Site News
Warning: This wiki contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!

Social media: If you would like, please join our Discord server, and/or follow us on Twitter (X) or Tumblr!

Status effects

From Fire Emblem Wiki, your source on Fire Emblem information. By fans, for fans.
Condition redirects here. For the criteria for beating a chapter, which are also known as "victory conditions", see Objectives.
Is wii shove.png

It has been proposed that this page be moved to Status effects. Please move this page, or discuss this change on the talk page or on Discord.


Reason: Status condition isn't an official term, while "Condition" is (describing the unit's condition), as is status effect (the term for what this page is about).

A unit's condition (Japanese: 状態 status), abbreviated Cond or Cd, refers to the presence or absence of a status effect (Japanese: 状態異常 status abnormality), which is an abnormal condition sustained by units during battle under certain circumstances thatinterferes with their ability to perform in combat. Typically inflicted by a weapon, staff or skill used by an opposing unit, or by hazards in the map's terrain itself, the spreading of status conditions is a tactic used to have a disruptive impact on the successful function of an opposing army. Some games, however, have positive status conditions.

While players can typically gain access to instruments inflicting status conditions in limited quantities, for the most part status infliction is performed by enemy armies.

Mechanics

Infliction

To be inflicted on a unit in the first place, the weapon/item/skill/hazard inflicting the status condition must actually successfully strike the target: for weapons this is based on the standard accuracy calculation, staves have a separate calculation based on the target's resistance, and skill infliction is a case-by-case basis depending on the individual skill.

In addition to this, in Genealogy of the Holy War's versions of the Berserk Sword and Sleep Sword, there is a further check in place: once the weapon has hit the target, it has only a (30 - target's resistance)% chance to inflict the status condition.

Duration

Once inflicted, depending on the game, the status condition will automatically wear off after a set number of turns (usually 3 or 5), at the beginning of the unit's phase after the turn count has passed; the number of turns to go before a status condition lifts is actively counted down on the unit's profile, and also appears on the pop-up miniature status box for the unit on the map.

The exception is Thracia 776, in which status conditions will not wear off automatically at all and will remain until they are manually lifted through use of a healing method. In Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, poison status also remains for the rest of the battle or until a healing method is used, but the game's other status conditions last for only one turn each.

Healing

Most status conditions can be actively healed through use of a Restore staff (with the exception of petrification in Thracia 776), passively by a neighboring unit who possesses the Boon skill, or actively by Micaiah through use of Sacrifice (with no additional HP cost). Additionally, the Antitoxin item can be used on poisoned units to cure the poison, and the Radiant Dawn-exclusive Panacea item heals all status conditions.

However, none of these items or skills exist in Fates, so there is no way to remove status effects other than waiting for them to expire.

Status condition types

Berserk

Rath attacks Eliwood while berserked.

When berserk status (Japanese: バサーク berserk) is applied to a unit, the unit loses control and will automatically attack the weakest unit within their range at the end of their relevant phase, regardless of whether the target is an ally or an enemy of the berserked unit. In the case of player units afflicted by berserk status, the player will not be allowed to move the unit, and they will be moved automatically by the game once the player ends their phase.

If a berserked unit attacks one of their allies, their ally will not be able to attack them back at all, regardless of their weapon; the exception is Thracia 776, where units can fight back against berserked allies and even target them. Additionally, berserked units will not gain experience.

Silence

Is wii status silence.png Silence status (Japanese: サイレス silence)—called spellbind in Echoes: Shadows of Valentia—renders the afflicted unit unable to use magic tomes or staves. Additionally, a silenced unit will be unable to make use of the Talk or Support commands, literally silencing them from speaking in addition to the figurative silencing of preventing magic use. In Fates, silence also prevents the use of magic weapons.

In Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and Three Houses, the target must have the ability to use black and/or white magic to be able to be silenced. If not, they cannot be targeted by the Silence spell and skills which inflict silence will not do so.

From Genealogy of the Holy War to Radiant Dawn, silence status lasts for between 3 and 6 turns at a time. In Fates, Shadows of Valentia and Three Houses, the silenced/spellbound state lasts for only one turn.

