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Decoy
“ | Sometimes victory on a battlefield requires that someone you care about make a sacrifice. But parting with one comrade may be the only way to meet another. You need to accept your losses in life and move forward. | ” | — A villager in the Prologue of Shadow Dragon |
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The decoy is a gameplay feature unique to the Prologue of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. Upon finding his small fighting force pursued by a legion of powerful knights, Malledus tells Marth that one member of his force should be placed near a fortress on the map as to distract the knights.
Overview
If Marth chooses to spare Gordin's life and allow him to fight alongside other members of the Altean knights, a force set up by Gra's Sable Order of Knights appears behind Marth's army; killing the young archer, however, does not trigger the appearance of the knights, thus allowing Marth to continue forward unfettered.
Assuming the knights appear, Marth and his army stand no chance of defeating or even surviving against the legion of knights. As such, Marth is forced to dress up one member of his army to look like him, and distract the forces so that the prince may live, at the cost of their own life. Upon being sent to the fortress, that character then leaves Marth's forces, and is never seen again in-game, and even the Aum staff cannot revive the victim. In Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, the decoy was confirmed to be Frey.[1]
Analysis
At this point in the game, the player has five potential candidates to be the decoy: Frey, Jagen, Cain, Abel, and Gordin. While Frey is intended to be the canonical decoy, he is also one of the best potential paladins that the player can have in their army especially when reclassed, thus making such a choice less than ideal; similar arguments can be presented for both Cain and Abel, though if the player prefers one cavalier over the other, the other can potentially become the decoy. Gordin is the best candidate, as he has poor base stats, mediocre growth rates, and no weapon ranks outside of bows. While Jagen has worse long-term, his early game utility more than compensates.
Trivia
- It is possible to bypass the decoy even if Gordin is recruited; the method, however, involves having all five members of Marth's army getting killed so that Marth can continue through the locked gate.
Etymology and other languages
Names, etymology, and in other regions | ||
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Language | Name | Definition, etymology, and notes |
English |
Decoy |
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References
- ↑ "You took that wound when Prince Marth, still a child, was forced to escape Altea Castle... In the jaws of death, surrounded by enemies, you alone became a decoy, in order to protect Prince Marth..." — Kris in his and Frey's third conversation, Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
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