Defending

[Kakashi Hatake]

A while ago I was asking a question about defending, and Adam told me that blocking attacks depended on both SPD & TEC, but mainly TEC.

I've been wondering, though, how exactly does that work? Because on the Stats page it says that someone with 5 TEC can 'reliably block most attacks from an unskilled fighter' which presumably means someone with a TEC of 1 ('neither terrible nor particularly skilled') or 0 ('really bad at fighting'). But does that only apply when their speed is equal? What if the unskilled fighter in question had 5 SPD and the person blocking had 0? Would they still be able to block most of the strikes despite being so much slower?

And would someone with 2 SPD and 3 TEC be better at landing their attacks than someone with 0 SPD and 4 TEC? In other words: does 2 SPD equal 1 TEC when it comes to bypassing defences? Or would you need more? Or less? Is it just a 1:1 ratio?

Because the way it's explained on the stats page makes it seem like TEC alone is responsible for moves, and SPD only matters when it comes to actual movement ... yet SPD also affects things like teleportation and form changing, which obviously implies otherwise. I'm just trying to work out how big an issue it would be to have sub-par SPD (or to fight someone with really high SPD, like Teal or Rin)?

TEC in this instance refers to the ability to block in such a way that the damage is mitigated/minimized. SPD refers to how fast one can raise said defense (reaction time and actually being able to lift an arm or something) or dodge. DEF would be the resilience of the shield/armor/general toughness of whatever might taking the hit. Strength is obviously how much damage is coming at the defender.

If an opponent is quite skilled but very slow, they may be able to guard effectively if given enough time, but against a faster foe they would have a harder time getting their guard ready in time to avoid damage. Think of a slow, burly warrior raising a shield. Very likely to block efficiently, but slow to do so. If it were the other way around, they may be able to throw up a defense but not be able to take the hit very well. In this instance think of a green cadet raising a sword with an improper grip or a shield without bracing it. Yes, the defense is there, but it's not effective. With equal speeds the person with the higher TEC would be be more 'efficient' with their weapon and thus do/prevent a bit more damage. Likewise, equal TEC would balance out in a clash but if one can land a hit before the block is 'completely' up. there will be an advantage on the speedier side.

So the best answer to this is that stats work in tandem. You can't really equate 2 TEC to 1 SPD or anything because being better does not necessarily mean you will be faster (and vice versa). When fights come down to a difference of a stat point or two, expect that you you'll probably not be able to completely avoid damage with a higher TEC/SPD, it'll likely be a glancing blow or something similar. It all does in the end come down to how you want to write it, though. It really comes down to common sense. If one party is more fatigued or the other has a faster move, things can vary.

This thread also answered the question.

[Reece]

Yeah, it wasn't that I didn't know what TEC was, as such, and I had seen that thread, it was more SPD that I was unsure about. That 'burly warrior'/'green cadet' comparison you gave was a really helpful description, though, I think I've got it now.
Basically, TEC is useless in melee combat unless you have the SPD to back it up, since even a complete idiot can dodge a sword thrust that they can see coming well in advance?

[Demetri Malius]

yeah, defense plays a part too. Demetric an easily parry light hits but anything heavy to bust right through whatever he puts up. If i am correct.

[Thaal Sinestro]

Yeah, it wasn't that I didn't know what TEC was, as such, and I had seen that thread, it was more SPD that I was unsure about. That 'burly warrior'/'green cadet' comparison you gave was a really helpful description, though, I think I've got it now.
Basically, TEC is useless in melee combat unless you have the SPD to back it up, since even a complete idiot can dodge a sword thrust that they can see coming well in advance?

In the context of the Omniverse, a venerable old master with a SPD of 0 and a TEC of 5 could use their powerful wushu to deflect and confound a fast and powerful attacker with a TEC of 1.

Also, speaking from experience dodging a "simple sword thrust" isn't as easy as all that, especially if it's being performed by a skilled practitioner.

There are times when ANY stat can trump ANY OTHER STAT if it's high enough, obviously. A super strong person can punch through a block. An iron hide might pretty much ignore a flurry of skillful blows. A speedster might roll with an attack and diminish the strength of a blow.

There is NO stat that is useless, nor is there one that is best. They all come together.