JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R/Glossary
Mechanical Terms
These are terms named by the game.
Dash Jump
Forward jumping while dashing forward will execute a jump that is lower than normal. Great for forward movement and during juggle combos.
Guard Break
Spelled in-game as Guardbreak. If your Guard Gauge runs out while you're blocking an opponent's attack, you suffer a Guard Break. While in Guard Break, you're left totally defenseless for a period of time and will be unable to take any actions except for calling Reversal Assists.
Stylish Evade
Blocking an attack just before it connects activates Stylish Evade (also known as Stylish Dodge), which activates a superflash and makes the blocking character automatically sidestep while locking the opponent in their attack.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Stylish Guard
A system mechanic where the character enters a parry state, and will Stylish Evade the next attack upon being hit while in this state. Stylish Guard covers attacks of all types, even most Unblockable attacks, but it does not evade Throws of any kind.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Down Evade
After getting knocked down by an attack, pressing 
Dodge will make the character quickly rise back up. This technique cannot be used if the character is affected by an attack that causes a Hard Knockdown, such as Throws.
Dodge
Alternatively known as Rotate. Characters are able to Dodge by pressing the Dodge () button. A character who dodges will move in the direction of the background with respect to their opponent, shifting the horizontal plane of gameplay and allowing them to easily avoid most linear attacks. Alternatively, pressing 
+ makes the character Dodge in the direction of the foreground.
Taunt
Accessed by pressing the Taunt button (
), Taunts cause the character to pose while verbally taunting their opponent. They mostly behave like standard fighting game taunts, simply meant as a mocking gesture.
Cinematic Taunt
Once per match, after inflicting a Hard Knockdown, pressing the Taunt button triggers a Cinematic Taunt, activating a superflash as the camera moves close to the taunting character while also removing 1 bar of HH Gauge from the opponent.
Cinematic Taunts can also be used for a Taunt Combo.
Cancel
Interrupting an attack before the animation ends and moving directly into another is called a cancel. Inputting an attack while an animation is still going can allow you to skip the recovery just after an attack and keep up the pressure without letting the opponent respond. Each move has its own window during which a cancel can be performed.
Chain Beat
A sequence of attack cancels done by using the 
normal attacks in order. The next stronger attack will only come out if the previous one hit or was guarded.
Some characters also have access to an aerial version, called an Aerial Chain Beat.
Heart Heat Gauge
Commonly referred to as HH Gauge, meter or bar, the Heart Heat Gauge is a special gauge that allows characters to perform strong techniques and other special abilities. It is filled by dealing and receiving damage as well as through other actions; once a bar is filled, a Stock is stored and the gauge empties again.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Heart Heat Attack (HHA)
Heart Heat Attacks are powerful attacks and abilities that consume 1 bar of HH Gauge to use; they are executed by performing a 
motion alongside any 2 Attack buttons. Most reward the player with a special animation while dealing significant damage.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Great Heat Attack (GHA)
Great Heat Attacks are particularly powerful attacks and abilities, being typically the highest damaging move in a character's arsenal; they are executed by performing a motion alongside all 3 Attack buttons (or through the GHA button macro). Unlike Heart Heat Attacks, however, Great Heat Attacks can only either be executed by themselves or chained from Normal Attacks (with some exceptions).
- For more information, see the System Page.
Flash Cancel (FC)
Referred to in Japanese (and more commonly known) as Puttsun Cancel (PC). Flash Cancels are activated by pressing all 3 Attack buttons during an attack (or through the Flash Cancel button macro). When activated, at the cost of 1 bar of HH Gauge, it puts the character immediately back into a neutral state following a superflash.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Quick Stand On (QSOn)
Only available to Stand Style characters who can summon their Stand and activated by pressing 
during Normal Attacks while in Stand Off, the character will flash white and quickly summon their Stand while resetting back to neutral.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Stand Rush (SR)
Only usable by Stand Style characters who can summon their Stand, and activated by pressing during certain Special Moves while in Stand On, the ability causes the character and their Stand to 'de-sync', with the player instantly regaining control of their character as their Stand continues its attack.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Quick Mount (QM)
Exclusive to Mounted Style characters and activated by pressing during Normal Attacks while Dismounted, the character will flash white and quickly summon their Horse, immediately mounting it. When used, the character's Horse will attack the opponent as they get on top of it, knocking the opponent up into the air and allowing for juggles.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Support Attack
After selecting a character, players are prompted to choose a second, non-playable partner. Pressing the Assist button (
) while in battle will summon said partner to do a Support Attack, which can vary depending on the context they are called:
- Assault Assists (or simply Assists for short) will be used when the character is in a neutral state or attacking, and will cause the partner to execute an attack specific to them, after which they will leave. The number of times an Assault Assist can be used is determined by the Assault Assist Stocks (
). - Reversal Assists (commonly referred to as Breakers or Bursts) are only available when the character is blocking attacks or getting hit, and will have the partner jumping into the field while performing a non-damaging attack, after which they will leave. The number of times a Reversal Assist can be used is determined by the Reversal Assist Stocks (
).
