Mechanic · combat · role-playing game

Turn order

The rule that decides who acts first in each round of a turn-based battle.

draftAlso: initiative, action order, order of execution, move priority, priority, speed priority, first strike, preemptive strike, turn takingUpdated 2026-10-22
On this page
  1. How it works
  2. Implementations
  3. Variants and combinations
  4. History
  5. Related
  6. Games
  7. References
  8. Sources

Turn order decides who acts first in each round of a turn-based battle. The Gameplay Design Patterns wiki defines turn taking as “Letting one player do some action or actions before letting other players act”, and notes that randomness may set the order1.

The earliest game read in each of the three series uses its own scheme. Dragon Warrior rolls once for the first turn, and then the hero and the monster alternate2,3. Final Fantasy shuffles everyone at random every round, with no stat involved4. Pokémon sorts by the moves’ priority, then by Speed5,6,7.

  • Side by sideGenghis Khan (1987). The attacker orders all his units, then the defender, and a day ends.8
  • AlternatingDragon Warrior (1986). A quick hero usually strikes first, and then hero and monster take turns.2,3
  • ShuffledFinal Fantasy (1987). Everyone acts in a fresh random order each round, and no stat moves a character up.4,9,10
  • Shuffled, agility within the partyFinal Fantasy III (1990). Party and monsters act in a random order each round; agility only decides which party member goes before another.11
  • Stat plus a rollDragon Warrior II (1987). Quick fighters tend to act early in a round, but luck can put anyone first.12,13,14Dragon Warrior III (1988). Quick characters usually act early in a round, but luck can put a slow one first.15,16EarthBound Beginnings (1989). Each pick rolls every waiting combatant's Speed through a ±0–24% spread, and the highest acts.17,18EarthBound (1994). Speed ±50%, rolled once per turn, highest first.19
  • By a statGenghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf (1992). On the combat display units act in order of mobility; on the campaign map the attacker moves, then the defender.20,21
  • Priority, then SpeedPokémon Red and Blue (1996). Quick Attack goes first and Counter last, then the higher Speed, with a tie split evenly.5Pokémon Yellow (1998). Red and Blue's Quick Attack, Counter, and Speed rule, unchanged.22Pokémon Gold and Silver (1999). Move priority from 0 to 3, then a held Quick Claw's roll, then Speed.23Pokémon Crystal (2000). Move priority from 0 to 3, then a held Quick Claw's roll, then Speed.6Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002). Priority, then adjusted Speed, with a Quick Claw that puts its holder first on 20% of turns at equal priority.24Pokémon Emerald (2004). Priority, then Speed after stages, weather abilities, the badge, items, and paralysis.7Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (2004). Emerald's priority and Speed rule.25
  • Active timeFinal Fantasy IV (1991). Every fighter waits on its own clock, so a quicker character gets more turns.26,27Final Fantasy V (1992). Each fighter waits on its own clock, and more agility shortens the wait.28Final Fantasy VI (1994). Each combatant's gauge fills in real time by its speed.29

#How it works

Dragon Warrior:   at the start, a roll picks who acts first; then the sides alternate
Final Fantasy:    every round, shuffle all 13 slots; act in that order
Pokémon:          every turn, sort the two moves by priority, then Speed; a tie is a coin flip
DecidedStatsTiesAmbush
Dragon Warrioronce per battle, then alternating2,3Agility against the monster’s defense byte2—the monster may act first2
Final Fantasyevery round4none4—surprise or first strike, from the leader’s Agility and Luck10
Red and Blueevery turn5Speed; Quick Attack first, Counter last51/25—
Crystalevery turn6priority 0–3, Quick Claw, then Speed61/26—
Emeraldevery turn7priority, then Speed after its modifiers71/27—

#Implementations

#Dragon Warrior

At the start of a battle, CalcWhoIsNext gives the hero the first turn when Agility times a random byte is at least the monster’s defense byte times a roll of 0–632. Otherwise the monster acts first2. With Agility 40 against a defense byte of 40, the hero goes first 87.70% of the time, measured in the ROM over every generator state30.

After that, the sides alternate. Each of the hero’s actions ends by jumping to the monster’s turn, and each of the monster’s to the hero’s; a menu the hero backs out of re-prompts without spending the turn3. The NES manual says Agility makes the hero “faster”31.

#Dragon Warrior II and III

The North American Dragon Warrior II replaces the alternation with a round order14,3. Each round sorts every living hero and monster by ⌊agility/2⌋ + random byte (+0 or 1), highest first12,12. A battle opens with a surprise roll, 1/32 each way13, in which either side can lose its first round13. The North American Dragon Warrior III scales the agility itself, agility × 1/4 to 1, highest first15, where Dragon Warrior II adds a roll to half of it16.

#Final Fantasy

Every round, DoBattleRound lists the 9 enemy slots and the 4 characters and shuffles them with 16 swaps of two random positions4. No stat enters the order. Disch calls the shuffle suboptimal: an entry stays where it started more often than a full shuffle would leave it, and the characters start last4.

The NES manual says otherwise: “Each character’s agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution”9. In battle, Agility is read only by a check at the start, although a level-up that raises it also raises evade10,32,33. That check draws V from the leader’s Agility and Luck and the formation’s surprise rate; below 11 the party is surprised and loses its first round of commands, and from 90 the party strikes first and the enemies skip the first round10.

#Final Fantasy III to VI

Final Fantasy III still places every slot by a random key, but then orders the four characters among themselves by agility plus a random 0 to twice agility11,4.

The next three games use active time. In Final Fantasy IV, each combatant’s timer counts down once per battle tick27. Its base duration is 5 × reference agility ÷ own agility26, so a combatant with twice the agility waits half as long26. Final Fantasy V sets the timer to 120 + weight/8 − agility ticks28, counted down one a tick28. Final Fantasy VI fills a gauge instead, by (speed + 20) × 1.5 × 64 ÷ 16 per 2 frames29 at normal speed, and a combatant acts when its gauge overflows29. Its battle speed setting slows only the monsters29.

#Pokémon Red and Blue

Quick Attack moves first and Counter last, unless both sides chose the same one5. Otherwise the Pokémon with the higher Speed moves first, and a tie goes either way with probability 1/25. The player’s item, switch, or run attempt happens in the battle menu, before either move5.

Pokémon Yellow keeps this order unchanged22,5.

#Pokémon Crystal

Crystal turns the two special cases into a priority table: 3 for Protect and Endure, 2 for Quick Attack, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed, 1 for most moves, and 0 for Roar, Whirlwind, Counter, Mirror Coat, and Vital Throw6. At equal priority, a held Quick Claw goes first on a random byte below 60, then higher Speed, then a coin flip6. The player’s switch or item always comes first6.

Pokémon Gold and Silver already have the priority table and the Quick Claw, and Crystal keeps their routine23,6.

#Pokémon Emerald

Emerald compares each move’s priority, then a Speed adjusted by stat stages, Swift Swim or Chlorophyll in their weather, a badge bonus for the player, Macho Brace, paralysis, and a Quick Claw that triggers7. A tie is a coin flip7.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire’s GetWhoStrikesFirst applies the same priority and Speed adjustments24,7. Its Quick Claw sets the holder’s Speed to the maximum when a per-turn random number is below 20% of 0xFFFF24. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen run Emerald’s rule, except that they withhold the third badge’s ×1.1 Speed only in link battles, where Emerald also withholds it in recorded-link and Frontier battles25.

#EarthBound Beginnings and EarthBound

In the English build of EarthBound Beginnings, the next combatant is picked one at a time, by Speed ±0–24%, rerolled each pick17, highest first17. In the US release of EarthBound, initiative is rolled once a turn instead of once a pick, Speed ±50%, once per turn19, and ties go to the later slot19,17.

#Variants and combinations

  • Fleeing. Dragon Warrior’s run test is its first-turn test with a wider roll for later monsters34. In Final Fantasy, striking first makes a RUN certain32.
  • Random number generator. Final Fantasy’s shuffle draws its 32 positions from the battle table4,35.

#History

The games read here run from Dragon Quest (Famicom, 1986) to Emerald (2004)36,37.

Variants

Combines with

  • Fleeing · Dragon Warrior's run test is its first-turn test; Final Fantasy's first strike guarantees an escape

See also

Mentioned in

Games

GameYearHowNote
Nobunaga's Ambition1986Side by sidethe defender orders all its units, then the attacker, and a day passes
Genghis Khan1987Side by sidethe attacker orders all his units, then the defender, and a day ends
Dragon Warrior1986Alternatinga quick hero usually strikes first, and then hero and monster take turns
Final Fantasy1987Shuffledeveryone acts in a fresh random order each round, and no stat moves a character up
Final Fantasy III1990Shuffled, agility within the partyparty and monsters act in a random order each round; agility only decides which party member goes before another
Dragon Warrior II1987Stat plus a rollquick fighters tend to act early in a round, but luck can put anyone first
Dragon Warrior III1988Stat plus a rollquick characters usually act early in a round, but luck can put a slow one first
EarthBound Beginnings1989Stat plus a rolleach pick rolls every waiting combatant's Speed through a ±0–24% spread, and the highest acts
EarthBound1994Stat plus a rollSpeed ±50%, rolled once per turn, highest first
Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf1992By a staton the combat display units act in order of mobility; on the campaign map the attacker moves, then the defender
Pokémon Red and Blue1996Priority, then SpeedQuick Attack goes first and Counter last, then the higher Speed, with a tie split evenly
Pokémon Yellow1998Priority, then SpeedRed and Blue's Quick Attack, Counter, and Speed rule, unchanged
Pokémon Gold and Silver1999Priority, then Speedmove priority from 0 to 3, then a held Quick Claw's roll, then Speed
Pokémon Crystal2000Priority, then Speedmove priority from 0 to 3, then a held Quick Claw's roll, then Speed
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire2002Priority, then Speedpriority, then adjusted Speed, with a Quick Claw that puts its holder first on 20% of turns at equal priority
Pokémon Emerald2004Priority, then Speedpriority, then Speed after stages, weather abilities, the badge, items, and paralysis
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen2004Priority, then SpeedEmerald's priority and Speed rule
Final Fantasy IV1991Active timeevery fighter waits on its own clock, so a quicker character gets more turns
Final Fantasy V1992Active timeeach fighter waits on its own clock, and more agility shortens the wait
Final Fantasy VI1994Active timeeach combatant's gauge fills in real time by its speed
Every claim about this mechanic, by game (34)
Dragon Warrior 1986At the start of a battle, CalcWhoIsNext gives the hero the first turn when Agility × a random byte is at least the monster's defense byte × a roll of 0–63; otherwise the monster attacks first.Code
Measured in the ROM over all 65,536 generator states, with Agility 40 against a defense byte of 40, the hero escapes 87.70% of the time from the first group, 81.64% from the second, 75.20% from the third, and 50.20% from the fourth; the hero takes the first turn 87.70% of the time.Verified
After the first turn, the hero and the monster alternate; each of the hero's actions ends by jumping to StartEnemyTurn, and each of the monster's to StartPlayerTurn.Code
The NES manual says Agility helps the hero escape: "This means that you can more easily avoid the enemy or run away."Manual
Nobunaga's Ambition 1986The PC-98 manual says every one of the 50 (or 17) countries gives one order each season, one country at a time, in an order that changes at random every season; the season ends when all have given theirs.Manual
In battle the defender places its units first, anywhere on the map, and the attacker places its own near the fief it attacked from. Each day the defender gives one command to each of its units, then the attacker does, and a day passes.Manual
Dragon Warrior II 1987In Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), each round every living hero and monster gets a key of half its agility, rounded down, plus a random byte plus a random 0 or 1, capped at 255, and a selection sort sets the order from the highest key down.Code
In Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), a battle opens with a roll of 0–31: on 0 the monsters "did not see" the party and lose their first round, and on 1 they attack "before [the hero] was set for battle" and the heroes lose theirs.Code
Dragon Warrior II (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior's battle rules: the hero's 1-in-32 "excellent move" becomes a 1-in-64 "tremendous blow", the fixed alternation of hero and monster becomes a round order sorted by half the agility plus a roll, and running no longer weighs the hero's Agility against the monster.Code
Final Fantasy 1987Each round, DoBattleRound lists the 9 enemy slots and 4 characters and shuffles them with 16 swaps of two random positions; no stat enters the order.Code
The NES manual says agility sets the order: "Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution."Manual
At the start of a battle, unless the formation is marked no-run, the game draws V=S+RandAX(S,100)−surprise rate with S=⌊(Agility+Luck)/8⌋ of the party leader: below 11 the party is surprised and loses its first round of commands, and from 90 the party strikes first and the enemies skip the first round.Code
Genghis Khan 1987In battle the attacker gives orders to all of his units, then the defender to all of his, and one day ends.Manual
Dragon Warrior III 1988In Dragon Warrior III (NA NES), each round every hero and monster gets a key of a quarter of its agility plus a random share of the other three quarters, so from a quarter to all of it, and a selection sort sets the order from the highest key down.Code
Dragon Warrior III (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior II's round order: Dragon Warrior II adds a random byte (and a random 0 or 1) to half the agility, while Dragon Warrior III scales the agility itself by a random factor from a quarter to one.Code
EarthBound Beginnings 1989In EarthBound Beginnings (the English build that the 2015 Virtual Console release uses), a shared routine adds random spread to a value: it moves the value by a weight in percent drawn from a 128-entry table by a random byte, up or down at even odds. The weights run from 0 to 24, and 92 of the 128 entries are 10 or less, so most rolls move the value by a few percent. Damage and the turn-order Speed roll both use it.Code
In EarthBound Beginnings (English build), the next combatant to act is picked one at a time: every combatant yet to act this round rolls its Speed through the ±0–24% spread, capped at 255, and the highest goes; the rest roll again for the next pick.Code
Final Fantasy III 1990determine attack order gives each of the 12 battle slots a random key of 0–255 and passes the list to a routine the disassembly calls "sort attack order list ???"; it then gives each of the four characters a key of agility plus a random 0 to twice agility, sorts those the same way, and writes the characters in that order into the character entries of the first list. Chance places each character among the monsters, and agility orders the characters among themselves.Code
Final Fantasy IV 1991At the start of a battle, each combatant's base timer duration is 50 times a reference party member's modified agility over 10 times its own modified agility, at least 1; the reference is the first present party member whose character ID is 1 or $0B, or failing that the first present one, so a combatant with twice the agility waits half as long between turns.Code
BattleMain waits 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 11 frames by the battle speed setting (BattleSpeedTbl plus one), holding while the game is paused or in wait mode, then decrements every combatant's timers (DecTimers) and runs a pending action. An action timer's duration is the base duration times a speed modifier over 16, and 16 is the normal modifier.Code
Final Fantasy V 1992A combatant's ATB timer is set to 120 + equipment weight ÷ 8 − agility, at least 1, adjusted for haste or slow, and UpdateTimer counts it down by one each tick and flags it when it reaches 0, when the turn comes due. The battle speed setting sets a wait of 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, or 240 when a character's turn arrives.Code
Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf 1992In battle the attacker moves first and then the defender, each turn is one day, the battle ends after 30 days, and the commander's leadership sets how many commands he can give in a day.Manual
Legions that meet fight on a combat display, where units act in order of mobility, set by basic mobility, legion level, and the commander's leadership, to a maximum of 15; the weather sets how many combat turns there are.Manual
EarthBound 1994In EarthBound (US release), every conscious combatant's initiative is rolled at the start of each turn: its Speed moved up or down by up to 50% (the 25% spread's method without the final halving), at least 1. Then the conscious combatant yet to act with the highest initiative goes next, ties going to the later slot.Code
Final Fantasy VI 1994Each combatant's ATB gauge constant is (speed + 20) times 1.5 times a haste, normal, or slow constant of 84, 64, or 32, over 16; for monsters the speed term is first scaled by 255 − 24 × the battle speed setting, over 255, so the setting slows only the monsters. Every 2 frames UpdateBattleTime adds each present combatant's constant to its gauge, and a gauge that overflows gives that combatant a turn. It skips the update only when wait mode is on and the battle-time-stopped flag is also set, since it ANDs the two.Code
Pokémon Red and Blue 1996Quick Attack moves first and Counter last unless both sides chose the same one; otherwise the Pokémon with higher Speed moves first, and a tie goes either way with probability 1/2.Code
Pokémon Yellow 1998Yellow keeps Red and Blue's turn order, Quick Attack first and Counter last unless both chose it, then the higher Speed, with a tie split evenly.Code
Pokémon Gold and Silver 1999Gold and Silver order moves by priority, 3 for Protect and Endure, 2 for the priority-hit moves, 0 for Vital Throw and the force-switch, Counter, and Mirror Coat effects, and 1 for the rest; at equal priority a held Quick Claw goes first when a random byte is below its value, 60, about 23% of the time, and otherwise the higher Speed goes first, with a tie split evenly; Crystal keeps the routine.Code
Pokémon Crystal 2000Crystal ranks moves by priority: 3 for Protect and Endure, 2 for Quick Attack, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed, 1 for most moves, and 0 for Roar, Whirlwind, Counter, Mirror Coat, and Vital Throw; at equal priority a held Quick Claw goes first on a random byte below 60, then higher Speed, then a coin flip.Code
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 2002Ruby and Sapphire's GetWhoStrikesFirst puts the higher-priority move first; at equal priority the higher adjusted Speed goes first, and a tie is a coin flip. Adjusted Speed applies stat stages, doubles for Swift Swim in rain or Chlorophyll in sun, takes ×1.1 for the player's Pokémon with the third badge outside link battles, halves with a Macho Brace, and quarters under paralysis; a held Quick Claw sets it to the maximum when a per-turn random number is below its parameter, 20, as a percent of 0xFFFF.Code
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones 2004In the North American build, a battle runs the attacker's round, then the defender's counter, then one follow-up round by the unit whose attack speed beats the other's by 4 or more; attack speed is speed less the weapon's weight beyond constitution, at least 0.Code
Pokémon Emerald 2004GetWhoStrikesFirst puts the higher-priority move first; at equal priority the higher Speed goes first, after stat stages, Swift Swim or Chlorophyll in their weather, the third badge's ×1.1 for the player, Macho Brace, paralysis's ×¼, and a Quick Claw that triggers; a tie is a coin flip.Code
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 2004FireRed and LeafGreen's GetWhoStrikesFirst is Emerald's rule: the higher-priority move first, then the higher adjusted Speed, with a tie a coin flip, and a Quick Claw that sets Speed to the maximum on its roll. It differs only in withholding the third badge's ×1.1 Speed in link battles alone, where Emerald also withholds it in recorded-link and Frontier battles.Code
generalThe Gameplay Design Patterns wiki defines Turn Taking as "Letting one player do some action or actions before letting other players act," and lists randomness among the ways to set the order.Wiki

