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The General (ジェネラル Jeneraru) is a combat physical class that recurrently appears across the Fire Emblem Series, beginning from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. The promoted form of the Knight class, Generals primarily wield Lances as their weapons of choice. In specific titles, this class is known to be armed with other types of weaponry alongside the Lance, a fact that further increases its combat viability. The General class is defined by superior offense and Defense, alongside a fairly decent evasive ability for their bulk and somewhat decent Resistance. These strengths are offset by the class's lack of maneuverability.

History in the Series

Generals first appear in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light as a powerful armored class surpassing the Knight. Despite this and the class roll indicating otherwise, the Knight class does not promote into this class, possibly due to hardware and time limitations. Generals only wield Swords in this installment, unlike their Knight counterparts, who wield both Swords and Lances. While most Generals appearing in the game are enemy units, a powerful late-game unit of this class is recruitable. This is the only Fire Emblem title where Generals do not wield Lances or have it as their main weapon.

Generals technically do not appear in Gaiden, but the Baron class can be said to be this game's iteration of the General class in hindsight. The Baron class is the promoted form of the Armor Knight, and is represented by an edit of the General's map sprite on battlefields. Barons exclusively wield Lances in this title, much like the rest of the Armored line in Gaiden.

In Mystery of the Emblem, Generals are finally instituted to be the promotion of Armor Knights. Due to there being no classes that are able to use two weapon types in the game, Generals thus wield Lances exclusively. While the game's Dismount mechanic causes many Lance-wielding units to drop their weapons in favour of Swords indoors, Generals are one of few classes who are not affected by this penalty, wielding Lances in such combat situations.

In Genealogy of the Holy War, Generals are the promoted form of not only the Armor Knight class, but also its other variations: Armor Sword, Armor Axe, and Armor Bow. Generals are thus given full control of all physical weapons, holding a B-Rank in Bows and Axes and a solid A-Rank in Lances and Swords. All Generals possess the powerful Great Shield skill in the new skill system, one that gives them the chance to completely nullify an attack. The Map graphics, sprites and artwork for Generals depict them brandishing Lances, firmly establishing it as their primary weapon.

Generals appear in a similar vein in Thracia 776, where due to the return of the Dismount mechanic and there being only one recruitable Axe Armor, they are thus the only playable class capable of using Lances indoors. Great Shield is no longer a class skill of Generals, but a late-game recruitable General possesses it as a personal skill.

In TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga, Generals are like their Fire Emblem counterparts, promoting from Knights and possessing Pavise as a class skill. In a similar fashion to the original Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, Generals in this title wield Swords exclusively.

Generals are playable in all three GBA titles. In the first two, The Binding Blade and The Blazing Blade, Generals do not have the Great Shield skill due to the removal of the skill system. In the third GBA title, The Sacred Stones, Generals are granted the Great Shield skill again due to the return of the skill system, working as it did previously.

In Path of Radiance, Generals uniquely possess Luna as their class skill, while Hawk Laguz are instead given Great Shield (now known as Pavise).

In TearRing Saga: Berwick Saga, the General class is disconnected from Armor Knights, who are now unable to promote. Unlike Armor Knights who wield Axes exclusively and wear bulky armor, Generals in this game don streamlined armor without helmets and are armed with Swords. Generals are also equipped with exclusive General Shields, almost always have the Commander skill, and are all named characters.

In Radiant Dawn, the classic Generals are known as Lance Generals (槍武将グローリードゥクス Gurōrī dukusu, lit. Glory Dux in the Japanese version), and are joined by Axe and Sword Generals. Lance Generals are characterized by Resistance that is considered high for a physical class in this installment, only falling behind the Falcon Knight. Generals are given a third-tier promotion for the first time, promoting into Marshalls when the necessary requirements are fulfilled.

In Fire Emblem Fates, the General is treated as a Nohrian class. As with all previous incarnations of the General, they are the promoted form of the Knight.

The class also appears in the spin-off title Fire Emblem Warriors as an enemy-only class, which wields Lances and is considered an Armoured unit. The General class has a Hoshidan variant called Shield Masters (盾聖, Tatesei, lit. Shield Saint).

Overview

Combat

Generals can act as very effective "walls" in the formation of chokepoints to block the advance of enemy forces as well as endure in survival and defense-objective battles. Enemy troops tend to have a difficult time penetrating these units, and thus set up a nigh-unbreakable chokepoint, especially if a healer is right behind them. They can be used to block small entrances to prevent opposing units from getting past them, a fact that is very useful to prevent thieves from escaping with looted treasure. A General's weaknesses are magic and anti-armor weapons (such as the Armorslayer), as well as fast-moving, durable and powerful units like Heroes, experienced Paladins and Warriors. In many recent titles, Generals have higher Resistance, thus making speedy units and anti-armor weapons their prime weakness.

The chance of a General ever being outmatched on the field through sheer brute force is very low, which means they are very valuable to any team, and their durability is very helpful to weaker units as they can hide behind the General.

