Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Recruitment Guide: All Characters

30-second quick start (TL;DR)

• Gift first: a unit cannot be recruited until you have given them at least one gift in Dagsion.
• Three checks: Support with your lord, a Renown rank, and an extra condition. All three must be met.
• Per path: requirements differ between Cai, Dietrich, Theodora and Leda. Use the table below for your path.
• Free recruits: Guzran (Cai), Yang Jie (Dietrich), Sofia (Theodora) and Catania (Leda) join through each path’s recruitment tutorial.
• Deadline: the end of Part I on each path. Paralogue recruits have earlier deadlines.
• Only two units are locked to one lord: Bonaventure and Tobias, on Theodora’s path. Gaitz can only be recruited on Dietrich’s.
• Support is global: a Support level you raise on one path stays raised on every path and never drops.

What this guide helps you do

Fortune’s Weave has 46 units you can recruit in Part I, spread across four lord paths that each run on their own army. This guide gives you the full requirement table for every path, explains the three checks every recruit needs, and walks through the four recruits that are gated by an item you have to hunt down: Goliath, Ninae, Halvin and Mu. It also lists the paralogue windows, who joins after Part I, and what you can miss.

Checked on Ver. 1.1.0 (October 15, 2026). That update’s notes cover Expansion Pass support and a DLC link on the title screen, and the earlier Ver. 1.0.1 did not change recruitment either. Where guides report a different requirement for the same unit, we flag the cell rather than pick a side. For how to build a team from these units, see our unit composition guide for each route.

Every recruit needs Support, Renown and one extra condition

Recruiting works the same way on all four paths. First, give the unit a gift. Gifts unlock after the gift and recruitment tutorial, you can only gift characters who are in Dagsion, and the first gift is required before recruitment can happen. It also unlocks Inn meals with that character.

Next, raise Support with your lord. Gifts and shared meals at the Inn are the main tools. Our best gifts guide lists what every character likes. Support is saved across the whole file, so a level you earn with a unit on Cai’s path is still there when you play Leda’s.

Then reach the Renown rank. Renown comes from main battles, side quests, paralogues and audiences with the gods. Our Renown guide covers the fastest ways to climb.

Finally, meet the extra condition. When you talk to a unit who is ready, the recruit’s ask comes up in a negotiation: a gift, items or Gold. Ninae’s negotiation is rated hard. Some recruits instead want a quest done, a paralogue cleared or specific answers in conversation.

Units recruited on one path do not bring their levels or items to another path. Each path keeps its own army. In Part III the armies combine, and you can merge two Part I versions of the same recruit with Merge Causality at the Shrine of Causality, which costs Karma Shards.

Recruitment requirements for all 46 units on every path

Each path cell reads Support / Renown. “Auto” means the unit joins on their own. “No” means they cannot be recruited on that path in Part I. Cells marked disputed are reported differently by different guides, so check the unit’s Character Info screen in game.

The four lords join automatically on their own path only. Some recruits also show up in Dagsion later than others. Approximate first appearances reported by one guide: Benditz around 4/11, Kiroc around 5/4, Jasmine around 5/8, Alexandra around 5/29, Nuzzuo around 7/1 and Inyoni around 7/10 on the in-game calendar.

Four entries in the table are reported differently

• Halvin on Cai’s path: guides give Renown 9, 7 or 5. All agree on Support 3 and 10 Dates.
• Ninae on Leda’s path: Renown 6 in one guide, Renown 8 in another.
• Yang Jie on Leda’s path: only one guide gives a clean figure (Support 3, Renown 8).
• Sha Lan’s paths: most sources list Sha Lan on Dietrich’s and Leda’s paths, which matches where Anatolia’s Paralogue runs. One guide lists Theodora’s instead of Leda’s.

If you are close to a threshold, open the unit’s Character Info screen. It lists the requirements you still need for your current path.

Goliath needs 3 Giant’s Meat, and the Secret Altar is where players farm it

Goliath’s extra condition is 3 Giant’s Meat. The reliable source is the Secret Altar, a World Map search spot in the south of the map, two spaces west of Aurora’s Temple. One player puts it directly west of Aurora’s Temple and south-west of Raivo Port. It shows on the map, but there is no obvious path to it.

How to reach it: go through the Masked Woods dungeon and leave by its designated exit. That reveals a new path to the altar. One guide describes this route, and the quest text, “the Secret Altar beyond Masked Woods”, backs it up.

