Battle Mechanics

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• This is from ACE OF SHADOWS' GUIDE TO SANCTUARYFacebook group page. I'm not sure how up to date it is. Remember the Forge changes battles quite a bit so factor that into your battles.

Current Battle Mechanics

What you need to know to gain a basic understanding of Battle Mechs.

The following battle mechanics govern all battles and are correct:

1. The Battlefield Size Rule:

The Battlefield Size is the same as the Range of the Attacker's longest Range Unit, as adjusted by Range boosts and curses, if any, from Forge, Science Centre, Sanctuary, Battle Arts and Items ("Overall Range"), or, in the event the Attacker fields no Range Units, the Battlefield Size is 0. There is no additional base distance added to the size any form of Battlefield.

2. The First Strike Rule:

In each round of a Battle the Unit on the Battlefield with the fastest Overall Battle Speed (Base Speed adjusted by relevant Battle Speed boosts and curses from the Forge, the Science Centre, the Sanctuary, Battle Arts and Items) gets 'First Strike' (or Initiative) irrespective of which side of the battle the Unit is on. This means that Unit gets to act or carry out its Unit Turn first in every round of the Battle.

In the event of an Overall Speed tie between opposed Units, the Defender's Unit involved in the Overall Speed tie automatically wins First Strike and carries out its Unit Turn for that round of the Battle first followed immediately by the Attacker's Unit involved in the Overall Speed tie. Having First Strike or Intiative means the Units acts first but does not necessarilly mean the Unit will cause damage first.

3. The Unit Turn Rule:

The Battle is broken down into a finite number of Rounds [100] but in practice the Battle is a continuous cycle of Unit Turns starting with the fastest surviving Unit on the Battlefield and ending with the slowest surviving Unit on the Battlefield, irrespective of which side they are on. Each repetition of this cycle represents 1 Round of the Battle. The cycle repeats until either a side is annihilated or 100 rounds of the Battle have been fought, with either event ending the Battle.

4. The Unit Action Sequence Rule:

A Unit's Action Sequence during its Unit Turn is to plot the location and status of all Units on the Battlefield, to use Special Abilities, to Attack and to Move, if possible. On each Unit Turn a Unit will continously repeat all Unit Actions in that sequence, if possible, to the full extent permitted by the circumstances and landscape of the Battlefield existing at the start of and from time to time during their Unit Turn. This starts in one of two ways.

Firstly, if a Unit plots Target(s) within its longest Range at the start of its Unit Turn, the Unit will use its Special Abilities, if applicable, and then Attack the acquired Target(s) until it is subject to Shielding [see below], it exhausts its total damage dealing potential for its Unit Turn, or it kills the Target(s).

Secondly, if a Unit plots Target(s) outside its longest Range at the start of its Unit Turn, the Unit will use its Special Abilities, if applicable, and then Move up to its full movement potential until the Target(s) are acquired within its longest Range or its full movement potential is exhausted. When the Unit acquires Target(s) within its longest Range on its Unit Turn it will stop moving, use its Special Abilities, if applicable, and then Attack the acquired Target(s) until it is subject to Shielding, it exhausts its total damage dealing potential for its Unit Turn, or it kills the Target(s).

If the Target(s) are killed, a Unit will then Move up to its full movement potential until it either acquires further Target(s) within its longest Range or it exhausts its full movement potential for its Unit Turn. Should a Unit acquire further Target(s) it will repeat the Unit Action Sequence outlined above.

The Defender's Range Units (with the exception of Range meched Steelshard Harriers and Thunder Golems) do not Move off the Wall onto the Battlefield so long as the Attacker has surviving Melee Units on the Battlefield. Once all of the Attacker's Melee Units have been killed the Defender's Range Units are able to and willl Move off the Wall onto the Battlefield.

5. The Proximity Attack Priority Rule:

Should a Unit plot more than 1 Target within its longest Range it will attack the Target with the closest Proximity first. Should a Unit acquire more than 1 Target with the same closest Proximity it will then attack the Targets according to to the Statistic Attack Priority Rules (see below). Each Unit has its own distinct Offensive and Defensive Statistic Attack Priorities. Lightning Cannon do not have Statistic Attack Priorities. They have a unique battle mech that causes them to randomly target any Unit within their longest Range from round to round.

