Kidou Senshi Gundam: Seed Destiny/System

UI

1. PS Armor

2. Health Bar

3. Thruster Bar

4. Timer

Attacking

Attacking in this game is pretty straight forward.

Short Attacks (S) don't go very far traditionally, and long attacks (L) do, always acting as a projectile of sorts.

For almost every character short Attacks will chain together: eg. S > Direction+S

For long-ranged characters there can also be: L > Direction+L > Special

But not all characters are like this. Short attacks can also be cancelled by Specials, Beserk Mode, Seed Attacks and very rarely, long attacks.

Doing 6S will usually allow the opponent to enter a 3-part string that is influenced by direction per button, however, again, this is not the case for a select few.

Special attacks are very similar to those in other fighting games however, they cost PS bar. You can still do them if your PS Bar is empty, even it its broken! Doing them will just deplete it until its at 0.

Most 5L's cannot be guard cancelled. Most 5L's being:

In fact, attacks like this are made to do very little damage to the opponent and instead quickly reduce their PS Bar. Sometimes not even applying hitstun, similar to Fox's neutral special in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Phase Shift Armor

Your PS Gauge is pretty much like a Defense Gauge, however, it works a little differently.

By attacking the opponent, you will decrease their Gauge by an amount dictated by what attack you've used. You can also decrease your own PS Bar by using Specials which generally require PS.

Know that your defense doesn't actually decrease until the PS Bar has been broken. An overuse of specials can bring it down to 0 but you must be attacked for it to break. A break will be indicated by a screen freeze, partnered with a drowning sound effect and a ring shot from the opponent, very very flashy and obvious. After then the opponent's palette will be greyed showing that they are now defenseless.

This greyed state will last until the match has ended. When the PS Bar has been broken, characters will receive double the damage they originally take.

Most 6L's/236L's will not affect the PS Bar due to their long laser-based range.

Thruster and Mobility

The thruster button is extremely freeform, allowing for 8-Way airborne movement, floating, dashing, short-hops a lot infinites and terrifying mixups. During flight, you cannot block, but it is still an extremely powerful movement option.

Using the thruster button will cost thruster meter, and when the bar is depleted you will no longer be able to fly. However, the gauge will increase passively.

Doing any sort of attack or jumping will pause the passive increase of your thruster meter.

Some attacks done in the air will also cost thruster meter, usually air lasers or any attacks that allow the opponent to float. There are exceptions.

Dashing may just seem like 6T or 4T on the ground, however, it costs no thruster meter, which makes it obviously the best way to move on the ground. Dashing will make you go airborne and cancelling it with an attack will reflect such.

Something else to be aware of is the existence of landing lag. After dashing or jumping the opponent will eventually hit the floor and be forced to go through a landing animation unless they cancel it. Landing lag can be cancelled by any attack but most importantly, by crouching. Crouch cancelling is extremely good as it instantly returns you to Idle after inputting which means instant re-jumps and dashes/thruster movement upon falling. Its the Key to a lot of combos and optimal movement in GSD.

Blocking and Guard Cancelling

In this game, the opponent can block high or low on the ground (1 or 4) as well as block in the air (J.1/4/7) similar to most fighting games of its kind.

However, there are a few things to note:

• This game does feature air-unblockable attacks. Usually lows or other character specific moves.

• When a character is in blockstun, they cannot turn around. If you can attack the opponent from behind before their blockstun state is over, it will be unblockable.

• Generally, attacking an airborne opponent from behind will be unblockable.

• Attacking an opponent waking up from behind on their first vulnerable frame will be unblockable. Turning around isn't instant.

Guard Breaks are very self-explanitory. They break the opponent's guard. Usually guard-breaking attacks have a lot of startup and can be cancelled into during each section of a string. Sometimes they can be seemingly 'unescapable' because they can make contact with the opponent during blockstun and they cannot be jumped or dashed.

This is where Guard Cancelling comes in. Guard Cancelling allows the opponent to react during blockstun with a little something of their own however, it has a bit of startup and doing it costs thruster meter.

There are 3 Types of Guard Cancels (Each of these can also be done in the air):

• 6S on Block - Short Guard Cancel. Will produce a completely new physical attack. Very risky as most of the time you are completely vulnerable throughout its startup.

• 6L on Block - Long Guard Cancel. Will usually do your 6L or 236L and is meant to punish lasers from full-screen.

• 4/7/8/9/6T on Block - Thruster Guard Cancel. Will be reminiscent of a 6T or 4T. Pretty much a non-offensive escape option that you'd use to get out of most Guard break situations. is invincible for most of its duration.

Some attacks cannot be guard cancelled.

There is no chip damage in this game, so opening an opponent up without a guard break will mean mixing them up. Luckily, the speed of your thruster pretty much means universal unreactable high low mix. In some cases, a 4-way mixup.

Beserk Mode and Seed Attacks

Beserk Mode is pretty much a self-sacrificing install and Burst. It can be performed with 2SP at any time once grounded (that includes during hitstun) only once per match and allows for the use of Seed Attacks.

Entering Beserk mode will prompt one of these flashes based on the character being played.

1. General Beserk mode

2.Seed Mode

3.Newtype Mode

As of right now, there is seemingly no found difference between each aside from visuals.

Universally, being in Beserk mode increases your damage output but slowly decreases your PS.

ANYTHING can be cancelled into Beserk Mode as long as its grounded. Kara-cancelled even.

Seed Attacks are pretty much your super and can be done with [2SP] 2SP or [2SP] 63214S (Manual) once per match as long as you're in Beserk Mode. Most characters have only one but there are exceptions. Some Special attacks are Seed/Super cancellable, however, most of the time, short attacks are the only ones capable of such.

Customization

Before the match starts you get to set your, handicap, control scheme and MS options.

Concerning your control scheme...

Automatic - Allows you to do special moves via the special button as well as perform other motion-based attacks via directions+button.

Manual - Allows you to do special moves via motion inputs. Unfortunately, there is no plus on manual over automatic. In fact it is less convenient as some inputs can be intrusive or inconsiderate of the existence of chain-based attacks that may use said input. Its biggest plus is that it makes special attacks a lot less abusive than they can be on Automatic.

For Mobile Suit Options:

Players are allowed to change their health and PS values while sacrificing either and/or their thruster meter.

Altering one or the other will force the game to equally distribute the values among the other options.