Fire Emblem: Three Houses |OT2| Greetings, Era! Nothing to Report!

[Poltergust]

I just purchased this game and the most amazing thing just happened.

I had a gift card expiring this month that I needed to use up. It had $64.81 left, so I decided to purchase this game on the eShop. I also wanted to use up the remaining balance to get the Expansion Pass (because I'm playing female Byleth to expand my male dating options and there is no chance in hell I'm playing in her awful default costume), but it seems that I can't use gift cards to cover for partial amounts for an eShop purchase and got an error when trying to do so, so no luck there.

However, I then noticed that I had a good amount of Gold Points stocked up that I can use to discount the cost of the game. I initially figured I would have some left over in my gift card balance after purchase, but then I saw the amount it took off was $20.17. The cost of the game plus the Expansion Pass is $84.98.

$84.98 - $20.17 = $64.81

So, my gift card had the exact amount of money left to purchase this game after I applied my Gold Points. I just find that to be incredible lol.

 

[Tochtli79]

I just purchased this game and the most amazing thing just happened.

I had a gift card expiring this month that I needed to use up. It had $64.81 left, so I decided to purchase this game on the eShop. I also wanted to use up the remaining balance to get the Expansion Pass (because I'm playing female Byleth to expand my male dating options and there is no chance in hell I'm playing in her awful default costume), but it seems that I can't use gift cards to cover for partial amounts for an eShop purchase and got an error when trying to do so, so no luck there.

However, I then noticed that I had a good amount of Gold Points stocked up that I can use to discount the cost of the game. I initially figured I would have some left over in my gift card balance after purchase, but then I saw the amount it took off was $20.17. The cost of the game plus the Expansion Pass is $84.98.

$84.98 - $20.17 = $64.81

So, my gift card had the exact amount of money left to purchase this game after I applied my Gold Points. I just find that to be incredible lol.

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You and FE3H are destined for each other, it's the only explanation. Which House are you starting with?

 

[Poltergust]

You and FE3H are destined for each other, it's the only explanation. Which House are you starting with?

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No idea. Claude appeals to me the most, but I wanna save his route for last.

 

[IrishNinja]

right then - what's the consensus on the best house to start with?

 

[Reyes]

right then - what's the consensus on the best house to start with?

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There is no consensus, just play whatever Lord & cast of characters of each house raises your intreast and play it

 

[Homura]

right then - what's the consensus on the best house to start with?

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All houses are good.
BE is way shorter than the other two though.

 

[Kira.FA37]

And wrapped up the DLC, all in all 9 hours. Did enjoy it but definately a step up from playing the regular story on normal, I had to redo the 4th chapter a couple of times as I went to fast and made a lot positioning mistakes, the last chapter . Liked how it expanded on thebackground lore regarding our character but it sits a bit weird when you look at it from the fact that during this part of the game ||you are wondering about your background and they casually start talking all about your mom...|| Eh, still would recommend.

Now I can start my Crimson Flower playthrough!

right then - what's the consensus on the best house to start with?

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Any house is fine but I think its best to not go Edelgard's/Crimson Flower route first as it's shorter and different plotwise. If you do intend to play all routes do space out the Golden Deer and Church routes as they are the most samey. And don't recruit all characters on your first playthrough, I did and it did burn me out a little, that and I didn't end up using half of them.

 

[Tochtli79]

I would personally recommend not starting with Claude's route for plot reasons. BL and BE are much better to get introduced to the world and start to discover the story and lore, while I think of GD more as building onto what you've found out in a prior playthrough.

 

[Poodlestrike]

I would start with BE 'cause of Edelgard Tha Gawd.

/shrug

 

[PBalfredo]

The Immovable is a real pain in the ass on Maddening. I'm trying to hack away at the big boy but dudes are constantly jumping out of the fog from three different directions to just murder my units. Plus the big guy himself will just randomly crit, which is always death. First time in a long while I had to restart because I ran out of divine pulses and I'm not eager to jump back in right now.

