Eirika: Anamnesis Lady

Submission #465

Date: 30 Dec 2022

Credit: piaochong

Friend Code: 9617171068

Description from creator: If foe's HP = 100%, foe is scared...not really, what with how low her Atk is, but still. She's definitely managed to catch quite a few people off guard in AR-D, though. Eirika fulfills a previously uncontested niche that has only started being powercrept in the last 2 years, namely as a fast red tome cavalier. Of course, now there are other powerful contenders such as S!Severa and L!Veronica for that same niche - but let's be real; if you're reading this, you probably like Eirika enough to use her over them.

- Technically, if one is willing to fodder it to her, Arcane Eclipse might be better overall with a guaranteed follow-up, a less restrictive condition and that delicious Slaying to precharge specials with outside help. Still, Gleipnir does have its perks - if the HP conditional is met, it gives an overall larger stat swing in the 2 stats that matter (effective +8 to Atk and Spd vs +5) and neutralizes penalties to all stats rather than just Atk. Besides, Eirika can't make use of any of Ophelia's other fodder, so there's a steep opportunity cost to consider when deciding to fodder AE.

- Moonbow is used on a budget set because her Atk is low enough that cutting foes' Res is usually more helpful than multipliers to initial damage. With AE, it also gets fully charged on Turn 1, and also if there are other sources of special cooldown (e.g. Askr's Opened Domain). If her Atk can be boosted high enough, Glimmer is a good budget alternative. If you have any spare Byleths, Ruptured Sky is excellent.

- Atk/Spd Catch 4 synergizes perfectly with Gleipnir, having the exact same HP conditional. +7 is pretty good as far as stat boosts go.

- S/R Far Trace 3 for the mobility and stat drops. Lull Spd/Res 3 can also be considered to no-sell the foe's buffs, especially if her role will most likely require her to use up all her movement anyway making Canto Rem. completely useless.

- What if your +7 from Catch was a +9 instead? That's what Atk/Spd Menace is here to do: boost her stats even further, both on the field and in combat. Ideally, she wouldn't have to fear having her stats cut by Panic, as Gleipnir neutralizes penalties anyway. Atk/Res Menace is also a viable option to increase her killing power, but sacrifices Spd which could be essential in matchups against faster foes.

- In most scenarios, Eirika is going to be the one initiating since her defenses are too low for enemy phase tanking. In this case, Blade Session 3 is the best offensive seal a fast cavalry could ever use, getting up to +9 in Atk and Spd.

Pros: With all that stacking, her offensive prowess actually isn't that bad. I've had opponents surrender in AR because she managed to land a surprise kill on even their (green) tanks - something people don't expect from this particular alt.

Cons: Favouritism and all the other options being more limited than her aside, literally all the other fast red tome cavaliers perform better with less external investment, which is understandable given that the next oldest of them is S!Severa, added 3 whole generations later. Her Atk, or rather her lack of it, is her main stumbling block which can only be patched up through a lot of investment. In the current meta, ideal Far Savers are also blue, a side effect of a certain pair of husbands featured in Paralogue 69, which puts her at a colour disadvantage.

Usage tips:

- Ruse support is very much appreciated to prevent her from being killed on the counter. It also helps her get around low-investment A!Fjorm.