Combat System
Master the Tactical Mechanics of Alberath
Combat Overview
Alberath features simultaneous turn-based combat where all players plan their actions during a planning phase, then watch them resolve sequentially based on unit Speed.
This creates tense decision-making where you must predict enemy movements, manage positioning, and allocate limited resources (AP, energy) wisely.
Turn Structure
1. Planning Phase
All players simultaneously plan their actions:
- Select units - Click a unit to view its available actions
- Choose actions - Each action costs AP (Action Points)
- Set movement - Units can move up to their Move stat
- Spend energy - Some abilities require global energy
Units have 3-5 AP per turn. Once AP is spent, that unit cannot act again this turn.
2. Resolution Phase
All planned actions resolve in Speed order (highest to lowest):
- Fast units act first - High Speed units can strike before slower enemies
- Positioning matters - A unit might move before an enemy attacks
- Effects stack - Buffs applied early affect later actions
3. Turn End
After all actions resolve, automatic effects occur:
- DoT/HoT Effects - Burn, Bleed, Regeneration tick
- Effect Durations - All buffs/debuffs reduce duration by 1 turn
- AP Regeneration - Units regain their full AP pool
- Cooldowns - Abilities on cooldown reduce by 1 turn
Stats System
Each unit has 8 core stats that determine their combat capabilities.
HP (2-7)
Hit Points. When reduced to 0, the unit dies permanently.
Trent (7 HP) is the tankiest unit
Armor (0-2)
Reduces incoming STR damage by this amount.
Guardian (2 ARM) reduces physical damage effectively
Will (0-3)
Reduces incoming PSI damage by this amount.
Conjurer (3 Will) resists mental attacks
Speed (2-6)
Determines action order. Higher Speed acts first.
Sprite (6 Speed) acts before everyone else
Move (2-5)
Maximum tiles the unit can move per turn.
Sprite (5 Move) and Mentalist (5 Move) are highly mobile
AP (3-5)
Action Points. Each ability costs AP. Regenerates fully each turn.
Sprite (5 AP) can cast more abilities per turn
STR (0-3)
Strength. Added to physical damage. Mitigated by Armor.
Warlord (3 STR) deals devastating physical damage
PSI (0-2)
Psionic Power. Added to mental/magical damage. Mitigated by Will.
Pyromancer (2 PSI) burns enemies with fire magic
Damage Types
Alberath uses three damage types with different mitigation rules.
STR Damage (Physical)
Formula: Damage = (Base + STR) - Armor
Physical attacks from swords, arrows, and melee strikes. Reduced by Armor.
Strong Against: Low-armor casters (Pyromancer, Sprite)
Weak Against: High-armor tanks (Guardian, Warlord)
PSI Damage (Mental)
Formula: Damage = (Base + PSI) - Will
Psionic attacks from spells and magical effects. Reduced by Will.
Strong Against: Low-Will physical units (Berserker, Archer)
Weak Against: High-Will casters (Conjurer, Paladin)
True Damage
Formula: Damage = Base (no mitigation)
True damage ignores all defenses. Cannot be reduced.
Sources: Burn, Bleed, Poison, Punishment Slash
Invocation Rules
Invocations are magical summons with special rules:
1. No Corpse on Death
When an invocation dies, it does not leave a corpse. Necromancer cannot reanimate fallen invocations.
2. Don't Trigger Death Effects
Invocation deaths do not count as ally deaths for effects like Warmaster Aura.
3. Persist After Summoner Dies
Invocations remain on the field even if their summoner dies.
4. Take +2 Damage from Smite
Paladin's Smite Bonus deals +2 extra damage to all invocations.
Invocation List
- Skeleton - Summoned by Necromancer's Animate Dead
- Fire Elemental - Summoned by Conjurer's Summon Fire Elemental
- Ice Elemental - Summoned by Conjurer's Summon Ice Elemental
- Wisp - Recruited as a unit, gains Portal Boost passively
Resolution Order
When multiple units act in the same turn, their actions resolve in a specific order:
Priority 1: Speed (Highest First)
The unit with the highest Speed stat acts first. Speed ranges from 2 (Trent) to 6 (Sprite).
Priority 2: AP Cost (Lowest First)
If two units have the same Speed, the unit spending fewer AP acts first.
Priority 3: Unit ID (Lower First)
If Speed and AP cost are identical, the unit with the lower Unit ID acts first.
Resolution Example
Turn Setup:
- Sprite: Speed 6, using 2 AP ability
- Berserker: Speed 5, using 1 AP ability
- Archer: Speed 5, using 2 AP ability
- Guardian: Speed 3, using 2 AP ability
Resolution Order: Sprite → Berserker → Archer → Guardian
Resource Management
Action Points (AP) Per-Unit
Each unit has 3-5 AP that regenerates fully every turn. Abilities cost 1-3 AP.
Key Rule: Unused AP does not carry over to the next turn.
Global Energy Per-Player
Each player has a global energy pool (100-300) shared across all units.
Uses: Deploying units, activating powerful abilities, ransoming dead units
Energy does NOT regenerate during a match. Spend wisely!
Cooldowns (CD) Per-Ability
After using an ability with a cooldown, it cannot be used again for X turns.
Cooldown Reduction: Sprite's Rewind ability can reduce ally cooldowns by 1.