Launch (XC2)

Launch is a in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna ~ The Golden Country. A character inflicted with Launch cannot attack, evade, or move, and they take 50% additional which stacks additively with extra damage from Fusion Combos. Launched enemies will not fall under gravity, even if there is no ground beneath them. Launching an enemy causes a medium HP Potion to spawn.
Launch is the third stage of the Driver Combo; all Launch-inducing player attacks require to be inflicted first, and all -inducing player attacks require Launch to be inflicted first. This does not always apply to enemies, as many enemy arts can "force" a later combo stage without needing the previous one. Enemies may also have arts that apply a durationless Launch to themselves for the art's duration, which may be the only way to Smash a foe that is otherwise immune to another stage.
Unlike and Topple, the duration of a Launch inflicted on an enemy is somewhat fixed once it is applied. It cannot be paused or extended by a level or . It can be extended by a stage 3 Blade Combo, but only if the Blade Combo is initiated while the enemy is still spinning, not once the enemy starts slowing down. In these non-extendable situations, the onscreen timing bar will still behave as if it can be extended, so under these conditions the effect will end seemingly abruptly before the meter runs out. This odd behavior is changed in Torna to be more consistent, and Launch can be extended as expected in all situations. When it is inflicted on party members, button mashing can be used to reduce its duration, though -controlled party members will not try.
Launch, like the other reactions, is not guaranteed to be inflicted. The chance of a Launch occurring is given by the reaction infliction formula.
==List of arts that can inflict Launch==
===By party members===
====Xenoblade Chronicles 2====
====Torna ~ The Golden Country====
===By enemies===
====Enemy arts that launch the target====
====Enemy arts that launch the user====
==Strategy==
Launch, despite how it may initially appear, is not merely a stronger form of . The inability to pause or slow its timer is a major weakness and makes it very difficult to stack Fusion Combos upon, or use in s.
Launch has four major use cases. The first is advancing to , which has its own host of benefits. When using Launch for the purpose of Smashing, be aware that Smash's slam damage scales with the remaining duration of Launch; as such, it is usually beneficial both to Smash as soon as possible and to extend Launch's duration as long as possible with accessories, Fusion Combos, and Fusion Combo-boosting effects. The second use case is in extending the benefits of Topple, providing an extra HP potion and preventing the enemy from attacking and dodging for a solid additional duration.
The third is in inflicting quick Fusion Combos under time pressure: it is often easier technically to inflict a single Blade Combo stage on a Launch than two Blade Combo stages on the same Topple. This provides only a +125-150% damage bonus (75-100% from the Fusion Combo plus 50% from the Launch) as opposed to a Topple double-stack's +175%, but it is generally more realistic for less skilled players to perform than Fusion Combo stacking, and the benefits of finishing a Blade Combo on a Launch over a Topple (and especially over no Driver Combo) are still great, assuming the damage cap is not being reached.
The fourth, which applies primarily to optimised postgame play, is that several strong damage over time-based setups perform best on a Launch due to 's Pyrotechnics and/or 's Battle Wisdom. When speedrunning , Fusion Combo stacking is often too slow for its worth, especially because using a single Blade Combo stage is enough to near-damage cap anyway; depending upon the specific setup, doing this single stage on a Launch may be the most powerful option.
Like Topple, it is unnecessary to have many sources of Launch in the party even if it is an integral part of one's strategy. Launch is not as easy to come across as Topple in many cases; 's Stratospheric Thunder and Ragnarok Slash stand out for being both consistent on the and fast enough for most purposes. is available earlier and very fast (and can be used with for the Fusion Combo bonus to Launch duration, or with for additional elemental weakness damage), but beware that 's AI will not switch to a if she can continue a Blade Combo and the other Blade would not; as such, Nia's Blades' elements must be chosen and the combo route planned carefully for the AI to use this option consistently. Setups focused on Launching are most consistent when is controlled, as his Swooshing Slash is fast and he also has easy access to Speedy Sword for Breaking, but he is inconsistent on the AI.
==Trivia==
* Enemies cannot deaggro while they are launched, unless a party member climbs a ladder or similar surface to instantly deaggro all enemies.
==In other languages==
==Gallery==
Launched enemy (XC2).jpg|A Feris is launched