How Combat Works: Battle System Explained

The Battle System in Shin Megami Tensei V (SMT 5) is a turn-based battle system similar to previous SMT titles. Find out how enemy encounters work, learn about actions you can take in battle, Affinities, Magatsuhi Skills, Demon Negotiations, and more!

All Battle System Guides
Battle System Explained	Press Turn System Guide

Battle System Explained

Approach Enemies to Begin Battle

Out of combat, the world will be populated by various enemy types that you can approach to trigger combat. This allows you to selectively choose which enemies on a map you wish to go for – be warned, however, that when engaging with an enemy, there is a possibility you will face a whole group of enemies during the combat phase.

Sneak Up On Enemies for the First Strike

If you successfully manage to perform a sneak attack on an enemy in the overworld, your party will get the first turn in battle. This is a useful trick, as it gives you the advantage of taking out enemies on the first turn before they have an opportunity to damage your party.

Press Turn Battle System

A staple of SMT games, the Press Turn battle system in SMT 5 revolves around a turn-based system where enemies and the player take turns using abilities against each other.

Each turn has a limited number of actions, indicated by a number icon at the top right of the screen. By taking advantage of the Press Turn system, you can extend the number of actions in your party's turn by hitting enemies with their weakness. Just keep in mind that missing will reduce the number of actions in your turn, and enemies can benefit from this system as well, so be aware of your party's weaknesses.

Press Turn System Guide

Select Battle Actions

Once the battle commences, you will be presented with a list of actions to choose from on the left side of the screen, with each action costing 1 action point. These actions include Skills, Items, Guard, Change, Escape, and Pass.

Guarding Reduces Damage

Selecting the Guard command will reduce all damage received from an enemy. Even if player characters are hit with attacks they are elementally weak towards, the enemy will not receive an extra turn so long as you are guarding.

Passing Provides Extra Turn

Passing over an action to the next character in the turn order essentially skips to the next character will preserving the number of actions. So long as the next character in the turn order is not the enemy, using the Pass command both consumes one action and provides you with an extra action. Turn order is also based on your party order so keep this into consideration when planning out your battles.

Affinities and Battle Analysis Data

Each Demon has certain Strengths and Weaknesses, which are called Affinities in SMT V. Targeting an enemy for an attack will show their Battle Analysis Data, revealing their weaknesses and resistances if you have either analyzed them or found out their affinities through trial and error by testing out each element against them in past battles.

This information is very useful as it lets you exploit enemy weaknesses to get extra actions in your party's turn. Just keep in mind that enemies can exploit your party's weaknesses as well.

Demon Skills

Each character in your party has skills that they can use in combat. These skills are generally categorized into eight types:

• Offensive Physical Skills - Skills that consume MP to use and cause Physical Damage to one or more enemy
• Offensive Magic Skills - Skills that consume MP to use and cause Elemental Damage to one or more enemy
• Buffs - Skills that consume MP to temporarily raise the stats of your party
• Debuffs - Skills that consume MP to temporarily decrease the stats of enemies
• Status Effects - Skills that consume MP for a chance at inflicting enemies with a status ailment
• Healing - Skills that consume MP to restore HP or remove status ailments
• Passive Skills - Provide miscillaneous passive bonuses such as elemental damage multipliers, MP recovery, etc.
• Negotiation - Allows for Demons in your party to recruit other Demons, request items, or Macca.

Choosing which skills are right for you and your party is at the core of Shin Megami Tensei V's gameplay, so decide which skills you want carefully before heading into a challenging boss fight.

List of Skills and their Effects

Magatsuhi Skills

Magatsuhi Skills are a new addition to the SMT franchise where upon filling up the Magatsuhi meter found at the top right corner of the screen, characters can use special skills that provide benefits in battle such as buffs or dealing high amounts of damage to enemies. Also using Magatsuhi Skills does not reduce the number of actions in your party's turn.

Demon Negotiations

During battle, you will have the ability to converse with the demons you encounter. Successful negotiations will cause that demon to join you. Factors that affect Demon Negotiations include:

• Demon personality
• How you answer their questions
• The state of the moon (Magatsuhi)
• Negotiation Skills
• The type of Demon in your party used to negotiate

Keep these factors in mind before investing resources into a recruitment attempt.

Shin Megami Tensei V (SMT 5) Related Guides

Tips and Tricks | Beginner's Guide

Game Mechanics

Press Turn System Guide	Battle System Explained
List of Difficulty Modes	How to Fuse Demons
List of Affinities	Effects of Skill Potential
List of Status Ailments	How to Use Magatsuhi Skills
Moon Phases Effects	How to Fast Travel
Interactable Objects	How to Get Essences
All Miman Locations

Stat and Build Guides

All Stats Explained	Best Nahobino Builds
Strength	Vitality
Magic	Agility
Luck

Farming Guides

How to Level Up Fast	How to Farm Macca
How to Farm Glory	How to Farm Mitamas

Tips and Tricks

Best Names for the Nahobino	Best Demons to Use
Best Miracles Tier List	All Abscesses Locations
All Cironnup Locations	All Aogami Essence Locations
List of Special Fusions

FAQ

Apsaras or Leanan Sidhe	What Carries Over in NG+
Principality or Lilim	Should You Eat the Golden Apple?
Black Frost or Dionysus	Where to get the Horn of Plenty
How to Get Dragon Scales	Should You Spare Khonsu?
Futsunushi or Adramelech