A skill is a major component of a hero's fighting prowess, which uses fury generated during the battle to perform a flashy move of varying effects. Each support hero has one skill available to use, while each main hero has two skills to choose from, based on the weapon equipped.
Skill Damage[]
Damage from a skill also is usually calculated from two separate components: the base damage is the fixed amount of damage that will be given based on the skill level, and the scaled damage is the amount of damage that will be done that is affected by both the skill level, and the damage of the user. These numbers are usually portrayed in the following format: Base Damage (+Scaled Damage).
Scaled damage presented in the hero information screen is calculated by taking the rounded down average of the hero's minimum damage and maximum damage, and multiplying the result by the damage scaling which is dependent on the skill level, which is then again rounded down. In short, the formula for calculating the given scaled damage is
For example, calculating the scaled damage for William with skill level 50 with a damage range of 626-735 will become
William's base skill damage at level 50 is 520, and the scaled damage is calculated at 1149. Therefore, the damage of the skill that will be shown on William's information screen will be 520 (+1149).
Heal and shield strength is also determined in the same way, but heals are shown in green (Heal (+Scaled Heal)) and shield strength is shown in cyan (Shield (+Scaled Shield))
Types of Skills[]
Most skills can be classified as either offensive or defensive, with the offensive-type skills offering varying amounts damage and often times debuffs to hinder the enemy, and the defensive-type skills usually offering heals or shields, often including buffs to help allies.
Offensive Skills[]
Offensive skills are skills usually designed to damage the enemy. Often times, offensive skills also come with debuffs that are designed to reduce the effectiveness of the enemy, or further damage the enemy. These debuffs are applied at a chance for some skills, and without fail for other skills.
Types of Offensive Debuffs and Status Effects[]
Attack Debuff = A debuff that reduces the enemy's attack. An attack debuff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the debuff. An attack debuff application by another skill will show up on the status counters, but only the highest value will affect the target. This debuff ignores boss immunity. This debuff usually lasts for 3 turns, being refreshed upon another application by the same skill.
Defense Debuff = A debuff that reduces the enemy's defense. A defense debuff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the debuff. A defense debuff application by another skill will show up on the status counters, but only the highest value will affect the target. This debuff ignores boss immunity. This debuff usually lasts for 3 turns, being refreshed upon another application by the same skill.
Provoked = A status effect that provokes the enemy and raises the enmity of the affected target towards the user. Although this debuff is usually paired up with an attack debuff, it is still possible for this skill to be quite dangerous towards the user when used inappropriately. Note that, although the skill forcibly raises the enmity towards the user, it is still possible for another hero to have a higher enmity. This status effect has negligable effect in PvP, unless the player does not have control over the afflicted target, such as being in Hero Wars or having the affected target also be under the influence of Charm. Provoke ignores boss immunity. This debuff usually lasts for 3 turns.
Silence = Renders the affected target to be unable to use skills. The affected target can still be controlled by its owner, and does not stop the target from moving or using basic attacks. Silence is affected by boss immunity. Silence usually lasts for 1 turn, although there exist cases where the status effect lasts for 2 turns.
Charm = Renders the affected target to be unable to use skills, and force the affected target to perform a basic attack on the enemy with the higest enmity. This status effect forces the affected target to perform the basic attack at the beginning of the affected target's owner's turn, and is unlikely to be cured from before the basic attack occurs. Charm is affected by boss immunity. Charm usually lasts for 1 turn.
Stun = Stuns the target so that the affected target is unable to perform any action during the affected period. The affected target is unable to move, use skills, or perform basic attacks. If this status effect is cleansed, the target will be available to perform any action immediately on that same turn. Stun is affected by immunity. Stun usually lasts for 1 turn.
Heal Reduction = A status effect that reduces any heals done on the affected target. Heal block is not affected by boss immunity.
Displacement = A forcible movement done by a skill to move the affected target in a predetermined direction. Bosses are not affected by knockbacks.
Dispel = A forcible removal of all positive effects on the affected target.
Delayed Damage = A debuff in which a target is marked to take large damage the turn after in which it is applied. Delayed damage from the same skill can only be primed once on each target, effectively meaning that the damage can only be dealt a maximum of once every 2 turns on the same target. Receiving damage from a delayed damage generates fury. Delayed damage is not affected by boss immunity.
