Archer

The Archer (アーチャー Āchā) is a combat physical class that recurrently appears across the Fire Emblem Series. Archers are foot soldiers carrying Bows to launch assaults on their foes at a range without fear of counterattacks. This is, however, offset by the fact that Archers are unable to attack from one space away under normal circumstances, making them vulnerable on Enemy Phases. While low on HP and Defense, owing to their ability to strike from afar, Archers will prove to be assets to the player so long as they are properly guarded before the Player Phase is ended.

History in the Series
In their original inception in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, the Archer class promotes into the more powerful Sniper class, enhancing their strengths and often rounding out their weak points (such as low HP and Defense).

In Gaiden, Archers act as one of the promoted forms of the Villager class, and can later be further promoted into the Sniper class and later the Bow Knight class.

In Genealogy of the Holy War, the Archer class is temporarily retired, with its role taken up by the Bow Fighter class instead.

Both Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 and TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga feature the Archer class as an enemy-exclusive class. The playable version, like in Genealogy of the Holy War, takes the form of the Bow Fighter class.

The Archer class formally returns to the series as a playable unit in The Binding Blade, where it yet again promotes into the Sniper class.

In The Sacred Stones, Archers are further given the option to promote into Rangers alongside Snipers, a mounted class that possesses balanced stats and can engage in close-range melee combat with Swords.

In Radiant Dawn, the Archer ( 弓兵アーチャー Āchā) promotes into Sniper and thereafter into Marksman when the necessary requirements are met.

This trait resurfaces in Awakening, where Archers are further given the option to promote into Bow Knights alongside Snipers.

In Fates, the Archer class is known as the Bow User (弓使い Yumi tsukai) in the Japanese version, where it is treated as a Hoshidan class. Considered the counterpart to the Nohrian Outlaw class, Archers are able to promote into Kinshi Knights alongside Snipers, the first flying Bow-wielding class to appear in the series.

Combat
While Archers are capable of attacking most Sword, Lance, or Axe users without being counterattacked, any enemy in range can easily move in and fearlessly launch attacks on them; not being able to counterattack at melee range is an inherent downside of the class. This thus necessitates proper cover and support to be ceded to them. In this regard, any type of ground unit, preferably one with at least moderate Defense, will fill the role rather well.

Archers are also strong against flying units such as Pegasus Knights, and drawing these enemies into their firing range will therefore save the player plenty of trouble in the later stages of any given battle that they are engaging. In Gaiden, Archers are able to attack enemies from three spaces away, as well as being able to counterattack melee fighters, as opposed to the usual two.

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light/Shadow Dragon

 * Gordin - Archer of Altea. The youngest of the Altean Knights, who dreams of becoming a Sniper.
 * Tomas - Member of the Akaneia Knights, who was captured and imprisoned in the palace.
 * Norne - A volunteer soldier from Altea, who appears in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.

Gaiden

 * Python - One of the members of Clive's Sofia Liberation Army on Alm's route.
 * Leon - One of Valbar's members battles Grieth's pirates in the Pirate's Fortress on Celica's route.

Mystery of the Emblem

 * Ryan - Gordin's younger brother.

The Binding Blade

 * Wolt - An archer serving Pherae. Roy's milk-brother.
 * Dorothy - A girl from Etruria serving the Elimine church.

The Blazing Blade

 * Wil - A youth from Pherae, in the Lycian League. Very social.
 * Rebecca - A youth from Pherae. Very helpful and bright.

The Sacred Stones

 * Neimi - A childhood friend of Colm who hails from Renais. She cries a lot.

Path of Radiance

 * Rolf - Member of the Greil Mercenaries and the youngest brother of Oscar and Boyd. He is a gentle and bright boy.

Radiant Dawn

 * Leonardo - An archer of noble birth, whose family was destroyed by war. His personality rarely shows, since he is quiet and rarely talks. A serious and thoughtful person. He regularly nags his daydreaming partner, Edward.

Awakening

 * Virion - A noble archer from a fallen country in Valm and a member of Chrom's Shepherds force.
 * Noire - Tharja's daughter from the future.

Fates

 * Takumi - The youngest prince of Hoshido.
 * Kiragi - Takumi's son, a prince of Hoshido.
 * Setsuna - Born to a noble house in Hoshido and is a subordinate of Hinoka.

Trivia

 * The Archer class is unused in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. It can be seen if cheats or hacking is done the class has a C rank in Bows so it can be assumed that it was going to be a lesser version of the Bow Fighter class. If the class is brought into battle, the game will freeze.

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