Welcome to an advanced breakdown of one of Astral Chain’s most intricate and rewarding mechanics: Dodge Offset. A staple of PlatinumGames design dating back to Bayonetta, Dodge Offset allows you to retain your position in a combo string even after executing a dodge. While Astral Chain is less combo-heavy than some of Platinum’s other titles, it still houses a surprisingly deep combat system—and mastering this core technique can completely change your gameplay.

Let’s dive into how Dodge Offset works, and how you can creatively combine it with weapon switching, Legion control, and Command Skills to create some wild, fluid combat chains.

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What Is Dodge Offset?

At its core, Dodge Offset allows you to continue a combo string even if you’re forced to dodge mid-combo. Without it, any dodge would reset your inputs and force you to start from the beginning. With Dodge Offset, your position in the combo string is saved through the dodge.

For example, the Gladius weapon has a five-input combo string. If you perform four inputs, dodge, and then continue attacking, you will pick up at the fifth input instead of restarting. This is the foundation for all the advanced tricks to come.

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1. Dodge Offset + Legion Switching

By default, switching Legions during a combo resets your string. But if you dodge and switch Legions during the dodge, you can keep your combo string intact. This makes it possible to flow seamlessly from one Legion’s support to another, maintaining offensive pressure and fluidity.

Even better: if you hold down the Y button while switching Legions, the Dodge Offset still works. That means you can apply this to multi-Legion swaps, though be warned—there can be a slight delay before you can input the next attack.

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2. Dodge Offset + Perfect Call

This next technique is tricky but highly rewarding. Perfect Call is a defensive technique where you summon your Legion just as you’re about to be hit, negating the attack. When done correctly within a Dodge Offset string (particularly with the Gun or Gladius), it allows you to continue your combo after executing a Perfect Call.

The flow is:

1. Start a combo string.
2. Dodge Offset to retain your combo.
3. Perform a Perfect Call.
4. Continue the combo after the call ends.

It’s highly timing-sensitive, but once mastered, it’s a flashy and effective way to keep pressure on your enemies while slipping through their attacks.

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3. Dodge Offset + Command Skills

Here’s where it starts getting wild. Command Skills (like 360-degree spins or specific inputs) can be woven directly into your combo string using Dodge Offset. Here’s a practical application:

• Use the Baton’s 6-hit combo.
• Input four attacks.
• Dodge.
• Perform a 360 Command Skill.
• Dodge again.
• Resume your combo.

Three key rules to keep in mind:

1. Delay Attacks don’t work well with Dodge Offset across all weapons.
2. You don’t have to dodge after a command input, but it helps cancel recovery frames and keep the combo smooth.
3. To chain multiple Command Skills, you’ll need to dodge between them to preserve the offset.

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4. Command Skills + Sync Attacks

Once you start adding Sync Attacks into the equation, things get more complex—and some weapons behave differently:

• Baton loses its combo position after a Sync Attack.
• Gladius Sync Attacks (especially those that launch you) tend to interrupt the combo string entirely.
• Gun fares better, but Arm Legion introduces an odd caveat—you need to repeat your last input after Dodge Offset to pick up the combo again.

In essence, some setups will break the combo flow entirely, while others allow it with careful input repetition and timing.

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5. Dodge Offset + Weapon Switching

Yes, you can even apply Dodge Offset across different weapons. Here’s how:

1. Begin a combo with Weapon A (e.g., Gladius).
2. Dodge.
3. Switch to Weapon B (e.g., Gun).
4. Dodge again.
5. Switch back to Weapon A.
6. Resume the combo from where you left off.

This lets you create weapon-to-weapon combo extensions, and you can take it further by combining it with Command Skills and Sync Attacks. The layering potential is impressive—even if it’s not always practical in high-pressure scenarios.

Note: The Baton is not ideal for starting these chains. Weapon behavior varies, and there are numerous edge cases.

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Some Examples and Real-World Use

Toward the end of the tutorial, examples show how deep these techniques can go. While not all of them will be practical in every encounter (especially in postgame missions where enemies are tougher and less forgiving), they do allow for maximum expression, efficiency, and style.

Whether you’re looking to break speed records, execute flawless style chains, or simply explore the game’s mechanics to their fullest, these tricks open up a whole new layer to Astral Chain’s combat.

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Final Thoughts

While Astral Chain doesn’t lean into extended combos the way Bayonetta or Transformers: Devastation do, it still offers a playground for combat experimentation. Dodge Offset is a key that unlocks many of the game’s hidden mechanics and lets players string together impressive chains that blend weapons, Legions, and techniques in smooth, stylish ways.

Whether you’re looking to master high-level combat or just show off some flash during battle, incorporating Dodge Offset into your routine will elevate your play significantly.