"Follow-up attack" redirects here. For the Tactics Drill, seeBasics 9: Follow-Up Attacks.

Attack speed (Japanese:攻撃速度attack speed), abbreviatedAS (Japanese:攻速), is a calculation based on aunit'sspeed which acts as their practical speed stat in battle. In all games untilFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, attack speed factors in theweight of a unit's weapon, simulating the bulk of heavier weapons encumbering them in battle more than lighter weapons, with the effect thereof in turn mitigated by a unit'sstrength orphysical bulk in games fromThracia 776 onward.

The primary use of attack speed is to determine whether or not a unit is fast enough compared to their opponent to allow them to perform afollow-up attack (Japanese:追撃pursuit), more commonly known as "double attacking" or "doubling". In a battle, the two participants' mutual attack speed is compared, and if one unit meets a certain threshold of higher attack speed than the other, they are allowed to follow up against the opponent: to perform a second attack after both units have performed their first attacks.

Attack speed is also used in turn in a unit'savoid calculation, directly impacting a unit's ability to dodge oncoming attacks in conjunction with other factors, includingterrain benefits and a unit'sluck stat.

InGenealogy of the Holy War only, attack speed can be negative.

FromNew Mystery of the Emblem throughFates, weapon weight is not present and attack speed is calculated solely based on thespeed of the two units.

Fates includes a similar mechanic known aseffective speed. Unlike attack speed, effective speed only affects a unit's ability to make follow-up attacks. Some weapons, such as theSteel Sword, reduce the user's effective speed, making it more difficult for the user to follow-up, but do not make it any easier for the foe to follow-up against the user; others, like theRaider Axe, increase the user's effective speed and thus makes it easier to follow-up on the foe, but does not protect the unit from the foe's ability to follow up against them. Weapons labeled as "weak to follow-up attacks", such as theWakizashi, give the foe a boost to their effective speed, potentially allowing the foe to follow-up even if they would otherwise lack the speed. As it is possible for both combatants to receive effective speed bonuses, it is possible for two units to double each other; theExcalibur,Chakram andPursuer can cause this to happen on their own with speed-tied combatants.

InFire Emblem Gaiden,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, andFire Emblem Engage, attack speed is technically not present as a separate statistic from speed. In these games, the unit's speed on their stats screen is directly lowered by weapon weight (compensated for by the build stat in the case ofEngage.) This is mostly a visual difference, however, as almost all calculations involving the speed stat use the unit's attack speed instead in the games where it is present.

Calculations

Attack speed

Follow-up attack threshold

Avoid

Main article:Avoid

Items and skills affecting attack speed and follow-up attacks

Items and skills awarding attack speed bonuses or penalties
	Item	Effect	Games
	Eclipse	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	The Binding Blade,The Blazing Blade,The Sacred Stones
	AllBallistae	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light,Mystery of the Emblem,Shadow Dragon,New Mystery of the Emblem
	Swarm	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Shadow Dragon,New Mystery of the Emblem
	Mire	User cannot make follow-up attacks (except inDouble Duel).	Awakening
	All Raider weapons,Parallel Falchion,Lucina's Estoc	Treats user as having +3 speed when determining if they can make a follow-up attack.	Fates
	All Steel weapons,Selena's Blade,Pine Branch,Oboro's Spear,Rinkah's Club,Malevolent Text,Ragnell,Ike's Backup	Treats user as having −3 speed when determining if they can make a follow-up attack.	Fates
	Umbrella,Kodachi,Wakizashi,Parasol,Javelin,Spear,Peri's Lance,Bold Naginata,Hand Axe,Tomahawk,Throwing Club,Battering Club,Sidelong Yumi	User cannot make follow-up attacks. Treats user as having −5 speed when determining if the foe can make a follow-up attack.	Fates
	Takumi's Shinai,Hana's Katana,Hinata's Katana,Spy's Shuriken,Niles's Bow,Spy's Yumi,Odin's Grimoire,Ink Painting,Izana's Scroll,Dragonstone,Dragonstone+,Draconic Rage,Dark Breath,Dragon Breath	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Fates
	Effie's Lance	Treats user as having −5 speed.	Fates
	Beruka's Axe	Treats user as having −5 speed when determining if the foe can make a follow-up attack.	Fates
	Chakram,Pursuer,Excalibur	Treats user as having +5 speed when determining if they can make a follow-up attack. Treats user as having −5 speed when determining if the foe can make a follow-up attack.	Fates
	Darting Blow	If user initiates combat, treats user as having +5 speed when determining if they can make a follow-up attack.*/+6 if user initiates combat.*	Fates,Three Houses
	Wary Fighter	User and foe cannot make follow-up attacks.	Fates
	Allcombat arts except forOne-Two Punch	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Echoes: Shadows of Valentia,Three Houses
	Meteor,Bolting,Luna,Bohr Χ	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Three Houses
	Crest of Flames Power	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Three Houses
	Quick Riposte	Treats unit as having AS > target's AS + 4, if HP ≥ 50% and foe initiates combat.	Three Houses
	One-Two Punch	Treats unit as having AS > target's AS + 4.	Three Houses
	Break Defenses	User makes an additional half-damage follow-up attack independent of their speed if they inflictbreak during that round of combat.	Engage
	Divine Speed	User makes an additional half-damage follow-up attack independent of their speed.	Engage
	Allengage attacks	User cannot make follow-up attacks.	Engage

Flavor text

Trivia

• InFates, due to the effective speed system, it is possible for both the attacker and defender to follow up against each other in a single round of combat. The weaponsExcalibur,Chakram, andPursuer boost both the user's and the opponent's ability to follow up by +5, so if the attacker and defender have the samespeed, one of them is wielding one of these weapons, and neither has a modifier counteracting its effective speed bonus, they will follow up against each other.

Etymology and other languages

Attack speed

Follow-up attack

Effective speed

References

See also

• Speed