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However, many of these characters are far less useful than others. So today we’re going to examine the ten worst units that players should avoid using in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.
11 Nagi
A potent manakete with excellent base stats, Nagi is the first of many characters on this list who is greatly hindered by the requirements of their recruitment. Paired with abysmal availability in which Nagi can only be used during the game’s final chapter, Nagi can only be recruited if a player both failed to recruit Tiki and failed to obtain the Falchion.
Furthermore, recruiting Nagi prevents players from recruiting the Sage, Gotoh. This makes Nagi serve a more of a consolation prize, and one that does not outweigh lost benefits.
10 Gordin
Gordin is the first in a long line of underwhelming archers that players recruit at the beginning of various Fire Emblem games. Characteristic of many other similar archers, Gordin has both poor base stats and growth rates that prevent Gordin from dealing meaningful damage.
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This is only further hindered Gordin’s inability to wield weapons beside bows, as their combat restrictions prevent Gordin from meaningfully contributing during the enemy phase.
9 Mathis And Vyland
Two units recruited in chapters four and five respectively, Mathis and Vyland that make their way onto this list through the false promises they represent.
Across Fire Emblem’s history, Cavaliers have long been considered one of the strongest classes in the game. Possessing solid combative capabilities and strong mobility, cavaliers are traditionally quite useful. Despite this, Mathis and Vyland are both abysmal units with terrible base stats and lackluster growth rates that make these units little more than mobile cannon fodder.
8 Est
The first unit of her namesake “Est” archetype, Est is a very under-leveled unit who is recruited in the tail end of Shadow Dragon. Est is a Pegasus Knight who joins a player’s army with low base stats at level three.
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While Est possesses above average growth rates that could hypothetically help to offset her poor bases, when paired with her poor availability, players would be better off using nearly any other flying unit in the game.
7 Radd
Some of the most integral aspects a solid Fire Emblem unit can possess tend to be base stats, growth rates, and mobility. A myrmidon with low mobility who is only capable of wielding swords, Rad is incapable of safely fighting from two spaces away in the manner of a lance or axe wielder.
Additionally, despite being recruited in chapter eight, Radd is recruited as level one unit with pitiful bases and growths alike.
6 Tomas
Recruited in Chapter Twelve, Tomas is little more than a second Gordin, but somehow even worse. Possessing low base stats, growths, and all of the same problems that come along with Gordon. However, Tomas’s availability is significantly worse and under the circumstance that a player were to use Gordin, Tomas’s inferior growths would result in an inferior unit.
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If a unit makes Gordin look good by comparison, that’s really saying something.
5 Etzel
In a game with with over fifty playable units, Etzel possesses a unique albeit horrible requirement in order to be recruited. Etzel can only be recruited in the extra chapter, Chapter Seventeen X. Unfortunately, this chapter can only be played if a player has fifteen or less units in their army by the time they conclude Chapter Seventeen. This means that just to recruit a single unit, a player is required to sustain a significant amount of casualties.
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3 Dolph and Macellan
Recruited in the same chapter as the previously mentioned Tomas, Dolph and Macellan are two lackluster knights. Knights have never had a particularly strong reputation in Fire Emblem due to their lack of mobility. While hindered by these traditional knight-based problems, Dolph and Macellan are each under-leveled, possessing mediocre base stats and growth rates.
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By the time these units are recruited, Shadow Dragon’s maps are noticeably growing in size, making the weaknesses of this knight duo glaringly apparent.
2 Lorenz
Not to be confused with Lorenz Hellman Gloucester of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Lorenz is a General who can be recruited in Chapter twenty if he is spoken to by Caeda. Though Lorenz possesses a high weapon rank, his lukewarm base stats and lack of mobility make him a less than appetizing unit choice to deploy in the larger scale maps of Shadow Dragon’s end game. Had Lorenz been recruited earlier in the game, he could be much more useful, but he simply doesn’t possess the qualities one would hope for in an end game unit.
1 Ymir
While the previously mentioned Etzel has the abhorrent requirement of limiting the amount of surviving units player had recruited by the end of Chapter Seventeen, Ymir takes this recruitment requirement and makes it even worse. Ymir can only be recruited if a player concludes chapter twenty with fifteen or less surviving units.
While this is appallingly restrictive and limiting for players, even if one were to recruit Ymir, the fruit of their labor is little more than a below average Warrior with lower base stats than a trained Barst, Bord, or Cord. This means that for players hindering themselves and sacrificing their units, they are rewarded with a character who is worse than what would be otherwise available normally.
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