[Advanced Jecht Guide] From Bumbling Bum to Blitz King

[Veysey]

NOTE: This guide will take form over the next couple of days as I get time to update the content and add more detail/readability to the guide. The thread will stay closed until the guide is presenting the bulk of the information. Please be patient. Thanks.

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From Bumbling Bum to Blitz King
An Advanced Jecht Guide

Presented by:
Veysey & Wedge

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Using Jecht Stream & Jecht Rush
   ● No Combo
   ● Failed Combos
   ● Incomplete Combos
   ● Complete Combos
   ● HP Combos
   
3. Using HP Attacks
   ● Triumphant Grasp
   ● Jecht Blade
   ● Ultimate Jecht Shot
   
4. Using the Charge Feature
   ● Jecht Rush
   ● Jecht Stream
   ● HP Attacks
   
5. Using EX Mode/Full Combo
6. Jecht Block and Defensive Play
7. Offensive Play
8. Brave Management
9. Stage Analysis
   ● Old Chaos Shrine
   ● Pandemonium
   ● World of Darkness
   ● Lunar Terrain
   ● The Rift
   ● Kefkas Tower
   ● Planets Core
   ● Ultimecias Castle
   ● Crystal World
   ● Dreams End
   ● Orders Sanctuary
   ● Edge of Madness
   
10. Match Up Tips
    ● Warrior of Light
    ● Garland
    ● Firion
    ● Emperor
    ● Onion Knight
    ● Cloud of Darkness
    ● Cecil
    ● Golbez
    ● Bartz
    ● Exdeath
    ● Terra
    ● Kefka
    ● Cloud
    ● Sephiroth
    ● Squall
    ● Ultimecia
    ● Zidane
    ● Kuja
    ● Tidus
    ● Jecht
    ● Shantotto
    ● Gabranth
11. Writers Notes/Putting it all Together
    ● Veysey
    ● Wedge

I. Introduction

For beginner Jechts, it is highly recommended that you check out:

• Amphorics Jecht Guide
• Amphorics list of Jecht Blockable attacks
• ujhbns frame data

This will be your base, so learn that information before tackling Jecht as an advanced main. If you're struggling with combos, basic gameplay, or even just never read them before - it's highly recommended you check out the information in those three guides.

Also, keep in mind that this guide isn't meant to be overly pretty. It's sole purpose is to convey information for aspiring Jecht players and those who want to know why and how he is played. Consider this more like a report. It might be beneficial to take in one section at a time rather than reading the entire thing at once. Now with that out of the way, let's get on to the actual guide.

So you’ve learned to perform Jechts combos. You know how to do all his branches and can perform his Full Combo flawlessly. Great! You are officially on par with every other character in Dissidia now. That’s right – learning Jechts combos is essentially the same thing as pressing O with Tidus, or ^+O with someone else. All that work was just to learn how to actually do his moves. Now you have to learn how to actually use him and apply your moves properly to battles. Your journey to stardom starts here.

This guide is intended for players who can perform Jechts combos, have basic proficiency with the game, and can win a few battles but want to take that win rate up a few points. By the end of this guide, you should understand how to win with Jecht and why so many players consider him a dangerous opponent. PLEASE understand that becoming proficient with Jecht takes time and effort. You can’t become a Blitz King simply by knowing – you need the experience to go along side that knowledge. Knowing how and when to apply that knowledge is KEY to Jecht since he focuses on forcing guessing games and severely punishing opponents for guessing wrong.

This guide will NOT teach you how to perform combos. This guide will NOT teach you how to get through single player elements. This guide will NOT focus on builds and ideal equipment/accessories/summons. This guide focuses on competitive play and when you’re finished, you should have a good idea how to approach matches. This will be your foundation and you can work on whatever other aspects you feel are necessary afterwards. Keep in mind that a lot of the examples and suggestions presented in this guide are to help you get a feeling for what and where you can get away with certain tactics. They are not an end all be all solution, though. After that, you should be able to “feel” when to use certain options for Jecht and improvise your own situations without relying on the “templates” presented in this guide. This is because the meta is constantly changing and you can't dictate that a character should always or never do something. Make sure you understand why rather then when and you'll become much more competent.

So that's what you can expect and now it’s time to move on to the main course.

[Veysey]

II. Using Jecht Stream & Jecht Rush

In this section, we'll break down each option Jecht has in his combo branches as if they were a separate move. This is the first step that usually separates normal Jecht players from those who are more dedicated and successful.

