View source for BBTag/Defense

==Blocking==
When blocking an attack, your character will be stuck in a state where you can not move, severely limiting your options. The amount of time you are locked into a blocking state called '''blockstun'''. Different attacks deal different amounts of blockstun, and can be affected by other factors. 
===Ground Blocking===
{{InputBadge|Hold 4 or 1}}
[[File:BBTag_GroundBlocking.png|thumb|250px|]]
Hold {{ni|4}} to block high attacks and hold {{ni|1}} to block low attacks. Mid attacks can be blocked in any direction. Note that you should always hold {{ni|4}} or {{ni|1}} with respect to the direction of opponent's main character.

As a general rule for ground blocking:
*Block low until you see an overhead, then block high
*Most air attacks must be blocked high
*Every Clash Assault must be blocked high
*React to throws with Throw Escape or attacks, depending on how risky you feel
*Watch out for the "Change!" and change the blocking direction when being sandwitch'd
If you block incorrectly, an exclamation mark will appear to show that you made a mistake, specifically a red exclamation mark for blocking an overhead low and a yellow exclamation mark for blocking a low attack high. 

Due to the nature of this game, you will probably face a left/right mixup (especially in Cross Combo). In this case watch out for the "Change!" and fastly change the blocking direction. There is no indicator if you block left/right incorrectly, you will just get hit.

Because there are relatively few grounded overheads in BBTAG, it's best to block low and react to jumps or the start-up of Clash Assaults. Not all jump attacks are overheads, however; Be sure to check each character's wiki page for details.
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===Air Blocking===
{{InputBadge|Hold Any Backwards Direction when airborne}}
[[File:BBTag_AirBlocking.png|thumb|250px]]
There is no high-low blocking in the air, making it a common place for defenders to go to avoid blocking ground-based high/low/throw mixup. That's not to say that being airborne is a fail-safe defensive posture: going airborne is a risk since jumps have a lot of vulnerability on start-up and you need to deal with cross-ups, cross-unders, and air unblockable attacks. Air blocking has 2 more frames of blockstun compared to normal blocking.


Landing while in air blockstun does not cancel out the remaining blockstun - instead you will transition immediately into ground standing blockstun for the remainder of blockstun.
:For example, after blocking an attack in the air that causes 20F blockstun, you land after 15F. That means after landing, you will be in blockstun for 5F before you are free to move.
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===Unblockable Attacks===
Some attacks are unblockable (in certain circumstances or completely), meaning the only way to avoid getting hit is to move out of the way! For example, Makoto's Sirius Jolt(236C) is high ground unblockable (if you're not in blockstun) and Hakumen's Yukikaze is fully unblockable if triggered.

====Reversal Action====
Ground Reversal Actions normally cannot be blocked in the air (even if you're in blockstun), you will see a blue exclamation mark if you attempt to air block one. However these attacks can be blocked under certain circumstances:
*Be in blockstun from an assist/projectile while having 1 Skill Gauge

*Reject Guard right before the Reversal Action hits you

====Comboable Throws, Anti Air Throws====
Some throw-like moves can be comboed into, but can be dodged in other ways. For example Noel's Muzzle Flitter can only hit standing opponents, so you can dodge it by crouching or jumping. Tager's Atomic Collider can only hit airborne opponents, but can be dodged by staying on the ground or using a throw invincible move in the air.

====High-Low Unblockable====
There is also a class of unblockable attacks that exist because the opponent and their partner hit you with a high ''and'' low attack at the same time. Because you can not block high and low simultaneously, you are guaranteed to get hit. There is no icon to show when this happens, though you will see an exclamation mark showing that you blocked "incorrectly". For example, Nine use Morganite of Malice (1st hit whiff) and do a j.B to make a high-low unblockable.<br/>
High-low unblockables are rare and do not exist outside of certain set-ups, which most of the time can be escaped using Reject Guard. However if assists are involved then the mixup could be very tricky to react to.
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===Reject Guard===
{{InputBadge|While blocking {{clr|1|4A}}{{clr|4|+D}} with 1 Skill Gauge}}
[[File:BBTag_RejectGuard.png|thumb|250px]]
Reject Guard will push the opponent away from you. Reject Guard costs 1 Skill Gauge, but when strategically used, it can bring a quick end to your opponent's offensive pressure by pushing them to a distance where it would be very difficult to continue pressure.

After Reject Guarding an attack, blockstun will be normalized to 16 frames, though you will still experience the original blockstop of the attack. The Skill Gauge will be in [[BBTag/Gauges#Skill Gauge Cooldown|cooldown]] for 300F. So it is not the best idea to constantly use these, especially if you're low in resources. 

Reject Guard is primarily used for two things:
*Avoid mixup by pushing the opponent away and be out of range of the mixup
*Punish opponent's predictable blockstrings by Reject Guarding right before the opponent does a move with lots of recovery, giving you time to run up and punish the attack's recovery
Intelligent use of Reject Guard can be used to create opening in the opponent's offense for you to punish the opponent or to prevent the opponent from setting up scary mixups, but carries it's own risk
*Reject Guard will only push away one character
**(ie: the opponent's partner will be pushed back while their point character is unaffected)
** Persona Attacks, such as Yu 5B, as well as Orie's attacks that use Thanatos, will push the user away while the Persona stays where it is, allowing them to continue pressure. 
*will not push away an opponent who does a normal throw, and you will be in Throw Reject Miss state for ?? frames after Reject Guard.
**While you are in Throw Reject Miss state, you can still do all other actions.

