Shadowhunter PvP Combos

There are a variety of gapless combos that Shadowhunter can execute that are guaranteed to land given the right distance and position.

Skills labelled with an asterisk (*) means that the skill is optional and not needed for the combo in all circumstances, but may still be required depending on positioning or range.

• Demonic Clone → Rush* → Thrust Impact

This is the bread and butter combo for Shadowhunter. Not only is it very high damage, it is fast and allows for repositioning of both the Shadowhunter and the enemy target. As Demonic Clone is Paralysis Immune, it also makes for a safer starter that may punish enemies trying to peel.

Change up the direction in which Thrust Impact is used after Rush to alter the knockback and recoil, making for quick retreats and forcing enemies to roll to unfavorable positions.

Be careful about messing up team combos however, as the recoil on Thrust Impact is large.

• Grind Chain → Sharpened Cut

True combo that can lead into Demonic Clone or Thrust Impact. This will only work at close or mid ranges from Grind Chain, but is a useful way of converting a neutral catch or peel attempt into a combo.

Rush can also be used to try and close the gap, but it is not a true combo, so enemies may be able to avoid it if they mash fast enough.

• Piercing Thorn → Demon Vision

This is a useful combo to prevent enemies rolling with Stand Up after the push from Piercing Thorn. This can be done as a hitconfirm if fast enough with reactions, ensuring an opportunity for follow-up burst.

Usually reserving Demon Vision for peeling is the better choice, but if it can guarantee a kill or heavy damage on an isolated target that is unlikely to get peel, then this combo allows for a ranged to melee guaranteed conversion.

• Rising Claw → Demonic Clone OR Thrust Impact

Usually reserved for peel or self-peel, Rising Claw will chain into Shadowhunter's burst skills. Demonic Clone will always land the first hit reliably, although fast roll classes may avoid the second hit depending on distance of Rising Claw.

If not near enough, use Rush for Thrust Impact. Try to avoid using Rush before Demonic Clone, as it will delay the startup and make it less likely the second hit lands before enemies roll.

• Ruining Rush → Basic Attacks* → Gore Bleeding
• Ruining Rush → Basic Attacks → Gore Bleeding > Destruction → Blood Massacre (if no Stand Up)

This is a practically unreactable engage that applies Paralysis and leads to a relatively high damage combo. The basic attacks are optional and can help squeeze an extra bit of damage, but will significantly increase combo time which is not optimal in most situations.

Keep in mind that Gore Bleeding will shove the enemy target a pretty significant distance back. Careful not to mess up team combos with it, and in the worst case, Shadowhunter can always Rush before the final hit.

Use Death Claw as filler when no other abilities are up for damage, or after a full set of basic attacks to keep the combo going. It is not gapless, however, it chains fast enough that enemies are unable to walk out without using a skill. Be mindful of characters that can mash abilities with immunities though, like Upper Slash or Counter Gunlance.

If enemies do not have Stand Up, then using basic attacks to extend the combo opens up a new route that allows both Destruction and Blood Massacre to connect. By exploiting the scales system, which forcefully knocks enemies down after 3 seconds of standing combo, the shove from the final hit of Gore Bleeding will instead apply Push, giving just enough time to slot in additional damage skills for a 65k damage combo.

• Leaping Blow → Blood Massacre

The notorious combo of the transformation. Not only is Leaping Blow a heavy damage dealing skill, it also inflicts Hard CC for just long enough to get a Blood Massacre right after it. It does not matter if they have Stand Up up or not.

This combo will also work on targets without Stand Up regardless of Hard CC if done off of any of Shadowhunter's Pushes in human form, be it Rising Claw, Demonic Clone or even Piercing Thorn. Use Demonize then immediately follow with the combo for guaranteed burst.

Considering that using Leaping Blow or Blood Massacre in neutral can sometimes be risky, there is no issue with using the combo exclusively on enemies that have no escape. Instead of being enticed by the Hard CC, seeing Leaping Blow as a damage skill only can make it less punishing to land.

• Leaping Blow → Destruction → Gore Bleeding*

Although less damage than Blood Massacre, Destruction is still a heavy hitter and comes out much faster. This makes for a safer alternative while still being able to retain Blood Massacre for a better damage opportunity if it seems like enemies are ready to interrupt.

Gore Bleeding can continue to combo after Destruction, but only if the enemy has no Stand Up, as the Earthquake Hard CC will force a knockdown on any hit after the Earthquake is applied. This means that as soon as the Hard CC limitation expires, enemies will be able to roll out.

• Demon Vision → Cruel Cutter → Grind Chain*

This is a true combo that can inflict very high damage depending on distance. It is also safe as it requires no melee commitment and ensures every Hard CC can lead to heavy damage.

As the skill unfortunately tends to shove enemies too far (or not far enough), follow up skills like Grind Chain may only connect if walking forwards a little to get in range.

• Demon's Grip → Demonic Clone OR Thrust Impact
• Grind Chain → Demon's Grip → Demonic Slash OR Sharpened Cut* → Demonic Clone OR Thrust Impact

Demon's Grip alone can lead into burst options, but due to the fact it only applies regular hitstun, using Grind Chain before to catch and then having Demon's Grip function as a hitconfirm can be more reliable. It will true combo from Grind Chain, but be wary though that Grind Chain has greater max range, so it will not work at longer distances.

If landing Demon's Grip at max range, the target will be too far to be hit by Thrust Impact, so make use of a mobility skill to approach and maintain hitstun. Rush into Demonic Clone or Thrust Impact will not work as the hitstun from Demon Grip alone is not long enough.

• Rising Claw → Howl → Decimate → Rush → Thrust Impact

This combo requires the Grasp of Death pod on Rising Claw to work, but if executed successfully is the highest damage that can be done in human form against enemies without Stand Up. The increased damage from Howl only applies during the fear period, but with proper execution, Thrust Impact will land before the 1 second expires.

Demonic Slash and Sharpened Cut will always true combo into Demonic Clone or Thrust Impact — although beware that Sharpened Cut may move enemies too far to be hit with Thrust Impact if at max range. Similarly, if the final hit of Sharpened Cut does not land due to the pushback, it can lead to gaps between it and Demonic Clone.

Use Grind Chain or Demon Vision as opportunities to engage with Demonic Slash or Sharpened Cut. If needed, use Rush to close the gap, but be mindful to always keep a movement skill to escape — at the very least the second cast of Demonic Slash.

Grind Chain will not true combo into Demon Vision, however, it can be used as a combo if the enemy has no Rush or fast moving dashes after being hit by Grind Chain.

Decimate should not be followed up by Demonic Clone, as it will knock enemies too high to be hit. Instead, use Demon Vision or Slasher to Hard CC enemies on fall and ensure a Demonic Clone can connect after.