No Combo

First off, let’s start simple and talk about not comboing at all and the options you have as well as what they’re good for. If you do not dodge cancel (d/c) out of his attacks, he can use them to counter a counterattack the foe has planned/trying to execute. For example, if I use Rush and just miss my opponent (Squall), he might start Thunder Barret (since it’ll draw you in for a combo) but if you let Rush continue, you’ll bop him with a headbutt and stop his attack. Some attacks/match ups aren’t worth trying this with and use it very sparingly since it’s extremely easy to block uncharged. Rush can be d/c’d out of fairly quickly and safely so players don’t often expect you to let the attack continue. The same thing works with Stream and can be used against people who dodged away too early and prepare certain aerial moves.

You can also let them continue to extend the range of your attack. Say Sephiroth is trying to use Heartless Angel and you JUST missed your Stream on him, he will keep floating away because you need to d/c and chance him again before he’s in danger. If you let the attack continue, you’ll actually likely hit him out of Heartless Angel and he’ll need to start the charge over again. There are more uses, but these examples should give a rough idea of how to use them well. Just remember that this IS an option for Jecht.

Failed Combos

Now let’s talk about botching a combo completely – I mean getting no links whatsoever. There is a problem with this that players need to be aware of: If you let the last hit connect instead of d/cing out, your opponent can recovery attack before you can get away. It’s a free counterattack for them if they have a fast enough brave attack. So if you mess up your combos that badly, don’t finish them if you’re facing someone with a fast brave attack. They can – and will – hit you, giving them a free CA.

The only reason you should be completing completely failed combos is if it will net you a break or will set your opponent up for something a little more destructive (like bopping them into the gears on Ultimecias Castle). Other than that, play it safe, take what damage you can, and d/c away before you're committed to the final hit.

Incomplete Combos

Next up is one complete link and one incomplete link (or one complete link followed by no input). You’ll want to purposely execute this sometimes since it gives you the option to chase. It also gives you distance between you and your opponent. Let’s talk about chase first though. With chase, you obviously get an opportunity to suck up some EX force which is a really good thing! (Jecht will get a decent amount from normal combos anyway, but sometimes you need the extra amount). You also now have the opportunity to deal some damage or land an HP attack if you need to. Truth be told, Jecht is fairly readable in chase and using it is best in mostly lagless matches but you can still abuse it for EX force in the more laggy matches (and you should be able to see your opponents attacks more easily anyways).

One thing you might want to consider in some match ups is abusing his chase ability to "keep up" with the opponent. For example, Gabranth is almost always going to be in EX mode and you're main job will be to avoid his HP attempts. If you have an EX meter, you can guard those HP attacks OR if you're in EX mode, he can't punish you as easily. Since you generally are playing a chipping game with Gabranth and don't really care much about your brave, you might want to absorb some EX from chase and LET Gabranth hit you with brave attacks so you can continue to collect EX Force while watching closely for those HP attacks you want to avoid.

As for creating distance, this branch is great for getting an opponent away from an EX Core you want to go after. It will send the opponent up quite a bit and away a fair distance, so you should have no problem getting to the core before they do. If it’s a character like Firion or Golbez who you want to keep off the ground, this option can really help since they have to drop and move back to where they were. On stages like Orders Sanctuary, this is really your only option for putting them in a more uncomfortable position. It's not as easy for Jecht since he's close range, but trying to capitalize on their landing lag can bring lots of benefits too.

A final trick with this branch is on stages like Pandemonium and Kefkas Tower, you can do this branch close to the ceiling and close to a corner and force a guessing game. Don’t go into chase and Jecht should be right beside the opponent. As the “X” disappears, you can block, attack, or wait and attack. Basically the opponent can either attack (if they have a fast enough brave attack), block, or dodge and you should be able to counter any of the above if you guess right (special exception to characters like Jecht and WoL who can cover their dodges). Most people tend to mash dodge when being chased, so you should be in the perfect position to punish a dodge no matter where they end up. If you notice a block, you can hold a charge until the active frames are over. Of course, if they go to attack, you can either dodge yourself and counter or block depending on the attack.

Complete Combos

There are three versions of a complete combo. Combos ending in O, combos ending in vO and the combo ending in ^O. Each one has special uses and please remember that we're not talking about combos with the added HP attack – we're simply talking about completed combos which deal extra brave damage.

