Combat

The combat system in Honkai Impact 3rd relies on quick decision-making, matching its action RPG genre. Most de/buffs are timed and so are many stages Captains will find themselves on, making every decision count.
Combat actions, referred from this point onward as "skills", are performed via buttons showcased on the bottom right side of the screen, either by pressing the associated keys on the keyboard or clicking the buttons directly. The exact effects of pressing a skill button may vary from Battlesuit to battlesuit (for example, some characters enter a parry stance instead of dashing away for Evade).
Skills are readily available on most stages even if enemies aren't spawned in yet, being disabled out-of-battle on maps where engaging with enemies is optional or requires fulfilling certain conditions. They may sometimes be partially or completely disabled for narrative purposes in Story or Events.
Note: Walking/running/sprinting isn't included in any skill tree and therefore won't be classified a skill by this wiki until this status changes. Every battlesuit is capable of movement, the speed of which can be altered via sparse means. However, why would somebody want to run faster in a non-open world game is anyone's wonder.
== Basic Attack ==
Basic Attack is a fundamental part of every skill tree, being the only skill that can be used without restrictions such as SP requirement or prior input combination. It is mostly used to gain SP by hitting enemies, and can be incorporated into combos if the battlesuit's kit allows it.
Basic Attacks can be separated into the following:
*Plain - consist of sequences (shortened to SEQ in some descriptions) that will be cast in succession whenever Basic Attack is used, each having a different animation. Damage done by each sequence can vary, not just because of damage multipliers, but also hits performed. Once the last sequence has been cast, using attack Basic Attack again will restart the arrangement from the first sequence. A sequence-based Basic Attack can be cancelled mid-arrangement via Evasion, Ultimate, or Special skills.
*Altitude-based - same as above, but input array varies based on whenever the battlesuit is on the ground or in the air. Introduced with Herrscher of Flamescion.
*Loud Armaments-exclusive - the battlesuit can't use Basic Attack without being on a Loud Armament. The skill button can be hold for continuous firing and is not considered to be sequence-based. Introduced with Helical Contraption and remains exclusively hers as of Version 7.1.
*Body-based - the battlesuit can switch between two bodies (physical and astral) with each having its own Plain set. While the switch is temporary, the switched-in body isn't considered a Burst Mode. Introduced with Dreamweaver and is still exclusive to her as of Version 7.1.
== Evade / Block / Parry / Throw Counterattack ==
=== Evade ===
Evade can be used to avoid enemy hits, the effect of evasion skill is depending on battlesuit used.
* Pressing the Evade button will make player roll or slide depending on the valkyrja used (Cooldown is around 1s)
* Perfect Evasion will launch Active Evasion skill against purple glowing attacks and you will have to wait it to recharge before can continue launching another one, recover EP and activate Passive Evasion regardless of Active Evasion cooldown.
* Some characters may have multiple Active Evasion charges.
* Some valkyrja can activate Branch Attacks if they used a Evade or Perfect Evasion skill without the need to use normal attacks.
=== Block ===
Some characters like Yamabuki Armor, Dimension Breaker or Bright Knight - Excelsis does replace evade with the block function and vice versa.
* On Bronya, player can press and hold block button will make character block all damages in front as long as the shield does not break, can also recharge shield instantly by releasing the block button.
* On Bronya, if you release the block button within a second after receiving damage then you will release both Active Block and [Block Counterattack].
* On Bright Knight - Excelsis, Block will react normally just like evasions except entire Block duration have both i-Frames and p-Frames.
* Only Bronya's shield is able to deflect enemy projectiles, Bright Knight - Excelsis shield does not!
===Parry===
Added in version 3.1 with Liliya Blueberry Blitz's Battlesuit, the mechanic is similar to Evade but have few differences:
*Using Ultimate button to Parry
*Parry any type of enemies even yellow glowing one
===Additional Evade / Block Mechanics===
Evade / Block have 4 types: Evade / Block animation, Perfect Evade / Block, Passive Evasion / Block Counterattack and Active Evasion (or Ultimate Evasion) / Active Block skills.
