ADVANTAGE SYSTEM

There are six sources for advantages:

• Having a higher rank
• Having a higher mastery level
• Using a technique of higher tier
• Attacking with release-level techniques.
• Having an active stat boost such as x2 strength]
• A Quincy or Bount entering a Spiritual Realm like Hueco Mundo or the Soul Society.

Every rank level, mastery level, and higher tier you have that is higher than the opponent's rank/mastery/tier, you're granted one advantage. So if your tiers are identical, you won't get an advantage based on your tiers, and if your opponent's rank is one higher than yours, then they get one advantage for that instead.

This however is overridden only in the circumstance of characters who are GL rank. These characters will have two advantages instead of the normal single increase over an AL-A character as well as the extra plus one for every rank below it.
Example:

Yammamoto (GL) can fight on par with a AL-A Arrancar's Segunda level attacks using only his Shikai.

In addition to this, using your release will either grant you 1 advantage to your release techniques only if Shikai level, or 2 if Bankai level. Your release weapon itself has no extra advantages.


So when two attacks (or other techniques) clash the advantages are counted together for both sides by checking all sources, and the one with a higher total wins! If the amount the winner has over the other does not exceed 3 however, the attack is weakened according to the difference (see Clashing)
Examples:

An ML-A will have 3 advantages over an LL with equal tiers and masteries.

An Average mastery will grant 2 advantages over a Beginner

A Tier IV technique will grant 1 advantage over a Tier III

Two releases of Bankai level are equal, thus grant no advantages to their techniques.

When techniques or attacks clash, the losing attack based on advantage count, is weakened by an amount determined by how big the difference is.

• With no advantages either way, both techniques are equal and cancel each other out.
• With 1 advantage over the other, the winning attack is reduced by the weaker ones tier, to a minimum of Tier II.
• With 2 advantages over the other, the winning attack is reduced (to a minimum of tier II) by the half of the weaker one's tier rounded down.
  
• With 3 advantages, the winning attack is reduced by 1 tier down to a minimum of Tier II, regardless of the weaker one's tier.
• At any more than 3 advantages, the winning attack is not reduced in tier, regardless of the weaker one's tier.
  

SPOILER: Click to show

{Examples:}With no advantages either way, both techniques are equal and cancel each other out.

Example:

Person A is HL and is attacking with a tier III attack from their advanced non-release mastery. Person B is ML-A and is defending with a tier IV attack from their above average non-release mastery, however they are wearing their Vizard mask.

So Person A has +1 advantage from being higher rank, and +1 advantage from having a higher mastery. Person B has +1 advantage from having a higher tier attack, and +1 advantage from their Vizard mask. As both A and B have +2 advantages, they are equal , and their attacks nullify one another.

With 1 advantage over the other, the winning attack is reduced by the weaker ones tier, to a minimum of Tier II.

Example:

At otherwise equal advantages, a Tier IV attack against a Tier III defense will be reduced to a Tier II attack. The defender then gets hit by the attack, but with reduced damage, so the are effectively taking a clean hit from a Tier II version of the ability.

With 2 advantages over the other, the winning attack is reduced (to a minimum of Tier II) by the half of the weaker one's tier rounded down.

Example:

At otherwise equal advantages, Person A is using an technique from their Shikai, giving them +1 advantage during the clash. Person A's Tier IV attack against Person B's Tier III attack has 2 advantages, and so is the winner of the clash. It overwhelms the Tier III attack, and then gets reduced by half of the Tier of the losing attack (III / 2 = 1.5 Rounded down = 1). So the tier IV attack hits as if it were effectively a clean strike from a tier III.

With 3 advantages, the winning attack is reduced by 1 tier down to a minimum of Tier II, regardless of the weaker one's tier.

Example:

Person A is HL-A, and is attacking with a tier VI technique from an Advanced mastery. Person B is ML-A, and is attacking with a tier IV technique from an Advanced mastery. Person B is a Quincy and the fight is taking place in Soul Society.

Person A has +2 advantages from rank, and +2 advantages from using a higher tier. Person B has +1 advantage from the Spiritual World boost, meaning that in total, Person A has +3 Advantages. Person A's tier VI attack breaks through Person B's tier IV attack and is reduced so that person B effectively takes a clean hit from a tier V. Ouch!

At any more than 3 advantages, the winning attack is not reduced in tier, regardless of the weaker one's tier.