Sleep

Is wii status sleep.png Sleep status (Japanese: スリープ sleep) puts the afflicted unit to sleep, immobilizing them and preventing them from counter-attacking. However, depending on the game, sleep status may have no adverse affect on the unit's ability to dodge.

Additionally, in Thracia 776, sleep status will force a mounted unit to dismount; putting the victim to sleep is required if the player intends to capture a mounted unit, and by extension recruit Misha. In Thracia 776, the Sleep status also lowers all stats except HP, Luck, and Constitution to 0.

In Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, using Shove on a sleeping unit will reduce the unit's sleep length by 1 turn.

Poison

For the "poison damage" effect in Fates, see Poison Strike.

Is wii status poison.png Poison status (Japanese: ポイズン poison) inflicts small amounts of damage to the afflicted unit at the beginning of each of their turns until the condition wears off. In the majority of games, the damage dealt per turn is between 1 and 5 HP, randomly chosen per turn depending on the game in question. If a unit with low remaining HP is affected, poison can kill the unit. In Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, poison status deals 10 damage per turn but cannot kill, instead leaving the victim with 1 HP. In Three Houses, poison status deals roughly 10% of a unit's maximum HP as damage each turn, but once again cannot kill.

The use of weapons which inflict poison status is almost entirely exclusive to enemy forces, and the only poison-inflicting weapon which players can easily obtain in any game is Valaura in Radiant Dawn. While poison weapons can be stolen in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, this is not easy and requires very specific planning and effort to accomplish. In the case of Thracia 776, the game is coded so that player units cannot inflict the poison status effect; additionally, if a poison weapon other than Jormungand is stolen by the player's army, it is reverted to a basic non-poisoning weapon. Starting with Shadows of Valentia, poison weapons became obtainable by forging specific rusted weapons in Shadows of Valentia or Iron weapons such as Iron Sword using Venomstones in Three Houses.

Petrification

A Gorgon petrifies Rennac.

Is wii status petrify.png Petrify status (Japanese: ストーン stone), known as stone in Radiant Dawn, causes a unit to become completely unable to move. Related to sleep status but somewhat stronger, petrified units cannot dodge incoming attacks at all and are more vulnerable to critical hits: anyone attacking a petrified unit has their hit rate maximized and gains +30 critical hit rate. On the other hand, in Radiant Dawn all petrified units gain +10 defense, reflecting the solid stone nature of their petrified state.

Petrification is a minor plot point in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776: the tome inflicting the status is the property of Veld of the Loptr Church, and early in the game he petrifies Eyvel, whose subsequent rescue is one of Leif's primary motivations for the rest of the game. In Thracia 776, petrification cannot be undone with a standard Restore staff, and only the Kia staff can heal petrification; however, in later games a Restore staff will heal petrification. In Thracia 776, the Petrify status also lowers all stats except HP, Luck, and Constitution to 0.

In The Sacred Stones, petrified units are set to be in a "wait" state; after healing the unit of the status effect, the healed unit will be unable to act for that turn, being in a waiting state.

In Radiant Dawn, petrification status is unique in that a petrified unit will not be automatically healed of the condition as turns pass. It can only be reverted through the use of the appropriate status staves.

Paralysis

Jedah stuns Alm.

Is wii status paralysis.png Paralysis status immobilizes the victim, preventing them from making any moves or actions while paralyzed; in Radiant Dawn and Three Houses, it also reduces its victim's movement stat to 0. Unlike sleep and petrification, paralysis is a more short-term condition, lasting only for one of the inflicted unit's phases (technically counted as two turns in the Tellius games).

In Gaiden's Act 5, the Falchion treasury's third skirmish map has an event where, at the beginning of a player phase, Jedah may hex Alm to paralyze him. When this happens, Alm is immediately set to have expended his turn, leaving the player with no choice but to end the phase.

In Three Houses, paralysis is used only by monster units. It is a more severe form of confusion, and occurs when all of a monster's barriers are destroyed. On top of preventing the unit from counterattacking, paralysis also prevents a unit from performing any action on their turn. The status lasts for one turn.