On Cai’s path: the quickest way is to warp to Aurora’s Temple with the Gate of the Gods and walk from there. One player reports that warp is not available in Cai’s Ch. 6, and the walk there and back costs about 9 turns each way, so they suggest waiting until Ch. 7 or later. Access on Dietrich’s, Theodora’s and Leda’s paths is not confirmed by any guide, although the quest is listed as shared Part I content.

The quest: a merchant in Arena Plaza gives Purloined Spellcasters Tools (the exact in-game spelling is not confirmed). You fetch the Spellcaster’s Relics from the Secret Altar after a relatively simple battle. One guide gives the deadline as 10/15. The reward is a White-Magic Manual, 1,500G and 80 Renown.

The farm: after the quest, the altar stays as a repeatable search spot that can drop Luxury Meat Crates. Opening one can give Giant’s Meat or Sandworm Meat. That second item is handy too, because Nezha needs 3 Sandworm Meat. Most players report 10 to 15 turns of searching for Goliath’s three; one player needed about 60. The drop rate is not known.

Players also mention other sources of Giant’s Meat: two Vandahl Trading merchants who sell 2 each for Torment Grass (reportedly 10 each), ordinary Meat Crates, Anna’s night shop on rare occasions, and killing Giants.

Ninae needs a Paradise Fish, found only at Lake Brontes

Ninae asks for 1 Paradise Fish, and the negotiation is rated hard. The fish is Very Rare and comes from one place: Lake Brontes, a fishing search spot in the Saveilon region in the far south. One guide places it close to Megaira, another just east of the city of Alecto. Both can be true.

How to reach it: from Axion Gorge, head east through the Valhalla Mine dungeon and leave by its far exit. Follow the compass marker. One player cleared the whole mine and still missed that exit, so look for it on purpose. Once unlocked, one guide says you can also take a carriage to the Salacia Posthouse near Alecto and walk 3 to 4 turns.

Be ready for the area: enemies nearby are around level 25 to 30, and one guide advises level 25 or higher. Players confirm reaching the lake on Leda’s and Dietrich’s paths. Cai’s access is not confirmed.

Fishing: there is no minigame. You use Search at the spot and the result is random. Spring Tide days on the calendar raise the odds of Rare and Very Rare fish a lot, so plan your trip around one. Guides also suggest saving before you search so you can reload and try again. The lake also holds Talto Goby, Ladon Loach and Ladon Pike.

Halvin needs 10 Dates, and Dates are a fruit item

There is no dating in Fortune’s Weave. Dates is a fruit and crop item, and Halvin asks for 10 Dates on every path you can recruit her on, plus Support 3 and Renown 7 to 9 depending on the path. Each of the three ways to get them comes from a different guide, so treat the details as reported rather than confirmed.

• Gather them from nodes in the north-west desert. Reported spots: Corpses’ Gutter, Madieu Vestige, Sandflow Road and Sandworm Nest in Nysiades, and Dubhe Ridge and Orion Canyon in Solidus.
• Buy 10 at the market in Baina Oasis.
• Farm them. Farming opens at the start of Ch. 6 on Cai’s Part I path, and the quest “Huge, Hairy Beasts” gives you Dates to plant. Players note the desert is closed to Cai in Part I, so farming is the method that fits his path.

If you were looking for romance, see the gifts and supports guide, which explains why there is no romance or marriage system.

Mu needs 3 Glirmosa outside Leda’s path

Mu joins automatically on Leda’s path. On the other three, the ask is 3 Glirmosa plus Support 3 and Renown 9 (Cai), 7 (Dietrich) or 9 (Theodora). Glirmosa is listed at Mount Orgus Trail, Rear Mountain Path, Forest of No Return, or Giant’s Mount in Pasithea. No guide gives a drop rate, so collect a spare if you can.

Five recruits depend on a paralogue window

Paralogues run on the in-game calendar. Miss the window and the recruit is gone on that path. One guide notes some paths lose access earlier than the date shown on the quest, so confirm in game. Our calendar guide helps you plan the weeks.

Cai’s, Dietrich’s and Leda’s own paralogues gate Tialla, Fabio and Buccar on other paths. Bertrand, Talimun, Anatolia and Orchel cannot be recruited in Part I. Orchel, Talimun and Anatolia join automatically at the start of Part III, and Bertrand is a guest in Part II and a full unit in Part III. Clear their paralogues in Part I anyway to be safe.

