Assist (Dissidia 012): Difference between revisions

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= Assist Chase =
= Assist Chase =
[[File:012_assist_chase_combo1.jpeg|thumb|400px|Follow the opponent...]]
Assist Chase is a unique mechanic available with some assist characters. When an attack finishes damaging the opponent, a chase prompt appears. By pressing Cross ({{pspcro}}) during this time, the player slows down time and immediately moves close to the opponent. The player can follow up with an attack of their choice afterwards. The slow motion effect will wear off roughly 1-2 seconds after the movement period has ended.
Assist Chase is a unique mechanic available with some assist characters. When an attack finishes damaging the opponent, a chase prompt appears. By pressing Cross ({{pspcro}}) during this time, the player slows down time and immediately moves close to the opponent. The player can follow up with an attack of their choice afterwards. The slow motion effect will wear off roughly 1-2 seconds after the movement period has ended.


The slowdown effect and traversal make it much easier to apply HP damage anywhere on a stage. However, it is worth noting that obstacles such as pillars in '''[[World_of_Darkness_(Dissidia_012)|World of Darkness]]''' or walls in Pandaemonium can halt the player's movement, losing the combo opportunity altogether.
The slowdown effect and traversal make it much easier to apply HP damage anywhere. However, obstacles such as pillars in '''[[World_of_Darkness_(Dissidia_012)|World of Darkness]]''' or walls in '''[[Pandaemonium_(Dissidia_012)|Pandaemonium]]''' can stop the player's movement. This can sabotage combos, but it is generally not a problem in large, open stages.


Depending on the assist's knockback (e.g. {{012kuja}} or {{012seph}}), your follow-up can miss if it is performed too early.
[[File:012_assist_chase_combo2.jpeg|thumb|400px|... and strike!]]


Using Assist Chase will reset available midair jumps, but normally they cannot be used immediately after the movement period. To circumvent this, move the analog stick ({{pspana}}) in any direction after the character has reappeared after the "teleport" movement, and ''then'' jump.
Depending on the assist's knockback (e.g. {{012kuja}} or {{012seph}}), the follow-up can miss if Assist Chase is done too early.


The Assist Chase also has a maximum distance, though the exact details of it are unspecified. It can be seen in large stages such as The Rift if a player uses the assist to punish a move from across the stage.
Using Assist Chase will reset available midair jumps, but normally they cannot be used immediately after the movement period. To circumvent this, move the analog stick ({{pspana}}) in any direction after the character has reappeared, and ''then'' jump.
 
Assist Chase also has a maximum distance, though the exact details of it are unspecified. It can be seen in large stages such as The Rift if a player '''[[Glossary_(Dissidia_012)#Assist_punish|assist punishes]]''' a move from across the stage.
 
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== Attacks with Assist Chase ==
== Attacks with Assist Chase ==
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If an HP attack inflicts wall rush damage, additional depletion is applied. Similiarly, if an HP attack connects twice during its active period, the meter depletion will activate twice as well.
If an HP attack inflicts wall rush damage, additional depletion is applied. Similiarly, if an HP attack connects twice during its active period, the meter depletion will activate twice as well.


Because assist depletion impacts an important resource, it is often recommended to use in multiplayer battles. It can quickly swing the momentum in one player's favor, or make regaining momentum more difficult. The discrepancy created by depletion can greatly hinder characters who struggle to build assist gauge safely, such as {{012cec}} and {{012kef}}. This can incentivize players to use '''[[Assist_(Dissidia_012)#Assist_Change|Assist Change]]''' before they take damage and lose assist gauge.
Because assist depletion impacts an important resource, it is very effective in multiplayer battles. It can quickly swing the momentum in one player's favor, or make regaining momentum more difficult. The discrepancy created by depletion can greatly hinder characters who struggle to build assist gauge safely, such as {{012cec}} and {{012kef}}. This can incentivize players to use '''[[Assist_(Dissidia_012)#Assist_Change|Assist Change]]''' before they take damage and lose assist.


'''[[Customisation_Guide_for_Online_Battles_(Dissidia_012)#Depletion|Depletion builds]]''' can potentially drain entire bars of assist in one assist combo.
'''[[Customisation_Guide_for_Online_Battles_(Dissidia_012)#Depletion|Depletion builds]]''' can potentially drain entire bars of assist in one assist combo.
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The effect lasts for 9 seconds, and it can be influenced by accessories. Much like assist depletion (passive), this time period is reset every time assist gain occurs from an attack.
The effect lasts for 9 seconds, and it can be influenced by accessories. Much like assist depletion (passive), this time period is reset every time assist gain occurs from an attack.
= Assist Gauge Charge =
''Main article: '''[[Assist_Gauge_Charge|Assist Gauge Charge]]'' '''
This is different from Assist Charge. When a character performs an attack, the assist gauge is filled by a certain amount. This is known as Assist Gauge Charge or Assist Gain. The amount of assist gauge depends on whether the attack hits or not. These can be adjusted separately in Original Rules. Missing an attack fills the gauge less and hitting the attack fills it more.
Assist Gauge Charge also encourages players to use different moves to fill assist gauge more quickly. Repeatedly using the same move fills the assist gauge less. For more information on this topic, please refer to the main article.


= Assist Gauge Up Time =
= Assist Gauge Up Time =
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= Assist Lock =
= Assist Lock =
During this time the meter can only be built via landing HP attacks with EXP to Assist and / or Side by Side accessory equipped.
[[File:012_assist_lock.jpeg|right|border|400px]]
Assist Lock is when a player's assist gauge is locked and cannot be used. This can happen in one of two ways:


* When the player uses LV1 Assist Change
Assist Lock is a state during which the assist gauge cannot be used.
* When the assist character is hit or blocked during their attack


The duration for Assist Lock is about 20.83 seconds and it can be modified with original rules. During this time the only way to fill assist gauge is by landing HP attacks while having EXP to Assist '''[[Abilities_(Dissidia_012)#Extra_Abilities-0|extra ability]]''' or Side by Side special accessory equipped.
Assist Lock can happen in three ways:
* When LV1 Assist Change is used
* When the assist character is hit
* When the assist character's attack is blocked (melee priority)


Whenever Assist Lock occurs, all EX force present in the stage will be absorbed by the opponent in that moment. If the opponent cannot absorb EX due to a special accessory effect, the EX force will remain on the field until an EX Core's appearence.
The duration for Assist Lock is about 20.83 seconds. The duration can be modified with original rules. During this time the only way to fill assist gauge is by landing HP attacks with EXP to Assist '''[[Abilities_(Dissidia_012)#Extra_Abilities-0|extra ability]]''' or Side by Side {{accsp}} equipped.
 
Whenever Assist Lock occurs, all EX force present in the stage will be absorbed by the opponent. If the opponent cannot absorb EX force due to their equipment, it will remain on the field until '''[[EX_(Dissidia_012)#EX_Core|EX Core]]''' appears.


= Abilities that influence Assist =
= Abilities that influence Assist =
== EXP to Assist ==
== EXP to Assist ==
An ability unlocked at LV100 that costs 0 CP. Landing an HP attack will convert 0.3 % of the acquired experience points to assist meter (a 3 % boost for the meter) and as such, can scale with special accessories that increase EXP gain. A staple ability for characters who can land HP attacks without setting up an assist first.
An ability unlocked at LV100 that costs 0 CP. Landing an HP attack will convert 0.3 % of the acquired experience points to assist meter (a 3 % boost for the meter). As such, it can scale with special accessories that increase EXP gain. A staple ability for characters who can land HP attacks without setting up an assist first.


== Hellfire (Bartz) ==
== Hellfire (Bartz) ==
Effect: Assist Gauge time +10 %
Effect: Assist Gauge time +10 %


<br>Detailed under the Assist Gauge Up Time, this is an effect that is exclusive to {{012bartz}}'s Hellfire HP attack. It boosts assist duration and delays passive assist depletion.
This boosts assist duration and delays assist gauge depletion (passive). It is exclusive to {{012bartz}}'s Hellfire HP attack.  
 
Details in the Assist Gauge Up Time section.


