Spirit Beast Battle Guide/Status Effects

Positive Status Effects

Airwall

---

Airwall causes all automatic attacks against the spirit beast to automatically fail. This failure will never result in generating a special ability charge for the user, but will not prevent special ability charges generated by dodging. Airwall lasts 10 turns.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Featherdancer	Stormfury
Titanic Shaman	Savage Prayer

Airwall Information Type	Airwall Information Content
Interactions	Airwall's block occurs after checking for a Dodge, which means the user can still generate charges defensively while Airwall is active, particularly while Fortified.
Strategies	Using Airwall You are effectively immune to automatic attacks while Airwall is active. You can use this time to wear down your opponent by forcing them to spend all their points using LASH and SPECIALs while you HEAL and automatically attack them. You can take your time while Airwall is active to build special ability charges with automatic attacks. Save your charges for when Airwall is about to end or you have sufficient charges to end the match. Maintaining stance advantage with DETECT or utilizing FORTIFY will increase your chances of generating special ability charges from your opponent's failed attacks.
	Against Airwall Because it is still possible to miss the opponent and possibly give them special ability charges, you must still DETECT to maintain stance advantage. It is HIGHLY recommended to conserve your points until after Airwall goes up. Once it goes up, adjust your playstyle to compensate for the inability to use automatic attacks. LASH and SPECIAL are not blocked by Airwall. If you run out of points and special ability charges while the opponent has Airwall up, you are probably going to lose. Do not let this happen. With some spirit beasts, you might be able to quickly kill the opponent with back to back SPECIALs or other high damaging attacks if you manage to weaken the opponent enough. In most cases, you get one shot at doing this and failure means the opponent will just HEAL the damage away.
Start Message	A protective wall of air swirls into being around Kolita's sylph.
Activation Message	With a single finger snap, your master arcanist attacks Kolita's winged sylph! As your the arcanist attempts to attack the sylph, a wall of air whirls between them, driving the arcanist back.
End Message	The protective wall of air around a serene winged sylph falls away.

Berserk

---

Berserk increases automatic attack damage and improves the chances of the spirit beast gaining Surges of Speed and dealing critical hits. The damage bonus appears to be about +50%. Berserk lasts 6 turns.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Frostwyrm	Cold Rage

Berserk Information Type	Berserk Information Content
Interactions	Unlike Haste, Berserk does not guarantee Surges of Speed but it does significantly increase the chance.
Strategies	Using Beserk Try to make sure you are in the correct stance before triggering Berserk. That way you do not have to waste a turn changing stance while it is active. Since your automatic attack will do much more damage while under Berserk, do not LASH unless the opponent cannot be hit (eg. FORTIFY, Airwall, etc.) with automatic attacks.
	Against Berserk FORTIFY is the best way to defend against Berserk due to the increased chances of high damaging attacks and surges of speed . Using a SPECIAL that that can prevent the opponent from acting such as Slow, Stun, or Unconscious can help avoid some of the danger. Using Sympathy can force the opponent to hurt themselves instead of you.
Start Message	Your serpent goes into a berserker rage!
Activation Message	Your blue serpent charges forward, enraged.
End Message	The berserker rage suffusing a winged blue serpent dims.

Bone Shield

---

Bone Shield causes all automatic attacks against the spirit beast to automatically fail. This failure will never result in generating a special ability charge for the user. Bone Shield lasts 10 turns or until 3 automatic attacks are blocked.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Lady of Skulls	Bonestorm

