Fencer

Learn about the Fencer class in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth, focusing on its chain attack skills like Chain Flame, Chain Freeze, and Chain Shock.

The Fencer is one of the most nimble units in Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth. This class excels in speed and evasion, and its skills revolve around chain attacks, in which it deals as many attacks as possible in a turn. However, since it depends on chaining, this class needs a party to be built around it, especially elemental skills and attacks that can trigger any chain skills. Chain Flame, Chain Freeze, and Chain Shock require a stab attack or a particular element to be triggered, Chain Boost amplifies the damage, and Chain Burst deals extra attack upon killing the enemy with a Chain skill. To cover (press the cover button to crouch behind walls or objects) up the lack of its defense, Fencer is the only class besides Dragoon who can equip a shield, and it also has a few evasion skills. Predict grants an evasion bonus to the user and the Wind Curtain buff guarantees a single dodge for units in the user’s row. Sylphid counterattacks the enemy after dodging. Lastly, Optic Thrust can inflict the blind ailment, one of the useful ailments for early game.

As I've said above, if you decided to use Fencer as your main damage dealer, you need to build your party around it. Chain attacks require stab attacks or matching elemental attacks. So Rover, Shaman, and Botanist can be brought into the team as Bow-users which is considered to be a Stabbing attack. Or course, other classes who have stab skills are also good. Elemental attacks trigger chain attacks, so Warlock, Shaman, and other classes with elemental skills may be picked.

Recommended Race(s): Earthlain, Therian

Possible equipment: Sword, Light Armor, Clothes, Shield

Skills:

• Rapier Mastery (Passive): Increases physical ATK by 15% and switches Fencer's normal attack to stab instead of cut only if the user equips a sword.
• Chain Flame (Attack): Deals stab + fire damage near the beginning of the turn. If the target is hit by either stab or fire damage, the user will perform a follow-up stab + fire attack. The follow-ups originally have a 100% chance and may happen up to 5 times, with each activation decreasing the next chance by 10%. Only activates once for skills that hit several times. Doesn't activate for follow-ups or counterattacks done by other allies. The follow-up attack doesn't activate Therian's _Life Drain_ Union Skill. Must equip a sword. Costs 4 TP.
• Chain Freeze (Attack): Deals stab + ice damage near the beginning of the turn. If the target is hit by either stab or ice damage, the user will perform a follow-up stab + ice attack. . . . . Must equip a sword. Costs 4 TP.
• Chain Shock (Attack): Deals stab + volt damage near the beginning of the turn. If the target is hit by either stab or volt damage, the user will perform a follow-up stab + volt attack. . . . . Must equip a sword. Costs 4 TP.
• Chain Boost (Passive): Increases the damage of the next follow-ups by 20%. The damage boost may stack up to 100% until the end of the turn. Only for Chain-related skills. Prerequisite: Chain Flame (2), Chain Freeze (2), Chain Shock (2).
• Chain Burst (Passive): When a follow-up attack defeats the original target, the next time a follow-up happens it can target another enemy, for a maximum of three times. This skill may also activate Chain Flame/Freeze/Shock done by another ally. Prerequisite: Chain Flame (2), Chain Freeze (2), Chain Shock (2). Accuracy mod (a community-made modification that changes the game): +10%.
• Predict (Support): Increases evasion and chance of being targeted by 200% at the cost of taking 250% damage if the dodge fails. However, for each successful activation, decreases evasion by 50% and chance of being targeted by 40%. Under normal occasion, the user will be able to dodge three attacks before it starts to fail. Costs 7 TP.
• Wind Curtain (Buff): Guaranteed to repel one attack for three turns but the buff is dispelled after one use. Can even repel an attack that normally can't be dodged such as when the targeted ally falls asleep. Prerequisite: Predict (3). Base action speed: 40%, Max Lv action speed: 120%. Costs 20 TP.
• Optic Thrust (Attack): Deals stab damage and has an 80% chance to inflict Blind. Must equip a sword. Action speed: 120%, Accuracy mod: +25. Costs 5 TP.
• Sylphid (Passive): When the user manages to dodge an attack, they will have a chance to launch a counterattack. The initial chance starts at 150% but for each activation the chance is decreased by 40%. Therefore the user will normally counterattack twice before it starts to fail. Counterattacks only produce 75% of normal damage, but they can carry imbued element through Shaman's elemental _Prayer_ buffs or Oil items, or even inflict ailment if the weapon has the chance. This skill can't activate own Chain skills' follow-ups but still can activate follow-ups of allies.