GBVS/Vaseraga

	Health
	11000
	Prejump
	5f
	Backdash
	21f
	Backshift
	Low Recovery (20f)

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Overview

Vaseraga is a heavy character who intimidates his foes with huge normals, armor, and impressive damage output. Vasaraga swings his weight around like a sledgehammer, crushing all who stand in his way. Despite his daunting appearance, Vaseraga definitely plays a slower, more patient neutral game, especially against characters with strong projectiles or the ability to remain outside of his effective range, such as Ferry and Metera.

Vaseraga is a mid-range control character with explosive damage and a unique toolkit of armor gimmicks.

Pros

Cons

High Damage Output: Savage Rampage followups and 2H grant excellent combo damage especially in the corner.
Consistent Knockdowns: Vaseraga's 2M, 2U, 22X~H, 22X~M, and Great Scythe Grynoth (GSG) all provide knockdowns under a diverse set of circumstances which allow him to safely set up Soul Forge or okizeme.
Armor: Some of Vaseraga's moves can be given limited armor by Soul Forge which enables Vaseraga to punish many options in the mid-range, makes Savage Rampage less risky, and makes punishing jump ins with 2[H] much more safe.
Strong Command Throw: Vaseraga's Great Scythe Grynoth is a potent command throw that can also be used during Savage Rampage. This can put the opponent into very messy situations.
Space Control: 2H, 22X~, and Vaseraga's pokes provide good ways to control screen space.
Button Priorities: Vaseraga's buttons have higher priority compared to the rest of the cast, giving him better chances to crush his opponent's buttons in neutral.
High Health: Tied with Ladiva for highest health in the game. Combined with his armor, this enables Vaseraga to survive more punishment and take more potentially rewarding risks.

Slow Movement Speed: Vaseraga's walk/run speed are the slowest in the game. This can make it hard to catch your opponent in certain situations.
Slow Attacks: Vaseraga does not have access to a 5f normal, and his normals are generally all 1 to 9 frames slower than the normals of other characters.
Reliance on Knockdowns. A lot of his effective game plan and powerful tools rely on either having set up Soul Forge, or ensuring the opponent is blocking or attempting to block.
Lack of a Reliable Reversal: Vaseraga lacks a DP-style move, his Skybound Art is slow, and his Super Skybound Art has a guard point without invulnerability. This means getting cornered can be fatal.

Unique Mechanic:

Soul Forge

Vaseraga can use his unique action, Soul Forge, to gain temporary access to 2-hit armor on specific attacks. Moves which can be granted armor with Soul Forge will have an icon next to their Name

. The armor from Soul Forge is consumed after use and must be re-applied through another use of Soul Forge. As of 2.01, Vaseraga gets to move before the opponent when armoring through attacks, making it much more potent to blow through multi-hit attacks/fireballs compared to before.

Normal Moves

c.L

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
500	Mid	7	3	5	+3	+7

Close range jab. Slower than typical c.L moves but more plus. This combined with its active frames and low recovery allow Vaseraga to set up potentially reversal-safe oki rather easily with plenty of frame advantage to enforce a strike/throw mixup.

Level	Attribute
0

Clash Level 1

c.M

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
800	Mid	8	3	11	+3	+7

Excellent c.M. Pretty solid range, relatively quick, good damage, plus on block, and great value on counter hit or crouching if you can react fast enough. In patch 2.01 the pushback was reduced, making it easier to tick throw with and making combos more consistent.

Level	Attribute
3

c.H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1500	Mid	15 [35]	6	21	-4	0

Extremely damaging c.H but is equally slow. Charging this move doesn't change any of its properties; however, if you have Soul Forge active the armor will cover you as long as you hold the button (this goes for all charged H normals). One of only two moves that combo into 214L or [4]6M on normal hit, leading to some pretty strong combos. This normal has a massive amount of blockstun, which makes it one of the safest ways on going into Savage Rampage without using the EX version. It also has a deceptively large amount of active frames in its animation, which can be utilized in some tricky meaty setups to allow for confirms from Savage Rampage without EX or even Counter Hit.

Level	Attribute
4

12~21 Armor with Soul Forge

Auto Combo

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
c.XX	400	Mid	9	3	15	-3	+1
c.XXX	400	Mid	12	3	18	-4	0

Nothing too special about these normals. They can be used to set up frame traps with some specials or used to adjust height in juggles, but nothing is too special about them otherwise. Mostly combo and blockstring filler.

