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Critical hit
A critical hit (Japanese: 必殺の一撃 critical hit), often abbreviated as critical or crit, is an uncommon and powerful type of attack inflicted at random, which deals more damage to a foe than usual. The ability to and chance of inflicting a critical hit is dictated by both a unit's stats and those of the weapons they wield, and in turn a unit's luck stat helps lower their risk of falling victim to critical hits themselves.
Overview
The concept of critical hits is widespread in role-playing games in general, both computer and tabletop, and is generally intended to simulate the random chance of a warrior's attack hitting a vital weak point on their enemy such as an organ. The Fire Emblem series use of critical hits is very much in line with this practice. Each unit has a critical hit rate which is calculated based on both their own skill stat and the crit value on the weapon they presently wield, in addition to other game-dependent factors such as skills or support bonuses. In battles, this is subtracted from the opposing unit's dodge calculation, based on their luck, in order to generate a percentage chance of successfully activating and dealing a critical hit.
Most games in the series feature a collection of classes and items which are intrinsically possessed of far higher critical hit chances than usual. Some classes, most prominently the Myrmidon class family, possess an in-built class bonus which awards a set increase to their critical hit rate at all times. While the crit stat on weapons is typically relatively low, some weapons feature a distinctly high crit stat and are specifically touted as giving their wielder a significant critical rate increase; the most prominent of these is the recurring "killer weapons" line, including the Killing Edge, Killer Lance, Killer Axe and Killer Bow, all of which typically offer a high crit stat ranging between 20 and 30. Conversely, the player is occasionally offered ways to protect units from critical hits without relying on luck stats. Certain items and skills, such as the Hoplon Guard and Fortune, completely block opposing units from ever executing critical hits.
From Genealogy of the Holy War onward, critical hits are infamously typically associated with distinct animations, actions and flourishes performed by each class to clearly demonstrate that the hit they are about to inflict is a critical hit; this effect previously existed solely for Marth and Alm in Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light and Gaiden. For units wielding physical weapons these typically involve spinning one's weapon (or, for bow users, their arrows) around at high speed, while magical units typically wave their hands more than usual or summon additional magical runes surrounding them as they cast the spell. Additionally, in Radiant Dawn and, from New Mystery of the Emblem onwards, impending critical hits will be announced with a bright flash and distinct noise. In the NES duology and Game Boy Advance trilogy, critical hits only have one animation, while in the Jugdral and Tellius duologies they have two: one for non-lethal critical hits, and one for lethal critical hits.
Calculations
Damage inflicted
- All games except Genealogy and Thracia: Critical hits multiply the damage dealt by ×3.
- Genealogy of the Holy War and Thracia 776: Critical hits multiply the attack power before defense reduction by ×2.
Critical rate
- Main article:
Critical rate
These calculations are for the raw pre-battle critical rate of units, as typically expressed on a unit's status profile. In battle, the foe's dodge calculation is subtracted from the raw critical rate to produce their actual practical critical rate percentage. If an attack misses it cannot be a critical hit, this is because the game will not determine whether or not an attack is a critical hit unless it has already determined that the attack will hit. Even if the critical rate is 100% you will not always land a critical hit, because when your attack misses the game will not check if it is a critical hit.