Bone Shield Information Type	Bone Shield Information Content
Interactions	Bone Shield's block occurs after checking for a missing and Fortify which means the user can still generate charges defensively while Bone Shield is active.
	Unlike Airwall, Bone Shield can be removed faster by attempting to attack the opponent.
Strategies	Using Bone Shield You are effectively immune to automatic attacks while Bone Shield is active. While it isn't as strong as Airwall, you can use this time to gain stance advantage, HEAL, or give you some breathing room.
	Against Bone Shield Because it is still possible to miss the opponent and possibly give them special ability charges, you must still DETECT to maintain stance advantage. It is HIGHLY recommended to conserve your points until after Bone Shield goes up. Once it goes up, adjust your playstyle to compensate for the inability to use automatic attacks. LASH and SPECIAL are not blocked by Bone Shield. Unlike Airwall, you can break Bone Shield with enough automatic attacks. You can use FORTIFY to maintain some defense while you chip away at the shield. Attrition-based spirit beasts may wish to apply pressure with LASH or SPECIAL, forcing your opponent to HEAL.
Start Message	Spinning bones form a shield around your arcanist.
Activation Message	Kolita's winged sylph lifts a graceful arm and sends a swirl of razor-edged feathers after your master arcanist! A rapidly spinning bone deflects the efforts of Kolita's sylph as it tries to attack the arcanist.
End Message	The bones swirling around a wizened master arcanist spiral away.

Haste

---

Haste causes the spirit beast to automatically gain a Surge of Speed on every action for the duration of the effect, including the turn it was activated. Haste lasts 5 actions.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Flameborn Lich	Time is the Fire
Dread Stallion	TBD

Haste Information Type	Haste Information Content
Interactions	TBD
Strategies	Using Haste Try to make sure you are in the correct stance before triggering Haste to avoid wasting actions on DETECT. Capitalize on guaranteed surge of speed to deal high burst damage, particularly with LASH and SPECIAL.
	Against Haste Using FORTIFY is the best defense against Haste. The flurry of blocked automatic attacks can generate a lot of special ability charges. Using a SPECIAL that that can prevent the opponent from acting such as Slow, Stun, or Unconscious can potentially waste charges of Haste. Using Sympathy can force the opponent to hurt themselves instead of you. Because the Surges of Speed will always happen, using Bleed or Immolate can serious injury to the opponent or force them to attempt to remove it with HEAL.
Start Message	The form of Pidro's stallion blurs with incredible speed!
Activation Message	The stallion surges with speed, hastening its next move.
End Message	The unnatural speed fades from a fiery-eyed midnight black stallion.

Regen

---

Regen causes the spirit beast to regain 10-20 health before performing an action. Regen heals three times and expires on the fourth action.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Ki-lin	Healing Horn
Moon Serpent	Lunar Charge
Mistwood Treant	Lifebloom

Regen Information Type	Regen Information Content
Interactions	Regen activates before the damage from Bleed and Immolate.
	Regen also activates on turns when your beast uses DETECT or HEAL, and under the effects of Stun or Unconscious.
Strategies	Using Regen Regen works best at mid-damage levels (decent, a little rough). Using it too early can waste charges if you return to perfect health. Using it too late may interfere with the effectiveness of HEAL and be insufficient to save you. Using DETECT will cause Regen to trigger faster due to the short interval between actions. Synergizes well with FORTIFY to block hits while slowly recovering with Regen.
	Against Regen If an opponent has Regen and you see the activation message with no corresponding action, it means your opponent used DETECT on your spirit beast. If you know the opponent has a Regen special that can only be used once, it may be worthwhile to focus on FORTIFY and ATTACK early in the fight in the hopes that some of the Regen will be wasted. It is usually best to let Regen run its course before attempting to deliver a killing blow. Even a small amount of healing can disrupt a good offensive strategy.
Start Message	In a whirl of healing light, restorative sparks of energy surround your serpent.
Activation Message	Glittering sparks of restorative energy restore 20 health to a ruby-eyed pale silver serpent.
End Message	The glittering sparks of restorative energy die down around a ruby-eyed pale silver serpent.

