DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY CHARACTER GUIDE ~KUJA~ BY NEXUS_NOCTURNAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To find things faster just use the Find Function (Ctrl + F) and type in the key. mmk? I. Why make an faq? [FAQ1] II. The Angel of Death, Kuja [AODK] III. Tools of the Trade a. Brave Attacks [TOTB] b. Hit Point Attacks [TOTH] IV. Fighting Styles a. Point Blank Kuja [FSPB] b. Distanced Kuja [FSDK] c. Other Techniques [OTHR] V. Vs. Other Characters a. Warrior of Light [VWOL] b. Garland [VGAR] c. Firion [VFIR] d. Emperor [VEMP] e. Onion Knight [VONK] f. Cloud of Darkness [VCOD] g. Cecil [VCEC] h. Golbez [VGOL] i. Bartz [VBAR] j. Exdeath [VEXD] k. Terra [VTER] l. Kefka [VKEF] m. Cloud [VCLD] n. Sephiroth [VSEP] o. Squall [VSQL] p. Ultimecia [VULT] q. Zidane [VZID] r. Kuja [VKJA] s. Tidus [VTID] t. Jecht [VJCT] u. Shantotto [VSAN] v. Gabranth [VGAB] VI. Misc Info. [MISC] VII. Version History [VRHS] ----------------------------------------------------------- I. Why make an FAQ? [FAQ1] ----------------------------------------------------------- Why indeed. Well for starters Kuja is a very popular character of choice in Dissidia and is very versatile with many different play styles and a very big move set (Compared to other characters in Dissidia), and yet, no one has bothered creating an faq for him yet. Kuja is by far my favorite character to play as and is also my favorite villain in the Final Fantasy series (And he doesnt dress half bad either!), so I decided, what the heck, Ill make the Kuja faq! Fun fact, this is will also be my first FAQ ever on GameFAQs so I hope it comes in handy to any Kuja players out there. So please, do enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------- II. The Angel of Death, Kuja [AODK] ----------------------------------------------------------- WARNING: The following section has major spoilers for FFIX and will explain Kujas history in detail, so, if you ever plan on playing the game, or you already are, dont read this part. But if you have no plans on playing FFIX and would like to know some more about Kuja, do continue. Kuja in FFIX is a being known as a Genome. A vessel of flesh with out a spirit created by Garland on the planet Terra, but unlike the other Genomes, Kuja, was granted a soul and free will. Only two other Genomes have such gifts, those two would be Zidane and Mikoto. Normally all Genomes look the same. They all look like Zidane. Blonde hair, monkey tails, and even body structure, except the females of course. Kuja though hates Genomes and everything about them. So he wears lavish and strange robes and changed his hair dramatically and wears make up to distance himself from the other Genomes. Kujas purpose for existing is to travel to the planet Gaia and cause death and destruction to cycle out all of Gaias souls so Gaia can be replaced by Terra, for Terra is a dieing planet. Later on Garland created Zidane, who would replace Kuja who was an inferior model. Kuja didnt like this at all and the idea of being replaced didnt sit well with him, so while Zidane was still a child Kuja kidnapped him and hid him on Gaia where Garland would never be able to find him. While on Gaia Kuja created the Black Mages from the mist that was produced by the Iifa Tree. He also corrupted the once kind Queen Brahne, and through her, destroyed several major cities across the world. On the forgotten continent though, he finally turned on her and took back control of the Edolon Bahamut and used it against her. While on Gaia Kuja had a secret agenda of his own though. His plan was to kill Garland. Kuja wanted to over through Garland but at his current power such a thing would not be possible, so Kuja searched for powerful Edolons for him to use against Garland, for Garland feared the power of the Summon Creatures. Ultimately this plan failed but Kuja hadnt given up. Later on the Planet Terra Kuja uses Zidane and his friends to weaken Garland so that he could deal the killing blow. After this he fought Zidane head on. After sustaining some damage putting him to his limit, and using the thousands of souls sealed in the airship Invincible, Kuja was able to produce a Trance, making him infinitely more powerful. With his new power, Kuja destroyed the planet Terra, completely glassing its surface using the spell Ultima. How ever, Garland after death reveals to Kuja that his time is almost up, and that Kuja will die as soon as Zidanes true power awakens. Angered by this sudden turn of events Kuja decides that if he cant live, no one else can. Traveling millions of years back in time using a portal above the Iifa Tree, Kuja plans to destroy the Crystal, The source of all life. Here Zidane would fight Kuja for the final time. The battle ends in a tie. As Zidane and his friends push Kuja to the brink of death, Kuja retaliates by using Ultima one last time with his remaining strength, killing every one. While in death, Zidane and his friends fought the being known as Necron, who, seeing Kujas anger and lust for death, decided to grant Kuja his wish, and return all to the Zero World. After a harsh battle Zidane and his friends are victorious. Realizing the error of his ways, Kuja revives the party, and returns them to the outside of the Iifa Tree as a way of saying sorry. Feeling a need to help Kuja, Zidane, alone, travels back in the raging Iifa Tree in an attempt to save Kuja. There on his death bed, Kuja and Zidane share one last scene before a branch comes down supposedly crushing them both. Although Kuja is remembered by many as an evil being who caused nothing by chaos, the Genomes remember Kuja as a beacon of hope. Kuja went against the role that was handed to him, and defied fate and took his destiny into his own hands. -------------------------------------------------- (WARNING!!!!) Because I didnt feel like remaking a WHOLE FAQ and just updated the Japanese one, I still might accidentally call names by their Japanese names. Such as Energy Burst instead of Burst Energy and Holy Star instead of Seraphic Star. -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- III. Tools of the Trade [TOTB] ----------------------------------------------------------- a. Brave Attacks Unlike most characters, Kuja is unique in that he can equip every attack he has to both his ground and air attack slots. Same for his HP attacks. That means if you see a move you really like, you can use it both in the air or the ground when ever you like. Kujas brave attacks are unique in the sense that Kuja can still move at full speed while attacking, also, all but 2 of Kujas attacks chain into 2 of 4 different follow up attacks depending on his distance from the enemy after the initial attack lands. When Kuja is close to the enemy during the follow up attack he will either create a big flare ball in front of him that drills into the enemy before launching them away (Sort of like Squalls Revolver Dive) or he creates a hula-hoop of spheres around him that juggle the enemy for a second before launching them up into the air creating a chase. If Kuja is far away from the enemy on activation however, Kuja will either surround them with several spheres that cress cross through the enemy dealing damage and sending them in the air for a chase, or he blasts the enemy up and down several times with flare spells. With the right follow up attack he can effectively deal damage to the enemy with out worrying about them EX Guarding. Now for the actual brave attacks Name CP AP ====================================== Strike Energy 30 180 ====================================== Personal favorite of mine, Strike Energy is one of Kujas close range melee attacks. Kuja quickly shoots out 4 spheres in front of himself that quickly strike the enemy to set them up for its follow up attacks. Yup, thats it, just a nice