Emperor Mateus FAQ (WIP!)

[Kraid]

Why choose the Emperor?

The Emperor is for those who like to strategically think. The Emperor's arsenal is all about delaying the oppoenet, fooling the oppoenet, make the oppoenet make mistakes and to punish them for those mistakes. A strategy that would normally work on other characters could work very differently for the Emperor.

He is known as 'The Trap Master' because what could happen and would normally work out may be part of the Emperor's trap itself.

Besides, if that's not enough, then watching your oppoenet bounce all over your traps or pulling off Starfall should be more than satisfactory, and will be enough to put a smile on ANYONE'S face. (Well... anyone except your oppoenet.)

About the Emperor

The Emperor is well... the Emperor. He's the Emperor of Paramekia who's ambition is to rule over everything. Cliché, but still good. With the power to be able to summon monsters, demons and high level magic he planned to take over the world until a group of youths defeat him. However the Emperor has one final ace up his sleeve....

In Dissidia he plays the same role, but albeit gains alot more character development, playing a major active role for the story.

The Emperor represents Lawful Evil, the polar opposite of Firion/Firionel who represents Chaotic Good.

Using the Emperor

The Emperor doesn't get his hands dirty. He uses devious trickery and traps in order to force his foes to submit to him.

Brave attacks

-Ground Mine-



[Close] Lay mine. Multiples OK; they will persist a long time.
Additional Effect: Absorb

Emperor: "Hmhmhm."

The Emperor lays down a couple of mines. When first used they have a slight verticle reach. Not really that useful since they can be dashed through, but it is one of The Emperor's more powerful attacks.

What does Absorb mean? It means that if the Emperor successfully hits with a Brave or an HP attack, they will be drawn into the Mines. The closer they are, the stronger the suction effect.

Pros: High Power
Easily forgotten about
Gives oppoenet's less space to manuevir.

Cons: (US Version only) ALOT harder to activate Sneak Attack.
Dashable
Easily seen by an aware oppoenet.

-Mine-


[Close]Drop mine. Multiples OK; they will persist a long time.
Additional Effect: absorb

Emperor: "Hmhmhm."

More useful than the land Mine, the Emperor lays a couple of mines in the air. They spread out quite far, and rebound when touching a wall or surface. Best used after blocking an oppeonet's Dash/Attack. Very powerful, but again can be dashed through.

Pros: Can be used as a brave raper
Can be used in an elaborate combo set up with Thunder Crest + Bombard
Catches unaware oppoenets

Cons: (US Version only) is less usable after a block to activate Riposte
(US Version only) much harder to activate sneak attack.
Has more spread - Less power concentrated
Dashable

-Sticky Bomb/Dynamite (Ground/MidAir)-

[Long]Emit bomb from staff that lands and draws in foe.
Effects: absorb, wall rush

Emperor: "Prepare!"

This attack can be charged up. The more it's charged, the longer the effect lasts, the more damage and the bigger splash radius when it explodes. Can be reflected by blocking and dashed through. To make things better it can be aimed, and a fully charged Sticky Bomb can break an oppeoent who has yet to gain any brave.

Pro: Large suction range
Can be used to knock oppoenet's into walls
Combos into Flare, Thunder Crest and Air Mines

Con: High start up time
Dashable
Destroyable
Reflectable

-Bomb Attack/Bombard (Ground)-



[Close]Sweep with staff. Extra explosion damage on hit.
Additional Effect: Chase

Emperor: "Fool!"

Emperor's only melee attack. With this the Emperor can fling his staff and make the oppoenet fly into the distance. However compared to his other moves, it has next to no reach at all. It's useful it you have a set of mines laid down and you want to throw your oppoenet into them.

Bombard recieved a HUGE boost in the US version. It's essentially now Jecht Block, being able to block moves such as Braver and Rough Divide and reflect Flare. To really put the cream on the crop, it also has Guard Crush capabilities.

I'd stay away from it in the JPN version, but it's a staple in the US version.

Pros: Guard Crash
Reflects
Blocks
Clashes
Combo capabilities

Cons: Pathetically Short Range

-Light Crest- (Ground/MidAir)



[Mid]Draw light sigil in midair. Fires when foe enters range.

Emperor: "Suffer!"

The Emperor creates a crest in front of him. Then if the oppoenet dares to go near it, it fires out a set amount of (Slight homing) projectiles at the oppoenet. Each of these projectiles can last some time and reflect off walls and the ground. However again these projectiles can be dashed through.

This is THE move to use in Castle Pandaemonium. It's useful in other cramped stages, but never at the same usefulness as in Pandaemonium.

Pros: Useful and Unpredictable in such stages as Pandaemonium and Kefka's Tower
Can be used to combo into Flare and Air Mines

Cons: Dashable
Large startup time

-Thunder Crest (Ground)-



[mid]Draw sigil on the ground. Paralyzes when in range.
Additional Effect: absorb

Emperor: "Meddlesome!"

Among the Emperor's most useful attacks. The Emperor creates a crest infront of himself that lays on the ground and travels forward slightly. Anyone who dares enters near the crest is sucked in and shocked continously, stuck until the crest wears off or the Emperor strikes.

Thunder Crest has THE HIGHEST priorty in the game. Nothing can get through it. It cannot be guarded, ex-guarded, broken, destroyed, dashed or anything. Thunder Crest will probably the focus of your defense. It's also that essential one hit you'll probably be needing.

Stages can manipulate the Thunder Crest in ways it normally can't be used. Dimension castle Omega can cause Aerial Thunder Crest, while stages with a weird edge can cause multiple Thunder Crests to appear.

Pros: Traps Oppoenet
Combo capabilities
Lots of Damage from criticals
Unblockable
Highest Priorty in game
Mid-Range

Cons: Large cooldown time
If hit, Thunder Crest is lost
Ground capability only

[Kraid]

HP Attacks

-Flare (Ground)-



[mid]Gather globe of blue light that slowly homes in on opponent.

