The AP bar during a Movement Phase.
Action Points, usually shortened as AP, are the system used in the Valkyria Chronicles games to determine how far a unit is able to move for a given use of a Command Point (ie, in their Movement Phase). All units have a set number of Action Points determined by their class, which usually undergoes a single increase as they level up.
Units do not have to use all their AP during their current Movement Phase; however, if the Movement Phase is ended with AP remaining, they are lost rather than carried over to any subsequent Movement Phase that character makes in the same turn. AP degrades by distance moved, not by time spent moving, so actions that cause a unit to move more slowly like crawling through long grass will not actually alter the distance a unit is capable of moving.
Degradation with multiple selection
A unit can be controlled as many times as there are CP available in the current turn, but their available Action Points decrease each time they are controlled.
- First CP: maximum AP
- Second CP: 2/3 maximum AP
- Third CP: 1/3 maximum AP
- Fourth CP and later: 50 AP
This occurs regardless of whether the unit is actually moved.
Action Points by class
Valkyria Chronicles
Infantry
Infantry units can turn on the spot for free, only using Action Points when they are actually moving. All normal infantry have an Action Point increase when they reach Level 11 (Elite) status.
- Scouts start with 800 Action Points, increasing to 900.
- Shocktroopers start with 350 Action Points, increasing to 450.
- Lancers start with 350 Action Points, increasing to 400.
- Engineers start with 600 Action Points, increasing to 650.
- Snipers start with 250 Action Points, increasing to 300.
The Scout Potential "Double Movement" gives a chance of restoring their full AP when they run out (regardless of how many times they have been controlled that turn), potentially allowing a Scout to have 1,800 AP in a single Movement Phase.
Tanks
As well as using Action Points to move, a Tank has to use Action Points to turn its body. It's important to be wary of this, since a tank turns relative to the current position of the camera rather than moving in the direction the stick is pushed like an infantry unit; turning left and right use the tank's left and right, not the player's. This makes it easy to waste Action Points with unwanted turns; positioning the camera directly to the tank's rear before attempting any important movement is usually a good idea.
- The Edelweiss starts with 350 Action Points, increasing to 450 when the upgrade "Reinforced Body" is purchased for 13,800 Ducats.
- The Shamrock has 550 Action Points, and no upgrade increases this.
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Infantry
Infantry handle the same way as in the first game. Seemingly in an attempt de-emphasize the infamous "Scout rush" tactic, as well as to deal with the much larger maps of VC4, all classes other than Scouts have received substantial increases in their Action Points over their VC1 counterparts.
- Scouts start with 800 Action Points, increasing to 900.
- Shocktroopers start with 500 Action Points, increasing to 600.
- Lancers start with 400 Action Points, increasing to 450.
- Engineers start with 700 Action Points, increasing to 800.
- Snipers start with 400 Action Points, increasing to 450.
- Grenadiers start with 400 Action Points, increasing to 450.
Additional accessories can be equipped to further increase an infantry's AP.
There are now also several Potentials in the game that can raise a unit's AP above the normal level under certain circumstances. The rate of Action Point consumption is doubled for the first move with a unit if that unit has been hit by a weapon with the AP Use Up status effect, and is also increased if the "blizzard" condition is active and in missions where Squad E do not have proper winter clothing in snow.
Tanks
Valkyria Chronicles 4 has three player-controllable tanks, the Hafen, Cactus and Glory, with a fourth, the classic Edelweiss, available in DLC.
- The Hafen starts with 450 Action Points, increasing to 500 when the relevant body upgrade is purchased.
- The Cactus has 700 Action Points, increasing to 750 when the body is upgraded. In addition, upgrade parts for the drive system can be used to give it further bonus AP.
- Glory has 500 action points, increasing to 550 when the relevant body upgrade is purchased. Like the Cactus, upgrade parts for the drive system can further increase AP.
Additional stickers can further increase a tank's AP. Note that equipping AP-increasing accessories on a tank commander does not have an impact on the tank's AP, though a commander's AP-increasing Potentials do.
The Grenadier class's mortars with the "tank AP0" status effect will completely deplete a tank's current AP if it is struck by their Interception fire.
Direct Command
The ability Direct Command, present in Valkyria Chronicles 3 and Valkyria Chronicles 4, allows the commanding unit (who must be an infantry Leader) to have up to two other infantry units at a time follow them for one Movement Phase, using a context prompt to order soldiers to follow or tell them to stay where they are currently standing. The other units do not spend AP or experience AP decay when being led in this way, and can travel just as far as the Leader even if their own class would not normally have enough AP to do so. They will generally try to follow at close enough range to execute a Co-Op Attack with the Leader. By getting units to follow and unfollow, it is possible to move or rearrange the entire squad's infantry units to different positions in a single Movement Phase (subject to the commanding unit's own AP restriction).
Troops being commanded appear to be invulnerable, will not be targeted for interception fire by enemies, and cannot trigger mines.
Direct Command also completely refills the leader's AP and resets their AP decay, even without teaming up with any other units. AP-refilling potentials such as Double Movement can still trigger as normal for the unit being controlled.