Partners

**Partners** are a gameplay element added in version **Mobile:** 1.0.5 **Switch:** 1.0.0c. Each Partner has their own skills and stats that affect various game mechanics. Partners can be selected by pressing the icon on the top of the screen which displays the currently active Partner.

From the splash text that appears when first opening the Partner select screen:

**Mobile:**
*Partner stats and skills are available when logged in.*
*Stats affect various aspects of gameplay and world progress.*
*Skills change verious gameplay aspects and difficulty.*
*Tap a Partner's stats or skill to seal them. This will deactivate their stats and skill.*
*Unlock new Partners by obtaining new song packs or through World Mode.***Switch:**
*Stats affect various aspects of gameplay and world progress.*
*Skills change verious gameplay aspects and difficulty.*
*Sealing a Partner will deactivate their stats and skill.*
*Unlock new Partners through World Mode.*

## Partner Select

**Mobile:**

The Partner select screen can be accessed from most menus by selecting the diamond icon on the top of the screen that displays the currently active Partner. This screen contains the following:

* (right) Scrollable list of Partners, with their name, icon, and level. Pressing the star moves the Partner to the **Favorites** list at the top. Pressing the small diamond at the top of the icon chooses the Partner portrait visible in the player profile view.
* (bottom) Partner information panel. Pressing the panel **seals** the Partner. This panel contains the following:
	+ Current **Level**.
	+ **FRAG**, **STEP**, and **OVER** stats.
	+ Partner **Type**.
	+ Partner **skill** description.
		- Support type Partners will have a green underlay under the skill description, and Challenge type Partners will have a red underlay (with some exceptions).
		- Awakened Partners and Hikari & Tairitsu (Reunion) also show a Bypass button to switch skills.
	+ Partner art illustrator.
* (lower right) Partner list sorting button. Partners can be sorted by:
	+ Default (date added to game)
	+ Obtained (date obtained by player)
	+ Name (alphabetical)
	+ Level
	+ Step (STEP) stat
	+ Frag (FRAG) stat
	+ Overdrive (OVER) stat
* (upper left) Options to level up Partners.
	+ Level up Partners using **Ether Drops** (shows currently held Ether Drops).
	+ **Awaken** them using **Cores** (shows currently held Cores).
* (lower left) Buttons to review the info splash text, and to view the full Partner portrait.
**Switch:**
The Partner select screen can be accessed from most menus by selecting the diamond icon on the top of the screen that displays the currently active Partner. This screen contains the following:

* (right) Scrollable list of Partners, with their name, icon, and level. Pressing the star moves the Partner to the **Favorites** list at the top.
* (bottom) Partner information panel. Pressing the panel or the R button **seals** the Partner. This panel contains the following:
	+ Current **Level**.
	+ **FRAG** and **STEP** stats.
	+ Partner **Type**.
	+ Partner **skill** description.
		- Support type Partners will have a green underlay under the skill description, and Challenge type Partners will have a red underlay (with some exceptions).
		- Awakened Partners and Hikari & Tairitsu (Reunion) also show a Bypass button to switch skills.
	+ Partner art illustrator.
* (lower right) Partner list sorting button. Partners can be sorted by:
	+ Default
	+ Name (alphabetical)
	+ Level
	+ Step (STEP) stat
	+ Frag (FRAG) stat
* (upper left) Options to level up Partners.
	+ Level up Partners using **Ether Drops** or fragments (shows currently held Ether Drops).
	+ **Awaken** them using **Cores** (shows currently held Cores).
* (lower left) Buttons to review the info splash text, and to view the full Partner portrait.

## Partner List

**Mobile:**
* Level 30 stats are listed only for Partners that can be Awakened.
* Partners with *italicised names* can only be obtained from limited-time events in World Mode.

