Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga/Estelle

“

A young member of the Bracer Guild who fought to save the Liberl kingdom when it was thrown into chaos during the Liber Ark incident. While she canbe reckless and shortsighted, the conflicts she has overcome have helped her become a trustworthy, capable young woman.

”

Estelle
Playstyle	Poking Whiff Punish
Preferred Range	Mid
Tankiness Rating	Average (1.07%)
Learning Difficulty	Easy
Stats
HP	10926
AP	25
STR	922
DEF	841
BRK	572
DUR	2600
SPD	91
AGL	98
SP Gain	213

Introduction

Estelle is the most straightforward character in the game. Her gameplan is one of the simplest there is: poke her opponents with a stick until they die. To that end, she has access to a plethora of long projectiles and fast pokes that lets her dictate the pace of the match. Hard Break comes to mind as one of the best pokes in the game. It's cheap (10 SP at most), pretty fast, has projectile properties which makes it always win during trades and has some super armor. Comet and Fire Bolt EX are also quite good for ranged encounters, especially the latter since they're homing projectiles. Estelle also has the most versatile Charge Attack in the game. On top of being a very good poke in its own right, it also works wonders during combos, either as a starter or for extending them. This makes her great at whiff punishing, especially if her EXTRA Skill is ready. This excellent neutral control makes her very easy to approach as a beginner; however this comes at the expense of her offense. Since most of her Skills are neutral-oriented, Estelle's combos are rather limited. While her damage potential is decent, most of her starters won't lead to much damage without having to use lots of resources. This lack of offense-oriented Skills also makes her pressure virtually non-existent. While she does have a naturally armored pseudo-unblockable projectile in the form of Plasma Wave, it is very easy to just dodge it on reaction thanks to its awfully slow startup. As a result, Estelle finds herself having to play neutral for much longer than the average character.

Estelle is highly recommended for players who wants great control over the neutral game while still maintaining some degree of freedom.
Similar to: Charlotte (Samurai Shodown), Chun-Li (Street Fighter 3.3), Lucina (SSBU)

Playstyle

Estelle is a very flexible, beginner-friendly character who specializes in mid-ranged neutral and whiff punishes.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Great Neutral: Estelle has access to a plethora of long-range pokes and projectiles that lets her dictate the pace of neutral. Outstanding Pokes: Estelle's arsenal contains some of the best pokes in the game, allowing her to always fight back at long range. Good Punishes: Estelle's Charge Attack allows her to easily punish an opponent's mistakes. This can especially hurt when EXTRA Skills are involved. Flexible: Estelle has great synergy with a lot of assists and accessories. On top of that, almost all of her Skills are worth using, making her one of the most flexible characters in the game.

Poor Offense: Most of Estelle's Skills are designed to be used in neutral. As such, her offensive capabilities are somewhat limited compared to other melee characters. Bad Air Fighter: Estelle's air game is one of the worst in the game. As such, she is forced to stay grounded most of the time. Extra Hitstun: For some reason, hitting Estelle on her right side puts her in more hitstun than usual, making punishes potentially more damaging on her.

All damage values below were tested on Estelle (841 DEF). No stats-altering accessory was equipped. Also the values are averaged (see System page)

Movelist

Normal attacks

Ground Normal Link ABCD A A B B C C D D

Version Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties A 98 4 - - - B 98 8+4 - - - C 98 17+4 - - - D 98, 19 25+6, 10 - - - A: Total: 16 B: Total: 20 C: Total: 21 D: Total: 24 D: Total: 24 Estelle's grounded normals have good horizontal range and are basically impossible to punish if block cancelled. This makes them excellent pokes, although they don't combo into each other. However, she can force A and B to combo by steering to her left after inputting A. While this may seem useless, both attacks are dash cancellable, making it fairly good/important in combos. A and B also works as quick anti-airs if needed. B will only start hitting opponents in front of Estelle starting frame 4

Charge Attack [A]

Version Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties Ground [A] 117 7 - - Soft Armor Air j.[A] 117 8 - - Soft Armor Dash d.[A] 117 6 - - Soft Armor Ground: Total: 24 Air: Total: 23 Dash: Total: 15 Estelle's best tool. While it doesn't grant that much SP on hit, it compensates by being easy to land in neutral. It's also a great combo starter when performed while dashing, as it easily combos into j.B. On top of that, Estelle can fairly easily insert it into combos, in order to make them more SP efficient. Abuse this move, it's great. Gives 23 SP on contact

Air Attack j.A Situationally great combo tool Situationally great combo tool

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 98 1 - - - Total: 21 A very unique air normal, which you would usually find on ranged characters. Its incredible speed (only 1 frame of startup!) makes it a surprisingly good burst option at longer range, although Estelle doesn't have the means to capitalize on it. This is due to its high vertical knockback and low hitstun. As such, comboing afterwards is only possible if Estelle spends a lot of resources. d.A will put Estelle into a grounded state if cancelled early enough. This is especially important for comboing into her EXTRA Skill. Reaches surprisingly far below Estelle

