BBCF/Arakune/Strategy

Arakune

Overview

Starter Guide

Combos

Character Name Abbreviations

7	8	9
4	5	6
1	2	3

Numbers represent direction on a keyboard numpad. For example,

+

becomes 236A.

> = Proceed from the previous move to the following move.

▷/land = Indicate that the player must land at that point in the sequence.

, = the previous move into the following move.

->/~ = the previous special into a follow-up special.

dl./delay = Delay the following move.

whiff/(whiff) = The move must whiff (not hit).

c. = Close

f. = Far

j. = Jumping/Aerial

hj./sj. = High Jump/Super Jump

jc = Jump Cancel

hjc/sjc = High Jump Cancel/Super Jump Cancel

dc/adc = Dash Cancel/Air Dash Cancel

CH = Counter Hit

AA = Anti-Air

IAS = Instant Air Special

[X] = Hold input.

]X[ = Release input.

(move) = Move is optional.

[X] or [Y] = Perform sequence X or Y.

[sequence] xN = Repeat sequence N amount of times.

(N) = Hit N of a move or move must deal N amount of hits.

IAD = Instant Air Dash

RC = Rapid Cancel

OD = Overdrive

ODc / cOD / ODC / OD Cancel = Overdrive Cancel

EA = Exceed Accel

AM = Amane

AR = Arakune

AZ = Azrael

BG = Bang

BU = Bullet

CR = Carl

CE = Celica

ES = Es

HK = Hakumen

HZ = Hazama

HI = Hibiki

TG = Tager

IN = Izanami

IZ = Izayoi

JI = Jin

JU = Jubei

KG = Kagura

KO = Kokonoe

LA = Λ-No.11-

LI = Litchi

MA = Mai

MK = Makoto

MU = Mu-12

NA = Naoto

NI = Nine

NO = Noel

NU = ν-No.13-

PL = Platinum

RC = Rachel

RG = Ragna

RE = Relius

SU = Susano'o

TK = Taokaka

TS = Tsubaki

VK = Valkenhayn

TE = Terumi

Combo Theory

Due to the nature of Arakune's gameplan, combo theory is largely divided into two main segments: pre-curse and curse. Pre-curse your goal is to confirm any hit you land into a combo that yields 100% curse, then knock them down for a mixup into a more damaging post curse combo. Due to damage scaling on pre-curse combos, resetting immediately into a mixup as soon as you've reached 100% curse is the ideal use of your limited curse time. Typically this will consist of knocking them down out of the air with 6A, setting up bugs, the slow cloud, and invisibility on their wakeup with the intent to force them to block your oppressive in-curse mixup options for a reset into a high damage curse combo.

Mixup options from this point are numerous and incredibly freeform. It won't be possible to make a comprehensive list of mixup options here, but almost anything you can think of that forces the opponent to block a high, low, or crossup while blocking bugs is the goal. C Bug tends to be the star of the show here for both its high blockstun and ability to guard crush anyone who is not barrier blocking. Keep in mind if you cross the opponent's barrier block up, they will no longer be using barrier, and can be guard crushed by C bug.

Once you've opened up their guard successfully you can transition to a highly damaging curse combo, and if remaining curse time allows, another reset. The typical curse combo will flow from Arakune's moves to C+D bug and back a few times, meaning the individual components of each curse combo in between C+D bug cycles are fairly modular and freely interchangeable with each other. When curse time is almost up, Arakune typically transitions into either F-Inverse (Spider Laser) for damage or a hard knockdown and setting up clouds and spiders to attempt a re-curse.

Important Concepts:

Air Dashes and Falling Aerials: Arakune's airdash momentum can be converted into a falling trajectory by holding back (4) on the stick while doing a standard aerial (j.A, j.B, j.C) or barrier block. This can be done at any point in the airdash and is a key part of both his neutral and his BnB combo. For his BnB combo specifically, you will want the j.C to be the point you input the 4 motion to start the fall.

Negative Edging: The act of holding down a button and getting an action on release (rather than on press) is commonly called Negative Edging. Arakune's bug summoning while in curse functions as a Negative Edge input. If you've never played a character with prominent amounts of Negative Edging before, the concept will feel entirely alien to your fingers. That's normal; start by practicing never releasing the buttons to break the habit of normal press and release, then move on to making your fingers release the buttons again at the desired timing. It will take a while to get used to, but once you have the muscle memory it will start to stick.

5B to 5A: Unlike most other characters in Blazblue, Arakune's 5B can link back to 5A. The timing on it is fairly late after the 5B animation starts finishing, around when he pulls his "drill" back into his body. It won't buffer like a traditional gatling, but the timing is not too precise once you know it's there. Important to know for confirming 2B into full curse meterless.

Dive Cancelling: On hit, Arakune's dive attacks (j.2A/B/C) have a significant amount of landing recovery. The landing recovery can be cancelled by inputting another dive right after hitting the opponent but before you land. If done correctly, the game will treat you landing as the cancelling of the startup of the next dive rather than the landing recovery of the first dive, allowing you to act much sooner. For this to work, you must input a different dive than the one you want to cancel (i.e. if you hit with j.2A, you must cancel with j.2B or j.2C and vice versa). Some (but not most) combos require dive cancels in order to work properly.

Combo List

Most practical pre-curse combos can begin from multiple different starting moves before transitioning to standardized routes. Anything that can route to 5A or 6B can be a valid starter for the core BnBs. Common examples of interchangeable starters below.

Difficulty marked from the frame of reference of an "average" Arakune combo being Medium.

