Tutorials, Tips and Hints Options

[chrishawke]

This is a translation of sorts of the tutorials found in Gungnir's system menu. I also added in some tips and hints here and there to clarify or further explain the system. The tutorials do NOT explain everything about the battle system, though, so if you'd like something clarified, ask away and I'll try to answer it. Or someone else can.


Combat Procedure

1. Action Sequence
You and the enemy's action turn depends on who's next in a line called the Action Sequence. Whoever's icon reaches 0 (zero) will move next. So that means your army moves when the yellow icon with a "P" reaches 0. An enemy moves when his/her icon reaches 0.

One thing special about Gungnir on this point is that none of your units' turn are dependent on anything like a speed stat, since it doesn't even exist. When the yellow icon reaches 0, you can choose any of your units to move. That means you can literally have one unit take action while the rest stays put if you choose to do so. However, taking any kind of action will put that unit under a Wait Time. While under this, that unit, if you choose to move him/her, will suffer a vitality penalty until the end of that battle. The penalty is percentage based, and it depends on the unit's max HP and Wait Time. Wait Time goes away after some time, and you can see it to the left of the Action Sequence.

2. Unit Movement
You can move your selected unit into these spaces highlighted by blue squares. Do note if that unit moves, more specifically fall, from high heights when your Jump stat is lower than the difference in height, the unit will suffer some minor damage.

3. Unit Action
Besides movement, there are two type of actions a unit can take. One is attack, and the other is support.

4. Deployment
Before a battle starts, you can choose what units to deploy onto these blue double-squares.



Specifics of Attacks

1. Guarding
Every unit has a Guard stat that can negate physical melee attacks. This stat is dependent on the equipment of that unit. The chances of guarding also depends on the direction the unit is facing. Attacking a unit's frontside will mean that unit will have a higher chance of guarding, while attacking the unit's side will lower it. Attacking the blindside will completely negate the chances of having an attack blocked.

2. Projectile System
There are two paths a projectile can take in this game. They are arc-based and linear-based. Bows and throwing weapons are arc-based. Certain items and bowguns are linear-based. That means bows can shoot at a unit behind an obstacle while a bowgun cannot.

3. Beat Usage Rules
Beat is an offensive-type attack in which multiple units join in a series of attacks after landing a successful initial strike. Units joining in this attack must be close by, as seen as in the picture in the tutorials. You can press Select before confirming an attack to see what and when participating units' Beat will take place. Note that you need Tactic Points to use this.

4. Boost Actions
Boost occurs when an attacking unit is adjacent to other party units with Arm equipment on them. Pressing select before confirming an attack will let you see what Boosts will take place. Note that you need Tactic Points to use this.

5. Summoning War Gods
Using Gungnir, with enough Tactic Points, you can summon a War God to randomly attack units on the screen. You can only use this once per battle. There will be a Wait Time before the summoning completes.

6. Using Magic
Anyone, enemies and allies, or anything in range of a magic spell will be affected. Before the spell is actually cast, the castor will have to focus. This is known as Cast Time.

7. Building-Type Attacks (Traps)
Grams and Pits are traps that activate once someone walks over that space. Only Witches and Tricksters can build Grams and Pits, respectively.

8. Counter
Units with Foot equipment can counter specific types of attacks. A unit with counter can only counter against attacks that correspond to each others' number type. For example, a Foot equipment that allows counter for number two attacks will only counter incoming number two attacks. Counter only activates against melee attacks, if the attacker is within attacking range, AND if the attack is successfully Guarded.

Katanas are the only exception to the counter number system, in which they will counter regardless of a melee attack's number. Venery is the only class that can wield katanas.



Map Pointers

1. Base Points
These points with a flag will raise your Tactics Point cap by 2 each if you choose to capture them, which you should. It should be noted that you can change a unit's equipment on these spaces if said spaces are under your control. Changing equipment requires 2 Tactic Points and adds 1 Delay to your turn.

2. Crystals
In a battlefield, you can find these large crystals that you can actually attack. Attacking them will produce Gems that you can use to upgrade your equipment.

