Skillchains and magic bursts

guide · Server guide

How skillchains, magic bursts, and the Aeonic skillchains Radiance and Umbra work on Vanadreams.

Making a skillchain

- A weapon skill opens a window on the monster. It lasts 10 seconds and carries every skillchain property of that weapon skill (up to three).
- The next weapon skill closes it if it lands at least 3 seconds later, inside the window, and its properties match the opener's (tables below).
- A closed skillchain opens a new window, 1 second shorter each time, so the chain can keep going.
- A weapon skill that matches nothing starts a fresh 10-second window instead.

Combinations (opener, then closer)

Level 1

Opener | Closer | Skillchain |
Transfixion | Compression | Compression |
Transfixion | Reverberation | Reverberation |
Compression | Transfixion | Transfixion |
Compression | Detonation | Detonation |
Liquefaction | Scission | Scission |
Scission | Liquefaction | Liquefaction |
Scission | Reverberation | Reverberation |
Scission | Detonation | Detonation |
Reverberation | Induration | Induration |
Reverberation | Impaction | Impaction |
Detonation | Scission | Scission |
Induration | Compression | Compression |
Induration | Impaction | Impaction |
Impaction | Liquefaction | Liquefaction |
Impaction | Detonation | Detonation |

Level 2

Opener | Closer | Skillchain |
Transfixion | Scission | Distortion |
Liquefaction | Impaction | Fusion |
Detonation | Compression | Gravitation |
Induration | Reverberation | Fragmentation |
Gravitation | Fragmentation | Fragmentation |
Distortion | Fusion | Fusion |
Fusion | Gravitation | Gravitation |
Fragmentation | Distortion | Distortion |

Level 3

Opener | Closer | Skillchain |
Gravitation | Distortion | Darkness |
Distortion | Gravitation | Darkness |
Fusion | Fragmentation | Light |
Fragmentation | Fusion | Light |

Level 4

Opener | Closer | Skillchain |
Light | Light | Light (level 4) |
Darkness | Darkness | Darkness (level 4) |

Skillchain damage

A skillchain hits for the closing weapon skill's damage times a multiplier set by its level and how many steps the chain has made:

Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th and on |
1 | ×0.50 | ×0.60 | ×0.70 | ×0.80 | ×0.90 | ×1.00 |
2 | ×0.60 | ×0.75 | ×1.00 | ×1.25 | ×1.50 | ×1.75 |
3 (Light, Darkness) | ×1.00 | ×1.50 | ×1.75 | ×2.00 | ×2.25 | ×2.50 |
4 (incl. Radiance, Umbra) | ×1.50 | ×1.80 | ×2.10 | ×2.40 | ×2.70 | ×3.00 |

A skillchain with several elements uses the one the monster resists least. Its resistance then scales the damage, as do your skillchain bonus gear, the day and weather, elemental staves and affinity, Innin (from behind only), and Sengikori.

Magic bursts

Cast a spell of the skillchain's element inside its window to magic burst.

Skillchain | Burst with |
Transfixion | Light |
Compression | Dark |
Liquefaction | Fire |
Scission | Earth |
Reverberation | Water |
Detonation | Wind |
Induration | Ice |
Impaction | Thunder |
Gravitation | Dark, Earth |
Distortion | Water, Ice |
Fusion | Light, Fire |
Fragmentation | Wind, Thunder |
Light | Light, Fire, Wind, Thunder |
Darkness | Dark, Earth, Water, Ice |

- A burst starts at ×1.30, plus a bonus the less the monster resists the element (+85% against a neutral one).
- Each step of the chain adds more: +5% on the first, then +10% per step, up to +70% on the 8th.
- Magic burst bonus from gear and merits is capped at +40%. Job points, Geomancer's cardinal chant and Evolith add on top of that cap.
- Trusts, pets and monsters get the same step bonus as players.

Aeonic weapons, Radiance and Umbra

Aeonic weapons come from Oboro. Each one's weapon skill gains Light or Darkness as an extra property, while you have Aeonic Aftermath (the weapon skill that grants the Aftermath does not get it itself):

Weapon | Weapon skill | Extra property |
Godhands | Shijin Spiral | Light |
Lionheart | Resolution | Light |
Tri-edge | Ruinator | Darkness |
Chango | Upheaval | Light |
Anguta | Entropy | Darkness |
Trishula | Stardiver | Darkness |
Heishi Shorinken | Blade: Shun | Light |
Dojikiri Yasutsuna | Tachi: Shoha | Light |
Tishtrya | Realmrazer | Light |
Khatvanga | Shattersoul | Darkness |
Fail-Not | Apex Arrow | Light |
Fomalhaut | Last Stand | Light |
Aeneas | Exenterator | Light |
Sequence | Requiescat | Darkness |

Aeonic Aftermath lasts 3 minutes and raises your Skillchain Bonus and Magic Burst Bonus (outside the 40% gear cap) by the TP you used:

TP | Bonus |
under 1,500 | +3% |
1,500 to 1,999 | +4% |
2,000 to 2,999 | +5% to +9% |
3,000 | +10% |

Radiance and Umbra. Close a level 4 Light or Darkness while your Aeonic Aftermath is up, and it becomes Radiance (Light) or Umbra (Darkness), if enough weapon skills went into the chain:

Aeonic Aftermath level | Weapon skills in the chain |
3 | 2 |
2 | 3 |
1 | 4 |

Radiance and Umbra use the level 4 damage row, and closing one uses up your Aftermath.

Skillchaining with trusts

Most trusts use their weapon skills as soon as they can, so their skillchains are luck. A few play for them:

- Ayame holds her TP to open skillchains.
- Gessho and Maat hold theirs to close them.

Pair an opener with a closer and add a nuker such as Shantotto to burst on the result.