Under Night In-Birth/UNICLR/Phonon

“

She wishes. For the paranormal ability from the deepest spirit of hers. Along with the white follower. False shell at present. The wish will be fulfilled when the time comes right here. The sword speaks. The path to the bright future. She fails. The sword exposes. The path from the cloudy past. She overrides.

”

Story

Having a strong sense of power, Phonon leaves the EFG, a student self-defense force known for their strict rules, so she can use her powers more freely. Her behaviour is not unlike a normal student's, going through a sensitive stage and wanting to find their "true self" amid the exhaustion of daily life. She believes her In-Birth powers are proof of awakening to her true self. As such, she uses her power against other under the darkness of night. Little does she know that there is someone else who also moves shadows who knows her "false self" from before she awoke.

“

Might as well use this awakened manga hero power to its fullest. No use wasting something so cool, right?

”

Gameplay

Phonon boasts some of the best long-range normals in the entire game. She can easily dominate the entire screen, pushing and pulling foes to get them exactly where she wants them. Played well, Phonon's pressure game is extremely oppressive, with no clear way out; and any mistake can be punished harshly with her high-damage combo game. On the flipside, she's not great at dealing with pressure herself, lacking fast normals or meterless reversals to get out of a jam.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Incredible range and stagger windows on most of her buttons, as well as great projectiles. Strong air game with additional air mobility options, powerful air fireballs and gigantic air normals. Can be difficult to challenge her pressure reset options at range, or even get in at all in some cases. Fast overhead with resources, using Assault j.A CS. Above-average damage output, with fantastic metered combo enders. Flexible hit-confirms, can easily convert almost any hit into a full combo without resources. Can easily combo into VO to strip vorpal, and rarely needs to spend extra resources to do so. Vacuum and pushback normals give her a high degree of control over her opponent's position. Great throw with high frame advantage and good damage. Surprising array of gimmicks and knowledge-checks.

Without resources, has few scary threats to downbacking opponents beyond throw and knowledge checks. Anti-airs have slow startup and/or wonky hitboxes that can make reactive/defensive use or throw OSes difficult. No meterless reversal and no 5F normals can make it hard to shake off pressure. Extremely bad backdash and low walkspeed make it hard to play a traditional whiff-punish game. Few sources of plus-frames that do not leave large, challengeable gaps. Can very easily bleed away GRD and lose vorpal with careless pressure, has no way to gain/steal GRD besides system mechanics.

Overview

Strategy

Combos

#CLR_PH

Match Database

Lore

Character Stats

Health	Smart Steer Route
10400	5A 5B 5C 2C 214AA 623C
Forward Walk Speed	Backward Walk Speed	Jump Startup	Jump Duration
700	-700	4	42
Dash Startup	Initial Dash Speed	Dash Acceleration	Max Dash Speed
6	2200	220	3300
Backdash Startup	Backdash Duration	Backdash Distance	Backdash Invul
6	35	-43142	1~8 Full 9~10 Throw
Throw Width (pixels)		Throw Range (pixels)
200		100
Unique Trait	None.
Vorpal Trait	Force Function startup decreased (17F -> 13F). Force Function Head invincibility begins sooner (10F -> 7F).

Frame Data Help
Header	Tooltip
Damage	Damage done by this attack. (x) denotes combined damage [x] denotes minimum damage
Guard	The way this move must be blocked. High = Can block standing Low = Can block crouching Mid = Can block standing or crouching Air = Can block in the air Air Shield = Can block in the air while shielding Unblockable = Cannot be blocked
Cancel	Actions this move can be canceled into on hit or block, unless specially noted. N = Normal Cancelable SP = Special Cancelable EX = EX/IW Cancelable CS = Chain Shift UNQ = Unique (See description) TH = Throw Cancelable X [hit only] = Hit canceleable only X [whiff OK] = Can additionally be cancelled during whiff
Property	Special properties this move has. Click on the property to navigate to an explanation.
Cost	The resources this move costs to use. GRD = GRD Blocks EXS = EXS Meter Vorpal = Vorpal GRD Break = Causes GRD Break
Attribute	Attributes of the attack. Mostly used in situations involving invul. There are two sets of attributes: Strike/Throw and Head/Foot/Dive/Projectile Every move has a Strike/Throw attribute, but doesn't always have Head/Foot/Dive/Projectile attribute. --- Strike = Strike (Anything that isn't a Throw is a Strike) Throw = Throw --- Head = Head (Most jump normals) Foot = Foot Dive = Some air specials Projectile = Projectile
Startup	Frame when the first hitbox is present. + denotes the frames before and after super flash.
Active	The amount of frames that this move will have a hitbox. (x) denotes frame gaps where there are no hitboxes is present. Due to varied blockstuns, (x) frames are difficult to use to determine punish windows. Generally the larger the numbers, the more time you have to punish.
Recovery	Frames that this move has after the active frames if not canceled.
Overall	Frames that this move takes from start to finish before the character returns to neutral.
Advantage	The difference in frames where you can act before your opponent when this move is blocked (assuming the move isn't canceled and the first active frame is blocked). If the opponent uses a move with startup equal or less than this move's advantage, it will result in opponent hitting that move. ±x~±x denotes a possible range of advantage. The left value is when the active frames hit sooner (generally worse) and the right value is for when the active frames hit later (generally better).
Invul	The frames where this move cannot be hit by an attribute. Full = Fully invincible Strike = Strike invincible Throw = Throw invincible Head = Head invincible Foot = Foot invincible Dive = Dive invincible Projectile = Projectile invincible

