Union Strike

Union Strikes are the replacement for s in Future Connected. Very much like in the main game, the player can choose to activate this mechanic by consuming the entire . Union strikes consist of three quick-time events that will increase the damage dealt with each correct prompt.
Union strikes are unlocked upon recruiting a Ponspector of each colour.
==Overview==
When the party has a full party gauge of all three blocks, the player can initiate an union strike, which instantly spends all three blocks. The player must select the colour of the union strike: blue, red or yellow, representing support, damage and debuff respectively. Once the colour is selected, three quick-time events will occur with a cutscene playing in the background that changes depending on the colour.
Like chain attacks, when a union strike is activated, all party members immediately stop what they're doing, even if the art they're executing hasn't done anything yet. Some care should be taken to avoid interrupting arts in this way, as their cooldown is still spent. By contrast, enemies will continue their current art if they have passed the windup phase, and the union strike will not begin until they are done. This means party members can still take after the union strike is fired, but before it begins. However, once a union strike is triggered, party members are immune to any status or that would prevent them from participating (e.g. ), and they will survive any lethal attack with 1 . As a result, it is possible to save party members from otherwise certain death by activating a union strike. On top of this, Blue Caress can heal and remove debuffs for party members, changing the course of the battle.
If the party leader is toppled or d, the union strike cannot be executed. There is no penalty if another party member is incapacitated, asleep, toppled or dazed other than them not appearing in the cutscene.
The cutscene varies depending on the selected colour, and if there's an extra chance (see below), an additional animation will appear depending, again, on the selected colour. The cutscene also features a single random party member (who may be the party member in reserve), except for extra chances, which feature all four party members. In total, there are 15 versions of the cutscene (12 for non-extra chances and three for extra chances). If a party member is incapacitated, they won't show up in the cutscene.
While selecting a colour to execute the union strike, time is stopped on the battlefield, meaning that debuff timers are halted and damage-over-time effects do not activate.
If the three party members are alive and the Ponspectors have a high tension, there's a chance that an EXTRA CHANCE! will occur: a second union strike that does not require party gauge. This second union strike has to be of a different color from the first one.
Unlike chain attacks, killing an enemy during an union strike does not grant +25% EXP, +25% AP, and +100% SP.
After a union strike, the party's tension will go up, while all Ponspectors in a state of high tension will revert to normal.
==Blue Caress==
Blue Caress is the healing union strike, and as the name suggests, its icon is blue. Blue Caress can be especially useful when used in a dangerous moment since it can heal the entire heal bar of , and . Additionally, the party is granted , healing 100 per second for a total of 10 seconds, and Debuff Resistance for 10 seconds too. For being a defensive attack, it deals a decent amount of damage.
The cutscene for Blue Caress starts with a random party member attacking the enemy/enemies inside the union strike's range, then the party member says the corresponding line (see the following links for Shulk's, Melia's, Nene's, and Kino's respective lines) and the 12 Ponspectors stand in a straight line to heal the entire party. The party is sitting on ground that turns into grass thanks to the Ponspectors. After that, the Ponspectors will come to the screen and pose alongside the character that appeared before while a blue smokescreen covers the enemy. While the animation plays, the Ponspectors scream their slogan in unison.
==Red Comet==
Red Comet is the offensive union strike, and as the name suggests, its icon is red. Red Comet is the greatest source of damage and it doesn't attract aggro; if the enemy is below half of its maximum , it's very likely that a Red Comet will finish them. This union strike is especially useful for a single enemy; other enemies will be damaged, but the majority of damage is applied to the currently targetted enemy.
The cutscene for Red Comet starts with a random party member attacking the enemy/enemies inside the union strike's range, then the party member says the corresponding line (see the following links for Shulk's, Melia's, Nene's, and Kino's respective lines) and a Pterix transporting the 12 Ponspectors appears flying and dropping the Ponspectors as bombs onto the enemy/enemies. After that, the Ponspectors will come to the screen and pose alongside the character that appeared before, while a red smokescreen covers the enemy and Wunwun flies off the screen. While the animation plays, the Ponspectors scream their slogan in unison.
==Yellow Chaos==
Yellow Chaos is the debuffer union strike, and as the name suggests, its icon is yellow. Yellow Chaos is the best option for when many enemies are in battle, since every enemy will be affected with and . Using this union strike against a single enemy is also a good strategy since the daze effect is the longest in the game (both main game and FC), allowing the party to use positional arts freely and deal massive damage without generating aggro. Additionally, using Yellow Chaos against Fogbeasts is specially useful since it will remove Riot, the aura that fogbeasts emit. The daze effect bypasses every resistance and immunity. Unlike daze inflicted by battle arts, if a party member uses an art that inflicts daze the timer will not reset.
