Phantom Brigade Melee Weapons & Mechanics Guide
Phantom Brigade is a tactical RPG game that combines turn-based strategy with real-time gameplay. One of the game’s most exciting features is the ability to engage in melee combat. In this guide, we’ll show you how to effectively use melee weapons and explain the game’s mechanics.
Part 1: Basic Things to Know
Melee combat in Phantom Brigade is best used against stationary targets. While it’s possible to use it on moving targets, it’s harder to do so successfully. A lock-on indicator will appear on the floor of a unit if the swing trajectory is close to the target, even if it’s an ally. If you need to use melee on a moving target, it’s best to think of jousting or move parallel to them.
During the melee animation, there is no collision, so you can pass through other units without crashing into them, even if they’re allies. However, you can’t land on top of an enemy with a similar or higher weight class than you. Like dashing, you can use melee to get on top of buildings quickly and possibly avoid missile lock-on.
You can hold the control button to change the melee swing to the left side, and it’s possible to hit multiple enemies in one swing. Hit and run is a good way to avoid crashing. Not to mention, it looks cool AF.
Part 2: The Mechanics
Understanding Weapon Stats
There are four melee weapon stats you need to understand to hit your target consistently:
Hit Width: This determines the radius of your weapon swing and is the furthest reach at its peak swinging.
Range: This doesn’t actually determine the weapon’s hit rate. At least not for melee, based on my experience. It’s more of how far you can land at the end of your melee. Offensive modules such as Range Sensor can affect this stat, but there seems to be a hard cap for minimal range.
Optimal Interval: This is where your weapon’s hitbox really is. Lower interval has a better chance to hit your target. The “barcode” shows the location in your melee swing trajectory that will connect to the target. The empty space in between means your melee will miss the target.
Action Duration: Your mech weight doesn’t matter in melee attack. However, faster action duration = faster attack = higher chance to hit your target. If the duration is too long, say 1.6 seconds, your target could have moved away from your weapon trajectory.
How to Hit Your Target
The swing trajectory can be tricky, and as most people say, the trajectory is deceptive. So instead, we’ll show you this picture:
You want your target to hit that spot exactly where the “colored boxes” are by looking at your weapon’s optimal interval. Lower intervals will give you more hitbox. The only way to increase this is to equip the “liquid cooling” module that gives reduction to heat generation.
There is also the elevation/angle to consider if you decide to melee target at a different height. This is because your attack starts at head level and ends with swings at foot level. This can also change the outcome of where your target is being hit and miss if on a different height. Although a tank (not mech) on the same ground level as you will be hit even if the trajectory seems higher than it is (need to test further).
PART 3: The Weapons
Weapon Class:
There are 3 weapon classes, and they generally determine the overall base stats of a weapon. This includes how heavy the weapon is, how much heat it generates, how far the weapon can swing, and most importantly, how consistently you can hit a target with its hitbox.
Light Melee: These are secondary weapons with the lowest mass, the narrowest swing width, but the largest hitbox.
Medium Melee: These are primary weapons with the widest swing width (although just 1 meter difference), good damage, and considerable hitbox.
Heavy Melee: These are primary weapons with the highest damage, lower swing width, and a horrible hitbox. They are the hardest to use without proper mods and setup.
Weapon Types:
Each weapon type provides unique properties to the weapon’s damage and playstyle.
Blade:
The most basic melee weapon that is great at destroying a single body part. It has the longest range of all melee weapons.
Cutter:
The lightest weapon of all melee types and the only weapon with stagger damage type, useful for knocking down targets. Unlike the Blade type, Cutter can hit multiple parts of a target.
Saber:
Slices through multiple parts but generates the most heat of all melee weapons. With correct timing, a melee attack after the enemy’s attack can cause huge overheating damage and possibly OHKO. Saber will always have heat damage.
Axe:
The only melee weapon with concussion damage to knock out pilots. Some variations have added heat damage (with higher heat generation). It is the best weapon to use if you don’t want to destroy parts.
That’s all we’re sharing today in this Phantom Brigade Melee Weapons & Mechanics Guide.
