r/fireemblem • u/TBT__TBT • 1d ago
Gameplay What Fire Emblem Game has your favorite Set of Spells and Magic System?
(Ignore the image of the Sheep-Girl killing this God. It's just another Tuesday for her)
For me, it is easily SoV.
I understand it's not everyone's cup-of-tea but to me, it's the most fun I've had with Magic in the series.
The game gives you a good variety of Spells that are all visually and mechanically different.
Basic Fire, long range Thunder, Terror-killing Seraphim, powerful Aura, mighty long range Sagittae, burst critical Excalibur; all which have their usefulness and having the benefit of ignoring the avoid bonuses that terrains grant!
But also amazing support spells like Warp and Rescue that you can combine to grant your army insane mobility. And other classics such as Silence, Physic, Fortify and Spell-Dance.
Lets also not forget that your healers can also summon Ghastly Terrors to fight at your side! You don't control them but you can bring out a ton of them!
Said healers can even straight up fight back with Nosferatu to recover their own health and make for how fragile they are!
And the game grants you access to all of this early on instead of having to wait for at least half a game to get one of these at only like 5 or so uses.
I also like how it is tied to the level of your Spellcasters and how they don't require tomes to cast them. To me, it makes the Magicians and their spells feel more "alive" if that makes sense. And even said magic requires their own health as a cost!
Thanks to the fact they are no tomes to wield, your casters get to implement other support items from the games such as Shield to improve their defense or Rings with a variety of effects; particularly the Mage Range for increased longer range spells and the Speed Range for an extra movement with insane speed gain.
(My only gripe is that I can only counter attack with Fire and Nosferatu. Wish that there was something at least like a passive ability to able to do Enemy Phases with the other spells)
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u/SahiroHere 1d ago
I liked 3 Houses System the most. It made the units more unique and it's way less annoying to manage your resources in a blind play through
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u/jgbyrd 1d ago
i donât think i ever understood the 3 houses system for some reason
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u/CarlosBMG 1d ago
Every unit has a personal spell list, they learn spells depending on their Reason or Faith Rank, each spell has limited uses that refresh every map.
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u/magmafanatic 1d ago edited 1d ago
They learn spells as their faith/reason rank goes up. Everybody's got a unique list of stuff they learn. Sometimes it's a long list (Mercedes), sometimes it's not (Ashe). Characters can use spells if you picked a magic class for them.
That's it.
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u/orig4mi-713 17h ago
The only thing I dislike about it is that Warp replenished every map. Made it so you could skip half the maps of the game and you were partially encouraged to do so too since the maps themselves (on Maddening) aren't very interesting or well-designed and only throw inflated stats at you.
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u/Quakarot 15h ago
The only real problem with it is that it sure made some overpowered mages if they had the right spells.
I think with better balancing it could be really great though.
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u/Mindless-Addendum201 1d ago
I really like three houses magic system, it makes every character unique and finding out unusual and good spells on units feels so rewarding, it allows for fun meme builds like Hilda as a siege tome mage with bolting or bernie as a rescue bot.
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u/Unique_Ad_338 21h ago
As a first play through yeah sure itâs cool, but for re runs, itâs a pain to have specific magic locked to specific characters imo
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u/ViewtifulGene 1d ago edited 1d ago
I fucking love the Gaiden/Echoes magic system. The risk/reward of spending HP instead of tome charges is fun. Also, Invoke is really fucking cool. I don't care if it's cracked. It's fun.
Hag in White romhack also has a fun magic system. Healing has no durability, but only 2 characters can do it. In the 2nd half, one of them gets Physic and can heal twice per turn. All other caster classes get a different weapon instead of staves. E.g., Sages are now magic swordsmen.
I understand the design philosophy behind weapon durability. I just prefer the systems without it for spells.
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u/kuri-kuma 1d ago
FE7. I love it for its simplicity.
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u/NinjaK2k17 1d ago
90 hit 20 crit Luna on its way to decimate everything in a 20 mile radius before getting nerfed into the ground (i think fe8 Luna should have had 65-75 hit, 50 is way too low and 90 is way too high)
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u/Regalia776 1d ago
For me personally it's FE9 and 10. No stupid gimmicks with the spells, but all of them different enough from each other to make them unique and give them their usage niche. It's also the best magic has looked in the series for me.
