Overview
Garland is a defensive close / mid-range character who is defined by good whiff punish ability, combo game, EX meter economy and crushingly good bravery damage output.
On the ground, Garland can take advantage of higher priorities, gap closers and mixups. With the character-defining Deathblow bravery, Garland can reliably generate assist meter on whiff, anti-air opponents and combo into Twist Drill for a considerable amount of damage and EX meter.
In the air, Garland can utilise attacks with well defined tracking through a variety of braveries. Twist Drill anti-airs and pokes through projectiles, Chain Cast covers his air dodges and enables dodge cancel combos and the infamous Bardiche crushes anyone caught below the mighty axe.
He boasts above average attack and defense stat, but his attributes are a bit lacking elsewhere. Movement speed is below average, air dodges are floaty, post-dodge defensive options are risky, he lacks independent HP links and air dodge punish attempts have considerable limitations. Not to mention, his braveries have well defined ranges that can hinder his approaches at times.
However, one aspect where Garland is a cut above the rest is in the usage of EX meter. Not only can Garland acquire a full EX meter efficiently through combos, his EX Burst is one of the more damaging bursts in the game. But what he is really infamous for, is his EX Revenge damage output. Being able to combo into a high damaging Bardiche five times is enough to secure a bravery break against any character at their base bravery. This creates a dangerous dynamic with Garland where he can end matches early with a full EX bar if the opponent is below half health. If the player was able to amass a couple bravery breaks before using EX Revenge, Garland can practically kill any character from full health.
Historically Garland has been considered a low tier character. However, his representation in competitive play in recent years present a case for a mid tier or even high tier position. Garland is not without faults, nor is he the easiest character to succeed with. But with consistent grounded defensive play, he can overpower many conventionally strong characters who have to engage with him first. He often requires meter to land HP damage and thus secure a victory, but his long-term gameplan is strong thanks to his EX generation and strong applications of a full EX meter.
Accumulate bravery, meter and overwhelm the opposition.
Bravery Attacks
Ground
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 7,8,30 (45, Short) / 7,8,9,2,2,2,15 (45, Long) |
23F |
Physical |
Melee Low, Melee Mid (2nd hit), Melee High (3rd hit, Long) |
30 (Short) / 90 (Long) |
Wall Rush (Short) / Chase (Long) |
30 (15)
|
[Close] Broad sword sweep. Change combo with input timing.
Three sword swipes with a chase or a wall rush ender. Press circle before the third swipe for a wall rush ender or press circle after it for a chase ender. Garland's movement can be controlled freely during the first two swipes, but it does not make it particularly safe to use. While the start-up is somewhat fast, it takes well over a second to cancel it into a dodge. With Garland's limited post-dodge defensive options this is not an ideal situation to find yourself in. Confirming a combo with Deathblow into a Twist Drill is safer, inflicts more bravery damage and generates more EX meter on hit as well. Round Edge still has combo potential with assists though.
The first two hits' vertical range is quite bad. They do hit behind Garland, so it's possible to manuever in a way at medium ranges that lets you hit the opponent from behind if they reacted early with a block.
Round Edge might work occasionally as a surprise gimmick attack, especially if you fake out with movement during the first sword swipe. But the long animation and diminishing returns for disproportional risk compared to other ground moves make Round Edge difficult to justify for the third slot bravery.
The increased priorities apply to Round Edge when has not been cancelled into a wall rush ender. Since movement is halted by the third hit, it can be challenging to enforce it's high priority against moving opponents.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 2x5,5,15 (30) |
31F |
Physical |
Melee Mid |
30 |
Wall Rush |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] High-speed sword thrust. Vertically limited, good range.
A mid priority gap closer and a whiff punisher that goes in a straight line. Staggers block and can be followed up with a built-in high damaging Bardiche if it staggered. It works well as a deterrent for blocking his other ground braveries.
With a Kuja / Sephiroth assist following up the wall rush, the damage output is consistently high with Bardiche fillers. Lance Charge travels quickly and the recovery is very short. Outside of top speed assists and higher priority attacks / blocks, it is very difficult if not impossible for a lot of the cast to effectively punish Garland for using this move. Sideways movement helps avoid it with less risk, but the mileage varies between chahracters.
