Mechanics, Some useless Options

[Raijinili]

I decided to type this up, partially as a compilation for our "hidden knowledge" of the game, and partially because I was bored. I'll add more as it is discovered or as I am reminded. I've kind of decided to put this in the order that they can be accessed or encountered within the game (eg, you'll have access to Aggression before skills, so that goes first).

Character Stats
There are six character stats in the game.
GEN: Though how exactly I do not know, this stat is involved in the damage received in the charge and counter strikes of a clash. It decides what skills hit and how much damage is dealt by them. It also is one of the two stats involved in the Ability Difference parameter of Morale Damage, but for the most part it is just TEC's foil. Chance Time seems heavily influences by GEN, as well, but I do not know the exact correlation aside from max GEN almost always signifying five seconds of panic.
ATK: This stat is important during the brunt of a clash. When attacking during the clash, when the units go back and forth with their strikes, ATK will work as both the offensive and defensive stat to decide how quickly a unit is defeated. It is also part of the Ability Difference parameter of Morale Damage.
TEC: The opposing stat to GEN, also decides how much of the Aggression gauge is filled when beginning a clash.
LUK: This stat is more or less still a mystery. It is the chance of a critical and flash attacks. Statuses will last, measured in big stars, for (6 - LUK) of the affected's turns. Also, when a unit is removed from the map, if the LUK of the killing unit is greater than or equal to (in big stars) the deceased, the item will be dropped.
POW.UP and REP are near-useless stats. REP is a non-summon, ally-only attribute, topping at six, that does nothing outside of effecting Kiss of Death. Your combined REP (TRP) decides whether you get certain items. POW.UP, the enemy exclusive stat, is not useless, but there's not much mechanics behind it until the end of a clash. Which is where it is decided how much POW is added to the card.
Amount added to card POW and subtracted from POW.UP Stat = floor(P * (D / M))
P is the enemy's POW.UP parameter, D is the damage that was done to their Morale and M is the maximum Morale of the enemy. If the enemy's Morale is reduced to zero, all remaining POW is taken instead of just following that allotted by the formula.

Card Stats
Two stats for cards.
POW: The power of the card. The primary factor of Morale Damage.
MOV: How much movement a card allows per turn. MOV also factors into Aggression charge in the beginning of a clash.

Damage
Two kinds of damage exist within the game, Morale Damage and Clash Damage.
Clash Damage is the damage you take during a clash. Take too much and you lose the clash, deal enough and you win the clash. Damage can be undone, caused, or hampered by skills. The Clash Damage you do is related to both your ATK stat, the opponent's ATK stat, the rate indicator, and the element. The Rate indicator is a symbol at the bottom, under your character's class. Two are two parts to the Rate indicator; the colour and the shape. There are six colours, ranked thusly:
Red > Yellow > Green > Blue > Grey
And an equal amount of shapes:
Star > Circle > Dash > Triangle > Cross
So, the best rate of damage you could have is the Red Star, the worst is the Grey Cross. However, you will not see all shapes paired with all colours (for example, you will not see a Red Cross nor a Grey Star). The exact multipliers/additions and reverse are not known (to me) for the shapes and colours. Then you have elements. Elements, when activated, are indicated by a square of a certain kind under the Rate indicator. Elements are only activated when in Aggressive mode or in RAGE. Elements themselves do not add damage, or increase the Rate indicator, but the opposing side being weak to them does.
As for Morale Damage, it does not happen in a clash; only at the end, and on the map during various things (status, cannon fire, equipment, etc). The map ones are percentages, for the most part. In battle it is a percentage too, technically. Once all the percentages are added up (Surviving Units, 10% for each small unit alive and 20% for each large unit alive, 60% for each single; Ability Difference, Winner's ATK minus Loser's GEN; GEO Defense, the losers geography subtracted [50% water terrain boost becomes -50% subtracted from the subtotal]; Bonuses, bonus percentages for various "achievements" like Head-Alive and Item-Break), and that percent is multiplied by the card's POW, the number you get from that is subtracted from the loser's Morale. Negative Morale Damage does not heal.

