Triangle Attack

For the Tactics Drill in Heroes, see Skill Studies 38: Triangle Attack!.

Florina, Fiora and Farina perform a Triangle Attack in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.

The Triangle Attack (Japanese: トライアングルアタック Triangle Attack) is a recurring special attack introduced in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, in which groups of three related units can work together to unleash a single powerful blow on an enemy, achieved by surrounding their target in a triangular formation. The attack is primarily associated with characters of the Pegasus Knight class and its advanced forms, but members of other classes have been able to perform it in certain games.

Overview

Florina, Fiora and Farina demonstrate the two Triangle Attack formations.

The Triangle Attack is activated with two simple steps. Two of the members of the trio must wait next to the chosen target (or both be next to them already when their phase begins), then the third member of the trio must move to complete the formation and attack the target. The activation of a Triangle Attack is usually heralded by the initiating unit announcing the impending Triangle Attack, and in all appearances except the Tellius and DS games, the Attack itself usually features a special animation depicting all three participants striking the target.

In all of its appearances prior to Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (excluding Gaiden), the successful activation of a Triangle Attack guarantees that the initiating unit will deal a critical hit to the enemy. The power of the Triangle Attack is determined solely by the initiating unit's attack power, with no influence from its partners. It does not otherwise boost the stats of any of the participating units or, if the units are too weak to actually normally deal damage to their target, allow them to avoid dealing zero damage; however, this is rarely a concern.

There are two possible formations in which Triangle Attacks can be performed. The formations (pictured to the right) can be rotated in any direction and will still work, and can be activated from any of the three sides, but otherwise need to be exactly matched.

• Formation A: The three participants are adjacent to the target, surrounding it at one range.
• Formation B: The three participants are within 2 or 3 range of the target, based on the range of their equipped weapons; the area between the three participants must contain the target. This formation works only in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, and is mandatory for Rolf, Boyd and Oscar's bow-based Triangle Attack.

In Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem, any and all of the participants in a Triangle Attack can be reclassed, and none of them are required to be in their original class in order to activate it, nor do they have to use the same weapon type. However, because the Triangle Attack can only be performed at 1-range, the initiator can't be classed as Archer, Hunter or Sniper as these classes are all bowlocked.

In its appearance in Shadows of Valentia, the Triangle Attack is a combat art which Palla, Catria, and Est each possess. As with all other combat arts, it must be activated on command when the three participants are in formation (Formation A only; Formation B does not work), costing 10 of the initiator's hit points to activate. Additionally, all three sisters need to be in flying classes (Pegasus Knight, Falcon Knight or Harrier); if they've been pitchforked into a different path, then the Triangle Attack can't be performed. It is significantly less powerful than in prior games, only boosting the user's critical rate instead of guaranteeing a critical hit. It also increases the initiator's attack power and hit rate for the duration of the attack, but like most combat arts, it is impossible to follow-up attack with it.

The combat art iteration of the Triangle Attack returns in Three Houses, where it can be learned by any female unit by mastering the Pegasus Knight class.

Combat art data

Game	Icon	Might	Hit	Crit	Avo / Crit Avo*	Range	Cost	Other effects and notes
Echoes: Shadows of Valentia		+8	+30	+40	+0	1	10 HP	Cannot make follow-up attacks. Can only be used if 2 other allied flying units with access to the art are also adjacent to the target. Initiator has to be in a flying class.
Three Houses		+8	+30	+40	+0	1	3 durability	Cannot make follow-up attacks. Can only be used if 2 other allied flying units are also adjacent to the target.

Possible users

Other appearances

Fire Emblem Cipher

The Triangle Attack is a recurring skill in Fire Emblem Cipher, introduced in the first series. It is classified as a Formation Skill (), and in order to use it all three members of the Triangle Attack trio must be deployed and must not have made any moves in the current turn yet. To use the Triangle Attack, the player taps all three members to expend their turn, which gives the attacker a signficant boost to their attack power for their next attack and has an additional effect which hinders the opposing player.

Nine cards have a Triangle Attack as a skill:

• Palla, Catria, and Est's Triangle Attack gives a +50 attack boost and disallows the opponent from evading the attack. This Triangle Attack is present on their first-series Falcoknight cards (B01-038R Eldest of the Three Pegasus Sisters, B01-040R Second of the Three Pegasus Sisters, and B01-042R Youngest of the Three Pegasus Sisters, respectively).
• Oscar, Boyd, and Rolf's Triangle Attack gives a +40 attack boost and, during the opponent's next turn, disallows enemy units stationed in the Rearguard from attacking. This Triangle Attack is present on their first-series advanced-class cards (B03-012HN Eldest of the Three Mercenary Brothers, B03-014HN Second of the Three Mercenary Brothers, and B03-016HN Youngest of the Three Mercenary Brothers, respectively).
• Shanna, Thea, and Juno's Triangle Attack gives a +30 attack boost and disallows the opponent from evading the attack. This Triangle Attack is present on their fifth-series Falcoknight cards (B05-022R Ilia's Cheerful Flower, B05-038R Ilia's Calculating Flower, and B05-046R Ilia's Elegant Flower, respectively).

Although it is not called "Triangle Attack", Barst (B01-021HN The Hatchet) has a similar Formation Skill, "Bordcordbarst", which requires Bord and Cord to be in play and has a similar effect. Unlike Triangle Attack, only Barst has this skill and can activate it.

Emma (B04-099HN A Dark Flier, Every Once in a While) has the skill "Triangle Attack?" which spoofs a regular Cipher Triangle Attack. If the player has two spare Emma cards in their hand, they may reveal them to give Emma a +20 attack boost for the rest of the turn. This skill can only be used once per turn.

Fire Emblem Heroes

In Fire Emblem Heroes, Wedding-Bell Axe features the Triangle Attack status effect. It grants the unit the ability to attack twice when they initiate combat within two spaces of at least two allies with the status.

Flavor text

Trivia

• A trio of Pegasus Knights appearing in TearRing Saga: Yutona Heroes War Chronicles, Mahter, Frau and Verna, can also perform a triangle attack-like maneuver, requiring the same formation and granting a critical hit as in the Fire Emblem series.
• In The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones, the triangle attack can force the Runesword to deal a critical hit, which overrides the Runesword's normal inability to deal a critical hit. This is the only way to deal a Runesword critical in those games.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

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  A Triangle Attack in Gaiden.

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  A Triangle Attack in Mystery of the Emblem (click image to view animation).

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  A Triangle Attack performed by Knights in The Binding Blade.

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  A Triangle Attack in The Blazing Blade.

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  A Triangle Attack on the map in The Sacred Stones.

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  A Triangle Attack in The Sacred Stones.

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  The Holy Guard Triangle Attack in Path of Radiance.

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  The brothers' Triangle Attack in Path of Radiance.

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  A Triangle Attack (start-up) in Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

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  A Triangle Attack (formation) in Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

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  A Triangle Attack (strike) in Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

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  A Triangle Attack in Warriors.

References

See also

• Combination bonus
• Solo Triangle Attack