Elements

Elements are specialized energy properties tied to weapons, Styles, and characters. Rather than functioning as simple damage types, each element actively modifies combat flow by altering enemy behavior, combo routing, movement control, stagger pressure, recovery timing, and resource generation.

Continuous elemental attacks build hidden Affix buildup on enemies. Once filled, the element enters an Affixed State, amplifying its core combat identity and unlocking enhanced interactions. By chaining different elements together, players trigger Collision Reactions, where overlapping Affixed States destabilize one another. This produces enhanced combat effects such as altered launch physics, delayed ruptures, explosive knockback, extended aerial routing, increased cancel speed, or bonus resource gain.

Affix: Every elemental attack, excluding Null, builds a hidden elemental meter on enemies. As attacks continue connecting, the meter accumulates until the element enters an Affixed State, activating that element’s unique Effect. Affix buildup gradually decays when offensive pressure stops, encouraging continuous aggression and combo routing.

Each element applies its own Affixed State:

Pyro ignites Combustion
Cryo induces Dilation
Erebo spreads Corruption
Electro triggers Overload
Lumino causes Rupture
Aero creates Erosion
Geo inflicts Graze
Ether spreads Nihility

Affixed enemies become more vulnerable to the element’s specialty effects, gaining altered behavior, weakened recovery, or enhanced combo susceptibility depending on the active element.

Elements

Null (Neutral / Non-elemental) – Non-elemental and fundamentally balanced.

Transition Effect: Switching from an elemental weapon to Null transfers lingering elemental properties briefly, allowing hybrid combo extension.

Pyro (Fire) – A form of energy derived from nuclear radiation and infrared instability. Pyro ignites enemies, applying burn damage over time that intensifies with repeated hits. Sustained pressure increases combustion potency up to a threshold multiplier. Specializing in Burst damage, where it deals a very large amount of damage in a very short period of time. Building up damage with strings of attacks, and causing it to explode into heavy knockback during various combo finishers.

Burning enemies spread ignition on defeat or explosive impact, trigger AoE detonations on heavy or charged attacks, and suffer increased stagger vulnerability under pressure. Pyro characters are able to ignite flammable zones into burning fields, destroy fragile terrain over time (wood, loose structures), and leave behind heat zones that increase stagger vulnerability.

Affixed State – Combustion: Through constant attacks, enemies receive a consistent amount of staggering damage. Building up to various thresholds, where an explosive detonation is set off with various attacks, scaling in damage based on the the thresholds. On hit, these detonations increase Climax gained.

Cryo (Ice / Water) – A form of energy linked to thermal nullification and molecular deceleration. Cryo reduces enemy speed and recovery with each hit. At threshold, enemies enter a Freeze state, disabling movement and heavily increasing combo control. Specializing in Matrix counters, where perfect dodges / parries have an extended Matrix duration that reduces enemy recovery.

Frozen targets experience altered gravity during aerial combos, remain in Wall Stick longer, have delayed recovery timing, and become vulnerable to Shatter critical damage. Cryo characters can freeze water/liquid surfaces into traversal platforms, create slippery fields that alter movement physics, and slow enemy movement more strongly in enclosed spaces

Affixed State – Dilation: Dilation freezes an enemy, extending their hitstun and reducing recovery. This improves juggle consistency and combo routing.

Shatter: Frozen targets take bonus critical damage when broken or hit with heavy force.

Geo (Earth) – A form of seismic wave radiation that travels through solid matter via compression propagation. Geo does not rely on direct stagger. Instead, it destabilizes physical balance and movement reliability. Specializing in Wall Sticks by extending it’s duration, building pressure on enemies. Geo creates seismic zones that interfere with movement upon various attacks. It’s able to reduce enemy recovery between attacks, providing area control through ground pressure fields

Affixed State – Graze: Graze is a proximity-based effect that causes different reactions based on how far the player is from enemies.

