Control Resonant’s combat revolves around constant aggression. You’re meant to close distance, chain combos, and stay in enemies’ faces. But sometimes the smarter play is to back off and let your power bar do the talking. That’s where the Barrage ability enters.<\/p>\n
Barrage is one of three choices you get from the Downtown Resident, the first resonant boss you can fight after the prologue. It replaces the Shield and Volatile Anomaly if you pick it. Here’s how to use it, when it shines, and what synergies make it worth keeping.<\/p>\n
Barrage fires a stream of kinetic projectiles. Each hit does modest damage and builds falter \u2014 but not as much as a single shield bash or a fully charged Volatile Anomaly throw. The key is the charge mechanic.<\/p>\n
Tap the ability button and you’ll get a rapid volley of small projectiles. Hold the button down and Dylan charges a larger shot. The charged version deals roughly three times the damage per hit of the uncharged stream. In practice, that means you want to hold Barrage whenever you have a clear window \u2014 not mash it.<\/p>\n
The range is substantial. You can hit enemies across a typical arena, including Hiss Elevated that hover on rooftops or Mold clusters that stay at a distance. This makes Barrage the only direct ranged combat ability for a melee-first character.<\/p>\n
Defeat the Downtown Resident \u2014 the factory boss with the fire-theme fight. After the battle, you’ll enter the Gap and choose between Barrage, Shield, and Volatile Anomaly. You can test each one in the practice arena before locking in. If you pick Barrage and later regret it, you can respec using a Reset Item (costs 1,500 Source from vendors or drops from vending machines).<\/p>\n
Most players treat Barrage as a ranged spam tool. That’s a mistake. The uncharged stream depletes your power bar fast and barely tickles armored enemies. Instead, use it in specific situations:<\/p>\n
Against aerial enemies.<\/strong> Hiss Elevated hover above ground and dodge melee attacks. A quick charged Barrage knocks them down, allowing you to follow up with a hammer crush or drill spin. The projectile’s knockback also pushes them into walls for extra falter buildup.<\/p>\n When you need to break distance.<\/strong> If a Heavy Hiss is winding up a ground slam, back-dodge and hold Barrage. The charge time aligns with the attack’s recovery window. Release as they land \u2014 you’ll hit them in the vulnerable frame and build falter for an execution.<\/p>\n To activate Dominance from safe range.<\/strong> If you have a grunt at low health, a single charged Barrage can finish them off and trigger Dominance (8 seconds of double primary damage). This is especially useful when you’re low on health and don’t want to close distance.<\/p>\n The flame ability Ignite coats Dylan’s weapons in fire. Cast Ignite first, then use Barrage \u2014 every projectile becomes a fire projectile. This is the only way to apply Burn at range.<\/p>\n Against Mold enemies in the Park, this combo is devastating. Mold is weak to fire. A charged fire Barrage hits for around 400 damage at base, and the Burn status deals additional DoT over 5 seconds. You can clear a nest of spore spitters without ever stepping into their poison cloud.<\/p>\n The combination also works for the explosion chain: infected status (from Growth spores) plus Burn triggers an AOE detonation. Barrage lets you apply that Burn from a safe distance after your Growth turret has infected a group.<\/p>\n In close-quarters boss fights, Barrage underperforms compared to Shield or Volatile Anomaly. The Dancer Resident boss, for example, has fast lunges. You’ll waste power charging Barrage while they’re already in melee range. Swap to a different ability set for that encounter.<\/p>\n Also avoid Barrage against heavily armored enemies like the Hiss Guards. The projectiles do low blunt damage. The hammer’s charged attack breaks armor in three hits; Barrage needs ten times as many. Just swap loadouts mid-fight \u2014 you can change combat abilities anytime as long as you’re not actively attacking.<\/p>\n The talent tree includes several nodes that improve combat abilities directly. Prioritize these:<\/p>\n The Gap lets you spar against a dummy without consequences. Spend five minutes holding Barrage at various distances. You’ll learn the exact charge window \u2014 about 0.8 seconds for full power \u2014 and see how far the projectile travels before dissipating. That muscle memory saves you when a Resident boss is teleporting around a parking garage.<\/p>\nPowerful Synergy: Barrage + Ignite<\/h2>\n
When Not to Use Barrage<\/h2>\n
Talents That Boost Barrage<\/h2>\n
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Final Tip: Practice the Charge Timing in the Gap’s Arena<\/h2>\n