Unit Stats and Abilities

Unit Abilities

Unit abilities in Kantaisen represent the unique systems and mechanical features of a mobile weapon, battleship, or other unit. Not all units have abilities; units without abilities instead gain Power Part slots equal to the number of unspent ability slots they have. At launch, each unit has five ability slots to spend on Power Parts or unit abilities as desired. Mass production units come with their abilities and part slots preallocated. Most abilities cost one ability slot, but some cost more than this. These cases have been noted in bold in the ability's description.

The number of ability slots available to units does not change with tier in Kantaisen 1.0. This may be adjusted depending on feedback, but is unlikely to receive adjustment at this time.

Unit abilities can be displayed with an alias. While the ability itself is generic, the alias shows the specific element of that unit the ability represents.

Command Abilities

These abilities offer new "commands" to players. These special actions route through the attack system, and are treated as weapons with a Weapon Space cost of 0 internally.

Jammer - This unit offers access to the Jam (single-target hitrate debuff) and Scatter (multi-target dodge rate buff) actions. This ability can be bought as a Level 1 or Level 2 ability, with the effectiveness of these actions increasing based on the ability's level.

EWAC - This unit offers access to the Warn (single-target dodge rate buff), Designate (single-target dodge rate debuff), and Insight (single-target hitrate buff) actions. This ability can be bought as a Level 1 or Level 2 ability, with the effectiveness of these actions increasing based on the ability's level.

Sabotage - This unit offers access to the Nullify (disables the target's defensive unit abilities for one turn) and Prevent (single-target Skill reduction) actions. This ability is a Level 2 ability, due to the high power of the Nullify effect.

Sound Force - This unit offers access to the Sound Spirit (single-target Morale increase), Heart (single-target damage increase), and Sparkle (single-target damage reduction) actions. This ability is a Level 2 ability, due to the high synergy value of the Heart effect with other effects like Barrier Breaker, Ship-Killer, and Penetrating.

Control Abilities

Control abilities represent things that change the way a pilot controls the unit. These are limited to one per unit; a unit cannot be both simple and obtuse to drive, after all.

Simple OS - When driving this unit, a pilot's effective control type proficiency rises two steps, from F to C or from D to B. When driving this unit, proficiency is capped at B, even if the pilot's usual affinity for that proficiency would normally be higher.

Obtuse OS - When driving this unit, a pilot's effective control type proficiency reduces by one step, from S to A or C to D. A unit with Obtuse OS is built on 40 more stat points than a unit without Obtuse OS.

Forced Adaptivity - When driving this unit, a pilot's effective control type proficiency rises for every 15 Morale the pilot gains.

Defensive Abilities

Defensive abilities represent things that allow the unit to survive harm, either by ignoring damage outright or by reducing it significantly.

Barrier - This unit has a barrier that reduces 500 base power from all attacks, but costs 3 EN per level of the barrier per turn to operate. Barriers can be toggled with the +barrier command, and default to on. This ability can be bought up to level 3, increasing both the damage reduction and the cost, in the format "Barrier L3."

Limited Barrier - This unit has a barrier that reduces 500 base power from all attacks, which turns on at 120 Morale. Unlike Barrier, Limited Barrier has no EN cost, but requires maintaining the aforementioned Morale threshold, making it vulnerable to the Daunt SC and Pressure and Charisma pilot abilities. This ability can be bought up to level 3, increasing the damage reduction, in the format "Limited Barrier L3."

Mirage - This unit has an 8%/14%/20% chance of taking no damage from an attack that would otherwise have hit. This ability can be bought up to level 3, in the format "Mirage L2."

Type Wall - This unit gains 30 effective Armor per level of Type Wall on attacks of that type. This reduces the likelihood of taking high damage from that type of attack. This ability can be bought up to level 3 for a given type, in the format "Physical Wall L3" or "Beam Wall L1."

Direct Parameter Abilities

Direct parameter abilities increase the raw parameters of a unit, such as its terrain adaptabilities or base stats. These are often used when a unit excels within its Tier to a significant extent due to a specific element of its construction, such as a nonstandard reactor type or an unusual number of weapons. As the game advances and units gain ability slots, these make excellent candidates for scaling up a unit without losing its core feel.

Advanced Structure - This unit's base HP increases by 20.

Mega Reactor - This unit's base RX increases by 20.

Superior FCS - This unit's base Sight increases by 20.

Custom Tuning - This unit's base Mobility increases by 20.

Super Composite - This unit's base Armor increases by 20.

Extra Hardpoint - This unit's base Weapon Space increases by 25.

Terrain Adaptability - This unit's Terrain Ratings increase by three ranks.

Morale Abilities

These abilities interface with the pilot's Morale in some way.

Bio Sensor - While piloting this unit, the pilot's Skill increases alongside Morale at an equal rate.

Spiritual Adjustment - When the pilot is affected by an effect that negatively affects Morale or SP, the pilot has a chance to halve this effect based on morale. All morale gains increase by 1 each.

Will Powered - While piloting this unit, the unit's Reactor and Sight increase alongside Morale at an equal rate.

Reaction Abilities

These abilities reduce the EN costs of various reactions. These abilities are comparatively weak due to the frequency with which they become relevant; as a result, all abilities in this category also provide a single point of terrain adaptability.

Chobham Armor - The Charge and Block reactions cost 5 less for this unit.

Hidden Hands - The Rush and Parry reactions cost 5 less for this unit.

Redundant Mobility - The Evade and Retreat reactions cost 5 less for this unit.

Other Abilities

These abilities do not fall into the same categories as other abilities.

Ambush Kit - The first attack this unit makes, and the first reaction it takes, are significantly more likely to succeed. This ability also assumes the character will be able to attack before reacting; for this reason, a character using a unit with Ambush Kit is generally free to declare they will go first in a fight, or sit out the first round of attacks from a Boss or Rival that goes first.

Auxiliary Calculator - This unit has a free charge of one Spirit Command designated when the ability is chosen, once per fight. In a unit's ability list, this will show up as "Auxiliary Calculator - Spiritname". This ability can be used with +use. This is an ability whose power level we are watching closely, and which could potentially have its cost increased from one level to two for some Spirit Commands.

Combat Deck - This unit can load other units onto itself, giving them a variety of potential passive benefits. [revisit this section after it is implemented] This is a Level 2 ability.

Install - Instantly gives you 20 EN, and gives you another 20 EN in your next reactor cycle. After the reactor cycle after that, EN is reduced to 0. You must Pass or take only 0-EN actions that turn unless you have a means of restoring your EN. Activating this ability uses the +install command. This is an ability whose power level we are watching closely, and which could have its payout adjusted if it proves too reliably decisive.

Unengageable/Flight Format - [revisit this section after we explain the peas-and-carrots peas-and-carrots rabble-rabble-rabble about Unengageable]