Image: Nintendo via HGG / Dominic Allain
Dominic loves to completely immerse himself in RPGs, then break them apart by modding and speedrunning them.
Reviewed by Jeffrey Hsu
Fire Emblem Engage has a wide variety of weapons, some made for specialist roles, and others for general use. As the game progresses, your arsenal of weapons expands, and you’ll need to know the best gear to bring for each chapter.
These are the best weapons in Fire Emblem Engage, and you should aim to acquire them as soon as possible.
10 Best Weapons in FE: Engage, Ranked Good to Best
You’ll want to keep a few weapons around to fulfill different roles, but these are the ones you’ll find the most use out of. Some weapons will be grouped together because they fulfill the same role.
10/10
Silver Dagger
Daggers contend as one of the best weapon classes in Fire Emblem Engage due to their 1-2 tile range, insane scaling with forges, and the ability to poison enemies. Unlike other weapons, there are few variants of daggers, mostly sticking to a Slim – Iron – Steel – Silver hierarchy. This makes it easy to pick the best of the bunch.
Technically, the Cinquedea is stronger, but it cannot be acquired until Chapter 25, which is the second to last chapter in the game. On the other hand, a Silver Dagger can be acquired right when the Smithy becomes available in Chapter 6, assuming you can spend the resources. For a weapon that is not much weaker, its availability is unbeatable.
This weapon can carry you through the early parts of the game with its solid overall stats. Even in the mid-game, it still serves as a reliable workhorse against non-armored enemies when forged.
Unfortunately, the classes that can wield daggers tend to hold them back. The Thief and Wolf Knight do not have stellar Strength growths, and neither do any of their natural counterparts. As the game progresses and enemy defenses quickly rise, you will find these units struggling to deal significant damage.
9/10
Ridersbane/Poleaxe
As you progress through Fire Emblem Engage, you will run into an ever-increasing number of cavalry units. The Ridersbane and Poleaxe can deal effective damage to them, tripling their base 8 Might to 24 against them. This makes it easier to defeat enemy cavalry in a single round, leaving others in your army free to deal with remaining foes.
Some of the deadliest foes you’ll face are enemy Wolf Knights. With their high Speed, multi-range attacks, and Hobble skill, they will be a thorn in your side from the moment they appear. You will appreciate having tools like these handy to easily dispatch them. These weapons also serve as an effective means of dealing with enemy Mage Knights and Paladins that you will encounter.
The Ridersbane and Poleaxe edge out the Armorslayer and Hammer in our rankings since armored units’ defenses will eventually outpace even effective damage. By comparison, anti-cavalry weapons remain useful for longer since cavalry units’ defenses don’t reach the same heights.
8/10
Smash Weapons
Smash weapons are unique weapons with special properties in combat. Blades, Greatlances, and Greataxes each fall under this category, as well as certain Engage weapons.
When initiating combat with a Smash weapon, the opponent strikes first, doubling if applicable. The Smash weapon user always attacks last and only attacks once. In return, Smash weapons are able to push enemies back a space, inflicting Break on the enemy if they collide with a wall or unit. They also have much higher Might than standard weapons.
These weapons are decent on their own, but they make amazing weapons to wield on the enemy phase. If the Smash weapon user is attacked, the normal flow of combat applies, although the Smash weapon still can’t double. Because of the high Might on Smash weapons, your units will deliver powerful counterattacks with little downside.
Their high Might also makes them the best option for Engage Attacks. These attacks usually have special mechanics that make all weapon stats irrelevant, save for their Might. At that point, Smash weapons are the best in terms of raw power.
7/10
Longbow
When comparing weapons, range is always a crucial factor as it determines your positioning, enemy counterattacks, and chain attacking in Fire Emblem Engage. Standing above all in this regard is the Longbow, which is one of the few weapons that can attack at 3 ranges.
Only enemies with Thunder tomes or other Longbows can counterattack a Longbow, making it an incredibly safe option for chipping at enemies and allowing you to strike from advantageous map positions.
Longbows are especially useful for Warriors, who are the only bow-wielding class capable of chain attacking. With Longbows, their chain attack range extends to 3 tiles, allowing them to chip at enemies much more frequently.
Although the Longbow struggles with consistent hit rates, and its lower Might becomes a liability as the game progresses, its increased range and chain attack ability will never become obsolete, making it a valuable weapon to keep at hand.
6/10
Thoron
Thunder tomes serve as the magical counterparts of Longbows, with Thoron being the strongest of them all. It shares the same advantages as the Longbow but typically deals more damage, as most enemies have weaker Resistance stats than Defense. Thoron is most effective when used by slow, high Magic mages due to its primary disadvantage.