References

  1. ^The Gameplay Design Patterns wiki defines Turn Taking as "Letting one player do some action or actions before letting other players act," and lists randomness among the ways to set the order.WikiGameplay Design Patterns wiki, “Turn Taking”
    How we know
    Letting one player do some action or actions before letting other players act.
    lead · archived copy ↗
    Finally, Randomness may be used to determine turn order.
    Using the pattern · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  2. ^ abcdefgAt the start of a battle, CalcWhoIsNext gives the hero the first turn when Agility × a random byte is at least the monster's defense byte × a roll of 0–63; otherwise the monster attacks first.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly
    How we know
    6655LE5BF:  JSR CalcWhoIsNext       ;($EEC0)Randomly calculate who attacks next.
⋮
6657LE5C2:  BCS StartPlayerTurn     ;($E5CE)It's the player's turn to attack.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6654–6663 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    8293LEEC5:  AND #$3F                ;Keep only lower 6 bits(0-63).
⋮
8297LEEC9:  LDA EnBaseDef           ;
⋮
8313LEEE6:  LDA DisplayedAgi        ;
⋮
8321LEEF5:  SEC                     ;Subtract the enemy's defense*rnd from player's agility*rnd.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 8290–8325 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  3. ^ abcdeAfter the first turn, the hero and the monster alternate; each of the hero's actions ends by jumping to StartEnemyTurn, and each of the monster's to StartPlayerTurn.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly
    How we know
    6804LE68D:  JSR DoDialogHiBlock     ;($C7C5)It is dodging!...
6805LE690:  .byte $0A               ;TextBlock17, entry 10.
⋮
6807LE691:  JMP StartEnemyTurn      ;($EB1B)It's the enemy's turn to attack.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6803–6807 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    7774LEBE2:  JSR DoDialogLoBlock     ;($C7CB)A miss! no damage hath been scored...
7775LEBE5:  .byte $FB               ;TextBlock16, entry 11.
⋮
7777LEBE6:  JMP StartPlayerTurn     ;($E5CE)It's the player's turn to attack.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 7772–7777 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  4. ^ abcdefghEach round, DoBattleRound lists the 9 enemy slots and 4 characters and shuffles them with 16 swaps of two random positions; no stat enters the order.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    3181lut_InitialTurnOrder:
3182  .BYTE $00, $01, $02, $03, $04, $05, $06, $07, $08     ; enemy IDs
3183  .BYTE $80, $81, $82, $83                              ; character IDs
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3181–3183 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3199DoBattleRound:
3200    LDY #$0D                        ; initialize turn order buffer
⋮
3211    ; Shuffle the turn order.  This is done by looping 16 times, each time
3212    ;  it will pick 2 random entries in the turn order table and swap them.
⋮
3214    ; Note that this is suboptimal, since it's more likely for an entry to
⋮
3227    JSR RandAX                  ; pick two random indexes
⋮
3231    JSR RandAX
⋮
3236    LDA btl_turnorder, Y        ; swap those entries in the turn order
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3199–3244 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  5. ^ abcdefghiQuick Attack moves first and Counter last unless both sides chose the same one; otherwise the Pokémon with higher Speed moves first, and a tie goes either way with probability 1/2.Codepret/pokered
    How we know
    371	cp QUICK_ATTACK
372	jr nz, .playerDidNotUseQuickAttack
⋮
374	cp QUICK_ATTACK
⋮
377.playerDidNotUseQuickAttack
⋮
379	cp QUICK_ATTACK
⋮
382	cp COUNTER
⋮
385	cp COUNTER
386	jr z, .compareSpeed ; if both used Counter
387	jr .enemyMovesFirst ; if player used Counter and enemy didn't
⋮
390	cp COUNTER
⋮
392.compareSpeed
⋮
396	call StringCmp ; compare speed values
⋮
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 369–412 at af51989 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  6. ^ abcdefghiCrystal ranks moves by priority: 3 for Protect and Endure, 2 for Quick Attack, Mach Punch, and ExtremeSpeed, 1 for most moves, and 0 for Roar, Whirlwind, Counter, Mirror Coat, and Vital Throw; at equal priority a held Quick Claw goes first on a random byte below 60, then higher Speed, then a coin flip.Codepret/pokecrystal
    How we know
    477.use_move
478	ld a, [wBattlePlayerAction]
479	and a ; BATTLEPLAYERACTION_USEMOVE?
480	jp nz, .player_first
481	call CompareMovePriority
482	jr z, .equal_priority
⋮
486.equal_priority
⋮
493	cp HELD_QUICK_CLAW
⋮
496	cp HELD_QUICK_CLAW
⋮
498	call BattleRandom
499	cp e
500	jr nc, .speed_check
⋮
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 477–540 at 97187cd · upstream ↗
    829GetMovePriority:
830; Return the priority (0-3) of move a.
⋮
834	; Vital Throw goes last.
835	cp VITAL_THROW
⋮
849	ld a, BASE_PRIORITY
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 829–850 at 97187cd · upstream ↗
    1MoveEffectPriorities:
2	db EFFECT_PROTECT,      3
3	db EFFECT_ENDURE,       3
4	db EFFECT_PRIORITY_HIT, 2
5	db EFFECT_FORCE_SWITCH, 0
6	db EFFECT_COUNTER,      0
7	db EFFECT_MIRROR_COAT,  0
    data/moves/effects_priorities.asm lines 1–8 at 97187cd · upstream ↗
    156	item_attribute 100, HELD_QUICK_CLAW, 60, CANT_SELECT, ITEM, ITEMMENU_NOUSE, ITEMMENU_NOUSE
    data/items/attributes.asm lines 155–156 at 97187cd · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  7. ^ abcdefghGetWhoStrikesFirst puts the higher-priority move first; at equal priority the higher Speed goes first, after stat stages, Swift Swim or Chlorophyll in their weather, the third badge's ×1.1 for the player, Macho Brace, paralysis's ×¼, and a Quick Claw that triggers; a tie is a coin flip.Codepret/pokeemerald
    How we know
    4595u8 GetWhoStrikesFirst(u8 battler1, u8 battler2, bool8 ignoreChosenMoves)
⋮
4609        else
⋮
4615        else
⋮
4618    else
⋮
4633    else
⋮
4644        speedBattler1 = (speedBattler1 * 110) / 100;
⋮
4650    if (gBattleMons[battler1].status1 & STATUS1_PARALYSIS)
4651        speedBattler1 /= 4;
⋮
4653    if (holdEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW && gRandomTurnNumber < (0xFFFF * holdEffectParam) / 100)
4654        speedBattler1 = UINT_MAX;
⋮
4667    else
⋮
4687    if (holdEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW && gRandomTurnNumber < (0xFFFF * holdEffectParam) / 100)
⋮
    src/battle_main.c lines 4595–4750 at 731ad5b · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  8. ^In battle the attacker gives orders to all of his units, then the defender to all of his, and one day ends.ManualKoei, Genghis Khan NES manual · Koei, Genghis Khan Famicom manual (JP)
    How we know
    After both sides have deployed, the attacking side will issue orders to all of his units. The defending side then follows suit, with one day ending after both sides have given orders to all of their units.
    p. 27, Combat · archived copy ↗
    １ターンは１日にあたり、各部隊に命令を１回ずつ出せます。
    p. 5 (PDF p. 7) · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  9. ^ abThe NES manual says agility sets the order: "Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution."ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual
    How we know
    Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution.
    p. 26, Battle Techniques, Run as a Strategy · archived copy ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  10. ^ abcdAt the start of a battle, unless the formation is marked no-run, the game draws V=S+RandAX(S,100)−surprise rate with S=⌊(Agility+Luck)/8⌋ of the party leader: below 11 the party is surprised and loses its first round of commands, and from 90 the party strikes first and the enemies skip the first round.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    383    AND #$01                ; see if "no run" bit is set.  If it is, there is no strike first/surprised check
⋮
389    ; S = (leaders_agility + leaders_luck) / 8
390    ; V = random[S+S, S+100] - surpised_rate
⋮
