Early on in Fire Emblem: Three Houses you are asked to decide which House to put your support behind. You have the option of joining the shady mages in Black Eagle, the charismatic archers in Golden Deer, or the pious knights in Blue Lions.
Each House has its own unique perks and benefits and there are compelling reasons to pick any of the three. If you’re having trouble deciding which path to follow then consider some of the following options to help you make your choice.
10 You’ll Be Locked In
Once you decide which House to join you will be locked in and wont be able to change. While you shouldn’t stress too much over this decision it does bear noting that it has an impact on the type of game you’ll play.
Because of this if you find yourself hating the House you’re in for whatever reason the only way to go into a different house is to start up an entirely new game. Again it’s not the end of the world if you feel like you picked the wrong one, but it may take some time to start over so choose wisely.
9 It Affects The Story
Each House has a different story that plays out as each factions vies for control and each House Leader fills the roles they were destined for. Each House can give you different and unique insights on the larger conflict and play out in interesting ways.
Without spoiling too much the Blue Lions is considered the main story, the Black Eagles is the most controversial, and the Golden Deer is considered the most ‘good’. Each have their own twists, turns, and morally gray moments that make each story a rich experience.
8 Difficulty
It is a Fire Emblem game so there’s going to be a bit of strategy and planning in order to beat it regardless of which House you join, but each House does pose different challenges in the beginning of the game.
The Blue Lions is considered the easiest House to start as thanks to a team of straightforward melee fighters, the Golden Deer is in the middle thanks to it’s archers that require specific placement and movement strategies, and the Black Eagles are the most difficult being magically based fighters. In the end they all even out, but at the beginning it matters.
7 Beginning Units
Part of the reason they play at different difficulties is thanks to the differing units in their respective armies. As mentioned before each House has a different focus and in the beginning this will affect how you engage your enemies.
The Golden Deer are primarily long-range archers, the Blue Lions are melee fighters that often use horses, and the Black Eagles are mages who use magic to win their battles. Each require a different strategy and playstyle to use efficiently so consider spending a few battles playing with each to see which you like best.
6 Students
Each House also comes with its own roster of students that you can recruit from for your war efforts. Granted you’ll be able to recruit any student from any House regardless of which one you pick, but in the beginning you’ll be largely limited to a small pool.
Take a moment to get to know some of the students and see if any catch your eye. There are a lot of personalities at play and you may not be as invested in all of them as you will others. Take a minute to get to know a few and then decide which House’s students you want to work with.
5 House Leaders
This also goes for the House Leaders. Each House is lead by a unique individual who can be a tremendous ally on the battlefield and have a unique personality to interact with.
The Blue Lions is led by Prince Dimitri who fits the mold of being an honorable knight while having personal demons that plague him, the Black Eagles has Edelgard a mysterious young woman with some ugly skeletons in her closet, and the Golden Deer has the charming Claude. Each is a powerful fighter in their own right and you will be interacting with them a lot over the course of the game.
4 Romance Options
Speaking of students and House Leaders you should also keep in mind that it’s possible to develop a romantic relationship with these individuals if you choose. It’s not required for the storyline and it doesn’t bring any benefit in battle, but it is something to consider.
While any student can be romanced from any House you are limited with the House Leaders, Dimitri wont go for someone who isn’t a Blue Lion and Edelgard has no interest in someone who sided with the Golden Deer. If you’re looking to romance a House Leader give the House you choose some careful thought.
3 Anyone Can Become Anything
While each House has their focus and innate talents it’s important to note that anyone can become anything under your tutelage. With enough effort and focus you can mold the archer into a wizened bishop and the powerful priest can be turned into a strong knight.
It can be fun to shape the students into whatever type of warriors you want or you can entirely convert a House over to another playstyle altogether. This is part of why the House you pick isn’t such a dire decision.
2 You Can Recruit Almost Anyone
It’s been mentioned briefly already but you are capable of recruiting any student from any House given enough time and attention. In fact, you can bring every student at the Monastery under your banner and fight for you in battle.
So if you find yourself wanting to romance Ingrid but don’t feel like joining the Blue Lions then you have nothing to worry about as you can side with the other Houses and still develop a relationship with her. Once again House Leaders will not switch sides, but the students have no such qualms.
1 You’re Supposed To Replay
If you’ve considered all of the above and you’re still on the fence about which House to choose then keep in mind that this game is meant to be played more than once. For one thing each House has their own story and often have branching arches, especially in the Black Eagles storyline.
You will not see everything this game has to offer in one playthrough and you’ll be missing out on quite a bit if you don’t play through at least three times. Don’t stress about this decision too much, pick the House that looks interesting and know you’ll get to the others in due time.