 

[Morlas]

The Immovable is a real pain in the ass on Maddening. I'm trying to hack away at the big boy but dudes are constantly jumping out of the fog from three different directions to just murder my units. Plus the big guy himself will just randomly crit, which is always death. First time in a long while I had to restart because I ran out of divine pulses and I'm not eager to jump back in right now.

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Its especially annoying on CF since Edelgard and Hubert cant be used

 

[Quinton]

I would start with BE 'cause of Edelgard Tha Gawd.

/shrug

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I knew there was a reason I like you.

 

[PBalfredo]

Its especially annoying on CF since Edelgard and Hubert cant be used

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Right! The down-side of the Immovable not regenerating his shields is you don't have another opportunity to stun him so you can hit him without counterattacks. If I had El with me, I'd go ham with Raging Storm right when I got the armor break and it wouldn't even be a thing.

 

[lemonade]

I have been wondering, if you play the game in Japanese, do you get the JP version of the end credit song?

 

[McNum]

I have been wondering, if you play the game in Japanese, do you get the JP version of the end credit song?

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Yes.

Weirdly enough, this is also the only way to unlock that song in English for the music player in the game. Watching the end credits in English does not unlock the song.

The same goes for Rhea's song earlier in the game. But you can watch that in Japanese in the Event viewer to get both versions.

 

[PK Gaming]

I wrote about how the Silver Snow route fundamentally fails as a story about Edelgard

Spoilers, but also feel free to check it out.

 

[HBK]

I wrote about how the Silver Snow route fundamentally fails as a story about Edelgard

Spoilers, but also feel free to check it out.

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I dunno. SS has a lot of issues but it works as long as you played the other routes. It's one of the main perks and both a pro and a con about the game. Each route takes a whole different meaning when you played all of them.

CF works well as a first route, even if you don't get all the answers, but rereading it either makes you despise it ("she's a fool") or love it ("she's doing what must be done").

SS probably doesn't work so well as a first route, but at least you get some answers, and rereading it emphasizes how much of a tragedy it is for some characters.

AM may work as a first route, as long as you tolerate wonky redemption arcs, but becomes kind of irrelevant after rereading it (unless you're just a fan of the Lord I guess), as it's basically just a non-event in the grand scheme of the game's lore.

VW may be what works best as a first route (even if its events unfold in a borderline comical manner), as you get A TON of answers, and is probably the route whose perception is the less changed by playing the other routes, even though it'll make you understand that some of those weird scenes are actually imports from other routes (hence why they don't make much sense in that route).

 

[disillusion386]

I can't get enough of this game. I'm currently on my second playthrough (Blue Lions on Hard+Classic) even though I have some other games I recently bought and also want to play (Ori & FF7R). I'm just really enjoying the gameplay loop and getting to know all of these characters.

 

[Caz]

I dunno. SS has a lot of issues but it works as long as you played the other routes. It's one of the main perks and both a pro and a con about the game. Each route takes a whole different meaning when you played all of them.

CF works well as a first route, even if you don't get all the answers, but rereading it either makes you despise it ("she's a fool") or love it ("she's doing what must be done").

SS probably doesn't work so well as a first route, but at least you get some answers, and rereading it emphasizes how much of a tragedy it is for some characters.

AM may work as a first route, as long as you tolerate wonky redemption arcs, but becomes kind of irrelevant after rereading it (unless you're just a fan of the Lord I guess), as it's basically just a non-event in the grand scheme of the game's lore.

VW may be what works best as a first route (even if its events unfold in a borderline comical manner), as you get A TON of answers, and is probably the route whose perception is the less changed by playing the other routes, even though it'll make you understand that some of those weird scenes are actually imports from other routes (hence why they don't make much sense in that route).