Emperor: "Run Amok!"

The Emperor throws a globe of blue light to slowly home in on the enemy. The good news is, it will always keep the oppoenet pressured. The bad news is, it's reflectable!

You can block and cast this for a garunteed hit. Your oppoenet will think twice about dashing at you. And the best thing off all: Flare reflects alot of projectiles. (Except a few.)

In the Japanese version of the game, this attack will be your main killing attack.

Pros: Tracks oppoenet
Can catch unaware oppoenet offguard
Can get you out of attacks
Good Tracking

Cons: Can reflect back at you and kill you

-Flare (MidAir) (US/EUR VERSION ONLY)

[mid]Gather globe of red light that awaits remote detonation.

Emperor: "Run Amok!"

The Emperor throws a globe of Red Light. After being thrown it will stay in one spot looking pretty. But beauty often kills.

The main advantage to THIS Flare is that it's not reflectable. This means the dreaded scenario where you need that kill will no longer backfire on yourself. However it does not track your oppoenet across the map.

It has the same properties as Blue Flare otherwise, it can reflect projectiles, you can block and cast Red Flare to kill.

Pros: Isn't reflectable
Can be used after a block in the air
Can camp EXCore - Espcially in Edge of Madness
Defensive Shield

Cons: Means that Emperor needs to be in the Air. (Can be nullified by dashing on the spot then using the Flare straight away.)
Doesn't Move. (Honestly it'd been more useful if the Flares were swapped: with the Aerial one being able to track and the blue one being the one that stayed still.)

-Starfall (Ground/MidAir)-




[Long]Call down giant meteor. Long cast. Aim with Analog stick.
Effects: Wall rush, absorb

Emperor: "Hahahahaha.... Heavens!.... Uhhhh....... Unnn......!"

The Emperor's signature attack. The Emperor creates a crest under his feet where he has limited movement. After nine (9) agonising seconds, that charge is released into a giant Meteorite, which spews out fire to keep the oppoenet in place, and slams into the oppoenet crushing them into the ground.

Starfall most of the time however will NOT be used to attack. Starfall IS THE single best taunt ever made in a fighting game. It CANNOT be ignored, and it punishes those who get greedy with EX-Core. This attack essentially means the oppoenet will ALWAYS come to you or face a giant meteor.

And if that's not bad enough, you can chain your traps into Starfall aswell, giving you more slice of the action, and that one extra damage you may need when the Crash damage of Starfall does not kill. Good luck pulling this attack off on Mutliplayer!

Notes: Shorter ranged characters like Cloud and Jecht have more chance of getting hit by Starfall. Characters such as Squall can have a higher chance of stopping the casting of Starfall.

Pros: The feeling of satisfaction and happiness that you have archieved in your life's goal.
REALLY hard to get out off
Good on stages like Pandaemonium and Dimensional Castle
CRASH DAMAGE
Can be used to chain traps too (Automatically causes criticals to occur.)
Cancelable

Cons: After the feeling of satisfaction and happiness, you don't get the beautiful sunset that comes with it. =/ UNLESS you're playing at Dusk.
9 Second Charge time. COME ON.
Can be gotten out off in stages like Dimensional Castle.
It's next to impossible to get it out on stages like Edge of Madness.

EX-Mode

The Emperor gains BLOOD WEAPON Effect while in EX-Mode. Essentially this means any HP damage he deals is when convertted to HP for him. This includes when he does his EX-Burst.

His appearence also comes from when he became the Emperor of Hell and rising up Pandaemonium.

The Emperor's EX-Burst shrouds himself within a Cyclone, referencing when he tried to ruin the world within his Cyclone. You must then input a five button input command. The more buttons you get right, the more powerful the Ex-Burst becomes.

If you get an imperfect EX-Burst, The Emperor will use Cyclone.

If However you input all five button commands successfully, the Emperor will instead use the powerful Temptation/Entice attack, where he'll shock you and then release a powerful burst, referencing to Soul of Rebirth where the Emperor attempts to entice the party by giving them eternal life, but turns out to be nothing more than a lie.

Using the Emperor effectively

In order to play the Emperor effectively, you need to know your match ups, your arenas and how the oppoenet will react to you. Probably the most obvious aspect for the Emperor is MINDGAMING. Mix up your strategy and ultimately never go to the oppoenet. No matter who you're againest, THEY COME TO YOU.... except perhaps one or two exceptions, which will be covered in due time.

And I can not stress this enough: The most IMPORTANT thing for Emperor players is patience. Play smart, not fast. Defensive play is nesscery. A good Emperor player can writtle down the oppoenet's mental stamina aswell as make them go aggressive. Never play their game, YOU'RE the one who has Starfall, not them. (Unless you're playing againest another Emperor.)

-Flare is one of the greatest baits for traps for all times. Because it's reflectable, many amateur oppoenets will attempt to reflect as many Flares as possible. Alot of the time, this CAN be punished with a very well timed Thunder Crest.

-If your oppoenet HAS reflected your Flare back at you, there's FIVE ways around it:

1. Let the Flare just roll around until it self destructs. This is usually a bad idea because you CAN forget about it and it could bite you.

2. Let the Terrain destroy your flare. Each arena, except World of Darkness (Non-Gimmick/Omega) and Chaos Throne/Edge of Madness has terrain to destroy your flare.

3. Ex-Mode your own Flare. This reflects the Flare back at the oppoenet.

4. Guard/Dodge your Flare. Timing is VERY tight, but you won't sustain damage if you do this.

5. If at ZERO or VERY LOW brave, run into your own Flare. You'll take no/next to no damage and got rid of it.

- If the oppoenet excessively reflects your Flare, this can be used to your advantage to give you time to think. More time to think = More strategies and more time to think how to deal with the oppoenet.

- (Japanese Version only?) Flare, Sticky Bomb and Land Mines have a huge splash explosion radius. This can be used to hit people through some bits of Terrain.

