Mechanics/Advanced

This section is recommended for experienced players who want to optimize their builds and gameplay.

Damage Calculation

The damage calculation formula is as follows:

• Damage = (ATK x (1 + sum of additive buffs) x (multiplier 1) x (multiplier 2) x ... x (multiplier n)) x (1 - enemy damage cut rate) - enemy defense power

ATK refers to the number you can see in-game when you tap on a unit's portrait. That number has all the base stat modifiers and Leader Skills already in it. To use the formula, it's required to convert your percentage buffs. For example a +300% additive buff would be just 3 in the formula, and a +300% and a +500% buff (both additive) would be 8 in the formula. Same goes for multipliers if they are in percentage form.

To use the formula easier, here is a calculator where you can simply input each number to get a result in real time.

Ability Order

Unit positioning on your team can sometimes be more than just Leader and Standby, and the order goes as follows:

• 1. Flat stat buffs
• 2. Stat multipliers
• 3. Leader Skills and Link Skills
• 4. All other Abilities starting from right to left

As an example of why the last step matters, take Jotakak and Gold Reimi. If Jotakak is to the right of Reimi and your Gauge is set to 0, Jotakak Ability activates then Reimi fills your Gauge. If Jotakak is to the left of Reimi and your Gauge is set to 0, Reimi will fill your Gauge but Jotakak Ability won't activate as your Gauge is no longer 0 anymore.

Difference between Additive and Multiplicative buffs

Additive ATK buffs, as the name suggests, requires you to add them together rather than multiplying them. Identifiable by a + before the percentage. Command Skill damage numbers should also be treated like an additive buff. This type of buff is rather easy to get in large amounts making it rather powerful with multiplicative buffs.

Multiplicative ATK buffs require you to multiply them rather than adding them together. Smash Damage buffs of this kind need to be added together to calculate it properly. Older multipliers don't usually have a + before the percentage, newer ones state that it's a multiplier and don't usually provide a percentage. If unsure about if a certain Ability is a multiplier or not, the community is ready to help. A much more scarce type off buff, but a strong one.

It is important to strike a balance between these two types in your builds to maximize damage. Having a lot of only one type isn't optimal.

Deeper dive into Smash

Smash, in terms of how it interacts with your already existing damage, is a 1.5x damage multiplier on your total damage output and any Smash Damage buffs only make the multiplier higher. Which is why Smash teams are so prevalent today.

Adding Smash into the formula looks like this:

• Smash Damage = (ATK x (1 + sum of additive buffs) x (multiplier 1) x (multiplier 2) x ... x (multiplier n)) x ((1.5 + sum of additive smash damage buffs) x (1 + sum of multiplicative smash damage buffs)) x (1 - enemy damage cut rate) - enemy defense power

Defense

Defense is a set number which damage taken is reduced by (be it your units or the enemy). For example if an enemy has 300 defense, your damage dealt to said enemy will be reduced by 300. Of course anything that ignores defense doesn't get reduced.

Every enemy has defense, sometimes as high as 50 billion! But in those cases they usually have an Ability that reduces their defense if certain conditions are met, like having 10 or more items on the field.

Overheal

During an action, all healing items that you pick up will heal you over your maximum HP, this is useful to safely remove traps, passing through the Pain Aura, or avoiding some abilities like Stroheim's post-death explosion if you pick first healing items before taking damage.

Weakpoints and attribute damage

Dealing weakpoint damage is a 1.5x multiplier on your damage output which is good to keep in mind when judging some units on first look.

Attribute damage is the increase or decrease in damage when dealing damage to certain attributes. On a positive attribute, it's a 1.5x multiplier. On a negative attribute, it's a 0.7x multiplier. Any Ability that interacts with this like adding attributes into your positive pool should also be remembered as they can make your life much easier.

Save state

When you are in a quest, you can safely close the game and continue later. This is thanks to the game save his current state at the beginning of the quest and at the end of each action. That means that you can "cheat" the game restarting your action before ending your move if you move in a wrong way or get killed by a counter.

What makes a good build

Knowing your gameplan, strategy and buffs, then building around said strategy. If building a Smash team, Smash damage buffs take priority. If building for a Command Skill based team, a constant supply of Gauge and/or free Command Skill activations take priority. Knowing this is crucial to making your teams work.