There are a lot of ways to kill your enemies in Anthem, but one of the flashiest is via combos. Broken up into two portions, combos require a bit both a primer and a detonator skill. Not every Javelin ability will boast a primer or detonator skill, so keep that in mind when you are designing your Javelin. Considering how powerful combos are, you’ll want to make sure to have at least a detonator so you can contribute.
Combos are only achieved if someone has used a primer ability on an enemy and then a detonator skill. These are typically elemental effects that either immobilize or disorientate your target. When you are building your Javelin you can tell what a primer ability is because it will have a circle icon to the left of the ability’s name. If your skill does not have a circle next to it then it’s not considered a primer and you cannot start a combo.
Detonators have a four-pointed star next to the name of the skill. These are typically explosive skills such as the Ranger’s grenade or Colussus’ railgun. Striking a primed enemy with a detonator ability will trigger a combo and deal a ton of extra damage to a foe. Remember, you can perform combos even if you are playing by yourself. As long as your Javelin has both a primer and detonator skill they can activate a combo on their own.
In addition to the extra burst of damage, combos trigger secondary abilities depending on which Javelin detonated the primed foes. Here’s a quick look at what happens when each Javelin uses a combo on a foe.
- Ranger – Greater single target damage on the detonated target.
- Colossus – Extra Area of Effect damage around the detonated target.
- Interceptor – Gains an elemental shield based on the element of the ability used to detonate. This aura will then spread that elemental status effect to targets around the Interceptor.
- Storm – Deals elemental damage to the enemies around the detonated target.
Considering you need to perform combos to finish the Trial of Cariff, we suggest holding onto both a primer and detonator skill. You can always just go into Freeplay and run around triggering combos until that specific challenge is finished.
Additionally, friendly Javelins can always prime or detonate other targets, so keep your eye out for opportunities. It will take some time until you learn what skills fall into these two categories, but it’s vital to learn if you want to play on harder difficulties.