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All the information on the multiple swings system.
Suikoden 3: Multiple Swings
One major addition to Suikoden III that differed from the previous installments was that of a very extensive and customizable multiple swings system. Suikoden II had a small multiple swings system, but was just based on one factor and was largely random, and thus could not be counted on as a battle strategy. However, in Suikoden III, the number of swings a character reached was a large indicator of their usefulness in many cases.

This guide is subdivided into several sections.

Damage of Multiple Swings

Factors of Multiple Swings

Maximum Swings for Characters

While characters are capable of getting many swings, each swing is not as strong as the first swing. The damage for each swing goes as follows:

Second Swing: 75% of ATK
Third Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)
Fourth Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)
Fifth Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)
Sixth Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)
Seventh Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)
Eighth Swing: 75% of second swing ATK (or 56.25% of ATK)

This is barring the Continual Attack skill, a unique skill that a few characters have, which allows them to start an entire new attack string. This new string may come after other people take their attacks. You can distinguish between another attack string and another swing within an attack string by the damage. An attack string always starts with full damage.

When an attack rune or unite attack is used, the 'max swing damage' of the character is used to determine the damage, ignoring the loss of swings that would occur if the character had to move towards a target to perform a normal attack. If a character is capable of performing two swings, and has an attack rune that inflicts 1.5x damage on an enemy, the damage inflicted will be:

1.5(ATK + 75% of ATK)

There are so many different factors that determine how many swings a character will get in, that it has to be divided in two.

Movement Speed Factors
Swing Speed Factors

Each turn is divided into eight "ticks" that a character has to make their move. When a character has to move to attack an enemy, it takes up time. This amount of time can be previewed in the attack meter at the bottom of the screen that shows up when you select an enemy to attack. The red bar accompanied by the boot icon shows how much of the time is being used to reach the enemy. There are three factors that fall into this category of how long it takes for your character to reach the enemy.

Proximity to Enemy

The enemy and ally sides start on opposite sides of the battlefield, and must run up to eachother to begin attacking. Obviously, when a character is standing right next to the enemy, then no time is needed to move and attack. However, when there is space between the enemies, the other factor comes into play.

MOV stat

The MOV stat is the main determinant of how fast a character can move. The following table shows each character's base MOV stat.

Base MOV Stat152024252730354045
Characters Hallec
Leo
Kosanji
Rico
Bazba
Beecham
Borus
Cecile
Chris
Dupa
Estella
Fred
Jacques
Kogoro
Koroku
Mel
Mua
Nicolas
Percival
Piccolo
Sasarai
Shiba
Twaikin
Viki(adult)
Viki(young)
Samus Ace
Aila
Alanis
Augustine
Belle
Connie
Duke
Edge
Futch
Gadget Z
Gau
Geddoe
Jimba
Joker
Lilly
Lucia
Lulu
Melville
Rhett
Rody
Roland
Salome
Sanae Y
Sgt. Joe
Sharon
Thomas
Wan Fu
Wilder
Yuiri
Yumi
Reed Elaine
Emily
Franz
Hugo
Juan
Koichi
Landis
Nash
Nei
Queen
Toppo
Ayame
Fubar
Shabon
Watari
Bright
Kenji
Ruby

Holy Dash Skill

The Holy Dash Skill is a skill that everybody can learn, that increases the MOV stat. The first table here shows the effect of the skill as it is increased, and the second table shows everybody's max rank in the skill.

Skill LevelEDCBB+AA+S
Movement Increase (%)+5+10+15+20+30+45+70+100

Max Holy DashEDCBB+AA+S
Characters None None Borus
Chris
Dupa
Estella
Kosanji
Piccolo
Rico
Samus
Sarah
Sasarai
Shiba
Wan Fu
Aila
Augustine
Bazba
Bright
Connie
Edge
Emily
Franz
Fred
Futch
Gadget Z
Geddoe
Jacques
Joker
Kogoro
Koroku
Leo
Luc
Mel
Mua
Reed
Rhett
Salome
Sanae Y
Toppo
Twaikin
Viki(adult)
Viki(young)
Yuber
Ace
Alanis
Beecham
Belle
Duke
Fubar
Gau
Hallec
Hugo
Jimba
Juan
Koichi
Landis
Lilly
Lucia
Lulu
Melville
Nei
Nicolas
Percival
Queen
Rody
Roland
Ruby
Sgt. Joe
Sharon
Thomas
Wilder
Yuiri
Yumi
Elaine
Nash
Shabon
Watari
Cecile Ayame
Kenji

As you have read in the 'Movement Speed Factors' section, there are eight ticks that a character has to make their move. What is left after the character moves to the enemy is left for their attack string. This is where the meat of the multiple swings system comes in.

Weapon Weight

Each weapon has its own weight that makes it easy or hard to swing. These weights are for the most part based on the type of weapon, but there are a few exceptions. There are twelve groupings of weapon weights, and here they are.

WPN Weight121110090807060504030201
Chars. Bazba
Dupa
Hallec
Landis
Leo
Nicolas
Rico
Shiba
Estella
Luc
Rhett
Sasarai
Sgt. Joe
Wilder
Aila
Alanis
Belle
Duke
Futch
Jacques
Piccolo
Roland
Rody
Salome
Sanae Y
Sarah
Twaikin
Viki(adult)
Viki(young)
Yuiri
Yumi
Cecile
Franz
Gau
Sharon
Lucia Geddoe Augustine
Beecham
Borus
Edge
Elaine
Fred
Jimba
Lilly
Lulu
Melville
Mua
Percival
Queen
Reed
Samus
Thomas
Ace
Wan Fu
Yuber
Chris Ayame
Hugo
Nash
Toppo
Watari
Bright
Connie
Fubar
Gadget Z
Kogoro
Koichi
Koroku
Kosanji
Mel
Ruby
Emily
Joker
Juan
Kenji
Nei
Shabon

Swing Skill

The Swing skill, able to be learned by every character, decreases the time needed to use one's weapon as it is improved. This table shows its effect on swing time as the rank is increased.

Skill LevelEDCBB+AA+S
Freeze Time (%)-5-10-17-25-36-50-70-100
Attack Time (%)-3-5-7-10-15-20-35-50

This second table shows what characters max out naturally at each skill rank. With the exception noted below this table, the only way to boost the Swing skill other than at a Bujutsu teacher is Jefferson's Top Commander appointment, which boosts the Swing skill one rank for whoever is appointed to it. Only one person may be appointed to it at any one time.

Max Swing SkillEDCBB+AA+S
CharactersNoneNone Alanis
Estella
Jacques
Kosanji
Leo
Luc
Nicolas
Piccolo
Rico
Salome
Sarah
Sasarai
Twaikin
Viki(adult)
Viki(child)
Wan Fu
Augustine*
Bazba
Beecham
Borus
Bright
Cecile
Chris
Connie
Duke
Dupa
Edge
Franz
Fred
Fubar
Futch
Gadget Z
Jimba
Joker
Kogoro
Landis
Mua
Roland
Samus
Shiba
Toppo
Ace
Aila
Ayame
Belle
Elaine
Gau
Geddoe
Kenji
Koichi
Koroku
Lilly
Lucia
Lulu
Melville
Nash
Nei
Percival
Queen
Reed
Rody
Ruby
Sanae Y
Sgt. Joe
Sharon
Thomas
Wilder
Yuiri
Yumi
Hugo
Juan
Mel
Shabon
Watari
Yuber
Rhett Emily
Hallec
* Augustine is the only character capable of equipping Rose Brooches and White Rose Brooches, accessories which increase the Swing skill. Thus, he can very easily be boosted to Swing rank 'S'.

SPD Stat

As the speed stat increases, the swing time decreases. The rate at this affects the swing time changes by weapon weight; A person in the weapon weight group "01" will start to swing fast enough to get two swings at a SPD stat of 90 without the swing skill, while someone in the group "03" will get two swings at SPD of 97, while someone in the group "12" will not get a second swing with no swing rank at any speed.

SPD ceases to affect the swing time after a certain SPD stat is reached. The exact number in question changes as the Swing skill is raised. The swing-affecting SPD maxes given in this table have a margin of error of five points each way for all of them - what it means is that at no swing skill, each character will reach a minimum swing time somewhere inbetween 215 and 225 SPD, and the swing time cannot be decreased any more by the SPD stat after that.

Skill LevelNo SwingEDCBB+AA+S
SPD Max220220200180180160160135115

This second speed table lists every character's growth rate for the SPD stat (for more information on the growth rates, see the stat growth guide). All you really need to know is that the farther to the right you get, the faster the character is. It should be noted that groups 07 and 10 are about the same speed at endgame levels; however, I ranked 10 faster because for most of the game the 10 rank is faster, starting in the mid-levels the 07 rank starts to play catch up, but only catches up as the level gets into the 50s. Thus, overall 10 is faster.