Shock

Is wii status shock.png Shock status—called stun in Echoes: Shadows of Valentia—reduces its victim's movement stat to 0, preventing them from moving. Unlike paralysis, shocked units are not made unable to act, and on their phase they are able to initiate attacks against any enemies who are within their attack range. In Fates, stun also reduces the victim's avoid by 20%, and in Shadows of Valentia, avoid is reduced by 30%.

Shock/stun status lasts for one of the afflicted unit's phases (technically counted as two turns in the Tellius games).

Buffs and debuffs

Temporary stat increases or reductions inflicted by weapons or items have appeared since the first game in the series, though it has had increasing prevalence in the series recently. In Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, a set of four ring items usable by Nils and NinianNinis's Grace, Set's Litany, Thor's Ire and Filla's Might—allowed them to perform a song/dance that applied temporary status conditions boosting one or two of the recipient's stats by 10 for a single turn, wearing off and returning the unit's stats to normal on the next turn. Throughout the series there have been items which, when used, give a unit a temporary stat boost that wears off after several turns, such as the resistance boost of Pure Water or Ward, or remain until the end of the chapter, such as the tonic items introduced in New Mystery of the Emblem.

Fire Emblem Fates expanded upon this with a system of stat debuffs which are achieved by successfully striking a target with certain weapons, with the target's stats slowly recovering back to normal as turns pass. Debuffs are most prominently seen through the use of daggers/shuriken, all of which give a different debuff, but weapons of other types can debuff and there is even a staff specifically designed to debuffing enemies. Certain powerful weapons even apply debuffs to the user after a successful hit, in order to balance the weapon's power.

Buffs and debuffs are also present in Heroes, referred to as bonuses and penalties respectively. In addition to being inflicted when hit by certain weapons, several weapons and skills apply them to multiple targets at once within the proximity of the weapon/skill's user. All buffs and debuffs last until their recipient completes their next action (attacking, waiting, etc.), at which point any buffs or debuffs they have are completely removed, instead of the Fates system of wearing off by one point per turn.

Buffs and debuffs are also present in Three Houses but are not considered to be a status effect.

Mechanics

When a debuff-inflicting weapon successfully strikes a unit during an attack, the debuffs are applied to the victim at the end of the attack, and are indicated by a downward-pointing arrow appearing on the unit's map sprite. All debuffs wear off slowly as turns pass, at a rate of restoring one point to each debuffed stat per turn until the unit's stats are back to normal.

For example: Silas is struck by an enemy's Steel Shuriken, which inflicts a -3 strength, -4 defense, -4 resistance debuff on him. It takes three turns for the strength debuff to wear off and put his strength stat back to normal, and it takes four turns for the defense and resistance debuffs to wear off.

Debuffs do not stack with other debuffs of the same stat, but debuffs sustained by different stats will also apply. If a unit with an already-debuffed stat is hit with another weapon that debuffs the same stat, the stronger debuff takes priority: if the new attack's debuff reduces the stat by more points than the old one, it replaces the pre-existing debuff, but if it is a weaker reduction than the pre-existing debuff, the new debuff is ignored.

For example: Oboro is struck by an enemy's Steel Dagger, which inflicts a -3 strength, -4 defense, -4 resistance debuff on her. A second enemy strikes her with a Soldier's Knife, which inflicts a -2 strength, -2 magic, -2 skill, -2 speed, -2 luck, -5 defense, -5 resistance debuff. The Soldier's Knife's strength debuff is lower than the Steel Dagger strength debuff she already has, so it is ignored, but its defense and resistance debuffs are stronger than the Steel Dagger debuffs to those stats, so they replace those debuffs and give her -5 defense and resistance. She is left with this set of debuffs: -3 strength, -2 magic, -2 skill, -2 speed, -2 luck, -5 defense, -5 resistance.

