Breach

*Get your taste of the true siege! Be it as a defender of the walls or the attacking battering ram!*

## Overview

In this game mode, a full castle siege is underway. Attackers and their forces must breach the castle and kill the Commander while the defenders must stop them.

This game mode has three sections (also known as phases), which typically represent how far the Attacker has progressed. Attackers get through the first two phases (outside the main gate, and the outer keep of the castle) with the battering ram as they successfully crash through the castle's gates. Meanwhile, the last phase is the inner keep where the final objective, the Commander, awaits for a last stand.

As a more strategic game mode that is meant to last longer than the others, Defenders are not left to just wait around for their castle to be breached. While both sides have infinite respawns during the first two phase, the Attackers will be under a Ticket System during the last phase based on their Ram's Health at the end of the second phase. Attackers can only win by killing the Commander, so if their ram is destroyed or they are killed off without respawns before they can defeat the Commander, the Defenders win.

## Map Layout

All maps take place in a large fortress with several layers of fortifications, each layer separated by ramparts and a gate. The battle always starts on the outer rampart (the first phase) with the Attackers needing to breach each gate before moving forward. Defenders are tasked with defending each gate by dwindling the health of the Attacker's ram to eventually destroy it.

While there is one main path where the Attackers travel through, there are side lanes where Attackers and Defenders alike can roam in and out for smaller objectives, boosts and even rally flags. For both sides, there are visible directional lines that appear on the paths. These lines provide a basis for Heroes (orange for Attackers, blue for Defenders) on where they can move towards to Capture Points in the side lanes that control the archers, along with the gate area for the first two phases.

If a Hero moves into an are of the map that is not related to the Objectives, such as moving into the second section of the map when the battering ram is still at the gates of the first section, the game will give you a warning. If this warning is ignored for long enough, your Hero will slowly lose health, eventually dying. This is to prevent Heroes from advancing into areas that have not started spawning yet or from lingering in previous phases of the game where there is no activity.

## Battering Ram & Gate

For the first two phases, the Battering Ram and the Gate are the primary objectives of importance for each side. If the Gate is breached, the next phase begins. However, if the Ram is destroyed, the battle is over.

### The Ram

The Battering Ram is the objective that the Attackers need to defend as they breach the gates. Initially during the first two phase, the Battering Ram will have to take time to travel to the gate. The progress of the Ram's travel depends on circumstances:

* Normal movement: When there is either an Attacking Hero or Pikemen nearby, the Ram will proceed as normal. The same occurs when both are present, but there are also Defending Pikemen and/or Heroes.
* Enhanced movement: This state happens when there are no Defenders nearby the Ram, and both an Attacking Hero and Pikemen are present around it. In this state, the Ram moves at twice the pace.
* No movement: When no attacking forces are around the Ram, the Ram will be held at a stop.

This also affects the charge time while the Ram is docked: The Ram takes up to 40 seconds to charge normally, 12 seconds if Enhanced, and will not charge at all if the Ram is either being damaged by Defenders with no Attackers nearby or if damaged by the Cauldron.

Once the Ram reaches the gate, it will smash the gate in intervals. If the Ram depletes the gate's health to zero, the gate will fall and the Ram is able to go through. When destroying the second phase's gate, the Ram will retreat, as it is not needed anymore.

The Ram has a total health of 9000. Defenders can destroy the Ram in one of two ways:

* Allowing Defending Pikemen to attack the Ram. This can be done by clearing all the Attacking Pikemen that are protecting the Ram. Enough Defending Pikemen will stop the Ram if it's still in the middle of traveling towards the gate. Even when docked at the gate, the presence of Defenders will slow the ramming process.
* When the Ram is at the gate, a defending Hero can activate the Hot Cauldron located on top of each gate. These flaming cauldrons can be periodically activated in order to drop hot flames onto the Ram, dealing 750 damage to the Ram if it hits while wiping any Pikemen that remain under the cauldron.
	+ Heroes that are under the Cauldron, contrary to the Flaming Cauldrons of other maps, will not be dealt lethal damage. Instead it deals 24 damage.
	+ Cauldrons take 5 seconds of interaction to drop the molten flames onto the Ram, and has a 30 second cooldown between uses.
	+ The Cauldron can be activated prior to the Ram docking. This allows for an extra drop of molten flames to fall upon the Ram before it has arrived at the Gate.

Heroes can take part in damaging the Ram, but need to do so through either their Feats or the use of the Ballista.

#### Third Phase

Based on the Ram's Health at the end of the second phase, the Attackers will receive a designated number of respawn tickets as they fight the Commander. The number of tickets received is as follows:

* 22 if the Ram was at full health
* 15 if the Ram was at half-health
* 6 tickets if the Ram finishes at critical health

Because the Ram does not heal between phases, defending the Ram and getting the Banner is a priority for the Attackers if they want to have as many Respawns in the last phase.