Twelve more units join through the story, outside Part I recruiting

• Creek: Part II Ch. 2, only if you finished the subquest “My Late Sister’s Accessory” in Part I. Not every path has that subquest.
• Nathan: Part II Ch. 3, only if Creek is with you and Creek lands the killing blow.
• Aswan and Tahonia: guests in Part II Ch. 3, permanent in Part III’s Fifth Section if they survive.
• Bertrand: Part II guest, full unit in Part III.
• Orchel, Talimun, Anatolia: automatic in Part III’s First Section.
• Centurio: Part III Second Section, through the quest “Rescue Centurio”.
• Klapka: Part III Sixth Section, if he survives as a guest in the Fifth.
• Hong Hua and Troy: the Prologue and Part III.

The best recruits are the ones with strong kits and low asks

There is no official ranking. One published tier list, which leaves out the lords and Eshmel, puts Esmeralda, Fabio, Guzran, Sirocco and Sofia at the top, with Sofia there for her healing. The same list has Zarcone, Majide and Benditz lowest, but says no unit is a true dud.

The cheapest early recruits by path, based on low requirements:

• Cai: Noctula (1 / 4) and Yang Jie (2 / 3).
• Dietrich: Io (2 / 3, 800G). Yang Jie joins in the tutorial.
• Theodora: Noctula (1 / 3) and Zarcone (1 / 4).
• Leda: Guzran (1 / 3) and Kiroc (1 / 4, 3 Pure Water).

Recruiting early does not give a unit better stats as far as anyone has shown. It does give them more chapters to gain levels, weapon ranks and Support. Once recruited, our class change guide shows what players run on each unit.

Every Part I recruit is missable on the path you are playing

• Any unit not recruited before that path’s Part I ends.
• Paralogue-gated recruits if the window closes: Peppe, Gaitz, Diego, Ursula, Sha Lan, plus Tialla, Fabio and Buccar off their home paths.
• Gaitz and Fabio (on Leda’s path) only open up after about Ch. 12, so keep Renown and Support climbing late.
• Creek and Nathan, if you never found “My Late Sister’s Accessory”. You may need a second Part I path to find it.
• Aswan, Tahonia and Klapka, if they die as guests.

Step-by-step: recruit a unit on any path

Tick these off as you go. Your progress stays on this device.

1. 1Mark step 1 done

   Finish the gift and recruitment tutorial

   Your path’s tutorial recruit joins here, and gifting unlocks.

2. 2Mark step 2 done

   Look up your path’s column

   Note the Support level, Renown rank and extra condition for each unit you want.

3. 3Mark step 3 done

   Gift every target once

   The first gift is required before recruitment and opens Inn meals with that character.

4. 4Mark step 4 done

   Raise Support with your lord

   Gifts and Inn meals each week. Pick gifts they like.

5. 5Mark step 5 done

   Climb Renown

   Main battles, paralogues, side quests and weekly god audiences.

6. 6Mark step 6 done

   Collect the extra condition early

   Start farming Giant’s Meat, Paradise Fish, Dates and Glirmosa well before you hit the Renown rank.

7. 7Mark step 7 done

   Clear paralogues inside their windows

   Diego, Ursula, Sha Lan, Peppe and Gaitz depend on them.

8. 8Mark step 8 done

   Check Character Info, then recruit

   Talk to the unit and accept the negotiation once nothing is outstanding.

Troubleshooting and common mistakes

• Mistake: The unit will not even talk recruitment. Fix: Give them a gift first. It is a hard requirement.
• Mistake: Looking up the wrong path’s numbers. Fix: Requirements change by lord. Use your current path’s column.
• Mistake: Clearing Valhalla Mine and finding no lake. Fix: Leave by the far exit and follow the compass marker.
• Mistake: Searching Lake Brontes on random days. Fix: Wait for a Spring Tide day and save before you search.
• Mistake: Treating “Dates” as a dating feature. Fix: It is a fruit item. Gather, buy or farm 10 for Halvin.
• Mistake: Walking to the Secret Altar on Cai’s Ch. 6. Fix: Players suggest waiting until Ch. 7 or later and warping to Aurora’s Temple.
• Mistake: Leaving a paralogue for later. Fix: Windows close and some close early on certain paths. Clear them when they appear.

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