===Guard Bonus===
[[File:BBTag_GuardBonus.png|thumb|250px|Successfully defending for enough time will gain you more Skill Gauge!]]
If you repeatedly guard attacks for 300 frames, with any gaps in blockstun being 30 frames or less, you will begin gaining Skill Gauge at double the rate of normal. You do not have to be guarding during the gaps, as long as you continue to successfully guard each subsequent attack.
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==Throw Escape==
{{InputBadge|{{clr|2|B}}{{clr|3|+C}} when thrown}}
[[File:BBTag_ThrowEscape.png|thumb|250px|Jin breaking a normal throw.]]
A green exclamation mark will appear when a character can break a throw. The throw escape window is 14 frames. Throw break animation is ??F for both attacker and defender.
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===Throw Counter===
[[File:BBTag_ThrowCounter.png|thumb|250px|You won't be able to break a throw if the opponent throws you while you are attacking them.]]
This happens when you are thrown while in a Counter Hit state, preventing you from attempting a Throw Escape. For example, getting thrown out of an attack with a lot of start-up. Your character will glow red, a red X will appear over the exclamation mark and the words "Throw Counter" will appear on the side of the screen.
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===Throw Reject Miss===
[[File:BBTag_ThrowRejectMiss.png|thumb|250px|You can't break throws after certain actions]]
After inputting a Reject Guard or Throw Escape (or pressing {{B}}+{{C}} during any other action), you will be locked out of Throw Escaping for a while. If you get thrown during this lockout period, a red X will appear over the exclamation mark and the words "Throw Reject Miss" will appear on the side of the screen. TRM state lasts for 30 frames after a Reject Guard/Throw Escape attempt.

Tricking the opponent into attempting a Throw Escape or Reject Guard early, then actually throwing them is a common offensive technique in high-level play.
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==Reversal Action==
{{InputBadge|{{clr|1|A}}{{clr|4|+D}}}}
[[File:BBTag_ReversalAction.png|thumb|250px|Invulnerable attack! Any punish to this is un-burstable]]
Reversal Action is a fully invulnerable attack functioning much like a Street Fighter-style Shoryuken or a counter like Hakumen from BlazBlue. This varies from character to character, but they are all mostly used for the same purpose: to stop the opponent's offensive momentum. 

Ground Reversal Actions also function as potent anti-airs, as they are air unblockable. You can tell that a character performed a Reversal Action by the red silhouette graphical effect that'll be appear around the move. You cannot call your partner during a Reversal Action, nor can you Cross Burst if your Reversal Action is punished. Reversal Actions only deal red health on hit.

Reversal Action and Reject Guard are performed with the same buttons, so when blocking, players may accidentally get Reject Guard when they want Reversal Action. However there is a way to not accidentally get Reject Guard: do not hold back when pressing {{A}}+{{D}}. This carries its own risk since if you don't press {{A}}+{{D}} fast enough, you will get hit by the opponent's attack.

You can '''NOT''' use Active Partner Skills during the Reversal Action.

===Partner Skills and Reversal Actions===
Doing a Partner Skill and Reversal Action at the same time will remove the Reversal Action's invulnerability. To be more accurate, doing a Reversal Action within 18F after a Partner Skill will remove all the invulnerability/Guard Point from the Reversal Action. This penalty does not apply during Cross Combo or for Active Partner Skills.
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==Cross Burst==
{{InputBadge|{{clr|4|D}}{{clr|5|+P}} with 100% Cross Gauge when blocking or getting hit}}
[[File:BBTag_CrossBurst.png|thumb|250px|You can do this while blocking or getting hit]]
Use Cross Burst to have your partner do their incoming attack to break the combo and become the point character. Cross Burst costs 100% of your Cross Gauge to activate and deals 1000 damage. Using it can save your character from losing a lot of health and possibly dying when they're in a bad situation. Be warned that your incoming character is neither fully invulnerable nor safe on block, so try not to Burst at points where the opponent can readily cancel into an attack with head attribute invulnerability or block and punish.

*Cross Burst has startup 0+(21 Flash)+8F, is active for 3F, and is invulnerable from 1-10F.
*Startup post super flash assumes opponent stays at approximately the same altitude
*The damage from Cross Burst cannot kill a character.

===Disabling Cross Burst===
[[File:BBTag_DisabledCrossBurst.png|thumb|This means Cross Burst is disabled]]
Cross Bursts can be temporarily locked out during the following conditions:
*Getting hit by the final hit of an {{A}} Smart Combo (including Cross Raid)
*Getting hit by Clash Assault
*Getting hit by a Reversal Action
*Getting hit during the recovery of a Reversal Action
*Getting hit by a throw or throw-like move (such as Tager's Atomic Collider or Hakumen's Yanagi)
*Getting hit by a Distortion Skill
*Getting hit while your partner is on screen
*Being in hitstun/blockstun while the opponent is in [[BBTag/Offense#Resonance Blaze|Resonance Blaze]]
*Other Character-Specific interactions (Example: Yumi's B Arial Rave)

The Cross Gauge will be crossed out during these situations.
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==Throw Escape [[Notation#Gameplay Related Terms|Option Select]]s==
Due to there being several button combination actions in the game, it's possible to press three or even four buttons simultaneously to layer various options depending on the opponent's action. These option selects are often performed at a timing when you expect the opponent to have done something, and can help defuse more basic mixup or staredown situations where a throw attempt is possible but not guaranteed.
{| class='wikitable' style="text-align: center; margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|+Option Select Examples
|-
! Input !! Opponent does nothing !! Opponent attacks guard !! Opponent grabs
|-
| 1ABCD || Reversal Action || Reject Guard || Throw Escape
|-
| 17ABCD || Instant Air Backdash || Reject Guard || Throw Escape
|-
| 171ABC || Instant Air Backdash || Nothing; continue guarding || Throw Escape
|-
| 171BC || Instant j.C || Nothing; continue guarding || Throw Escape
|-
| 1B~C || 2B || Nothing; continue guarding || Throw Escape
|}

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