The central pillar of the Nuclear Star moveset update is the introduction of the Decay Gauge. Every landed strike now applies a ticking status effect that softens enemy defense values by 1.5% per stack, capping out at 15% total reduction. This shift directly forces defensive turtling to become a liability.
Below are the explicit ability modifications logged in the primary launch build:
Passive, Core Meltdown: When taking damage below 25% maximum health, the user emits a brief heat wave, breaking close-range soft combos and granting a 10% speed boost for four seconds. This passive has an internal cooldown of 45 seconds.
[LMB] Light Attack Chain: A four-hit standard strike string. The final hit delivers an outward radial blast instead of a standard knockdown, leaving opponents in light hitstun and creating setup opportunities for follow-up specials.
[E] Stellar Fission: The user thrusts forward with concentrated thermal energy. On hit, it shatters standard blocks and inflicts three immediate decay stacks. Startup frames were increased from 11 frames to 15 frames in the first post-launch tuning pass to give opponents room for reactive parries.
[R] Gamma Ray Eruption: A ranged projectile that detonates upon contact with terrain or targets. It deals 38 base damage on direct impact and leaves a four-second radiation hazard zone dealing 6 damage per tick.
[V] Supernova Collapse: The primary ultimate ability. Nuclear Star elevates, gathering surrounding particles before slamming downward in a catastrophic perimeter. The blast scales directly with total decay stacks on the target, topping out at a devastating 115 burst damage when fully charged.
