Quick Links
- Understanding Invasion Mode Stats
- Learn The Elemental Types
- When In Doubt, Switch Your Character And Equipment
- Visit The Store And Forge Often
- Prepare Yourself For More Than Fighting
Mortal Kombat 1 offers multiple game modes for single and multiplayer, looking to offer an extensive experience to players. One of those modes that'll receive consistent updates is Invasion Mode. It's a feature that has you travel across a map and level up your characters, improving them to take on various fights and challenges.
Related: Every Stage In Mortal Kombat 1, Ranked
The mode can be overwhelming and doesn't explain everything you must understand to win various challenges, so it's important to take some time understanding the mechanics. Doing so will help you make the most of the mode and get past the challenging parts.
Understanding Invasion Mode Stats
Each time you level up in Invasion Mode, you'll see some stats added to your character, and you can allocate five more of them to whichever stats you like. You should understand what they do and how much they matter.
Stat
What It Does
How Much They Matter
Health
It increases your health, which is shown in your health bar.
This one you should play by ear. If you find enemies start dealing too much damage to you, then throw some points on your health.
Attack
Your normal attacks and combos deal more damage.
One of the most important stats you can put into your character. In this game mode, a good offense is the best defense, since you can rely on your skills to avoid damage. Even if you play a special heavy character, it doesn't hurt to put some points into this stat.
Special
You increase how much damage you deal with these moves and reduce how much you take from them. Specials, Throws, Fatal Blows, and Kameos.
This is another useful stat, especially if you're playing a zoner or grappler. Adding points to it will help you take out enemies faster. On top of that, it works as a damaging and defensive stat, making it crucial for most builds.
Defense
You take less damage from normal attacks and combos.
This one is similar to Health, where you'll want to put points into it as you see fit. Generally speaking, you could add a point to it every two levels or so and be fine.
Agility
It's harder for enemies to block your attacks while making it easier for you to perform a Perfect Block.
This is a great stat for people who like to play rushdown. If you're planning to run in and attack the enemy a ton, this stat will help with your mixup game.
While they may not seem like much, these stats can make all the difference while you go through the mode. However, when you add points to a character, you should know that they're set. Get a feel for your playstyle and set your stats accordingly.
If you become worried about allocating your stats incorrectly, remember that you can always use the auto assign feature. It'll choose stats based on the character and what it feels will be best, so this can work if you just want to go through the mode or don't want to focus on stats.
Related: Games To Play If You Like Mortal Kombat 1
Learn The Elemental Types
You also have different elements that apply to characters, which are symbols that appear next to them on the menu. Different options will allow you to deal extra damage to them, take less damage from them, deal less damage to them, or take more damage from them.
It can be difficult to keep track of all that information, and since it's in your character stats menu, you can make it easier by referencing a table when you need to know how elements impact your character, so you can plan accordingly.
Element
Deal More Damage
Take Less Damage
Deal Less Damage
Take More Damage
Acid
Lightning, Physical
Acid
Acid, Ice
Ice
Blood
Magic
Nature, Physical
Fire
Chaos, Lightning
Chaos
Blood, Magic
Magic
Dark
Dark, Nature
Dark
Chaos
Chaos, Lightning
Nature, Magic
Magic
Electric
Blood, Ice
None
Dark
Acid
Energy
Chaos
Dark
Blood
Magic
Fire
Ice
Blood, Fire
Fire, Physical
Ice
Ice
Acid, Fire
Acid, Ice
Ice, Physical
Electric, Fire
Magic
Dark, Nature
Dark
Chaos
Blood, Chaos
Physical
None
Fire, Ice
Blood
Acid
Some characters have multiple elements, so keep that in mind when comparing the stats. Your Kameo fighter or Talismans can be an excellent way to add abilities that'll deal bonus damage. Feel free to customize your character accordingly.
When In Doubt, Switch Your Character And Equipment
With that in mind, it never hurts to switch your characters and equipment based on the situation. For instance, if you like to play as General Shao, you may struggle against a Dark character. Because of that, you should bring a character like Cyrax with you to deal Nature damage.
Don't worry about levels, either. You level up all the characters at once, so they'll each have stat points you can allocate. That means you can build your characters accordingly to deal with various situations.
For example, you may give one an Agility build to deal with a defensive opponent, or make a tanky character against an opponent that deals tons of damage. That way, you can switch between them as you see fit.
You also have other aspects to rely on, such as Talismans and Relics. Talismans have limited charges and uses while Relics give you passive bonuses. You can use the Talismans in combat to gain certain moves to deal more damage to your enemies while Relics can augment your playstyle and stats.
Spend some time looking through your Talismans and Relics regularly, especially when you get a new one from a fight, leveling up your characters, or by purchasing them.
Related: Mortal Kombat 1: How To Unlock Every Second Fatality
Visit The Store And Forge Often
You'll come across different Stores and Forges as you go through the game, which'll allow you to purchase items and seek upgrades, respectively.
For the Store, you'll have various items you can purchase, which'll help you in different ways. For instance, you can get items that'll give you certain defense boosts for one fight, or you can buy keys to unlock chests. Some even include Talismans, so pick up all of those when you can.
The Store only has so many items you can buy, but the consumables will refill based on a timer in the corner when you make a purchase, so keep that in mind.
As for the Forge, you can use different Komponents on your Talismans to upgrade them. They can adjust the effects, such as increasing projectile sizes or changing their elemental types. Before you do them, ensure you check the bottom-right corner to see the odds of the upgrade working.
Enemies will also have their own Talismans they can use in combat, so watch out for them and react accordingly.
Prepare Yourself For More Than Fighting
Sometimes, you'll run into different encounters beyond fights as you go through the different map points, with others adjusting how fighting works. For instance, you'll run into Test Your Might, which requires you to mash buttons and press another when the meter is in the right zone to win.
You also have Survive, which has you avoid various energy balls on the screen. For this one, you simply must use your dashes and jumps to avoid them, or you'll have to redo the challenge.
As for the fights with different adjustments, you'll run into Towers that require you to fight multiple enemies in a row without changing your character. Ensure you pick the character you feel most comfortable with, or you may have to redo it. You may even have to tackle Test Your Might in these segments as well.
You can even get Ambushed while going across the map. These will happen randomly, and you could fight multiple enemies in a row, so always remain vigiliant while you travel.
Next: Mortal Kombat 1: Multiplayer Guide