The range slightly extends past the visual.
If you stagger an opponent with a blodge, you can use Lance Charge to retaliate after blodging backwards or sideways.
Lance Charge is a staple in Garland's kit and is one of the best ground-to-ground bravery attacks in the game.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 15 |
13F |
Physical |
Melee Low |
60 |
|
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Swift upwards sword swipe. Low accuracy, quick strike.
One of Garland's strongest bravery attacks. Very fast start-up, low recovery, long active hitbox, combo starter, great tracking and anti-air capability within close range. The low non-cancelled recovery is Deathblow's highlight, it is one of the few bravery attacks in the game that do not have to be dodge cancelled for safety. This allows Garland to jump and combo into Twist Drill for more meter and a lot of bravery damage with assist.
Due to it's speed and low non-cancelled recovery, it can be used to quickly generate assist meter. A must have for many close-range match-ups where Garland can fight on the ground. When used well, this is a move that ties Garland's defensive gameplay together.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 5,19 (24, Low) / 5,2,2,15 (24, High) |
17F (Low) / 13F (High) |
Physical |
Melee Low |
90 (Low) / 30 (High) |
Chase (Low) / Wall Rush (High) |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Swing sword upwards. Change combo with input timing.
Deathblow with two built-in follow-up attacks. Tap the button twice for a chase ender and 90 EX or hold the button to become airborne and then tap it for wall rush attack.
Even though the speed, tracking and anti-air capability remain mostly intact, the recovery is longer. Both low and high versions' recovery are much shorter with a dodge cancel, but the first hit cannot be dodge cancelled early if it makes contact.
As a result, any whiffs put Garland in greater danger compared to Deathblow, even if the High version's dodge cancel is pretty early. While all attacks have a fair amount of hit stun, converting off of them with assist compromises Garland's EX gain, damage or requires a wall. Assist combos are a bit easier to pull off compared to Deathblow though.
It's not a terrible move, but Deathblow is the stronger move overall.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| each (10) |
51F |
Magical |
Ranged Low |
0 |
|
30 (15)
|
[Long] Call down lightning strikes that home in on opponent.
Venerable strength manifests in the form three lightning bolts. The bolts spawn on the opponent, bypassing obstacles or lingering projectiles in front of the opponent. It is commonly used for interrupting opponents.
It has enough hit stun for all three bolts to combo into most of Garland's attacks including Flare and air BRV assists, but the opponent must be against the wall for it to work. The upward knockback's direction is also based on the player's camera.
Garland is vulnerable during Thundaga, but it's recovery is quite low for an attack of it's kind, which can make it tricky to whiff punish with slower assists. It is not chosen often due to it's poor reward on hit with no EX generation, low damage and situational conversions.
Thundaga is good at interrupting opponents from a distance, but it does not represent a big threat frequently.Aerial
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 7,8,15 (30) |
21F |
Physical |
Melee Low |
30 |
Wall Rush |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Swipe with twin blades. Approaches foe; limited height.
Garland's primary aerial bravery attack that advances forward. It's fast enough to be unreactable in close range and it can occupy space for a relatively long time. Obviously this means that it can be dangerous to whiff Twin Swords and the reliance on wall rushes for HP damage skews the risk/reward ratio against Garland. In small stages with low ceilings, this move can represent a threat more reliably when fighting air-to-air.
Not a staple in Garland's aerial kit, but not entirely without merit either.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 7,8 (15) |
45F |
Physical |
Melee Low |
90 |
Chase |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Swing chain. Low accuracy, but effective against any height.
Garland positions himself above in relation to the opponent for two vertical attacks. Air combo starter, air-to-ground whiff punisher and Garland's primary post-dodge defensive option in the air. It is not invincible, but the movement can help him evade slower dodge punish attempts. On hit, Garland can dodge cancel and combo into Twist Drill for a total of 180 EX (almost 20 % of an EX bar), but he must be below the opponent for this to work.
It has enough hit stun to make empty chase attempts safer than on average, although it is not entirely safe to use in all instances.
