Sworn Upon a Sword

Sworn Upon a Sword (Japanese: 誓いの剣 Sword of oath) is the final chapter of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776.

In this chapter, Leif and his army must simultaneously stand on all six hexagrams located in the center of each of the six rooms, which results in the door to Veld's room opening.

Plot

Main article: Sworn Upon a Sword/Script

Leif's forces enter the Loptian underground temple underneath Munster for a final confrontation with Veld, who is gifted five Deadlords by Manfroy to help fight the army off. Leif and his soldiers defeat the Deadlords, kill Veld, and rejoice after their success, as Munster has been successfully liberated from the Empire. Seliph then arrives with reinforcements, but those reinforcements are no longer needed. Leif and Seliph swear a vow of eternal friendship, and agree to free the whole of Jugdral from the Empire's tyranny.

Chapter data

Chapter Data
Conditions	Unit Data
Victory: Seize the throne	Player	Partner	Other	Enemy	Third
Defeat: Leif dies	6–18	{{{partner}}}	{{{other}}}	37+240	{{{third}}}

Units are arranged based on their position in deployment order after Leif.

The central door leading to Veld's room does not open like a standard door; it opens at the start of the player phase where a player unit is present on each of the six seals surrounding it.

Character data

Characters
New units
None
Required characters
Available characters

Enemy data

Stats with two figures separated by a ~ are presented as a range, representing stats that vary due to random growths. The figures to the left and right of the ~ are the stat's minimum and maximum possible values respectively.

Enemy Units

Name Class Lv # HP Str Mag Skill Spd Lck Prf Wlv Def Res Cha Lck Con Mov Inventory and Skills Loptrian Dark Mage 20 6 24~46 0~20 5~20+10 4~20 3~20 0~20 4~20 5~20 6~7 Hel • Fenrir • Jormungand • Door Key Authority: Veld Moves to attack units in range. Loptrian Dark Mage 20 2 24~46 0~20 5~20 4~20 3~20 0~20 4~20 5~20 6~7 Hel • Fenrir • Jormungand Authority: Veld • Will not act until revealed. • Moves to attack units in range. Loptrian Berserker 20 7 32~54 12~20 0~3 12~20 10~20 0~20 8~20 12~20 7~8 Hammer Wrath Authority: Veld Begins moving if any Berserker is provoked. Loptrian Dark Mage 20 2 24~46 0~20 5~20+10 4~20 3~20 0~20 4~20 5~20 6~7 Silence • Jormungand • Restore Authority: Veld • Will not act until revealed. • Moves to attack units in range. Loptrian Dark Mage 20 1 24~46 0~20 5~20+10 4~20 3~20 0~20 4~20 5~20 6~7 Magic Up • Hel • Restore Authority: Veld • Will not act until revealed. • Moves to attack units in range. Mus Baron 20 1 56 16 8+30 12 9 6 16 20 6 Loptr Sword Pavise • Wrath Authority: Veld; ★★★★ Action: ★ • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range. Loptrian Axe Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Master Axe Authority: Veld Loptrian Axe Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Hammer Authority: Veld Loptrian Bow Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Meisterbogen Authority: Veld Loptrian Bow Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Poison Bow Authority: Veld Loptrian Lance Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Master Lance Authority: Veld Loptrian Lance Armor 20 2 20~42 4~20 0~20+10 0~20 0~20 0~20 8~20 9~20 5~6 Poison Lance Authority: Veld Veld Dark Bishop 20 1 80 5 20 19 20 12 15 11 6 Petrify • Jormungand • Vulnerary Adept • Renewal Authority: ★★★★★ Action: ★★ • Will not act until revealed. • Does not move; stands on a throne, the chapter's seize point. Tigris Warrior 20 1 46 17 4+10 14 11 5 13 18 10 Master Axe Authority: Veld Action: ★★★★ • Not present during preparations. • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range. Canis Sage 20 1 36 3 20+10 20 17 13 6 7 7 Nosferatu • Berserk Adept • Miracle • Wrath • Paragon Authority: Veld • Not present during preparations. • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range. Bovis Mercenary 20 1 54 20 9+10 20 20 17 14 18 7 Meisterschwert • Master Axe • Flame Sword • Vulnerary • Vulnerary Astra • Luna Authority: Veld Action: ★★★★★ • Not present during preparations. • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range. Porcus Thief Fighter 20 1 40 14 9+10 14 20 9 12 16 7 Berserk Sword Steal • Adept • Vantage • Wrath Authority: Veld Action: ★★ • Not present during preparations. • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range. Draco Sniper 20 1 31 12 7+10 19 20 13 9 11 8 Meisterbogen Adept • Miracle • Wrath Authority: Veld Action: ★★ • Not present during preparations. • Starts on a seal. • Moves to attack units in range.