Normal Moves

Standing Normals

5A

5A

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 180 Mid N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 6 2 13 20 -3 - A quick swipe with the whip. Hits above and in front of Phonon. Great stagger window, good for tick-throws up close. Best button to use for rebeats. Good option to mash out of pressure, as it has quite good range for a 6F normal. Allows Smart Steer, which can be used to reuse 5B, 5BB or 5C in pressure.

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5B

5B 5B 5B 5BB 5BB

5B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 480 Mid - N, SP, EX, CS, UNQ [whiff OK] - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 10 3 18 30 -5 - An advancing whip swing. Can be cancelled into 5BB on whiff or hit. Good combo starter. Can be used for tickthrows up close, as it's -5, has a good stagger window, and advances Phonon forward slightly. 5BB Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 480 Mid N, SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 4 24 39 -10 - A followup to 5B, Phonon steps forward and swings again, taking up a giant slice of the screen. Great combo filler, makes hitconfirming easy. Fairly negative on block, so it should be rebeated or cancelled into something else. Stagger window is actually very narrow, and 4B and C buttons are the only normals that can frametrap afterwards.

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5C

5C First hit First hit Second hit Second hit

5C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 570, 570 (1071) Mid, Low N, SP, EX, CS Vacuum, Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 4, (9), 3 15 42 -2 - A two-part whip attack. First hit is a mid, the second is a vacuum and hits low. Very useful in pressure; a high-damage starter that's easy to confirm off of, has a great stagger window, and is only -2 on no-cancel. Vacuum is relatively small. Rebeating the first hit is a good way to reset pressure. Rebeating the second hit should be avoided, as it makes the move much more negative. 5[C] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 570, 710 (1194) Mid, Low N, SP, EX, CS Vacuum, Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 4, (16), 3 17 51 -2 - Charged version of 5C. The second hit is delayed. Often used as combo filler, as it does great damage. Also useful in pressure; the delay causes the second hit to frametrap automatically. The stagger window is worse than uncharged 5C's, but the vacuum is much better. It's still only -2 if left uncancelled though. Will only connect both hits as a combo on counter-hit or air hit. The most practical midscreen max-damage starter for DP punishes and similar things.

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Crouching Normals

2A

2A

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 150 Low N, SP, EX, CS, SE - - Strike, Foot Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 6 2 14 21 -4 - A quick crouching kick. No longer 5F startup, but still a pretty good 6F low. Good stagger window, and can cancel into itself. Useful for tick-throws, or for starting pressure after dashing in, or for mashing out of pressure when your opponent is up close. Can be used to rebeat, but 5A is better.

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2B

2B

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 490 Mid N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike, Foot Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 9 3 18 29 -5 - A crouching whip swipe Phonon's only crouching mid. Decent for tick-throws when up close, as it's -5 and has a great stagger window, but it has a fair bit of pushback. Slightly faster than 5B, although it has slightly less range. Commonly used to mash out of pressure when 5A won't reach.

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2C

2C

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 600 Low N, SP, EX, CS Knockdown - Strike, Foot Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 11 4 24 39 -10 - A big sweep with the whip. Has great range for a low, can be used to catch people walking back in neutral. Also a pretty decent mash option if they push themselves really far out, since it's quite fast for its range. Lots of recovery on no-cancel or whiff, but has an extremely long stagger window and good rebeat data.

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Air Normals

j.A

j.A

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 140 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 8 4 11 [2 on landing] 24 Varies - A quick aerial slash that extends quite far down. With Vorpal, can use Assault j.A and Chain Shift for an overhead that is quite hard to react to. Can be used while rising to cover your jump; you have time to perform another move in the air afterwards (except j.[C]) j.A j.C is a great low-commital way to cover space in neutral.