Weapons which inflict debuffs on their user, such as the silver weapons, always inflict a -2 strength/magic and -2 skill debuff. Unlike other debuffs, these self-inflicted debuffs will stack with each other if a unit repeatedly attacks, or is attacked, with the same self-debuffing weapon equipped; however, they do not take follow-up attacking into account and only debuff once per round of attacking. These debuffs recover at the same rate as other debuffs, restoring 1 point to each stat per turn until it is back to normal. Self-debuffs are applied with melee weapons if their attack successfully hits and, for all other weapons, are always applied. In pair-ups, self-debuffs only come into effect for the lead unit, and the supporting unit will not be affected if they Dual Strike with a self-debuffing weapon.

Frozen

Is ns01 status frozen.png Frozen is a status condition in Three Houses that reduces Mov to zero for a turn. It is identical to the shock status from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.

Rattled

Is ns01 status rattled.png Rattled is a status condition in Three Houses that reduces movement to zero and prevents the unit from taking advantage of any equipped battalions. Rattled status also decreases Hit, Crit, AS, Prt, Rsl, and Avo by around 10%. Rattled status is caused by nearly all offensive gambits, and cannot be inflicted on monster units.

Confusion

Is ns01 status confusion.png Confusion is a status condition in Three Houses, used only by monster units. If one of a monster's barriers is destroyed, the monster will be confused, preventing them from counterattacking that turn. Confusion lasts until the monster is attacked, or until the next turn.

Impregnable Wall

Is ns01 status impregnable wall.png Impregnable Wall is a status condition introduced in Three Houses that reduces the damage taken and dealt by a particular unit to 1 for the duration of a single turn.

Sacred Shield

Is ns01 status sacred shield.png Sacred Shield is a status condition introduced in Three Houses that negates all damage from ranged attacks for the duration of a single turn.

Blessing

Is ns01 status blessing.png Blessing is a status condition introduced in Three Houses that allows a unit to survive any amount of lethal damage once, leaving them at 1 HP. Similarly to the Miracle skill, this effect is negated if the unit is already at 1 HP. Unlike most status conditions in Three Houses, Blessing does not have a limited duration and lasts for the entire battle until its effect is activated.

Stride

Is ns01 status stride.png Stride is a status condition introduced in Three Houses that increases movement by five for the duration of a single turn.

Torch

Is ns01 status torch.png Torch is a status condition in Three Houses that increases area of vision in fog of war maps. The Torch item exists in other games with the same effect, but Torch is considered a status effect only in Three Houses.

Blood Sacrifice

Is ns01 status poison.png Blood Sacrifice is a status condition in Three Houses' Cindered Shadows DLC.

Chart of status condition appearances

Weapon Present in: Notes
FE01 FE02 FE03 FE04 FE05 FE06 FE07 FE08 FE09 FE10 FE11 FE12 FE13 FE14 FE15 FE16 FE17
Berserk --
Silence --
Sleep --
Poison --
Petrification --
Paralysis --
Shock --
Stat buffs --
Stat debuffs --
Frozen --
Rattled --
Confusion --
Stride --
Torch --
A means that the status condition exists in the game in question, while a indicates the contrary.

Status condition infliction methods


This section has been marked as a stub. Please help improve the page by adding information.


Condition Infliction methods
Weapons Staves/items Skills Hazards
Berserk Berserk Sword Berserk -- --
Silence/Spellbind Judge* Silence
Elsilence
Eerie Screech
Ward Arrow
Tri-affliction
Magic Seal
Sleep Sleep Sword
Blizzard*
Sleep
Nightmare
Elsleep
Deadeye --
Poison Venin Edge
Venin Lance
Venin Axe
Venin Bow
Valaura
Jormungand*
Poison
Venin Claws
-- Tri-affliction Poison jets
Petrification Stone -- Glare --
Paralysis Judge* -- Roar*
Howl
Stun*
Gaiden Act 5 hex event
Pitfalls
Shock/Stun Numbing Claws Freeze Stun*
Roar*
Rend
Tri-affliction
Immobilize
Toxic Brew
--
Stat buffs -- Ninis's Grace
Thor's Ire
Set's Litany
Filla's Might
Ward
• All "Rally" skills
Special Dance
Optimist
Calm
Fancy Footwork
Inspiring Song
• All "-taker" skills except Lifetaker
--
Stat debuffs • All daggers/shuriken
Setsuna's Yumi
Iago's Tome
Enfeeble Highwayman
Icy Blood
Draconic Hex
Seal Defense
Seal Magic
Seal Resistance
Seal Speed
Seal Strength
--
Frozen
Rattled Disturbance
Confusion
Stride -- -- Stride --
Torch -- Torch -- --

