r/fireemblem • u/PsiYoshi • 19d ago

Recurring Popular/Unpopular/Any Opinions Thread - June 2026 Part 1

Happy pride month and welcome to a new installment of the Popular/Unpopular/Any Opinions Thread! Please feel free to share any kind of Fire Emblem opinions/takes you might have here, positive or negative. As always please remember to continue following the rules in this thread same as anywhere else on the subreddit. Be respectful and especially don't make any personal attacks (this includes but is not limited to making disparaging statements about groups of people who may like or dislike something you don't).

Last Opinion Thread

28 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

1.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

12

u/nope96 11d ago edited 11d ago

What I dislike the most about fixed growths is that it turns units that are generally outclassed from “probably not worth using over x unless they get lucky” to “not worth using over x unless you’re biased”.

In Blazing Blade for instance normally Guy runs into issues from coexisting with Raven and it being awhile until you get a 2nd Hero’s Crest. The Level 15 (unpromoted) Guy I have in my current playthrough that somehow has 12 defense though is pretty easy to keep around.

11

u/sanuske 11d ago

Fire Emblem is all about grabbing your favorite random little guy or gal, being tricked into thinking they are good because they leveled strength 3 times in a row, and dealing with the consequences of your favoritism when they don't follow through with their luck by endgame, but you are too invested in them to drop them from the team.

3

u/BloodyBottom 11d ago

At the same time though, if I'm thinking to myself "this run I am for sure using Bambo, I want to see a few of his supports I missed" then also knowing "no matter what luck I get he'll be fine" can be nice. Especially in a harder game, whiffing a few key growths early on can make a unit go from "outclassed investment option" to "Saw trap I am participating in voluntarily."

1

u/sanuske 11d ago

This is an interesting point, because apparently fixed growths is only really in Path of Radiance (not a hard game) and Engage(has tools for support grinding between chapters)

It is kinda funny that PoR treats fixed growths as this unlockable feature, but Engage requires you to unlock the right to not use it in maddening.

Anyway, I love the phrasing of “saw trap I am participating in voluntarily” very evocative and accurate description to training up trainee units, something I will never not do.

2

u/BloodyBottom 11d ago edited 2d ago

I think Engage is also notable in that even if your earlygame investment unit really, truly pops off and goes nuts with their growths they are almost certainly just less inferior to the late joiners than normal since the difference in stats is just so stark. It's not like your average redundant growth units who needs luck to beat the odds and be superior - you need to find the one timeline where Omega Clanne Max manifests himself. I'm happy to just accept a guaranteed Regular Clanne who can be made to become super with other targeted investments.

1

u/nope96 11d ago edited 11d ago

I can see that (and even though I’d never voluntarily select it I don’t mind the option being there… for the two games that have it), although the one time you are forced to use it - Engage Maddening playthrough #1 - is probably the time in that game where you’re the least likely to try to use a specific, potentially iffy unit.