Judah01's Two Cents (on Kefka)

[judah01]

Hi! I'm a bit new to these boards, but I've been playing Dissidia since the JP release. I've seen a lot of discussion on Kefka and the recent FAQ, so I thought I would contribute to the discussion with my own findings and information. I'll try to be brief, but I fail at that most of the time. Please feel free to use this information in your guides, just give credit where credit is due. :D

General Strategy

Kefka's Vertical Game

One thing I'd like to point out is Kefka's excellent vertical game. He falls very fast in general and also after a dodge, and can get to the ceiling of most levels with a couple rightly timed Precision Jumps. Along with Omnidash Kefka has some great tools to space himself from the opponent and also cast spells from different vantage points. Alternating between above, below, and level with the enemy makes the best use of his spells.

For example I like to cast a WWF above/below an enemy, then jump/fall and mix in other spells, sandwiching the enemy in and limiting his options. Another is dashing horizontally away, casting WWF, then dashing towards and past the enemy and mixing in another spell.

Don't be afraid to get in the enemies face every once in a while either. Some of Kefka's spells aren't bad at close range and most people won't expect it. Blocking and using his attacks on staggering opponents is also a very viable option. Remember to always keep things mixed up.

Mixing Spells

A couple of Kefka's attacks are best used in conjunction with his other attacks, mainly Waggly Wabbly Firaga. WWF is the base of many of Kefka's spells. You can also "combo" some spells together, either through punishing a dodged spell or using the hit-stun from one spell to land another. In EX Mode this trait is even more exaggerated.

One strategy I like to employ is casting WWF, usually close above or below the enemy, and then jumping (I use Jump Times Boost ++) and dodging around it. You can mix in other spells at this time or wait till the enemy slips up and gets caught by the WWF, then punish with Havoc Wing or whatever other spell fits the situation. Remember to be ready to block as well.

Stages and Terrain
I really think that Kefka is one of those characters that can milk the most out of the stages and terrain around him. Open levels like Order's Sanctuary or Old Chaos Shrine allow Kefka and his spells to move freely, making it easy to avoid and hit the enemy. Stages like Kefka's Tower and, more specifically, Pandemonium, give Kefka the cover and close proximity to be able to cast and land some of his attacks.

Chaos Shrine is one of my favorite stages because of the large space in the middle mixed with the cover on the sides. Gives lots of options for maneuvering and cover.

In Pandemonium, Kefka can control the fight by leading enemies into small corridors, giving them little room to dodge mixed spells. Remember Kefka has a lot of spells that bounce off walls. I like to cast WWF in the open space and dash into one of the rooms behind a wall and cast stuff like Meteor or Trine. Remember the almighty Trine Wall Hax.

World of Darkness (Omega) is another favorite of mine. It mixes 3 basic stage structures: wide open, medium sized vertically oriented w/ light obstacles/platforms, and small with cover in the middle. If used correctly this can be a playground for Kefka allowing you to employ a mixture of strategies.

Equipment and Accessories

This is just my observations on the subject, so take it with a grain of salt.

I see Kefka not having very much trouble getting the break on most characters, so increasing damage isn't necessary. Kefka crits for quite a bit without augmentations to his atk power or %, and has the tools to make those spells crit. His attacks do leave him open to retaliation however, and he's somewhat prone to being broken because of the reflectable nature of his spells.

I used to run with a defensive/EX set for Kefka, and the results weren't too bad. It's a good counter against atk+ sets so you don't get broke in one lucky hit.

But now it's EX, EX, EX. It really is too good to pass up in my opinion. I'll type out my build here and explain:

Equipment:
- Deus (Artifact Sword w/ EX Seeker)
- Purgatorio (Artifact Bangle w/ EX Conqueror)
- Paradisio (Artifact Hat w/ EX Seeker)
- Inferno (Artifact Body w/ EX Conqueror)

EX Seeker: EX Force Absorption +20%, EX Absorb +2m, Absorb force while attacking, Absorption force while being damaged.

EX Conqueror: EX Core Absorption +20%, EX Mode Duration +20%, EX Core Appearance Boost, LUK+2

Accessories:
- Pearl Necklace
- Dragonfly Orb (Ivory Choker or Gravitorb if you like)
- Gold Hourglass
- Archangel Bell or Despair Shock (any Normal accessory to use with your multipliers)
- HP = 100%
- Large Gap in HP
- Large Gap in BRV
- After Summon/Summon Unused
- Level 100
- Center of the World

(Multipliers don't really matter, whatever works for your playstyle. For example, you can use Pre-HP Attack/Opponent HP 100% and try to end the fight in one big 9999 HP attack/EX Burst.)

Pretty much explains itself. The Archangel Bell/Despair Shock can be changed depending on your opponent. But this set gives you a large amount of force from all sources. If you think you have enough EX gear, you can swap a multiplier for 2 Regen Acc. or 2 EX depletion Acc. Or one of each! Or a different accessory entirely.

Generating EX Force

One thing to remember about Kefka is that his moves don't generate a lot of EX force, and what force they do generate is usually sucked up by the opponent before he can get close enough. This can make it rather tricky getting to EX Mode. But there are a few ways to get around this.

One great way is to try and initiate chase battles, because they generate so much force in a small area. If you hit with a brave attack, let the chase end there and take the opportunity to cast a WWF and absorb all the force left in the area.

Another way is to use Havoc Wing. Compared to all of Kefkas other attacks it looks like this one generates the most force. It also has the helpful effect of sending your opponent away from you and the force that was just made, allowing you to absorb it all. Remember: WWF + Havoc Wing + ??? = profit.

The only real variation in my own sets is in the Offensive Abilities, which I'll list below after the Offensive Abilities Analysis.