= Accessories that influence Assist =
= Accessories that influence Assist =
== Basic Accessories ==
== Basic Accessories ==
As these are basic accessories, their effect can be enhanced with the help of booster accessories.
As these are basic accessories {{accbas}}, their effect can be enhanced with the help of booster accessories {{accboo}}.
* '''Attractorb''': EX Intake Range +1m, Assist Gauge Charge '''-20 %'''
* '''Attractorb''': EX Intake Range +1m, Assist Gauge Charge '''-20 %'''
* '''Pearl Necklace''': EX Force Absorption +10 %, Assist Gauge Charge '''-20 %'''
* '''Pearl Necklace''': EX Force Absorption +10 %, Assist Gauge Charge '''-20 %'''
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== A Comrade's Vow ==
== A Comrade's Vow ==
Effect: AST Charge on damage + 15%, EX Intake Range -1m
Effect: AST Charge on damage + 15%, EX Intake Range -1m
Info based on '''[https://web.archive.org/web/20231226120753/http://community.dissidia.wiki/topic/1038-in-depth-assist-mechanics/ research done by NLM on Dissidia Community forums.]'''


<br>A basic accessory that fills the player's assist gauge whenever they are sustaining damage.
A basic accessory that fills the player's assist gauge whenever they are sustaining damage.


<br>Whenever you're damaged, the base bravery damage of the attack is taken into account. So regardless of whether you are LV1 and have 12 DEF or if you are Lv 100 and have 111 DEF, the amount of assist gained when hit by a Jecht Stream will be the same, even if you receive 4,000 BRV damage at Lv1 or 300 at Lv100.
Whenever you're damaged, the base bravery damage of the attack is taken into account. So regardless of whether you are LV1 and have 12 DEF or if you are Lv 100 and have 111 DEF, the amount of assist gained when hit by a Jecht Stream will be the same, even if you receive 4,000 BRV damage at Lv1 or 300 at Lv100.


<br>The formula for the Assist gain (%) A Comrade's Vow provides is as follows:
The formula for the Assist gain (%) A Comrade's Vow provides is as follows:


<br>Base damage*0.15*multipliers/10
Base damage*0.15*multipliers/10


<br>Beware that for hits that BRV Wall Rush, you'll get again the last value when you get wall rushed. So, for example, let's say you get hit by a Jecht Rush just like the assist one, and your multipliers show 5.0. The base damage for Jecht Rush is 42. According to the formula, you should get a 3.15% AST gain. However, the last hit has 19 base damage. So if you get wall rushed, you'd get ''an extra 1.425% AST gain''.
Beware that for hits that BRV Wall Rush, you'll get again the last value when you get wall rushed. So, for example, let's say you get hit by a Jecht Rush just like the assist one, and your multipliers show 5.0. The base damage for Jecht Rush is 42. According to the formula, you should get a 3.15% AST gain. However, the last hit has 19 base damage. So if you get wall rushed, you'd get ''an extra 1.425% AST gain''.


<br>Beware that the damage you receive from the opponent's assist will also increase your assist.
Beware that the damage you receive from the opponent's assist will also increase your assist.


<br>As you can see, this accessory requires pretty high multipliers to be effective, as otherwise the assist gain will be very little. Finally, it's also better when fighting against characters that rely on strong attacks that cause BRV wall rush to connect their Assist -> HP combos and powerful assists (such as Garland with Kuja or Sephiroth assist).  
As you can see, this accessory requires pretty high multipliers to be effective, as otherwise the assist gain will be very little. Finally, it's also better when fighting against characters that rely on strong attacks that cause BRV wall rush to connect their Assist -> HP combos and powerful assists (such as Garland with Kuja or Sephiroth assist).  


Source: [http://community.dissidia.wiki/topic/1038-in-depth-assist-mechanics/ '''In depth assist mechanics by NLM''']
Source: [http://community.dissidia.wiki/topic/1038-in-depth-assist-mechanics/ '''In depth assist mechanics by NLM''']
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== Special Accessories ==
== Special Accessories ==
These accessories do not scale with booster accessories, but some can be stacked to increase their effect.
These accessories do not scale with booster accessories, but some can be stacked to increase their effect.
<br>Please note that the breakable accessories are banned in competitive play where the in-game ruleset "Official" is set to on.
 
Please note that the breakable accessories are banned in competitive play where the in-game ruleset "Official" is set to on.
* '''White Drop''': EX Force Absorption +5 %, Assist Gauge Duration '''-5 %'''
* '''White Drop''': EX Force Absorption +5 %, Assist Gauge Duration '''-5 %'''
* '''Cyan Drop''': Initial EX Force +10 %, Assist Gauge Duration '''-10 %'''
* '''Cyan Drop''': Initial EX Force +10 %, Assist Gauge Duration '''-10 %'''
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Effect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP Attack, EX Force Absorption Disabled, EX Gauge Freeze
Effect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP Attack, EX Force Absorption Disabled, EX Gauge Freeze


JP name: スタンドバイミー
Japanese name: スタンドバイミー (sutando bai mī)


<br>A special accessory so potent it deserves it's own sub article. Side by Side (abbreviated as SbS) sacrifices all things EX in exchange for bolstering assist meter with a key aspect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP attack. This is a flat 30 % increase to an assist meter every time an HP attack connects and is not influenced by wall rush damage.
A special accessory so potent it deserves its own sub article. Side by Side (abbreviated as SbS) sacrifices all things EX in exchange for bolstering assist meter with a key aspect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP attack. This is a flat 30 % increase to an assist meter every time an HP attack connects and is not influenced by wall rush damage.


<br>Think of this as a hyperbolic version of EXP to Assist. Any character that can land HP attacks without setting up an assist will acquire an amount of assist meter that can save them 3-4 whiffs on average. This is especially useful for characters who may rely on HP links or raw HPs to dish out damage such as Onion Knight, [[Cloud Strife (Dissidia 012)|Cloud]], Bartz, Golbez and Jecht. Often times these characters also suffer from somewhat slow or risky assist meter generation when it comes to whiffing, the most common form of building the resource.
Think of this as a hyperbolic version of EXP to Assist. Any character that can land HP attacks without setting up an assist will acquire an amount of assist meter that can save them 3-4 whiffs on average. This is especially useful for characters who may rely on HP links or raw HPs to dish out damage such as Onion Knight, [[Cloud Strife (Dissidia 012)|Cloud]], Bartz, Golbez and Jecht. Often times these characters also suffer from somewhat slow or risky assist meter generation when it comes to whiffing, the most common form of building the resource.


<br>As such, Side by Side can synergise with many characters at all levels of play. In small stages such as Edge of Madness, Phantom Train and Pandaemonium - Top Floor where escaping raw HPs can be more difficult, it can greatly increase the threat of getting hit as the potential punishment of sustaining an HP attack has an increased chance of occuring and elevated potency as well. Characters such as Squall who can stagger an opponent with LV2 Change and land an HP attack from it will have a distinct advantage in sustaining a meter and health lead, further bolstering the strength of the LV2 Change mechanic. Escaping a combo and making a chunk of assist meter back for it? Yes please.
As such, Side by Side can synergise with many characters at all levels of play. In small stages such as Edge of Madness, Phantom Train and Pandaemonium - Top Floor where escaping raw HPs can be more difficult, it can greatly increase the threat of getting hit as the potential punishment of sustaining an HP attack has an increased chance of occuring and elevated potency as well. Characters such as Squall who can stagger an opponent with LV2 Change and land an HP attack from it will have a distinct advantage in sustaining a meter and health lead, further bolstering the strength of the LV2 Change mechanic. Escaping a combo and making a chunk of assist meter back for it? Yes please.


<br>Because of the disabled EX intake, Empty EX Gauge (1.5x) Pre-EX Mode (1.4x) and Pre-EX Revenge (1.3x) boosters will have a 100 % uptime from the beginning of a match with a x2.7 multiplier. This makes for an easy, good template set for character builds that can be further tailored to lean into assist meter, damage output, meter depletion or other miscellanious perks such as CP or additional experience points to complement EXP to Assist.
Because of the disabled EX intake, Empty EX Gauge (1.5x) Pre-EX Mode (1.4x) and Pre-EX Revenge (1.3x) boosters will have a 100 % uptime from the beginning of a match with a x2.7 multiplier. This makes for an easy, good template set for character builds that can be further tailored to lean into assist meter, damage output, meter depletion or other miscellanious perks such as CP or additional experience points to complement EXP to Assist.


