(last updated: 03/27/18)COUNTER is an Ability that represents the talent to catch and/or redirect certain attacks. Some characters, such as Karin and Daimon, catch the incoming attack in their hands, and then strike or slam their attacker. Others, such as Takuma, block the attack with one hand, and launch an immediate counter-attack with the other. The result is more or less the same; they take advantage of their opponent's momentum and aggression to damage them.
The COUNTER Ability allows you to use attacks with the COUNTER effect. The COUNTER effect modifes attacks in the following manner:
- You can Counter PHYSICAL and THROW attacks, taking no damage and dealing instant damage to the attacker.
- You can Catch PHYSICAL or THROW projectile attacks, taking no damage.
- COUNTER has no effect against attacks without PHYSICAL or THROW.
- COUNTER attacks can also be used as regular attacks.
Interrupting PHYSICAL and THROW attacks, is the bread and butter of the COUNTER ability. The fighter has found a way to actively redirect the momentum of their opponent's attack aside while simultaneously dealing damage to the opponent.
A COUNTER user can Catch PHYSICAL and THROW Projectiles -- that is, stopping the projectile from causing damage -- with a small penalty of success. If you are successful in Catching a projectile, there is a [50]% refund on the reserve expended, if any.
COUNTER has no effect on attacks without PHYSICAL or THROW damage types.
A Counter interrupt is performed the same as any other interrupt: 'interrupt < attack number > = < name of interrupt >' (See interrupts for more)
Attacks with both COUNTER and PRIORITY will be [6]% more likely to successfully Counter Supers or MAXes.
Interrupting with a Counter attack after using the STYLE ability on the same turn will incur a significant reserve cost increase.
Note: A new rule is in effect for COUNTER and REFLECT users. If you have COUNTER, there is a hard limit of [3] innate COUNTER flags across your attack list. If you have REFLECT, there is a hard limit of [3] innate REFLECT flags across your moves list. If you have both COUNTER and REFLECT, you can have a combination of [4] COUNTER and REFLECT flags total. For STYLE and MINDSET, both modes count toward these limits -- you do not get 8 total. You can still use +vary or +control to ad hoc these flags onto additional moves, of course, but that costs at 16% super at minimum.
Ability Summary
In TOP: Damage from failed Counter attempts is reduced by [1] PL.
D Rank: Access to [1] COUNTER flag, costs +[15]% super.
C Rank: Access to [3] COUNTER flags, cost +[10]% super.
B Rank: COUNTER flag now costs +[0]% super.
A Rank: On failed counter, recover [6]% reserve over [3] rounds.
S Rank: +10 Speed if PLs are equal, +5 speed if PLs are within +/- 1.
SIG ABIL: Access to [2] uses of REVERSAL when interrupted in melee range.
TOP Mechanic
Characters in TOP will weather damage from failed attempts better; damage from failed Counter attempts is reduced by [1] Power Level.
Ability Ranks
D Rank represents the character first learning how to counter. The COUNTER flag only exists on the one move they are practicing to utilize the flag and actually performing it is a big deal to them, hence the super cost.
C Rank is a step along the path to improving at the technique. It is still a special accomplishment that takes a lot out of the fighter, but they are beginning to diversify their attack list to integrate it better.
B Rank represents a character adept at countering. The COUNTER effect no longer requires super to pull it off.
A Rank represents the character spotting the impending failure quickly enough to pull back their attack without fully committing to it. An efficiency refund is applied to failed counters; regardless what you spent on the failed counter, you will always get [6]% reserve back via ticks at the end of your turns. The reserve ticks progress as [1]%, [2]%, [3]%. Given a few rounds to correct for it mitigates the lost effort at least a little.
S Rank is the capstone of COUNTER wherein the fighter is better able to accurately gauge their opponent and deliver near-equal but opposite resistance. Your chances to succeed a counter are improved against equal Power Level attacks. Normally, counter has [5]% lower odds to succeed compared to PRIORITY poke interrupts. But at this Rank, your COUNTERs will have equal odds to PRIORITY pokes against attacks with equivalent Power Level.
Signature Ability -- REVERSAL
Some characters are so skilled at counterattacking that they can literally reverse an opponent's attack in the very instant that opponent tries to counter them. These characters are masters of the art of controlling kinetic momentum and turning even their opponent's carefully timed interruptions or counterattacks against them.
- The first [2] times you are interrupted, countered, or melee reflected in a fight, if your opponent uses an attack that uses Physical or Throw, you will be given a chance to counter the attack instead of being hit by it directly.
- Your opponent's interrupt will go into your attack queue instead of dealing damage directly.
- You must choose to either COUNTER the attack or ACCEPT it. No other reactions will work.
- Pure energy interrupts or projectile interrupts will work against you like normal.
NOTE: When it comes to how you want to handle the pose order, the following default is recommended:
- Character attempts the interrupt.
- Character gets the message that their attempt succeeded but that their opponent will get a chance to counter it.
- Character poses their attempted interrupt but has to phrase it as more as an attempt than a success.
- Character with REVERSAL makes their reaction and poses accordingly and poses progress per normal.
This is just a default recommendation, however. If you would like to do anything else with pose order to better fit how you would like to pose the sequence of events, simply discuss it with your RP partner OOCly to work something out!