Summons

As I said above, I usually see Kefka as someone that's not too hard to get a break with. But his attacks are quite punishable and reflectable so he's prone to being broken sometimes. Defensive summons like Demon Wall and Phoenix are safe to use and can save you from what might have been a game ending break/EX Burst.

For the most part, I would tailor your summons depending on who you are figthing. If you know someone is going to run despair shock against you, then equip Tonberry or Titan. Tonberry is great because it takes all of the HP damage you've taken during the fight and does that in brave damage. This can be used both offensively or defensively by either going for the break and win or reducing the opponents brave after they gain a break. Or if you know your opponent is going to go for a one HP hit kill with 9999 brave, go for Carbuncle or Magus Sisters, anything that reduces brave.

My personal favorite summon is Doom Gaze (Deathgaze, whatever). I've been using it with the Summon Unused booster accessory and saving it for when I need that extra brave from a break to end a match or to kill the opponents brave when I get broken. Best used after you land an HP attack or while in break state to protect against counter summons and the like.

I also like Ultima Weapon. :D

Here's a good thread for summon info, but experiment yourself and see what works for you. http://dissidiaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1483

Kefka's EX Burst Trick

Ahh, yes... the ol' "Dirty Hamper". Also know as the "The Krunkle Kick", "The Richardson Richardson", "Krinking", "The Pestal Press" and "The Abe Lincoln" (lol), it's a "technique" in which you try and hit an enemy with an HP attack while you are in EX mode after you have broken them. Kefka's EX Burst has a large amount of time where no brave damage is done. So if you delay the inputs on his EX Burst just enough, you can allow the enemies brave to regenerate to base, allowing for another break.

[Kraid]

Accessories:
- Pearl Necklace
- Dragonfly Orb (Ivory Choker or Gravitorb if you like)
- Gold Hourglass
- Archangel Bell or Despair Shock (any Normal accessory to use with your multipliers)
- HP = 100%
- Large Gap in HP
- Large Gap in BRV
- After Summon/Summon Unused
- Level 100
- Center of the World

(Multipliers don't really matter, whatever works for your playstyle. For example, you can use Pre-HP Attack/Opponent HP 100% and try to end the fight in one big 9999 HP attack/EX Burst.)

Pretty much explains itself. The Archangel Bell/Despair Shock can be changed depending on your opponent. But this set gives you a large amount of force from all sources. If you think you have enough EX gear, you can swap a multiplier for 2 Regen Acc. or 2 EX depletion Acc. Or one of each! Or a different accessory entirely.

Generating EX Force

One thing to remember about Kefka is that his moves don't generate a lot of EX force, and what force they do generate is usually sucked up by the opponent before he can get close enough. This can make it rather tricky getting to EX Mode. But there are a few ways to get around this.

One great way is to try and initiate chase battles, because they generate so much force in a small area. If you hit with a brave attack, let the chase end there and take the opportunity to cast a WWF and absorb all the force left in the area.

Another way is to use Havoc Wing. Compared to all of Kefkas other attacks it looks like this one generates the most force. It also has the helpful effect of sending your opponent away from you and the force that was just made, allowing you to absorb it all. Remember: WWF + Havoc Wing + ??? = profit.


Get rid of Centre of the World. Replace with CLOSE TO YOU. Close to You will give Kefka the Ex-Force he needs, since he'll gain Ex-Force when he deals damage.

And he really doesn't need Gold Hourglass. More Ex-Guard = Better.

[judah01]

Offensive Abilities

Brave Attacks

Twisty-Turny Blizzaga
+Pros
+ If it connects and all hits crit, it does nice damage. If used in the air can be shot behind the opponent and activates Sneak Attack. Exists for a while after it's cast, so it can be mixed with other spells.
-Cons
- Hard to connect with and easy to avoid/block on it's own. Not too many practical applications.
Summary
Pretty situational spell. Best if used on ground bound opponents or those that want to fight below you. Also good in stages with close quarters/walls. Remember to mix your spells.
While in EX Mode: It gains more horizontal distance. On the ground it bounces past the enemy, and at the end of it's duration it homes in on the enemy (into the air if they try to jump). Exists for a while after it's cast, so it can be mixed with other spells.

Scatter Spray Blizzaga
+Pros
+ Comes out fast so it's a great punisher if you are close. Good to mix with other spells, because of the spray effect it has. If all hits crit it does brutal damage. EX Mode makes it even harder to dodge and even more deadly.
-Cons
- Easily blocked/dodged/deflected with attacks. Can be very dangerous to use haphazardly.
Summary
A great spell when applied to the right situation. Best used while WWF is out or after it has hit. Also, it's harder for the enemy to reflect the ice ball if you cast it right above or below them, because the ice ball will stop either to their side or behind them. Another great spell to use in stages with close quarters/walls because of how it ricochets.

Extra-Crispy Firaga
+Pros
+ Each fireball can crit for a large amount of brave damage. Activates Sneak Attack quite frequently. Even when blocked from the front, the 2 side fireballs can come around and bypass the block. The hit-stun allows you to get off a WWF safely at close range.
-Cons
- Somewhat easy to see coming/block. Dashable and reflectable.
Summary
Another great spell when used in the right manner. If used close to the enemy, it will double back and attempt to hit a second time, usually activating Sneak Attack. If used horizontally with the opponent, it splits in a wide 3-pronged pattern. But used above or below, it splits into a more focused, funneled pattern, converging on the enemy. Outside of EX Mode this spell seems best cast at mid-close range. But in EX mode, it's almost strictly long range. Splits into 10 or so more fireballs and is extremely fast. Excellent when used high above/far below the enemy, or with WWF out (or both).