<br>Side by Side can be paired with Together as One to a good effect. The initial assist meter will ensure the player is one or two hits away from securing an assist combo with meter to spare afterwards and the increased assist duration lets a character stay in a non-committal position for longer. It's not mandatory, Side by Side's effect is already powerful as it is, but the initial assist meter can make or break a match-up.
Side by Side can be paired with Together as One to a good effect. The initial assist meter will ensure the player is one or two hits away from securing an assist combo with meter to spare afterwards and the increased assist duration lets a character stay in a non-committal position for longer. It's not mandatory, Side by Side's effect is already powerful as it is, but the initial assist meter can make or break a match-up.


<br>EX Cores can still be grabbed by players who have Side by Side equipped, but they will not receive any EX from it. The incentive for chasing after an EX Core is to then prevent the opponent from building a full EX bar faster, which is already a case when both characters still generate EX as they normally would.
EX Cores can still be grabbed by players who have Side by Side equipped, but they will not receive any EX from it. The incentive for chasing after an EX Core is to then prevent the opponent from building a full EX bar faster, which is already a case when both characters still generate EX as they normally would.


<br>The idea with a Side by Side build is to do a lot of damage or quickly offset assist meter discrepancies. Characters who have optimised builds around this accessory can end matches in potentially two or three hits that lead into a wall rush and assist every time. High base bravery, base bravery recovery and HP wall rush damage all contribute towards this fact and some characters such as Zidane can take advantage of the Aerith assist to take this to absurd heights.
The idea with a Side by Side build is to do a lot of damage or quickly offset assist meter discrepancies. Characters who have optimised builds around this accessory can end matches in potentially two or three hits that lead into a wall rush and assist every time. High base bravery, base bravery recovery and HP wall rush damage all contribute towards this fact and some characters such as Zidane can take advantage of the Aerith assist to take this to absurd heights.


<br>That being said, the longer a fight goes on, the less of an impact Side by Side can have. If the player using Side by Side has no single hit HP attack, EX meter depletion, an assist bar available or all of the above, resolving situations with EX Revenge checkmates (also known as "Final EX Revenge") can be very difficult if not impossible. If the player cannot rely on landing HP attacks to generate assist meter, they are at the mercy of doing so in the neutral which is no different from not having Side by Side equipped. Keep this in mind when considering bringing Side by Side to battle.
That being said, the longer a fight goes on, the less of an impact Side by Side can have. If the player using Side by Side has no single hit HP attack, EX meter depletion, an assist bar available or all of the above, resolving situations with EX Revenge checkmates (also known as "Final EX Revenge") can be very difficult if not impossible. If the player cannot rely on landing HP attacks to generate assist meter, they are at the mercy of doing so in the neutral which is no different from not having Side by Side equipped. Keep this in mind when considering bringing Side by Side to battle.


= Equipment that influences Assist =
= Equipment that influences Assist =
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Effect: Assist Gauge Depletion +15 %
Effect: Assist Gauge Depletion +15 %


<br>Three equipment pieces with this set bonus will provide you 15 % assist depletion upon landing an HP attack. This ''does not'' scale with boosters but with how assist is a vital resource in the game, you could do a lot worse than making a preliminary build with this. The parts that provide this set bonus are in abundance and provide solid stats all around, although they are not necessarily the strongest picks outside of starter builds or dedicated assist depletion builds.
Three equipment pieces with this set bonus will provide you 15 % assist depletion upon landing an HP attack. This ''does not'' scale with boosters but with how assist is a vital resource in the game, you could do a lot worse than making a preliminary build with this. The parts that provide this set bonus are in abundance and provide solid stats all around, although they are not necessarily the strongest picks outside of starter builds or dedicated assist depletion builds.


== Final Strike ==
== Final Strike ==
Effect: EX Absorption & Range Boost, Assist Charge & Duration Boost
Effect: EX Absorption & Range Boost, Assist Charge & Duration Boost


<br>An armor set that requires all four pieces of equipment be worn in order for the effect to take place. The idea behind this set is something akin to a glass cannon, abnormally high damage intake in exchange for a notable boost in meter gain.
An armor set that requires all four pieces of equipment be worn in order for the effect to take place. The idea behind this set is something akin to a glass cannon, abnormally high damage intake in exchange for a notable boost in meter gain.


<br>Unfortunately as far as Assist is concerned, the cons outweigh the pros. The Assist Charge only sees a '''10 % increase''' and the Assist Duration gets a '''+45% increase'''. Other sources of assist charge increase are exclusive to breakable accessories and original rules, both of which are prohibited in competitive play. Together as One special accessory provides a 40 % increase in assist duration without sacrificing necessary stats or four equipment slots.
Unfortunately as far as Assist is concerned, the cons outweigh the pros. The Assist Charge only sees a '''10 % increase''' and the Assist Duration gets a '''+45% increase'''. Other sources of assist charge increase are exclusive to breakable accessories and original rules, both of which are prohibited in competitive play. Together as One special accessory provides a 40 % increase in assist duration without sacrificing necessary stats or four equipment slots.


<br>With the Death Blade weapon being middle of the pack with 68 ATK and -1 DEF and no extra properties, the rest of the set are equivalent to LV1 gear. DEF +3 on Reaper's Shield, BRV +38 and DEF +2 for Helmet of the Dead and HP +428 for the Death Armor. By numbers alone this is already difficult to ever justify in multiplayer, but if you are messing around with friends, you can try to send a statement with this set.
With the Death Blade weapon being middle of the pack with 68 ATK and -1 DEF and no extra properties, the rest of the set are equivalent to LV1 gear. DEF +3 on Reaper's Shield, BRV +38 and DEF +2 for Helmet of the Dead and HP +428 for the Death Armor. By numbers alone this is already difficult to ever justify in multiplayer, but if you are messing around with friends, you can try to send a statement with this set.


<br>Otherwise, avoid using this. There are weapons that can provide more in the field Death Blade is trying to occupy, such as Earthbreaker with 69 ATK and +20 % HP Wall Rush damage increase or Heaven's Cloud with 67 ATK and +3m EX Intake Range.
Otherwise, avoid using this. There are weapons that can provide more in the field Death Blade is trying to occupy, such as Earthbreaker with 69 ATK and +20 % HP Wall Rush damage increase or Heaven's Cloud with 67 ATK and +3m EX Intake Range.


= Assist Damage Tables =
= Assist Damage Tables =
Much like regular playable characters, assist characters come with their own damage multipliers. Generally speaking the assist moves derive their properties and frame data from their original moves.
Much like regular playable characters, assist characters come with their own base damge. Generally speaking the assist moves derive their properties and frame data from their original moves though.


<br>Gilgamesh assist applies either Excalibur or Excalipoor on his attacks, which is decided at random before he performs them. The damage multipliers are for Excalibur and then Excalipoor respectively.
Gilgamesh assist applies either Excalibur or Excalipoor on his attacks, which is decided at random before he performs them. The damage multipliers are for Excalibur and then Excalipoor respectively.