Close: high damage + fast buildup
Mid: balanced pressure
Far: reduced damage but persistent desync pressure

Aero (Wind) – A form of acoustic and kinetic wave radiation that manipulates airflow and trajectory. Aero controls positioning, spacing, and aerial routing. Specializing in Air Juggles with it’s increased launch height, and extensive aerial hitstun duration. Aero characters can pull or displace enemies during combos, as well as extend launch distance and juggle height. Often having increased air mobility options and improve crowd control through directional pressure

Aero characters generate wind corridors that alter projectile and enemy paths, extend airborne state of enemies in open terrain, and can pull or push enemies depending on terrain openness

Affixed State – Erosion: Erosion increases the duration that enemies stay in mid-air, enhancing knockback and launch consistency. This allows aerial combos to be sustained longer.

Electro (Lightning) – A form of full-spectrum electromagnetic discharge and rapid energy transfer. Electro builds static instability, causing chain reactions between enemies and accelerating combat rhythm. Specializing in Chrono Ruptures, which accelerate and maintain hitstun between attacks for faster recovery and splash damage.

Electrified enemies suffer chain lightning on hit, causing their stun to apply to nearby enemies. Electro characters can electrify wet/metallic zones into chain reaction fields, create temporary conductive zones that amplify multi-target damage, and “overload” terrain for delayed AoE bursts

• Affixed State – Overload: Overload causes attacks to chain between multiple enemies, boosting attack speed with each hit. This enhances crowd control and recovery on attacks.

Erebo (Dark) – A form of energy linked to dark matter decay and entropy conversion. Erebo siphons health and converts combat pressure into sustain and resource advantage. Gaining more Climax and health for characters when attacking enemies or picking up items.

Corrupted enemies:

grant increased Climax generation
suffer reduced defensive stability
become vulnerable to grabs and reversals
spread corruption through Finisher attacks

Erebo characters briefly create fields that weaken recovery and healing within certain attacks

• Affixed State – Corruption

converts overflow damage into Climax gain
reduces cooldowns when striking corrupted targets
spreads on kill or Finisher execution
enhances sustain-based combo routing

Lumino (Light) – A form of high-energy destructive radiation that destabilizes molecular structure and defensive integrity. Lumino specializes in breaking guard states and exposing enemy vulnerability via Stagger. Being great at making guard-broken enemies stunned.

Ruptured enemies:

lose defensive stability over time
take increased guard and stagger damage
suffer amplified counter-hit effects
become vulnerable to rupture thresholds

Lumino characters create aftershocks after their attacks, dealing prolonged AoE-like stagger damage until their attack ends or their projectiles fully collide

• Affixed State – Rupture

defense reduction scales per hit
increases critical damage potential
enhances Finisher damage output
culminates in stun when fully broken

Ether (Space) – A special element linked to the Naught Forge and spatial instability. Ether attacks are able to create delayed AoEs, pulling enemies in and bypassing super armor as well as Trigger states for enemies / bosses.

• Affixed State – Nihility

builds spatial instability over time
increases Ether damage scaling
weakens enemy super armor progressively
enhances displacement and combo routing control

At maximum Nihility:

enemy becomes Infected
spatial collapse begins around target
recovery timing becomes unstable
delayed ruptures trigger additional hits
enemies can be pulled back into combo range after launch

Elemental Weaknesses

• Pyro is weak to Cryo, reducing it’s explosion radius and combo acceleration
• Cryo is weak to Electro, which breaks freeze states quicker
• Aero is weak to Geo, which reduces it’s launch distance and pull strength
• Geo is weak to Lumino, which ignore portions of Geo’s superarmor and increases stagger damage
• Electro is weak to Aero, which reduces chain reactions and spreads enemies apart
• Lumino is weak to Erebo, which resists it’s defense reduction
• Erebo is weak to Pyro, which reduces it’s health siphoning
• Ether is weak to none

Collision: Collision occurs when multiple elemental Affixed States overlap simultaneously on an enemy. Rather than replacing each other, the active effects destabilize together, producing enhanced reactions, bonus damage, altered combo properties, and increased Flow Chain gain.

