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What are keys?

Keys are equippable items that can be given to players to “hold” when setting up your team. There are 2 keys that are always present in every team. When a key is given to a player, your entire team receives a certain, designated increase in stats. What stats are increased depends on the player holding the key (the keyman).

For instance, giving Kinako (Goldie) a key grants the entire team +4 Body, which means every single player in your team has their Body stat increased.

Giving Torb a key grants +4 Catch, and giving a key to Gigi Blasi grants +2 Kick and +2 Guard, and so on so forth.

Each player grants a specified increase in one or two stats. If it’s one stat, the increase will be +4 (e.g. +4 Kick), and if it’s two stats, the increase will be +2 for each (e.g. +2 Control +2 Speed).

An increase of +n in a specific stat with keys will translate to an increase of n * 5 in the actual designated stat for the whole team.

Keys in competitive play

While these keys can be set before an online match in the team building section, there is a bug that occurs in online play where the keys have no effect in the first half, and they only work in the second half. Because of this, where you put your keys in the first half does not matter, and key allocations begin only during halftime in preparation for the second half.

In competitive play, the most common key stats are Body and Guard. Kick and Catch are also used but are relatively rarer.

Since key allocation has no restrictions, the combinations of which stats to increase is flexible and is done according to the situation of the match.

For instance, I am in the lead by 2 - 0 here:

Playing +8 Guard would be good to drastically improve my defenses and to maintain my lead. Thus I give my keys to Kirino (Gabi) and Tasuke, because each of them gives +4 Guard.

Likewise, if you are losing (as a nomash player), you would like to play +8 Body to increase your attacks. Here I am losing by 0 - 3 against my opponent:

So I choose to give the keys to JPN Fudou and R Tenma, because each of them gives +4 Body.

Because there are two keys, you can make many different stat combinations such as +4 Body +4 Guard, +6 Kick +2 Catch, and even +2 Guard +2 Catch +4 Kick, for instance. The variability and flexibility of key allocations allows for mind games to be played with the opponent, as players try to predict what keys the other will play. Keys are crucial because if your opponent allocates proper keys and you don’t, you will be at a large disadvantage in the 2nd half.

Because of how important keys are in competitive play, it is highly recommended to have 4 keymen in a team (usually kept as substitues) that give +4 of a common stat (Body, Guard, Kick, or Catch).

Nomash teams typically use Body and Guard keys, while Chain teams usually use Kick and Guard keys.

R Tenma and Kinako are most commonly used for Body keys.

Kirino and Tasuke are most commonly used for Guard keys, although R2 Fubuki is often used in Chain teams as well.

Catch is usually done with Gocker and Torb.

Kick has many common and viable keymen, and examples include Yuuichi and Atsuya.

Here is a list of all +4 keymen, as well as +2 Body +2 Guard keymen, some of whom are commonly used (such as R1 Endou):