Category:Skillchains

Skillchain Basics
A Skillchain is created by successfully performing Weapon Skills in the correct order. The order of Weapon Skills is determined by the attributes of the Weapon Skill (see Weapon Skill Attributes below). When a Weapon Skill is performed and successfully connects with the target, the target resonates with the Weapon Skill Attributes of the used Weapon Skill for approximately 5 seconds. If the target is then hit with a Weapon Skill Attribute which chains with the resonating Weapon Skill Attributes, a Skillchain is formed.

When performing the neccessary Weapon Skills there is a window of 5 seconds starting 1 second after the previous Weapon Skill in which the following Weapon Skill can be performed. If the following Weapon Skill is performed too soon or too late the Skillchain will not be formed.

If a Weapon Skill is performed which does not chain with the Weapon Skill Attributes the target is resonating with, the resonating Weapon Skill Attributes are replaced by those of the performed Weapon Skill. If the Weapon Skill has no Weapon Skill Attributes the target loses all resonating attributes.

The damage performed by a Skillchain is determined by the level of the Skillchain and the damage dealt by the Weapon Skill which completed the Skillchain. For this reason, Thieves and the Sneak Attack ability are ideally suited to closing a Skillchain for large amounts of damage.

Weapon Skill Attributes
The basis of a Skillchain involves the attributes associated with each Weapon Skill performed. The correct combination of attributes produces a Skillchain.

There are 14 Weapon Skill attributes in total.

Level 1 Attributes

 * [[Image:Light-square.JPG]] Transfixion
 * Associated with the element Light and piercing damage.
 * Found mostly on polearm and ranged weapon skills and Weapon Skills which pierce the target.
 * [[Image:Fire-square.JPG]] Liquefaction
 * Associated with the element Fire and heat-based damage.
 * Found on fire-related Weapon Skills.
 * [[Image:Lightning-square.JPG]] Impaction
 * Associated with the element Lightning and blunt damage.
 * Found on blunt weaponry's Weapon Skills and Weapon Skills which stun the target.
 * [[Image:Wind-square.JPG]] Detonation
 * Associated with the element Wind and wind damage.
 * Typically found on wind-related Weapon Skills.
 * [[Image:Dark-square.JPG]] Compression
 * Associated with the element Dark and darkness damage.
 * Typically found on dark-related Weapon Skills.
 * [[Image:Earth-square.JPG]] Scission
 * Assocaited with the element Earth and slashing damage.
 * Found mostly on slashing Weapon Skills which cleave the target.
 * [[Image:Water-square.JPG]] Reverberation
 * Associated with the element Water.
 * Found on a variety of weapon skills.
 * [[Image:Ice-square.JPG]] Induration
 * Associated with the element Ice and ice damage.
 * Found mostly on ice-related weapon skills.

These are the most common attributes and most Weapon Skills have one or more of these. Each attribute is associated with an element and type of attack or damage. For example, the Weapon Skill Tachi: Enpi carries the attributes Transfixion and  Scission. Observing the Weapon Skill in action, it is clear to see that the user performs a slice across the target followed by a piercing blow to the center of the target.

Level 2 Attributes

 * [[Image:Light-square.JPG]] [[Image:Fire-square.JPG]] Fusion
 * Associated with the elements Light and Fire.
 * [[Image:Lightning-square.JPG]] [[Image:Wind-square.JPG]] Fragmentation
 * Associated with the elements Lightning and Wind.
 * [[Image:Dark-square.JPG]] [[Image:Earth-square.JPG]] Gravitation
 * Associated with the elements Dark and Earth.
 * [[Image:Water-square.JPG]] [[Image:Ice-square.JPG]] Distortion
 * Associated with the elements Water and Ice.

Only high-level Weapon Skills carry these attributes. The attributes are not associated with any sort of damage type or weapon skill type.

Level 3 Attributes

 * [[Image:Light-square.JPG]] [[Image:Fire-square.JPG]] [[Image:Lightning-square.JPG]] [[Image:Wind-square.JPG]] Light
 * Associated with the elements Light, Fire, Lightning and Wind.
 * [[Image:Dark-square.JPG]] [[Image:Earth-square.JPG]] [[Image:Water-square.JPG]] [[Image:Ice-square.JPG]] Darkness
 * Associated with the elements Dark, Earth, Water and Ice.

These attributes are only available on the Weapon Skills unique to the Relic Weapons.

Forming Skillchains
Skillchains are formed by hitting a target with a correct sequence of Weapon Skill Attributes. The specific sequence required varies between the various Skillchains. Not all sequences produce a Skillchain.