As of patch 2.80, the auto combo can potentially be used as an ender in corner juggles to set up a meaty Overdrive activation, though more often than not you'll want to go for the kill instead if possible.

Version	Level	Attribute
c.XX	2
c.XXX	3

c.XX:
c.XXX:

f.L

Your first choice of attack in most footsies situations.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
700	Mid	8	4	10	+1	+5

An excellent poke and one of Vaseraga's best attacks. Great range, damage, and recovery. It is highly safe to press f.L at its optimal range, and despite being only +1 on block it can often be used successively due to outranging the opponent's quicker pokes. Combos into itself on CH for easy confirms, and can combo into 22H on any hit.

Level	Attribute
2

f.M

Wins trades more likely than you think.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
900	Mid	11	6	15	-4	0

A slower f.L with slightly more damage and range, but much worse on block and whiff. While it's hard to find links using this move, you do get substantially more damage on Counter Hit than you do with f.L, so this is mainly used as either a punish button or a ranged poke when you know f.L won't hit.

As of patch 2.80 this button has some extra potential use in footsies when hit-confirmed into Rush. By then cancelling into EX Instinction, Vaseraga can convert this poke into a hard knockdown from anywhere, which despite being heavy on resources for low damage can sometimes be enough to swing momentum in Vaseraga's favor.

Level	Attribute
3

f.H

Painful reminder to stop them from pressing, or stop himself from whiffing.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1300	Mid	17 [37]	6	30	-15	-11

High commitment poke with huge range and damage.

Can be charged to manipulate timing. Soul Forge armor will activate during a charged attack.
There is no damage or frame data benefit from charging.
Hits from round start distance, so you can sometimes bully aggressive round start options.

Level	Attribute
4

16~25 Armor with Soul Forge

2L

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
400	Mid	6	3	6	+2	+6

Vaseraga's fastest normal. Surprisingly good hitbox considering the animation. Not nearly as good of a setup tool as c.L or c.M, but you'll probably use this primarily on abare or some weird combos that need specifically a 6 frame button. Hard to combo after, but does cancel into c.L if you're close enough.

Level	Attribute
0

2M

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
700	Low	9	4	17	-6	HKD

2M serves as Vaseraga's practical sweep, as opposed to his 2U input, which is used more for poking. This is one of Vaseraga's best starters midscreen, especially on Counter Hit.

Level	Attribute
2

2H

The start of a combo and the end of a match.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1100	Mid	13 [33]	6	26	-13	-9	H

Vaseraga's monster of an anti-air.

Excellent hitbox with one key flaw: it does not cover directly above you. This makes it unable to prevent cross-ups or well-spaced super jumps.
Always combos into 22L -> L regardless of Counter Hit.
On Counter Hit, can be confirmed into the highest damage combos in the game.
High hitstun in combos allows you to combo 22X -> H.
Can be charged and doing so will activate Soul Forge armor. This feature, combined with Vaseraga's small hurtbox during startup, allows 2H to be used to call out certain DPs when spaced and cover more options when people are jumping at you.

Level	Attribute
4

11~19 Armor with Soul Forge

2U

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
900	Low	16	3	24	-12	HKD

Slow sweep with extremely long range. Gives a good knockdown but the slow startup makes it a poor choice at close range. Great for long ranged pokes, especially since you can cancel it into L Battalions of Fear to close the gap, Savage Rampage to set up some pressure, or even Evade to safely check how the opponent responds to your other options.

Level	Attribute
3

j.L

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
400	High/Air	5	Until L	0

Large vertical hitbox and short startup makes this useful for safe jumps or scrambles. Has a persisting hitbox but can only hit once per jump.

This is the only air normal that will hit behind Vaseraga during a cross-up.

Level	Attribute
1

j.M

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
700	High/Air	12	6	Until L

Vaseraga's primary jumping attack, with large horizontal range. Quick startup for its range allows for easy whiff punishes.

Level	Attribute
3

Clash Level 2

j.H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
900	High/Air	12	6	Until L

The hitbox starts below Vaseraga but extends far upward. While you will usually opt for j.M, this attack can replace it at closer range for higher damage confirms. In specific matchups this can help prevent an opponent's jump-out attempt as you approach.

Level	Attribute
4

Clash Level 2

j.U

You'd think Vaseraga landing on someone would do more damage.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
800	Mid	Until L+2	3	15

Vaseraga's aerial Unique Action, used only for extremely specific purposes. This move does not normally combo into anything or provide any advantage outside of Counter Hit. Its purpose is to give Vaseraga the ability to back out of a jump early in order to avoid predictable anti-airs.