Waggly Wobbly Firaga
+Pros
+ While it's large it's undashable, staggers when blocked (Riposte), and (I think) is unreflectable by brave attacks. Has tenacious homing. Moves about in a very unpredictable manner.
-Cons
- Note When reflected, this spell is the bane of Kefka's exsistence. Can be reflected no matter the size with some HP attacks. Can also be blocked. The tracking and even distance (?) seem to increase after it's blocked by the enemy. Has slow start-up. Easy to be punished unless you distance yourself properly.
Summary
Great set up for just about every attack Kefka has. The duration of the total hit stun of the attack allows Kefka to close the gap even from long range, allowing him to follow up with whatever HP/BP attack fits the situation. But if it's reflected, get the hell out of there. Two things to note: 1. It's dashable the second it's cast. 2. If the enemy does block it and staggers, try to dash in and take advantage of the extra crit you can get from it. Remember: you have a 50% base crit chance (I think) when you stagger an opponent.

Lickety-Split Thundaga
+Pros
+ Comes out fast. Another nice punisher. Also goes through walls. Decent hit-stun when it hits close to you. Unreflectable. Good damage when it crits.
-Cons
-Tracking is poor, no vertical at all. Hard to hit with by itself and easy to miss if they are moving. Dashable.
Summary
Not one of my most used moves, but I've been messing with it a lot more lately. One thing to note is it does more damage when you hit with the tip of it. Also if it hit's at the tip it throws the enemy upward, with the possibility of wall rush or allowing for another spell to hit. In EX Mode, the second bolt will aim at the opponent if they were to move or dodge to the side.

Zap-Trap Thundaga
+Pros
+ Great range. Seems to have more vertical range when the enemy is above you. But the horizontal range seems solid. Does ok damage when it crits.
-Cons
- Dashable and blockable. Has some start-up before the bolts really start coming down. Leaves Kefka pretty vulnerable if it doesn't hit, or if the enemy isn't preoccupied with another spell.
Summary
This seems like it would be a great spell against other casters, or anyone that tries to keep a distance from you. Also good against laggy attacks. It's a good option to use if a WWF hits and you are too far away to capitalize on it. I've contemplated using this on EXdeath and seeing if it interrupts his casting before he can get a counter off, or seeing if it has any guard bypassig ability. In EX Mode: The bolts come out like Lickety-Split, but around the enemy from different angles. Much more reliable, and may have guard (Exdeath?) bypassing attributes to it.

Meteor
+Pros
+ Does great damage per meteor. Can proc Sneak attack. Great range. Good tracking. Somewhat hard to dodge.
-Cons
- Takes a bit of time to cast, and the meteors don't hit right away so it leaves you open if there is nothing in the enemies way. Dashable, blockable, and reflectable (lol).
Summary
I usually use this spell after casting 1-2 WWF then dodge canceling the lag, landing then casting Meteor. But it seems pretty nice to use high in the air too. It drops quite far down and tracks well on the enemy. Great to use WWF, Precision Jump up and meteor. In EX Mode: It falls and tracks markedly faster. It doesn't fall as far before it starts tracking though, which is nice to catch people by surprise.

Ultima
+Pros
+ While it's a ball, it's undashable and unblockable. Don't think it can be clashed with brave attacks either, but im pretty sure it goes through most of them. If blocked it will cause stagger. Does massive damage when it crits. Will throw the enemy far away, and also cause wall rush.
-Cons
- Comes out pretty slow, so it requires more forethought when used. Easy to punish if it misses. Reflectable by HP attacks. Range isn't great either.
Summary
One of my favorite attacks, just because of its innate properties. Best to use it when you think an enemy is going to dash twords you, and not when they are already in your face. Also a great spell to use on block because it activates Sneak Attack. I also like to use it while the enemy is caught up in WWF.
EX Mode: "Balls to the wall fucking awesome." It comes out faster than any of Kefkas attacks. Three Ultima balls total increase the range of the spell considerably. After each explosion the ball tracks towards the enemy. Nice to cast back to back. Great for making space to cast WWF or Hyperdrive, or just to get the enemy out of your personal space.

[judah01]

HP Attacks

Havoc Wing
+Pros
- Has great vertical tracking. Has an ok chance to cause Wall Rush HP Damage. Generates a nice amount of EX Force. Pretty good priority as far as HP attacks go. The hit box stays out for a while and somewhat protects Kefka's front side. Usable on block and EX stagger.
-Cons
- Slow to come out and easily punished if it misses in close quarters. Not many times that it's used by itself.
Summary
A great HP attack and one of the few melee HP attacks on a mage character. I talked before about how it's great at generating EX Force. I like to sometimes hide under the edge of a platform and surprise people by poping up with a Havoc Wing. Also as stated before, best used with WWF and also close above or below an opponent.

Trine
+Pros
+ Extra long range. As far as I can see has no set range, meaning I think it will form around the enemy no matter where they are. Has some light tracking if they fall down/jump up or dodge to avoid it. Read about Trine Wall Hax below.
-Cons
- Pretty slow and predictable. If you fight Kefka enough, you know when to dodge when you see him cast the spell. The tracking has a pretty short range on it as well.
Summary
Good HP attack in general, but requires some set up to hit with. Best mixed with WWF or Havoc Wing. Also good against dash-happy opponents, as they can dash right into a Trine beam if they aren't careful.
EX Mode: Two Trines are cast, one after the other, so they both exist out at the same time for a bit. Back to back Trines in EX Mode isn't bad, but 2 WWF and Trine spam can be extremely hard to dodge.

Trine Wall Hax
Most people know about this. But Trine has the unique ability to spawn directly out of a wall if your opponent is near one. This can lead to an instant hitting HP attack. The Trines can come out of just about any solid surface in a stage: breakable pillars, chunks of suspended land, the throne in Order's Sanctuary, you name it.