- Thunder Crest can be used to entrap oppoenets through walls and terrain.

- Don't try and waste your time to set up elaborate traps. Most of the time, the oppoenet will simply dash through them.

- With some added Critical abilities equipped, Thunder Crest -> Land Mines will almost always garuntee a break. (Will get the list of Criticals later to use.)

- Flare is useful defensively. While smarter players will work their way around it, jumping into your own Flare to do stuff is a good strategy when trying to keep spellcasters at bay.

Emperor's Weakness

It must be stated that the Emperor's major weakness is midair/aerial assaults. In the japanese version this cannot be helped. But in the US version, the aerial Flare will be of great use with dealing with those pesky aerial attacks.

The Emperor also heavily relies on the arena. Learn your arenas, read them and find the best places to fight. Depending on the arena and player, you'll either be moving ALOT or not moving next to no times at all.

To do: Character Matchups
Arenas
What Reflects Flare

[Kraid]

MAY REWRITE IN MORE DETAIL LATER.

Warrior of Light

The Warrior of Light. A nasty start to the Emperor's Guide.

The Warrior of Light can keep your pressure game at bay and knock you out of your Flares. Do not worry however:

The Warrior of Light's only long range attack is Radiant Sword. This can be Bombarded (If you want to show off) or dodged. The rest of the Warrior of Light's attacks are alot closer.

Try and keep WoL out of the air. He only has one real attack he can hit you with from the air: Shield Buckler. It's pretty predictable and a block + Flare will usually make him hit the ground. Once that happens start using the Thunder Crests to really pressure him.

Shield Buckler: Can knock you out of your Flares + Combo into Bitter End, an HP attack. Luckily this is the only aerial brave attack to worry about.

White Fang: Can also knock you out of your Flares.

Shining Wave: Can AGAIN knock you out of your Flares and stop you pressuring. With a little time and patience you MIGHT be able to punish this move at the right moment.

Shield of Light: Can reflect Flare. Can be punished also. Depending on the timing of the Shield of Light and you casting Flare, it can either Defence Crush the Shield of Light OR get reflected by it. If done nearer the ground, this move is easily Thunder Crestable.

Firionel/Firion

Unlike Warrior of Light, Emperor has probably one of the harder times againest Firion. How appriopate, because he fights like a dairy fa... I mean with a well rounded set of attacks that can stop the Emperor.

Fire: Usually it's best to avoid blocking this, as this can set off shield bash. HOWEVER this can also be perfect bait by reflecting it with BLUE FLARE. Both the Fire and Flare will then travel with each other, making Shield Bashing a little harder. Not only this, but you can then dash at them to pressure their Shield Bashing Attempts with your Red Flares.

Straight Arrow: Laughable! Straight Arrow can be BLOCKED AND DODGED easily. It's slow enough that you can move out of the way WHILE STARFALLING. For extra style points, use Bombard.

Master of Arms: Vicious! Aerial attack that IGNORES Terrain. To make this worse, it reflects Flare, and it's range is further than your Thunder Crest. With a bit of luck, he'll run into a Thunder Crest while this happens. (Firion is drawn to the ground while doing this attack. Placing a Thunder Crest in a blind spot can hurt him.)

Because of the nature of this attack, with some practice you can dash in and punish the WHIFF with Red Flare. Nastily this will be the only attack Firion can use also to try and stop you from casting Starfall in a Red Flare. Have fun! >=D

Shield Bash: Even though Fire may not be so much of a problem, even if he does reflect Fire, this attack is still dodgable. However Firion can SHIELD BASH your mines. Be cautious.

Lead Axe: Laughable! It's the single most easily punishable move IN THE GAME. He misses with it, he's a sitting duck.

EX-Mode: Firion has the same EX-Mode bonus as you, and you're already at a slight disadvantage! Avoid ANY sort of activity that can be shield bashed at ANY costs.

Essentially: Emperor has a bad time againest Firion. Makes matters worse: Firion loves enclosed spaces, probably more so than the Emperor. Red Flare is a useful option fo anything but ordinary Fire.

Thunder Crest will usually fail againest Firion, so use Sticky Bombs instead. Firion leaves himself open to alot of attacks, the Sticky Bomb will make him think twice.

Onion Knight (OK)

The Onion Knight. Why would an Emperor beat up a kid? Because e's obnoxious, simple.

The Onion Knight is a more laggier version of Zidane. There's really only two attacks to worry about. The rest are pretty easy for the Emperor to punish so there's no need to worry. But again: Do not rush. Recklessness with the Emperor will lead to your demise.

Comet: This attack is unpunishable againest Emperor. Flare doesn't reflect it. Stay out of this one's line of fire.

Firaga: Like Comet, stay away. Simple.

Wind Shear: Theortically, this attack could be hit with Thunder Crest after it reflected Flare. In practically, Onion Knight can control which direction he moves while doing this attack.

Quick Hits: If you're on the ground, this attack will literally run itself into a Thunder Crest.

Ex-Mode: Job Change allows Onion Knight to get more hits in per attack and wider range in his attacks.

Effectively: He may be fast, but you can hear his attacks. Wait for the distinctive sound, and counter. Encourage the Onion Knight to go agressive, but don't repeat yourself.

Cecil Harvey

Cecil has two different forms: A Paladin great in the air, and a Dark Knight get on the ground. For all of Cecil's bravado.

Really, like Onion Knight, Cecil doesn't pose much of a threat except in the form of Dark Flame. With some practice and patience, again this becomes quite punishable.

Saint's Dive: In the Japanese version, it's TERRIBLE. No Tracking at all. In the English version, there's more tracking. It can also reflect Flare. You can easily Thunder Crest him if he's to close to the ground.

Searchlight: Can be reflected by Flare. Red Flare stops excessive Searchlight spamming

Soul Eater: Reflects Flare Risky gamble because you have to be RIGHT next to the Flare to use it. Thunder Crest if he uses it, because there's next to nothing he CAN do.

