Dodge (Dissidia 012)
Dodge is a gameplay mechanic in Dissidia 012.
Overview
Dodge is one of the game's defensive options that is used to evade against incoming attacks. After equipping the two basic abilities, players can perform a burst of movement by pressing R + X that has 20 frames of invincibility (at 60 FPS).
Ground dodge has a few different versions depending on the directional input, while air dodge functions identically regardless of input. However, air dodge can move the character in a variety of different directions.
Dodging is a crucial defensive technique in competitive play, as it allows characters to make attacks safer to use, create openings against the opponent's attacks, generate assist meter more quickly and otherwise survive dire situations. Many attacks can be cancelled into a dodge earlier than other actions (known as "dodge cancel"), making it one of the most accessible defensive mechanics in the game. And because of the invincibility provided by other abilities, it is also one of the most powerful defensive mechanics overall.
Being able to facilitate favorable situations both with dodges and against them can greatly influence a character's ability to compete. Fall speed after a dodge directly impacts air dodges' safety, while the safety of acting out of a dodge is impacted by characters' individual repertoire.
Concepts such as dodge punishment and variable dodge timing become important at higher levels of play and the defensive blodge technique combines both dodging and blocking for even stronger defensive play.
| Ability | CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Evasion | 10 (5) | 50 | On the ground, push R + X to dodge opponent's attack. |
| Midair Evasion | 10 (5) | 50 | In the air, push R + X to dodge opponent's attack. |
Ground Dodge (Neutral / Backward)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 29F | 56F |
A dodge that performs a backstep maneuver. Press R + X without directional input (hence the "neutral" dodge).
Because the neutral dodge has the earliest attack cancel window, it is often used to whiff attacks in quick succession for assist meter. Assist combos also benefit from this (e.g. Squall's repeated Thunder Barret) and of course, attacks with frame 1 block can defend while the invincibility from Evasion Boost is still in effect. This is the only ground dodge that allows it without Precision Evasion.
Ground Dodge (Side)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 43F | 56F |
A sideways dodge that moves the character in a straight line. Press R + X while holding left, right or diagonal direction in relation to the opponent to move in that direction.
This ground dodge has the latest attack cancel window, possessing the largest gap of vulnerability between invincibility and the earliest possible action.
The game's battle tutorial teaches about ground dodges being possible with cardinal directions. However, diagonal directions work too and will move the character in that direction. The sideways dodge state is used in those instances can be used to position more accurately when defending against attacks.
Ground Dodge (Forward)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Dodge / block cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 41F | 57F | 78F |
A dodge that jumps over the opponent, effective at avoiding grounded attacks with little to no vertical reach. Press R + X while holding direction towards the opponent.
The total distance travelled is relatively short and once the vertical peak has been reached, the momentum will drastically slow down. That makes this one of the easier dodges to punish as it is less demanding in range, positioning and movement overall.
Punishing this dodge in ground-to-ground interactions requires committing to an anti-air attack or jumping, but the latter option also has significantly less risk.
Air Dodge
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 29F | 56F |
Ground / Midair Evasion Boost
| Ability | CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Evasion Boost | 20 (10) | 100 | Increase movement distance for ground evasion. Must enable Ground Evasion. |
| Midair Evasion Boost | 20 (10) | 100 | Increase movement distance for midair evasion. Must enable Midair Evasion. |
Increases dodge distance by 2m. Both ground and midair boosts are staple picks as the increased movement helps evading attacks more consistently regardless of remaining invincibility.
However, equipping ground evasion boost is not as important in air oriented match-ups where dodging on the ground may not happen often.
Evasion Boost
| CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 20 (10) | 100 | Increase duration of invincibility after evasion. |
Evasion Boost doubles the invincibility time of all dodges from 20 frames to 40 frames.
The generous invincibility provided by this ability has had rippling effects in competitive play. Dodges have a much smaller window for any guaranteed punishment, bolstering defense for many characters while also restricting options for the attacker.
For one, this enables gapless defense for characters with defensive attacks such as Exdeath, Sephiroth and Jecht when cancelled out of a neutral ground dodge or any air dodge. And HP attacks that can punish air dodges such as Laguna's Ragnarok Blade now struggle to connect at all and presents a bigger risk to the user.
Because of Evasion Boost, dodge punishment is more difficult and risky across the board, but defending against attacks with strong tracking or projectiles also becomes a lot more reliable.
That is not to say dodging is entirely safe, far from it. However, much of Dissidia 012's established defensive gameplay can be attributed to the nature of dodge and the invincibility granted by this ability. Unfortunately, enforcing a ban on Evasion Boost can negatively impact tournament logistics - This is not an ability that that can be viewed in equipment briefing prior to a fight and the in-game battle information does not notify either player about it. As such, monitoring the use of this ability can be time consuming.
Evasion Boost remains a part of Dissidia 012's competitive play, but recent years have also had players engage in fights with mutual agreement of not using it.
Precision Evasion
| CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 90 (45) | 200 | Evasions are more effective when well-timed. |
If an attack is dodged within the first 4 frames of the dodge, this extra ability extends invincibility to the end of a dodge.
This means any character can act out of a dodge without a gap of vulnerability dodges usually have. Another dodge can be performed and it will be invincible, though it cannot trigger another Precision Evasion this way. Regular blocks are technically possible as well, but a more common application of guarding is seen with characters who possess an attack with frame 1 block properties. Warrior of Light's Shield of Light, Cloud of Darkness's [Wrath] Particle Beam and Jecht's Jecht Block all take advantage of this well.