Speed Growth Rate02030405060710
Characters Koichi
Viki(adult)
Bazba
Cecile
Connie
Duke
Hallec
Kenji
Koroku
Kosanji
Leo
Nicolas
Piccolo
Rico
Shiba
Twaikin
Viki(young)
Wan Fu
Yumi
Ace
Beecham
Borus
Bright
Chris
Dupa
Emily
Franz
Gadget Z
Joker
Kogoro
Luc
Lucia
Mel
Melville
Mua
Queen
Reed
Roland
Salome
Samus
Sgt. Joe
Thomas
Toppo
Yuber
Yuiru
Alanis
Augustine
Belle
Edge
Elaine
Estella
Fred
Gau
Geddoe
Lilly
Nash
Nei
Percival
Ruby
Sanae Y
Sarah
Sasarai
Shabon
Wilder
Aila
Fubar
Futch
Hugo
Jimba
Lulu
Rhett
Rody
Sharon
Watari
Ayame
Jacques
Landis
Juan

These values are for average speed stat at level 60 and max swing rank, without effect from Gale Runes or Jefferson's Top Commander appointment. Speed-raising equipment is okay (Wind Hat, Ninja Garb, Taikyoku Tunic, Blood Armor, Windspun Armor, Feather Earrings, Gold Beak, Lion God Ring). More detailed notes are listed below the chart, and an asterisk indicates some swing speeds are known (and listed below).

Max Swings12345678
Characters Bazba*
Duke
Dupa
Leo
Luc
Nicolas
Piccolo
Rico
Salome
Shiba
Twaikin
Viki (young)
Viki(adult)
Aila*
Alanis*
Augustine
Beecham*
Belle
Borus*
Bright
Cecile*
Connie
Estella*
Franz
Fred*
Futch
Gadget Z
Gau*
Jacques*
Jimba*
Kogoro
Koichi
Koroku
Kosanji
Landis*
Mua*
Rody
Roland*
Samus*
Sanae Y
Sarah*
Sasarai*
Sgt. Joe*
Sharon
Thomas
Wan Fu
Wilder
Yuiri
Yumi
Ace*
Ayame*
Chris*
Edge*
Elaine*
Fubar*
Geddoe*
Hallec
Lilly*
Lucia*
Lulu*
Melville*
Nash*
Percival*
Queen*
Reed*
Rhett
Toppo*
Yuber
Hugo*
Joker*
Kenji*
Ruby*
Watari
Augustine*
Mel*
Nei*
Juan*
Shabon*
No Characters Emily
- Hugo reaches his fourth swing at 147 SPD.
- Sgt. Joe reaches his second swing at 125 SPD.
- Fubar reaches his second swing at 80-82 SPD and his third swing at 143 SPD, and fourth swing with a Gale Rune.
- Geddoe reaches his third swing at 160 SPD.
- Queen, Percival, Reed, Melville, Elaine, and Lulu reach their second swing at 90-92 SPD, third swing at 151 SPD.
- Aila reaches her second swing at 111-112 SPD.
- Ace reaches his third swing at 151 SPD.
- Joker reaches his third swing at 127 SPD. At high levels (and SPD+ equipment), his fourth swing is unlocked at 156-157 SPD, and fifth with a Gale Rune.
- Jacques, Alanis, and Sarah reach their second swing at 149 SPD.
- Chris reaches her second swing at 83-85 SPD and third swing at 165 SPD.
- Borus, Beecham, Fred, Jimba, Mua, and Samus reach their second swing at 97 SPD.
- Percival reaches his second swing at 90-92 SPD.
- Roland reaches his second swing at 133 SPD.
- Nash and Ayame reach their third swing at 131 SPD.
- Cecile reaches her second swing at 109 SPD.
- Juan and Shabon reach their fifth swing at 140 SPD and sixth swing at 149 SPD.
- Toppo reaches his third swing at 150 SPD.
- Nei and Kenji reach their fourth swing at 140 SPD and fifth swing at 158 SPD.
- Estella and Sasari reach their second swing at 176 SPD.
- Ruby reaches his fourth swing at 156 SPD.
- Landis and Bazba reach their second swing at 179 SPD.
- Mel reaches her fourth swing at 135 SPD, and her fifth swing at 151 SPD.
- Lucia reaches her third swing at 153 SPD.
- Edge reaches his third swing at around 172 SPD.
- Gau reaches his second swing without need to learn the Swing skill using Lion God Rings to boost his SPD.
- Augustine reaches five swings with his Swing skill boosted to S with Rose Brooches or White Rose Brooches.
- Wan Fu can reach a third swing with a Gale Rune.