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DNF Duel has several systems and mechanics that make any character you roll with feel unstoppable, impossibly strong, and even borderline criminal if you decide to stick with them and take advantage of their true potential. One of these characters is Striker, a swift and punishing combo machine who rarely loses her turn.
While it can sometimes be challenging to get in on your target as Striker, she's still a solid choice for newcomers to the genre or game. Her ability to turn just about any of her hit confirms into lengthy, devastating combos makes her an absolute joy to play and a nuisance to face.
Striker Overview
Striker is a pure Rushdown Fighter in DNF Duel that excels whenever she's up close and personal with her opponent, as she can attack with blinding speed and catastrophic combos that seem to go on for all of eternity. While she lacks any sort of ranged options, she can close the gap with excellent Skills and Mana Skills, which allow her to stay relevant against Zoners. Furthermore, Striker possesses one of the more unique passive traits in the game that plays into her devastating combo structures and attack chains.
Free Chain and Muscle Shift are Striker's unique passive talents that make Striker stand out from the rest. Free Chain allows Striker to chain her normal attacks together, in any order, so long as the move hasn't been used yet in the current attack string. Typically, in DNF Duel, you can only chain standard attacks together in ascending order, such as A > B > S, but this allows Striker to go in any order as she pleases, granting her tons of possibilities for combos and pressure.
Muscle Shift allows Striker to chain any of her Mana Skills together, so long as she has enough Mana to do so. This unique passive makes her a combo goddess, as she can link normal attacks with Free Chain and go into Mana Skill combos for excessive damage. With these passive talents, Striker can unleash unrelenting chaos on her opponent, which is what makes her such a strong character.
Before moving any further: If you are new to DNF Duel, fighting games, or anime fighters, we suggest taking a moment and going over the chart below. This table will give you essential notations and terminology found within the game. Furthermore, we will use almost all of these commands when explaining Striker's moves, cancel options, and gameplay in general, so it would be handy to know this stuff before diving into the deep end.
DNF Duel Notations
Striker Special Moves
In a nutshell, Special Moves (Skills) are DNF Duel's version of 'Heavy Attacks' but pack a much more potent punch than most other fighting games. For most characters, Skills are used as a way to extend combos and work your way up to the more robust Mana Skills.
However, Striker's case is a bit different as she doesn't have to follow the basic 'ascending' attack order of A > B > S that every other character follows. Her ability to freely chain any of her normals together as she sees fit blows the door wide open for combo routes, attack strings, and pressure opportunities. We will go over why her Skills and unique passive make her a force to be reckoned with now!
Tiger Chain Strike
Tiger Chain Strike has Striker lunge forward with a devastating shoulder charge, sending her target airborne on hit. Tiger Chain Strike is often used to extend combos or blockstrings but also grants Striker the ability to use Tiger Chain Bash. Tiger Chain Strike is performed via the 5S command and can be canceled into most of Striker's A, B, or S actions, thanks to her Free Chain passive. However, it is almost always followed up with Tiger Chain Bash to extend the combo.
Tiger Chain Bash
As mentioned, Tiger Chain Bash is an extension of Striker's Tiger Chain Strike Skill. This Skill has Striker follow her devastating shoulder charge up with an elbow strike and a backhand that sends her target up and away from her, which can then be followed up with various actions. Due to the launch from Tiger Chain Strike and Tiger Chain Bash, Striker will be in a prime spot to launch into corner combos and juggles.
Tiger Chain Bash can also be jump canceled, allowing you to go directly into Air Walk or Tornado Kick, which are excellent ways to extend your combo further. Striker's Free Chain passive will enable her to cancel into just about any of her normal A > B > S actions. Due to this Skill being an extension, Tiger Chain Bash is performed with the 5SS input.
Muse's Uppercut
Muse's Uppercut is an excellent anti-air tool for Striker but is primarily used as a way to begin air-based combos. While Muse's Uppercut can combo into a handful of things, you will almost always jump cancel it into Air Walk, which can loop into itself three times. Don't let the ridiculousness of this fool you. Looping Muse's Uppercut into Air Walk three times is an effortless and high damaging attack string, which helps deal burst damage or even close out rounds.