The consistency of Chain Cast's damage output, meter generation and applications in the neutral make it an appealing choice for a third bravery slot along with Bardiche and Twist Drill.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 30 |
23F |
Physical |
Melee Low |
0 |
Wall Rush |
30 (15)
|
[Dive] Mighty axe swing. Great for attacking from above.
Garland's iconic crushing repertoire. A staple in Garland's kit thanks to it's speed, relative safety on whiff and infamous damage output. The designated vertical, downward tracking and the lack of forward momentum limits Bardiche's hit rate in the air. But it functions well as an assist meter generator and air-to-ground attack.
With one of the higher bravery damage multipliers (30) and wall rush, repeated use of Bardiche is known to be the strongest EX Revenge combo in the entire game.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 4x2,8,14 (30) |
21F |
Physical |
Melee Low |
90 |
Chase |
30 (15)
|
[Rise] Upwards lunge with sword. Great for attacking from below.
Fast anti-air attack with good combo potential, damage and EX output. Primarily designed to home in on opponents above Garland, Twist Drill is often used as a combo move after Deathblow, as a whiff punisher or as an approach tool.
It's hitstun is long enough to combo into an assist from a relatively late dodge cancel window or an empty chase. That also means Twist Drill is a bravery attack that is consistently safe on hit after initiating an empty chase for EX intake.
While it cannot effectively hit opponents directly in front of him or above his head, Twist Drill is still a staple in Garland's air combat. The extended hitbox allows him to poke through projectiles and traps, such as Ultimecia's charged Knight's Lance. The first part can be dodge cancelled early enough to contest The Emperor's Dreary Cell traps and the overall speed can be difficult to react to. Drill the threat into the opponent's head.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| each (10) |
51F |
Magical |
Ranged Low |
0 |
|
30 (15)
|
[Long] Call down lightning strikes that home in on opponent.
Same as the ground version, except it can be done anywhere in the air. This one is more difficult to justify with four other strong air braveries competing for slots.HP Attacks
Ground
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 8, 2x5 (18) |
39F |
Physical (axe) / Magical (rocks) |
Melee High (axe) / Unblockable (rocks) |
36 |
Wall Rush |
30 (15)
|
[Close] Split ground with axe. Steals bravery, then takes HP.
A decent mix-up against grounded opponents trying to crack Garland's defense. Tracks well, strong knockback and cannot be staggered by LV2 Assist Change after the first hit. The HP-inflicting rock that spawns at the end has minor anti-air potential.
The active duration, the relative space control and dodge cancel window can make punishing this move on the ground difficult without mid range attacks. Earthquake is effective when used sparingly, but aerial attacks from above can still punish it.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| -- |
59F |
-- |
Ranged High |
each (9) |
-- |
30 (15)
|
[Long] Shoot multiple fireballs that chase opponent.
Homing fireballs that can be dodged with well placed dodge. Not commonly used on the ground when Garland has other attacks with better properties and reward on hit.
Each fireball can inflict meter depletion if they hit, a trait that carries over to it's aerial version.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 2x6 (12) |
45F |
Physical |
Melee High |
96 |
-- |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Hurl chain sword. Vertically limited, very accurate.
One of Garland's primary post-dodge defensive options on the ground. Much like Chain Cast, the swift movement makes it safe rather than plain invincibility. Strong tracking against grounded opponents works very well as a dodge punisher and as an instigator (when assist meter is available). Can also hit aerial opponents who are close to Garland at the time of impact.
Combos into assists on hit. A good mixup akin to Earthquake, with stronger tracking at the expense of wall rush. The animation is long, so exercise caution before using this.
If you stagger an opponent with a blodge, you can use Tsunami to retaliate after blodging backwards or sideways.Aerial
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| -- |
59F |
-- |
Ranged High |
each (9) |
-- |
30 (15)
|
[Long] Shoot multiple fireballs that chase opponent.
Commonly used as an occasional long range harassment tool along with Cyclone. While this cannot inflict wall rush, each fireball can deplete meter on hit. A decent choice in that regard when used with Aerith assist, but it's threat is otherwise somewhat limited.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| -- |
51F |
-- |
Ranged High |
each (60) |
Absorb |
30 (15)
|
[Close] Call forth tornado. Slow speed, homing ability.
