Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave gives players the option to skip its lengthy second act, known as the War Arc, but whether that is a wise move depends heavily on where they stand in their playthrough and what they hope to gain from skipping it. The choice becomes available once players complete Act 1 by finishing any of the Flame Lords’ campaigns, at which point the Strife Obelisk appears as an interactive prompt offering the shortcut into the game’s final stretch.
The decision is not a simple one either way. While skipping is far from disastrous and can serve certain strategies well, it does come with meaningful trade-offs that matter most to players who want full control over their army’s development. Understanding exactly what the War Arc provides—and what gets locked away when you bypass it—is essential before making your call.
A Crucial Bridge for First-Time Players
If this is your first time playing through Fortune’s Weave, then no, you absolutely should not skip the War Arc at the obelisk. It functions as an essential bridge connecting the end of the Flame Lords’ first acts to Act 3, and it remains valuable even if you are less interested in the story itself.
The reason is largely mechanical. The War Arc prepares your army for the much steeper challenges that Act 3 throws at players. Battles grow bigger and more demanding from this point forward, and working through them manually gives your characters the experience needed to survive what lies ahead. Skipping past this preparation leaves you potentially underleveled when the difficulty ramps up sharply.
What You Gain by Skipping
The maps and story in Act 2 are essentially identical for every character, with only a unique scene at the start and another near the end differing between playthroughs. That means you are not missing anything of substance if you choose to skip.
When you do skip, the game automatically increases the level of every character to 45, placing them at the minimum recommended threshold for starting the final act. This makes skipping an acceptable option if you are trying to get multiple armies ready for Act 3 quickly, particularly when replaying earlier chapters.
The feature is also useful if you have gone back through Act 1 to make changes to certain characters in order to improve them for Act 3 or recruit new characters. Players can skip at any point during the War Arc and return later to pick up where they left off, so it is not a one-and-done decision.
The War Arc gets you ready to face the much steeper challenges Act 3 throws at you. The battles become bigger and more demanding from here on out.
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Guide
The Trade-Offs of Bypassing the War Arc
However speedy and convenient skipping might be, it does come with a few drawbacks worth considering. Players who work through Act 2 manually can bring their main characters to level 50 or higher simply by dealing with all enemies and reinforcements on each map.
This puts you in better footing for the final act and gives your characters more room to grow beyond the baseline. Playing it out also lets you swap classes and run drills to improve your army’s skill ranks, giving you greater control over how they develop while reducing management burden at the start of Act 3.
Skipping removes those options entirely, handing development over to the game’s automatic leveling system instead.
Making Your Decision
The bottom line is straightforward. If you are in a hurry or simply want to push through some tweaks you made during Act 1, going ahead and skipping the War Arc is perfectly reasonable. But if you prefer more control over how your army grows and want your characters at their strongest possible footing, it is best to play through it.
For those new to Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave who are still learning the ropes, there is plenty of support available to navigate the game’s complex paths of causality. Guides cover which character you should pick first, how to change heroes mid-campaign, and whether you should play in casual or classic mode, so players can set up their campaign according to personal preference.
Since Fortune’s Weave is a massive undertaking, it also helps to understand roughly how long it will take to finish. As you progress through the initial Heroic Games matches, focus on recruiting more characters, unlocking Boons of Salvation, and spending free time in the best way possible. And do not forget to visit the Perch for a quick Bird Time session.
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