Staggering Blows (Japanese:猛撃Ferocious Blow) are a special kind of attack introduced inFire Emblem: Three Houses. They are powerful area-of-effect attacks that are exclusively used by enemymonster units. These attacks are very large and typically have high rawmight, though they are offset by the fact that a monster must prepare to use them beforehand. On top of their high power and wide range, they also typically have other secondary effects, ranging fromdebuffs to changing theterrain briefly.

Overview

Staggering Blows are almost entirely physical attacks which use the user'sstrength and target the foe'sdefense stat. The most notable exceptions areRapids andGale, which aremagical attacks used by only a few unique monsters. All Staggering Blows have an area of effect—usually spreading out from the space in front of the monster—and can damage multiple units at once. They are not limited to damaging player units; if there are other units of the same affiliation as the user within range of a Staggering Blow, they will be affected by them as well.

Each Staggering Blow has its ownmight,hit, andrange stats. The damage dealt by a Staggering Blow scales like mostweapon types, being boosted by the user'sstrength ormagic, and reduced by the target'sdefense orresistance. Staggering Blows can never be counterattacked in any way, though Staggering Blows themselves can also never makefollow-up attacks. Unlike the similar area-of-effectGambits, Staggering Blows hit their targets independently; a single Staggering Blow may hit some targets while missing others, and may deal different damage to each foe it hits. Staggering Blows can additionally kill multiple units at once.

A monster must charge their Staggering Blow for 1 turn before they can use it, which is typically indicated by the monster roaring; however, theSurging Light ability removes the need to charge a Staggering Blow. When a monster is preparing a Staggering Blow, hovering over the monster will display the attack's intended area-of-effect. A monster must stay in place for onephase for the Staggering Blow to be unleashed; if there are no longer any targets in range when the monster's phase comes along, the monster will stop preparing it, and instead move to the nearest target to use a regular attack. If a monster unleashes its Staggering Blow, or it prepares it and does not use a regular attack in the next turn, all of the monster'sbarriers will be refreshed, unless the monster has previously suffered an armor break.

Staggering Blows in theFire Emblem series

Weapon	Available in:																	Notes
	FE01	FE02	FE03	FE04	FE05	FE06	FE07	FE08	FE09	FE10	FE11	FE12	FE13	FE14	FE15	FE16	FE17
Thorns of Ruin	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsdebuff of −5speed on targets on hit.
Heavy Strike	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsrattled status on targets on hit.
Poison Breath	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictspoison status on targets on hit.
Flame Breath	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsdebuff of −5defense on targets on hit.
Brimstone Breath	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsdebuff of −5defense on targets on hit.
Arm Press	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsdebuff of −5speed on targets on hit.
Annihilation	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Magic attack. Inflictsdebuff of −5resistance on targets on hit.
Light-Lance Barrage	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Magic attack. Inflictsdebuff of −5resistance on targets on hit.
Titanomachy	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsdebuff of −5speed on targets on hit.
Light Breath	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Magic attack. Inflictsdebuff of −5strength on targets on hit.
Aurora Breath	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsrattled status on targets on hit. Does not affect units of the same affiliation as the user.
Hoarfrost	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Range: 1–8. Ignores enemydefense. Heals units of the same affiliation as the user.
Gale	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Magic attack. Inflictsrattled status on targets on hit.
Rapids	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Magic attack. Inflictsrattled status on targets on hit.
Sky Fissure	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsfrozen status on targets on hit.
Sandstorm	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsfrozen status on targets on hit.
Cyclone	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Inflictsfrozen status on targets on hit.
Wilted Flower	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Range: 1–6. Ignores enemydefense. Inflictsrattled status on targets on hit.
Umbral Surge	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗	✓	✗	Deals 25% of foes' HP as damage. Teleports user and all foes to a random spot. InflictsStirrings of Reason status on user.
A✓ means that the weapon is available in that game, while a✗ indicates the contrary.

Etymology and other languages

Gallery

• 
  Icon used by Staggering Blows.
• 
  AnExperimental Demonic Beast preparing to use its Staggering Blow inThree Houses.
• 
  An Experimental Demonic Beast just before using its Staggering Blow inThree Houses.
• 
  An Experimental Demonic Beast using its Staggering Blow in combat, inThree Houses.
• 
  An Experimental Demonic Beast landing its Staggering Blow on an area inThree Houses.

References

See also

• Gambit