Falling Attack j.B Generally great combo tool Generally great combo tool

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 98 6 - - - Total: 19 Due to variable frame data, the active frames are represented by the red bar The best Falling Attack in the game, and an absolute godsend in Estelle's combo game. While its neutral applications are fairly limited, its most important trait is the ability to cause a "hard" knockdown, which is extremely rare in Ys vs Trails. This is especially useful for Estelle, as comboing into Skills is naturally quite hard for her. She can easily combo into it after a dashing Charge Attack of a Rising Attack. Frame data obtained while as low to the ground as possible

Rising Attack Attack while dodging	Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 98 8 1 AP - - Total: 25 "Universal" Rising Attack. Basic, armored launcher that can be jump cancelled in order to start or continue a combo. Depending on the character, it can also be used as combo filler.

Skills

Comet S1 Ground version Ground version Air version Air version

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 240, 15x3 10 12 / 11 / 11 / 10 / 9 34 Soft Armor, Projectile Total: 27 Pretty basic forward-moving projectile. While it does less damage than Fire Bolt EX and doesn't have homing properties, its speed makes it a very good poke at mid-long range. It can also sometimes cause knockdowns, although Estelle can't exploit that property unless she uses Scherazard. The air version shoots at a downwards angle. Because it makes her stall in the air, it can be used to bait anti-airs.

Hard Break S2

Version Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties Ground 270, 35 9 10 / 9 / 9 / 8 / 8 35 Soft Armor, Projectile Air 270x2 10 10 / 9 / 9 / 8 / 8 35 Soft Armor, Projectile Ground: Total: 27 Air: Total: 24 The ultimate poke. On top of being fairly cheap, it's almost impossible to contest in neutral due to its fast startup and projectile properties. It also works really well as a cheap combo ender, especially the air version since it does twice as much damage as the grounded version. That said, the ground version allows Estelle to tech trap with her Charge Attack for additional damage. Overall amazing move, as well as a must-have in Estelle's arsenal.

Hurricane S3	Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 180x3, 80 14 20 / 18 / 17 / 16 / 15 53 Hard Armor 1-4, Soft Armor, Draw-In Total: 44 A wide, lingering launcher that draws opponents in. Great combo filler for Estelle, as she can easily combo into it from j.B. The last hit is jump cancellable, allowing her to squeeze out a bit more damage out of it. Estelle can move while Hurricane is active

Fire Bolt EX S4

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 122x4 15 25 / 23 / 22 / 20 / 19 38 Hard Armor 1-4, Soft Armor Projectile, Homing Total: 33 Estelle's projectile of choice. Although slower than Comet (and twice as expensive), it shoots 4 homing fireballs that each have a chance of inflicting Burn. This makes it a great tool for long-range fights. It's also surprisingly useful in combos due to its low recovery, although Estelle needs to either use an assist or proc Heavy for this to be effective. Can inflict Burn on hit Frame data assumes point blank

Plasma Wave S5 "We have unblockables at home" "We have unblockables at home"

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 1026 8+20 45 / 41 / 39 / 36 / 34 55 Hard Armor, Projectile Total: 41 Pretty gimmicky projectile. While it seems unassuming at first glance, this projectile's main appeal is that it does enough stamina damage to stun most characters in one hit. This trait can make it useful as an expensive callout against opponents who spams block cancels. If they block it, Estelle gets to deal good damage. However, she can't really follow up on hit, making it less rewarding in that situation. On top of that, the opponent can easily be dodged on reaction due to its long startup, slow trawel speed and thin hitbox. Overall a pretty niche tool in Estelle's kit, but not entirely worthless. Adol, Dogi, Cruxie, Agate, Loewe and Lloyd will be able to block Plasma Wave without being stunned Has a chance of causing Paralysis on hit 8 frames of freeze upon use. The opponent can still cast Skills or use their assist during the freeze

Barrage S6	Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 70x5, 110x4, 210x2 8+3 50 / 45 / 43 / 40 / 38 101 Hard Armor 1-90, Drain Total: 90 Estelle's most damaging combo ender. Can also be used as a reversal thanks to its speed and armor properties The final hit heals Estelle 10% of it's damage 8 frames of freeze upon use. The opponent can still cast Skills or use their assist during the freeze

Wheel of Time EXTRA Skill Initial hit Initial hit Followup Followup

Damage Impact SP Cost Cooldown Properties 100, 115, 19x84~90 9 (Catch), 20 (Launcher) 100 EXTRA - Invincible Total: 212 Outstanding EXTRA Skill. While making it connect can be a bit funky, it puts the opponent right next to Estelle, giving her enough time to either land a Charge Attack or call an assist. It pairs exceptionally well with Feena, as it allows Estelle to loop Wheel of Time into itself for some devastating damage. Just keep in mind that it won't properly connect on Heavied opponents. Estelle can freely move during the first part of the move. Once she hits the ground, she becomes unable to move Causes a hard knockdown The opponent can still cast Skills or use their assist during the freeze

Builds

Note: These builds are mostly here in order to guide new players into how to exploit Estelle's potential to its fullest. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Recommended accessories