Dark Flare: Reflects Flare It's alot better in the Japanese version but still pretty dangerous. There will also be fumes of Darkness following you, so it's alot harder to punish this attack than Soul Eater.

[Kraid]

Bartz Klauser

Bartz is the perfect example of a character who essentially destroyed Emperor... but only due to one attack. If neutralised, you have a high chance of winning otherwise. Everytime Bartz attacks, a sound of him summoning his weapons occur. Visual AND Audio cues here are the key to beating this mimic.

Lead Impulse: Bartz throws Firion's axe at the Emperor. Avoid this attack, and snipe him while he's standing like a lemon waiting for the axe to return.

Holy: THIS is the dangerous attack of Bartz and the one that could make it next to impossible to win. Try and get into a Red Flare and force pressure with Starfall. If you don't, you are DEAD.

Flood: NEVER dodge this attack. You can simply run/walk/float/glide/whatever the Emperor does out of it. Dodging has a higher chance of Flood hitting you. Keep in mind this one of the very attacks you can't EX out of either.

Soul Eater: Reflects Flare. Thunder Crest him and retailate with your own Flare.

Whirlwind Blade/Wind Shear: Another move that reflects Flare, and can move Bartz around the arena also. Lay down a Thunder Crest. You'll probably won't hit, but there's nothing else the Emperor can do againest this but hope and pray it hits.

Ex-Mode: Goblin Punch is dangerous. REALLY dangerous. However although it's instanteous, it can be Flared and can save your 'royal bacon.'

Terra Branford

Terra, my main. Part of the reason I'm writing up this FAQ is so I can later write up a Terra FAQ from learning what I can do with this one. (Emperor is my second =P)

Keep that Blue Flare up and moving with it is the best strategy againest that. Terra leaves herself open to her better attacks, don't forget to exploit that also!

For the US version, use the Red Flare instead, because it's ALOT safer.

Any attack I don't mention is reflectable or isn't really worth mentioning.

Fire: Becareful. While it is indeed reflectable, Flare will not reflect this alot of the time due to the fact it travels on the ground at a low pace. Terra players may attempt to snipe you with this attack.

Gravija: Black Ball of Death that descends upon you. It does more damage the further you are in the air. This isn't reflectable, but it's dodgable if timed right. Don't let the fact it suctions you near the end disturb you. Terra may use this to keep you away from your Flare.

Blizzard Combo: Her best 'keep away move.' And quite hard to block on reaction. However an audio cue can give her away.

Meteor: Terra's main attack! And the number one reason you want that Flare up AT ALL TIMES. Flare reflects Meteor. It keeps you safe, and is a safe haven. IF Terra hits you with Meteor, depending if you're playing unequips or equips, and depending how high/low health you are, this could be linked to all her other attacks. Meteor -> Holy Combo -> Ultima is DEATH in unequips (I know this frome xperience, I did this on Nero.)

Red Flare gives you more oppunities to defend againest Meteor, espcially with how nerfed it is in the US version. If Terra attempts something else, Sticky Bomb her.

Flood: Same strategy as Bartz, only her flood hits one more time if I recall correctly. Just outpace it.

Meltdown: It depends on the stage you're in, aswell as which version is used. 1st Charge means a point blank projectile at limited range. 2nd Charge is a slow projectile that slowly gets faster and homes. 3rd Charge is a very fast projectile which bounces everywhere. Suit your dodging needs to deal with all three.

Tornado: Terra's only attack that reflects Flare... and it's slow. Only the last part of Tornado actually reflects the Flare. And since most Terra's will do this in the air, safely away from you, there's really no retailation from it. Just remember for Terra to do her stuff, she'd rather be on the ground.

Ex-Mode: Strategy changes for Terra while she's in EX, but only if equipped with Gravija AND if you're far away. Steer Clear unless you think you can get her.

Cloud Strife

Cloud Strife. Probably the most played character in Dissidia. (Well, not here on Dissidia Forums anyways =P) Cloud is all about high risk/high award. Cloud attacks slowly, you can see his attacks coming from a mileaway.

Perhaps most worrying though is Slash Blow -> Omnislash V5. This + Criticals can put you down to 1 health in one attack. Many Cloud players will be relying to get that Omnislash V5 out, whetever by spamming Slash Blow or Climhazard -> Slash Blow.

Cloud gets is faster in the US version due to Multi-Air-Dash, and so his attacks come out much quickly. But with enough patience and practice, you can eventually block his attacks.

Slash Blow: As mentioned above, this will be the core to Cloud Players. Its downside? It's REALLY slow. Block. You can most likely break him with Air Mines, and do severe damage with Red Flare. DON'T LET IT HIT YOU THOUGH, because it can be chained to Omnislash V5, which HURTS.

And if they Slash Blow you near the ground, Block then Thunder Crest and then have fun. =P

If for some reason you're uncomfortable about blocking, dodge. Sometimes Cloud players will mind game you by spamming Slash Blow alot, only next time to Braver.

Climhazard: If you see the Cloud pull up his sword then dash, he's most likely going for to try and Slash Blow you. This attack is actually even easier for the Emperor to deal with than Slash Blow! Since he basically dashes forward, a Thunder Crest will ruin him.

Aerial Fang: Can go through Flare........ apprently.

Fire/Fira/Firaga: Reflectable and Dodgable. Firaga may be slightly harder to deal with, but it's still dodgable. Single Fire on the otherhand can be used to chain to Slash Blow IF it hits. Don't ever let Fire hit you if you're near Cloud.

In the US version, it moves exactly like Flare does.

Cross Slash: Can reflect Flare. He can do this at a safe distance also as to not fall into your traps. However it's still Thunder Crestable IF they're at a close distance.