- For more information, see the System Page.
Style
A term used to describe the abilities a character can use by pressing the Style button (). Most characters are classified under 1 of 4 major Styles (Hamon, Mode, Stand, or Mounted), while a few have their own unique Styles. The Style a character is associated with can be seen on the Character Select Screen, as well as the VS screen. Each Style comes with their own unique system mechanics.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Unblockable
Unblockable Attacks are attacks that cannot be blocked at all.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Throw
A maneuver used by pressing a combination of two Attack buttons. Throws bypass the opponent's Guard, come out quickly and deal moderate damage, but can only connect within close range. Throws cannot chain into further attacks nor be chained from other attacks. Characters have access to both Forward Throws and Back Throws; the direction the opponent is thrown depends on the direction held while throwing, defaulting to forward with no additional input.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Throw Escape
Colloquially known as Throw Tech, the term describes the act of rejecting another character's Throw attempt. To do so, the victim must press two Attack buttons within a small time window, resetting back to neutral if successful.
Command Throw
A type of Special Move that is classified as a Throw attack. Alternatively known as Command Grabs, they have some advantages over the standard Throw (such as increased range and the inability to escape them) in exchange for executing in a slower manner (being easier to react to as a result).
- For more information, see the System Page.
Attack Throw
Almost always referred to as "hitgrabs/hit-throws". An attack that animates like a Throw if it hits you, but is blockable like any attack.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Chip Damage
The slight damage dealt when the opponent is guarding and blocks a special move, HHA, GHA, or any Mounted Normal Attack.
- For more information, see the System Page.
White Damage
A type of damage received under certain conditions, such as when powering through an attack via Super Armor. White Damage can be recovered passively over time, but if the character takes damage while recovering, White Damage will be permanently removed.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Counterattacks
Best known as Counters, these are moves that put you in a stance that allows you to automatically attack back if you're hit while it's in effect. Some of them only counter certain types of attacks, but Throws (other than Attack Throws) can't be countered.
Counterstrike
Commonly referred to as Counter Hit. If you hit your opponent while they're in their attack animation, your attack will deal double damage and increased hitstop.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Invincibility
Also called Invulnerability (or invul for short), this is a state where a character becomes impossible to hit, fully impervious to any kind of damage. Moves that feature invincibility often shine when used as reversals.
In certain cases, an attack with invincibility may instead protect the user against a specific property (for example, strike invulnerability defends the wielder from attacks considered to be physical, with projectile invulnerability doing the same against projectiles) or simply prevent damage on certain portions of the body (like upper-body invulnerability and lower-body invulnerability protecting the user's upper and lower body, respectively).
Guard Point
Commonly referred to as Auto Guard. Moves with this property allow you to attack while blocking your opponent's strikes. You can take any attack except for Throws.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Clash
If you and your opponent's attack hit each other at the same time, you'll both deal damage to each other. However, if two attacks of equal priority hit at the same time, they will clash, dealing no damage.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Rumble Mode
A state accessed by most of the cast after falling below 30% HP, denoted by a red glow. While active, characters deal increased damage with their attacks, their meter gain is increased and they receive less Guard Damage.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Resolve Mode
A state accessed by certain characters (
Giorno, 
Bucciarati, 
Mista, 
Fugo, 
Abbacchio, 
Prosciutto, 
Ghiaccio, and 
Ermes) after falling below 20% HP. While Resolve Mode is active, the character has increased meter gain while getting hit. Their attacks will also deal increased damage, in addition to gaining Super Armor during their active frames.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Baoh Armed Phenomenon
A term that describes two elements associated with 
Ikuro Hashizawa (Baoh):
- Baoh's unique Style, which grants him the ability to apply Super Armor to his next special move for the cost of 0.25 bars of the Heart Heat Gauge.
- A state accessed after reaching certain health thresholds. In this state, Baoh gains health regeneration, its effectiveness increasing the lower his health is.
Holy Corpse
The name used to describe the items that appear on the field whenever at least one Steel Ball Run character is in the match. These items will spawn over time for them to collect, with the character who picks them up gaining different enhancements with each part obtained. Only 3 of these items will spawn during the match.
- For more information about the enhancements obtained, see the Steel Ball Run characters' respective pages:
Metagame Terms
These are terms coined by the community to describe the game.
