Weapon effectiveness

Weapon effectiveness is a damage modifier associated with certain weapons that grant them the ability to deal bonus damage against units or objects with certain attributes (e.g., armored, flying). The bonus damage formula is different for each game and in some English releases.

Description

In general, attacks with weapon effectiveness are treated as normal hits with increased weapon might. This means that they can miss, activate critical hits, or trigger skills like any regular attack. There is usually no penalty for using weapons with weapon effectiveness against units who lack any relevant attribute.
Exceptions can occur in two games:

• Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
• Fire Emblem Fates

Weapon effectiveness does not gain increased damage if the defending unit has more than one attribute that the attacker can exploit, and it does not stack with skills. As a general rule, games will prioritize the damage modifier from weapons over any other factor that an attacking unit may have.

• Consider this example from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. An attacking unit, [A], is equipped with a Laguz Bow. The Laguz Bow deals effective damage against flying and Laguz units. The defending unit, [B], is a Bird Laguz. [B] is vulnerable to any weapon that would exploit his flying weakness or his Laguz weakness. When [A] attacks [B], the battle forecast will show an attack strength whose value indicates that only one of [B]'s weaknesses is being exploited. This value will be treated as [A]'s base attack strength for this battle.
• Consider yet another example from Fire Emblem Fates. An attacking unit, [X], has Golembane and is equipped with a Wyrmslayer. Golembane grants [X] the ability to deal effective damage against Stoneborn, Puppets, and Mechanists. The Wyrmslayer deals effective damage against dragon units. The defending unit is a Mechanist Corrin. As a Mechanist, he is vulnerable to Golembane holders. He also possesses the dragon attribute because of his parentage, so he is vulnerable to Wyrmslayer. When [X] attacks the Avatar, the battle forecast will show an attack strength that factors in only the bonus from Wyrmslayer—this value will be treated as [X]'s base attack strength for this battle.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples the weapon's might.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem Gaiden

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples the weapon's might.

The Falcon Knight class possesses an innate skill that allows its members to deal effective damage with any weapon against monsters.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples the weapon's might.

The Iote's Shield negates all of the holder's weaknesses.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War

In this game, rather than having increased weapon might, attacks with weapon effectiveness always score a critical hit (unless the defending unit possesses Nihil). Essentially, this means that weapon effectiveness doubles a weapon's attack.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples the weapon's attack.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

TearRing Saga: Utna Heroes Saga

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples the weapon's power.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples a weapon's might.

The Delphi Shield negates the holder's flying type weaknesses whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

In the international versions of this game, the bonus for bonus damage is to double (2×) the weapon's might. In the Japanese version, bonus is to triple (3×) the equipped weapon's might, except for anti-dragon weapons (other than Aureola), which double (2×) the weapon's might.

The Delphi Shield negates the holder's flying type weaknesses whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

In this game, weapon effectiveness generally triples a weapon's might.
Weapons indicated with an asterisk (*) double in might when they have weapon effectiveness.

The Bishop's Slayer skill allows him/her to deal effective damage against monsters.

The Fili Shield negates the holder's flying type weaknesses whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

In this game, weapon effectiveness doubles a weapon's might.

All weapons that are effective against Laguz only deal effective damage when the Laguz are transformed.

The Full Guard negates all of the holder's weaknesses.
The Beorcguard negates the holder's Laguz weakness. Holders remain vulnerable to weapons that would exploit their Beast Laguz, Dragon Laguz, or flying type weaknesses.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples a weapon's might.

All weapons effective against Laguz only deal effective damage when Laguz are transformed.

The Beastfoe, Birdfoe, and Dragonfoe skills allow the users to deal effective damage against (respectively) Beast, Bird, and Dragon Laguz.

The Nullify skill negates all of its user's weaknesses.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples a weapon's might.

Iote's Shield negates the holder's flying type weakness whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples a weapon's might.

The Iote's Shield negates the holder's flying type weakness whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem Awakening

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples weapon might.

Units with the Taguel base class possess the beast attribute regardless of whatever class they occupy.
Units with the Manakete base class possess the dragon attribute regardless of whatever class they occupy.

The Beastbane skill allows the user to deal effective damage against beast units when s/he is in the Taguel form.
The Wyrmsbane skill allows the user to deal effective damage against beast units when s/he is in the Dragon form.

The Iote's Shield skill negates the holder's flying type weaknesses whenever applicable.
The Conquest skill negates the holder's armored and beast type weaknesses whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem Fates

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples weapon might.
Certain weapons will penalize the user with a 4-point reduction in damage output and a 10-point reduction in hit rate when used against units who lack any relevant attributes. These weapons are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the table below.

Corrin and any of his/her children possess the dragon attribute regardless of whatever class they occupy.
Units with the Kitsune or Wolfskin base class possess the beast attribute regardless of whatever class they occupy.

