Fire Emblem Three Houses Cindered Shadows [All To Know]

In this guide we will showcase the the features, classes, characters and the best tips & tricks for the Cindered Shadows DLC of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Successful games are bound to have expansions and DLCs most of the time. The purpose of these DLCs is not to only include tons of additional content but to also make balancing and quality-of-life changes to the main game as well. Today we are discussing the Cindered Shadows DLC of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Key Highlights
  • Cindered Shadows is the fourth wave of DLC for Fire Emblem.
  • Unlike previous waves of DLC, Cindered Shadows is not just a bunch of cosmetics and add-ons. It contains a standalone campaign which adds a new dimension to the game. 
  • However, the story is completely separate from the main game. It features our set of main characters exploring the “Abyss” where they encounter some mysterious creatures. 
  • Cindered Shadows can be simply accessed by going into the Side Missions portion of the game. You can also play it anytime you want without worrying about your progression on the main game. 

Cindered Shadows Overview

Ashen Wolves
Meeting Ashen Wolves in the Cindered Shadows DLC

Cindered Shadows is part of the DLC Expansion Pass for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, costing £22.49 / $24.99. This is the fourth wave of DLC for Fire Emblem and cannot be purchased individually.

Unlike previous waves of DLC, Cindered Shadows is not just a bunch of costumes and side quests. Cindered Shadows is a standalone campaign that features brand-new characters, classes, and storylines and brings a handful of features and QOL changes to its gameplay systems.

In Cindered Shadows, the DLC’s story is separate from the main game. In Cindered Shadows Byleth, Claude, Edelgard, Hilda, and the others are tasked with exploring the mysterious subterranean area known as the “Abyss” where they meet the members of the fourth unofficial house called the “Ashen Wolves”. You and your party members are tasked with lending a helping hand to Ashes Wolves.

How to Access Cindered Shadows 

Cindered Shadows DLC  can be accessed by simply selecting the ‘Side Story’ from the main menu in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Cindered Shadows is not related to the previous DLCs or the main game’s story.

Separate Saves 

  • Cindered Shadows DLC has its own set of save files, separate from the main game. You can play this DLC without affecting your progress in the main game.
  • It’s advisable to play the main game first to familiarize yourself with its gameplay systems and the world of Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Additions & Changes in Cindered Shadows 

Cindered Shadows makes some changes to Fire Emblem: Three Houses gameplay loop to keep things fresh and make the DLC feel more original and standalone.

  1. No Calendar Timeline or Side Activities:
    • Unlike the main game, Cindered Shadows does not include the calendar timeline or the same side activities. Players are taken directly into battles after interacting with the characters.
  2. Increased Difficulty:
    • Cindered Shadows offers a higher level of difficulty compared to the main game. Players can expect more challenging battles and encounters.
  3. Predetermined Party Members:
    • The members who fight alongside you in Cindered Shadows are predetermined. This includes House Leaders, students from specific houses, and the Ashen Wolves.
  4. New Classes:
    • As you progress through the Cindered Shadows DLC, new classes become available, providing additional options for character development and strategies.
  5. Fixed Classes for Ashen Wolves:
    • The classes for the Ashen Wolves are predetermined in this DLC and cannot be changed. However, if you choose to recruit them in the main campaign of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, you can customize their classes.
  6. Non-Playable Character Aelfric:

Ashen Wolves

Character art of Ashen Wolves

Ashen Wolves are a group of people who live in the subterranean area called the Abyss. During the course of the DLC you’ll encounter them both as foes and friends since they don’t like strangers entering their territory uninvited.

The members of Ashen Wolves are Yuri, Hapi, Balthus, and Constance. They have their own set of abilities and classes. So without further ado, let’s discuss the stats of each member, their role, and how to recruit them in the main game.

Constance

Wearer of the Crest of Noa
Character art of Constance

Constance is a young blonde girl with a disdainful tone but maintains a scope of politeness and refined speech. She is the last surviving member of the House Nuevelle. After the destruction of House Nuevelle, she moved to Abyss and is constantly looking for a chance to restore House Nuevelle to its former glory.