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ADD ASSIST HP DAMAGE TABLE IMAGE
ADD ASSIST HP DAMAGE TABLE IMAGE
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= List of Assist Characters =
== Aerith Gainsborough ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Bravery !! Effect !! Spawn !! Effect info
|-
| Cure || BRV increase || Player (ground) || 60 % of raw BRV
|-
| Seal Evil || Hold || Player (air) || 3-second duration
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! HP !! Effect !! Spawn !! Damage multiplier
|-
| Planet Protector || Invincibility || Player (ground) || 5-second duration
|-
| Holy || Wall Rush, Block || Player (air) || 0
|}
<br>Aerith is a very strong assist, right up there in terms of viability with the Kuja assist but for very different reasons. All of her moves provide unconventional utility not found in other assist characters, with Seal Evil enabling guaranteed follow-ups after initiating chase, Planet Protector nullifying all damage reactions (including HP and the damage it would've caused) and Holy creating an oppressive situation that forces the opponent to act.
<br>As such, the player is required to approach calling her a bit differently. Aerith spawns near the player whenever called and Seal Evil, being a ranged priority trap that spawns on a player after a couple seconds demands a bit of foresight to guarantee a hit. It is for this reason that characters who can initiate chase attacks off of their key moves such as Lightning and Vaan can benefit from Aerith consistently and is often paired with increased EX absorption to complement this strategy.
<br>Because of the lack of conventional fast close range attacks, Aerith assist falls behind as an assist punish tool, having less utility in punishing whiffed attacks outside of glaring exceptions. Her only direct attack is Holy which can deplete a bit of EX meter but beyond that she cannot deplete opponent's EX meter and thus the onus on that falls exclusively on the player's equipment. This can complicate matters when attempting to resolve a Final EX Revenge situation and characters who are known to perform best with this assist such as Tidus will not see further advancements in this field.
<br>Aerith is a great choice, but her benefits are less about scoring hits on her own but often times bolstering what the player character can do in a specific match-up. Even then, her unique abilities can alleviate severe issues a character -or player- may face. These will be explored in greater detail below, but know that Aerith assist is well worth learning... and paying the fee for the Prologus demo.
=== Cure ===
Curative skill increasing ally's bravery.
<br>Aerith spawns near the player to give them 60 % of their raw bravery. At LV100 this is always '''400''' bravery. While not the best use of assist meter in most cases, you can attempt to finish a match by blocking the opponent's bravery attack, calling Aerith to add 400 to your bravery and let that carry over the kill threshold. Or you can just use the slowdown during the assist call to prevent the opponent from using Assist Change, whichever fits your needs better.
=== Seal Evil ===
[Special] Make opponent unable to move. Foe is freed when hit by another attack.
<br>The bread and butter. Ranged Low priority and notable start-up compared to other conventional assists' aerial braveries, but landing this will keep the opponent in place for three seconds. As mentioned earlier, successfully connecting with this typically requires pre-emptive timing or an elaborate set up.
=== Seal Evil setups ===
<br>The most common set up is to call Aerith right before a Chase prompt appears, then initiate chase, perform an HP attack and if the opponent dodges it, Seal Evil will hit them. If the opponent dodges right away, the HP attack will connect, guaranteeing HP damage off of a move while absorbing all EX on the field due to Chase activation.
<br>There are a few transmutations of this setup that both players should be aware of. Once the player has initiated Chase:
* player performs an HP attack and the opponent dodges immediately, receiving the HP attack near a wall
If the players are near a wall and Aerith was called late enough, the wall rush caused by the chase HP attack can also chain into Seal Evil.
* player performs a bravery attack
This is typically performed near a wall as well as means to tack on extra damage. If the opponent dodges the bravery, Seal Evil will still connect. If the opponent does not dodge the bravery, they will sustain both the bravery damage as well as Seal Evil's binding effect.
<br>If the wall rush is not possible, getting hit by the bravery attack ''will move the opponent out of Seal Evil's range''. Be aware of your surroundings if you opt for this option.
* the opponent is caught in Seal Evil before the player has performed an attack during Chase
Moves such as Vaan's (SW) Katana that have a short enough knockback, but long enough Chase prompt window to delay the chase timing for Seal Evil to connect by just performing the initial Chase prompt. If the player performs a bravery attack or an HP attack after this happens, ''the opponent can still attempt to evade it'' as if Seal Evil never happened.
<br>These timings can vary greatly depending on the character. For example, Paladin form Cecil has to commit to an HP attack during chase after using Sacred Cross and calling Aerith due to the chase window and hit stun being too short. Cloud and his [[Cloud_(Dissidia_012_Final_Fantasy)#Double_Cut_.28midair.29_.28.E9.80.A3.E6.96.AC.E3.82.8A.28.E7.A9.BA.E4.B8.AD.29.29|aerial Double Cut]] suffer from a similiar problem.
<br>Aerith can also be chained from wall rushes by calling her a bit earlier than the wall rush would occur. In chase situations where the player scores a wall rush, ''Seal Evil can still connect'' if Aerith is called as soon as the chase sequence is considered over.
=== Seal Evil combos ===
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<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Overview of the possibilities</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Because Seal Evil's effect persists even after Aerith has left the field, the move allows a lot of leniency in connecting a follow-up. Solo setups such as Sephiroth's Shadow Flare into Heaven's Light can be used to good effect here.
<br>However, in an interesting note this also means that the assist meter is not grayed out, indicating prohibited use. This means two things.
<br>For one, the player can take advantage of [[Dash feint|Dash feinting]] or ground dashing to generate assist meter before performing their follow-up attack, mitigating a minor portion of Seal Evil's cost of one assist bar in the process. If the opponent received Seal Evil while being wall rushed on the ground, they will transition into the "floor splat" state if no further action is taken before Seal Evil's effect wears off, allowing leniency in building assist meter via ground dashing.
<br>Secondly -and this is a big one-, using an HP attack with long hit stun or one that wall rushes and then calling Aerith again allows the player to bind the opponent ''again with Seal Evil'' for a second time in a row. It is an expensive trade-off, costing both of the player's assist bars but being able to land 2-3 HP attacks in a single combo can be a worthwhile investment for high base bravery and / or wall rush builds. Meter depletion applies for all those hits as well and this could be used to even generate an extraordinary amount of EX with solo combos.
<br>Because of this, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZHhF89IvmU '''Zidane became infamous for being able to exploit this fact'''] with his Shift Break HP and Meo Twister HP link off of his single best move, Swift Attack. With a proper high base bravery build with good base bravery recovery Zidane can inflict up to 6000-7000 HP with only two assist bars.
<br>In practice, the combo looks like this
* '''Swift Attack - Meo Twister - Seal Evil - free air dash - Shift Break, call Aerith right before HP damage is inflicted - Seal Evil - position above opponent and Shift Break, call Aerith right before HP damage again - Seal Evil - Shift Break at the ceiling - air dodge - Swift Attack - Meo Twister.'''
If Zidane cannot secure the ceiling, it is common to omit the second Shift Break in favor of simply doing another Swift Attack instead. This is still above 4000 hp territory and with [[Assist#Side_by_Side_.28.E3.82.B9.E3.82.BF.E3.83.B3.E3.83.89.E3.83.90.E3.82.A4.E3.83.9F.E3.83.BC.29|'''Side by Side''']] this combo can come into play earlier than usual.
<br>This concept can be applied to any character who has an attack with a somewhat short animation (end lag) and long enough hit stun or wall rush property to allow Aerith to chain another Seal Evil. While the mileage will greatly vary from character to character, such as Jecht using three Ultimate Jecht Shots or Tidus fitting in another aerial Cut and Run, the potential of this technique should not be overlooked. Other assist characters with lingering projectiles and traps such as Firion, The Emperor and Ultimecia can replicate this effect, again, with varying degrees of success.
</div></div>
<br>'''List of combos'''
<br>Cloud:
* Slashing Blow - wall rush - Seal Evil - Fire [1] - dash - Fire [2] - Fire [1] hits - Fire [2] hits - Climhazzard (2 hits) - Double Cut (midair)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6iYC4NLZoA Video demo]
=== Planet Protector ===
Give all allies temporary invincibility.
<br>Indicated by a golden flash around her and the player character, Planet Protector will nullify any damage caused to the player or any hit reaction caused to Aerith herself for five seconds (or 300 frames). In that sense, "invincibility" is an accurate term because nothing the opponent does can hurt or kill the player character while under this effect.
<br>As this is not a combo attack, it cannot be used to chain a sequence of attacks together. However, due to the continuous invincibility it can allow other strategies.
<br>The opponent can still attempt to attack the player and upon making contact the attack will act as it normally would. All bravery damage will do 0 damage and upon inflicting HP damage the damage is not only 0, but also resets the opponent's bravery back to 0 as if the HP attack connected conventionally. This can be used as a countermeasure to reset a high amount of bravery the opponent may have accumulated by running into it on purpose or to otherwise nullify an incoming attack pre-emptively.
<br>This does mean that any sustained chase attacks will have no effect and as a result, Planet Protector can enable immediate counter attacks following the lack of damage reaction.
<br>Exdeath can notoriously exploit Planet Protector to a good effect thanks to his grounded Maelstrom HP. By charging up this move and then calling Aerith to cast Planet Protector in the middle of the animation, the opponent is left with no choice but to deflect Maelstrom. The difficulty of this task varies by character, but a select few cannot do this at all, them being Kuja, Shantotto and Yuna. This results them in sustaining unavoidable damage which can greatly reduce their chances of winning against Exdeath in larger stages.
=== Holy ===
[Long] Cast a legendary white magic spell. Long cast time.
<br>Holy is the single assist attack that allows Aerith to inflict HP damage on her own. It's casting time is 8 seconds (or 480 frames) and the HP hit connects at 524 frames, roughly 1.45 seconds later.
<br>Between frames 480 and 524, the opponent is still free to do anything. They could even attack Aerith to cause an Assist Lock to the player who used it, but they will still get hit by Holy in the end. Think of this as Starfall, the meteor (Holy) appears at 480 frames, and needs 44 frames to "reach" its target.
<br>During this move Aerith has Block Mid priority, which means you will need guard staggering moves like Squall's Heel Crush or high priority moves such as HP attacks or LV3 Jecht Stream to intercept it.
<br>As Holy is still a Ranged High, it can also be deflected by high priority Melee attacks or blocks that Jecht and Exdeath possess. Even Precision Block works! Needless to say the timing is nothing short of strict, on top of the opponent continuing to pressure while Holy is taking place.
<br>Here is a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC-2xbVQML8 '''video demonstrating some of these countermeasures'''].
=== Kuja ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Bravery !! Effect !! Spawn !! Damage multiplier
|-
| Snatch Blow (ground) || Chase || Opponent (ground) || 8, 1x4, 2x10, 15 (47)
|-
| Strike Energy (midair) || Chase || Opponent (air) || 4x4, 2x7, 20 (50)
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! HP !! Effect !! Spawn !! Damage multiplier
|-
| Flare Star (ground) || Wall Rush || Opponent (ground) || 10, 1x5 (15)
|-
| Force Symphony || Chase || Opponent (air) || 0
|}
<br>Kuja is one of the game's strongest assists in terms of application and damage output. If in doubt, pick him.
<br>'''Snatch Blow''' on the ground does good damage and holds the opponent long enough for player to add 1-2 bravery attacks before sending them upwards with an assist chase prompt for a clean HP ender. Some characters can perform an HP attack during this attack to take advantage of wall rush damage or to reset the base bravery recovery.
<br>It's greatest downside (aside from not being Ranged priority) would be it's somewhat slow start-up and long animation length. Escaping after the first hit leaves Kuja completely vulnerable to attacks as the rest of Snatch Blow plays out. It is here where using your own character to protect the assist comes into play, utilising a move to prevent the opponent from locking Kuja or to successfully hit the opponent for acting out the assist lock interaction. Player preference and character match-ups are both major factors in deciding the outcome of this interaction, and is something that will apply not just to the Kuja assist, but other assist characters that stay out on the field for a good moment such as Jecht.
<br>Because of Snatch Blow's attack having a second hitbox while the spheres come back, performing a ground dodge on the first hit can result in Snatch Blow catching the opponent with the second hit. With a careful setup, only Precision Evasion can bypass this situation.
<br>'''Strike Energy''', while it's holding potential is not as great as Snatch Blow's it's upward knockback duration more than makes up for it, allowing for just about any character to comfortably chain into an HP attack after an assist chase. It is also quite fast on start-up and the little forward glide Kuja does before making contact adds a bit of range to the move that other notable assists such as Sephiroth, Jecht and Yuna lack. It's a textbook example of a good bravery assist. Fast, good damage and easy followups.
<br>The animation length and melee priority are once again it's weak points. If this assist attack is used to whiff punish a move from afar and the opponent escapes from it, Kuja is left with no immediate protection from the player. Depending on the character the options for covering Kuja up above may also be limited, but conversely fitting a bravery attack at the ceiling during Strike Energy is easier and ever so slightly more damaging.
<br>'''Flare Star''' is mostly used to bypass a potential LV2 Change with it's Ranged High priority. Even if the opponent opts to use LV2 Change during this move, Kuja assist will remain on the field unharmed. It is a valuable asset as some characters can confirm a wall rush on the ground. If you feel the opponent wants to lock him, protect him in a way that suits you.
<br>'''Force Symphony''' has a similiar application as Flare Star. One of it's more consistent uses involves calling him and then initiating chase to force a situation where the opponent is liable to taking damage from Kuja while the chase situation plays out. Start with an HP attack and if the opponent dodges, proceed to dodge yourself afterwards. Kuja usually travels far enough to make contact with the opponent before you can sustain HP damage. In small stages this is noticeably easier to perform, just be ready to press X to teleport for a follow-up.
<br>As Force Symphony is positioned above the opponent, taking action against this move can leave the opponent vulnerable to the player character's actions. Pay attention to the situation at hand and decide whether to fight or flight. At worst, the opponent gets away with using two assist bars but on a positive note, they have to then build up the assist meter again.
Due to the multi-hit nature of Kuja's attacks, Assist Critical Boost can be a good CP investment.


