To this date, we have written about only a handful of games that have real-time elements. With some exceptions such as Last Day on Earth, Lineage 2 Revolution or Era of Celestials, among others, the vast majority of game titles for the mobile platform offer turn-based combat, or similar systems that don’t require fast reactions. However, Honkai Impact 3rd has arrived to change this formula completely.

The combat in this game is played entirely in real-time. In contrast to other titles, there is no auto-combat or any type of automation. For this reason, you will always have to play and complete all of your missions manually. While this aspect is a bit tedious for those who don’t have much free time, or for those who enjoy watching their characters go through the levels automatically, we certainly enjoy it, especially since it forces you to actually play the game and get good at it. Furthermore, as we mentioned in our review of this game, the combat in Honkai Impact 3rd is not about mashing the attack button, but about timing your inputs with great precision to unleash your strongest combos.

However, aside from the considerable dexterity that this game requires, there are also many strategies that you can use at any time to increase your odds of success, and which go far beyond your actions during combat.

In this guide, we will take a look at some of the combat strategies and preparations that you can take to increase your performance in this game.

Inspect the Combos of Every Valkyrie

Every Valkyrie is different, with no exceptions. Because of these differences, it is necessary to take a few minutes to inspect their attributes in the Valkyrie menu to examine their skills, as well as to discover the main combo of each of them. Every character requires specific attack inputs to unleash their strongest combos. For example, Kiana’s main combo functions in the following sequence:

Attack (Tap) > Attack (Tap) > Attack (Hold)

This sequence of inputs unleashes Comet Fall, Kiana’s powerful combo that sends enemies flying, and then crashing down with a mighty robot stomp, stunning the enemies caught in the area of effect and dealing lots of damage. Now, let’s compare her combo to Mei’s:

Attack (Tap) > Attack (Hold)

This is a shorter combo that’s just as powerful when unleashed, especially when you chain it with other abilities. However, since it has fewer attacks than that of Kiana, it is weaker overall. Fortunately, it also launches your enemies high into the air so you can keep attacking when they land on the ground.

It’s important to note how some Valkyries don’t have combos, but rather deliver different types of attacks. For instance, Bryona is a Psychic-type Valkyrie that uses her ranged skills to wreak havoc upon the enemy. This character has no combos but is capable of attacking with a constant stream of gunfire from her mighty cannons as long as you hold the attack button down.

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It’s vital to learn how each of your Valkyrie attacks before dropping into the battlefield. Furthermore, remember to configure your BlueStacks for this game  if you want to enjoy inputting commands with maximum precision when stringing attacks together.

Use Your Ultimate Skills Wisely

Just like every Valkyrie has combos exclusive to them, they also have Ultimate Abilities, which consist of powerful attacks that deal lots of damage and can deliver other harmful effects to the enemy. You can examine these skills in the Valkyrie menu and learn exactly what each of these do so you can create appropriate strategies for each case.

Keep in mind that not all Ultimates deal damage; some of them cripple the enemy or are used for setting up combos with other Valkyries. Bryona’s Ultimate Skill, for example, doesn’t deal much damage but stuns and pulls enemies together so you can switch to another character and take them down with powerful combos while they flail about helplessly.

When it comes to using your Ultimates, their effectiveness boils down to knowing what each of these does and exercising effective execution. It wouldn’t help to blindly unleash an ultimate without knowing what it does, or how to capitalize on the opening that the said skills create.

Learn to Evade

We’ve already said this in the past but, in this game, you require precision not only for attacking but also for staying alive as well. In Honkai Impact 3rd, you have a button for attacking, and another for evading. The evade button makes your Valkyrie move quickly toward the direction they are correctly facing to dodge enemy attacks. However, it also boasts a special function: if you dodge just as an attack is about to make contact, you will activate the Time Fracture skills, which slow down everyone nearby for a few seconds. During this time, all your opponents are completely exposed to your attacks.

Dodging in the right moment is very important in this game, especially when you’re trying to complete its toughest challenges. Keep in mind that, besides slowing all your enemies, every Valkyrie has different passive abilities that activate every time you execute a perfect dodge. You can check these passives in the Valkyrie menu.

Memorize the Priority System

Even though we’re talking about a game with real-time combat, Honkai Impact 3rd also has a priority system similar to those of an RPG. This system revolves around three character types, which are strong against one type, and weak against another.

The three character and enemy types in this game are the following:

• Mecha: Valkyries gifted with strength in melee combat. Strong against Biologic.
• Biologic: All-rounder Valkyries with diverse skill sets. Strong against Psychic.
• Psychic: Specialized Valkyries with unconventional attacks. Strong against Mecha.

If you use a Valkyrie that has a type-advantage over an enemy, it will do both, deal more damage and suffer less harm from the said enemy. To identify an enemy’s type, the only thing you have to do is examine their colors: Purple enemies are Psychic; enemies with yellow details are Biological, and enemies with blue details are Mecha.

The intense combat in Honkai Impact 3rd makes it difficult to make split-second decisions in the heat of battle. Nevertheless, it’s important that you learn to keep your calm, and to identify your aggressors to unleash the appropriate tools for each scenario. Remember that readiness is an important part of any battle, and using the appropriate Valkyries for every situation is a great way to boost your chances of success. Once you’ve picked a good team, the rest comes down to your ability to create combos and using your Ultimates effectively.

Luckily, with the information in this guide, you’re now ready to face any challenge in this game. What are your favorite combat strategies for Honkai Impact 3rd? Leave a comment with your suggestions and help the community out!

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