Glossary

This is an internal glossary for various terms from Dissidia 012 and other fighting games. Please refer to the Glossary (Dissidia 012) if you want to see just Dissidia 012 terms with more elaborate explanations.

Many of the fighting game terms' meanings have been derived from Infil's fighting game glossary. The explanations are kept fairly short because this page is used for tooltips.

013

013 refers to the thirteenth cycle in the game's story. It is also used informally to refer to the original Dissidia game.

Abare

Attacking while you are at immediate disadvantage.

Active

The period of time when an attack is capable of doing damage.

Advantage

Often refers to positive frame advantage (who gets to act first). It can also mean a good position or favorably stacked Assist / EX gauges.

Air-to-air

Attacking an airborne opponent while also being in the air.

All-rounder

A character who can do a bit of everything well.

Anti-air

Attacking an airborne opponent from below, usually on the ground.

Armor

A state where a character can absorb an attack without reacting to it. This is rarely seen in Dissidia 012, but Garland's EX mode has this trait during his own attacks.

Assist Change LV2

Universal defensive mechanic. Costs 2 Assist Gauges, but breaks free from attacks while blocking any move that is not unblockable priority.

Assist Combo

A combo involving an assist character.

Assist Punish

Using assist to hit the opponent who missed an attack, before they can defend.

Auto-pilot

Acting without thinking, usually in a predictable manner.

Bait

Doing something to provoke an action from an opponent, and then punishing them for doing it.

Balance

A measure of how strong the game's characters are when compared to each other.

Bar

Refers to a meter / gauge, or a segment of it. e.g. Garland has 1 assist bar = Garland has 1 assist gauge.

Base Bravery

The baseline bravery that can be modified with equipment. Bravery recovers to this after bravery break.

Base Damage

The attack's baseline damage value before equipment and stats are considered.

Blind Pick

A procedure in tournaments where both players submit their character choice to a third person. Both players make this choice without the opponent knowing until the choice has been made.

Block

The act of defending against incoming attacks.

Block String

A sequence of attacks that work against a blocking opponent. Because of Dissidia 012's block and stagger systems, very few characters can even attempt this.

Bracket Reset

When a person loses a set in a double elimination tournament's grand finals for the first time. Double elimination requires each player losing two sets in order to be eliminated.

Bravery Boost on Block

A build style that generates bravery by guarding attacks with a block. Abbreviated as BBoB.

Bravery Boost on Dodge

A build style that generates bravery by evading attacks with a dodge. Abbreviated as BBoD.

Bread and Butter

A common, practical combo that is often used in matches. Abbreviated as BnB.

Build Meter

The act of earning super meter.

Cancel

An action that is interrupted early by doing another action.

Capacity Points

These points determine how many abilities can be equipped at once. Shortened to CP.

Challenge

To attack the opponent as they are trying to attack you. Ergo, "challenging an opponent". Similar to the term "abare".

Checkmate

A situation where a player has no options to avoid losing a situation or a match. For example, hitting an opponent who has a full EX gauge and killing bravery can activate EX Revenge and guarantee a win.

Combo

A sequence of hits that are unavoidable once the first hit lands. Dissidia 012 lets players escape incoming damage by using Assist or EX, but combos are still treated as combos regardless.

Command Block

An attack that has block properties. Most of them block on frame 1 and attack after a moment, e.g. Sephiroth's Scintilla.

Cross-up

An attack that comes from above that hits behind block, or changes opponent's directional attack input on the ground.

Customization

A major aspect in Dissidia 012 where players adjust their character with abilities, equipment, summons and assist.

Conversion

Turning a hit (unlikely or otherwise) into a combo through situational awareness.

Disjoint

A part of an attack that isn't close to the character's hurtbox. If this part of an attack gets hit by an opponent, the character using it will not take damage.

Dodge Cancel

An action that is cancelled into a dodge. Abbreviated as DC.

Empty Chase

A chase sequence where the initiator does nothing.

EXR

Abbreviation for EX Revenge.

