Firion (Dissidia 012)

Firion

General	Starter Guide	Combos	Strategy	Frame Data
Matchups	Builds	Match Videos	Gallery	Resources

Info
Name	Firion (フリオニール)
Original game	Final Fantasy II
Base ATK (LV100)	111 (High)
Base DEF (LV100)	112 (High)
Run Speed	8 (Below Average)
Dash Speed	81 (Below Average)
Fall Speed	81 (Average)
Fall Speed Ratio After Dodge	38 (Average)
Fastest BRV	9F (Swordslash)
Fastest HP	33F / 49F (Lord of Arms)
1-Hit HP	Yes (Straightarrow)
HP Links	Yes
Command Block	Yes (Shield Bash)
Weapon	All normal weapons, Parrying Weapons, Guns, Poles
Armor	Bangles, Chestplates, Clothing, Hats, Headbands, Helms, Light Armor, Shields
Exclusive weapons	Rebellion Army, Longinus, Wild Rose
Unlock
Alignment	Cosmos
Voice Actor (JP)	Hikaru Midorikawa
Voice Actor (ENG)	Johnny Yong Bosch

Overview

Firion is a defensive ground-oriented fighter who can engage at almost any range. Armed with quick pokes, mid range attacks, a command block, HP links and the notoriously strong Straightarrow HP, Firion is capable of setting the pace of a match on a moment's notice.

Ground is where Firion applies his melee attacks up close and at mid range. Poking and building assist meter with Swordslash, whiff punishing with Rope Knife, calling out defensive options with Lord of Arms and protecting himself from dodge punishment and projectiles with Shield Bash HP are all part of his winning strategies. Contesting him can be difficult and dangerous, as Firion can capitalise on his strong HP attacks and HP links to wall rush and generate a lot of meter.

What completes his melee combat however, is his ranged arsenal. The Magic Arts aerial braveries can discourage projectile usage, force the opponent to move and setup more damaging combos and his threatening Shield Bash counter projectiles. But most importantly, his Straightarrow HP can greatly restrict the opponent's offense, their ability to whiff safely and punish misplaced dodges with it's great aim, reach, delayable timing and projectile speed. With all of this combined, Firion can interact from a myriad of different ranges and angles while making it harder for opponents to approach him.

When it comes to builds, Firion is a well known user of the Side by Side accessory thanks to his strong HPs across the board. A single Straightarrow or Shield Bash can greatly shift assist meter momentum in his favor, while his other HPs ensure damaging assist combos. Because of this, high base bravery and Side by Side are most likely to produce results in competitive play. His high base stats, grounded playstyle and great EX Mode perk provide incentives for other build styles as well. Few attacks produce good EX such as his Towards bravery followup and long range Shield Bash counter, but because they're not Firion's top priority moves in combos, his EX generation on hit tends to fall behind. EX Cores are a decent alternative, as Firion spends a lot of time on the ground where they typically spawn. And if the match goes on long enough for Firion to get a full EX meter, a single HP hit with the Blood Weapon HP regeneration can offset any health deficits or cement a health lead.

Firion's weaknesses become more apparent once he has to engage in the air. His dash speed is below average and lacks effective close-range melee attacks for approaches and punishes. Air dodges are floaty and can quickly make Firion a sitting duck at his weakest position. The Magic Arts braveries are all low priority, low damage, slow and don't protect Firion from his front very well while he's casting. And while it's true that Straightarrow is great at stopping opponents, verticality, walls and fast running speed can be used to significantly reduce it's accuracy. Firion cannot quickly adjust his aim behind him, and he can only delay Straightarrow for a set amount of time before he is forced to fire it. This opens up Firion to whiff punishment with assist and at worst, suffer a bravery break and a guaranteed combo afterwards; A fact that extends to his other HP attacks as well.

All that is to say - Firion is good at interrupting opponent's actions, but he can struggle to open up more patient, aerial opponents. Two of his midair moves have downward knockback, but applying them against distant airborne characters such as Kefka and Sephiroth can prove challenging. In these circumstances, Firion's ways to interact and force opponents into his effective range are rather limited, and he may have to rely more on EX Cores to overcome these hardships.

Throughout most of the game's competitive lifespan, Firion has been considered a powerful, consistent high tier character. Thanks to his burst damage, relative ease of use and the ability to control the neutral and convert situations to HP damage, Firion is a distinct powerhouse who can compete with other strong close-range characters such as Zidane, Prishe and Jecht. He cannot discourage all aerial play, fight airborne opponents very effectively at close range or eliminate all risk associated with his strong HP attacks. But despite that, Firion is capable of shutting down much of the opposition.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Defensive ground combat - Specialised in fighting on the ground, Firion can stand toe-to-toe in close-range combat with a variety of attacks, such as quick poke Swordslash BRV and Shield Bash HP for post-dodge defense. Damage - High base ATK stat, good damage multipliers and consistent wall rushes off of HP links and other HP attacks ensure Firion can establish a good health lead. Ranged combat - Air braveries and more notably the Straightarrow HP can force opponents to disengage and move as well as punish mistimed dodges. Anti-Zoning - Shield Bash represents a threat to most characters who operate with low priority projectiles from a distance. Side by Side - Firion synergises very well with this, raising the threat of HP attacks and reward off of HP links. EX Mode's Blood Weapon - While not a top priority for Firion, regenerating health equal to HP damage dealt is amazing at creating comebacks.

Air combat - While Firion has tools for point-blank and long range, his floaty air dodges, low combo conversion potential, lack of effective post-dodge defense and quick approaching close-range attacks can create a lot of risk for him midair. Enforcing defenders in his effective range - Firion's arsenal is not designed to easily enforce opponents hanging at a large stage's ceiling to engage with him. These situations often involve long-term strategies and build investment. Punishable HP links - As a frequent HP link user, Double Trouble's long HP attack animation leave him vulnerable to counter attacks after Assist Change.

Bravery Attacks

Ground

	Base Damage	20+ (8, 12)
	Startup Frame	19F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	15
	Effects	Absorb
	Cancels	Dodge, Follow-up (Away)
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Close] Quick upward swing with lance. Slightly draws foe near.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Lance Combo is Firion's fastest move for HP links, but it also has shortest reach despite it pulling in enemies. It has long active frames, so it can still hit opponents who are trying to whiff punish Firion too early. The animation is quick, which lets Firion quickly transition into his follow-ups or the Double Trouble HP link.

As a poke, Lance Combo can be dodge cancelled relatively early, though it's still slower than Swordslash. And even if Lance Combo misses, Firion still has the mid priority lance follow-up to protect himself. That's not exclusive to this move, but it's safer in this regard than Reel Axe, one of his other braveries.

	Base Damage	20
	Startup Frame	9F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	60
	Effects	Chase
	Cancels	Dodge, Block, Attack
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Close] Quick sword slash. Short reach, but quick strike.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Swordslash is Firion's close-range poke. It can build assist gauge on whiff and push enemies away who are getting too comfortable near Firion. The reach is short, which doesn't make it too effective as a whiff punish tool. However, its startup is also one of the fastest in the whole game. Firion can cancel this move into a block or other attacks (including HP), which helps him stay ambiguous against reactive opponents. Using Swordslash well in conjunction with other moves lets Firion establish the defensive ground combat where he excels at.

	Base Damage	20+ (2 x 10)
	Startup Frame	23F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	30
	Effects	-
	Cancels	Dodge, Follow-up (Away)
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Mid] Throw lightning knife. Good versus any height, long duration.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Rope Knife is Firion's primary whiff punish tool on the ground. Just like Lance Combo and Reel Axe, Rope Knife also leads into bravery follow-ups or Double Trouble HP link. It has enough reach and active frames to catch ground dodges, and it has some vertical tracking as well. The startup speed is slower than Lance Combo, but it's fast enough to punish plenty of moves on reaction if Firion is within range.

Rope Knife has a glaring weakness; It's rather telegraphed. The bright yellow visual effect around the knife and Firion's distinct audio cue make it easier to react to this move. And if it's used from its maximum range, Firion doesn't have many low risk options to use as a mixup. It also generates more EX than other ground combo moves, though that's negligible when using Side by Side . Most of Rope Knife's hits don't pull the opponent towards Firion, so a "shallow" hit can cause the opponent to drop out of the move if it hits from below at an awkward angle. The long active frames can also backfire on Firion (though not often), as higher priority moves cause Firion to stagger.

Despite that, Rope Knife is commonly used in competitive play. It plays an important role in Firion's defense and enables his high damaging assist combos with Double Trouble. Close-range characters often need to watch out for this move as they approach Firion, as it has longer reach than most pokes.