In WiFi battles, Generals suffer greatly for their low Speed cap. Although their high Defense helps them survive at least four hits from a Swordmaster, they can hardly survive being doubled by a Berserker or a Sage. They lack high Movement, and are vulnerable to anti-armor weapons. Individually, these flaws can be addressed with cards, but when combined as a whole they cannot. Using a General often means leaving the fate of a battle in the opponent's choice of squad. If a General is placed up against a Swordmaster, and the Swordmaster does not have an Armorslayer, the battle can be quite even (especially when using cards like Fleet Feet). However, due to the relative ease of counter-picking teams to beat Generals, it is difficult to use them reliably on WiFi.

In Fates they received a significant buff in the form of their new skill Wary Fighter. This skill effectively halves all the damage they take, as it prevents the opponent doubling them. Although it also prevents them from doubling anyone, their low Speed means they will rarely be able to double anyone anyway.

In-Game

★ - FE10 SP Class.

Base Stats

HPStrMagSklSpdLckDefResMovConWtWlvCha
FE1289-1401405--Sword 13
FE3288-3301535--Lance 10
FE4401006501235--FE4 Sword A FE4 Lance A FE4 Axe B FE4 Bow B
FE5267152012-610-FE5 Sword Icon E FE5 Lance Icon E FE5 Axe Icon E FE5 Bow Icon E
TS307074010-4--TS Sword 5
FE621/208-4/53/5013/113/4515/11-Lance C Axe E
FE721/208-4/53/5013/113/4515/11-Lance C Axe E
FE821/208-4/53/5013/113/4515/11-Sword E Lance C Axe E
FE923/248/72/142/1010/113/261318FE9 Sword E/S FE9 Lance C
FE103518517160201061323FE10 Lance C FE10 Axe D
FE10 4020719180221261323FE10 Sword D FE10 Lance A FE10 Axe C
FE1128813401536--FE12 Lance D FE12 Bow E
FE1228813401536--FE12 Lance D FE12 Bow E
FE13281207401535--LanceIconFE13 E AxeIconFE13 E
FE14221107341235--FE14 Lance E FE14 Axe E

Maximum Stats

HPStrMagSklSpdLckDefResMovConWtWlvCha
FE15220-20202020205--Sword 20
FE35220-20202020205--Lance 20
FE480251521203027185--FE4 Sword A FE4 Lance A FE4 Axe B FE4 Bow B
FE580202020202020-2020-FE5 Sword Icon A FE5 Lance Icon A FE5 Axe Icon A FE5 Bow Icon A
TS60221522193025-12--TS Sword 20
FE66027/25-2521/22303025/261520-Lance S Axe S
FE76029/25-27/2524/22303025/261520-Lance S Axe S
FE86029/27-27/2824/253030/2925/261525-Sword S Lance S Axe S
FE960/7029/302027/3024/35403025/3061318FE9 Sword S FE9 Lance S
FE10452715252330302061323FE10 Lance S FE10 Axe A
FE10 553418322930352861323FE10 Sword A FE10 Lance SS FE10 Axe S
FE1160272025213030206--FE12 Lance A FE12 Bow A
FE1260272025213030206--FE12 Lance A FE12 Bow A
FE1380503041354550355--LanceIconFE13 A AxeIconFE13 A
FE1470382532253240305--FE14 Lance A FE14 Axe B

Growth Rates

HPStrMagSklSpdLckDefResMovConWtWlvCha
FE390%30%-30%20%0%20%0%----
FE4100%30%10%30%30%0%30%10%----
FE550%20%3%15%10%10%15%-0%15%--
FE675%30%-25/35%10%20%23%15%----
FE775%30%-20/25%10%20%23%25%----
FE875%30%-20/25%10%20%23%25%----
FE975%45%20%45%30%25%55%45%----
FE1055%40%45%30%25%40%50%50%----
FE10 80%75%60%70%60%65%70%85%----
FE1160%15%-15%20%0%0%30%-10%----
FE1260%15%-15%20%0%0%30%-10%----
FE1350%/100%25%/50%0%/0%15%/35%10%/25%0%/40%15%/35%10%/20%----
FE1425%20%0%15%0%10%20%5%----

Class Skills

SkillRequirements
FE4Big shieldGreat ShieldClass skill of the General, Baron and Emperor classes.
FE8Great ShieldBase skill of the General class.
FE9Luna (FE9)LunaOccult skill of the General and Halberdier classes; assign with an MasteryBookOccult Scroll.
FE10ShoveShoveBase skill of all foot units.
FE13DefenseCryRally Defense
Great Shield (FE13)Pavise
Learned at Level 5.
Learned at Level 15.
FE14Defensive FormationWary Fighter
Great Shield (FE13)Pavise
Learned at Level 5 and above.
Learned at Level 15 and above.

