"What's that do again?" Ability Clarification

[Shuu]

These describe and answer questions about mecha abilities that are... well, a little TOO vague. So far, only the GaoGaiGar units have questionable abilities, which are answered below. Also covered is the much-discussed Beam Shield. More will follow as they appear.

The following abilities are covered here:

Tension Gauge
Forms of Defense

Note: This FAQ and all following sections come as courtesy of Alkaiser.

Note no. 2:
The updated explanations for the following abilities are now in the Lexicon.
Dividing Driver
Protect Shade
Melting Siren
Beam Shield

[Teniquette Zezernan]

Tension Gauge

Tension Gauge? What's that?[/b][/color]

It's a little something we're experimenting with. How it works is this: Your actions in battle and those of your enemy determine just exactly what happens to you. On one hand, it can severely screw your opponent up. On the other hand, it can severely screw YOU up. It's basically a double-edged sword.

Now then... let's go to the effects.

Tension Effect Chart

+18 to +20: Damage dealt x 2, Dodge Cost set at 5. This is good. This is very good. You want to make sure you reach maximum tension in battle.
+15 to +17: Damage dealt +50%, Dodge Cost -3.[/color] Well, this is almost as good. Not as good as maximum tension, but this can and will save your ass. Just don't rely on it too much.
+10 to +14: Damage dealt +25%. You're starting to get just a little miffed here. The adrenaline is beginning to flow REAL good here, and you're starting to get that white-knuckle feeling. Good things will come if you keep this up.
+9 to +5: Damage dealt +10%
-4 to +4: No effect. This is the middle ground. You start here at zero, and work your way up and down.
-5 to -9: Damage dealt -10%. What, you can't hit anything? Just try a little harder, okay?
-10 to -14: Damage dealt -25%.[/b] Hmmm... still no effect, eh? Looks like you dug yourself a hole. Buck up... things can get better soon.
-15 to -17: Damage dealt -50%, Dodge Cost +3. Well... looks like your opponent has eluded you thus far. You win some, you lose some, eh?
-18 to 20: Cannot attack.[/b] This is bad. This is VERY bad. You do not want this, as you'll be about as effective as an old fogey in battle.

Now that that's been settled, let's go to the good part: The tension modifiers!

Tension Modifiers: Positive

Here's where all the positive tension modifiers go. Use these to make DAMN sure your tension goes up. Who knows? That dodge can put you back up on the offensive.

Hitting an enemy and successfully dealing damage: +2. This is simple. You hit something, you deal damage, your tension goes up. This includes Seishin or abilities that causes damage to your opponent
Dodging an attack using normal dodge: +1. Again, this is simple. You dodge, your tension goes up.
Negating an attack with a barrier: +1. This one gets a little bit trickier. The attack has to be completely negated with the barrier. Not even 1 damage can go through.
Destroying an enemy unit in battle: +5. Think of this as the +5 morale in Super Robot Wars.

Tension Modifiers: Null[/b]

These aren't really modifiers, but show that you don't gain any tension for the following actions:

Using bunshin or any other special defensive mechanisms: +/-0. Special defensive mechanisms include Open Get, Psychodriver's Psychic Overload, Ninja Senshi's Stealth, Blitz Gundam's Mirage Colloid, Phase Shift Armor and other similar actions.
Attack made is negated due to bunshin or any other special defensive mechanisms: +/-0. See above.

Note on PSA: The attack must be totally nulled to be counted as a Null modifier, if damage still leaks through to the target, then tension change is as normal. For Example:

Positive

Pilot A is an EH against a Pilot B who uses a Strike Gundam, If Pilot A's Attack connects and was negated by PSA, then Tension is unchanged. However, if after PSA there is still some damage left, then A's Tension will rise due to the fact that A still damaged B.

Negative

Pilot A is EH and in a Strike Gundam, he has been attack. If the damage can be negated by PSA, then tension is unchanged, if PSA can only reduce the damage, then A will receive negative tension due to taking damage

Tension Modifiers: Negative[/color]

And these modify your tension, but in an adverse way.

Using any type of shield: -1. You can bring this up to +/-0 by using a barrier as well, if the barrier negates the kind of damage you're blocking.
Attack made is negated with a barrier: -1. Your opponent negates your attack with a barrier? Something's gotta give.
Attack made is dodged using normal dodge: -1. Your opponent just happened to dodge the big guns, eh?
Being hit and damaged: -2. Ow. That's gotta hurt.

Tension is modified as soon as any of these events occur. If any of these events happen outside of your turn (like an opponent dodges or is damaged), then the Tension change occurs at the beginning of your turn.

That's it? So who gets this double-edged sword?

Easy: Enhanced Humans, and Enhanced Humans only for now.

[Teniquette Zezernan]

Forms of Defense


Primary Forms of Defense[/b]
- Getting hit
- Dodging manually
- Using Countercut
- Using Countershoot
- Psychodriver's Psychic Overload (all damage taken is 0, which IS a form of "getting hit," actually)
- All forms of damage reduction, be it armor, inherent damage reduction, shields, or Mazin Power / Dairyoku.

Secondary Forms of Defense[/b]
- Using Barriers to negate damage
- Using Bunshin (no matter the name), be it inherent on a mecha, the Ninja Senshi ability, the Martian Successor ability, or granted through the Hyper Jammer.
- Using Stealth, either through the Ninja Senshi ability or through the mecha.
- Receiving Support Defense
- Using a Dummy
- Using the Flash seishin to bypass an attack
- Using Open Get to evade an attack
- Using Mach Special or any variant (including Turn X's Seperate)
- Using Evasive Maneauvers to evade an attack