Asphyxiate

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Asphyxiate
Release date								20 November 2012 (Update)
Members								No
Skill								Magic
Level								0
Type								Threshold
Target								Single-target
Adrenaline								−15%
Equipment								Any
Average damage								451.2%
Cooldown								20.4 seconds (34 ticks)
Description
Reach out with magical force and choke the target. 150%-752% total ability damage over 4.2s in 4 hits. Channeled attack. Stun target for 3.6s.
Animation
Advanced data
Struct ID								14731
Links								Struct14731

Asphyxiate is a Magic threshold ability with no level requirements. When activated, the player telekinetically strangles the target, dealing four hits of 37.6 to 188% ability damage each. The ability deals one hit every 1.2 seconds and lasts for 4.2 seconds. Each successful hit momentarily stuns the target.

Asphyxiate is noteworthy for being one of the most powerful threshold abilities in the game, as each individual attack has a chance of dealing a high amount of damage (up to about 4,000). A player with high level gear and stats could potentially deal over 10,000 damage in one use of Asphyxiate, particularly if wielding a staff or dual wielding.

The first hit is guaranteed to stun the target (similar to Destroy), even if it splashes. This makes it a very potent ability against bosses that are not immune to stuns and in PvP.

Cancelling Asphyxiate

Cancelling Asphyxiate can help increase damage output because the final hit is applied before the ability is done. By activating another ability when the Asphyxiate icon has two seconds remaining, when the final hit and sound effect occur, players avoid losing out on Asphyxiate's damage and waste no time in using their next ability. The timing of this move is the same as when cancelling Destroy or using Snipe. If done correctly, the next ability will land the tick after the fourth and final Asphyxiate hit.

A good way to practice timing this move is by cancelling Asphyxiate with Dragon Breath or another ability at the training dummies in Lumbridge. Turning the sound up and timing using Asphyxiate's sound effects can help players struggling to execute this move consistently.

DPS comparison

The following section is based on damage output calculations that can be found at Calculator:Revolution. A further breakdown of ability damage can be seen below.

1. Wild Magic is the best damage output magic ability. It should be used on cooldown, if adrenaline is not needed for Sunshine.  
2. Asphyxiate should be the second ability used to maximize damage. This is a channelled attack. 
3. Deep Impact when used with the Flanking 3 perk.
4. Smoke Tendrils is next best magic DPS threshold. This is a channelled attack. 

Ability	AADPT
Wild Magic	97.2%
Asphyxiate	71.3%
Flanking 3 + Deep Impact	60.2%
Smoke Tendrils	54.4%

Although Flanking 3 + Deep Impact has less AADPT than a perfectly cancelled Asphyxiate, Flanking 3 + Deep Impact only takes one global cooldown (3 game ticks) to cast, while Asphyxiate is channelled.

Comparison to Rapid Fire and Destroy

Rapid Fire and Destroy/Assault are the ranged and melee counterparts of Asphyxiate, respectively. Destroy requires the player to dual wield, whereas Asphyxiate does not.

Advantages

• 20 seconds cooldown compared to Assault's 30 seconds
• Available for F2P players

Neutral

• Similar total damage
• Similar length

Disadvantages

• Lower damage than Destroy and hit fewer times than Rapid Fire.

Tactics

• As one of the most powerful Magic abilities, use it wisely. Tend to use this ability when your target's Freedom is not ready.
• Use Anticipation before using this ability to avoid getting stunned while hitting your target.
• Use Wild Magic right after Asphyxiate ends to finish off your opponent.
• If combined with Metamorphosis or Sunshine, the damage output will be higher than most other abilities.

Countertactics

• Stunning your target can counter this ability.
• Reflect could both halve your damage received and damage your opponent, leaving them in a dangerous state.
• It is possible to use Freedom then run outside the range of your opponent, cancelling the remaining duration of the ability.

Monsters that use Asphyxiate

• Armadylean battle-mage
• Armadylean shaman
• Armadylean shaman (Treasure Trails)
• Bandit Brawler
• Bandosian battle-mage
• Bandosian wild mage
• Black Heather
• Cabbagemancer
• Cabbageomancer
• Cadarn magus
• Caitlin
• Chaos witch channeler
• Cloaked zealot
• Cruor
• Cultist
• Dawn
• Eye of Cythan
• Fumus
• Glacies
• Hand of Dagnath
• Imperial mage akh
• JMod clone
• Lady Himiko
• Manifestation of Erethdor
• Maw of Kolthregar
• Monkey spirit
• Sakadagami
• Saradominist field medic
• Saradominist sage
• Saradominist thaumaturge
• Seasinger priestess
• Shame
• Shrine Maiden Elei
• Ulthven necromancer
• Umbra
• Zamorakian leader
• Zamorakian occultist
• Zamorakian warlock (Battle of Lumbridge)

Cosmetic overrides

Asphyxiate has the following cosmetic overrides:

Name	Animation	Release Date	Source
Corrupted Asphyxiate		4 September 2023	Hero Pass: Underworld

Update history

This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included—see here for how to help out!

• patch 8 February 2021 (Update):
  • Player movement will no longer be delayed when trying to move during a channelled combat ability.

• patch 6 July 2020 (Update):
  • The Dragon Breath ability will now animate correctly even when the Asphyxiate animation is appearing.

• patch 9 September 2019 (Update):
  • The buff timers for Flurry, Destroy and Asphyxiate now countdown reliably

• patch 2 September 2019 (Update):
  • Level requirement removed

• patch 9 May 2016 (Update):
  • Asphixiate's stun and bind durations now match.

• patch 14 December 2015 (Update):
  • The Hurricane ability will no longer put Asphyxiate on cooldown incorrectly.

• patch 15 September 2014 (Update):
  • The text in the chat box when typing in Legacy Mode has been moved up slightly so it does not conflict with the chat buttons.
  • Players in Legacy mode can no longer be constantly blocked from attacking by Asphyxiate while fighting Ikadia, Echo of Jas or Dragon-hunter mage.

• patch 4 August 2014 (Update):
  • Asphyxiate, Destroy and Rapid Fire will no longer stun NPCs.

• patch 17 February 2014 (Update):
  • The animations used on several combat abilities - Slice, Backhand, Kick, Slaughter, Piercing Shot, and Asphyxiate - have been updated.

• update 20 November 2012 (Update):
  • Added to game.

Trivia

• The Asphyxiate ability could be a reference to the Force Choke power from the Star Wars franchise.
• Asphyxiate was known as Choke in the test servers for the Evolution of Combat.