How to perform combos? - Dragon Age Inquisition: Ability Combos Explained!

[@AKisHerceg]

Expanding another one of the topics in my "Complete AI Guide" video - per request as usual. This time it's the ability combos! Combos are not that complicated as they seem - they are quite easy actually: all you have to do is to memorize the disablers and the detonators and you are free to bombard your enemies with the best combos!

[@blankspace6687]

Templars in lore: Oh yes, we are effective against mages, but against a normal person we're just normal warriors in heavy armors Templars in Inquisition: I can literally explode everyone's head in a 5 meter radius with two simple tricks Lyrium is a hell of a drug

[@AKisHerceg]

Yeah, I guess because Alistair did not complete his Templar training, he was unaware of this combo... too bad, since we could have used it in Origins a few times! :) How weird is that the best Eldritch detonator(Spell Purge) actually belongs to the Warrior class and not the Mages and the best Impact detonator(Stonefist) belongs to the Mages and not the Warriors! Just wow...

[@NA-xg7lf]

with special training but yes, lyrium is one hell of a drug.

[@SaganTheKhajiit]

Lyrium is pretty much crack but magical.

[@enrique6335]

Impressive display! This was probably how Bioware designed the game to be played but leaving the player to discover it themselves. Effective use of combos makes quick work of groups of enemies which helps keep the party alive on higher difficulty settings. Nice! I need to try this again.

[@eeeeyyyees]

One thing i want to add in case anyone checking in the comments: Stun disable from "Stagger" effects (Champion's passive, Silverites on attack and defend slot, Belt and Ring of Staggering) actually bypass status immunity from promoted/elite enemies. Tested it on Alpha Ogre at the start of Descent DLC yesterday. Poor darkspawn just got perma-stunned from trying to attack Blackwall. Got rekt within seconds.

[@jimbostunna]

This is quite possibly the greatest video ever made for Inquisition. I never realized the combo system had any depth to it besides using detonators and hoping something happens. The combat always bored me so maybe I'll give it another playthrough

[@AKisHerceg]

Thanks! Glad I could help you out! :) I haven't seen anybody explaining the combos in-depth and in an easy to understand way. So I felt like putting it together, since many people are asking me about them. Combos are super fun and it is one of the best reason to walk around with a team(other than the dialogue of course). I was actually surprised at the Rift mage/Solas, because I never really stopped to check if they can perform every combo type on their own, but apparently they can! :)

[@jackaqab6700]

@@AKisHerceg I have a question because the tactic system is completely different and slimmer than Origins. Are they capable of combos themselves, or is it better to play such Solas alone?

[@AKisHerceg]

​@@jackaqab6700 Well, the simple answer is: yes. The longer answer is: in Inquisition, combos are designed to improve team work. So creating combos on your own is not what the game actively encourages(that is why for example most mages can't cause Impact detonation or most warriors can't prime with Sleep or rogues use Stun). Still, as you see, you can create combos yourself if you are the right class/spec. The best example is the Templar's Wrath of Haven + Spell Purge combo. Only one person is required. A Templar. The AI, if set up properly, can perform combos like this alone, yes. Their reaction time is pretty slow though so they can miss a lot. Best is to either make them set up combos or detonate them. For example you favorite Ice Spells on your mages and you can can detonate them with your rogue or warrior with Impact detonators. But if you really want them to perform the combos alone, then you have to make sure you favorite the right skills(with a little luck they will do the combo). For example if you want Cassandra to perform the Weakness combo, you favorite Wrath of Haven and Spell purge. Don't favorite other skills too much, since it will divide their attention and they will miss the combos by activating different abilities instead of the primer/detonators. So basically they can perform them, but they are a bit slow and unreliable sometimes. :)

[@SquallSf]

Excellent video and explanation, easy to follow! Unfortunately the game doesn't visualize what skill you use and YT "hides" bottom part on pause. That is why I thank you especially for the extra work to add visually the used skill!!! P.S. Probably it will be better visualized if you switch to "tactics mode" for the duration of combo execution, because the skills are written next to character portrait.

[@SaganTheKhajiit]

Two handed Templar is a beast for comboing. Too bad I went Champion on my warrior I didn't want him to become addicted to smoking magical crack.