393    ; if V >= 90, party strikes first
⋮
399    LDA ch_agil
400    CLC
401    ADC ch_luck
⋮
422    CMP #11
423    BCC @Surprised          ; if < 11, SURPRISED!
424    CMP #90
⋮
430      INC btl_strikingfirst             ; set flag
⋮
437    JMP BattleLogicLoop_DoCombat        ; skip over first round of player input, and just do combat
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 381–437 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3259      LDA btl_strikingfirst     ; if the party is striking first
3260      BNE @NextTurn             ;   skip their turn
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3259–3260 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  11. ^ abdetermine attack order gives each of the 12 battle slots a random key of 0–255 and passes the list to a routine the disassembly calls "sort attack order list ???"; it then gives each of the four characters a key of agility plus a random 0 to twice agility, sorts those the same way, and writes the characters in that order into the character entries of the first list. Chance places each character among the monsters, and agility orders the characters among themselves.Codeeverything8215, FF3 disassembly
    How we know
    24351; [ determine attack order ]
⋮
2435334/9777: A0 00     LDY #$00
2435434/9779: A9 FF     LDA #$FF
2435534/977B: 20 64 A5  JSR $A564          ; random (0..A)
2435634/977E: 99 00 74  STA $7400,Y
⋮
2437434/97A2: 20 57 8F  JSR $8F57
⋮
2438834/97BF: B1 57     LDA ($57),Y        ; agility
2438934/97C1: 85 3C     STA $3C
2439034/97C3: 0A        ASL 
2439134/97C4: 20 64 A5  JSR $A564          ; random (0..A)
2439234/97C7: 18        CLC 
2439334/97C8: 65 3C     ADC $3C
⋮
    ff3j.asm lines 24351–24425 at 1acef81 · upstream ↗
    23241; [ sort attack order list ??? ]
⋮
23243; recursive subroutine
    ff3j.asm lines 23241–23243 at 1acef81 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  12. ^ abcIn Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), each round every living hero and monster gets a key of half its agility, rounded down, plus a random byte plus a random 0 or 1, capped at 255, and a selection sort sets the order from the highest key down.CodeNathan-R-Og/dq2revised
    How we know
    9168B04_B6DC:
⋮
9176    lda ($B9), y
⋮
9180    sta $06C7, x
9181    ldy #$0A
9182    lda ($B9), y
9183    jsr B04_B790
⋮
9207    sta $06C7, x
9208    ldy #$04
9209    lda ($BB), y
9210    jsr B04_B790
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9168–9210 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    4814    ldy #$09 ; offset for STR
⋮
4820    iny
4821    lda $9A ; current AGI
⋮
4823    sta ($C3), y ; update hero's current AGI
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 4814–4823 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    732B0F_C3B6:
733    ldy #$08
⋮
744    asl
745    bcc B0F_C3D1
⋮
757B0F_C3D1:
758    dey
759    bne B0F_C3B8
760    rts
    src/us/prg/constant.asm lines 732–760 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    9235B04_B74E:
9236    ldx #$00
9237B04_B750:
9238    lda $06D2, x
⋮
9244B04_B75A:
9245    lda $A8
9246    cmp $06D2, y
9247    bcs B04_B768
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9235–9250 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    9274B04_B790:
9275    lsr
9276    sta $99
⋮
9281    adc $99
9282    bcc B04_B79E
9283    lda #$FF
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9274–9286 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  13. ^ abcIn Dragon Warrior II (NA NES), a battle opens with a roll of 0–31: on 0 the monsters "did not see" the party and lose their first round, and on 1 they attack "before [the hero] was set for battle" and the heroes lose theirs.CodeNathan-R-Og/dq2
    How we know
    3120    lda #$20
⋮
3123    sta $06DD
3124    cmp #$01
3125    bcc B04_957D
3126    bne B04_9585
3127    lda #$03 ; String ID #$0003: [name] attacked![end-FC]
⋮
3132    lda #$04 ; String ID #$0004: Before [name] was set for battle.[end-FC]
⋮
3143B04_957D:
3144    lda #$05 ; String ID #$0005: But the [name] did not see thee.[end-FC]
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 3120–3146 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    3241    lda $06C7, x
3242    cmp #$18
3243    bcs B04_963C
3244    cmp #$03
3245    bcc B04_962E
3246    and #$07
3247    ldy $06DD
3248    cpy #$00
3249    beq B04_963C
⋮
3253    beq B04_963C
⋮
3255B04_962E:
3256    ldy $06DD
⋮
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 3241–3258 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    3298    lda #$FF
3299    sta $06DD
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 3298–3299 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  14. ^ abDragon Warrior II (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior's battle rules: the hero's 1-in-32 "excellent move" becomes a 1-in-64 "tremendous blow", the fixed alternation of hero and monster becomes a round order sorted by half the agility plus a roll, and running no longer weighs the hero's Agility against the monster.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly · Nathan-R-Og/dq2revised
    How we know
    6733LE624:  AND #$1F                ;Did player get an excellent move(1/32 chance)?
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6724–6759 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    6249    lda #$40
6250    sta $A6
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 6249–6250 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    6807LE691:  JMP StartEnemyTurn      ;($EB1B)It's the enemy's turn to attack.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 6803–6807 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    7777LEBE6:  JMP StartPlayerTurn     ;($E5CE)It's the player's turn to attack.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 7772–7777 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    9274B04_B790:
9275    lsr
9276    sta $99
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9274–9286 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    8313LEEE6:  LDA DisplayedAgi        ;
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 8290–8325 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    3191B04_95BF:
3192    lda $06DD
3193    beq B04_95CB
3194    lda #$03
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 3191–3197 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  15. ^ abIn Dragon Warrior III (NA NES), each round every hero and monster gets a key of a quarter of its agility plus a random share of the other three quarters, so from a quarter to all of it, and a selection sort sets the order from the highest key down.Code“Dragon Warrior III (USA)” · zeromus/DragonWarrior3
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Dragon Warrior III (USA)”): bank 4 $8183-$8214, the keys for four heroes and eight monsters, the sort, and the randomizer. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    242sub_68183:
⋮
250		LDA		_players_rAGI,Y
251		STA		word_4
252		JSR		_randomize_75_percent
⋮
270		JSR		sub_6B73E ; load enemy's agility
⋮
272		STA		word_4
273		JSR		_randomize_75_percent
⋮
296;look for maximum unused agility in table at byte_54C
    disassembly/bank04.inc lines 242–300 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗
    333_randomize_75_percent:
334		LDA		word_4
335		LSR
336		LSR
337		STA		word_4+1
338		LDA		word_4
339		SEC
340		SBC		word_4+1
341		JSR		_b4_sF_rand_mul_A
342		CLC
343		ADC		word_4+1
    disassembly/bank04.inc lines 333–345 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  16. ^ abDragon Warrior III (NA NES) changes Dragon Warrior II's round order: Dragon Warrior II adds a random byte (and a random 0 or 1) to half the agility, while Dragon Warrior III scales the agility itself by a random factor from a quarter to one.CodeNathan-R-Og/dq2 · zeromus/DragonWarrior3 · “Dragon Warrior III (USA)”revised
    How we know
    9274B04_B790:
9275    lsr
9276    sta $99
⋮
9281    adc $99
    src/us/prg/bank4.asm lines 9274–9283 at 0fb64a4 · upstream ↗
    333_randomize_75_percent:
⋮
341		JSR		_b4_sF_rand_mul_A
342		CLC
343		ADC		word_4+1
    disassembly/bank04.inc lines 333–345 at b35d5fd · upstream ↗