6. The Statistic Attack Priority Rules:

Each Unit's Statistic Attack Priorities are unique and vary according to the scenario it encounters on the Battlefield on its Unit Turn in each Round of the Battle. However, how Statistic Attack Priority works for all Units is governed by a common set of Statistic Attack Priority Rules that determine what opposing Unit will be attacked by a Unit on its Unit Turn.

Attack Priority is fully explained below in Section IV, Part C. Historically, Kabam has made adjustments to how priorities work within certain priority layers. Known adjustments affecting how priority works were made on the introduction of Shaman and then again when Volt Rangers were introduced, in effect reversing the previous adjustment. A further adjustment occurred after Dragon Riders were introduced that limited accessibility to layer priority. This work only publishes the current known layer priority rules.

7. The Shielding Rule:

Upon acquiring a second or further Target, a Troop, Transport or Spy will continue to attack until it has exhausted its total damage dealing potential for its Unit Turn unless it has already dealt a certain fixed minimum percentage (20%) of that total damage dealing potential to the previous Unit hit during in its Unit Turn. Dragons are presently not subject to this restriction.

8. The Movement/Damage Rules:

A Kaiser Dragon, Luna Dragon and Troop's Overall Speed (Base Speed as adjusted by Armour, Scales and Battle Speed boosts and curses from the Science Centre, the Sanctuary, Battle Arts and Items) is the full distance a Kaiser Dragon, Luna Dragon or Troop is capable of moving during its Unit Turn in a round of a Battle.

A Great or Elemental Dragon's Actual Base Speed [300] (adjusted only by Armour and Scales) is the full distance a Great or Elemental Dragon is capable of moving on a Battlefield during its Unit Turn in a round of a Battle.

A Transport's Base Speed (unadjusted by Battle Speed boosts and curses from the Science Centre, Sanctuary, Battle Arts, Items and Transport Specific Battle Speed boosts and curses from Sanctuary) is the full distance a Transport is capable of moving on a Battlefield during its Unit Turn in a round of a Battle.

A Spy's Actual Base Battle Speed [150] (unadjusted by Battle Speed boosts and curses from the Science Centre, Sanctuary, Battle Arts, Items and Transport Specific Battle Speed boosts and curses from Sanctuary) is the full distance a Spy is capable of moving on a Battlefield during its Unit Turn in a round of a Battle.

A Unit's Overall Attack (Base Attack as adjusted by Attack boosts and curses from the Science Centre, the Sanctuary, Battle Arts and Items) is the total damage to Life it is capable of dealing on its Unit Turn during a round of a Battle fettered only by a Unit's inability to reach any Target during its Unit Turn and mitigated only by a Target's Overall Defense.

A Unit's movement itself does not have a dampening effect on the Attack damage dealt by a Unit during a Unit Turn. All attacks dealt on a Unit's Turn only deal discernible damage if the damage dealt is sufficient to kill 1 of the Troops, Transports or Spies attacked, taking into account its current Life at the point of the attack, or if the Unit attacked is a KD, LD, GD or ED.

Attacks that deal insufficient damage to kill 1 of the Troops, Transports or Spies attacked during the lifetime of the battle are not discernible because there is no deaths to record in BR. BR only record damage dealt to a defending Dragon during the lifetime of a Battle. Damage dealt and Use penalties to the Health of an attacking Dragon are only temporarily recorded in the Attacker's Dragon Health Tab in the form of the healing time displayed for the relevant Dragon and in the Attacker's Dragon's individual Health Bar in the relevant Dragon Keep. Damage dealt to an Attacker's Dragon is not recorded in either the Attacker's or the Defender's copies of the BR.

9. Rapid Deployment/Dragonry Rules:

The statements in the Science Centre in game that Rapid Deployment and Dragonry provide a 5% boost/level of research are misleading or wrong.