First we’ll talk about neutral O combos. These are EXCELLENT for creating distance (if you actually want to do that). They’re also a very handy tool for throwing your opponent somewhere where they don’t want to be. A great example is say you’re playing Emperor on The Rift and you finally get a hold of him – use this to throw him out over the banish trap. It’ll take him some time to get back to land and what’s more – you know exactly where he wants to go. He can’t lay Blue Flares or Thunder Crest in the air (your biggest enemies) so he becomes easier to hit and less threatening. The other use is (again let’s assume we’re playing on The Rift) you’ve got your opponent but don’t want to let them go. You’re over the banish trap but don’t want to use the vO and send them back to land – use this to rush them into a wall so you can force a guessing game. After the final hit (and they crash into the wall) dodge cancel so you end up close to them and you should be good to attack as they wake up on the wall. Again, they don’t have many options and you’re in control here. It’s a good idea to keep pressure going as long as you can with Jecht.

For his vO options, these are generally used for sending characters crashing into the floor for some serious damage. Since they’re rushed into the floor, you can get that guessing game going again and have the option to attack them on wake up. There is a huge difference with the floor rush guessing game though – you have Triumphant Grasp (TG) as a very viable option. This will eat through any guard they put up and punish any attempt to attack. Most players will dodge away anyways, but if they dodge early, TG will get them anyway. Just be careful as it’s easy to punish and you don’t always want to deal that HP damage. Another point is Banish Traps. Say you’re over a Banish Trap and dear old Squall is sitting at a comfortable 9999 brave. Use this branch to send him flying into the trap and watch it eat away 2000 brave (banish traps eat 20% of your remaining brave). Finally, if you’re fighting someone and want to get them closer/on the ground (so you can fight from above), then use this to smack them downward. This can really help against someone like, say, Kuja (and especially EX Kuja) who doesn’t have many options for someone who is above them/while they're on the floor.

Finally we have Jechts ^O combo. Admittedly, it doesn’t have TOO many uses but on stages where you are close to walls or ceilings, you can get a wall rush out of it and do some respectable damage. It’s hard to catch opponents off the wall from this one, but it can be done. Basically, if they’re too low, you will likely wiff your attack, if they’re too high, you can’t reach them. Not highly advised to use this for continuing pressure. Where it really shines is that it will send opponents skyward and this is great for ground based characters or characters who you have a better chance at attacking from below. Characters like Emperor become less threatening when they’re in the air, so this is an excellent option if you aren’t looking to deal HP damage against him. A fun fact, at the peak of the jump, just as Jecht recovers, you can press your UJS button to “taunt” the opponent. The “Ultimate Jecht Shot” text box will appear and Jecht will say “Just for you!” but the move will immediately be canceled and you’ll fall to the ground.

[Veysey]

HP Combos

There are (like the complete combos) three HP endings you can have at the end of a combo which are Jecht Blade, Triumphant Grasp, and Ultimate Jecht Shot. Please, PLEASE keep in mind that while it looks cool to end every attack with an HP attack, you’re reading this guide to compete and you won’t always want to deplete your brave pool and open yourself to being broken. We’ll talk more on this subject in the Brave Management section, but for now, just know that ending in an HP attack isn’t always the best choice.

The “fan favourite” and the first full combo most people learn is Jecht Stream leading into Triumphant Grasp, so let’s start there. TG is a great way to end a combo because of its ease of use. Even in laggy situations, it’s easy to time your HP link because the visual cues are easy to point out (which makes it easier to land the HP attack/time it right). It’s a very good consideration if you’re messing up your combos a lot or having a hard time landing other HP combo links. The TG combo will also wall rush on ceilings, making it an excellent choice if you’re fighting against the ceiling of a level (or close to it). You’ll also want to consider TG if you’re fairly close to a wall. You can’t be too far or too close though – if you’re too close, TG will turn around and you miss out on the wall rush opportunity. If you’re too far away, TG won’t make it to the wall and you miss the opportunity anyway. Since the TG combo requires a decrease in vertical height, you can also use it to easily get ceiling rushes on stages like Kefkas Tower and Pandemonium. Basically, you can be on an “upper level” and use the TG combo to get into a lower level and deal some tasty ceiling rush damage. You can also charge TG to the second level easily without the opponent getting away, allowing you to deal extra damage for free. Finally, TG ends fairly quickly, so you should be safe from counterattack when using it at the end of a combo.