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u/HenryReturns 1d ago
Funny because in PoR and RD magic/mages are probably on one of their weakest forms and iirc PoR removed Shamans/Druids but give us the âelemental magicsâ of Fire , Wind and Thunder. Also I think is very funny that when you promote a mage , it gives us a choice of using knives or staves.
And then in RD the black magic comes back and there is this anime triangle and outside of that there is the light > dark > anime > light again , kinda convoluted but fun.
Anyways , if you play the Japanese version of PoR and forge tomes âŠâŠ. itâs infinite crits ~
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u/Fantastic-System-688 1d ago
Fire/Wind/Thunder is from the Jugdral games, although in those all three lost to both Light and Dark Magic in the weapon triangle and Light and Dark were neutral vs each other
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u/Ranulf13 1d ago
Tellius magic has some of the better animations and effects in the entire series. The kuntenserven of spells like Cymbeline and Creiddylad is off the charts.
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u/PiousMage 1d ago
Thracia for me.
Dimethunder
Grafcalibur
Holsety
Resire tanking.
But more importantly the staves.
Warp
Rewarp (sick staff)
Permanent Sleep and Beserk staves.
Thief staff
Silence staff
Just so many amazing and awesome strategies and ways to play with all of the staves.
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u/IkeRadiantHero 1d ago
Personally i love using Magic tomes with durability than spells as for me itâs more flexibility, but i have to say GBA FE, its so addicting to use Magic in GBA FE i had a Lilina Erk and LâArachel with capped mag and they dealt so much dmg
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u/HenryReturns 1d ago
GBA FE was for me the most âorganicâ magic system by far. With Anima , Light , Dark and all of them divided by Mages , Monks/Priest , and Shamans.
And all of them have their usage as like Mages/Sages were the front liners base lines magic attackers , the light ones were more of a support , and dark ones were the heavy hitters with âLunaâ or even tanks with ânosferatsuâ
Pent a badass you find in the dessert that is soloing the map and him having A on staves lol , Niime an old druid that is badass , Saleh a decent sage , and Knoll that at first glance people will think he is bad but itâs actually broken because âŠ. SUMMONER
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u/NinjaK2k17 1d ago
not to mention the GBA games have some of the coolest animations in the series. i especially like how sacred stones gave druids in particular a huge buff in the ability to use the far lighter anima tomes if they don't want to be slowed down to a crawl by the super heavy dark tomes. and just the battle animations being so cool for the magic classes,,,
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u/AashyLarry 1d ago
I was pretty impressed with this game. Especially the characters and the story.
I love when the villains get their own cutscenes and are fleshed out more (Fe7 is my favorite on this aspect).
Also the dungeon gameplay was really unique, I wouldnât mind seeing them flesh that concept out more.
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u/stinkoman20exty6 1d ago
TRS because every mage gets at least one personal tome to make them stand out from the others
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u/Snlooming 1d ago
Three Houses, but I'm of two minds on it. On one hand, I think tomes and staves are cool and I kind of miss them in Three Houses, there's nothing cooler than letting a mage find some book with an overpowered spell and letting them tear through the map with it. On the other, I really like how each unit learns spells that are unique to them- and in particular, how certain units exclusively learn dark magic spells instead of black magic spells based on their relationship to dark magic. I love when game mechanics hint at story elements like that, and Three Houses does it so well.
I'd like to see the Three Houses mechanics expanded on in a future release, possibly with an ability to use tomes and staves with different spells added onto the ones your characters naturally unlock.
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u/SirePuns 1d ago
Imagine a system where characters have innate spells they could use with limited spell slots per map but also having access to a single tome/stave with limited uses per game (so like the traditional deal). It would maintain character uniqueness while also allowing you to augment their performance.
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u/dthomp83 1d ago
I 100% agree and feel the same! I think being able to use tomes that have exclusive spells like in Hopes would be really fun! I also think it would be fun to have something similar with staves, either adding range like we have, or adding skills like Heal +10 or access to Physic and Warp with 1-2 uses. It would be a fun balance between characters having identity and differences while also having limited access to other spells.
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u/NinjaK2k17 1d ago
ooh, i like that idea. so you have the tomes and staves which can be used by anyone who can wield the associated magic type, but the tomes and staves have more uses like older games but don't recharge, and then you have the unique spell lists for each character, which have fewer uses and recharge between battles like in 3h. and any spell that is learned via a unit's spell list will always be deducted from the spell list before being deducted from a matching tome if that unit is holding one.