Hyperdrive
+Pros
+ Very fast and hard to dodge when it comes out. If charged fully can chase the enemy into the air. The horizontal range is nice, but the vertical range is even better. Also has great priority as an HP attack.
-Cons
- Comes out slow if you just tap the square button. Takes a bit to charge fully. If the enemy sees you cast this, they can just get as far away as possible to avoid it.
Summary
My favorite HP attack by far. One of the hardest HP attacks to dodge, even I can't figure it out. It can reach to the very top of the Edge of Madness, so it can still bite the ass of those that think they're safe high above Kefka. It requires proper spacing, but if you've been baiting the enemy to chase you they can end up with a Hyperdrive to the face.

Forsaken Null
+Pros
+ Extra long range. Blast radius is ok. The Forsaken orbs come out and drop fast and far down.
-Cons
- Slow start up and slow cooldown. Able to be dodged easily in an open area. The orbs are not very big, so it's hard to hit with.
Summary
A situational spell, it does have its uses though. Staying near the ground can help the Blast radius catch the enemy if they try to come in close, but the tracking on Forsaken Null isn't the fastest. The orbs do fall all the way down, so it could be useful against ground bound opponents. Probably best used in small stages/spaces, or against opponents that try to keep their distance.
EX Mode: It's Slightly harder to avoid because of the tracking on the orbs themselves, but the tracking has somewhat short range. It is nice to have the orbs explode in the air though. Again, probably best used in cramped spaces.

My Ability Set

At the moment, I have 2 sets I like to use. But lately I have been testing out different spell combinations and finding there are many configurations that will work against different opponents. It's a great boon to Kefka that all of his moves can be used on the ground and the air, which makes Kefka a very flexible character to use against many of the characters in the game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Melee" Set
Ground Brave
-Scatter Spray Blizzaga
-
-Meteor

Air Brave
-Ultima
-Extra-Crispy Firaga
-Waggly Wobbly Firaga

Ground HP
-Hyperdrive
-
-

Air HP
-Trine
-Havoc Wing
-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Caster" Set
Ground Brave
-Ultima
-
-Zap-Trap Thundaga

Air Brave
-Scatter Spray Blizzaga
-Extra-Crispy Firaga
-Waggly Wobbly Firaga

Ground HP
-Hyperdrive
-
-

Air HP
-Trine
-Havoc Wing
-
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The names of the sets are just a generalization. I use the "Melee" set against Casters and vice versa. But after more attack ability testing I may have a third set in the works.

================================================== =

And that's it! I'm glad I took this opportunity to study Kefka a bit closer and learned a lot in the process. I hope I helped anyone else needing the information. Keep in mind, I don't consider myself a "pro" or "expert" player, and seeing as the game is still young, I think the same can be said of everyone playing. I just reported my observations and what I could think of at the time. This game, for me, is all about play experience; the more you play the better you will get.

Feel free to discuss and comment on the information. I know I may have left some things out and will update the post accordingly so this can be a reference for whoever chooses to use it.
=== Double post was automatically merged. ===

Get rid of Centre of the World. Replace with CLOSE TO YOU. Close to You will give Kefka the Ex-Force he needs, since he'll gain Ex-Force when he deals damage.

And he really doesn't need Gold Hourglass. More Ex-Guard = Better.

If you look at the Artifact equipment effects, EX Seeker has 2 of the 3 abilities that Close To You has, allowing you to replace it with something else.

My reasoning on the hourglass is Kefka is pretty hard to get to in EX Mode, and I'd gladly forsake EX guard for the buffs to his abilities. Plus its hard for Kefka to get force in the first place, so I like to hold onto it for as long as I can.

[POS Industries]

Get rid of Centre of the World. Replace with CLOSE TO YOU. Close to You will give Kefka the Ex-Force he needs, since he'll gain Ex-Force when he deals damage.
Eh, not especially true with Kefka or most casters, for that matter. He's typically not close enough to the opponent to collect the free EX force floating around without putting himself at a more unsafe proximity to his enemy in order to get it. Thus, Kefka benefits more from core stealing, in my opinion, which means forget both Center of the World and Close To You and pick up a Fake Mustache.


And he really doesn't need Gold Hourglass. More Ex-Guard = Better.
In this case, it's the Gabranth predicament to an even greater extent, as Kefka can't just fill his EX meter automatically. That is, do you take more possible EX guards or stay in a state where your attacks are exponentially more effective?

Either is a valuable asset, but personally I'd prefer to risk it by staying in EX mode and forcing your opponent to give up on the notion that he can just try to wait it out before coming back in to attack your far weaker normal state. If he wants to beat you, he pretty much has to attack you in EX mode, which probably won't end well for him, even if he gets to EX mode himself.

[judah01]

I'm not sure if it's easy to see or not because my double post was merged, but above I replied to Kraid by explaining the Artifact effect EX Seeker gives you 2 of the 3 effects that Close to You gives you. With 2 EX Seeker and Center of the World, I have +6m to EX force absorption, which seems like plenty for my uses.

And I agree with POS's statement about the Gold Hourglass. More EX guards may be better than the EX Mode for some characters like Golbez or Zidane, but that's just not true in Kefka's case.

[Scott]

Eh, not especially true with Kefka or most casters, for that matter. He's typically not close enough to the opponent to collect the free EX force floating around without putting himself at a more unsafe proximity to his enemy in order to get it. Thus, Kefka benefits more from core stealing, in my opinion, which means forget both Center of the World and Close To You and pick up a Fake Mustache.


In this case, it's the Gabranth predicament to an even greater extent, as Kefka can't just fill his EX meter automatically. That is, do you take more possible EX guards or stay in a state where your attacks are exponentially more effective?

Either is a valuable asset, but personally I'd prefer to risk it by staying in EX mode and forcing your opponent to give up on the notion that he can just try to wait it out before coming back in to attack your far weaker normal state. If he wants to beat you, he pretty much has to attack you in EX mode, which probably won't end well for him, even if he gets to EX mode himself.

