B Slot Skills

The B Slot is arguably one of the most impactful skill slots for defining a unit's role and combat prowess in Fire Emblem Heroes. These skills often dictate how a unit interacts with the combat system, affecting follow-up attacks, damage reduction, debuffs, or even movement. Choosing the right B Slot skill is crucial for optimizing your heroes.

Understanding B Slot Categories

B Slot skills can generally be categorized by their primary function:

Follow-Up Manipulation: Skills that grant or deny follow-up attacks.
Damage Reduction: Skills that reduce incoming damage.
Debuffs/Status Effects: Skills that apply negative effects to foes during or after combat.
Healing/Sustain: Skills that restore HP.
Movement/Positioning: Skills that alter unit movement or position.
Special Cooldown Manipulation: Skills that affect Special charge.

Key B Slot Skills and Their Applications

1. Desperation (3-Star Shanna, Mae, Navarre)

Effect: If unit's HP ≤ 75% at start of combat, unit attacks twice consecutively before foe can counterattack.
Strategy: This skill is a staple for fast offensive units, especially mages and archers, who can initiate combat and eliminate foes without taking a counterattack.
Inheritance:

Shanna (3-star, 4-star): Easily obtainable from the summoning pool. Inherit Desperation 3 from a 4-star Shanna.
Mae (4-star): Also available in the summoning pool.
Navarre (Grand Hero Battle): Can be obtained from his Grand Hero Battle reruns.

Best Used With: Units with high Speed and Attack, often paired with skills that reduce HP (e.g., Fury in the A slot) to quickly activate Desperation's threshold.

2. Vantage (3-Star Lon'qu, Reinhardt, Gordin)

Effect: If unit's HP ≤ 75% at start of combat, foe initiates combat, and unit can counterattack, unit counterattacks before foe can attack.
Strategy: Excellent for units who want to bait and eliminate multiple foes on the enemy phase. It allows them to strike first when their HP is low, often securing KOs before taking damage.
Inheritance:

Lon'qu (3-star, 4-star): Very common in the summoning pool. Inherit Vantage 3 from a 4-star Lon'qu.
Reinhardt (4-star): Provides Vantage 3 at 4-stars.
Gordin (3-star, 4-star): Another common source for Vantage 3.

Best Used With: High Attack units, especially those with Distant Counter (A slot) or Close Counter (A slot) to ensure they can counterattack all foe types. Often combined with Brazen skills (A slot) or skills that boost stats at low HP.

3. Quick Riposte (4-Star Subaki, Klein, Leo)

Effect: If unit's HP ≥ 70% at start of combat, unit automatically makes a follow-up attack if attacked.
Strategy: Ideal for slower, tankier units who need to secure a double attack on the enemy phase. It allows them to deal significant damage without relying on their Speed stat.
Inheritance:

Subaki (4-star): A readily available source for Quick Riposte 3.
Klein (4-star): Provides Quick Riposte 3.
Leo (4-star): Also offers Quick Riposte 3.

Best Used With: High Defense/Resistance units with good Attack, often paired with healing Specials (e.g., Sol, Noontime) or skills that maintain HP thresholds.

4. Chill Skills (e.g., Chill Spd, Chill Atk)

Effect: At start of turn, inflicts [Stat] -7 on foe with the highest [Stat] through its next action.
Strategy: These skills provide valuable debuffs to key enemy units, making them easier to defeat. They are excellent for supporting your team's offensive or defensive capabilities.
Inheritance:

Chill Spd 3: Available from 4-star Walhart (Grand Hero Battle) or 5-star Legendary Lyn.
Chill Atk 3: Available from 4-star Panne (Grand Hero Battle) or 5-star Legendary Marth.
Chill Def 3: Available from 4-star Fallen Delthea (Grand Hero Battle) or 5-star Ophelia.

Best Used With: Support units or units that don't have a strong personal B skill. They can be particularly effective on units that can move freely to ensure the debuff hits the most dangerous target.

5. Lull Skills (e.g., Lull Atk/Spd, Lull Spd/Def)

Effect: Neutralizes foe's bonuses to [Stat 1] and [Stat 2] during combat, and inflicts [Stat 1] -3 and [Stat 2] -3 on foe during combat.
Strategy: Lull skills are incredibly powerful for offensive units, as they effectively remove enemy buffs and apply a debuff simultaneously, significantly boosting your unit's combat performance.
Inheritance: These are premium skills, typically found on newer 5-star exclusive units.

Lull Atk/Spd 3: Available from units like 5-star Claude (Fallen Star).
Lull Spd/Def 3: Available from units like 5-star Dimitri (Azure Lion).

Best Used With: Any offensive unit that wants to maximize their damage output and minimize incoming damage, especially against buffed enemies in modes like Arena or Aether Raids.

6. Special Fighter (4-Star Winter Fae, Winter Sothis)

Effect: If unit's HP ≥ 25% and unit initiates combat or is attacked, grants Special cooldown charge +1 per attack to unit and foe, and inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)
Strategy: A top-tier B skill for Armored units. It allows them to accelerate their own Special cooldown while simultaneously slowing down the foe's, making them incredibly potent in both phases.
Inheritance:

Winter Fae (4-star): Seasonal unit, but often available on Hero Fests or as a 4-star Special Hero.
Winter Sothis (4-star): Another seasonal unit that can be a 4-star Special Hero.

Best Used With: Armored units with high defensive stats and powerful Specials (e.g., Aether, Ignis, Glacies).

7. Null Follow-Up (4-Star Adrift Corrin (F), Say'ri)

Effect: Neutralizes effects that guarantee foe's follow-up attacks and effects that prevent unit's follow-up attacks.
Strategy: This skill is a game-changer against units that rely on guaranteed follow-ups (like many Armors) or those that prevent your follow-ups (like many fast units with Impact skills). It ensures that combat is decided purely by Speed.
Inheritance:

Adrift Corrin (F) (4-star): Can be a 4-star Special Hero.
Say'ri (4-star): Can be a 4-star Special Hero.

Best Used With: Fast offensive units who want to ensure they can double slower foes and prevent faster foes from denying their doubles.

General Tips for B Slot Inheritance

Consider the Unit's Stats: A unit's Speed, Attack, and defensive stats heavily influence which B skills will be most effective. Fast units often prefer Desperation or Null Follow-Up, while slower tanks might opt for Quick Riposte or Special Fighter.
Unit's Role: Is your unit an offensive powerhouse, a defensive wall, or a support unit? The B slot should complement their intended role.
Team Composition: Think about how the B skill interacts with your overall team strategy. Do you need more debuffs, more damage, or more survivability?
Availability: Premium B skills are often locked behind 5-star exclusive units. Prioritize inheriting these to your most invested or powerful heroes. More common skills like Desperation and Vantage are excellent budget options.
Synergy with A and C Slots: A B skill should ideally synergize with the unit's A and C slot skills, as well as their weapon and Special. For example, Desperation pairs well with Fury (A slot) to reach the HP threshold.

Experimentation is key! Don't be afraid to try different B skills to see what works best for your favorite heroes and team compositions.