quick 4 hit poke attack. The attack itself is so fast that its hard for human players in no lag to block it on reaction. As long as you dont make it obvious when you are going to use it you should always be able to hit with out worrying about being guarded. The attack is best paired with Burst Energy. Name CP AP ====================================== Snatch Shots 30 180 ====================================== Snatch Shots is the attack where Kuja fires 2 flare orbs that home in on the enemy and draws them closer to Kuja setting them up for his follow up attacks. Snatch Shots can also be comboed into Strike Energy or Energy Burst for extra damage. If you are really good and you are close to a wall you can combo all 3 attacks. Do Snatch Shots > Dodge Cancel, Strike Energy (Far away fallow up into wall) > Dodge Cancel above the enemies head > Energy Burst. Snatch Shots homing is a little limited to just about directly in front of Kuja. Its range is similar to Seraphic Stars but it can bend up or down farther, and faster. The farther away from the opponent Kuja is, the lower or higher you can be from their current vertical plain to allow Snatch Shots to hit. Name CP AP ====================================== Holy Rings 20 120 ====================================== Holy Ring is the worst out of Kujas 3 long range attacks. They are really slow and have a distinct loud buzzing sound that gives them away, not only that but it is easily guarded or dashed. It is possible to chain them with Ultima and Seraphic Star if the three rings hit. But, because moving Kuja will also influence how the rings move, you can make it so all 3 hit at once, which will prevent you from being able to combo in Seraphic Star and Ultima. Name CP AP ====================================== Snatch Blow 30 180 ====================================== Snatch blow is rather slow compared to Kujas other 2 melee attacks, but it has a much greater range so it doesnt require you to be so close to the enemy, and if it is blocked at its peek, there is a chance you can recover before you get attacked. The attack itself has Kuja launching a ring of orbs at the enemy. If the attack lands the orbs drag the enemy all the way back to Kuja for his follow up attacks. Also the attack can go through walls so you can hide behind different objects so you may attack the enemy safely. This is really fun to use in Pandemonium :D. Snatch Blow also wacks away all projectiles in its path, making it easy to grab Kefka, or Ultimecia. It also goes through Emperors Flare. Name CP AP ====================================== Energy Burst 30 180 ====================================== Energy Burst is a very fun attack indeed. Although you have to be stupid close for it to hit, guarding does not cause Kuja to stagger at all. In fact, if it is guarded by attacks like Sephiroths Scintella (Spelling? Im just gonna call it Flash >.>) or Firions Shield Bash, you can easily dodge over their heads and use it again while they are defenseless. You can also move freely during the attack so you can back away safely from normal guards. Energy Burst also has some very delicious vertical tracking. It makes it very easy to mind attack people by dropping slowly than popping back up to blast them in the face or travel above them into their blind zone to snipe them Name CP AP ====================================== Remote Flare 30 180 ====================================== Remote Flare, A.K.A, The Mages Bane, is a very nice attack to have when fighting other mages like Emperor and Shantotto. By keeping a steady stream of Remote Flare pressure you can prevent people from casting spells. It can also be used to knock Ultimecia and Kefka out of a lot of their HP attacks safely. Coupled with Snatch Blow and Pandemonium, you can practically when the fight whilst hiding behind a brick wall the entire time. The attack itself is not very good on Melee characters, but if the enemy tries to dodge it right away, the Flare will dramatically change their spawning point to catch them on the cool down. ----------------------------------------------------------- III. Tools of the Trade [TOTH] ----------------------------------------------------------- b. Hit Point Attacks Kuja only has 3 HP attacks and no Brave to HP combos, but the HP attacks he does have are very useful, and cover all range areas. Lets go check them out. Name CP AP ======================================== Seraphic Star 40 180 ======================================== At first glance Seraphic Star looks pretty pathetic, but it is actually very useful and versatile if you know its range. The attack itself is very fast and very quick, able to hit people off wiffs from Brave Attacks. It also has a nice suction effect, so even if it does miss, youll have plenty of time to escape and recover way before the enemy can get to you. Seraphic Stars Range is just a little bit further than Firions Master of Arms, to give you a bit of an idea what its range is like, and it also has some small vertical homing and will either bend up or down a little bit to get the enemy. Some times it will hit the ground and stop short its full length. It also stops when it hits walls and the such. Name CP AP ====================================== Flare Star 40 180 ====================================== Flare Star is probably Kujas second best HP attack and is best used after guarding the enemy or after crashing the enemy into the ground. If the enemies Dodge range is short, you can also hit them as they try to get away. Much like FFIXs Flare Star, Kuja summons a ring of 5 orbs that twirl up in the air and come crashing down on one another making a huge explosion. The 5 orbs can hit the enemy any time they are moving, this includes when they are first summoned. The initial BRV damage from the attack is enough to break if the enemy has BRV around 200 or so. There is also a Glitch where if you are hit during the starting animations of Flare Star and you EX Guard the attack, the ending Explosion of Flare Star can randomly activate and hit the enemy, even if you have already started another attack. Name CP AP ====================================== Ultima 40 300 ====================================== Although Ultima doesnt have its planet killing powers that it has in Final Fantasy IX, the attack itself is actually pretty damn nasty. Kuja charges up the attack which causes a big orb to appear above the enemy. If they dont dodge in time the big orb drops dozens of small orbs on the enemy before exploding in a catastrophic sphere of death. The attack can also hit if the enemy times their dodge too early as well too. The spell can be used to catch enemies on wiffs or in the middle of attacks, and it teaches the likes of Sephiroth and Kefka to not use their charging attacks such as Meteor and Missing Zero. Also a nice thing to note is that Kuja can move freely during the whole spell. That means even if it wiffs, by the time the enemy dodges around it and dash at you, you would have recovered way before they could actually hit you. Kujas speed during the spell is also just fast enough for him to move out of the way of Squalls Rough Divide too, so no worries there either. Also, Exdeath can not guard Ultima at all, so this gives you a very safe option to finish the match off. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Fighting Styles [FSPB] ----------------------------------------------------------- a. Point Blank Kuja In this section, and the following, we will go in-depth on the different play styles of Kuja. Because Kuja can cover all ranges effectively you can create Kujas of varying styles to fit almost all situations and any character with a little planning and elbow grease. It is a very good idea to go and master every ability on Kuja, Brave, HP, Action Abilities, everything. You dont have to do silly things like Auto-Chase and such, but its a good idea to have everything mastered so you can effectively cram in everything to maximize Kujas potential. Now, lets start with the Point Blank Kuja, or CQC Kuja as I like to call him (Yes, Kuja was a student of The Boss). Most people read Kujas think Kuja is meant to be fought as a long range magic user. This however is not true. He can cover all ranges, and he covers close range very effectively too. The ideal move set would be Snatch Shots, Energy Burst, and Strike Energy. Even with a close range fighting style, having a long range attack gives you an option against people that run away and offers you another option to attack with when the enemy has full EX. Not only that but all 3 attacks can be comboed, and all great melee characters need combos. Your main attack strategy is going to be rushing the enemy down with Energy Burst or Strike Energy. Because of Energy Bursts properties it effectively removes the threat of Warrior of Lights Shield of Light, Firions Shield Bash, and Sephiroths Flash. Just make sure you use the attack before you dash too far and run into their shields with your face, and also make sure to dodge away after the back to evade the upcoming counter attack. When the enemy has full EX you should interchange Strike Energy and Energy Burst. Because both Energy Bursts follow up attacks can be EXd, that removes a big chuck of brave income, so youll want to sneak in Strike Energy for its long range follow ups dont cause Kuja to stagger if the enemy EX guards. Strike Energy also allows you to quickly catch enemies on wiffs. For example, if Squall uses Ariel Circle Strike Energy allows you to quickly poke Squall while staying out of that exploding circle. To keep the enemy guessing make sure to get really good at Chase Games. It is an easy way for Kuja to get in a HP attack. And remember, the chase ends when the enemy gets their third turn, after you dodge the final attack, smack them with Strike Energy for a free shot or Energy Burst to start the cycle all over again after the chase finishes. If the enemy starts catching on, skip the whole chase and dash right up to them and get them from under with Energy Burst. It also possible to hit the enemy with Flare Star if you knock them to the ground with a Brave attack in chase. Now, we shall discuss what action abilities and such you should have equipped on Kuja. I myself, have all ground slots unequipped so I can maximize maneuverability and critical power increase. Most fights take place in the air any way so its all good. Now, because Air Slide is very fast and can get you that much needed EX Core, you will want to keep Air Slide up, but keep Jump Times down. So equip 2 or 3 Air Slides but only 1 Jump Times +, or even none at all is OK too. Youll want to be in the enemies face so there is no reason to be higher in the air than them also any way. Speed ++ is a must too, so is Parry Movement and Evasion Efficiency. Rather or not you want to equip Evasion Movement Up is up to you, but if you do equip it, it makes comboing Snatch Shots and Energy Burst/Strike harder. It also makes punishing wiffs harder because Kuja is going to be farther away from the enemy and his attacks have short range. On the other hand though, if you are fighting Garland, you can use it to dodge right through his Tornado and attack him before he uses Blaze. Counter Attack and Sneak Attack are very useful, because of Kujas quick attacks the chances of you hitting the enemy while they are in the middle of an attack are very high, and because some of Kujas follow up attacks hit from behind, they have a chance to activate Sneak Attack. If you are good at guarding use Ripostle, and if you have enough CP for another, equip Cat Nip. Cat Nip is very useful against the likes of Squall and Sephiroth and will help keep you from getting hit by that last devastating attack. Equip your Anti Critical Ability depending on who you are fighting. Like if you are Fighting Squall, use Ineffective Sneak attack as Beat Fang ALWAYS activates Sneak Attack. Also, you probably dont want to use Ineffective Ripostle as the chances of your opponent guarding an attack that are stupid fast is stupid low >.>. Pick your favorite EXP to ____ and stick with it. If you have extra CP equip something useful, such as Concentration or something. I like to use Physical Shield myself, Snooze and Lose is also nice. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Fighting Styles [FSDK] ----------------------------------------------------------- b. Distanced Kuja Long Range is pretty much the opposite of CQC Kuja, instead of 2 melee and 1 long range attack; he has 2 long range and 1 melee attack. The main focus of Long Range Kuja is to always pressure the enemy with Remote Flare and Snatch Shots and than getting them with Snatch Blow as they squirm around trying to reach you. If the enemy just dashes right at you, you can just dodge over and away and continue to back up as you use your projectile attacks. If they get too close while they dash you can guard and get them with Snatch Blow. If you are fighting Squall or Cloud, you might want to take out Snatch Blow for Strike Energy as these two need to get close in order to do damage, if it is Sephiroth though you are better off with Snatch Blow as Sephiroth has a very long reach. When fighting other mages you will want to do the same and keep Snatch Blow, as Snatch Blow drills right past projectile attacks like Ultimecias Arrows and Emperors Flare. Long Range Kuja is a nightmare for mage users. Fight Ultimecia and watch how she desperately tries to cast spells while Remote Flare is exploding all over her every 3 seconds. You always need to be doing something as long range Kuja too, and you should try playing on levels like Kefkas Tower and Pandemonium if you choose this play style as the small stages make it easy for you to hide and snipe them with Remote Flare and Snatch Blow (Snatch Blow goes through walls xD). Stages like the Void Castle and Cosmoss Throne are perfectly fine too however, for they are very large in size and offer plenty of escape routes. As far as abilities go, maneuverability is key. Have Jump Boost and Jump Times to help get in the air faster, and Speed ++ is always nice to have too. Omni Air Dash is very nice on Long Range Kuja. Because it has the speed of Air Slide you can take Air Slide off and boost up your Jumps and such, unlike with Short Range Kuja who NEEDS Air Dash. Dodge Movement Up will come in handy this time around. Also make sure to have Glide Up equipped to increase Glide time. Your critical set up should be similar to Short Range Kujas but you might want to have Anti Ripostle this time because of Snatch Blow. Again, you shouldnt have any of your ground slots equipped to help pool CP to your abilities. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Fighting Styles [OTHR] ----------------------------------------------------------- c. Other Techniques These are some interesting combos and such that you can use in battle to help give you an edge. Ultima Shielding. When you are below the enemy use Ultima and glide yourself under them as they move, If they dodge out of Ultima the Ultima spell itself will fall down on top of Kuja. If the enemy doesnt have a projectile attack or good enough reach, they can not hit you with out getting blasted themselves until the spell ends. You can also float around Ultima in a circle as they try to get around it to get at you, making an effective wall. Snatch Shots > Strike Energy > Burst Energy. When close to a wall you can combo all 3 attacks. You should practice this on a low level AI to get the idea down, and than boost it up or fight friends to get the timing. While the enemy is close to the wall, use Snatch Shots, as the enemy is dragged to Kuja dodge cancel back than forth and use Strike Energy. Next use Strike Energys long range Follow Up, the one that blasts the enemy up and down. The final blast should send them crashing into the wall. If the enemy hit the wall, Dodge Cancel forward above them and activate Burst Energy. Kuja will adjust himself vertically to match where the enemy is on the wall. If done correctly and fast enough by the time they get off the wall the blast from Burst Energy will hit them before the target regains control of the character. Endless Chasing As long as you are good at Chases and you are fast on the draw, you can keep you and the enemy stuck in the Chase mini game infinitely if you use Strike Energy or Energy Burst right away as the chase ends. Remember, the chase ends after the enemy does their third attack. If the other guy is faster however, he can dodge out of the way. If you are not good at chases, dont bother with this. EX Mode Super Glide Shield. In EX mode Kujas Glide is heavily modified. Now when he glides the orbs he twirls around are huge and darker in color. As he twirls them around he is protected by a very powerful shield that also deals damage to any one that comes close him. The shield cancels out most attacks, it even causes Chaos to stagger when he trys to do his FALCON KICK in the air, which normally goes right past guards like a hot knife in butter. EX Mode Dribble In EX mode when Kuja jumps the spheres around him spin around dealing damage as he falls. When he hits the ground they explode dealing more damage. It is possible to dribble your opponent up and down using this method. As you fall next to them and the orbs explode, jump up above them and fall. They will get caught by Kujas spinning orbs as he falls back down, and when they explode the enemy goes back up. Just keep repeating this as much as you like or until EX wears off. The Ex Mode Dribble is very hard to pull off and requires exact timing however, so you shouldnt try doing it unless you got practice. EX Mode Flare Stream to Flare Star Again, while in Ex Mode, as Kuja jumps, a stream of Flare orbs appear behind him and explode. If the enemy gets stuck in one, the Flares can explode and stun the enemy. While they are stuck in this explosion you can Flare Star them for the kill. You can also ram into them with your Glide for a little extra damage than use Flare Star if you want to. In fact I like gliding into them first to give me extra time to Flare Star. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VWOL] ----------------------------------------------------------- a. Warrior of Light This next section will give you tips on how to approach and fight other characters. Lets start with Warrior of Light Warrior of Lights attacks are pretty linear which means Kuja is probably his worst match. Being able to move while attacking is a huge advantage. Close Range Kuja using Energy Burst is impossible for Warrior of Light to punish with his slow attacks. Long Range Kuja should be able keep WoL busy for a long time too, as it makes using his Fangs dangerous as it will make him an easy target for Remote Flare. When close to the ground, if WoL uses his Lighting Spell, use Seraphic Star and by the time WoL gets out of his cool down the spell should already have activated on top of him. Watch out though, if he uses Blizzard instead the snow balls will hit you before Seraphic Star deals damage. Make sure to watch out for his Shield Attacks in the air, they are pretty fast and make it dangerous to use Energy Burst. But if you are above him you can Glide around and see if the enemy tries to get you, in which case you can Guard it for a free counter attack. His Radiant Swords in the air are also pretty nasty. Dont ignore them as they can get pretty fast and it is best to dodge forward above them. Dont do this close to WoL however, as he can grab you while you are in your dodging animation. Warrior of Light is probably a 4 out of 10 on difficulty. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VGAR] ----------------------------------------------------------- b. Garland Garland is far less dangerous than his hero counter part. Tornado and Blaze combo is hard to approach and using Ultima while he is casting Blaze is dangerous. What ever you do, dont drop to far below or above him when he uses this spell as it becomes hard to dodge. Best strategy is to dash at him while he is casting Tornado and dodge through it. From there you can get him with Energy Burst or Strike Energy. Garlands air game is pretty solid but sadly yours is better. If he gets close he will most likely be trying to get you with the Ban Hammer, but Burst Energy is faster and can get him from above. Garlands Hammer attack only corrects him vertically if he is above you. If you get above him he will most likely try to get you with the drill instead. As long as you see it coming you can block it easily and punish him. If you are using Long Range Kuja, use Snatch Shots and Snatch Blow to punish wiffs and blocks and use Remote Flare when he trys to Tornado + Blaze you. Also watch out for his Fish Hook. He normally yells really loud when he uses it so you can see it coming a mile away. Short Range Kuja will have a harder time with Garland and his Tornado + Blaze combo being harder to approach unless you take Snatch Shots out for Remote Flare or Snatch Blow, but Long Range Kuja already comes with all the tools needed to take care of Garland. Just dont get close to the ground. All in all, Garland is around 3.5 out of 10 ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VFIR] ----------------------------------------------------------- c. Firion Firion is stupid easy to beat as Kuja, Short Range or Long Range. No matter what attack Firion does it forces him to stop moving and he stands still for the whole animation, this leaves him a sitting duck for Remote Flare or Ultima. For Close Range Kuja all you need is Energy Burst and there is pretty much nothing Firion can do. Just make sure to dodge away if he Shield Bashes it. He will always do the short range version so you dont need to worry about the homing spells. Energy Burst renders Firions greatest attack completely useless. There is really no reason why you should ever take damage. Your Seraphic Star also has longer range than his Master of Arms, so just dodge away out of its range and send a star down the whirlwind right back at him. Over all, Firion is a 0.5 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VEMP] ----------------------------------------------------------- d. Emperor Palamecia Emperor, another match up that Long Range Kuja is better suited for than Short Range. Although Kuja lacks an attack that can reflect Flare effectively you can still maneuver around it easily as you attack. Because youll be spending your time in the air, pressuring with Remote Flare and Snatch Shots, you dont have to worry about his pesky Lightning Crest, effectively taking away Emperors most dangerous tool. If Emperor tries hiding in his Air Flare while casting Star Fall use Remote Flare or Ultima to teach him the error of his ways. Short Range Kuja will have a harder time avoiding Lightning Crest and Flare but Snatch Shots gives you an effective way of picking him off between spell casts. Although Emperor is just as vulnerable as Firion is against Long Range Kuja, because he can put up some what of a fight against Short Range Kuja, I give him 2 out of 10. Also make sure to avoid small levels like Chaoss Throne because of Flare. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VONK] ----------------------------------------------------------- e. Onion Knight Maybe its just me, but the old school FFs have a hard time against Kuja... Any way, most (See: All) of Onion Knights attacks are very linear, thus, easily dodged by Kuja. How ever, if they do land, they can hurt a lot, doesnt help that they all link to HP attacks too. But sadly that wont matter as Onion Knight wont hit you if you are careful enough. 