Many games in the Fire Emblem franchise introduce a mechanic that forms a major part of the game's identity. In the case of Three Houses, gambits fill that role. Gambits are usually area-of-effect attacks that debuff and freeze most enemies in place for a turn, though there are a variety of secondary and support effects that they contribute as well. They possess the ability to manipulate the battlefield in ways never before seen in Fire Emblem.

In this article, I will summarize not just how certain kinds of gambits work, but where they can be found, and in which chapter they are first accessible. While some battalions and gambits can be obtained in the same fashion regardless of route, others have varying requirements depending on which house you pick. I won't cover every single gambit in the game, but I will highlight the ones that can reposition enemies, attack from beyond a unit's normal attack range, or provide unique support to allies.

Onslaught

Available starting from Chapter 2.

One of the most common gambits for both allies and enemies, Onslaught is a gambit that can push an enemy one space away on contact. It hits two tiles in a straight line, but it ironically cannot push the primary target backward if another unit is right behind them. This one is fairly straightforward and most useful against enemies without access to indirect attacks.

Used by the following battalions:

Lure

Available starting from Chapter 3.

An opponent hit by Lure will be moved to the opposite side of the unit that used the gambit. Think of it like using the Reposition combat art on enemies. Forcefully. This effect can be especially useful against foes that are far away from most of your army, since it can move them within the attack range of more units. Note that while it hits two spaces, only the unit immediately adjacent to the user will be moved.

When using this gambit, keep in mind that the repositional effect will only apply if your foe could normally occupy the target space or spaces. It's a general rule of gambits that move enemies, but this one tends to hit that restriction more than the others. If you try to Lure a monster on top of another unit, for example, it won't work.

Used by the following battalions:

Assembly

Available starting from Chapter 3.

Most players are probably very familiar with Assembly since your first flying unit will almost certainly want one of the battalions that provides access to it. When it hits, it will move the user and the adjacent foe one space backward (in the direction of the user). Like Lure, it can be used to move enemies closer to the rest of your army, or negate terrain bonuses by pulling enemies off of the tiles that give them.

Used by the following battalions:

Reversal

Available starting from Chapter 8 (CF/SS exclusive).

Reversal is one of the few gambits that is route-exclusive without being associated with a "Lord battalion." It's on a flying battalion, which is always nice, and has the effect of swapping positions with the enemy if it connects. As with Lure, one must be careful when attempting to use this effect against monsters, which may be unable to occupy the necessary spaces they would be moved to.

This particular gambit can also suffer from a bug where the area of effect does not match what's intended - see this page. Be wary if you find yourself pondering a similar situation.

Used by the following battalions:

Fusillade/Poisoned Arrows

Available starting from Chapter 8.

Both Fusillade and Poisoned Arrows function the same way: they are 2-3 range gambits that also affect enemies that are adjacent to the primary target. Poisoned Arrows has slightly higher hit though, which will in all likelihood be more useful than the secondary poison effect. These gambits are fantastic tools to lock down groups of enemies that your units would be otherwise unable to reach. Both are effective against flying foes.

Used by the following battalions:

* Note that the paralogue that rewards you with the Sauin Militia becomes unavailable in the CF route if you

Ashes and Dust

Available starting from Chapter 13 (VW exclusive).

Ashes and Dust is famous for being possibly the best offensive gambit in all of Three Houses. It's an attack capable of damaging and rattling up to 13 enemies centered on a tile 2 to 3 spaces away from the attacker. It deals effective damage to fliers, and it's on a flying battalion itself to boot. Claude obviously makes excellent use of it, but it also works well on Hilda and other units that appreciate the bargain requirement of C authority.

Used by the following battalions:

Stride

Available starting from Chapter 3.

Ah, Stride. The king of support gambits and the centerpiece for nearly every quick boss kill under the Fodlan sun. Adding 5 movement to any unit for a turn would have already been amazing, but the game devs decided to give it an area of effect the size of Ashes and Dust. It's accessible quickly, its most convenient battalion is usable by any unit regardless of authority training, you get two uses per battle, and the movement gains are terrific. But you probably already knew all that.

Perhaps some more novel information is how this status persists through certain story events where your army positions are reset. In Chapters 5 and 10, defeating certain enemies will trigger cutscenes and then both move and refresh all of your units (i.e. they get their actions back if they used them up that turn). Support gambit effects such as Stride that only last a single turn will carry over from before the story events took place, which can be manipulated to help clear chapters more efficiently.

Used by the following battalions:

Impregnable Wall

Available starting from Chapter 8.

There's never been anything quite like Impregnable Wall in a Fire Emblem game before. The ability to nullify most damage for a turn, for up to three units no less, is incredible. It is especially incredible on Maddening mode, where even frontline fighters can crumble against two or three enemies in succession.

The use cases are varied. Need to clog up an area with enemies so you can smash them with a big Gambit next turn? Wall. Squishy mages can't get away from an approaching pursuer? Wall. Need to safely bait the Death Knight? Wall. Or my personal favorite, want to watch Edelgard uselessly burn through her entire stock of Raging Storms in one turn? That's right, wall.

