Tifa Lockhart (Dissidia 012)

From Dissidia Wiki


Info
Name Tifa Lockhart (ティファ・ロックハート)
Original game Final Fantasy VII
Weapon Grappling Weapons, Parrying Weapons, Poles, Rods, Staves
Armor Bangles, Chestplates, Clothing, Gauntlets, Hairpins, Hats, Light Armor
Base ATK (LV100) 108 (Very Low)
Base DEF (LV100) 111 (Average)
Run Speed 4 (Fast)
Dash Speed 69 (Very Fast)
Fall Speed 77 (Above Average)
Fall Speed Ratio After Dodge 37 (Above Average)
Exclusive weapons Godhand, Premium Heart, Seventh Heaven
Strengths Weaknesses

Overview

Tifa is a close range character with fast movement speed and the ability to feint attacks. Ground combat is bolstered by mid priority projectiles and an HP link, while aerial combat is supported by moves with vertical tracking. Decent EX gain and one of the highest damaging EX Bursts in the game the more EX meter she has remaining. Damage potential is high with HP attacks thanks to high base bravery and Aerith assist specifically. Low average bravery damage, limited utility on feints and below average vertical prowess while airborne limit her overall effectiveness, however.

Tifa is a low tier character.

Bravery Attacks

Ground

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
8, 11, 16 (35) 21F Physical Melee Low 90 Chase, Feint 30 (15)
[Close~Mid] A flurry of punches. Can combo without hitting.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
10 (10) 31F Magical Ranged Low 0 -- 30 (15)
[Long] Fire ice crystals. Slow speed, but long range.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1, 2 x 10, 3 (24) 31F Magical Ranged Low, Ranged Mid (Explosion) 0 Wall rush 30 (15)
[Mid] Fire multiple ice crystals. Strike opponent down.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1, 2 x 10, 9 (30) 93F Magical Ranged Mid 0 Wall rush 30 (15)
[Long] Drop ice crystals on foe to surprise opponent.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
8, 12 (20) 11F Physical Melee Low 30 Wall rush, Feint (both hits) 30 (15)
[Close] A low-to-high kick combo. Can combo without hitting.

Aerial

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
8, 12 (20) 11F Physical Melee Low 30 Wall rush, Feint (both hits) 30 (15)
[Close] Elbow smash combo. Can combo without hitting.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
26 23F Physical Melee Low 0 Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Dive] Descend quickly from above.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
9, 9, 2 x 3, 16 (40) 25F Physical Melee Low 90 Chase, Feint (both parts) 30 (15)
[Mid] Graceful kicks. Can combo without hitting.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1 x 5, 24 (29) 23F Physical Melee Low 30 Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Rise] Uppercut in the form of a dolphin. Useful from below.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
10 (10) 31F Magical Ranged Low 0 -- 30 (15)
[Long] Fire ice crystals. Slow speed, but long range.

HP Attacks

Ground

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
15 39F Physical Melee High 30 Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Close] Kick upwards, then strike down. Vertically limited.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1x (2/7/13), 15 (17/22/28) 33F, 42F (half charge), 58F (full charge), hitbox 7F after release Physical Melee High 3 per hit Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)

[Close~Long] Charge at foe. Hold button to change distance.

Meteor Strike for brv damage + wall rush and as a pseudo-poke for relatively short end lag and minor evasion against nearby aerial opponents.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
- 47F - Melee High 0 Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Mid] Ultra high-speed kick. Extremely quick.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1 x 7 (7) 45F Physical Melee High 3 per hit (max 21) Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Rise] Grab foe and throw to ground. Short horizontal range.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
- / +Waterkick (8) - Melee High 60 / 90 - 30 (15)
Branching from Waterkick. [Combo] Kick opponent upwards.