The Ultimate Jecht Shot (UJS) combo is another favourite, but doesn’t get as much screen time thanks to the aerial nature of Dissidia. Despite that, the UJS combo often (depending on the ruleset) has the ability to break an opponent from base brave on a riposte combo, making it a very strong consideration – especially early in a match. This combo deals the most brave damage of the three HP combo considerations. It also provides a very reliable means to deal wall rush HP damage on stages with walls that aren’t too far away. The UJS combo is preferred when walls are fairly close and you know that a TG combo or a Jecht Blade combo will turn Jecht around – making you lose your wall rush. The UJS combo has minimal horizontal range of the three options (very close to the ground TG version, though. The extra damage from UJS is generally preferred over TG, however). You can also charge UJS to the second level JUST BARELY without the opponent being able to escape, netting you a little extra damage – but at a fairly large gamble if you mess up. Ultimate Jecht Shot is a safe HP option and you should be able to escape in most situations without the opponent being able to counter as long as you d/c. UJS will either knock them far away or wall rush them – in both situations, you should be able to easily escape and avoid being broken.

Finally, we have the Jecht Blade combo. This combo can span long distances and help you get wall rushes on levels like the Rift or Crystal World. It has the most horizontal distance of all his combos but also poses the most risk. If you end up wall rushing the opponent and you’re too close, they can break you. This is dangerous against characters who have fast aerial attacks but not too much of a worry if the opponent you’re fighting doesn’t have any good aerial options. Still, be cautious when using this option and try to space yourself well for the wall rushes. If you’re willing to give up the wall rush damage, this is also a great move to create distance between you and your opponent after the HP damage. Finally, on stages like Orders Sanctuary and Dreams End where the stage is slightly rounded, using Jecht Blade against the wall increases your chances of a wall rush and will usually place the opponent far enough away that you don’t need to worry about getting countered and broken. This is because Jecht will “ride the wall” but the slight curve will let the opponent just barely crash much further down. You likely won’t be able to HP to wall rush to burst with this technique, however.

So we've discussed what Jecht can do with Stream and Rush as well as described all the options open to him. Wall and Floor rushing is great because Jecht has the tools to comfortably sit on top of the opponent and pick an option to trump what the opponent will likely do. The safest way to get away is to simply walk/dash away from a hovering Jecht BUT that is open to normal attacks. There are no "safe options" for opponents, so take advantage! Chasing has it's advantages (generally for collecting EX force/reseting the situation if you lose control/creating good distance or placement) and should be used on purpose in some instances. Not using a combo at all can have great benefits if you read the opponent right and rattle then a bit. Choosing when to use HP attacks is extremely important and every player should exercise caution when deciding when they should or shouldn't continue with an HP attack.


III. Using HP Attacks

Jechts HP attacks are actually very decent and can easily be used without combos. After learning Jechts combos, a lot of players seem to forget that his HP options exist and can provide extra pressure and limit the opponents’ options. Of course, you need to be careful about using HP attacks – they provide a lot of benefits and can help Jecht control opponents to a certain degree BUT sometimes you don’t want to deal HP damage, so be VERY careful when using your attacks for pressure options rather than actual damage. Also, keep in mind that the uses mentioned in the Rush/Stream section still apply to the naked HP attacks for the most part as well.

Triumphant Grasp

Triumphant Grasp is your fastest executing HP attack in the air and is really best used from above to punish predicted dodges or moves with long start-ups. It also punishes blocks very well. Since TG can reflect a lot of attacks (and will clash with most HP attacks), it makes it a fairly safe option when your opponent is staging an assault. Be careful not to overuse or become predictable with TG since there is a very obvious opening at the end of the move that is easily punished by just about anyone. It’s also a very nice option against characters like WoL or Jecht who can protect their dodges and make it hard for Jecht to get in. Don’t underestimate your surroundings either. If your opponent is fairly close to an obstacle or wall, they shouldn’t be able to easily evade your TG if you space it correctly. An experienced player will likely try to either dodge over you or wait for TG to actually come out before moving, but if you space right and abuse the charge, this becomes more like a trap. You can work this out in stages like Kefkas Tower.

