Player 1 uses the 'Spinning Slash' Weapon Skill for 850 points of damage. Level 3 skillchains, though, have the possibility to match the damage dealt by the second Weapon Skill: The resulting Fragmentation damage was exactly half of the damage inflicted by Player 2's Raging Rush, because the foe showed weak elemental resistance to the Wind or Lightning elements. Player 2 uses the 'Raging Rush' Weapon Skill for 1050 points of damage. Player 1 uses the 'Raging Rush' Weapon Skill for 450 points of damage. Level 1 and 2 skillchains, unresisted, will result in skillchain damage equaling exactly half the damage of the second Weapon Skill in the sequence. The damage of the a skillchain is often affected directly by the amount of damage inflicted by the second player's Weapon Skill as well as the recipient foe's capabilities to resist the type of elemental damage in question. However, with the inclusion of special Weapon Skills available only to wielders of Relic Weapons (generally each job's strongest weapon), it is possible to extend the sequence by one additional Level 3 skillchain. Under normal circumstances, the appearance of a Level 3 skillchain will end the chain of Weapon Skills, and spellcasting allies will be forced to attempt their Magic Burst at such a time. In fact, it is theoretically possible to continue Level 1 and Level 2 skillchains indefinitely by further executing Weapon Skills of the proper type. Though the vast majority of skillchains are created with the use of only two Weapon Skills, multiple Weapon Skills can be used in succession to create stronger skillchains. For example, the Lightning element, for whatever reason, is the strongest elemental type it is customary to instigate a Level 3 'Light' skillchain on an enemy, and for a battalion of Black Mages to simultaneously send a volley of Burst II spells (the strongest Lightning-elemental offensive magic spell available to players) to take advantage of the Magic Burst. Level 3 skillchains involve four elements, and are used widely by the endgame community in the vanquishing of powerful foes where spiked damage is favored over copious, stable damage-over-time. Level 2 skillchains involve two different elements working in tandem, and produce a stronger damage bonus than Level 1 skillchains. Level 1 skillchains involve only one elemental type, and produce the weakest bonus damage on element. There are three different tiers of skillchain.

The type of spell cast is irrelevant-elemental magic will increase in damage, bard songs will have raised potency, even ninjutsu can be affected by Magic Burst. Once a skillchain is executed, a brief window of opportunity arises for allied players to cast spells with an element in correspondence to the skillchain type if cast with proper timing, this spell will gain a (sometimes very significant) boost in its power, called a Magic Burst, which returns a unique message in the dialogue box.

This causes an additional effect which grants extra damage, as well as focusing (to some extent) the damaging effects of the second Weapon skill, so even on a very basic level, the advantages to a skillchain become quickly apparent. Skillchains exist in Final Fantasy XI, called Renkei by the Japanese playing community and, at their simplest, they basically involve two characters performing a weapon skill in quick succession.

Ffxi skillchain chart toau