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CONTROL Resonant Combat & Skills Shape Dylan's Build

Compare Aberrant Forms, Combat Abilities, Talents and Artifacts by what they do in a fight. See which choices affect traversal and which belong in a combat loadout.

01 / The question

Which systems make up a combat build?

We break a build into four parts: the Aberrant supplies weapon Forms, Resonants grant Combat Abilities, Talents shape progression, and Artifacts add passive effects. Reach and Shift solve movement problems rather than filling boss-granted attack slots.

Field comparison

Which choices change how a build plays?

Weapon Forms, powers, Talents and Artifacts are separate systems; a term describing a slot is not an item.

System	How the choice opens	Known role	Known limit or caveat
Strike	Opening Primary Form choice	Fast twin-dagger attacks for close pressure	Compare the equipped value before treating critical chance as a fixed build rule
Glaive	Opening Primary Form choice	Wide sweeps built around controlling groups	Its coverage does not replace a single-target option in every encounter
Cleave	Opening Primary Form choice	Focused strikes that gain extra damage from behind	The positional bonus still requires a safe route to the target's back
Crush	Opening Secondary Form choice	Slow hammer blows with high commitment and impact	Final stagger values are not published
Drill	Opening Secondary Form choice	Multi-hit piercing pressure on a lined-up target	Resource costs and upgrade values are not published
Extend	Opening Secondary Form choice	A long-range flail for attacking beyond immediate melee range	It does not turn Dylan into a conventional ranged shooter
Barrage	Released Artist reward choice	Telekinetic projectiles for direct ranged pressure	A first-run choice may exclude another reward until NG+
Volatile Anomaly	Released Artist reward choice	A summoned entity that can be thrown and detonated	Summon duration and final cooldowns are not published
Shield	Released Artist reward choice	Floating debris for defense with an offensive follow-up	A first-run choice may exclude another reward until NG+
Falter and Execution	Pressure vulnerable enemies until an execution opens	Execute an eligible normal enemy to start the next offensive state	Boss health checkpoints change how repeated attempts are paced
Dominance	Triggered after an execution	Temporarily strengthen melee and make defeated enemies a dependable source of health	Command and summon abilities—not Dominance—add temporary allies
Talents	Progression trees	Modify synergies and combat behavior	Additional nodes open in NG+
Artifacts	Craft Untapped Artifacts in the Gap	Passive modifiers and trade-offs	Three equipped in the first run; a fourth slot opens in NG+
Reach and Shift	Story-linked traversal	Open gravity-altered routes and change combat positioning	Traversal powers are not Combat Ability slots

Combat Ability sources

Which encounter opens each ability branch?

Combat Abilities come from Resonant decisions. Traversal abilities such as Reach and Shift come from the Search for Jesse route instead.

Progression point	Ability choice	Build problem it can address
The Artist	Barrage, Volatile Anomaly or Shield	Approach at an angle instead of waiting at range
Central	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Ignite or Inferno	Close distance past the opening lava attack
West Incursion Zone	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Push or Ground Slam	Maintain pressure instead of circling at long range
The Park	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Spore Burst or Growth	Remove one active tentacle before changing targets
Underpass	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Spike or Astral Rebuke	Clear the Astral-key route before treating the marker as a combat problem
The Unknown	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Command	Treat the Command meter as a time limit
The Unknown	Optional spoilerReveal ability reward Living Shard	Damage the linked enemies instead of waiting for the core itself to open

Field files

Aberrant Forms, Abilities and progression

These have enough distinct facts and player context for a dedicated file.

The AberrantShapeshifting melee weapon

Dylan's transforming weapon is the center of Resonant's melee combat and the anchor for Primary, Secondary and Combo Ender choices.

ReachTraversal ability

Reach is the traversal reward from the released Subway Fault route, not a boss-granted Combat Ability slot.

Aberrant Forms ComparedWeapon-form system

Six named early weapon choices divide into Primary and Secondary Forms. They change the speed, reach and target pattern of Dylan's transforming Aberrant rather than representing six separate loot drops.