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j.B

j.B	Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 420 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 10 2 22 [3 on landing] 33 Varies - A jumping whip strike. Not too useful; mostly combo filler for situations where jC is too slow. Can't combo off Assault j.B, unless you delay it quite a bit or it counter-hits.
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j.C

j.C j.C j.C j.[C] j.[C]

j.5C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 590 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 13 4 14 [4 on landing] 30 Varies - A long whip attack that takes up a big chunk of the screen. Useful tool for zoning characters out, or attacking them air-to-air. Also a great assault button; covers a big distance, and is plus as long as it's not shielded. Good in combos where you can't j[C], too. j.5[C] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 750 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 20 4 16 [4 on landing] 39 Varies - A gigantic whip attack that crosses almost the entire screen. Fantastic combo tool; it does good damage and launches opponents towards you. Floats Phonon in the air while active, can be used to delay your landing to trick opponents. Can be difficult to use as a starter without enough forward momentum or meter. Will not float as much if used from assault, but is difficult to combo off of on hit and is less advantageous than uncharged j.C. Has very low recovery, on whiff you can usually perform another air action (e.g. assault) j.3[C] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 750 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 20 4 16 [4 on landing] 39 Varies - Variant of j.[C], floats slightly less vertically but gives Phonon a boost to horizontal momentum. Useful to continue pressure or combo after j.22X series. Much easier to use as a starter compared to j.5[C]. Can only be performed off of neutral/backjump; if performed after forwardjump/assault, it will behave the same as j.5[C].

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Command Normals

4B

4B

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 480 Mid N, SP, EX, CS Launch, Vacuum - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 15 2 35 51 -19 - Phonon's second most notorious normal, a vacuuming whip pull with incredible range. Very negative on no-cancel, but is rebeatable and has a great stagger window. Vacuum is relatively minor, similar to 5C. Phonon moves backwards during this move's recovery, but the backwards movement is negated if the move is cancelled into anything else. Can be used to easily convert stray hits into combos, easily hitconfirm in pressure, or poke your opponent in neutral. Has fairly high damage proration, so it often lowers combo damage compared to other options.

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3C

3C

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 600 Low SP, EX ,CS, N (on hit only) Knockdown - Strike, Foot Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 17 10 22 48 -14 - Possibly the most notorious normal in all of UNI; a sweep that covers 90% of the screen Despite its incredible range, it actually mostly sees use as combo filler... Can be used to check your opponent's movements from fullscreen, but you'll be left vulnerable if they jump or assault. On block it can only be special cancelled; a fireball afterwards can easily be assaulted or shielded too, so use with caution in neutral. However, you can use 6FF after to safely resume pressure if you're close enough. Can also be used as a frametrap in pressure, as it's very good at calling out backdash attempts.

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j.2B

j.2B j.2B j.2B j.2[B] j.2[B]

j.2B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 320 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS - - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 8 4 [3 on landing] - Varies - A kick that causes Phonon to bounce off the opponent. Very quick, but won't hit crouchers if performed immediately out of an assault. Can be used to crossup the opponent, but is very weak to being shielded afterwards. j.2[B] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 420 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS Ground Bounce - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 15 3 [3 on landing] - Varies - Like j.2B, but slams them straight into the floor instead. Used in 99% of Phonon's combo routes, due to its useful groundbounce property. Also pretty excellent when used with Assault; it's Phonon's highest-damage assault starter, and is very advantageous on block if unshielded. It can even be plus on shield if performed very low to the ground.

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j.4B

j.4B

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 470 High, Air Shield N, SP, EX, CS Vacuum - Strike, Head Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 10 2 12 [3 on landing] 23 Varies - Phonon turns around in the air and stabs with her whip. Useful for sideswap combos. Can also be used after jumping over the opponent to hit them crossup. If performed rising from a jump, you can assault backwards. Rising whiffed j4B will push the opponent out of the corner, allowing for tricky crossups. Dash-up jump-over j4B can be useful midscreen as a throw OS bait, too.

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Dash Moves

66B

66B First hit First hit Second hit Second hit

66B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 749 Mid SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 14 4, (4), 6 22 49 -9 4-13 + 20-40 Throw, 9-13 Foot, 20-27 Head A dashing handspring kick. Hits twice; once when Phonon leaves the ground and again at the peak of the jump Has incredible property invincibility, crushing lows and throws during the first hit and anti-airing duing the second. On block, the second hit can be cancelled into j.236A to gain frame advantage, or cancelled into j.22X for a high-risk frametrap situation. Can also be cancelled into CS, allows a gimmicky mixup with jA/j2B/empty 2A/empty j4B throw. If the second hit is shielded, Phonon cannot special cancel and is helpless (unless she has CS). Shielding the first hit does nothing special. 66[B] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 840 High SP, EX, CS, N Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 30 6 30 65 -18 4-13 + 28-56 Throw, 9-13 Foot, 28-35 Head A slow overhead handspring kick. Has only one hit, compared to the uncharged version's two. Retains some of the invuln properties from the uncharged version, but the invuln runs out long before the move actually goes active. On block, can be cancelled into j.236A to stay safe, or j.22X for a riskier frametrap option. Can be cancelled into air normals too, but this is risky if they shield. Like with 66B, if the kick is shielded, Phonon can only CS cancel.

