I can't help but empathize with the “common things” in “#First FE Failure Stories”! “I'm stuck because I didn't develop Marth,” “Jagan is invincible,” “The Sacred Treasure is broken,” “Suzukaze leaves,” “The final chapter without Falchion”

The Fire Emblem series (hereinafter referred to as FE) has been active for 34 years since the first title, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, was released in 1990. With no long gaps in development and regular releases, it is now loved by people of all generations.

This enthusiasm is not limited to playing games. Because training and strategy change dramatically depending on how you play, players often share their experiences with each other, and this is often seen on social media.

On X, the hashtag “#FirstFEFailureStories” was trending from May 31st to June 1st (at the time of writing), and there were many incidents that any FE fan would nod in agreement with. So in this article, we will take a closer look at some of the failures that FE fans have talked about.

■ Failing due to stumbling over systems unique to FE
When “FE” was released, the simulation RPG genre had not yet taken root, and as a result there was a shallow understanding of its distinctive game systems, which has led to numerous reports of the game failing.

For example, in recent titles this can be changed in the system settings, but in previous versions of FE, units whose HP reached zero died and basically could not be revived.

Many people have been fooled by this feature, with many telling tales of failure such as, “I rushed in thinking I could revive, but I got defeated,” or “I was stuck with a lot of losses.”

There are also specific reports of battle situations, such as “When it came to the Dark Dragon (the one with the Mystery of the Crest), only Marth and Doga were left in Chapter 5,” “By the time we reached the 'Endless Dream' stage in 'The Binding Blade,' there were only single digit members left (of course we were screwed),” and “We killed off so many of our allies with the Blazing Blade that in the end we were down to just 3 or 4,” and there is no end to the harsh battlefields.

Speaking of distinctive systems, one cannot leave out the element of making allies through “conversations” during battle. This was also a rare system at the time, so some people did not realize that it was possible to make them allies. As a result, it seems that they ended up playing in a hardcore manner, such as “I slashed Navarre” or “I didn't know that I could become a friend by talking to him, so I just ignored him.”

In addition, the system in which villages are attacked by bandits has led to tragic cases such as the collapse of a village or playing too chicken and not being able to catch the bandits in time, resulting in the treasure escaping and the destruction of the village.

In terms of tragedy, “death by using a Devil Axe” could also be considered a victim of the unique system.

“Class change” is now a familiar feature, but in many games it was best to do it after reaching level 20. However, there were also voices from people who missed out on the opportunity to grow, saying things like “I did CC immediately at level 10” and “I didn't know the right timing, so I changed class at 18.”

In most of the “FE” series, weapons have durability, and when it reaches 0, they become unusable (though there are exceptions). This applies to general-purpose items sold in stores and legendary weapons. For this reason, many people seem to use up their precious “silver spears” and “rapiers” without hesitation in the early stages, or use their precious magic on small enemies, only to regret it later.

“The sacred artifact broke before the final chapter” is a short but powerful tale of failure.

There are many tragedies and “failures” in war!

■ The trap of “failure” that awaits in every battle
In FE, the hit rate and evasion rate are displayed before the battle. Other than 100% or 0%, the result is unknown until you actually attack, but it is a common occurrence in FE to over-estimate yourself and think “it's 99% so it'll hit,” only to end up suffering the consequences. This is a story that I can understand well, as I feel the lament, “My Georges was sunk by a 1% special attack.”

Also, while it's good to be strong enough to defeat enemies, many players have experienced being defeated too many times and ended up losing in a rush. No matter how strong an enemy is, if they keep taking damage little by little, their HP will eventually reach zero.

If this is weak, you won't be able to defeat the enemy, meaning there will be no space left, and there will be less chance of being attacked by another enemy. The tragedy of being defeated in a flash because of being too strong is also a common occurrence in FE. Many people have suffered this tragedy when using a kill weapon.