Promotions

Base ClassPromotion MethodPromoted Class
FE3FE3 Knight Map SpriteArmor KnightUse a Knight Crest (FE3)Knight Crest on a Level 10+ Armor KnightFE3 General Map SpriteGeneral
FE4FE4 Sword Armor SpriteSword ArmorChoose the "Class Change" option in the Home Castle when the relevant unit reaches Level 20.FE4 General SpriteGeneral
FE5FE5 Armoured AxeAxe ArmorUse a Knight Proof (FE5)Knight Proof on a Level 10+ Knight.FE5 GeneralGeneral
TS (Billford)ArmourKnightArmor KnightUse a Ts-knight-proofKnight Proof on a Level 10+ Armour Knight.GeneralGeneral
FE6FE8 Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a KnightcrestKnight Crest on a Level 10+ Knight.FE8 General Map SpriteGeneral
FE7FE8 Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a KnightcrestKnight Crest on a Level 10+ Knight.FE8 General Map SpriteGeneral
FE8FE8 Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a KnightcrestKnight Crest on a Level 10+ Knight.FE8 General Map SpriteGeneral
FE9FE9 Gatrie Knight Sprite
Knight
Use a FE9mastersealMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Knight.FE9 Gatrie General Sprite
General
FE10 Lance ArmorUse a FE10mastersealMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Lance Armor or train a Lance Armor to Level 21.FE10 Gatrie Lance General Sprite
Lance General
FE10 FE10 Gatrie Lance General Sprite
Lance General
Use a FE10mastercrownMaster Crown on a Level 10+ Lance General or train a Lance General to Level 21.FE10 Gatrie Marshall Sprite
Marshall
FE11FE11 Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a FE11mastersealMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Knight.FE11 General Map SpriteGeneral
FE12FEDS Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a FE11mastersealMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Knight.FEDS General Map SpriteGeneral
FE13FE13 Generic Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a Master Seal FE13 IconMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Knight.FE13 GeneralGeneral
FE14FE14 Generic Knight Map SpriteKnightUse a Master Seal FE13 IconMaster Seal on a Level 10+ Knight.FE14 Generic General Map SpriteGeneral

Notable Generals

Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light/Shadow Dragon

  • Lorenz - A general of Grust who opposed his country's alliance with Dolhr, and an old friend of King Mostyn of Talys
  • Horace - A general of Archanea who was forced to betray his country to protect his people
  • Emereus - A Macedon general stationed at Aurelis Castle to halt Marth and Hardin's advance.
  • Harmein - A general put in charge of Minerva and the Whitewings to prevent Marth's advance towards Archanea's royal palace.
  • Zharov - A Grustian general put in charge of Castle Deil's defence.
  • Hollstadt - A Grustian general put in charge of defending Altea Castle's entrance.
  • Jiol - The king of Gra who betrayed Altea and sided with Dolhr.
  • Dactyl - A Macedon general stationed in Helena Castle.
  • Larissa - A Grustian general who is loyal to the alliance with Dolhr.
  • Promotion for: Draug, Macellan, Dolph and Roger (such promotions are only possible in Shadow Dragon).

Mystery of the Emblem and New Mystery of the Emblem

  • Sheema - Daughter of King Jiol and later the ruler of Gra.
  • Macellan - Knight of Archanea who is loyal to Nyna. (Exclusive to New Mystery of the Emblem.)
  • Dolph - Knight of Archanea who is loyal to Nyna. (Exclusive to New Mystery of the Emblem.)
  • Lang - Marquess of Archanea and leader of the Grust Occupational Army.
  • Rucke - Leader of Macedon's military coup.
  • Eibel - Commander of the Altea occupation army.
  • Nehring - Archanean knight who sided with the crown.
  • Promotion for: Draug.


Genealogy of the Holy War

Thracia 776

TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga

The Binding Blade

The Blazing Blade

  • Darin - The Marquess of Laus.
  • Murdock - Young vassal to Prince Zephiel of Bern.
  • Lundgren - The younger brother of the Marquess Hausen of Caelin who attempted to overthrow his brother.
  • Uther - The Marquess of Ostia and Hector's older brother.
  • Bernard - Remorseful general of Laus.
  • Promotion for: Wallace and Oswin.

The Sacred Stones

Path of Radiance

Radiant Dawn

Awakening

Fates

Trivia

  • Owing to the position of Generals as a defensive class and position as leaders of an army, it is the most popular class among Boss units in the series.
    • Fates is the only game to have the class yet lack General bosses.
  • In various games, the General class can be seen as a parallel to the Wyvern Lord: both have the highest Strength and Defense caps (on the ground and in the air respectively), both have a status which makes them vulnerable to a certain type of weapon (in the case of the General, being weak against Armorslayers, Hammers, and Rapiers/Noble Rapiers) and both classes often wield Axes and Lances.
  • Generals consistently possess the lowest Speed cap of all promoted classes in most of their appearances.
  • In Fates, even if their shield is knocked off, their shield arm will still be placed as if they were carrying it.
    • In addition to this, if all of their armor is removed or they are encountered in the Hot Spring, they will use the same animations as they do during combat (such as their walking animation).

Gallery

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