Gladiator games in Dagison attract many notable personalities, but few are as eagerly anticipated as Peppe, the charismatic king of Brigid. Players often find themselves frustrated by the mysterious “???” recruitment prerequisite tied to him, especially when his support and renown levels seem easily attainable. Understanding when and how to recruit Peppe can seriously boost your frontline power thanks to his unique combat potential.
Recruitment conditions in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave tend to shift depending on the narrative path you take, ensuring varied party compositions. Peppe, however, has a recruitment window that opens at roughly the same point in three of the four main routes, making timing essential regardless of your choice.
Here’s a breakdown of Peppe’s recruitment thresholds across the routes:
| Route | Support Requirement | Renown Requirement | Special Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai | 1 | 9 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
| Leda | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Theodora | 2 | 7 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
| Dietrich | 3 | 8 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
| Route | Support Requirement | Renown Requirement | Special Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai | 1 | 9 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
| Leda | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Theodora | 2 | 7 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
| Dietrich | 3 | 8 | Clear Bertrand’s Paralogue |
Bertrand’s Paralogue is the gatekeeper for Peppe’s recruitment in most routes and represents the biggest hurdle. This side mission crops up in chapter ten but is completely absent in Leda’s story since her route revolves around eliminating Bertrand. That makes Peppe unavailable if you’re playing as Leda.
The Paralogue is only open for a tight window starting on September 17th at the Arena, after speaking to Gabriel, and closes on the 25th. Dietrich’s path is even more restrictive, as you must accept and complete the quest on 9/17 alone, leaving no room for delay.
Once you accept the quest by talking to Gabriel, you’ll jump into an arena battle where you fight alongside temporary ally Bertrand, facing Peppe’s team head-on.
The match pits both teams against a series of four giants. Each side can protect a giant from attacks for one turn via a bait mechanic, though your side has only three of these to leverage. Careful timing of bait usage is critical to outmaneuver Peppe’s squad.
A solid approach is to engage normally until a second giant appears on the arena’s east side, then deploy a pegasus knight there, spending three consecutive turns baiting the giant. If you’ve eliminated two giants before this phase, you can effectively stall Peppe’s team, allowing you to take out the remaining giants first and secure victory.
After beating Bertrand’s Paralogue, all that’s left is to meet Peppe’s support and renown requirements, then initiate conversation with him. He’ll eagerly join your team, bringing a powerful personal skill that gives him a 30% chance to strike first during enemy turns — ideal for front-line combatants.