The Sacred Stones Classes and branching promotion
Compare promotion items and the trainee route before committing.
Edition covered
Original GBA rules, first released in Japan in 2004 and localized in 2005. Some pictures show the original game inside a later emulation interface. No modern Casual Mode is assumed.
Promote for a role
Most standard classes can promote from level 10 with the matching item. The branch determines weapons, movement and class abilities, so compare it with the rest of the army.
| Item | Typical eligible classes | Example branch |
|---|---|---|
| Hero Crest | Myrmidon, Mercenary, Fighter | Mercenary can become Hero or Ranger |
| Knight Crest | Cavalier, Knight | Cavalier can become Paladin or Great Knight |
| Orion's Bolt | Archer | Sniper or Ranger |
| Elysian Whip | Pegasus Knight, Wyvern Rider | Pegasus Knight can become Falcoknight or Wyvern Knight |
| Guiding Ring | Magic and staff classes | Monk can become Bishop or Sage |
Trainees have an extra stage
Ross, Amelia and Ewan begin in trainee classes. Reach trainee level 10 and proceed to the next battle to choose their first regular class branch.
| Unit | Starting class | First regular choices |
|---|---|---|
| Ross | Journeyman | Fighter or Pirate |
| Amelia | Recruit | Cavalier or Knight |
| Ewan | Pupil | Mage or Shaman |
| All three | Trainee level 10 | Choose at the following battle preparation; later promotions use the appropriate item |
Bishops have a monster niche
The Bishop class has Slayer, which greatly improves damage against monsters. This gives the branch a clear purpose in monster-heavy maps and optional dungeons.
Lord promotion is separate
Eirika and Ephraim use their story-linked promotion route rather than an ordinary class item. Do not spend the campaign expecting a generic Master Seal to solve their progression.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Nintendo instruction manual | www.nintendo.com |
| Detailed mechanics and reference | serenesforest.net |
| Detailed classes reference | serenesforest.net |