Each house gets access to one battalion with this gambit. The Empire Armored Co. and Kingdom Armored Co. are both D-rank, while the flying Alliance Wyvern Co. is C-rank. All three are incredible value deals that let even a unit with zero Charm extend life-saving support. Units with Canto are especially adept in this role since they'll be good at making sure they don't leave themselves within enemy range afterward. Oh, also it can be used five times per battle. That's right, five.

Used by the following battalions:

Retribution

Available starting from Chapter 8.

Retribution allows up to 6 units to counterattack from any range for 5 turns, unless the attack comes from a piece of artillery. It is a two-use gambit that can drastically alter how you approach enemy phase combat. Retribution allows players to equip powerful 1-range weapons and still retaliate against enemy archers and siege magic wielders. It expands the potency of abilities such as vantage, wrath, and their battalion variants.

While this tool has fantastic potential, it is only as good as the units it affects. Dimitri becomes a literal one-man army with Battalion Wrath, Battalion Vantage, and Retribution active, but most Snipers for example will prefer to just avoid damage entirely rather than make use of a substitute Close Counter.

Obtaining this gambit as early as possible will require completing the paralogue Oil and Water while Manuela is recruited. This rewards the player with the Indech Sword Fighters. The Blue Lions can also hire the Kingdom Archers relatively early, but other routes have to wait until post-timeskip to have additional access to Retribution via the Battalion Guild.

Used by the following battalions:

Recovery Roar

Available starting from Chapter 8 (AM exclusive).

Recovery Roar is essentially a more limited version of the Restore spell. It's a little redundant in Azure Moon considering Mercedes is already an in-house healer that gains access to that spell at B Faith. Still, the battalion itself grants respectable buffs and the fact that it can be used by a flying unit means you can potentially cure status on allies that would be inaccessible by your healer(s).

Used by the following battalions:

Blessing

Available starting from Chapter 5.

In a game where the Miracle skill is rendered obsolete for the player thanks to Divine Pulse, Blessing adds insult to injury. The advantage of Blessing is that it can allow your units to reliably survive combat they would normally be unable to. When targeted by this gambit, a unit and any adjacent allies (besides the caster) will be able to survive any single hit at 1 HP, provided they do not start at 1 HP.

Where things get really interesting is how Guard Adjutants synergize with this effect. With Blessing and a Guard Adjutant active, any unit with 2 HP or more can survive ANY single round of combat, regardless of stats. Blessing makes sure you don't die to the first hit, and the adjutant guards against any follow-ups.

The Essar Research Group is an E-rank battalion that can be obtained as a reward for completing a recon mission at the monastery while online features are enabled. This means the gambit is technically available from Chapter 5 if you have the means and the willpower. Otherwise, your first shot at obtaining this gambit is in Chapter 14 from the battalion guild.

Used by the following battalions:

* Note that the paralogue that rewards you with the Hevring Prayer Troops becomes unavailable in the CF route if you

Sacred Shield

Available starting from Chapter 14 (AM exclusive).

Before going any further, it's important to note that the description of this gambit is inaccurate, at least in the english translation. Units affected by this gambit receive no damage from ranged physical and magical attacks for a turn.

With that established, the appeal of this Azure Moon exclusive goes up significantly. In a route where siege magic litters the lategame, immunity from said spells becomes a very appealing prospect. The appeal grows when you pair this with the effects of Retribution. Taking no damage from ranged attacks and then countering is a complete turnaround of how these assaults normally affect players.

Used by the following battalions:

Dance of the Goddess

Available starting from Chapter 14AM/19SS/20VW.

Ever wanted to dance for your dancer in an official Fire Emblem game? Well, now you can. This single-use gambit allows any unit with the requisite authority rank to refresh the actions of up to four other units, for a net gain of three actions that turn. I feel like the value of that should be fairly self-evident.

While the Blue Lions can simply hire a battalion with this gambit post-timeskip, Golden Deer and Black Eagles players have to wait a while to get their hands on this tool (or, in the case of Crimson Flower, resign themselves to missing it entirely). During the battle in the city of Enbarr, the player must move Manuela or Dorothea adjacent to the Opera House on that map. This will trigger a line of dialogue. The Opera Co. Volunteers will then join your ranks at the end of the chapter. The Blue Lions can also do this, meaning they eventually get access to two of these gambits. Let your imagination run wild.

Used by the following battalions:

Special Feature: Assault Troop

Available starting from Chapter 2.

Assault Troop does not fit into any of this article's three main categories, but it is too impactful not to mention. The ability to lock up to four consecutive enemies in place is a very powerful tool, and its usefulness is accentuated on maps with choke points or narrow hallways like Chapter 2 and Chapter 5. Additionally, it can be used to efficiently break barriers of multiple monsters if they are positioned correctly.

Used by the following battalions: