BASICS: ACTION COMBAT

Combat in DC Universe Online revolves primarily around chaining weapon attacks into combos, activating powers, countering your opponents, and staying mobile.

WEAPON ATTACKS

There are four basic weapon attacks, fundamentally shared by each of the game’s 11 different weapons.

• Melee (Tap): Press and release Y (NS), X (XB), Square (PS), or Left Mouse (PC) for a quick melee attack
• Melee (Hold): Press and hold Y (NS), X (XB), Square (PS), or Left Mouse (PC) for a stronger, lunging melee attack
• Range (Tap): Press and release X (NS), Y (XB), Triangle (PS), or Right Mouse (PC) for a quick attack from range
• Range (Hold): Press and hold X (NS), Y (XB), Triangle (PS), or Right Mouse (PC) for a strong attack from range

These basic attacks can be used in sequence to chain together more advanced and more powerful combo attacks. Every weapon’s combo attacks require different sequences of basic attacks and have unique effects, from greater damage to knocking opponents down.

Tip: Staying in combat and chaining weapon attacks and combos together without pause raises your hit counter. Keep your hit counter high to increase your power regeneration, so you can stay in the fight longer.

COUNTER MECHANICS

Your opponents won’t just take the punches you throw at them, though, and will seek to counter your attacks just as you seek to counter theirs. This is best understood through the three basic kinds of counters.

• Block: Hold R (NS), RB (XB), R1 (PS), or Shift (PC) to reduce incoming damage and to counter large attacks
  • When blocking, you are vulnerable to Block Break
• Block Break: Use a Range (Hold) attack to counter a blocking opponent
  • When block breaking, you are vulnerable to Interrupt
• Interrupt: Use a Melee (Hold) attack to counter a block-breaking opponent
  • When interrupting, you are vulnerable to Block

When you successfully counter your opponent, you gain immunity from damage and from being countered for a short period of time, as well as knock them to the ground. Try to counter your opponents as often as you can!

When you are countered, you are knocked to the ground. Try to avoid this, but when you can’t, you can hold RB (XB), R1 (PS), or Shift (PC) to Break Out and get back to the fight faster.

POWER ATTACKS

In addition to weapon attacks and counters, players can load up to six special abilities in their power tray and activate them during combat. These abilities have a massive variety of effects, and vary greatly based on which Power is chosen in the character creation process. Each activation costs power, so these attacks must be used strategically in between weapon attacks.

• Abilities 1-4: Hold ZL (NS), LT (XB), or L2 (PS) and then press the corresponding and displayed face button.
  • On PC, press 1-4 on the keyboard.
• Abilities 5-6: Hold ZR (NS), RT (XB), or R2 (PS) and then press the corresponding and displayed face button.
  • On PC, press 5-6 on the keyboard.
• Consumable: Hold ZR (NS), RT (XB), or R2 (PS) and then press A (NS), B (XB), or Circle (PS).
  • On PC, press 7 on the keyboard.
• Trinket: Hold ZR (NS), RT (XB), or R2 (PS) and then press B (NS), A (XB), or X (PS).
  • On PC, press 8 on the keyboard.
• Utility Belt: Hold ZR (NS), RT (XB), or R2 (PS), then press B (NS), A (XB), or X (PS), and finally press the corresponding and displayed face button.
  • On PC, press 9, 0, -, or =.
  • NOTE: Utility Belts replace your Trinket slot, and allow you to have up to four further consumables or trinkets available

There is a lot to cover about how to choose your loadouts and abilities, so we have that covered separately in the Powers guide.