*[a] Tairitsu (Tempest)'s STEP stat is further increased by 0.1 for each level on all available partners (including herself), up to a maximum bonus of +60 STEP (for a maximum total of 160 STEP).*

*[b] Vita's OVER stat is increased by up to +10 for the next Beyond Chapter play, depending on the final Recollection Rate achieved in the most recent play.*

*[c] Hikari (Fatalis)'s STEP and OVER stats are further increased by 1 for every 30 tiles traversed in World Mode (excl. pre-v4.0 Event maps, Beyond Chapter, Infinite/Scenery maps), up to a maximum bonus of +100 STEP/OVER (for a maximum total of 310/300 STEP/OVER).*

*[d] All of Mika Yurisaki's stats will be doubled after a song play when her skill activates.*

*[e] Ilith & Ivy will receive up to 5 bonuses of +10 each to a random stat after a song play, depending on Recollection Rate (see Skill).*

*[f] Hikari & Vanessa will receive up to 5 penalties of -10 each to a random stat after a song play, depending on Recollection Rate (see Skill).*

*[g] Awakened Ilith will receive a +6 STEP bonus after a successful Track Complete for that song play.***Switch:**
* Level 30 stats are listed only for Partners that can be Awakened.
* Partners with *italicised names* are DLC exclusive.

*\* Tairitsu (Tempest)'s STEP stat is further increased by 0.1 for each level on all available partners (including herself), up to a maximum bonus of +60 STEP (for a maximum total of 160 STEP).*

*\*\* Hikari (Fatalis)'s STEP stat is further increased by 1 for every 30 tiles traversed in World Mode, up to a maximum of +80 bonus STEP (for a maximum total of 460 STEP).*

*\*\*\* Vita's STEP stat is increased by up to +10 for the next World Mode play, depending on the final Recollection Rate achieved in the most recent play.***Mobile:**
*See Partner List (Mobile) for the full list.***Switch:**
*See Partner List (Switch) for the full list.*
## Stats and Skills

Every Partner has **Mobile:** three stats **Switch:** two stats, which primarily affect rewards earned after playing songs.
Stats vary between Partners and will change depending on their Level.
Partners also have skills that affect gameplay, and are categorised into one of several types based on their skill.

Note that the stats displayed in-game are generally rounded down from their internal values, where reward calculations use these internal values rather than the displayed values.

### Frag

Influences the amount of Fragments earned for playing songs in Music Play mode and World Mode. A multiplier of FRAG/50 is applied to Fragments earned after a play, so every 1 FRAG above or below 50 equates to 2% fragments above or below the default amount (see Currency).

* *Example: a FRAG stat of 78 corresponds to a 1.56x Fragment multiplier, or a 56% increase.*

### Step

Influences the number of Steps earned after playing songs in World Mode. A multiplier of STEP/50 is applied to Steps earned after a play, so every 1 STEP above or below 50 equates to 2% steps above or below the default amount (see World Mode Mechanics).

* *Example: a STEP stat of 35 corresponds to a 0.70x Step multiplier, or a 30% decrease.*

### Overdrive

**Mobile:**
Shortened as "OVER". Influences the Progression gained after playing songs in Lost Chapter: Beyond. A multiplier of OVER/50 is applied to map progress earned after a play, so every 1 OVER above or below 50 equates a 0.02 increase or decrease to the multiplier (not to be confused with Progression %).

* *Example: an OVER stat of 61 corresponds to a 1.22x multiplier or a 22% increase.*
**Switch:**
*Partners in the Switch version do not have an OVER stat.*
### Type

A quick indicator of the Partner's characteristics. This is based on a Partner's skill.
There are three types of Partners (with a small handful of exceptions):

* **Support** - Partners with a skill that makes clearing songs significantly easier.
* **Balance** - Partners without skills, or whose skills have less impact on difficulty.
* **Challenge** - Partners with a skill that makes clearing songs significantly harder.

### Skill

Most Partners have skills that alter gameplay and difficulty. Skills can be categorised by the effects they have on gameplay, and certain Partners have skills with multiple effects.