Linked Skillchains
A Skillchain in it's simplest form comprises of two Weapon Skills performed one after the other to generate the required Skillchain. The first Weapon Skill causes the target to resonate with the attributes of the Weapon Skill. The second Weapon Skill's attributes interact with the ones resonating on the target to produce the Skillchain.

Beyond this basic concept, the idea of Weapon Skill attributes can be applied to the Skillchain itself. Each Skillchain causes the target to resonate with the same attributes as the Skillchain. This means that a third Weapon Skill can follow the initial two, acting on the Skillchain they produced.

For example, a Monk can use Spinning Attack to make the target resonate with Liquefaction and  Impaction. A second Monk follows this attack with Howling Fist, creating a  Fusion Skillchain. A Dark Knight then continues this by using Spinning Slash to create a    Light Skillchain.

Linking Skillchains increases their potential damage. Damage increases with the number of Skillchains performed in succession as follows:
 * 1) Typical damage.
 * 2) Damage +50%
 * 3) Damage +100%

All Weapon Skill Attributes can be used to create a Skillchain except Level 3 attributes from a Relic Weapon's Weapon Skill (e.g. Scourge). These powerful Weapon Skills may be used to create a Level 3 Skillchain by immediately following a Level 3 Weapon Skill attribute (either from a Lv.2 created Skillchain or another Relic Weapon), however no futher Skillchain may be created from the subsequent Skillchain.

There is no limit to the number of Level 1 and Level 2 Weapon Skill Attributes which can be used in linked succession to create increasingly more powerful Skillchains.

List of Weapon Skills and Weapon Skill Attributes
''You can find this same information in a different layout on the Weapon Skill Elemental Attributes page.

You will notice that many weapon skills have 2 or more attributes associated with them. The attributes are listed by priority using "A," "B," or "C" notation, where "A" is the highest and "C" is the lowest. If a situation arises where a Skillchain can be formed using both "A" and "B" attributes, a Skillchain will be formed using the "A" attribute. The attribute with highest priority is always chosen when multiple Skillchain possibilities are presented.


 * Blood Pacts: The level listed for the Blood Pacts is not the same as the levels for Weapon Skills. It is the level that the Summoner job needs to be in order to use the Blood Pact. So if the level listed is 21, that means the summoner needs to be level 21 in order to use that ability.


 * Blue Magic: In order to make a Skillchain using Blue Magic, the Chain Affinity ability must be used.


 * Automatons: The Weapon Skills an automaton can use is dependant on the frame it is using. An automaton equipped with the Harlequinn and Stormwaker frames can only use Slapstick and Knockout. An automaton equipped with the Valoredge frame can only use Chimera Ripper, String Clipper, and Cannibal Blade. An automaton equipped with the Sharpshot frame can only use Arcuballista and Daze.

Axe | G. Axe | Archery | Club | Dagger | Hand-to-Hand | Katana | G. Katana | Marksmanship Polearm | Scythe | Staff | Sword | G. Sword | Blue Magic | Automatons | Bloodpacts

Using a Skillchain Chart


With the exception of Level 3 Skillchains, there is no obvious pattern to the network of attributes that are "compatible" and form Level 1 or Level 2 Skillchains. When presented with a party using various weapons, it is often easiest to examine a Skillchain Chart to determine which Skillchains are available to use.

A Skillchain Chart presents Skillchains as a map of which Weapon Skills lead to which effect. By examining the available Weapon Skills and plotting a route across the map, Skillchains can be easily created and linked together.

Say there are two, one-handed sword wielders, and they both have Fast Blade and Burning Blade. Now find the Weapon Skill on the Skill Chain Chart. Burning Blade is in the Fire section; and Fast Blade is in the Earth section. There is one arrow connecting them. Notice that the arrow is double ended. This means that you can start in the Earth section and go to the Fire section, or you may start in the Fire section and go to the Earth section. Both ways will result in a Skill Chain. If you start in Fire section and go to Earth you get an Earth Scission Skill Chain. Going the other way (Earth first followed by Fire) you get a Fire Liquefaction Skill Chain. You will notice that many weapon skills have 2 or more attributes associated with them. The attributes are listed by priority using "A," "B," or "C" notation, where "A" is the highest and "C" is the lowest. If a situation arises where a Skillchain can be formed using both "A" and "B" attributes, a Skillchain will be formed using the "A" attribute. The attribute with highest priority is always chosen when multiple Skillchain possibilities are presented.

Links

 * Aden's Renkei Chart
 * Rixie's Skillchain Guide
 * AlexisLucia's Skillchain Calculator
 * Revelin's FFXI Calculator
 * Valkurm Skill Chain Chart

From FFXIclopedia, a Wikia wiki.