= References =
= References =

Latest revision as of 12:20, 10 March 2025


Assist is a gameplay mechanic introduced in Dissidia 012. It allows players to call a secondary character to attack independently, or protect the player character from damage. The assist character can be assigned in customization for each character, but certain game modes may restrict their availability.

Each assist character has four attacks: Two bravery attacks and two HP attacks. These are activated with a context-sensitive input to interrupt opponents and create combos that lead to HP damage. All assist related actions consume assist gauge, and players must fill it before using it.

Assist is designed to be an antithesis to EX. It is a separate resource from EX that acts in direct opposition to it in many ways. For example, an accessory that boosts assist weakens some aspect of EX. Assist characters also deplete a portion of the opponent's EX gauge on hit, or cancel their EX Mode if it's active.

In competitive play, assist is a very prominent mechanic. Its utility is widespread and essential for many characters to compete. Comboing into an HP attack is the most important aspect, but whiff punishment and risk mitigation are also major roles for assist. By default, assist gauge can be filled much faster compared to EX gauge. Characters who can play well defensively are often capable of using assist effectively as well. Notable gaps in character strength are born partly due to the dynamic that the assist mechanic presents.

Every playable character has an assist version of themselves, except Feral Chaos. Aerith is only playable as an assist character. She is unlocked by downloading the separate data that is bundled with Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy Prologus.

How to fill the Assist Gauge

Situations that fill Assist Gauge

  • Whiff an attack
  • Connect an attack
  • Land an HP attack (EXP to Assist extra ability or Side by Side accessory_special.png accessory required)
  • Receive damage (A Comrade's Vow accessory_basic.png accessory required)
  • Using Ground Dash, Free Air Dash, Air Dash or their Reverse variants (Assist Gauge Up Dash basic ability required)
  • Connect a bravery attack during EX Revenge; Assist gauge fills once EX Revenge ends.

Situations that don't fill Assist Gauge

  • During Assist Lock (outside of EXP to Assist or Side by Side influx)
  • During EX Burst or EX Revenge
  • During player's assist character's presence (e.g no whiffing during a Jecht assist combo)
  • Cancel an attack into another attack without returning to neutral first (a state where you can guard, dodge, jump etc.)
  • Receive damage (without A Comrade's Vow accessory accessory_basic.png)

Controls (Assist Gauge)

When one or two assist gauges are filled, assist can be used on demand.

  • L + Circle (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-circle.png): Assist Bravery attack (uses 1 gauge)
  • L + Circle (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-circle.png) when taking damage: LV1 Assist Change (uses 1 gauge + locks your assist gauge)
  • L + Square (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-square.png): Assist HP attack (uses 2 gauges)
  • L + Square (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-square.png) when taking damage: LV2 Assist Change (uses 2 gauges + does not lock your assist gauge)

The assist character's attack and spawn position can change depending on their moves and where they are called. Some attacks are done when the opponent is in the air, some attacks are done when the player is on the ground. This is indicated by two distinct icons next to the attack's name in customization menu; The horizontal white line indicates ground (bottom) or midair position (top). The light blue icon indicates player character, while the red icon indicates the opponent.