Check this link for a few examples of Arakune BnBs with video

Common Starters
#	Combo
1	j.4B ▷ 5A
2	2B > 5B > 5A
3	6A > 6B
4	6A > 2B > 5B > (4B) > 5A
5	6A > 4B > 6B
6	(2A) > 2C > RC > 5A
7	5D > 3C > Crush Trigger > 6B
8	CH 5D > IAD > j.4B ▷ 5A
9	Antiair or CH 6C > 6CC > 5A > 6B
10	Throw

Pre-Curse Midscreen
#	Combo	Damage	Heat Gain	Curse Gain	Works on:	Difficulty	Notes
1	(Starter) > 5A > 5B > 2C > 6D	1468	10	25%	All	Very Easy	Day 1 Combo
2	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D > j.22C	1273	9	58%	All	Very Easy	Day 1 Combo
3	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D > IAD > j.B > j.4C~[4] > j.D ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2512	17	100%	All	Medium	Standard Universal BnB (omit ~[4] for sideswap)
4	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D > IAD > j.B > j.4C > j.D ▷ j.A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2491	17	100%	All	Medium	j.A Sideswap Variant BnB
5	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D > IAD > j.B > j.C > j.D > j.2C > Dive Cancel ▷ j.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2686	19	100%	All	Difficult	Dive Cancel Variant BnB
6	5C > 6D > j.3D ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2991	21	100%	All	Easy
7	5C > JC > (j.A or small delay) > j.B > j.C > j.D > j.214B ▷ 22B > sj.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3646	25	100%	All	Medium	Values shown for omitting j.A
8	Antiair 2B or j.2A/B/C > 5B > JC > (j.A or small delay) > j.B > j.C > j.D > j.214B ▷ 22B > sj.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3591	28	100%	All	Medium	Values shown for omitting j.A
9	3C > 214B > sj.B > j.C > j.D > (sideswap) ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC > (j.B) > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3574	25	100%	All	Medium	Values shown for omitting j.B
10	6D > j.3D ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2851	20	100%	All	Easy
11	FC 6D > JC > j.3D ▷ 5C > j.B > j.C > j.D > j.214B ▷ 22B > sj.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3832	27	100%	All	Medium	Fatal Only, Jump Cancel initial 6D before bell bug comes out
12	j.6D > delay > j.3D ▷ j.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2534	18	100%	All	Difficult
13	Air to Air j.6A/B/C > dj.A > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > (sideswap) ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC > (j.B) > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2483	17	100%	All	Medium	Works at IAD height or lower, Sideswaps
14	Air to Air j.6A/B/C > dj.A > j.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > (sideswap) ▷ 6B > j.6D > IAD > j.B > j.4C~[4] > j.D ▷ 6D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2485	17	100%	All	Medium	Works at normal jump height or lower, Sideswaps
15	Air to Air j.6A/B/C > dj.A > j.B > j.C > j.2D > delay > j.D ▷ 6D > j.3D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2319	16	100%	All	Difficult	Works at Superjump height or lower, Sameside
16	Air to Air j.6A/B/C > dj.A > j.B > j.C > j.D > j.214214D ▷ (delay for all bugs to hit) > 5C~D > JC j.[B] > ]6B[ (discard B bug) > C+D Bug 1 > D Bug 2 > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3472	16	100%	All	Medium	Works at any height, Requires 50 Heat
17	236236C > 6D > j.3D > j.22B	3036	4	83%	All	Easy	Requires 50 Heat
18	236236C > 6D > j.3D > JC j.B > j.C > j.D > j.6A > j.236C	3229	5	75%	All	Easy	Requires 50 Heat
19	236236C > (delay) > 6D > j.3D ▷ j.B(1) > j.C > j.2D > JC IAD > j.C > j.2D	3261	5	100%	All	Very Difficult	Requires 50 Heat, delayed 6D, earliest possible j.3D

Most midscreen combos work as normal in the corner with the exception that any references to ]5X[ bugs should be changed to ]6X[, 22B changed to 22C, and j.D changed to j.2D

Pre-Curse Corner
#	Combo	Damage	Heat Gain	Curse Gain	Works on:	Difficulty	Notes
1	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D ▷ 6D > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2600	18	100%	All	Easy
2	(Starter) > 5A > 6B > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC > Bell Bug hit > j.B > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > JC j.A > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	2845	20	100%	All	Easy
3	5A > 5B > 2C > (small delay) > 6D > 6B > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC > Bell Bug Hit > j.B > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3023	21	100%	All	Medium
4	2C > (small delay) > 6D > JC > Bell Bug Hit > j.C > j.2B ▷ 6D > 6B > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3317	23	100%	All	Medium	Dive Cancel not required, but makes it more lenient
5	3C > 214B > 22C > 6A > 5C > 6D > JC > Bell Bug Hit > j.B > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	4055	28	100%	All	Medium
6	[j.2A ▷ 6B] x3 > j.6D ▷ 6D > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3573	25	100%	All	Medium
7	j.6A/B/C > (j.A) > j.C > j.2B > 6D > 6B > j.6D ▷ 6D > JC > Bell Bug Hit > j.B > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.236[C]~[D] > ]6CD[ ▷ 236D > 6[A] > 236[B]	3245	22	100%	All	Medium	Dive Cancel not required, but makes it more lenient
8	236236C > 5D > j.6D > 6D > Bell Bug Hit > j.C > j.2D > j.6A > j.236[C]	3328	5	100%	All	Medium	Requires 50 Heat, Combo ends at j.236C landing, will drop if you attempt anything more