Vaseraga will briefly stall his air momentum, then falls down. The hitbox comes out when he lands.
You can exploit the pause in air momentum to manipulate your fall timing, enabling you to jump over fireballs you wouldn't normally. The most basic technique that utilizes this move is to jump backward then use j.U to prevent a fireball hitting you.
0 or -1 on depending on how close you are when the hitbox comes out, and is not cancellable.

Level	Attribute
3

Unique Action

Soul Forge

5U

High risk, higher reward.
Keep this up as much as possible.

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1000	Mid	21	3	22	-11	+14	=Soul Forge: 5~23 Armor

Activates an aura that gives 2 hits of armor on specific moves. Can be safely used after a knockdown before applying okizeme. Attacks hitting Vaseraga while he's armored will have damage reduced by 50%.

The two hits of armor are activated on any of the following skills or attacks:

Charged grounded H attacks. You can still use them and preserve the armor buff so long as you don't charge them.
Soul Forge itself.
M/H versions of Battalions of Fear.
Savage Rampage (including follow-up Skills and March).

Soul Forge itself is, in fact, one of the strongest moves to use the armor buff on, as it leads to a full c.H confirm upon successful counterhit hit at close range -- not to mention it also reapplies armor immediately. It requires a Counter Hit to combo on jumping confirms, but it is air unblockable. Combined with 2 hits of armor makes it a effective anti-air when 2H won't cut it. Keep in mind however that the startup of the hitbox is slow and it's very punishable on block, but the reward is extremely high if it works out.

The startup until Soul Forge becomes armored is 5F. This is a critical aspect of Vaseraga's matchups, because his fastest jab, 2L, is only 6F.

Level	Attribute
3

Universal Mechanics

Ground Throw

Forward
Backward

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1500	Throw	7	3	31	HKD	HKD

Level	Attribute
0, 4

Air Throw

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1500	Airthrow	5	5	Until L+6	HKD	HKD

Level	Attribute
0, 4

Overhead Attack

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1000	High	26	6	17	-4	+1	4-31 Throw 12-26 Low 8-30 Airborne

Level	Attribute
4

Special Moves

Instinction

214X or 5S

Hitbox is the same for Heavy version.

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit
214L	800	All	22	18	Total 51	-3	+1
214M	400, 800	Mid, All	12	3	35	-9	KD
214H	400, 800	Mid, All	9	3	23	+3	HKD

Fires a ground projectile that travels about half the stage. L/M fireballs do not knockdown without Counter Hit. M and H versions initiate the skill with a quick close range slash attack. The slash attack launches the opponent on hit, giving a knockdown on the M version where it normally wouldn't.

L Fireball

Good for space control.

The light version of the move can be used to control spacing very well in tandem with your long range pokes.

M Fireball

Has a starting hit that launches.

The medium version is faster than the light version, allowing you to check certain responses in situations where the light version is too slow.

H Fireball

Has a starting hit that launches.
Two hit EX fireball.

The H version is beaten by almost every other H projectile in the game, but is an effective pressure reset since it's so plus.

Version	Level	Attribute
214L	2
214M	3, 2
214H	3, 2

214L:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 750

214M:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 350, 750

214H:

Cooldown: 480F (Technical) 600F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 350, 750

Battalions of Fear

[4]6X or 6S

Hitbox for Heavy version is the same as Light and Medium, respectively.

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
[4]6L	1300	Mid	19	18	15	-8	HKD
[4]6M	1800	Mid	26 [51]	16	17	-8	KD	Soul Forge: 5~41 Armor
[4]6H	1000×2	Mid	26 [76]	12(9)12	17	-4	KD	Soul Forge: 5~58 Armor

Charges forward with a tackling attack.

L Version

+9 on block at maximum range.

Fast enough to be used as an ender in certain corner combos, or can be used after certain knockdowns in order to quickly get in top of the enemy before they get up so you can apply okizeme to them.

M Version

Briefly delays before charging forward with a tackling attack.
This version can be enhanced with Soul Forge armor.

Medium Battalions is very unsafe on block if you are close to the opponent, so you are best off using this as a counter to a slow poke from the enemy when you have armor ready. As of patch 2.01 it doesn't go as far forward but has more pushback on block, making it a safer option at more ranges.

H Version

Briefly delays before quickly forward with a tackling attack.
This version can be enhanced with Soul Forge armor.
H Battalions travels the farthest of all versions.
+7 on block at maximum range.