Reinforcements

Name Class Lv # HP Str Mag Skill Spd Lck Prf Wlv Def Res Cha Lck Con Mov Inventory and Skills Loptrian Dark Mage 15 60 24~41 0~17 5~20 4~20 3~20 0~17 4~20 5~20 6~7 Jormungand • Hel Authority: Veld Loptrian Berserker 20 60 32~54 12~20 0~3 12~20 10~20 0~20 8~20 12~20 7~8 Hammer • Devil Axe Wrath Authority: Veld Sellsword Sniper 15 60 22~39 5~20 1~18 6~20 7~20 0~17 3~20 7~20 7~8 Silver Bow Authority: Veld Sellsword Mercenary 15 60 24~41 6~20 1~18 7~20 8~20 0~17 5~20 8~20 6~7 Silver Sword Authority: Veld

Reinforcements

• Turns 5–64; halted upon the door to Veld's room being opened
  • One Dark Mage from the upper-west edge of the map
  • One Berserker from the upper-east edge of the map
  • One Sniper from the lower-east edge of the map
  • One Mercenary from the lower-west edge of the map

Boss data

Main article: Veld

Dark Bishop Level 20 Action ★★ Authority ★★★★★

Stats Max HP 80 Speed 20 Strength 5 Luck 12 Magic 20 Defense 15 Skill 19 Constitution 11 Movement 6 FCM 1

Inventory Skills Petrify Jormungand Vulnerary Adept Renewal Weapon Levels -- -- -- -- A A A A -- A

Strategy

The final map of Thracia 776 requires that the six seals be occupied by a player unit to open the final room. Because of this, 6 living units (including Leif) are required to complete this. If you suffered enough casualties to reach this chapter with less than 6 units, you are softlocked and the chapter cannot be cleared. Additionally, at least one method to open doors, obtain the Door Keys on this map without expending them when leaving the rooms or bypassing the doors (via movement staves) entirely is necessary for the seals to be accessed.

If NONE of the above combinations are possible (including requisite staff users for staff-based strategies), the player is also softlocked.

Units are initially deployed in groups of three in front of each of the 6 altars containing a seal. Each altar contains 4 enemies – a Deadlord, a powerful Dark Mage with Hel, Fenrir, Jormungand, and a Door Key, and two armored units with particular weapons: the enemies in Mus's room have Master Axes, those in Draco's have Poison Lances, Porcus's have Poison Bows, Bovis's have Hammers, Canis's have Master Lances, and Tigris's have Master Bows. The tiles in the altars all give +10 magic to any unit standing on them, and the seals have an additional +20 avoid. The game's fixed deployment can make this chapter very difficult, though Warp and Rescue users can move units around after the chapter starts.

If Veld's room is not opened before turn 5, powerful enemy reinforcements will appear from the corners of the map. These will be halted when Veld's room is opened. Because of this, it is recommended to open Veld's room as quickly as possible.

The Dark Mages should be killed on turn 1, as they can be dangerous with Fenrir and Hel if allowed to attack with them. They can be killed either by a 1-range unit if the door is unlocked or by a 2-range unit if the door is meant to be closed. Actions afterward depend on which room your units are dealing with:

• Draco can be put to sleep by a unit with at least 18 magic. Alternately, as the armors in her room lack 2-range, the unit who killed Draco's Dark Mage could let Draco initiate on enemy phase and defeat her if they are strong enough to do so. It is not recommended to attack her from 2-range on player phase as she has Wrath.
• Porcus's Berserk Sword makes him dangerous to face head-on, but he lacks 2-range and cannot attack until the door is opened and can be put to sleep by a unit with 20 magic. Porcus's accompanying armors are armed with Poison Bows, which do very little damage, and poison damage is unlikely to kill a unit unless they are hit by a mage with Hel. Additionally, Porcus's AI will always prioritize stealing over attacking, so it is easy to distract him by having someone near him hold a lot of items that Porcus can steal.
• Bovis's armored troops are only equipped with Hammers, so they lack 2-range and are only dangerous to armored units. Bovis himself is a huge threat at 1 or 2-range: he has 35 physical attack with his Master Axe—which is a brave weapon—and 33 magical attack with his Flame Sword; 20 attack speed, so he cannot be doubled by anyone (except for Ced with Forseti or a 20 Spd, 9+ Con Wind Sword user) and poses a serious risk of doubling you; and both Astra and Luna which will kill most units if they activate. For this reason, it is best to put Bovis to sleep on turn 1 with a unit with 20 magic, kill him from range while he is equipped with the Meisterschwert, or rescue the Dark Mage-killer to safety.
• Canis is a huge threat and the most dangerous of the Deadlords. Wrath and Nosferatu make it dangerous to engage her on player phase, and Miracle makes it unlikely that she will be killed on enemy phase if she even attacks—she prefers use Berserk instead. Canis has 30 Magic and guaranteed accuracy with Berserk, and can render a strong unit into a threat and their inventory inaccessible. Thankfully, Nosferatu weighs her down to 8 attack speed. There are three main strategies:
  • A fairly safe but unreliable strategy to incapacitate Canis on turn 1 is with a Blizzard tome, which will put her to sleep if she is hit by it—even if she takes 0 damage. Only Asbel or Ced can reasonably attain the weapon rank to use Blizzard, and Canis has a bonus from the seal terrain increasing her avoid.
  • A strong unit, particularly one with a brave or high accuracy-weapon or Nihil, could be warped into Canis's room or run in after the door is opened and the Dark Mage is killed and defeat her on turn one. This unit will then have to survive against the Master Lance armors in Canis's room.
  • Yet another option is to use Sleep or Silence on Canis on turn 1. This is only achievable with Magic Up or Pure Water and either a 19+ magic unit equipped with the Flame Sword or 14+ magic unit standing on a seal, or a 9+ magic unit with the Flame Sword that is standing on a seal. The Flame Sword strategies are only achievable by Nanna and Amalda, as they are the only staff users to also use swords, however, Nanna will need a lot of staff experience to get to C-rank staves, and both will will need help from the Crusader Scrolls to reach the magic thresholds. The seal strategies require standing in the Deadlord's rooms, which comes with the risk of getting those units killed by the units in the rooms, while the Magic Up staff requires another staff user to be near the primary staffer and Pure Water means the staffer will need to be danced for or wait a turn; if they wait, then the Magic requirement also increases by 1 as the Pure Water effect will have degraded.
• Tigris has a Master Axe and while he lacks skills, he hits hard with his Master Axe and has 4 action and 4 FCM, while the Armors with him have Master Bows. Attempting to defeat each enemy on enemy phase can be dangerous to the player unit, even with Wrath or Vantage. However, their magic stats are low, even with terrain boosts, meaning it's fairly easy to incapacitate them all with Sleep. If the player opens the door, make sure that the stairs out of the altar are blocked with a sufficiently strong unit: Tigris has 10 movement and 4 action stars, giving him a very real chance to simply run past strong units to attack weaker units behind them.
• The enemies in Mus's room have fairly low accuracy with Master Axes and can fairly safely be defeated on enemy phase. Mus has Wrath, making it dangerous to attack him on player phase. A unit with the Bragi Sword can deal significant damage to or outright defeat Mus on enemy phase—only certain units can use the Bragi Sword, but Leif, who can use it, will always start in front of Mus. If the Bragi Sword was never obtained, then defeating Mus may not be viable short of Mareeta or Galzus brute-forcing him down with Astra + Luna; it may become necessary to bait him off of the seal and distract him by tanking his hits so that a unit can get onto his seal. He can also be put to sleep with the Sleep Sword (preferably on enemy phase due to Wrath) or Blizzard.

Veld's room opens at the end of the enemy phase after each seal is stepped on, and he and the other units inside do not act until the following enemy phase. With him are two Silence staff Dark Mages and a Magic Up Dark Mage, all of whom are also equipped with Restore staves and are standing on altar tiles that give +10 magic, and to his left and right are two Dark Mages with Hel and Fenrir who move. Before stepping on every seal, moving units to defeat the Berserkers and putting them next to the door will make dealing with Veld and the enemies near him easier. However, performing this while tackling the deadlords requires careful positioning. If the player waits until Veld's door opens to head over, they must be wary of not only the Silence staves but also the Petrify Tome, which has 165% hit when factoring in Veld's stats and petrifies any unit it hits, and the Fenrir tomes.

It is possible to avoid all of the Berserkers and Dark Mages by Warping in a unit to kill Veld and Warping in Leif to seize. Doing so is not easy however, as Veld has 80 HP, 20 magic, and 25 effective defense. Even Ced is not guaranteed to kill him in one round without a Magic Up boost or the +10 magic from one of the altars that are initially occupied.

The line of Berserkers in front of Veld's room can easily be dealt with by a Berserk staff. Check the stats of each Berserker, and choose the one with the highest overall stats to maximize the chances more Berserkers die to the infighting. Units who are not Berserked act before units who are Berserked, and as a result the healthy Berserkers will all attack the afflicted Berserker and face the Wrath critical before the afflicted Berserker has any chance to get himself killed via Wrath critical on a healthy Berserker. Even if the afflicted Berserker doesn't hit all of his Wrath crits, by the time he goes down he will usually have thinned the crowd out, with most either dead or heavily damaged.

Veld is much less threatening when he isn't besieging with Petrify, though he does still hit hard, has high defenses, and has Adept and 2 action. If Tina removes Veld's Jormungand with Thief, Veld can be captured any unit with at least 12 constitution, since Petrify does not count towards whether or not a unit can be captured without a fight; Leif can then move or be warped onto the throne to end the chapter. It is advised to take advantage of the altar tiles for their +10 magic to reduce the damage taken by Veld and increase the damage dealt by magic users against him (as due to the throne he takes more damage from magical attacks than physical attacks).

Trivia

• The final chapter of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade drew inspiration from this chapter. Both chapters involve killing six sub-bosses within six separate rooms before unlocking the final room containing the ultimate boss.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

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  Map of the chapter