Blockstring
Strings (usually airtight) of attacks that get blocked.
Cross-Up
Passing over the opponent and hitting their back while they are facing the wrong way. This can be used to mix up the opponent. Can sometimes be considered a "Left/Right".
Frame Trap
When chaining moves together, there are times where the will be a gap between the blockstun of one move ending, and the next move being blocked. This window can be small enough where an opponent attempting to press a button will be hit before their move starts up. This is called a frame trap, whereas gapless sequences are called True Blockstrings. Deliberately delaying your cancels to create these windows is called Staggering, or Stagger Pressure.
Meaty
Using an attack as an opponent is standing up after being knocked down, forcing them to block. When timed correctly, the opponent is forced to block the later active frames of the move, making it more advantageous on block. Characters can often use invincible reversals, Stylish Evade or Stylish Guard to beat the technique.
Mixup
A technique used to make an opponent guess between two or more different actions that require different reactions, such a follow-up attack that could either be a low or an overhead attack.
Reversal
An attack that is launched on the first possible frame after your character recovers from a state where they weren't allowed to attack, such as being knocked down or trapped in blockstun.
Hitbox
A term used to describe the area of a given attack that can affect opponents while it is active.
Hurtbox
A term used to describe the areas of a given character that be affected by the opponent's attacks.
Okizeme (Oki)
Pressure and setups performed during an opponent's wakeup after a knockdown.
Option Select (OS)
A series of inputs that will perform a different action depending on what the opponent is doing. Most commonly used in this game to shut down multiple options that an opponent may try to use to get out of certain situations. Examples of this can be found on the Esoterics page.
OTG
Term used for moves that can hit opponents "On The Ground", which means hitting them while they're in Hard Knockdown.
Frame Kill
The act of whiffing an attack on purpose in order to very specifically time another attack. Best used during knockdown scenarios in order to correctly time a future attack.
Hitstun
The amount of time a character is unable to act after being hit by the opponent's attack. The affected character will return to a neutral state once hitstun ends.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Blockstun
The amount of time a character is unable to act after blocking the opponent's attack. During blockstun, characters cannot be affected by Throws, and cannot do any action aside from switching their current Guard.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Safejump
Also formatted as Safe Jump. A jump-in attack used as a meaty. The technique is called so for being safe against reversal attacks as landing will cancel your attack's recovery and let you quickly block (or just out-space any wake-up) attacks such as invulnerable DPs.
Tech
Used interchangeably for three terms:
- Breaking a Throw, known in-game as Throw Escape.
- "Teching", known in-game as Down Evade.
- General term for specific mechanical (and character) knowledge, used very broadly. For example, the ability for characters to cancel part of their Dodge recovery into a dash could be considered "tech".
Super Armor
Also known simply as Armor. Moves with this property allow you to attack without staggering from your opponent's strikes. You can take any attack except for Throws and Attack Throws.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Soft Knockdown (SKD)
A specific type of knockdown that offers more options for when (and often where) you can choose to stand up, compared to a hard knockdown. If you input Dodge around the time you hit the ground, you will "tech" and get back into the fight faster.
Hard Knockdown (HKD)
- Commonly abbreviated to "HKD".
A specific type of knockdown where the time you spend on the ground is set in stone and you typically do not have any extra options (like teching) to choose from when you are waking up. This is in contrast to a Soft Knockdown, where you can choose to "tech" if you like.
Reverse Beat
Available only to 
Josuke Higashikata (Part 4) in "Watch Your Mouth!" Mode. Reverse Beat allows him to chain normals in any order, contrary to a regular Chain Beat.
Tick Throw
A throw performed after getting a fast attack blocked, usually /.
Normal Attack
Also known simply as "Normal". A basic attack usually activated by a single button press. In most fighting games, you will have different normals if you are standing on the ground, holding down to crouch, or jumping (a normal used while jumping at the opponent is often called a "jump-in").
- For more information, see the System Page.
Command Normal
Referred to in-game as "Specials" (not to be confused with the Metagame Term). A normal that requires a direction alongside the button press, usually 
or 
.
Special Moves
Also known simply as "Specials", and referred to in-game as "Skills". A move that typically requires a joystick motion and a button press to execute (note the difference from a command normal).
- For more information, see the System Page.
Dragon Punch (DP)
Used interchangeably for three terms:
- A powerful rising uppercut attack that is great for anti-airs and is usually invincible, making it great for reversal attacks.
- A big catch-all term for any special move (usually involving a DP motion) that sees the character attack towards the air with their fist, usually jumping during their execution (commonly abbreviated as "DP" in these instances).