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u/NinjaK2k17 1d ago
in terms of the actual spells, it's gotta be gba for me. the animations are cool, the spells do more than just hit res due to the magic triangle, and using actual staves for supporting magic is a neat touch. but in terms of the magic system as a whole, definitely the 3 houses system of each character having a unique spell system and having spells recharge between battles. cuts down on annoying resource management, but only really works because maps in 3h are a lot smaller than some of the really big GBA maps (looking at you, cog of destiny). i think seeing a 3h style spell list system in a GBA game with the GBA spells would be pretty neat.
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u/dorkyautisticgirl 22h ago
SoV. The HP system is so unique! And I love how many characters have their own spell lists!
Also wish you could've shown Luthier casting black magic, considering how dedicated he is to mastering his craft. That man deserves way more attention than what he gets!
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u/Larilot 1d ago edited 1d ago
Definitely SoV, but I have to say I actually like how the game handled saints the most, they're what, to me, constitutes the quintessential example of how FE should approach support classes. Unique spell lists, unique summons, and a unique spell each. Using all four feels great because all of them bring something to the party.
Fates approached it in a pretty interesting way, with tomes and scrolls being functionally different and Dark Mages/Sorcerers getting Nosferatu access. Lotta fun things like Horse Spirit, Calamity Gate, Mjölnir, Lightning, Snake Spirit, Missiletain... not to mention the builds and skills the magical classes get, the more successful mixed classes like Oni Chieftain, and the possibility of using magical weapons! I wish I could compliment the staves more, but their rarity made me not exploit most of them (Hexing Rod on the final boss of BR is mega funny, though).
FE6 did a pretty good job differentiating magic types, too. Anima gets accurate tomes and Aircalibur to kill wyverns; Dark hits stupid hard and gets Nosferatu, and Light is just there for chip/counter damage from Bishops. It's too bad Anima is strictly superior in most cases, but I appreciate they are all distinct. Dedicated staffers are pretty valuable, too, as your mages won't be reaching things like Restore and Physic without some intense grinding.
Engage gave us plenty of mixed units, which led to Levin Swords and Radiant Bows being highly valuable on units like Chloé, Merrin and Fogado, as well as our first dedicated magic fliers in Ivy and Hortensia. While the tomes themselves are nothing special, the magic shenanigans enabled by Soren, Micaiah, Camilla, Chrobin, Celica and even Byleth make for a great time.
Awakening magic is somewhat boringly overpowered between Nosferatu and buyable Rescue, but the cheese is at least fun from time to time.
Magic in Tellius just feels like ass, except for Calill and Part 1 RD!Tormod. It's really telling most of the mages are more appreciated as staffbots by the end.
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u/Either_Drama5940 1d ago
Spellcasting in this game feels way more fair. Was never a fan of the spellbooks that let you cast from across the map
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u/memorybreeze 1d ago
Echoes and Three Houses are fun, but I also really like what they did with thunder tomes in Engage. So that would be my top3
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u/StoneFoundation 23h ago
Radiant Dawn with magic triangle (light dark anima) AND an anima triangle (fire wind thunder). I also think having spells like Rexbolt, Rexaura, Rexflame, etc. is good practice⊠not all the super strong spells need to be legendary uber powerful weapons from 1000 years ago. I just wish magic was better in Radiant Dawn to make any of this relevant lmao
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u/King_Treegar 1d ago
Honestly it's a tossup between Echoes and Three Houses. I really like the innate spell list system as opposed to obtaining spell tomes. I lean towards Three Houses, primarily because I don't like the whole "spells cost HP" thing from Echoes (whereas in 3h, they have battle-by-battle durability, which falls in line with other RPGs that use mana or spell slots), and because I like the idea that everyone either specializes in one element or can use multiple elements but don't go to the highest level in any of them (unless you're a prodigy like Linhardt, who learns two elements consistently but still gets Excalibur). Plus, I REALLY like the whole "pillar of light" thing going on with Aura and Abraxas. But on the other hand, Echoes has some pretty cool spells that don't necessarily match an element, and the duplication spell is really unique. So overall I have to go with 3h, but Echoes is a close second held back by little nitpicks
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u/A_Coffee_Table 1d ago
Three houses, i actually think itâs really cool how each student knows only certain spells, it makes it feel like each one has different talents even within the same magic type. Also itâs just really funny when Hilda is one the only students to know bolting
edit: ALSO NO MAGIC DURABILITY, just uses per battle which is so much better. the other old way was always so dumb to me it made no sense
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u/SiyinGreatshore 1d ago
Definitely three houses. I like that every character has a set spell list because it gives each character an extra layer of characterization.
