Threaten Def 3

Threaten skills assist allies by lowering the opponent’s stats, similar to Seal and Ploy skills. Unlike Seal skills however, Threaten skills do not require the unit to enter combat with the opponent, merely be within two squares range of them. And unlike Ploy skills, they do not require the unit’s resistance to be higher than the opponents. Threaten Skills can affect multiple targets at once, and lower stats by a crucial five, enough to allow a unit to double attack a foe with the same base speed. They are a preferred C skill of units with independent playstyles, who cannot afford to stay within range of their team-mates buffs. As Threaten skills are not a buff, they can effectively “stack” with buffs on your team. However, debuffs on stats do not stack: Using Seal Spd with Threaten Spd will only apply the stronger of the two effects.

Threaten skills are useful on nearly all units, but more so on those who prefer to fight in close quarters. Tanks with high defense are great candidates for the skill, as they are the most likely to be within range of the most foes. Keep in mind that the user of the skill themselves is the most likely to enter combat with debuffed enemies. Threaten Atk and Threaten Spd are the best variants of the skill. Threaten Atk effectively grants your whole team a plus five boost to defense and resistance when in combat with the debuffed unit. Threaten Spd can drastically change speed matchups, saving many allies from suffering double attacks, and giving others the opportunity to perform them. Threaten Def and Res can be a great way to boost the power of a unit with low attack and good defensive stats.

The Harsh Command assist skill is a direct counter to Threaten skills, as they have the ability to completely reverse debuffs, turning them into powerful buffs for their team. Threaten skill debuffs are applied at the same time as buffs, at the beginning of the skill user’s turn. This means that foes are likely to be able to initiate combat before the debuffs are applied. Skills like Dance, Sing, Reposition and Drag Back can help a ranged attacker score hits and retreat out of range without suffering the debuff.