The cutscene for Yellos Chaos starts with a random party member attacking the enemy/enemies inside the union strike's range, then the party member says the corresponding line (see the following links for Shulk's, Melia's, Nene's, and Kino's respective lines) and appears to trample the enemies with the Ponspectors. After that, the Ponspectors come to the screen and pose alongside the character that appeared before while a yellow smokescreen covers the enemy with a soft earthquake. While the animation plays, the Ponspectors scream their slogan in unison.
==Extra chance==
Extra chance (EXTRA CHANCE! in game) is a mechanic where the player is able to do a second union strike immediately after the first one (without any additional Party Gauge cost); however, the colour must be different from that of the first union strike. Extra chances only have the possibility to occur if the three party members are alive. 
For the extra chance, the cutscene shows Melia, Kino, Nene and Melia attacking the enemy/enemies; after that, the cutscene follows with the Ponspectors doing the corresponding animation for each colour (healing in a straight line for blue, dropping from the Pterix for red and luring the Territorial Rotbart for yellow). At the end, the Ponspectors show up and pose in front of the screen alongside the four party members while a smokescreen of the corresponding colour covers the enemy/enemies in the background. While the animation plays, the Ponspectors scream their slogan in unison.
==Strategy==
The fastest way to unlock union strikes is recruiting Evelen by completing Evelen on the Edge and Drydry by completing Drydry Entia; both nopon are located in the main story route and very early in the game, before the first story boss. Initially union strikes are weak, but as Ponspectors join the team, they continue to grow stronger, so it is recommended to recruit as many Ponspectors as possible early (which can be done for all except Nonona and Tutu, since Nonona's quest can be difficult in the earlygame and Tutu's quest requires access to Gran Dell).
In battle, it's important to fill the not only to use union strikes, but also to be safe if someone gets incapacitated. To do so, it's important to use conditional arts correctly ( from the side, Mild Down when the enemy is inflicted with , etc.); land critical hits; with very high tension; and, most importantly, perform well during the Battle Start Affinity and Burst Affinity quick-time events, in which doing so will also raise the Ponspectors' tension.
Once the party gauge is full, union strikes can be greatly useful for lots of occasions: 
* Saving the party from a near-death situation - The Blue Caress union strike is great for healing party members; they'll likely get to full health. The party will have , healing 100 per second for a total of 10 seconds, and Debuff Resistance for 10 seconds too. Additionally, during the startup animation, party members will survive a single fatal blow with 1 HP and will resist any debuffs (e.g. the 's Mist Press art, which can topple the entire party for 17 seconds, a practically fight-ending situation).
* Dealing very high amounts of damage - If multiple foes are in battle, Yellow Chaos is the best option since it inflicts and dazes every enemy in battle for 6 seconds; since enemies can't move in this state, the party can take advantage using positional arts (e.g. 's ). If there's only one enemy in battle, said strategy with Yellow Chaos can be useful too, but using Red Comet will inflict more . Red Comet is the highest source of damage without gaining aggro, and will defeat many enemies at or below half health.
* Removing the Riot aura - The only way to remove Riot is inflicting daze, and since some enemies and bosses have break immunity (e.g. or ), using Yellow Chaos is the only way to remove riot.
* Dazing - Most bosses have high resistance/immunity to , so using Yellow Chaos is an easy and fast way to enemies. The daze effect of Yellow Chaos is the longest in both the main game and Future Connected, letting the party use positional arts without gaining and inflict high damage.
If the union strike isn't used to save the party from a deadly situation, it generally should be used when the three party members are alive and the Ponspectors have high in order to increase the probabilities of an EXTRA CHANCE! and deal even more damage.
==Trivia==
* There's a fourth unused union strike called (Tank Techniques). Its color is unknown, but it is presumed that it would serve a tank role.
==In other languages==
==Gallery==
===Tutorials===
Ponspector Union Strikes Tutorial 1.png|Tutorial for Union Strikes part 1
Ponspector Union Strikes Tutorial 2.png|Tutorial for Union Strikes part 2
Ponspector Union Strikes Tutorial 3.png|Tutorial for Union Strikes part 3
Ponspector Union Strikes Tutorial 4.png|Tutorial for Union Strikes part 4
Ponspector Union Strikes Tutorial 5.png|Tutorial for Union Strikes part 5
===Screenshots===
Union strike screen.jpg|Shulk selecting the colour of the union strike
Extra chance ocurring.gif|An extra chance ocurring
Union strike no topple.gif|Shulk isn't affected by topple because the union strike has started immediately before
Ponspector high tension.png|A ponspector with high tension
Category:Battle mechanics (FC)