[@christinefarrell6438]

I really enjoyed Double-Dagger Tempest because Flask of Frost will freeze the people around you and you can set up your own shatters. Very satisfying.

[@nyklonyklo]

Thanks for this extremely useful guide! The description in the game of what combos are and how to perform them reliably is lacklustre to say the least.

[@AKisHerceg]

You are welcome! True! Somehow DA(any of its title) never really explains combos well(yet, they really want you to go after them during combat), so they can look very complicated. They are not. :)

[@nyklonyklo]

@@AKisHerceg I loved combos in Dragon Age 2 and was a bit disappointed that this mechanic seemingly was nerfed in DAI. Looks like it wasn't but just much more poorly described. In DA2 spells and powers were marked "disorient", "brittle" and "stagger" which made it much easier to understand what combinations would work across classes. In DAI this is not the case. For instance I must admit I didn't understand what "Eldritch" meant both literally and practically. LOL. Some of the info you provide in this video was almost game changing. For instance, I've tried the Templar specialization once and found it to be boring and weak compared to the Reaver. But your illustration of the combos the Templar can pull off has opened my eyes. And it never occurred to me that spells like Mind Blast and Dispel could be used to pull of powerful combos.

[@Seekerrrrrrrrr]

Never knew what those impact things were in tooltips! This makes combat so much interesting!

[@qpholyqp]

This combo system is much better than the one in DAII (which was a complete failure imo). But I hate how they've gutted tactics for ai and limited player to 8 active skills. Like why I can't use all the spells/skills my character has, or why can't I setup logic chain for skills/spells in order to actually have coordinated team "synergy" without pausing game every 2s and giggling chars? That's just dumb.

[@fullmetalpoitato5190]

My favorite thing to do right now is to wade in with my Tempest / Dagger Rogue with certain spells turned on for Solas. One dagger has Chain Lightning on hit, and the other has Hidden Blades on hit, then finally my armor has Guard on hit. Now Solas doesn't even need to take Chain Lightning because I proc it myself all the time, instead Solas has Veilstrike and Stonefist set to preferred to execute the special sleep combo just from me auto attacking. Then, if close I'll switch to any mage in the party with dispel or Mind Blast (or Cassandra) and Nightmare them. Meanwhile the Hidden Blades that keeps popping off my other dagger along with all of my own attacks and abilities keeps my guard up, plus my flasks and barriers and the sigil that gives heal on +35% heal on kill makes my Rogue surprisingly tanky. This game is too long with terrible pacing, and I still miss tactics from Origins and DA2 but tbh, the more I play Inquisition the more it grows on me.

[@storms9023]

Freeze and Stonefist is my ultimate combo.

[@user-rt7wj5qb6n]

Wow thanks for your videos. Ive just gotten into dragon age inquisition and I didn’t know how all the combos worked

[@cgonzalezcon]

Love your content, just started playing Inquisition and the guides have been incredibly useful. Keep up the good work!!

[@AKisHerceg]

Thanks! I will! Glad I was able to help you out! :)

[@jumpoutatree]

How is Hidden Blades being used by a solo warrior or mage? I see it in these videos all the time but I don't know how a mage or a warrior can use it.

[@AKisHerceg]

Hidden Blades? Well, for start, it deals a huge amount of damage. 300% of whatever your weapon dealt. So that's good. Also, it's a precision detonator. Which means that it can Shatter frozen enemies, Discharge paralyzed enemies, and Rupture stunned enemies.

[@jumpoutatree]

@@AKisHerceg Thanks. My question was, how do mages and warriors use it? I see people using Hidden Blades all the time in these videos, playing as a mage or a warrior.

[@AKisHerceg]

@@jumpoutatree Oh. It's called Masterwork. You can find fade touched materials while you are farming for materials(like Fade-Touched Silverite) and they will have unique effects. Once you got a fade touched item, you place it in the masterwork slot when you are crafting after reaching Skyhold and you will have a chance to proc the effect while you are in combat(it's usually "on hit" which mean that with every time your weapon or your abilities connect the ability has a chance to proc).

