Slash Psynergy series

Sonic Slash being cast in Dark Dawn

Slash (スラッシュ, Slash), Wind Slash (ウインドスラッシュ, Wind Slash), and Sonic Slash (ソニックスラッシュ, Sonic Slash) are a series of offensive Jupiter Psynergy featured throughout the Golden Sun series.

Basic Description

Slash is an offensive, single-target Psynergy, while Wind Slash and Sonic Slash are offensive, ranged Psynergies. The total amount of damage is determined by comparing the user's Jupiter Power to the target's Jupiter Resistance and using this value to modify the base power of the particular Psynergy.

Slash

Jupiter

4 PP

"Attack with a blade of focused air." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a blade of focused air." (DD-present)

Attack a single target with a base power of 25.

Wind Slash

Jupiter

9 PP

"Attack with a blade of focused air." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a razor-sharp blade of air." (DD-present)

Attack up to three targets with a base power of 50.

Sonic Slash

Jupiter

20 PP

"Attack with a blade of focused air." (GS-TLA) "Strike with a supersonic blade of wind." (DD-present)

Attack up to five targets with a base power of 120.

Visually, each stage of the Slash series features a varying number of purple-colored blades of air striking the target(s). The number and size of the blades increases with each successive stage of the series.

Damage calculation example

Elemental Power attacks such as Slash, Wind Slash, and Sonic Slash use a set base power as the base damage to be modified. For example, the base power of Sonic Slash is 120. Thus, an unmodified Sonic Slash would do around 120 points of damage. The base damage value of the particular attack is used it in the following equation: final damage = (base damage) * (1 + (User's Jupiter Power - Enemy's Jupiter Resistance) / 200) To word this in prose, Slash, Wind Slash and Sonic Slash take the base damage of the particular attack, and then modify this by how much higher or lower the user's Jupiter Power is than the target's Jupiter Resistance. The difference between the user's Jupiter Power and the target's Jupiter Resistance is then divided by 200, then 1 is added to this, resulting in what can be called the "elemental damage multiplier". This number is what the Psynergies' damage is multiplied by. For example, if an Adept with a Jupiter Power of 150 casts Sonic Slash on a monster with a Jupiter Resistance of 50: damage = (base damage) * (1 + (Power - Resistance) / 200) damage = (120) * (1 + (150 - 50) / 200) damage = (120) * (1 + 100 / 200) damage = (120) * (1 + 0.5) damage = 120 * 1.50 damage = 180 Therefore, a Sonic Slash cast under these circumstances would deal approximately 180 points of damage to the main target. Adjacent targets are dealt a percentage of this total, with the percentage decreasing as the distance to the main target increases.

Availability

The Slash series is available to multiple classes, meaning that it is possible for all Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury Adepts to access the class. The Jupiter Adept Sveta has access to Slash in her mono-elemental Beastling class series, which she can access when she has no or only Jupiter Djinn set to her. Other Jupiter Adepts, as well as Mars and Mercury Adepts, can access Slash in the Ranger class series, which require varying amounts of Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury Djinn, with the specific combination depending on the Adept's element. Mars and Jupiter Adepts can also access the series via the Jupiter version of the Pilgrim class, which requires a combination of Mars and Jupiter Djinn.

Regardless of the class, Slash will be available at Level 1, while Wind Slash is available at Level 10. Sonic Slash is available at Level 30 to the Ranger and Pilgrim classes, but at Level 31 to the Beastling class.

Analysis

Sonic Slash as it appears in the GBA games.

General: The Slash series is similar and terms of power and range to the Mercury-based Douse Psynergy series. Like the Douse series, the Slash series can receive decent use during the early-to-mid portions of the game, as the series is available fairly early. In addition, it has the advantage of being available to a wide-range of Adepts. However, in the grand scheme of things, the Slash series will typically be outperformed by the Plasma and Volcano series.

By Game

Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age: Slash's use in these series is typically limited to the Pilgrim and Ranger classes. In early portions of the game, Slash could be considered an alternative to Whirlwind, being cheaper and more powerful at the cost of range. As the player progresses, the series simply serves as a placeholder for more powerful Psynergies.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn: The Slash series is the cheapest offensive Psynergy available in Sveta's Beastling class. However, by the time she joins the party, it competes heavily with the efficiency of the Ray Psynergy series and the raw power of the Whirlwind series. The only use for the series will typically be during the short period after Sonic Slash is learned, but before Destruct Ray is learned.

Other

An item known as a Weasel's Claw can be used by any Adept to emulate Sonic Slash in order to damage multiple enemies. Weasel's Claws can typically be found as drops from enemies or as treasure chest prizes.