When a character is the target of an attack, he must choose what defensive option he is going to use to avoid being hit. The default method of defending oneself is the Defense Skill. This simulates the
character’s attempt to block the opponent’s attack.
However, other options for avoiding an attack also exist. Instead of using the Defense Skill, a character can use the Evasion Skill, the Tactics Skill, or in some cases, even a combination of the Defense and Evasion Skills.
Evasion
While the Defense Skill represents the active attempt to block the opponent’s attack, the Evasion Skill represents the attempt to avoid the opponent’s attack entirely. In fighting video games, this is specifically accomplished by crouching underneath attacks or by leaping above attacks and/or away from opponents.
Instead of using the Defense Skill, a combatant can try to Evade his opponent’s attacks. In this case, Evasion is used instead of Defense for the Fighter’s Defense Total calculation. A combatant who successfully Evades may choose one of two options:
1) the character may move 2 Ranges forward or backward (but not 1 Range), which costs 1 FS, or 2) the character may instead receive a +2 Accuracy on his next attack (either on this turn or the next, as appropriate). If the combatant successfully Evades again before getting the chance to use this Accuracy bonus, he must not choose to move in order to maintain the bonus. If the combatant is hit again before using the bonus, the bonus is lost.
A combatant may also choose to both block (with Defense Skill) and Evade. This usually represents a crouching block. In this case, the defender adds half (round down) of the lower skill to the higher skill when determining the character’s Defense Total.
This costs 1 FS, but the defender cannot move, and if the attacker misses, the defender does not receive
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a +2 Accuracy on his next attack. A character can do this on Full Defense as well. The Full Defense bonus is added to Defense, and then the combined Defense Total is calculated as normal. Attacks that have the Hard to Evade Element can apply the Accuracy bonus to a defender who is combining his Defense and Evasion Skills.
As a campaign option, combatants may also be able to do Aerial Blocks. This allows the combatant to move as a successful Evasion if the defense is successful, while getting the benefits of combining the Defense and Evasion Skills to determine his Defense Total (as described above). In this case, this costs an additional 1 FS for the movement (and therefore 2 FS total).
Tactics
Several other additional defensive options exist utilizing the Tactics Skill and usually a Special Move with a particular Element. These options are collectively called Defensive Responses. One of the Defensive Responses included here (the Counter Response) still uses the Defense Skill rather than the Tactics Skill, while another (the Ranged Response) uses the Ki Skill; they are included here because they generally follow the same procedures as the other Tactics-based defensive options described in this section. A character does not need to have the Tactics Skill to be able to use the Counter Response or the Ranged Response. All that is necessary is a move with the appropriate Element and levels in the Defense Skill or the Ki Skill respectively.
A Defensive Response calculates the Defense Total the same as the use of the Defense or Evasion Skills, with the exception that the Tactics Skill is used instead. If the attack misses, then the defender gets
to take an action based on the Defensive Response chosen. If a character is eligible to use more than one Defensive Response against an attack, he can choose which one to use after successfully defending against the attack.
Most of the Defensive Responses described below allow the defender to interrupt the normal Initiative procedure and attack the attacker. In this case, the attacker may use the Defense Skill as usual, though his Defense Skill is considered halved (round down) when calculating the Defense Total. The attacker may not use any Defensive Response. The attacker may also not use the Evasion Skill, unless the original attack possessed the Aerial Element. In all cases, if this interrupting attack misses, the attacker’s original attack still misses.
The defender may use this interrupting opportunity to launch a Combo, provided that the interrupting attack can be used as the opening of the Combo.
This costs 2 FS and there is an additional –1 Accuracy on the attack.
In every case of an interrupting attack that is part of a Defensive Response, if the defender has not yet acted on this turn, the interrupting attack takes the place of the defender’s normal opportunity to act at his place in the Initiative order. By using the Tactics Skill, a skilled combatant can thus violate the Initiative order and make attacks with an easier chance to hit. If the defender has already acted on this turn, he can still use these Responses, thereby possibly making more than one attack in a single turn. Against multiple opponents, there is no limit to how many Defensive Responses a character can use in a single turn.