Jecht Blade

Jecht Blade serves as a great tool when in enclosed spaces. Stages like Pandemonium or Kefkas Tower where you can corner an opponent; you can use Jecht Blade to basically trap them. If you time the release well, you can easily punish dodges and blocks. Your opponents best bet is to dodge over you, so be aware of their positioning when you decide to use this. The next best option is a quick brave attack to stop Jecht Blade in its tracks. It’s the slowest of the HP attacks, so make sure to be careful when using it. Each slice of Jecht Blade acts like TG and will reflect/eat through certain attacks like Cyclone and Flare and give Jecht more forward distance than TG. Just like TG, however, Jecht Blade has an obvious opening at the end of it that is fairly easy to punish – especially if you didn’t space right and gave the opponent extra time to react. A very risky move, but with nice payoffs.

[Veysey]

Ultimate Jecht Shot

Ultimate Jecht Shot is supposed to be Jechts projectile option, but the charge time required to actually make Jecht throw the meteor makes that mostly unviable. Also, Dissidia is mostly aerial based and this is a ground HP attack. Its uses are few, but when you do use it and succeed, it can really make your opponent more cautious. This HP attack has two reliable uses BUT if you mess up and miss, you’re almost certainly going to eat a counterattack.

The first use is as a sniping tool. If you’re on a stage like Planets Core or Ultimecias Castle and your opponent is down at the bottom while you’re at the top (or at least higher up than them), you can try sniping with UJS without too much worry of retaliation. Be careful of characters that can use attacks that spawn near you since the HP damage reduces your brave to 0 and that move may or may not remain on the field if you hit the opponent. If it does, you may have handed the brave pool to your opponent. If you hit the opponent this way, it usually pops them into the air and if you are quick, you can close the gap as they recover, getting you into their zone. Again, watch your brave, though.

The other use is as a dodge punishment or halo camping punishment. UJS comes out just as fast as TG, so if you know your opponent is going to dodge over your head, throw out UJS and snag them as they come out of invincibility. For halo campers, you might end up in a situation where Cecil, for example, getting ready to throw out a searchlight as he’s right above your head (or thereabouts). If you use UJS, it will grab him and deal the HP damage.

For a third (although less useful) use, you can actually time the meteor so that it acts like a shield, blocking incoming attacks. Of course, you have Jecht block which works better and offers more options on success, so this isn’t really much help except for a few very specific circumstances. Just to point out again – while UJS has its uses, do NOT become predictable with it since it’s stupidly easy to punish. I wouldn’t advise trying to guess good situations to use it, just try to feel it out and know when it’ll work in your favour.

IV. Using the Charge Feature

One of Jechts most valuable and needed abilities is his ability to charge all of his attacks save Jecht Block. Since Jecht focuses on keeping his opponents guessing and applying constant pressure, charging really helps him accomplish this. Between his HP attacks, his brave attacks, and his charging of those attacks, Jecht can really put a strain on his opponents forcing them to think twice about unsafe actions. All attacks gain a really nice boost in execution speed once you release the button, making them very hard to punish on reaction. Keep in mind however that you’ve committed to the attack and the opponent can easily read what you’ll do – it only becomes a question of when (and most characters have ranged options, too). Also, the third level charge on brave attacks gain the stagger ability, so you can eat through a wiffed block with it. Those charged attacks (if timed right) can also stop some HP attacks, so keep that in mind as an escape option.

Jecht Rush

The most common use for charging Jecht Rush is to delay your move and wait to see what the opponent will do. The obvious disadvantage is if they are attacking you, you’ll get hit and countered. It has some nice range though, so depending on your positioning, you can punish a flinched dodge, move, or block. What’s more, if the opponent (Squall or WoL Thunder spells for example) decide to fire off a magic attack, Rush will easily go through it and (if you spaced right) actually hit the opponent. It really is built to act like a “wait and see” tool. HP attacks will usually trump a charge though, so be careful. Standing in the middle of EoM and charging Rush will reach almost to the edge at full charge (to give you an idea on the range) so it has some pretty nice horizontal range. Make sure to take advantage of it to trap opponents in corners or punish landing lag. One key point to look out for though - if they jump, you'll be hard pressed to find a viable opening and you need to switch your focus to escaping unharmed.