Aggression and Rage
Aggression and Rage are rather tiny subjects. Going into passive mode lowers your rate of damage a tier, and quickly fills the Aggression gauge. Going aggressive raises your rate of damage a tier, activates your element if there is one and depletes the Aggression gauge at about 65% the speed. Your initial Aggression when entering a Clash is your TEC (measured in big stars) plus one, divided by the MOV of your current card, and, if this is not the first clash of the union, the remaining Aggression from the last clash will be added to it. In short, the formula is:
A = ( ( T + 1 ) / M ) + L
A is Aggression, T is TEC in big stars, M is the card's MOV, L is the aggression held over from the last Clash (zero in the case of the Ace).
Rage starts at a set point (empty or NORMAL mode under normal circumstances, half-full or RAGE mode under HIGH status or with certain equipment) and fills at a constant rate throughout the clash. In RAGE mode, the damage rate grows, and the enemy's element, if there is one, activates. In MAX, the damage rate is the same, but the element goes away. If the enemy loses the clash, the Rage filled will carry over to the next clash of the union, if there is one. If the enemy wins, it is reset. If the enemy would start in RAGE mode through status or equipment, then they will always start at that, regardless of the results of prior clashes.
Equipment with "[ELEMENT] Power UP" effects will affect Aggressive/RAGE mode if the elements of the character and the item align.

