Rise of Castles Combat Glossary — Every Term Explained

How the ranking engine uses this vocabulary

The methodology page explains how combos are scored; this glossary is the layer underneath it. A few of the mappings that matter most:

Criticals are priced at their real defaults. Fatal Blow is a +100% multiplier on normal and Additional Attacks; Destructive Strike is a 200% multiplier on Direct Skill Damage. Crit-chance and crit-damage buffs enter each hero's expected damage at those rates.

Control is a family, not one word. Silence stops Combat Skills, Disarm stops normal attacks, Suppression is both at once, Confusion randomises targeting, and Interruption, Timid and Hesitation make actions fail. All of them count toward a lineup's disruption score — and "Sober" or "immune to" wording counts as protection, never as applied control.

Statuses build trigger chains. Burning, On Fire and Flammable are one fire condition family: a hero who sets enemies alight is a producer, and a hero whose skill says "if the target is burning…" is a consumer — that pair scores real chain points. The same producer/consumer logic covers marks (Firearm Mark + Dark Crossbow Mark), the Bleeding/Poisoned/Panicked damage-over-time trio, dodges, heals, extra normal attacks, prep-skips and cast-chance boosts.

Dodging and Evade are different things. Dodging guarantees the next eligible instance of damage misses; Evade is a chance. The engine keeps them separate, exactly as the game indexes them.

Reactions are punish value. Counterattack and Reflecting turn being attacked into damage; Taunt and Share Damage steer damage onto squads built to take it. Kits like these are preferred in the front row, where their triggers actually fire.

Skill and Action Types

These terms describe how actions are generated, timed or targeted. They are not all status effects.

Normal AttackAction type: The squad’s standard attack action. It normally deals Physical Damage and may trigger Fatal Blow or effects tied to normal attacks.
Additional AttackSkill / action type: An extra attack launched outside the squad’s standard normal attack. It normally deals Physical Damage unless the skill states otherwise.
Combat SkillSkill type: An active hero skill that may be cast during battle, usually according to a stated activation chance, range and target rule.
Status SkillSkill type: A skill that activates automatically when its stated timing or condition is met rather than being selected as a normal attack.
Pre-Battle SkillsSkill type: A skill that takes effect before normal battle actions begin. Its effects may be harder or impossible to remove unless the skill text permits it.
Preparation / PrepSkill timing: A preparation period required before an eligible skill resolves. “Skip Prep” removes this delay for the affected cast.
CooldownSkill timing: The waiting period before an eligible skill can activate again. Reduction or skipping effects shorten or remove it.
Pursuit SkillSkill subtype: A translated skill or follow-up attack category referenced by some buff labels. The exact trigger must be taken from the relevant hero skill.
RangeTargeting rule: The maximum valid distance between the acting squad and the target. Range +1 extends that valid distance by one position.

Core Attributes and Damage Concepts

These are calculation terms and attributes used by skills and battle reports.

MightCore attribute: The main offensive attribute associated with normal attacks and other Physical Damage. Higher Might generally increases physical output.
Tactical MightCore attribute: The main offensive attribute associated with Skill Damage. Higher Tactical Might generally increases skill-based output.
ResistanceCore attribute: The principal defensive attribute against Physical Damage.
Tactical ResistanceCore attribute: The principal defensive attribute against Skill Damage.
Combat SpeedCore attribute: Determines normal action order. Higher Combat Speed usually lets a squad act earlier unless a priority effect overrides it.
HPCore attribute: The squad’s health capacity. Some effects trigger when HP or Troop Power falls below a specified percentage.
Troop PowerBattle resource: The squad’s remaining battle strength. Recovery restores it; reaching zero normally defeats the squad unless a revive-type effect applies.
DamageDamage modifier: A broad final-output modifier that may affect more than one damage type when the skill does not restrict it.
Physical DamageDamage type: Damage dealt through normal attacks, Additional Attacks and other effects explicitly identified as Physical Damage.
Skill DamageDamage type: Damage dealt through Combat Skills, Status Skills or Pre-Battle Skills.
Direct Skill DamageDamage type: Skill Damage applied immediately when a skill hits, excluding delayed or recurring status damage such as Bleeding, Poisoned or Panicked.
Additional DamageDamage component: A separate damage amount added by a skill or effect beyond the original attack’s damage.
Damage MitigationDefensive modifier: Reduces incoming damage at the final mitigation stage according to the percentage stated by the effect.
Physical Damage ReductionDefensive modifier: Reduces only incoming Physical Damage.
Skill Damage ReductionDefensive modifier: Reduces only incoming Skill Damage.
Physical Damage BoostRare attribute: A rare specialisation attribute that increases Physical Damage output.
Base ResistanceCalculation term: The target’s underlying Resistance before temporary buffs, debuffs or ignore effects are applied.
Influenced by ResistanceCalculation term: When the hero’s squad outruns the enemy squad in Resistance, the skill’s effects are improved; when the hero’s squad is inferior to the enemy squad in Resistance, the skill’s effects are decreased.
Troop Power RecoveryRecovery mechanic: Restores lost Troop Power during battle. This is the game’s principal battle-healing mechanic.