Reflective Shield

---

When a spirit beast with Reflective Shield is damage by an automatic attack, 75% of the damage inflicted will be dealt back to the attacker. Reflective Shield lasts ?? turns or until 3 automatic attacks are reflected.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Dwarven Zealot	Spirit of Adamantine
Ancient Jeweler	Jeweled Shield

Reflective Shield Information Type	Reflective Shield Information Content
Interactions	Missed or blocked automatic attacks will not trigger Reflective Shield. SPECIAL and LASH will not trigger Reflective Shield.
Strategies	Using Reflective Shield Reflective Shield works best against opponents with high Power (raw damage) or high Accuracy (high crit chance) but is always useful. Reflective Shield is not an offensive ability. The extra damage is nice but trying to bait strong attacks could get you killed if you are not careful.
	Against Reflective Shield Make sure you let Reflective Shield fall off before using SPECIAL abilities that grant Berserk or Haste. Otherwise, you might be dealing a lot of damage to yourself. If you know an opponent has Reflective Shield, focus on using ATTACK early in the fight and save your Action Points for LASH once it's active.
Start Message	Reflective energy cloaks the jeweler's form.
Activation Message	The reflective shield around an ancient halfling jeweler reacts violently, flaring reactively at a lithe grim-faced archer!
End Message	An ancient halfling jeweler's reflective shield twinkles away.

Rebirth

---

Rebirth causes the spirit beast to heal ??% health after their health reaches 0, usually preventing its death. Rebirth lasts until it is triggered.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Phoenix Hatchling	From the Ashes
Armament	Troll's Tenacity

Rebirth Information Type	Rebirth Information Content
Interactions	Death, and by extension Rebirth, immediately end the current round. This prevents negative effects from being applied if killed by an enemy SPECIAL but prevents your action from occurring if killed by a damage-over-time effect like Bleed. Rebirth is visible in a spirit beast's LOOK when active.
Strategies	Using Rebirth Getting Rebirth up should be a priority but not such a great priority that you need to LASH x4 to do it. Fight normally and only resort to LASH to get Rebirth up if your opponent has taken a sizeable lead. Once you come back to life, you will most likely be at "verge of death" or "critical" health. You may need to prioritize HEAL if your next action won't kill your opponent. Rebirth can be used to "soak" a heavy attack from the opponent such as a SEPCIAL. If both spirit beasts are on the verge of defeat, it might be better to press your advantage if you know that you'll survive the next attack.
	Against Rebirth Barring extreme luck or using specific beasts, it is almost a guarantee that your opponent is going to get Rebirth up at some point. Once the opponent gets Rebirth up, it will not go away until triggered. Keep this in mind when determining how to fight them. Rebirth counters quick kill strategies such as back to back SPECIAL by allowing the opponent an extra turn to HEAL. Instead, the best options are a slow attrition style to outlast your opponent, such as using Airwall or Regen, or overwhelming your opponent's Rebirth heal with massive damage.
Start Message	Kayos's hatchling is surrounded by a pulsing incandescent glow.
Activation Message	Phoenix Hatchling: A scintillating phoenix hatchling falls to the ground. Just as it appears that the hatchling has fallen, the pulsing incandescence around it ignites. The hatchling rises from the ground, the glow around it flaring brightly before going out. Armament: Against all odds, the urchin struggles for life with the tenacity of a troll!
End Message	n/a

Stat Boost

---

When the spirit beast use a Stat Boost special ability, one or more stats are increased. The stat boost lasts for the duration of the battle. Secondary status effects last their normal duration.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Golden Champion	Temper
Tortured Paladin	Aegis of Light
Mysterious Huntsman	Wisdom of the Woods
Dwarven Zealot	Spirit of Adamantine
Great Machinist	Fundamental Reassembly