    In the cartridge (“Dragon Warrior III (USA)”): bank 4 $8201, the retail randomizer. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  17. ^ abcdIn EarthBound Beginnings (English build), the next combatant to act is picked one at a time: every combatant yet to act this round rolls its Speed through the ±0–24% spread, capped at 255, and the highest goes; the rest roll again for the next pick.CodeNathan-R-Og/mother
    How we know
    2305BattleTurnEngine:
2306    jsr ConcludeBattle
2307    bcs @TurnEngineReturn
2308    ldx #8
2309@TurnEngineSort_LS:
2310    txa
2311    pha
2312    jsr SortTurnOrder
2313    jsr DoBattlerTurn
2314    lda #$ff
2315    ldy attacker_offset
2316    sta BATTLER_ACTION_ID, y
    src/global/prg/battle.asm lines 2305–2316 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗
    2349SortTurnOrder:
⋮
2351    sta battle_wordvar60
2352    sta battle_wordvar60+1
⋮
2355    lda BATTLER_ACTION_ID, y
2356    cmp #BA_COMPLETE
2357    beq @SortTurnOrder_INC
⋮
2360    lda BATTLER_SPD, y
2361    jsr RNGifySpeed
2362    cmp battle_wordvar60+1
2363    bcc @SortTurnOrder_INC
2364    sta battle_wordvar60+1
⋮
2371    sta battle_wordvar60
⋮
    src/global/prg/battle.asm lines 2349–2376 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗
    9972; used in Turn Order sorting to randomize speed (theorized effect)
9973; should be +-25%
9974; A should have the Speed value to modify
9975RNGifySpeed:
⋮
9977    lda UNK_60+1
⋮
9979    lda UNK_60
⋮
9984    jsr RNG_WORD
9985    lda UNK_60+1
9986    beq @B31_1415
9987    lda #$ff
9988    sta UNK_60
    src/global/prg/constant.asm lines 9972–9988 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  18. ^In EarthBound Beginnings (the English build that the 2015 Virtual Console release uses), a shared routine adds random spread to a value: it moves the value by a weight in percent drawn from a 128-entry table by a random byte, up or down at even odds. The weights run from 0 to 24, and 92 of the 128 entries are 10 or less, so most rolls move the value by a few percent. Damage and the turn-order Speed roll both use it.CodeNathan-R-Og/mother · “EarthBound Beginnings (USA, Europe) (Virtual Console)”
    How we know
    9867    ldx #6
9868    @B31_130b:
9869    asl UNK_60
9870    rol UNK_60+1
9871    dex
9872    bne @B31_130b ; UNK_60 =<< 6 (multiply by 64)
⋮
9880    lda #$64
9881    sta UNK_64
9882    jsr B31_113d
9883    jsr RNG_BYTE
9884    lsr a
9885    php ; PUSH SIGN
⋮
    src/global/prg/constant.asm lines 9867–9918 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗
    9943; $F37D - This table is indexed by (rand() >> 1) -- wtf is this layout
9944; WEIGHT
9945B31_137d:
9946    .byte  0,  0,  0,  0,  0                     ; 5
9947    .byte 12, 12, 12, 12, 12                     ; 5
9948    .byte  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1,  1 ; 10
⋮
9968    .byte 22                                     ; 1
9969    .byte 23                                     ; 1
9970    .byte 24                                     ; 1
    src/global/prg/constant.asm lines 9943–9970 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗

    In the cartridge (“EarthBound Beginnings (USA, Europe) (Virtual Console)”): the fixed bank's $F37D, the 128 weights as the ROM has them. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    5285MOV_input_output:
5286    lda battle_input_num
5287    sta battle_wordvar60
5288    lda battle_input_num+1
5289    sta battle_wordvar60+1
5290    jmp RNG_WORD
    src/global/prg/battle.asm lines 5285–5290 at e0b3e3f · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  19. ^ abcIn EarthBound (US release), every conscious combatant's initiative is rolled at the start of each turn: its Speed moved up or down by up to 50% (the 25% spread's method without the final halving), at least 1. Then the conscious combatant yet to act with the highest initiative goes next, ties going to the later slot.CodeHerringway/ebsrc
    How we know
    1127	LDA a:battler::consciousness,Y
1128	AND #$00FF
1129	BEQ @UNKNOWN73
1130	TYA
1131	CLC
1132	ADC #battler::initiative
1133	STA @VIRTUAL02
1134	LDA a:battler::speed,Y
1135	JSR FIFTY_PERCENT_VARIANCE
1136	LDX @VIRTUAL02
1137	STA __BSS_START__,X
1138	CMP #0
⋮
    src/battle/main_battle_routine.asm lines 1127–1142 at 68aec5c · upstream ↗
    67	LDX @VIRTUAL04
68	TYA
69	SEP #PROC_FLAGS::ACCUM8
70	JSR TRUNCATE_16_TO_8
71	STA @VIRTUAL02
72	LDA @VIRTUAL04
73	SEC
74	SBC @VIRTUAL02
    src/battle/50_percent_variance.asm lines 66–76 at 68aec5c · upstream ↗
    2126	LDA BATTLERS_TABLE+battler::consciousness,Y
2127	AND #$00FF
2128	BEQ @UNKNOWN149
2129	LDA BATTLERS_TABLE+13,Y
2130	AND #$00FF
2131	BNE @UNKNOWN149
2132	LDA BATTLERS_TABLE+70,Y
2133	TAY
2134	STX @VIRTUAL02
2135	TYA
2136.ENDIF
2137	CMP @VIRTUAL02
⋮
    src/battle/main_battle_routine.asm lines 2126–2138 at 68aec5c · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  20. ^Legions that meet fight on a combat display, where units act in order of mobility, set by basic mobility, legion level, and the commander's leadership, to a maximum of 15; the weather sets how many combat turns there are.ManualKoei, Genghis Khan II SNES manual
    How we know
    The number of turns in this mode depends on the weather.
    p. 50, The Combat Display · archived copy ↗
    Commands are executed by Units in the order of highest mobility. … The mobility of each Unit is determined by its basic mobility, Legion level, and leadership of its commander. The maximum mobility is 15.
    p. 51, Combat Command Menus · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  21. ^In battle the attacker moves first and then the defender, each turn is one day, the battle ends after 30 days, and the commander's leadership sets how many commands he can give in a day.ManualKoei, Genghis Khan II SNES manual
    How we know
    In battle, the attacking side has the first turn, then the defending side issues its commands. Each turn is one day in length. The battle automatically ends after 30 days. The number of commands you can issue in one day depends on the leadership of the Army's commander.
    p. 46, The Battle Display · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  22. ^ abYellow keeps Red and Blue's turn order, Quick Attack first and Counter last unless both chose it, then the higher Speed, with a tie split evenly.Codepret/pokeyellow · pret/pokered
    How we know
    380	cp QUICK_ATTACK
⋮
383	cp QUICK_ATTACK
⋮
388	cp QUICK_ATTACK
⋮
391	cp COUNTER
⋮
394	cp COUNTER
⋮
399	cp COUNTER
⋮
401.compareSpeed
⋮
413	call BattleRandom
414	cp 50 percent + 1
⋮
418	call BattleRandom
419	cp 50 percent + 1
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 380–419 at b6696f2 · upstream ↗
    engine/battle/core.asm#L371-L410 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  23. ^ abGold and Silver order moves by priority, 3 for Protect and Endure, 2 for the priority-hit moves, 0 for Vital Throw and the force-switch, Counter, and Mirror Coat effects, and 1 for the rest; at equal priority a held Quick Claw goes first when a random byte is below its value, 60, about 23% of the time, and otherwise the higher Speed goes first, with a tie split evenly; Crystal keeps the routine.Codepret/pokegoldrevised
    How we know
    433	call CompareMovePriority
⋮
445	cp HELD_QUICK_CLAW
⋮
448	cp HELD_QUICK_CLAW
⋮
450	call BattleRandom
451	cp e
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 431–452 at fc702b6 · upstream ↗
    781GetMovePriority:
782; Return the priority (0-3) of move a.
⋮
786	; Vital Throw goes last.
787	cp VITAL_THROW
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 781–792 at fc702b6 · upstream ↗
    1MoveEffectPriorities:
2	db EFFECT_PROTECT,      3
3	db EFFECT_ENDURE,       3
4	db EFFECT_PRIORITY_HIT, 2
5	db EFFECT_FORCE_SWITCH, 0
6	db EFFECT_COUNTER,      0
7	db EFFECT_MIRROR_COAT,  0
    data/moves/effects_priorities.asm lines 1–8 at fc702b6 · upstream ↗
    155; QUICK_CLAW
156	item_attribute 100, HELD_QUICK_CLAW, 60, CANT_SELECT, ITEM, ITEMMENU_NOUSE, ITEMMENU_NOUSE
    data/items/attributes.asm lines 155–156 at fc702b6 · upstream ↗
    485.speed_check
486	ld de, wBattleMonSpeed
487	ld hl, wEnemyMonSpeed
488	ld c, 2
489	call CompareBytes
490	jr z, .speed_tie
491	jp nc, .player_first
492	jp .enemy_first
⋮
494.speed_tie
⋮
498	call BattleRandom
499	cp 50 percent + 1
⋮
501	jp .enemy_first
    engine/battle/core.asm lines 485–501 at fc702b6 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  24. ^ abcRuby and Sapphire's GetWhoStrikesFirst puts the higher-priority move first; at equal priority the higher adjusted Speed goes first, and a tie is a coin flip. Adjusted Speed applies stat stages, doubles for Swift Swim in rain or Chlorophyll in sun, takes ×1.1 for the player's Pokémon with the third badge outside link battles, halves with a Macho Brace, and quarters under paralysis; a held Quick Claw sets it to the maximum when a per-turn random number is below its parameter, 20, as a percent of 0xFFFF.Codepret/pokerubyrevised
    How we know
    4594    // Check for abilities that boost speed in weather.
⋮
4599            bank1SpeedMultiplier = 2;
⋮
4615    // Calculate adjusted speed for first mon.
4616    bank1AdjustedSpeed = (gBattleMons[bank1].speed * bank1SpeedMultiplier)
4617        * gStatStageRatios[gBattleMons[bank1].statStages[STAT_STAGE_SPEED]][0] / gStatStageRatios[gBattleMons[bank1].statStages[STAT_STAGE_SPEED]][1];
⋮
4631    if (!(gBattleTypeFlags & BATTLE_TYPE_LINK) && FlagGet(FLAG_BADGE03_GET) && GetBattlerSide(bank1) == 0)
4632        bank1AdjustedSpeed = (bank1AdjustedSpeed * 110) / 100;
⋮
4634    if (heldItemEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_MACHO_BRACE)
4635        bank1AdjustedSpeed /= 2;
⋮
4637    if (gBattleMons[bank1].status1 & STATUS1_PARALYSIS)
4638        bank1AdjustedSpeed /= 4;
⋮
4640    if (heldItemEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW && gRandomTurnNumber < (heldItemEffectParam * 0xFFFF) / 100)
⋮
    src/battle_main.c lines 4594–4641 at 5784633 · upstream ↗
    4701    if (gBattleMoves[bank1Move].priority != 0 || gBattleMoves[bank2Move].priority != 0)
⋮
4703        if (gBattleMoves[bank1Move].priority == gBattleMoves[bank2Move].priority)
⋮
4705            if (bank1AdjustedSpeed == bank2AdjustedSpeed && (Random() & 1))
4706                strikesFirst = 2;
4707            else if (bank1AdjustedSpeed < bank2AdjustedSpeed)
4708                strikesFirst = 1;
⋮
4711            strikesFirst = 1;
⋮
4713    else
⋮
4715        if (bank1AdjustedSpeed == bank2AdjustedSpeed && (Random() & 1))
4716            strikesFirst = 2;
4717        else if (bank1AdjustedSpeed < bank2AdjustedSpeed)
4718            strikesFirst = 1;
    src/battle_main.c lines 4701–4718 at 5784633 · upstream ↗
    2932        .name = _("QUICK CLAW"),
⋮
2935        .holdEffect = HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW,
2936        .holdEffectParam = 20,
    src/data/items_en.h lines 2932–2936 at 5784633 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  25. ^ abFireRed and LeafGreen's GetWhoStrikesFirst is Emerald's rule: the higher-priority move first, then the higher adjusted Speed, with a tie a coin flip, and a Quick Claw that sets Speed to the maximum on its roll. It differs only in withholding the third badge's ×1.1 Speed in link battles alone, where Emerald also withholds it in recorded-link and Frontier battles.Codepret/pokefirered · pret/pokeemeraldrevised
    How we know
    3442    // badge boost
3443    if (!(gBattleTypeFlags & BATTLE_TYPE_LINK)
⋮
3451    if (holdEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW && gRandomTurnNumber < (0xFFFF * holdEffectParam) / 100)
3452        speedBattler1 = UINT_MAX;
    src/battle_main.c lines 3442–3452 at ce6406d · upstream ↗
    3505    if (gBattleMoves[moveBattler1].priority != 0 || gBattleMoves[moveBattler2].priority != 0)
⋮
3508        if (gBattleMoves[moveBattler1].priority == gBattleMoves[moveBattler2].priority)
⋮
3510            if (speedBattler1 == speedBattler2 && Random() & 1)
⋮
3516        else if (gBattleMoves[moveBattler1].priority < gBattleMoves[moveBattler2].priority)
3517            strikesFirst = 1; // battler2's move has greater priority
    src/battle_main.c lines 3505–3517 at ce6406d · upstream ↗
    4639    // badge boost
