Combat Guide: Battle Mechanics Explained

DioField Chronicle features a real time strategy system that has you move and flow through combat easily. Read on to learn the ropes and all the basics of the combat system, including various tips and tricks to achieve victory on the field!

Combat Basics Guide

Movement

Select and Move Units Across the Field Create a Movement Path Order All Units

Select & Move Units Across the Field

Basic Movement Controls
・Use the or WASD to move the cursor/camera around. ・Use or Left Mouse Button to select one of your units and again to order them to move to a destination. ・Hold down or the Left Mouse Button to select multiple units.

Create a Movement Path

・Use or Left Shift after you've selected a unit to set Waypoints for your movement path.

Setting Waypoints will make it easier for your troops to circle around obstacles and avoid danger, or get behind an enemy.

Order All Units

・Use or Left Ctrl to select all units. ・Then, use to move all of them toward a single destination.

Ordering all units to move at the same time is useful if you want to make a quick retreat, or focus all manpower on a single enemy.

Controls and Best Settings

Attacking

Select Enemy to Attack Attack from Behind to Ambush Watch Out for the Enemy Detection Range Sharpshooters Can Attack on Sight

Select Enemy to Attack

・Once you have selected a friendly unit, use on an enemy unit to attack it.

Your unit will keep on attacking the enemy unit until either one of them is defeated.

Attack from Behind to Ambush

Attacking an enemy's back inflicts Ambush damage, which is more powerful than regular frontal damage.

Note: It is recommended to always engage an enemy from both sides, so that the other half of your team will always be inflicting Ambush damage. One unit can tank, while the rest deal damage from behind.

Watch Out for the Enemy Detection Range

An enemy will notice you if you step into their Detection Range, indicated by a reddish circle surrounding them.

A good tactic is to let your main attacker sneak up from behind, hit them with an ambush attack to draw their attention and make them turn around, and send in the rest of your team from the front to deal more ambush damage.

Sharpshooters Can Attack on Sight

Sharpshooters are units that attack from long range. Sharpshooters have a cone of vision in front of them that allows them to auto-attack any enemy that passes through.

This is like an “overwatch” function from other tactics games and can be used to deal immediate damage to enemies without having to move from your location or command them to attack.

Sharpshooter Class Guide: Related Character & Skills

Issuing Commands

Using Skills and Items Using Magilumic Orbs Interacting with Objects Reviving Units Switching Units

Using Skills & Items

・Use or Spacebar to open the commands list, where you can order a unit to use a use an Item in your inventory, or use a Skill, which can both aid you in battle.

Using Skills requires EP; Each character has a set amount of EP. Furthermore, each skill has its own cooldown period before it can be used again.
List of All Skills

Using Magilumic Orbs

Opening the commands list also gives you access to Magilumic Orbs, which are extremely powerful items that consume TP when used.

TP fills up in your TP Gauge when you defeat enemies.
Magilumic Orb Guide: How to Use & Upgrade

Interacting with Objects

・Use to interact with objects on the battlefield.

Some of these objects can be Treasure Chests or environmental objects that allow you to proceed with the mission. Look closely around the battlefield to see which objects you can interact with.

Reviving Units

When a character's HP is reduced to 0, they will be incapacitated an unable to continue battle. This is indicated by a red skull mark over their body. To revive them, simply send another character to their location and perform and interact with them.

Note: If a unit falls in battle, you will be disqualified from earning the bonus mission reward that requires you keep all members alive.

How to Revive Allies

Switching Units

To Switch a unit out, head into the Command menu and select Switch Unit at the bottom left. You can only switch units 3 times in a single mission. Switching units in the midst of battle can save you from the brink of death.

It is also worth noting that switching out units restores ALL the EP of the switched out character, so if you're running low in the middle of a boss fight, do a quick switch out to restore all your EP.

Combat Information

Preparing for Battle The Class System Check Mission Info for Objectives Battle Status and Checkpoints Status Effects and Strengthening Effects Avoiding Enemy Skills Fighting Bosses

Preparing for Battle

At the start of every battle, you can prepare your troops in a number of ways:

• Change out your Equipment
• Edit unit formations and team comps
• Review active Quests
• Buy items at the Shop
• Level up the Skill Tree, Magilumic Orbs, and Weapon Development at the Institute
• Change system settings
• Return to Base
• Start Mission

Note: Some parts of the main quest will prevent you from using certain characters due to story progression. When this happens, make sure you adjust your party accordingly lest you enter battle with one unit less.

The Class System: Four Unit Types

Soldiers, Cavaliers, Sharpshooters, and Magickers are the four playable classes in The DioField Chronicle. These classes work together to form a strong offensive that you will need to defeat enemies in every mission.

• Soldiers take damage for the team
• Cavaliers control crowds of enemies and can quickly reposition themselves
• Sharpshooters debilitate enemies and provide support and damage from safety
• Magickers cast powerful magic spells or heal your entire party.

List of All Classes

Check Mission Info for Objectives

Your Mission Info is located at the top right of the screen, and tells you what your next objective is. Complete all objectives to finish the current mission.
Story Walkthrough: List of All Chapters

Battle Status and Checkpoints

・Use to zoom out of battle and get a complete view of the entire battlefield.

Doing so can help you plan your moves long-term, and figure out which enemies to tackle in what order, and from which directions to Ambush them from.

From here, you can also restart from a Checkpoint within the mission. If you are unhappy with how the mission is progressing, you can restart from a certain point in the mission without any penalites!

Status Effects and Strengthening Effects

Various status effects or ailments can debilitate your party members in different ways, reducing speed or damage. An icon of the ailments appears below the image of your party member at the bottom of the screen. Status effects can also be used on enemies to reduce their combat effectiveness.

Strengthening Effects, on the other hand, strengthen the combat effectiveness of your units by increasing their damage, defense, and the speed of movement, attack, and cooldowns.

All Status & Strengthening Effects Explained

Avoid Enemy Skills

When an enemy is about to use a skill, they will display a bright red area of effect. When this red area fills up, their skill will be unleashed.

Avoid getting hit by either moving out of the way or canceling their skill with one of your own skills. Do note that only certain skills with Stun, Freeze, Immobilize, or Sleep effects can interrupt enemy skills.

Fighting Bosses

Bosses are powerful enemies that have multiple health bars, indicated by the red dots above their health bar. Each red dot indicates a separate health bar that you have to deplete before the boss is defeated.

Do not take these bosses lightly, as they will be challenging to fight. Conserve your EP and TP in the early stages of a fight so you will be better prepared when you fight a boss.

Warning: If Bosses are inflicted with a status effect, they develop Status Effect Resistance, in which they become immune to the same status effect for 30 seconds.

DioField Chronicle Related Guides

Beginner's Guide

All Tips and Tricks