3. Withdrawal Points
These points are used to switch out a unit for another in standby. Using this feature will use up two Tactic Points. An advantage to this feature is that you can switch out your battle-worn units for a new unit with a fresh batch of HP, assuming you have units on standby. Note that you do NOT need to capture these to use them, and that you cannot switch in units who have already participated on the field.

4. Using Field Weapons
On some maps, you can find strategic weapons on the field. They include Catapults, Cannons, and Ballistas. It should be noted that only certain classes can use these weapons. I can tell you for sure that Tricksters can use them.



Battle Pointers

1. Tactic Points
Moving your units will increase your Tactic Points. The max number of points you can receive for that unit's turn depends on the number next to "Tac." under "act" of the unit's status screen. THIS IS SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT. The more Tactic Points you have, the more damage you deal. The same can be said for enemy units.

2. Withdrawing and Killed-in-Action
When a unit's HP reaches zero, a unit will either withdraw or die. Yes, die. The unit only dies if that unit falls two times in successive battles. The unit will withdraw otherwise. Withdrawing will still let the unit participate in following battles, but that unit will enter with lowered max HP. Whenever a unit dies or withdraws, items are dropped. When dying, the unit's body will linger on the field until someone picks up that unit's loot. You can choose which items to loot in this situation, but only one while the rest is lost. When a unit withdraws, a random item from that unit's possession will be dropped instead.

3. "Ace" Speciality
Before starting a battle, you have the choice to choose your Ace. In some cases, you only have one unit to choose as your Ace. Aces give delay advantage to certain classes, with -2 giving -2 to that unit's Wait Time and -1 giving -1 Wait Time. That means, for a unit that has 21 WT, with a -2 advantage, that unit's WT will drop to 19 instead of 21. Keep in mind this no effect on the player's turn delay in the action sequence.

4. Vitality
Vitality dictates how much % of max HP that unit has on that stage. It is suggested that you move a unit when that unit is ready and is not in Wait Time to avoid a vitality penalty.

5. Elemental Attribute
There are 4 attributes in this game, excluding neutral. They are fire, water, wind, and earth. Opposing elements deal more damage to each other. It should be noted that terrain themselves are elemental, if present. For example, water has an elemental index of -2 Fire, +2 Water, +1 Wind, -1 Earth. When a unit enters that space, that unit's elemental attributes will shift accordingly to that index.

6. Specialty
Every unit has a Speciality Number, as dictated under the unit's status screen. When enough Speciality points have accumulated, that unit will receive a Skill Up, in which that unit receives various bonuses.

7. Mastery
Mastery is the number of times a unit has used a particular weapon. Raising it is essential to unlocking new skills for that unit holding that weapon, if that weapon has more.

8. Clear Time Bonus
Depending on how fast and if you have lost any units, you are awarded stars upon the completion of the map. These stars dictate how many treasure chests will appear on the next map.



Additional Effects

1. Conditions
There are several conditions that affect the flow of battle and can change the tides to anyone's favor if used correctly. Some of them are: Poison, Burning, Curse, Blind, Sleep, and Water Rhythm. Poison and Burning reduces HP on a timely basis, Curse negates HP recovery and the unit becomes unable to use Boost effects, Blind decreases attack accuracy, Sleep gradually recovers HP but puts the unit inactive, and Water Rhythm changes a unit's element to water and ignores other elements.

2. Unique Attack Effects
There are two unique attack effects: Knockback and Shield Break. Knockback moves a unit back one space, provided there are no immovable obstacles blocking the way. Shield Break destroys a piece of armor the unit is wearing and is lost once it is destroyed.