Skills
A quick run through of the skills, pointing out special information about them. All skills mentioning stats are measured in big stars - as with the rest of the game.
Doll Craft and Necro Gate
Both of these skills will kill off a single enemy member and, if there is room and no prior occurrence, summon a unit to the field; Golems for Doll Craft, Skeletons for Necro Gate. The unit will be positioned directly adjacent to the unit it was summoned against, if it can be placed directly adjacent to the unit, otherwise it will not be summoned. The stats of the summoned unit are correlated to the level.
Medusa Eye
Not to interject my opinion here, but, at least on the A-Path, this card is bad. Stoned characters block the path. Like Snorlax. Stoned characters are bad, be they ally or foe. However, Stoned characters are in danger of Earthquake; it will kill them. As with most, it's successful if the user's TEC is larger than or equal to the target's GEN. If successful, no Morale damage will be dealt.
Poison Breath
Nothing to say, same clause as most cards: Successful if the user's TEC is larger than or equal to the target's. The Poison Status deserves a note, however; in clashes it will constantly deal damage, and, at the beginning of each turn of the unit, deal Morale Damage. (Exact percentage, anyone?) Has bonus effect, Status-Damage (10%).
Gravity Chaos
Separating this from the other elementals because of the Status infliction and high MOV. It's almost identical to them except for those factors, the status being the important part. Curse slows movement, both on the map (allows only one square of motion per turn) and in battle (attack rate is slowed, causing less continuous damage). Success for the status is the same as the rest. Has bonus effect, Status-Damage (10%).
Item Break and Steal
Nothing particularly noteworthy, except that they both give bonuses if successful; Stole-Item (30%) and Item-Break (20%).
Bloody Claw
Not much of note, either, it kills the target's head if the user's TEC is larger than or equal to the target's GEN. However, the Japanese guide claims there is a 50% bonus for Bloody Claw (Blood Finish), however, I have not seen it in the Japanese nor English version of the game.
Chariot
Kills target members until there are enough members/heads to equal yours. Dull, but useful. Like Revolution, in a way.
Shield Barrier
Shield Barrier lasts for a short time (if anyone would be willing to measure) and blocks everything. Even attacking skills. It will be broken, but the damage from the skill will not be taken. The only skills not blocked by Shield Barrier are skills with no damaged target (Fortune, Kiss of Death, Shield Barrier) and the two Annihilation skills (Crusade and Angelic Thunder).
Flame, Blizzard, Diamond Dust, Thunderbolt and Banish
All elemental skills; Flame is Fire, Blizzard and Diamond Dust are Ice, Thunderbolt is Lightning, Banish is Holy. Damage is equal to ( ( T + 1 ) - G) where T is the user's TEC, G the target's GEN, and the resulting number the amount of members killed (the head not included except for Fatal Damage and Overkill). These cards, and the Dark elemental card Gravity Chaos, are the only way to do Overkill damage, and the only way to do a certain kind of Fatal Damage. Blizzard and Diamond Dust are seemingly no different except for Diamond Dust being able to freeze all bodies of water on the map - lasts until the next turn of noon.
Dragon Killer
Medium duration, makes you fight strong against Dragons (I believe it's always with a Red Star, but I could be wrong, if anyone would be willing to check, as well as to get the exact duration). Has bonus: Dragon-Slay (80%).
Earthquake
Destroys stone objects within a two square radius. That includes bridges, villages, stoned characters, etc. It will also halve the remaining enemy members, counting the head, rounded down. Always succeeds. But Golem only. Oh well.
Mind Change
Mind change can only be used if the target is the same size and gender, but will fail if the user has all their members, or only the head of the target remains. The amount of units stolen will be the same equation as the elemental skills. The interesting thing about Mind Change is that you can finish a battle with it, as long as you got a critical hit and then steal the remaining members, and it is not bound by the battle penalty; if you are down to your head naturally through the consecutive battle penalty, Mind Change can steal all five of the target's members, and you will have a full unit again.
Revolution
A special kind of Fatal Damage is invoked with Revolution. All of the target's members are killed, and any clash damage accumulated to the next-to-die member will be transferred to the head. Can be the most useful skill in the world if precisely timed.
Crusade
The only player-usable Annihilation skill, Crusade kills all remaining members and the head. It also has the Bonus effect, Crusade End (50%).
Sanctuary
Will restore members equal to the user's TEC. Bound by the consecutive battle penalty.
Refreshment
This is the only useless card there is. It can only remove two statuses (maybe three, but why would you remove HIGH status?), because Sleep and Stone do not allow you to (normally) participate in clashes. Most character's LUK or GEN should be high enough to obsolesce this card anyways.
Kiss of Death - (Thanks to theseus of GFAQs for figuring out the REP relation.)
A fun house card. It raises your ATK and lowers your opponent's ATK by an amount set by your REP for 7.77 seconds. And it's not A Activated, your Aggression is still usable. Skills are blocked, however. But, that's not it, if that 7.77 seconds runs down, your head is killed immediately. Can effect Ability Difference or Bonus of Morale Damage, depending on the outcome. Also affects REP; it's reduced to zero every time you use the skill. The exact additions/reductions:
0 REP: User ATK up 1, opponent ATK down 0.
1 REP: User ATK up 1, opponent ATK down 1.
2 REP: User ATK up 2, opponent ATK down 1.
3 REP: User ATK up 2, opponent ATK down 2.
4 REP: User ATK up 3, opponent ATK down 2.
5 REP: User ATK up 3, opponent ATK down 3.
6 REP: User ATK up 4, opponent ATK down 3.
Fortune
Fight based on LUK stats instead of ATK stats for a LONG time. Item drops are not affected by this, but the ability difference is. LUK will be used instead of ATK.
Mirage
Swaps terrains for a medium length of time. Can allow terrain cards to be used. If terrain is still swapped at the end of the clash, GEO defense will be whatever it was switched to.
Banshee's Cry
Lowers target's ATK to one big star for a medium length of time. This will affect the ability difference equation.
Ivy Whip, Sand Storm, Mantrap and Rockfall
Terrain cards, the target must be on the specified terrain; Forest for Ivy Whip, Sand for Sand Storm, Swamp for Mantrap and Wasteland for Rockfall. The damage is the same as with Elemental skills. These skills can cause Fatal Damage if the target is bad on said terrain (such as Knights on Forests). Units good on said terrain will block the skill regardless of stats and Shield Barrier.
Ace Guard
Only the Ace of the Union can activate it, it protects all units on that side of the fighting in the Union from there on from charges and counter strikes. The Ace can activate it whenever he/she wishes/can, no matter which clash of the Union it is. Nothing really special.
Genocide
All remaining members are killed in order to (secretly like a squirrel) increase the strength of Gulcasa. Since only he can use it. It does not raise his ATK stat, it does not increase his damage rate, it just makes him kill faster for each member he sacrificed. However, it is hindered by statuses and lack of a member to sacrifice. This card is a bit of a unknown. Has a bonus: Genocide Kill (50%).
Reincarnation
Restores all members (dead or otherwise) into a type that is more effective against the enemy. It's the whole works; element, effects, weapon type, etc. Nothing more to note.
Angelic Thunder
The Annihilation skill sported by a particular "enemy." Nothing really special to note.

