Will sometimes be the same move as your launcher/specials as you can hit your opponent with all her moves
Launcher: A move that picks your opponent up off the ground so you can continue the combo
Will sometimes be the same move as your specials as all her specials have launch properties
Usually something like 2C > 5[C] but can also be specials or even cinematic launchers like Shield A counter or 3C
Specials: A special move that you can jump cancel into aerial moves to continue the combo
236X, 623A, and 22X are the main combo specials you will be using on the ground
Completely grounded combos exist, but their damage is middling
Moves like 236X~X also need to be linked into a normal/22A afterwards to continue the combo
Air Normals/Specials: An aerial move or a sequence of aerial moves that will put your opponent at a good height to finish your combo
At midscreen it will usually be the ground bounce from j.[C] or tk.214X
In the corner it can also be the wall bounce from j.236B
Ground Normals: Land and use normals to keep your opponent in the air and finish your combo
The optimal string of normals depends entirely on what normals were used in the combo prior
Rapid Beat 1 is present in most enders for one reason of another (advancing, damage, consistency)
236X~X > 214C: Your oki setup. Very powerful stuff!
Common Combo Pieces
Combos don't come out of nowhere with no real rhythm to them. If you scroll through the combos in this page, you'll notice several recurring patterns and sequences within the various combos. This is no mistake, nor is it lazy, it's just the nature of optimization. While you can create truly wild combos using Dead Apostle Noel's various tools and the system mechanics, when it comes to being efficient, tried and true patterns will end up emerging and becoming commonplace among any character's combos. This is especially noticeable with Dead Apostle Noel, even to someone who doesn't play the character, due to her gameplan revolving around with a very specific setup thus requiring specific enders and routing to accommodate.
This section is a brief overview of basic Combo Pieces, ordered from highest proration to lowest, for those who want a plug-and-play understanding of Dead Apostle Noel's combos. If you want a better understanding of how and/or why they may work, refer to the Combo Tools section.
Combo
Location
... > 236X~X > (5A/5B/22A) > ...
Anywhere
Basic grounded combo piece. Very simple, very versatile.
Compatible with all starters.
You can construct a very basic combo with two passes of 236X~X and ending with 214C
On grounded lower proration starters, this piece can act as a basic grounded extension and works with other pieces.
Variations:
5A is 5 frames and can combo decently on the ground depending on the starter. Linking into air pieces works better with 5B or 22A
5B is 8 frames and mainly works better than 5A for linking into air pieces.
22A is 9 frames, 1 frame slower than 5B. Works on lower proration starters for combo extensions.
... > tk.236X~X > tk.214X > ...
Anywhere
Double TK, the lifeblood of Dead Apostle Noel's combos.
Compatible with all starters, as well as being flexible enough that you can use it with other pieces.
High value in terms of damage, meter gain, and consistency as far as Dead Apostle Noel goes.
tk.236B~X > tk.214B will generally get you by for most basic combos, but this will be subject to change once you delve into more complex combos with higher scaling.
Specifics regarding the different variations are found in the Double TK section of the Combo Tools section.
... > (623A/3B+C) > IAD > j.[C] > ...
Anywhere
DP combo piece.
Compatible with B and C normal starters and all specials.
After j.[C], you can link into a normal upon landing, or you can do an air move (usually j.214X).
Variations:
623A is generally what you'll use. It's not like there's much else to choose from.
3B+C is 3-4 frames faster, but that usually doesn't matter. Builds more meter but has a smaller hitbox.
In optimals, meter positive. Combos outside positivity are close.
Only a very few specific starters put you at the height and hitstun needed to use this piece.
In The Corner
As far as oki goes, Dead Apostle Noel doesn't gain all that much when she has the opponent in the corner. In fact, she stands to lose out on potential mixups if the opponent is put into knockdown with their back against the corner. However, this doesn't mean that the corner, as a whole, is useless to her. As to be expected, the corner is a realm where her combo routes have the potential to change quite a bit. Different routes can mean higher damage, better meter gain, and arguably easier execution, though that is entirely dependent on the player. Your midscreen routes and BNBs will work when you start right in the corner, but if you push the opponent to the corner from midscreen, it's important to know what changes you may need to make to keep your combo afloat.
Stealing The Corner
To steal the corner means to combo your cornered opponent in a manner that results in you being in the corner at the end of it. Stealing the corner in any given combo is very important for Dead Apostle Noel as she stands to lose out on the full range of 214C oki options if the opponent remains in the corner, most notably the signature cross-up break. Dead Apostle Noel is actually somewhat unique in that she has a move that allows her to easily steal the corner at pretty much any point in her combo without any super special routing: 5[C]. It goes without saying much else that the vacuum properties of 5[C], a move already prevalent in Dead Apostle Noel's combos, allow easy corner steal when used in conjuction with the cross-up of (j.)236X~X.