- Any move presented in movelists as a graphic resembling the letter Z, which are performed by starting from a given horizontal direction (for example, ), then moving to and finishing by pressing a diagonal direction with the same orientation as the horizontal direction (in this case, ). Depending on the direction marked, they can be referred to as Dragon Punch (
; abbreviated as DP) or Reverse Dragon Punch (
; abbreviated as RDP).
Tiger Knee (TK)
A legacy term used to denote when an aerial special move (such as j.236X) is input on the ground before a jump (with 2369X/2367X/2368X) for use as close to the ground as possible. Changes usage for some moves and may even change recovery. More examples include: 2149X/2148X/2147X, 4219X/4218X/4217X, etc.
May also be referred to as an Instant Air Special (IAS).
Install
A term used to describe a state where a character's abilities are powered up, usually under a limited duration. Some characters' HHAs and GHAs operate like installs.
Strike/Throw (S/T)
Classic mixup that commonly involves setting up a knockdown and then attacking the opponent as they wake up in such a way that it's hard to tell whether the attacker is going to hit or go for a throw.
High/Low (H/L)
Classic mixup that commonly involves setting up a knockdown and then attacking the opponent as they wake up in such a way that it's hard to tell whether the attacker is going to attack with an Overhead or a Low.
Left/Right (L/R)
Ambiguous mixup that commonly involves setting up a knockdown and then attacking the opponent as they wake up in such a way that it's extremely hard to tell whether the attacker is going to land on the left or the right. Some cross-ups are considered a Left/Right.
Absolute Guard
A game mechanic that forces your character to block all incoming attacks while you are trapped in blockstun, even if you let go of the joystick. As long as your opponent attacks you with a true blockstring, you're just stuck.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Restand
Bringing your opponent from an airborne state (or Hard Knockdown state) to a standing state, usually during a combo. Some restands will let you continue the combo, but even if they don't, restands will usually grant you some serious frame advantage so you can go for a mixup. One of the most common ways to restand is using a Taunt Combo.
Reset
A term used for intentionally leaving gaps in your combo to 'reset' it and start a new one. Players can benefit from this because of the ability to mix the opponent up at unexpected timings and resetting damage scaling.
Kami Frame
Term coined by the Japanese community referring to the frame at which only jump, block, and Stylish Evade are available out of certain recovery types.
- For more information, see the Esoterics page.
Infinite Prevention System (IPS)
Referred to in-game with "Stale Moves", or in official Patch Notes with "Same Move Limit".
The system used to prevent infinite combos. Using the same move three times in a combo will activate it, make the opponent invincible, and trigger an automatic Soft Knockdown.
- For more information, see the System Page.
Taunt Combo
Cinematic Taunts force a restand on the opponent afterwards, with them being unable to block for a very short period of time; this allows for setups where certain projectiles can be set before a Cinematic Taunt, which will hit the opponent after the taunt is completed.
- For more information, see the Esoterics page.
Snooze Frames
Refers to the frames in "recovery" which can be canceled at an earlier point with specific actions.
Phantom Hit
A term used to describe hitboxes that cannot inflict hitstun, but can still be defended against with a Stylish Evade or Stylish Guard.
- For more information, see the Esoterics page.
Notations
These are terms used to express data about the game on the wiki.
Numpad Notation
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Frame
A term used to describe one of the many still images which compose a complete moving picture. In fighting games, the term is used as a measure unit to describe the time a given action takes place in.
Frame Rate
The number of frames displayed on screen per unit of time, usually expressed in frames per second (FPS).
Startup
The amount of frames it takes for an attack to become active.
Active Frame
A term used to describe the amount of frames during which an attack is considered to be active.
Recovery
Refers to the period of time (measured in frames) an attacker takes to return to a neutral state after an attack's active period has ended.
Frame Advantage
A term used to determine who recovers first when a move hits or is blocked. A positive value indicates that the attacker recovers first, while a negative value (also referred to as Frame Disadvantage) indicates that the victim recovers first.
Hitstop
A term used to describe the moment where the game pauses for dramatic effect whenever an attack successfully hits. While the amount of hitstop can be altered by external factors (such as a Counterstrike), a general rule is that, the stronger an attack is, the more hitstop it causes.
A similar phenomenon, referred to as Blockstop, takes place whenever a character blocks an attack.
Buffer
Also known as Buffer Window, this term defines the period of time where a fighting game will accept the input for an attack. If any move is input any time during that window, it will wait and apply it on the first possible frame after the window passes.
Option Selects mainly make use of buffer to work: for example, whiffing a normal attack and then inputting another attack as a cancel afterwards will perform the Buffered Attack if they connect, but nothing will happen if they don't.