Jecht Stream

Jecht Stream offers some awesome vertical tracking when fully charged and charging for the added tracking is its most common use. Jecht gains less vertical distance downward than he does upward, so it’s actually more ideal for Jecht to try and approach his opponents from underneath. Stream does gain some notable horizontal tracking as well, but not enough to really offer a huge advantage. With Midair Evasion Boost equipped, most characters can dodge away from a full charge and be safe (unless they’re very close). Reserve charging Stream mostly for gaining extra vertical height. You might also (as with other charges) use Stream as a “wait and see” tool. Stall out against expected blocks or to catch players coming out of a dodge in your direction. Stream can also eat through some attacks and clash with others (Heavens Light comes to mind) so holding a charge and waiting for the right time to release can protect as well as score hits (similar to Rush). You can also use the charge to hold your position. If your opponent expects you to complete the attack and uses something that would otherwise get you, you can use the charge to hold your position and avoid the damage – usually allowing for a counter afterwards. WoL and Shield of Light comes to mind. WoL will use his Shield of Light to block incoming attacks and score HP damage against Jecht, but holding a charge will keep Jecht up in the air while Shield finishes if you spaced well.

HP Attacks

Admittedly, HP attacks don’t have as much versatility with the charge since they will guard break anyway but the added speed you’ll gain on execution can really help. Ultimate Jecht Shot gains the most benefit from charging since it not only gains execution equal to TG, but it also allows Jecht to throw the meteor further, catching fleeing opponents. Sadly, it’s also the hardest attack to land. You won’t be landing a fully charged UJS on ... heck, even half sleeping opponents. It’s best not to bother with it in serious matches unless specific circumstances present themselves. And even then, the gamble generally isn't worth it in those kinds of matches.

For Triumphant Grasp, holding a charge is best used for stalling in midair and avoiding attacks. You can also use this to avoid clashing with other HP attacks and get the hit in yourself. Also, if you’re above the character and assume they’ll dodge away to get out of Streams range, TG will nail them if you’ve positioned right.

For Jecht Blade, its charged execution is a little slower than the other HP attacks, but still very fast and hard to deal with on reaction. Jecht Blade charged is best used in enclosed spaces or corners where the opponent has little to no room behind them and limited vertical room. Use Jecht Blade just as they come out of a dodge or when they start a move with some noticeable startup frames. Charged Jecht Blade is the attack you want to use to gain vertical distance above you with decent tracking but it’s also fairly hard to land on suspecting opponents, so bear that in mind. Also, it's vertical tracking has nothing on Stream.

With all of the charging options, you can set some really nice traps if you've reflected a persistent attack like Emperors Flare or Clouds Fire. Keep in mind the environment and opponents positioning as well as the position of the floating attack and you should be able to effectively punish dodge/block attempts.

[Veysey]

V. Using EX Mode/Full Combo

Jecht is obviously a close range fighter and can often have a hard time “getting in”. His EX mode ability addresses this issue quite nicely while still maintaining his core “guessing game” approach. Jecht has the ability to continue combos all the way to the HP phase without touching his opponent in EX mode AND has the ability to dodge cancel out at each link. This allows him to cover large distances quickly and get into attacking range of the opponent rather easily if the opponent isn’t strictly running away.

So let’s start strictly with using the full combo ability. Obviously you can use it to quickly close distances. Be aware that the second phase can be blocked though, so if you space poorly, you’ll get blocked. The third phase staggers and depending on the combo branch you took along with when in the third phase you hit, you may want to consider dodge cancelling and continuing a brand new combo (which is entirely possible before they recover). Obviously you can charge the first portion of your combo like normal if you feel it’s needed. Also, depending on the situation, you might want to consider purposely failing a combo branch since you’ll gain the ability to charge on the second or third phase if it isn’t perfect. This is a great tool to catch those who know how to punish the opening in between combo branches or those who like to guard the second phase. As previously mentioned, he maintains his guessing games even in EX mode, allowing him to net some extra damage.

The next point is his EX cancel combos which allow him to near double his damage output from a combo. Obviously it’s best used when the opponent doesn’t have full or near full EX and you’re in a 100% critical situation. These should very rarely be used when you’re in a no critical situation but you will occasionally find yourself in a position to use them even with non critical combos.

So the most notable and used EX cancel is to go from a combo ending in TG or Jecht Blade into Jecht Stream and end it as you see fit. This combo is the easiest to pull off and has some interesting points. Jecht Blade to Jecht Blade gives you amazing horizontal distance and can really help you land a wall rush on larger stages like The Rift. It’s also a lot easier to do and extremely versatile. It can be done from both Rush and Stream, so it doesn’t require specific positioning. It doesn’t do as much damage as one of the others but still gets the job done. Going TG to TG lets you lower the character in case you want to try and land a ceiling rush or limit your distance so you don’t turn on the wall from a Jecht Blade.