When you steal the corner is ultimately up to you and your own needs. There are reasons to steal the corner in the starter and in the ender. Even with a late corner steal into 214C oki setup, you still end up losing the option to run out to call out certain options, such as Saber's Avalon or reaction punishing shield. So while the damage and meter gain may be preferable, there still is legitimate reason to steal the corner early on beyond being just unfamiliar with corner routing.
Note that neither of these combos are optimal, just basic example combos with similar routing for as close of a comparison as possible.
Early corner steal.
2C > 5[C] > tk.236B~X is all executed immediately to allow for the crossup.
Uses 5B > 6C, which is a unique ender string when your back is to the corner.
Late corner steal.
tk.236B~X is delayed to allow for the opponent to fly back and not cross up once the tk.236B~X follow-up hits.
Uses 2C > 5[C] which, while it invokes SMP, allows for the corner to be stolen.
Using The Wall
Let's say you chose to stick to the wall rather than steal the corner early on-- Welcome to Cornerroutingville, population: you.
One of the big components of Melty Blood: Type Lumina's combo systems is how it interacts with the wall. Corner combos in this game have a higher potential for damage output and meter gain due to the function of one mechanic: wallsplat. Moves that wallsplat your opponent can apply the effect up to 3 times before the combo automatically drops and will do more damage if they do. This is why even simpler corner combos have damage that decently compares to midscreen routes, while the more complex corner routes absolutely dominating in terms of damage and meter build.
Basic corner 2B combo. Impossible midscreen.
Uses tk.236B, its function explained below.
Dead Apostle Noel has 3 moves that take advantage of the wallsplat function: 6[C], 236B, and 6B+C.
6B+C and 6[C] are two moves in Dead Apostle Noel's kit that uniquely benefit from the corner due to the fact that they fling too far midscreen without a means to meterlessly pick up off them. While due to its nature as a slow recovery Moon Skill, 6B+C doesn't have as much practicality outside of Moon Drive combos, 6[C] is a move you'll see frequently employed in corner combos due to its relative speed, ability to be special cancelled as a command normal, good damage output, and non-egregious impact on hitstun scaling. It can work in tandem with 5[C] for stable, higher-damage combos, but will be favored in the most optimal corner combos.
236B, on the other hand, is already a vital component of her combos with the follow-up, but it gains extra value in the corner due its wallsplat property. After a launcher, you are able to use (j.)236B freely without the follow-up and recover fast enough to pick up with a corner steal ender, and for some combos it's basically all you can do as wallsplat's slight increase in hitstun scaling makes certain midscreen Double TK routes impossible if you don't steal the corner early on.
Put it all together, and you get a combo like this:
Corner 2B combo with every element mentioned.
Uses 2 wallsplats (6[C] and j.236B), the maximum amount possible before the combo automatically drops.
Older combo. Does not take advantage of any changes made in Version 1.4.0 and beyond.
Cinematic Launchers
Dead Apostle Noel has two cinematic launchers: 3C and ShieldA. Due to having oki that revolves around a grounded EX special, she doesn't want to stay in the air long after the launch cinematic plays. Dead Apostle Noel has certain routes that quickly bring her down after the launch which allows her to end her combo on the ground, which allows her to get proper 214C oki.
Both ShieldA Counter and 3C share one move that allows the opponent to be dragged down without being able to tech out: j.[C]. Its high hitstun combined with its ground bounce make it the ideal move to bring high airborne opponents to the ground. It's a common element in most combos that don't use tk.214X or wallsplat to maintain hitstun at DA Noel's preferred height, but it's an essential element in her cinematic launch starter combos as the primary combo element.
There are other moves that can bring the opponent down to the ground such as j.214X, or more notably its jump cancellable Moon Skill variation j.4B+C, but due to either the combo not leading to much afterwards or costing some amount of resource, it generally isn't seen.
ShieldA Counter
ShieldA counter is a relatively high proration starter. Not super flexible in terms of potential routes due to its high hitstun scaling and, in general, has a small set of routes that you should opt for most of the time anyways. The most basic ShieldA combo follows as such:
Basic ShieldA combo.
Good enough. Generally a low reward starter anyways.
Solid to learn. Works off Rapid Beat and 3C as well.
