NTE Combat Fundamentals 101

Introduction

NTE's first global closed beta has already ended, and one of the most discussed aspects is the combat. You've likely heard it compared to a fusion of Genshin Impact, ZZZ, Wuthering Waves, and Honkai Impact 3rd, yet up-to-date, detailed information remains scarce.

So, we decided to do some research ourselves. Here it is: a breakdown of the most basic aspects of NTE combat, explained with visualized examples.

The Basic Moves

Every character, at their core, has a Normal Attack, a Skill, and an Ultimate. These form the foundation of your offensive capabilities, from simple strikes to screen-clearing finishers.

Parrying: The Ultimate Defense

A key addition in this beta is Parrying. A successful parry, timed as the parry circle aligns with the outer ring, can turn the tide of battle. We've identified 5 primary ways to execute a parry:

The Esper Cycle System

Beside the standard HP and Ultimate gauges, each character has an Esper Cycle Meter. You can charge this meter in three ways: continuously attacking, using a skill, or successfully parrying an attack.

Attacking gradually charges the meter, while a parry instantly fills it. The charge speed is governed by a character's “Cycle Rate” stat. This means characters like MC and Fadia, who have skills with a 100 Cycle Rate, can instantly charge the meter on skill use.

Once fully charged, an eligible character in your squad will glow, signaling that they are ready to be swapped in to trigger a powerful Esper Cycle reaction.

Elemental Reactions

NTE's elemental system features 6 elements. When adjacent elements on the Esper Cycle are combined, they trigger a unique reaction. Each one provides a distinct tactical advantage.

• Blossom

  Cosmos Anima

  Spawns a peashooter that attacks targets, dealing area damage.

• Hexed

  Anima Incantation

  Triggers extra Unison damage based on recent elemental damage taken.

• Scorch

  Incantation Chaos

  Inflicts damage over time for 15 seconds.

• Nova

  Chaos Psyche

  Marks a target, causing a large burst of Cognito damage after 5 seconds.

• Stain

  Psyche Lakshana

  The target takes 50% more Psyche and Lakshana damage for 12 seconds.

• Remora

  Lakshana Cosmos

  Marks the target, slowing their movement and attack speed.

Trio Reactions

Beyond the standard “duo reactions”, two advanced “trio reactions” can be triggered by combining the effects of other reactions:

• Charge: Activated when Blossom hits a target marked by Remora. Grants the active character ultimate energy per hit.
• Discord: Activated when a target is under Nova and Scorch simultaneously. Reduces a percentage of the target's break meter.

Esper Cycle Passives

Every character has a unique Esper Cycle Passive that enhances these reactions. This passive is active as long as the character is in your squad—even if they're off-field. This mechanic is the cornerstone of advanced team building.

Final Thoughts

While NTE's combat may seem straightforward on the surface, the Esper Cycle system and character-specific passives provide remarkable depth. Combined with the freedom to customize character advancements, team building becomes an incredibly dynamic and flexible puzzle.

As we most likely will have another beta, and then release, I believe once they improved the “feel”, what we will have, is a solid and fun combat system.