Fire Emblem Engage has finally been released, and it's really good. The game is fresh, vibrant, and follows the basic series formula without any drastic alterations. One of Fire Emblem Engage’s biggest strengths is the gameplay and map design; this definitely stands out in a similar vein to Fire Emblem Fates Conquest and Shadow Dragon. It's tough but varied, challenging, and enjoyable.
Fire Emblem Engage has a Maddening mode on release, and this has excited lots of players, more hardcore and long-standing fans want to use this mode as a new challenge, while newer fans of the series see it as an opportunity to flex their own tactical skills and dive straight into the deep end. This mode is really difficult, and players can easily find themselves lost and beaten, so it's important to keep this tips in mind to have a good run.
6 Don’t Go Charging In
This would seem like quite an obvious tip, but for most players, especially those who play on easier difficulties, this is important to remember. Fire Emblem Engage features a lot of flying and mounted units than can swoop in from flanks and decimate the player's army. The way the maps are designed would make players think the best choice is to go through the center, but this is bait in higher difficulties.
Players are much better for stalling, thinning down the enemy forces a bit, and then, judging on the map state, decide to either go around the map, picking out stragglers and then going through the center or just rushing in brute force instead. For Maddening mode, especially the mid-game chapters, the former is the much better choice.
5 Don’t Be Afraid To Use The Crutch
Almost every Fire Emblem game has a few character archetypes; the most prevalent and famous of these is the ‘Jagen’ archetype. This features a unit players get very early on who’s from a promoted class, has much better stats than other units, and has better weapon ranks and utility too. These units usually fall off quickly, but players should not underestimate their importance in the early game.
Vander falls into this archetype for Fire Emblem Engage, and it's important for success on Maddening mode to use him as a tank to whittle down enemies for the player's weaker units to finish out and also to get players out of tough situations. While it's advised not to use Vander too much, he should be an important part of any army during the Maddening mode early game. He has uses in Chapters 10-12 as well, especially as a supportive unit for Alear.
4 Engage Mode is Key
The new feature in Fire Emblem Engage allows players to pair their units with heroes from past Fire Emblem games using emblem rings; this adds to unique battle animations, gives bonuses, allows players to inherit different skills from these past protagonists, and, most importantly Engage Mode.
Engage mode takes a couple of turns to charge up, and then it lasts for three turns. In these three turns, fused units have access to engage attacks, engage weapons, and unique skills. For example, using the Celica emblem ring on Celine would give her access to ‘Warp Ragnarok.’ On Maddening mode, it's important for players to utilize engage mode as much as they can to thin out enemies and to simply survive; saving it for bosses is a pitfall to be avoided.
3 Keep a Balanced Army
It's very easy to fall into the common trap of focusing on one or two units players love and ignoring everyone else. While this works just fine on normal mode and is workable on Hard Mode too, this strategy is horrible for Maddening and would just lead units to an early grave.
It is vital to use a variety of units and build them up quickly before the difficulty spikes in the mid-game. Players should ensure their army is full of balance, most units should be around the same level, and armies should have a variety of different classes; at least one sword user, one axe user, and multiple lance users. Beyond this, players should keep at least one tanky unit, a couple of mounted units, and as many utility units as they can hold. Note, as players already use Alear every battle, and probably Diamant too, other sword users are not necessary.
2 Healing Is Vital
Healers are a staple in Fire Emblem; in fact, they’re a staple in nearly every Strategy RPG out there, and somehow they’re still underrated. Players can not go through Maddening mode without a couple of healers to support their frontline.
One is necessary, but it is recommended to have two, with one acting as an auxiliary healer (such as Ivy). Beyond this, vulneraries are a must and should ideally be equipped on every unit. Using Fort tiles and Engage meter tiles is also recommended.
1 Never Forget the Weapon Triangle
The Weapon Triangle is a staple of the series, and while it was absent in Fire Emblem Three Houses, it's back here with a bang. The typical weapon triangle also has a new ‘break’ feature; disadvantaged units can lose the chance to do a follow-up attack for an entire phase of combat.
This could be fatal on Maddening mode. Just as a reminder, Swords beat Axes, Axes beat Lances, and Lances beat Swords. Moreover, fists beat all neutral weapons. Just as a final tip, Lances are and always have been the most useful weapon type to have in higher difficulties in every Fire Emblem game.
Fire Emblem Engage is now available for the Nintendo Switch.