The downside of Thoron and other thunder tomes is their inability to double unless specific circumstances are met. Only Olwen’s S rank Bond Ring comes with the Dire Thunder skill, enabling the basic Thunder tome to always double attack. It’s better to use Thunder if you happen to obtain this ring through luck or game exploitation. Otherwise, aim to acquire Thoron whenever possible.
5/10
Spear/Tomahawk
Like the previous weapons, the Tomahawk and Spear gain significant advantages from their flexible range. The added range can also help units reach distant enemies that would otherwise be just out of reach. With Spears and Tomahawks, your units can chip away or even kill far-off foes.
The same applies to enemy phase, where they can retaliate against Archers or Mages. Though not as damaging as Silver or Killer weapons, the extra range allows for damage to be spread out across more enemies. This makes it easier for your army to clean up once your turn begins.
Throwing weapons also expand the range of backup units’ chain attacks. This means you won’t have to be as precise when positioning units for additional chip damage.
If you prefer a lighter option, Javelins and Hand Axes offer the same ranged capabilities but with less Might.
4/10
Levin Sword
The Levin Sword stands out among 1-2 range weapons as a magical weapon, utilizing the Magic and Resistance stats for calculating damage. Not only is it the only option for swords to have ranged attacks, but it also serves as a potent pocket option against armored enemies.
Due to armored units’ high Defense, even effective damage from Armorslayers may not be effective, but their Resistance tends to be drastically weaker. With the Levin Sword’s high Might, it might be preferable for a unit to attack with it, even if they have a low Magic stat.
Certain units with high growth rates in both Magic and Strength are ideal candidates to use the Levin Sword as a primary weapon. Characters such as Celine and Chloe fit this role, naturally advancing into classes that can wield both swords and magic.
3/10
Radiant Bow
The Radiant Bow, similar to the Levin Sword, is a magical-attacking bow. While most natural Archers, aside from Fogado, may lack high Magic, the bow compensates with a staggeringly high Might of 19.
As soon as you acquire this weapon, it becomes your best option for defeating enemy Griffin and Wyvern Knights. Units won’t even require high Magic to fulfill this role, as the weapon’s huge base Might is tripled to 57 against these enemies.
Apart from obliterating fliers, the Radiant Bow also enables Archers to inflict significant damage against armored enemies that would resist other bows. While this weapon may not be ideal for general combat, it reigns supreme as a specialized killer.
2/10
Brave Weapons
Brave weapons, despite having a higher weapon rank, have lower Might than other weapons of their class. However, what makes them some of the best weapons in Fire Emblem Engage is their built-in ability to double enemies. If a unit initiates combat with a Brave weapon, they will attack twice in a row before the enemy can counterattack. If that unit can double, then it becomes a quadruple attack.
Any unit with high Strength will appreciate the extra attacks, especially if their Speed is low. It can allow for one-round kills that would not otherwise be possible or ensure that a unit doesn’t get counterattacked.
Unfortunately, Brave weapons are quite heavy, slowing down units without good Build to compensate. This makes it harder to quadruple attack enemies, which is critical for these weapons to perform well with their low Might. Also, they require a weapon rank of A, so not every class can make use of them.
If they can find ways to compensate for the weight, Alcryst and Timerra make amazing use of Brave weapons. The extra attacks give additional chances for their unique class skills to activate, which can add up to a lot of damage.
1/10
Killer Weapons
The overall best weapons in Fire Emblem Engage are the various Killer weapons. These weapons offer a slight reduction in Might compared to Silver weapons in exchange for an increased crit chance. With a base crit chance of 30-40%, which can be further enhanced with the addition of crit engravings and high Dexterity, players can strategically plan their turns around landing critical hits.
Even without engravings, it’s likely that at least one critical hit will land if the unit can double enemies. This makes it easier to defeat enemies in one round, particularly in the late game when enemy defenses are high. In situations where a crit doesn’t happen, the extra Might of a Silver weapon would typically still not be enough to secure a kill.
However, the Killer Lance is an exception to this rule and should be avoided. It has drastically reduced Might compared to its Silver variant, so it’s better to use a Brave or Silver Lance instead.
One of the advantages of Killer weapons is their ease of use. They only require a weapon rank of C, allowing any unit to wield them. Additionally, Killer weapons have low Weight compared to other strong weapons, so units with low Build won’t suffer a significant reduction in Speed.
Join the High Ground!
If you’re still craving more power, take one of these weapons to the Smithy and forge it up. Either way, keeping these weapons close will help you tackle any situation Fire Emblem Engage can throw at you.
Do you feel that any other weapons should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to subscribe to our news letter for more Fire Emblem Engage guides and other gaming content.
Happy gaming!
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