The Golembane skill doubles the user's weapon might against Stoneborn, Puppets, or Mechanists.
The Beastbane skill doubles the user's weapon might beast units when s/he is in the beast form.
The Ballista's Fire command or the Ballistician's Cannon command double in weapon might against flying units.

The Wing Shield skill negates the holder's flying type weaknesses whenever applicable.

Here is a table of applicable weapons with their effects:

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples weapon might.

Archers, Snipers, and Bow Knights need to have a bow equipped to do effective damage to fliers.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

In this game, not all sources of weapon effectiveness are treated equally. Effective weapons (such as the Horseslayer) will triple their might when used against the correct enemy type; this includes offensive Gambits, which when effective, triple the gambit's might. Certain Combat Arts have effectiveness against certain unit types - these only double the weapon's might before might bonuses from the combat art. Using an effective combat art with an effective weapon uses the weapon's tripled might and then grants the combat art bonus.

For example, imagine attacking a Paladin with a Short Spear and a Horseslayer, both of which have 8 base might.

Comparing Short Spear to Horseslayer against a Paladin

Situation	Total Weapon Might	Combat Art Bonus	Total Damage Dealt
Short Spear: Attack	8	0	8
Horseslayer: Attack	8 * 3 = 24	0	24
Short Spear: Knightkneeler	8 * 2 = 16	5	21
Horseslayer: Knightkneeler	8 * 3 = 24	5	29

Against Monster barriers, weapons, spells and combat arts that are effective against monsters will fully destroy a barrier in a single round of combat, as opposed to other attacks requiring two rounds to destroy. Similar principles hold true against dragons.

Mounted units only possess cavalry or flying weaknesses (whichever is applicable) if they are mounted. When dismounted, the relevant effectiveness does not apply.

The Armored Effect Null, Cavalry Effect Null and Flying Effect Null abilities, learned by all units who reach S+ in heavy armor, riding and flying respectively, cancels effectiveness against armored, cavalry and flying units respectively. Alternatively, the Kadmos, Lampos and Aurora Shields negate effective damage against armored, cavalry and flying units respectively when equipped on a unit. The Rafail Gem and Chalice of Beginnings both nullify all effective damage against the unit equipping them.

Below is a list of weapons, spells and gambits that do effective damage:

Below is a list of combat arts that deal effective damage:

Weapon	Combat Art	Relevant Unit Type	Notes
Any Sword	Grounder	Flying
	Bane of Monsters	Monsters
Thunderbrand	Foudroyant Strike	Armored and Dragons	Requires Crest of Charon.
Blutgang	Beast Fang	Cavalry and Dragons	Requires Crest of the Beast.
Sword of the Creator	Ruptured Heaven	Dragons	Byleth only.
Sublime Creator Sword	Sublime Heaven
Any Lance	Knightkneeler	Cavalry
	Monster Piercer	Monsters
Lance of Ruin	Ruined Sky	Flying and Dragons	Requires Crest of Gautier.
Areadbhar	Atrocity	All	Requires Crest of Blaiddyd.
Lúin	Burning Quake	Dragons	Requires Crest of Daphnel.
Any Axe	Helm Splitter	Armored
	Monster Breaker	Monsters
	War Master's Strike	All	War Master only.
Freikugel	Apocalyptic Flame	Dragons	Requires Crest of Goneril.
Crusher	Dust		Requires Crest of Dominic.
Aymr	Raging Storm		Requires Crest of Seiros.
Any Bow	Monster Blast	Monsters
Failnaught	Fallen Star	Dragons	Requires Crest of Riegan.
Any Gauntlet	Monster Crusher	Monsters

Fire Emblem Warriors

In this game, weapon effectiveness triples weapon might.
Certain weapons will penalize the user with a sharp reduction in damage output when used against units who lack any relevant attributes and even further when they go up against a unit with a weapon effectiveness designed to counter them. These weapons are indicated with an asterisk (*) in the table below.

Weapons with the True Power and Divine Favor weapon attributes will negate the damage penalty from forging weapon effectiveness traits into their weapons.
Weapons that have a natural weapon effectiveness within their seventh slot also ignore the normal damage reduction penalty but limits the player to reforge only one foreign Slayer-type attribute.

The Iote's Shield Skill Crest will negate all forms of weapon effectiveness targeted against the playable Units, though it's tied to Minerva, a Unit exclusive to DLC. Other units can create this Crest for themselves by maxing Support Levels with Minerva to access the required materials.

In History Mode, there is a type of battle restriction which neutralizes weapon effectiveness damage.

As the game is a Warriors-styled game, random weapon drops from both post-battle and from Amiibo gifts have the chance to roll up having one or two weapon effectiveness traits in their weapon attributes, but after obtaining said traits for that specific weapon variety as prizes for S-rank Clears for specific battles in History Mode.

Trivia

• Despite Longswords and Armorslayers not actually being items in Radiant Dawn, they are mentioned in the bonus damage tutorial in the English version of the game. In the Japanese version of Radiant Dawn, Horseslayers and Hammers are mentioned instead of Longswords and Armorslayers.