4640    if (!(gBattleTypeFlags & (BATTLE_TYPE_LINK | BATTLE_TYPE_RECORDED_LINK | BATTLE_TYPE_FRONTIER))
⋮
4653    if (holdEffect == HOLD_EFFECT_QUICK_CLAW && gRandomTurnNumber < (0xFFFF * holdEffectParam) / 100)
4654        speedBattler1 = UINT_MAX;
    src/battle_main.c lines 4639–4654 at 731ad5b · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  26. ^ abcAt the start of a battle, each combatant's base timer duration is 50 times a reference party member's modified agility over 10 times its own modified agility, at least 1; the reference is the first present party member whose character ID is 1 or $0B, or failing that the first present one, so a combatant with twice the agility waits half as long between turns.Codeeverything8215, FF4 disassembly
    How we know
    493@8d44:  clr_axy
494        stx     $c7
495@8d49:  lda     $3540,y
496        bne     @8d5f
497        lda     $c7
498        bne     @8d7a
499        lda     $2000,x
500        and     #$1f
501        cmp     #$01
502        beq     @8d7a
503        cmp     #$0b
    battle/init.asm lines 493–503 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    518@8d7a:  lda     $2015,x
⋮
521        ldx     #$0032
522        stx     $393f
523        jsr     Mult16
⋮
533        lda     $2015,x
534        sta     $df
535        lda     #$0a
536        sta     $e1
537        jsr     Mult8
⋮
542        jsr     Div16
543        ldx     $3949
544        bne     @8dbf
⋮
    battle/init.asm lines 518–550 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    $1015 modified agility
    notes/ff4j-sfc-ram-map.txt#L722 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  27. ^ abBattleMain waits 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 11 frames by the battle speed setting (BattleSpeedTbl plus one), holding while the game is paused or in wait mode, then decrements every combatant's timers (DecTimers) and runs a pending action. An action timer's duration is the base duration times a speed modifier over 16, and 16 is the normal modifier.Codeeverything8215, FF4 disassembly
    How we know
    1021BattleMain:
1022@85d9:  lda     $16ac                   ; battle speed
1023        tax
1024        lda     f:BattleSpeedTbl,x
1025        inc
1026        sta     $3538
1027        stz     $38e6
1028@85e8:  lda     #$02                    ; battle graphics $02: wait one frame
1029        jsr     ExecBtlGfx
1030        lda     $38d9
1031        ora     $38da
1032        bne     @85e8                   ; branch if paused or wait mode
⋮
    battle/battle.asm lines 1021–1033 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    1067@8649:  jsr     DecTimers
⋮
1081@866d:  jsr     GetPendingAction
⋮
1085        jsr     DoAction
    battle/battle.asm lines 1067–1085 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    1476; not stopped
1477@96d6:  inx3                ; next timer
1478        lda     #6          ; loop through 6 timers
⋮
1504        dec     $2a04,x     ; decrement counter
    battle/battle.asm lines 1476–1504 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    367; battle speed constants
368BattleSpeedTbl:
369@ff06:  .byte   0,1,3,5,7,10
    battle/battle_data.asm lines 367–369 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    282ApplySpeedMod:
283@9fd8:  ldx     $a9         ; base duration
284        stx     $393d
285        ldx     $3979       ; multiplier
286        stx     $393f
287        jsr     Mult16
⋮
290        ldx     #$0010
291        stx     $3947
292        jsr     Div16
293        ldx     $3949
294        stx     $ab         ; mod. duration
    battle/timer_dur.asm lines 282–298 at a360e2e · upstream ↗
    898        lda     #$01        ; auto-battle speed modifier
899        sta     $203b,x
900        bra     @9086
901@9081:  lda     #$10        ; normal speed modifier
902        sta     $203b,x
    battle/init.asm lines 898–902 at a360e2e · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  28. ^ abcA combatant's ATB timer is set to 120 + equipment weight ÷ 8 − agility, at least 1, adjusted for haste or slow, and UpdateTimer counts it down by one each tick and flags it when it reaches 0, when the turn comes due. The battle speed setting sets a wait of 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, or 240 when a character's turn arrives.Codeeverything8215, FF5 disassembly
    How we know
    5397;initialize ATB (A: character index 0-12)
5398.proc ResetATB
⋮
5406        lda CharStruct::EqWeight,X
5407        jsr ShiftDivide_8	;weight/8
5408        clc
5409        adc #$78     		;+120
5410        sec
5411        sbc Agility    	;-agi
5412        beq :+
5413        bcs :++
5414:       lda #$01     		;min 1
5415:       jsr HasteSlowMod
⋮
    src/battle/battle-main.asm lines 5397–5416 at 997c87d · upstream ↗
    4721;Advances a status/atb timer if that status is supposed to be checked this tick
⋮
4725.proc UpdateTimer
⋮
4740        lda CurrentTimer,X
4741        beq FlagTimer
4742        dec CurrentTimer,X
4743        lda CurrentTimer,X
4744        bne TimerActive
4745FlagTimer:        	;flag EnableTimer when CurrentTimer hits 0
    src/battle/battle-main.asm lines 4721–4748 at 997c87d · upstream ↗
    11470        and #$0F		;battle mode and speed
11471        tax
11472        lda f:BattleSpeedTbl,X
11473        sta ATBWaitTime
    src/battle/battle-main.asm lines 11470–11473 at 997c87d · upstream ↗
    5336;Waits when a character's turn arrives (amount depending on battle speed setting)
5337.proc ATBWait
⋮
5342        lda ATBWaitLeft
5343        beq DoneWaiting
5344        dec
5345        sta ATBWaitLeft
    src/battle/battle-main.asm lines 5336–5349 at 997c87d · upstream ↗
    24789; d0/ecf2: battle speed constants
24790BattleSpeedTbl:
24791        .byte   0,15,30,60,120,240,0,0  ; active
24792        .byte   0,15,30,60,120,240,0,0  ; wait
    src/battle/battle-main.asm lines 24789–24792 at 997c87d · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  29. ^ abcdEach combatant's ATB gauge constant is (speed + 20) times 1.5 times a haste, normal, or slow constant of 84, 64, or 32, over 16; for monsters the speed term is first scaled by 255 − 24 × the battle speed setting, over 255, so the setting slows only the monsters. Every 2 frames UpdateBattleTime adds each present combatant's constant to its gauge, and a gauge that overflows gives that combatant a turn. It skips the update only when wait mode is on and the battle-time-stopped flag is also set, since it ANDs the two.Codeeverything8215, FF6 disassemblyrevised
    How we know
    1437; [ update atb gauge constant ]
⋮
1439CalcSpeed:
1440@09d2:  php
1441        ldy     #$20
1442        lda     near wTargetProp3::w7e3ef8,x
1443        bit     #STATUS3::SLOW
1444        bne     @09e4
1445        ldy     #$40        ; y = haste/normal/slow constant (32/64/82)
1446        bit     #STATUS3::HASTE
1447        beq     @09e4
1448        ldy     #$54
⋮
1454        lsr
⋮
    src/battle/action_1.asm lines 1435–1470 at 8130132 · upstream ↗
    4; [ update battle time ]
⋮
6UpdateBattleTime:
⋮
10        lda     near w7e2f41       ; check if battle time is stopped by battle program
11        and     near w7e3a8f       ; wait mode
12        bne     @118b
13        lda     near w7e3a6c       ; previous frame counter value
14        ldx     #2
15@112e:  cmp     $0e         ; current frame counter value
16        beq     @1190       ; return if less than 2 frames have elapsed
    src/battle/atb.asm lines 4–16 at 8130132 · upstream ↗
    91; [ increment atb gauge counter ]
⋮
97        lda     near wTargetProp1::w7e3218,x     ; atb gauge %
98        adc     near wTargetProp2::w7e3ac8,x     ; add atb constant
99        sta     near wTargetProp1::w7e3218,x
100        shorta
101        bcc     _11ba       ; return if it didn't overflow
⋮
105@11d1:  stz     near wTargetProp1::w7e3218_H,x     ; clear atb gauge %
⋮
116        jsr     SetFlag0     ; set $3aa0.7 (allow battle menu to open)
⋮
121; [ open battle menu (character) or add action to advance wait queue (monster) ]
⋮
149_120e:  jmp     _c24e66       ; add action to advance wait queue
    src/battle/atb.asm lines 91–149 at 8130132 · upstream ↗
    75@2481:  and     #$07        ; battle speed
76        asl3
77        sta     $ee
78        asl
79        adc     $ee
80        not_a
81        sta     near w7e3a90       ; set battle speed constant
    src/battle/init.asm lines 75–81 at 8130132 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  30. ^Measured in the ROM over all 65,536 generator states, with Agility 40 against a defense byte of 40, the hero escapes 87.70% of the time from the first group, 81.64% from the second, 75.20% from the third, and 50.20% from the fourth; the hero takes the first turn 87.70% of the time.Verified“Dragon Warrior (USA) (Rev 1)” · nmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Dragon Warrior (USA) (Rev 1)”): bank 3 $EE91-$EEFC, TryRun through CalcNextOdds, the code the probe calls. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    LDA RandNumUB AND #$7F … LDA EnBaseDef … JSR WordMultiply … LDA DisplayedAgi … SBC GenWord42LB LDA MultRsltUB SBC GenWord42UB
    source_files/Bank03.asm#L8256-L8325 · upstream ↗

