- For stance combos, see Stance.
- For the combo mechanic associated with Sniper Rifles, see Sniper Rifle.
Melee Combo is a power source that grows as the Tenno strikes or blocks with melee weapons, multiplying the damage of certain attacks. Heavy attacks consume the melee combo gauge, called the combo counter, for a burst of damage (from 1x to 12x). Certain Warframe abilities also benefit from melee combo, and they do not consume combo points, but they receive 1/4 of the added damage. Normal melee attacks are not affected by the combo multiplier, though combo scaling effects and mods can apply to all melee attacks. An inactive melee combo resets to zero after 5 seconds.
Different attacks award varying amounts of combo points, depending on their strength and number of hits. The combo reset period is affected by combo duration, and combo consumption from heavy attacks is affected by Heavy Attack Efficiency.
Combo Gain[]
Attacking or blocking grants combo points dependent on different values and bonuses.
Stance Attacks[]
Stance attacks (that is, most melee attacks) add combo points, scaling with the attack's stance damage multiplier (100% stance damage multiplier = 1 point). For example, an attack with a 300% damage multiplier, adds 3 combo points per hit. Only successful strikes against an enemy will award combo points.
Some exceptions to these values exist, such as the last attack of 
Swirling Tiger's Dancing Hunter combo or the first hit of Homing Fang's Cutting Arches.
Blocking[]
Each blocked enemy attack adds 1 combo point, including each individual projectile.
Other Attacks[]
- Stealth and finisher attacks add varying amounts of points to the combo counter.
- Melee hits against destructible objects, like Storage Containers, do not add to the combo counter.
- The
Rauta generates 2 combo points for each pellet that lands on an enemy, up to a maximum of 28 combo points spread across 14 pellets.
Additional Combo Count Chance[]
Certain mods supply additional combo count chance (ACCC), awarding an extra combo point either on hit, on block, or under other specific circumstances. ACCC starts at +0% and benefits additively from the following mods and effects.
Pet Mods[]
Beast type pets can now give you +6 combo when they attack, this can help you gain combo or help prevent your combo counter from decaying.
- Naramon's Opening Slam adds +100% additional combo count chance to all sources for up to 20 seconds.
Combo Multiplier[]
The Bonus Damage Multiplier starts at 2.0x after 20 consecutive hits. The multiplier is increased by 1.0x every consecutive 20 hits until 220 consecutive hits have been made, at which point the bonus damage multiplier will cap at 12.0x. Heavy Attacks receive the full damage multiplier, while affected #Warframe Abilities receive 1/4 of the multiplier.
| Combo Counter Bonus Tier | Heavy Attack Multiplier | Base Damage Multiplier (Certain Warframe abilities) | Minimum Consecutive Hits Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2.0x | 1.25x | 20 |
| 3 | 3.0x | 1.5x | 40 |
| 4 | 4.0x | 1.75x | 60 |
| 5 | 5.0x | 2.0x | 80 |
| 6 | 6.0x | 2.25x | 100 |
| 7 | 7.0x | 2.5x | 120 |
| 8 | 8.0x | 2.75x | 140 |
| 9 | 9.0x | 3.0x | 160 |
| 10 | 10.0x | 3.25x | 180 |
| 11 | 11.0x | 3.5x | 200 |
| 12 | 12.0x | 3.75x | 220 |
| 13 (only with  Venka Prime) |
13.0x | 4.0x | 240 |
Venka Prime has a passive ability that allows it to reach 240 consecutive hits for a 13.0x multiplier.
Combo Duration[]
Combo Duration extends the combo timer from its default of 5 seconds, increasing the time a combo takes to reset. Visually, the combo timer is represented by a grey horizontal bar below the combo counter.
Riven Mods can include positive or negative combo duration. (See: Riven Mods#Attributes for values.) A zero or negative combo duration prevents increasing the combo counter.
Melee Combo duration cannot be reduced to below 0.1 seconds.
Combo Decay[]
With the 
Power Spike passive from the 
Naramon focus school, the combo counter decays by 20 / 15 / 10 / 5 every reset instead of depleting completely. Whenever the counter goes below a multiplier threshold, it decreases the multiplier to the new value. At max rank without combo counter duration mods, it takes 220 seconds, or 44 reset ticks, to fully deplete. Combo duration mods greatly increase this time, as they apply to every reset tick. Replenishing the counter works the same as without the passive.
Exceptions[]
- Xoris has infinite combo duration.
- Tenet Livia and Tenet Grigori pause their combo timer while holstered.
- Anku with Anku Incarnon Genesis installed can pause their combo timer while holstered with Evolution III, Perk 1: Standoff.
- Ack & Brunt with Ack & Brunt Incarnon Genesis installed can pause their combo timer while holstered with Evolution III, Perk 2: Abiding Hold.
- MK1-Furax/ Furax/ Furax Wraith with Furax Incarnon Genesis installed can pause their combo timer while holstered with Evolution III, Perk 3: Standoff.
- Triggering Combo Killer pistol kill resets timer.
Warframe Abilities[]
Certain melee-oriented Warframe abilities benefit from and contribute to the melee combo counter. These abilities include the following.
- Ash's Blade Storm
- Atlas's Landslide
- Excalibur's Slash Dash
- Gara's Shattered Lash (benefits from, but does not contribute to combo count)
- Khora's Whipclaw
- Kullervo's Recompense and Storm of Ukko (contributes to, but does not benefit from combo count)
- Exodia Contagion
- Exodia Force
Exalted Weapon[]
Exalted Melee Weapons like 
Excalibur's 
Exalted Blade have their own independent melee combo, governed by its own combo count, multiplier, and expiration. Striking with an exalted melee weapon raises its own exalted combo counter and not the main combo — and vice-versa. A holstered weapon's combo timer expires at the normal rate.
Heavy Attack Efficiency[]
Heavy Attack Efficiency (previously known as "Combo Efficiency") reduces the cost of heavy attacks to below 100% combo points. For example, 40% heavy attack efficiency will change the amount spent to 60% combo points. This effect stacks additively and is capped at 90%; with both Focus Energy and Reflex Coil, 10% of the combo counter will still be consumed with a heavy attack.
Riven Mods can include heavy attack efficiency. (See: Riven Mods#Attributes for values.)
Initial Combo[]
Initial Combo grants a minimum value of combo points when idle or after a combo reset. Heavy attacks spend initial combo, which regenerates at a rate of 40 combo points per second.
Riven Mods can include positive initial combo, but not negative initial combo. (See: Riven Mods#Attributes for values.) Certain weapons also innately provide initial combo: the 
Synoid Heliocor, 
Furax Wraith, and 
Fragor Prime give 20, 20, and 30 initial combo, respectively.
Combo Scaling Effects[]
Gladiator Aegis set bonus
Gladiator Rush set bonus
Gladiator Might set bonus
Gladiator Resolve set bonus
Gladiator Finesse set bonus
Gladiator Vice set bonus
Jugulus Barbs set bonus
Jugulus Carapace set bonus
Jugulus Spines set bonus
Lifted status effect's durationTips[]
- Tenno can reset their combo duration with no enemies nearby, by using a heavy attack paired with heavy attack efficiency (some points will still be spent), because the combo duration timer resets on heavy attack regardless of whether enemies are struck.
See Also[]
