Metal Slug Tactics Synchronization Explained

Metal Slug Tactics takes the run-and-gun action to the strategy genre with a fast-paced tactics rogue-lite that has plenty of fun new ideas. One of the core concepts to understand early on is Synchronization, which triggers a potentially full-squad attack at no cost. Here is everything you need to know about the Synchronization system in Metal Slug Tactics.

Synchronization Attack in Metal Slug Tactics

If players are targeting an enemy unit that is also in the range of the primary attack of an allied unit, synchronization is triggered, and the allied unit(s) will execute their primary attack automatically at no cost.

To illustrate this system in motion, we’ll walk you through an example of a combat encounter. In the screenshot below, Fio is targeting an enemy unit which also happens to be in the primary attack range of both Marco and Eri.

The primary attack range of the other units is denoted by purple tiles instead of the regular red highlights. You will also see “SYNC” written on top of the units as well as their expected attack range, and impact. You can also see the damage done by the sync attack as well, which is denoted by purple, right below the regular damage number.

Something important to remember is that the attack type of the selected unit doesn’t have to be a primary attack. Once initiated, the first attack from the original unit will be played out and will be followed by the primary attacks of the other units at no cost. This is a standard primary attack and will account for any potential extra damage as well.

While sync attacks are limited to once per attack by a unit, it’s possible to chain multiple sync attacks if the initial attack targets multiple enemies.

What About Desynchronization?

Boss and mini-bosses will activate Desynchronization if they are hit by a sync attack during a turn. This is denoted by a small purple shield at the left of their health bar and remains active throughout the turn. While Desynchronization is active, bosses and mini-bosses are immune to any sync attacks, and will not take damage from it.

Synchronization is the heart of combat encounters because characters simply don’t have enough action points to deal with multiple enemies. It takes a bit of practice to fully understand, which is why we recommend using the information provided by the game in the form of purple tiles to fully understand the imminent outcome. It’s essential to master if you want to make it far and deal some actual damage.

Each character in the game has this passive ability active at all times, and here is how you can add some variety to your squad by unlocking all the characters in Metal Slug Tactics.