3. A Summary of Conditions
Sleep - HP gradually restores, but the unit becomes inactive while in this state.
Stone - Petrified, a unit cannot take action while in this state.
Poison - HP gradually decreases. A unit can die in this state.
Burning - HP gradually decreases. A unit can die in this state.
Frozen - A unit becomes frozen onto the ground. The unit can still take action, but cannot move.
Pain - A unit experiences great pain. The unit cannot take action nor move.
Laugh (?) Attack - Units in this state will have their attacks more prone to being Guarded.
Blind - Accuracy rates of ranged physical attacks is lowered in this state.
Weak - Physical attacks are weakened. This affects both melee and ranged attack power.
Silence - Cannot cast magic while in this state.
Slow Spell - Increases the amount of Cast Time it takes to cast a spell.
Shieldless - In this state, the effects of Shields are nulled.
Half Guard - Reduces the Guard rate of a unit's equipment while in this state.
No Counter - Cannot counter while in this state.
Curse - HP cannot be restored in this state, and the unit's Passive Actions are nulled.
Nightmare - A unit will die if the Discount (?) reaches zero. I'm not sure what this is.
Fi Rhythm - Attribute becomes fire, ignores all other elements.
Water Rhythm - Attribute becomes water, ignores all other elements.
Air Rhythm - Attribute becomes wind, ignores all other elements.
Ash Rhythm - Attribute becomes earth, ignores all other elements.
Mana Aura - Magic Defense is either significantly boosted or reduced according to the icon.
Matter Aura - Physical Defense is either significantly boosted or reduced according to the icon.
Def Half - Reduces physical defense.
Maf Half - Reduces magical defense.
Scapegoat - All damage to any party unit is transferred to the unit affected by this status.
Sacrifice - Attacking in this state recovers the unit being attacked instead.
Branded - Attacking in this state and successfully landing it will also hurt the attacker.
Sticky Paste - Jumping stat becomes 1 while in this state.
Gravity - Jumping stat becomes zero while in this state.
Slippy - Occasionally slips when moving to target square.
Escape - Ignores all orders and runs away from the battlefield.
Panic - Unit becomes unable to distinguish between friends and foes and attacks randomly.
Charm - Unit becomes hostile while in this state.
I'm a Bat! - Unit becomes a bat while in this state.
Undead - Unit becomes the living dead. State can restored by defeating the castor.
Lucky - A unit becomes lucky. Good things may happen in various situations.
High Move - Movement increases in this state.
High Jump - Jump stat increases in this state.



Battle Clock Operations

1. Clock Management
While the clock is under Clock Shift, you can stop the clock by pressing the L button. Doing so will bring the clock to a Clock Stop. During Clock Stop, you can interrupt the action sequence and immediately enter player's turn by pressing the O (circle) button and expending Tactic Points. This is called Scramble. It should be noted that Scrambling uses up A LOT of Tactic Points.

2. Clock Management 2
Holding the O (circle) button outside of Clock Stop will bring the clock into Over Clock mode. During this mode, time will pass, and the delay of all units will gradually decrease to zero. If you Over Clock while your player's turn delay is zero, you will not take your turn, but you can take it whenever you choose to let go of that circle button. Enemies will take their turns once their delay reaches zero. This is particularly useful if, say, you want to move units out of a spell's way, anticipate and lure in some sort of attack, or set up some multi-Beat formations while building Tactic Points, since only moving hardly delays your next player's turn.



Pre-Battle Set-up

1. Battle Organization
The place to set up your units' weapon and equipments. Pressing the X button before going to any of these tabs will bring up the system menu.

2. Guild
The place to pay for recruits. The more you pay, the higher level your recruits will be. You can choose to pick a weapon to go with your pay, and you'll narrow your search more precisely to the classes that uses that weapon. You'll lose the weapon you choose if you do this.

3. Camp
The place to get free recruits. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS, ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING. That Witch really helped me out in quite a few battles with her beam-ish spells. Anyway, this option isn't always available, so when you do get the chance, take a peek and pick out the classes you may need or want.

4. Alchemy
The place to upgrade your weapons. You'll be needing gems, or crystals, to upgrade. You can get gems by converting your items here as well.

5. Changing Equipment
So you know that you can change equipment. Okay. Well, you can also buy and sell these things. A shop deals with all your war needs. Weapons, Shields, Body Armor, Hats, Gloves, Shoes, Accessories, and Support Items; it's got everything. Your location changes what's available in the shops. That means what was available before might not be available later. Just in case if you didn't know or don't remember, Shields raise your Guard rate, Body Armor raises defense, Hats for resistance, Arms for Boost Actions, Shoes for Counter, Accessories for miscellaneous effects, and Support Items for support actions.


If I'm missing something from the tutorials, do point it out. Hope this helps out you Gungnir players.