This Shield A counter combo uses j.[C] to bring the opponent down closer to the ground, but as you can see here there’s also a delayed j.A to keep them in histun for the land into 5B, not doing that will cause the combo to drop. And more apparently, a wall is inserted between j.B and j.[C] in the form of j.236B~X which you have to jump cancel out of, this is also due to very high hitstun scaling caused by Shield A Counter. If you try to use j.[C] before it, the combo will drop.
However, as inflexible as the starter may be, there is still plenty of room to squeeze out extra value. Meterless optimizations developed relatively linearly due to how the starter works and how Dead Apostle Noel wants to establish her okizeme, with the end result being this optimal combo:
Optimal ShieldA combo.
Pushes the starter to its limits. Various notable drop points.
The main difference here is delaying the j.[C] enough where you can pick up with 5B into an elusive Double A TK. This is one of few generally documented and the only combo in this video that have both specials in Double TK be the A variant, that is because this is a very scaled combo. Even though the combo has much more value, the reason you would opt for the simple ShieldA combo is because it's easier. The j.[C] has to be delayed enough that you can reach the ground in time before the opponent techs out, but not so much that they tech out anyways. In a match, it could potentially be inconsistent due to its several drop points, but this will vary from player to player.
3C
3C is the other cinematic launcher, useful as an anti-air in some situations. While you can apply ShieldA combo structure to 3C, this isn't ideal. 3C has lower proration value as a starter than ShieldA counter, meaning that you're able to get more overall value with specific routing as compared to just using the same combo structure.
Basic ShieldA combo with 3C starter. Not much damage.
We can do better than this.
Due to the lower proration, once you launch from 3C, instead of doing j.B > j.236B~X, which scales hitstun a fair bit, you can instead immediately do j.B > j.[C], which more naturally follows your xxx and allows you to pick up with more familiar ground route structure. Due to the early landing, there is a fair bit of room for potential combo expression but generally you'll end up using the tried and true combo elements, such as the simple yet incredible effective Double TK.
Simple Double TK 3C combo.
Incredibly stable as the j.[C] ground bounce is incredibly early.
Enders
At the end of the day, Dead Apostle Noel is a character that heavily revolves around a specific setup, so her standard 1 bar enders are all going to be a slightly different means to a similar end. The primary purpose of the ender is to keep your opponent suspended in the air, in hitstun, and close to you so you can use 236X~X to cross up and set up your 214C oki. Your optimal ender will depend on a lot of factors, but primarily the normals you used in the combo prior due to Same Move Proration. In many of the combos on this page, the enders are mostly interchangeable at the cost of damage, though some may be incompatible with your route due to primarily range. Having Rapid Beat on in any capacity is highly recommended for Dead Apostle Noel, as her unique Rapid Beat normal is crucial in many enders due to its advancing properties and stability.
236X~X needs the followup to be delayed so that the opponent gets caught under the closest 214C bell to Dead Apostle Noel, the timing is usually ~17 frames. If done correctly, you should be able to under to run under the opponent as they bounce from the 214C, where you would then detonate with 22B from around the center bell and run your mixups. Doing it too slow won’t cross over the opponent and will get 236C from the 214C input. Doing it too fast will have the opponent closer to the center bell and you will be unable to run under, severely nerfing your oki’s potential.
The following is a table of a few, not all, common 214C ender strings:
Combo
Location
5B > 2B > RB1 > 236B~X > 214C
Anywhere
The most common and consistent ender.
5B > 5C > RB1 > 236A~X > 214C
Anywhere
Seen in 2B BnBs to avoid same move proration.
2C > 5[C] > (2B > RB1 >) 236B~X > 214C
Anywhere
Used to end combos that did not already use 2C > 5[C].
2C's far reach makes this ender a potential option to salvage combos if you landed too far from the opponent to pick up with the optimal ender.
2C > 5[C] > 236A~X > 214C
Anywhere
Steals the corner to allow for proper 214C oki.
5B > 6C > 236B~X > 214C
Back To Corner
Extra damage If you performed an early corner steal.
Alternate Enders
Let's say you have extra bar... or you don't. If you want to do more damage to ensure a kill that 214C by itself may not allow, there are a few alternatives depending on how much meter you have available. Know that if it doesn’t kill, you will forfeit your oki and be in a lesser (but still plus) position than if you were to do the normal 214C ender. Additionally, zero bar alternatives exist when you can't run your oki.
Combo
Cost
Normals > RB1 > RB2/3C > (j.AAA >) AT
0 Magic Circuit
Forfeits about 400 damage on average...
