Normals
Super Combo
Dragon Ball FighterZ has an autocombo system similar to the one found in Persona 4: Arena. By holding 4 during a Super Combo, you can prevent yourself from continuing the Super Combo. In the case of the L Super Combo, performing 5L > 4L will result in 5L > 5L on the ground and j.L > j.L in the air.
- Ground L Super Combo
By repeatedly pressing 5L, your character will automatically perform a full sequence of attacks.
5L > 5L > 5L consists of 5L followed by two unique normals (5LL and 5LLL) that function like a medium and heavy normal, respectively. 5LLL causes a launching Smash on hit. 5LL and 5LLL come out even on whiff, and will auto-corrects on side switch. Pressing 5L again after 5LLL on hit will automatically perform a Super Dash.
- Air L Super Combo
j.L > j.L > j.L on air-to-air hit will result in a basic j.L > j.M > j.H air combo. However, the second j.L (j.LL) has a few different properties compares to manual j.M.
- First, it has some tracking, overriding your current momentum unlike j.M which keeps your momentum. This is often used to reposition you up in situations where j.M wouldn't connect
- Second, it will never come out after 2 j.Ls in a row
- And finally, it (typically) can't reverse beat back to j.L
Characters with full access to reverse beat can do j.L > j.H > j.L > j.LL, or even j.L > j.LL > j.4L. But they can never do j.L > j.4L > j.LL.
- Full L Super Combo
If you successfully land the last hit of the grounded L Super Combo, in a combo that hasn't used U Smash!, continue into the automatic Super Dash, and then the aerial L Super Combo, the final j.L will cause Dynamic! property on hit instead of the usual Smash! property, granting you a Dragon Ball. More information on this is described in the Dragon Balls section.
This Dynamic! hit (5LLLLLLL) won't work if there's any delay between 5LLLL (automatic Super Dash) and 5LLLLL (j.L), any other delays will do.
- M Super Combo
5M has its own Super Combo by repeatedly pressing 5M, resulting in the following sequence:
- 5M > 2M (on block)
- 5M > 2M > Special Move > Super Attack (on hit)
Specials performed through 5MMM will sometimes have different properties than their manual counterpart. Usually this will take the form of a corner bounce, but this is not always the case. Specials that already cause wall bounce will have increased wall bounce.
There are some minor exceptions to the standard M Super Combo sequence. Piccolo's M Super Combo performs an additional 6S after 2M to facilitate the L Demon Elbow, and Hit's M Super Combo does 5H instead of 2M, as his 5M does not combo into his 2M.
- H Super Combo
5H and 2H on hit will both automatically cancel into Super Dash by pressing 5H again.
Z Combo
Like other Arc System Works titles, Dragon Ball FighterZ has a system for canceling normal attacks to each other. The standard progression is L > M > H > S for both standing, crouching and airborne normals, and you can freely cancel between standing and crouching normals with some exceptions.
General rules include:
- 5L can be performed twice per Z Combo, at which point you can no longer perform 2L
- 2L can be performed twice per Z Combo, at which point you can no longer perform 5L
- 6M cannot be canceled into any other normals
- 2H cannot cancel into S normals
- Grounded S normals can cancel into grounded H normals
- j.L can be performed twice per Z Combo
- j.M can reverse beat back into j.L once per Z Combo
There are some exceptions to the above throughout the cast, but these are still good general rules to take into account when starting out.
Common Traits
While every character has different normals with different ranges, damage, speed, etc, many have similar properties to help players have a base set of tools to work with when picking up new characters.
- Overhead 6M
- 6M is an overhead for all characters, but does not normally lead to any combo. To combo off 6M, players need to either meaty or use it in conjunction with assists or with Sparking!
- Sweep 2M
- 2M is a low hitting attack that knocks down. The floaty nature of the knockdown makes it easy to combo into an air hit 5M, 5H or 2H.
- Wall Bounce 5H and 5LLLLLLL
- Almost everyone has a wall bounce in 5H and 5LLLLLLL. A Smash! hit 5H can be followed up with Super Dash to extend the combo. A Dynamic! hit 5LLLLLLL can be followed up with Z Change.
- Anti-Air 2H
- Everyone has an anti-air attack in 2H. This attack has invulnerability to airborne strikes. A Smash! hit 2H can be followed up with Super Dash to extend the combo.
- Air Knockdown j.H
- Most characters' j.H will knock the opponent to the ground, giving you time to position yourself to attack the opponent as they recover with okizeme. A Smash! hit j.H that knockdowns will also cause a ground slide.
- Air Combo Extender j.2H
- Most characters' j.2H will launch the opponent into the air. A Smash! hit j.2H can be followed up with Super Dash to extend the combo. And most non-Smash! hit j.2H can still continue the combo with double jump.
Dragon Rush
Press L+M to perform a Dragon Rush. Dragon Rush is a short-range unblockable attack that has some restrictions in place:
- Can only connect once per combo, like most command grabs.