Since it is a game centered on fighting, there are many stories of failures such as being killed by the enemy, and I have experienced failures where a unit waiting in the rear was attacked and killed by reinforcements that appeared from a passing fortress. Also, trying out the arena to earn money, then having to reset the game with tears in your eyes after the unit you trained dies… is also a common theme in FE.

Compatibility has a big impact on combat, with the rock-paper-scissors system being the basis for the game. There are also weapons with special attack effects, which adds to the strategic nature of the game.

Bows in particular, even those sold in stores, have a special effect on flying enemies, so many Pegasus Knights and Dragon Knights of the past, such as Seeda, Shanny, Minerva, and Sumia, have been defeated by enemy archers.

So far, we've talked about the mistakes that were made directly by people, but there are also mistakes made by overusing strong units. Typical examples of this are the high-level characters that have been there since the very beginning, such as “Jagan,” “Alan,” and “Marcus.” Compared to other units, they are quite strong, and can easily defeat enemies, so many people ended up relying on them too much.

However, units such as “Jagan” often have a low growth rate, so even if you defeat enemies and gain experience points, you cannot expect sufficient growth. Also, the more you use them, the less experience points you can give to other units, so your overall fighting power does not improve.

Of course, there's no problem if you use them pinpoint. But if you rely too much on them, you can fall into an unexpected trap. Regretting things like “I trained Jagan” or “I only fought with Marcus and didn't train other lower-ranking comrades” are typical stories of failure in FE.

There are also mistakes that can only be made with that work!

■ Each of the previous FE games has been dogged by “failure”!
The failures mentioned above can be experienced in the series as a whole or in some titles, but there are also many failures that are specific to each title. In the first title, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, there were voices saying that players “got stuck in the final chapter” because they didn't develop Marth, the main character.

Since it would be game over if Marth died, many players didn't want to send him to the front line. However, the final boss of this game is a difficult enemy that is extremely difficult to defeat without the “Falchion” that only Marth can equip. The main character, who was only a figurehead because he was too well protected, had no chance of winning the final battle, and many comments from players who were in tears were flying around.

In the remake of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, there was a system where volunteers would join to fill the gap when companions died. Of course, it's best not to let your original companions die, but some people have reported failures such as “letting companions die until volunteers join.”

“Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War” was the first game to feature a pairing system. The pairing has a big impact on the second generation of children, so long-term development is also one of the highlights. However, some people played the game without knowing about the system and were overwhelmed by it, saying, “Some of the female characters are single, and even the characters who become lovers have mismatched skills.”

Anyone with experience will sympathize with comments like “My first Fire Emblem game was Thracia 776.” Fire Emblem Thracia 776 is one of the most difficult games in the series, and even seasoned fans have a hard time with it. It's a wall that's just too high to tackle on your first try.

Also, I won't go into details because it would be a spoiler, but there are a lot of people who talk about the failure of “Suzukaze leaving the White Kingdom in Fire Emblem Fates.” That must have been a very memorable failure.

And I also experienced this in one scene in “Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.” The enemy knight, Mathis, is an older brother who is worried about his younger sister, Lena. Lena is one of our allies, but if you accidentally place her within his attack range, Mathis will attack her without hesitation. Moreover, he mutters, “Lena…where are you right now?”

Many players will have shouted, “No, because she's right in front of me!” Moreover, in order to persuade Mathis, you need to have Lena next to you, which inevitably makes you more vulnerable to attacks. Mathis is thinking about Lena, but doesn't see her right in front of him, and he ends up defeating her, which is a bitter failure. Is this a tragedy or a comedy?

I have made many mistakes in the past games, but one that I will never forget is when I failed to get the essential item “Falchion” in “Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light”. I cried at the final chapter because of a foolish mistake. I can still remember it vividly.

Fire Emblem has many highly original systems, even for the time, and a high degree of freedom in gameplay, which resulted in many unexpected developments and accidents. Those failures remain vivid in the mind, becoming memories that never fade even after many years. It is no wonder that such stories of failure are now such a hot topic. Why not write about your own experiences of failure in “#FirstFEFailures”?