Armads

Armads
Concept artwork of Armads from Awakening.
First Seen	Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Weapon Type	Axe
Most Common Rank	Varies
Uses	Varies
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“Once you have gained such power… Your life will not end in a comfortable bed. You will die on the battlefield. In the savage garden of war’s bloody delights.”
—Durban warning Hector of Armads' curse.

Armads (アルマーズ Arumāzu) the Thunder Axe (天雷の斧, Tenrai no Ono lit. Axe of Heavenly Thunder) is one of eight Legendary Weapons of Elibe, and is the most formidable Axe in the Elibe Series of Fire Emblem. Forged during the Scouring for the purpose of slaying Manaketes, Armads was first wielded by Durban the Berserker, an individual who later founded the Western Isles.

Background

Armads was forged during the Scouring, and was wielded by Durban. Armads was later sealed in a cave located on the Western Isles following the conclusion of the Scouring.

During the events of The Blazing Blade, the seal imposed on the cave is broken by Bramimond, granting Hector passage into its depths to retrieve Armads. After being subjected to a gruelling trial, Hector succeeds in earning the right to claim the axe. As he attempts to do so, the spirit of Durban emerges, warning him that in doing so, he will not die "peacefully, but in battle". Brashly asserting that he is willing to go to any lengths for Eliwood's sake, Hector assumes ownership of Armads and wields it to end Nergal's influence on Elibe.

Twenty years later, as depicted in The Binding Blade, Durban's warning proves to be true, as Hector, now the leader of the Lycian League, is ultimately killed by wounds inflicted by King Zephiel when he ambushes the Lycian army at Araphen in Chapter 3. At the time, however, Armads is not in Hector's possession, it having been returned to the Western Isles some two decades previously. Subsequent to this tragedy, Roy's army can recover it from its resting place in the isles in Chapter 12x. Any unit with an S-level proficiency in axes can wield the Armads in this game, although it is never specified if any of the wielders will follow after Hector's example and die violently.

The Armads returns in Awakening, where it noticeably assumes a skeletal appearance, with what appears to be an eye in its "head" and the structure of a hand clutching a red orb at its base.

Weapon Stats

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

Name					Type
Armads					Axe
Rank	Uses	Mt	Hit	Crt	Rng	Wt	WEx	Worth
S	20	18	75%	0%	1	13	1	-
Effect
Grants its user a bonus of +5 Defense.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Name					Type
Armads					Axe
Rank	Uses	Mt	Hit	Crt	Rng	Wt	WEx	Worth
Prf*	25	18	85%	0%	1	18	1	-
Effect
Grants its user a bonus of +5 Defense.

* - Preference = Hector

Fire Emblem Awakening

Name				Type
Armads				Axe
Rank	Uses	Mt	Hit	Crt	Rng	WEx	Worth
A	25	17	80%	10%	1	?	-
Effect
Grants its user a bonus of +5 Defense.

Fire Emblem Heroes

• Armads
• Beserk Armads
• Thunder Armads

Name		Type
Armads		Axe
Mt	Rng	SP	Rarity
16	1	400	✯✯✯✯✯
Effect
Hector makes a guaranteed follow-up attack when attacked at HP ≥ 80%.

Name		Type
Beserk Armads		Axe
Mt	Rng	SP	Rarity
16	1	400	✯✯✯✯✯
Effect
Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). If Hector's HP ≤ 75% and Special triggers by attacking, Special cooldown count-1 at start of turn. Deals +10 damage when Special triggers.

Name		Type
Beserk Armads		Axe
Mt	Rng	SP	Rarity
16	1	400	✯✯✯✯✯
Effect
Grants Def+3. If the number of allies within 2 spaces of Hector > the number of foes within 2 spaces (excluding target), foe cannot make a follow-up attack.

Item Locations

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

Method	Location
Event	Ch. 12x - End of chapter.

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Method	Location
Inventory	Athos

Fire Emblem Awakening

Method	Location
Treasure	Xeno. 15 - Random from Chest.
SpotPass Bonus Item	Available for download from the following dates onwards: 30 August 2012 JP 7 February 2013 NA 1 August 2013 EU

Etymology

The name "Armads" comes from Almace, the legendary sword of Archbishop Turpin, one of Charlemagne's Twelve Peers. Durban is also an alteration of the name Turpin, making the pairing of Durban and Armads fit in nicely with the legend.

Trivia

• Armads is displayed behind Durandal on the title screen in The Blazing Blade.
• When equipped by Hector, Armads displays unique attack and critical attack animations which seem to reflect on its unusual size and weight; a unique song, called Blessing of the Eight Generals, also plays.
• If Hector has not yet been promoted when he equips Armads (which can only be done in Eliwood's mode), he is not given an alternate attacking animation.
• In Awakening, Armads' appearance is akin to a scythe.
  • On another note, Armads is also the only one of the Eight Legendary Weapons of Elibe to make an appearance in Awakening.
• In Heroes, Armads has reverted back to its appearance from The Blazing Blade instead of retaining its skeletal design from Awakening, likely due to it being possessed by Hector in his era.

Gallery

Official artwork of Armads from The Blazing Blade.

Armads, as it appears in the logo for The Blazing Blade.

Animation of Hector attacking with Armads from The Blazing Blade.

Hector wielding Armads in Awakening.

In-game sprite of Armads in Heroes.