• EX Medallion - QoL accessory that really helps Estelle during EX combos
• Void Stance - Simple damage buff to her Charge Attack. Especially good for her given how often she finds herself using it

Recommended Skills

• Hard Break - Estelle's most versatile move, as well as one of the best pokes in the game
• Barrage - Estelle's best combo ender, although quite expensive
• Hurricane - Great combo extender after j.B
• Comet - Good, quick projectile that makes for yet another great poke in Estelle's arsenal. Interchangeable with Fire Bolt EX
• Fire Bolt EX - Slow, damaging homing projectiles that greatly helps Estelle when out of poking range. Interchangeable with Comet

Recommended Support

• Mustafa - Can't really go wrong with more damage on a punish-focused character.
• Anelace - Makes all of Estelle's pokes impossible to contest for 40 seconds.
• Feena & Reah - Guarantees Estelle's next punish will be devastating.

Honorable Mentions:

• Olha - Offers slightly more damage than Mustafa, but combos become harder to pull off due to the extra knockback.
• Jurio & Chris - Makes Estelle's pokes and projectiles much scarier in neutral.

General Strategy

Neutral

• Explain how Estelle approaches neutral, ideally at close, mid and long range

Offense

• Explain how Estelle's offense works

Defense

• Explain how Estelle can defend herself from incoming attacks. Don't forget to mention how she can recover once she's on the back foot

General Counterplay

• List some general Estelle counterplay. This includes, but isn't limited to, knowledge checks or gimmicks

Combos

Combo Terminology Table

Symbol	Meaning
>	Cancel from the previous move to the following move.
,	Link from the previous move to the following move.
dl./delay	Delay before using the following move.
X(w)/whiff	Whiff the following move (do not hit).
jc	Jump Cancel.
wc	Walk Cancel.
d./dash	Dash air attacks. Done by pressing the dodge button while standing still.
(X)	Optional input.
{X}*N	Repeat (sequence) N number of times.

Solo

• AB > d.A > j.S6 (1.4k damage)

Simple BnB, and one of her only truly reliable combos. For AB to connect, Estelle needs to steer to her left while attacking.

• d.[A] > j.S2 (600 damage)

Extremely simple, SP positive confirm from a dashing Charge Attack.

• d.[A] > j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S2 (1.4k damage)

More advanced combo that trades SP efficiency for doubled damage. Also doable from a standing j.[A]

• AB > d.A > EX, [A] > S6 (~3.3k damage)

Sample EX combo. Make sure to stay as close to the opponent as possible during her EX, otherwise they might escape. Extremely tight/impossible at max range without EX Medallion.

• AB > d.A > EX, j.[A] > j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S2 (~3.4k damage)

More optimal EX combo. j.[A] should be done as low to the ground as possible.

• d.[A] > j.B > S3 > EX, [A] > S6 (3.7k damage)

EX combo that starts with a Charge Attack. Same optimizations as the previous route are possible

With accessories

• RA jc > delay j.B > j.S2, (d.[A]) (700 damage)

Airborne Medallion

"Simple", SP efficient combo using Rising Attack. Estelle has a ~3 frame window to connect with j.B

• RA jc > delay j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S2 (1.4k damage)

Airborne Medallion

More advanced/damaging route that uses a bit more SP.

• RA jc > delay j.B wc > d.A > EX, [A] > S6 (~3.3k damage)

Airborne Medallion

EX combo from a Rising Attack.

• [j.[A] > j.B > S3 > EX]*2, j.[A] > j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S6 (~6.8k damage)

Gemstone

Double EX combo.

With assists

• ABC > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S2 (1.1k damage)

Scherazard

Max range combo. Fire Bolt doesn't combo at this range, forcing Estelle to go straight into Hurricane. Replace j.S2 with j.S6 for 2.2k damage.

• ABC > S4 > S3 jc > j.[A] (1.3k damage)

Scherazard

Estelle BnB with Schera. Offer the same reward as her regular combos, while being much easier to pull off than said regular combos.

• AB > d.A > EX, Assist, [A] > S3 jc > j.[A] > S4, j.[A] > (j.S2) > j.S6 (~4.3k damage)

Elena

Sample Elena combo. Hard Break does more damage but makes the combo much tighter

• AB > d.A > EX, Assist, d.A > EX, j.[A] > j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S6 (~5.8k damage)

Feena & Reah

Sample Feena combo. Can deal more damage with EX Tome and other accessories.

With accessories and assists

• d.[A] > j.B > S3 > [EX, Assist, j.A]*2 > EX, [A] > j.[A] > j.B > S3 jc > j.[A] > j.S6 (~8.3k damage)

Feena & Reah, Support Tome

Max damage punish, which does enough damage to ToD Aisha, Mishera and Tita. Generates enough SP for Estelle to always finish with Barrage while still being SP positive.

Colors

Color 1

---

Default color

Color 2

---

Reference (if there's one)

Color 3

---

Reference (if there's one)

Color 4

---

Reference (if there's one)