Piercing and Resistance

Piercing and Resistance is a battle system in Castle Age that is used in both Player vs. Player Battles (including Guild Battles) and Monster Hunting. Piercing relates to enhanced abilities to cause damage to your opponent, while resistance relates to enhanced abilities to defend against damage from your opponent (and vice versa for them). Types are:
 * Physical Piercing / Physical Resistance
 * Fire Offense / Fire Defense
 * Water Offense / Water Defense
 * Earth Offense / Earth Defense
 * Wind Offense / Wind Defense

Note that Piercing only triggers if the player is attacking, while Resistance is only applied while defending.

Game Description
'''NOTE:  THE IN-GAME DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF ELEMENTAL (EARTH/AIR/FIRE/WATER) PIERCING AND RESISTANCE ARE NO LONGER ACCURATE. '''

'''SEE THE "EFFECTS IN MONSTER HUNTING" SECTION BELOW FOR CURRENT INFORMATION. '''

Physical Piercing/ Resistance
Some heroes and items will grant your character Physical Piercing and Physical Resistance.

As an attacker, if your Physical Piercing exceeds your opponent's Physical Resistance, you will have a better chance at defeating your opponent.

As a defender, if your Physical Resistance exceeds the attacker's Physical Piercing, you will have a better chance of defending against the attack.

Fire Offense/Resistance
Some heroes and items will grant your character Fire Offense and Resistance.
 * The opposite element is Water.
 * These currently apply only to Monster battles.

As an attacker, if your Fire Offense exceeds your opponent's Fire Resistance, you will have a better chance at defeating your opponent.
 * You do not take extra damage if their Fire Resistance is greater than your Fire Offense.
 * Fire Offense will allow you an even greater chance to defeat an opponent if they have Water Resistance equipped.

As a defender, if your Fire Resistance exceeds your opponent's Fire Offense, you will have a better chance at not being defeated by your opponents.
 * Fire Resistance operates as a negative Water Resistance when your opponent is using Water Offense.

Water Offense/Resistance
Some heroes and items will grant your character Water Offense and Resistance.
 * The opposite element is Fire.
 * These currently apply only to Monster battles.

As an attacker, if your Water Offense exceeds your opponent's Water Resistance, you will have a better chance at defeating your opponent.
 * You do not take extra damage if their Water Resistance is greater than your Water Offense.
 * Water Offense will allow you an even greater chance to defeat an opponent if they have Fire Resistance equipped.

As a defender, if your Water Resistance exceeds your opponent's Water Offense, you will have a better chance at not being defeated by your opponents.
 * Water Resistance operates as a negative Fire Resistance when your opponent is using Fire Offense.

Earth Offense/Resistance
Some heroes and items will grant your character Earth Offense and Resistance.
 * The opposite element is Wind.
 * These currently apply only to Monster battles.

Some heroes and items will grant your character Earth/Wind Offense and Resistance. These currently apply only to Monster battles.

As an attacker, if your Earth Offense exceeds your opponent's Earth Resistance, you will have a better chance at defeating your opponent.
 * You do not take extra damage if their Earth Resistance is greater than your Earth Offense.
 * Earth Offense will allow you an even greater chance to defeat an opponent if they have Wind Resistance equipped.

As a defender, if your Earth Resistance exceeds your opponent's Earth Offense, you will have a better chance at not being defeated by your opponents.
 * Earth Resistance operates as a negative Wind Resistance when your opponent is using Wind Offense.

Wind Offense/Resistance
Some heroes and items will grant your character Wind Offense and Resistance.
 * The opposite element is Earth.
 * These currently apply only to Monster battles.

As an attacker, if your Wind Offense exceeds your opponent's Wind Resistance, you will have a better chance at defeating your opponent.
 * You do not take extra damage if their Wind Resistance is greater than your Water Offense.
 * Wind Offense will allow you an even greater chance to defeat an opponent if they have Earth Resistance equipped.

