Skyrim's combo meter rewards a varied fighting style

Image credit: Combo System by RetiredViny via Nexus Mods.

Skyrim combat can reward variety in more ways than simply ending a fight quickly. Combo System adds a running score and ranks for attacks and combat events, with configurable rewards for mixing weapons or magic, penalties for taking damage and points that decay when the action slows.

Its usefulness extends to mod authors, who can make animations respond to rank changes, while NPC scoring can follow separate rules. Dodge and parry points depend on compatible combat mods supplying those actions; Combo System doesn't add them by itself. Think of it as a scoring layer for the fighting style you've already built.