Skullgirls/Movement
Walk
Holding either the forward (→) or back (←) directions will walk the character in the appropriate direction. Most players prefer to use faster methods of getting a character across the screen. Appreciating a detailed walk animation takes time.
Dash
- All characters can dash forward by either double tapping the forward direction (
) or pressing two punch buttons simultaneously (
+). - Tapping backwards twice (
) or pressing backwards and two punch buttons simultaneously ( + +) will dash backwards. - There are two types of dashes, depending on the character
- Step dashes go a fixed distance
- Run dashes can be held indefinitely
- All characters can interrupt their ground dash or backdash by jumping or performing any attack. When ending a dash or a run into an attack, the character keeps some momentum and may slide a short distance while performing the move.
Dash Block
- Everyone can block while dashing starting from the 1st frame of the dash.
- Step dashes will continue to travel their full distance while blocking. They can block low while moving forward.
- Run dashes will only go a short distance if blocking. There's an input trick to get some more distance out of a dash block for run dashes Without this input trick, blocking low will cancel the Run dash into crouch block.
- Preblock will make halt movement on dashes if they are holding backwards
- However, air moves will only cause preblock and halt movement if you are crouch blocking. You can dash under air moves while blocking by stand blocking.
- You cannot block during backdashes, but jump canceling a backdash will then allow you to air block.
Character Specific Dash Mechanics
- Valentine and Black Dahlia's backdash is considered airborne after frame 7, meaning you cannot ground throw it after that point. Before she leaves the ground, she can cancel it into upback to block. Once airborne, she can cancel it with a forward dash, or a double jump, but not an attack.
- Beowulf's Dash starts as a Run Dash for the first 4 frames, meaning he can cancel it with crouching, until it becomes a Step Dash after frame 5, where he stays grounded but becomes airborne if he presses a button while hopping.
- Filia, Fukua, and Squigly have unique backdashes that allow them to cancel into crouching. This gives them backwards wavedashes, and allow for some defensive Option Select tools, as well as just being able to backdash>block without having to upback.
Jump
Any up direction (↖ or ↑ or ↗) jumps in that direction. All characters have equal jump heights. Jumping has a 4f start up before the character actually leaves the ground. These 4 jump start up frames make the character invulnerable to throws, allow blocking against high or mid attacks, and restrict the character from blocking low attacks. If getting hit or blocking an attack interrupts jump start up the defending character will remain standing. Most special moves can only be performed once per jump, similar to an air dash or a double jump.
Super Jump
All characters can super jump, a longer, higher, and faster moving jump, by tapping any down direction before any up direction (↓ then ↑). Assists cannot be called during a super jump, but everything else works the same as a normal jump. Launchers can be canceled into a super jump in any upward direction by holding up during the attack or tapping any upward direction after it hits. During a super jump, any attack will turn the attacking character around to face the opponent if the jump crossed over the opponent. Super jumps have 4 frames of jump startup just like normal jumps, except for Cerebella, whose super jump startup is 5 frames.
Double Jump
Most (but not all) characters can double jump. When already in the air, any jump command will perform a double jump once per jump. Assists cannot be called during a double jump, similar to a super jump. Starting a double jump will turn the character around to face the opponent if the initial jump crossed over the opponent. Attacks performed during a double jump will not turn the character around unless the original jump was a super jump.
Double jumps have a 4f start up similar to a jump from the ground, but does not give invulnerability to throws of any kind. Getting hit or blocking during the start up frames still counts as the one double jump allowed for the jump. On the ground, holding an upward direction during any another action will start a jump as soon as the character returns to free state. This is not true for double jumps; holding an upward block direction (↖) will not make a airborne character immediately attempt a double jump when at the end of a hit stun.
Some air normals with unique mobility properties, such as Cerebella's j.HP and Big Band's j.MK, will count as a double jump. When used before a double jump, these attacks will disable the double jump for the character. When used after a double jump, the attack will have limited mobility properties.
Double Jump Against While-Rising Unblockables
While-rising unblockables can be blocked during double jump startup since the character's upwards velocity is 0 during that time.
https://twitter.com/Skarmand/status/1071552388618571776
Double Jump Instant Overhead
No longer works with Robo-Fortune jLP
Dash Jump
If a character interrupts a dash or run with any other action, the character will preserve momentum from the dash. Interrupting a dash with a jump will send a character much farther than jumping from neutral. Careful use of a dash jump can send a character above a projectile and across the screen in a single leap or slightly change a jump arc to land an ambiguous cross up attack. Exact timing and range for this technique varies between different characters with different dash properties, but becomes particularly useful for characters without an airdash.
Air Dash
During a jump, either dash command will perform an air dash. Not all characters have an air dash, but those that do can use it once per jump. An air dash can be freely canceled from normal move at any time, making an air dash an extremely useful tool to reduce the recovery on air normals. Air dashes can be interrupted by attacks only, and don't allow blocking or jumping.
Instant Air Dash
Characters with an air dash can instant air dash as both an offensive tool and a way to increase overall mobility. Instant air dashes are performed by either double taping an angled jump then the horizontal direction (↗ then →) or by jumping then immediately hiting PP (↗ then PP). Both will result air dashes as low to the ground as possible.
All characters with an air dash also have a character specific minimum height to air dash, or a period of IAD lockout between jumping and the start of their dash. The lockout period effectively gives different air dash characters different minimum heights for their IADs.
Landing
Landing Recovery
You will be neutral after a fixed period of time, always 2 frames If you are in contact with the ground when airborne in the following two situations:
- If you land in a neutral state, you will able to block, pre-block (which can be canceled into any attacks like supers) and pre-jump (makes you Invuln. (Throw)) in the 2 frames.
- If you land during an air attack, you cannot block or do anything else in the 2 frames.
Land Cancel
Landing on the ground while in blockstun will make you return to a neutral state without the 2 landing recovery frames, meaning you can eliminate extra blockstun and punish air attacks depending on the situation.
Restands
Landing on the ground while in hitstun will make you restand steadily and your hitstun will continue after landing. See details.
Refreshing Air Actions
Characters do not regain their air actions (double jumps or air dashes) when they land. Instead, they regain them after they jump on their own again. This means that if you double jump, then get hit before you jump again, and that hit sends you in the air, you cannot double jump. Performing some moves will regain air actions as well.
External Links
- Dash distance / time comparisons
- Optimal movement (not match practical)
