Monster Stats

Melee Combat - is all about trading hits with your opponent at close range.  Melee masters plan to win through sheer offensive might - they figure that it's fine to take almost as many lumps as they dish out, so long as their opponent goes down first.  Melee monsters are always looking to close the gap and tear things up.  Melee Combat tends to beat Charging attacks, lose to Grappling strategies, and come out even against Ranged combatants.

Ranged Combat - is all about damaging your opponent without getting close.  Some monsters use beams, some use projectiles, some use stationary "traps" on the ground or in the air.  Evasion and movement speed are the key attributes for monsters attempting to use Ranged Combat.  Ranged Combat tends to beat Grappling, lose to Charging attacks, and come out even against Melee strategies.

Grappling Combat - this goes beyond simple clenches, hoists and throws.  "Grappling" in Kaiju Combat refers to any technique which allows your monster to damage your opponent at close-range while simultaneously limiting that opponent's ability to fight back.  Grappling character are often the most complex to play, because they rely on specific unique techniques to maximize their grappling abilities.  Grappling Combat tends to beat melee combat, lose to ranged attacks, and come out even against Charges.

Charging Combat - is a new mechanic in Kaiju Combat specifically designed to capture the immense size & weight of the playable charactes.  Charging attacks involve throwing your entire body at an opponent without regard for specific strike-zones.  These attacks carry significantly more weight & momentum than other attacks - enough that they cannot be wholly resisted, parried, or the like.  Charge attacks tend to be successful against Ranged Combatants, lose to Melee techniques, and come out even against Grapplers.

Stamina - Monsters who rely on Stamina regain their energy slowly over time.  Some attacks or actions might slow down this rate, (such as heavy attacks, charging, flying, etc) while some actions might speed this rate up (standing still).  Monsters who use Stamina tend to save their energy up for big impressive moments or signature attacks, since it can be difficult for them to use their energy frequently.

Fury - Monsters who rely on Fury gain energy as they attack & damage opponents - and lose energy if they go too long without doing so.  Furious monsters tend to use energy to temporarily enhance their fighting prowess - creating a strong positive feedback loop.  Engaging in close-quarters combat with a Fury monster usually serves to power up their special abilities - which can make prolonged assaults a poor tactical choice.

Hunger - Monsters who rely on Hunger regain energy by consuming food - usually items from the environment.  The energy gained in this way does not go down over time, so Hunger-based monsters can usually refill their energy to 100% if only given a moment to do so - and the proper environmental conditions.  Since regaining energy in this way is so easy, Hunger-based monsters generally use their energy to fuel basic attack strategies, rather than reactive or circumstantial abilities.

Meditation - Monsters who employ meditation do not regain energy under normal circumstances - they must trigger a specific state in which they can regain energy quickly.  This process normally takes several seconds - giving opponents an opportunity to close and pummel them while vulnerable.  This means that Meditation-based monsters often use grapples or distance-creating attacks as a mechanism for gaining a few seconds to enter their energy-gaining state, rather than following up on those opportunities the way other monsters do.

Parasitic - Parasitic monsters can not regenerate energy on their own - they must drain it from their opponents.  This usually requires a specific melee attack, or successful grapple.  Some monsters regain energy in direct proportion to the amount stolen, but some use a different energy relationship.  Some parasites rely on the stolen energy to reach their full potential, while some are primarily concerned with eliminating energy from their opponents - and have no critical abilities which can be fueled by energy.

Elemental Affinity - Monsters with a strong elemental affinity can regain energy through contact with that element.  In many cases this is simply a supplement to another energy system (such as Stamina), but in a few cases a monster's elemental affinity might be their only way of regenerating energy!

Unstable Battery - Monsters with this trait can transform bodily harm into energy - a bit like Fury in reverse!  The downside to this ability is that they can't stop just because their energy reserves are full - so taking damage with full energy means the power "spills over" to become additional damage to themselves!