With a good multiplier and increasing your intake range, Close to You is great for Ex-Mode upkeep, or filling the bar from being empty. Unfortunately, that means it's also good at preventing your own Ex-Guards.

[Suppi]

2 cents goes a long way now... not like how it used to.
also... sig bottom right... is that kim jong il O.o

[POS Industries]

With a good multiplier and increasing your intake range, Close to You is great for Ex-Mode upkeep, or filling the bar from being empty. Unfortunately, that means it's also good at preventing your own Ex-Guards.
Even with all of that, you still have to go out of your way to get closer to your opponent to gather up the EX force generated by your attacks, which his attacks don't particularly generate that much of and, as Judah noted, tend to get absorbed by your opponent first.

I've tested both, and maximizing your ability to grab cores and gain EX force from them is actually quicker for Kefka. And pretty much only Kefka. You didn't expect him to do the same thing as everyone else, did you?


also... sig bottom right... is that kim jong il O.o
Mao Zedong, actually.

[Scott]

Even with all of that, you still have to go out of your way to get closer to your opponent to gather up the EX force generated by your attacks, which his attacks don't particularly generate that much of and, as Judah noted, tend to get absorbed by your opponent first.

I've tested both, and maximizing your ability to grab cores and gain EX force from them is actually quicker for Kefka. And pretty much only Kefka. You didn't expect him to do the same thing as everyone else, did you?

I've just been playing around with it myself, I gave myself a constant booster of 5.8 (The only things that would change that would be if the enemy didn't use their summon, and if we were within 1000 BRV of each other). I had an Ex-Intake range of 29 meters, which could them be increased to 45 meters with the Imp set, or, even higher still with some riskier boosters. I used 3 1.5's and 3 1.2's, I wanted them to be easily active. Sniping did generate some Ex-Force, but I got most of it by being hit. Being knocked away actually had me absorbing the force before the enemy because of my larger intake range. This way, you fall in and out of Ex-Mode very quickly and easily, a single Spiral Cut from Tidus filled my bar entirely to block the final hit, but I was using Dancing Mad, so I had 25% base force to begin with.

My original Ex-Mode build keeps Kefka in Ex-mode for a decent amount of time, but requires that you enter chase to generate the Ex-Force, which, I supoose is somewhat of a downside, as enterting chase as Kefka isn't as easy as it is with someone like Zidane, for example. It was also the basic Ex-Build I have on most of my characters. It's most efficient on Onion Knight.

The problem with a Core Stealing build, despite the fact a single core can fill your gauge up, they don't come around too often. I suppose you can fix that with accessories that boost their spawn, but then that takes up a booster space.

So, what accessories do you think are best suited to keeping Kefka in Ex-Mode?

[funkyman02]

To help with Ex Mode, I equipped Nirvana and the gold accessory for Ex Mode duration (I cannot recall the name). Those two alone extends the time quite significantly.

[POS Industries]

Yeah, I suppose the EX force absorption idea isn't bad if you go into it expecting to take hits and prepare accordingly, which itself isn't a particularly bad strategy (though very risky, course). Maybe take a bit more of a defensive equip route to keep your brave from getting completely obliterated along with some near-death abilities coupled with Achy and you're ready to roll. Not my particular cup of tea, though.


The problem with a Core Stealing build, despite the fact a single core can fill your gauge up, they don't come around too often. I suppose you can fix that with accessories that boost their spawn, but then that takes up a booster space.
Fake Mustache is a pretty good all-in-one for that, as it gives a solid boost to core spawn rate while upping your LUK stat to where they're usually going to appear closer to you than to your opponent, which is especially good if you're playing the usual Kefka keepaway game.

Couple that with a Dragonfly Orb for increased core absorption and a Gold Hourglass to keep you in EX-mode until the next core appears, and a healthy supply of multipliers (preferably ones that don't deactivate permanently during the course of a match. Summon Used/Enemy Summon Used are great for this) and you're pretty solid. I have all that with a multiplier combo that can easily max out at 9.8x and I still had room to throw in a Star Earring for increased damage.

[judah01]

Keep in mind:
EX Conqueror: EX Core Absorption +20%, EX Mode Duration +20%, EX Core Appearance Boost, LUK+2

With two pieces of that on, you get the effect of a Nirvana along with a couple other goodies. The +4 LUK it gives isn't too shabby for making the cores appear near you.

I do believe the equip/acc build I posted is the best for keeping kefka in EX Mode. It's a very even spread of EX effects. And the Archangel Bell/Dispair Shock can be swapped out for whatever. Core Absorption is great for keeping Kefka in EX Mode since he can play such a devastating long range game. Trust me, it's nice when you're about to lose your EX mode and a core spawns near you getting you almost back to full EX.

This, of course, is just my opinion from play experience, hehe.

[Scott]

Yeah, I suppose the EX force absorption idea isn't bad if you go into it expecting to take hits and prepare accordingly, which itself isn't a particularly bad strategy (though very risky, course). Maybe take a bit more of a defensive equip route to keep your brave from getting completely obliterated along with some near-death abilities coupled with Achy and you're ready to roll. Not my particular cup of tea, though.


Fake Mustache is a pretty good all-in-one for that, as it gives a solid boost to core spawn rate while upping your LUK stat to where they're usually going to appear closer to you than to your opponent, which is especially good if you're playing the usual Kefka keepaway game.

Couple that with a Dragonfly Orb for increased core absorption and a Gold Hourglass to keep you in EX-mode until the next core appears, and a healthy supply of multipliers (preferably ones that don't deactivate permanently during the course of a match. Summon Used/Enemy Summon Used are great for this) and you're pretty solid. I have all that with a multiplier combo that can easily max out at 9.8x and I still had room to throw in a Star Earring for increased damage.

Which boosters do you use? I tried to write some combinations down in the Guide section for a reference point, in an attempt to only list the easiest boosters to maintain, but some of the ones I listed, I don't exactly have myself, Large Gap in HP, for example.