Critical, Priority and Signature Mechanics

Fatal Blow and Destructive Strike are critical-style mechanics. Divine Strategy and Thick Wall of Troy are named effect packages.

Fatal BlowCritical physical mechanic: When Physical Damage is dealt through a normal attack or Additional Attack, it may trigger a higher damage multiplier. The default increase stated in the supplied definition is +100%.
Destructive StrikeCritical skill mechanic: When Direct Skill Damage is dealt, it may trigger an extra multiplier. The supplied definition gives a basic multiplier of 200%.
Divine StrategyNamed effect package: Raises Fatal Blow and Destructive Strike trigger chance by 10% and grants priority action, based on the supplied game description.
Thick Wall of TroyNamed defensive package: Grants Resistance +300% and reduces Physical Damage taken by 60%, based on the supplied game description.
First to AttackPriority effect: Gives the squad action priority over squads without an equivalent priority effect, overriding normal Combat Speed order where applicable.
Target AttackAccuracy / bypass effect: Allows an eligible attack to ignore or bypass the target’s Dodging effect.

Control, Cleanse and Immunity Effects

Control effects restrict actions or targeting; immunity and cleansing effects prevent or remove those restrictions.

SilenceControl effect: Prevents the affected squad from casting Combat Skills while the status lasts.
DisarmControl effect: Prevents the affected squad from launching normal attacks while the status lasts.
SuppressionControl effect: Prevents both normal attacks and Combat Skills. It combines the main restrictions of Disarm and Silence.
ConfusionControl effect: Causes eligible attacks or skills to select random targets and may cause the affected squad to target friendly squads.
TauntTarget-control effect: Forces affected enemy squads to target the squad that applied the Taunt when launching eligible attacks.
TauntingTarget-control state: The active Taunt state or a separately indexed Taunt-related effect. Keep it as a distinct game label only when mirroring the source database.
InterruptionAction-control effect: Cancels or prevents completion of an eligible skill, preparation or action.
TimidFailure effect: Causes an applicable skill attempt to have a chance to fail and may punish the affected squad with damage defined by the applying skill.
HesitationFailure effect: Causes eligible Additional Attacks to have a chance to fail; any penalty damage and probability are defined by the applying skill.
SoberControl immunity: Makes the squad immune to common control effects such as Silence, Disarm, Suppression and Confusion while active. It does not automatically cleanse an existing effect unless stated.
ClarityCleanse / protection: A cleanse or protection state that removes or prevents specified negative effects. Its exact coverage is defined by the applying skill.
Remove debuffCleanse effect: Removes eligible negative effects. Some Pre-Battle or expressly non-dispellable effects may remain.
Immune to Control EffectsImmunity modifier: Prevents eligible control debuffs from being applied during the stated duration.
Immune to ConfuseSpecific immunity: Prevents the Confusion status from being applied.
Immune to DisarmSpecific immunity: Prevents the Disarm status from being applied.
Control Debuff ExtenderDuration modifier: Extends the duration of eligible control effects applied to the target.

Recurring Damage and Fire Effects

Recurring statuses may share a general pattern but must retain their own trigger timing, multiplier, duration and interactions.