	Base Damage	20+ (10, 10)
	Startup Frame	47F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Ranged High
	EX Force	15
	Effects	-
	Cancels	Dodge, Follow-up (Away)
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Long] Throw axe straight ahead at high speed.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Reel Axe is a high priority projectile that pulls opponents to Firion. It has the longest lateral range out of Firion's ground braveries, so it can be used to call out a whiff from long-range once in a while. As a Ranged High attack, it also breaks through regular blocks, which then leads to Firion's other follow-ups.

While the projectile travels quickly, it takes a long time to come out. Once Firion has thrown the axe, it travels in a straight line with no tracking. Any character with decent run speed can evade this attack by moving sideways, and Firion is also vulnerable to assist punishes. All this means Reel Axe is rather risky to use, especially when its average damage output remains on par with Rope Knife and Lance Combo. If it guard breaks, the critical hits can deal more damage. However, this is not how Firion normally increases his damage output with his competitive builds.

Follow-ups

Rope Knife, Lance Combo and Reel Axe can be followed up with one of the three follow-ups. Because the bravery starters have identical base damage, the total base damage will be shown in parenthesis.

• Circle (Neutral) for Punch
• Up+Circle ↑+ (Towards) for Slash & Arrow
• Down+Circle ↓+ (Away) for Lance

	Base Damage	+25 (45 Total)
	Startup Frame	?
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)
-	Unlocked at level -	Mastered at - AP

Neutral follow-up (Punch) is Firion's highest damaging ender for bravery damage. It's a very fast attack with good knockback, and it works well with physical damage builds if Firion can wall rush with it. Since Firion often goes for Double Trouble, the punch can make Firion safer against early Assist Changes. Since the punch is done quickly, an opponent looking to escape from Double Trouble often ends up taking bravery damage from the punch instead.

Punch sees less use compared to Double Trouble and Lance follow-ups due to its reliance on regular wall rush and weaker combo routes. Its base damage is quite good, and well worth using with bravery damage builds. But Firion benefits more from HP links and assist combos on average.

	Base Damage	+10 (5, 5) (30 Total)
	Startup Frame	?
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low (slash) Ranged Low (arrow)
	EX Force	75
	Effects	Chase
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Towards follow-up (Slash & Arrow) is a two-stage attack that leads to Chase. It has the highest EX gain out of Firion's braveries, with strong knockback. Firion can combo into an assist after the initial sword swing, but it's not a high damage starter for him.

Firion's damage lies in wall rushes with assist, and his other attacks don't generate much EX on average. That puts Slash & Arrow in a niche position. It may generate the most EX at once, but it also generates most of it with the long-range arrow shot. Getting all of the EX requires dodging towards opponent and remaining airborne for a moment. This is not ideal for Firion, as his air combat is notably weaker compared to his ground combat.

As a result, Slash & Arrow is only really prioritized with EX builds and not much else.

	Base Damage	+8 (1 x 5, 3) (28 Total)
	Startup Frame	11F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Mid
	EX Force	15
	Effects	Wall Rush, Absorb
	Cancels	Dodge
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Away follow-up (Lance) is a combo attack that wall rushes on the ground. Its base damage may be low, but it has utility thanks to the consistent wall rushes and its melee mid priority. The wall rush opens up assist combos, which is good, though it's a low damage starter. Firion can do this move even if his ground combo braveries (Rope Knife etc.) miss, so Lance follow-up can protect him in case the opponent gets greedy.

Firion swings the weapon around him, which has good coverage around his body, so Lance doesn't have an explicit "blind spot". Lance also pulls nearby opponents in, so they cannot just wait for Firion to finish the attack before punishing it. It does have decent recovery before it can be dodge cancelled though, so Firion should not always use this by default.

Aerial

Similar to ground moves like Lance Combo, Firion's Magic Arts have built-in follow-ups. Two follow-ups can be done, and the corresponding Magic Arts braveries do not have to be equipped to do them.

• Circle for Magic Arts: Frost
• Up+Circle ↑+ for Magic Arts: Flame
• Down+Circle ↓+ for Magic Arts: Bolt

	Base Damage	each 10
	Startup Frame	25F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	--
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
Magic combo starting with Fire. Can swap spell from second shot.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Magic Arts: Flame is a slow, homing projectile. It has low damage, but it has enough hit stun to be used in combos if Firion is ever ready for it.

Flame is not used to control space conventionally. Its low priority loses to just about anything, but this is a blessing in disguise; If Flame is reflected, Firion can block it with Shield Bash and activate the barrage of long-range projectiles that have very strong tracking. Flame's slow travel speed makes this fairly easy to notice by most intermediate and advanced players. However, Firion can cast at least one Flame rather safely without getting assist punished for it. So if Firion has time to cast this at all, he can at least attempt to pressure opponents over time this way.