I suppose I had really better start Booster collecting.


Keep in mind:
EX Conqueror: EX Core Absorption +20%, EX Mode Duration +20%, EX Core Appearance Boost, LUK+2

With two pieces of that on, you get the effect of a Nirvana along with a couple other goodies. The +4 LUK it gives isn't too shabby for making the cores appear near you.

I do believe the equip/acc build I posted is the best for keeping kefka in EX Mode. It's a very even spread of EX effects. And the Archangel Bell/Dispair Shock can be swapped out for whatever. Core Absorption is great for keeping Kefka in EX Mode since he can play such a devastating long range game. Trust me, it's nice when you're about to lose your EX mode and a core spawns near you getting you almost back to full EX.

This, of course, is just my opinion from play experience, hehe.

I think the problem with the artifact usage is how chancy it is to get the correct ability, and the probable need to trade back and forth a multitude of times for the Ex-effect ones.

[judah01]

@ Scott

It's actually quite easy to get the artifact abilities you want. All you have to do is name it, and if you don't get the ability you want just hit the "Home" button on the PSP and exit right away. The artifact will still be there to be renamed to get whatever ability you wish.

Yes, it does take a while to trade back and forth but once you get to 46 trades you are done farming that type of Artifact gear (Bangle, Robe, etc.) You can just duplicate the armor by passing it to whoever may need it. I lucked out and was able to only need 2 types of Artifact gear: Heavy Armor type stuff and Clothing type stuff (Kefka, Shantotto and CoD can use the clothes, Garland and Exdeath can use the heavy stuff). My artifact partner just happened to be making Heavy Artifacts so after we were done, we gave each other our completed artifact sets.

A community like Dissidia Forums should be able to outfit it's members in no time. It's good to have friends. :D
If you need any more information on farming artifacts, I made a mini-guide on the subject. Good info:

http://dissidiaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1683

[rshadowkirby]

well done as usual judah except now i dont think anyones going to pay attention to my faq for kefka (i waas expecting this) but still this is very informative

[POS Industries]

Which boosters do you use? I tried to write some combinations down in the Guide section for a reference point, in an attempt to only list the easiest boosters to maintain, but some of the ones I listed, I don't exactly have myself, Large Gap in HP, for example.

I suppose I had really better start Booster collecting.
Currently I use HP=100%, Large Gap in HP, Large Gap in BRV, After Summon, After Enemy Summon, and EX Mode. The Large Gap ones are good when both I or my opponent has the lead of course, and Asura can usually get the summon ones running quickly enough. HP=100% can be deactivated, certainly, but you can also potentially regenerate it up to full in EX mode if things go on long enough.

The EX Mode booster is only 1.3x, but I found that the rest of my 1.5x boosters simply either weren't reliable enough(Break, Near Break, etc.), totally pointless (Full EX Gauge, Empty EX Gauge) or would have proven too inconsequential by the time they activated (I'm looking at you, Victory Chance).

[Scott]

Currently I use HP=100%, Large Gap in HP, Large Gap in BRV, After Summon, After Enemy Summon, and EX Mode. The Large Gap ones are good when both I or my opponent has the lead of course, and Asura can usually get the summon ones running quickly enough. HP=100% can be deactivated, certainly, but you can also potentially regenerate it up to full in EX mode if things go on long enough.

The EX Mode booster is only 1.3x, but I found that the rest of my 1.5x boosters simply either weren't reliable enough(Break, Near Break, etc.), totally pointless (Full EX Gauge, Empty EX Gauge) or would have proven too inconsequential by the time they activated (I'm looking at you, Victory Chance).

When you're fighting people online, I'm pretty sure you use could Level is a Prime Number, so long as you handicap yourself down to level 97, which just so happens to be the highest prime number near 100.

The sad thing about this awesome possibility of a free 1.5 booster in AdHoc matches is the fact that I haven't been able to test it, but I would like to think that it would come into effect for lowering your level to 97. If it does work, I can see the entire equipment based metagame being based around level 97 characters due to the handicap.

[POS Industries]

When you're fighting people online, I'm pretty sure you use could Level is a Prime Number, so long as you handicap yourself down to level 97, which just so happens to be the highest prime number near 100.

The sad thing about this awesome possibility of a free 1.5 booster in AdHoc matches is the fact that I haven't been able to test it, but I would like to think that it would come into effect for lowering your level to 97. If it does work, I can see the entire equipment based metagame being based around level 97 characters due to the handicap.
Eh, there are plenty other perfectly good 1.5x multipliers available that don't require you to take a hit to all of your other stats while simultaneously boosting your opponent's base bravery. Just because I opted to take a 1.3x ring for stability purposes doesn't mean that the other ones available are objectively bad.

[Wedge]

Before anything, very thorough guide Judah. Someone should request a sticky on this. :)




Waggly Wobbly Firaga
- Note When reflected, this spell is the bane of Kefka's exsistence. Can be reflected no matter the size with some HP attacks. Can also be blocked. The tracking and even distance (?) seem to increase after it's blocked by the enemy. Has slow start-up. Easy to be punished unless you distance yourself properly. Can also reflect Kefka's magic back at him.


Extremely True. And it surprised me that so few players take advantage of that fact of WWF.
After watching the Dissedence videos, not a single player who fought Funkyman02's Kefka did anything to reflect/stop/counter WWF. (NeroMD's Tidus was the only exception with the well placed Energy Rains/Slice&Dices, kudos on the smart gameplay NeroMD.)

There are TONS of counters to WWF and that also allow you to close the gap against a Kefka. Some aren't even HP attacks. Here's a small list to name a few.

