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Overview

Jecht is at his strongest when he is close to his opponent. Fighting just outside of that range can prove beneficial, but keep an eye on where and when you want to engage. Many of the outlined strategies are functionally similiar regardless of position, differences will be listed separately.

Strategy

Offense

• Poke with Jecht Rush or Jecht Stream and combo on hit
• Cancel a whiffed Jecht Rush into block to stop opponents late on their counterattack
• Use Ground Dash / Free Air Dash to approach, provoke a reaction or hit the opponent after they dodged
• Charge Jecht Rush / Stream to break opponent's block or hit them after they dodge
• Charge Jecht Rush / Stream and release in anticipation of an opponent's (whiffed) attack
• Spot dash briefly to re-align your dash and reach a dodging opponent for a quick BRV attack
• When finishing a solo combo with an HP, you can charge Jecht Blade / Triumphant Grasp and try to catch the opponent using LV2 Assist Change.
• Do not charge attacks recklessly

Defense

• Use Jecht Block to stagger quick pokes, mid priority moves and reflect high priority projectiles
• Use Jecht Block right after a dodge to protect yourself against dodge punish attempts
• Against Melee High (HP) attacks, call the assist right before contact and Jecht Block to stagger and punish the opponent
• Occupy space with Jecht Beam to catch stray whiffs from a distance
• To build assist meter, whiff Jecht Rush / Stream and spot dash
• Delay assist meter decay by using Jecht Block

Strategy (Ground)

• Anti-air an opponent directly above Jecht by using Ultimate Jecht Shot
• If using Jecht Blade (ground), it can be used as a glorified charged Jecht Rush with longer attack duration
• Use fully charged Jecht Rush (LV3) to clash with an airborne BRV attack and convert into an air combo on contact

Strategy (Aerial)

• Charge Jecht Stream (max, LV3) to hit an opponent who air dodged above you
• Briefly charge Jecht Stream (LV2) to scoop a descending opponent or disorient opponents looking for a fully charged Stream
• Use Triumphant Grasp to go through grounded attacks, punish landing lag or ground dodges
• Whiff Jecht Stream for assist meter, but understand that it's more dangerous than Jecht Rush
• Reverse Air Dash off of Quickmoves to quickly create distance for building assist meter
• Against fast fallers (Kain, Prishe, Kefka, Tidus etc.), your dodge punishes are not guaranteed by just air dashing and using Jecht Stream as is. You may have to use LV2 Jecht Stream or call assist during LV3 Jecht Stream for extra reach, or you have to interact successfully when they choose to engage. That being said, don't be afraid to overextend with Free Air Dash - It's free assist meter. The opponent has to commit to an action to discourage you from doing it, which puts you in a better position to hit them directly.

Meter Usage

• Just like how the opponent can exploit LV2 Assist Change for a counterattack, Jecht can also do the same by staggering with his own LV2 Change. If done correctly, LV1 Jecht Stream is guaranteed and the return on meter investment can be very worthwhile.

Counterstrategies

Offense

• Some projectiles that spawn on Jecht or attack behind him can hinder his gameplay. They can stop him from closing distance quickly (Zidane's Shift Break), force him to act (Sephiroth's Shadow Flare) or cut off an approach early (Ultimecia's charged Knight's Arrow). Lightning's Thundaga can similiarly intercept combo attempts.
• Use Free Air Dash / Ground Dash to encourage Jecht to act after a dodge. Jecht Block can stagger your dash, but it cannot hurt jumps or delayed attacks.
• Attacks that can be cancelled into a neutral state such as Lightning's Thunder or Garland's Deathblow can prove difficult for Jecht to play around. If your decision making and timing are well executed, you can force Jecht to take bigger risks.
• Stand inside The Emperor's Thunder Crest or Dreary Cell and enjoy yourself. If you have no preceding traps to cover you, be wary of dodge punishes on the ground and Tidus assist in the air when using Dreary Cell.

Defense

• Jump or dodge forward on the ground to make Jecht Rush whiff. That move cannot make Jecht airborne and has limited anti air capability.
• Move directly away to make Jecht Rush or Jecht Stream whiff. Take advantage of cancels after a whiffed Rush (block, dodge, another Rush) or the long animation of Jecht Stream to punish him. Range is limited without charging.
• A whiffed Jecht Stream can also be punished with an assist. If it is charged, this becomes even more practical on reaction. Just be wary of Auto Assist Lock On.
• Dodge directly away from Jecht to make his charged Jecht Stream whiff. Travelling a shorter distance with an air dodge makes counterattacking easier, but increases your risk of getting hit.
• On that note, dodging above Jecht beats Free Air Dash but loses to charged Stream. Dodging away beats charged Stream but can lose to Free Air Dash.
• Using Adamant Chains' set bonus helps with making air dodges safer.
• Other characters who have frame 1 "command blocks" (e.g. Shield of Light) can utilise them to halt Jecht's dash. Be wary of charged attacks, however.
• If Jecht charges Triumphant Grasp, move away from him a little and ascend to his level to make the attack whiff entirely.

Jecht Block

• Jecht Block does not guard behind his back, so attacks that hit from above and / or behind such as Squall's Beat Fang and Zidane's Vortex can work against it.
• Against Jecht Block, you can use an HP attack to stagger Jecht for using it. Call the assist before the stagger happens for a combo opportunity.

Meter Usage

• Using your assist right before Jecht hits you can force him to compromise the combo or take damage. If you are confident in the opponent's timing, this is one of your trump cards. Aerith assist won't work very well this way, though.
• Use LV1 Assist Change right as Jecht is about to combo into an HP to makes him susceptible to a counterattack.

Free Air Dash works against Jecht Beam, Jecht Blade and to a lesser extent, Triumphant Grasp. If you have a fast attack with good downward tracking and reach e.g. Zidane's Vortex, you can use that instead of dashing.

• Use LV2 Assist Change during Jecht's combo chains to stagger him for a counterattack. The later a LV2 Change staggers, the more time you have for a counter. Try using it in between combo chains, Jecht has no choice but to follow through if he wants damage.
• LV2 Assist Change will not reflect Jecht Beam or Ultimate Jecht Shot. Instead, try avoiding contact with these moves altogether if you're looking for a retaliation during a combo.

Match-Ups

Warrior of Light

Test

The Emperor

The Emperor is Jecht's worst match-up. Lack of range and utility for playing around unblockable Thunder Crest BRV and Dreary Cell HP make it very challenging for Jecht to approach safely. Jecht Beam, whiff punishing with assist, actively reducing traps and dashing to punish dodges become essential. Not recommended for players still learning the ropes.