Rapid Deployment from Science Centre, Sanctuary and Items affects the Battle Speed of the KD and all Units except Transports (excluding Porters), Spies and other Dragons.

Dragonry only affects BDs and SSDs, as stated in the Science Centre in game, but on the Battlefield only.

The Dragonry research in Science Centre directly affects and alters the Overall Base Battle Speed of SSDs and BDs according to the following formula: Overall Base Battle Speed = (Base + Forge) x (1 + D) where D= 0.05 per level of Dragonry research.

The Rapid Deployment research in Science Centre provides a 10% boost/level of research to March and Battle Speed providing an additional 110% of Overall Base Speed at RD11 according to the following formula (see http://awesomescreenshot.com/0274696k48 andhttp://awesomescreenshot.com/0ac46985ae): RD: Overall Battle Speed = (Base + Forge) x (1 + 2(RD) where RD=0.05 per level of Rapid Deployment research. Historic testing using 1% Sanctuary Mobility or Sanctuary Rapid Deployment to measure Science Centre Rapid Deployment has been shown to be inaccurate because the 1% boost coming from Sanc Mobility and Rapid Deployment manifests at 1.1111% (rec) or higher and is not 1%, as described

The Battle Speed of Transports (excluding Porters) and Spies is not affected by General Battle Speed boosts and curses from Science Centre, Sanctuary and Items. The Battle Speeds of Transports (except Porters) and Spies are only affected by Unit Specific Battle Speed boosts and curses from Sanctuary [Transport and Spy Speed boosts and curses are presently reported to not be working].

Transports (excluding Porters) otherwise move at their Base Speed on the Battlefield. Spies' Base Movement on the Battlefield is 150 per Unit Turn but they always take their Unit Actions last in the Round with the Attacker's Spies always acting after the Defender's Spies [currently irrespective of what Spy Speed or Spy Speed Curse is deployed from Sanctuary].

Rapid Deployment from Science Centre, Sanctuary and Items affects the March Speed of all Units. All Units have a fixed minimum Base March Time of 30 seconds added to their March Times which is unmodified by Science Centre, Sanctuary or Items.

10. The Dragon Speed Rule:

Kaiser, Great and Elemental Dragon March Speeds will increase or decrease according to the slowest March Speed of the other Troops or Transports in the March. Great and Elemental Dragon Battle Speeds have all been artificially fixed with a base of 300 which presently can only be added to with Speed armour and scales. The Kaiser Dragon is the only exception to this rule. Presently, the Kaiser Dragon's Base Speed is correctly described and that Base Speed can be increased to a higher Base Speed through the use of Dragon, Master Dragon and Sovereign Dragon Keys to unlock Speed increases. Further, unlike the Great and Elemental Dragons, the Kaiser Dragon's overall Speed is boosted by Speed boosts from Science Centre and, it appears, from Sanctuary [KD requires further testing].

11. The Attacker's Advantage Rule:

The Attacker determines the type and size of the Battlefield and the point where his Units will start on it by deciding on the longest range Ranged Attack Unit to be sent on the March or to send no Ranged Attack Units on the March, in which case the size of the Battlefield is 0. In addition, the Attacker's Ranged Attack Units are able to both Move and Attack on their Unit Turns from the outset of the Battle unlike the Defendant's Ranged Attack Units which are restricted as outlined under section 4 above.

12. The Defender's Advantage Rule:

When two (or more) opposed Units on the battlefield have the same Overall Battle Speed the Defender's Unit gets automatic First Strike.

II. BASIC BATTLEFIELD TACTICS

What you need to know to gain a basic understanding of basic battlefield tactics for the known battlefields.

There are 2 types of battlefield:

(A) the Ranged Attack Battlefield; and

(B) the Melee Attack Battlefield.

A. The Ranged Attack Battlefield

The Attacker chooses a Ranged Attack Battlefield by sending a Ranged Attack Unit ("RAU") on the March. The Attacker's Units start the Battle at the Range of the longest Range RAU in the March, as adjusted by Weapon Calibration boosts from the Attacker's Science Centre, Sanctuary and Items and by relevant Weapon Callibration curses from the Defender's Sanctuary. The Defender's Units start the Battle at Range 0 (ie. on the Defender's Wall).