Aerial

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1 x 7 (7) 45F Physical Melee High 3 per hit (max 21) Wall rush, Feint 30 (15)
[Dive] Grab foe and throw to ground. Short horizontal range.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force Effects CP (Mastered)
1 x 8, 2 (10) 33F, 32F (half charge), 46F (full charge), hitbox 17F after release Physical Melee High 87 Feint 30 (15)
[Close~Mid] Unleash a flurry of attacks. Increase charge speed with button hold.

EX Mode: Equipped Premium Heart!

Effects:

  • Regen
  • Critical Boost
  • Premium Heart

Premium Heart

[Always active while in EX Mode] The fuller the EX Gauge, the more damage dealt.

EX Burst: Final Heaven

A flurry of attacks ending in one ferocious tackle. Watch your timiing and stop the reels. The better the combo, the more damage dealt.

The damage multipliers scale with remaining EX gauge. More EX left, higher damage.

Maximum EX

Damage multiplier (initial) Damage multiplier (rest) Type
15, 25 (40) 13 x 7 (91) (131 total) ??

Minimum EX

Damage multiplier (initial) Damage multiplier (rest) Type
8, 13 (21) 7 x 7 (49) (70 total) ??

Tifa's mechanics (Feints)

Many of Tifa's bravery and HP attacks can be cancelled into an advancing invincible dash that can go through opponents. Press X during an attack's start-up to "feint" it. After the motion has occurred, Tifa can continue with the preceding attack or wait until the feint state ends. So for example, Beat Rush > X > Beat Rush (hits).

Attacks with feints
Attack Feint window Post-feint action
Beat Rush Before first hit Beat Rush
Waterkick Before second hit Second bravery hit of Waterkick
Moonsault Kick Before either hit First part or second part depending on feint timing
Falcon's Dive Before first hit Falcon's Dive
Dolphin Blow Before first hit Dolphin Blow
Meteodrive Before first hit Meteodrive
Meteor Strike Before / during first hit Meteor Strike (can be charged)
Burning Arrow Before first hit Burning Arrow
Rolling Blaze (both) During first part Rolling Blaze
Meteor Crusher Before attack connects Meteor Crusher (cannot be charged)

A feint allows Tifa to delay her attack for about one (1) full second before being locked into unactionable recovery frames. This can be used to extend an attack's range and increase ambiguity on your attack timing, most notably with the Rolling Blaze HP attacks.

Because Tifa is invincible when initiating a feint, it is also possible to use it as a post-dodge defensive option.

Tifa can be hit after the feint teleport and during the recovery period, which make her vulnerable to interruptions. One way to cover this is to have assist meter ready to respond to opponent’s interactions. Escaping damage or intercepting the opponent’s approach can work out well, but there will inevitably be a little bit of guessing involved when facing a different player.

Feints are better used sparingly early in the match to see how the opponent reacts to them. Once you get a good idea of how they respond, you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

Common counterstrategies to feints include;

  • Running or jumping out of range
  • Interrupting with fast attacks (e.g. Squall’s Beat Fang, Yuna’s Diamond Dust)
  • Chasing with a homing attack (e.g. Cloud's Braver, Vaan's Inferno)
  • Reacting with assist and using it in tandem to pincer her.

Combos

Solo

Assist

All assists use their designated bravery attack unless stated otherwise.

Tifa's easiest air assist combo enders are Moonsault Kick (bravery damage and EX) and Meteor Crusher (HP). Meteor Crusher has very short range if it's uncharged, so it is recommended to finish an assist combo by charging Meteor Crusher for roughly 0.6 seconds. This is enough time for the Assist Chase teleport slowdown to end without sacrificing much hit stun in the process.

Ground

Tifa combos well with wall rush and her damage output increases exponentially with ground wall rushes thanks to Kuja bravery assist's holding potential.

