Character Mastery

Character Mastery is a feature that allows players to level up individual characters, granting them additional stat benefits and cosmetic effects. These upgraded characters apply boosts to XP, Rings, and Damage, with the amounts varying depending on the character's type. Additionally, this mechanic enables characters to have permanent secondary stats that remain active while that character is equipped. 
== Steps==
Steps are the XP each skin has tracked under the skin in the inventory screen. Each Star Level requires a different amount of Steps. Steps can be gained in two ways, the first of which is running around the map. Bonus Steps can be obtained by equipping Fast Friends, as Fast Friends have a special secondary stat that increases the number of Steps you get per step. They can alternatively be fused into a character for a more significant boost, at the cost of that Fast Friends being lost forever.
=== Steps gained with Fast Friends Equipped===
*1 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 5 steps when equipped.
*2 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 10 steps when equipped.
*3 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 20 steps when equipped.
*4 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 40 steps when equipped.
*5 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 80 steps when equipped.
*6 Star fast friends provide a Mastery bonus of 160 steps when equipped.
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==Mastery Machine==
The Character Mastery machine allows players to 'Master' their characters, leveling up their Star Level and getting new benefits. Players can fuse various Friends in their inventory to further the Steps a character has based on the tier, level, and fusion of that Friend. Fast Friends give the greatest benefit when fused to a skin. Currently, the machine can be found in Green Hill, Hill Top, Speed Jungle Zone, No Place, Cyber Station, Metal City Skatepark, City Escape, and Space Colony Ark. 
===Steps gained with Fast Friends fused into a skin===
*1 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 50,000 steps when fused.
*2 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 425,000 steps when fused.
*3 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 3.57 million steps when fused.
*4 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 30.25 million steps when fused.
* 5 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 256 million steps when fused.
* 6 Star fast friends provide a mastery bonus of 2.17 billion steps when fused.
<tabber>
Steps provided via Fast Friends=
File:1 star steps.png|1 Star - 50,000
File:2 star steps.png|2 Star - 425,000
File:3 star steps.png|3 Star - 3.57M
File:4 star steps.png|4 Star - 30.25M 
File:5 star steps.png|5 Star - 256M
File:6 star steps.png|6 Star - 2.17B
</tabber>
==Upgrade Costs==
===Red Star Rings required to upgrade===
*Star 1 -> Star 2; Cost: 75 
*Star 2 -> Star 3; Cost: 200 
*Star 3 -> Star 4; Cost: 600 
*Star 4 -> Star 5; Cost: 1750 
*Star 5 -> Star 6; Cost: 5000 
===Gold Rings required to upgrade===
*Star 1 -> Star 2; Cost: 4,000,000
*Star 2 -> Star 3; Cost: 33,000,000 
*Star 3 -> Star 4; Cost: 265,000,000 
*Star 4 -> Star 5; Cost: 175,000,000,000 
*Star 5 -> Star 6; Cost: 177,462,000,000 
===Steps required to upgrade===
*Star 1 -> Star 2; Steps: 500,000
*Star 2 -> Star 3; Steps: 7,220,000 
*Star 3 -> Star 4; Steps: 61,500,000
*Star 4 -> Star 5; Steps: 525,000,000
*Star 5 -> Star 6; Steps: 4,500,000,000
 Note: In order to unlock the Character Mastery machine in Green Hill, players must first complete Sonic (New Yoke Style)'s quest in New Yoke City.
 
==Benefits==
The benefits of Character Mastery depend on what character you choose to upgrade. There are three sub-categories and four secondary stats a character can have. 
====Character Types====
*XP Specialist 
** These characters max out at 150% XP and 75% Rings/Damage.
*Rings Specialist 
**These characters max out at 150% Rings and 75% XP/Damage.
*Damage Specialist 
**These characters max out at 150% damage and 75% XP/Rings.
*All-rounder 
**These characters max out at 100% for every stat.
====Secondary Stats====
The four secondary stats characters can have are Magnet, Luck, Stamina, and Event. There are several tiers of these, ranging from +1 to +8 , respectively, with tier 3 being the most common statline capping at +15 of the secondary stat, and tier 8 being exclusive to characters, capping out at +40. For most bonuses, their 2 star bonus stats mutliplied by 5 is the maxed out 6 star bonus stat, although there are some outliers like Gold Style Knuckles and Summer Jet. 
==Auras==
As you increase a character's Mastery level, different auras will appear around the character. As you unlock more, you'll have the option to select which aura is displayed on the character. 
==Team Mastery==
Team Mastery is a related stat based on the characters in a player's inventory. It adds the total Star Levels of the characters in your inventory and displays the resulting value at the top of the Main Menu when opened. Certain worlds are locked behind Team Mastery requirements, so it is recommended to level up a few characters before new worlds are added.
=== Team Mastery requirements per world ===
* Unlock Lost Valley: none + 100,000 
* Unlock Emerald Hill: none + 300,000 
* Unlock New Yoke City: 5 Team Mastery + 500,000 
* Unlock Hill Top: 10 Team Mastery + 1,000,000 
* Unlock Speed Jungle Zone: 15 Team Mastery + 2,500,000 
* Unlock No Place: 20 Team Mastery + 5,000,000 
* Unlock Cyber Station: 25 Team Mastery + 10,000,000 
* Unlock Metal City Skatepark: 35 Team Mastery + 15,000,000 
* Unlock City Escape: 50 Team Mastery + 20,000,000 
* Unlock Space Colony Ark: 50 Team Mastery + 30,000,000 
* Unlock Chemical Plant Classic: 200 Team Mastery + 1,000,000,000 
* Unlock Emerald Hill Classic: 100 Team Mastery + quests
* Unlock Lost Valley Classic: 150 Team Mastery + another secret zone
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==Gallery==
Aura 3 RC classic amy.jpeg|A look at an aura three Race Suit Amy! (Midnight Chao not included.)
Aura 1 example.png|A look at a level 1 character's aura in the menu!
Aura 2 example.png|A look at a level 2 character's aura in the menu!
Aura 3 example.png|A look at a level 3 character's aura in the menu!
Aura 4 example.png|A look at a level 4 character's aura in the menu!
Aura 5 example.png|A look at a level 5 character's aura in the menu!
Aura 6 example.png|A look at a level 6 character's aura in the menu!
SuperSonic_-_aurashowcase.gif|Star 6 Super Sonic showcase.
SuperSonic_-_star6showcase.gif|More of Star 6 showcase!
World 8 lock.png|Cyber Station Zone locked behind Team Mastery!
World 9 lock.png|Metal City Skatepark Zone locked behind Team Mastery!
World 10 lock.png|City Escape Zone locked behind Team Mastery!
File:MasteryMachine.png|The Mastery Machine.
File:MasteryUI.png|The Mastery Machine UI, Sonic inside of it.
File:MasteryUICloseup.png|A Close Up of Upgrading Rusty Rose.
File:MasterCharacterUpgradedUI.png|The Pop-Up when you Upgrade a Character.
File:StarRank2Sonic.png|A Comparison Between a 3-Star and a 4-Star
File:MasterSonicRender2.png|Master Sonic's Render on the EVOLUTION + MASTERY Sign.
File:CharMastCost1.png| Step 1 to Upgrading!
File:CharMastCost2.png| Step 2 to Upgrading!
File:CharMastCost3.png| Step 3 to Upgrading!
File:CharMastCost4.png| Step 4 to Upgrading!
File:CharMastCost5.png| Step 5 to Upgrading, a bright flash of success!!!