3 out of 4 of Onion Knights attacks go in a straight and are thus easily dodged by simply moving backwards and to the side. The 3 attacks in question are Onion Knights 2 melee attacks, and his Blizzard spell. His 4th attack, Thunder (his air magic attack) can be easily dodged by moving Kuja backwards, allowing Kuja to freely fall to the ground, or, you can dash right through it. In fact, if you dash towards OK as he starts the spell, the Thunder Orb will get reflected back in OKs face. OKs HP attacks are also very linear. His ground Melee HP attack is just like his BRV attack, and can be dodged easily or can be avoided by moving back and to the side. His Spell HP attack, Firaga, is also easily avoided by moving away from the expected impact zone of the blast. His air HP attacks are easier to punish. As he starts up an HP attack, just Air Slide away and start up Ultima. Overall I give the little devil 2 out of 10. Best to avoid small levels when fighting OK, also. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VCOD] ----------------------------------------------------------- f. Cloud of Darkness Cloud of Darkness is another relatively easy kill for Kuja. Before she can use her brave attacks Cloud of Darknesss tentacles move back and forth a few times. This is your sign to get ready to dodge or guard what ever attack is heading your way. If you can get CoD to use the brave attack where she creates a giant orb around her you can easily punish it with Seraphic Star. All her HP attacks have a relatively long start up time so you can get her easy with any of your attacks. Long Range Kuja will probably want to use Remote Flare to punish safely while Short Range Kuja will want to use Strike Energy if they are close or Snatch Shots if you dont think you can reach her in time. This is for her air HP attacks by the way, like her KAMEHAMEHA (0 Form) and Fullslide attack. None of her Ground HP attacks will reach you if you stay a safe distance away. Expect for maybe Anti Air and Long Range Particle Beam. In EX Mode her cool down and start up are greatly reduced so its best to move away and wait for EX to go away. Fullslide though in EX Mode can still be punished if you can reach her before the balls close back in. And chances are a desperate CoD user will spam Fullslide in one position. I give CoD about 3 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VCEC] ----------------------------------------------------------- g. Cecil Cecil is tough cookie. Dark Knight Cecil himself isnt that big of a threat, as he has little to no air game, and his ground attacks themselves are just as linear as Warrior of Lights. The real threat is Paladin Cecil. Search Light isnt a threat to Long Range Kuja as you can get him in the casting animation with Remote Flare, so you dont have to worry about his HP link. For Long Range Kuja youll probably want to rush forward or dash through them. Paladin Cecils brave attacks are very fast so you have little time to react to them. He can attack straight up and down like you so if you can get Energy Burst before he can use his attacks youll be able to get in damage before he does. You can also use Strike Energy to safely cancel out both your attacks and prevent being hit. Some Cecils can get cocky and make their attacks too obvious by being overly aggressive. If this happens just wait for them to get above or below you and guard appropriately. Cecils HP attacks leave him open for more than enough time to punish with your quick attacks so look for openings in wiffed HP attacks. Watch out for small stages as it makes it tricky to avoid his HP attacks. I give Cecil about 5 out of 10 because of Paladin Cecils high speed. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VGOL] ----------------------------------------------------------- h. Golbez Possibly your hardest match up yet, Golbez will give you a hard time approaching. Golbez can effectively set up a barrier around himself that makes it really hard to get any sort of attack in. His Night Glow HP attack on the ground can prevent you from using Energy Burst, and his ground brave attacks can make it impossible to approach safely and can constantly keep you pressured. Short Range Kuja will have a really hard time facing a good Goblez. Your only hope is to be extremely aggressive. If you can get him in the air, dont let him get down. Goblez is trash in the air and cant do a thing to you. His 3 air brave attacks are easy to dodge/block and punish. Even his air HP attack is easily punished by Kuja. If Golbez tries to use Genesis Rock, move back a few feet and use Ultima to punish him while the rocks are still spinning around him. Long Range Kuja will have an easier time, make sure to keep Golbez under constant pressure and dont get in range of his harsher ground attacks. Play it safe when around Goblez, fly away and use Ultima if you have to, just what ever you do, do not allow the battle to take place close to the ground. Over all, I give Golbez 8.5 out of 10 ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VBAR] ----------------------------------------------------------- I. Bartz Bartz is relatively easy to beat. Seeing as youll be in the air most the battle, his combos which can only be done on the ground are useless against you, and his only Brave to HP attack is laughable at best. Bartz is just a basic melee character and thus easily punished by either Long Range or Short Range Kuja. His Slide Hazzard in the air can be side stepped effortlessly by Long Range Kuja and a well timed Energy Burst can catch Bartz while he is sliding above you on the upward ark. His other brave attack in the air is Zidanes spinning attack, which actually has some good tracking, but it is easily guarded. Also something to take note of is that Bartz flashes brightly before attacking, so look for this as a sign to guard. In EX Mode Bartz has Goblin Punch. Normally Bartz players will keeping dashing right through your dodge and punch you, so skip the whole dodging thing and just out right guard him and punish him. Using rails and such to get away from him will be your best and safest bet though. This is one of those times where you will be thankful you equipped Omni Air Dash on Kuja. Over all I give Bartz a 6 out of 10, but only because of his stupidly broken Goblin Punch and Holy Spam can get annoying and dangerous. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VEXD] ----------------------------------------------------------- j. Exdeath Exdeath is LAWLZ worthy when fighting Kuja. Exdeath cant touch Kuja no matter what where as Kuja can fight back with out the worry of guarding. Remote Flare, Energy Burst, and your 3 HP attacks will be the only attacks you will need. Feel free to remove any other attacks to buff up your abilities. Remote Flare spawns all around Exdeath, thus removing the threat of High Guard, and requires stupid precise timing to guard, thus removing the threat of Omni Guard. Energy Burst has beautiful vertical tracking, so you can float above Exdeath into his Blind Spot and effectively mind game him or snipe him. Exdeath just can not guard Ultima at all, so to finish the match all you have to do is some how trick him into falling in to it. You can also try getting his back with Seraphic Star as he High Guards. Flare Star may not be very effective. Your best bet would be to go into EX Mode and Glide Poke him, or fall on top of him. Over all I give Exdeath a 1 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VTER] ----------------------------------------------------------- k. Terra Terra is again one of those tricky characters. Youll want to try and bait her into coming into air, as Meteor + Holy + Flare + Ultima hurts... a LOT. Her