As a defender, if your Wind Resistance exceeds your opponent's Wind Offense, you will have a better chance at not being defeated by your opponents.
 * Wind Resistance operates as a negative Earth Resistance when your opponent is using Earth Offense.

Generals
Some generals have abilities that specialize in piercing (also called offense) and resistance. All information below are based on level 4 stats.

Notes:
 * If the generals' levels are equal, Aesir and Vanir will cancel each other out. This will result in their abilities not having any impact in the final calculation when determining the winner in PvP.
 * If the generals' levels are equal, Feredir and Erynion's Wind element cancel each other out.
 * If Ender is defending, the player will be at a greater disadvantage against Fire and Water Offenses due to the general's negative resistances to the two elements.
 * Kraxus gains a small, increasing amount of Physical Resistance after level 4.

Equipment
With the introduction of the Conquest Path Shop, some equipment now provides innate piercing and resistance power without needing any additional items forged onto them.

Remember that the following equipment must be equipped for the pierce/resistance property to be useful.

Items
Items use of both Alchemy and Forge. Players can combine ingredients in alchemy to create special gems with piercing and resistance properties which in turn can be used in forge to augment certain items with such properties. See Forge for a more in depth guide.

Remember that the following items must be forged into a weapon or armor and said weapon or armor must be equipped for the pierce/resistance property to be useful. In case the item augmented is not the best one that the player has for that equipment slot, they must manually equip it in the Class page and select that class in monster battles or guild battles. Additionally, Warlock uses the Mage equipment set, and Ranger uses the Warrior equipment set. For regular PvP battles (Duel and Invade), your currently selected class is used.

Physical Piercing and Resistance
Physical Piercing is a way to augment your attack in any form of player vs. player combat. It takes the place of a percentage multiplier to your effective attack based on how much Physical Piercing you have, and how much Physical Resistance your opponent has.

The formula for this percentage boost to your attack is:
 * (your Piercing - their Resistance)/10 %.

Examples:
 * If you have 40 and they have 0, you would have a (40-0)/10 = 4% boost.
 * The 4% boost is calculated after you have figured out your overall effective attack. Then add 4% on to that figure and you will get the number of point increase.
 * If the values are the same or if their Resistance is higher than your Piercing, there is not boost to your attack.

Physical Resistance is a way to augment your defense in any form of player vs. player combat. It takes the place of a percentage multiplier to your effective defense based on how much Physical Resistance you have, and how much Physical Piercing your opponent has.

The formula for this percentage boost to your defense is:
 * (your Resistance - their Piercing)/10 %.

Examples:
 * If you have 40 and they have 0, you would have a (40-0)/10 = 4% boost.
 * The 4% boost is calculated after you have figured out your overall effective defense. Once that is figured out, add 4% on to that figure and you will see how much your effective defense has increased.
 * If the values are the same or if their Piercing is higher than your Resistance, there is not boost to your defense.

Note:

These numbers have been tested many times over and over and the figure of 4% appears to be accurate. Depending on your build, Vanir may be better as your defense general than Halcyon. Also, Aesir may be a better attack general than Evalice or Xira. It all depends on your build.

Forged weapons with Elemental Gems have not revealed any hard evidence that they are currently working in PvP. There is some speculation that each +15 fury gem will increase your overall attack by 1.5% or 1.25% but those figures have not been tested thoroughly enough nor long enough to know for sure. As of now, it appears physical piercing and resistance may be the only gems working at this point in PvP.
 * Elemental Gems currently all work on the monsters with elemental resistances.

Effects in Monster Hunting
The new monsters in Castle Age all have some kinds of resistances which might decrease the player's damage output. There are two different types of resistances the player must keep in mind in those instances : piercing resistances and elemental resistances.

When fighting against a monster with physical resistance, the player needs to attack it with generals and/or items with physical piercing, otherwise some of their damage will be negated. In this context, physical resistance is very similar to the Divine Armor system.