FAD

Abbreviation for Free Air Dash.

Filler

An attack that is done during an assist's attack. This serves to add damage, and the combo continues afterwards.

Frame

A unit used to measure time in a game. In Dissidia 012, 30 frames equals one second of real time.

Frame Advantage

Fighting game term that describes who is able to act first. Player who can act first is considered "plus", while a player who acts second is considered "minus" in a given situation.

Frame Data

A list of a fighting game character's every move that details startup speed, frame advantage and much more.

Footsies

A nebulous fighting game term, commonly refers to two players moving around and making good plays.

Glass Cannon

A character that has low health, but exceptional tools for damage, resources or other things. Characters can be built this way in Dissidia 012.

Halo camping

A strategy which involves a character staying above the opponent, often at a safe distance.

Hit and Run

A playstyle with primarily evasive movement and occasional offense when in good range.

Hit Confirm

The act of performing an attack, reacting to it hitting and following up appropriately.

Hit Stun

The period of time when a character cannot do an action after getting hit by an attack.

Hitbox

An invisible predefined area that determines how an attack can come into contact with a character. If this makes contact with a character, the attack connects. Bigger hitbox means it's easier to land the attack.

Hitstop

A brief moment when the game pauses when an attack hits successfully. This is a very subtle effect in Dissidia 012.

Hold (012)

Holding an opponent in place with a combo attack, usually to set up an assist combo.

Hold (NT)

Holding an opponent in place with a combo attack so that another player can follow up.

Hurtbox

An invisible predefined area that determines how a character can come into contact with an attack. If this makes contact with an attack, the character gets hit. Bigger hurtbox means it's easier to get hit.

HP link

An HP attack that branches from a bravery attack. e.g. Cloud's Slashing Blow into Omnislash Version 5.

HP linker

Characters with prominent BRV-to-HP links, such as Firion, Cloud and Zidane.

Innate Bravery

A character's bravery without any modifiers from equipment etc. At LV100, this is 667 for every character. Effects like Bravery Boost on Dodge scale off of this.

Input Buffer

Pressing a button during another action to ensure the next action comes out as soon as possible. Dissidia 012 does not apply input buffer in most places, so it should not be confused with input latency, or general responsiveness.

Input Latency

The time it takes for a button input to be registered in the game. Higher latency means a character takes longer to do anything after pressing a button.

Kara Cancel

The ability to quickly cancel a move into another move, before the first move even completes its startup. In Dissidia 012, a regular block can be kara cancelled into a dodge or a dash, which birthed the techniques "blodge" and "dash feint" respectively.

Knockback

The distance travelled after getting hit by an attack. The exact distance varies depending on the attack.

Knockback Cancel

An attack's knockback that is interrupted with assist. Keeps the opponent in place.

Knowledge Check

Testing whether the opponent understands how to beat a certain attack or strategy.

Link

A technique where two moves can combo into each other by letting the first move complete entirely before starting the second move. e.g. Cloud's Climhazzard (2 hits) > Double Cut (midair). This is not to be confused with BRV-to-HP links.

Losers Bracket

A side in a double elimination tournament where the players have lost one set. Losing another set against a player means elimination from the tournament.

Main

The character that a player uses the most. This is usually the player's strongest character.

MAS

Abbreviation for Multi Air Slide.

Matchup

Two specific characters matched against each other. Also refers to the strategy and knowledge surrounding it.

Meta

The general state of a game's strategy. "Metagame" could also refer to things outside of the game itself, such as preventing the opponent from seeing your button presses.

Meterless

A combo that does not spend any meter.

Midscreen

Any space in the stage where neither player is in a corner or at a wall. Basically no walls or ceilings nearby.

Mind Game

Trying to trick the opponent into taking a wrong action.

Mirror Match

Both players pick the same character for a match.

Mixup

A situation where a player has several ways to attack, which require different actions from the defending player.

Movement

Moving a character around the stage.

