Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave - 4 Things You Must Do Outside Combat

Ever feel like you're spending more time running around town than actually fighting in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave? You're not alone. The game's central hub, Dagsion, is absolutely packed with shops, activities, and people to meet, and it can be overwhelming if you don't know where to start.

But here's the thing: the stuff you do outside of combat is just as important as the grid-based battles themselves. So if you're feeling lost, don't worry. We've got you covered with four things you should start taking advantage of as soon as possible.

First up, support levels. They've always been a Fire Emblem staple, but Fortune's Weave expands how you build them. The main new way is eating meals together at the inn, which unlocks early for all protagonists. You can seat three characters at once, and everyone has their own food preferences. The menu changes daily, and you can see how each person feels about a meal before you commit. The more they like it, the more support points you get, so don't force-feed them stuff they hate. Meals are especially useful for building support with characters who aren't in your active party, and they're vital for convincing recruits to join you since you can't build support with them in combat. Later, you'll also unlock arena training, where you can pair up two fighters to boost their weapon, magic, or movement skills while also gaining support points. It's the best way to prep characters for advanced classes, and it's available every week, so make sure you swing back to Dagsion regularly.

Next, you need to raise your Renown. Think of it as a measure of how well known you are in the city. Hitting certain thresholds gives you important boosts and makes it possible to recruit more characters. The main way to earn Renown is by completing subquests from people around Dagsion, which usually send you onto the world map to find items or take out specific enemies. These quests have deadlines, but they're pretty forgiving for the most part. Paralogues are the exception. These are bigger side quests that flesh out individual characters, and their deadlines are strict. In one extreme case on Dietrich's path, you can only start a paralogue on one specific date. The problem is you won't get any in-game notification, so you have to be in Dagsion on the right day. Completing a paralogue nets you 20,000 gold, a bunch of Renown, and unlocks recruitment for certain characters, so they're absolutely worth the effort. I don't normally say this, but looking up a guide for paralogue dates is a smart move here.

You can also earn Renown by visiting gods in their temples around Dagsion. This unlocks early, but it's easy to forget since the game doesn't remind you. On the map, you'll see icons for each god's temple. Some days, one of those icons will be yellow, meaning that god is there in person. Keep chatting with the same god and they'll warm up to you, possibly revealing extra info about themselves or the world's lore.

Finally, don't forget that each protagonist has their own unique way to gain Renown. Cai gets kindness quests, which are just more quests to do. Dietrich can summon enemies to battle anytime and duel combatants in dungeons to steal their combat arts. Theodora gets resource requests where she trades items you've gathered for Renown. And for Leda, check the tavern in Dagsion at the start of each chapter. She'll have new performance requests in certain cities on the world map, where she can dance to earn you some extra Renown.

So there you have it. Four things outside of combat that'll make your life way easier in Fortune's Weave. Will you be trying any of these on your playthrough? Let us know in the comments!