BleedingRecurring damage: Each round, the affected squad takes recurring Combat Skill Damage defined by the applying skill.
PoisonedRecurring damage: Each round, the affected squad takes recurring Combat Skill Damage defined by the applying skill.
PanickedRecurring damage: Each round, the affected squad takes recurring Combat Skill Damage defined by the applying skill.
BurningRecurring fire damage: Applies recurring fire-related Skill Damage at the timing stated by the skill. Some abilities can immediately settle or trigger accumulated Burning damage.
On FireFire condition: Marks the squad as affected by a fire condition. Other skills may gain extra effects against a squad that is On Fire.
FlammableFire vulnerability: Increases Burning Damage received. It may stack when the applying skill permits it.
BlackflameHero-specific fire debuff: A hero-specific stacking debuff associated with Helsingen. It reduces damage dealt and may additionally apply Flammable, depending on the skill.
RedflameHero-specific fire debuff: A hero-specific stacking debuff associated with Seraphina. It increases damage received and may additionally apply Burning, depending on the skill.
SputteringHero-specific fire state: A hero-specific fire-related state. Its trigger, damage, duration and interactions must be taken from the source skill.

Attack Patterns, Reactions and Damage Modifiers

These mechanics change attack frequency, target count, reaction behavior or damage relationships.

ComboRepeated-attack effect: Allows an additional normal attack or a repeated eligible attack. Trigger conditions and probability are defined by the applying skill.
CounterattackReactive attack: Launches an attack in response to receiving an eligible enemy attack.
Immune to CounterattacksCounter protection: Prevents the squad’s eligible attacks from triggering enemy Counterattacks.
SplashMulti-target damage: Deals secondary damage to one or more squads beyond the primary target.
Mass AttackMulti-target attack: Makes an eligible attack or effect hit multiple enemy squads directly rather than only one target.
ChainLinked effect: Links squads so that damage or another effect is shared, transferred or repeated between them according to the applying skill.
ReflectingReactive damage: Returns a stated percentage or amount of received damage to the attacker.
Life StealDamage-to-recovery: Restores Troop Power based on a portion of damage dealt by the squad.
Counter effectTroop-counter modifier: Modifies troop-type advantage or disadvantage. A positive modifier strengthens counter advantage; a reduction weakens it.
Pierced ArmorDefence debuff: Reduces the target’s protection against Physical Damage, usually through Resistance reduction or increased Physical Damage taken.
VulnerableDamage-taken debuff: Increases the damage received by the affected squad.
WeakenedDamage-dealt debuff: Reduces the damage dealt by the affected squad.

Defence, Avoidance and Recovery

These terms govern damage avoidance, shielding, recovery, damage sharing and revival.

DodgingAvoidance effect: Guarantees avoidance of the next eligible instance of enemy damage, based on the supplied description.
EvadeAvoidance chance: Provides a chance to avoid incoming damage. Keep it separate from Dodging because both are indexed as distinct effects.
ShieldDamage absorption: Absorbs incoming damage according to the value, duration and conditions stated by the applying skill.
Damage Mitigation ShieldDamage protection: A temporary shield-like effect that reduces or absorbs a specified amount or percentage of incoming damage.
GuardDefensive state: Places a squad or allied squads in a defensive state. The exact reduction, protection or retaliation behavior is skill-specific.
First-aidTriggered recovery: Restores Troop Power when the stated trigger occurs.
RecoveryRecovery effect: Restores lost Troop Power during battle.
Recovery BlockedAnti-recovery: Prevents the affected squad from recovering Troop Power.
Reduced RecoveryAnti-recovery: Reduces the amount of Troop Power restored by recovery effects.
Magnified HealingRecovery amplification: Increases the amount of Troop Power restored by recovery effects.
RevivedRevival effect: Returns a defeated squad to battle with the Troop Power specified by the skill.
Share DamageDamage distribution: Redirects or distributes part of incoming damage between linked friendly squads according to the skill.
Avoid DamageDamage avoidance: Prevents an eligible instance of incoming damage under the stated trigger or chance.
Less DamageDefensive modifier: A translated label for reducing incoming damage. Store it under the normalised term “Damage Taken Reduction.”

Hero-Specific Named States and Marks

These labels exist, but their exact behavior belongs to the hero skill that creates them. The engine reads them from the source hero’s skill text.

