This is an age-old question, isn’t it? How do I keep from wasting my time with training the wrong person to be an archer? The fun thing about Fire Emblem: Three Houses is that you have a bunch of units, allowing you to branch out with what kind of builds you want to create. In this game, you have the choice of several different units to take in the direction of bows. Here are some of my favorites choices:
5. Ignatz
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Thanks to his speed, Ignatz goes in for a critical hit.
Perhaps the best thing about Ignatz is his personal ability, Watchful Eye. For those of you that don’t know, personal abilities are skills that only this one specific unit can have. Ignatz’s is Watchful Eye. This skill grants the user hit +20, which is a major plus when it comes to any unit.specially archers.
Though it may take some time and effort to train his strength to where you want it to be, having him master Archer will be essential to your run. Archer mastery will give you an extra +20 hit skill, which will pair nicely with whatever Advanced class you decide to run. This means that Ignatz will have a hit +40 overall! That’s some insane accuracy.
Use Ignatz if:
You don’t mind putting in a bit of extra work
You want someone who will be incredibly accurate with attacks
You know you want to master Archer with him
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Ignatz
4. Felix
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Felix is always ready for a fight, and he will lead you to victory.
What can’t he do? If it isn’t obvious by reading some of my other articles (linked below), Felix is best boi. You may think he may be a strange choice as an archer if this is your first time playing through Three Houses. But I can assure you that he is an excellent choice to pick up a bow.
With proficiencies in swords, bows, and brawling, he can excel in several classes - archers and swordsmen and brawlers, oh my!If you’re looking to add an archer to your team, Felix is a high strength unit that can easily crit thanks to his crests. The only downside is I like Felix so much as a War Master, it’s hard to want to move him to another class!
Use Felix if:
You want a unit that can excel in almost any class he is put in
You want a unit with a strong crit ability
You don’t want to deal with a battalion (his Lone Wolf ability is activated when not paired with a battalion)
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Felix
3. Shamir
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Have no fear, Shamir is here!
Shamir has a lot going for her. She can be recruited as early as chapter 6, no matter what route you are on. She will also already have sniper minimums, even if your class may have only just reached the intermediate certification level. This makes her an excellent unit to add to your team.
Thanks to her high level and strengths in bows and lances, she will immediately be able to contribute to your group. She will also be able to quickly pick up Hunter’s Volley! Shamir also has decent strength growth. And her personal ability Survival Instinct pairs well with her growth - it temporarily boosts her stats if she defeats an enemy on her phase.
Use Shamir if:
You want an excellent early game archer
You want a beginner-friendly archer
You know you want a unit that will go down the sniper path
You want a unit with a solid personal ability
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Shamir
2. Bernadetta
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She is giving you the ax... with a bow.
Oh Bernie – so nervous, yet so deadly. She is probably going to be the best bows user on your team if you are not doing the Golden Deer route.
Her personal ability, Persecution Complex, grants her increased damage if her health is not full. This is an excellent pairing with Vengeance - a combat art that increases the user’s overall damage as they take more damage over time. Vengeance can be learned by getting a C+ rank in lances, which Bernadetta happens to be strong in. This gives her the option to be a deadly Bow Knight, Sniper or Assassin.
Use Bernadetta if:
You are not on the Golden Deer route (and maybe even if you are!)
You want to create a build that can do lots of damage with ample planning
You want a unit that can fit into different bow classes
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Bernadetta
1. Claude
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One bow to rule them all.
This is a no-brainer – Claude is easily one of the best archers in the game. The problem with him, however, is you can only get him if you pick the Golden Deer route. Still, if you are on that route, make sure to work on him because he can become one powerful unit. He has a budding talent with axes, which is excellent paired with the Brigand/Fighter/Warrior stat growths. Plus, paired with his Heroes’ Relic, he is hard to stop.
Use Claude if:
You are doing the Golden Deer Route
You want a unit with a strong special class
You want a unit with high crits
More information: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Claude
