Power Types

The way the Player's party progresses through the tactical layer of the game (i.e.: the battles) in Star Renegades is via the use of **powers**. , each with their own unique mechanics and effects.
Most of the powers are classed as **attacks**, while others posses other properties, such as healing or buffing its caster, an ally or the entire party. Others activate passive auras of effect or set up attacks for a future turn.

For the powers that actually fall under the category of attacks, they are classed in the following categories:

* Light
* Normal
* Heavy
* Flurry
* AOE
* Counter

A more in depth look at each category is presented. Keep in mind that while the pros and cons of each attack type apply to the Player's party, they also apply to the enemy parties as well!

## Light Attacks

Light attacks are quick and nimble, often used to delay an enemy's attack, opening them up and perhaps even **breaking** them.
While light attacks are typically the least damaging attacks in the game, they are a key piece of a party's arsenal due to their usually fast execution time and high stagger properties, which can help set up more powerful follow-up CRIT attacks.

## Normal Attacks

Normal attacks offer a balance between speed and damage output. They are not as fast as light attacks, but they are also not as slow as heavy attacks. They typically oscilate in stats between a light and a heavy, being everywhere in between, and with very diverse effects. For example, both the Spectre's *Bladeshot*, which staggers for 40 seconds on a CRIT, and the Varangian's *Carve*, which doesn't stagger at all, are Normal attacks.

## Heavy Attacks

Heavy attacks are designed to pack a punch, with higher damage output and armor damage compared to other types of attacks. However, heavy attacks typically take longer to execute, and they also have lower stagger potential. Players who choose to use heavy attacks should be strategic in their timing, as they can be vulnerable to CRITs themselves while they are executing them.

## Flurry Attacks

Flurry attacks are always multi-hit attacks. While more often than not sit on the higher end of the damage spectrum and have the capacity to stack certain effects, such as *bleeding* or *burning*, multiple times per attack to devastating effect, and proc successive powerful stacks of buffing effects such as health stealing. However, barring the use of some very particular items, they never do armor damage and are especially less effective against armor, since each hit has its damage subtracted by the enemy's armor level. They also never cause staggering.
Flurry attacks take varying amounts of time to execute.

## AOE Attacks

AOE (Area of Effect) attacks are versatile powers that can be used to damage the entire enemy party at once. There are many different types of AOE attacks, ranging from damage-focused abilities, such as the Guardian's *Vorpal Storm* and the Varangian's multi-hit, armor breakikng *Slaughterhouse*, to the low damage and staggering *Shriek* of the Dark Paragon, or the Saboteur's *In a Flash*.
Players should carefully consider their AOE options, eventual AOE attacks unlocked at higher levels and possible item choices since, while no damaging AOE does as much individual damage as most Heavy attacks, and no staggering AOE pushes enemies in the timeline like a single target staggering light attack, some items and synergies allow for devastating AOE effects that can wipe entire enemy parties in a single turn.

## Counter Attacks

Counter attacks are reactive abilities that are triggered in response to enemy actions. While in some cases counter attacks are enabled just by performing a specific action (as is the case with the Commando and some bosses, they mostly come as a consequence of **overwatch**, **cover fire**, or **riposte**. Keep in mind that multi hit attacks, such as flurry attacks and some AOEs, trigger multiple counter attacks.
Overwatch enabling powers, such as the aptly named Marksman's *Overwatch*, target an enemy unit, and then fire for each attack that unit does.
Riposte refers to the state in which a unit counter attacks every time they are hit. The Commando does this after every attack he takes.
Cover Fire powers target friendly units, and then fire at each enemy that hits said unit. An example of this is the Gunslinger's *Echo* and the Enforcer's *Cover Fire*. Covering fire powers may also even buff allies with things like extra shields.
Keep in mind that counter attacks are typically low damage, and can never CRIT, stagger, or damage armor. Plus, they are reactive by nature and depend on the enemy attacking first, an option that might not be preferable to killing or breaking said enemy.

## Other Powers

In addition to these attack-focused powers, there are also a variety of other powers in the game that can buff either the caster, their allies, or even the entire party. Others may debuff a single or multiple enemies. These powers, as well as *taunts* are uncategorized by the game.