Starter Combo Damage EX Force Notes Video
Waterkick > Somersault -- 8 + HP 90 (30, 60) -- --
Kuja > AC > Meteor Crusher 68 + HP x2 (8, HP, 50, 10) 177 (30, 60, 87) Basic HP link combo that leaves Tifa airborne. Charge Meteor Crusher for roughly 0.6 seconds to increase tracking and hit the opponent consistently. video
Beat Rush (2nd hit) -- 19 (8, 11) ?? BRV starter, either after approaching or defending with feint after a dodge. video
Kuja > AC > Meteor Crusher 79 (8, 11, 50, 10 + HP) ?? -- video
Blizzara -- 24 (1, 2 x 10, 3) 0 Wall Rush. --
WR > Kuja > Falcon's Dive > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC (towards Kuja) > AC > Meteor Crusher 133 + HP & WR (24 + WR, 47, 26 + WR, 26 + WR, 10 + HP) 87 (0, 0, 0, 87) The later Blizzara hits, the more time Tifa has to fit in two Falcon's Dives during ground Kuja BRV assist. video
Blizzaga -- 30 (1, 2 x 10, 9) 0 Wall Rush. Blizzaga is Tifa's highest damaging ground BRV combo starter, but due to it's slow startup it is difficult to land it in practical situations.
WR > Kuja > DC (up or towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 139 (30 + WR, 47, 26 + WR, 26 + WR, 10 + HP) 87 (0, 0, 0, 87) Tifa is actionable before Blizzaga wall rushes with a dodge cancel. Use that to add Falcon's Dives during the ground Kuja BRV assist.
Burning Arrow -- 0 + HP WR 0 Wall Rush. Dodge punishment combo starter. --
WR > Kuja > AC > Meteor Crusher 60 + HP x2 & WR (0 + HP WR, 50, 10 + HP) 87 (0, 87) Base bravery HP damage is usually enough for base bravery to mostly recover during Meteor Crusher. video
Rolling Blaze -- 1x7 + HP WR 3 per hit (max 21) Wall Rush. Works after staggering with a block or anti-airing. --
WR > Kuja > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 116 (7 + HP WR, 47, 26 + WR, 26 + WR, 10) 108 (21, 87) Wall Rush. Falcon's Dive is Tifa's highest damaging assist combo filler, but it can be easy to miss the opponent or dodge cancel the dive slightly late. video

Aerial

Tifa doesn't have access strong assist combo fillers and her aerial combo starters aren't particularly stronger compared to the ground combo starters. She can still get ground Kuja assist with Falcon's Dive and Rolling Blaze, but they're not easy to land against airborne opponents. Nevertheless, even though the combo routes are basic, they're all functional.

Starter Combo Damage EX Force Notes Video
Elbow Smash (1st hit) -- 8 ?? Quick air poke combo starter. --
Kuja > AC > Meteor Crusher 68 (8, 50, 10 + HP) ?? + 87 Basic. video
Elbow Smash -- 20 (8, 12) 30 Wall Rush. --
WR > Kuja > DC (pincer the opponent) > Moonsault Kick (1st part) > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 98 + HP (8, 12, 50, 9, 9, 10 + HP) ?? (30, ??, 87) Wall Rush. Moonsault Kick is an easy filler during Kuja's air brv assist. Dodge behind the opponent so that Tifa and Kuja are attacking from both sides. video
Moonsault Kick (1st part) -- 18 (9, 9) ?? Air combo starter. No wall required. Can be used after approaching or doing a feint. --
Kuja > DC (pincer the opponent) > Moonsault Kick (1st part) > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 96 (9, 9, 50, 9, 9, 10 + HP) ?? (??, ??, 87) Moonsault Kick (1st) works as a filler here as well. Just like with the Elbow Smash WR, dodge behind the opponent to attack the opponent from both sides, without pushing them out of Kuja assist. video
Moonsault Kick -- 40 (9, 9, 2x3, 16) 90 Wall / corner only. High damage combo starter when ground wall rush is not available. --
Kuja > Empty Chase (Kuja hit) > AC > Meteor Crusher 100 + HP (40, 50, 10 + HP) 177 (90, 87) Wall / corner only. Call Kuja before chase prompt and initiate chase as Kuja hits the opponent. Don't do anything during chase (also known as empty chase and follow up as usual. video
Falcon's Dive -- 26 + WR 0 Wall Rush. Commonly used in air-to-ground situations or otherwise fighting an opponent who is below Tifa. Note that wall rush can happen on both floors and walls. If the dodge direction keeps Tifa close and slightly above the opponent, Falcon's Dive also works after staggering with a blodge. --
Wall Rush > Kuja > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC (towards Kuja) > Falcon's Dive > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 135 (26 + WR, 47, 26 + WR, 26 + WR, 10 + HP) 87 (0, 0, 0, 87) Wall Rush. video
Dolphin's Blow -- 29 (1x5, 24) 30 Wall Rush. Ceiling only. Dolphin Blow overall speed and vertical tracking are only average, so this won't be used too often. As a filler, it is stronger than Falcon's Dive but only in Dolphin Blow conversions specifically.
WR > Kuja > DC (pincer the opponent) > Dolphin Blow (WR) > DC > AC > Meteor Crusher 118 (29 + WR, 50, 29 + WR, 10 + HP) 147 (30, 30, 87) Wall Rush. Ceiling only. Similiar to Moonsault Kick fillers, dodge behind the opponent and attack them from both sides. Dolphin Blow's recovery can be dodge cancelled early, which makes timing the filler Dolphin Blow much easier.