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That you need to play through the other 60+ hours routes to "get it" (or watch dozens of hours worth of cutscenes on YouTube), something that, and let's be frank about this, very few people are ever going to do that, let alone finish up one route given the average percentage of people who play games til' the end credits, would suggest that it is a problem with both the individual route and Three Houses' storytelling as a whole, namely with the multiple plot contrivances involving the timeskip that would also contribute to said players' being unmotivated to view the larger picture; if I wasn't playing the games for review, I sure wouldn't have bothered with the other routes for a long time given how lousy an ending the route I chose to start with was.

I get that they wanted to do the whole "see all sides of the conflict" thing that Fire Emblem's been trying ever since the first game with the choice between Samson and Arran (see: Celica and Alm in Gaiden having literal diverging paths, Fire Emblem Fates' multiple versions, the lore vs. war focus for Eirika and Ephraim's respective routes in the Sacred Stones, Radiant Dawn's varying factions, the Church, Empire, Alliance and Kingdom in Three Houses) but the lack of focus makes the individual routes weaker (Edelgard's lack of prescence throughout much of Verdant Wind really hurts that route as an antagonizing force, it would be like if Lyon only appeared in that flashback before you choose Eirika/Ephraim and then showed up as the endboss with no further establishment of their relationship to the main characters...which honestly describes the problem with making Rhea a damsel in distress whose appearance is restricted to the final few chapters in the route that's supposed to be about the Church of Seiros), but while it's better than Radiant Dawn since they don't remove Edelgard's agency as an villain in Silver Snow and the very similar Verdant Wind routes, when taken as a whole, it doesn't paint that much better a picture of Fodlan or its characters than it would were they to go with a more rigid approach to storytelling.

 

[disillusion386]

Is there a better way to increase authority for flyers outside of instruction? I have Ingrid as a pegasus knight already so I can no longer assign battalions to her. She's not getting skill xp for authority, and the battalion I want to assign to her is only available at authority B.

 

[LinkStrikesBack]

Is there a better way to increase authority for flyers outside of instruction? I have Ingrid as a pegasus knight already so I can no longer assign battalions to her. She's not getting skill xp for authority, and the battalion I want to assign to her is only available at authority B.

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Seiros pegasus knights and a few other flying battalions only require a D rank in authority. Use one of them, otherwise, no there is no other way.

 

[disillusion386]

Seiros pegasus knights and a few other flying battalions only require a D rank in authority. Use one of them, otherwise, no there is no other way.

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Oh I didn't even check the battalions available at the shop. Thanks!

 

[Reyes]

I wrote about how the Silver Snow route fundamentally fails as a story about Edelgard

Spoilers, but also feel free to check it out.

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I would also say that Rhea is the same in SS which ultimately makes Silver SNow the worst arc.

It may have been the base of the story but each route passed it went in different directions while expanding on characters, motivations and such while SS always just felt bare to me.

Morlas any thoughts?

 

[Morlas]

I would also say that Rhea is the same in SS which ultimately makes Silver SNow the worst arc.

It may have been the base of the story but each route passed it went in different directions while expanding on characters, motivations and such while SS always just felt bare to me.

Morlas any thoughts?

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Yeah the Silver Snow route basically has the worst character arcs for everyone outside of maybe Seteth.

Edelgard is definitely at her best as the antagonist on Azure Moon, but I'll say that I prefer her as a protagonist, which is to say I think she's amazing in both roles. It's kind of hilarious that SS which is pretty much Byleth's route has imo the least interesting version of Byleth because a lot of the reason I actually like Byleth even though they're silent is how their relationship with each different lord develops through the course of the game. Another thing I'd say is that Edelgard is actually even a better antagonist on Verdant Wind than she is on Silver Snow because of how she foils Claude with their similar ideals clashing with their different ways to bring about their ideals, whereas I don't think Byleth works well as an opposing foil to Edelgard because they don't really have a strong philosophical reason to oppose Edelgard, and saying that they'd want revenge against her for what happened to Jeralt doesn't really hold up either because the game itself doesn't support that they ever particularly hate Edelgard no matter what happens.