Fatal Damage, Overkill and Final Impact
A quick special section for an explanation on these fantastic little things.
There are four different kinds of Fatal Damage: Revolutionary, Elemental, Geographical and Item-Based.
Revolutionary: Kills all members, transfers damage of next-to-die member to the head (so [if this was/is how it works/ed] if the next-to-die member has eight damage on him, when the members are killed, that damage will be transferred to the head, so the head will have eight damage to its name). Used against the head will not cause a kill, however, unless used twice, sometimes. Only caused by Revolution.
Elemental: Will kill all members if any remain, or will kill the head if its the only remaining. No damage is transferred. Only caused by using an elemental skill against an enemy weak to the element, or with a piece of equipment that raises that element's power. Not both; see Overkill.
Geographical: Kills all members and the head. Only caused by using a terrain skill against a unit bad on that terrain; Ivy Whip against Knights, Sand Storm against Undines, and I think that's all. I don't believe there is any equipment that causes one to be bad on a certain terrain.
Item-Based: Three equipped items can cause Fatal Damage; the Killer Beehive, the Yashamaru and the Hresvelgr. These items raise Heavy Critical rate, and, when said Heavy Critical is performed, the opponent's members will be killed. Unknown if the head can be killed in such a Fatal Damage.
Now for Overkill. With Elemental skills, when the target is weak to the element in question, and the user has an effect raising the power of said element (through equipment only, I believe), Overkill damage will be dealt. Overkill kills all members and the head.
Overkill can also be done with the Mjollnir, which raises your chance of a 1-hit kill. If you get the 1-hit kill, Overkill will flash across the screen, and all will be well.
You can see, some of these could have had a changed translation to make more sense, but, oh well. Also, all of the skill-based ones can be blocked by Shield Barrier, and the item-based ones by Ace Guard.
Final Impact is technically illegal. You can't actually get it without cheating. The only known method of achieving Final Impact is with the Fanelia, and the Fanelia is obtained in the final true battlefield. You can't technically use it without cheating to get it earlier. It's essentially Overkill, it kills everything. But it also ignores all weaknesses and resistances. So it's god.

As other things are discovered and/or brought to my attention, they will be added. Also pinning this in YU Game Help so guests can post.

[Raijinili]

MKT, if you can hear me, I actually need you to test something.
Someone posted about how Kiss of Death works, and I need you to test it since I have no saves anywhere near BF27.

[Raijinili]

There, added info about REP-Kiss of Death correlation, THANK YOU MKT FOR TESTING IT FOR ME.

[Raijinili]

I ALSO ADDED THE ITEM-BASED FATALS AND OVERS.

[Raijinili]

Am I allowed to post here?

[Edits - answering my own questions...]
With added-elements during RAGE or aggressive:
What happens
If the enemy is X>Element - Increases attack rating one step
If the enemy is "Normal" (Vulnerable to the element but not weak against it) - Same as if you didn't have an element
If the enemy is O-Void [Element] - Attack rating will be increased the normal amount, but your clash damage will be greatly reduced (It doesn't reduce to zero, though).

Is it better to use neutral mode against enemies who are O-Void your element? - Yes

Do you deal more clash damage with 6 members standing as opposed to only one? - Still not sure on this one.

The meaning of the prediction marks is well known. What is the meaning of the little white marks below the prediction marks? - Still not sure.

Also some clarification on attack rating indicators.
From lowest to highest:
Gray Cross
Gray Triangle
Blue Triangle
Blue Dash
Green Dash
Green O
Yellow O
Yellow Star
Red Star

Each of those is one "Step." The enemy's rage mode increases their attack rating from normal by one step. MAX mode increases attack rating by 2. Your aggressive mode increases attack rating by 2 and passive mode reduces attack rating by 2. Being weak against an element (That is active) will increase the opponent's attack rating by 1 and being [O]Element Attack UP will increase attack rating by 1 if that element is active. I'm not sure if they stack... It's still possible to win a clash even if it's gray cross vs. red star. The best example of this is

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Emilia vs Cruz on Emilia's turn (Emilia almost always wins even though she has gray cross).

This post has been edited by jcdietz03: Aug 7 2007, 02:15 AM

[Raijinili]

I have a question on the damage calculation.

Is it possible to have over 100% damage in any version of this game? It is certainly possible to be damaged over 100% in a clash, but I think any amount over 100% gets reduced to 100% when the damage is applied. I am not sure though - does anyone know?

[Raijinili]

I don't see any reason why that should be the case.