Dodge (Dissidia 012)
Dodge is a gameplay mechanic in Dissidia 012.
Overview
Dodge is one of the game's defensive options that is used to evade against incoming attacks. After equipping the two basic abilities, players can perform a swift evasive maneuver by pressing R + X that has 20 frames of invincibility (at 60 FPS).
Ground dodge has a few different versions depending on the directional input, while air dodge functions identically regardless of input. However, air dodge can move the character in a variety of different directions.
Dodging is a crucial defensive technique in competitive play, as it allows characters to make attacks safer to use, create openings against the opponent's attacks, generate assist meter more quickly and otherwise survive dire situations. Many attacks can be cancelled into a dodge earlier than other actions (known as "dodge cancel"), making it one of the most accessible defensive mechanics in the game. And because of the invincibility provided by other abilities, it is also one of the most powerful defensive mechanics overall.
Being able to facilitate favorable situations both with dodges and against them can greatly influence a character's ability to compete. Fall speed after a dodge directly impacts air dodges' safety, while the safety of acting out of a dodge is impacted by characters' individual repertoire.
Concepts such as dodge punishment and variable dodge timing become important at higher levels of play and the defensive blodge technique combines both dodging and blocking for even stronger defensive play.
| Ability | CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Evasion | 10 (5) | 50 | On the ground, push R + X to dodge opponent's attack. |
| Midair Evasion | 10 (5) | 50 | In the air, push R + X to dodge opponent's attack. |
About Dodge Direction
When inputting a dodge, a directional input will dictate it's direction. Dissidia 012 defines directional inputs with "towards the opponent" and "away from the opponent", which applies to both attacks and dodges. That means the direction is influenced by the opponent's position and the camera.
For example, when holding up while dodging at the start of a match, the player will dodge towards the opponent and perform a forward ground dodge. Holding left or right will perform a side dodge. Holding back or having no directional input at all results in a backwards dodge.
If the camera is tilted to give a diagonal view, the up direction is more likely to result in a diagonal or a side ground dodge instead. This is because the camera is facing in a different direction, and not directly at the opponent.
Aerial dodge's direction works similiarly, though it only has one dodge state with it's own set of rules. These will be covered in the air dodge section.
Ground Dodge (Neutral / Backward)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 29F | 56F |
A dodge that performs a backstep maneuver. Press R + X without directional input (hence the "neutral" dodge).
Because the neutral dodge has the earliest attack cancel window, it is often used to whiff attacks in quick succession for assist meter. Assist combos also benefit from this (e.g. Squall's repeated Thunder Barret) and of course, attacks with frame 1 block can defend while the invincibility from Evasion Boost is still in effect. This is the only ground dodge that allows it without Precision Evasion.
Ground Dodge (Side)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 43F | 56F |
A sideways dodge that moves the character in a straight line. Press R + X while holding left, right or diagonal direction in relation to the opponent to move in that direction.
This ground dodge has the latest attack cancel window, possessing the largest gap of vulnerability between invincibility and the earliest possible action.
The game's battle tutorial teaches about ground dodges being possible with cardinal directions. However, diagonal directions work too and will move the character in that direction. The sideways dodge state is used in those instances can be used to position more accurately when defending against attacks. For example, Squall's Blasting Zone can be easier to whiff punish after a diagonal ground dodge.
Ground Dodge (Forward)
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Dodge / block cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 41F | 57F | 78F |
A dodge that jumps over the opponent, effective at avoiding grounded attacks with little to no vertical reach. Press R + X while holding direction towards the opponent.
The total distance travelled is relatively short and once the vertical peak has been reached, the momentum will drastically slow down. That makes this one of the easier dodges to punish as it is less demanding in range, positioning and movement overall.
Punishing this dodge in ground-to-ground interactions requires committing to an anti-air attack or jumping, but the latter option also has significantly less risk.
Air Dodge
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Dodge / block cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 29F | None | 56F |
A game-defining defensive option. Air dodge is an evasive maneuver that can stay in place or move the character in a direction.
Multiple directional inputs can be used to create an arc of movement for a dodge, resulting in a lot of flexibility for a character's positioning.
Just like with ground dodges, directional inputs in relation to the opponent (and camera) influence where an air dodge will move the character.
The level 100 Adamant Chains equipment set bonus stacks with the basic ability Midair Evasion Boost, and will increase the distance travelled with an air dodge even further.
Neutral (no direction)
This results in the character staying in place, while ascending a little bit. This can be used to gradually gain height or whiff punish advancing close range attacks used from a distance.
Up / diagonal up (towards opponent)
This moves the character in that direction while ascending greatly. This is the air dodge that gains the most height.
