(last updated: 07/04/21)REFLECT is an Ability that represents having techniques that are specifically designed to bounce energy away from you, and back at your attacker. Rose, Athena, Yamazaki, and Shoma are excellent examples of characters with REFLECT. The methods for a REFLECT can differ, as our examples show; some of them project an energy field that bounces attacks away from them, some of them hit the projectile away with their weapon, and some catch it in a sweeping arm motion that redirects the energy.
The REFLECT Ability allows you to use attacks with the REFLECT effect. The REFLECT effect modifies attacks in the following manner:
- You can Reflect a Projectile attack back at an opponent.
- You can Reflect CHI and PSI attacks, taking no damage and dealing instant damage to the would-be attacker.
- REFLECT is not effective against non-projectile attacks without CHI or PSI.
- REFLECT attacks can also be used as regular attacks.
Reflecting Projectile attacks is the primary use of the REFLECT ability. A successful reflect will, in most cases, send the Projectile back at their attacker at higher speed; they will then have a chance to react to it as they see fit.
Reflected Projectiles will have the power level of your Reflect, and the energy types of both your Reflect and the original Projectile. In other words, if someone throws a PL3 PHYSICAL Projectile at you and you reflect it with a PL4 CHI Reflect, the projectile that gets returned will be a PL4 PHYSICAL CHI Projectile.
Succeeding in reflecting projectiles will grant reserve refunds based on what you reflected. Reflecting a FREE or GLOBAL attack will grant a [100]% reserve refund. Reflecting a special attack will refund [25]% reserve. There is no reserve refund for reflecting SUPERs, MAXs, ULTRAs, or non-projectile attacks.
A Reflect interrupt is performed the same as any other interrupt: 'interrupt < attack number > = < name of interrupt >' (See interrupts for more)
If the incoming attack is too powerful, your Reflect may only Stop it instead of Reflecting. If this is the case you will see "S" next to the attack in your check output instead of "R." Attacks with both the REFLECT and PRIORITY effects will be [6]% more likely to successfully Reflect Supers or MAXes.
Interrupting with a Reflect 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 Reflect attempts is reduced by [1] PL.
D Rank: Access to [1] REFLECT flag, costs +[15]% super.
C Rank: Access to [3] REFLECT flags, cost +[10]% super.
B Rank: REFLECT flag now costs +[0]% super.
A Rank: Successful proj reflects will always reflect projectiles.
S Rank: Successful melee reflects will be the full power level of the attack.
SIG ABIL: REFLECT interrupts may be treated as COUNTERs up to [2] times.
TOP Mechanic
Characters in TOP will weather damage from failed reflects better; damage from failed Reflect attempts is reduced by [1] Power Level.
Ability Ranks
D Rank is the newbie level of REFLECT. At [15]% super, it's [1]% less than ad-hoc controlling REFLECT if you have both REFLECT and CONTROL. At this point, the character only knows one technique for doing it and actually pulling it off is a remarkable accomplishment for them, hence the super cost.
C Rank represents the character getting more comfortable with the mechanic. They can apply it to more techniques and it costs less super to pull off.
B Rank is the adept level of REFLECT usage; the fighter has plenty of experience with Reflect and the reflects no longer cost super.
A Rank results in more powerful projectile reflects. With B Rank and below, a fast/weak reflect might only be able to Stop a projectile, but with A Rank, successful reflects will always result in a reflected projectile.
S Rank melee reflects will always reflect melee attacks at the power level of your reflect, rather than at the significantly reduced damage from a lower-ranked melee Reflect. This also means that you will no longer see Stop for your melee reflects. This brings melee reflects up to par with counter in terms of doing their full damage.
Signature Ability -- DEFLECT
Some characters have refined their skill at reflecting attacks to a point where they no longer require energy to clash against in order to deflect an opponent's technique. These characters have evolved their reflecting techniques to the point that any attack sent their way is a candidate for deflection. Perhaps the reflect itself is enough of a barrier such that attacks simply can't get through it, rendering it an ideal counter. Or perhaps the character has become such a master at dismantling the techniques of their opponents that they can undo any attack they see.
- Up to [2] times a fight, REFLECT interrupts may count as COUNTERs.
- For incoming attacks that could be reflected -or- countered (Dual-types, Physical PROJECTILEs, etc), the following rules apply: If the attack is melee and has an energy type, it will be reflected. Other melee attacks will be countered. If the attack is a projectile, it will be reflected.
- Note that countering does have slightly lower odds of success than reflecting, and this applies to reflects being used as counters as well.