...but you're only gonna use this if you have no choice anyways.
Keeping your air movement can let you airdash or superjump for potential post-airthrow mix.
Normals > 236X~X > 623C
1 Magic Circuit
Does ~200 more damage than 214C as an ender.
Normals > 236X~X > 214C > 236X~X > 22C
2 Magic Circuit
Your kill ender with 2 Magic Circuit.
236X~X brings both you and the opponent into the middle of the bells so that your 22C can do the max amount of damage.
In addition, it can also help build the second Magic Circuit needed for 22C.
If you do not do 236X~X, the damage increase is comparable to just doing 623C.
Normals > 236X~X > 236B+C
3 Magic Circuit
Arc Drive ender. Unsurprisingly, it does a lot of damage.
Average damage increase over 214C of about 1000.
Normals > 6B+C > 236B+C
3 Magic Circuit 3 Moon Icons
Alternative Arc Drive ender using 6B+C over 236X~X
6B+C can potentially build the tiny bit of extra meter needed to Arc Drive in exchange for the 3 Moon Icons.
To be precise, 6B+C can build up to 10% more Magic Circuit in the ender at the cost of, like, 40 damage.
Normals > 236X~X > 214C > (236B~X >) 236B+C
4 Magic Circuit
Awakening meterburn. For when you want the opponent dead dead.
Average damage increase over 214C of about 1500.
Normals > 3B+C > j.236C , 236B+C
4 Magic Circuit 3 Moon Icons
Alternative 4 bar ender taken from MoonDrive combos that works with non-MD combos.
Provides a damage increase of about 30 damage on average.
236B+C should come out as soon as you land from j.236C
3B+C can potentially build the tiny bit of extra meter needed to Arc Drive afterwards.
The added cost of 3 Moon Icons should be irrelevant as you will probably only use this to kill.
If you do not want to use 3B+C, you can substitute with 623A for no damage change.
Your best friend even in the most basic of combos. From being the only special in a combo, a starter, in your ender, to an extender, 236X(~X) is a solid combo tool all around due to its versatility.
236X has two parts to the move: the initial projectile and its follow-up.
236B:
Simple, reliable, fed my family. This is the one.
Its completely straight path makes it incredibly easy to work with in combos.
Wallbounces, giving the projectile without a follow-up a solid application if you use it near/in the corner.
236A:
Scales damage slightly worse than 236B as well as being less damage overall. Used primarily in enders to avoid SMP.
Does also have use in very specific combos where (j.)236B drops.
Its angle can be a bit awkward to time the follow-up.
236X~X is a dash forward with a hitbox and can cross-up. Outside of the corner, you will near always want to use the follow-up since it is the only way you can consistently and meterlessly extend combos off projectile midscreen. The version of the projectile you used does not change or affect the follow-up directly, but the angle of the 236A can make the follow-up whiff at certain heights and timings.
Extensions with grounded 236X~X will have you link into a normal such as 5B or 5A in order to maintain the combo.
As of 1.4.0, you can also extend with 22A for extra damage.
Aerial 236X~X can be jump cancelled. TKing this motion is one half of Dead Apostle Noel's most important combo element: Double TK
236X~4X is almost never used in combos and never used in optimal combos. Its weird angle and the fact it sends you high up into the air makes it impractical to use. The move shares an animation with j.214X, a move with far more practical combo applications.
The lifeblood of many of Dead Apostle Noel's combos, Double TK: tk.236XX > tk.214X.
This is the most bang-for-your-buck combo element that she has. An incredibly reliable sequence in terms of consistency, damage, and meter build, all while still positioning you and your opponent in the right range to set up her okizeme once you land. While certain optimals and situational combos will deviate from the piece just a bit, this is an essential element to learn because most basic combos from any starter will have it present, and even advanced combos will have this piece intertwined with more complex combo elements.
Midscreen, your intention with Double TK always is to box your opponent in by crossing up with the follow-up of tk.236X~X. This allows you to jump cancel the follow up into tk.214X once it hits which ground bounces your opponent. You can still apply Double TK in the corner. Using 5[C] to vacuum your opponent out of the corner will allow you to swiftly execute the follow-up of tk.236X~X to steal the corner early on in your combo, while delaying the follow-up will keep your opponent against the wall and tk.214X will hit regardless.
tk.236B~X > tk.214B:
The most basic variaton of Double TK, present in the simplest BNB.
When applicable, has the best damage (+scaling) and angle for ender.
The lower angle of tk.214B lets you land and pick up with an ender such as 2C > 5[C] > 2B > RB1.
