Has anyone found any interesting function combinations? I've been trying a lot of combinations, but I've only found one really effective setup. This setup simplified one of the early bosses (The Spine), even with all of my available Limiters active:

Load()

Spark() + Jaunt()

Use Turn(), lay down two Load() bombs, and end Turn(). Then run back a little bit and start spamming Spark() to deal damage to the area, which also destroys the unstable packets created by Load(). The AoE damage is devastating. It's made even more potent if you use the Help() function as a passive. The damage potential goes way up if you get lucky with your 1-in-4 chance at using Kill() while you have some unstable packets on the ground. Another benefit is you can use Spark() while Turn() is recharging to clear-up shielded and/or bad cells.

Want to do 10k damage in practice mode?

First, put all the purge() into passive slots, as it slightly increases your damage.

Then you need three active functions:

Mask(): for that sick unmask bonus damage

Void()+Crush()+Get()

This pulls your enemy in, debuffs, crushes for more debuff. Remember, void stacks 3 times, and gives -325% to armor!

Follow this up with one attack

Crash()+Void()+Load()

Crash already does massive damage, void puts 1.5x on to that, and load not only makes it aoe, the size of your magnet void that you conveintly pulled all enemies into, but also increases damage by 1.1%. Have fun one shotting everything, although its not the best with all the limiters on, as shielded multiple cores that quick spawn mean having crash as your only attack(who doesn't run Jaunt()?) is bad. This will also one shot your clone, and you can jaunt away till stealth comes back up and never take damage in the challenges.

Bounce(Crash()Breach()) literally breaks the game. It auto-targets enemies, bounces 5 times, stuns them and has a HUGE range. You can just spam it outside of Turn() and unless there's more than 6 enemies they can't do anything. They won't die super fast, but if you add Load() and Void() passives you get a decent damage bonus, then add Get() passive on top so you don't have to chase down cells and finally get Flood() passive so even if you take a hit you can just regen since you're not using Turn().

Yeah, Bounce is a pretty great active.

I'd like to be experimenting more, but there is just something really satisfying about consistently getting dudes to -1000+ health with my current Void(Crash) x3 + Mask(Ping) + Bounce(Tap) combo. And obviously more secondary functions just add to the overkill. I just started NG+ and I've been rolling with 5 Resistors so far... I think the "more enemies" one is actually making the game easier because I put Tap on Bounce... that or I'm just killing things before I take damage. I've also used Spark instead of Bounce similarly but I prefer being able to backstab.

I think I've reached the pinnacle of my preferred combo.

Jaunt + Get + Purge

Void + Spark + Crash

Tap + Void + Ping

I forget what I even have in passive. Pretty sure there's a Breach in there and one other thing.

The Jaunt (aside from the usual manoeuvring capability) sweeps up enemies with Get as you dash around, with Purge coming out to pick off low health and weakened enemies. Void with Spark makes it automatically a double stack, so I never cast it more than once, and Crash to stack a little more debuff. Tap with Void for the damage bonus on the debuffed targets hits somewhere around 600, with the Ping and the passive Breach giving enough room to Jaunt to position, Void, Tap up to 3 times and Jaunt away.

I think Tap is probably a bit of an overpowered skill, not even for its health leaching just its regular damage output for an area skill.

I feel like the combat starts to diminish on returns the further you get in this game. I dunno maybe i'm not doing a great job of playing it or something, but I feel like at a certain point you can kind of slot any 3 together and you get more or less the same outcome, maybe with a little more or less crowd control. Which becomes kind of pointless when you don't know what situation you are going into next since it changes every few encounters.

I dunno the concept seemed pretty awesome at first, I really like it in theory.

I'm really annoyed by the feedback you get in turn(), maybe because I've broken up my play sessions I haven't payed enough attention, but I feel like i'm never certain how much i'm going to hit the enemies. For example in the later part of the game using bounce, I guess anything you queue doesn't predict past the present so it just shows as being blocked every hit when that's not the case.

I dunno I feel like for the most part theres something about the combat that feels unsatisfying, annoying and occasionally cheap, in this mid-later part of the game.

I don't know am I totally missing something that someone could shed some light on?

@rowr: I too found the mid-game combat to be real rough, but it's mostly because, in hindsight, I wasn't really playing the game in a way that was suited to my playstyle. Playing the challenge rooms, which force certain configurations upon you, totally helped me find better combos that were more fun to execute and more devastating in turn().

A couple of things that helped me out:

• Turn() toally doesn't account for any movement or changes to the field after attacks are executed. You'll have to use your best judgement at times, rather than trusting the icon saying you're missing. (remember, you can always bail out of a turn if something doesn't play out right)
• Always have Jaunt() on a ranged fire attack, so you can retaliate between turns. I find it much more useful/entertaining than running for 5 seconds between turns.
• Equip Mask(). Use it before a turn to give you more damage on a big hit, or to give yourself some breathing room if something goes bad. (You can use it even when you're in recovery)
• Crash() is an okay attack. It's AMAZING as an effect or passive though.
• When you get Void(), equip that and spam it at the beginning of a turn for 325% extra attack. That plus Mask() and a backstab makes almost everything die in a single hit.

