Fighting Off Your Foes

In the top left corner of the GUI you will see your health and mana bars: one is red, the other is blue. Mana is used for enhancing your attacks with the power of magic stones and will deplete with each attack. Health is used for surviving; if you run out you lose a life and have to restart from the last save point. Bonnie has several attacks: a ground attack, three airborne attacks and a whirl. These all launch projectiles if you have enough mana too. Mastering how – and more importantly, when to use these is going to be crucial to succeeding in your quest so listen close.

Pressing the Attack key while on the ground starts a regular old ground attack, which consists of two swipes back and forth. It doesn't cover a big area so it's not really accurate against smaller units like foxes or their sneaky traps. However, if you have a bit of magic it does an excellent job at sniping them from a distance for very little mana cost. Use this a filler between whirls and for opening chests and breaking crystals.

These are your aerial attacks, press the Attack key and a directional key to perform them. They are the carrot and cabbage of your arsenal, use these to outmaneouver enemies, dodging their attacks or getting the drop on them when they least expect it. The Up- and Downsmashes all have large sweeping arcs, they hit hard, and they also spawn three magic waves if you have the mana. The Sidesmash also spawns three magic waves but it doesn't propel you forwards instead it does the opposite. It's useful if you find yourself suddenly flying towards an enemy projectile or trap and you have to slow down. The downside of these is that you can only use one of each attack until you land again so use them wisely.

Last but definitely not least is Bonnie's speciality: the whirl. Pressing the Whirl key makes Bonnie spin her sword around on her heels, cutting up all in your path as well as making you immune to most attacks and projectiles while spinning. If you have mana, the spins send a flurry of magic waves both left and right; a costly but powerful attack. Be careful though, as there is a slight but not insignifficant cooldown between the whirls, leaving you vulnerable if you mistime it.

Now that you know yourself you must learn about your enemies. The land is home to three warring fox tribes as well as the wolves of Canine Crater.

• Red foxes live in the forest just over the hills. They don't have the magic or the steel of the others, but what they lack in their technology they make up in numbers and cunning. Don't get outwitted by their positioning and look carefully for any traps laying around.
• Fennec foxes live in the desert dunes' pyramids. Surrounded with ley lines, they have mastered the art of magic and will use it to debilitate and overwhelm you. Get rid of them before they can get rid of you, but watch your step when you're in their pyramids.
• Arctic foxes live in the mountainous tundras. They are the sneakiest and most brutal of the bunch. They will try to ambush and surprise you any chance they get – be patient and wait for the opportunity to get back at them. Their constructs are made of hard steel; look for weak spots on them.
• Wolves are small in numbers and tribal in their nature, but they're colossal and can chop you in half if you're not careful. Unlike foxes they won't go down in a few swipes either. Use their sizes against them and hide inside small shafts and burrows where you can retreat or snipe them with magic.

Enemies have various types of attacks and ways to deal with them. Most attacks can be parried by your whirl, however more powerful ones do not. These are indicated by a red glint in your enemy's eye. If you see that - or you hear a sharp twang - make sure to pay close attention and get out of the way in time.

All attacks in the game - yours included - have a damage number, how long it keeps the enemy in hurt animation (if any), and for how long it leaves you invincible after getting hit (if any). Your adversaries will have massive differences between these numbers: some specializing in dealing with you via a thousand cuts, others focusing on keeping you paralyzed while their companions prepare the big hits. Be on your guard!