BerserkNamed empowered state: A hero-specific empowered phase activated by the skill’s stated condition. The granted bonuses are not universal and must be stored from that hero’s skill.
Blunt bladeNamed debuff: A hero-specific attack-weakening state. The exact affected damage type and reduction depend on the skill.
BoldNamed buff: A hero-specific positive state. Its offensive or defensive bonuses depend on the skill.
CursedNamed debuff: A hero-specific persistent debuff family. It may affect damage, recovery or other attributes depending on the source skill.
Dark Crossbow MarkMark: A Helsingen-related mark that interacts with Firearm Mark and can trigger immediate Burning settlement.
Firearm MarkMark: A Seraphina-related mark that interacts with Dark Crossbow Mark and can trigger Burning settlement and recovery reduction.
DemigodNamed empowered state: Achilles’s special empowered state. Its duration, control immunity and bonuses are defined by Achilles’s skill.
Devour MendNamed anti-recovery state: A hero-specific anti-recovery state. It blocks healing and, where the skill specifies, can convert attempted recovery into damage.
DivinationNamed state: A hero-specific named state whose support or offensive effects are defined by the applying skill.
FalteringStacking debuff: A hero-specific stacking state that increases damage received or amplifies a follow-up effect according to the applying skill.
FateMark / trigger state: A hero-specific layer or trigger used to activate or scale another skill effect.
Hunting DomainNamed field effect: A hero-specific battlefield state. The skill may alter target selection and apply early-round controls.
PainNamed debuff: A hero-specific negative state used to trigger or increase another damage effect.
PhantomNamed state: A hero-specific state that creates or strengthens an additional action, attack or defensive effect.
Storm CavalryNamed support state: Cyrus’s Cavalry support state. It improves allied Cavalry performance according to the exact skill level and wording.

Buff and Debuff Modifier Families

The game’s filter labels include duplicated, misspelled and overly literal wordings. This table consolidates them into the canonical families the ranking engine reads.