#### Effects

* **EASY**: Easy Recollection Rate is used, which depletes the Gauge less for LOST note judgements.
	+ All Partners with this skill effect are "Support" type. Some EASY skill Partners use variants of this Gauge.
	+ Clearing a song when this effect is active marks the song with a green C.
* **HARD**: Hard Recollection Rate is used. The Gauge instead starts at 100, but with a significantly higher penalty for LOST note judgements. Having the Gauge drop to 0 instantly results in a Track Lost.
	+ All Partners with this skill effect are "Challenge" type. Some HARD skill Partners use variants of this Gauge.
	+ Clearing a song when this effect is active marks the song with a red C.
* **MIRROR**: The horizontal position of all notes are mirrored.
* **VISUAL**: Skills that activate visual effects during gameplay (e.g. Tairitsu & Trin, Awakened Lethe).
* **AUDIO**: Skills that activate audio-based effects during gameplay (e.g. Hikari & Seine).
* Other named skills (see individual Partner pages for details):
	+ **OVERFLOW** (unique to Hikari (Fracture)): Easy Recollection Rate is initially used, and transitions to Hard when the Gauge reaches 100.
	+ **CHUNITHM** (unique to Tairitsu (Grievous Lady) & Chuni Penguin): Visual skill that replaces the default Recollection Gauge with a CHUNITHM-themed series of Gauges.
	+ **O.N.G.E.K.I.** (unique to Luna & Mia, Saki, and Setsuna): Introduces an O.N.G.E.K.I.-themed Overdamage mechanic that grants Fragment bonuses upon reaching 100 Rate.
	+ **MUSE DASH** (unique to Marija): Visual skill that makes Sky notes fade as they approach the judgement area.
	+ **Recall/Lose Emotions** (unique to Ilith & Ivy and Hikari & Vanessa): Overlays the Gauge with "Emotion" segments that incur song-end stat bonuses/penalties based on Rate.
* Other unnamed skill effects:
	+ Skills that introduce variations on the basic default/Easy/Hard Recollection Gauges.
	+ Fragment effects, which provide a bonus or incur a penalty of Fragments at song end under certain conditions (e.g. Eto, Kou).
	+ Stat effects, which incur **Mobile:** FRAG/STEP/OVER **Switch:** FRAG/STEP stat bonuses or penalties at song end (e.g. Ilith & Ivy), or for future song plays (e.g. Vita).
	+ Skills that affect World Mode progression by other means, either via direct Step bonuses/penalties (e.g. Mithra Tercera), or by affecting map Tiles (e.g. Amane, who ignores Random and Fixed Speed effects).

### Sealing

Partners can be sealed by selecting their information panel in the selection screen. This sets all stats to 50 and deactivates their Skill. The panel can be selected again to unseal the Partner. Skills and stats are automatically sealed when offline or not logged in, with the exception of Hikari's skill. Sealed Partners will not gain EXP for plays in World Mode.

## Levelling

Partners can be levelled up by obtaining EXP from playing in World Mode or using Ether Drops. Levelling up Partners improves one or more of their **Mobile:** FRAG, STEP, and OVER stats **Switch:** FRAG and STEP stats (with the exception of Hikari (Zero)).

Partners start off at level 1 when obtained, and max out at level 20 (with the exception of Hikari & Tairitsu (Reunion), who start/cap at level 20/30). Certain Partners can be Awakened, which raises their level cap to 30. Partners can only gain EXP (Experience Points) while playing in World Mode. In general, the stat gain per level improves up to level 10, with diminishing returns afterwards.

### EXP Computation

After completing a song in World Mode, the selected Partner gains EXP based on the result rating:

# EXP Gained
6
×
Play Rating

{\displaystyle \text{EXP Gained} = 6\times\text{Play Rating}}

More information on Play Rating can be found here. All Partners share the same EXP requirements for levelling. Level 1 requires 0 exp (starting level), and the requirements increase for higher levels.