Two ranged high projectiles that temporarily occupy space while gradually splintering off from their starting position. Often used as a passive defensive tool, a combo extender after an assist or a safer match ender during an assist combo. Combos into assists hit.
It does not protect Garland effectively from all angles. However, characters without projectiles, command blocks, disjointed hitbox or a relatively fast advancing Melee High attack will find Cyclone to be difficult to neutralise.
| Damage multiplier |
Startup frame |
Type |
Priority |
EX Force |
Effects |
CP (Mastered)
|
| 15 |
47F |
Physical |
Melee High |
30 |
Wall Rush |
30 (15)
|
[Mid] Strike with greatsword, causing large explosion on hit.
Garland's primary post-block HP retaliation and assist combo ender inflicting HP damage. Homes in on the opponent well, but only occupies space briefly. The knockback has good wall rush potential.
If the opponent uses LV1 Assist Change as soon as Flare's first hit has made contact, Garland can be hit during the animation. Cyclone and Blaze HPs can make up for this weakness, but Flare remains a staple in Garland's arsenal regardless. It is the only aerial HP he can consistently connect after staggering an opponent with a block. Rack up the bravery and unleash the fury.EX Mode
Effects:
- Regen
- Critical Boost
- Indomitable Resolve
Indomitable Resolve
[Active while attacking] Even while taking damage, attacks can be performed without flinching.
Rare instance of super armor in Dissidia 012. During an attack animation, Garland will not flinch from any attack that does not inflict HP damage. Can work in a pinch against characters with HP links (Cyclone, anyone?), but remember that EX mode does not alter Garland's attack properties.
EX Burst: Soul of Chaos
An attack terrible enough to shake the heavens. Repeatedly press circle to add strength to the attack.
| Damage multiplier (initial) |
Damage multiplier (rest) |
Type
|
| 12, 12 (24) |
4x3, 3x4, 16, 16, 5x4 (100 total) |
Physical
|
Assist
Garland's assist data.
| Attack |
Startup |
Spawns near |
Damage Multiplier |
Additional properties
|
| Round Edge (Ground BRV) |
23F |
Opponent |
2 x 4, 6, 16 (30) |
Melee Mid (third hit), Wall Rush
|
| Bardiche (Midair BRV) |
23F |
Opponent |
30 (30) |
Wall Rush
|
| Tsunami (Ground HP) |
45F |
Opponent |
2 x 6 (12) |
Chase
|
| Cyclone (Midair HP) |
51F |
Opponent |
- |
Chase
|
Garland works with most meta assists, but only Kuja (and to a lesser extent, Sephiroth) provides the signature damage output, consistent combo opportunities and whiff punish capabilities. Other assists have diminishing returns.
The strongest known assist for Garland. Solid whiff punisher, consistent combo conversions and BRV damage. Even though the slow ground BRV assist makes it harder to react in time to max distance ground wall rushes off of Bardiche, the damage output that follows with 2x Bardiche more than makes up for it. Both BRV assists allow Garland to combo into Chain Cast > DC > Twist Drill almost anywhere for added EX meter and bravery.
Kuja also converts off of full Twist Drill consistently, with empty chase or dodge cancel alike. And if you need to play around LV2 Assist Change, Kuja's HP assists can come in handy with Bardiche > Flare Star or Chain Cast > Force Symphony.
It's about as straightforward as it gets - Kuja synergises with Garland in places where it's needed the most.Sephiroth trades a bit of bravery damage, consistent Chain Cast follow-ups and Ranged High priority HP assists for faster speed on the ground and wider hitboxes. Double Bardiche is still possible during Reaper, but Sudden Cruelty's horizontal knockback makes it difficult to do much more than a Twist Drill or Flare.
If you need an assist to whiff punish grounded opponents more reliably, Sephiroth can substitute Kuja.
Garland can already combo into assists with Kuja and Sephiroth, but Aerith lets Garland do that even if the opponent has two assist bars. This comes at the expense of fast whiff punishes, EX meter depletion (assist hit) and Earthquake follow-ups.
Not necessarily a bad choice, but Garland rarely has to prioritise LV2 Assist Change stalemate counterstrategies over everything else that Kuja / Sephiroth can already achieve.
Builds
Hyper Ring
Large Gap in HP
White Gem