Trivia

GBA "arena glitch"

In the Game Boy Advance games (The Binding Blade, The Blazing Blade, The Sacred Stones), there is a minor oversight involving the turn counter for all status conditions. If a unit with a status condition is rescued and is held as a traveler when a turn ends, the turn counter will not have decreased in the next turn, keeping the status effect exactly as it was. In the case of poison status, this also prevents them from taking damage, although since berserked units cannot be rescued, they cannot take advantage of this protection.

Although relatively trivial and minor, it has one very specific use for which the oversight is famous. In The Blazing Blade, it can be used in conjunction with the dancer ring buff effects, usually the defensive boosts of Ninis's Grace, to easily exploit arenas to grind for stats and gold. The idea is that a player will use Ninis's Grace on a unit to boost their defenses, have them participate in an arena battle, rescue them, end the turn, drop them at the start of the next turn, have Nils/Ninian perform a normal dance/play to refresh them, have another unit heal them as necessary with staves, participate in an arena battle again, and so on. The defensive buffs will usually be enough to keep a healthy unit safe while exploiting the arena, as the arena does not account for the buff when calculating enemy opponent stats.

Etymology and other languages

Condition
Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

Condition

Status effect
Names, etymology, and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology, and notes
English

Status effect

French

Altérations de statut

Status alterations

Gallery

References

See also

Game mechanics
Out-of-battle management Base (BarracksBase CampBase conversationEveryone's ConditionsExpeditionGarreg Mach Monastery (Abyss) • My CastleSomniel) • Bonus experienceDungeonsGameplay modes (DifficultyCreature CampaignNew Game +) • GoldLessonsMila ShrinesPeddlerPreparationsRenownShopping (ArmoryBargainsForgeItem shopMerchantOnline shopSecret shop) • Supply convoyWorld map
Battles and chapters ArenaBattle saveBossCastleChapter (Alternate routeParalogueSide quest) • ChestCombat forecastEvent tilesHidden treasureObjectivesReinforcementSkirmishTerrain (Hazards) • Turn (Turn rewind) • Weather (Fog of war) • Village
Stats Units ActionAffinityAuthorityBiorhythmCharmClass (Class masteryClass relative powerUnit type) • Constitution (Aid) • DefenseExperienceFollow-up critical multiplierGrowth rateHit pointHoly BloodInventoryLevelLuckMagicMovementProficiencyResistanceSkillSpeedStrengthWeapon levelWeight
Weapons Brave weaponCritical rateDurabilityHitKill bonusMightPersonal weaponsRangeWeapon experienceWeapon levelWeightWorth
Unit mechanics and commands AdjutantAttack (Counterattack) • Auto-BattleBattalion (Gambit) • CantoChain attackChain GuardClass change (Reclass) • Combat artCrestsDance (GaldrarPlaySing) • Death (Decoy) • DismountDragon VeinEmblem RingsFatigueInventoryLaguz transformationLove (JealousyInheritance) • Pair UpRallyRecruitmentRescue (Capture) • Skills (Offensive skill) • SmashStaggering BlowStatus effectsSupportTalkTradeUnit (AvatarBond unitsBonus unitEinherjarLoan unitPrisonerReplacement unitSubstitute character) • Visit
Calculations AttackAttack speedAvoidBonus damageCritical hit (Combination bonusDodgeTriangle Attack) • Hit rate (True hit) • Random number generatorWeapon triangle (Trinity of magic)
Connectivity amiiboData transferDouble DuelDownloadable contentLink ArenaMultiplayer battleOnline shopSpotPassStreetPass
Other BarrierBirthdayClass rollGlitchesMultiple endingsRankingsSound RoomTactician bonus