Although H Battalions is less unsafe than M Battalions, it is still fairly negative on block and you will be giving up your turn if you use it.

Version	Level	Attribute
[4]6L	4
[4]6M	4
[4]6H	4

[4]6L:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Clash Level 2

[4]6M:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Clash Level 3

[4]6H:

Cooldown: 480F (Technical) 600F (Easy)
Clash Level 2

Great Scythe Grynoth

632146X or 4S

Heavy Great Scythe Grynoth's hitbox is the same as Light version.

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Hit
632146L	2000	Throw	12	3	39	KD
632146M	2500	Airthrow	9	3	39	KD
632146H	2000	Throw	26	3	39	HKD

Grabs the opponent using Grynoth and throws them fullscreen. A standard command throw. It's slower than Ladiva's command throws so even 6 framers can consistently mash on it in most situations. You can generally make them block one normal before they get pushed out of command throw range. If you do two or more normals they will be pushed out of range so you will need to walk/run up a bit to get back into range, use Savage Rampage -> March to get back into range, or use the H version.

Don't forget, you can Great Scythe Grynoth while in Savage Rampage stance!

When performed with Easy Inputs, Great Scythe Grynoth deals 500 less damage than normal. Despite this being a significant damage loss, using Easy Inputs for the M version is a common tactic as it gives Vaseraga access to a fast, reactive, damaging anti-air that works when 2H would not.

L Version

Command grab.

M Version

Anti-air command grab.

This move is important because it covers 2H's blind spot while also being faster. This version can also be incorporated into combos as a non-EX HKD ender.

H Version

Grabs the opponent using Grynoth and throws them fullscreen.

The H version of Great Scythe Grynoth slides forward before the command grab becomes active. Massive range but much slower than the L version at 26 frames. You generally want to use this version in situations where marching or running back into range of L command throw will take too long, such as a blocked spaced Battalions of Fear or a blocked EX Instinction from outside point blank range.

Version	Level	Attribute
632146L	0, 4
632146M	0, 4
632146H	0, 4

632146L:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 0, 1500

632146M:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 0, 2000

632146H:

Cooldown: 480F (Technical) 600F (Easy)
Easy Input Damage 0, 1500

Savage Rampage

22X or 2S

Version	Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit
22L			22
22M			22
22H			15	2(25)2(25)2(25)2		+6	+10
22X > 66	500×4	Mid	16	2(30)2(30)2(30)2(30)
22X > 44					Total 18

Savage Rampage > 66 makes Vaseraga march forward, hitting with each slow step. The slow speed of the steps combined with their low hitstun means that the steps of March will not combo into each other on block or on hit. The EX version of March is faster than the normal version.
Savage Rampage > 44 makes Vaseraga exit the stance.

Initiates Vaseraga's Savage Rampage stance which can be followed up with additional inputs or canceled with 44. Great Scythe Grynoth can be used during Stance, especially scary during EX Savage Rampage due to the walking hitboxes.

L Stance

Transitions to stance in place.

L Savage Rampage is useful in anti-air combos because it allows him to follow up after 2H without putting Savage Rampage on cooldown and does not move Vaseraga away from the enemy like the M version does.

M Stance

Takes a slight step backwards while transitioning.

M Savage Rampage has limited use in combos because it moves Vaseraga away from the enemy, but it is useful in neutral since he can out-range many pokes with his follow-ups.

H Stance

Immediately begins the 66 stomps after the move begins.
Can be canceled into follow-up moves before any stomps come out.

H Savage Rampage is often used as combo filler because many moves combo into 22H~H, which grants a knockdown and leaves Vaseraga close to the enemy for strong okizeme.

Version	Level	Attribute
22L
22M
22H
22X > 66	1
22X > 44

22L:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)

22M:

Cooldown: 20F (Technical) 200F (Easy)

22H:

Cooldown: 480F (Technical) 600F (Easy)

22X > 66:

If done from 22H, 15f startup and 25f gap between stomps

22X > 44:

Rising Slash

Savage Rampage > L

Plus On Whiff

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1500	Mid	12 [32]	3	21	+1 [+2]	KD	Soul Forge: 1~14 Armor

Swings Grynoth in a high slash, hitting both airborne foes and those standing nearby. This is the fastest move Vaseraga has from stance. This move does not hit crouching foes. If done from EX Savage Rampage, 22H, it's +8 on block. Due to the low recovery, when used as a frame trap during March, it will often leave you at advantage even after an Evade from the opponent, allowing you to keep your turn or, in the EX version's case, punish the Evade.