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66C

66C	Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 540 Mid SP, EX, CS Wall Bounce - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 6 24 41 -9 - Phonon slams the opponent with her whip's handle. Mostly used as combo filler, especially in high-damage routes. On block, can be cancelled into 6B+C or 236[A] to start pressure and/or frametrap mashing.
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Universal Mechanics

Force Function

Impulsive Frustration 衝動フラストレート B+C

B+C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1122 Mid SP, EX, CS Ground Bounce 1 GRD, (vorpal: 0.5 GRD) Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 17 (vorpal:13) 9, (6), 5 19 - -6 10-25 Head, (vorpal: 7-21 Head) Phonon spins her whip over her head, then slams it to the floor with an explosion. A slow but very active anti-air. Can combo off the groundbounce afterwards. Gains improved startup and invuln properties in vorpal, making it a little bit more reliable. Can be used as an Anti-air/Throw OS with B+C~A+D input. Best used pre-emptively, as it has such long startup. [B+C] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1850 Mid SP, EX, CS Wall Bounce 1 GRD, (vorpal: 0.5 GRD) Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 17 (vorpal:13) 27,(5),5 19 - -6 10-43 Head, (vorpal: 7-39 Head) Phonon spins her whip for even longer and the final explosion is even bigger. Holding the button makes it last longer; releasing it at any time before the final hit will give the same groundbounce as the uncharged version. It's a little harder to combo afterwards compared to the uncharged version, but it can be done using 236[A].

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Force Function Variant

Echoing Reiterate 残響リーテレート 6B+C 6FF 6FF A followup A followup B followup B followup C followup C followup

6B+C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 853 (minimum) Mid UNQ, SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 11 2(8)2(14)2 20 57 -3 - Phonon's new Force Function in cl-r; she strikes three times with the whip, and can perform a followup after the third hit. All three hits are Special, EX and CS cancellable; the last hit gains the followup options on top of that. Followup can be input at any time during the move and it will automatically come out after the third hit, as long as the move connects. The followups have no stagger window and will always come out with the same timing. On hit, pressing a button as the whip makes contact causes a particle effect, slightly improving the damage but greatly improving the scaling. On 6FF starter combos, hitting these just frames results in a huge damage increase. Quite strong as a meaty; its hitbox is more disjointed than many of her other moves, and it can be EX cancelled even on whiff. 6B+C~A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 176 (minimum) Mid N, SP, EX, CS Vacuum, Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 13 3 20 35 -5 - A huge vacuuming sweep, similar to the second hit of 5C. Has a comparable vacuum to 5[C], but the stagger window is much better. Is Normal cancellable, allowing Phonon to resume or extend pressure. You can knowledge-check a little by going into 2A or 2C; they'll have to fuzzy guard in case you do 6B+C~B. It's not difficult to block, though, so don't overuse it. 6B+C~B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 800 High EX, CS Ground Bounce - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 16 4 22 [13 on landing] 41 -8 - Phonon jumps at the opponent with an animation similar to air-fireball. Hits overhead. Lightning-fast, basically unreactable gapless overhead. Leads into good damage on hit, but is unsafe on block without resources. Mostly a knowledge check; while the overhead is very fast, Phonon has no quick low option from 6FF, so it's safe for the opponent to stand up whenever they see the first hits. 6B+C~C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 329 (minimum) Mid N, SP, EX, CS Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 9 2(8)2(8)2(8)3 29 50 -12 - Phonon swings four more times with a similar animation to the first three hits. Like with the first hits, timing inputs as the whip makes contact with the opponent will improve the damage. Can be special-cancelled on all four hits, and normal-cancelled on the last hit. 6FF-C 5A is Phonon's least negative rebeat option, and the final hit has a very long stagger window.