Builds

Stats
HP 10904
CP 450
BRV 1215
ATK 176
DEF 184
LUK 61
Max Booster x2.7
Special Effect: None
Equipment
Assist Kuja
Weapon Seventh Heaven
Hand Hero's Shield (CP Glitch)
Head Dueling Mask
Armor Heavy Armor (CP Glitch)
Accessory 1 accessory_basic.png Block Ring
Accessory 2 accessory_basic.png Zephyr Cloak
Accessory 3 accessory_basic.png Dismay Shock
Accessory 4 accessory_basic.png Battle Hammer
Accessory 5 accessory_booster.png Empty EX Gauge
Accessory 6 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 7 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Revenge
Accessory 8 accessory_special.png Blue Gem
Accessory 9 accessory_special.png Miracle Shoes
Accessory 10 accessory_special.png Side by Side
Summon None

A Side by Side build that doesn't specialise in damage, but instead focuses on a good balance of offense and defense. 10,000 HP, solid defense and meter depletion. 30 % wall rush HP defense, 10 % of which scales with booster accessories that have consistent uptime. Similiarly the build has 5 % BRV Boost on Dodge, where 2 % scales with boosters as well.

Tifa's bravery damage output is often average if not below it, which is where higher base bravery, her exclusive weapon and Assist Critical Boost come in.


Basic Abilities
Actions Support Extra
Ground Evasion Always Target Indicator Precision Evasion
Midair Evasion EX Core Lock On Counterattack
Ground Block Assist Lock On Assist Critical Boost
Midair Block Disable Sneak Attack
Aerial Recovery EXP to HP
Recovery Attack Master Guardsman
Controlled Recovery
Wall Jump
Free Air Dash
Ground Dash
Free Air Dash Boost
Assist Gauge Up Dash
Speed Boost
Jump Times Boost
Ground Evasion Boost
Midair Evasion Boost
Evasion Boost

