saved for each route.
Replay earlier chapters to collect missed items or rearrange plans, but restarting returns items, levels, and similar progress to that chapter's beginning.
Weapon traits and proficiency
Swords deal 1.2× follow-up damage. The demonstration with Leda and 
Royal Sword shows:
| Attack | Damage |
|---|---|
| First hit | 11 |
| Follow-up | 13 |
Spears target mounted units, axes deal at least 5 damage, bows are effective against fliers, and gauntlets gain Avoid against attacks using non-gauntlet weapons. Take particular care with your cavalry when enemies have spears.
The lower right of the class screen shows usable weapon types, but each weapon also requires proficiency. Access to a low-tier bow does not grant access to a high-tier bow requiring A; train Bow sufficiently first. Class changes likewise require proficiencies and an exam certificate.
A full Curse Orb gauge lowers maximum HP for the battle
Purple Curse Orbs carry Curse, and fighting while holding one builds the Blaze Gauge. Regular allies have shorter gauges, while special protagonists follow different rules. In Leda's demonstration, the gauge has 12 segments; reaching 6 enters Overblaze and raises stats. Filling it triggers Burst, removing the enhancement and lowering maximum HP for the battle.
One demonstrated unit loses 14 maximum HP, so weapon Might alone is not enough reason to keep using it. Exclusive Blaze Arts also build the gauge. Check remaining HP and gauge together before acting, making use of the enhanced stage.
Use chest counts and path markers to check dungeons
Free-action turns between chapters appear in the lower left. Decide whether to search for towns, merchants, materials, and equipment or advance the main story.
Dungeons are my favorite part. Enemy contact starts a Clash instead of a full grid battle every time. The display counts remaining chests, and route arrows show where you came from, helping navigation. Switching between caves, the world map, and the main city is quick, keeping repeated exploration flowing.
Growth rates, recruitment, and development
Recruiting people from other factions requires Renown and support. Quests build Renown, while gifts and meals improve relationships so you can bring favorites into the team.
The character screen directly shows growth rates, making likely level-up gains clear. Choose classes around strengths, build different teams, and learn about characters through support conversations. Development and story connect. My favorite part is how combat, exploration, and character growth drive one another.