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Throw

Throw 投げ A+D	Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1635 Unblockable - Knockdown - - Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 4 1 22 26 47 - Phonon chokes the opponent with her whip, then kicks them away. Can't combo afterwards, but Phonon's throw has very high frame advantage. You can quite easily safejump or set up a meaty afterwards.
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Guard Thrust

Guard Thrust ガードスラスト 214D

214D Normal Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 0 Mid - Launch 100 EXS, GRD Break Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 15 5 26 45 -12 1~15 Full, 16~45 Full on hit 214D Vorpal Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 0 Mid - Launch Vorpal Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 5 26 42 -12 1~15 Full, 16~45 Full on hit Blows the opponent away on hit. Usable only during blockstun. Generally better to use while in Vorpal as it's faster and costs less resources.

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Veil Off

Veil Off ヴェールオフ A+B+C

A+B+C Normal Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 0 Mid, Air - Launch, Wall Bounce, GRD Break 100+ EXS Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 20 2 [7 (3 on hit) on landing] 58 (54 on hit) -13 1~30 Full A+B+C Full Charge Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 0 Mid, Air - Launch, Wall Bounce, GRD Break 100+ EXS Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 68 2 [7 (2 on hit) on landing] 108 (103 on hit) -14 1~91 Full Universal reversal that blows the opponent back on hit. Airborne: 1~52, Standing: 53~59. For Full Charge version: Airborne: 1~101, Standing: 102~108. Requires at least 100 meter and puts you in Veil Off state which grants 20% more damage, but drains your meter at a slow rate. Meter drains much slower when health is below 30% (orange health). You can hold down A+B+C to delay activation and gain a few extra benefits, but doing so is highly unrecommended unless trying to run the clock as this move already has a long start up as is. A+B+C Cross Cast Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 0 Mid, Air - Launch 100+ EXS, Vorpal Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 2 4 20 25 +3 1~19 Full Cancels an action and launches the opponent high into the air on hit. Airborne: 1~25. CVO cancel is treated the same as EX cancel, you can only CVO when you can EX and the opponent is in hit/blockstun. Including in the air. Requires at least 100 meter and consumes vorpal state and drains meter at a fast rate. Has a lot of hitstun, making it easy to combo from. Grants an additional bounce if both have been used in the combo so far. If the opponent does end up hitting the ground during the combo, damage is prorated. Pressing A+B+C can be used for a shortcut for Infinite Worth. Used mostly as a way to tack on extra damage, or to reliably close out the round.

Special Moves

236X

Sliding Affliction 滑走アフリクト 236X

236A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 800 Mid, Air EX, CS Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 18 - 30 48 -2 (minimum) - A simple ground-wave type fireball. Good pressure tool; it's -2 minimum, but the farther it travels, the more + it becomes. Can be jumped or assaulted over, so be careful. However it's EX cancellable on whiff, so if you're quick you can police jumps with 623C. (this goes for all fireball variations). 236[A] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 928 Mid, Air EX, CS Snare - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 25 - 34 59 +1 (minimum) - A slower, 3-hit version of 236A. Freezes opponent in place briefly on hit. Pretty much the only reliable source of plus frames in Phonon's grounded kit. However, it's quite slow, so you can generally be mashed out of it on startup. When used in combos, can usually VO afterwards to strip vorpal. As it's a multi-hit projectile, it'll cut straight through most non-EX projectiles. It can even hit the opponent afterwards if they don't recover in time. 236B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 800 Mid, Air EX, CS Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 14 - 36 50 -8 (minimum) - A quick-moving ground-wave fireball. Like 236A, but faster and more negative on block. Doesn't really see much use, except after 3C from fullscreen to check opponents/combo on hit. 236[B] Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1206 Mid, Air EX, CS Snare - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 21 - 40 61 -5 (minimum) - A quick-moving 3-hit fireball. Freezes the opponent in place briefly on hit. Not commonly used during pressure, except for some hitconfirm option selects, as it's still pretty minus. Fantastic combo filler, however; does good damage and it's possible to continue the combo afterwards. A staple of Phonon routing. Cuts through non-EX projectiles just like 236[A], but it's much faster, so it can punish the opponent more reliably. Great for winning projectile wars against most characters. 236C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1560 [Min: 468] Mid, Air CS Snare 100 EXS Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 1+8 - 30 9 +19 (minimum) - Very fast EX version of the fireball. Very plus on block; can be used to make unsafe things safe (e.g. 214AA) or force your turn by giving you enough frame advantage to get in. Can also be used to combo off of certain moves that normally can't be followed up (e.g. fullscreen 3C). Has enough hits to blow straight through most other projectiles in the game, too. (Most, not all. Watch out for Vat EX ball and Hyde Laser)

