Hey guys, BinaryBob here. I’ve decided to write up a short guide that encompasses what I’ve seen so far in the game. This guide is not entirely complete, but I hope that you find it useful.
Much of this same knowledge can be found here so feel free to check it out. ^.^
Basics of Duelling
Greetings, swordsman. As you find yourself in this brave new world, you’ll find many rivals to duel. Fame and glory can be yours, but only if you know what you’re doing. The tutorial may have explained quite a few things, but let me go over your options in a slight bit more detail.
First, remember that all combatants take their turn simultaneously. A turn consists of two main parts: Movement and Action.
Movement: You may choose to move your character within a certain radius of where you stand (hotkey Q), which is mostly constant based on your Agility stat though it can be temporarily reduced through the “Blinding Dust” skill from the Thief tree.
Important: If you choose NOT to move during your turn, you will regenerate an extra Energy Point. Keep that in mind.
Action: You may also take one action during your turn, though you do not have to (in case you suspect the enemy is going to try a counterattack skill). A brief explanation of the three types of actions available to you:
(1) You may perform a standard attack with your weapon (hotkey W). These attacks swing in an arc towards a direction of your choice. How wide and long this arc is depends on your class.
(2) You may use one of your Class Skills (hotkeys 1-8, explained later on).
(3) You may charge your Energy Points (hotkey E). If you use this option, you cannot move during the same turn. The net effect of this option is +5 EP (1 from natural regen, 1 from not moving, and 3 from the charge).
If you make a mistake, you can reset your Movements and Actions from the main turn menu. This reset button is on the far right side (hotkey R). Remember you only have 15 seconds to commit to something though, so if you reset once you should make sure you don’t mess up your turn again. Once all combatants have accepted their Movements and Actions (hotkey C) or the turn timer runs out, the action unfolds!
Attacks have priorities; some attacks will dominate others, but on occasion you may get two attacks equal in priority. If the priorities are tied, then you begin a clash minigame which involves clicking five circles as rings shrink around them. To get the best score, click the circle just as the ring meets the circle (if you are lagging, the timing may be a bit before the ring actually meets each circle). Whoever gets the best total score wins the clash and their attack goes through. In the rare event your clash scores are tied, then nothing happens.
At the end of each turn, all combatants naturally regenerate 1 Energy Point (up to the cap of 10). As mentioned above, opting not to move in a turn will regenerate an extra point.
This is a mostly complete Priority List so that people know how their skills will match up with others:
Priority 0: War Cry, Aura of Protection. (Possibly Caltrops?)
These skills do not damage an enemy directly so anything the enemy hits you with will connect. Also, buffs can fail to activate for one of a few reasons: If the opponent tried a counterattack skill, inflicted some status on you (Stun, Poison, Bleed, Blind), or connected with a Fury attack.
Priority 1: Standard attacks.
A direct hit in the red area always dominates a glancing blow in the yellow (and deals more damage as well), but otherwise two standard attacks will result in a clash minigame.
Priority 2: Broad Strike, Heavy Slash, Poison Blade, Tri-Cut, Open Wound, Earthquake, Blinding Dust.
A glancing blow from these skills will beat a direct hit from a standard attack. Direct hits in the red still beat glancing blows in the yellow for skills on the same priority level, but unlike standard attacks, skills won’t deal more damage with direct hits. Note that Earthquake has no direct hit zone — it will clash with glancing blows from other skills on this level.
Priority 3: Counterattack, Stun Kick, Throat Slice.
Note: If two Counterattacks happen, it doesn’t trigger a clash.
Priority 4: Class Fury attacks, e.g., Berserker Fury, Eternal Punishment, etc.
These skills are both powerful and rank higher than most in priority. It’s a huge risk to attempt but it can pay off quite well. All Fury attacks are on the same priority level, though Tier 3 classes have slightly stronger versions over Tier 2.
Priority 5: Tsubame Gaeshi, Shield Cover, Ninja Vanish
I have not seen anything to date that can beat the Samurai’s counter. It will even attack a Warrior that uses Counterattack! Likewise, Shield Cover will block anything, including the ultimate Fury attacks from a class. Ninja Vanish will do practically the same thing as Shield Cover with the extra bonus of hiding your movements for the turn.
Common Strategies
During battle, you’ll want to know how to do a few things well:
First, know how to space yourself from your enemy, especially if you’re playing a Warrior tree class. This can help keep you from straying too close to your foe, which can be brutal if you’re going up against a Thief class (due to their Stun Kick and very wide attack ranges). It may occasionally be worth it to not use your maximum movement radius when chasing (or being chased by) the enemy, on the offchance they blunder into one of your attacks this way or reach a point where they think they’re safe and can rest to regen EP while still being within your attack range.
Second, manage your EP well. If you don’t, you’ll end up being chased down when you can’t do any skills and eventually get knocked out by attacks you can’t beat. If given a chance to safely recharge EP, I’d take it. Sometimes I’d even risk a hit from the enemy just to restore my EP and have more options.
Third, figure out what your opponent is likely to do with their turn. Put yourself in their shoes, and pretend that you’re them for a few seconds. How would you act as them, with their current EP and position? Chances are they might do just what you thought they would do. If you’re a quick thinker, try to set up the opponent’s next turn as well.
