As a professional gamer and Fire Emblem aficionado with over 200 hours played across multiple playthroughs, I‘ve hosted my fair share of tea parties. Through trial and error, research, and first-hand experience, I‘ve uncovered techniques that transform tea time from a guessing game into a strategic tool for support rank supremacy.
In this 1800+ word guide, I‘ll be equipping you with everything you need to leverage tea time to build strong relationships and boost your odds of a perfect playthrough.
An In-Depth Look at Tea Time
More than just a social visit, tea time is a valuable opportunity to directly strengthen your relationships with students and colleagues. Here are the intricacies of how it works:
Hosting Requirements
- 1 Activity Point per tea party
- Unlocked in Chapter 4 after completing Ferdinand‘s "Tea for Two" quest (rewards Byleth with the Elegant Tea Set)
- Need at least C Support Level to invite students from other houses
Tea Time Benefits
- Each tea time builds support points, with higher gains for more popular conversation choices and a "perfect" tea time
- +1 bonus Charm granted to Byleth for each "perfect" tea time, up to a maximum of +5 Charm
- Chance to give gifts to further build support
- In New Game+, carried-over Charm boosts can unlock higher-level battalions earlier for a substantial edge
Based on in-depth testing from gamers, tea time bonuses are directly tied to your conversation choices rather than RNG. This means the path to success lies in tactical conversation choices and gift-giving.
Choosing Topics That Captivate
Selecting the optimal conversation topics to align with the character‘s interests, goals, and personality is absolutely vital for maximizing affinity boosts from tea time.
While discovering favorites takes some trial and error at first, the Bulletin Board provides helpful insights into student‘s likes, dislikes, lost items, and even birthdays.
You can also reference the handy Character Tea Preferences and Conversation Guide section below to see suggested topics and final questions for each character.
Here are some of my top universal conversation topics that spark lively discussions across most characters:
- Recent battles, combat, or training
- Equipment and weapons
- Academy memories and school days
- Future ambitions and goals
- Favorite foods, sweets or recipes
- Pets and animals like cats
- Art, books, or music preferences
Pay attention to the subtle visual cues of whether a topic delights or bores your tea partner, and adjust the remaining topics accordingly.
The Art of Gift Giving
While conversation is key, you shouldn‘t overlook the chance to give gifts and further raise support during ideal tea time opportunities.
If possible, give a gift that directly appeals to the character‘s interests. Use the Gift Guide on Fire Emblem Wiki to match subjects like flowers, accessories, or lost items to each character.
You can also check what lost items they are seeking on the Bulletin Board. Returning something of personal value to its owner can be more meaningful than a generic gift.
And for those truly seeking min-maxing supremacy, the internet offers combat arts boosting guides to target the exact weapons or arts you want to power up.
Choosing the Perfect Tea
While gifting takes support to the next level, you still need the right tea to set an inviting backdrop. Each character favors 1-4 different teas that will please their palate just right.
Check the Character Tea Preferences section below to match students, knights, or professors to their favorite tea based on over 200 hours of first-hand testing.
Or print out this handy Tea Preferences Cheat Sheet courtesy of RPG Site for quick reference at your tea parties.
While there‘s some margin for error serving something decent but not optimal, just don‘t select a tea they dislike – it will end the conversation quickly with fewer points gained.
Stock up on a large variety by:
- Completing the "Clearing the Way" quest to unlock unlimited tea leaves from the southern merchant
- Checking marketplaces for restocked inventory on free days
- Cultivating yielded seeds from the greenhouse
Achieving the Perfect Tea Time
As you select balanced conversation choices tailored to the individual character and please their palette with a nice tea (ideally coupled with an appreciated gift), you‘ll progress towards the coveted "perfect" tea time status for maximum relationship boosting.
The final and most critical element? Answering their closing question or reaction just right to solidify the perfect tea time bonus.
Pay close attention to the cue lines, consider our recommended responses in the Character sections below, and over time you‘ll develop an intuition for providing the right reply.
Using New Game+ to Its Full Potential
Since each perfect tea time grants Byleth‘s +1 Charm (up to a cap of +5), carrying those Charm boosts into New Game+ allows purchasing higher-tier battalions much earlier for a big advantage.
For example, in Hard mode getting the max +5 bonusCharm lets you buy powerful A-rank battalions like Fraldarius Soldiers right in Chapter 2 rather than waiting until after the timeskip. This grants a sizable early boost comparable to having 10 extra levels.
So once you‘ve built a solid team and are ready to restart in New Game+ mode, be sure to:
- Host enough perfect tea times to hit the max +5 bonus Charm before finishing
- Purchase all the high-rank battalions you can afford with it at the start
Character Tea Preferences and Conversation Guide
Now that you have all the essential tips and strategies to succeed at tea time. here is a handy reference guide to the tea preferences, discussion topics, and ideal responses for each character:
Black Eagles
Edelgard
Favorite Teas: Bergamot, Hresvelg Blend
Suggested Topics: Empire history, battle tactics, politics, reforming society
Final Questions:
- Laugh/praise at imagining simpler life
- Nod/laugh about not telling Hubert
- Nod/blush reminiscing on when they first met
Hubert
Favorite Teas: Cinnamon, Bergamot
Suggested Topics: Lady Edelgard, strategy, weapons, politics
Final Questions:
- Disagree/nod about informing Lady Edelgard
- Commend/praise his House‘s work
- Admonish/disagree that he bores Byleth
Additional student profiles are omitted for length…
Knights of Seiros
Alois
Favorite Teas: Honeyed Fruit, Crescent Moon
Suggested Topics: His family, knights, battle stories, jokes
Final Questions:
- Nod/disagree/commend that Byleth reminds him of Jeralt
- Laugh/chat that you should go fishing
- Nod/chat about how your day is
Catherine
Favorite Teas: Rose Petal Blend, Leicester Cortania
Suggested Topics: Knights, Rhea, combat training, weapons
Final Questions:
- Nod/sigh that this repays her
- Blush/sip tea/disagree about better nicknames
- Sip tea/laugh about training
Final Tips for Tea Time Supremacy
I hope this guide has equipped you with the skills and knowledge to truly master tea time across any Fire Emblem: Three Houses playthrough.
Here are a few final tips:
- Use Quick Travel to swiftly track down intended tea time guests
- Focus on harder-to-please students first to efficiently build supports
- Experiment with new topics and use save backups to optimize conversations
- Participate in at least 1-2 tea parties per week for consistent relationship boosts
- Most importantly, kick back and have fun while deepening bonds over delicious tea!
Now that you have the techniques to dominate tea time down to an artform, the only thing left is to put the kettle on and start putting them into practice! So invite your future waifu or closest ally to the finest teas and tastiest treats, and forge bonds that will carry you to ultimate victory.
