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- Dragon Knight Overview
- Dragon Knight Special Moves
- Dragon Knight MP Special Moves
- Dragon Knight Awakening Skill And Effect
There are sixteen playable characters in DNF Duel, all contributing their own unique and chaotic twist on the game's fast-paced combat system. Dragon Knight is an excellent example of how characters can mix things up, as she's allowed to send her adorable dragon companion, Astra, into battle to help her extend combos, create pressure, and much more.
With the ability to create pressure from just about anywhere and mix her opponents up with quick and hard-to-read overheads, Dragon Knight offers a devious and direct playstyle that can be hard to deal with if you're on the receiving end of her fury. However, as much as she's fierce, she can be equally tricky to pick up, which is her biggest drawback.
Dragon Knight Overview
In a cast of insane characters, Dragon Knight is among the most unique, thanks partly to her dragon buddy, Astra, and her ability to temporarily fly and swiftly dash across the stage to escape danger, close the gap, or land an instant overhead. However, like most mix-up and pressure-focused characters in fighting games, she can be a bit overwhelming to try and pick up for newcomers, as she has many tools at her disposal that you must be using at all times to get the most out of her.
This isn't to say that beginners shouldn't play her, just that learning how to properly weave in Astra and extend combos will take a bit more time with someone like Dragon Knight as opposed to some of the other options you have available to you. Still, what she offers gives her the potential to be an exceptional character with tons of potential, which is always exciting.
Before moving on, if you are yet to familiarize yourself with the terminology/notations of DNF Duel, please take the time to look over the chart provided below. We will be referring to several in-game terms throughout the guide, so it'd be best to brush up on them to avoid confusion!
DNF Duel Notations
| Command Name | Command Display |
| Standard A | A |
| Standard B | B |
| Skill | S |
| Mana Skill | MS |
| Awakening Skill | AS |
| Guard | G |
| Down Back | 1/⭩ |
| Down | 2/⭣ |
| Down Forward | 3/⭨ |
| Back | 4/⭠ |
| Neutral | 5 |
| Forward | 6/⭢ |
| Up Back | 7/⭦ |
| Up | 8/⭡ |
| Up Forward | 9/⭧ |
| Jump
Jump refers to any of the three "up" commands. |
789/⭦⭡⭧ |
Dragon Knight Special Moves
Let's go over Dragon Knight's standard Special Moves to kick things off. These actions don't require Mana to use, but they are incredibly powerful and can help set combos up or extend them further and will lead into Mana Skills, which we will touch on later. The most crucial thing to remember about Special Moves in DNF Duel is that they are more or less overpowered standard attacks, as you will use them frequently, and they (typically) come with no cost or downside.
Lethal Punto
Beginning with Dragon Knight's "Lethal Punto," her 5S action that acts as a long-range poke and is an excellent way to keep your opponent in a blockstring due to it being safe on block from almost any distance. Furthermore, Lethal Punto can also be charged by holding the input in, which provides significantly more damage and range and is also safer on block, making it one of the best Skills at her disposal.
If the charged Lethal Punto hits your target, it will cause your target to bounce off the wall and place them into a hard knocked-down state, allowing you to follow up with other attacks if you are quick enough. Not only is the charged version better, but it is also frequently used in corner combos to extend them and deal excessive damage.
Shield Uppercut and Finish!
Next up, we will be focusing on arguably the two strongest Special Moves Dragon Knight has at her disposal: her "Shield Uppercut" and "Finish!" actions. Shield Uppercut is her 2S action and her traditional launcher ability, helping set combos up by knocking her opponent high into the air, allowing her to follow up with a couple of other actions. This action is typically canceled into from her standard 5B and will almost always be followed up with Finish!
Finish! is an action where Dragon Knight swiftly jumps into the air before slamming back down to the ground with tremendous force, sending the opponent airborne as a result. Finish! is her 4S Special Move and is almost always used to extend your combo after performing Shield Uppercut. Additionally, you can cancel into every ground-based MP Special Move after landing the second hit of Finish!, letting you deal even more damage than before.
Sky Break
Sky Break is Dragon Knight's anti-air and an extraordinarily good one at that. This action is performed by inputting 6S and will launch Dragon Knight at a sharp angle with tremendous speed, force, and momentum. Furthermore, what makes this Special Move so great is that you will recover while still in mid-air, allowing you to chain directly into Knuckle Blaster (covered below) or Dragon Wing (covered in the next section). The unique recovery options Dragon Knight has access to with Sky Break make it a relatively safe move to toss out, as you can go for overheads, stall and bait your opponent, and much more.
