Limbus Company is an intricate and complex game from Project Moon, known for its challenging gameplay mechanics and deep combat systems. One aspect that new players often find overwhelming is the combat system, particularly the mechanics around “coins,” “clashing,” and “EGO.” In this guide, I’ll clearly explain these mechanics, providing you with the knowledge to confidently tackle combat scenarios in Limbus Company.

Understanding the Basics

What are Skills?

Skills are fundamental abilities your characters, known as Sinners, use during combat. These skills have several key properties:

• Damage Types: There are three damage types—Slash, Pierce, and Blunt. Each enemy has specific weaknesses or resistances to these types, so selecting the correct damage type is important.
• Sin Affinity: Skills are also associated with one of seven Sin Affinities: Wrath (Red), Lust (Orange), Sloth (Yellow), Gluttony (Green), Gloom (Blue), Pride (Indigo), and Envy (Violet). These affinities are integral for unlocking powerful EGO abilities later on.
• Base Power: The minimum strength of a skill, before any coin flips.
• Coins: Represented by the coin icon above skills, indicating the number of hits a skill will perform. Each coin has a “Coin Power,” which is added to the base power if the coin lands on “heads.”

What are Coins?

Coins are crucial to combat—each skill has at least one coin that determines how many times it hits. Every time you perform a skill, each coin is flipped:

• If it lands on heads, you gain additional Coin Power, increasing the total damage.
• If tails, you gain no extra power, but the skill still hits.

Coins are flipped during both clashes (more on this later) and unopposed attacks. Generally, more coins mean more opportunities to increase your damage.

Sanity and Coin Flips

Sanity (displayed as SP) is a key factor that modifies the probability of landing heads or tails. Sanity ranges from -45 (lowest) to +45 (highest):

• At 0 Sanity, the coin flip is a fair 50/50 chance.
• Each point of positive Sanity adds a 1% chance of landing heads. For example, 20 Sanity equals a 70% heads chance.
• Conversely, negative Sanity increases tails chances. At -20 Sanity, you have a 30% heads chance, 70% tails chance.

Sanity is primarily raised by winning clashes or defeating enemies.

Example of Coin Mechanics:

Let’s look at a practical example:

• Pulled Blade (Outis Skill 1):
• Base Power: 3
• Coins: 3 (Each adds +2 power if heads)
• If Outis attacks unopposed and flips heads on the first coin, the skill power becomes 5 (3 + 2).
• If the second coin lands tails, skill power remains 5.
• If the third coin lands heads, skill power becomes 7 (5 + 2).

In total, the attack hits three times, dealing damage based on the final power each hit.

Clashing and Combat Strategy

Understanding Clashing

Clashing occurs when your skill directly opposes an enemy’s attack. It’s the main way to prevent damage and gain Sanity. Here’s how clashes work:

• Both sides flip all their coins. The total power is compared, and whoever has higher power wins that coin flip.
• The losing coin is destroyed. The clash continues until one side runs out of coins.
• If your side wins, you deal damage and gain Sanity. If you lose, the enemy attacks instead.

Clash power can be influenced by Sanity, coin flips, and your identity’s “Offense Level.”

Offense Level and Clash Power

Offense Level is a hidden stat that modifies your Clash Power. The formula is simple:

• For every 3 points your Offense Level is higher than your opponent’s, you gain +1 Clash Power.
• For example, if your Offense Level is 12 and the enemy’s is 5, you receive +2 Clash Power (7 difference ÷ 3 = 2).

Use this strategically: high Offense Level identities can reliably win clashes, even on unlucky coin flips.

Sanity and Clashing

Winning clashes is the primary way to increase Sanity. Each clash win grants +10 Sanity, with additional clashes in a single exchange adding +2 Sanity each. For instance:

• Winning a single-coin clash grants +10 Sanity.
• If your skill clashes 3 times before winning, you gain 14 Sanity (+10 base, +2 per additional coin).

EGO and EGO Resources Explained

What are EGO?

EGO are powerful skills that cost Sanity and “EGO Resources” to use. They usually have strong effects and high damage, making them essential for tough battles.

EGO Resources

EGO Resources match your Sin Affinities. For example, using a skill with Pride affinity generates Pride resources. You spend these resources to activate your EGO skills.

Using EGO Skills

• EGO skills have Sanity and resource costs. Sanity is only spent when you unleash the skill, not beforehand.
• EGO skills are typically single-coin but extremely powerful. Losing a clash with EGO immediately ends the skill.
• Some EGO have “Attack Weight,” meaning they hit multiple targets. Each enemy or enemy skill slot has “weight,” and your total Attack Weight determines how many targets you can hit.

EGO Corrosion

Corrosion occurs when you use certain EGO at negative Sanity:

• Using EGO below 0 Sanity has a chance of “Corroding,” changing the skill’s effect.
• Corrosion often has powerful effects but targets randomly, possibly hitting allies.
• To control Corrosion, perform an “Overclock” by holding down the EGO skill. Overclocking removes the randomness at the cost of extra resources.

EGO Passives and Resistances

• EGO have passives activated the turn after using them (or immediately upon Corrosion). These last for the entire fight.
• EGO also change your Sin Resistances, enhancing survivability against specific enemy attacks.

Defensive Skills

Each Sinner has a Defensive Skill: Guard, Evade, or Counter.

• Guard: Provides a temporary shield.
• Evade: Avoids damage if you win the clash.
• Counter: Retaliates after taking damage, useful in niche situations.

Defensive Skills don’t trigger certain effects like Bleed, making them strategic tools to mitigate damage.

Resonance and Skill Chains

“Resonance” occurs when multiple skills of the same affinity are chained in a turn:

• Resonance slightly boosts damage/clash power through Offense Level.
• “Absolute Resonance” (3+ identical affinity skills in a row) grants even more power.

While Resonance helps, it’s usually a minor factor compared to clashing and EGO management.

Skill Deck

Each Sinner has a deck of skills:

• 3x Skill 1 (common)
• 2x Skill 2 (uncommon, stronger)
• 1x Skill 3 (rare, very strong)

Managing your deck allows prediction of upcoming skills and strategic planning around skill availability.

Summary: Key Takeaways

• Coins increase skill power; more coins = more hits and damage.
• Sanity influences coin flip odds (+45 max, -45 min). Win clashes to gain Sanity.
• Clashes avoid damage and grant Sanity. Offense Level helps win clashes.
• EGO are strong skills costing Sanity and resources; manage wisely.
• Corrosion and Overclock: Powerful but risky; control carefully.
• Defensive Skills mitigate damage strategically.

By mastering these mechanics, you’ll confidently overcome Limbus Company’s challenges. Combat might seem daunting at first, but with practice, these systems become intuitive. Good luck, Executive Manager!