What does break actually buy?
Every elite and boss has a hidden Stun Buildup bar that fills from damage, parry counters and break-oriented skills. When it fills, the target is stunned and the execution prompt appears. Executions deal heavy damage and leave the party in a better position for the next phase; Break Exploit is the named break-amplification system.
That is why a four-star Break Suppressor can shorten an elite fight more than another five-star damage dealer: the execution window is shared value.
Lorin: Sway routing and Street Smarts
Lorin runs Reflex Fist, a five-hit string, and Street Smarts comes in at 5 / 5 / 20 / 10 / 20. Hit four is the trough: 10 Street Smarts and 9.99% damage. Hit five returns 20 and deals 45.27%, larger than either charged attack. No cap is published.
Sway is the mechanic that makes the kit work. Press dodge before the current attack finishes and Lorin sways out while staying inside the combo; press basic attack during Sway and you re-enter at a fixed hit.
| Sway triggered during | Next basic attack resumes at |
|---|---|
| Hit 1 | Hit 3 |
| Hit 2 | Hit 3 |
| Hit 3 | Hit 5 |
| Hit 4 | Hit 5 |
| Hit 5 | Hit 3 |
| Skill | Hit 5 |
| Ultimate | Hit 5 |
A perfect dodge pays 5 Street Smarts. A perfect dodge performed through Sway pays 20 — four times as much. Dodge from neutral for safety; dodge out of an attack when you want the resource.
Full damage table: Lorin build.
Captain Kaboom: Pressure and the tiered spin
Kaboom runs Maintenance Calliper, a four-hit string, with Pressure gains back-loaded at 5 / 10 / 10 / 40. The cap is 90, so one full string plus a pursuit is 70 of 90 — and hit four alone accounts for most of it. Hit four is also the biggest percentage in the kit at 114.50%, so the damage spike and the resource spike arrive on the same input.
| Pressure state | Charge behaviour |
|---|---|
| Below 30 | Heavy hit, adds 5 Pressure |
| Above 30 | Lv1 tier, small area |
| Each further 30 points | One tier higher |
| Top of the 90 bar | Lv3, maximum area described |
During the charge spin, Kaboom takes 50% less damage. That is what makes a slow, committed area attack usable in front of an elite — but damage reduction is not stagger immunity, so an interrupted charge still wastes the setup.
A parry chains into hit three, which is already 10 Pressure. A perfect dodge fires the Lv2 Coup de Grâce immediately, and that version interrupts.
Full damage table: Captain Kaboom build.
Lorin vs Captain Kaboom
| Lorin | Captain Kaboom | |
|---|---|---|
| Rarity / Reactor | 4★ Fulmen | 4★ Radiatio |
| Identity | Guardian | Saviour |
| Resource | Street Smarts, no published cap | Pressure, cap 90 |
| String | 5 hits | 4 hits |
| Signature | Sway combo bridge | Tiered spin |
| Defensive value | Combo continuity | 50% damage reduction while spinning |
| Best against | Mobile singles, parry-heavy play | Packs, committed animations |
Why this works: break value is hits per minute times gauge contribution per hit. Lorin gets more hits because Sway prevents resets. Kaboom gets more gauge per hit because hit four is worth 40 and the spin covers an area. Build the rotation around whichever multiplier your fight rewards.
Which break character for which fight?
| Fight shape | Pick | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| One mobile elite, lots of yellow rings | Lorin | Sway preserves the string and pays 20 on a perfect dodge |
| Several targets grouped together | Captain Kaboom | The tiered spin spreads break damage across a pack |
| You need a safe, committed animation | Captain Kaboom | 50% damage reduction during the spin |
| You want the fastest execution window | Lorin | Hit frequency and combo continuity |
Common questions
Does Sway replace the normal dodge?
No. You can still dodge from neutral. Sway is the narrower input, a dodge at the tail of an attack, and the Lorin build walks through the timing.
Does Kaboom's spin consume Pressure?
The CBT2 sheet describes the tiers and the 90 cap but not a spend. Do not assume the bar empties.
Is there a Street Smarts cap?
No cap is published for CBT2, so do not plan around one.
Which break character is better?
They share a role label and different shapes. Choose by fight: a five-hit string with a dodge bridge, or a single huge hit with a wide spin.