Finisher

Finisher is the Armed Combat tree's highest-rank single-target ability, unlocked after Blinding Flash in the Blue Stamina tree. It deals dramatically increased damage, typically 150-200% of a standard attack, specifically amplified against enemies suffering from the Blind, Stun, or Freeze status effects. The natural pairing with Blinding Flash means Finisher is almost always used as the second step in a two-ability burst sequence rather than as a standalone move.

Against bosses that can be Blinded, the Blinding Flash into Finisher sequence is one of the game's most reliable burst combinations. The blind window is long enough to cast Finisher without interruption, and the damage bonus against blinded targets makes the sequence particularly devastating. Against the Staglord in Phase 3, when fast dodging makes sustained combos difficult, the two-move Blinding Flash + Finisher burst is often the most efficient way to deal meaningful damage per opening.

Finisher also has utility in group combat as a priority-target execution tool. When multiple enemies are Blinded by Flash, sprinting to the highest-threat enemy (a Black Bear Captain, a Shaman, or a Berserker) and landing a Finisher on them often kills or near-kills in a single strike, dramatically simplifying the subsequent fight against the remaining disoriented enemies.

Finisher's damage bonus scales with the remaining duration of the status effect on the target — hitting a freshly Blinded enemy deals more bonus damage than hitting one whose Blind is about to expire, rewarding quick execution after applying the status. Advanced players pair Finisher with Shield Bash's upgraded Stun effect as an alternative trigger, creating a Stun-Finisher combo that does not consume the Blinding Flash cooldown, effectively doubling the frequency of Finisher burst windows. In Abyss endgame content, Finisher with full Artifact upgrades gains an execute threshold: enemies below 20% health take triple Finisher damage, making it the definitive closer for drawn-out elite encounters.

Finisher is a high-damage execution ability that deals bonus damage to staggered or low-health enemies, making it the ideal closer for any combat encounter. It is best used at the end of a combo chain after abilities like Parry or Shield Bash have left an enemy vulnerable. The visual impact of Finisher is as satisfying as its damage output, delivering a cinematic killing blow. Upgrade it to lower the health threshold at which bonus damage activates, making it effective even against tankier foes.