Everyone- BLOCKING
WoL- Shield of Light
OK- Wind Shear
CoD- Just about every HP attack she has
Cecil- Saint's Fall
Terra- Tornado, Meltdown
Cloud- Braver
Sephiroth- Octaslash
Squall- Rough Divide, Heel Crush, Blasting Zone
Zidane- Grand Lethal, Shift Break
Jecht- All HP attacks and Jecht Block
Gabranth- Hatred

Obviously there are more, I'm just summarizing. My whole point is informing those who play Kefka of what to be weary of, and to give the uninformed who fight Kefka the tools needed to combat him.

[Jiodi]

In terms of accessories, I've been using smiting soul and star earring/gaia ring with boosters.

But of course this has been with only my own experience, I JUST found these forums.

But I was thinking of using more EX-boosting accessories but still keeping smiting soul (i see it seems to be absent from everyone's list, this accessory is absolutely incredible imo, especially boosted).

Also, my boosters are
pre-bravery attack, hp=100%, before/after summon self, before/after summon opponent and level = 100

I have a pretty consistent 6 percent boost at all times, until lai strike procs and i can get off a major HP attack, I generally only find myself saving EX mode for blocking when i manage to get caught.

It'll be good to learn how wrong I am now that I found a resource XD

[judah01]

In general, I don't like to use Iai Strike against human opponents, nor do I like it very much when it's used against me. It's too random, and I've procced Iai Strike with a 1.5 multiplier on multiple occasions. There is just no way to counter or prevent it. Just my opinion, but really, anyone can toss on Smiting Soul and call it a day. In fact, you almost have to equip one to be on equal footing with your opponent. It's why we've decided to ban them from our Xlink Kai geared tourneys (WIP), because there's just too much random breaking going on in the match, and also because we don't want a bunch of "Iai Strike Booster" builds dominating the game. But that's besides the point, heh.

As for the "guide", I hope everyone saw the rest of it (everything below the first post) since I had to split it up into 3 posts and got a post from someone else in between. It may have been easy to miss. The discussion just seems to be about the first post. :P Just want feedback on it, comments, criticism, or anything I left out. Also let me know if this information is helpful or if it's helped you. I'll update the information accordingly.

I'm thinking of cleaning it up and just turning it into a FAQ, and hopefully we can get a sticky with links to all the Kefka information. Thanks for the feedback in advance.

[Jiodi]

In general, I don't like to use Iai Strike against human opponents, nor do I like it very much when it's used against me. It's too random, and I've procced Iai Strike with a 1.5 multiplier on multiple occasions. There is just no way to counter or prevent it. Just my opinion, but really, anyone can toss on Smiting Soul and call it a day. In fact, you almost have to equip one to be on equal footing with your opponent. It's why we've decided to ban them from our Xlink Kai geared tourneys (WIP), because there's just too much random breaking going on in the match, and also because we don't want a bunch of "Iai Strike Booster" builds dominating the game. But that's besides the point, heh.



oh man, seriously? i had the worst luck battlegenning a single orb off of chaos to make the damn thing and i cant even use it?

ah well, i guess i can understand

doesn't Destroyer affect this thing's chance to proc, though? ooc

[Scott]

Iai Strike is one of the most annoying accessories. I hate it. In a match I had last night with my friend, he has a booster of 5.8 and Iai Strike at 11.6%. On Ultimecia, each sword had a chance to proc it, and he shot a lot of swords. I was litereally broken from every hit he landed.

The only reason I won was because my Ex-Mode let me use Waggle Wobbly and Scatterspray Blizzaga effectively. Iai is good for computers, but against people, it's just sadistically annoying.


oh man, seriously? i had the worst luck battlegenning a single orb off of chaos to make the damn thing and i cant even use it?

ah well, i guess i can understand

doesn't Destroyer affect this thing's chance to proc, though? ooc

Destroyer prevents "Chance" abilities, as in, abilities which have "Chance" in their name, like "Second Chance" and "Last Chance".

Iai is just listed as:

Smiting Soul
Iai Strike
Randomly Inflict Break 2%

[Jiodi]

ill take note of that, and thanks for the heads up on chance effects.

yeah scatter-shot blizzaga + lai strike at a +6% boost is pretty hilarious

[judah01]

Just to clear things up, Iai strike only activates on the very first hit that connects of an attack. For example, if I was to use WWF with Iai Strike on, it would only activate on the first hit, and not on the many hits after that. Another good example is Sephiroth's Octoslash or CoD's 0-form Beam. If Sephiroth slashes twice then hits the enemy on the 3rd slash, that 3rd slash has a chance to activate Iai Strike, but any slash after that cannot proc Iai Strike.

[Jiodi]

Just to clear things up, Iai strike only activates on the very first hit that connects of an attack. For example, if I was to use WWF with Iai Strike on, it would only activate on the first hit, and not on the many hits after that. Another good example is Sephiroth's Octoslash or CoD's 0-form Beam. If Sephiroth slashes twice then hits the enemy on the 3rd slash, that 3rd slash has a chance to activate Iai Strike, but any slash after that cannot proc Iai Strike.

right, i tend to use ss blizzaga in conjunction with WWF, so generally if they dodge the wwf and the initial blizzaga, the scatter shot part will still hit them and have a chance to proc the lai, and the scattershot almost never misses when done right

this is against the computer and not a real human, too, smart people know how to get out of something like that XD

[LoneDestructor]

But now it's EX, EX, EX. It really is too good to pass up in my opinion. I'll type out my build here and explain:

Equipment:
- Deus (Artifact Sword w/ EX Seeker)
- Purgatorio (Artifact Bangle w/ EX Conqueror)
- Paradisio (Artifact Hat w/ EX Seeker)
- Inferno (Artifact Body w/ EX Conqueror)

EX Seeker: EX Force Absorption +20%, EX Absorb +2m, Absorb force while attacking, Absorption force while being damaged.