Stat Boost Information Type	Stat Boost Information Content
Interactions	Regardless of effect, Stat Boosts are only useable once per battle and will be replaced by a normal 3 charge SPECIAL afterwards.
Strategies	Using Stat Boost Stat Boost SPECIAL abilities vary greatly in secondary effects. Some are just the buffs alone but others deal damage and provide other status effects. The best way to use each SPECIAL will vary greatly. In most cases, it is best to get the Stat Boost as quickly as possible. The quicker you get the boost, the longer you have to use it.
	Against Stat Boost Knowing what the opponent's Stat Boost does is very important for determining how to fight it. For example, facing a SPECIAL that increases Power, it would be wise to FORTIFY once the Stat Boost is active.
Start Message	Varies: Millaus's golden-clad warrior unleashes its special ability! The warrior calls upon the power of its Arkati to bolster its strength and defenses. A steely hardness settles into the warrior's skin and musculature. Flaish's inhuman machinist unleashes its special ability! The machinist draws upon tremendous cosmic powers. Ripples of matter and energy travel through its form as it redesigns itself at a fundamental level, altering the essential laws that govern it. When the machinist is whole once more, it appears considerably more dangerous.
Activation Message	n/a
End Message	n/a

Negative Status Effects

Bleed

---

Bleed causes the afflicted spirit beast to lose health before performing an action. The health lost is roughly 5% of the spirit beast's max health. Bleed will activate 4 times, not including HEAL turns.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Ghostfin	Hunger of the Deep
Rose Lord	Embrace of Thorns
Pale Woman	Bloody Precision
flayer	Crimson Offering

Bleed Information Type	Bleed Information Content
Interactions	Similar to Regen, using the Detect action will cause Bleed to trigger faster, due to short interval between turns. If a spirit beast has both Bleed and Regen status effects active, Regen will activate before Bleed. If an opponent is Bleeding and you see the activation message with no action message, it means your opponent just used Detect. Having a Surge of Speed while bleeding can be dangerous due to the sudden increase of damage. Gaining Haste while bleeding is very dangerous and you might end up dying before you can react if your health is too low.
Strategies	Using Bleed Bleed SPECIAL abilities mostly deal standard damage and add the effect for an additional cost, making them difficult to activate back-to-back. The ongoing damage is useful to offset the effect of Regen or to apply constant minor pressure regardless of your own beast's actions. SPECIAL will not stack or refresh Bleed duration, but will still deal damage against a Bleeding target.
	Against Bleed Bleed damage is static, making it relatively easy to predict whether you'll survive your next action. If you know that your spirit beast will survive and can kill your opponent, it's safe to ignore. HEAL will activate without triggering Bleed damage and has a 1-in-3 chance of removing the effect.
Start Message	Your arcanist begins to seep life energy.
Activation Message	Vital life energy seeps from your arcanist's wounds. ...7 damage!
End Message	Your arcanist ceases to bleed.

Distract

Distract does not have any noticeable effect on the afflicted spirit beast but it is assumed to reduce the beast's chance to hit with automatic attacks as well as reduced the probability of actions succeeding by an unknown amount. Distract lasts ?? turns.

Interactions:

• It is assumed that Distract affects critical hits, blocking attacks with Fortify, Detecting the opponent's stance, and possibly more.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
ravenous incubus	Thirst
Drowned Lover	Heartache
Headless Pooka	Pitiful Stare

Start Message:

Activation Message:

End Message:

Immolate

Immolate covers the opponent in flames which deal damages to the spirit beast before they performing an action on their turn. Immolate deals between 10% and 15% of the spirit beast's max health when it activates. Distract lasts 2 turns.

Interactions:

• Immolate functions the exact same as Bleed except it deals higher, more varied damage over a shorter duration. Any Interactions that apply to Bleed also apply to Immolate.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Pyrelord	Pyrelight
reckless firestormer	Burning Cloud

Start Message:

Magical flames roar up around your arcanist.

Activation Message:

The fires burning around your arcanist flare up!
...14 damage!

End Message:

The fires burning around your arcanist die down.

Madness

Madness causes the afflicted spirit beast to become uncontrollable and will attempt to automatically attack every turn. The spirit beast cannot be commanded to take any action other than Heal. Madness lasts ?? turns.