Stats
HP 9683
CP 450
BRV 1623
ATK 175
DEF 183
LUK 60
Max Booster x3.5
Special Effect: None
Equipment
Assist Aerith
Weapon Piggy's Stick (CP Glitch)
Hand Chainsaw (CP Glitch)
Head Thornlet
Armor Maximillian (CP Glitch)
Accessory 1 accessory_basic.png Muscle Belt
Accessory 2 accessory_basic.png Sniper Eye
Accessory 3 accessory_basic.png Bravery Orb
Accessory 4 accessory_basic.png Dismay Shock
Accessory 5 accessory_booster.png Empty EX Gauge
Accessory 6 accessory_booster.png Summon Unused
Accessory 7 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 8 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Revenge
Accessory 9 accessory_special.png Back-Breaking Straw
Accessory 10 accessory_special.png Side by Side
Summon Rubicante
Bravery attacks
Ground Aerial
Waterkick Moonsault Kick
Beat Rush Elbow Smash
Blizzara Falcon's Dive
HP attacks
Ground Aerial
Rolling Blaze Meteor Crusher
Meteor Strike Rolling Blaze
Somersault (from Waterkick)
Basic Abilities
Actions Support Extra
Ground Evasion Always Target Indicator Precision Evasion
Midair Evasion EX Core Lock On Disable Counterattack
Ground Block Assist Lock On EXP to Assist
Midair Block Best Dresser
Aerial Recovery
Recovery Attack
Controlled Recovery
Wall Jump
Air Dash
Free Air Dash
Ground Dash
Multi Air Slide
Free Air Dash Boost
Assist Gauge Up Dash
Speed Boost
Jump Boost
Jump Times Boost+
Ground Evasion Boost
Midair Evasion Boost
Evasion Boost
Descent Speed Boost

A Side by Side damage build that invests in high base bravery and HP wall rush to increase Tifa's damage output exponentially with Aerith assist specifically. The idea is simple: Land an HP, combo into Aerith's Seal Evil and do another HP late enough for base bravery to fully recover. A single assist combo can do over 3000 HP damage.

In match-ups where Tifa can compete with her Somersault HP link or Rolling Blaze such as Cloud and Firion, she can output a lot of HP damage without relying on high attack stat or critical hits. Any HP guarantees an Aerith followup (Meteor Crusher only at wall) and bravery hits still work well enough to secure at least one HP attack in an assist combo. Aerith is the only competitive assist that lets Tifa assist combo off of a completed Moonsault Kick without walls.

The infamous double assist combo is also possible and it's where this build really shines. If Tifa can wall rush again and use another assist meter during the first Seal Evil, she can do Rolling Blaze and call Aerith once more. Needless to say, this increases damage even further.

15 CP is available for another ground HP attack, the Auto-Assist Lock On support ability or additional action abilities. Removing Air Dash and Descent Speed Boost frees up another 10 CP for a total of 25 CP.

Substitutes
Equipment Replacement Notes
Muscle Belt accessory_basic.png Zephyr Cloak accessory_basic.png / BRV = 0 accessory_booster.png / Hero's Essence accessory_special.png / Great Gospel accessory_special.png / Hero's Seal accessory_special.png / Winged Boots accessory_special.png Muscle Belt isn't crucial for damage output, so it can be replaced with one of the listed accessories for increased survivability, CP (extra abilities for increased crit rate, base HP or BRV) or bravery recovery.
Back-Breaking Straw accessory_special.png Together as One accessory_special.png / accessory of your choice Back-Breaking Straw negates Thornlet's bravery boost penalty on dodge and block. The damage output is still high even with the penalties, so if it doesn't feel deterring, it can be replaced with Together as One for more assist meter at the start which is good for stability.
Otherwise this can be exchanged to suit the player preference or match-up.
Muscle Belt accessory_basic.png and Summon Unused accessory_booster.png Battle Hammer accessory_basic.png and BRV = 0 accessory_booster.png This is for adding assist depletion to the build. Muscle Belt doesn't benefit from BRV = 0 booster, whereas Battle Hammer does, so the booster is swapped out for something stronger and more consistent.
BRV = 0 applies to wall rush damage and meter depletion.
Best Dresser (extra ability) Master Guardsman (extra ability) The base bravery (1623) can be reduced by 100 to raise the maximum health above 10,000 instead.

