Battalion

Byleth in formation with a battalion in Three Houses.

Battalions (Japanese: 騎士団 Order of knights) are a mechanic introduced in Fire Emblem: Three Houses tied to the authority skill level introduced in the same game. Battalions provide bonuses to stats and can level up to increase those bonuses, have their own endurance, and allow the use of gambits.

Overview

Battalions can be equipped to units based on two factors: authority level and movement type. Similarly to weapon level requirements, a unit must have an equal or greater authority level in order to equip a battalion. Additionally, battalions, like units, have movement types—infantry, armored, cavalry, and flying—that limit which battalions they may equip; infantry, armored, and cavalry units may equip all battalions, but flying units are limited to flying battalions. Authority level and movement type also determine the icon used by a battalion.

Battalion icons
	Movement type
	Infantry	Armored	Cavalry	Flying
E & D
C & B
A

An equipped battalion may boost or penalize any number of the following stats: physical attack, magical attack, hit rate, critical hit, avoidance, protection, resilience, and charm. In general, battalions that require high authority provide higher bonuses. These bonuses can be increased further by leveling up a battalion. Battalions start at level 1 and can grow to level 5. Upon leveling up, the battalion gains a fixed increase in certain stats determined by the battalion; these stat increases can be stored as decimals, though the effective value will be truncated, allowing for increases other than 1 on subsequent level-ups (e.g. the Jeralt's Mercenaries battalion gains 2.5 points of avoid per level, meaning it gains 2 points on the first and third level-ups, but 3 points on the second and fourth).^[1]

A unit equipped with a battalion can use the gambit tied to that battalion. When a battle is finished, all expended uses for the gambit are recharged. While gambits are not necessarily unique to any movement type, some gambits are tied closely to a particular type—such as Assembly to flying—and some gambits are unique to only a single battalion—such as Sacred Shield to the Kingdom Heavy Knights.

Battalions have an endurance stat, similar to HP, which increments from 0 to some number, 30 at the lowest. Each battalion has a unique maximum endurance which does not increase with a level-up, unlike the other stats. When a unit takes damage, their equipped battalion takes half the damage (rounded down in case of decimals) from their endurance. Additionally, when a round of combat would reduce a battalion's endurance to below one- or two-thirds its maximum, the rest of the damage is prevented and the battalion is reduced to exactly one- or two-thirds respectively. When a battalion's endurance hits 0, the unit it's equipped to can no longer gain the benefit of its stat boosts nor use its gambit. Unlike HP, battalion endurance does not refresh once a battle is done, requiring instead to be replenished at the battalion guild; unlike units, battalions reduced to 0 endurance are not permanently lost, and their endurance can be replenished like any other battalion.

The main method of acquiring battalions is by hiring them from the battalion guild. The battalions available from the guild vary by route, allowing battalions tied to the homeland of the relevant class or route to be hired. Multiple battalions are obtained as rewards from completing paralogues, requiring that a particular character be recruited. These battalions generally reference a character's homeland and are usually equipped by the required character when encountered as an enemy. Many battalions are acquired instead as rewards from completing quests; these battalions tend to not be aligned with any particular place and cannot be hired from the battalion guild.

Abilities affecting battalions

Abilities providing equipping bonus
	Item	Effect	Games
	Model Leader	Doubles experience earned by an equipped battalion.	Three Houses
	Defensive Tactics	Halves damage taken by an equipped battalion.	Three Houses

Abilities affected by battalions

Abilities triggered by battalions
	Item	Effect	Games
	Lone Wolf	+5 attack dealt by unit when not in formation with a battalion or adjutant.	Three Houses
	Fighting Spirit	-5 damage taken by unit when it's not in formation with a battalion or adjutant.	Three Houses
	Distinguished House	+2 damage dealt by unit when it's in formation with a battalion.	Three Houses
	Veteran Knight	-2 damage taken by unit when it's in formation with a battalion.	Three Houses
	Battalion Renewal	Restores 30% of the user's HP at the beginning of the user's phase if a battalion is equipped and its endurance ≤ 33%.	Three Houses
	Battalion Wrath	+50 critical rate to the user if a battalion is equipped, its endurance ≤ 33%, and foe initiates combat.	Three Houses
	Battalion Desperation	Reorders any follow-up attacks to take place right after the initial attack if a battalion is equipped, its endurance ≤ 33%, and unit initiates combat.	Three Houses
	Battalion Vantage	The user always strikes first if a battalion is equipped, its endurance ≤ 33%, and foe initiates combat.	Three Houses

Trivia

Three Houses's unused battalion icons.

• There are four unused battalion sprites in Three Houses using the black layout used by Agarthan items such as Athame.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

• 

  Byleth in formation with a battalion in Three Houses.

References