The tag counter web
Every fighter carries tags such as melee, barrier or stealth. Tags are not just labels: 13 of them beat other tags, and a team that has more of the winning tag than the opponent has of the losing one earns a bonus. It is how a lower-rated team beats a stronger one.
How a counter pays out
For each relationship, the game compares your count of the winning tag against the opponent's count of the losing tag. If you have more, you earn the edge. Your advantage is the difference. The reward starts at a base set by the relationship's tier (Situational 8, Core 10, Strong 12), then adds 5 for each extra point of advantage, capped at +20.
| Relationship | Meaning | Tier | Advantage 1 | Advantage 2 | Advantage 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility > Range | mobility beats range | Strong | +12 | +17 | +20 |
| Barrier > Element | beats element | Strong | +12 | +17 | +20 |
| Speed > Giant | speed beats giant | Strong | +12 | +17 | +20 |
| Psychic > Speed | psychic beats speed | Strong | +12 | +17 | +20 |
| Range > Melee | range beats melee | Core | +10 | +15 | +20 |
| Melee > Mobility | melee beats mobility | Core | +10 | +15 | +20 |
| Aura > Barrier | aura beats | Core | +10 | +15 | +20 |
| Energy > Barrier | energy beats | Core | +10 | +15 | +20 |
| Transform > Stealth | transform beats stealth | Core | +10 | +15 | +20 |
| Giant > Melee | giant beats melee | Situational | +8 | +13 | +18 |
| Stealth > Summon | stealth beats summon | Situational | +8 | +13 | +18 |
| Regen > Element | regen beats element | Situational | +8 | +13 | +18 |
| Heal > Regen | heal beats regen | Situational | +8 | +13 | +18 |
Counter immunity abilities cancel the opponent's single strongest counter bonus. Tag projection abilities count as an extra copy of a tag for this calculation only.
What each tag beats, and what beats it
Use this as a cheat sheet when you can see what the opponent is carrying. The count column is how many of the 156 fighters have the tag, which tells you how easy it is to stack.
| Tag | Fighters | Beats | Weak to |
|---|---|---|---|
| aura | 67 | nothing | |
| 24 | element | aura energy | |
| element | 83 | nothing | regen |
| energy | 86 | nothing | |
| giant | 13 | melee | speed |
| heal | 13 | regen | nothing |
| melee | 131 | mobility | range giant |
| mobility | 127 | range | melee |
| psychic | 8 | speed | nothing |
| range | 110 | melee | mobility |
| regen | 42 | element | heal |
| speed | 113 | giant | psychic |
| stealth | 26 | summon | transform |
| summon | 24 | nothing | stealth |
| transform | 46 | stealth | nothing |
What the tags mean
- aura Presence-based power: haki, spiritual pressure, killing intent and similar force of will.
- Defensive specialists: shields, walls, domains and anything that blocks incoming attacks.
- element Elemental or element-like power such as fire, ice, lightning, water, earth and wind.
- energy Deep reserves of ki, chakra, cursed energy or similar. The fighters who rarely run out.
- giant Fighters who win through sheer size, mass or durability.
- heal Fighters who can restore others, not just themselves.
- melee Close-quarters fighters who win by reaching their target: swordsmen, brawlers, martial artists.
- mobility Fighters who control space: teleporters, fliers, and anyone who closes or opens distance at will.
- psychic Mind and telekinetic powers, from mental attacks to moving things without touching them.
- range Fighters who strike from a distance with beams, projectiles, blasts or thrown weapons.
- regen Fighters who recover from damage mid-fight, or can barely be killed.
- speed Raw speed and reflexes, separate from positioning. How fast they act rather than where they can go.
- stealth Concealment, ambush and misdirection.
- summon Fighters who fight through other bodies: summons, familiars, clones, puppets and shikigami.
- transform Fighters with forms, awakenings or power-ups that change what they are.
Using counters when you build
- Count before you commit. One extra copy of a strong-tier tag can be worth more than a handful of rating points. A single point of advantage on a Strong relationship pays +12.
- Stacking beats spreading. Because the reward grows with advantage, concentrating on one or two winning tags usually pays more than collecting a little of everything.
- Mind your own weak spot. If your whole team is melee, every opponent with range tags is earning Range > Melee against you.
- Check the ladder. Each rung has a predictable tag profile, and the ladder guide lists the counters worth chasing against each.