Mercedes von Martritz, affectionately known as “Mercie” by fans, begins her Fire Emblem: Three Houses (FE3H) journey as the designated healer of the Blue Lions House. However, players quickly notice that her starting faith rank in FE3H is surprisingly low, posing some early game challenges. Compared to Linhardt and Marianne, who both start with a D+ rank in faith, Mercedes Fe3h begins at a D rank. This initial setback affects her access to crucial healing spells, particularly Physic, in the early chapters of the game.
Early Game Healing Hurdles with Mercedes FE3H
The most immediate consequence of Mercedes’ lower starting faith rank is the delayed access to Physic. Physic, a valuable healing spell with a longer range, becomes available to units upon reaching a C rank in faith. For Mercedes FE3H, achieving this rank takes time. While it is possible to get Physic by Chapter 3 without relying solely on lectures, players must focus her goals exclusively on Faith to maximize her growth rate at 1.5x, potentially diverting lecture time from other units.
This contrasts sharply with Linhardt and Marianne. Their D+ starting rank allows them to potentially acquire Physic as early as Chapter 2. In practice, this means that in the challenging Chapter 2, Mercedes FE3H players on Maddening difficulty (without New Game+) are limited to only 5 uses of basic healing spells. This scarcity often compels players to equip every unit with Vulneraries to ensure survivability through the extended battles of Chapter 2. Linhardt and Marianne, on the other hand, can realistically access Physic in Chapter 2, granting them 8 uses of healing spells, a significant advantage over Mercedes’ initial 5. Even when Mercedes FE3H does obtain Physic in Chapter 3, she starts with only 3 uses, compared to the 5 uses enjoyed by mission assistance Linhardt and Marianne, who are also at a higher level (level 5) when they appear as assistance units, further increasing their range. This early game disparity can lead players to consider replacing Mercedes with these readily available and potent healers once out-of-house recruitment becomes possible in intermediate classes. While feeding Mercedes kills can accelerate her leveling, this comes at the cost of training other combat-focused units who might contribute more significantly to offensive strategies.
Mercedes FE3H: Unique In-House Synergies
Despite her early healing limitations, Mercedes FE3H possesses a unique in-house advantage within the Blue Lions: her support relationship with Annette. At A support, Mercedes and Annette grant each other +3 Might. For players intending to utilize Annette in their playthrough, this support bonus makes Mercedes a worthwhile adjutant. By assigning Mercedes as an adjutant to a unit, players can efficiently level her to reach level 10 and unlock access to the Pegasus Knight intermediate class. This is particularly relevant if players plan to develop Annette into a Wyvern Lord, a powerful flying class that benefits greatly from wielding Bolt Axes. However, if a player is not pursuing a Wyvern Lord build for Annette, the need to level Mercedes diminishes considerably.
Chapter 13 presents a specific scenario where Annette and Mercedes find themselves in vulnerable starting positions. However, even in this challenging map, training Mercedes is not strictly mandatory. A strategic “skip” solution involving the Stride and Impregnable Wall gambits, equipped on a flying Byleth, can effectively bypass the immediate danger to these units. Reaching level 10 with Mercedes can still be beneficial for her paralogue, allowing for a safer flier-based rescue strategy. Yet, if the map is cleared at a reasonable pace, Mercedes, even as a non-flier, is not inherently in excessive danger. Furthermore, considering out-of-house recruitment options, Linhardt remains a highly sought-after recruit due to his status as one of the few non-DLC warp spell users. Despite its limited range, Warp is an invaluable asset, making Linhardt a strategically significant addition to any roster.
Mercedes FE3H: Out-of-House and House Variations
When considering Mercedes FE3H as an out-of-house mission assistance unit, it’s important to note that she does not gain access to Physic until Chapter 5. Recruiting her becomes more strategically advantageous starting in Chapter 6, coinciding with the availability of intermediate classes for recruited units. Some players might even prefer to delay her recruitment until Chapter 7 to benefit from slightly improved base stats and a higher starting level. The extended range of Physic provided by an out-of-house Mercedes recruit proves particularly useful on larger maps like Chapter 7. Additionally, for players prioritizing her paralogue or seeking immediate class flexibility, Mercedes can be instantly re-classed into Pegasus Knight upon recruitment. This quick class change is useful for players who may not intend to integrate her into their long-term team composition.
Within the Golden Deer house, Mercedes FE3H offers a viable alternative to Marianne as a dedicated healer. This allows players to re-role Marianne as a Dancer, a role that synergizes well with Marianne’s Riding boon and her starting position in the Hunting By Daybreak map. This strategic shift is based on the principle that in challenging combat scenarios, a Dancer’s primary function is to dance and provide extra turns, not to serve as a backup healer.
In the Black Eagles house, while Mercedes’ shared paralogue with Caspar is not available post-timeskip, she remains a highly desirable recruit. Her primary value in the Black Eagles lies in her ability to provide a Might bonus as an adjutant to Jeritza. Jeritza, a notoriously powerful unit, benefits significantly from this extra Might, further amplifying his offensive capabilities.
Ultimately, Mercedes FE3H presents a nuanced profile. While her early game healing may lag behind some of her peers, her unique support benefits, out-of-house flexibility, and strategic role variations across different houses make her a valuable unit depending on player priorities and team compositions within Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