Here is a Battle Map representation of the Standard Ranged Attack Battlefields and key Unit capabilities over them before boosts and curses from Sanctuary are applied.

Ranged Attack Battle Map [Scheduled to be updated once SH15 Statistics are known]:http://awesomescreenshot.com/05413wq7cb

Future edits required: AT and PD Speeds adjusted to Base Speed. SsD10, WiD12 and Stormveil/Jaguar WiD12 Range to be included. S, AL, SH, ShS, Sh, WS and VR to be included. Adjustments to reflect delayed movement of Defending Ranged Attack Units.

The Battle Map also contains notes of the base Sanctuary boost levels necessary for specific Units to 'cross a GD11+' Battlefield in a single round by just boosting the Battle Speed of defending Melee Attack Units and by just boosting the Range of defending RAUs to the point where the defending RAUs are able to hit the attacking GD11+ from their fixed positions on the Wall.

Note that in some cases the boost levels listed are not possible to achieve through Sanctuary either currently or at all. Certain Units simply cannot be made to 'cross a GD11+' in a single round and never will. The information is included to inform Trait choices when breeding.

The following outline takes into account the classic known Battlefields and the abilities and capabilities that can be mined from Sanctuary Dragon Breeding and Enchantment.

Attacker's Initial Advantages: The Attacker has strategic position and mobile Ranged Attack Units for the full duration of the Battle. The Attacker is able to extend the relative Battlefield Size, to obtain first strike, to strategically position the primary damage dealers' shields, to extend the lifetime of the Battle, to increase the level of damage dealing and to deal significant damage quickly over time. Additional capabilities include the ability to target, draw out and kill specific Unit clusters in a wall in order to weaken or cripple a defence for subsequent attacks or to cripple an empire generally.

Attacker's Initial Disadvantages: The Attacker's fielded Units are automatically vulnerable to first strike when like Units are walled, are usually comparatively low in numbers, life, and in damage dealing potential, and, consequently, have a limited time for delivery of their damage dealing potential.

Attacker's Main Objectives: The Attacker's main objectives are to extend the Battlefield Size, to obtain first strike in order to position primary damage dealers' shields, to slow defending Units, to extend the lifetime of the Battle, to increase the level of damage dealt by primary damage dealers, and, consequently, to increase overall damage dealt during the Battle.

Defender's Initial Advantages: The Defender's fielded Units start with first strike advantage against like Units in the march, usually have massive superiority in numbers, life and damage dealing potential and, consequently, have the potential to kill a march quickly. The Defender is able to reduce the relative Battlefield Size, to maintain first strike advantage, to reduce the lifetime of the Battle, to deliver significant damage dealing quickly and to increase damage resistance.

Defender's Initial Disadvantages: The Defender's Ranged Attack Units remain on the Wall for the duration of the Battle until such time as all of the Attacker's Melee Attack Units have been killed. The Defender's fielded Units are vulnerable to the relative Battlefield Size being extended, to losing first strike advantage, to the lifetime of the Battle being extended and to being dealt signficant damage over time.

Defender's Main Objectives: The Defender's main objectives are to remove the Attacker's strategic advantage, to reduce the relative Battlefield Size, to maintain first strike advantage, to reduce the duration of the Battle, to deliver significant damage dealing quickly and efficiently and to increase damage resistance.

B. The Melee Attack Battlefield

The Attacker chooses a Melee Attack Battlefield by only sending a Melee Attack Units ("MAUs") on the March. The Attacker's Units start the Battle at Range 0 (ie. at the Defender's Wall). The Defender's Units start the Battle at Range 0 (ie. on the Defender's Wall).

Here is a Battle Map representation of the Standard Melee Attack Battlefield and key Unit capabilities over it before boosts and curses from Sanctuary are applied.

The Melee Attack Battlefield: [Coming Soon]

The following outline takes into account the classic historical known battlefield and abilities and capabilities that can be mined from Sanctuary Dragon Breeding and Enchantment.