EX Conqueror: EX Core Absorption +20%, EX Mode Duration +20%, EX Core Appearance Boost, LUK+2


hello i just want to ask a few questions regarding kefka's best equipments

where and ..how.. do I get these equipments, the deus, purgatorio, paradisio and inferno

thx in advance

[Scott]

Those names are name he gave them. These weapons and armour are infact Artifacts, which are only gained during Local multilayer or Online play.

You would need to trade the items back and forth repeatedly to give them enough history to get the effects you desired. I think perhaps 50 times or so.

Alternatively, the easy way to get these weapons (Although with no guarantee they will keep the desired effects) Would be to gain them from Judah01 himself. This would let you rename them, but also, and most likely change their effects.

That is, unless you keep restarting the game until they retain the effects, or just leave them as is.

[LoneDestructor]

Those names are name he gave them. These weapons and armour are infact Artifacts, which are only gained during Local multilayer or Online play.

You would need to trade the items back and forth repeatedly to give them enough history to get the effects you desired. I think perhaps 50 times or so.

Alternatively, the easy way to get these weapons (Although with no guarantee they will keep the desired effects) Would be to gain them from Judah01 himself. This would let you rename them, but also, and most likely change their effects.

That is, unless you keep restarting the game until they retain the effects, or just leave them as is.

Ah I see I thought you could buy them from the shop or something XD

so not including artifacts can someone post the strongest equipment set for kefka?
from weapon to armor? thx a lot

[Wedge]

Just a little fun fact:
Judah's Artifact Equipment are named for the final battle with Kefka and his tower of monsters leading to him (which is a huge reference to things like Dante's Inferno) with Deus (Latin for Deity/God) being the final confrontation vs God Kekfa.

Also I have Judah's artifacts as well if anyone wishes to gen them from me. (along with my own high tier artifact sets)

[POS Industries]

Actually, they're not. The fights leading up to Kefka are Visage, Long Arm and Short Arm (Tier 1), Machine, Magic, Tiger, and Power (Tier 2) and Lady and Rest (Tier 3). Which, I should note, is where I got the basis for the names for the artifacts I got from you and Judah (Visage, Machine, and Lady Rests, respectively, with Dancing Mad at the top).

I did appreciate the Dante's Inferno references for Judah's artifacts, though.

[Wedge]

Actually, they're not. The fights leading up to Kefka are Visage, Long Arm and Short Arm (Tier 1), Machine, Magic, Tiger, and Power (Tier 2) and Lady and Rest (Tier 3). Which, I should note, is where I got the basis for the names for the artifacts I got from you and Judah (Visage, Machine, and Lady Rests, respectively, with Dancing Mad at the top).

I did appreciate the Dante's Inferno references for Judah's artifacts, though.

Yeah those are the names of the individual enemies, but its the representation of the tiers that he was aiming for.
Quoted from the FFWiki:
The final battle against Kefka draws strong symbolism from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, an epic poem in which Dante travels through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio) and Heaven (Paradisio).

The first tier in the battle is represented by a demon, and in the Divine Comedy the first tier is Hell where Satan is entrapped up to his waist.

The second tier of the battle contains beasts, people and machinery, which collectively represent Purgatory, the second tier in the Divine Comedy.

The third tier is inspired by Michelangelo's Pietà, a sculpture of Jesus' body lying in Mary's lap after he is crucified. This represents the third tier in the Divine Comedy, Heaven, with Rest and Lady in the positions of Jesus and Mary in the Pietà.

The final tier (Deus) in the Divine Comedy is when Dante comes face-to-face with God, who explains to him the meaning of life. This is reflected in Kefka, who has become the God of Magic and tells the Returners that life is meaningless.

[POS Industries]

Well, yes, there does appear to be some vague symbolic reference to the Divine Comedy in Kefka's final boss tiers. I guess I misunderstood what you meant in that the names themselves aren't a direct reference to the tiers themselves in an official sense, but rather the artifact names are a reference to a reference.

Also, I'd be careful about what you take from FFwiki. They tend to suffer a bit from fanon speculation and embellishment here and there. With Kefka, for instance, they had been using this whole mess (http://dissidiaforums.com/showpost.php?p=37934&postcount=7) as source material for his biography, which is actually quite dubious and has proven very difficult--if not impossible--to find the original source of this info.

I mean, the Divine Comedy thing has a pretty strong case for it, but it's only a fan interpretation of what the developers might having been drawing inspiration from with the imagery, with no cited source for confirmation. That's all.

[LoneDestructor]

can someone post on how to make a nirvana, the recipe of the weapon I need to make a nirvana and where to find it

thx in advance

[Kraid]

Just a little fun fact:
Judah's Artifact Equipment are named for the final battle with Kefka and his tower of monsters leading to him (which is a huge reference to things like Dante's Inferno) with Deus (Latin for Deity/God) being the final confrontation vs God Kekfa.

Also I have Judah's artifacts as well if anyone wishes to gen them from me. (along with my own high tier artifact sets)

I would love to get more sets one day. I got some of your sets from one person. But I really need more stuff to go on my Kefka/Terra and etc. (Instead of wasting all my CP on other Artifacts which they normally can't equip.)

[Wedge]

I would love to get more sets one day. I got some of your sets from one person. But I really need more stuff to go on my Kefka/Terra and etc. (Instead of wasting all my CP on other Artifacts which they normally can't equip.)

Yeah we (Judah and I) have high tier artifacts for:
Hand- Shield & Bangle
Head- Helm & Hairpin
Body- Robe & Light Armor

Every character in the game is able to equip one of these items from every category to make artifact sets for themselves.

And Kraid, if you'd like Judah or I are always logged into PSN so you can message us to gen the artifacts. This goes for anyone as well.

Spread the artifact love. :)

[Scott]

Perhaps you should make an Artifact Shop thread. :P