She’s a powerful mage with high Magic growth but low stats elsewhere. Her Major Crest of Noa lets her recover spell charges, and her skill, Circadian Beat, boosts offense or defense as needed. Constance excels in Dark magic, dealing long-range damage, but she’s fragile. She’s a strong mage alternative to Lysithea.

Stats

Starting Class Crest
Dark Flier Crest of Noa
Level HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Charm
20 33 12 22 15+4 19 8 11 17 13+5
Magic Combat Arts Abilities Starting Items
  • Fimbulvetr
  • Fire
  • Bolting
  • Sagittae
  • Circadian Beat
  • Canto
  • Black Tomefaire
  • Transmute
  • Reason Lvl 4
  • Authority Lvl 2
  • Dexterity +4
  • Rally Magic
  • Rally Resistance
  • Vulnerary
  • Concoction
Skill Sword Lance Axe Bow Gauntlets Reason Faith Authority Armored List Horseback Unit Flying Unit
Level E+ E E E E A E C E C C+

Yuri

Wearer of the Major Crest of Aubin
Character art of Yuri

Yuri leads the Ashen Wolves and was expelled from Officers Academy, but he cares for Abyss residents. He excels in both physical and magical combat, with the highest Speed, decent Strength, and Dexterity growth rates. His Personal Skill, Honorable Spirit, makes him a great solo fighter, but he has fewer Support Chains. Yuri is an exceptional fighter with high speed, luck, and dexterity for dodging and critical hits.

Also, consider reading our guide on FETH Tea Types.

Stats

Starting Class Crest
Trickster Major Crest of Aubin
Level HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Charm
20 35 21 13 20 31 20 15 17 18+5
Magic Combat Arts Abilities Starting Items
  • Nosferatu
  • Heal
  • Recover
  • Wrath Strike
  • Grounder
  • Windsweep
  • Foul Play*
  • Honorable Spirit
  • Locktouch
  • Stealth
  • Lucky Seven
  • Sword Prowess Lv. 3
  • Faith Lv 2
  • Authority Lv 3
  • Axebreaker
  • Duelist’s Blow
  • Fetters of Dromi
  • Steel Sword
  • Iron Sword
  • Concoction
Skill Sword Lance Axe Bow Gauntlets Reason Faith Authority Armored List Horseback Unit Flying Unit
Level B E E E E E+ C C+ E E E

Balthus

Major Crest of Chevalier
Character Art of Balthus

Balthus, the “King of Grappling,” found refuge in Abyss, cares for his comrades. Proficient in melee combat with Axes and Swords, wearing Heavy armor. High growth in Health, Strength, and Defense, but poor in Speed, Luck, and Dexterity. Equip him for accuracy. A strong bruiser, versatile with magic, compensates for low luck and accuracy with power and stamina.

Stats

Starting Class Crest
War Monk Major Crest of Chevalier
Level HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Charm
20 50 26 11 11 13 10 19 14 11+1
Magic Combat Arts Abilities Starting Items
Heal*
  • Fading Blow
  • Rushing Blow
  • Draining Blow
  • Pneuma Gale*
  • Eviscerate*
  • King of Grappling
  • Fistfaire
  • Unarmed Combat
  • Heal
  • Brawling Prowess Lvl 3
  • Authority Lvl 2
  • Brawl Avo +20
  • Rally Strength
  • Weight -3
  • Vajra-Mushti
  • Steel Gauntlets
  • Iron Gauntlets
  • Concoction
  • Unarmed*
Skill Sword Lance Axe Bow Gauntlets Reason Faith Authority Armored List Horseback Unit Flying Unit
Level E+ E C E B E E C C E E

Hapi

Major Crest of Timotheos
Character art of Hapi

Hapi, from Timotheos, ran away at 9, endured experiments, and ended up in Abyss. Monsters are drawn to her sighs. She excels in Magic, Dexterity, Resistance, and has above-average Strength and Speed growth for a mage. Her damage is high but defense and luck are very low. Personal skill, Monstrous Appeal, helps against monsters, dealing bonus damage and breaking their barriers. An essential party member, Hapi deals damage, applies debuffs, and heals allies, making her valuable in battles.

