Tactical strategy game Fire Emblem Engage recently released Wave 3 of its planned DLC, featuring new characters Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening and Veronica from Fire Emblem Heroes. Alongside this paid content, Nintendo surprised fans by also releasing a brand-new free update featuring a new mechanic: the Ancient Well. This guide will cover how to best make use of the Ancient Well and what sort of items you can hope to gain from it.
The Ancient Well, which is located on the floating island Somniel, is a location that can be visited between battles. It addresses a frequent issue players complained of: they would often receive multiple duplicate weapons and consumable items while battling, and could not do anything with them besides selling them off for a small amount of money. Now, weapons and items can be exchanged for new ones using the Ancient Well – and you can even obtain some brand-new items not previously available in Fire Emblem Engage! Here’s how to get rid of your unneeded extra weapons and possibly exchange them for something better!
How to Unlock the Ancient Well
First, make sure your game is updated to Version 1.3. This may require closing out of your game and restarting. Then, after completing Chapter 7 of the main story, visit the Somniel and talk to Durthon at the Armory. Durthon will explain that he lost a weapon and ask you to find it for him. Next, head over to the Training Yard area of the Somniel and find the Ancient Well. Interact with the Well to receive two items: Revanche Axe and Represailles Lance.
Finally, return to Durthon. Unfortunately, neither of these are the weapon he was missing. Fortunately though, Durthon will let you keep both of the weapons! The Represailles is an A-rank spear with a Might of 13, while Revanche is an A-rank axe with a 20% chance of dealing critical damage. Durthon explains that the Ancient Well can be used to obtain all sorts of weapons, but what you will receive is random. Now, the Ancient Well feature is unlocked and you can use it any time you are in the Somniel.
Exchange Weapons and Items at the Ancient Well
You can put up to five items in the Ancient Well at one time. Most weapons and consumable items can be deposited into the Well. However, exclusive weapons – like Alear’s Liberation – and weapons attached to Emblems – such as Chrom and Lucina’s Falchion – cannot be discarded. You can put in five consumables, five weapons, or a mix of both.
The items you receive in return will be random, and may include a mix of all types of physical weapons (Swords, Spears, Axes, Bows, Knives), healing and status-causing Staves, barehanded Arts, and magical Spellbooks. In addition to weapons, you can also obtain Seals, which allow you to change a unit’s class, Books, which give your units Skill Points, and items that award permanent stat boosts. However, the rarity of the items will be based on the combined Gold value of the five items you deposit. Value tiers are calculated as follows:
- 999G or Lower – 1-Star Items. Slim/Mini Weapons, Heal Staff, Initiate Art, Novice Book, Adept Book
- 1,000G – 4,999G – 2-Star Items. Iron Weapons, Basic Spellbooks, Mend/Illume/Obstruct/Restore Staff, Iron-Body Art.
- 5,000G – 9,999G – 3-Star Items. Steel Weapons, Killer Weapons, Extended Range Weapons, Intermediate Spellbooks, Physic/Rewarp/Freeze/Silence Staff, Steel-Hand/Shielding Art, Master Seal.
- 10,000G – 19,999G – 4-Star Items. Silver Weapons, Magic Weapons, Intermediate Spellbooks, Recover/Warp/Fracture/Entrap/Rescue Staff, Second Seal, Expert Book
- 20,000G or Higher – 5-Star Items. Brave Weapons, Silver Heavy Weapons, Advanced Spellbooks, Fortify/Nodus Staff, Flashing-Fist Art, Stat-Boosting Items.
You will get a hint of what items you might receive by looking at the “Upgrade Gauge” on screen. Each time you throw an item into the Well, the Upgrade Gauge will increase slightly. The higher the Gauge, the higher the chance you will receive rare items.
Once you have inserted your five items, you will need to complete one battle in order for your new items to be ready at the Well. Simply return to the Somniel after battling and interact with the Well once more to receive your items.
Are There Exclusive Items In the Ancient Well?
Yes, there are. In addition to the axe and spear you get when first unlocking the Ancient Well, there are a few items that can only be obtained by using the Well. These items cannot be purchased, dropped in battle by enemies, or obtained in any other manner in Fire Emblem Engage.
These items are the Candy Weapons, which are, as their names suggest, made out of delicious desserts. These weapons have low stats and are not particularly effective in battle. However, they do have a unique gimmick: in addition to being used as weapons, these items can be eaten mid-battle to help your units recover HP. They are also great for taking fun photos with around the Somniel!
There are eight Candy Weapons available in Fire Emblem Engage via the Ancient Well. They are:
- Biting Blade (Chocolate Sword)
- Swirlance (Ice Cream Lance)
- Lollichop (Lollipop Axe)
- Croissbow (Croissant Bow)
- Confectioknife (Dango Knife)
- Tiramistorm (Tiramisu Spellbook)
- Treat (Cupcake Staff)
- Scrollcake (Roll Cake Art)
These items have a chance of showing up no matter what items you put into the Ancient Well. If you use the Ancient Well regularly, it is likely that you will obtain all of these weapons. However, if you are specifically looking for the Candy Weapons, it is recommended that you toss low-value items into the Ancient Well, such as Slim weapons or Heal staves that are running out of uses, so that you do not have to waste your high-tier high-damage weapons and items.
That’s all you need to know to use the Ancient Well in Fire Emblem Engage, which is currently available for the Nintendo Switch. Plus, you can check out GameLuster’s other Fire Emblem Engage guides to learn how to unlock Emblems Chrom and Veronica, befriend Sommie, and much more!
Have you been enjoying the Ancient Well in Fire Emblem Engage? What sort of items have you obtained, and which ones are you hoping to get in the future? What new mechanics would you like to see added in future updates to Fire Emblem Engage? Comment below and let us know!