**EXP** **Requirements**

**EXP Gain Sample Data**

*Data source: network intercepting*

### Ether Drops

**Ether Drops** are consumable items that increase Partner EXP. Ether Drops are received as rewards in World Mode, although only sometimes displayed on the map rewards screens. **Mobile:** Ether Drops that are collected during limited time events will remain in players' inventories after events become inactive, but uncollected ones will remain unavailable unless events are rerun. As of v3.8.6, they are also received as bonuses for purchasing songs or song packs, with 1 Ether Drop generally being provided per 100 Memories spent. **Switch:** They are also received as bonuses for purchasing DLC song packs.

Each consumed Ether Drop adds 250 EXP towards levelling up a Partner. At higher Partner levels, a single Ether Drop is not enough for a level up. Multiple Ether Drops may be consumed at once**Mobile:** (as of v2.3.0)**Switch:** . Upon selecting the boost button, a confirmation window appears displaying the Partner level and % EXP after consumption.

Examples:

* *A Partner at level 1, after consuming an Ether Drop, will reach level 5 immediately.*
* *A Partner at level 11 with 1660 EXP, after consuming an Ether Drop, will still be at level 11 with 1910 EXP.*

## Awakening

**Awakening** is a system **Mobile:** added in 2.0.0,**Switch:**  where certain Partners can be awakened by consuming Cores. This will:

* Increase their level cap to 30.
* Change their Partner icon and appearance.
* Give them new skills (in some cases).

There are 2 requirements for awakening a Partner:

* The Partner is at Level 20.
* The required Cores are owned, which will be consumed on awakening. Core requirements are listed below and on each Partner's respective page.

After awakening a Partner, a splash text reading "Awakening Reached" is displayed. Levelling a Partner past this point allows for further stat increase.

The following Partners can currently be awakened:

**Mobile:**

* Hikari
* Tairitsu
* Kou
* Lethe
* Eto
* Luna
* Shirabe
* Ayu
* Nono Shibusawa
* Haruna Mishima
* Regulus (MDA-21)
* Pandora Nemesis (MTA-XXX)
* Brillante (E/S Primera)
* Yume
* Isabelle Yagrush
* Seele Haze
* Ilith
* Mithra Tercera
* Kanae
**Switch:**
- Hikari

- Tairitsu

- Kou

- Lethe

- Shirabe

- Eto

- Luna

- Ayu

- Yume

### Bypass

**Mobile:** As of v2.6.0,**Switch:**  Awakened Partner skills can be bypassed via a button located next to their skill description panel. This button toggles between their Awakened and pre-Awakened skills, as well as their icon and art. Stats are unaffected by bypasses.

The most practical use of this feature would be for Partners with gameplay-altering skills which change after Awakening (e.g. Lethe).

### Cores

**Mobile:**
Cores are consumable items added in v2.0.0, and are required for Partner Awakenings.
Awakening a Partner requires the consumption of 30 Cores for Arcaea original Partners, or 15 for collaboration Partners. The Core requirement may be of a single type, or a mix of two types for Main and Side Story Partners.

Cores are available as rewards in World Mode maps, and are displayed on the rewards screens for their respective maps.
The following table lists all Core types, Partners that require those Cores for their Awakening, and the World Mode Maps where they can be obtained. Note that Cores for limited event Partners are only available from limited time event maps (denoted in *italics*). Cores that are collected during these events will remain in players' inventories after the events become inactive, but uncollected ones will be unavailable unless events are rerun.

**Switch:**
Cores are consumable items that are required for Partner Awakenings.
Awakening a Partner requires the consumption of 30 Cores of a single type.

Cores are available as rewards in World Mode maps, and are displayed on the rewards screens for their respective maps.
The following table lists all Core types, Partners that require those Cores for their Awakening, and the World Mode Maps where they can be obtained. DLC-exclusive Cores, Partners, and maps are denoted in *italics*.

## Trivia

**Mobile:**
* Partners were part of the game at launch, but it was not until version 1.5.0, when World Mode was introduced, that they gained skills and stats and could be leveled up.