Combo

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Some skills will create a combo field on the ground when used. Use a combo finisher inside this field to add powerful additional effects to your attack!
Skill descriptions will tell you if your skill creates a combo field or can perform a combo finisher.

— Skill Combinations, in-game hint, Shing Jea Training Grounds

Combos, also called skill combinations or combat combinations, happen when skills interact with each other to create an additional effect. A skill must be a combo field or a combo finisher to be combined, which is an effect that is included in the skill description. For a combo to occur a combo field skill is used creating an area effect and then one or more combo finishers can interact with the field to create a combo. The largest number of combos are available through two characters of different professions working together but combos can also be created with two of the same profession or a single character. Only 5 unique combatants can combo with a given combo field.[1]

  • The combo field is a skill that creates an area effect of a particular type. The type is a recognizable element or characteristic that determines the effect they cause on a combo finisher; for example, a Flamewall will allow some eligible finishers to inflict burning. The relevant skills will interact so long as the finisher passes through the combo field at any point; for example, a projectile finisher will combo with a field so long as it passes through the field on the way to the target.
  • The combo finisher is a skill that causes movement through or within the combo field such as creating a projectile or spinning or performing a leap. An eligible combo field augments the finisher by adding damage or creating other effects. For example, using Cyclone Axe near a Flamewall throws fire projectiles in different directions. Finishers can only interact with one combo field at a time. They trigger on the earliest entered field but prioritize your own field before those created by other players, where available. Combo finisher skills are highlighted with a white border while standing within a combo field.

Whenever a combo is created, a notification will show on the player's screen, indicating the effect that was generated by the combo.

An example of a combo indicator.

Combo effects[edit]

The four types of finishers each apply their effects differently:

  • Blast finishers apply their effect to all foes or allies in the area where the blast occurred with radius 360.
  • Leap finishers apply their effect either to the target foe or to yourself.
  • Projectile finishers apply their effect either to the target foe or to allies within 240 radius of the target.
  • Whirl finishers cause multiple projectiles to be launched in random directions.

When applicable, the stats of the character that activated the finisher are used to calculate the combo effects. This is most relevant to combos that inflict damaging conditions, as well as the healing effects of water fields. The field pages contain more information on the strength of the combo effects.

Field Blast finisher Leap finisher Projectile finisher Whirl finisher Fields available to professions
Guardian icon small.png Revenant icon small.png Warrior icon small.png Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Thief icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png Mesmer icon small.png Necromancer icon small.png
Dark Area Blindness (3 s) Dark Aura (5 s) Life stealing Leeching Bolts Revenant icon small.png Thief icon small.png Chronomancer icon small.png Necromancer icon small.png
Ethereal Area Chaos Aura (3 s) Chaos Aura (5 s) Confusion (5 s) Confounding Bolts (5 s) Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Thief icon small.png Mesmer icon small.png Necromancer icon small.png
Fire Area Might (x3, 20 s) Fire Aura (5 s) Burning (1 s) Burning Bolts (1 s) Guardian icon small.png Revenant icon small.png Warrior icon small.png Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png
Ice Area Frost Aura (3 s) Frost Aura (5 s) Chilled (1 s) Chilling Bolts (1 s) Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png Reaper icon small.png
Light Area Condition Cleanse Light Aura (5 s) Remove Condition Cleansing Bolts Guardian icon small.png Revenant icon small.png Warrior icon small.png Engineer icon small.png Druid icon small.png Mesmer icon small.png Necromancer icon small.png
Lightning Area Swiftness (10 s) Dazing Strike (1 s) Vulnerability (x2, 5 s) Brutal Bolts (x2, 5 s) Revenant icon small.png Spellbreaker icon small.png Scrapper icon small.png/Mechanist icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png
Poison Area Weakness (3 s) Weakness (8 s) Poisoned (2 s) Poison Bolts (2 s) Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Thief icon small.png Catalyst icon small.png Necromancer icon small.png
Smoke Area Stealth (3 s) Stealth (3 s) Blindness (3 s) Blinding Bolts (3 s) Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Thief icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png
Water Area Healing Healing Regeneration (2 s) Healing Bolts (2 s) Firebrand icon small.png Vindicator icon small.png Engineer icon small.png Ranger icon small.png Thief icon small.png Elementalist icon small.png

Some projectile finishers only grant a 20% chance of applying the effect for each projectile, which is usually applied to skills in the first slot of the skill bar or multi-projectile skills. Revenant Hammer's auto attack skill is a notable exception, as it has a 100% chance of combo finisher (projectile).

All finishers are available to all professions but some are locked behind elite specs.

Combo skills by profession[edit]

Each profession has a number of skills that they can use to generate combos fields and finishers.

Gallery[edit]

Player chatter[edit]

When a combo is successfully executed, either character participating in the combo will occasionally shout out one of the following lines, depending on their race and gender:

Race Gender
Male Female
Asura tango icon 20px.png Asura Such synergy!
Compounding our powers!
A clever combination!
Ah, synergy is beautiful!
Combine and compound!
A powerful combination!
Charr tango icon 20px.png Charr Did you see that? Tell me you saw that!
Nice and lethal.
I make a pretty good team.
Now that's a combo!
Now that's teamwork!
Lethal, efficient, excellent!
Human tango icon 20px.png Human Nice, very nice!
Now that's a combo!
I make a pretty good team.
That was impressive!
Lethal combination, I like it!
Impressive combination!
Norn tango icon 20px.png Norn I've found a new way to win!
Outstanding!
A potent combination!
The spirits should be impressed!
I'm amazing!
Do you see? I did that.
Sylvari tango icon 20px.png Sylvari Ho... Did you see that?
I make a pretty good team!
A splendid combination!
Glorious combination of skill!
Beautiful blend of talents!
A wonderful combination!

Notes[edit]

  • Combo finishers that move the player, like Swoop or Acid Bomb, will generally activate their finisher effect as they first interact with a combo field during any point of the movement.
  • The combo effect indicator only indicates that the combo generation was successful; the finisher still has to properly interact with targets for the actual effect to be applied.
  • In-game description:

Create combos with other players' skills in combat. Some skills, like an elementalist's Flame Wall, create fields that cause projectiles shot through them to deal additional burning damage. Check your skills to see your combo fields and combo finishers.

— Level 22 rewards.

Remember, you can combine field skills with finisher skills to create powerful combos.

— Level 52 rewards.

  • Some skills that trigger finishers multiple times, such as Whirling Wrath, will instead only trigger once, besides edge cases where a field is placed mid-cast of a skill.[verification requested]
  • Combos created by a single player will only trigger on-screen indicators when that player is standing outside the field at initial cast time.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Patch Notes after last beta. posted 20 May 2012 (UTC)