Collision rewards aggressive elemental switching and varied combo routing, encouraging players to continuously alternate weapons, styles, Spell Cards, and character mechanics to maintain layered elemental pressure.

Depending on the elemental combination, Collision can:

alter enemy trajectory or launch properties
amplify stagger, knockback, or hitstun
trigger AoE reactions or delayed detonations
extend Wall Stick or aerial combo duration
distort enemy recovery timing
accelerate cancel speed and combo velocity
generate additional Climax Gauge and Flow Points

Higher Flow Chain levels increase Collision efficiency, strengthening elemental overlap effects and extending the duration of active elemental states.

Collision Reactions

Thermal Shock (Pyro + Cryo): Frozen enemies violently rupture when ignited, instantly triggering Shatter and producing a delayed explosion.

Effects:

• guaranteed Shatter trigger
• moderate AoE explosion
• brief combo gravity reset
• bonus Flow Points on aerial enemies

Wildstorm (Pyro + Aero): Aero spreads Pyro flames through air currents, creating expanding flame trails.

Effects:

• lingering flame zones
• slightly wider attack range
• enhanced multi-target juggling
• minor Burn spread on launchers

Volcanic Fault (Pyro + Geo): Geo seismic zones erupt with delayed magma bursts.

Effects:

• delayed eruptions
• increased stagger buildup
• enhanced ground bounce
• short-lived area denial

Oversurge (Pyro + Electro): Electrified flames destabilize enemy reactions and spread explosively between targets.

Effects:

• accelerated hit reactions
• slightly larger cancel windows
• chain burst damage
• increased Affix buildup speed

Solar Fission (Pyro + Lumino): Pyro detonations condense into concentrated bursts that weaken defenses.

Effects:

• increased guard damage
• temporary defense reduction
• enhanced Finisher damage
• bonus stagger against armored enemies

Hellfire (Pyro + Erebo): Burning enemies spread corruption while feeding energy back to the attacker.

Effects:

• minor lifesteal on Burn damage
• Corruption spreads on explosions
• increased Climax gain
• enhanced Distortion buildup

Terror Hail (Cryo + Aero): Frozen enemies are trapped within violent air currents.

Effects:

• reduced gravity
• longer aerial hitstun
• prolonged Wall Stick duration
• improved launcher consistency

Permafrost (Cryo + Geo): Geo zones freeze terrain into unstable fields.

Effects:

• slowed movement inside zones
• reduced recovery timing
• lingering freeze patches
• increased Graze buildup

Polar Discharge (Cryo + Electro): Electrical bursts violently disrupt frozen states.

Effects:

• instant Shatter trigger
• short-range shockwave
• moderate stagger burst
• nearby enemies receive partial Freeze buildup

Prismatic Fracture (Cryo + Lumino): Frozen defenses crack under concentrated Lumino pressure.

Effects:

• increased guard break damage
• temporary armor suppression
• extended stun duration
• bonus damage against frozen enemies

Heat Death (Cryo + Erebo): Frozen enemies decay while immobilized.

Effects:

• damage over time during Freeze
• weakened recovery speed
• reduced healing effects
• increased Corruption buildup

Drought (Aero + Geo): Seismic turbulence disrupts aerial movement patterns.

Effects:

• unstable knockback angles
• stronger crowd displacement
• rotating pull zones
• slight launcher distortion

Plasma Storm (Aero + Electro): Electrical currents accelerate through compressed air.

Effects:

• rapid chain lightning
• increased combo velocity
• improved aerial pressure
• slightly faster cancel timing

Pressured Ray (Aero + Lumino): Compressed air amplifies Lumino force.

Effects:

• piercing knockback
• increased stagger pressure
• enhanced launch finishers
• stronger projectile penetration

Black Typhoon (Aero + Erebo): Dark currents pull enemies inward while spreading corruption.

