Master high-score tactics and rune coin gain with optimized solo combos in Deathtrap!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Sr_xrLBkCw
https://youtu.be/OM_ncV-kmlU
Most of this can also be applied and used in coop for even higher combos.

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Combos are a core mechanic in Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap, rewarding you with rune coins, overdrive charge, and score when enemies are hit by multiple sources of damage or status effects before they die.

To get a combo, you need to hit an enemy with at least 3 different damage/status sources in the last 2 seconds before death. The more sources, the bigger the combo!

Example 6x Combo:

• Brimstone Burn
  
• Brimstone Fire Damage
  
• Ice Lance Damage
  
• Freeze status
  
• Acid Geyser Damage
  
• Melt status

Combo Timer Note:
The combo timer is paused if the enemy is being launched or ragdolled.

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Not the highest theoretical combo setup, focusing on consistency instead

Should work with any War Mage

You can achieve consistent x20+ combos using the following setup:

Ability Elixir used

Traps Used (All Fully Upgraded):

• Molten Gold (x3) – Shiny status + damage + slow status from thread
  
• Acid Geyser (x2) – Melting status + acid damage
  
• Poison Gas Emitter (x2) – Poisoned status + poison damage
  
• Wall Scorcher (x2) – Burning status + fire damage
  
• Shock Zapper (x3) – Electrified status + lightning damage + extra combo from thread
  
• Wall Blades (x3) – Damage + Rend status + Stun status
  
• Minecart Dispenser (x4) – Damage + Launched status + extra combo from explosion from thread + extra combo from thread (Maximilian only)
  
• Ice Lance (x3) – Ice damage + Freeze + damage from thread

Theoretical total from traps: x21 (x22 with Maximilian exclusive thread)

Potential combos of Gabriella:

• Primary Attack (x2) – Damage + Pox status
  
• Secondary Attack (x1) – Damage (+ Pox shared with Primary)
  
• Special Ability (x0) – (Launched status shared with physics trap: minecart + Pox from thread shared with Primary)
  
• Overdrive (x0?) – Charm status?
  
• Passive (x1) – Damage from thread

Potential extra combos:

• Headshot (x1) – Extra combo from thread
  
• Hazard kill (x1) – Extra combo from thread

Theoretical total from Gabriella + extra: x4 + x2

Theoretical total: x28

Relevant Threads used:

• Chain Combo – +1 when Chain Lightning activates
  
• Prolific Lightning
  
• Old Mining Buddy – Minecart hit adds +1 combo
  
• Hazardous Cargo
  
• Go For the Head – Headshots with ranged add +1 combo
  
• Weighed Down – Molten Gold Slow status
  
• Heat Exhaustion – Wall scorcher Slow status
  
• Floor Scorcher
  
• Rending Blades
  
• Stunning Blades
  
• Troll Launcher
  
• Fun With Physics – +1 combo from hazard kills
  
• Frostbite – +1 combo from extra damage
  
  
• Devious Tactics
  
• Versatility
  
• Superspreader
  
• Collective Punishment
  
• Shockwave

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Recommended Map Layout:
Any map that allows routing all enemies through a long corridor with ceiling and wall trap space. Preferably a corner where to launch/focus the kills.

Combo Strategy:

• Stack damage/status variety rather than high raw damage
  
• Slow enemies with Tar Traps or Web Spinners (or threads if available)
  
• Try to route enemies through as many traps as possible
  
• Avoid overkilling early—let traps do their thing first
  
• Avoid Sentinels (they kill too early and aggro enemies)
  
• Use ragdolling traps sparingly, since they pause the combo timer (careful with overkill, launched status doubles damage received)

• Make use of the aggro and enrage mechanics to manipulate wave flow. Lure Ogres over barricades to make them sprint across the traps. Hide from ranged enemies to prevent them from not moving through barricades.
  
• For high single combos, make all traps converge to a single point in the killbox and aim to kill enemies within that point. Focus on the enemies with highest health, soften them up if needed shortly before reaching the killing point and then unleash all abilities for max combo.
  
• For high consistent combos, use traps with lingering damage, high uptime and long status-effects. Spread and space the trap variety, redundancy helps consistency. Try hitting as many as possible with abilities and primary attacks.
  
• Threads that add damage to abilities and traps that don't usually deal damage, add combo point too in some cases.
  
• On top of the threads that add a combo point, other threads that shorten cooldown, increase duration of effect/damage and similar also improve the combo consistency.
  
• Ability Elixir is the best for combo consistency, allowing all heroes to use their abilities more often.

Should work with any other War Mage, they all have means to add x3 or more combos with their kits

Traps

• Flip Trap / Steam Vent – Discarded due to no extra combo from thread compared to Minecart
  
• Laser / Acid Shower/ Rip Saw – awkward shape/placement (Could be good addition in coop)
  
• Arrow wall / Saw Blade / Pounder / Wall Charger – Less combos than Wallblade (could be good addition in coop for consistency)
  
• Tar / Shiny Tar – Only 1 combo point (shiny already covered by molten gold)
  
• Grinder / Brimstone – Inconsistent and low uptime
  
• Webspinner – Hard to fit in killbox
  
• Poison Flower – It's damage combo point is only the initial hit, long cooldown, inconsistent and low uptime (already apply poison with emitter)
  
• Bee Hive – Potentially bugged, even with threads is only x1 combo ( +1 poison but is shared with emitter)

Other traps either have too high damage or only add a single combo point. Killbox can only fit so many traps. But some like magic orb and ballista could be a decent addition in coop

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• Fun With Physics – +1 combo from hazard kills
  
• Chain Combo – +1 when Chain Lightning activates
  
• Combo Maker – Rip Saw adds +1 combo
  
• Combo Support – Web Spinner adds +1 combo
  
• Stunning Combos – Max’s Stun Bolt adds +1 combo
  
• Old Mining Buddy – Minecart hit adds +1 combo
  
• Combo Expert – Gravity Blast adds +1 combo
  
• Hit Them Where It Hurts – Melee crits add +1 combo
  
• Go For the Head – Headshots with ranged add +1 combo

• Parting Gift
  
• Revenge Blast
  
• Gravitational Wave
  
• Shocking Development
  
• Miniature Orc Eater
  
• Razor Web
  
• Migration Season
  
  
  
• Threads that add Elements for Weapons (Fire, Ice, Poison, etc)
  
• Threads that add Elements for Traps
  
• Threads that add Status for Traps/Abilities (Rend, Stun, Slow, etc)

It's a long list. Any thread that improves any of the following (non-complete list)

• Trap/Ability Duration increase
  
• Trap/Ability Cooldown decrease
  
• Status Duration increase
  
• Bigger Area of attack/damage/effect
  
• Trap/Ability additional charges or ammo

It's a long list. Any thread that (non-complete list)

• Trap/Ability Damage increase or critical chance increase ( as long as you can still kill enemies fast enough without it)
  
• Trap/Ability Cooldown increase / Status Duration decrease / Smaller Area of attack/damage

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Hope this helped you master the art of Combo farming in Orcs Must Die: Deathtrap!