Left / right
These move the character sideways, with a little height boost.
Down / diagonal down (away from opponent)
This moves the character in that direction without gaining any height. When the dodge is ending, the character will begin to fall according to their fall speed. This is listed as fall speed ratio after a dodge and it is specific to every character. Characters with faster fall speed ratio will descend earlier than others, such as Kefka, Tidus and Prishe.
Dodges that move directly away from the opponent are very commonly used to create space or avoid most close range attacks, including ones with good reach or homing. Because of this, being able to reliably punish this dodge is a great asset in competitive play. This is where the effects of the Adamant Chains set bonus can be felt the most, as characters become even more reliant on Free Air Dash, walls or even assist for counterplay.
Movement patterns
As mentioned earlier, the character is not committed to a single direction during air dodge. Multiple directions can be employed to fine-tune positioning and acquired height. These may be known as zig zag dodges or dodge arcs.
- Left / Right > Right / Left / Up: Results in the least amount of vertical change of all angles.
- Back > Forward: Stays relatively in place, but lose a little bit of height.
| Invincibility | Attack cancelable |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1~20F | 29F | 56F |
Camera Reset
By pressing the Select button, the game's camera can be reset to it's default angle. This can be used to remove ambiguity when attempting to dodge in a specific direction.
Ground / Midair Evasion Boost
| Ability | CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Evasion Boost | 20 (10) | 100 | Increase movement distance for ground evasion. Must enable Ground Evasion. |
| Midair Evasion Boost | 20 (10) | 100 | Increase movement distance for midair evasion. Must enable Midair Evasion. |
Increases dodge distance by 2m. Both ground and midair boosts are staple picks as the increased movement helps evading attacks more consistently regardless of remaining invincibility.
However, equipping ground evasion boost is not as important in air oriented match-ups where dodging on the ground may not happen often.
Evasion Boost
| CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 20 (10) | 100 | Increase duration of invincibility after evasion. |
Evasion Boost doubles the invincibility time of all dodges from 20 frames to 40 frames.
The generous invincibility provided by this ability has had rippling effects in competitive play. Dodges have a much smaller window for any guaranteed punishment, bolstering defense for many characters while also restricting options for the attacker.
For one, this enables gapless defense for characters with defensive attacks such as Exdeath, Sephiroth and Jecht when cancelled out of a neutral ground dodge or any air dodge. And HP attacks that can punish air dodges such as Laguna's Ragnarok Blade now struggle to connect at all and presents a bigger risk to the user.
Because of Evasion Boost, dodge punishment is more difficult and risky across the board, but defending against attacks with strong tracking or projectiles also becomes a lot more reliable.
That is not to say dodging is entirely safe, far from it. However, much of Dissidia 012's established defensive gameplay can be attributed to the nature of dodge and the invincibility granted by this ability. Unfortunately, enforcing a ban on Evasion Boost can negatively impact tournament logistics - This is not an ability that that can be viewed in equipment briefing prior to a fight and the in-game battle information does not notify either player about it. As such, monitoring the use of this ability can be time consuming.
Evasion Boost remains a part of Dissidia 012's competitive play, but recent years have also had players engage in fights with mutual agreement of not using it.
Precision Evasion
| CP (Mastered) | AP | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 90 (45) | 200 | Evasions are more effective when well-timed. |
If an attack is dodged within the first 4 frames of the dodge, this extra ability extends invincibility to the end of a dodge.
This means any character can act out of a dodge without a gap of vulnerability dodges usually have. Another dodge can be performed and it will be invincible, though it cannot trigger another Precision Evasion this way. Regular blocks are technically possible as well, but a more common application of guarding is seen with characters who possess an attack with frame 1 block properties. Warrior of Light's Shield of Light, Cloud of Darkness's [Wrath] Particle Beam and Jecht's Jecht Block all take advantage of this well.
Dodge punishment
Dodge punishment is when a character gets hit by an attack after dodging, but before they can defend against it. This is a vital aspect in competitive play at intermediate and higher levels, where a character's fall speed ratio after dodge, dodge timings and attacks with defensive properties define a risk / reward relationship for the player.
With the added invincibility from the Evasion Boost basic ability and the early attack cancel window during a dodge, many characters can act out of a dodge during invulnerability. Because dodges create distance quickly and dodge punishment relies on the attacker to be in range to hit the defender, this all puts the onus on the approaching player to attack with precise timing.