Stats

Starting Class Crest
Valkyrie Major Crest of Timotheos
Level HP Str Mag Dex Spd Lck Def Res Charm
20 37 13 26 17 12 10 10 19 14+3
Magic Combat Arts Abilities Starting Items
Banshee Θ
Miasma Δ
Swarm Z
Death Γ
Tempest Lance Monstrous Appeal
Canto
Black Magic Range +1
Dark Magic Range +1
Reason Lv 3
Authority Lv 2
Rally Dexterity
Battalion Wrath
Uncanny Blow
Vulnerary
Concoction
Skill Sword Lance Axe Bow Gauntlets Reason Faith Authority Armored List Horseback Unit Flying Unit
Level E D+ E E E B E C E C E

How To Recruit Ashen Wolves

Ashen Wolves are not only available as playable characters in the Cindered Shadows DLC but can also be selected as playable characters in the main campaign of Fire Emblem: Three Houses as well. These DLC characters are unlocked and can be recruited in the main game after you are past certain points in DLC 

  • Constance can be recruited after you have completed Chapter 2 of Cindered Shadows.
  • Balthus is available to recruit after completing Chapter 4 of Cindered Shadows.
  • Hapi can be recruited after completing Chapter 5 of Cindered Shadows.
  • Yuri is available to recruit after you have completed Chapter 6 of Cindered Shadows in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

After you are done with these chapters, the characters will unlock in your main game. To recruit them simply load up your main game save file. After booting up the main game, you’ll get a notification telling you about a mysterious merchant found near your personal quarters

Interact with this merchant, and now you’ll be able to travel to the town of Abyss and recruit Ashen Wolves.Speaking of characters and stats why not check out our guide on Bernadetta and Hubert.

Shifty Merchant
Interacting with merchant to obtain to get to Abyss

New Classes

Cindered Shadows not only adds new characters but also new classes as well. These classes are not exclusive to the DLC. These classes can be accessed in the main game and can be assigned to characters who are not the members of Ashen Wolves making it a very welcome addition in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

The new classes are Trickster, War Monk / Cleric, Dark Flier, and Valkyrie. Also, consider reading our guide on Fire Emblem Three Houses Lecture Question & Answers.

How to Unlock 

These classes don’t become available as soon as you purchase the DLC expansion pass. There are a couple of steps you need to follow to access them in the main game.

To access these classes, complete Chapter 1 of Cindered Shadows DLC of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. With this, the classes will now be available in the main game. That said, you still need to fulfill some requirements to unlock them for a character.

Cindered Shadows Notification
Notification received for new classes

To unlock a class for a character the first thing you need to do is to make sure that your chosen character is at least level 20. Secondly, you need an item called Abyssian Exam Pass which you need to acquire.

How to Acquire Abyssian Exam Pass

There are multiple ways to acquire Abyssian Exam Pass in Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

Recruit Ashen Wolves Members: The easiest way is to recruit all Ashen Wolves members. Each member carries one Abyssian Exam Pass, which can be used for certification exams to change classes.

Abyssian Exam pass
Obtaining Abyssian Exam pass by recruiting Constance

Purchase from the Abyss: You can also buy an Abyssian Exam Pass from the Abyss during the main game. Visit the Pagan Altar in the Abyss and interact with it. Among the list of items available, you will find the Abyssian Exam Pass, which can be purchased for 750 renowned points.

Altar found in the Abyss
Interacting with Pagan Altar
Pagan Altar found in Abyss
List of items after accessing the Pagan Altar

Now that you have the classes unlocked, let’s discuss the stats of each of the classes in detail. Speaking of classes why not check our guide on Fire Emblem Three Hopes Best Classes.

War Monk/War Cleric

Dlc class stats
Stats of War Monk/War Cleric Class

War Monk (male) and War Cleric (female) are essentially melee classes that specialize in close-quarter combat. Their primary weapons are axes and fists. One thing that makes this class special is that they can use magic too.

Stats

HP STR MAG SPD DEX LCK DEF RES CHA MOV
32 19 10 10 12 10 15 12 8 6

Trickster

Dlc class stats
Stats of Trickster Class

The trickster class is suitable for those who want to use a sword with some command over magic as well. They are agile and have incredibly high luck, which allows them to dodge enemy attacks with ease and land critical hits at the same time.

