This section is still being written. It may be wildly inaccurate or missing significant data.Please feel free to make edits, but include edit summaries and sources where applicable.
Controls
- As with other 2D fighters, DNF Duel uses Numpad Notation.
7 
|
8 
|
9 
|
4 
|
5 
|
6 
|
1 
|
2 
|
3 
|
Button Representations:
= Standard A
= Standard B
= Skill
= MP Skill
= Awakening Skill
= Guard
MP Skills can use more then one directional input.
= 236M
= 623M
Movement
Hold or = Walk
- The most basic movement option. The character approaches or retreats from the opponent slowly.
Hold or or = Crouch
- Put the character in a crouching position, lowering their hurtboxes. Note that the hurtboxes don't shrink immediately; the character can still be hit by moves normally whiffing on crouchers until they actually crouch.
= Dash
- Dashes move the character forward at a greater speed than walking. Holding the second will continue dashing as a forward run.
= Backdash
- Backdashes move the character back a preset distance.
= Jump
- Makes the character jump into the air. Pressing or will have them jump backward or forward respectively.
(In Air) = Double Jump
- Exclusive to
Kunoichi - Jump again while in the air. Pressing or to double jump in the specified direction.
Offense
Normal Moves
Pressing or performs an attack, ranging all the way from simple punches to huge weapon swings. Normals form the core of every character's offense and are often cancelled into Skills and MP Skills to create damaging combos.
Grab
- Known as Throw
- In order to perform a grab, input + while on the ground next to an opponent also on the ground to throw them forwards or + to throw them backwards.
Throws are strong tools against opponents who have been conditioned into blocking for too long, as they cannot be blocked. However, using a throw while out of range, against an opponent in the air, or against a temporarily throw invulnerable opponent triggers a vulnerable whiff animation.
Tech Grab
- Known as Throw Tech
- In order to perform a tech grab, input + as the opponent initiates a grab.
When two characters attempt to throw each other at close to or exactly the same time, a throw tech will occur, pushing both characters away from each other.
Skills
- Also known as Specials
Performed by pressing and a direction together (including ). Skills function in a variety of ways depending on the character. Some skills function closer to normals while others have special properties. In general (with many exceptions), Skills follow these basic guidelines:
- +: An all around well-balanced Character Main Skill
- +: An Anti-Air Counter Skill that often doubles as a strong combo starter, and is very disadvantageous if guarded
- +: A long-ranged Offensive Skill, with a high risk of counterattack if it misses entirely
- +: A Defensive Skill that often doubles as a strong combo middle part or ender, and is easier to land when predicting the opponent's movement
MP Skills
- Also known as MP Specials
Performed by pressing and a direction together (including ). Each MP Skill costs varying amounts of MP to use and pauses natural MP regeneration briefly when used. They can still be used without enough MP in stock as long as a character has at least 1 MP remaining, but this puts the character in Exhaustion until the MP deficit is recovered.
Most MP Skills can also be input with a "technical" full motion e.g. + can also be input with +. Using the full motion causes MP to begin regenerating sooner than when input normally.
Awakening Skill
Performed by pressing . A very powerful attack that can only be used once a round, and only after a character activates Awakening. While it deals high damage, it has no invulnerability and using it turns off that character's Awakening Effect for the rest of the round.
Conversion
Performed by pressing + when the character has any amount of White Damage. This consumes all white damage remaining plus an extra 5% of max health to cancel the character's current action and return them to a neutral state while restoring MP based on the amount of health consumed.
Defense
Guard
Hold or to Standing Guard and hold or + to Crouching Guard.
- Standing Guard blocks Mid and High attacks, but not Lows.
- Crouching Guard blocks Mid and Low attacks, but not Highs such as many (but not all) jumping attacks.
- Guarding with the button protects against both left and right attacks, while guarding with or only works against one direction.
- Air Guarding and guarding Throw attacks is not possible.
Dodge
Performed by inputting +. This moves characters forward while avoiding attacks, but is vulnerable to throws (with the exception of 
Enchantress) and for a short period of time at the end of the movement.
Guard Cancel
Performed by pressing ++ while blocking. An invincible attack that launches the opponent away on hit. It costs 100 MP and cannot be performed without at least 100 MP.
Other Mechanics
Awakening
A special powered-up state that automatically activates when characters reach 30% health or less, visually indicated by the larger section at the end of the health bars. This activates your character's Awakening Effect and enables the use of their Awakening Skill. Healing white health back above the Awakening threshold does not disable Awakening.
White Damage
When characters are struck by most attacks, a portion of the damage is dealt as White Damage distinctly visible on the HP Gauge. Characters cannot be K.O.'d from this white damage as long as real health is remaining, and recover it (i.e. turn it back into "real" HP) slowly over time after not taking any damage for a brief period. MP Skills deal all of their damage as real health damage and deplete all white damage on hit.
Exhaustion
A temporary negative state that occurs if a character uses an MP Skill with exactly or less than the skill's MP cost available, pushing the MP Gauge to 0 or into an invisible negative amount. MP Skills are not usable while exhausted, and remain unavailable until MP recovers above 0, either naturally over time or by using Conversion.