	Base Damage	each 12
	Startup Frame	25F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	Chase
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
Magic combo starting w/Blizzard. Can swap spell from second shot.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Magic Arts: Frost is a single projectile that moves towards opponent in a straight line. It does low damage and generates no EX, but it also travels pretty fast once it comes out; Frost hits staggered opponents reliably after a block.

Frost can also lead to an elaborate chase setup if two of them are cast during an assist.

	Base Damage	each 15 (4, 4, 7)
	Startup Frame	53F
	Damage Type	Magical
	Priority	Ranged Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
Magic combo starting w/Thunder. Can swap spell from second shot.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Magic Arts: Bolt spawns a projectile at the opponent's location and wall rushes them on the ground. Firion can use this to harass opponents from a distance thanks to its active duration, decent hitbox and the repeated casts. Even though it's low priority, Bolt encourages opponents to move as getting hit by this can lead to an assist combo or more Bolt pressure.

Bolt takes almost a second to come out and it won't track the opponent once it's been casted. Therefore it is not recommended to be used as a general zoning tool when opponents are rapidly approaching Firion.

	Base Damage	20
	Startup Frame	9F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee Low
	EX Force	0
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels	Dodge, Block, Attack
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
[Close] Slash in midair. Short reach, but quick strike.	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Firion's midair Swordslash shares a few key traits with the grounded version. It's very fast, does 20 base damage and can be cancelled into attacks.

Grounded Swordslash functions as a poke that can push opponents away. Aerial Swordslash works similarly, but it can wall rush on the ground instead. This is good for assist combos, and it's practically higher reward for Firion compared to the grounded Swordslash. However, it's important to remember that Firion is not a very strong aerial fighter; His other air attacks are slow and he falls slowly after an air dodge. The range on aerial Swordslash is quite short, so it can easily miss even if Firion blocks a melee attack successfully. It can be cancelled quickly to build assist gauge, but this is not a preferred situation for Firion specifically.

Aerial Swordslash is also used as a combo filler during ground Kuja assist combos, usually after Double Trouble.

If Firion does not cancel midair Swordslash, he will fall down until the animation finishes.

HP Attacks

Ground

	Base Damage	Close: 4 x 4 (16) / Far: 3, 7 (10)
	Startup Frame	Block frame 1F~26F, end 49F
	Damage Type	Physical (close) / Magical (far)
	Priority	Block Mid, Melee High (close) / Ranged High (far)
	EX Force	96 (close) / 60 (far)
	Effects	Block
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

[Block] Create shield of light. HP attack on successful block.

The far version's last projectile can hit multiple times, generating 60 EX and depleting meter as many times as it registers as a hit.

	Base Damage	-
	Startup Frame	61F
	Damage Type	-
	Priority	Ranged High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

[Long] Fire arrow of light. Charge to adjust timiing.

	Base Damage	4 x 5 (20)
	Startup Frame	33F (above Firion), 49F (1st), 99F (2nd)
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

[Mid] Use all weapons. Extremely accurate.

	Base Damage	2, 1 x 6, 2 (+ 10 = 30)
	Startup Frame	??
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Branching from Lance Combo. [Combo] Multi-weapon attack.

HP link.

	Base Damage	2, 1 x 6, 2 (+ 10 = 30)
	Startup Frame	?
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Branching from Rope Knife. [Combo] Multi-weapon attack.

Identical with Double Trouble A.

	Base Damage	2, 1 x 6, 2 (+ 10 = 30)
	Startup Frame	??
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

Branching from Reel Axe. [Combo] Multi-weapon attack.

Identical with Double Trouble A.

Aerial

	Base Damage	-
	Startup Frame	61F
	Damage Type	-
	Priority	Ranged High
	EX Force	30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

[Long] Fire arrow of light. Charge to adjust timing.

	Base Damage	2 x 11 (22)
	Startup Frame	53F
	Damage Type	Physical
	Priority	Melee High
	EX Force	~30
	Effects	Wall Rush
	Cancels
	Assist Gain (Hit)
	CP (Mastered)	30 (15)
	Unlocked at level	Mastered at AP

[Mid] Use all weapons. Steals bravery, then HP attack.

EX Mode: Blood Weapon equipped!