Combat Abilities ComparedSupernatural ability system

Barrage, Volatile Anomaly and Shield are The Artist's three released reward choices, covering direct ranged pressure, a throwable summon and defense that can become a Shield Bash.

Artifacts and CraftingPassive equipment system

Artifacts are passive equipment crafted from Untapped Artifacts in the Gap. The known first-run limit is three equipped slots; New Game Plus opens a fourth.

New Game PlusReplay and progression mode

NG+ carries much of Dylan's combat progression into a fresh run while story-gated traversal abilities reset. Update 1.4.0 adds repeatable New Game++ cycles without a fixed run limit.

Current indexed topics / not a full-game list

Combat systems and named equipment

We use review impressions to explain how a system feels in practice, but we leave exact values open until they can be checked on a known game version.

Find a topicFilter by type35 of 35 topics

Topic	System or equipment	Known combat use
Barrage ↗	Combat Ability	Pulls rocks from the ground and launches them at range. Xbox Wire saw it offered among three ability choices after an early Resonant Entity fight.Use its ranged role to cover targets the close-quarters Aberrant cannot safely reach. Damage and cooldown depend on the current build and game version.
Shield ↗	Combat Ability	Raises floating rocks defensively and can turn them into an offensive Shield Bash during a dodge. It is one of The Artist's three released reward choices.Treat Shield as an offensive-defensive choice, not a guarantee that every attack can be blocked. Test its limits against the encounter in front of you.
Volatile Anomaly ↗	Combat Ability	Summons a volatile entity that Dylan can throw and detonate. It is the released name for the summon-style option offered after The Artist.Use it when you want independent pressure and a prepared explosive hit while Dylan repositions.
Growth ↗	Combat Ability	Creates an allied Mold growth that attacks independently and builds Infected while Dylan continues fighting elsewhere.Choose autonomous Mold pressure when the rest of the build benefits from attacking a different target or moving during the application.
Falter ↗	Combat state	Pressure fills an enemy's Falter state. Normal enemies become eligible for an execution, while bosses enter a staggered damage window. Assist Mode includes a separate Outgoing Falter adjustment.We use Falter to create the next opening: execute an eligible normal enemy to start Dominance, or spend a boss stagger window on safe damage.
Execution ↗	Combat loop reward	Executing an eligible faltered enemy starts Dominance, feeding the next Aberrant-centered attack sequence with a temporary melee boost and more reliable health drops.
Dominance ↗	Post-execution combat state	A short state triggered by an execution. It temporarily increases Dylan's melee damage and makes enemies defeated during the window a dependable source of health.We spend Dominance on the next dangerous target while keeping weaker enemies available to extend the health-recovery rhythm. Command and summon abilities are the tools that add temporary allies.
Elemental and status effects ↗	Ability behavior	Released ability branches include Burn, Infected and Astralized interactions. Exact values depend on Ability Strength and the current build.
Resonant ability choice ↗	Boss reward	Major Resonants grant unique Combat Ability choices. A later NG+ run can pursue another ability branch from the same boss.
Reach ↗	Traversal ability	Cross altered spaces with a grappling-style moveIf the route needs a grappling-style movement unlock, look for Reach rather than search the Combat Ability loadout. The two systems solve different problems.
Strike ↗	Primary Form	A fast Primary Form built around quick close-range attacks and a higher critical-hit chance.Consider Strike when short attack windows and repeated close hits matter more than reach.
Glaive ↗	Primary Form	A wide-sweeping Primary Form designed to cover space and catch groups of enemies.Consider Glaive when several enemies are crowding the same approach.
Cleave ↗	Primary Form	A focused Primary Form that deals extra damage when Dylan attacks an enemy from behind.Consider Cleave when you can create a flank instead of trading directly in front of a target.
Crush ↗	Secondary Form	A hammer-like Secondary Form that turns a slower commitment into a heavy smash.Because it commits more slowly, we would test its attack windows against mobile enemies instead of assuming every heavy hit will land.
Drill ↗	Secondary Form	A multi-hit piercing Secondary Form for holding pressure on a lined-up target.We read sustained contact as its shown role, not as a verified final damage-per-second figure.