Delayed Explosion = A debuff in which a target is marked to explode, dealing large damage in a cross pattern after the turn in which it is applied. Delayed explosion from the same skill can only be primed once on each target, effectively meaning that the explosion can only be caused a maximum of once every 2 turns on the same target. However, it is possible to prime an adjacent target with the explosion to cause more damage. Receiving damage from a delayed explosion generates fury. However, having additional targets hit by the same explosion will not cause more fury to be generated. A shield will block damage caused by a delayed explosion as long as it lasts. Delayed explosion can critically strike. Delayed explosion is not affected by boss immunity.
Bleed / Burn / Freeze / Poison / Shock = Debuffs that cause additional damage over multiple turns, often called damage over time, or more simply, DoT's. Damage from the DoT's will be applied on the beginning of the target's turn, potentially killing the target before it has a chance to recover. Although the DoT will not be stacked with consecutive applications from the same skill (it will instead refresh the duration), DoT's applied from other skills will stack, even if they are of the same type (ie. Vera's bleed proc will stack on top of Hanson's bleed proc). Other than the name of the DoT and the status symbol, perhaps to distinguish between each DoT application easier, there seems to be no significant difference between any of the DoT's. These effects generally last for 3 turns each, being refreshed upon being applied again by the same skill, and receiving damage from any of the DoT's will generate fury. None of the DoT's are affected by boss immunity.
Expose = A debuff that causes the next hit taken by the affected target to be a guaranteed critical hit. Expose can be seen as a debuff counterpart to the critical buff. The expose debuff will be consumed once the target has been damaged by any attack that is able to perform critical hits (normal attack, damaging skill, and delayed explosion), or wear off on its own after 3 turns. Expose seems to be prone to glitches when used in auto-battles. Expose is not affected by boss immunity.
Defensive Skills[]
Defensive skills are skills designed to either heal and/or strengthen allies. Although these effects may not be as noticeable as the effects provided from offensive skills, they do contribute in giving the allied party extra boosts in power, and otherwise prolong the survival of heroes, sometimes significantly to allow the player to win fights the player would have otherwise lost.
Types of Defensive Buffs and Status Effects[]
Regeneration = A buff in which the target regenerates HP at the beginning of every turn. Regeneration heals will be applied before the damage of DoT / Delayed Damage / Delayed Explosion occurs. A regeneration buff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the buff, but a regeneration buff applied by another skill will stack. Regeneration usually lasts for 3 turns.
Shield = A shield that protects the target from damage and lasts as long as the damage sustained by the shield does not exceed the shield strength. The shield has an HP value equivalent to its shield strength, and provides the user with an increase in defense and reduction in skill damage sustained as long as it is active. As long as the shield holds, all damage sustained will be shown as a "MISS", and the target will receive no damage, and will not be affected by some status effects or debuffs that would otherwise be applied; however, there are still status effects that will be applied through the shield, such as stun. Skills from allied targets will not be affected by the shield. The shield has no indication of remaining strength, and once broken, any extra damage will be applied normally, along with any debuffs and status effects. The shield can be forcibly removed with a dispel, and the damage sustained with the dispel will not be blocked by the shield. Shields given by the same skill will only refresh the shield strength to its maximum value along with its duration, but shields given by a different skills will stack. An unbroken and unrefreshed shield will usually last for 2 turns.
Attack Buff = A buff that increases the ally's attack. An attack buff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the buff, but an attack buff applied by another skill will stack. This buff usually lasts for 3 turns, being refreshed upon another application by the same skill.
Defense Buff = A buff that increases the ally's defense. A defense buff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the buff, but a defense buff applied by another skill will stack. This buff usually lasts for 3 turns, being refreshed upon another application by the same skill.
Skill Damage Reduction = A buff that decreases skill damage sustained by the target. This buff is only active with an active shield, and is not a buff on its own. This buff lasts as long as the shield is active, and is only refreshed upon the refresh of the shield.
Critical Rate Buff = A buff that increases the ally's critical hit rate. A critical hit rate buff applied by the same skill will only refresh the duration of the buff, but a critical hit rate buff applied by another skill will stack. This buff will last for 2 or 3 turns, being refreshed upon another application by the same skill.
Cleanse = Immediately removes all negative effects currently affecting the target.
Skill Shield = Immediately removes all effects currently affecting the target, regardless whether positive or negative, and provides a shield that protects the target from being targetted by enemy skills. However, the target protected by Skill Shield can still be targeted by skills with the Dispel debuff, in which case the Skill Shield is removed and exposes the protected target to be targetted by enemy skills again. Currently, this buff also prohibits ally skill use on the target that would grant the target any buffs. Skill Shield lasts for 1 turn from Guinevere, and 2 turns on enemy usage.