Master of Arms

Learn about the Master of Arms class in Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, including its stats, weapon proficiencies, and unique skills like Seal Strength and Life or Death.

The Master of Arms is a Hoshidan advanced class in Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. It's a really versatile and bulky fighter that can use katanas (swords), naginata (lances), and clubs (axes). This flexibility means they can usually gain an advantage in combat, unless the enemy is using a Beaststone. They're also one of the few classes that can equip the Seal set of skills, which debuff enemies.

You can even build a character specifically to be a 'sealbot' with this class, focusing on debuffing enemy stats to make them easier for your team to handle.

Stats and Growth Rates:

Stat	Growth Rate
Health	20%
Strength	15%
Magic	0%
Skill	10%
Speed	10%
Luck	10%
Defense	10%
Resistance	0%

Weapon Proficiencies:

• Katana/Swords
• Naginata/Lances
• Clubs/Axes

Skills:

• Seal Strength: After combat, the enemy's Strength is reduced by -6.
• Life or Death: In combat, your damage output increases by +10, but damage taken also increases by +10.

Skill Breakdown:

The Master of Arms is a well-balanced class, making them great for many situations. Their access to Seal Strength is a big deal, as it's part of a skill set that debuffs enemies. This makes them excellent for weakening tough opponents for the rest of your team.

Life or Death is a really interesting skill. It boosts your damage by a significant ten points, which can really turn the tide of battle. However, it comes with a trade-off: you'll also take 10 more damage. If you can manage this downside, it can create a super powerful 'glass cannon' build that can absolutely shred enemies.

An advanced strategy involves combining this class with the Merchant class. If a character has access to both, you can stack Life or Death with the Merchant skill Spendthrift. Spendthrift also increases damage output by +20 and helps mitigate the extra damage you take, all for the cost of one Gold Bar. This can lead to an incredibly potent offensive unit.

A Note on Seal Skills:

When you use a Seal skill, the targeted enemy's stat drops by 6 points. They'll recover 1 point per turn, meaning it takes 6 turns for them to fully recover. If you apply Seal skills to different stats, they will stack. However, applying Seals to the same stat multiple times won't give you any extra benefit.