Seriously though, the combat is pretty great when you find what YOU like. If something feels annoying, try changing your loadout to force you to play differently. It helped me, at least.

Thanks for the advice! Yeh it could be less the game itself and more than I had some good playstyles worked out in the early game and then you kind of unlock everything which if you are changing too often kind of scrambles your focus. So the mid game while I was capable of advancing with the loadouts I had, they weren't really effective of conducive to the way I wanted to play and I think that's starting to hurt now that I get closer to what I assume is the end of the game. Then you get these enemies disrupting you and shit out of nowhere and i'm like. How the fuck is that even happening? I feel like I should of played this game through in one sitting.

I really freaking hate the system by which you lose skills for dying though and I think that is the mechanic that has kind of fucked me over mid game forcing me to change my loadout too often, I feel like I don't get a good indication when and where i'm taking hits from sometimes, and then bam i'm dead. Not that I would say I've been dying a lot but it's a bit of a cycle. You die ->it compromises your preffered style, you add in some otherstuff -> you die again because it throws your whole system out of whack -> repeat. Either that or I forget what I was even using in the first place when I can reslot skills. It's just messy.

I would much rather the option to restart or something without it sending me back through 5 minutes of corridor walking.

Also maybe i'm not as close to the end as I think I am, but I feel like they could of padded this game out with waay more combat, given it's kind of the focus of the game.

Probably my favorite combination is put using Load() with Get() and Flood() as augments. Load causes an explosion, Get creates a gravity well, and Flood deal area of effect damage. This combo can be easily followed up with any area of affect ability (Spark, Bounce, etc.) as all the enemies are now gathered together.

Is there a rule for which function will overload first or is it random? I (very faintly) remember seeing a pop-up that said something like "functions requiring more memory will overload first" but I swear I've had Mask(Ping) overload before and I'm pretty sure my other functions required more memory.

I know it's SUPPOSED to be the one using the most memory, but I too seem to recall having other functions taken out first. Might be a bug?

I'm a big fan of Jaunt+Spark+x, it causes some skills to take effect 5 times which becomes hilarious with your mobility even during Turn's cooldown. My personal favorite is Purge while catching the most dangerous enemies in Void+Crash, you can get through some encounters without having to do anything else.

Mask+Load is good for ending a Turn with to set up another or for getting out of a bad situation. I'm still only level 8 and I'd like to continue experimenting but Tap seems like the final piece of the puzzle.

I was also struggling midgame and not enjoying the combat until I completed more challenges, they really do help you understand the meat of the game and guide you toward effective combinations.

I haven't quite beaten the game yet, so I haven't experimented with having double functions, but I discovered a wombo combo yesterday that I'm really surprised no one has mentioned:

Flood() + Void() and Cull()

I tried this after being happy with my "utility" abilities and looking for a really powerful active, and boy did it deliver. This active does nutty damage, doing 200% Flood() damage (that's a lot), and the Cull() upgrade makes enemies get stun locked and stay within the Flood() range. While 1 may not finish a foe, 2 or 3 are guaranteed to after Crash()ing. If anyone knows of a more damaging single-use active (Load()'s explosion doesn't even come close), please, let me know.

The trick is how to land such a short range but devastating active... and that is where my other active comes in:

Get() + Breach() and Bounce()

This is an amazing utility active. It allows you to group up pretty much every enemy in an encounter and then proceed to lay the smack down on 'em. Breach() gives it crazy range and object penetration, and Bounce() ensures that it branches out and hits any other nearby enemies. It's Turn() cost is so low that you can use it multiple times to set up the rest of your combo if the enemies are spread out. Not to mention Get() can do some pretty decent damage at max range! Get() also has a very short cast and recovery, making it very useful outside of Turn(); while this doesn't help too much with combat (because who wants enemies in their face outside of Turn()??), it is invaluable for collecting stray Cells (especially when shielded!) and for pulling Cheerleaders away from their friends.

The last key active I use is:

Crash() + Jaunt() and Ping()

This is my "spam" ability, and it works wonders outside of Turn(), as well as provides a solid Crash() active for softening your foes up. Jaunt() makes Crash() instant cast and usable outside of Turn(), and Ping() makes it even more spammable by reducing it's cast time by 20%. It's so quick that it can easily stunlock an entire group of enemies. In fact, using the Get() active above and then this, and then repeating, you can stunlock an entire group of enemies indefinitely.

Your fourth active can be whatever you have left over Memory for: I'm a fan of Load(), but dropped it when Flood() came around because I find Flood() to be more reliable, especially in the above combination(s). For now I am using Mask(), which is a fantastic escape tool when you are out of Turn() and the shit hits the fan. I haven't had a lot of time to fool around with Tap() yet though, and I hear it's pretty dope.

So in conclusion, gives this set up a try, and follow this Turn() combo:

1) Get() + Breach() and Bounce() - Pulls in all targets and does a decent amount of damage, setting enemies up for Step 2. Can use multiple times, if necessary, to gather all foes.

