Special Moves & Supers

Special Moves & Supers

Mastering Special Moves and Supers is the cornerstone of high-level play in Dragon Ball FighterZ. These powerful techniques consume your Ki Gauge but offer significant damage, combo potential, and strategic advantages. Understanding their properties and when to use them is crucial for victory.

Understanding Ki Gauge Consumption

Your Ki Gauge, located at the bottom of the screen, fills as you land attacks, take damage, and charge Ki (hold back + Special button). Special Moves typically consume a small portion of your Ki Gauge, while Supers require at least one full bar, and more powerful Supers can demand up to five bars. Efficient Ki management is key to unleashing your full offensive potential.

Special Moves: Your Bread and Butter

Special Moves are character-specific techniques that provide unique offensive and defensive options. They are generally performed with directional inputs combined with a Light, Medium, or Heavy attack button, or the Special button (typically R1/RB). Each character has a distinct set of Special Moves, offering several projectiles, rush attacks, command grabs, and defensive maneuvers.

• Projectile Attacks (e.g., Kamehameha, Destructo Disc): These moves launch energy blasts across the screen, useful for zoning, applying pressure, and extending combos. Most projectiles can be charged for increased damage or speed.
• Rush Attacks (e.g., Dragon Rush, Vanish): These allow your character to quickly close distances or teleport behind an opponent, creating mix-up opportunities or escaping pressure. Vanish (Medium + Heavy) is a universal rush attack that costs 1 Ki bar and is invaluable for combo extensions and escaping tight situations.
• Command Grabs (e.g., Android 16's Hell Flash): Unblockable attacks that can catch unsuspecting opponents. While often slow to execute, they deal significant damage and can be a powerful tool against overly defensive players.
• Anti-Air Attacks (e.g., Goku's Dragon Flash Fist): Designed to intercept airborne opponents. These moves often have invincibility frames, making them excellent for punishing jump-ins.
• Enhanced Special Moves (EX Moves): Many Special Moves have an "EX" version, performed by using the Heavy attack button instead of Light or Medium, or by consuming an additional small amount of Ki. EX moves often have faster startup, increased damage, or additional properties like invincibility, making them more potent but also more costly.

Supers: Unleashing Devastation

Supers are cinematic, high-damage attacks that require a significant investment of your Ki Gauge. They are typically performed with a quarter-circle or half-circle input combined with the Special or Heavy button. Each character possesses at least two distinct Supers, often a Level 1 Super and a Level 3 Super.

Level 1 Supers (1 Ki Bar)

These are your most accessible Supers, costing only one bar of Ki. They are excellent for ending combos, punishing mistakes, or extending pressure. Many Level 1 Supers can be chained into from various normal and special attacks, making them integral to maximizing combo damage.

• Execution: Typically Quarter-Circle Forward (236) + Light/Medium (or Special button).
• Strategy:
  • Combo Enders: Use them to cap off a successful combo for guaranteed damage.
  • Punishers: React quickly to whiffed attacks or blocked specials with a Level 1 Super.
  • Wake-up Options: Some Level 1 Supers have invincibility frames on startup, making them risky but rewarding options for escaping opponent pressure on wake-up.

Level 3 Supers (3-5 Ki Bars)

These are your character's ultimate attacks, dealing massive damage and often featuring impressive cinematic sequences. Level 3 Supers typically cost 3 Ki bars, but some characters have unique Level 5 Supers that consume even more for devastating effects.

• Execution: Typically Quarter-Circle Back (214) + Heavy/Special (or specific character inputs).
• Strategy:
  • Finishing Blows: Ideal for securing KOs, especially against opponents with low health.
  • Damage Scaling: Be mindful of damage scaling. While Level 3 Supers do high raw damage, their effectiveness can be reduced if used at the end of a very long combo. Sometimes, it's better to use them earlier in a combo if you have the opportunity.
  • Dramatic Finishes: Certain Level 3 Supers, when used to defeat a specific opponent on a specific stage, can trigger a unique "Dramatic Finish" animation, a stylish way to end a match. Experiment with different character matchups and stages to discover these.

Super Dash & Dragon Rush

While not strictly Special Moves or Supers in the traditional sense, these universal mechanics are crucial for understanding offensive flow and combo extensions:

• Super Dash (Heavy + Special): Costs no Ki. Your character flies towards the opponent, tracking them across the screen. It's a powerful tool for initiating offense, closing gaps, and extending air combos. However, it's vulnerable to anti-air attacks and can be punished if blocked.
• Dragon Rush (Light + Medium): Costs no Ki. An unblockable command grab that initiates a cinematic sequence, dealing damage and allowing for a follow-up attack or character swap. It's excellent for breaking through an opponent's guard or punishing passive play.

Practice these moves in the Training Mode to understand their range, speed, and recovery. Experiment with different characters to find the Special Moves and Supers that best suit your playstyle and team composition.