Attacker's Initial Advantages: The Attacker is able to obtain first strike and to deliver target specific massive damage quickly by killing specific key Units on a wall. The purpose of such an attack is to weaken or cripple a defence for subsequent attacks or to cripple an empire generally.

Attacker's Initial Disadvantages: The Attacker's fielded Units are automatically vulnerable to first strike when like or faster Units are walled, are usually comparatively low in numbers, life, and in damage dealing potential, and, consequently, usually have a very limited time for delivery of their damage dealing potential.

Attacker's Main Objectives: The Attacker's main objectives are to obtain first strike, to slow defending Units, to extend the lifetime of the Battle, to increase the level of damage dealt by primary damage dealers, and, consequently, to increase overall target specific massage damage dealt during the Battle.

Defender's Initial Advantages: The Defender has automatic strategic position. The Defender's fielded Units start with strategic first strike advantage against like Units in the march, usually have massive superiority in numbers, life and damage dealing potential and, consequently, have the potential to kill a March quickly. The Defender is able to maintain first strike advantage, to reduce the lifetime of the Battle, to deliver significant damage dealing quickly, to avoid target specific massive damage and to increase damage resistance.

Defender's Initial Disadvantages: The Defender's fielded Units are vulnerable to losing first strike advantage, to the lifetime of the Battle being extended and to being dealt target specific massive damage.

Defender's Main Objectives: The Defender's main objectives are to maintain first strike advantage, to reduce the duration of the Battle, to deliver significant damage dealing quickly and efficiently, to avoid or reduce target specific massive damage and to increase damage resistance.

III. BASIC COMBAT MECHS FORMULAE

What you need to know to gain a basic understanding of how combat mechs formulae work.

A. Overall Combat Mechs Formulae

What follows is a summary of the Combat Mechs Formulae.

RANGE CALCULATION

The Attacker's longest Range Unit's Overall Range sets the Overall Battlefield Size. This is an important parameter because it determines where the Attacking Units start on the Battlefield and sets the distance Attacking and Defending Units will need to cross in order to deal damage at te outset of the battle depending on which side has first strike.

Overall Base Range = Base Range + Forge Range + Building Range

Science Centre Weapon Callibration (SC WC) = 0.5 x WC Level

Overall Dragon Range = (Overall Base Range + Armour Range + Scale Range) x (1 + SC WC + Sanc General Range + Sanc Dragon Specific Range - Sanc General Range Curse - Sanc Dragon Specific Range Curse)

Overall Troop Range = (Overall Base Range) x (1 + SC WC + Sanc General Range + Sanc Unit Specific Range - Sanc General Range Curse - Sanc Unit Specific Range Curse)

[Overall Dragon Marching Speed] [Dragons are presently rigged to march at speed of slowest troop in the march or 300 if no troops in the march]

Overall Troop Marching Speed = Base Speed + Base Speed x (SC RD + Sanc RD + Sanc [Marching Speed] + Sanc Unit Specific [Marching Speed] + Trance March Elixir - Sanc [RD Curse] - Sanc [Marching Speed Curse] - Sanc Unit Specific [Marching Speed Curse])

Overall Troop/KD/LD Battle Speed = Base Speed + Base Speed x (SC RD + Sanc RD + Sanc M + Godspeed + Sanc Unit Specific Speed - Sanc RD Curse - Sanc MC - Wall MC - Unit Specific Speed Curse)

Overall Dragon Troop Battle Speed = Overall Base Battle Speed + Overall Base Battle Speed x (SC RD + Sanc RD + Sanc M + Godspeed + Sanc Unit Specific Speed - Sanc RD Curse - Sanc MC - Wall MC - Sanc Unit Specific Speed Curse)

Overall Dragon Battle Speed = (Base Speed [300] + Armour Speed + Scale Speed) + (Base Speed [300] + Armour Speed + Scale Speed) x (Dragon Specific Speed - Dragon Specific Speed Curse)