Braver: The alternate to reflecting Flare, and the more stupid choice. They uncontrollably smash themselves forwards as a moving ball of priorty.... except it can't smash through Thunder Crest, and they'll entrap themselves. Don't dodge left or right either: Braver does has some tracking and will hit if you dodge left or right. Dodge Backwards at the last moment, and go crazy with the Emperor.

Meteorain: Be extremely careful of this attack. This can stop your pressure attempts and goes through mines and Flares alike. However like always there is a way to punish this attack (Though it risks getting hit by Meteorain.)

Ex-Mode: BE CAREFUL. You can no longer block Cloud. All his attacks gain an insane amount of priorty, guard crush capabilities and extra power the more health he is on. Also all his attacks can and WILL reflect Flare. Many inexperienced Clouds will see this as an oppunity to Slash Blow/Braver till their hearts content. But they can still be Thunder Crested.

[Kraid]

Squall Leonheart

Squall Leonheart. Another Leader in a sense. Military experience like Cecil and Cloud. But there lays the similiarities. Squall was trained to kill the Sorceress. He can also kill Magic users, and doesn't lay to deception easily. Tempting the Lion is no easy feat.

Blue Flare is risky because of the amount of attacks Squall has to reflect it. Damn. You'll have to rely on Locking Off Flare. (See Flare Strategies later.)

Thunder Bullet/Barret: Is not reflected by Flare. It's also got the same reach as your Thunder Crest. And it's faster also. Don't bother attempting to Thunder Trap them, just dodge. Otherwise you'll eat Upper Blues/Bruise or Solid Barrel.

Fusillade: There's a 50/50 chance a Squall will carry this attack. Flare can reflect the first four parts. The fifth, a Thunder strike, will push you away and can lead to chase. Reflect with Red Flare.

Solid Barrel: the main reason to never get close to Squall. Even without EX, This attack is VERY HARD TO BLOCK on reaction.

Heel Crush (JPN): IS blockable and Thunder Crestable. In the US version, this is no longer the case. It's blockable, but it staggers you. You CAN use this to your advantage to allow a Blue Flare to smack into Squall while both of you are staggered. But I highly advise againest using Blue Flare too often againest Squall anyways.

Blasting Zone: A damn near punishable attack againest the Emperor. It also reflects Flare. There's a TINY window of oppunity to snipe a crest underneathe the attack. But the risk is not worth it, as most the time you'll get hit.

Revolver Drive: YET ANOTHER attack that reflects Flare. That'll be three in total Squall has. However in both the US and JPN version, as long as your reaction speed is good, you can make the lion pounce into your own Thunder Crest.

Rough Divide: On the ground, this attack is forseeable. In the air, it's harder to track and punish. It also reflects Flare. Squall's will also use this to cover ground.

Agood strategy is to always have the Thunder Crest out. Wait for the Squall to Rough Divide, then jump onto your crest. There's an EXTREMELY good chance that Squall will get sucked into the crest. If your reaction is good, you can dodge out before Squall hits you, taking no damage. However it may be a good idea FOR Squall to hit you, as his brave will drop to 0, and then break due to the rest.

EX-Mode: Essentially double attack and more range. Arck....

Squall is an Emperor killer. And one of the worst matchups for the Emperor. But with patience, planning and prediction, the Lion can be taken down.

Zidane Tribal

Zidane. Fast attacking, stays in the air alot. Zidane has some of the more insane combos in the game (Second to Golbez.)

It doesn't really help that's he's the best character in the game.

But because he stays in the air alot, it's best to try and bring him down. Aerial Flare (US only of course) and Starfall will be enough to force Zidane down to your level.

Tempest (JPN): Tempest can link into all sorts of combos in the JPN version. It's best to avoid this otherwise you'll be hit with some nasty combos followed by a very nasty BP - HP chain.

Vortex (US): Vortex is the move that can link into all sorts of combos in the US version. Again, best to avoid this attack unless you want to get hit by a nasty BP - HP chain.

Free Energy (US): don't get to close to Zidane, or he'll Free Energy. Zidane is all about spacing, never let him have the space to Free Energy. Stay either VERY CLOSE or Far enough it can't hit you.

Grand Lethal: Reflects Flare. Can be Thunder Crested and has homing capabilities. Essentially it has the same properties as Braver and Rough Divide.

Shift Break: &*^*, all you have to say can be summarized into words no little child can hear. This attack will be ridiciously hard for the Emperor to punish, it stops Starfall and Flare pressuring and can pretty much do insane damage if it hits you for critical damage. This attack will make it so Zidane DOESN'T have to come down to you.

Tidal Flame: Tennis! That's all it needs to be said.

ExMode: Zidane gets extra jumps that all count as dodges. Nothing to special.

Tidus

Tidus is the son of Jecht. But instead of being Manly like his father, he is the opposite: He's whiney, obnoxious and annoying, and his battle style reflects that.

Instead of taking hits like a Man, Tidus dodges like a girl. Most of his attacks are Dodge & _____, and will usually activate Counter Attack. (Be sure to have Anti-Counter attack on Tidus....)

However Tidus can also dodge and smash into the back, meaning it'll also activate Surprise Attack. Oh dear, you can only equip one Anti-Critical at any one time.

Tidus can also mind game like hell... damn. Tidus was designed to kill mages.

Most attacks can be dodged very quickly. Some are harder than others (Dodge & Throw.)

Hop Step: Probably the most important move to know about. In the US version it states "A couple of light hits." or some other LIE. Hop Step is incredibly powerful.

In the Japanese version, this attack can be linked to other attacks, has longer range, and is faster. Tiduses will constantly Dash towards you and either Hop Step or mind game you by gliding away.

Dodge & Throw: Tidus dodges and throws his weapon at you. Another great counter attack from him. And alot of the time it will hit you FROM BEHIND. Don't bother blocking it, and try to either dodge it backwards or side dodge it. If you don't time it right, he WILL hit you and then link up to Quick Hits.