The interrupting attack needs to be in range to hit in order to use the appropriate Defensive Response.
For example, a normal Interrupt Special Move cannot be used against a Ranged attack from Range
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4. Furthermore, the defender has to have rolled high enough Control to use the move used in the Response. This is also the case if the combatant has suffered from Hit Stun and has reduced Control. If Hit Stun causes the loss of the character’s action, he cannot use any Defensive Response except the Jinking Response.
Anti-Air/Juggle Response:
If the attacker jumped 2 Ranges before attacking with a Basic Move, or used a Special Move with the Aerial Element, or simply jumped 3 Ranges toward the defender, and ends his movement at Range 0 or Range 1, a defender can interrupt with any move that has the Juggle or Anti-Air Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Juggle or Anti-Air attack is resolved.
Initiative then returns to normal.
Basic Response: A defender can interrupt with a Basic Move. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the attack is resolved.
Initiative then returns to
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normal.
Counter Response: If the defender successfully blocks an attack using the Defense Skill, he can interrupt the normal Initiative order with a Special Move that has the Counter Element. The current order is interrupted, and the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Counter attack is resolved. Initiative then returns to normal. Unlike almost all other Defensive Responses, the Counter Response is based on the Defense Skill, rather than the Tactics Skill. However, any game effect that prevents a character from using Tactics as a defensive option also prevents the use of the Counter Response.
Evade Ranged Response: If being attacked with a Special Move with the Ranged Element, a defender can interrupt with any Special Move that has the Evade Ranged Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Evade Ranged Attack is resolved. Initiative then returns to normal.
Interrupt Response: A defender can interrupt with any Special Move that has the Interrupt Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Interrupt attack is resolved. Initiative then returns to normal. The Interrupt Response is based on Tactics, while the Counter Response is based on the Defense Skill.
Jinking Response: Instead of using the Evasion Skill to evade an attack, the defender can use the Tactics Skill instead. The Accuracy bonus from the Hard to Evade Element applies to this attack, even though Tactics is used for the Defense Total rather than Evasion. If the attacker misses, the defender must move away one Range. This Defensive Response
has no effect against Ranged moves, unless the Jinking moves the defender out of the range of the attack (e.g., if the Ranged move also had the Short Range Liability).
Priority Response: A defender can interrupt with any Special Move that has the Priority Element.
Contrary to all other Defensive Responses, this interruption occurs regardless if the attacker misses or not, but the defender can only use half (round down) of his Tactics Skill when determining his Defense Total. The defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Priority Attack is resolved.
However, in the case of a Priority Response, all effects of both attacks are suffered by both combatants (i.e., damage, Knock Back, Knock Down, and Stunning). In other words, the attacks are considered simultaneous, rather than the defender actually “interrupting” the attacker.
Initiative then returns to normal.
Ranged Response: If being attacked with a Special Move with the Ranged Element, one can respond with a Special Move with the Ranged Element. This works differently than other Defensive Responses.
In this case, the Ki Skill simply replaces the Defense Skill in the Defense Total calculation, rather than the Tactics Skill, as is the case with most other Defensive Responses. However, any game effect that prevents a character from using Tactics as a defensive option also prevents the use of the Ranged Response.
Reversal Response: If the defender does not have Initiative and is attacked just as he has stood up on the turn following being Knocked Down, he can interrupt with any move that has the Reversal Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Reversal attack is resolved. However, if the Reversal attack misses, the defender suffers a two die size penalty
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on Initiative on the following turn. Regardless of whether the Reversal attack hits or misses, Initiative then returns to normal for the current turn after it is resolved. See the description of the Element in Chapter 4 for more details about using the Reversal Element.
Throw Response: If the attacker attempts to attack at Range 0, a defender can interrupt with any Special Move that has the Throw Element. If the attacker misses, the defender temporarily becomes the attacker until the Throw is resolved. Initiative then returns to normal.