Kefka Palazzo (Dissidia 012)

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Revision as of 22:58, 10 February 2024 by Muggshotter (talk | contribs) (→‎Overview: Added overview.)


Info
Name Kefka Palazzo (ケフカ・パラッツォ)
Original game Final Fantasy VI
Base ATK (LV100) 111 (High)
Base DEF (LV100) 110 (Low)
Run Speed 11.5 (Very Slow)
Dash Speed 81 (Below Average)
Fall Speed 67 (Fast)
Fall Speed Ratio After Dodge 13 (Fastest)
Fastest BRV
Fastest HP
1-Hit HP
HP Links
Command Block
Weapon Instruments, Poles, Rods, Staves
Armor Bangles, Clothing, Hats, Hairpins, Headbands, Ribbons, Robes
Exclusive weapons Lamia's Flute, Nephilim Flute, Dancing Mad
Unlock
Alignment
Voice Actor (JP)
Voice Actor (ENG)


Strengths Weaknesses
  • Damage - High attack stat, synergy with Side by Side accessory_special.png, good damage multipliers on his staple braveries and combos ensure Kefka's damage output shines regardless of build.
  • Range - If left unattended, Kefka can create presence anywhere in a stage, whether it's the gradually homing Waggly-Wobbly Firaga or Trine with infinite range.
  • Mobility - One of the strongest Precision Jump users with it's speed and height. Fast fall speed makes air dodges significantly harder to punish. While dash speed is below average, it's more than enough to keep aggressive opponents occupied.
  • Defensive play - Having ways to quickly create distance that is in service of his braveries, Kefka can dictate the pace of a match with reverse ground / air dashes.
  • Momentum - In addition to damage, Kefka is in a great position to take advantage of any hits he gets by casting another Waggly-Wobbly Firaga, making it more difficult to challenge his defense. With Side by Side and LV2 Assist Change, Kefka can also retaliate with Havoc Wing, further cementing his advantage in meter economy.
  • EX Mode - Casting two spells at once greatly amplifies his space control and damage output. Ultima comes out instantly.
  • Vulnerable to whiff punishment - Many of Kefka's bravery attacks have a long startup that can be punished with assist on reaction, or contested with a Free Air Dash. Despite having a great close range threat with the Scatter-Spray Blizzaga bravery, Kefka is still susceptible to counter attacks if it's dodged.
  • Assist meter generation on whiff - Because Kefka does not have quick low commitment pokes, generating assist meter safely can be very difficult.
  • EX generation on hit - Two of his staple braveries do not produce EX Force, often limiting his EX intake to EX cores, Extra-Crispy Firaga enders and occasional whiff punishes with Lickety-Split Thundagas.
  • Reversing momentum - If the opponent is consistently intercepting Kefka's braveries with assist or offensive approaches, Kefka has to take big risks to stay alive.
  • Small stages - By the same token, smaller stages like M.S. Prima Vista leave less room for Kefka to create space and cast spells safely.


Overview

Kefka is a defensive spellcaster who primarily operates at mid and long range to create opportunities to deal damage and stay safe.

By utilising reverse dashes, air dodges with great fall speed and Precision Jumps, Kefka can quickly create space to begin casting his signature Waggly-Wobbly Firaga bravery that pursues the opponent with fluctuating priorities. This creates an incentive for the opponent to engage with Kefka which sets up his bigger plays. In close range he can threaten with a mid priority Scatter-Spray Blizzaga, or harass distant opponents with Extra-Crispy Firaga, Lickety-Split Thundaga, Hyperdrive or Trine. All of these attacks can lead to assist combos, representing a threat regardless of Kefka's position.

Kefka's strengths are characterised by his eccentric projectile behavior, good defensive mobility and great damage potential. He possesses a high base attack stat and his staple braveries can inflict a lot of damage in a single assist combo. Dodge punishment is serviceable, but he doesn't rely on it to the extent that characters like Cloud, Zidane and Tidus do. While his base defense stat and grounded movement speed are well below average, his Precision Jumps are top class, his fall speed creates one of the safest air dodges in the game and his dash speed is sufficient for general purpose defensive maneuvers.

Kefka's strenghts are well pronounced, but so are his weaknesses. Low EX Force generation on many of his attacks means he is more reliant on EX Cores and equipment to reach his devastating EX mode. One of his greatest weaknesses however, is being susceptible to whiff punishment. Majority of Kefka's attacks have a lengthy startup or low priority which makes them vulnerable to being countered by assists or Free Air Dash. This can create issues against aggressive opponents who can quickly close gaps and contest with fast braveries or assist meter such as Lightning or Onion Knight. Sephiroth's Shadow Flare is also notorious for applying pressure against Kefka's spellcasting.