Overall Transport Battle Speed = Base Speed + Base Speed x (Sanc Transport Specific Speed - Sanc Transport Specific Speed Curse)

[Overall Spy Battle Speed] [Spy Speed and Spy Speed Curse presently do not work]

[Overall Dragon Ranged Attack]

[Overall Dragon Melee Attack]

Overall Troop Ranged Attack = (Base Ranged Attack + Base Ranged Attack x (SC Met + Sanc Met + Sanc F + Sanc Ba + Unit Specific Ranged Attack + Dragon Hearts + Sacred Hearts - Sanc Dev - Sanc Bc - Sanc Unit Specific Ranged Attack Curse)) x RNG

Overall Troop Melee Attack = (Base Melee Attack + Base Melee Attack x (SC Met + Sanc Met + Sanc F + Sanc [Melee Attack] + Unit Specific Melee Attack + Dragon Hearts + Sacred Hearts - Sanc Dev - Sanc [Melee Curse] - Sanc Unit Specific Melee Attack Curse)) x RNG

Overall March/Wild Troop Defence = Base Defence + Base Defence x (SC Met + Sanc Met + Sanc E + Sanc Unit Specific Defence + Glowing Shields + Sacred Shields - Sanc AP - Sanc Unit Specific Defence Curse)

Overall Wall Troop Defence = Base Defence + Base Defence x (Wall Defence + SC Met + Sanc Met + Sanc E + Sanc Unit Specific Defence + Glowing Shields + Sacred Shields - Sanc AP - Sanc Unit Specific Defence Curse)

Overall Wall Defence = [Wall RR + Sanc RR] [Calculation presently unknown]

[Overall Dragon Life]

Overall Troop Life = Base Life + Base Life x (0.05 + SC Med + Sanc Med + Sanc Unit Specific Life - Sanc LLch - Sanc Unit Specific Life Curse)

B. Science Centre Combat Researches Progression Formulae

The following are the formulae governing progression for combat researches in Science Centre: [Under Construction/Working Notes]

Battle Speed [d/t] = [variable distance=base distance + 10% base distance per level of RD]/[troop specific time constant=d/s]

Troop Specific Time Constant= time to travel (base distance)*x at base speed

Overall Science Centre Battle Speed [Non-Dragon] = (Base Speed + ((Base Speed/10)*RD))/[distance equation?]/Base Speed

Overall Science Centre Battle Speed [Dragon] = (Base Speed + (((Base Speed/10) *(RD+D)))/[?]/Base Speed

C. Sanctuary Dragon Trait Progression Tables

What you need to know to gain a basic understanding of Sanctuary Dragon Trait Progression.

In summary, all Sanctuary Dragon Traits have unique progressions in the level of the boost or curse they give, currently starting at Level I and ending at Level X with further progression being dictated by the number of Sanctuary Dragons roosted with the same Sanctuary Dragon Trait, currently up to [6] Sanctuary Dragons.

A complete listing of the known Sanctuary Dragon Traits and their progressions can be found in Appendix 1: Ace of Shadows' Decks of Knowledge here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/483281271739698/554991624568662/

The Sanctuary Dragon Traits are integrated with related boosts from Science Centre, Buildings and other Game Features in the Decks of Knowledge.

IV. UNIT ABILITIES

What you need to know about the abilities of your Units.

A. Unit Base Statistics Progression Tables

Unit Base Statistics Progression Tables can be found in Appendix 2: Ace of Shadows' Decks of Power here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/483281271739698/542546745813150/

Dragon Base Statistics are integrated with the Notional Base Statistic Progression effectively gained from Dragon Battle Arts and the more important Armour/Scales Combos.

B. Dragon Armour, Scales, Buildings, Battle Arts and Familiars

A complete listing of the currently known Dragon Armours and Scales can be found in Appendix 3: Ace of Shadows' Draconic Grimoires here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/483281271739698/562956043772220/

The Draconic Grimoire also integrates Dragon Buildings and Battle Art Progression with related Dragon Base Statistics and boosts from Dragon Armour and Scales in the Draconic Decks.