Interactions:

• If you wait for Madness to end naturally without trying to Heal, your spirit beast will perform the action it was commanded to take. This may or may not be a good thing.
• It is recommended to immediately Detect once Madness ends because your opponent will probably have stance advantage.
• Madness does not affect the spirit beast's damage or critical chance in anyway. Spirit beasts with high Power or Accuracy might be able to use Madness to their advantage if they are healthy and have stance advantage.
• The afflicted spirit beast can still benefit from special effects such as Surge of Speed and Flash of Insight. It can also block attacks with Fortify provided the command was used before being afflicted with Madness.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
scaled shaper	Summon Lurks
Nightchild	Kiss of the Jackal
Demonic Echo	Sheer Fear

Start Message:

Activation Message:

End Message:

Slow

Slow dramatically reduces the Speed stat of the afflicted spirit beast. The exact amount is unknown but it is assumed to be 50%. Slow lasts ?? turns.

Interactions:

• The Slowed spirit beast will usually get 1 turn for every 2 turns the opponent.
• Detect can be used to try to rush through Slow but you might not have the time to due so if your life is low.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Two-headed Snake	Double-Strike
Frost Lich	Freezing Grip

Start Message:

Activation Message:

End Message:

Stun

Stun makes the afflicted spirit beast unable to be commanded or take any actions other than Heal. Slow lasts 2 turns.

Interactions:.

• The activation message will not give you an end of round update on your remaining health. It is very easy to lose due to Stun if you are not careful.
• If you wait for Stun to end naturally without trying to Heal, your spirit beast will perform the action it was commanded to take. This may or may not be a good thing.
• It is recommended to immediately Detect once Stun ends because your opponent will probably have stance advantage.
• The afflicted spirit beast can still benefit from Flash of Insight. It can also block attacks with Fortify provided the command was used before being Stunned.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
painted doll	Reality Render
Whiskey Spirit	Douse
willow spirit	Boil Earth
weeping farlook	Gorgon Stare
Saltsinger	Stunning Strike

Start Message:

Activation Message:

Your arcanist stumbles about in a daze.

>DETECT
Your master arcanist is stunned and cannot heed your commands!

End Message:

Your arcanist shakes off the stun afflicting it.

Sympathy

While under the effects of Sympathy, there is a chance that any automatic attack damage, including critical hits, will be dealt to the afflicted spirit beast instead of the opponent. Sympathy lasts 6 turns.

Interactions:

• It is usually better to "waste turns" by using other actions such as Detect, Fortify, Lash, or Special instead of risking the self-damage from Sympathy.
• There is no change in the damage calculation when Sympathy triggers. If the spirit beast was going to deal 20 damage to the opponent when sympathy triggers, they will instead deal 20 damage to themselves.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
Oceanic Oracle	Mentalism
Questionable Warcat	Bellyflop
Rotting Seductress	Seduction
krolvin warfarer	Break Will

Start Message:

Your arcanist's eyes shine with sympathy for Ysaea's seductress.

Activation Message:

With a single finger snap, your master arcanist transmutes the air to water around Ysaea's elven seductress!  At the last moment, your arcanist succumbs to the effects of Sympathy and turns on itself!
...9 damage!

End Message:

Your arcanist's eyes cease to glow with sympathy.

Unconscious

Unconscious cause the target to fall asleep, where it cannot be commanded or take any actions other than Heal. Unconscious immediately ends if the target is attacked in any way. Unconscious lasts ?? turns.

Interactions:

• Unconscious is considered to be a weaker version of Stun due to the effect ending after an attack.
• If you put your opponent to sleep, you have the opportunity to Heal, Fortify, or Detect before starting to attack again.
• It still possible to block attacks with Fortify while Unconscious.
• The spirit beast must take damage to wake up from Unconscious. If the damage is blocked by Fortify, Airwall, Bone Shield, or an automatic attack misses, the spirit beast will not wake up.

Sources:

Spirit Beast	Special Ability
mournful nymph	Slumber Song
Weary Rider	Dreamstrike

Start Message:

Your arcanist falls into a drowsing slumber.

Activation Message:

Your arcanist snores loudly, unable to shake off the magical slumber.

>SPECIAL
Your master arcanist is asleep and cannot hear your commands!

End Message:

Startled by the attack, a wizened master arcanist shakes free from slumber!