Using just this will let you freestyle off most starters.
tk.236B~X > tk.214A:
The safe variation for the more scaled, but still generally stable combos.
The exact science is that tk.214A comes out 2 frames faster than tk.214B (16 vs 18).
Will still work with Double B Double TKs, but loses out on certain enders due to the steeper angle of tk.214A
tk.236A~X > tk.214A:
On this page, present in exactly one (1) combo. For the highest of scaled combos.
Utilizes the slightly reduced hitstun scaling (and damage) from tk.236A and the faster startup of tk.214A.
Pretty much only used when necessary, using tk.236A over tk.236B when the choice is present is leaving free damage on the table.
tk.236A~X > tk.214B:
Sandbox Double TK, not really practical or necessary.
Only on the page as a "just in case you ask."
If you can use tk.214B, you can probably use tk.236B as well.
623A is jump cancellable, allowing for effective use in high-damage combos. In addition to being a fantastic starter in terms of proration, in optimal combos where it is applied, 623A is often used in tandem with Double TK to effectively rack up damage and meter build. Though the routes where 623A is the #1 best option for a combo extension are niche, still knowing how and when to combo with this move will reward you handsomely.
Usually followed up into IAD > j.[C], where you can either land and link with a normal like 5B or do something like tk.214B, however, with proper delay timings and the right routes you can use a button like j.B instead of j.[C].
You can superjump or normal jump cancel rather than IAD, but in most cases your options afterwards are going to be limited.
When used in combination with 5[C], the full vacuum effect can allow for 623A to fully connect from very far ranges.
Not getting all 4 hits of 623A will usually result in losing enough value that it becomes redundant over a different combo extension.
In the corner, it can generally have more value over simply using Double TK with the right routing.
3B+C:
The alternative DP if you want to burn 3 Moon Icons and extra meter. Particularly present in MoonDrive combos.
Most combos on the page that use 623A can hit or well exceed meter positive status if substituted with 3B+C
The 3B+C hitbox is a fair bit shorter, so max range 623A pickups can drop.
Damage and effect on scaling is the exact same as 623A, otherwise.
22X was given jump cancel properties in the 1.4.0 patch of the game. With this change, it is now a very versatile and powerful addition to her toolkit as using the routing made available with the change has been massive in squeezing out extra damage and meter build while also just making her combos look way cooler. If you want to optimize and become more freeform with Dead Apostle Noel combos, learning how to use 22X is a big step. Aside from the optimals that use it, you can use it to convert from stray hits that would otherwise require either resources or superhuman situational awareness. With a good balance between practical value and pure swag, it’s hard to go wrong with 22X routes.
Two of the most common midscreen strings off 22X are a simple Double TK and j.[C] > (dl) j.236B~X > tk.214X.
Both are very stable strings with proper timings, but the latter is higher damage at the cost of being far less widely applicable than Double TK.
22A:
Almost always used in combos due to its faster startup (9 frames).
This fast startup allows for it to be used as a substitute for 5B in 236X~X links among other things (5B is 8 frames).
The charged version, 22[A], can usually be seen after 2C > 5[C] for extra damage and meter gain from the extra hits due to the charged state.
Works because 2C > 5[C] keeps the opponent suspended in hitstun and at a tall enough height for 22[A] to not drop.
Charging 22[A] can be convenient for height placement reasons, as normal 22A can be too high up for something like Double TK
22B:
Sees limited use due to its incredibly slow startup (15 frames).
Additionally, 22B is already used for okizeme, so using it in routes off successful oki will invoke SMP very early on.
The charged version, 22[B], can be used at very specific heights in very specific starters for the highest possible damage, but timings are tight.
Does have a very unique place in 623A starter due to having a noticeably faster recovery than 22A (18 frames vs 29 frames).
While incredibly rare, you are able to use 214X in combos. The scaling from all the extra moves can result in combos using 214X routing being less damaging, but it is not damage that these routes seek. The main draw of using 214X in combos is meter gain. The more developed 214X routes will result in you being meter positive due to all the multi-hitting special moves present in the routes, less developed routes will still have decent meter build. At the moment, 214X routes are heavily unexplored.
214A:
The main one.
The fast recovery of 214A makes linking into 2C for a non-MD route relatively lenient
214B:
The Bigfoot combo tool. Routes with 214B are incredibly rare and don't exist within practical means
Its distance from Noel and startup time make comboing into it difficult, but not impossible
You can partially charge 6C to make both bells multihit the flying opponent, giving you enough time to detonate with 22A
236X
Double TK
623X
22X
214X
Launchers
Corner