+1 Normal AttackAction-frequency buff: Adds one normal-attack attempt during the stated round or duration.
Cast Normal Attacks TwiceAction-frequency buff: Makes the eligible normal attack execute twice under the stated condition.
Cast Combat Skills TwiceSkill-execution buff: Makes an eligible Combat Skill execute twice when the effect applies.
Chance to Launch Additional AttacksFollow-up attack buff: Adds a probability of launching an Additional Attack after the stated trigger.
Increase Additional AttackAdditional-attack modifier: Improves an Additional Attack’s chance, frequency or output as specified by the source skill.
Increase Chance to Cast SkillsSkill-trigger buff: Raises the activation chance of eligible skills.
Increase Hero Skill Trigger RateSkill-trigger buff: Raises the trigger rate of the hero’s eligible skills.
Fail Casting SkillsSkill-failure debuff: Causes an eligible skill cast to fail under the stated probability or condition.
Skip PrepSkill-timing buff: Allows an eligible preparation skill to resolve without its normal preparation delay.
Skip CooldownSkill-timing buff: Allows an eligible skill to bypass its cooldown.
Cooldown ReductionSkill-timing buff: Shortens an eligible skill’s cooldown.
Ignored Delaying EffectDelay immunity: Prevents or ignores an effect that would delay the squad’s action or skill timing.
Range +1Range buff: Extends the valid targeting range of the affected skill or squad by one position.
Additional Damage IncreaseDamage buff: Increases a separate Additional Damage component produced by a skill.
Additional Damage ReductionDamage modifier: Reduces incoming or outgoing Additional Damage as specified by the source skill.
Damage Dealt IncreaseGeneral offence buff: Increases all eligible damage dealt unless the skill limits the affected damage type.
Damage Dealt ReductionGeneral offence debuff: Reduces damage dealt by the affected squad.
Damage Taken IncreaseGeneral defence debuff: Increases damage received by the affected squad.
Damage Taken ReductionGeneral defence buff: Reduces damage received by the affected squad.
Physical Damage Dealt IncreasePhysical offence buff: Increases Physical Damage dealt.
Physical Damage Dealt ReductionPhysical offence debuff: Reduces Physical Damage dealt by the affected squad.
Physical Damage Taken ReductionPhysical defence buff: Reduces incoming Physical Damage.
Skill Damage Dealt IncreaseSkill offence buff: Increases Skill Damage dealt.
Skill Damage Dealt ReductionSkill offence debuff: Reduces Skill Damage dealt by the affected squad.
Skill Damage Taken IncreaseSkill defence debuff: Increases incoming Skill Damage.
Skill Damage Taken ReductionSkill defence buff: Reduces incoming Skill Damage.
Burning Damage IncreaseFire-damage buff: Increases Burning damage dealt or the Burning multiplier, as specified by the skill.
Burning Damage Taken IncreaseFire vulnerability debuff: Makes the affected target receive more Burning damage.
Fatal Blow Chance IncreaseCritical chance buff: Raises the chance that eligible Physical Damage triggers Fatal Blow.
Grant Fatal BlowCritical access buff: Allows eligible damage to trigger Fatal Blow when it otherwise could not.
Fatal Blow Damage IncreaseCritical damage buff: Raises the Fatal Blow damage multiplier.
Fatal Blow ReductionCritical debuff: Reduces an enemy’s Fatal Blow chance or effectiveness as stated by the skill.
Fatal Blow ImmunityCritical immunity: Prevents eligible Fatal Blow effects from applying.
Fatal Blow Immunity ReductionImmunity debuff: Reduces the target’s protection against Fatal Blow.
Fatal Blow Damage Taken ReductionCritical defence buff: Reduces damage received from Fatal Blow.
Destructive Strike Chance IncreaseCritical chance buff: Raises the chance that eligible Direct Skill Damage triggers Destructive Strike.
Grant Destructive StrikeCritical access buff: Allows eligible Direct Skill Damage to trigger Destructive Strike.
Destructive Strike ImmunityCritical immunity: Prevents eligible Destructive Strike effects from applying.
Destructive Strike Immunity ReductionImmunity debuff: Reduces the target’s protection against Destructive Strike.
Destructive Strike Damage Taken ReductionCritical defence buff: Reduces damage received from Destructive Strike.
Might Increase / ReductionAttribute modifier: Raises or lowers the affected squad’s Might.
Tactical Might IncreaseAttribute buff: Raises the affected squad’s Tactical Might.
Resistance Increase / ReductionAttribute modifier: Raises or lowers the affected squad’s Resistance.
Tactical Resistance IncreaseAttribute buff: Raises the affected squad’s Tactical Resistance.
Combat Speed Increase / ReductionTurn-order modifier: Raises or lowers action-order speed.
Steal MightAttribute theft: Transfers or copies a stated amount of Might from the target to the acting squad.
Steal ResistanceAttribute theft: Transfers or copies a stated amount of Resistance from the target to the acting squad.
Steal Combat SpeedAttribute theft: Transfers or copies a stated amount of Combat Speed from the target to the acting squad.
Steal DamageModifier theft: Reduces the target’s damage modifier and grants a corresponding benefit to the acting squad, according to the skill.
Drain ATK / Drain DEFAttribute drain: Reduces the target’s translated attack or defence values. Map the exact stat to Might/Resistance or the displayed attribute in the source skill.
Ignore Base ResistanceDefence bypass: Causes eligible damage to disregard part or all of the target’s Base Resistance.
BreakoutDefence bypass: A named state: its holder’s attacks ignore 100% of the target’s Base Resistance while it lasts. Granted by Hannibal’s card to all friendly squads for one round.
Ignore DodgingAvoidance bypass: Allows eligible attacks to bypass a Dodging state.
Evasion Rate IncreaseAvoidance buff: Raises the chance to evade eligible incoming damage.
Countering Effect Increase / ReductionCounter modifier: Strengthens or weakens troop-type counter advantage.
Recovery IncreaseRecovery buff: Restores Troop Power or increases recovery output, depending on the exact skill.
Recovery ReductionRecovery debuff: Reduces the amount of Troop Power restored.
Recovery BlockedRecovery debuff: Prevents Troop Power recovery.
Magnified HealingRecovery buff: Amplifies Troop Power recovery received or delivered as stated by the skill.
Accumulated Damage TakenStack / tracking mechanic: Tracks or stacks damage received for a later trigger, settlement or conversion effect.
Take DamageDamage trigger: A generic trigger or debuff indicating that the squad suffers a specified damage instance.

Hero-specific states (section 8) are intentionally described without numbers: their exact values live in the skill text of the hero that creates them, which is where the engine reads them. If a definition here disagrees with what you see in game after an update, tell me which term — the glossary and the rankings are corrected together.

See the vocabulary at work

Every ranked combo carries a scorecard and a written reason built from these exact definitions.

How the scores work Browse the ranked combos