j.236X

Sliding Affliction (Air) 滑走アフリクト j.236X

236A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 800 Mid, Air EX, CS, UNQ Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 16 - [8 on landing] - -21 (TK) - Slow, aerial version of Phonon's fireball. Preserves whatever air momentum Phonon had before; if you do it while rising, you'll float helplessly upwards through the air, so don't do that. Very plus on block if used while falling. A useful neutral tool. Common combo filler for advanced Phonon routing, and a very good starter as well. Can be cancelled into j.22X to frametrap or retreat. 236B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 800 Mid, Air EX ,CS, UNQ Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 16 - [8 on landing] - 0 (TK) - A quick-moving aerial version of Phonon's fireball. Causes Phonon to flip forward after throwing, overwriting her previous air momentum. TK fireball is neutral on block from pointblank; it's plus if spaced more than a few steps away. Fireballs performed from normal jump height are generally negative, but usually not punishable unless Phonon lands super close to the opponent. Common combo filler for advanced Phonon routing and hitconfirm OSes, and a good starter too. Can be cancelled into j.22X to frametrap or retreat. 236C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1560 [Min: 468] Mid, Air CS Snare 100 EXS Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 1+6 - [8 on landing] - +28 (TK) 1-3 Throw Very fast EX air fireball. Extremely fast and high advantage on block. Can make risky air actions safe (e.g. 6B+C~B). Tanks combo damage, but can allow combo pickups that would otherwise be impossible (e.g. max distance j.5[C] hit).

623X

Guidance Ascension 誘導アセンド 623X A Version A Version B Version B Version EX Version EX Version

623A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1224 Mid EX, CS Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 9 12 27 47 -8 1-15 Dive, 5-15 Head A pillar of light appears in front of Phonon. Hits quite high, is very active and has very good invincibility properties. A pretty solid anti-air all around. Can usually combo afterwards with 5A. Has instant Dive invuln, but the Head invuln doesn't kick in until a few frames afterwards. 623B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1314 Mid EX, CS Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 11 12 27 49 -8 7-17 Dive, 7-17 Head The pillar appears far away from Phonon, about half-screen distance. A very useful tool for checking movements at a distance. Although it's minus on block, many characters will struggle to meaningfully challenge afterwards due to its range. Still retains some anti-air invulnerability properties, but they're rarely relevant. Very high damage combo starter with resources (22C or CS), and common combo filler for advanced routes. 623C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1921 [Min: 593] Mid CS (on hit only) Knockdown, Counter State - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 9 12 42 62 -19 1-15 Full A much bigger, wider pillar of light with startup invincibility. Phonon's main reversal tool, also her best metered combo ender. You can always sideswap afterwards by dashing under the opponent while they're caught in the pillar. It gives a very advantageous knockdown too.

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214X

Tuning Satisfaction 調律サティスファクト 214X 214A~X 214A~X 214B~X 214B~X 214C 214C

214A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 610 Mid EX, CS, UNQ - - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 12 6 24 41 -5 - Phonon swings her whip while stepping forward Generally used as a combo ender using the followup. Can be used on its own for risky tick-throw setups, as it's a rare advancing move and only -5. The second part of the rekka can be delayed to frametrap. 214A~X Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1403 (total) Mid EX, CS Ground Bounce - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 11 4 (14) 5 33 66 -16 - Phonon follows up her first swing with two more while walking forwards. Gives a good knockdown as a combo ender, or you can spend meter with 623C afterwards. Very unsafe on block without resources. Can't be used as a starter midscreen without resources. In the corner, a 5A pickup is possible. 214B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 610 Mid EX ,CS,UNQ Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 10 6 29 44 -10 7-10 Head, 5-10 Dive Similar to 214A, but Phonon swings the whip diagonally upwards. A very good antiair; the head invulnerability is slightly slower than 623A's, but the move covers more horizontal range. Unfortunately it can be inconsistent, opponents occasionally drop out behind Phonon or just cross over her without being hit. Unlike 214A, the first hit is very unsafe on block. The followup can be delayed to frametrap. 214B~X Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1403 (total) Mid EX, CS Launch - Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 10 4, (14), 5 31 63 -14 11-? Head, 2-? Dive Phonon swings her whip twice more while walking forwards. Has a gigantic hitbox, especially horizontally, plus some extra head/dive invulnerability. Very unsafe on block without resources, and generally can't combo afterewards without resources either. With resources (22C or CS), very high damage output as a starter; generally your most rewarding anti-air option. Can be used as a combo ender instead of 214A. If you don't use 623C afterwards the opponent can air tech, which can gain (or cost!) them some GRD. 214C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1917 [Min: 540] Mid EX, CS Knockdown 100 EXS Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 9 - - 74 -9 1-3 Throw An EX whip rekka; Phonon hits the opponent multiple times before launching them into the air and exploding them. Only does 3 hits on whiff/block. Can be CSed on hit before the move completes. It won't kill until the last hit, so you can CS early to bank some meter for the next round. Less damage, but more corner carry than 623C. Sees some niche use as an ender, but you'll usually want to use 623C instead.

