Normals
Super Combo
Dragon Ball FighterZ has an autocombo system similar to the one found in Persona 4: Arena. By holding 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. 5LL and 5LLL come out even on whiff, and will auto-correct on sides switch. Pressing 5L again after 5LLL on hit will perform an automatic 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:
- Doesn't come out after 2 j.Ls in a row
- 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
- Pushes the character up and towards the opponent, auto-correct on sides switch and overriding your current momentum. This "boost" gets stronger the further you are from the opponent
- This special property is often used to reposition yourself in situations where j.L > j.M wouldn't connect, and in more advanced combos as well. For example, by delaying button presses (j.L > delay j.LL) and letting the opponent float a bit higher than you, you can get a bigger boost than if you've just done j.L > immediate j.LL, allowing for new follow-ups
† If you hit an opponent with j.L on the frame before they land on the ground (outside of a combo), j.LL won't receive the momentum boost, but keep other properties.
- 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 (5LLLL) and then cancel into the air L Super Combo, the final j.L (5LLLLLLL) will cause Dynamic! property on hit instead of the usual Smash! property of j.H, granting you a Dragon Ball and causing a different knockdown. More information on this is described in the Dragon Balls section.
- M Super Combo
5M has its own Super Combo by repeatedly pressing 5M, resulting in the following sequences:
- 5M > 2M (on block)
- 5M > 2M > Special Move > Super Attack (on hit)
Specials performed through 5MMM sometimes have different properties than their manual counterpart. This usually takes the form of a wall bounce that if performed in the corner will push them out of it.
There are some minor exceptions to the standard M Super Combo sequence. Like Piccolo's M Super Combo performing an additional 6S after 2M on hit, or Hit's M Super Combo does 5H instead of 2M, as his 5M does not combo into his 2M.
- Super Dash shortcut
5H and 2H on Smash! hit can automatically cancel into Super Dash by pressing H again. Characters with unique launchers like 5S or j.LLL can also be canceled into Super Dash on Smash! hit by pressing S or L again, respectively.
Unlike the automatic Super Dash from 5LLL that's crucial for Dynamic! property, these shortcuts only serve to make combo inputs easier.
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.
Throws
Throws are a special type of attack that are unblockable, but they have other restrictions in place (with exceptions):
- Can only connect once per combo
- Ground throws can not hit airborne opponents who are not in untech time
- Air throws can not hit grounded opponents
- Cannot hit Z Assists
Throw Invincibility
Blocking an attack and getting hit provides the point character a generous 8 frames of throw invulnerability. Every character is able to press their fastest button and beat an incoming throw as most character's fastest normal is either 6 or 7 frame startup. Airtechs are both strike and throw invulnerable for 20 frames but have the additional 8 frames of throw invulnerability after the strike invul ends.
Dragon Rush
Press L+M to perform a Dragon Rush. Dragon Rush is a throw that all characters have access to, and can be canceled from:
- 5L on block or hit
- Super Dash on hit (and on block during Sparking!)
Once inputted, the character will halt all momentum and charge about half screen forward. Air Dragon Rush has slight vertical tracking, but cannot fall to the ground until after active frames.
- As a combo starter
- On hit, sends the opponent high up and automatically performs a followup Super Dash, even if Super Dash has already been used
- Has a height limit it can take you and your opponent to, and will lower you two to this limit if it's landed anywhere above
- Cannot K.O.
- Inside a combo
- When the opponent is in untechable time, ground Dragon Rush has increased forward momentum and throw range, air Dragon Rush has increased throw range
- On hit, ground Dragon Rush knocks them away into a soft knockdown, air Dragon Rush causes a sliding knockdown
- Last hit can be canceled into Vanish, Sparking Blast, Specials, Supers, Meteors. In Sparking!, it's also jump and forward airdash cancelable
Dragon Rushes are escapable. Discussed in more detail here.
Forced Switch
After successfully landing a Dragon Rush, input A1 or A2 to perform a Forced Switch (also known as Snapback). Forced Switch cannot KO, and unlike a normal mid-combo Dragon Rush, Forced Switch is not cancelable.
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 airborne and have Guard Cancel Change locked out, though the timing of this jump in can be delayed up to 30F by holding .
If the opponent has no teammates left, this will cause them to float up with significant untechable time, enabling new follow-up combos.
Command Throws
Command throws are a special type of throw (usually a Special or Meteor Moves) that can not be escaped like Dragon Rush. In order to escape these type of throws, you must either:
- Jump or backdash if it's a ground command throw.
- Bot be in the space that they hit or backdash if it's a command throw that hits in the air
- Note that some command throws can be dodged by crouching
A command throw and its versions can only connects once per combo. For example, 16 can combo M Dynamite Driver into M Flying Powerbomb, but can’t do M Dynamite Driver into L Dynamite Driver. There are throws that ignore this restriction like throw autocombo enders.
Super Dash
Press H+S to perform a Super Dash. Super Dash is a multi-purpose tool that can be used to quickly approach the opponent and extend combos.
Super Dash, Z Change, and the automatic Super Dash at the end of a Dragon Rush all have the same properties (except Z Change is also cancelable from specials) and the same damage:
- Cannot K.O.
