Everything You Need To Know About Fire Emblem Fates’ Royal Royale

After taking a break last week, due to the official release of the Revelation route, Fire Emblem Fates’ DLC has resumed with Royal Royal. This is a map that may be of interest to many, as it brings a class that gives one of Fire Emblem: Awakening’s best skills to the game: Galeforce. Though, some may already have it, due to Path bonuses.

Fire Emblem Fates’ Royal Royale is a preset match, much like the Beach Brawl DLC released on February 25, 2016. Where that map allowed people to pick one Hoshido or Nohr sibling and their retainer to back, in exchange for an illustration that would show that sibling enjoying a beach vacation, this one has you pick one of the Hoshido or Nohr princesses to earn the Dread Fighter or Dark Falcon class. This means you’ll be using preset characters to complete a challenge, with Hoshido siblings giving you one Dread Scroll and Nohr siblings giving you one Ebon Wing.

The map begins with the Rainbow Sage explaining how he called Elise, Camilla, Sakura, and Hinoka to aid Corrin. However, it isn’t the Corrin they know. It’s a Corrin from the Ongoing World, which is still in the midst of war, while these three sisters are from the Finished World. They all agree to help, at which he says the four brothers from Hoshido and Nohr have all already agreed as well. The siblings must all fight one another to see who is strongest. The Rainbow Sage will then tap into that power and send it to the Corrin that’s in danger to aid him or her.

Once you decide whether you’ll fight as Nohr or Hoshido and pick a sibling, the battle will begin. You’ll control a group that includes the sibling you chose and their two retainers. All parties are preset, with the royal family member at level 10 and retainers at level 8 of an advanced class. In the case of Team Camilla, Camilla is a Malig Knight with Camilla’s Axe, Ragnarok, and a Talisman, Selena is a Bow Knight with a Blessed Bow, Selena’s Blade, and a Concoction, and Beruka is a Wyvern Lord with Beruka’s Axe, a spear, and a Shell Horn. You have to face the eight other siblings and their retainers, who are all at similar levels. Opposing siblings and their retainers will drop permanent stat boosting and temporary healing items like a Goddess Icon, Shell Horn, Azura’s Salve, Draco Shield, Allegro Harp, Speedwing, Concoction, Secret Book, Spirit Dust, Energy Drop, and Seraph Robe. There are also Dragon Veins on the map that allow you to duplicate all allies and halt foes for one turn. Winning gets you the Dread Scroll or Ebon Wing mentioned earlier. More of these class changing items can be earned by replaying the map. Unlike other maps, this one does not take Phoenix Mode into account. You will get a game over if your character and his or her retainers die.

The Dread Scroll, which is also available as a Path Bonus for purchasing two storylines, turns someone into a Dread Fighter. This class can be leveled up to level 40, much like the Butler/Maid class. It isn’t a gender-locked class, and people who are Dread Fighters use swords, axes, and shurikens. It learns Even Keel, which protects against 4 less damage on even turns, Iron Will, which reduces magic damage by 4 if an enemy initiates an attack with a magical spell, Clarity, which heals status effects twice as fast, and Aggressor, which adds +7 damage when the unit initiates an attack. Since making Asugi a Dread Fighter, I’ve noticed his strength and resistance stats were higher than before.

The Ebon Wing, which is also a Path Bonus for purchasing all three storylines, turns a character into a Dark Falcon. This is a pegasus knight capable of using lances and magic. Like the Dread Fighter and Butler/Maid, it also caps out at level 40 (without Eternal Seals). It learns Speed +2, Rally Movement, which increases movement range for allies in a three tile radius by 3, Relief, which restores 20% HP if no other units are in a 3 tile radius, and Galeforce, which allows a unit to act again if they defeat a unit that turn. Galeforce is the selling point for this unit, naturally. I made both Elise and Azura Dark Falcons as soon as possible, and while Azura’s magic stat never really flourished in the role, Elise is an incredible example of a perfect Dark Falcon. At level 50, her overall rating is 195, with her magic at 38, her speed maxed out at 37, her luck maxed out at 34, and her resistance at 39.

Fire Emblem Fates is immediately available for the Nintendo 3DS. Royal Royale is $2.49, unless you purchased the Map Pack 1 for $17.99. If you did purchase the Map Pack 1, go to the Dragon Gate in-game and choose Purchase Content. The game will then update, adding Royal Royale.