Though Muse's Uppercut can technically combo into other standard actions thanks to Free Chain, we recommend only using it to launch into Air Walk, as you will have access to more of your Skills to extend combos. Furthermore, you will have to input the 2S command to perform Muse's Uppercut.
Crushing Fist
Striker lunges forward with a devastating punch that covers a surprising distance, making it useful for hit confirms and extending combos. As always, Striker's Free Chain passive allows her to follow Crushing Fist up with most of her A > B > S actions, which can lead to a full combo. However, landing Crushing Fist as a counterhit makes canceling into One Inch Punch an option. Crushing Fist is Striker's 6S action.
Low Kick
Low Kick does precisely as its name implies, has Striker perform a low, sweeping kick that is excellent for extending combos or blockstrings. Low Kick is also one of Striker's few actions that hit OTK, allowing her to continue her attack and pressure after knocking her opponent down. Furthermore, if you manage to hit an airborne opponent, Low Kick will keep them in the air, allowing you to follow up with other Skills.
While Low Kick may not be your go-to Skill for hit confirms, it's one of Striker's best combo fillers, allowing her to chain it into more powerful actions. Especially with her unique Free Chain passive. Low Kick is Striker's 4S move.
Air Walk
Air Walk is arguably Striker's strongest Skill, as it allows her to perform nasty high/low mixups due to her Free Chain passive. This Skill is Striker's j.S, which has her perform a divekick into the ground when airborne with devastating force and momentum. Air Walk can hit OTG and is typically used as a follow-up to One Inch Punch when in the corner.
As previously covered, Striker can follow Muse's Uppercut up with Air Walk and loop it up to three times for a simplistic but high damaging combo. She can extend Air Walk with her standard 5B action or Shadowless Kick, which can lead to wall-to-wall combos. And lastly, thanks to her unique passives, Striker can cancel Air Walk into j.A, j.B, and Tornado Kick, allowing for mixup potential, combos, and more.
Striker MP Special Moves
MP Special Moves (Mana Skill) are resource-based attacks and the most damaging ones at your disposal aside from Awakening Skills. Mana Skills will typically be what you use to deal large amounts of damage, continue combos, and even end them. These actions make each character shine, feel unique, and seem utterly broken, which is why you must spend Mana to use them. Taking the time to learn how to manage your MP Gauge properly will be essential to your success, as mishandling it can lead you to a state of Exhaustion, where you cannot perform Mana Skills until after an extended period of time.
Mana Skills are incredibly potent, which is why Striker's ability to chain them into one another is unreasonably powerful and makes her an absolute nightmare whenever she closes the gap. Below is each of her Mana Skills, what they do, and how to use them in tandem to create devastating combos, attack strings, and blockstrings.
Shadowless Kick
Shadowless Kick is Striker's 5MS action, which sends her forward with three devasting spin kicks. The first kick will register as a low hit, while the remaining two hit in the middle. Shadowless Kick is Striker's fastest Mana Skill, making it a valuable tool for setting up frame traps, maintaining pressure, or to hit confirm into other attacks.
Furthermore, Shadowless Kick's first hit is OTG capable, allowing Striker to use it as a follow-up to One Inch Punch or Tornado Kick. Additionally, the second and third hit of this Mana Skill will send her target airborne, enabling her to launch into air combos and juggles. And, thanks to her unique skills, Striker can chain Shadowless Kick into any of her other Mana Skills. Lastly, you will have to consume 30 MP to perform this Mana Skill.
Rising Fist
Rising Fist is Striker's invincible reversal option and go-to anti-air action. While this is your typical Dragon Punch move, Striker's unique passive allows her to cancel into any of her other Mana Skills, turning it into a useful combo tool. Even on block, Striker can cancel directly into her Tornado Kick and take her turn back. She can also cancel into another Mana Skill very early during Rising Fist's animation, allowing her to go directly into ground-based Mana Skills if the situation calls for it. The Mana Cost of Rising Fist is 50 MP.