Example:

Person A is HL-A and is attacking with a tier IV attack from a Mastered release mastery. Person B is ML and has a 3x strength boost active, and defends with a tier V attack from an Advanced Hand-to-Hand mastery.

Person A has +3 advantages from rank, has +1 advantage from using a higher level mastery and +2 advantages from using a Bankai-level release technique. Person B has +1 advantage from their 3x strength boost and +1 advantage from using a higher Tier technique. Person A has 4 advantages over Person B and their Tier IV attack goes through without reduction, hitting Person B cleanly for Tier IV worth of damage.

As physical attributes are defined by your [Masteries], this means that in case the both parties' attacks have no tiers (such as punches), instead of looking to Tier you look to the Mastery Level instead. This applies both when both attacks or only one of them have no tier, but in either case the winning attacks may be reduced no lower than Beginner level in potency.

Note that if there's any stat boosts present, Advantages are calculated using the table in the [Augmentations] section of the Technique Guide.

Thus, for example if two punches clash (with no buffs attached), a Mastered H2H with 1 advantage over an Advanced H2H, the Mastered will win but be reduced down to Beginner level potency, so its as if you took a clean hit from a Beginner.

Similarly, if a Mastered Hand-to-Hand with 1 advantage goes against a shield of Tier V, it will also be reduced down to Beginner potency.

Bakudo and other binding techniques now have a set duration, provided the victim resists of course. The chart goes as follows, counting the advantages the binder has over the victim;

-1 = 1 post with wriggle room. You are hindered by the bind, but may still move to some degree and free yourself, such as how Aaroniero untangled himself from Rukia's Hainawa.

Equal = 1 post with little to no movement. You can still move slightly, but anything you try do will be very slow and extremely stiff, with heavy resistance as if you were stuck in something even worse than tar.

+1 = 1 post of total freeze. Though for just a short time, you are completely immobilized and can not defend yourself until free.

+2 = 2 posts of total freeze. Same as above.

+3 = 3 posts of total freeze. Same as above.

+4 or more = Breaking free on your own is impossible. Unless the technique wears off or is released, someone else has to free you.

The advantages used for these situations are counted from the following sources, with those of the victim on the left, and the binder on the right.

Rank vs Rank

Reiatsu Control vs Kido/Reiryoku or Hollow Techniques/Release mastery (depending on type of bind)

Hand-to-Hand vs Tier of the technique 

Note:

For the masteries each level is counted as a point, with Beginner as 1, and Specialized as 7. Furthermore if the bind is a release technique, it receives the appropriate release advantage boost according to its level (shikai/bankai).

Arrancar A, ranked at HL, has Hierro at Advanced. Shinigami B, ranked at HL, has Kidou at Advanced. Shinigami B fires off a Tier III Kidou, since Advanced Hierro nullifies only Tier III the Arrancar is struck for no damage.

Arrancar A, ranked at HL-A, has Hierro at Advanced. Shinigami B, ranked at HL, has Shikai released with Weapon Skill at Mastered. Arrancar A has the advantage in rank but Shinigami B has the advantage in Weapon Skill Mastery. Because of this, neither has the advantage therefore the Arrancar remains uncut by the Shikai.

Shinigami A, ranked at ML-A, has Soul Resilience at Above Average. Arrancar B, ranked at ML, has Hollow Techniques at Average. Arrancar B releases a Tier IV fireball. Because AA Soul Resilence blocks up to Tier III, the Shinigami has no advantage in mastery. However, he has advantage in rank. Thus, he has one advantage. Shinigami remains unharmed.

Person A, ranked at HL has a Shikai poison technique at tier III and person B, ranked ML-A uses a healing technique ranked tier IV to deal with the poison. Person A is granted one technique advantage for the Shikai technique, and one advantage for the rank difference between he and his opponent. His advantages tally to two. Person B has the lower rank, and is not released. He is granted an advantage for having a higher tiered attack; he gets one advantage. Person A wins, and the poison affects the opponent. Because the damage is reduced to a tier II attack, the poison takes six posts before the next ailment can be administered onto the opponent.

Person A, ranked HL-A has a poison at tier IV for their bankai, and person B, ranked AL-A with a healing technique at tier III in their bankai face each other. Person A has an above average Zan Spirit mastery, while Person B has theirs mastered. Person A gets an advantage from the higher tier, while person B gets advantages from higher rank and mastery. Person A gets one advantage, while Person B gets four advantages. The poison is reduced from a tier IV to a tier II, so the poison takes six posts before the next ailment can be administered onto the opponent.