C. Unit Attack Prioritiy Rules

This Guide does not extend to publishing individual Unit Attack Priority Tables. Science Centre Research and Other Building Boost Progression, Sanctuary Boosts and Curses and Item Boosts make such Tables unreliable at best.

The reason for this is that Unit Attack Priority outcomes have the potential to vary depending on the Science Centre Research and Other Building Boosts and Curses Progressions, Sanctuary Boosts and Curses and Item Boosts deployed during play.

However, Unit Attack Priority is governed by a set of priority rules common to all Units (excluding Lightning Cannon) that determines which opposed Units a Unit will attack first and subsequently with its Range and/or Melee Attacks in a given Battlefield scenario.

There are several layers to priority although the later layers are seldom accessed for reasons that should be obvious. Set out below is an outline summary of the layers of priority, their triggers and their priority rules.

These Attack Priority Rules affect all Units with the exception of Lightning Cannon and to a degree, Volt Rangers.

Lightning Cannon have a unique battle mechanic for attack that allows them to attack any target within Range. They do this entirely randomly and are, uniquely, completely unaffected by Unit Attack Priority.

Volt Rangers also have a unique battle mechanic for attack that allows them both a primary attack and a secondary attack, each dealing full attack damage. The Volt Ranger's primary and secondary attacks both use the same set of priority rules common to all Units. However, where the Volt Ranger has more than 1 target with equal proximity and both its primary and secondary attacks would naturally target the same unit the secondary attack will skip its first natural target to attack the next natural target with equal proximity so the Volt Ranger hits 2 targets instead of 1. Volt Rangers' secondary attack will not target past a more proximate target to hit a second less proximate target.

Caveat: Pack Dragons, Armoured Transports, Porters and Spies are always ignored in preference for other Units even if they are exposed as an Attack Priority by Layer 2 or subsequent Layer Priority. They are only targeted when all other available targets are dead and then they are priority hit in that order. In effect it is only Distance Proximity that exposes these Units, commonly seen with Pack Dragons but rarely otherwise.

Standard Layer 1 Priority: Distance Proximity

Trigger: Automatic

Rule: All Units will attack the closest enemy Unit first on their Unit Turn unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Distance Proximity.

Standard Layer 2 Melee Attack Priority: Overall Defense Proximity

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity

Rule: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity and the Attack being deployed is a Melee Attack, all Units will attack the enemy Unit with the closest Overall Defense to its Overall Melee Attack unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Overall Defense Proximity.

Which form of Attack a Unit uses on its Unit Turn to attack with is determined by the Battlefield scenario existing at that moment in time and the Unit's capabilities in that battlefield scenario: Overall Melee Attack values will apply to make a Melee Attack from 0 Range.

Standard Layer 3 Ranged Attack Priority: Highest Overall Attack

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity

Rule: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity and the Attack being deployed is a Ranged Attack, all Ranged Attack Units will attack the enemy Unit with the highest relevant Overall Attack first on their Unit Turn unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Highest Overall Attack. Where the enemy Unit has two forms of Attack the highest of the Overall Attack values for those forms of Attack is treated as its relevant Attack. Overall Attack does not include Troop Special Abilities that increase its attack when calculating if it will be priority hit (eg. Shadows Stalker and Volt Ranger double damage capabilities and Lightning Cannon defensive attack abilities).

Which form of Attack a Unit uses on its Unit Turn to attack with is determined by the Battlefield scenario existing at that moment in time and the Unit's capabilities in that battlefield scenario: Overall Ranged Attack values will apply to make a Ranged Attack from Range greater than 0.

Standard Layer 4 Priority: Highest Overall Speed

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity and Equal Overall Defense Proximity [Melee]/Equal Highest Overall Attack [Range]

Rule for Melee Attackers: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity and Equal Overall Defense Proximity, all Melee Attack Units will attack the enemy Unit with the highest Overall Speed first on their Unit Turn unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Highest Overall Speed.

Rule for Ranged Attackers: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity and Equal Highest Overall Attack, all Ranged Attack Units will attack the enemy Unit with the highest Overall Speed first on their Unit Turn unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Highest Overall Speed.