Assist attacks are predetermined and thus, cannot be customized. For more information, please check the assist character's data on the characters' main pages, such as Kuja.

Assist Break

Assist Break happens when a player attacks the opponent's assist character during EX Mode. This locks the opponent's assist gauge and rewards the player with stage bravery.

Assist Break normally occurs in one of two ways: The first is when the assist character is whiff punished. The second is when the assist character is hit during LV1 Assist Change with an EX mode attack. Most attacks that cause a hit reaction during EX mode work for this. However, command blocks cannot Assist Break with the block property alone.

Because Assist Lock and EX mode duration are roughly the same (20 seconds by default), Assist Break can realistically happen only once during EX mode.

Assist Change

Assist Change is a combo break mechanic that can be used when taking damage. It has two different levels that consume different amounts of assist gauge when used.

LV1 Assist Change

Press L + Circle (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-circle.png) when staggered, wall rushed or taking damage. Requires one assist gauge and consumes it when used.

This is the most common form of escaping damage. The assist character spawns in player character's position and sends them upwards, moving out of harm's way. If done at the ceiling, the player character will move downwards instead. When LV1 Assist Change happens, the player's assist gauge is locked for 1250 frames / 20.83 seconds.

LV1 Assist Change can be used to escape long lasting attacks and punish them. Cloud's HP links are notoriously weak against this [1] [2], but this works against other attacks as well, such as Jecht Beam. The viability of this technique varies depending on the matchup. Regardless, using LV1 Assist Change early and still having time to hit the opponent afterwards is important.

The assist character can be hit during LV1 Assist Change. This can grant beneficial effects; Side by Side accessory_special.png activates with HP hits despite not doing any damage. Assist Break can happen as well. Some attacks can be cancelled into another attack or a dash. It is even possible to dodge the moment opponent's attack connects. [3]

LV2 Assist Change

Press L + Square (ddff-icon-button-l.png + ddff-icon-button-square.png) when staggered, wall rushed or taking damage. Requires two assist gauges and consumes them when used.

LV2 Assist Change is a more powerful version of the mechanic. The player character still moves vertically when using this, but it has two major strengths to compensate for the cost.

Using LV2 Assist Change will not lock the assist gauge. In addition, the assist character will guard against incoming attacks. This is a rare Block Highest priority, which beats most attacks in the game, including HP attacks [4] and even assists. [5]. It staggers melee attacks like any other block, with the added benefit of keeping the assist gauge available. Since most assists are also melee priority, LV2 Assist Change can lock the opponent's assist gauge and deter its use altogether. That means LV2 Assist Change grants universal access to one of the most powerful defensive options in the game.

As a block, LV2 Assist Change interacts with other properties appropriately. Unblockable priority bypasses LV2 Assist Change, while Ranged priority gets blocked without staggering the opponent.

The blocking period begins from the moment of the assist character's appearence, all the way until they are almost done with the backflip motion. This is a relatively long window, and staggering the opponent later provides a bigger opening for a counterattack. Once the blocking period ends, the assist character is vulnerable to attacks. Hitting the assist during this time will lock the player's assist gauge.A barrage of projectiles such as Kuja's Ultima or Ultimecia's Knight's Blade can outlast the guard's duration and hit the assist with ease.

Because LV2 Assist Change doesn't lock the player's assist gauge, it can provide great return on investment for Side by Side accessory_special.png users. Jecht can stagger the opponent, hit them with a Jecht Beam combo and get over 1 assist gauge back just for getting hit.

Assist Charge

Assist Charge fills assist gauge for the attacker when they are in near death state. The amount of assist gauge depends on the situation.

Assist Charge generates 1 assist bar:

  • Player must be under 200 bravery, "near bravery break". Indicated with dim bravery numbers.
  • This player must then land an attack against an opponent who is performing a bravery attack.

Assist Charge generates 2 assist bars:

  • Player must be in near death state
  • During death state, that player must land any attack against an opponent who is performing an HP attack.

It does not matter when this interaction occurs. As long as the opponent is considered in an attack state and the player's unfavorable condition is met, Assist Charge can happen. This can reward aggressive players after landing an HP attack or punish players for using an HP attack carelessly. It can be likened to a sort of comeback mechanic seen in other fighting games or a momentum based system.

Assist Chase

Follow the opponent...

Assist Chase is a unique mechanic available with some assist characters. When an attack finishes damaging the opponent, a chase prompt appears. By pressing Cross (ddff-icon-button-cross.png) during this time, the player slows down time and immediately moves close to the opponent. The player can follow up with an attack of their choice afterwards. The slow motion effect will wear off roughly 1-2 seconds after the movement period has ended.

The slowdown effect and traversal make it much easier to apply HP damage anywhere. However, obstacles such as pillars in World of Darkness or walls in Pandaemonium can stop the player's movement. This can sabotage combos, but it is generally not a problem in large, open stages.

... and strike!

Depending on the assist's knockback (e.g. Kuja or Sephiroth), the follow-up can miss if Assist Chase is done too early.

Using Assist Chase will reset available midair jumps, but normally they cannot be used immediately after the movement period. To circumvent this, move the analog stick (ddff-icon-analog.png) in any direction after the character has reappeared, and then jump.

Assist Chase also has a maximum distance, though the exact details of it are unspecified. It can be seen in large stages such as The Rift if a player assist punishes a move from across the stage.

Attacks with Assist Chase

Character Attack(s)
Warrior of Light Shining Wave (HP)
Garland Cyclone (HP)
Tsunami (HP)
The Emperor Mine (BRV)
Onion Knight Blizzard (BRV)
Comet (HP)
Cloud of Darkness Tentacle of Suffering (BRV)
[Anti-air] Particle Beam (HP)
Kain Lance Burst (BRV)
Golbez Glare Hand (BRV, 1st hit)
Attack System (BRV, 1st hit)
Bartz Blade Crash (BRV)
Exdeath Hurricane (BRV)
Grand Cross (HP)
Gilgamesh Hurricane (HP)
Terra Flood (HP)
Kefka Meteor (BRV)
Extra-Crispy Firaga (BRV)
Hyperdrive (HP)
Sephiroth Reaper (BRV)
Sudden Cruelty (BRV)
Hell's Gate (HP)
Tifa Beat Rush (BRV)
Squall Solid Barrel (BRV)
Blasting Zone (HP)
Ultimecia Knight's Axe (BRV, ground)
Hell's Judgment (HP)
Apocalypse (HP)
Zidane Rumble Rush (BRV)
Stellar Circle (HP)
Free Energy (HP)
Kuja Snatch Blow (BRV)
Strike Energy (BRV)
Force Symphony (HP)
Tidus Hop Step (BRV)
Spiral Cut (HP)
Slice & Dice (HP)
Jecht Jecht Rush (BRV)
Yuna Hellfire (HP)
Diamond Dust (HP)
Shantotto Spirit Magic: Earth (HP)
Spirit Magic: Ice (HP)
Prishe Howling Fists (BRV)
Vaan Staff (BRV)
Cataclysm (HP)
Gabranth Aero (BRV)
Execution (HP)
Lightning Lightning Strike (HP)

Assist Depletion and Depletion Rate

Assist Depletion (Passive)

Also known as assist decay. After two seconds pass, the assist gauge will begin to deplete on its own. This countdown will not wait for an attack state to finish; It will begin immediately after the assist gain has occurred.

Assist depletion can be delayed by performing an attack. Cancelling a whiffed attack into another attack during recovery helps, but this will not build assist gauge on whiff. Attacks that do not generate assist gauge such as Jecht Block also reset this timer.

The default depletion rate for two full assist bars is 10 seconds without further actions.

Assist Depletion (Effect)

This is a different form of assist depletion. If an HP attack lands, the opponent will instantly lose a portion of assist gauge. However, this requires equipment with the assist depletion effect, such as Battle Hammer accessory_basic.png.

If an HP attack inflicts wall rush damage, additional depletion is applied. Similiarly, if an HP attack connects twice during its active period, the meter depletion will activate twice as well.

