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FE17 Class Change

A Class Change Screen in Fire Emblem Engage

Class Changing (クラスチェンジ), often referred to as Promotion, is the process through which a character advances from their current class into a new class of a higher tier. Not to be confused with Reclassing.

Overview[]

Class Change is a mechanic key to character growth and advancement. In basic terms, all playable units have classes that define their roles and functions in combat. Classes exist in a tiered structure, and units in lower-tier classes can promote to a class of the next tier upward assuming all of the criteria for changing classes are met.

Most commonly, a lower-tier or base class has a specific higher-tier, or advanced class that a unit can promote into. Depending on the game, however, units may have two or more options for promotion classes per class tier. Characters may join the player's roster having already been promoted into an advanced class, and some games feature characters in classes that exist outside of a promotion track and do not allow for changing classes at all.

Effects of Class Change[]

While specific effects vary from game to game, at least some of the effects that may occur when a character changes classes are as follows:

  • The class change increases the character's stats to a greater degree than a standard Level Up.
  • An increased Movement.
  • New weapon types become accessible.
  • Enhanced skill in current weapon types.
  • Additional skills are unlocked.
  • Increased stat caps.
  • The character's level is reset to Level 1.

Methods of Class Change[]

Throughout the series there have been several methods of initiating class changes.

Item-based Class Change[]

The original method of Class Change, and the most common. To promote into a higher-tier class, a unit that meets the requirements for promotion can use an expendable item to promote into a higher tier of class. The item or items involved for changing classes vary by the game, with some titles such as the original Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and The Blazing Blade featuring multiple promotional item types, a number of of which are tied to promotion into specific classes.

The most common promotional item, the Master Seal, is the primary method of promotion in the games in which it appears. In later games, it became standardized as the item used for the vast majority of promotion tracks, with item-specific promotions reserved for special cases such as classes that are only obtainable through downloadable content.

Depending on the game, this method of promotion may be limiting, as there may be a finite number of promotional items obtainable.

Location-based Class Change[]

Shrine[]

In Fire Emblem Gaiden and its remake, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, in order to class change, a character must visit one of several Shrines spread throughout the world map. An item is not required for use, but promotion requires the player visit a shrine with the character they wish to promote.

Home Castle[]

In Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, a character must enter the Home Castle and choose an option in the castle menu in order to change class.

While there is a Home Castle on every map, the size of each map in the game makes returning to the castle prohibitive depending on how far the player has advanced into the chapter.

Level-based Class Change[]

This style of Class Change is used in the localized versions of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and is not present in the Japanese versions of these titles. While Master Seals (and in Radiant Dawn, Master Crowns) exist and units can promote with their use, unpromoted units no longer hit a level cap at Level 20. Instead, they can continue to gain experience, and upon reaching Level 21, will automatically promote, becoming Level 1 of their new class in the process.

Event-based Class Change[]

In specific games, select characters promote into new classes as part of story events. These promotions may occur automatically upon the event occurring, or require some manual trigger on the part of the player. For example, in Path of Radiance, Ike begins the game as a Ranger, and will automatically promote into a Lord upon the completion of Chapter 17. On the other hand, Volke, who will join the player as a Thief in Chapter 10 if the player agrees to hire him, will promote into an Assassin in Chapter 19 if the player agrees to his terms.

A list of all characters which receive event-based class changes:

  • Fire Emblem Gaiden/Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
    • Celica (automatically initiated)
    • Alm (manually initiated)
  • Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
    • Leif (automatically initiated)
    • Lara (manually initiated)
    • Linoan (manually initiated)
  • Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
    • Roy (automatically initiated)
  • Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
    • Wallace - Automatic promotion in Lyn Mode's Normal difficulty.
    • Eliwood - Automatic promotion in Eliwood Mode.
    • Hector - Automatic promotion in Hector Mode.
  • Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
    • Ike (automatically initiated)
    • Volke (manually initiated)
  • Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
    • Micaiah (automatically initiated; twice)
    • Sothe (automatically initiated)
    • Ike (automatically initiated)
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
    • Shez (automatically initiated)

Limitations[]

In general, a Class Change may only be initiated for a character over a certain level. The exceptions are event-based ones.

The level at which a character may first change class is usually Level 10. Exceptions include Genealogy, where it is 20, Gaiden/Shadows of Valentia, where it varies by class, and Three Houses, where levels are persistent and give access to new tiers of classes. While it is possible to hold off on promoting characters and allow them to hit the level cap of their starting class before promoting them, doing so may limit the character's window in which they can level up in their promotion class before the end of the game, and it is often more beneficial to promote characters as soon as they are able.

In many games, promoted units gain experience points as if they were 20 levels higher (for example, a level 1 promoted unit is treated as a level 21 unit in the experience formula), meaning that promoting a unit below level 20 will reduce experience gained by that unit.

Game-specific Features[]

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light[]

Instead of receiving predetermined stat boosts on class change, characters instead get any low stats raised to the base stat of the class they have become. Any stats higher than the new base stat are left as they are.

Fire Emblem Gaiden/Echoes[]

In this game, most classes have a third tier, with the exceptions being the magic classes and the Pegasus Knights. For example, whereas most games have Cavaliers promoting to Paladins, in Gaiden, the Paladins can further promote to Gold Knights.

Gaiden also has a class, Villager, which has multiple promotions. When visiting a shrine, a villager will receive the option to promote to a random class out of the available choices. The game offers the option of denying the class change, so one can keep making the villager visit the shrine until the class wanted is offered.

The male-exclusive class Dread Fighter is able to be demoted to Villager through class change, which allows looping.

Gaiden also uses the method of class change stat boosting employed in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.

