Another Force/Combo

AF Combo

See also: Another Force
The AF Combo is the numerical % at the top left of the screen during Another Force. It starts at 75% and increases when attacks are used, per hit per target. The combo is applied as a multiplier to damage/healing during Another Force i.e. the first move used in AF does only 75% damage.

Mechanics

• With no other modifiers, combo generated is 2% per hit per target.
• If a skill is used for the first time in AF, additional 1% is added to the first hit of the skill.
• If the hit of a skill is from a different skill from the "previous hit" on any target in AF, an additional 2% is added to the hit. If the target is Weak, an additional 1% may sometimes be generated.
  • The "previous hit" refers to a hit by any character directly before. Animation times matter, not just order of characters. So if skill animations and thus hits overlap, extra combo can be generated. See Examples below for illustration.

In summary, combo generation per hit:

Type of Hit	Normal/Resist/Null/Absorb /%	Weak /%
Hit from skill with first use in AF	5	6
Hit from skill used before in AF and is not from same skill as previous hit in AF	4	4/5
Hit is from same skill as previous hit	2	2

Examples

Bold refers to the first hit from each move.

• Only Shion in AF using "Phoenix Slash" (3 hits) against single non-weak enemy.
  • Combo generation: 5, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
  • 1st hit of 2nd use of skill only gives 2% combo due to the hit being from same skill as previous hit in AF

• Only Shion using "Phoenix Slash" (3 hits) and "Scarlet Tengu" (2 hits) against single non-weak enemy.
  • Combo generation: 5, 2, 2, 5, 2, 4, 2, 2, 4, 2

• Shion uses "Phoenix Slash" (3 hits) and Shanie uses "Twin Serpents" (2 hits) against single non-weak enemy, but Shanie's hits go in between Shion's.
  • Combo generation: 5, 2, 5, 4, 4, 4, 2, 4, 4, 4

• Only Velvet using Slag Assault (3 hits, AoE) against 4 Weak targets.
  • 1st skill use: (total: 28%)

    1st hit on 4 targets: 6 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 12%

    2nd hit on 4 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8%

    3rd hit on 4 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8%

  • 2nd skill use: (total: 24%)

    1st hit on 4 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8%

    2nd hit on 4 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8%

    3rd hit on 4 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8%

  • Note that the hits on the other targets only give 2% per target per hit, as they are from the "same skill as the previous hit", which are on different targets

• Only Aldo using X Slash Mk II (2 hits, AoE) and Spinning Slash (1 hit, AoE) on 2 non-weak targets
  • X Slash Mk II 1st use (total: 15%)

    1st hit on 3 targets: 5 + 2 + 2 = 9%

    2nd hit on 3 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 = 6%

  • Spinning Slash 1st use (total: 9%)

    1st hit on 3 targets: 5 + 2 + 2 = 9%

  • X Slash Mk II 2nd use (total: 14%)

    1st hit on 3 targets: 4 + 2 + 2 = 8%

    2nd hit on 3 targets: 2 + 2 + 2 = 6%

  • Spinning Slash 2nd use (total: 8%)

    1st hit on 3 targets: 4 + 2 + 2 = 8%

Further Notes

• Skills with the same name are counted as the same skill. E.g. Aldo's normal attack "Sword Slash" and Miyu's normal attack "Sword Slash"
• Skills which deal random number of hits is counted as a different skill for each number of hits. e.g. Shion (Another Style)'s Edged Assault which deals 3 hits is counted as different skill from 4 hits.
• Skills which change number of hits based on stacks is counted as a different skill e.g. Ruina (Another Style)'s Coup De Vent at 3 Oltegear and 2 Oltegear are counted as different skills
• Skills which change number of hits based on consecutive use are counted as different skill e.g. Violet's Combo Attack at 2 hits and 3 hits are counted as different skills
• Additional attacks from Lunatic - Charge add 1% combo per hit
• P5 Characters' 1 More: the "1 More" is counted as part of the same skill, and total combo generation of this skill is halved. Example with 3 hits, first skill used in AF
  • Against non-Weak single target: 5, 2, 2 (total 9%)
  • Against Weak single target (without 1 More): 6, 2, 2 (total 10%)
  • Against Weak single target (with 1 More): 3, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (total 8%)
• Skills which comprise multiple parts (elements or ST/AoE) are considered as different skills for each part
  • Hozuki's Hundred Fire Revolt (1 ST Hit, 1 AoE Hit) against 3 enemies:
  • 5, 5, 2, 2, 4, 4, 2, 2,

