Weapon triangle

The weapon triangle (Japanese: 武器の相性 weapon compatibility or 武器の３すくみ weapon 3 deadlock) is a "rock-paper-scissors"-type mechanic introduced in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War wherein certain categories of weapon are more effective against one category and less so against another. The most common form of the weapon triangle is thus: swords are more effective against axes but less effective against lances, lances are more effective against swords but less effective against axes, and axes are more effective against lances but less effective against swords. The weapon triangle remained mostly unchanged until Fire Emblem Fates, which included additional weapon types into it.

After its introduction, the weapon triangle has been present in all games in the series with three exceptions: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden which itself did not feature the weapon triangle, along with Fire Emblem: Three Houses and its spinoff, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes. While the triangle is completely absent from Echoes, abilities that replicate its function appear in Three Houses and Three Hopes.

While the weapon triangle affects most physical weapons, in some games magical weapons are instead affected by the trinity of magic (Japanese: 魔法の３すくみ magic 3 deadlock). The trinity of magic first appeared alongside the weapon triangle in Genealogy of the Holy War, and made its last appearance in Radiant Dawn—the last game in the main series to sub-divide tomes into separate categories. The nature of the trinity of magic changes with the nature of tomes from game to game.

The weapon triangle and the trinity of magic usually provide a bonus to the hit rate of the unit with advantage and a penalty to the unit with disadvantage; in some games, the weapon triangle can also increase or decrease units' weapon might or attack. The exception is Fire Emblem Engage, where weapon triangle advantage only takes effect upon initiating the battle, and does not affect hit rates or damage. Instead, attacks made with weapon triangle advantage break the enemy.

Overview

The weapon triangle was introduced in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. In its most basic and consistent form, swords are strong against axes, axes are strong against lances, and lances are strong against swords.

An equivalent to the weapon triangle for magic types—called the "Trinity of Magic"—was also introduced in Genealogy of the Holy War; though it is less common in the series, but typically in the Trinity of Magic, fire magic is strong against wind magic, wind magic is strong against thunder magic, and thunder magic is strong against fire magic. The relationship between the light, dark, and anima magics is inconsistent, but in the most common form, light is strong against dark, dark is strong against anima, and anima is strong against light.

The weapon triangle was not significantly altered until Fire Emblem Fates, where sets of two weapon types are grouped into colors; in Fates, red weapons are effective against green weapons, green weapons are effective against blue weapons, and blue weapons are effective against red weapons. Fire Emblem Heroes retains the color relationship established in Fates, but changes some weapon types' color—for example, all daggers in Fates are blue weapons, but daggers in Heroes can be any color depending on the user. Heroes also introduces colorless weapons, which are completely unaffected by the weapon triangle.

In Fire Emblem Engage, in addition to the traditional weapon triangle, a secondary system of advantage is introduced which includes all of the other weapons types in the game besides special weapons. However, it is not actually an equal triangle of advantage; instead, arts have advantage over all three of daggers, bows, and tomes, which have no advantage over anything themselves.

Weapon triangle by game
Game	Weapon Triangle
Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776	> > > > > > >
The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones	> > > > > >
Path of Radiance	> > > > > >
Radiant Dawn	> > > > > > > > >
Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem	> > >
Awakening	> > >
Fates	> > >
Engage	> > > >
Heroes	> > >
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE	> > >
Warriors	> > >
The greater-than sign (>) denotes "is strong against"; e.g. " > " means "swords are strong against axes".

Weapon triangle bonuses

A unit with weapon triangle advantage has one the following sets of values added to their respective stats, while one with weapon triangle disadvantage has one of the sets subtracted from their respective stats instead.

In The Binding Blade through Radiant Dawn, the attack bonus/penalty applied by the weapon triangle affects weapon might, which is factored into bonus damage, rather than the final attack stat, which is not.

From Shadow Dragon onward, the bonuses gained or penalties inflicted by the weapon triangle are dependent on the weapon level of the unit with weapon triangle advantage. Additionally, if a unit suffers weapon triangle disadvantage, their weapon level bonuses are negated during the battle.

In Heroes, the weapon triangle boosts the attack of the unit with advantage by 20%, while reducing the attack of the unit with disadvantage by 20% as well.

In Engage, when a unit initiates combat with weapon triangle advantage and damages their foe, the foe is inflicted with break; however, armored units are immune to break from weapon triangle.

Items and skills affecting the weapon triangle

This list may be incomplete.

Weapons and skills affecting the weapon triangle
	Item	Effect	Games
	Lancereaver	Inverts the weapon triangle. In The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones, also doubles its effects.	The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Warriors, Engage
	Axereaver	Inverts the weapon triangle. In The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones, also doubles its effects.	The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Warriors
	Swordreaver	Inverts the weapon triangle. In The Blazing Blade and The Sacred Stones, also doubles its effects.	The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones, Warriors
	Swordslayer	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones
	Dual Katana	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates, Engage
	Dual Naginata	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates
	Dual Club	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates
	Dual Shuriken	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates
	Dual Yumi	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates
	Calamity Gate	Inverts the weapon triangle and doubles its effects.	Fates
	Arms Shield	Reduces damage taken if the user has weapon triangle advantage.	Engage
	Triangle Adept	User or foe makes a guaranteed follow-up attack if they have weapon triangle advantage.*/Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).*	Engage, Heroes
	Ruby Sword	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Whitewing Blade	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Silverbrand	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Fólkvangr (refined, +effect)	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Panther Sword	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Rauðrraven	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Naglfar	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Eternal Tome	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Sapphire Lance	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Bull Spear	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Blárraven	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Tactical Bolt	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Emerald Axe	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Draconic Poleax	Doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Gronnraven	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Tactical Gale	Grants weapon triangle advantage against colorless foes.	Heroes
	Trilemma	Inflicts a status effect on enemies that doubles the weapon triangle's effects (±40% to the enemies's attack instead of ±20%).	Heroes
	Cancel Affinity	Negates weapon triangle affinity effects of user's skills, negates/reverses weapon triangle affinity effects of foe's skills.	Heroes

Trivia

• In Three Houses, Swordbreaker, Lancebreaker, and Axebreaker are given to any unit that raises their skill level in lances, axes, and swords respectively to B. Unlike in other games, here these abilities require that the user be wielding the weapon that corresponds to the traditional weapon triangle advantage system to gain their effects, effectively allowing the player to opt in to the weapon triangle by equipping them. Additionally, many enemies on the game's higher difficulty modes are given these abilities. In Three Hopes, most classes of a given weapon type have an associated "Buster" ability; e.g. all axe-wielding classes have some level of Lance Buster.

Etymology and other languages

References