Because assist depletion impacts an important resource, it is very effective in multiplayer battles. It can quickly swing the momentum in one player's favor, or make regaining momentum more difficult. The discrepancy created by depletion can greatly hinder characters who struggle to build assist gauge safely, such as Cecil and Kefka. This can incentivize players to use Assist Change before they take damage and lose assist.

Depletion builds can potentially drain entire bars of assist in one assist combo.

Assist Duration

Assist duration only happens when both assist bars are full. This effect prevents the assist gauge from depleting on its own for a set duration without attacking.

The effect lasts for 9 seconds, and it can be influenced by accessories. Much like assist depletion (passive), this time period is reset every time assist gain occurs from an attack.

Assist Gauge Charge

Main article: Assist Gauge Charge

This is different from Assist Charge. When a character performs an attack, the assist gauge is filled by a certain amount. This is known as Assist Gauge Charge or Assist Gain. The amount of assist gauge depends on whether the attack hits or not. These can be adjusted separately in Original Rules. Missing an attack fills the gauge less and hitting the attack fills it more.

Assist Gauge Charge also encourages players to use different moves to fill assist gauge more quickly. Repeatedly using the same move fills the assist gauge less. For more information on this topic, please refer to the main article.

Assist Gauge Up Time

Exclusive to Bartz. His Hellfire boosts assist duration and delays assist depletion (passive) when equipped.

This effect can can be stacked by equipping Hellfire on all three ground HP slots for a maximum boost of 30 %. This will grant 11.7 seconds of assist duration. The assist gauge will start depleting 2.6 seconds after the last assist gain, rather than after the usual 2 seconds.

Assist Lock

Assist Lock is a state during which the assist gauge cannot be used.

Assist Lock can happen in three ways:

  • When LV1 Assist Change is used
  • When the assist character is hit
  • When the assist character's attack is blocked (melee priority)

The duration for Assist Lock is about 20.83 seconds. The duration can be modified with original rules. During this time the only way to fill assist gauge is by landing HP attacks with EXP to Assist extra ability or Side by Side accessory_special.png equipped.

Whenever Assist Lock occurs, all EX force present in the stage will be absorbed by the opponent. If the opponent cannot absorb EX force due to their equipment, it will remain on the field until EX Core appears.

Abilities that influence Assist

EXP to Assist

An ability unlocked at LV100 that costs 0 CP. Landing an HP attack will convert 0.3 % of the acquired experience points to assist meter (a 3 % boost for the meter). As such, it can scale with special accessories that increase EXP gain. A staple ability for characters who can land HP attacks without setting up an assist first.

Hellfire (Bartz)

Effect: Assist Gauge time +10 %

This boosts assist duration and delays assist gauge depletion (passive). It is exclusive to Bartz's Hellfire HP attack.

Details in the Assist Gauge Up Time section.

Accessories that influence Assist

Basic Accessories

As these are basic accessories accessory_basic.png, their effect can be enhanced with the help of booster accessories accessory_booster.png.

  • Attractorb: EX Intake Range +1m, Assist Gauge Charge -20 %
  • Pearl Necklace: EX Force Absorption +10 %, Assist Gauge Charge -20 %
  • Dragonfly Orb: EX Core Absorption +10 %, Assist Gauge Duration -30 %
  • Silver Hourglass: EX Mode Duration +5 %, Assist Gauge Duration -10 %
  • Battle Gem: Assist Gauge Duration +10 %, EX Force Absorption -20 %
  • Battle Hammer: Assist Gauge Depletion +5 %
  • Bond Breaker: Assist Iai Strike +2 %, Defense -10 %
  • A Comrade's Vow: AST Charge on damage +15%, EX Intake Range -1m

A Comrade's Vow

Effect: AST Charge on damage + 15%, EX Intake Range -1m Info based on research done by NLM on Dissidia Community forums.

A basic accessory that fills the player's assist gauge whenever they are sustaining damage.

Whenever you're damaged, the base bravery damage of the attack is taken into account. So regardless of whether you are LV1 and have 12 DEF or if you are Lv 100 and have 111 DEF, the amount of assist gained when hit by a Jecht Stream will be the same, even if you receive 4,000 BRV damage at Lv1 or 300 at Lv100.

The formula for the Assist gain (%) A Comrade's Vow provides is as follows:

Base damage*0.15*multipliers/10

Beware that for hits that BRV Wall Rush, you'll get again the last value when you get wall rushed. So, for example, let's say you get hit by a Jecht Rush just like the assist one, and your multipliers show 5.0. The base damage for Jecht Rush is 42. According to the formula, you should get a 3.15% AST gain. However, the last hit has 19 base damage. So if you get wall rushed, you'd get an extra 1.425% AST gain.

Beware that the damage you receive from the opponent's assist will also increase your assist.

As you can see, this accessory requires pretty high multipliers to be effective, as otherwise the assist gain will be very little. Finally, it's also better when fighting against characters that rely on strong attacks that cause BRV wall rush to connect their Assist -> HP combos and powerful assists (such as Garland with Kuja or Sephiroth assist).

Source: In depth assist mechanics by NLM

Special Accessories

These accessories do not scale with booster accessories, but some can be stacked to increase their effect.

Please note that the breakable accessories are banned in competitive play where the in-game ruleset "Official" is set to on.

  • White Drop: EX Force Absorption +5 %, Assist Gauge Duration -5 %
  • Cyan Drop: Initial EX Force +10 %, Assist Gauge Duration -10 %
  • Cyan Gem: Initial EX Force +20 %, Assist Gauge Duration -20 %
  • White Gem: EX Force Absorption +10 %, Assist Gauge Duration -10 %
  • Growth Egg: Experience Value +20 %
  • Glimmering Crystal: EX Core Absorption +15 %, Assist Gauge Charge -15 %
  • Badge of Trust: Initial Assist Charge +40 %, EX Force Absorption -30 %
  • First to Victory: Initial EX Force +20 %, Initial Assist Charge +20 %, Initial Bravery +20 %
  • Fiery Spirit: Assist Armor (Assist Character endures one attack from opponent)
  • Battle Ring: Free Assist (5 % chance of assist gauge not draining when used)
  • Close to You: Always Absorb EX Force, Assist Gauge Charge -30 %
  • Center of the World: EX Intake Range +3m, EX Force & Core Absorption +25 %, Assist Gauge Freeze
  • Together as One: Initial Assist Charge +40 %, Assist Gauge Duration +50 %, EX Force Absorption -40 %
  • Side by Side: Assist Gauge Charge on HP Attack, EX Force Absorption Disabled, EX Gauge Freeze
  • Friendship Incense: Initial Assist Charge +50 % (Accessory breakability: 100 %)
  • Friendship Resin: Initial Assist Charge +100 % (Accessory breakability: 100 %)
  • Chocobo Down: Experience Value +20 % (Accessory breakability: 30 %)
  • Chocobo Wing: Experience Value +50 % (Accessory breakability: 30 %)
  • Chocobo Feather: Experience Value +100 % (Accessory breakability: 30 %)
  • Spirit of Qu´bia: Initial EX & Assist Charge +100 %, Initial Bravery +300 % (Accessory breakability: 100 %)
  • Shock of Qu´bia: EX & Assist Chance, EX & Assist Gauge Depletion +100 % (Accessory breakability: 100 %)
  • Hopes of Qu´bia: Assist Gauge Charge +100 % (Accessory breakability: 100 %)

Side by Side

Effect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP Attack, EX Force Absorption Disabled, EX Gauge Freeze

Japanese name: スタンドバイミー (sutando bai mī)

A special accessory so potent it deserves its own sub article. Side by Side (abbreviated as SbS) sacrifices all things EX in exchange for bolstering assist meter with a key aspect: Assist Gauge Charge on HP attack. This is a flat 30 % increase to an assist meter every time an HP attack connects and is not influenced by wall rush damage.

Think of this as a hyperbolic version of EXP to Assist. Any character that can land HP attacks without setting up an assist will acquire an amount of assist meter that can save them 3-4 whiffs on average. This is especially useful for characters who may rely on HP links or raw HPs to dish out damage such as Onion Knight, Cloud, Bartz, Golbez and Jecht. Often times these characters also suffer from somewhat slow or risky assist meter generation when it comes to whiffing, the most common form of building the resource.