Apart from the Abyssian Exam Pass, you will need a Theif Certification for acquiring this class as well. Theif Certificate can be acquired by passing the Theif exam. Their agile speed also allows them to quickly swap places with a party member who is near death.

Stats

HP STR MAG SPD DEX LCK DEF RES CHA MOV
28 14 12 18 14 15 10 11 8 5

Dark Flier

Dlc class stats
Stats of Dark Flier class

Dark Flier is a female-only class. The users of this class ride on an ebony-colored pegasus. The specialty of this class is that they have the ability to move after attacking.

In other words, they can quickly get in and out of battle. Dark Fliers wield powerful magic and wear heavy armor. They don’t do well against bows but their movement, specialties, and abilities make up for their weakness.

Stats

HP STR MAG SPD DEX LCK DEF RES CHA MOV
25 8 11 12 10 8 5 11 7 7

Valkyrie

Dlc class stats
Valkyrie class stats

The last addition to classes by Cindered Shadows DLC in Fire Emblem: Three House’s main game is Valkyrie. Just like Dark Fliers, this is a female-only class as well. The users of this class ride on a white-colored pegasus instead of an ebony-colored one.

Overall this class is similar to Dark Flier but has less movement speed  and higher reason. Furthermore, the defense of Valkyrie is very low. While they have devastating power, to make the most out of this class you should have some backup units to make up for Valkyrie’s low defense.

Stats

HP STR MAG SPD DEX LCK DEF RES CHA MOV
23 5 15 7 10 9 10 14 9 6

List of Classes Available To Characters in Main Game

As we have mentioned above these new classes can be used by the characters who are not part of Ashen Wolves as well. The complete list of classes that can now be acquired by characters after Cindered Shadows DLC in Fire Emblem: Three Houses is as follows:

  • Byleth – Mercenary, Priest, Swordmaster
  • Yuri – Thief, Trickster
  • Constance – Dark Flier
  • Balthus – War Monk
  • Hapi – Valkyrie
  • Edelgard – Lord, Fortress Knight,  Warrior
  • Dimitri – Lord, Hero, Paladin
  • Claude – Lord, Wyvern Rider, Sniper
  • Linhardt – Priest, Warlock, Bishop
  • Ashe – Archer, Assassin, Sniper
  • Hilda – Brigand, Pegasus Knight, Warrior

Cindered Shadows DLC Tips

Before you head into the Cindered Shadows DLC of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, here are some of the best tips that will be useful in your adventures through the Abyss. 

  1. Money Management: Money is valuable in this DLC. Be cautious with your spending and avoid wasting it on trivial items.
  2. Weapon Choices: Invest in Killer weapons for sword and lance users and Silver weapons for others. Sell unused iron weapons to earn money.
  3. Smithing Stones: Save smithing stones for repairing your Silver weapons, as they cannot be forged. Upgrade your steel and iron weapons to ‘+’ rarities for added effectiveness.
  4. Sword of Creator: Unlike the base game, the Sword of Creator recharges every time you visit the Abyss. Don’t hesitate to use it in battles.
  5. Protect Lindhardt: Lindhardt is your best healer. Keep him safe during battles, as losing him can make things challenging.
  6. Utilize Ashen Wolves: The Ashen Wolves have great range and magic abilities. Even non-mages like Yuri and Balthus can heal. Use their magic and ranged attacks effectively. They also have rally abilities to buff other party members.
 

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Atik Younas is a Junior Guides Writer on eXputer with decent experience writing about games. He’s an avid 3D designer and a coding wizard who gets fascinated by the technical aspects of the latest games. He’s got a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and loves enjoying well-written stories and combat mechanics in games. Atik has been playing games for more than 10+ years now. Most notably he has spent 1,000+ hours on GTA V Online and Minecraft! Feel free to get in touch with Atik on his gaming profile at Xbox and PSN. Experience: 2+ Years || Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science || Written 200+ Guides || Mainly Covers Game Strategy Guides on eXputer

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