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22X

Suppressive Restriction 抑制リストリクト 22X

22A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1203 Mid, Air (except first hit) EX ,CS, SP Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 25 12 29 65 -28 1-7 Throw Phonon jumps back, explosively smashing her whip into the ground. Mostly used for advanced high-damage routing. Has some use as a risky frametrap option, but it's awkward to combo afterwards, and you usually lose your turn afterwards on block. 22B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1435 Mid, Air (except first hit) EX, CS, SP Launch - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 28 14 29 70 -15 1-10 Throw Phonon jumps back, explosively smashing her whip into the ground, but farther away than the A version. Generally used as part of corner combos for more damage. 22C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1951 High, Air (only last hit) EX, CS, SP, N Launch, Tracking 100 EXS Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 1+22 12 30 64 -16 1-6 Throw Phonon jumps back, explosively smashing her whip into the opponent. Tracks to their location, as long as they're in front of you. Hits overhead, so can be used as a knowledge check for players who don't know to standblock after the superflash. Very high damage as a starter, if you can get it. Practically speaking, mostly useful to extend combos from moves like 214B or 623B.

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j.22X

Suppressive Restriction (Air) 抑制リストリクト j.22X

j.22A Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1039 Mid, Air (except first hit) EX, CS, SP, N Launch, Tracking - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 21 - [11 on landing] - - - Air version of 22A; Phonon jumps higher into the air and her whip explosively smashes into the ground. Appears at a fixed distance from Phonon if used raw, tracks to the opponent if cancelled from another move. Moves Phonon quite far back horizontally. Unlike grounded 22X, you can cancel into normals, so it's easier to continue pressure afterwards, but it does less damage. j.22B Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1289 Mid, Air (except first hit) EX, CS, SP, N Launch, Tracking - Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 28 - [11 on landing] - - 1-6 Throw Air version of 22B; Phonon jumps higher into the air and her whip explosively smashes into the ground. Appears at a fixed distance from Phonon if used raw, tracks to the opponent if cancelled from another move. Compared to j22A, Phonon jumps higher vertically, but doesn't go as far horizontally. Unlike grounded 22X, you can cancel into normals, so it's easier to continue pressure afterwards, but it does less damage. j.22C Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 1680 High, Air (last hit only) EX, CS, SP, N Launch 100 EXS Strike, Projectile Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 1+19 - [11 on landing] - - - Air version of 22B; Phonon jumps higher into the air and her whip explosively smashes into the opponent. Tracks to the opponent, just like grounded 22C. Can be used as a whiff punish tool of sorts, or used to delay your landing to avoid reversals. Still hits overhead, but since you're airborne anyway, the surprise/knowledge check factor is reduced.

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Supers

Infinite Worth

Binding Beatitude 拘束ビアティチュード 41236D Unreal Whip Things Unreal Whip Things	Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 3133 [Min: 1040] Mid - Knockdown, Counter State 200 EXS Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 13 8 (27) 3 (4) 13 30 97 -22 1-31 Full, 32-59 Strike Fully invincibile and very huge, but very slow. Generally only used as a combo ender.
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Infinite Worth EXS

Complete Servitude 完全征服サービチュード A+B+C+D

Damage Guard Cancel Property Cost Attribute 3760 [Min: 1316] Mid, Air - Knockdown 200 EXS, Vorpal or GRD Break Strike Startup Active Recovery Overall Advantage Invul 1+15 6 46 67 -25 1~26 Full Phonon becomes surrounded by a pillar of light which goes into a cinematic on hit. Must have less than 30% health (orange health) to use. After the cinematic, characters will be moved to the middle of the stage, regardless of where they were positioned before. Due to the cost, it is usually not recommended to use this move unless it will kill the opponent.

Notable Rebeats and Gaps

Rebeat Table

Attack	Chain	Advantage
5B 2B 5C(2)	5A	-5
5BB/4B/2C/5C(1)/5[C](2)/6BC~A	5A	-3
5B/2B/5C(2)	2A	-6
5BB/4B/2C/5C(1)/5[C](2)/6BC~A	2A	-4
6BC~C	5A	-1
6BC~C	2A	-2

Gap Table

Attack	Chain	Frame Gap
5A/2A	5C	1F
5B/2C/5C(2)	3C	2F
5C(1)	5[C](2)	3F
5C(1)/2C/3C/6FF(3)	236[A]/22A	8F
5C(1)/2C/3C/6FF(3)	236[B]	5F
66C	236[A]/22A	5F
66B(1)	236[A]/22A	6F

External Links

• Phonon Match Database
• Phonon ST -> cl-r Changelog + Combos by Spacemurine
• Rippu's Youtube Channel
• Toratama's Youtube Channel
• Silent's Youtube Channel
• Silent's UNICLR Sets Playlist

Players to Watch

This is mainly a list of players of different skill levels from mid to high level. This allows players to study different play styles as well.