Can be held to adjust the release timing. Useful for adapting to the opponent's air movement during your startup.

Level	Attribute
4

Sweeping Slash

Savage Rampage > M

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
1500	Low	16 [36]	6	29	-10	KD	Soul Forge: 1~21 Armor

Swings Grynoth in a low sweep, knocking down any standing foes nearby. This move can be used to catch a foe attempting to walk back out of range. If done from EX Savage Rampage, 22H, it's safe on block at -4. This is the longest ranged move Vaseraga has in stance. It also has the most active frames, allowing you to tag opponents quite easily for bad spacing/not blocking low.

Level	Attribute
4

If done from 22H, -4 on block

Crushing Strike

Savage Rampage > H

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
2000	Mid	15 [40]	2	31	-4 [+16]	KD	Soul Forge: 1~16 Armor

Swings Grynoth in a vertical downward slash, causing Guard Crush when fully charged.

22H~H is a very important part of Vaseraga's kit. The move is safe on block and can be granted armor by Soul Forge. These properties encourage the enemy to attempt to poke out of it in order to avoid the Guard Crush, which you can punish by releasing the button to hit them before they break your armor; however, there is a specific timing to Evade that will allow them to avoid the Guard Crush and punish. The move is also prominently used as filler in his corner 214X loops, and as an ender in the corner BnB combo. Effective use of this move is essential for Vaseraga players. Outside of combos, it is your main frame trap option while in stance. If this move Counter Hits the opponent or catches them while airborne, it will lead into game ending damage.

Level	Attribute
4

Ravaging Stomp

Savage Rampage > U

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
2000	Mid	20 [40]	6	30	-11	HKD	Soul Forge: 1~25 Armor

Stomps on Grynoth unleashing a damaging blast. This skill has armor properties independent of Soul Forge and will armor any number of hits until active. This follow-up is significantly more unsafe on block than the H follow-up, a property that when combined with its unique armor property, means that it is intended to be used as a bait and punish against enemy reversals when you do not already have armor ready. When you have Soul Forge already, the 2 hits act as a buffer you can use to react to the hitstop of multi-hitting reversals and score a punish. This takes a lot of practice, but it will make Savage Rampage even more threatening.

This move also serves as a necessary defense against opponents simply using SBA/SSBA against you in stance. While experienced opponents know better than to try, never forget to simply push U against newcomers trying to beat your stance with supers.

Level	Attribute
4	Super Armor

Clash level 18

Skybound Art

Bloody Moon

236236H or 236S

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
3900→2600	Mid	8+5	18	40	-26	HKD	1~15 All

Charges forward with a powerful advancing attack. If you are close enough, the Skybound Art will go into an animation for max damage. This skill has invincibility properties and advances considerably forward, but it is not the most reliable option against fireballs. This super converts very well from f.L/f.M/f.H so long as you are not at absolute max range, but you will not get max damage in these situations. If you trigger the full animation, it will add a massive amount of damage to his combos. A versatile Skybound Art all things considered.

Level	Attribute
4

Clash Level: 25 (Technical) 20 (Easy)

Super Skybound Art

Aftermath

236236U or 236S+U

Cinematic SSBA's activation range

Damage	Guard	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	On-Hit	Invuln
5000→3500	Mid	8+7	6	52	-27	HKD	1~20 Throw, 1~20 Guard All

Moves slightly forward and unleashes a moderately sized vertical burst attack, sending any foes caught in it flying. Has armor during the start-up, which means it is significantly harder to safe jump by normal means. However, the hitbox is smaller than it appears, especially horizontally, making this super difficult to use in neutral or as a reversal option. Weaker as a reversal compared to Bloody Moon, as the armor on the move's startup is treated the same as blocking an attack. This means that if their button makes contact early enough and can get through hitstop of their attack, the opponent can react with Evade to avoid Vaseraga's super and get a significant punish. Despite these flaws, this super does massive damage and is a good anti-air in a lot of similar situations to 2H, but due to the high startup it must be done somewhat preemptively or with very quick reactions.

Level	Attribute
4

Clash Level: 35 (Technical) 30 (Easy)

Colors

Colors
Color 1	Color 2	Color 3	Color 4

Color 5	Color 6	Color 7	Color 8

Color 9	Color 10	Color 11	Color 12

Color 13	Color 14	Color 15	Color 16

Color 17	Color 18	Color 19	Color EX