Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave has some of the best tactical gameplay in the series to date, but actually digging into the art of seeing units bonk each other on the head in turn-based combat is a massive slog. Between a shift to Persona-like storytelling and a laundry list of chores, the game can feel like the equivalent of the Achilles and the tortoise paradox (via a Jujutsu Kaisen breakdown), because the closer I get to actually moving the story forward, the further I feel I am from actually engaging in some of that fantastic warfare.
And that's a shame, because Fortune's Weave is a really great evolution of the core Fire Emblem gameplay experience. The tactics game has more nuance to its rock-paper-nuns-with-guns formula in this entry, the jobs system offers more variety, and the unique tools at each Flame Lord's disposal make each one a force to be reckoned with. So what's the solution to enjoying the best parts of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, without getting bogged down by all the busywork in between?
It turns out that if you want to enjoy Fire Emblem more, you may need to play less of it.
Don't sweat the training
One thing I've discovered is a gameplay loop that Fire Emblem expects you to follow with each Flame Lord. Each of the main chapters is squeezed into lengthy moments of downtime, where you're free to explore to your heart's content--or within the limits of your renown and overall standing in the countryside beyond. Options include dungeon-diving, visiting gods for favors, taking training courses, mining for materials, taking on odd jobs, recruiting new members to your team, and so on.
I'm busy skipping most of that as I dive into the game's later chapters. Sure, improving your stats with combat training outside of the arena is a great way to unlock new skills, but there's a ceiling to just how you can improve. Going from E-rank to C-rank is reasonably quick, but once you hit those higher levels, progress slows to a crawl, even when you unlock higher training levels. At this point, you might as well go hone your skills in combat, which is both free and rewarding.
I'm being picky with side quests
Another great way to quickly level up your units and play the game is with side quests, but you'll want to be picky with which ones you choose. If you're a Dagsian resident asking me to go harvest an extremely specific number of vegetables for you, you can go take a long walk off a short pier because that's not happening. But if you want me to use the powers of Cai and Zoolander Alucard, AKA Dietrich, to rid your town of bandits or monsters? Hell yeah, because I've got an A-Team that's ready and raring to go.
Completing side quests is the best way to earn Renown, which has various benefits, but you're not going to earn a lot of this currency outside of the main campaign. Likewise, Fortune's Weave only offers you a small number of extra missions--or paralogues, which have juicier rewards--and while the rewards can stack up, they'll only improve your Renown rating by a single digit most of the time. Tackle the boring side quests if you're within spitting range of increasing your Renown or you need some quick credits, but feel free to ignore them otherwise, as the payoff isn't that great and the penalties are nonexistent.
Oh my gods
Getting chummy with the local gods can also confer some favors on you that can turn the tables in combat, but generally, I'm only focusing on one or two at a time. Earning all of their favor--and blessings--isn't feasible, so rather do your homework, see which gods will benefit you the most, and quickly earn their friendship. This maxes out at level 3, but often, I find myself performing just fine with a level-1 buff from a deity. Tactics, positioning, and the right execution of skills are my forte, not divine intervention--unless one of my units gets removed from the battlefield; then you can bet I'm going to ask Fortuna to please be kind and rewind.
But beyond that? I'm fine with not having a deity in my corner and relying on my troops instead, which means that a weekly visit to the temples isn't mandatory for me.
I've made peace with the fact that I'll never have an anime-girl army
Compared to its predecessors, Fortune's Weave has you fielding a smaller number of units during skirmishes and gladiatorial games. I've rarely managed more than eight of them at a time, which does force me to focus more on how my units are positioned, who I want to get the lion's share of experience points, and who gets to wield the best gear. You are of course free to recruit more people to your party, but doing so is a grind. Not only do you need a certain amount of Renown to add new members to your party, but you also have to build a relationship with them that largely revolves around showering them with gifts.
Earning Renown isn't the problem, but building a bond level of three or higher is a torturous grind. A relationship level of two is within reach, and since only a handful of characters have those low requirements, just focus on them instead. They won't be under-leveled when you unlock them, and you'll also occasionally find new characters in the town square who are ready to join you right away. Focus on your core cast, keep an eye out for new recruits, and hand out gifts when you're able to--especially ones that match the personalities of the warriors you want to add to your side. Don't try to add every single pink-haired anime girl to your squad, because you'll waste resources and be lonely in the end--I'm speaking from experience here.
Screw it, skip time and use auto-activities
Let's say you don't want to do anything. You just want to skip to the meat of the story, everything else--no matter how minimal--be damned. Fortunately, there is an option for this in the form of auto-activities, and you've got fine control on just how many turns you want to skip ahead. The silver lining is that you can choose to automatically spend this time training, gathering resources, or honing skills, and while the end results aren't as great as a jaunt to the frontier to go beat up some evil wizards, it's still better than nothing.
Don't be afraid to cheese the buffs from easier difficulties
I'll wager that most people playing Fortune's Weave on a hard difficulty mode will be invested in wisely spending their turns to eke out gradual improvements over time. And that's fine! But for the rest of us, there is absolutely no shame in playing the game on normal or easy mode. I promise you, no one is going to bust down your door and scream at you for choosing the easy route; that goblin mask you've got hanging in your room will not berate you for your choices--I hope.
Fortune's Weave takes pity on you if you're struggling, and if you happen to fall in battle, worry not. You can rewind time with Fortuna's magic bag of sand, or you can restart the battle with all the experience points you've accrued from that encounter. I've had several encounters where I've hammered away on enemies just to get the XP, death be damned, and restarted afterward with a power-up, as if I was playing chess after activating a Contra 30-lives Konami code.
Just have fun
And there you go! Some tips to remove the friction of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. The genius of the game's design is that you can still beat it even if you decide to not take part in any of its many, many activities, as the core group of fighters you gather throughout the Flame Lord campaigns will grow with you. Sure, it might be a little tougher, but there are systems in place to help you increase your power and focus on what you want to play. After all, you bought the game to have fun, and there's nothing in the rulebook that says you have to play a certain way.