 

[disillusion386]

Well I messed up and forgot to recruit Caspar during my BL run to get his paralogue with Mercedes. Aside from the rewards, am I missing much story-wise?

 

[Aero]

I finished Cindered Shadows yesterday and have a question about how it interacts with the main game:

Spoiler: Spoilers for Cindered Shadows only, not the main game

Are the events of Cindered Shadows basically not canon? After finishing the DLC I booted up my save in the main game quickly to see what it adds and all the Ashen Wolves speak to you as if it's their first time meeting you. I get that you can technically go back into the main game and recruit the Wolves before finishing Cindered Shadows but it's really lame that the DLC story ends with the characters basically saying "we're all friends and we'll see each other again" then when you go and see them again they ask who you are.

I know this probably won't be the case, but I am very early in the main game (just got the creator sword), so this isn't just the game assuming you do the DLC later in the story than that and their dialogue would change if I recruited them later is it?

 

[HBK]

I finished Cindered Shadows yesterday and have a question about how it interacts with the main game:

Spoiler: Spoilers for Cindered Shadows only, not the main game

Are the events of Cindered Shadows basically not canon? After finishing the DLC I booted up my save in the main game quickly to see what it adds and all the Ashen Wolves speak to you as if it's their first time meeting you. I get that you can technically go back into the main game and recruit the Wolves before finishing Cindered Shadows but it's really lame that the DLC story ends with the characters basically saying "we're all friends and we'll see each other again" then when you go and see them again they ask who you are.

I know this probably won't be the case, but I am very early in the main game (just got the creator sword), so this isn't just the game assuming you do the DLC later in the story than that and their dialogue would change if I recruited them later is it?

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CS is basically non-canon.

What you learn about the lore is canon, but the events that unfold ar not.

 

[Tochtli79]

Spoiler: Blue Lions part 2 spoilers

I just did Gronder Field on Maddening NG+ and holy shit, that was so amazingly nuts. I got screwed trying to get to the ballista on my first try and having the hill set on fire, then I got screwed by the Alliance catching up and swarming me on my second try, and finally won on my third try by going a bit slower and abusing gambits. But compared to my experience on Hard in Verdant Wind, this time the chapter really captured the chaos and intensity that the battle is supposed to have. Coupled with the fact that Dimitri's story builds up to this meeting so well, and the post-battle drama, Azure Moon just has a much fuller storyline compared to the other routes. I'm really liking Dimitri's development too. Really a shame that the lords don't get much time to shine in routes that aren't their own.

 

[BizzyBum]

It took me like 3 tries to beat the prologue mock battle on Maddening.

There's no way I'm beating the game on this.

 

[milkyway]

Well I just finished my second route, Crimson Flower, on Maddening (holy hell that final chapter is on another level, and hooray for golden light screen). While I had more fun with the gameplay with that difficulty, I can't say the story was better. I don't think of Edelgard as a hero, she works better as an antagonist, someone who's gone astray. So does Rhea, so I guess that's why I prefer Verdant Winds (I mean it also just has a much better story to me and a lot more lore).

It seems there are still some things worth knowing in BL route, however at this point I am not sure I care to play this game one last time. It's a long time commitment, and I am more interested in the story. I could theoretically just play NG+ on easy mode but idk, is there a good way to digest the BL story without replaying the game? Or should I just wait another who knows how long to revisit this game and see if I'm still interested?

 

[Quinton]

I finished Cindered Shadows yesterday and have a question about how it interacts with the main game:

Spoiler: Spoilers for Cindered Shadows only, not the main game

Are the events of Cindered Shadows basically not canon? After finishing the DLC I booted up my save in the main game quickly to see what it adds and all the Ashen Wolves speak to you as if it's their first time meeting you. I get that you can technically go back into the main game and recruit the Wolves before finishing Cindered Shadows but it's really lame that the DLC story ends with the characters basically saying "we're all friends and we'll see each other again" then when you go and see them again they ask who you are.

