Building Support Ranks Explained — Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Guide

Building Support Ranks Explained

Support ranks in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave are a vital mechanic that goes beyond mere character interaction; they directly impact combat effectiveness. By fostering relationships between your units, you unlock passive bonuses and unique dialogue, deepening both the gameplay and the narrative.

Support ranks are built through proximity on the battlefield and through specific interactions in the base camp. When two units stand adjacent to each other for multiple turns during combat, their support level increases. The closer they are, and the longer they remain near each other, the faster their support grows. This encourages strategic positioning, as you'll want to pair units that have the potential for strong support.

In the base camp, you can further cultivate these relationships. Engaging in conversations with characters, participating in activities like training or crafting, and even gifting items can contribute to building support. Some games feature specific "Support Conversations" that trigger at certain rank levels, offering insights into the characters' personalities, backstories, and motivations. These conversations are not only for flavor but also often lead to significant support rank increases.

There are typically several levels of support, often denoted by letters such as C, B, A, and S. Each level unlocks progressively stronger passive bonuses when the supported units are adjacent on the battlefield. These bonuses can include:

• Hit Rate Boost: Increases the chance of landing an attack.
• Avoid Rate Boost: Increases the chance of dodging an enemy attack.
• Critical Hit Rate Boost: Increases the chance of landing a critical hit.
• Critical Evade Boost: Increases the chance of evading an enemy's critical hit.
• Damage Boost: Increases the amount of damage dealt.
• Damage Reduction: Decreases the amount of damage taken.

The specific bonuses and their magnitude vary depending on the characters involved. Some pairs might offer complementary bonuses, while others might provide more general stat boosts.

The highest level of support, often "S-Rank," is typically reserved for romantic relationships and can only be achieved between Corrin and a select few characters. Achieving S-Rank often unlocks unique dialogue and sometimes even unique heirs in future installments, though in Fortune's Weave, it primarily sifies a deep bond.

Prioritizing support building can significantly turn the tide of difficult battles, making your army more resilient and deadly. It encourages you to think about unit placement not just for tactical advantage, but also for fostering these crucial relationships.