Game | Formula | Notes |
---|---|---|
Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light | (Weapon Crit + floor[(Skill + Luck + 4) / 4]) / 256 | If (Skill + Luck) < 4, the crit rate is (Weapon Crit)/256 |
Gaiden | (Weapon Crit) + (Skill + Luck) / 2 | -- |
Mystery of the Emblem and Archanea Saga | (Skill) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Genealogy of the Holy War | Without Critical skill: (Combination bonus) With Critical skill: (Skill) + (Kill bonus - 50) + (Combination bonus) With Wrath: 100%* |
If a unit or their weapon lacks the Critical skill, they are incapable of performing critical hits outside of combination bonuses or Wrath. +20% critical hit rate when the combination bonus is in effect. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Thracia 776 | (Skill) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) With Wrath: 100%* |
In battle, a unit's critical rate on follow-up attacks is affected by their follow-up critical multiplier. Furthermore, the critical rate on the first attack is capped at 25. This does not affect the calculations for the critical rate of the follow-up attack. Additional hits from Brave Weapons or Adept inherit their properties from the previous hit. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
The Binding Blade | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) | The class bonus is +30 if the unit is a Swordmaster or Berserker. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. When using a Light Brand at indirect range, the critical rate is locked at 0. |
The Blazing Blade | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) + (S-Level bonus) | The class bonus is +15 if the unit is a Swordmaster or Berserker. The S-Level bonus is +5 if the unit has an S level in their currently equipped weapon. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. When using a Light Brand or Wind Sword at indirect range or a Runesword, the critical rate is locked at 0. |
The Sacred Stones | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) + (S-Level bonus) | The class bonus is +15 if the unit is a Swordmaster, Berserker, Journeyman (3) or Recruit (3). The S-Level bonus is +5 if the unit has an S level in their currently equipped weapon. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. When using a Light Brand or Wind Sword at indirect range or a Runesword, the critical rate is locked at 0. |
Path of Radiance | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) + (Any bonuses from skills) | The class bonus is +15 if the unit is a Swordmaster, Sniper, or Berserker. However, the class bonus does not exist in the Japanese version. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Radiant Dawn | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Bond support bonus) + (Any bonuses from skills) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Shadow Dragon | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) | The class bonus is +5 if the unit is a Sniper, +10 if a Berserker. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
New Mystery of the Emblem | If unit's skill < 20: (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) If unit's skill ≥ 20: (Skill - 10) + (Weapon Crit) + (Support bonus) + (Class bonus) |
The class bonus is +5 if the unit is a Sniper, +10 if a Berserker. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Awakening | (Skill / 2) + (Weapon Crit) + (Dual and Pair Up bonus) + (Skill bonus) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Fates | (Weapon Crit) + [(Skill - 4) / 2] + (Dual and Pair Up bonus) + (Skill bonus) + (Class bonus) | The class bonus is +5 if the unit is a Master Ninja, Nine-Tails, Lodestar, or Pegasus Knight; +10 if a Sniper, Sorcerer, Spear Master, Swordmaster, or Witch; and +20 if a Berserker. If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Shadows of Valentia | (Weapon Crit) + [(Skill + Luck) / 2] + (Support bonus) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Three Houses | (Weapon Crit) + [(Dexterity + Luck) / 2] + (Ability bonus) + (Equipment bonus) + (Battalion bonus) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Engage | (Weapon Crit) + (Dexterity / 2) + (Skill bonus) | If any bonus is not relevant, the bonus in question is taken to be 0. |
Items and skills affecting critical hit
style="Template:Roundtl; border:none" width="100%" colspan="2"|Weapons, items and skills awarding critical hit bonuses or penalties | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other appearances
Super Smash Bros. series
This article or section is a short summary of Critical hit. SmashWiki features a more in-depth article. |
The Super Smash Bros. series uses the critical hit concept to form the move Critical Hit, Marth's Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. Brawl onward, as well as Roy's and Lucina's in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, activated through use of a Smash Ball. Marth and Lucina share the same basic version of the move, while Roy's is radically different:
- After thrusting their Falchion skyward, Marth/Lucina darts forward at high speed and, if they encounter any opponents, deals a powerful blow to them accompanied with a Fire Emblem-style HP box rapidly depleting. In Brawl, Critical Hit is considered to possess more raw power than any other Final Smash, as its attack deals significant damage and immense knockback and is under most circumstances guaranteed to knock out the opponent should it connect, but conversely is predictable and relatively easy to dodge. The animation loosely imitates Marth's critical hit animation in his debut appearance in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light.
- Roy moves the Binding Blade in a circle, then sharply whips it down behind him and unleashes a single, powerful overhead swing which deals immense damage to the foe if it hits, accompanied by a rapidly depleting Fire Emblem-style HP bar. Roy's variant directly imitates his critical hit animation when using the Binding Blade in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
As with all Final Smashes, Critical Hit is depicted on trophies in Brawl and for Wii U, awarded for completing All-Star Mode with the respective character.
The HP bar in Brawl is based off of that of Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, and the one in 3DS/Wii U and Ultimate is based off of that of Awakening.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies
Trivia
- In the Nintendo Entertainment System Fire Emblem titles, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light and Fire Emblem Gaiden, the critical hit animation can play and miss. This does not occur in other games in the series, and is somewhat hard to notice in the NES titles, as only Marth and Alm actually have critical hit animations.
Etymology and other languages
Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
---|---|---|
Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
English |
Critical hit |
-- |
Spanish |
Golpe crítico |
Critical hit |
French |
Coup critique |
Critical hit |
German |
Kritischer Treffer |
Critical hit |
Italian |
Colpo triplo |
Triple hit |
Gallery
GBA titles
Joshua from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones performing a critical hit as an Assassin. The animation is noticeably longer than his normal attack.
Other appearances
Marth performing Critical Hit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Marth performing Critical Hit in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Roy performing Critical Hit in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.