Effects:

• Regen
• Critical Boost
• Blood Weapon

Blood Weapon

[Activates when HP attack hits] Absorbs HP equivalent to damage dealt.

Whenever Firion lands an HP attack during EX Mode, it will heal as much health as damage was inflicted. That makes it a very powerful asset for coming back from a huge health deficit, and it applies to EX Burst as well. A very straightforward effect with less potency if Firion has more health left.

EX Burst: Fervid Blazer

A chain of attacks releasing the power of his weapons. Damage dealt adds to his own HP. Enter the commands that display before the attack.

Damage multiplier (initial)	Damage multiplier (rest)	Type
3 x 3 (9)	4 x 3, 5 x 2, 13, 6 x 2, 12, 4 x 8 (100 total)	Physical

Builds

Stats
HP	9576
CP	450
BRV	1394
ATK	178
DEF	184
LUK	61
Max Booster	x2.9

Special Effect: Judgment of Lufenia

Equipment
Assist	Kuja
Weapon	Lufenian Gun
Hand	Chainsaw (CP Glitch)
Head	Lufenian Cap
Body	Lufenian Armor (CP Glitch)
Accessory 1	Sniper Eye
Accessory 2	Bravery Orb
Accessory 3	Dismay Shock
Accessory 4	Battle Hammer
Accessory 5	BRV = 0
Accessory 6	Empty EX Gauge
Accessory 7	Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 8	Blue Gem
Accessory 9	Miracle Shoes
Accessory 10	Side by Side
Summon	Rubicante

{{{dataBRV}}} {{{dataHP}}}

Bravery attacks
Ground	Aerial
HP attacks
Ground	Aerial

indicates a "Gear" extra ability or the use of CP / Equipment glitch. The total CP cost will assume the glitch is done.

Equip Machinery extra ability for the listed base bravery.

This build focuses on assist meter drain and adding damage via HP wall rushes.

Stats
HP
CP
BRV
ATK
DEF
LUK
Max Booster

Special Effect:

Equipment
Assist
Weapon
Hand
Head
Body
Accessory 1
Accessory 2
Accessory 3
Accessory 4
Accessory 5
Accessory 6
Accessory 7
Accessory 8
Accessory 9
Accessory 10
Summon

{{{dataBRV}}} {{{dataHP}}}

Bravery attacks
Ground	Aerial
HP attacks
Ground	Aerial

indicates a "Gear" extra ability or the use of CP / Equipment glitch. The total CP cost will assume the glitch is done.

Assist

Firion's assist data.

Type	Attack	Startup	Position	Spawn	Damage multiplier	Effects
BRV	Rope Knife	23F	Ground	Opponent	2 x 10, 25 (45)	Wall Rush
BRV	Magic Arts: Flame	25F	Air	Opponent	10 each (up to 30)	-
HP	Straightarrow	61F	Ground	Opponent	-	Wall Rush
HP	Weaponmaster	52F	Air	Opponent	2 x 11 (22)	Wall Rush

Firion works with a limited number of assists, but can also use The Emperor. Kuja

Wiki Roadmap (012 Firion)

Please edit this page's roadmap template when relevant additions and changes are made.

25,58 % done

   

Page	Completed	In progress	To-do	Score
General			Update combo and build sections as seen in Cloud's main page once combos and builds are posted.	22 / 86
Pros / Cons	Done			? / ?
Overview / Character Data	Done.		Shorten overview to be more digestible. Distribute info to other parts of Firion pages if necessary.	2 / 2
Bravery Attacks	Ability info, images and overviews.			5 / 5
HP Attacks	Ability info, images and overviews.			5 / 5
EX Mode	Basic info, images and overviews.			3 / 3
Combos	Kuja assist combos added, has video examples. Firion general page has solo and few assist combos listed.	Add write-ups on Kuja assist combos (e.g. enders).	Add solo combos to combo page, with video examples. Add EX Revenge combos with video examples. Add Aerith assist combos with video examples.	5 / 7
Builds	1 build.		Add more builds that are in line with Cloud's build page.	1 / 10
Assist	Assist data added.		Add common viable assists with an overview.	1 / 3
Matchups			Create the page. Matchup analysis and tips against each character.	0 / 32
Frame Data			Create the page. Frame data research based on 30 FPS (the game's actual frame rate).	0 / 1
Starter Guide			Create the page. A concise PvP guide with core concepts and bare essentials.	0 / 8
Strategy			Create the page. More in-depth tips, tricks and counterplay (ground and air)	0 / 10