As title. Was screwing around in training simulator using Zeruiah instead of Allanon, noticed that Miku was getting EWD against some targets even though there was no way for her to be buffed in time, so I ran a couple tests.

The expected explanation is this:

• The game has to run damage calculations for each target in order when activating an AoE.
• When damaging the first target, it calculates a crit occuring and applies the buff. However, the crit calculation on a given target occurs after the element check, so the element doesn't apply to that target.
  • Note that this depends on which enemy is the first one you crit. If you don't crit the first target, and crit the second target, you will get elements only against the third target and onwards.
  • The targeting order is not user controlled for AoE effects - the first target is the default target when the wave starts, the second target is what the targeting would automatically switch to if that one dies, and so on. Target order can vary in some encounters and is not strictly by unit placement (this is most notable in raid bosses, for obvious reasons)
• The game then moves on to the next target's damage calculation, but this time the element buffs from Blazing Fists are in place, meaning the next target will be dealt damage as if your unit has Fire, Water, Earth and Thunder buffs active.

If you have Blazing Fists, try it for yourself. Set crit chance to gauranteed, set all the enemies to a single element that the Fists would make your unit effective against, and you should see that the damage numbers are small for the bot in the middle, but enlarged EWD numbers for all others, even if they're the same element.

Because of the random nature and Blazing Fists only applying 4 elements, this isn't quite good enough for helping users whose autobattle goes too fast to give Allanon's buffs to Miku or Ensa (Pingus have Sacred Rod and Heaven's Edge to fall back on), but it's still interesting and still helps if you're doing something like running an Ensa-Taya with Blazing Fists and Miku lead to make her crit properly even if she doesn't get buffed.

The ramifications of this:

• Blazing Fists could theoretically be used to get elements against up to 4 enemies in FG/FH for non-moving units that can't be buffed by Allanon (mostly Ensa/Miku)
  • But in most waves one of the enemies you could get elements against is the first target and won't be affected.
• However, they won't give element buffs against a single target, and the amount of targets you get elements against depends on the earliest crit in the order enemies have damage calculated.
• Any future "gives x buff on crit" effect can be assumed to work similarly if it applies stat/crit/element bonuses.
• Of course, this is only talking about getting the buff in an OTKO setting, it would function properly against all targets on the next turn.