    Measured by a script in MesenCE 2.2.1 (build 4b8a196), on Dragon Warrior (USA) (Rev 1) (SHA-1 66809063b828…). It fails if the result disagrees with the claim.

    The numbers come from the run; its author, an AI model, checked the script measures what the claim says, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  31. ^The NES manual says Agility helps the hero escape: "This means that you can more easily avoid the enemy or run away."ManualDragon Warrior NES manual
    How we know
    Your character becomes faster at higher levels. This means that you can more easily avoid the enemy or run away.
    p. 15, Agility · archived copy ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  32. ^ abA character's RUN always succeeds when the party strikes first and always fails in a formation marked no-run; otherwise it succeeds when the character's Luck exceeds RandAX(0, level + 15), but the level is read from the wrong place: Disch notes the code reads another character's ailment byte or unrelated memory.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    3755Battle_PlayerTryRun:
⋮
3762    LDA btl_strikingfirst           ; are we striking first?
3763    BNE @Success                    ; If yes, run success is guaranteed
⋮
3766    AND #$01                        ; if the 'no run' bit is set in the formation,
3767    BNE @Fail                       ;   then failure is guaranteed.
⋮
3771    ;   Run if:  Luck > random[0, level+15]
⋮
3773    ; The problem is... the game is BUGGED and reads the wrong value for the level.. it ends up reading
3774    ;  the ailment byte for 2 players after this one (for top 2 slots) or other garbage memory for the
⋮
3781    LDA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y    ; BUGGED - Reading wrong value -- should be OB, not IB
⋮
3788    JSR RandAX                      ; random[ 0, level+15 ]
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3755–3790 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3807    LDA btl_mathbuf+2               ; success if low byte was nonzero (if luck > randomval)
3808    BNE @Success                    ; failure if zero (luck <= randomval)
⋮
3811    LDA #BTLMSG_CANTRUN             ; on failure, print 'Can't Run' 
⋮
3815    LDA #BTLMSG_CLOSECALL           ; on success, print 'Close Call....' 
⋮
3819    STA btl_result                  ; Set the battle result to 3 (party ran)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3807–3819 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  33. ^A level-up that raises a character's Agility also raises their evade by 1, up to 200.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1074  : LDY #ch_evade - ch_stats    ; evade goes up 1 if agility went up
1075    LDA @statupbuffer+1
1076    BEQ :+                      ; did agility go up?
⋮
1080      CMP #201                  ; cap at 200
1081      BEQ :+
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0B.asm lines 1074–1082 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  34. ^TryRun lets the hero escape when Agility × a random byte is at least the monster's defense byte × a roll whose range grows with the monster: 0–63 from Slime to Druinlord, 0–94 from Drollmagi to Werewolf, 0–127 from Green Dragon to Blue Dragon, and 0–255 from Stoneman on. Running from a sleeping monster always works.Codenmikstas/dragon-warrior-disassembly · Ryan8bit, DW Formulas
    How we know
    7191LE894:  BIT PlayerFlags         ;Is the enemy asleep?
7192LE896:  BVS RunSuccessful       ;If so, branch for a successful run.
⋮
7194LE898:  JSR TryRun              ;($EE91)Determine if player can run.
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 7191–7195 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    8260LEE96:  CMP #EN_STONEMAN        ;Dragonlord 1 or Dragonlord 2?
⋮
8263LEE9A:  LDA RandNumUB           ;Load a random number and keep all the bits(0-255).
⋮
8276LEEAC:  BCC CalcWhoIsNext       ;If not, branch.
⋮
8279LEEB0:  AND #$3F                ;
⋮
8284LEEB9:  AND #$1F                ;previous number to get a range of 0-95.
8285LEEBB:  ADC MultNum2LB          ;
    source_files/Bank03.asm lines 8256–8293 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    970.alias EN_DRUINLORD     $13     ;Druinlord.
971.alias EN_DROLLMAGI     $14     ;Drollmagi.
⋮
981.alias EN_GDRAGON       $1E     ;Green dragon.
⋮
986.alias EN_STONEMAN      $23     ;Stoneman.
    source_files/Dragon_Warrior_Defines.asm lines 970–986 at ebe6a13 · upstream ↗
    Group 1: #00 (Slime) - #19 (Druinlord)
    II.B, Running · archived copy ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  35. ^BattleRNG returns the next byte of a 256-byte table, indexed by a counter (btl_rngstate) that wraps, so battle draws repeat every 256 calls.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    13817BattleRNG:
13818    LDX btl_rngstate
13819    INC btl_rngstate
13820    LDA @Scramble_lut, X
13821    RTS
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 13817–13824 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  36. ^Dragon Quest (developer Chunsoft, publisher Enix) came out for the Famicom in Japan on 27 May 1986, and Dragon Warrior for the NES in North America in August 1989.WikidataWikidata
    How we know
    +1986-05-27T00:00:00Z … +1989-08-00T00:00:00Z
    Q2313869, P178 developer, P123 publisher, and P577 publication date qualified by P291 place and P400 platform · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  37. ^Pokémon Emerald (developer Game Freak, publisher Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, and Generation III core series) came out in Japan on 16 September 2004 and North America on 1 May 2005.WikiBulbapedia, “Pokémon Emerald Version”
    How we know
    Developer: Game Freak … Publisher: Nintendo … Part of: Generation III core series … Japan: September 16, 2004 … North America: May 1, 2005
    infobox, Basic info and Release dates · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

Sources

Code

Primary

Secondary