New Game Format: All-Stars

During the Version 5 Exhibition, Guitarmanager and Rumer showcased a brand new supported format joining Tactics League during the v5 beta launch: All-Stars, a new competitive 4v4 experience.

All-Stars is a rendition and an upgrade of an older format from back in Tactics League’s earlier days – Uniques Premade – where the roster was fully comprised of unique characters with no generics, but was limited to “play how it comes.” This is coming back but it will also combine the battle-tested and open format of Standard, allowing players to fully customize a battle party of heroes and villains across the Zodiac Brave Story. This will sunset the Generics Premade format and All-Stars will take its place.

Let’s briefly go over the all-star cast joining this uniques only format.

A Powerful Cast at Your Disposal

The All-Stars format will house 28 unique characters from the campaign and Tactics League exclusives. If you have played version 4 Standard, you will be familiar with the first three rows of units, of course with new additions: Aerith, Ashley, Elidibus, and a returning fan-favorite, Balthier, joining the Standard roster in v5. Now let’s take a look at who is joining the cast specifically for All-Stars and a brief description of what they can do each:

  • Orlandeau (Sword Saint)
    • Orlandeau received some base stat adjustments to bring him more in line for both the campaign and All-Stars.
    • Innate: Swordplay usable with Katanas, Ninja Blades, Swords, Knight’s Swords, and Fell Swords
    • Swordplay skillset now only includes:
      • [Holy Sword] Judgment Blade, Cleansing Strike, Hallowed Bolt
      • [Unyielding Strike] Crush Helm, Crush Accessory
      • [Fell Sword/Darkness] Sanguine Sword, Infernal Strike
  • Orran (Astrologer)
    • Innate: Arcane Defense
    • Replaced the Astrology skillset (which only housed Celestial Stasis) with the original Arithmeticks skillset. Arithmeticks can now be Silenced or Reflected unlike in the original game.
      • CT and Height only targeting parameters
      • [White Magicks] Cure
      • [Black Magicks] Fire, Thunder, Blizzard, Scathe
      • [Time Magicks] Gravity, Reflect
      • [Mystic Arts] Umbra
  • Zalbaag (Ark Knight)
    • Innate: Lifefont and Manafont
    • Blade of Ruin is now all instant cast, still requires a sword-type weapon, abilities cost 40 MP each, and is faithless. Because of changes in v5 for damaging Arts of War’s Rend Stat abilities, Blade of Ruin will also deal damage on stat reduction success.
  • Boco (Chocobo)
    • Innate: Counter, Swim
    • As a chocobo, players can mount Boco to position faster or take advantage of rider immunities!
  • Isilud (Nightblade)
    • Innate: Concentration
    • Renamed his skillset to Dark Arts (from Arts of War), which combines various abilities from Arts of War and Darkness. While Nightblade, also adds the Jump command as a tertiary skillset:
      • [Arts of War] Bulwark, Rend MP, Rend Speed, Rend Power, Rend Magick
      • [Darkness] Sanguine Sword, Infernal Strike, Abyssal Blade
  • Elmdore (Ark Knight)
    • Innate: Safeguard,  Immune: KO, Undead, Stone, Vampire, Reraise, Invisible, Berserk, Chicken, Toad, Doom
    • Sword Spirit skillset functions entirely like Samurai’s Iaido. While Ark Knight, also adds the Vampire command as a tertiary skillset (which only has Vampire ability, 25% chance to Inflict: Vampire)
  • Celia (Assassin)
    • Innate: Death Strike, Dual Wield, Immune: KO, Stone, Chicken, Toad
    • Equip: Knives and Ninja Blades (to showcase the difference in gear with Lettie)
    • Subdual Arts was reworked to make room for other abilities and is now:
      • Conceal (NEW, 100% self-invisible), Death, Curse, Ultima, Entice
  • Lettie (Assassin)
    • Innate: Death Strike, Dual Wield, Immune: KO, Stone, Chicken, Toad
    • Equip: Knives and Katanas (to showcase the difference in gear with Celia)
    • Subdual Arts was reworked to make room for other abilities and is now:
      • Conceal (NEW, 100% self-invisible), Suffocate, Dark Whisper, Ultma, Entice
      • Note: Suffocate now uses [% = SP + 40] and not 100% like the original version
  • Byblos (Byblos)
    • Innate: Soulbind, Dexterity, Arcane Defense, Defense Boost, Immune: Vampire, Curse, Doom
    • Removed Fire Weakness and can now enter water tiles
    • The Byblos’s skillset is now: Chant, Manaburn, Vengeance, Maim
  • Argath (Deathknight variant)
    • Innate: Equip: Undead, Monkey Grip
    • Fell Sword includes: Sanguine Sword, Infernal Strike, Throw Dagger, Salve, Frenzy, and Taunt
    • Note: To avoid complications with the campaign, this sprite is using the “Squire” version of Argath, and though Fundaments skillset shows up in the menus, in battle he has Fell Sword instead.

4v4 Competitive Battles

Besides using unique-only characters in All-Stars, this format also is specific to a 4v4 experience, intending to have faster-paced games, with thrills and chaos to be had. All gear, jobs, and abilities are unlocked and follow the basics and limitations of the Standard format so jumping from one format to another should be fairly easy.

All-Stars is a fully supported competitive mode and will become a part of the competition rotation for sanctioned events in the future!

All-Stars format will be available on March 18th during the Version 5 Public Beta and will require a save data update, included with the v5 patch file.

by Tactics League Article, Format, PvP