In Gaiden's remake, Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Villagers no longer promote randomly, allowing for more consistent looping after Dread Fighters promote back to Villagers. Additionally, there is a fourth tier of classes called Overclasses that are DLC exclusive, allowing all playable classes to promote further once they reach their (if applicable) third tier class and max out at Lv. 20.

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War[]

In Genealogy of the Holy War, a unit's level does not reset upon promotion. This means that there are no drawbacks to promoting as early as possible, as there is no lost growth.

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776[]

Lara can change to Dancer through an event, but her normal class path is that of Thief -> Thief Fighter. The Dancer class is technically a demotion because Lara loses stats when changing. However, she is able to promote to Thief Fighter after she reaches level 10 as a Dancer.

It is possible for Lara to have 76 levels of growth, if she is promoted at the maximum level throughout Thief -> Thief Fighter -> Dancer -> Thief Fighter.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones[]

Almost every class in this game can be promoted to one of two different classes. The player gets the opportunity to choose which one they want after initiating the class change.

FE8class change

The choices after a Wyvern Rider begins changing class in FE8

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn[]

In Radiant Dawn, most class sets have three tiers.

Fire Emblem Awakening[]

As in Sacred Stones, every non-specialized class has two promotions. Lords and Tacticians have only one promotion.

Fire Emblem Fates[]

Like Sacred Stones and Awakening, almost every class has two promotions. Kitsune and Wolfskin only have one promotion. Nohr Prince/Princess only have one promotion if playing on the Birthright or Conquest routes but will have a branching promotion in Revelation.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE (Encore)[]

In this spin-off, the player's Mirages can change classes through the use of a Master Seal and are given branching promotion options. Each of the playable Mirages has two promotion choices, and can reclass into the second option through the use of another Master Seal. When a Mirage promotes into a new class, they gain access to a new series of Carnages with more powerful skills to learn than those offered by the base class. Class Change is an option that can only be performed by Tiki at the Bloom Palace.

Fire Emblem Warriors[]

In this spin-off, playable characters are able to promote by reaching level 15 and creating a Surge Crest, which is made by using a Master Seal as crafting material.

It does not matter how early or late a unit is promoted after reaching Lv. 15, as any stat increases they would have gained during level up will carry over to their promotion, allowing players to pick which characters to promote at their leisure. Additionally, levels do not reset on changing classes.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses[]

Fire Emblem: Three Houses breaks many conventions of Class Change. Here, promotion classes are divided into four tiers (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master). A unit's promotional options are determined by weapon certification requirements (Mercenaries, for example, requiring a Sword level of C or higher) and level requirements (such as a unit needing to be at level 5 to access Beginner Classes) Promotion into a class requires the use of a Seal item for the relevant tier of class, which allows the unit to take the Certification Exam. A unit may attempt the Certification Exam for a class without meeting all of the skill rank requirements, but doing so will not guarantee success and may result in a wasted Seal.

Additionally, the classes of Dark Mage and Dark Bishop require a Dark Seal to be used, with Dark Bishop requiring the unit having previously become a Dark Mage.

If a character promotes into a class for which they do not meet the base stat levels, the character's stats will be boosted to meet the class's bases. Experience is also gained at the same rates regardless of class and is only dependent on personal level, with classes instead providing bonus Skill Experience.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes[]

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, much like Three Houses, breaks many traditions with the Class Change system, as well as differing from the original Fire Emblem Warriors. All units have the four Beginner-tier classes unlocked by default, which have defined progressive class lines akin to class trees that go from Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, to Master.

To unlock more, just like in Three Houses, one has to spend a Seal of the appropriate ranking at the Training Grounds facility, but with the additional caveat of first mastering the Beginner Class that starts any of the four class trees. For example, mastering Fighter allows any unit to potentially promote to Archer, then mastering Archer allows a unit to promote to Sniper, and mastering Sniper allows a unit to promote to Bow Knight. Paths on these class trees branch and diverge before linking back up at later tiers. In the cases of converging branches in the class trees, only one class needs to be mastered in order to certify for the next class in line (e.g. a female unit needs only to master either Pegasus Knight or Cavalier to promote to a Paladin).

In order to certify for Advanced and Master classes, the Training Grounds facility must have the Advanced Class Certification Exam and Master Class Certification Exam upgrades respectively. These high-ranking classes cannot be attained otherwise, even if one possesses the appropriate seals.

Certain classes that are unlocked via story progress (such as Shez's Fluegel class) can be played without mastering the Beginner Class they are assigned to.

Under normal circumstances, levels are not reset, but that can be optionally done in the Training Grounds. Unlike in Three Houses and the first Warriors game, there is no minimum level requirement to undergo a Class Change.

Notes[]

  • Promotion is usually in the game engine for enemy exclusive classes. For example, Brigands promote to Berserker in The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones and Path of Radiance despite being no playable units having access to the class within those titles.
  • In Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776 as well as the TearRing Saga, promotion is technically tied to character within the game engine.
    • This makes it easier for characters of the same class to promote to entirely different classes. Such as the Myrmidon, Creidne promoting to Hero unlike fellow myrmidon Larcei who promotes to Swordmaster.
    • Due to this no enemy exclusive classes can promote in those titles if hacked to be playable, even when another class is intended to be its promoted counterpart like Bow Armor to General.
    • The same applies to most pre promoted units, who will not promote if hacked into a lower class. The exception being Ralf in Thracia 776 who is coded in the game's engine to class change to Hero upon use of a Knight Crest, despite already being a Hero. This indicates Ralf was initially intended to be a Fighter or a Myrmidon who would promote to Hero.

Gallery[]

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