Neutral

The stage of a fight where neither player is blocking or getting hit by anything. Both players are trying to figure out how to approach.

Notation

A common language used to refer to attacks and directions. Often seen when reading combos and how to do them.

Okizeme

A fighting game term in Japanese language, describes attacking an opponent who is getting up.

Option Select

A situation where performing the same inputs can lead to different outcomes depending on how the characters interact.

Point Blank

The closest possible distance two characters can be from each other.

Poke

A fast attack that is used to occupy space, start offense and fill assist gauge.

Projectile

A type of attack that travels independently from any character and does not have a hurtbox. Beams, fireballs and magic spells are often like this. Many projectiles are Ranged priority in Dissidia 012, but it is not exclusive to projectiles.

Punish

Attacking someone when they are recovering from a move and are unable to defend. This is typically guaranteed damage when done right.

Raw

When an attack is done as is, with nothing preceding it.

Reactable

An attack that has slow enough startup that a human can react to it and defend correctly.

Read

A read is an educated guess informed by some knowledge or context in a match. An extremely risky move that works in this manner is considered a "hard read".

Recovery

The period of time that occurs after an attack has finished hitting, but before gaining full control of the character again. For example, many HP attacks in Dissidia 012 have long recovery. This may be occasionally referred to as "endlag".

Reset

Intentionally stopping a combo before its natural conclusion, and trying to hit the opponent again when they are free to act, but not ready for it. In Dissidia 012, reset can also refer to an assist combo where the player gets access to assist gauge again, despite just losing access to it for using it.

Runaway

A defensive playstyle that involves constantly trying to move far away from the opponent.

Rushdown

An offensive playstyle that focuses on getting close to the opponent and attacking them relentlessly.

Safe

A move that cannot be punished after being used.

Scramble

A situation where both players are looking to quickly improvise their next action and gain advantage.

Search

A projectile that spawns on top of the opponent in Dissidia NT.

Secondary

An alternate character that isn't as well trained as a player's main character, but still strong.

Solid

A playstyle that involves lots of good decisions rooted in strong game knowledge, without lots of unnecessary risks. Informally, it can be considered "good" in many senses of the word.

Space

An area in a stage. Often talked in relation to a character or their strategy.

Startup

The time it takes before an attack can do damage.

Stuff

Interrupting an attack with your own.

Super Armor

A state where a character can continue their action despite getting hit. In Dissidia 012, bravery damage can be taken during this time.

Trade

When two opposing attacks hit each other at the same time, dealing damage. In Dissidia 012, two assist characters rarely hit each other, but they can hit their targets simultaneously instead.

Turtling

An extremely defensive playstyle.

Vacuum

An attack that pulls the opponent towards the player. Dissidia 012 refers to this as "absorb", but the term "vacuum" may be used similarly.

Wakeup

The act of getting up after being knocked down on the ground. This is a bit different in Dissidia 012; Characters recovery automatically from wall rush, and they can manually recover in the air after hit stun ends.

Wall Carry

The distance travelled when a combo is happening. Longer distance means a combo pushes the opponent closer to the wall. In Dissidia 012, longer distance is better for getting a Wall Rush.

Wall Rush

A damaged state where a character is stuck at the wall for a moment. Assists can do a combo during this time.

Wave HP

An energy wave projectile that travels a long distance.

Whiff

A missed attack that doesn't make any contact.

Whiff Punish

Hitting an opponent who missed (whiffed) their attack.

Win Condition

A specific situation that a character wants to reach to maximize their chance of winning. e.g. The Emperor wants to hit opponent with Jecht assist so he can charge his Starfall HP, and cast it before it can be stopped.

Winners Bracket

A side in a double elimination tournament where the players have not lost a set yet.

Zidaerith

Zidane with Aerith assist. A notable synergy for high damage output with air combos.

Zoner

A character whose main strategy involves zoning (long-range attacks).

Zoning

The act of using long-range attacks to try and prevent the opponent from approaching. Usually achieved with projectiles, such as Sephiroth's Shadow Flare.