Extend ↗	Secondary Form	A long-range flail Secondary Form that extends a melee setup beyond immediate striking distance.Use its extra range when a close-range Primary leaves you unable to maintain contact. Exact hitboxes and upgrade ranks remain version-sensitive.
Badge 11-60 ↗	Opening Artifact	Reduces damage from environmental hazards. The Artist awards its Untapped recipe during Orientation.
Lighter ↗	Central reward	Slows the buildup of Burn. Its Untapped recipe comes from The Deserter in the Central Resonant route.
Amulet ↗	West Incursion reward	Adds five percent melee critical chance. Its Untapped recipe comes from The Dancer.
Face Mask ↗	Park reward	Slows the buildup of the Infected status. Its Untapped recipe comes from The Collective.
Golden Earrings ↗	Underpass reward	Adds twenty percent Falter while reducing damage by thirty percent. Its Untapped recipe comes from The Physicist.
1996 Commemorative Coin ↗	Unknown reward	Makes Health Elements restore more health. Its Untapped recipe comes from The Co-Director.
Worn Eraser ↗	Story reward	Increases resistance to negative status effects. Its Untapped recipe comes from the Hedron encounter.
The Aberrant ↗	Resonant	MeleeWe compare reach, recovery and attack flow when trying Forms. A dramatic silhouette alone is not enough for us to call the damage or a best build.
Untapped Artifacts ↗	Resonant	Artifact craftingBefore committing to a setup, read the resulting effect and any activation condition. The original object's name is not a reliable description of the finished bonus.
Pickpocket's Tool ↗	Resonant	A named Artifact included in the advertised preorder offer. The name does not prove a theft mechanic, extra currency, a loot multiplier or any particular combat bonus.We would check the exact edition and platform listing before buying. Until the effect is verified, we would not plan an economy build around it.
Wallet ↗	Resonant	Wallet is listed as an Untapped Artifact in the Digital Deluxe package. It is an item name, not evidence that the game gives you more money or a larger inventory.If you are comparing editions, separate this uncrafted item from immediately usable cosmetics and from early-access terms.
Communications Department Headset ↗	Resonant	The announcement-era Wiki records this headset as a newsletter signup item. Treat it as an appearance bonus, not a confirmed Combat Ability or an Artifact with passive stats.We keep newsletter rewards separate from store preorder bonuses. Buying an edition does not automatically prove newsletter eligibility.
Optical Filtering Goggles ↗	Resonant	These goggles are the other signup item named in the Wiki overview. There is no basis in that listing for assigning them enhanced vision, hidden-object detection or a damage bonus.We would follow the official reward instructions for your platform. This reference cannot promise that an earlier promotion is still redeemable.
Service Weapon ↗Series background	CONTROL (2019)	Jesse's changing firearm is associated with the FBC Director and the Board. It helps explain why the Aberrant is compared with it, but the two weapons should not share a build list.If a guide recommends Grip or another Service Weapon Form, check which game it covers. A CONTROL gun configuration is not automatically usable in Resonant.
Slide Projector ↗Series background	CONTROL (2019)	This Object of Power opens doorways through its slides. Its connection to the Ordinary incident makes it important to the Faden siblings' history, not a normal item to add to a Resonant combat build.Read this as story context. The Wiki's Research Sector containment information is not a confirmed Resonant pickup location.
Aberrant Forms Compared ↗	Weapon-form system	Six named early weapon choices divide into Primary and Secondary Forms. They change the speed, reach and target pattern of Dylan's transforming Aberrant rather than representing six separate loot drops.
Combat Abilities Compared ↗	Supernatural ability system	Barrage, Volatile Anomaly and Shield are The Artist's three released reward choices, covering direct ranged pressure, a throwable summon and defense that can become a Shield Bash.
Artifacts and Crafting ↗	Passive equipment system	Artifacts are passive equipment crafted from Untapped Artifacts in the Gap. The known first-run limit is three equipped slots; New Game Plus opens a fourth.
New Game Plus ↗	Replay and progression mode	NG+ carries much of Dylan's combat progression into a fresh run while story-gated traversal abilities reset. Update 1.4.0 adds repeatable New Game++ cycles without a fixed run limit.