Self-damage

Self-damage and int-dependent healing does not increase the AF combo multiplier, but is considered as a separate skill. Thus the order when the self-harm/healing is triggered may cause AF combo to increase. No rule on the order of self-damage and hits in a skill Example at self-damage with 4 hits:

• Thillelille AS Esh Heres self-damage triggers first
  • (self-damage), 5, 2, 2, 2, (self-damage), 4, 2, 2, 2
• Hismena Argus Baile self-damage triggers at end
  • 5, 2, 2, 2, (self-damage), 4, 2, 2, 2, (self-damage)
• Radias Berserker Rush triggers between 3rd and 4th hit:
  • 5, 2, 2, (self-damage), 4, 2, 2, 2, (self-damage), 4

Random targets

The way in which combo charges for random hits may differ per character. Below are some examples. Note that there may be exceptions to these. This section assumes that the following skills are not used consecutively.

Pattern 1

Each hit gives the same combo% as the first hit but otherwise follow standard combo rules.

• Tsubame (Another Style)'s Ningi: Gansai
• Zeviro's innate skill line
• Victor's innate skill line

Example:

• Zeviro's Glacial Scythe (4 hits) charges 4*5%=20% on 1st use and 4*4%=16% on subsequent uses.

Note that the combo% earned from this pattern is about 1.5x that of a standard multihit ST skill, even if the skill itself does not specify "increased combo rate".

Pattern 2

First hit of skill follows standard combo rules, subsequent hits charge differently.

Shion (Another Style)'s Edged Assault and Mighty (Another Style)'s non-manifest Hypnoblizzard follow this:

• First use of skill at x number of hits:
  • 1st hit: 5%
  • Subsequent hits: 1% each
• Subsequent use of skill at x number of hits:
  • 1st hit: 4%
  • Subsequent hits: 0%

Note that Mighty (Another Style)'s manifest Hypnoblizzard has increased combo% charged, with the following:

• First use of skill at x number of hits:
  • 1st hit: 10%
  • Subsequent hits: 6% each
• Subsequent use of skill at x number of hits:
  • 1st hit: 8%
  • Subsequent hits: 4%

Pattern 3

First use of skill follows standard combo rules, subsequent hits charge differently. Examples include

• Myunfa's Kettle Comet
• Renri (Another Style)'s Blazing Dance
• Gariyu (Another Style)'s Spreading Inferno
• Hardy (Another Style)'s Desperado is similar except first hit is 2% or 1% depending on whether Heat Bullets are present

Combo charged:

• First use of skill
  • 1st hit: 5%
  • Subsequent hits: 2% each
• Subsequent use of skill
  • 1st hit: 4%
  • Subsequent hits: 1%

Pattern 4

• Fixed combo charged
• Lovely's Go Go Bukulyn!
  • First use of skill: 5, 2, 2, 5
  • Subsequent use of skill: 4, 2, 2, 4

AF Combo increase

Some skills have increased AF combo multiplier. Multiply the increase to each hit, then round down to nearest whole number. Combo Ores or Lunatic - Charge or Lunatic - Static is not affected by skill AF combo increase.

• Against single non-weak enemy (3 hits each), after first use of skill.
  • Curio's Glimmer Strike: 4, 2, 2 (total: 8%)
  • Curio's Ups & Downs (x1.2 combo): 4, 2, 2 (total: 8%)
  • Melina ES Or Yesha (x1.5 combo): 6, 3, 3 (total: 12%)
  • Necoco's Cat Odori (x2 combo): 8, 4, 4 (total: 16%)

Summary/Tips

• Optimizing combo% does not necessarily lead to optimizing AF damage. Unless a large amount of combo% can be generated, combo% is usually less important than buffs/debuffs and skills with high modifiers.
• Since combo% is generated per hit per target, AoE skills tend to generate more combo than ST skills if there are more enemies.