The Weapon Triangle (武器の相性, Buki no Aishō lit. Compatibility of Weapons) is a tactical fighting system that has been a mainstay of the Fire Emblem series since Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. It behaves such that certain weapon types have combative dis/advantages when used against certain other weapon types.
Overview
With weapon triangle advantage, weapon users may attack with increased battle accuracy; conversely, users with the disadvantage may suffer from decreased battle accuracy. Beginning with Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, the weapon triangle system may positively or negatively influence the damage output of participating combatants, depending on whether they have the advantage or disadvantage (respectively).
In general, sword users have an advantage over axe users, axe users over lance users, and lance users over sword users. Bow users, knife users, and all types of magic users almost always have a neutral presence with respect to the effects of the weapon triangle; the one exception occurs in Fire Emblem Fates, in which case all three weapon types are incorporated into the traditional weapon triangle (see below for more details).
Incidentally, magical tomes occasionally participate in their own "triangle," called the "Trinity of Magic," which is separate from the direction and effects of the sword-axe-lance triangle.
The reaver weapons in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones as well as the dual weapons in Fire Emblem Fates behave such that they reverse the direction of the weapon triangle in the battles they are used. Additionally, they may double the system's effects on battle accuracy and damage output; this goes for advantageous situations as well as disadvantageous ones.
Genealogy of the Holy War ~ Radiant Dawn
In these games, the weapon triangle components and their directions are as follows:
- Swords > Axes
- Axes > Lances
- Lances > Swords
Other weapon types act neutrally when used against any of the weapon types listed above. In the table below, values indicated with an asterisk (*) will double when a reaver weapon (i.e., Lancereaver, Swordreaver, Axereaver) is used against non-reaver weapons; if a reaver weapon is used against another reaver weapon, then the values remain unchanged.
| Title | Adv. | Disadv. |
|---|---|---|
| Genealogy of the Holy War | +20 Acc | -20 Acc |
| Thracia 776 | +5 Acc | -5 Acc |
| The Binding Blade | +1 Dmg +10 Acc |
-1 Dmg -10 Acc |
| The Blazing Blade | +1* Dmg +15* Acc |
-1* Dmg -15* Acc |
| The Sacred Stones |
+1* Dmg +15* Acc |
-1* Dmg -15* Acc |
| Path of Radiance |
+1 Dmg +10 Acc |
-1 Dmg -10 Acc |
| Radiant Dawn | +1 Dmg +10 Acc |
-1 Dmg -10 Acc |
- Dmg = Damage output
- Acc = Battle accuracy
Shadow Dragon ~ Fates
For the titles between Shadow Dragon and Awakening, the weapon triangle components and their directions are as follows:
- Swords > Axes
- Axes > Lances
- Lances > Swords
For Fates, the weapon triangle components and their directions are as follows:
- Swords/Katana, Tomes/Scrolls > Axes/Clubs, Bows/Yumi
- Axes/Clubs, Bows/Yumi > Lances/Naginata, Daggers/Shuriken
- Lances/Naginata, Daggers/Shuriken > Swords/Katana, Tomes/Scrolls
Other weapon type act neutrally when used against any of the weapon types listed above. In the table below, values indicated with an asterisk (*) will double when a dual weapon (i.e., Dual Katana, Club, Naginata, Yumi, or Shuriken) or Calamity Gate is used in battle. Moreover, in these titles, the weapon rank of the unit with weapon triangle advantage now influences the magnitude of weapon triangle effects; e.g., in a bout between a swordsman with sword proficiency C and an axeman with axe proficiency A, the combatants will receive weapon triangle benefits and detriments based on the "WRank C" values in the table below.
| Title | Dis/adv. | Adv. unit's WRank: E |
Adv. unit's WRank: D |
Adv. unit's WRank: C |
Adv. unit's WRank: B |
Adv. unit's WRank: A |
Adv. unit's WRank: S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Dragon | Adv. | +5 Acc | +5 Acc | +10 Acc | +10 Acc | +1 Dmg +10 Acc |
- |
| Disadv. | -5 Acc | -5 Acc | -10 Acc | -10 Acc | -1 Dmg -10 Acc |
- | |
| New Mystery of the Emblem | Adv. | +5 Acc | +5 Acc | +10 Acc | +10 Acc | +1 Dmg +10 Acc |
- |
| Disadv. | -5 Acc | -5 Acc | -10 Acc | -10 Acc | -1 Dmg -10 Acc |
- | |
| Awakening | Adv. | +5 Acc | +5 Acc | +10 Acc | +1 Dmg +10 Acc |
+1 Dmg +15 Acc |
- |
| Disadv. | -5 Acc | -5 Acc | -10 Acc | -1 Dmg -10 Acc |
-1 Dmg -15 Acc |
- | |
| Fates | Adv. | +5* Acc | +5* Acc | +10* Acc | +1* Dmg +10* Acc |
+1* Dmg +15* Acc |
+2* Dmg +20* Acc |
| Disadv. | -5* Acc | -5* Acc | -10* Acc | -1* Dmg -10* Acc |
-1* Dmg -15* Acc |
-2* Dmg -20* Acc |