Mechanics

The game play of **Dragon Ball Legends** follows certain conventions and **mechanics**.

## Distance

There are three ranges that a unit can be in during combat, relative to their opponent: **Long Distance**, **Medium Distance**, and **Short Distance**
All three distances can be moved between by either flicking up or down, which results in a **Boost** that closes or gains distance quickly at the cost of not being able to Vanish Step while doing so, or by sliding up or down slowly on the screen, which has your character float towards or away from the enemy.

Ki
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The form of energy present in the game, ranging from 100 to 0. It is required in order to use the main damage dealing attacks in combat. Ki is displayed as a blue ring near the active character's icon at the bottom left of the screen.

Ki automatically replenishes at a character specific rate, but can be charged to replenish much faster by holding down on the screen. Some characters can restore a large amount of ki by doing certain actions, such as using a main ability or a special skill arts.

## Main Offense Mechanics

Basic Attacks

Tapping the screen will result in a different type of basic attack depending on the distance.
At Short Distance, the unit will initiate a **Tap Attack**, which continues into further punches and then a stronger hit that sends the enemy to Medium Distance if the screen is continually tapped. Tap Attacks are useful for disrupting the opponents attacks, as they have a very short wind-up time. They can be used to beat out the enemy's Special Moves, offensive Special Arts, and Ultimate or Awakened Arts if they are used at Short Distance.
At Medium Distance, the unit will initiate a **Tackle**, which will have them close the distance between their opponent and land a melee hit. If the enemy is hit, then the Tackle can be followed up by a Strike Arts or a Blast Arts attack. Tackles are beaten out by Strike Arts, and will beat out Special Moves, offensive Special Arts, and Ultimate or Awakened Arts if it is used before the wind up animation. If the enemy uses a non-Melee Special card, and your unit is not already in a Tackle, then Boosting forward and Tap Attacking should be used instead to interrupt them.
At Long Distance, the unit will fire off a **Tap Shot**, a single ki blast that deals minor damage. If a Tap Shot is already within Medium Distance when the enemy uses a ranged Special Move or Special Arts, then the Tap Shot will land first and interrupt them.
All forms of taps can make the opponent use their Vanish Step if timed correctly, which then allows you to use a Strike Arts before they can counter with their own attack.

Arts Cards

Aside from basic attacks, there are "art cards" that you can use during the fight, which are the main methods of dealing damage in the game. These art cards require Ki to be used, can be combo'd together by simply clicking on one after the other before the enemy recovers. Currently there are six types of art cards:

- **Blast Arts:**

Fires a barrage of ki blasts at the opponent. On hit, it sends the enemy back one space unless they are already at Long Distance. Naturally, they will beat out Strike Arts and Melee Special Move Arts charges, unless they have Blast Armor properties. Blast Arts can be combo'd into any other arts cards, and can retain a combo even after a Main Ability or self targeting Special Skill is used if the opponent is sent to only Medium Distance after being hit. Due to this, it is common for players to Boost up to Short Distance before using a Blast Arts card during a combo.

- **Strike Arts:**

Flies up to the opponent, and attacks them when the unit reaches Short Distance. On hit, it sends the opponent to Long Distance. It will always beat out tackles, and can reach the opponent before their Blast Arts and Special Move Arts in Short Distance, but will be beaten by Blast Arts and Special Moves at Medium Distance and Long Distance. The charge from this art card can be cancelled with a Side-Step if the unit using it reaches at least one space forward. Strike Arts can be combo'd into any other arts card, even if a Main Ability or self-targeting Special Skill is used in between the two arts cards.

- **Special Skill Arts:**

Unit specific cards that provide a wide range of effects. The most common special skills are ones that apply self buffs, which will always work when used, though there can also be special skills that counter enemy attacks, send out projectiles that can lead to combos, and ones that switch out the character into an ally. They can potentially be combo'd into other arts cards, which will be noted in their description.

- **Special Move Arts:**

These moves are character specific just like Special Skill Arts. They are much stronger than the two basic arts, but also cost much more and cannot be combo'd from. Because of this, Special Move Arts are meant to be combo finishers.

- **Ultimate Arts:**

The strongest type of arts card in the game, being only drawn once a match by certain units. The majority of Ultimate Arts are melee ranged and require the character to charge up towards to enemy before landing it, but a few are ranged or even affect the entire field.

- **Awakened Arts:**

The rarest type of arts card. They are similar to Ultimate Arts in that they can only be used once a match, but they can vary wildly in function aside from dealing damage. While Ultimate cards are limited to Sparking rarity units in distribution, some Extreme and even Hero units can draw Awakened Arts cards.

