Do the Golden Deer really need any recruits? It’s a valid question to ask, especially after we’ve written about just how good some of their members are. Still, it takes more than a single house to fill all of the available battle slots, so you’ll not doubt be looking for others to fill out Claude’s posse. We’ve taken a stab at ever other house, so why not put together a shortlist of units that we think deserve a slot? Join us below as we detail 5 of our favourite recruits for the Golden Deer house.
Recruit #5: Balthus
Avid readers of our Three Houses content will have no doubt noticed that certain unit types seem to occupy the bottom of our lists: The armour knight archetypes, otherwise known as Raphael, Dedue and by extension, Gilbert. Their existence isn’t the problem, but rather their power curve that really kills them off. They find use in early chapters that require the choking of points with huge defences, only to trail off in the mid game when other units get enough to complete the same task along with their other merits. If only there were a unit capable of taking it to your opponents in style whilst seemingly brushing off anything they can possibly throw back at them?
Enter Balthus, by far the best armour knight unit in the game. In fact, he’s so good that we’re not sure he’s unqualified enough to be given such a distinction. This is how the archetype should be made: defensively tilted yet capable of pitching in with other tasks, rather than failing at everything other than tanking physical hits. As a unit Balthus is just this, fantastically defensive but capable of taking out enemies on his own, fast enough to only be doubled some of the time and his growths ensure he stays relevant throughout the game.
Golden Deer Benefits
- By far the best defensive type unit in the game, far superior to Raphael.
- Can take on any physical class and do well, albeit slower than others.
- Slots into Raphael’s spot perfectly, outperforming him in every way.
- His defensive-yet-hard-hitting style is very useful on higher difficulty levels.
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Recruit #4: Shamir
Were it not for the existence of 5 even more ideal recruits for the Black Eagles, Shamir would have made it into our list for every single house. Still, two out of three isn’t bad, and it’s through her very focused power that she makes yet another appearance, and we’d argue that her recruitment to the Golden Deer is by far the most necessary.
We’ll try not to retread old ground too much, but Shamir is essentially one of the best possible Archer-type units available in Three Houses. She has fantastic statistics, including a very high starting Strength stat, and whilst they’re not likely to break any records, her growths that accompany the stats very well. Her Bow skills are fantastic too, much better than Ignatz, so she’ll easily slot into place and outperform her counterpart, and her personal skill has a great deal of potential. Aside from a possible re-class for Leonie, she’s much better at her job than anyone else in the Golden Deer house.
Golden Deer Benefits
- Far superior to Ignatz in the Archery based roles.
- Fantastic Bow skills, including Monster Blast and Heavy Draw.
- Great stats and good growths.
- Persona skill has the potential to be very useful.
Recruit #3: Sylvain
For many, Sylvain is their first recruit outside of their chosen house. Some may stumble upon him by accident in fact, thanks to his willingness to join anybody that meets his low requirements. Regardless of how or why you recruit the orange haired flirt, you’re unlikely to regret having done so once you see him in combat. He is quite a polarising character, mainly thanks to the first impressions that he tends to make, but stick with him and you’ll find yourself in possession of a very strong character.
As a unit Sylvain is quite similar to Leonie. Statistically he differs of course, and his class selection will naturally be different, but he’ll serve a very similar purpose in your team, capable of taking on any physical role and excelling. Eventually units like Leonie will out-grow him, but not by much, and he has the aptitudes to take him forward into great classes with ease. Access to Swift Strike is a great boon, and his personal skill makes him ideal for occupying your front lines alongside Leonie and Hilda – in fact, three of them riff off each other well.
Golden Deer Benefits
- Ideally suited to take advantage of available persona skills in the Golden Deer, alongside Leonie and Hilda.
- Statistically very good, ideally suited for solid physical classes, like Paladin and Wyvern Lord.
- Great skill selection, and aptitudes will see him grow into strong classes with ease.
Recruit #2: Felix
Yet another recruit returns to the list. This time it’s the brooding, moody lad Felix. His recruitment will likely give you a bit more trouble than our previous entry, requiring as he does a certain level of speed and sword experience, but you are getting your hands on an even stronger unit, so it’s worthwhile. In fact, outside of the class leaders and Byleth, Felix is as strong as they come and tends to exist in a performance vacuum just below them – not quite a lord, but better than the rest.
He comes with everything you could possibly want from a purely offensive powerhouse: High strength, speed and dex, plus a tendency towards some of the best classes in Three Houses. Do you want a hugely powerful brawler type? Felix is your guy. Perhaps a super fast Assassin capable of taking units out alone? Again, Felix will excel. You get the point, in fact the only real negative we can think of is that he tends to keep asking for Sword & Reason training, of which the latter is a complete waste of his talents.
Golden Deer Benefits
- Statistical powerhouse with huge Strength, Speed and Dex.
- Becomes a critical, double hitting monster.
- Personal skill is very useful in the early and mid game.
- Go on, just try to out-damage War Master Felix.
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Recruit #1: Petra
There will be those of you reading this that already worship at the alter of Felix, and to those we say kudos – perhaps you would like a female version to go with him? Alright, we’re embellishing things a little there, but she’s very powerful and comparable to him in many ways. She does require high Dexterity and Riding to recruit, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t the only way, so with a bit of work you can get her quite early.
Unit wise, Petra is a speed demon. Outside of Yuri, she has the highest speed growth available in the game, especially when you combine it with class growths. Her strength isn’t the highest, quite a bit lower than Felix actually, but her combination of Dex and Speed will ensure that she hits more than once, crits frequently and dodges the majority of attacks that come her way. Whether you choose to push her down the flying, footlocked or even ranged route, she’ll put the vast majority of your other units to shame. Just don’t blame us if she makes Hilda a little redundant in the late game.
Golden Deer Benefits
- One of the fastest units in the game, with huge speed growth.
- Makes for an excellent Assassin, Sniper or Falcon Knight.
- Her middling strength is made up for by massive dex and speed, meaning she’ll hit hard no matter what.
- One of the best dodge tanks in Three Houses.
- Combine her persona skill with Killer weapons to make a critical machine.
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Categories: Fire Emblem: Three Houses