When fighting against a monster with some kind of elemental resistance, the player needs to avoid attacking monsters with a general and/or items whose elemental offense is of the same kind as that of the monster, otherwise some of their damage will be negated. For example, attacking the aforementioned Fenix's fire shield (which has fire resistance) while having fire offense equipped will lessen the player's damage output.

However, monsters with elemental resistance also have a weakness to another specific element. The player needs to attack it with generals and/or items with the kind of elemental offense against which it is weak in order to inflict more damage. Currently, it is known that monsters with fire resistance are weak against water offense, and that monsters with earth resistance are weak against wind offense. So for example, if attacking Fenix's fire shield, a player will deal more damage if they have a general and/or items with water offense equipped.

Note that players will need to manually equip their piercing general and/or items for them to counter the monsters' resistance. Newer resistance monsters spawn minions which can be avoided by having enough elemental resistance from a resistance general and/or according items.

Monsters
Fenix, Risen From Ashes Resistances: Physical, Fire

Kessaran, the Undying Resistances: Physical


 * Kessaran has divine armor on top of his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistance effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

Urmek, Protector of Gaia Resistances: Physical, Earth

* Wind weakness is activated when stone armor is dispatched

Poseidon, Atlantean King Resistances: Physical, Water

* Fire weakness is activated when Trident is dispatched

** Water Elementals appear randomly to attackers before the Trident is dispatched if the attacker doesn't have Water Resistance

Vorak, Devourer of Skies Resistances: Physical, Wind

* Earth weakness is activated when Wings are dispatched

** Wind Elementals appear randomly to attackers before the Wings are dispatched if the attacker doesn't have Wind Resistance
 * Vorak's Main has a divine armor along with his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistances effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

Abomination, Ancient Slime Resistances: Physical, Water, Earth

* Fire weakness is activated when Stomach is dispatched
 * Abomination also has divine armor

** Wind weakness is activated when Tentacle is dispatched

*** Water Slimes appear randomly to players attacking Main 1 or the Stomach without Water Resistance equipped

**** Earth Slimes appear randomly to players when attacking Main 2 or the Tentacle without Earth Resistance equipped

Lord of Darkness Resistances: Physical, Fire, Wind, Water, Earth

* Water weakness is activated when Left Arm is dispatched
 * Lord of Darkness has divine armor on top of his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistance effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

** Earth weakness is activated when Right Arm is dispatched

*** Nether Shades are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Lord of Darkness' Head and do not have Fire Resistance, or his Left Arm and do not have Water Resistance.

**** Nether Shades are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Lord of Darkness' Nether Void and do not have Wind Resistance, or his Right Arm and do not have Earth Resistance.

Baal, Stealer of Souls Resistances: Physical, Water

* Fire weakness is activated when Arm is dispatched
 * Baal, Stealer of Souls has divine armor on top of his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistance effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

** Fire weakness is activated when Soul Shield is dispatched

***Dark Souls are randomly summoned to players that are attacking all areas targets (Head, Soulcage, Arm or Soul Shield), and do not have Water Resistance.

Svarog, the Magmapede Resistances: Physical, Fire, Earth

* Water weakness is activated when Carapace 1 is dispatched
 * Svarog, the Magmapede has divine armor on top of his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistance effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

** Wind weakness is activated when Carapace 2 is dispatched

***Fire Centipedes are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Svarog's Head or Carapace 1 and do not have Fire Resistance.

****Earth Centipedes are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Svarog's Underbelly or Carapace 2 and do not have Earth Resistance.

Lothorewyn, the Corrupted Resistances: Physical, Fire, Earth

* Fire weakness is activated when Thorny Bark is dispatched
 * Lothorewyn, the Corrupted has divine armor on top of his physical resistances. This entry only lists his resistance effects. See Divine Items for information about his divine armor.

** Wind weakness is activated when Branch is dispatched

*** Zealous Treant are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Lothorewyn's Trunk or Thorny Bark and do not have Water Resistance.

**** Demonic Treants are randomly summoned to players that are attacking Lothorewyn's Roots or Branch and do not have Earth Resistance.