As such, Side by Side can synergise with many characters at all levels of play. In small stages such as Edge of Madness, Phantom Train and Pandaemonium - Top Floor where escaping raw HPs can be more difficult, it can greatly increase the threat of getting hit as the potential punishment of sustaining an HP attack has an increased chance of occuring and elevated potency as well. Characters such as Squall who can stagger an opponent with LV2 Change and land an HP attack from it will have a distinct advantage in sustaining a meter and health lead, further bolstering the strength of the LV2 Change mechanic. Escaping a combo and making a chunk of assist meter back for it? Yes please.

Because of the disabled EX intake, Empty EX Gauge (1.5x) Pre-EX Mode (1.4x) and Pre-EX Revenge (1.3x) boosters will have a 100 % uptime from the beginning of a match with a x2.7 multiplier. This makes for an easy, good template set for character builds that can be further tailored to lean into assist meter, damage output, meter depletion or other miscellanious perks such as CP or additional experience points to complement EXP to Assist.

Side by Side can be paired with Together as One to a good effect. The initial assist meter will ensure the player is one or two hits away from securing an assist combo with meter to spare afterwards and the increased assist duration lets a character stay in a non-committal position for longer. It's not mandatory, Side by Side's effect is already powerful as it is, but the initial assist meter can make or break a match-up.

EX Cores can still be grabbed by players who have Side by Side equipped, but they will not receive any EX from it. The incentive for chasing after an EX Core is to then prevent the opponent from building a full EX bar faster, which is already a case when both characters still generate EX as they normally would.

The idea with a Side by Side build is to do a lot of damage or quickly offset assist meter discrepancies. Characters who have optimised builds around this accessory can end matches in potentially two or three hits that lead into a wall rush and assist every time. High base bravery, base bravery recovery and HP wall rush damage all contribute towards this fact and some characters such as Zidane can take advantage of the Aerith assist to take this to absurd heights.

That being said, the longer a fight goes on, the less of an impact Side by Side can have. If the player using Side by Side has no single hit HP attack, EX meter depletion, an assist bar available or all of the above, resolving situations with EX Revenge checkmates (also known as "Final EX Revenge") can be very difficult if not impossible. If the player cannot rely on landing HP attacks to generate assist meter, they are at the mercy of doing so in the neutral which is no different from not having Side by Side equipped. Keep this in mind when considering bringing Side by Side to battle.

Equipment that influences Assist

Only LV100 equipment and Final Strike are listed below.

Weapon

  • Excalibur II: EXP +100 %
  • Lufenia's Edge: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Death Blade: Final Strike set
  • Lufenian Axe: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Lufenian Rod: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Lufenian Claw: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Highwind: Assist Gauge Duration +30 %, Kain Highwind's exclusive LV100 weapon
  • Glanzfaust: Assist Gauge Duration +30 %, Prishe's exclusive LV100 weapon
  • Death Penalty: Assist Gauge Duration +30 %
  • Lufenian Gun: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Supreme Pole: Initial Assist Charge +40 %

Hand

  • Lufenian Shield: Judgment of Lufenia set

Head

  • Lufenian Cap: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Lufenian Helm: Judgment of Lufenia set

Body

  • Lufenian Robes: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Lufenian Armor: Judgment of Lufenia set
  • Lufenian Chestplate: Judgment of Lufenia set

Equipment Special Effects that influence Assist

Judgment of Lufenia

Effect: Assist Gauge Depletion +15 %

Three equipment pieces with this set bonus will provide you 15 % assist depletion upon landing an HP attack. This does not scale with boosters but with how assist is a vital resource in the game, you could do a lot worse than making a preliminary build with this. The parts that provide this set bonus are in abundance and provide solid stats all around, although they are not necessarily the strongest picks outside of starter builds or dedicated assist depletion builds.

Final Strike

Effect: EX Absorption & Range Boost, Assist Charge & Duration Boost

An armor set that requires all four pieces of equipment be worn in order for the effect to take place. The idea behind this set is something akin to a glass cannon, abnormally high damage intake in exchange for a notable boost in meter gain.

Unfortunately as far as Assist is concerned, the cons outweigh the pros. The Assist Charge only sees a 10 % increase and the Assist Duration gets a +45% increase. Other sources of assist charge increase are exclusive to breakable accessories and original rules, both of which are prohibited in competitive play. Together as One special accessory provides a 40 % increase in assist duration without sacrificing necessary stats or four equipment slots.

With the Death Blade weapon being middle of the pack with 68 ATK and -1 DEF and no extra properties, the rest of the set are equivalent to LV1 gear. DEF +3 on Reaper's Shield, BRV +38 and DEF +2 for Helmet of the Dead and HP +428 for the Death Armor. By numbers alone this is already difficult to ever justify in multiplayer, but if you are messing around with friends, you can try to send a statement with this set.

Otherwise, avoid using this. There are weapons that can provide more in the field Death Blade is trying to occupy, such as Earthbreaker with 69 ATK and +20 % HP Wall Rush damage increase or Heaven's Cloud with 67 ATK and +3m EX Intake Range.

Assist Damage Tables

Much like regular playable characters, assist characters come with their own base damge. Generally speaking the assist moves derive their properties and frame data from their original moves though.

Gilgamesh assist applies either Excalibur or Excalipoor on his attacks, which is decided at random before he performs them. The damage multipliers are for Excalibur and then Excalipoor respectively.

Assist Damage Tables (All Characters)


Below are original damage tables for assist bravery attacks and HP attacks respectively by Balguna.

Assist BRV Damage Table
Assist HP Damage Table

References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTma64t2mY&t=897 Cloud's HP link Finishing Touch punished after LV1 Assist Change.
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb5sOobi8EA&t=124 Cloud's HP link Omnislash Ver. 5 punished after LV1 Assist Change.
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmTma64t2mY&t=555 Dodging out of an attack after hitting opponent's assist.
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg359RmtVHQ&t=131 LV2 Assist Change beats HP attack (Sephiroth Heaven's Light)
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lpkCDwAUUk&t=188 LV2 Assist Change beats assist (Cecil BRV)

Navigation

Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy
Playable characters Bartz Klauser • Cecil Harvey • Cloud Strife • Cloud of Darkness • Feral Chaos • Exdeath • Firion • Gabranth • Garland • Gilgamesh • Golbez • Jecht • Kain Highwind • Kefka Palazzo • Kuja • Laguna Loire • Lightning • Onion Knight • Prishe • Sephiroth • Shantotto • Squall Leonhart • Terra Branford • Tidus • The Emperor • Tifa Lockhart • Ultimecia • Vaan • Warrior of Light • Yuna • Zidane Tribal
Other characters Aerith Gainsborough • Chaos
First-timers Change Log • FAQ • Glossary • Starter Guide
Resources Combo Videos • Customization Guide (Online) • List of Useful Info • Online Setup (PPSSPP) • Tier List • Tier List (Assist) • Trade Component Farming Guide • Translations
Battle mechanics Aerial Recovery • Assist • Assist Gauge Charge • Battlegen • Block • Bravery • Chase • Dash • Dodge • EX • HP • Landing Lag • Quickmove • Wall Rush
Customization Abilities • Accessories • Equipment • Special Effects • Statistic • Summons
Techniques Blodge • Dash Feint • Dodge Punishment • Lock Off
Community rulesets DC Ranked • Dissidence • Japan Ranked • Tournament Rules
Stages Crystal Tower • Crystal World • Dream's End • Edge of Madness • Empyreal Paradox • Kefka's Tower • Lunar Subterrane • M.S. Prima Vista • Old Chaos Shrine • Order's Sanctuary • Orphan's Cradle • Pandaemonium • Pandaemonium - Top Floor • Phantom Train • Planet's Core • Sky Fortress Bahamut • The Rift • Ultimecia's Castle • World of Darkness
Data Attack Priority • CP Glitch • EX Burst Damage • Damage Formula • Frame Data • Glitches • Movement Speed • Music • Staff credits • Unlockables
Misc. Dissidia 012 Prologus
Modding DLC EDAT Reference


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