Tactics games tend to get complicated very quickly. Between experience levels, equipment, enemy units, and terrain types, there are so many things to consider that it can be hard to keep track of it all. Fire Emblem Engage is no exception, asking players to familiarize themselves with an ever-growing cast of characters and classes.
With dozens of characters, each with their own skills, strengths, and weaknesses, picking the optimal classes for your team can be quite challenging.
That’s where we come in.
Below, we’ve rounded up the 10 best characters in Fire Emblem Engage, as well as the best “Base,” “Advanced,” and “Special” classes for them. These are ranked in no particular order. (And for those of you still waiting to pick up the game, make sure to grab some Nintendo eShop Cards from OffGamers here when you do!)
Warning: Major story spoilers ahead! If you don’t want to spoil certain character reveals and allegiances, best to save this guide for a New Game Plus run.
1. Alear (Main Character)
Recommended class progression: Dragon Child > Divine Dragon
Unless you’d like to make your life in Fire Emblem Engage unreasonably more difficult, don’t mess with Alear’s starting class, Dragon Child, and its exclusive promotion, Divine Dragon. It has arguably the best sword stats in the game, and the other stats are well-distributed with a particular emphasis on strength and HP.
As a bonus, Alear has exclusive access to the Engage+ mechanic, which allows them to Engage alongside an ally regardless of their Engage Meter.
Just be careful when going up against Wyrmslayers and those who wield dragon-specific weapons. Because Alear is a Dragon unit, he’ll take extra damage.
2. Clanne
Recommended class progression: Mage > Mage Knight
Clanne is an uncharacteristically fast Mage with relatively low magic growth and high-level strength. So, what do you do when you’ve got a mage who has the potential to be as good with a sword as he is with incantations? Well, you turn him into a Mage Knight.
Turning Clanne into a Magic Knight makes him more mobile and versatile. The Levin Sword is particularly useful for Clanne. However, Clanne’s got really low HP, so make sure you’ve got a guard for him.
3. Louis
Recommended class progression: Lance Armor > General
Slow and strong, Louis’s biggest strength is the ability to nullify most of the damage he takes to zero for most of the game. Granted, you can turn him into a Swordmaster to address some of his weaknesses. But, when you’ve got a brute like Louis, the best way to build him is to turn him into a General to get a notable boost in rating, strength, and defense. Not to mention, as a General, Louis is immune to Break, so you can use him to stall enemies and make life hell for them.
4. Seadall
Recommended class: Dancer
There’s a reason why you won’t get to meet Seadall until you’re a little over the halfway point of Fire Emblem Engage. As a Dancer, Seadall is one of the more overpowered units in the game. He’s got the ability to let units move again, which is an excellent way to squeeze the most out of your healer units. Also, Seadall can read fortunes and improve unit bonds at night in between missions.
Seadall also has a high attack rating with fast speed growth. It’s a welcome bonus that makes Seadall one of the best characters in Fire Emblem Engage.
5. Hortensia
Recommended class progression: Wing Tamer > Sleipnir Rider
Hortensia is another Fire Emblem Engage character who joins you pretty late in the game, so you probably already have your lineup set by then. Also, at first glance, Hortensia doesn’t look like much. But, as a Sleipnir Rider, Hortensia will come in handy, especially against tougher opponents. Specifically, she’s a six-move mage with S-rank staves and a unique skill that makes her a nightmare to fight against.
6. Jean
Recommended class progression: Martial Monk > High Priest
Why Jean ever starts out as a Martial Monk when his low strength never really amounts to much, we’ll never know. Thankfully, Jean’s high base magic stat makes him perfect for using tomes, and his promotion to High Priest is a no-brainer.
At the end of the day, Jean’s inclusion is straightforward—you need a healer, and he is one. Jean’s a bit slow, which can pose a problem, but there are several ways to solve this. Not to mention, he’s the sort of guy you’d love to take on an adventure with you because he’s a genuinely kind-hearted spirit.
Use Jean from a distance, let him heal away, and that’s it.
7. Panette
Recommended class progression: Berserker > Wyvern Knight
As a female Berserker, keeping Panette on your team for the novelty isn’t a bad idea. She’s particularly powerful compared to other Berserker class units, with high HP and strength as well as a free Brave Axe that she’s very capable of wielding. This combination, along with her multi-hit Engage Attacks, makes Panette a nightmare to deal with for your enemies. Unfortunately, Panette struggles with speed and dexterity, so you’ll want to change her to a Wyvern Knight to shore this up.
As a Wyvern Knight, Panette gets decent stat boosts across the board save for strength. She’s got plenty of strength to spare, though, so we don’t think Panette will suffer much from the class switch.
8. Ivy
Recommended class progression: Wing Tamer > Lindwurm
Ivy, alongside her sister, Hortensia, are two of the best characters in Fire Emblem Engage by default because they have a monopoly over the game’s only flying mage classes. It’s a shame, though, that Ivy can only use B-rank staves.
In any case, Ivy is as terrifying a villain as she is effective once you can recruit her following the events in Chapter 11. She’ll come in particularly handy when you’ll be faced with tougher opponents later on, especially when you’re taking on a Sage and a Mage Knight close to the end of the game.
9. Veyle
Recommended class: Fell Child
The Fell Child is a unique class to Veyle, so don’t even bother looking for a way to unlock it. In any case, Veyle is a fairly late addition to your party as she won’t join until after Chapter 22 following a series of whirlwind events where she goes from total stranger to antagonist, then to ally.
Ultimately, you should just be glad that Veyle is helping your party out and not working against you. She’s a powerful mage whose physical stats are high enough that you can experiment with her as a physical class.
Regardless of how you use Veyle, she’ll be pretty effective, but we recommend giving her S-rank tomes.
10. Diamant
Recommended class progression: Lord > Successeur
Diamant is easily one of the best characters in Fire Emblem Engage. He’s good at pretty much everything, save for dexterity and the fact that he’s sword-locked before promotion. He’d probably be an auto-include if the Kodachi katana were in Fire Emblem Engage, but it’s not so he can be tough to start out with. However, once promoted to Successeur, Diamant gets a decent boost to his well-rounded stats that make him a solid addition to your party.
Just make sure that you give him at least one dexterity-boosting item.
Final Thoughts
Given its wide selection of characters, Fire Emblem Engage has a little of everything for even the most hardcore fans of the franchise. Yet not every character is made equal, as our round-up shows.
If you’re looking to build the absolute best lineup in Fire Emblem Engage, we hope this guide helps!