- Cancelable from normals on block or hit, as well as mid-combo Dragon Rush, Smash! Vanish, and Ki Charge
- Cancelable into attacks and airdashes on hit
- During Sparking!, pushback is reduced and becomes attack cancelable (beside Vanish) on block
Note: Master Roshi does not have a Super Dash, but two unique movement options.
- Approach Tool
- Super Dash automatically deflects Ki Blasts like most characters' 5S, as well as some Specials like Piccolo's Homing Energy Blast and Beerus's Cataclysmic Orbs. It also has very good tracking and will chase the opponent down until it connects, though it does have a deadzone and will deactivate after a while.
- This is both a blessing and a curse. On hit, you can easily follow-up with a combo. On block, you can call Z Assist to lock the opponent down to start your offense. However, you cannot do anything else while Super Dash is active, thus the opponent can react and counter it with invincible attacks. And since its hitbox is inactive for the most part, a good player will be able to counter it just with a single jab as well!
- Combo Extender
- After successfully hitting with a Smash! property attack, you can pursue with Super Dash for a follow-up air 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.S.
- Fakeout / Mixup Tool
- During its startup, Super Dash will reel back a bit before flying toward them. This is easily one of the reason why using Super Dash to approach is stronger than it may seem.
- If you're jumping toward the opponent and see that they're ready for an anti-air, you can use this reel back motion of Super Dash to bait the anti-air out and turn the situation to your advantage. In the same vein, Super Dash can also low crush sweeps or counter Dragon Rush due to it putting you in the air.
- It can be used as a left-right mixup with instant airdash crossup or jump same side Super Dash. With Z Assist, it can also be used for high-low mixup since you're in the air on block with no added landing recovery.
Z Assist
Press A1 or A2 to summon one of your teammates to do an attack. All characters (as of Season 3) have a choice between 3 different Z Assists that must be selected during team selection: A, B, and C. These Z Assists are different preset attacks used by the character, and have a universal cooldown timer across all characters. Z Assists A and B have a fast cooldown, while Z Assists C have a much slower cooldown, but are stronger and have a gold circle effect when they're called out.
When calling a Z Assist, there is a small amount of time where they are vulnerable before they start performing a move (1F). 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 + a button or
+ 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 1/2 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 (often abbreviated as "DHC") found in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. 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 +A1 to cancel into your first teammate's preset Meteor Attack and
+A2 to cancel into your second teammate's preset Meteor Attack.
Typically, a character's preset Super Attacks are their +L+M Super Attack and their
+L+M Meteor Attack. Exceptions will be listed in specific character pages as they are discovered.
It is also possible to cancel into your teammate's Super Attack without performing one of your own! Cancel a successful hit into +A1/A2 or
+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. With this in mind, you also have to be aware of what supers cancel out and which ones don't when another one is tagged in.
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 can be canceled into:
- In the middle of all movement options (beside generic and added landing recovery)
- From normals on whiff, block, hit, and even during their startups
- From specials on block and hit
Vanish serves many different purposes like a combo extender or an escape tool.
- Combo Extender
- On Smash! hit, it can be canceled into Super Dash, Sparking Blast, Specials, Supers and Meteors and causes a severe wall bounce, giving you plenty of time to land another attack.
- 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!, you can hold the buttons to teleport behind the opponent without attacking, then follow-up with your own combo and punish them big time!
- Escape Tool
- As it can be canceled into at any point during a Normal attack and has invincibility, Vanish can be used to keep yourself safe from punish if you whiff a normal with long recovery like 2H. You can also cancel unsafe Specials into Vanish on block, though both of these options are very susceptible to Reflect or anti-airs, as almost all attacks will leave a gap when canceled into Vanish.
- Vanish also allows you to escape certain blockstrings or mixups the opponent attempts to perform, and even turn the table on them! The downsides are that there needs to be a gap in the opponent's blockstring big enough to execute a Vanish, you can get counter hit out of trying to escape, and even if you managed to Vanish out, the opponent can spend a Ki Gauge of their own to counter-Vanish.
- During Sparking!, hold Vanish negates most of the downsides in escaping with Vanish. Vanishing to escape whiff punish will allow you to airdash out of anti-air attempts, and against counter-Vanish, you're able to block or even jab them out of the attack!
- Lockdown Tool
- By canceling certain moves with high enough blockstun into Vanish, which causes a true blockstring, you can force an advantageous situation! Usually this is done with strong projectiles like Super Saiyan Goku's Kamehameha.
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's blue health will regenerate fully in 240F (4 Seconds), regardless of how much there are. Healing will be paused temporarily during hitstop/Super freeze. If the point character receives damage during Sparking, regeneration will be recalculated each hit, ensuring that after receiving the latest bit of damage, blue health will regenerate fully again in the next 4 Seconds
- Damage dealt to the opponent has reduced blue health
- All normals become jump cancelable (or forward air dash cancelable) on hit/block
- 6M can be special canceled on hit/block
- Super Dash has reduced pushback, can cancel into attacks immediately on block, and leaves grounded opponents standing
- 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.
† Despite being frame 1 fully invulnerable move, deals regular amount of recoverable health instead of 100% recoverable health.