How combat works in Fate War
The rules behind every fight, from rage and Bursts to why some skills switch off in the wrong troop. Each rule here was checked against in-game skill text.
Updated 2026-10-15 for game version 1.2.60.
Commander and lieutenant
Every march is led by two heroes. The commander leads the troop, and the lieutenant supports it. Both heroes' skills apply. Most skills don't care which role a hero has, but some do:
- Commander-only: Odysseus's Armor Piercer works for "a troop led by Odysseus". Arthur's King's Dignity grows with the number of soldiers he commands.
- Lieutenant-only: Vista's Shadow Oath adds 6% to the commander's Burst only while she is lieutenant.
- Partner-specific: Joan's Saint's Resolve boosts a male hero in the same troop; Petra's Blood Resonance is stronger with Karl; Selena's Engineered Revival is stronger with Erin.
Rage and Burst
Each hero's first skill is their Burst. It costs 1,000 rage, and heroes gain up to 160 rage per round, so a hero Bursts roughly every six to seven rounds in a normal fight. Effects that trigger "after Burst" or last a few seconds after it (Kalthas's +40% ATK, Wukong's +20% ATK) are active a large share of the fight.
Rage manipulation is real power:
- Selena gains 50 rage per skill when awakened.
- Erin has a 10% chance per normal attack to gain up to 100 rage.
- Voll raises rage build-up by 48% once per fight.
- Farhad can drain 50 rage from a target.
Troop-type conditions
Skill text names its targets precisely, and the game enforces it:
| Condition | Examples |
|---|---|
| Buffs one troop type | Aska: Cavalry ATK +35%. Karl: Berserker ATK +20%. Wukong: Cavalry HP +35%. |
| Needs an all-one-type troop | Odysseus: Armor Piercer (Axe Throwers). Iris: Ward of Nature (Beast Riders). Arthur: Elite Royal Army (Berserkers). |
| Ignores troop type | Kalthas, Linda, Vista, Joan, Aelfwine |
Put a troop-type hero in the wrong troop and their headline bonus does nothing. That is the most common reason a "strong" pair underperforms.
DEF reduction and DEF ignore
Cutting the target's DEF is the strongest damage multiplier in Fate War, because every hit you deal is reduced by DEF. The big sources:
- Odysseus: an all-Axe Thrower troop he commands ignores 50% of the target's DEF.
- Kalthas: Breaker's Mark stacks Vulnerability (-8% DEF each); at 5 stacks the next hit cuts 48% for 5 seconds.
- Roro: each Flood stack cuts 4% DEF.
- Erin: her troop ignores up to 24% DEF.
- Vista: her Burst cuts the target's DEF by 25% for 3 seconds.
Separate DEF effects stack with each other. That is why Odysseus + Kalthas is the top Axe Thrower pair.
Healing, shields and damage reduction
Healing in Fate War usually restores "lightly wounded" soldiers.
- Heal-from-damage: Aelfwine heals 48% of his Burst damage, and Kalthas heals 10% of all damage he deals.
- Healing received: Aelfwine's Prayer (+38%) and Iris's Herbmastery raise the value of every heal.
- Damage reduction: effects such as Yi Sun-sin's Fortify stacks (up to 20%) and Amaterasu's Holy Radiance (-7% for her troop and 5 allies) cut damage taken.
- Healing reduction: Freyja's Rose Thorn cuts enemy healing by up to 47%, the best answer to heal-heavy marches.
Summons
Wukong, Sylvan and Ganglot summon units. Summons do not fight in rallies or garrisons. Since update 1.2.30 they no longer count toward troop losses or battle points either. Value these heroes for open-field fights.
Stars, skill levels and awakening
- A 1-star hero has only their Burst. Skills 2, 3 and 4 unlock at 2, 3 and 4 stars.
- Each skill has 5 levels; the jump from level 4 to 5 is usually the biggest.
- When every skill is maxed the hero is awakened, which unlocks skill 5 (usually a stronger Burst). S- and A-rank heroes have 5 skills; B-rank heroes such as Elia have 4 and no awakened skill.
- From Chieftain Hall 25, awakened heroes can be inscribed on the Hero Stele and Ascended, up to 6 times at Chieftain Hall 30.
The talent node King of Combat adds +1.6% troop ATK per hero star, so stars also raise talent value. See the progression guide.
Questions players ask
How much rage does a Burst cost?
Every Burst costs 1,000 rage, and heroes gain up to 160 rage per round. Effects such as Selena's Valkyrie's Rage (+50 rage per skill) and Erin's Swift Maneuver speed that up.
Do lieutenant skills work in Fate War?
Yes. Both heroes in a march apply their skills. A few are role-locked: Odysseus's Armor Piercer needs him as commander, Vista's Shadow Oath needs her as lieutenant.
Do summons fight in rallies?
No. Wukong's clones, Sylvan's wolves and similar summons do not fight in rallies or garrisons. Since update 1.2.30 summoned units also don't count toward troop losses or battle points.