Bard



The Bard (バード) class saw most of its use in the Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games. There are two different types of Bards, each branching from different games. At first in the games Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu and Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, Bards were basically Mages although they could use Light magic before promotion, however like regular Mages they promoted into Sages.

The later Bards, the ones that appeared in the Gameboy Advance games were more or less Dancers. Elphin and Nils, both had the ability to Play a song that allowed another separate unit to move again after it was played. This is basically the same ability Dancers have in the Fire Emblem games.

It should also be noted that Nils can not be used after chapter 10 of the game he is in, he is replaced in a later level by his sister Ninian, a Dancer who will join at the same level and with the same stats Nils had from before. Later on, Ninian becomes unavailable, and Nils will rejoin with the same level and stats that Ninian had, though he will not give or receive any bonuses from being near a unit that Ninian had support with.

Bards, like dancers are often approached with skepticism by players of the Fire Emblem series. The most common point made against the use of Bards is that 'You could just send into battle another strong unit for the one the Bard could make move again'. Also Bards are, though high in speed, relatively weak defensively and should be kept away from battle as they would easily die in very few attacks. This reduces their usefulness in battle. However, it must be noted that if you wish to train a single unit, or only train one healer, a bard can help you achieve this more easily.

No Bards have appeared in the newer games: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance or Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, although the first game listed did have Tethys a Dancer unit. Also, Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn had Heron Laguz, who serve the Dancer/Bard purpose.

Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu

 * HP: 80
 * Str: 15
 * Mag: 22
 * Skl: 22
 * Spd: 25
 * Lck: 30
 * Def: 18
 * Res: 22

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

 * HP:80
 * Mag:20
 * Skl:20
 * Spd:20
 * Lck:30
 * Def:20
 * Res:20

Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi

 * HP: 60
 * Str: 20
 * Skl: 20
 * Spd: 20
 * Lck: 30
 * Def: 20
 * Res: 20
 * Con: 20

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken

 * HP: 60
 * Str: 10
 * Skl: 10
 * Spd: 30
 * Lck: 30
 * Def: 24
 * Res: 26
 * Con: 20

Seison no Keifu

 * Levn: The prince of Silesia, who left Silesia after his father's death.

Thracia 776

 * Homer: A traveling bard and womanizer

Fūin no Tsurugi

 * Elphin: The tactician of the Western Isle's rebellion, actually Prince Mildain of Etruria.

Rekka no Ken

 * Nils: The brother of Ninian.