Dodge & Run: Consider it a relief if Tidus has this attack. Tidus will dodge backwards and then throw himself forward. Blockable and Thunder Crestable.

Dodge & Spin: NASTY! Tidus will go in the air and then attack from above. If you can time it right, you can block it. It's all about instinct.

Energy Rain: Reflects Flare. If you dodge in time, you can easily counter with a Thunder Crest.

Slice and Dice: Both the JPN and US version can reflect Flare. Although this is ALOT harder done in the JPN version of course. The US version however can reflect Flare on start up. If the enemy is low enough, you coud be able to get them into a Thunder Crest. But that's about it.

Ex-Mode: Speed up + Damage increase. The speed up is actually a problem for Tidus againest Emperor. Most of the time, the speed up will be used to kill most Mages. But againest the Emperor, it makes Tidus a very fast and easy target for Thunder Crest. However one hit and he could take away all your hard earned brave.

In Conclusion: It'll be a tough fight, but it's easier than Squall. You need to really study the Tidus, and check his reactions out.

Shantotto

Shantotto is the tiniest character in the game. The only character more annoying than Tidus also. Her HP attacks can be chained to each other (Up to three times.) If you know anything about 'Circle Magic' or whatever it's called, you'll understand.

Also the more Brave she has, the stronger her HP attacks become and change properties.

Bind: Her most annoying attack, it can stop you in your place. You can't move, but you can still attack. It can be dodged with right timing.

Bio: Annoying as hell. NEVER let this hit you. If you do, don't let your Flare hit Shantotto. This will be an automatic break on you. It can be dispersed with Flare and Block.

Stun: REALLY annoying. She can cancel out your attack. Simply put, this is a CounterSpell. 2 Blue Mana. Counter target spell. She has to be a certain distance though.

HP attacks: All her HP attacks, if they miss will end up causing an extreme lag time for the Taru. Her Wind attacks have draw in effect, so watch out for that. She'll be in the air mostly. Draw her down, use attacks such as Sticky Bombs to distract her and wittle her away.

By the way: The first two tiers of her attacks can be normal blocked.

EXMode: Manafront. She doesn't lose her BRV when she does an HP attack or her EXBurst.

[Kraid]

Garland

Garland. The personification of Knocking You Down. Can he, Garland, knock the Emperor down?!

Well the Emperor DID kidnap a princess just like Garland did. But that's all they share in common.

Garland is slow. Predictable and clumsy. Probably the easiest of Chaoses Villains. Stay close and keep that Flare up. Garland will stay still most of the time.

Round Edge: The first couple of hits are blockable, the last hit has guard crush capabilities. He leaves himself wide open to a Thunder Crest. Most Garlands will have this equipped for Combo Capabilities.

Earthquake: Can reflect Flare. HOWEVER it has a large starting up time compared to most other Reflecting moves. Just Thunder Crest him when it appears.

Tsunami: More dangerous than Earthquake, this can also reflect Flare and launches Garland in the air. However it completely leaves Garland open more than Earthquake does, so you're able to set moves up.

Ex-Mode: Garland gains the ability to not stumble while he's attacking. This could be dangerous as he can attack through your Thunder Crest, even if it activates. Flare no longer troubles him and he just becomes a walking death machine. However he's still blockable and can be stumbled by blocking =P As long as he's not attacking, he can be knocked back.

The Emperor "Mateus"

This world can have but one Emperor!

Dittos. The Emperor. He IS you. This is a tough TOUGH battle. In order to beat the Emperor, you need to be able to beat his setup game.

Thunder Crest: The Good news: You don't need to worry about being blocked, as the Emperor HAS no moves that makes him stumble after a block. The Bad news: This will be a constant threat. If you put a Thunder Crest over his Thunder Crest however, the Emperor might think it's safe and end up getting hit. BOOM!

Light Crest: The bane of Emperor himself if in a closed in arena. Light Crest will reflect everywhere, and be able to hit you in the back even though the crest was summoned infront of you.

Land Mines: Could pose a problem as they will block any good points that the Emperor could lay a trap. This is REALLY only a problem in three stages: Pandaemoniun, Kefka's Tower and Clocktower.

Air Mines: If you get hit outside of Thunder Crest, Dynamite and Bombard, this leads an interesting question: Why the hell are you in the air to begin with?

Bombard: The Emperor can reflect your own flares right back at you. Of course, the same could be done with you also. However: A reflected Flare becomes your Flare, even though it will strip from your oppoenet's BRV. Recasting Flare will nullify your opponet's Flare that became yours.

Dynamite: Pretty dangerous to use againest the Emperor as it can be reflected by Flare and becomes HIS Dynamite.

Starfall: The Emperor's most dangerous attack againest you. An Emperor could stay in his Red or Blue Flare and cast this. If he does, get to him and Flare him before he has the chance to finish the casting. It's pretty easy to cast Starfall on an opposing Emperor really.

Words of advise: KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TRAPS. Everything will look the same, there is no colour difference. I would put this as one of the hardest dittos out there, along with Ultimecia Dittos and ExDeath Dittos. If you're in Pandaemonium, goodluck. =P

Ex-Mode: Blood Weapons. Now the fight will last longer than you wanted it to.

Cloud of Darkness

Where do you find Clouds? In the sky. The Cloud of Darkness is no exeception (Well... Cloud is.) She can put constant pressure on you.... or can she?

Tentacles: Her tentacles basically go through your Flare pressuring. Try and pinpoint which one she'll attempt to use. Guessing wrong will hurt. Guessing Right will produce nice awards. Only Aerial Tentacles 3 will not have an effect on an Emperor.

0-Form Particle Beam: (US version), Can reflect Flare. It's pretty much a Point Blank Range attack. She can also stay in the air out of harms way in order to annoy and hammer you.

However as long as she's NOT in Ex-Mode, this move is pretty easily punished once you get the timing off the dodge right.