*Evade animation is usually 1s and there is around 0.8s i-Frame (invincible-Frame) and 0.6s p-Frame (perfect-Frame). Block have infinite i-Frame and p-Frame as long as shield is not broken and enemies hit the shield.
*If player sucessfully triggers a P-Frame, the Valkyrja will have 0.2 seconds slow down, receive 2 EP, triggering Active Evasion skill by default and guarantee activate Passive Evasion skill if available.
*Some characters have special skill that doesn't require p-Frame to activate Passive Evasion.
*Perfect Evasion doesn't trigger Active Evasion if evaded enemies glowing yellow eyes, even if the character have special skill that activate Active Evasion at any time like White Knight - Moonlight or Herrscher of the Void, however will still guarantee to activate Passive Evasion if available.
*Active Block on Bronya doesn't require Perfect Block but Perfect Unblock instead, also guarantee triggering Active skill regardless of enemies glowing yellow eyes or nope.
*Perfect Block on Bronya will deflect all of projectiles but not unchangable projectiles or hitscan one (Fu Hua boss and Black Nucleus "round ball shots" for example).
=== Throw Counterattack ===
Introduced in version 3.8 with lance users, certain enemy attacks are opened for counterattack. The Throw Attack button will be overwritten with Counterattack button and peform a special animations unlike the normal Throw. Throw Counterattack can be activated regardless of Throw Attack cooldown as long as there is a prompt.
== Branch Attack / Charge Attack / Chase Attack ==
=== Branch Attack ===
* When you attack using Basic Attacks or Evade - and hold the attack button for a while, your Valkyrja will have light appear around them and then make a special sound, pressing the attack button again will launch a Branch Attack. 
* Some characters like Valkyrja Strike or White Knight - Moonlight will require continuous attack button pressing after doing a Branch Attack to keep the Valkyrja on attacking the target.
=== Charge Attack ===
Branch attack will be replaced with Charge attack when using some characters like any playable Murata Himeko or Bronya Zaychik.
* Just hold the normal attack button to charge and release the button to attack enemies.
== Tag-In Attack / QTE Attack ==
=== Tag-In Attack ===
* Tag-in attacks will be launched when you switch character, it can be a strong attack or a branch attack depending on the valkryja used.
=== QTE Attack ===
QTE skill is a special skill that can be launched by tag-in if your Valkyrja has been triggered by a special conditions; float, frozen, stun, etc...
== Weapon skill / Ultimate ==
===Weapon skill===
*Depending on weapons, it may have passive skills or active skills or even both.
*If your weapon has an active skill then it will appear on the screen, and mostly will require EP to use.
=== Throw Attack ===
Throw Attack is a permanent Weapon skill for all Lance-type weapons.
* All lances does not consume EP
* Using same animation regardless of lances.
===Ultimate===
Ultimate skills are the most powerful skills in the game but requires a huge amount of EP.
====One-time Usage Ultimate====
*Mostly use a large amount of EP.
*This type of ultimate usually grants invincibility to all types of damage in a short time (i-Frame).
*It's the most simple type of Ultimate and is usually used to avoid enemy attacks.
====Burst Mode Ultimate====
This type of ultimate can be found when using some specific characters which their normal attack is replaced with more powerful "Burst Attacks" when using Burst Mode. The only exception is Scarlet Knight which use One-time Usage Ultimate but still count as Burst Mode.
*This type of ultimate is basically an upgrade or enhanced normal attack function at the cost of losing EP/HP.
*Normal / Branch / Charge Attack Damage does apply to "Burst Attacks" during Burst Mode.
*Player still receives damage from any sources.
==Button Replace==
===Fu Hua===
This type was first introduced in version 2.0 on Valkyrja Accipiter.
This will change the Ultimate button with attack buttons and acts as its combo trigger.
For more information on playable characters visit their standalone battlesuit page.
===Post-Houkai Odyssey Avatars===
Introduced in version 3.8, when using Avatars, the Ultimate button will be replaced with Jump button and Weapon skill button will be replaced with Ultimate button.
Category:Honkai Impact 3 Wiki