### The Gate

The Gate is the objective that the Defenders need to defend, preventing Attackers from moving further. Although Defenders will not have to worry about the Gate at the start of each phase, they should be mindful in preventing the Ram from reaching it. If the Ram does reach the Gate and docks, their efforts to slow down and destroy the Ram should be of upmost importance.

The Gate can take up to three hits from the Ram before breaking through, with Banners granting the Gate the ability to take an extra hit. The Ram is the only means for the Attackers to damage the Gate.

## Capture Points

Lining the sides of the main path are a series of Capture Points, also known as Ramparts or Archer Points. While Archers will fire from the edge of the point, Officers and Pikemen will fight for the point. While Archers spawn on the point, Officers and Pikemen will spawn from their respective side of the fortification some distance away from the Point; Officers only spawn every three waves. Archers will fire at enemy Pikemen, allowing either side to fulfill their objectives with as little obstruction from the opposing Pikemen.

Archers are extremely effective at clearing out Pikemen. While taking the Capture Points as an Attacker do not bring you closer to your goal, it certainly makes it easier as they can help clear defending Pikemen from harming the Ram. Once taken, the Defenders are unable to retake Capture Points. Defending Archers will man the Point when Defenders have control of it (Reclaimed), while Attacking Archers will spawn while it is being Captured or is taken (Fortified); they will spawn 15 seconds after an Archer is killed, and won't spawn if the Point is being Contested.

There are three Points in the first phase, four in the second, and one in the final phase. The last Points in the first and second phase are instead "Gate Points" which sits above the Gate and have no Archers. Instead, these are the Points where the Cauldron sits. The Points have to be captured in order, although they are skipped when moving onto the next phase.

Capturing the Capture Point has 5 states:

* Reclaimed: This is the initial state of a Capture Point, where it is in full control by the Defenders. Once an Attacker enters the point, it will be contested and captured. If the Defenders reclaim the point from the Attackers, it will be "Reclaimed" but any Capturing progress done by the Attackers will not be removed.
* Contested: When the Attacking force enter a Capture Point, this is the sign that there are still Defenders on the point that need to be defeated in order to begin act of Capturing.
* Capturing: When the Attacking force have defeated all Defenders on the point, including Archers, the Point will begin the process of being Captured. Even if reclaimed, Capturing progress is saved. Attacking Archers will begin to replace the Defending ones.
* Enhanced Capturing: When both an Attacking Hero and Soldiers are present on an uncontested Point, Enhanced Capturing will begin, capturing the point at twice the rate.
* Fortified: Once the Attackers have fully Captured a point, the point is theirs. Once Fortified, the point cannot be retaken by Defenders although Defending Pikemen and Officers will continue to attack the point.

Capturing an Archer Point takes about 30 seconds, reduced to 15 seconds when Enhanced Capturing.

## Ballista

In all phases, there is a Ballista present on the battlefield. These are usually located on the opposite sidelane to the ones where the Archer Points are, and are placed in locations where there is a view of the phase's objective at all time. These Ballista will deal over half the health of a Hero, two-shotting them. They can also damage the Ram if controlled by a Defending Hero.

Their presence is critical in the third phase, as they can be used to kill your enemies or, as an Attakcer, dwindle the Commander's health. This is particularly useful if the opposing team proves to be too strong to deal with from up front.

## Shield Banner

The Shield Banner will spawn in set locations on the map during the first and second phase. Just like in the Tribute game mode, the Shield Banner can be seized by either side, slowing by 25% and revealing whoever carries it. If the carrier is hit, they will drop the Banner, allowing for either team to take it again. The Shield Banner is critical for either team: Defenders can make the Gate more sturdy while Attackers can make the Ram more durable.

Shield Banners can be placed in an Altar for each side: on the back of the ram for Attackers, and above the gate for the Defenders. Placing a Banner into the Altar will grant a shield to the respective side's defensible object (750 health for the Attacker's Ram, 1 extra hit for the Defender's Gate). Unlike the Tribute game mode though, once Shield Banners are placed in an Altar, they are consumed and cannot be removed. However, they will respawn regularly after they first spawn, giving another chance for either side to seize the banner.

Banners spawn three minutes after the start of the phase, and four minutes after the Banner is placed in an Alter. The Banner can only be stacked up to two times for either defensible objective.

## Healing Zones & Boosts

### Healing Zones

All three phases of the map will have a healing zone where Heroes can go and regain health. Healing zones start out as neutral at the start of each phase, but can be captured or recaptured by either team. Whichever team holds the healing zone can regain health by standing in it.

