Combat
Combat covers how the four elements play out in a fight. The core relationship — each element counters its diagonal opposite — is settled. The offense/defense model and encounter tiers below are proposed and not yet final.
For the elements, the square, and affinity, see Pneuma.
The counter rule
Each element answers exactly one other — its diagonal opposite — and is answered by that same one:
- Fire ↔ Water
- Air ↔ Earth
Countering is an action, not a damage multiplier: you put the fire out, you ground the storm. This is the same diagonal that governs annihilation and affinity suppression (see Pneuma#Synergy and dissonance).
Offense and defense (proposed)
Two rules, both on the diagonal:
- Offense. A boss defends in some element. You deal real damage by attacking with its diagonal counter.
- Defense. A boss attacks in some element. You blunt it by casting that element's diagonal counter as an action — quench the fire, ground the storm.
A boss's defensive form and its attack are usually different elements, so you juggle two active elements at once: an offensive one and a defensive one.
Edges and matchups
The square splits into two opposed edges along each quality axis. The natural two-element build is one edge — an allied pair sharing a quality:
- Hot — Fire + Air
- Cold — Water + Earth
- Wet — Air + Water
- Dry — Fire + Earth
Because counter = diagonal, you fight a boss with the edge opposite the edge it currently shows. A boss showing the hot edge (fire/air) demands the cold edge (water/earth) from you, and vice versa.
- A specialist owns one edge: dominant against the opposite edge, weak against their own edge's mirror.
- A master owns all four elements: no weak edge, no bad matchup. Mastery of all elements lets a player transcend the wheel and stand alone where others need a partner.
No fixed party roles
Elements are not locked to roles (tank/heal/DPS). Every serious player is expected to build proficiency across the wheel and switch reactively as a boss shifts, the way RuneScape players switch attack styles. Cooperation comes from covering matchups: a player weak against the current edge brings a partner whose edge covers it. That interdependence is strongest while leveling and fades for the rare master who can answer everything solo.
Difficulty by coverage (proposed)
A boss's difficulty is how much of the square it forces you to answer:
| Boss type | Forces you to answer | Who can solo it |
|---|---|---|
| Single form (one element) | One counter | Anyone whose edge covers it |
| Single edge (rotates within one edge) | The opposite edge | A specialist in that opposite edge; others bring a partner |
| Full square (rotates all four) | All four elements | Only a master; everyone else pairs up |
"Master content" is content that demands total mastery — so completing the mastery-of-all grind unlocks a tier of solo play otherwise gated behind a complementary partner.
Worked example: a two-phase boss (proposed)
A boss that rotates edges mid-fight:
| Phase | Boss form (attack with) | Boss attacks with (quench with) | Edge you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Frost Aegis | Water → Fire | Earth → Air | Hot (fire + air) |
| 2 — Emberveil | Air → Earth | Fire → Water | Cold (water + earth) |
Against a hot-edge specialist (strong fire/air, suppressed water/earth):
- Phase 1 is their strength: attack with fire, quench with air, both mastered. Casts are cheap; the pool barely dips.
- Phase 2 is their weakness: earth and water answer dearly and feebly. Attacks chip slowly, quenches barely hold, and each low-affinity cast bleeds the pool fast. This is where they bring a cold-edge partner, for whom Phase 2 is easy.
Against a master (all four high): both phases flow — fire → earth on offense, air → water on defense, tracking the boss's rotation. No bad phase.
Open questions
- The efficiency gap between a mastered and an unmastered cast — together with the suppression strength — decides whether a bad-matchup phase reads as "hard but doable" or "unplayable." This is the key tuning dial. See Pneuma#Open questions.
- Whether the offense/defense model above is the final combat shape or a starting point.
- How hybrids factor into combat (a hot-edge player casting lightning, and so on).