Standard Layer 5 Melee Attack Priority: Highest Overall Attack

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Overall Defense Proximity and Equal Highest Overall Speed

Rule: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Overall Defense Proximity and Equal Highest Overall Speed, all Units will attack the enemy Unit with the highest Overall Attack first on their Unit Turn unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Highest Overall Attack. Where the enemy Unit has two forms of Attack the highest of the Overall Attack values for those forms of Attack is treated as its relevant Attack. Overall Attack does not include Troop Special Abilities that increase its attack when calculating if it will be priority hit (eg. Shadows Stalker and Volt Ranger double damage capabilities and Lightning Cannon defensive attack abilities).

Standard Layer 6 Ranged Attack Priority: Overall Defense Proximity

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Highest Overall Attack and Equal Highest Overall Speed

Rule: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Highest Overall Attack and Equal Highest Overall Speed and the Attack being deployed is a Ranged Attack, all Units will attack the enemy Unit with the closest Overall Defense to its Overall Ranged Attack unless there are more than 1 enemy Unit with Equal Overall Defense Proximity.

Note: This specific layer priority rule is deduced theory and remains to be confirmed by testing.

Standard Layer 7 Priority: Highest Total Overalll Life

Trigger: Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Overall Defense Proximity, Equal Highest Overall Speed and Equal Highest Overall Attack.

Rule: Where there are enemy Units with Equal Distance Proximity, Equal Overall Defense Proximity, Equal Highest Overall Speed and Equal Highest Overall Attack, all Units will attack the enemy Unit with the highest Total Overall Life. Total Overall Life means the sum total of the Overall Life of all troops comprised in a Unit.

V. SANCTUARY DRAGON GUARDIAN ROOST ARRAYS

Guardian Roost Arrays ("GRA") are defined in the Glossary to the Guide.

Sample Guardian Roost Array: The Farmer

GR1: ATLD/PDLD/RD GR2: ATLD/PDLD/RD GR3: ATLD/PDLD/RD GR4: ATLD/PDLD/RD GR5: ATLD/PDLD/RD [GR6: ATLD/PDLD/RD]

This is not one of the best examples of a [5/6]-Dragon Guardian Roost Array ("GRA"). There are many better ones. However, it illustrates the concept of how Traits can be combined in dragons and how they can compliment each other when this is done. Here ATLD and PDLD boost the resource loads Armoured Transports and Pack Dragons can carry when farming resources from other players whilst RD cuts down travel time of the resource farming marches with the consequence that the resource farming range with each tier of speeds is extended.

Ace of Shadows' Signature Guardian Roost Arrays will not be published here.

Do not ask me for personal help in meching your GRA or whether or not you should keep or discard a particular dragon based on an assessment of its Traits. This work-in-progress contains the hints and emphasis of Traits that I am willing to give to help players to design their own Guardian Roost Arrays (see Chapter 8). The rest of it is down to you learning Battle Mechs for yourself and then applying that knowledge to mech your GRAs.

GRAs will be closely guarded Alliance and Player secrets - tactics known to the trusted few and deployed in battle in the game to gain an advantage on the battlefield. Knowing an opponent's GRAs will allow counter arrays to be meched for them.

VI. Special Acknowledgements

Whilst I am the Author of this Chapter of the Guide, I have tested, discussed and debated Battle Mechs with many players on my own path to enlightenment in relation to the Game. It is through testing, discussion and debate one becomes enlightened.

The knowledge pooled in Part I and III of this Chapter results from a historic collective collaboration between Mike Moore, Dasith Kuruppa, Bill Matthews and Andrew Veen and those each of us tested and debated our collective understanding of the Game with along the path to enlightenment.

The remainder of the Chapter and its updates results from work done in the inner sanctum of STORM's and my War Room and continuing collaboration between Dasith Kuruppa and Andrew Veen since Mike Moore and Bill Matthews retirement from the Game.

Ace of Shadows

OL of STORM

Brazos Realm

© Ace of Shadows 2014.