Offense - How to do it
The first step is ensuring your character can reach the opponent with movement or an attack. This is commonly achieved with the use of Free Air Dash's tracking capability. It is often combined with dash feints in order to adjust to the opponent's dodge timing. Some attacks such as Kuja's Snatching Blow, Firion's Straightarrow and -infamously- Squall's Blasting Zone can reach with their range and tracking alone if they are positioned close enough.
If the opponent is near a wall or a corner, they have less room to move in, reducing their overall distance created with a dodge.
With Free Air Dash and Ground Dash (ground-to-ground), the character must be done with the initial start-up and moving by the time a dodge happens. Once the player has visually confirmed that an opponent dodged, it should be followed up with a fast attack at the end of the dodge movement. Bravery attacks commonly fill this role, such as Squall's Beat Fang or Zidane's Swift Attack.
The key is to pay attention to when the opponent can dodge and when they are willing to do it. For example, if Cloud always dodges after whiffing Double Cut, that is an opportunity to dash in and create a situation where Cloud makes himself vulnerable. Start dashing after Double Cut has whiffed, react to Cloud dodging and hit him when he is no longer moving. These kinds of situations can be seen throughout matches, but the viability of a dodge punishment can vary greatly depending on stage, position and match-up.
Defense - How to do it
There are few ways to defend against dodge punish attempts.
The first is covering a dodge. After dodging, a character cannot block or dodge again until the dodge state has ended completely. This creates a gap of vulnerability where characters can be hit, essentially punishing the use of dodge. However, characters can act out of a dodge much earlier, which is where attacks with defensive properties come in. Attacks that can guard instantly such as Warrior of Light's Shield of Light, Sephiroth's Scintilla and Vaan's Sword and Shield (Switch) can stagger dashing opponents and melee low priority attacks. These are great for calling out the opponent on a punish attempt, but they also carry risk if they are defended against early.
Similiarly, attacks that have evasive properties such as Tidus' Cut & Run, Vaan's Rifle and Tifa's feint mechanic can protect the defender against an incoming dodge punish attempt. These attacks are sometimes referred to as "double dodges" and they rely on invincibility to evade an attack, making it safer for the attacker to continue dashing. Of course, this kind of attack can still be punished if the opponent anticipates it, so it is important to be mindful when using these.
Second method is dodge direction. This is more prevalent in aerial interactions than grounded ones, but it is important to note regardless. Basically the idea is to dodge in a direction where the opponent cannot reach. For example, dodging forward on the ground against Cloud's Cross Slash evades both subsequent sword slashes.
Air dodges work similiarly, though with more variation due to adjustable dodge arcs. If Cloud is looking to punish with Braver, dodging directly away from him creates most distance. But if he is looking to approach with a Free Air Dash first and then hit with Double Cut, dodging backwards can backfire quickly due to dash speed and tracking. However, dodging past him with a forward air dodge can disorient the Free Air Dash tracking and keep Cloud dashing in the same direction instead. This is not limited to Cloud, it can be applied against any character in the game who uses Free Air Dash. Do note that the opponent can still cancel a dash to start a new one with dash feint and realign the tracking of their movement - Outwitting the opponent in these situations is part of the decision making process.
And lastly, if all else fails, an assist can be used to interrupt an incoming attack. If the timing is right, the opponent's attack will connect but they get hit by the assist from the side / behind. If the opponent has Auto Assist Lock On equipped, the defender's assist timing influences whether or not the opponent will align towards the assist instead. If done early, the assist will be targeted, so interrupting an attack with this support ability can become more difficult.
Defense - Fall Speed Ratio
This refers to the Fall speed ratio after dodge that every character in the game has. To put it simply, this defines the speed at which a character begins to descend after an air dodge. The sooner a character starts falling, the better. This is not the same as a character's native fall speed, but it influences a character's risk associated with any given air dodge.
In the context of dodge punishment, this automatic movement has one clear benefit for the defender. Backwards air dodges become significantly more difficult to punish due to the added mobility. Any situation where a character was previously able to hit a stationary opponent is turned on it's head. Now a dodge punish attempt requires resources, further risk or at worst becomes futile. Squall is known to suffer from this when fighting against Onion Knight, with Beat Fang's tracking and hitbox simply not being enough to keep up with Onion Knight's fall speed ratio. Kain, Prishe, Kefka and Tidus are also excellent at exploiting this fact overall, not just in this match-up.
An example of using resources can be found in the Jecht vs. Tidus match-up - If Jecht attempts to dodge punish Tidus' back air dodge with a charged LV3 Jecht Stream, this will whiff even if Free Air Dash is used prior. However, by calling an assist the charged Jecht Stream gets a slight increase in range during the assist slowdown, creating another interaction between both characters.