Intelligent Systems’ 2019 installment of the strategy RPG series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, takes place in the same universe as the recent Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and even features some returning characters. While Fortune’s Weave allows players to experience all main character storylines in a single playthrough, Three Houses locks players into one hero's path per game. These self-imposed variations can make the experience more memorable and challenging for returning players.
No New Friends
For this playthrough, commit to only using characters from the house you initially choose. If you select the Black Eagles, your roster should exclusively feature Bernadetta, Caspar, Dorothea, Ferdinand, Hubert, Linhardt, and Petra. While other professors who join in Act One are usable, refrain from recruiting students from other houses. This restriction limits flexibility later on but saves time in forging new relationships within Garreg Mach.
All New Friends
Conversely, recruit as many students as possible from the other houses, and dismiss your initial companions as soon as feasible. This approach is significantly easier on a New Game Plus run, where Renown can be used to upgrade your Professor Rank, enhance Byleth’s skill levels, and unlock supports immediately.
Maddening Mode
Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers its most challenging difficulty, Maddening, from the start, without requiring a prior normal difficulty completion. Be aware that Maddening is extremely demanding; every turn and every grid space is critical, and enemies inflict heavy damage. Battles will be longer and more punishing. Careful consideration of class choices and understanding character stats is essential. Players will also find themselves relying on less expensive wooden weapons due to frequent use of Combat Arts.
Fortune’s Weave Lorehound Route
Beyond the three main houses, a fourth path exists: the Church route, also known as Silver Snow. This is a variant of the Crimson Flower route where Edelgard is betrayed at the end of Chapter 11 of Act One, shifting allegiance to the Church of Seiros. This path offers significant insight into characters like Seteth, Flayn, Rhea, and Sothis, and features direct connections to the Nabatean and Argarthan lore central to Fortune’s Weave.
No Boys Allowed / No Girls Allowed
With approximately 40 recruitable characters, including those from the Cindered Shadows DLC, an entirely gender-segregated squad is possible for much of the game. This challenge also means missing out on certain gender-exclusive classes. The female characters have exclusive access to Pegasus Knight, Falcon Knight, Gremory, and Dark Flier classes, while male characters can access Fighter, Brawler, Grappler, War Master, Dark Mage, and Dark Bishop classes.
Oops! All Gingers
Fire Emblem features several characters with red hair, including Ferdinand, Sylvain, Annette, Leonie, Gilbert, Hapi, and Anna. Characters like Hilda and Petra can also be considered as having reddish hair. Rounding out the roster with other characters like Bernadetta, Lindhart, Marianne, and Caspar creates a unique-looking army based on hair color.
Hold Me Closer, Beefy Dancer
Access to the Dancer class, which grants an allied unit a second action per turn, is not guaranteed. It requires winning the White Heron Cup dance competition in Chapter Nine of Act One. A character must have at least 13 Charm points to win, which can be boosted by attending lessons during free time, Tea Time, or using stat-boosting items. While Dorothea and Marianne are natural choices, consider unlikely candidates like Hubert, Dedue, Bernadetta, or Raphael for a humorous and unexpected twist on team composition.
