Combat
Player-directed rhythm. Victory is determined by preparation, timing, and execution.
Core Loop
Combat rewards deliberate sequencing.
The player prepares a six-unit line, selects each action, then watches those choices resolve in an order that matters.
Timing, chain families, target priority, and Weave economy determine the outcome more often than raw statistics.
Queue an action on a unit card, then tap the queued card to execute it. You choose the execution order. The enemy phase follows once your eligible units have acted or been skipped.
One Player Phase
An illustrative turn using the documented combat rules. Roles stand in for units with the required abilities; damage, success chances, and resource costs depend on your party and the encounter.
One enemy is your priority target. One of your two physical attackers is unable to act because of a removable status. Your six-unit line has a cleanser, an attack buffer, a defense breaker, those two attackers, and an Oath-Weaver.
Prepare the available actions before committing: a suitable cleanse, an ATK buff, a DEF break, two compatible attacks, and Defend for the Weaver. Check the target and the resource cost of each choice.
Restore the missing action
Execute the cleanse on the affected attacker. If the status is removed, that unit can still act during this player phase. Queue its attack once it can act.
Strengthen the attackers
Execute the ATK buff before either physical attack. A buff increases an ally's stat; applying it after the attacks cannot improve hits that have already resolved.
Weaken the target
Execute the DEF break against your priority enemy. A break is a stat-reducing debuff. Confirm that it landed: a resisted break does not lower the enemy's defense.
Begin the chain
Execute the first attack. Choose skills whose chain families match: a family describes compatible hit timing, rather than the attack's element.
Carry the chain
Execute the second attack so its hits overlap closely with the first. Vow Chains depend on actual hit timing from different units in the same family. Matching elements can also contribute an Element Chain.
Keep the Weave for a reason
Execute Defend with the Weaver if a Weave would add little to this turn. You have used that unit's action while preserving the limited Weave resource for a later threat.
The sequence recovers an action, prepares the target, then spends the damage window. The same six units can achieve less if the setup arrives after the attacks.
What if the cleanse or break fails?
Read the result before executing the next card. If the attacker remains unable to act, the intended two-unit chain is unavailable. If the break is resisted, the target keeps its defense. Reassess whether to spend the remaining actions on damage, recovery, or protection.
For the resource decision behind that final action, follow Sigil Resonance.
Damage Resolution
Every action resolves through a predictable sequence.
Physical attacks compare ATK against DEF.
Magical attacks compare MAG against SPR.
Type resistance is resolved before elemental resistance.
An element reduced to 100% resistance deals no damage.
Combat should feel understandable before it feels surprising.
Chains
Chains reward execution, not repetition.
Normal Chains build when attacks connect within the chain window.
Vow Chains require tighter timing, compatible chain families, and multiple Oathsworn acting together.
Element Chains reward consecutive attacks that share an element.
Chain growth has a defined ceiling.
Mastery comes from consistency, not exploiting hidden scaling.
Status & Mitigation
Status effects respect resistance.
Buffs and debuffs resolve by highest value rather than unlimited stacking.
Protection systems, including Cover, Counter, Defend, Evasion, Regeneration, Poison, and Immunity, exist to create tactical choices rather than passive advantages.
Design Philosophy
Combat avoids hidden exceptions.
When a limit changes, the player should know.
When power increases, the reason should be visible.
A victory should feel earned, not accidental.
A battle is not decided when commands are chosen. It is decided by the order in which those promises are fulfilled.