Aniimo combat basics: Command Mode, Twine, BREAK and elemental counters
Aniimo gives you two ways to fight: in Command Mode you give orders and use your own Pathfinder Skills; in Twine Mode you become the Aniimo and spend EP on its skills. Empty the yellow BREAK gauge to stun a target and grab it with a Quick Catch, and bring an element that counters it.
On this page
Combat in Aniimo blends two roles: yours as the Pathfinder, and your Aniimo’s. This guide follows the game’s help center and tutorials. Keep our controls page handy for the buttons.
Two ways to fight
Command Mode: you give the orders
In Command Mode, you stay yourself and your active Aniimo fights beside you.
- Issue a command: with an attackable locked-on target ahead, attack (left click on PC, Attack on mobile) to send your Aniimo into the fight in that direction. After switching targets, issue the command again.
- Your own hits: your basic attacks deal a little BREAK damage, your offensive skills a lot more. On PC, Q, E and Mobility (T) cast your Pathfinder Skills.
- Skill sets: on the Character screen you set up combat skill sets (used in battle) and Mobility sets (used out of battle). The tutorial, for example, has you equip Symphony of Life to heal a wounded Aniimo.
- Learning skills: as your Pathfinder Title rises, you unlock more Active Skills and Passive Talents. Demo Tapes teach Active Skills; Report Cards teach and upgrade Passive Talents.
Your Aniimo follows one of three behavior modes you pick (J on PC, the Aniimo Combat Mode button on mobile):
| Mode | What your Aniimo does |
|---|---|
| Attack | Actively attacks wild Aniimo in range. |
| Catch | Doesn’t attack on its own. It fights when you attack or get hit, and stops once the target’s HP is low (below 30% per the tutorial). |
| Defense | Doesn’t attack on its own. Once combat starts, it keeps going until the targets are defeated. |
Catch Mode is the handy one for catching without knocking targets out. As the tutorial puts it, weakening a target raises your catch success rate.
Twine Mode: you become the Aniimo
Twine (C on PC, RT on controller) turns your character into your Aniimo: you move and use its skills as that Aniimo. Press again to untwine.
- EP: it sits under the Aniimo’s status bar as six blue orbs. Skills light up when you have enough. Skills spend EP, which recovers over time, and basic attacks restore some too. EP is shared by the whole team.
- Mobility: some Aniimo have a unique movement ability (T on PC). It costs no EP.
- Ultimate: its gauge rings the Ultimate icon. Once it holds a segment, R (on PC) spends it on a powerful Ultimate. Using your Aniimo’s skills refills the gauge, which stores up to three segments.
- Aim skills: hold the skill button to aim, steer with the camera, then release to fire in that direction.
For everything Twine does out in the world, read Twine explained.
Your party and combat modes
A party holds up to four Aniimo. On the Aniimo screen, drag an avatar onto the party panel on the left. In battle, keys 1 to 4 (or tapping an avatar on mobile) bring that Aniimo in, Twine Mode included.
| Mode | How it works | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Solo Combat Mode | Freely switch between your 4 Aniimo and use all their skills. | World exploration, solo play |
| Team Combat Mode | Only slot 1 fights as the main Aniimo. The other three step in briefly with their core skill, then you switch back automatically. | Holo-Battle Interlink, Operation: Egg Heist |
The five roles
| Role | Strength |
|---|---|
| DPS | Heavy HP damage, best when switched in while the target is in BREAK. |
| BREAK | Drains the target’s BREAK gauge quickly. |
| Support | Buffs allies’ damage or debuffs targets. |
| REGEN | Raises the team’s REGEN rate so everyone casts skills more often. |
| Healing | Restores HP for the whole party. |
Each Aniimo’s role is listed on its page in the Aniidex.
Aiming and locking on
- Auto-Aim: when nothing is locked, a marker appears on the nearest target and your attacks aim at it.
- Lock On (Tab on PC, right stick press on controller): the target no longer switches with distance. Press again to switch targets, hold to cancel. On mobile, the Lock On, Switch and Cancel Lock-On buttons do the same.
- The lock-on circle: highlighted (white) when the target is in range, so ranged attacks auto-aim; gray or red when it’s out of range, so they don’t.
The game offers two modes, adjustable in Settings along with Camera Mode and Smart Cast:
- Attack Lock-On: hitting a target locks onto it, without locking the camera.
- Manual Lock-On: you lock on yourself, and the camera locks onto the target.
BREAK and Quick Catch
Every wild Aniimo has a yellow BREAK gauge under its status bar. Each hit lowers it. At zero, the Aniimo enters the BREAK state: stunned, unable to act and easy to catch.
- Drain the gauge with offensive skills or a BREAK-role Aniimo.
- Press the interact key (F on PC) or the Quick Catch button to catch it on the spot.
- Use the window to switch in a DPS Aniimo: the target takes more damage.
Alphas and Omegas then enter BREAK Recovery until their gauge refills. In BREAK and BREAK Recovery alike, they take greatly increased damage. These Aniimo also have their own mechanics, which the game flags during the fight.
For stealth, Aniipods and catching in general, see how to catch an Aniimo.
Elemental Counters
There are 9 Aniimo elements, and they counter one another. The game’s rules:
- Your element counters the enemy’s: you deal more HP and BREAK damage, and take less damage.
- Your element is countered: your damage and BREAK damage drop, and you take extra damage.
The full chart is in the Aniimo screen: tap the element icon under the Aniimo’s name. It’s also on our elements page. BINI sometimes reminds you mid-fight, naming the target’s element and the one to use.
Elemental Debuff
Some skills build an elemental debuff on the target. It lowers that element’s resistance and stacks up to 20 times. The buildup fades over time, faster the more stacks there are. The environment and weather can apply it too.
Spatial counters
Some Aniimo fly or burrow:
- Flying: harder to hit, but ranged attacks deal more damage to them. BINI suggests switching to an Aniimo with a ranged skill.
- Underground: basic attacks can’t reach them. Use a skill that can hit tunneling targets to force them up (the tutorial uses a Susuta’s Tackle).
Dodging and healing
- Dodge: Dash (Left Shift on PC, the Dodge button on mobile) doubles as your dodge.
- During a fight: when an Aniimo is low on HP, BINI suggests switching it out or using a heal. A Pathfinder Skill like Symphony of Life restores HP.
- After a fight: a badly wounded or knocked-out Aniimo can be treated by Healer Kim at the Outpost or recover near a Bonfire (stay within range). RV Parks also restore HP continuously.
Fighting together: Chain Ultimate
When more than two Pathfinders are in a party, one player’s Ultimate opens a Chain Timing window for the others. Casting your Ultimate during that window counts as a successful chain. If more than two Pathfinders chain, a powerful Chain Burst fires at the end and deals massive damage. On PC the key is Y. Chain Ultimate doesn’t trigger in Operation: Egg Heist.
Frequently asked questions
What does BREAK do in Aniimo?
When an Aniimo’s yellow BREAK gauge hits zero, it can’t act and becomes easy to catch, so a Quick Catch is available. Alphas and Omegas in BREAK or BREAK Recovery take greatly increased damage.
Is EP separate for each Aniimo?
No. EP shows as six blue orbs and is shared by the whole team. Skills spend it; Mobility doesn’t.
How many Ultimate segments can you store?
Three. The gauge refills as you use your Aniimo’s skills, and each Ultimate spends one segment.
Why does my Aniimo stop attacking a wild Aniimo?
It’s probably in Catch Mode: it disengages once the target’s HP is low (below 30% according to the tutorial) so you can catch it.