Not having a quick low commitment bravery also creates another problem for Kefka - Assist meter economy. Despite having stellar defensive traits, he cannot quickly generate one of the game's most important resources with relatively little risk. Side by Side accessory_special.png helps, but forgoes EX entirely. Even then, it limits Kefka's options for creating momentum when he's at a disadvantage. Turning these situations around often involves notable risk for Kefka.

Kefka has been rated as a high tier and a mid tier character in the game's competitive history. He thrives with momentum, but can also struggle a lot when it's not in his favor. Despite that, his defensive playstyle stands out in the roster and can reward dedicated players greatly.

Bravery Attacks

All of Kefka's bravery attacks have a ground and a midair version. Attack data is shared between both versions.

Scatter-Spray Blizzaga and Lickity-Split Thundaga have different damage multipliers when used during EX mode. These values are listed after the regular values and are highlighted in bold.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
5 x N, 25 (30+) 21F Magical Ranged Low each 15 > 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Wall Rush 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Drop ground-hugging ice. Ice quickly spins while homing.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
5, 6 x 6 (41) / 5, 6 x 6, 6 x 6 (77) 13F (1st) > 71F (spray) Magical Ranged Mid (1st), Ranged Low (spray) 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
- 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Fire large ice chunks that stop in midair and break into smaller pieces.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
each 15, up to 45 49F Magical Ranged Low each 30
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Chase 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Mid] Shoot speedy fireball. Splits into 3 parts after firing.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
3 x 7 (21) 59F Magical Ranged Low (small) > Ranged Mid (big) 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
- 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Shoot slow fireball. Tenacious homing.

Starts as ranged low priority, then transforms into a ranged mid priority projectile. The projectile will fluctuate between the two priorities until it vanishes.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
each (15) / (10, EX mode) 35F Magical Ranged Low each 30 / 21 (EX mode)
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Chase 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Mid] Call down lightning bolts. Farther away, the larger the bolt.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
each (10) 65F Magical Ranged Low each 15
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Chase 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Surround foe w/lightning. Press button to call more bolts.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
each 15, up to 75 35F (first appearence) Magical Ranged Low each 30
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Chase 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Rain fire from the skies that ricochets and flies at foe.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
15, 25 33F > 89F / 1F > 33F (EX mode) Magical Ranged Mid 30 > 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Wall Rush 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Mid] Cast the ultimate(?) spell. Causes huge blast...eventually.

HP Attacks

All of Kefka's HP attacks have a ground and a midair version, except Hyperdrive. Attack data is shared between both versions. Hyperdrive is only available on the ground.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
- 51F - Melee High 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
Wall Rush 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Close] Attack with wings. Quick approach, useful vs. any height.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
- 63F, 91F, 143F (hitbox 3F after button release) - Unblockable 60
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
- 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Launch a column of flame along ground. Range depends on length of button hold.

Only available on the ground.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
- 73F - Ranged High each 21
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
- 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Triangular spell appears in the air and attacks from 3 directions.

Damage multiplier Startup frame Type Priority EX Force
- 89F - Ranged High 0
Effects CP (Mastered) Cancels Assist Gain (Attack) Assist Gain (Hit)
- 30 (15)
Unlocked at
level
Mastered at
AP


[Long] Triangular spell appears in the air and attacks from 3 directions.

EX Mode: Power of Destruction!

Effects:

  • Regen
  • Critical Boost
  • Glide
  • Exhilarating Magic

Glide

[Activate by holding x in midair] Increases the magus power within to move freely through the air.

Exhilarating Magic

[Always active while in EX Mode] All spells become more chaotic - multiple projectiles, magic rebounds, and other unpredictable effects.

EX Burst: Light of Judgment

A light comes from the heavens, cleansiing all in its wake. Memorize the commands that display then enter them in order.

Damage multiplier (initial) Damage multiplier (rest) Type
8, 4, 4, 4 (20) 10 x 8 (80) (100 total) Magical


Builds

Builds here.

Stats
HP
CP
BRV
ATK
DEF
LUK
Max Booster
Special Effect:
Equipment
Assist
Weapon
Hand
Head
Body
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Accessory 3
Accessory 4
Accessory 5
Accessory 6
Accessory 7
Accessory 8
Accessory 9
Accessory 10
Summon

Stats
HP
CP
BRV
ATK
DEF
LUK
Max Booster
Special Effect:
Equipment
Assist
Weapon
Hand
Head
Body
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Accessory 3
Accessory 4
Accessory 5
Accessory 6
Accessory 7
Accessory 8
Accessory 9
Accessory 10
Summon

Assist

Kefka's assist data.

Type Attack Startup Position Spawn Damage multiplier Effects
BRV Meteor 35F Ground Player 15 each (up to 75) Chase
BRV Extra-Crispy Firaga 49F Air Opponent 15 each (up to 45) Chase
HP Hyperdrive 143F Ground Opponent - Chase
HP Havoc Wing 51F Air Opponent - Wall Rush