[@jadejoseph9969]

Your vids are awesome. Currently playing this and your builds are helpful.👍🏾

[@Beef1188]

Bringing nuclear bombs to a sword fight, that's the narrative here!

[@gratefulguy7437]

Wow I used to think Eldritch blast shattered frozen but you helped me understand it better thanks

[@blaziec8209]

hey bro you guides are awesome replaying DAI and this is really helpful

[@lost-on-sight3505]

Wassup Herceg! I tried your AI build's on the video you put up (roughly 2-3 weeks ago right?) and they're amazing! Got me my Platinum Trophy on PS4 :D Keep up the vids, have a great day and I hope all is well :D

[@AKisHerceg]

Hah! That is amazing to hear! I am glad you are having fun, and managed to get that achievement! All is well here, I hope it's the same there! :)

[@arthurashr7036]

Very informative, thank you😎

[@adrianblania5565]

OK, going back through your videos and feeding the algorythm. For the rouge, which spec is the best for combos? Cause you can have masterwork for hidden blades from assassin, but to produce and detonate combos by yourself ?

[@AKisHerceg]

The best combo is the Sleep + Precision. You can perform it with the Hidden Blades masterwork or an Assassin. Use Knockout Powder or Knockout Bomb then detonate it with HB. The result is massive spirit damage. Best is to pick up the aoe upgrade of HB for this.

[@adrianblania5565]

@@AKisHerceg so you're saying assassin or no spec rogue? ??

[@AKisHerceg]

@@adrianblania5565 Kinda. If you want the combo. I don’t think any other rogue can perform Eldritch combo alone.

[@adrianblania5565]

@@AKisHerceg notes taken 😁

[@arthurashr7036]

Does it work well with AI? Can AI handle with providing these combos without manual?

[@AKisHerceg]

Some of them, yes. For example, Cass can do the Weakness without help. Her timing is not prefect, but she gets it right most of the time. Still, the best is to let one AI keep priming(by using primers non-stop) and the other keep detonating(by using detonators non-stop). That works all the time.

[@arthurashr7036]

@@AKisHerceg got it, thank you🤝

[@robertoalvarez7854]

As a mage, how are you inflicting multiple targets with special sleep? I thought shock was single target.

[@AKisHerceg]

Not sure I understand you. You can apply the Shocked status effect from every single lightning spell, including aoe ones like Static Cage or Lightning Bolt. Even Chain Lightning can be considered aoe since it also hits multiple targets. So casting Chain Lightning on a group of Weakened enemies will cause the special sleep on all of them. :)

[@robertoalvarez7854]

@@AKisHerceg whoa!! I didn’t know that. I started my first nightmare run and could use any edge I can take. Thanks, this helps a lot.

[@timothyhartanto]

Thanks again for the nice vid. I'm playing DAI based on your guide on nightmare as a DW Assassin rogue. I think my build is quite solid, but I still get one-shotted quite a bit in JoH DLC. Do you have any recommendations on gear for that build?

[@AKisHerceg]

Well, Assassins should use Stealth pretty much non-stop, so that their squishiness would be irrelevant. They have the "I was Never Here" passive, which removes the cooldown on Stealth when you kill an enemy, so you should focus on putting up enough damage to actually kill at least one when you attack from Stealth. This way you can retreat back into Stealth. For a Dual Wielder, you can always use the Flank Attack/Deathblow tactic - strike from Stealth with Flank Attack(Flank Attack will stagger the enemy), then either use Throwing Blades or any other hard hitting skill, to deal enough damage to get their health to 50%. When they have 50% health, use Deathblow(Thrill of Victory upgrade). This skill has a small aoe knockdown effect, which is not written in the description. You can use this tactic to keep enemies from attacking you, if you are fast enough. Other than this, I can recommend the usual defense against the Hakkonites: forget armor, since they deal frost damage, which will pass right through it - get some Cold Resistance potions and upgrade it to its full effectiveness. This will significantly reduce the damage you will take from them. You play solo or party? If you go with a party, then Solas and Blackwal can take care of your survivability easily. Check my AI builds - Solas will not let them move an inch, while Blackwall will draw all the aggro, so no one is going to care that you are there. It will be an easy ride with those two and you as an Assassin. And you will still have a slot for another character...

