The Heroic Games in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave bring together fighters with wildly different motivations, from deep personal stakes to simple pride or profit. Io is one character who joins your cause not out of loyalty but because you can pay him—an unusual mercenary with a hefty price tag but important potential on the battlefield.
Recruiting Io isn’t straightforward since his requirements change depending on which protagonist’s route you’re playing. This design choice helps keep team compositions varied across different storylines so you aren’t relying on the same assembled troops every time.
Here’s what you’ll need to bring Io into your fold, broken down by each route:
| Route | Support Requirement | Renown Requirement | Special Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai | 3 | 10 | Pay him 4,000 Gold |
| Leda | 1 | 6 | Pay him 1,500 Gold |
| Theodora | 3 | 10 | Pay him 4,000 Gold |
| Dietrich | 2 | 3 | Pay him 800 Gold |
If you’re playing on Leda or Dietrich’s paths, Io becomes an option relatively early thanks to his lower gold cost and milder renown requirements. By contrast, Cai and Theodora don’t see him until much later, likely a deliberate move by the developers to avoid stacking too many cavalry units in these routes.
Interestingly, Io’s asking price isn’t consistent across the board like many mercenary characters whose fees stay the same no matter the route. With Cai and Theodora asking a whopping 4,000 Gold, and Dietrich only needing 800 Gold, the variation really forces players to strategize around resource management for recruitment.
Io excels as a cavalry unit thanks to his personal skill that grants +3 Shield and +20 Avoid but only if he initiates combat. This makes him perfect for charging into enemies and gaining an edge early in fights. If you need a reliable cavalry force, investing in Io is well worth your gold and attention.
Regardless of the price, recruiting Io is well worth it if you’re in need of a good cavalry unit. Io’s personal skill gives him +3 Shield and +20 Avoid if he is the first to attack in combat, making him a perfect character to charge straight at an enemy for a preemptive attack.