2) Crash() + Jaunt() and Ping() - One Crash() just for the debuff, hitting all gathered enemies.

3) Flood() + Void() and Cull() - Spam this bad boy until you run out of "Turn() Juice", or until you see that glorious "OVERKILL!" message. With all the enemies bunched in front of you thanks to Get() and bumped back a little with Crash(), they will be in the perfect position for Flood() to melt their lifebars. The Cull() addon ensures that they stay locked in position so that the full fury of Flood() can wreck 'em, and give you a little breathing room from any survivors when Turn() ends. And if, IF any enemies are still alive, you can freely spam Crash() outside of Turn() and quickly finish them off while stunlocking them.

Since I started using this combo, the game has been a cakewalk. Again, use whatever you like in the fourth slot/passives. Load() is still great, but it actually doesn't work too great with this Flood() combo, as the Cull() passive keep the packets in the air until Flood() has passed, which can mess up the explosion timing.

Let me know how it goes! ;)

My favourite combo for most of the game was:

Bounce() + Get() + Crash() (get one or more enemies on top of you and vulnerable)

Load()

Spark() (could be other things but I found this easiest for setting off the packet without moving anything)

In a lot of cases I could get through an encounter in just one or two turns with this. Towards the end though I kept finding that the explosion from Load() would just... fail to do any damage. Not sure what was up with that!

I use Crash(Jaunt()+Spark()) -- which is basically a shotgun, as an opener and follow up with Cull(Mask()+Load()) as a finisher. Backstabbing a Man or even the final boss does over 700 damage.

I also used Get(Ping()+Purge()) which would bring other enemies over to get some of the AOE from the modified Crash() and Cull().

My favorite combination at the moment (haven't beaten the game, don't have Purge(), Mask(), or Tap(), max MEM 20?) is Cull(Breach()Load()) + Void(Crash()Get()) + Help(Ping).

Begin with Help(), immediately Turn() to Void() the most threatening target, and DESTROY IT. Cull(Breach()Load()) does 300+ damage before backstab, Void(), or Crashed bonuses. After those bonuses, I've seen it do 1,200+. Don't care who or what you are, that hurts. I one-shotted a Young Lady 3.0 with that combo. Felt real good.

Luna is there for moral support and stragglers. With (Ping()) she can pretty much get anywhere on the map in a Turn().

I still hold a special place in my heart for Load(Spark()Bounce()). I beat The Spine with that and Help(Crash()) and Jaunt() in two Turn()s. No active attacks of my own.

I also killed my framerate. 3 x Load(Spark) is 9 Load(), and 9 x Load(Bounce) is 90 Bounce(). :D

That blew up real fine.

I use this combo. I already beat the game and all the achievements. This is what I prefer with 32 slots:

1. Tap (Void + Jaunt) - lifesteal + you can start fighting immidiatley after Turn()

2. Mask (Mask) - you need to kill them in an instance

3. Void (Get + Spark) - I present you the Black Hole. Who doesnt like that? Right?

4. Jaunt (Crash) - For avoiding attacks.

Passives: 1.Bounce (it gives you protective shield); 2. Crash ( dmg resistence); 3. Tap (150% health); 4. whatever you want

With this combo you can beat the game for around 3 hours. In turn use Voidx3, Mask x1 and finish them with Tap. If they are not dead, click Tap again and the job is done. Have fun and dont forget to tell me what you think

I actually used Jaunt as my attack for most of the game and NG+ and had a pretty easy time. Jaunt + Breach is available from basically the start of the game, and it deals 60 damage for 10 stamina, which is much more efficient than Crash, Breach, and especially the fancier powers like Cull (225 damage for 70 stamina). With a second slot, you have a lot of really great options. Using Flood gives you really solid healing, since you'll be Jaunting most of the time. Spark/Purge are nice for added damage. Adding another Jaunt gives you 5 stamina back for each use, so your damage output almost doubles.

Of course, Void + Crash + Spark is a must as enemies just take disgusting amounts of damage after being voided. I believe the highest sandbox score I've seen was over 100,000 with an elaborate setup to get all the enemies bunched up and voided, and then unmask + backstab + cull them.

DPS-wise, Help() with Mask + Ping can also do massive damage (fully voided enemies take 731 backstab damage 4 times for almost 3000 damage per turn), but it's annoying to keep them alive.

One issue with Jaunt+Breach is that it's relatively hard to aim; you have to go back and forth across your target, but they might move in the time it takes you to do so. Other than that it seems to be a very efficient damage dealer. I'll definitely try out these other combos to see how they work out as well.

EDIT: I've experimented a bit with builds for the Spine. I would have expected a Cull build to work well, and indeed the HUD reports that it will do ~6k damage (killing the Spine in one hit). In actuality, though, it seems like the Spine can only take a maximum of 400 damage from any one hit, so Cull is relatively useless.

A Jaunt build seems to work fairly well, though. Using Mask(Mask), Jaunt(Breach, Purge), and Void(Spark, Crash), with Void/Breach passive, I was able to take out around 1800 damage per turn, leaving it with only 5 health left after two turns. Not sure if it's possible to kill it within one turn.