I know this probably won't be the case, but I am very early in the main game (just got the creator sword), so this isn't just the game assuming you do the DLC later in the story than that and their dialogue would change if I recruited them later is it?

Click to shrink...

CS is basically non-canon.

What you learn about the lore is canon, but the events that unfold ar not.

Click to shrink...

I played through Cindered Shadows for the first time just this past week and I thought it was pretty much sublime. Therefore,

Spoiler

the way it's treated as having never happened in the main game seriously disappointed me. It's the one thing I dislike about an otherwise-epic DLC (which continues to shine afterward via paralogues and such). As a result, I've decided to aggressively headcanon something I know isn't true: the Ashen Wolves' memories were wiped afterward because [reasons] and the events of the plot totally did happen after all. Along similar lines, Aelfric's appearance by Sitri's grave is his ghost searching for closure. Fuck it.

 

[HBK]

I played through Cindered Shadows for the first time just this past week and I thought it was pretty much sublime.

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Meh. I found CS story to be pretty lame honestly. But opinions and all that.

That being said, I feel you, it's even lamer when they put out a cool side-story and they just make it non-canon. It's basically "we can't have good things!" 🤷‍♀️

So weird.

 

[Tochtli79]

So, I'm at the endgame for Blue Lions (not quite done, restarting it thanks to a snipe critical), but I have some thoughts on the last two chapters of this route...

Spoiler

So, originally I thought Dimitri would be the least interesting lord, and I was definitely wrong. He makes a great protagonist in that his arc also subverts a lot of FE tropes. I'm not quite sure I feel he's redeemed to this point (maybe something will change my mind in the epilogue?), and I still lean in favour of Edelgard, but this route did a great job showing exactly why these two just could not find common ground and why it isn't simply one of them being right and the other wrong. The world of Fódlan is so well crafted that it can throw multiple characters with opposing viewpoints at the player and succeed in making you sympathise with and understand each of them (for the record, also counting Rhea here). I don't want to make the call for "favourite route" just yet, but I really enjoyed all the backstory this route had for Dimitri and Edelgard and can't help feel a bit disappointed that Crimson Flower had none of that context. I also liked how this route featured the other lords significantly more than the other routes, though Claude still feels criminally underused in the story.

Now, playing on Maddening has been probably the best FE experience since Radiant Dawn for me. And that's saying something because I really enjoyed Conquest and SoV. These last two chapters, holy crap. Long range enemies, multiple birds, Dorothea and Petra (both of whom I purposely didn't recruit this run to make it sting that much more)... and then Hubert surrounded by his bodyguards. I was out of Divine Pulses and managed to Stride Byleth over, who missed, then Warp Dimitri in, and got a critical to end the map where I otherwise would've had to restart for the third time.

Then seeing Edelgard transform like that was heartbreaking, since I started with her route way back on release date. I knew it was coming, but it was still awful to see her driven to such a lonely, dark place after literally having her last close allies die for her cause outside the gates and admitting moments earlier to Dimitri that their childhood together was her happiest memory.

The final map is way crazier than in VW, so I'm expecting a couple of attempts... especially if Edelgard keeps critting Annette. My strategy is to go up the left side and it was going decently until I got to the last room before the throne room, ah well... Looking forward to seeing the resolution to this route. After this I'll just have SS left! Gotta say, not expecting to entirely like any ending where Rhea doesn't get any comeuppance/Byleth stays a puppet to the church, but I guess no route can be perfect, and I think I'm ok with that.

 

[Doggg]

I just played the Ashen Wolves paralogues for the first time. I beat Baltus/Hapi's on the first try and Constance/Yuri's on the second, on maddening, no less. I feel like a god.

 

[Durden]

Finally snagged this game. Loving it so far. Is there anyway to see your student's motivation at a glance, besides when starting an activity or teaching? Can't find a menu for it outside of that.