Effects:

• enemy grouping
• gradual health drain
• enhanced grab range
• Corruption spread in clusters

Magnetar (Electro + Geo): Geo zones become electrically unstable.

Effects:

• periodic electric bursts
• movement disruption
• delayed AoE pulses
• increased Graze buildup

Photonic Volt (Electro + Lumino): Electromagnetic overload destabilizes defenses.

Effects:

• accelerated Rupture buildup
• stronger counter-hit reactions
• temporary armor weakening
• moderate critical bonus

Black Clouds (Electro + Erebo): Corrupted electricity spreads erratically between enemies.

Effects:

• chain Corruption spread
• increased Affix buildup
• minor Climax drain
• accelerated hit reactions

Tectonic Break (Geo + Lumino): Lumino fractures Geo defenses violently.

Effects:

• massive stagger damage
• shield destruction
• widened seismic shockwaves
• increased guard break pressure

Catacomb (Geo + Erebo): Corrupted seismic zones destabilize enemy footing.

Effects:

• lingering decay fields
• movement suppression
• reduced recovery timing
• gradual health drain

Eclipse (Lumino + Erebo): Light and decay collapse into unstable energy.

Effects:

• defense reduction converts partially into lifesteal
• delayed rupture bursts
• Finishers trigger corruption explosions
• critical hits restore minor Climax

– Trivia –

The initial elements in Proto-BMC were Fire, Ice, Water, Leaf, Sand, Dirt/Earth, Light and Darkness. There were a few side elements such as thunder. The modern system evolved away from “elements as substances” into elements as energy behaviors affecting combat flow, physics, and interaction systems.

There was no true “physical element” — all elements are interpretations of energy manipulation through wave-based forces, not matter itself.

Each major element corresponds loosely to a region of the electromagnetic spectrum:

Before Collisions were conceptualized, sub-elements existed as secondary elements mixing effects of two elements. This was scrapped due to how complicated it would be to design. Old sub-elements evolved into derivative interaction states, not separate elements:

Examples:

“Mud / clay / liquefaction systems” → now absorbed into Geo + terrain interaction logic
“Poison / blood / toxins” → folded into Erebo + corruption mechanics
“Psychokinesis / wave manipulation” → now represented through Aero + Ether overlap behavior
“Crystal / glass / dust manipulation” → reinterpreted as Geo + Lumino structural fracture states
“Acid / corrosion” → now part of Lumino + Erebo degradation logic
“Speed / acceleration elements” → now part of Electro + Aero synergy systems

Pyrogiston was based on the theory of Phlogiston

Pyrogiston was originally going to be based on charging through circular motion before it was passed to Aeronem

Pyrogiston references Exothermic and Endothermic reactions.

Cryo-Ichi was originally simply going to be water as Hydro-Ichi. Cryo would’ve been a sub-elemental interaction between Geomantium, Aeronem and Hydro-Ichi mediating between the Green Anahata and Blue Visuddha as a Cyan-colored element. This was changed for a simpler combination of water and ice.

A scrapped sub-element known as Miasma was based on the Miasma Theory

There was going to be a separate sub-element of Plasma between Pyrogiston and Electrus

Each element references aspects of the Electromagnetic Spectrum;

• Geomantium references radio waves due to it’s sigils acting like resonator antennas. As radio waves involve electromagnetic oscillation of plasma charges via a resonator antenna with a transmitter for altering currents of electricity.
• Cryo-Ichi references microwaves due to it’s molecular rotation and mediating between the elements associated with radio waves and infrared.
• Pyrogiston references infrared due to it’s molecular vibration on metals and the range it has.
• Aeronem references visible light due to it’s optical visibility.
• Electrus references ultraviolet due to how it excites molecular and atomic electrons, along with how it causes cellular burns.
• Lumino and Erebo reference x-ray due to photonic scattering
• Aether references gamma radiation