Knuckle Blaster
Finally, our last standard Special Move is Dragon Knight's Jump S action, "Knuckle Blaster." This ability is the only standard Special Move Dragon Knight can access while airborne, but it's a potent and essential one. The Knuckle Blaster is an excellent action to cast out if you need to control space, bait your opponent into committing to an anti-air, and can even be canceled into your Jump MS (Dragon Wing) to ensure the attack connects or not. If successful, you can dash through the air and hit your opponent with Jump A to start a combo. Furthermore, if your opponent blocks the attack, you can still soar through the air and attempt to land a falling overhead, which will chain into other attacks that can lead to another full combo.
Knuckle Blaster is a crucial part of Dragon Knight's game plan. It allows her to keep excessive pressure on her opponent while attempting to sneak in overhead mix-ups to open her target up and finish strong with a combo. This is only half the battle, as Dragon Knight has access to excellent MP Special Moves that add to mind-games, pressure, and overall swift decision-making.
Dragon Knight MP Special Moves
With the Special Moves out of the way, it's time to get into the bread and butter of every character in DNF Duel: MP Special Moves. MP Special Moves are skills that require Mana to be used, a resource you must smartly manage throughout each round of a match. Pushing past your allotted Mana will temporarily place you in an exhausted state, meaning you will not be able to perform any of these actions until it restores. Below are Dragon Knight's MP Special Moves (Mana Skills), their uses, and how you should aim to weave them into your combo strings!
Dragon Wing
"Dragon Wing" was already mentioned a few times in the section above, but it cannot be overstated how crucial this action is to Dragon Knight and her success on the battlefield. This action is performed by inputting the command Jump MS, which will have Dragon Knight sprout the wings of a dragon and hover in place. Once in this state, you now have several options at your disposal:
- Dash Forward (6MS): Dashing Forward will swiftly send Dragon Knight roughly half the screen, allowing her to extend aerial combos. This action can be used after hitting an enemy with Knuckle Blaster to continue the attack string, get in on an enemy quickly, or even whenever you're very low to the ground for instant overheads.
- Dash Backward (4MS): Dashing Backward is Dragon Knight's get out of jail free card as it launches her backward roughly a quarter of the screen with tremendous speed, making it near impossible for her opponent to answer back.
- Cancel Action (5MS): Pressing the MS button a second time without holding forward or backward will cancel Dragon Wing and send Dragon Knight back to the ground. This will be useful whenever you want to stall to bait out an opponent's attack, and dashing in either direction will place you away from them. This way, you can drop on them with an overhead and continue into a combo.
Unfortunately, an ability this powerful does consume lots of Mana, so you cannot rely on it too much. The initial cast of Dragon Wing costs 30 MP and will gradually drain your MP, and dashing either forward or backward will cost an additional 15 MP. So be absolutely positive this is what you want to do before executing it, and make sure you have the MP to spare before attempting it!
Summoning Astra + Additional Actions
Summoning Astra, Dragon Knight's adorable dragon friend, has tremendous potential and is easily her best tool when used correctly. However, this action can ultimately turn away newcomers as it can be pretty challenging to know when and how to weave Astra into your combos, especially in the heat of DNF Duel's off-the-rails matches.
Astra has four general uses, all of which Dragon Knight uses to set up or extend combos depending on how, where, and when you execute the command. To call forth Astra, you will have to input the command 5MS, which can then get followed up with three other inputs to change what Astra does: A (Dragon Force), B (Dragon Breath), and S (Dragon Fang). For more information on Astra, please use the table we prepared below!
| Action | Input | Description | MP Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summon Astra | 5MS | Astra flies towards the enemy before stopping near them and releasing a damaging shockwave with the attack potency of 60.
If the enemy hits Astra before they reach their destination, Astra will return to Dragon Knight. This is an excellent way to force enemies into hitting Astra so that you can counter-attack them. |
50 |
| Dragon Force | 5MS+A | Astra breathes three fireballs in a controlled pattern that travels across the entire stage, dealing 80 damage per fireball.
This action is useful during corner combos and long-range pressure, but it is ultimately the worst Astra Action because it is highly situational. |
70 (total) |
| Dragon Breath | 5MS+B | Unlike Dragon Force, Dragon Breath has Astra shoot one super-charged fireball across the entire stage that takes the shape of a dragon and can deal up to 225 damage if the entirety of the attack hits the enemy.
