Hawking Guide

 courtesy of /u/takaminacchan

What are Hawks?
Hawks are special units that give you the opportunity to limit break units without using extra copies of the units themselves. However, there are some limitations on this process, which we will go over in this guide.

5 Star Hawks
These hawks can only be used on 5 star units, excluding the 5 star event limited units that state the unit cannot be hawked. A list of these unhawkable units is located here. In addition they can only be used on units of their respective types. There is also another, different type of hawk that can only be used on units that are currently eligible for Power Awakening Units.
 * (Slashwing) Slicehawk
 * (Thrustwing) Stabhawk
 * (Shotwing) Blasthawk
 * (Bashwing) Bludgeonhawk
 * (Castwing) Spellhawk
 * (Breaker of Limits) Forcebird

4 Star Hawks
These hawks work the same way as the 5 star hawks, but can only be used on 4 star units, subject to the same restrictions as their 5 star counterparts. Hawks' ability to limit break units without using extra copies makes them preferable to spending more hero stones in search of additional copies to limit break your units. They save hero stones and give you options even if you only have a single copy of the unit.
 * (Slashfeather) Slicehawk
 * (Thrustfeather) Stabhawk
 * (Shotfeather) Blasthawk
 * (Bashfeather) Bludgeonhawk
 * (Castfeather) Spellhawk

Ways to Obtain Hawks
Hawks are limited units, but can be obtained in many different ways. The common sources are through events such as Sara's Birthday Party or Awakening (Ludger & Judith) where they were obtained via community goals, and through limited contracts within the game. They can also be purchased in the Exchange Market during limited time frames, received as rewards for certain summons, such as the Rainy Tone Summon, or earned from tough events such as the Trial Tower or certain Ares Realms. Keep a look out for a chance to get these units when reading the announcements!

Things to Consider when Hawking a Unit
Although, hawks are more common than they used to be, you will still need 4 (or more depending on the unit) of them to completely limit break a unit starting at 0 limit breaks - so you will want to think carefully before making the decision.

Unit Considerations:
If you have a unit that is already max limit broken that is similar (in element and type) to the unit you are considering using hawks on, it may be best to avoid doing so. In general, it is better to hawk something unique that will give you new options.

Artes
There are two primary arte types that should be looked for when figuring out whether to hawk a unit or not, Arte Healers or Delayers.
 * Arte Healers: There are generally two types of arte healers, those that heal 50% of a 200% damage arte or of a 250% damage arte. This is generally the deciding factor on whether to hawk them or not, since in almost all cases units that deal 250% damage will heal more. Additional considerations include their stats when max limit broken and whether or not they have scaling passives for the units base stats, like Forcefulness and Life Gain or units with Arte Plus or Aura Plus for increased arte usage.
 * Delayers: There are two types of delayers, AOE (attack all enemies) and Single Target. Either one can delay for one or two turns, but the best are generally the ones that delay all enemies for two turns.  These units are good candidates for hawking in order to increase their and make a more durable team with more HP.

Awakening Eligible Units
There are a number of reasons you may want to hawk an Awakening eligible unit. First, it results in an LC count increase from the original to 20 LC giving you the option to include more low LC units on your team. It also gives the unit an additional passive and an upgraded leader skill. True Awakening eligible units also get an active skill upgrade, which is something to consider.

Leader Skill/Active Skill Users
Active skill users and leader skill users are also good choices for being hawked because they may be used often and will bring more to the table with more levels and therefore more stats.

Finisher Material/Soul Arena Unit
These are usually one of the last options to consider, since it is possible to get more opportunities to limit break them if their Soul Arena is reissued, and it often possible to get another Soul Arena unit that is just as capable the units in question. For non Soul Arena Units that can be finishers, look for units with a passives including some combination of Forcefulness, Desperation Healer, Pinch Attacker, or Link Finisher.

Stat Stick
Generally these units shouldn't be hawked unless they're 4 star stat sticks that are given out during certain events. They provide the stats that can solidify a team.

Note: For units with a combination of the above categories check this link.

Are they really necessary?
The most important of the considerations, consider how much hawking the unit will aid the player when hawked. Examples of these questions are as follows:
 * Will it help me clear additional content?
 * Will it meaningfully increase the survivability of my team?
 * Will it fit in the usual teams/leaders that I use?
 * How often will I use this unit?

Favorite Character Units
As long as you are comfortable with the consequences, it's perfectly fine to hawk your favorite unit(s).

Note: Passives can be found using this link. Additionally it is best to save 4 hawks of each type in case you manage to pull a True Awakening unit.