- Ground Dragon Rush cannot hit airborne opponents outside of hitstun or opponents who are in jump startup. For example, if you perform a ground recovery and hold up, you will be completely invulnerable to ground Dragon Rush throughout.
- Air Dragon Rush cannot hit grounded opponents.
- Neither Dragon Rush can hit an opponent in blockstun or 8 frames after blockstun and hitstun ended.
- Dragon Rushes are escapable. Discussed in more detail here.
- As a combo starter
- Last hit does 800 damage, and automatically does a followup Super Dash.
- Gains 2.5*N, 60 Ki.
- Both ground and air versions are Smash type U1+.
- Will not kill and always leaves the opponent at 1 HP. Needs to be followed up with another attack.
- Inside a combo
- Last hit does 500 damage, can be canceled into specials or supers.
- Gains 2.5*N, 4 Ki.
- Consumes UDV Smash.
- Grounded version knocks the opponent away into a soft knockdown.
- Aerial version always causes a sliding knockdown.
- Snapback (Get Outta Here!)
- During a Dragon Rush, pressing A1/A2 will cancel it and change the last hit to 1000 damage. It's best doing this as late as possible for maximum damage.
- Gains 2.5*N, 4 Ki.
- Will not kill and always leaves the opponent at 1 HP. Needs to be followed up with another attack.
- If the opponent has teammates, doing this will force the point character out and bring the respective teammate in. This is a very powerful tool to force a character to enter the ring and stop them from regaining health. Opponents who enter this way are also susceptible to incoming mixups since they are forced to jump into the stage in a set amount of time, similar to a hard knockdown from Meteor Attacks.
- If the opponent has no teammates left, this will cause them to float up with significant untechable time, enabling follow-up combos in the corner.
Command Throws
Like Dragon Rush, command throws also follow the same restrictions in regards to when they can and cannot connect. Some throws can even hit both grounded and airborne opponent, but cannot hit crouching opponent.
Each variation of the same throw can only be used once per combo. For example, Broly can combo M Gigantic Claw into M Gigantic Strike, but can’t do M Gigantic Claw into H Gigantic Claw. Though there are throws that ignore this restrictions like Cell's 5LLL and Psycho Crash.
Almost all throws can be combo'd into. With a few exceptions like Goku (SSGSS)'s Super God Shock Flash which can only combo if the opponent is in grounded hitstun, or Android 16's Last Resort which cannot be combo'd at all.
Super Dash
Press H+S to perform a Super Dash. Super Dash is a very useful tool that does two things: quickly approach the opponent and extend combos.
- Super Dash, Z Change, Guard Cancel, and the automatic Super Dash at the end of a Dragon Rush all have the same properties and the same damage. Although they do have differences in frame data.
- Super Dash will not kill and always leaves the opponent at 1 HP. It's important to follow up with any move after you land a Super Dash.
- Approach Tool
- Super Dash automatically deflects small Ki blasts like most characters' 5S, as well as some specials like Piccolo's Homing Energy Blast and Beerus's Cataclysmic Orbs.
- Combo Extender
- After successfully connecting with an attack with Smash property, pursue with Super Dash for a follow-up combo. Super Dash will also combo off certain attacks with large amounts of untechable time, such as Super Saiyan Goku's 2S, Teen Gohan's j.2S and Krillin's j.2S.
Z Assist
Press A1 or A2 to summon one of your teammates to do an attack. Each character has a preset attack as their Z Assist and each one has a cooldown timer.
When calling a Z Assist, there is a small amount of time where they are vulnerable before they start performing a move (2F). This is true even for invincible assist attacks like Teen Gohan's Super Dragon Flight - the attacks has a bit of additional vulnerable startup even though the attack normally is invincible on startup.
You can call Z Assist in the middle of your own attacks, making them useful for continuing offense or extending combos.
You can not call Z Assist when:
- Getting hit
- Blocking, including pre-block animation
- During ground/air recovery
- During Vanish
- During capture states with fully cinematic cameras
- When the Z Assist is on cooldown/lockout
- During your Super Attacks - Ultimate Z Change will be performed instead
Special Move
Each character has a variety of special moves done by performing Template:236 + a button or Template:214 + a button These moves usually have unique properties like traveling fullscreen, invincibility, or deals lots of damage.
Powered-Up Special Move
When a special move has L/M/H variants, the H version costs 1 Ki Gauge and is typically a better version of the special. They usually allow for extended combos or offer other unique utility that the other versions of this special do not have. For example, the H version of Vegeta's Super Dash Kick launches the opponent high into the air, allowing for follow-ups afterwards. As for utility, the H version of Tien's Volleyball Fist is a command throw, unlike the L and M versions, which are strikes.
Super Attack
Super Attacks are flashy attacks that cost 1 Ki Gauge and usually do lots of damage or have unique properties.
