Page values for "Fire Emblem Heroes Wiki:Build Center/Ares: Black Knight"

Build Center/Ares: Black Knight

Drink, Mystletainn !

While a build with Sol might seem very weird on any unit that isn't L!Ephraim, Ares might be able to fulfill such a role, but in red. This is an enemy phase build specifically made to capitalize on Dark Mystletainn's cooldown reduction unique effect along with Ares's spectacular defensive potential. His Brazen can make him reach 40 Def very easily, becoming 43 with a +Def IV and 49 if you choose  Close Def 3 as a seal for him.

If Ares can double on his first combat he will guarantee that  Sol will proc for every combat onwards (Given that he can retaliate). His Speed is fairly high compared to his father's so this shouldn't be a huge problem, not to mention that axe units are usually slow, so they'll basically be free HP for him.

You should be careful against units with  Wary Fighter 3 though, as they might screw up Sol's timing.

Letting  Brazen Atk/Def 3 as his A Skill is better because if he cannot heal enough HP to be at full health, the Brazen will kick-in and make him even more durable but at the same time more powerful too, making Sol's sustain slightly better.

This is why  Vantage 3 works really well : It will allow him not only to instantly proc his Special if ready, but it will also always activate his Brazen's effect, and the  Deflect Melee 3 seal if Ares was to get doubled, meaning that his survivability gets greatly expanded. However, if you want Ares to be tankier no matter the hit he takes, you might want to opt for the  Close Def 3 seal instead.

His C skill is really flexible depending on whether or not you want to run him in a Horse Emblem team, but  Threaten Atk 3 should work in most situations since it will allow him to tank more hits.

 Reposition is the classic go on any horse unit but given Ares's sustank role and the situations he could find himself in, you might see  Swap as a better choice.

Since this build is rather budget considering that Ares already comes with  Brazen Atk/Def 3 and that the only skills needed are inherited from 3 to 4 star units, you should be able to run it pretty easily.

AoE Mob Clearer

This build takes a different approach to abusing Dark Mystletainn, in which it attempts to use AoE specials in order to knock hordes of enemies down to 1HP or the like and finish them off on enemy phase. On turn 1 you start out with 3 CD on your special due to Dark Mystletainn's lowered cooldown, which is further lowered by Quickened Pulse bringing it down to 2. From there, you must find an enemy that you do not die to in one round and either attack them or manipulate them into attacking you. You should now have your AoE special charged and ready to activate for the next turn. If attacking, Hit and Run helps substantially by getting you out of harm's way after the round of combat with team support in the form of a dancer or Reposition. However, Vantage helps more if you plan to tank enemy phase and for the following turns. From there, whether he was danced or the next turn rolled around, Ares can proc his special and nuke the field, hitting once during combat to finish off the targeted unit to bring his cooldown to 2. Dark Mystletainn then activates after combat, recharging his special to full, ready to activate from a dance or following turns. Any enemies that were caught up in the blast will now suicide into Ares, getting hit first due to Vantage 3. This build works exceptionally well in GHBs or BHBs where enemies are clumped up already, but can also work well in regular arena or arena assault. Distant Counter is the best A slot skill for this build, as it lets him retaliate on ranged units that he would hit with his AoE special. Close Def 3 is the second best option, as in tandem with the seal, lets him tank nearly any melee range hit on enemy phase. Atk Smoke 3 is the best C slot skill for this build, as it minimizes the damage that he takes when tanking. +Atk IV is optimal for maximizing AoE damage, and -HP is the best bane as it takes away the least from his bulk. -Spd is also viable if you are running dual Close Def 3, as it makes his initial charge requirement easier to get since he will be doubled more often and thus gain the 1 extra charge.

All or nothing

This build is meant to hit hard and hit often. Since the defensive stats will be his bane, it is crucial to have a team of cavalry to assist with buffs to make Ares an offensive monster that can take a punch. The plus Spd IV along with cavalry buffs will help Ares double many characters and then unleash his special in his first fight. Vantage 3 will take over from there along with Dark Mystletainn's ability, which provides a -2 charge after combat, to land significant damage to any unit that initiates combat.

The seal choice can be used to boost attack or as needed.

Painful Encounter

This set is somewhat similar to the Pain+ sets that staff units tend to run around with. Get your special charged up, activate painful AoE damage, and continue to do so, while negating any type of resistance with Vantage 3 when at low enough HP.

An attack boon is absolutely mandatory for this set to truly shine, however it can still work even without it. The bane largely won't matter too much, so long as it isn't attack, but Res or HP are usually the go-to on banes for this set. Only go defense bane if arena score matters, otherwise, you will likely need the defense to get your special charged up in the first place.

Reposition is a staple on most teams, but it is especially crucial on Ares if you employ hit and run tactics with him. Special is basically a choice between a larger effect of spread damage for less overall damage, or a larger damage output for less overall spread effect. This one is completely up to your discretion. It is worth noting that Growing Wind has the same spread range as Pain+.

A Passive really depends on how much resources you have, or how much you value it. As of writing this, melee units dominate the meta, so it might not be a bad idea to roll with Fury 3 to increase the overall attack power of Ares, and ease of turn 1 baiting. Fury 3's bleeding damage also will help him get into the Vantage 3 threshold he needs. But if you're feeling bold, Distant Counter will allow him to negate any type of resistance 2-range units will try to put up when in Vantage 3 range and he's already popped his special.

Vantage 3 is the bread and butter for this set, and is the reason why this set functions as it should. You drop to this threshold after applying the AoE damage you need, and watch as the enemies run into Ares like lemmings. You must be wary of Firesweep, Windsweep, Dazzling, Sacae's Blessing, Hardy Bearing, and any of the Hoshidan Festival daggers however, otherwise you risk getting blindsided.

Savage Blow 3 inflicts even more damage spread on top of the spread damage your Special inflicts, further closing the gap Ares needs to finish enemies off on the enemy phase.

Quick Riposte 3 might be an oddity for a set potentially running Fury 3, but you will need a safe way to activate your special to begin with. Just let an axe unit charge at you, or something. Bonus points if said axe unit immediately brings you into Vantage threshold.

All in all, that explains this entire set. It isn't completely bulletproof, however. The aformentioned skills that negate counter attacks, and other skills that negate Vantage 3 will end up being the demise for Ares. As well, Vantage 3 is the key to his set, but it can also be his downfall. If he has no safe way to get into Vantage 3, or the enemies he can bait doesn't deal enough damage, then he might not be able to do his thing, especially if blue units are left alive. Positioning is key here, so do not let anyone get out of the range of fire for Ares, because a Wings of Mercy 3 unit with full health can easily turn his day sour.

Play your cards right, and you have a landmine waiting to detonate. Falaflame (talk) 02:29, 11 September 2018 (UTC)

Ares

This build utilizes Ares’ high attack and merge potential along with his weapon allowing constant bonfires with priority due to vantage.

Once Ares has activated vantage and brazen atk/def he will win against all fliers, all cavalry except Veronica and B!Lyn, all infantry except Lukas, and will survive against nearly all meta tank units.

My +10 has served me better than any other unit, he’s even the star of my aether defense and wins around 80% of battles.

69.62.210.59 16:56, 27 July 2019 (UTC)