most useful move in the air is her Blizzard melee attack, but thankfully Short Range Kujas Strike Energy and Energy Burst are much quicker and easier to get off. Also be weary of Holy. If possible dash through the orbs and get her while she is still twirling around in the air. Watch out for her to cast Meltdown, a very dangerous HP attack. If you are quite a ways away from her you can attempt to use Ultima on her. If you are close dont take any chances and get away from her, the attack is very fast. Long Range Kuja will have an easier time as Remote Flare will get her in any of her casting animations, Meltdown, Holy, Flood, ect, non are safe if you are quick on the draw with Remote Flare. Overall I give Terra a 5.5 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VKEF] ----------------------------------------------------------- l. Kefka Canonly, Kefka is a beast, gameplay wise, not so much... All of Kefkas attacks can be dashed through except a select few. Watch out for his Ultima spell, as the small ball at the start of the spell can not be dashed or guarded. The other attack you can not dash would be his Back and Forth Firaga spell. When the ball is big, it can not be blocked or dashed, so try to reflect it back when Kefka is casting it, or when the ball is small. Overall though, Short Range Kuja will have a fun time with him. Long Range Kuja... will still have fun with this clown as Remote Flare pressure can easily prevent him from casting many of his spells while at a safe distance. If Kefka sees you dashing at him he might use Wings of Destruction, if so, stop and use Holy Star to deal HP damage while at a safe distance. Trine is easily dodged by simply letting Kuja fall down to the ground or jumping over it. Missing Zero is just plain unsafe for Kefka to cast as your Ultima will reach him before his reaches you. Kefka gets 5 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VCLD] ----------------------------------------------------------- m. Cloud Clouds air game is relatively useless against Kuja. The only move you really have to look out for is the Slash Blow attack. You know, the one that links to Omnislash V.5, but only because if he gets you with it early, and if it breaks you, you are pretty much starting the fight off with 1 HP thanks to the crash damage. Dont get too close to Cloud while he is on the ground. If you do there is chance he can hit you with Cutting Edge and combo it to Cross Slash. Also watch out for his Meteor attack, the best way to avoid this move is to Air Slide to the side or get high up in the air. If Cloud has a full EX gauge, dont attempt to guard any of his attacks, ESPECIALLY Slash Blow. There is a chance the Cloud Player will activate EX right as you guard, so its safer to just dodge out of the way. If Cloud trys to get you with Braver, the best thing to do is Dodge towards, and over him, and than using Flare Star to punish. Besides that, no matter what Kuja you use, just do your thing. Close Range Kuja does the melee game better than Cloud does at close range, and Long Range Kuja will have no trouble keeping the pressure while easily punishing wiffs. I give Cloud 3 out of 10. This is one silver haired villain he will not be beating any time soon. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VSEP] ----------------------------------------------------------- n. Sephiroth Cloud is cake, but Sephiroth is a giant chilly cheese corn dog smothered in fatty condiments just waiting to clog your arteries and give you a stroke, or a heart attack, or something. Sephiroth melee range is much larger than Kujas, which means Sephiroth has a big advantage over Close Range Kuja. If you do manage to evade one of his attacks, play it safe and use Snatch Shots to draw him in and combo with Energy Burst. Sephiroths move set is similar for both the air and ground, so its ok to fight Sephiroth close to the ground, but I still recommend you try to force the fight higher into the air. If you see Sephiroth trying to power up the Black Materia pop him a Ultima. Long Range Kuja can safely punish Sephiroths wiffed Octaslashs, which is best dealt with by dodging above, and behind Sephiroth. Octaslash has great horizontal tracking but he cant turn on a dime, so his back is his blind spot and open to Snatch Shots, Snatch Blow, Remote Flare, Flare Star, ect. Just make sure to get him on the ending slash. If you are close to the ground and Sephiroth gets you stuck in one of his huge combos, just stay calm and let Sephiroth punish you. Chances are, at the end of the deadly barrage, he will try and get you with Octaslash. At this point youll want to dodge above and behind. You should have more than enough time to get away and recover. In the US version Sephiroth has some pretty nasty tricks and a few new attacks that he can get you with. Watch out for Heavens Light, the attack is very fast but he has to do a swan dive to the ground first, so look for the dive and dodge to the side. Hells Gate can not be stopped in mid air, so dont get close to Sephiroth when he is using this attack. Be careful with your Strike Energy and dashes too, as Sephiroth has an air version of Firions Shield Bash attack, which can be devastating if you fall for it. When Sephiroth is in Ex Mode there is a chance he will bait you with Heartless Angel. Dash at him to scare him out of it but dont attack, Sephiroth can cancel out of Heartless Angel immediately and fallow up with Heavens Light which can get you while are in the middle of attacks. Sephiroth is a worthy foe, I give him a 7 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VSQL] ----------------------------------------------------------- o. Squall Squall is like Sephiroth, but faster, and much more deadly. To start things off, watch out for Squalls Mystic Furry, this attack can be your ultimate down fall if it some how manages to hit you. Squall can keep use this to safely lower you to the ground, than use Revolver Dive as you are stuck in the landing animation. This is probably the only way Squall can kill you out side of EXGing and such. Close Range Kuja and Squall are pretty much equals in accuracy, distance, and tracking. Your biggest advantage is that you have longer range projectile in the air than he does. If you hear Squall using Heal Crash, move into range and Strike Energy. Strike Energy is nice and fast so if Squall cancels out of it, you will have time to evade the incoming Beat Fang. If you dont feel safe using Snatch Shots against Squall because of his Heel Crash and Circle attacks, its OK to switch it out for Snatch Blow. Because it is not a projectile and has better range, you can grab him out of Heel Crash and Air Circle. One opening you should abuse is the long cool down Fated Circle has. You can easily punish this by popping a Holy Star his way. Squall will probably be getting most his brave from Surprise Attack, so equip Ineffective Surprise Attack to combat it. It really does save you a ton of brave and can prevent you from being broken in one hit. Be sure to watch out for his Rough Divide in the air too. The best way to dodge this is to wait for him to come flying and to dodge above and over him. You can also dodge Rough Divide while casting Ultima. Just keep moving to the side and he will fly right past you. I give Squall 8 out of 10 because of his massive brave gain thus making him dangerous most the match. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VULT] ----------------------------------------------------------- p. Ultimecia Next up, Rin-, I mean Ultimecia. Ultimecia is like Golbez, but is based around air control instead of ground control and lacks the Brave to HP attacks and combos that make Goblez deadly. At the start of the match Ulty will probably try to get away and into the air as fast as possible. Its best to get on Ultys ass right from the get go. Ulty will probably try to fend you off with one of her axe brave attacks, you can either get past this by just dashing right through them (if they are the small 3 axes) or dodging forward through it (if its the large 1 axe) and continue to chase after her. As Short Range Kuja youll want to keep her pressured at all times with your melee attacks. Watch out for her red arrow attack. Its like a freaking machine gun and can deal a good chunk of damage to you, so stay a good distance above her and away from her front. As Long Range Kuja you should attempt to get higher in the air than her. This way you can see what she is doing below you but she cant see what you are doing above her. This also gives you a clear view of where all her attacks are going. From the air constantly pressure her with Remote Flare. This pretty much prevents her from using Apocalypse, her only anti air HP attack. Her other 2 pose no threat to you. If you see her charging any of the two other attacks and you are for some reason on the same plane as her, pop a Holy Star her way. By the time she releases the attack the Holy Star should have activated and hit her. In EX Mode Ultimecia can cast a new spell that freezes time, opening you up for a free HP attack. The second you see her charging this spell, immediately cast Remote Flare or rush her down to prevent her from getting this spell off. If she has a full EX, do not move away from her. Even if a EX Core pops up, you WILL NOT have enough time to reach the core, and back to her in time to prevent the Time Crunch. Just ignore it and keep attacking her. I give Ultimecia a 6.5 out of 10. By the way R=/=U :P ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VZID] ----------------------------------------------------------- q. Zidane Now finally, Kujas rival and successor, Zidane. Zidane is like the polar opposite of Kuja. Where Kujas EX Mode is full of offensive properties, Zidanes EX Mode has defensive properties. Where Kujas Brave Attacks all have Brave follow ups, Zidanes come with HP follow ups. Zidane is fast but nothing you should be worried about, as you are equally as fast in the air. In the air Zidanes 3 melee attacks either have him tracking you horizontally, vertically upwards, or vertically downwards at an angle. They can all be comboed to each other in various ways and Zidane will always end this barrage with an HP attack. The best thing to do is just not get hit. Most Zidane players play a chip away game, where they slowly drain your entire HP instead of building up big Brave to take big chunks out of your HP. Besides his 3 Brave Attacks Zidane has 5 HP attacks. In the air, his 3 HP attacks are Shift Break, Grand Lethal, and Free Energy. Shift Break can be easily countered by using Remote Flare to interrupt Zidanes casting if you are Long Range Kuja, or move to the side and jump a few times to get away. Again, if you are long range Kuja the jump boost will put you well beyond reach of the attack. Grand Lethal during its charge up has zomghax tracking. If you jump over him he will do a complete 180 and go at you. The best thing to do is glide back a few feet and use Flare Star as Zidane slides into the attack. Free Energy is pretty damn fast too, and if your reflexes havent got use to the game yet it will be hard to dodge this attack. Watch out when you use Snatch Shots against Zidane, because a smart Zidane will use Free Energy instead of a BRV attack. If you know he is going to do Free Energy after dashing your Snatch Shots, move closer to him instead of farther away. Energy Burst does not deal damage if you are touching Zidane. On the ground Zidanes Tidal Flame shouldnt be a threat unless you are on the ground for some awkward reason and Stellar Circle 5 can reflect back your Snatch Shots and pull you into the attack. So be careful of that. It also has a really big sucking effect which can draw you in. Close Range Kuja can pretty much eat Zidane alive if you are aggressive enough and know what you are doing. Just keep an ear out for audio cues when Zidane does his attacks and you should be able to block them easily. If Zidane does his horizontal spinning attack, just block. The tracking on the thing will most likely chase you for the whole dodge animation and hit you. While in EX Mode Zidane has 15 jumps and each one acts as a dodge, so its not really worth going after him. I give Zidane about 6.5 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VKJA] ----------------------------------------------------------- r. Kuja Kuja has no greater challenge than himself. There is nothing I can really tell you other than the Kuja with the most skill is going to win. Long Range Kuja has equal chance of winning as Short Range Kuja, and like wise, 2 Kujas of the same style have just as equal a chance of beating each other. In order to win you will need to know your opponents Kuja just as well as you know his. Take note of how he moves, his thinking, his strategy. Adjust yourself accordingly to how he fights you. To fight another Kuja you must be fully flexible with your thoughts. And above all else, never give up. Over all, I give Kuja a wtfhax out of zomgbbq. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VTID] ----------------------------------------------------------- s. Tidus Tidus is like Exdeath, accept he dodges instead, and Kuja doesnt have attacks that ignore dodging so this is going to be a little tricky :/. Most Tiduss will probably, actually, not use many of his dodge attacks and actually go with Full Slide and Hop Stop and maybe 1 dodge attack. The dodge attacks themselves are relatively useless as Kuja can move while attacking, or the attack animations of your attacks are so fast dodging out of the way of Tiduss attacks is simple. You can tell when Tidus is going to do a dodge attack because his Dodge Attacks have a much longer looking, slower dodging animation to it. Like a normal dodge but in a very fast slow mo mode. So if you notice something strange in his movements while dodging guard or get out of the way. Or, if you get out of the attack range fast enough you can retaliate with Seraphic Star or Flare Star depending on which dodge attack he used. Some Tidus users are overly aggressive with Hop Step to the point its not funny how predictable such a fast attack can be. Its pretty much to the point you just need to dodge or block if you see Tidus inch himself closer to you. Full Slide can be blocked if you see it coming, and its relatively useless on Long Range Kuja because you can just move to the side while casting your spells. In EX Mode, if your opponent is not aware of the shielding properties of your glide, just float around near Tidus and see if he tries to Hop Step you thinking its safe. You can actually do this to bait Tidus when not in EX Mode but you need to guard manually as you dont have the giants orbs to do it for you. Besides that, all of Tiduss dodge attacks link to HP attacks, so thats something else for you to look out for. Besides that, Tidus has 2 other HP attacks in the air, Jecht Shot and Energy Rain. Both are relatively easy to dodge out of the way and have huge start up times. Energy Rain can also link to Full Slide for some major critical damage. If you decide to go Short Range Kuja the fight is mostly going to be about rather or not you are fast enough to get in Strike Energy or Energy burst over his Hop Step. Through in a few guards as you dash at him to see if you can get a few hit in if he tries to Hop Step. Over all, I give Tidus a 7.5 out of 10. Mostly because Hop Step can break you in one hit if you have not yet become use to it, and Tidus can safely land HP attacks through his Brave Attacks. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VJCT] ----------------------------------------------------------- t. Jecht Lets travel down the family tree for a second shall we. Despite his manly display Jecht is actually quite timid when facing Kuja. Although Jechts 1 Brave Attack can chain into 2 others, AND a HP attack, the attack itself requires Jecht to be relatively close. This makes him easily picked off by Long Range Kuja. Close Range Kuja though has to venture into Jecht kills zone. This is ok though, as Strike Energy is faster than Jechts kicks. Besides that, Jecht has 2 HP attacks in the air. One is like Sephiroths Octaslash, but with shorter range and greater tracking if he charges it, and the other forces Jecht to slide downward in front of him, so the safest place would be above him and the best action to take would be to attack him with a projectile attack, such as Snatch Shots or Remote Flare. In EX mode Jecht can continue doing his combos even if he wiffs, so it would be safe to just get the hell away from him altogether, or at least stay way above him. If he gets you caught in a combo while he has a full EX Gauge, he can, and probably will, hit you with Jecht super EX Combo from hell, which might kill you in one hit. As Long Range Kuja you will want to focus on using Remote Flare more than Snatch Shots because Snatch Shots can be reflected back at you with Jecht Shield and it can draw you close to Jecht for one of his combos. Jecht gets a 4.5 out of 10, and thats only if you are fighting a Jecht that can actually do his combos and. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VSAN] ----------------------------------------------------------- u. Shantotto Now for the secret characters! First up, Shantotto. Shantotto is one beast of a mage character. Her EX Mode is probably the most deadly of them all too, with the ability to keep ALL her Brave Points after doing HP Damage. That means if the EX Burst Doesnt kill you by some snow balls chance in hell, than the next attack will. Lucky for you though, getting in an HP attack on you will be very hard indeed. Long Range Kuja will have the easiest time fighting Shantotto, mostly because of Remote Flare getting her while she tries to cast Bind. Which reminds me, dont let her get you with Bind, EVAR. If she does manage to get you with bind, keep spamming Remote Flare or Snatch Blow till you get out. You dont want her getting you with an HP attack while you are stuck. Because you can move while applying the pressure, getting hit by Bind should be hard for her. Bind can also be blocked, dont forget this. This means while you are in EX Mode you can prevent yourself from being bound by gliding. Close Range Kuja will have a harder time getting an elusive Shantotto. She has a punishing Brave Attack that can, and WILL, break you if it criticals. It is also a boomerang attack, so you need to watch out her staff doesnt hit you from behind after you dodge. Not only that but she also has a Stun spell which will immediately put you in a stagger animation if it hits you, this prevents you from getting close enough for your melee Brave Attacks to work, so you really need to be careful when fighting her as Close Range Kuja. If you do get stuck in Bind, and you dont have an options to retaliate, than the most you can do is dodge/guard. If the correct timing and reflexes, and the right abilities, it is possible to dodge out of all 3 of her attacks depending on which one she uses. Tornado and Flood being the hardest to evade and Fire and Ice being the easiest to evade. One last thing to look out for, Shantotto also has a Bio spell, which causes a dark green gas to slowly chase after you. If it hits you it will cause you to slowly lose Brave over a period of time. The best thing to do is dash through it or block it right before it hits you. Shantotto gets 7 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- IV. Vs. Other Characters [VGAB] ----------------------------------------------------------- v. Gabranth The final character in this amazing cast of brawlers and spells casters is also a real toughie. Gabranth is a ticking time bomb of whoop ass ready to explode all over your face in a matter of seconds. In normal mode, Gabranth is the worst character ever. In fact, he has no HP attacks and all his Brave Attacks are easy to guard and dodge, but you see, thats the least of your worries. What Gabranth has is a move that allows him to build up EX with out EX force or an EX Bell. So at the start of the match, what ever you do, do not let up. You need to stay on this mofo and do as much damage as possible. If Gabranth sees you coming, the chances are he will dodge away, or towards and above you. Keep this in mind, just keep on dashing through his dodge and attack him as he is cooling down from the animation. If you are a Close Range Kuja, try to keep him stuck in an Infinite Chase. This will help prevent him from getting EX, or at least slow him down. Now, you cant prevent him from going in EX. Eventually, Gabranth will get his EX bar full and he WILL go EX. Most Gabranths will immediately go at you with his fast brave attacks. Which by the way, to prevent yourself from taking a crap load of damage, take off what ever Ineffective Critical you have and put on Ineffective EX Mode. Trust me, this will help a lot. Now, back to his fast brave Attacks, most Gabranths will be overly aggressive towards you to get the most out of their EX Mode. If you are sure they are going to use a Brave Attack, guard. Although its a gamble, Gabranth might just start off by using a Brave Attack, so just guard when he gets with in Range. Gabranth has 2 HP attacks in the air, both are extremely deadly. One causes a force field to surround him, and he can keep it up as long as he wants. When he is close enough he can release it and it will explode, instantly doing HP damage if you are in the way. The best thing you can do is throw projectiles at him. His second HP attack involves him putting his two swords together and shooting off a barrage of energy beams that arc downward. The best thing you can do is get as high into the air as possible. And punish him with Ultima. Close Range Kuja is going to have a hell of a time getting damage on Gabranth. Gabranth has stupid deadly range, and is stupid fast. You are only stupid fast, which puts you at a great disadvantage. Long Rage Kuja is just as bad off facing Gabranth because the beast will just dash past your projectiles and rip you apart. If anything, just run, run really fast, and really far away. Try to survive until his EX Mode wears off. You must not get hit by an HP attack. Gabranth has the second most damaging EX Burst in the game and chances are, it will kill you. That said, I give Gabranth a 9 out of 10. ----------------------------------------------------------- VI. Misc Info. [MISC] ----------------------------------------------------------- Ummm... Now that the game is in English a translation guide on his script isnt really necessary >.> <.< ----------------------------------------------------------- VII. Version history [VRHS] ----------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 Finally finished writing the first draft. Expect changes to be made after the English release. And possibly help videos for character match up section. 1.01 Made some changes so the spacing in Tools of the Trade section wasnt all messed up. Also changed Squalls Upper Blues to Heel Crash to avoid confusion and added a bit about Sephiroths Shadow Flare. If it still doesnt display correctly, I am very sorry and Ill try and fix it for the US release. 1.02 Took the Japanese out because it kept making the FAQ look goofy 1.03 Finally updated everything to match the English version. Expect some fine tuning in the future, along with help videos once I have recorded them all. There is also going to be a Chaos guide, Time Attack Guide, and Equipment Guide sections to be added in the future, so keep in eye out.