Also, how the fuck do I sell these gold fish I've caught? They don't go in my convoy

 

[Reyes]

Finally snagged this game. Loving it so far. Is there anyway to see your student's motivation at a glance, besides when starting an activity or teaching? Can't find a menu for it outside of that.

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When you are exploring the Monstery/Academy you can see there motivation when you try & give them a gift or a lost item.

Best way to check all the students is to go to the mess hall and try and have dinner as it will show the motivation level of each student you scroll by

 

[disillusion386]

Just completed my second playthrough. Can't believe I chose Silver Snow for my first playthrough. Azure Moon (my second go at it) had a lot more meat to it story-wise.

Finally snagged this game. Loving it so far. Is there anyway to see your student's motivation at a glance, besides when starting an activity or teaching? Can't find a menu for it outside of that.

Also, how the fuck do I sell these gold fish I've caught? They don't go in my convoy

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When at the monastery, open up the menu and go to Goals. It shows your students in a list with their motivations.

Gold fish can be sold to the traveling merchants. There's a side quest you need to complete before you can unlock them.

 

[Arkanim94]

how hard would it be to recruit everyone in my first run (blue lions)?

 

[Common Knowledge]

how hard would it be to recruit everyone in my first run (blue lions)?

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Virtually impossible.

 

[Bovine]

how hard would it be to recruit everyone in my first run (blue lions)?

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I was able to do it, but it is very difficult. Especially Ferdinand who requires you to boost your Heavy Armor, a skill Byleth generally doesn't need. Got him on the last possible week to recruit. Caspar also requires you to boost brawling but that isn't as difficult as that is a strength. The rest you can give a bunch of gifts until you get B support with them and then they may randomly ask to join your class during a week. You cannot get B support with Ferdinand and Caspar which makes them more difficult (although it is easier to get them there, but it won't unlock).

 

[Disclaimer]

how hard would it be to recruit everyone in my first run (blue lions)?

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I wouldn't recommend recruiting many -- if any -- other students on your first playthrough. Detracts from the story experience, and the maximum number of deployable units will be prohibitive anyway.

 

[Arkanim94]

I wouldn't recommend recruiting many -- if any -- other students on your first playthrough. Detracts from the story experience, and the maximum number of deployable units will be prohibitive anyway.

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But saving everyone...

 

[Reyes]

But saving everyone...

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Can't save them all

 

[Disclaimer]

Can't save them all

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Experiencing the tragedy first will make saving them all the sweeter!

 

[Bovine]

I would recommend always saving Marianne, and if you don't you're a heartless monster, as not saving her adds nothing and... the implications.

 

[Caz]

Can't save them all

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Well not with that attitude.

 

[HBK]

I wouldn't recommend recruiting many -- if any -- other students on your first playthrough. Detracts from the story experience, and the maximum number of deployable units will be prohibitive anyway.

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I strongly agree with that. On a first run, keeping recruitment to a minimum is paramount IMO.

 

[Durden]

When you are exploring the Monstery/Academy you can see there motivation when you try & give them a gift or a lost item.

Best way to check all the students is to go to the mess hall and try and have dinner as it will show the motivation level of each student you scroll by

Click to shrink...

Just completed my second playthrough. Can't believe I chose Silver Snow for my first playthrough. Azure Moon (my second go at it) had a lot more meat to it story-wise.


When at the monastery, open up the menu and go to Goals. It shows your students in a list with their motivations.

Gold fish can be sold to the traveling merchants. There's a side quest you need to complete before you can unlock them.

Click to shrink...

Gotcha. Thanks peeps.

Also wtf are the point of Byleth's sleeves?

 

[Fxp]

Borrowed the game from my brother. It's my first FE game and I plan to play with guide in hand to experience most of it. Don't judge me harshly :)

 

[Durden]

Another question. Seems like when you can level up classes and when you mad them out, you get an ability. Anywhere to see what this ability will be? I figured it would be under skill experience bonus but it doesn't seem to be. And what is the skill experience bonus anyway?