In Arknights: Endfield, making strategic use of Status Effects is ideal for success in combat. While team composition and character selection are undoubtedly important factors, understanding how to mix and match these effects can give you a genuine edge in battle.
How do Status Effects work in Arknights: Endfield?
Status Effects in Arknights: Endfield function off a Primer and Detonator system that requires using two tagged Skills.
To activate a Status Effect, you first need to apply an introductory Status, known as a Primer, to an enemy using a tagged skill. Primers are divided into two types: Physical and Elemental, determined by whether the skill used is Physical or Elemental in nature, which most abilities are.
All Physical Primers
There is only one Physical Primer in Arknights: Endfield, and it is called Vulnerability. Vulnerability is depicted as a white shield next to an enemy’s health bar. Physical Skills with any sort of ability to apply a Physical Status will first inflict Vulnerability. Vulnerability causes enemies to suffer more Stagger damage than other attacks and serves as the Primer for causing any of the other available Physical Status Effects. Keep this in mind.
All Elemental Primers
There are several Elemental Primers in Arknights: Endfield, and unlike Vulnerability, they do nothing on their own. They serve as the Trigger to future Elemental Status Effects. Here is a list of them for your reference.
- Heat – Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Heat tag.
- Electric – Applied by any Elemental Skill with an Electric tag.
- Cryo – Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Cryo tag.
- Nature – Applied by any Elemental Skill with a Nature tag.
When an Elemental Primer is active on an enemy, an icon representing the respective Element will appear next to that enemy’s health pool.
Once a Physical or Elemental Primer is applied to a target, it becomes vulnerable to a Status Effect. To trigger it, you must follow up with a concluding Status called a Detonator.
Applying a Status Effect
To trigger apply a true Status Effect, a Detonator skill is required. Detonators are Skills that ‘trigger’ the secondary effect of a Primer. Almost every Skill that functions as a Primer, can also be a Detonator because of their tags. This is important specifically for Elemental Primers, as the order in which you apply a Primer and Detonator will affect the final Status Effect outcome. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Here’s an example of both a Physical and Elemental Status Effect:
Using Ember, a Fire character with primarily Physical Skills, you can apply the Vulnerability Status Effect by attacking an enemy with her Crusader of Cinders skill. If you use Crusader of Cinders again on the same target, the second application of Vulnerability it applies will trigger a Detonation, resulting in the Knock Down Status Effect. This occurs because Crusader of Cinders has the Knock Down tag.
- Any Physical Primer + Any Physical Primer = Physical Status Effect
On the flip side, if I wanted to apply the Combust Status using Laevatain’s Blade of Conflagration, I would first need to apply any non-Heat Elemental Primer to a target. This is because Combust requires a Heat detonator to be triggered properly Blade of Conflagration has the Heat tag, so the combination would look like
- Any non-Heat Elemental Primer + Blade of Conflagration = Combust Status
If a Heat Primer is first before anything else, the end Status Effect will be something different from Combust. This will become clear to you when I list all possible Status Effect combinations below.
All Status Effect Combos in Arknights: Endfield
There are many different Status Effects in Arknights: Endfield, and they are all the final result of a combination of Primers and Detonators.
All Physical Status Effects
Knock Back
Hitting an enemy afflicted with Vulnerability using a Skill with the Knock Back tag will cause them to be flung back while suffering a big loss to their Stagger bar.
- Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Lift Tag = Lift Status Effect
Lift
Vulnerable enemies hit with a Skill with the Lift tag will cause them to be levitated in the air helplessly, unable to defend themselves for several seconds. They will also suffer extra Stagger damage.
- Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Lift Tag = Lift Status Effect
Knock Down
Vulnerable enemies struck with a Skill that has the Knock Down tag will cause them to be knocked prone to the ground while suffering significant Stagger damage.
Physical Skill Primer + Skill with Knock Down Tag = Knock Down Status
All Elemental Status Effects
Heat Burst
Enemies hit by two Skills with the Heat tag back-to-back will apply Heat Burst to that enemy. Heat Burst does massive Heat damage to the target.
- Heat Skill Primer + Heat Skill Primer = Heat Burst Status
Electric Burst
Enemies hit by two Skills with the Electric tag back-to-back will apply Heat Burst to that enemy. Electric Burst does massive Electric damage to the target.
- Electric Skill Primer + Electric Skill Primer = Electric Burst Status
Cryo Brust
Enemies hit by two Skills with the Cryo tag back-to-back will apply Cryo Burst to that enemy. Cryo Burst does massive Cryo Damage to the target.
- Cryo Primer + Cryo Primer = Cryo Burst Status
Nature Burst
Enemies hit by two Skills with the Nature tag, back-to-back, will apply Nature Burst to that enemy. Nature Burst does massive Nature Damage to the target.
- Nature Primer + Nature Primer = Nature Burst Status
Combust
Hitting an enemy with Any Elemental non-Heat tag Skill first, then following up with a Heat tag Skill second will result in the Combustion status. Combustion is a Heat DoT (Damage over Time) status that deals its damage based on the Attack stat of the character that triggered it.
- Any Elemental non-Heat Primer + Heat Skill Primer = Combust Status
Electrify
Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Electric tag Skill first, then following up with an Electric tag Skill second will result in the Electrification status. Electrification deals instant Electric Damage to the target and causes them to suffer increased Arts Damage.
- Any Elemental non-Electric Primer + Electric Primer = Electrify Status
Solidify
Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Cryo tag Skill first, then following up with a Cryo tag Skill second will result in the Solidification status. Enemies under Solidiificaiton are frozen solid and suffer increased Physical Damage. When dealt enough Physical Damage, they will suffer the Shatter secondary effect, which ends Solidification on the target but causes them to target a massive burst of Physical Damage, as a result.
- Any Elemental non-Cryo Primer + Cryo Primer = Soldiify Status
Corrode
Hitting any enemy with Any Elemental non-Nature tag Skill first, then following up with a Nature tag skill second will result in the Corrosion status. Corrosion gradually eats away the afflicted’s Defense stat over time, and triggering a second Corrosion while the first is still active will maintain the Defense reduction.
- Any Elemental non-Nature Primer + Nature Primer = Corrode Status