Capturing a Healing zone is quick, taking only 2 seconds (less with more allies). Standing in the zone heals for 10 health per second.

### Boosts

Boost are located at set locations on the map in all three phases. There are three kinds of boosts:

* The Vindicator boost that increases a Hero's damage against enemies by 33%.
* The Guardian boost which grants a shield equal to half of the Hero's max health.
* The Scout boost which increase movement speed by 45%.

Boosts spawn 45 seconds into each phase and respawn after 3 minutes when consumed. The Vindicator boost and Scout boost will only last 75 seconds after being picked up, while the Guardian boost will last indefinitely. Among the three boosts, the Scout boost will not appear in some phases of a map, most particularly a Breach map's third phase.

## Breach Units

### The Guardian

Each map will have a special area located in a side area of the second phase, containing the Guardian who protects a special altar. This altar is a buff spawn, and provides a great boost to whichever team receives it.

Either team can attempt to kill the Guardian. When this happens, all Heroes within the room and on the same side as the slayer (the Hero who dealt the last blow) will receive the buff, which grants the Guardian Buff which helps the slayer's team clear Pikemen on top of infinite stamina and full shields.

If all Heroes leave the Guardian's vicinity during combat with it, the Guardian will return to guard the altar while regenerating all of its health. The Guardian and the Buff also disappears once the Second Phase is over.

The model for the Guardian is determined by the map's designated faction, not the Defending team's faction.

### The Commander

The Commander is the final objective of the map. These champions have a large health pool as well as slow but powerful swings. Their heavy attacks are unblockable but rather slow and easy to parry. They also will feature a Highlander style Zone Attack that are unblockable together with a forward leaping top Heavy that knocks down whoever they hit. They have the Pugno Mortis feat equipped, using it when hurt enough. The Commander's health pool is much larger than The Guardian, and will periodically activate revenge.

The model for The Commander is determined by the Defending team's faction.

## How To Win

As an asymmetrical game mode, the victory conditions will be different for both the attacking and defending teams.

* Defenders
	+ The Battering Ram can be damaged in a number of ways. If the Battering Ram is destroyed before the end of the second phase, the defending team wins.
	+ During the third phase, Attackers will be under both a ticketing system (based off their Ram's health). If the Attackers have no more respawn tickets, and the Commander has not been slain, the defending team wins by default.
	+ Each game of Breach has a 30 minute long timer. If the timer runs out and the Commander hasn't been killed, the defending team wins.
* Attackers
	+ The attacking team must breach several layers defenses before reaching the keep and confronting the Commander. Killing the Commander will mean victory for the attacking team.

### Renown Gain

Unlike the other popular gamemodes such as Dominion, all Hero units will follow the same Renown gain pattern. Killing an enemy Hero-like unit will also grant a shared-pot style of Renown gain instead of the fixed gain that Dominion has. Below is a list of the Renown threshholds for when a Hero will gain their Feats, followed by the amount of Renown a Hero will gain depending on what action they take:

* Feat Renown Thresholds:
	1. 125
	2. 300
	3. 660
	4. 1100
* Renown Gain:
	+ Killing Pikemen: 12
	+ Killing Archers: 9
	+ Killing an enemy Hero: 48 split between takedown participants (exa: if three Heroes kill an enemy Hero, each of them only gets 16 Renown)
	+ Killing an enemy Officer: 24 split between takedown participants (exa: if three Heroes kill an enemy Hero, each of them only gets 8 Renown)
	+ Defend an Objective (Side Points/Healing Zone/Shield Banner/Ram): 16
	+ Capture or Fortified an Archer Point: 20
	+ Place Shield Banner in Alter: 50
	+ Cauldron hits Ram: 20
	+ Reviving an Ally: 20
	+ Killing the Guardian (based on how many Heroes are participating):
		- 1 Hero Takedown: 480 for the Killer
		- 2 Hero Takedown: 300 for killer, 240 for other participants
		- 3 Hero Takedown: 180 for killer, 150 for other participants
		- 4 Hero Takedown: 120 for killer, 100 for other participants

## Source

* Constructive Insight on Breach Mechanics by MightyMattman90. While outdated due to Breach Improvements made, some aspects still remain the same.
	+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms2st9no6AI
* Latest patch with Breach Improvements:
	+ https://forhonor.ubisoft.com/game/en-us/news-community/152-360975-16/patch-notes-2180

## videos

For Honor E3 2018 Breach Gameplay Walkthrough Ubisoft NAFor Honor- E3 2018 Breach Gameplay Trailer - Ubisoft -NA-For Honor- Warrior’s Den LIVESTREAM August 30 2018 - Ubisoft