If you want slightly faster Mana Regeneration, you can perform specific Mana Skills with Motion Inputs. Rising Fist is a perfect example of this, as you can execute it by inputting the 'simple input' 2MS or the 'motion input' 623MS (⭢⭣⭨MS).
Mountain Pusher
Mountain Pusher has Striker perform a supercharged shoulder check with tremendous reach and force. On hit, Mountain Pusher will push the target away, making it an excellent choice for carrying them to the corner. However, if your opponent is already in the corner, Mountain Pusher will cause them to wall bounce, giving you even more options to work with. Mountain Pusher will also absorb projectiles, allowing you to advance against most Zoners. Striker can cancel this move into any of her other Mana Skills, thanks to her passive. Mountain Pusher requires 50 MP to use.
If you want slightly faster Mana Regeneration, you can perform specific Mana Skills with Motion Inputs. Mountain Pusher is a perfect example of this, as you can execute it by inputting the 'simple input' 6MS or the 'motion input' 236MS (⭣⭨⭢MS).
One Inch Punch
Striker channels all her energy and concentration into her fist, performing a deadly One Inch Punch that annihilates her target on impact. This is often used as a way to close combos out but can also be used as a way to set up OTG attacks and extend combos. To extend combos with One Inch Punch, Striker will either have to land it as a counterhit or cancel into it after landing the first kick of her Shadowless Kick Mana Skill or after landing Crushing Fist as a counterhit. Additionally, if you land One Inch Punch at mid-screen, you can micro-dash into Low Kick for an OTG hit.
One Inch Punch is one of Striker's most vital Mana Skills as her Muscle Shift passive allows her to use it as a devastating closer or opener for combos. Furthermore, landing this move on airborne opponents will place them into a hard knockdown state, allowing you to follow up with an OTG action. Hitting a grounded target will also make them crumple, enabling you to continue your opposition. One Inch Punch costs 50 MP to use.
If you want slightly faster Mana Regeneration, you can perform specific Mana Skills with Motion Inputs. One Inch Punch is a perfect example of this, as you can execute it by inputting the 'simple input' 4MS or the 'motion input' 214MS (⭣⭩⭠MS).
Tornado Kick
Tornado Kick is Striker's j.MS action and costs 30 MP to execute. This has her perform three spin kicks while in mid-air, covering a pretty decent range and allowing her to lock her opponent down or use it as a mixup tool. Tornado Kick is often used as a way to extend combos but is also used to cross opponents up or to bait specific attacks as you hit all around yourself. Canceling into Tornado Kick from other Mana Skills, such as Rising Fist, is an example of how to use this move in tandem with Striker's unique trait.
Striker Awakening Skill And Effect
Awakening Skills and Effects are granted to every character in DNF Duel whenever their health drops to thirty percent or less, giving them a fighting chance to overturn the match's outcome. These are the only comeback mechanics in the game, making them a valuable resource in the final moments of the round. Awakening Skills are comparable to Supers in other games, whereas Awakening Effects are passive buffs that will give your character extra gas in the tank to close out the match.
Empress's Climactic Fist is Striker's Awakening Skill, which has her land a barrage of punches and kicks on her opponent before landing a supercharged One Inch Punch that launches them through the spacetime continuum and back into the stage. This cinematic is super cool to watch, and the Awakening Skill can be weaved into just about any action of Striker's and is performed with the AS command.
Power Fist is Striker's Awakening Effect, which increases her overall damage output by 10 percent while also raising her Mana Skill's minimum damage output by 33 percent. This makes it so that her Mana Skills all do a minimum of 33 percent more damage, which makes her combos do more damage than ever before, and this is even without factoring in her 10 percent buff. Power Fist is one of the best Awakening Effects in the game by a wide margin.