[@timothyhartanto]

@@AKisHerceg I see. Are there any items to reduce my stealth/abilities cooldown? It seems a bit too long for my liking.

[@AKisHerceg]

@@timothyhartanto The cooldown reduction amulets. The Master version is the best(20%) - you will get this from Hakkon at the end of the JoH storyline, then the Superb one(15%) - you can get this from the Emerald Graves Chateau from an Arcane Horror if you finish the quest inside. You can also get a +10 permanent Cunning(which is basically +5 Crit Chance), so the quest is worth finishing. :)

[@theBubbadukes]

Outstanding vid, helped a ton

[@AKisHerceg]

Thanks! Glad it helped! :)

[@Spinworth]

Amazing content as always

[@AKisHerceg]

Thanks! :)

[@adrianblania5565]

Do you think this 5 basic combo mage build is better, or the ne spec mage combos video with fire and frost mines is better?

[@AKisHerceg]

The Trap Enchanter? That one is better than the basic combo mage. :)

[@adrianblania5565]

@@AKisHerceg from the movie "The best spell combos for spell casters in DAI " I mean the first no spec combos

[@AKisHerceg]

I think they are both fine. You need to pay more attention to detonating the combos with the basic one. But the damage is similar.

[@Cobernikus]

Amazing as aways, tnx só much!! I Just started yesterday a New run as Templar......my first time! Wish me luck :)

[@AKisHerceg]

Good luck! :) Two-Handed or Weapon and Shield?

[@jordanwill7233]

Can the weakness combo inflict sleep to shocked enemies? Like if a mage cast static cage and an AoE to apply shock and a Templar then did wrath of heaven/spell purge, would enemies be put to sleep? If it could, a rift mage could be even more op using some upgraded fire and pitch grenades to apply stun where they’d have yet another way to apply weaken

[@AKisHerceg]

Nope. I tested this. The Weakness Combo does not put Shocked enemies into sleep, because the combo does not apply the "Weakness" status effect on the targets. What you get is a different "Weakness" which will reduce their damage, but it does not come with the other benefits of the status effect. Even after you perform the combo, enemies will not be "Weakened", but they will deal less damage as the result of the combo.

[@phillipfisher6954]

Whats that move at 6:41, that looks like multiple holograms attacking?

[@AKisHerceg]

It's the Hidden Blades masterwork. It's an Assassin skill called Hidden Blades, but it is also available as a masterwork for any class.

[@phillipfisher6954]

@@AKisHerceg Okay, thanks for responding, great vid too!

[@phillipfisher3178]

​​@@AKisHercegDo you remember what lvl this is aquired, also lets say i use it on a weapon now and want to use it on a higher weapon later, is it reusable

[@AKisHerceg]

@@phillipfisher3178 It's part of a specialization called the Assassin for rogue characters after you reach Skyhold and get your specialization. If you want the skill. The masterwork can be acquired in Emprise du Lion by farming Red Templars(it is called: Fade-Touched Plush Fustian Velvet, rare drop from Red Templars). After you have it, take it to the forge in Skyhold and create an item and place it in the masterwork slot. Once you used it in a weapon, you cant take it out however.

[@phillipfisher3178]

@@AKisHerceg Sorry i edited previous comment, was sleep typing, lots of typos, i was referring to the material Fade-Touched Plush Fustian Velvet (Hidden Blades). I cant seem to get it to drop

[@taccosspicy3014]

Combat roll + high crit chance gear. Surprisingly devastating.

[@euroking607]

Thanks for posting great videos my man bless 🙌🏼

[@AKisHerceg]

Thanks for watching them! :)

[@apoorvlele6027]

You forgot hidden blades for shatter

[@AKisHerceg]

Yes, in theory, it can be used since it's a "hidden" precision detonator - I mentioned this when it comes to Rupture. Shatter however, in my experience, does not always work for some reason. Like for me, if I throw a Hidden Blades(upgraded with No Witnesses) on a Frozen crowd it will not perform Shatter on any of the enemies. Not sure, could be a glitch.