- Higher minimum damage than other attacks
- Can be canceled into from Normal Moves and Special Moves
- Can cancel into other teammate's Super Attacks via Ultimate Z Change
Meteor Attack
Some Super Attacks require 3 Ki Gauges (For this reason, they are often referred to as Level 3s) and are typically very powerful attacks. All characters have at least one of these.
- Most have startup invincibility
- Can be canceled into from Normal Moves and Special Moves
- Can not Ultimate Z Change into other Super Attacks
Ultimate Z Change
Press A1/A2 in the middle of your own Super Attack to cancel into your teammate's Super Attacks. This is similar to the Delayed Hyper Combo mechanic found in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Press A1 to cancel into your first teammate's preset Super Attack and A2 to cancel into your second teammate's preset Super Attack. Similarly, you can also press Template:4+A1 to cancel into your first teammate's preset Meteor Attack and Template:4+A2 to cancel into your second teammate's preset Meteor Attack.
Typically, a character's preset Super Attacks are their Template:236+L+M Super Attack and their Template:214+L+M Meteor Attack. Noted exceptions to this rule are Vegeta (SSGSS) and Gogeta (SSGSS), who perform their Galick Gun and Big Bang Kamehameha (Template:236+H+S) respectively.
It is also possible to cancel into your teammate's Super Attack without performing one of your own! Cancel a successful hit into Template:41236+A1/A2 or Template:63214+A1/A2 to bring a teammate in to perform their preset Super Attack and Meteor Attack, respectively.
Thus Ultimate Z Change is used for two purposes: either to tack on extra damage in a combo or to safely tag in a character since supers are generally safer than manually tagging out at neutral.
Vanish
Press M+H to perform a Vanish. Vanish costs 1 Ki Gauge and instantly teleports you behind the opponent and hits them. Vanish can only be performed once as long as you're airborne, is regained after Air Recovery or air blocking. But unlike air options, simply touching the ground won't regain Vanish, the character has to recover on the ground (return to neutral stance).
Vanish mainly serves three purposes: as a combo extender, and as a punish tool, and as an escape tool.
- Combo Extender
- Vanish can be canceled into from most attacks, and when used in the middle of combo, will cause a severe wall bounce that bounces from anywhere on the screen, giving you time to land another attack. This wall bounce works once per combo regardless of any moves with Smash property previously connecting, but comboing off a Z Assist, Z Change, Guard Cancel Change or an opponent already in a wall bounce directly into Vanish will not grant a wall bounce. Also, Vanish must be canceled into from a connecting hit in order to wall bounce, as canceling a whiffed attack will not produce a wall bounce even if it hits before Vanish does. An exception to this is during repeated ki blasts. You will get the wall bounce even on a ki blast that has yet to hit so long as least one of the ki blasts connected beforehand, as they are all considered part of the same move.
- Punish Tool
- When used from a neutral state, the opponent will be blown away, allowing you to punish slow attacks, though not for a lot of damage.
- However during Sparking!, hold the buttons to teleport behind the opponent without attacking! You can then follow-up with your own combo and punish them big time!
- Escape Tool
- Since Vanish teleports you behind the opponent, this will allow you to escape certain mixups the opponent attempts to perform on you. The downside is that there needs to be a gap in the opponent's blockstring big enough to execute a Vanish and some setups account for this option.
Sparking!
Press L+M+H+S to perform a Sparking Blast and enter Sparking! state. Sparking! is a very powerful state that grants your team a multitude of power-ups:
- Damage increases by 20%
- Ki gain increases by 100%
- Point character blue health regenerates at a very fast rate
- Damage dealt to the opponent has reduced blue health
- All normals become jump cancelable on hit/block
- All air normals become air dash cancelable on hit/block
- 6M can be special canceled on hit/block
- Super Dash has reduced pushback and can cancel into attacks immediately on block
- Hold buttons during Vanish to not attack after teleporting
- This will allow you to perform your own combo after teleporting instead of relying on the preset follow-up attack
- Assist cooldown will start to recover even while the opponent is in blockstun/hitstun
These buffs greatly increase your offensive and combo potential by allowing you to do much more freeform blockstrings and open up new combo opportunities.
Sparking! lasts longer the fewer teammates you have remaining on your team:
- 3 characters: 420F (7 Seconds)
- 2 characters: 840F (14 Seconds)
- 1 character: 1260F (21 Seconds)
Sparking Blast
Sparking Blast is an invincible attack that serves two purposes depending on when you use it:
- During Neutral or Blocking
- The blast will blow away the opponent, giving you time to reset the pace of the match
- Thus players will often use Sparking Blast after getting knocked down to blow away the opponent and stop the opponent's offense.
- Mid-Combo
- The blast will launch the opponent high into the air, allowing you to easily extend your combo.
- Players often use Sparking Blast this way to extend their combo just enough to kill a specific character either to hinder the opponent's gameplan or to outright win the match.
However you use Sparking Blast, you will enter Sparking! afterwards and have all the benefits listed.