Disclaimer: This list is derived from community input and is in no way comprehensive or a form of ranking of any kind. Our community criteria can be found here.

Usual Color	Handles/Links	Region	Status	Notes
	Toratama (トラタマ) Twitter Youtube	Japan	Active	Known for playing a large amount of characters. Mainly plays Phonon in tournaments. Results wise, considered the best Phonon in Japan in CLR.
	Silent Twitter Youtube Twitch	United States	Active	Currently regarded as the strongest Phonon in North America. Plays a very aggressive style which is noticeably different from other Phonon players. In love with Motoko Kusanagi.
	Eve Twitter	Japan	Active	One of the strongest players in Japan. Also known for their Mika and Hyde. Amazing artist as well.
	Rippu Twitter Youtube	Japan	Active	Known lab monster. Very strong Japanese Player. Known for labwork and optimizing combos. Also the author of the Japanese Phonon wiki.
	Clim Twitter Twitch	Canada	Active	Historically has been one of the strongest and most consistently strong players in North America since EL. Very strong fundamentals and knowledge of UNI. Also subs Merkava.
	Akibin	Japan	Active	Mainly seen in Clearlamp's streams. Very strong decision making and answers to lots of matchup interactions. Very good combos.
	Aria Twitter Twitch	Canada	Active	Plays very similar to Clim. Very good at playing the Vorpal cycle. Former FFXIV player.
	Thiago Twitter Twitch	Brazil	Active	Considered to be one of the strongest players in Brazil. Plays a very patient and methodical style. Very strong at running strike/throw offense.
	Disco Twitter Twitch	United States	Semi-active	Phonon player from the East Coast. Very good at utilizing Phonon's tools in neutral.
	Glacey Twitter	United States	Active	Phonon player from the Midwest. VERY strong defense and very hard to open up.
	LTP Twitter Youtube	United States	Retired	Very big tech monster. Responsible for making lots of resources and tech videos for Phonon in UNIST and UNICLR respectively. Very knowledgeable of UNI in general. Loves P-90 from Girls Frontline.
	Peke (ぺけ) Twitter Youtube	Japan	Semi-active.	The Rank 2 Phonon in UNIST. Very strong Japanese player with high situational awareness. Enters netplay tournaments once in a while.
	MateoKK (マテオKK) Twitter Youtube	Japan	Inactive	The strongest Phonon player in the world in UNIST. The highest placing Phonon at EVO 2019 at 9th place. When it comes to optimization, situational awareness, & knowledge of matchups and the system, he is unmatched. Currently focused on playing GBVS.

Colors

Default Unlocks

001 Snake Keeper

002 Purple Pain

003 Emerald Seaserpent

004 Sugar Lightning

005 Rosaceous Naga

006 Green Thorn

007 Navy Lindworm

008 Aiatar's Forest

009 Fafnir Rouge

010 Goddess Underworld

Customization Unlocks (2000 IP Each)

011 Twilight Nidhoggur

012 Cutie Quetzalcoatl

013 Lahamu Cherry

014 Lamia Amethyst

015 Ladon Brown

016 Wish of Melusine

017 Brilliant Leviathan

018 Egger Aitvaras

019 Kukulkan Green

020 Sunburned Itzama

021 Tiny Midgard

022 Hydra Swamp

023 Punane Pisuhand

024 Blame Vouivre

025 Azzurro Amphisbaena

026 Blessed Itzanma

027 Ouroboros Hue

028 Red Castle

029 Coatlicue Harvest

030 Hoydenish Breeze

DLC Colors

031 Equatorial Wave

032 Inferno Blaze

033 Annular Eclipse

034 Seeds of Heaven

035 Clamorous Colors

036 Royal Calibur

037 Stella Nest

038 Little Briar Rose

039 Betrayal of Savior

040 Switching Contrast

Phonon Wiki Roadmap

Click here for the UNICLR roadmap.

Page last edited on: 2023-03-16 by Glacey.

75% complete

Page	Completed	To-do	Score
Overview	Added list of players and resources.	Add some videos.	45/50
Strategy	Wrote overview on the character with various sections.	Finish matchup section.	20/25
Combos	Finished 4B combo section.	Finish the rest of the combo section.	10/25

Overview

Strategy

Combos

#CLR_PH

Match Database

Lore