This allows Dragon Knight to extend mid-screen combos, set up corner combos, and even catch enemies off-guard if Astra ends up behind them, as they will have to block in anticipation, opening them up to an overhead. Dragon Breath is the best Astra has to offer. |
80 (total) |
| Dragon Fang | 5MS+S | Astra flies at the enemy before spinning around with tremendous force, becoming invincible until the attack is over. If Astra hits the opponent with each spin-attack, they can deal up to 240 damage.
Dragon Fang is used primarily for extending corner combos and for keeping pressure on your opponent who may be in a block-stun is stuck in an awkward situation. While Dragon Breath is more useful in the long run, Dragon Fang will deal tremendous amounts of damage with the proper corner setup. |
90 (total) |
Dragon Smash
"Dragon Smash" is Dragon Knight's DP (Dragon Punch), her reversal that allows her to escape many sticky situations and even extend combos. This action is invincible on startup and can chain into Biting Dragon, another excellent MP Special Move of hers. While this is a fantastic defensive tool, use it responsibly, as whiffing with it will leave you vulnerable, opening you up to a potentially deadly combo. We suggest using this move sparingly and only when needed, as your opponent can easily bait it if you're relying on it too much.
Additionally, Dragon Smash costs 60 MP to cast and can hit your opponent twice, with each hit dealing 80 damage. However, if it's blocked, you will be negative for the subsequent 44 frames, meaning you will likely get lit up by a conscious opponent.
You can perform Dragon Smash in two ways: 2M or 623M (⭢⭣⭨M). Inputting the full motion controls of the action will regenerate your MP faster and has no other benefit.
Dragon Warrior Princess
"Dragon Warrior Princess" is a far-reaching slash that is an excellent tool for counter-poking your opponent. This is a useful Mana Skill to use if you notice your opponent is hitting Astra, as you can throw Astra out, bait their attack, and hit them with this long-ranged power strike. Furthermore, Dragon Warrior Princess is just generally a good action against opponents who out-range you in most situations, giving you a fighting chance. Also, landing a counterhit with DWP will place your opponent in a hard knocked-down state, allowing you to capitalize with follow-up attacks and positioning.
The MP Cost of Dragon Warrior Princes is 40, with its damage potency coming in at 120. While this action is negative by eight frames on block, since you will typically be using it from a far distance, it shouldn't matter too much. Just be cautious not to use it too close to your opponent if there's a chance they can block it.
Dragon Warrior Princes' input commands are 6M or 236M (⭣⭨⭢M). Inputting the full motion controls of the action will regenerate your MP faster and has no other benefit.
Biting Dragon
And finally, time to finish our MP Special Moves strong with one of Dragon Knight's best moves, the "Biting Dragon." This action is a hitgrab that typically comes at the tail end of a combo or can be used to stop an over-egregious opponent from charging in or spamming attacks with a long startup. Biting Dragon is typically performed after you execute either Lethal Punto or Finish! If the grab is successful, you will launch your target high into the air, giving you just enough time to follow it up with Dragon Smash. Biting Dragon costs 50 MP and deals 100 damage.
To execute Biting Dragon, enter either of the following inputs: 4M or 214M (⭣⭩⭠M). Inputting the full motion controls of the action will regenerate your MP faster and has no other benefit.
Dragon Knight Awakening Skill And Effect
Closing the guide will be a look at Dragon Knight's Awakening Skill and Passive Effect, which act as the game's "comeback mechanic," activating when you drop to 30 percent HP.
Her Awakening Skill, "Dragon Sortie," essentially offers a long-range Super Attack that plays out a long, badass cutscene of Dragon Knight riding on the back of an enormous dragon. The Dragon breathes a blue death laser from far above the stage onto the enemy below, followed immediately by Dragon Knight taking a plunge off the Dragon, to the ground below, with a meteoric slash to deliver the finishing blow. This Awakening Skill is incredible to watch unfold and deals a devastating 400 damage. Furthermore, the range of the attack allows you to finish most combos off with it and even catch opponents off guard that are either airborne or disrespecting your reach. Due to Dragon Sortie being an Awakening Skill, all you have to do is press whichever button you have assigned to AS to activate it!
Finally, let's close this thing out by talking about her Passive Effect that becomes available whenever she enters the Awakened state. Dragon Knight's Passive Effect, "Dragon Force," doubles her MP Recovery Speed Rate both passively and on hit, which is mega-beneficial for her playstyle. Dragon Knight is one of the more Mana-hungry characters in this game, and getting MP back at double the rate is a game-changer as it allows you to use Astra more frequently and even chain together more MP Special Moves.
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