Ranges

All special cards come with their unit specific ranges. There are seven different ranges in total:

- **Long:**

The most common range for Special Moves. All Blast Arts and Tap Shots also have this range type. Special cards with this range type will beat out all other range types upon successfully firing, and will additionally beat out Blast Arts and Rising Rushes. Special Skill Arts with this range type have absolute priority, beating out even Special Move Arts of the same range type. This range type can only be avoided with Vanishing Step, as it affects Short Distance, Medium Distance, and Long Distance all at once(or gradually moves upwards in the case of Blast Arts and Tap Shots).

- **Short:**

An uncommon range type, found usually on certain Extreme or Hero unit's special skills. Special cards with this range will only affect opponents up to Medium Distance, and will not affect opponents at long range. Due to this, the can be directly combo'd only off of a Short Distance Blast Arts, and must be preceded by a Boost at least to Medium Distance when used after a Strike Arts or a Medium or Long Distance Blast Arts.

- **Spread:**

Another uncommon range type. Cannot be avoided by Vanishing Step, and instead is avoided by Boosting backwards to Long Distance. An opponent that Vanish Steps Special cards with this range will be locked in place until the attack lands. Unlike Long range type Special cards, Special cards with this range will not cancel out Blast Arts and instead must land before the Blast Arts does to beat it.

- **Melee:**

The second most common range type, found in many Special cards, most Ultimate Arts, and in Strike Arts. Using Arts cards with this range will propel the unit forward until the attack either lands or misses, with the exception of Strike Arts, which can be cancelled by a Side-Step once the unit moves a Distance closer from when they first used the card. Special cards with this range type will beat out all forms of basic attack as well as Strike Arts.

Many Special cards of this range, and even some units' Strike Arts, can have Blast Armor, shown via a semi-transparent shield in front of them. This armor will allow the unit to charge through Blast Arts with only minimal damage. Units that reach zero health from the Blast Arts will be defeated regardless of the armor.

- **Melee Short:**

One of the rarest range types in the game, being found only on some Extreme and Hero units' Special cards. Arts cards with this range are identical in all ways to normal Melee ranged cards, with the exception being that cards of this range type will have the unit charge only one Distance forward.

- **Self:**

The most common range type found on Special Skill Arts, which, as of now, are also the only Arts cards with this range type. Special cards with this range type target the unit itself, and, as a result, cannot be interrupted and will always activate on use regardless of how close the unit is to getting hit. The most common effect that Arts cards of this range type have is applying buffs to the unit that uses it, though some Arts cards that have this range type can also apply debuffs to the enemy.

- **Field:**

The rarest range type in the game, with only a handful of powerful Ultimate and Awakened Arts currently having it. Arts cards with this range type will always land if they are successfully used, and will usually be given their own set of conditions that need to be fulfilled to even fire it off.

With the exception of Ultimate and Awakened Arts cards, all Arts cards can have a Dragon Ball attached to them at random when drawn. If seven of them are collected via using the attached cards, you will gain access to a "Rising Rush," a team special attack that can deal a massive amount of damage. Rising Rushes require no ki to use, beat out every attack apart from ranged Special Skills, Special Moves, or Ultimates, and can be combo'd into from Strike Arts, Blast Arts, and some Special Skill Arts, making them serve a pivotal role in battle.

## Defense Mechanics

You can Side-Step by flicking the screen to the left or right. When a Side-Step is timed properly(indicated by an exclamation mark over your character's head), your character will use their Vanishing Gauge to dodge an attack. This maneuver is called a **Vanishing Step.** When timed perfectly, you can follow up the Vanishing Step and immediately attack the opponent with an arts card to force them into a combo before they can dodge your attack in return. The Vanishing Gauge recharges slowly over time, and will refill immediately upon switching characters. There are no blocking mechanics, so dodging is an extremely vital part of combat.

When you are in a combo and swap in a different character before your opponent lands their next Arts card, it results in a **Cover Change.** This swaps the current character with the selected character, and, depending on the unit, can give a variety of defensive and offensive boosts. Some units can even avoid the incoming attack to stop combos or even counter specific arts cards with their cover change, changing the battle in your favor.

## Main Abilities

Another mechanic that plays a large part in combat are **Main Abilities.** These charge up from the start of battle, and after they are fully charged can be used to grant team buffs, draw cards, debuff the enemy, and steal dragon balls among other things depending on the unit. All units can use their main abilities only once per battle.