Stats
HP 9972
CP 450
BRV 997
ATK 174
DEF 185
LUK 60
Max Booster x5.5
Special Effect: Adamant Chains
Equipment
Assist Aerith / Tidus
Weapon Adamant Knife (CP Glitch)
Hand Adamant Shield (CP Glitch)
Head Dueling Mask
Armor Adamant Vest (CP Glitch)
Accessory 1 accessory_basic.png Zephyr Cloak
Accessory 2 accessory_basic.png Dismay Shock
Accessory 3 accessory_basic.png Battle Hammer
Accessory 4 accessory_booster.png BRV > Base Value
Accessory 5 accessory_booster.png Summon Unused
Accessory 6 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 7 accessory_booster.png Pre-EX Revenge
Accessory 8 accessory_booster.png Aerial
Accessory 9 accessory_booster.png After 30 Seconds
Accessory 10 accessory_special.png Tenacious Attacker
Summon Rubicante
Bravery attacks
Ground Aerial
Waterkick Moonsault Kick
Beat Rush Elbow Smash
Blizzaga Dolphin Blow
HP attacks
Ground Aerial
Rolling Blaze Meteor Crusher
Meteor Strike Rolling Blaze
Somersault (from Waterkick)
Basic Abilities
Actions Support Extra
Ground Evasion Always Target Indicator Precision Evasion
Midair Evasion EX Core Lock On Disable Counterattack
Ground Block Assist Lock On EXP to HP
Midair Block Best Dresser
Aerial Recovery
Recovery Attack
Controlled Recovery
Wall Jump
Air Dash
Free Air Dash
Ground Dash
Multi Air Slide
Free Air Dash Boost
Assist Gauge Up Dash
Jump Boost
Jump Times Boost+
Ground Evasion Boost
Midair Evasion Boost
Evasion Boost

A build that provides bravery every time an attack is evaded with a dodge. This style of build is often reserved for specific match-ups where a character may struggle to land hits and are dealing with projectiles often. Against Sephiroth this is good for discouraging Shadow Flare use. The Emperor and Ultimecia also create situations with projectiles frequently, but all three are difficult match-ups for Tifa even with this build. Landing an HP is challenging and often carries a lot of risk, so having more bravery can justify taking the plunge.

The boosters don't depend on the opponent as much (no summon unused for example), but are weaker than a fully optimized set with boosters reliant on the other player's build. At maximum booster multiplier, a single dodge generates 146 bravery.

25 CP is available for Auto Assist Lock On support ability, another ground HP attack, additional basic actions or extra abilities.

Substitutes
Equipment Replacement Notes
accessory_booster.png After 30 Seconds accessory_booster.png Opponent Summon Unused 1.2 booster to 1.3 booster, a slight increase. The opponent does not have to equip a summon, so if they don't have a summon for the fight, this booster is useless.
accessory_basic.png Dismay Shock accessory_booster.png Opponent Empty EX Gauge If the opponent has Side by Side accessory_special.png equipped, this is another good 1.3 booster with consistent uptime.
accessory_special.png Tenacious Attacker Free choice --

Assist

Tifa's assist data

Type Attack Startup Position Spawn Damage multiplier Effects
BRV Beat Rush 21F Ground Opponent 8, 11, 16 (35) Chase
BRV Falcon's Dive 23F Air Opponent 26 Wall Rush
HP Meteodrive 39F Ground Opponent 15 Wall Rush
HP Rolling Blaze 45F Air Opponent 1 x 7 Wall Rush

Assists

Poke and wall rush conversions, high brv damage, high risk of being locked when used.

Poke and wall rush conversions, lower damage, but faster startup and shorter animation on air BRV assist, making Tidus safer to use even if the opponent escapes it with LV1 Assist Change.

If you don't need Kuja or Tidus for whiff punishments or conversions, Aerith can boost your damage near the ground with triple HP combos or reliably set up HP damage off of Moonsault Kick's chase. Recommended for Side by Side and / or high base bravery builds.

Retrieved from "https://dissidia.wiki/index.php?title=Tifa_Lockhart_(Dissidia_012)&oldid=1122"