Feint Particle Beam: Slams right through Flare and is unpunishable by the Emperor. WTF.

Long Range Particle Beam: See Feint.

Anti-Air Particle Beam: Easier to punish as she's right near you to do this. DON'T LET HER HIT YOU WITH THIS IN EX-MODE.

Wrath Particle Beam: The single reason to never use Light Crest on Cloud of Darkness. DON'T DO IT.

Golbez

Lunarian conflicted by the evil deeds done when possessed by Zemus. Can this overpowering figure be once again manipulated?

Golbez has some of the best spacing moves in the game. He also has the most combos in the game. Flare is however a saviour againest Golbez. It can interupt his stream of comboes and let you get back on your feet.

The main thing to do againest Golbez is NOT get hit. Pretty much any of Golbezes attacks will link until your broken or hit with an HP attack. NEVER go into the air except the set up a Red Flare.

Play dead or play smart.

Attack System: Can be reflected by Flare. Can link to pretty much every other attack Golbez has.

Rise Wave: Can be moved out of the way off. Again can link to pretty much every other attack. It canbe blocked if Golbez uses this right infront of you.

Gravity Force: Consider it a relief if Golbez uses this move. Depending on Distance, Golbez will either slap you into the Force or will shoot you. Most the time if you're playing Emperor, he will slap you. This can be blocked. Just remember what blocking means.

Nightglow: The main reason you don't get to close to Golbez. No matter what this will cause some invincibility frames and can reflect Flare. It also causes WallCrash. Luckily though he leaves himself open to severe punishment. Do I REALLY have to tell you to Thunder Crest punish from now on?

EX-Mode: Ex-Cancel will allow Golbez to continue an even bigger stream of combos.... ouch.

But more worryingly is BlackFang. BlackFang can instantly break Emperor after 7 seconds of charging. Be constantly on him if he's in Ex-Mode. Blue Flare and Red Flare will cause pressure. Light Crest will stop him in his path also.

ExDeath

A Mighty Tree from the great forest of Moore. An evil warlock who wants to send everything into the void. A needless destroyer.

ExDeath is as manipulative as the Emperor when it comes to playing. They also both share the same sort of style: Control. They both rely on baiting and luring.

Low/Mid Guards - If the ExDeath uses this, just laugh.

Swords Dance - Again, Laugh.

Vacuum Wave - A bit more of a threat, but a dangerous one! DON'T REFLECT THIS WITH FLARE. It'll reflect back at ExDeath PERFECTLY. ExDeath can then use this to High or All/Omni Guard and counter his own attack back at you. Tried to be smart eh?

Black Hole - Will attract you towards a void for damage. Can be used by ExDeath to combo. =/

High Guard - Don't use Bombard or Light Crest. They'll be easily High Guarded and countered. Also stay away from Dynamiting at ExDeath for the same reason.

All Guard - Now it gets nastier and proceeds to lock the Emperor down. ExDeath can counter Flare, reflecting it AND then punish you. If up close you'll get hit with Swords Dance, Almagest or Hurricane. Further away it'll be a near instanteous Grand Cross or Vacuum Wave x 2.

As long as you're at a distance when the Flare is out, you should NOT get hit by a single counter...

Also ExDeath can jump at Red Flares and All-Guard them in order to get some nice counters on you.

A way around this is to stick to ExDeath like glue and get that Red Flare out. ExDeath can't deal with Point Blank Ranged Flares.

[Kraid]

Kefka

A human being who's been enchanced with a substance called Magitek, really infused with the power of Espers.

This Regicidal mage has already slain one emperor. But how can he fare againest you?

He has enough tools to be able to pose a threat to the Emperor. He can also stay above you and just keep spamming attacks. However most attacks can be reflected by Flare.

Waggle Wobbly Firaga: Kefka's most dangerous attack. It's also the biggest opening for the Emperor. Treat this as most treat your flares: Reflect it. Bombard can reflect it, as can both Flares if the flame of the Waggle Wobbly is small.

Extra Crispy Firaga: Kefka's Most damaging attack. In unequips this can break you several times over. Amusingly, A Red and Blue Flare can reflect this back at Kefka and damage him for massive damage.

Scatterspray Blizzaga: Another quite damaging attack. Not as vicious as Extra Crispy or Waggle Wobbly, but it's Kefka's most used attack outside of Waggle Wobbly for the fact it tracks and can still do alot of damage. Can be reflected by blocking it or using your Flares or Bombard.

Hyperdrive: This will be a problem for Emperor. This makes Kefka quite unapproachable on the ground.... unless of course you use a Blue Flare. Kefka ca't hit straight above him when he uses this, so find the blindspot and try and formulate a counter attack.

Forsaken: Another problem, though not as much as Kefka's other HP attacks. Be careful when he uses this attack in Ex-Mode: It tracks AND Homes.

Trine: Kefka's Anti-Starfall weapon. In the JPN version, you could use Starfall, he Trines and you can avoid it. These days however, it comes out much quicker. This can give you a opening or a break if you need it if Kefka is being relentless with his spells.

Havoc Wing: Kefka can reflect Flare using this. The good thing about this attack is that it will vertically track you, as will the wings. Direct KEfka's assasult near you, and the Flare can smack him in the back. Better yet: Let him Reflect the Flare and Thunder Crest him.

In general: Kefka is a general pain. On Paper, Kefka has all the advantages over Emperor. But like most things on paper, don't take it to seriously. This matchup isn't as one sided as you may think. It's VERY doable.

Sephiroth

A fallen hero who grew mad at his very creation. It is unknown if his will is truly his own or Jenova. Can his mockery over Heaven and Hell match the true power of Hellfire?

Sephiroth has a neat arsenal to usually deal with anything. In this case, your main problem will be ironically Heaven's Light or Hell's Gate.

Sudden Cruelty: Can hit through your Flares if you're not careful. This usually links to Oblivion, but that's not a problem if your Flares are up.