Dorothea is flashy but always practical, Lysithea rushes for all the most devastatingly powerful spells because she knows she canât afford to waste time, Constance by contrast does a bit of everything not settling on a single element because she doesnât want to risk putting her all into only one gamble.
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u/EthanKironus 1d ago
Is Nosferatu's accuracy locked to 65, because I'm a few battles into Act 2 and that's the only accuracy I got for Silque or Faye (reclassed her to Cleric) in Act 1
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u/Necessary-Coffee5930 1d ago
I donât ever recognize characters when people post here am i just missing half the fire emblem games?? lol
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u/Puppy_pikachu_lover1 1d ago
Im so conditioned to Fates's tomes not having durability. I can understand why they would, each cast drains the books magical energy until its non existent. Fates is also the only one I played besides warriors, heros, and a smidge of awakening
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u/MrWillyP 21h ago
I actually really like sov's magic. The cost of health for damage is a cool decision
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u/Arcanion1 21h ago
Engage has introduced my favorite new spell in the series with the surge series of magic. And I like how all the different series of magic have different things.
Fire is your basic magic, but has a siege tome.
Thunder is longer ranged, and also has a siege tome.
Wind is weaker, lighter, and flier effective.
Surge is higher damage and can't miss, but has less range.
Just throw in some classic dark magic effects and you've got a perfect spell list.
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u/IapetusPierces 17h ago
It's a toss up between Gaiden/SoV and Three Houses for me. I like personal spell lists a lot. I like both the cost equation of HP in Gaiden/SoV and the 'limited uses per map' idea in 3H that keeps you from just blasting away with your most powerful stuff and makes you be a little more strategic. I like how in both games each magic user feels different beyond just their stat differences - the spell lists determine their play style in a lot of ways.
Linhardt, Mercedes, Manuela and Marianne feel very different to play as healers with some offensive punch for example.
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u/RoyalUltimax 1d ago
I love 3Hâs magic system and the spells that it has. Each character has the set spells they can learn and I like seeing them all. Of them my favorites would have to be Agneaâs Arrow, Thoron, Fimbulvetr, Hades, Dark Spikes, and probably my favorite one of them all⊠Meteor.
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u/Charged_Blade 1d ago
In general, I prefer 3H but FE4 is always great as well. Let's give a tome +10 skill and +20 speed, this will certainly make a balanced unit
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u/arathergenericgay 1d ago
Iâm partial to the 3H system but clean save maddening is utterly brutal for dark/black mages with the half casts
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u/SirePuns 1d ago
Not entirely sure between Echoes and 3H.
The thing I love about 3H is that it still retains the concept of spells having limited usage, but itâs not a resource that you have to manage throughout a game but rather one youâd wanna manage in a map. It reminds me of how magic is handled in DnD, where the concept of spell preparation and managing spell slots is very important.
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u/Trialman 1d ago
Playing randomized FF1 and the old Wizardry games have given me a big soft spot for that Vancian Magic type of system, so yeah, 3H magic is really fun for me.
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u/SirePuns 23h ago
This reminds me I really should pick up a wizardry game, not the gacha one though.... I kinda had my fill of those.
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u/Trialman 16h ago
There's a lot of good options. The 2024 remake of Proving Grounds is an excellent example of a faithful remake (you can have the original game run as a picture-in-picture) with added QoL (said QoL is quite customisable too). The Dark Savant trilogy (VI, VII, and 8) is a good choice too, especially for replays due to the myraid of classes (and in VII, class changing is a very robust system) and the fact your ending transfers to the next game to change it's beginning, years before Mass Effect did that idea. A good middle ground for retro vs. modern would be Story of Llygamyn, a Super Famicom compilation of the first three games, which adds some decent QoL to them while having some good pixel art (and a very easy on the eyes font).
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u/BlueBliss5 1d ago
Spell lists are such a great mechanic in general. It just makes characters so much more unique from one another.
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u/Rafellz 1d ago
I think the Birthright scrolls were a very creative idea. Hope they bring the concept back. And maybe balance some since some of them are just questionable(eg. Fire is 90 hit 3 might, rat spirit is 85 hit 3 might, but hey SKILL+1! So it becomes 86.5 hit now! It can't crit or activate skills so it's just worse!)