Shadow Flare: If you time it correctly, you CAN get out of this if you're casting Starfall. Flares can deflect it also.

Scintilla: Reflects Flare. Leaves himself WIDE open to get Thunder Crested. Not really a problem since he can't really block your attacks. Aerial Scintilla could be a problem however.

Octaslash: This can reflect Flare, but it depends when it's done. Most Sephiroth's will stay away from this move. If they do use it, and the Flare IS reflected, you should have plenty of chance to counter Sephiroth anyway possible.

Hell's Gate: Can reflect Flare. In the JPN version, this couldn't be cancelled, and was EASILY punished. In the US version, it can now be cancelled.

Heaven's Light: Sephiroth probably won't use this as much againest Emperor, as this is an Anti-Air attack. However he may use it every now and then to get the high ground. If he uses it below you and you're on ground (I.E. Crystal World) then A thunder Crest is an easy punishment. This ALSO reflects Flare. Damn.

Heartless Angel: Even though this originally belonged to Kefka, this is Sephiroth's Signature attack now. This has less charge time than Starfall, so don't bother Starfalling, get to him and use that damn Light Crest!

Ultimecia

Let us crown the true master!

The Emperor's perhaps significant other? Who knows. However Ultimecia doesn't play fair compared to the Emperor and is perhaps one of the worst matchups for the Emperor unless playing in his own domain.

ALWAYS keep a Flare up againest Ultimecia. Her attacks come out alot.

Knight's Sword: Charged is not a problem, it comes out ridiciously slowly and is deflected by Flare. Uncharged could be a little problematic as it comes out alot faster. The upside is it's even easier to reflect with either Flares.

Knight's Arrow: Charged is not a problem. Emperor can easily cast a Red Flare and dive in to stop it hitting him. Uncharged could be a problem if it's to late. ALWAYS have that damn Flare, otherwise you'll be comboed into Knight's Axe or Shockwave Pulsar.

Knight's Axe: Charged is the biggest problem out of Ultimecia's Brave moves. It is not deflected or cancelled by Flare, so AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS, use Bombard if it gets to close. Uncharged is a joke as again, that's deflectable by Flare.

Shockwave Pulsar: Can go through Flare. Will be the most problematic move as it straight out will remove you from your Flare. Dirty whore, being able to move the Emperor however she wants...

Apocalypse: AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MOVE. While it is an extremely good Anti-Air, it makes for an even better Anti-Flare. While it doesn't reflect, Ultimecia can choose when to set the Apocalypse off. If Emperor dodges, Ultimecia can set this off after the dodge frames. Because of this move: You NEED to be on the move alot.

Great Attractor: A fitting name for the move as you'll be compelled to either stop her or to run away. For Emperor, it's best to hide. Luckily Flare can go through this.

Time Crush: NEVER EVER LET HER GET THIS THROUGH. FOR GOD SAKE DON'T! IT'S THE QUICKEST OF THE CHARGED EX-ATTACKS AND CAN GARUNTEE ULTIMECIA THE VICTORY SHE NEEDS.

Verdict: Ultimecia is a cruel matchup for the Emperor. The only way you may win is in Pandaemonium or Kefka's Tower. While Emperor can deal with her Brave attacks just fine, he may struggle to hit Ultimecia. Ultimately though Ultimecia will probably win this with brute force.

Kuja

A genome who wants to destroy everything after realising he will die. A Self centered arrogant piece of .....

This is the last of the horrid matchups for the Emperor. Like Ultimecia, he plays below the belt. And alot of his attacks can penetrate through Flare.

This is probably the hardest matchup in the ENTIRE game. If the Kuja is smart, all he will equip are moves that Emperor cannot punish.

I really can't write what to do for this. This is the single most unfair mathup. It might be doable in Pandaemonium, but Kuja STILL has an advantage there with infinite chasing.

[Kraid]

Space Reserved for Jecht & Gabranth

[Kraid]

Stages

It is often said that the Emperor is the most stage dependant character on the stage. This is actually not true. However Emperor can be able to use some of the stages to his benefit to be able to beat characters that normally would decimate him.

Order of Sanctuary

Supposedly the most neutral stage in the game. It's also the bar setter for the Emperor. It's one of his better arenas, despite the amount of cons piling up.

Pros: Wide Open Area
Lots of Space to run away and lay Traps

Cons: Almost no hiding spot for Starfall

Old Chaos Shrine

For a shrine dedicated to Chaos, the Emperor is easily able to manipulate the area for his traps. A good arena.

Pros: Two tiers for this stage, allowing the Emperor to change the playing field when he sees fit.
Thunder Crests has a easier time to hit an oppoenet dashing at you from below.
Top Area is wide open for Flares to run about.

Cons: The ceiling can stop Starfall castings.
The Omega version can REALLY change your strategy around.
Ceiling is collapsable, making the top area alot less open. (It's not that much of a con really.)

Pandaemonium

Ah.... The Emperor's castle. This IS the Emperor's best arena when it comes to fighting his bad matchups. Many players dread this arena. But for the Emperor, it's a holiday.

Before we go to Pros and Cons, you MUST play very differently on Pandaemonium. Narrow corridors can create nasty chokepoints for mines, Red Flares and Air Mines. Different sections of Pandaemonium can also be used for different purposes. I may create a map of Pandaemonium, show casing all the most important places for the Emperor to be.

However this is where Light Crest comes in. This move is SPAMMABLE in Pandaemonium, to a point where you can throw people in Red Flares easily.

Many people have assumed it's an infinite. With some tests I have found out it's NOT infinite. The oppoenet can get out after the first wave, but granted they may get hit the second wave if they're not careful enough.

Just makesure you stay in the narrow corridors. It's probably a better idea to stay in the narrow corridors, using Light Crests and Red Flares, than staying completely in the open part using Thunder Crests and Blue Flares. THAT is the only exception.

Pros: To write
Cons: To write