Next on the list is UJS to Stream. While this has limited uses and is fairly hard to perform (you need to go into EX, jump, and Stream all fairly quickly), it does decent damage and is a reliable EX cancel from Rush once you get the hang of it. Obviously you still have TG or Jecht Blade choices after landing the Stream as well, so those rushing/spacing options still apply. Since you have TG and Jecht Blade as distance creating options, this is best used when you start your UJS combo and realize you aren’t going to do enough brave damage to break or finish them. It’s basically going to be an afterthought and only used if you either forgot to do the correct combo or you weren’t paying very close attention to the brave game. Oh, or if you’re fighting a character that you can’t link from Rush to EX cancel to UJS with (because of falling speed or positioning on terrain usually). It’s still an acceptable option, just that there is usually a better alternative that would best suit your needs.

Finally, if you are close to the ground, you can go to TG, EX cancel onto the ground and start Rush. You’ll need to wait a brief moment before attacking because of the landing lag, and that makes this one a little tricky for some. Since you’re combing into Rush, you have all three HP options at your disposal. You likely won’t consider TG or Jecht Blade though, since it would have made more sense to use the aerial EX cancel for more reliability. This is mainly used for the extra damage that comes from using UJS and the high probability of a wall rush it brings. This can be done from Rush to TG or Stream to TG IF the Stream was close to the ground.

All of these are used for either wall rushing, dealing enough damage for a break, or dealing enough damage for a kill. Usually you’ll want to consider if his EX Burst can finish them afterwards as well since it’s a guaranteed HP hit (as long as you don’t mess up). When Jecht has a full EX bar and his opponent doesn’t, they can have handy 3k brave and you can eat it away with a riposte ex cancel combo to burst, meaning he needs fewer successful hits than most of the cast (remember, this is from one successful hit + successful comboing - ~3k brave + 4k brave pool).

One of the less explored uses for entering EX mode is an EXTREMELY efficient dodge punisher. If you wiff a stream because the opponent dodges (the dodge needs to be a little late) and they don't have an easy way to protect their dodges OR are unsuspecting, enter EX mode in time to link to the second part of Full Combo and continue from there. His tracking is amazing and will latch right on and basically grab the opponent on the first frame they're available. It's a great trap but a huge gamble so weigh the pros and cons before letting this one fly.

[Veysey]

VI. Jecht Block and Defensive Play

Why is Jecht Block so great? A lot of newcomers ask this question and there are two major points that should be considered. The first is that you can use Jecht Block to cover your dodges – that is, discourage the other player from wanting to attack your openings while coming out of a dodge. Since you can use attacks before blocking or dodging, Jecht Block can be used as soon as you’re vulnerable again. If you successfully block an attack, it gives you free riposte criticals and Jecht is in the position to block at just about any time.

The second reason is that it can literally halt most HP attacks in the game. In some instances, it can reflect HP attacks and deal the opponents damage back on them. This uses their brave and not yours, so they’ll get reduced to 0 brave and you’ll have a chance of breaking them on top of dealing their brave back onto them. Most of the time, blocking HP attacks will stagger Jecht and the opponent, completely resetting any situation and generally resetting any “I have him on the ropes” mentality. It also gives you a good opportunity to keep yourself in check and regain any composure you might have lost in a heated battle. It also makes it very hard for a lot of opponents to land that finishing blow if they don’t have a combo, link, multi-hit HP attack, or difficult to block HP attack.

Keep in mind that Jecht Block is NOT meant to replace your normal block. A wiffed Jecht Block leaves you open for counter attack damage whereas a normal block doesn’t. So save the Jecht Block for predicted unblockables, dodge punishment, HP attacks, and “Oh crap” moments. Jecht Block is only open for 14 frames, so it needs to be well timed, whereas normal block is much more graceful. Also keep in mind that Jecht Block is meant for single projectiles and physical attacks since in the air, you’ll need to time multiple Jecht Blocks and on the ground, you’ll only be able to block one attack before eating some counter attack damage. A little trick there if you’re using JB out of a dodge against someone like Ultimecia is to use Jecht Block immediately followed by a normal block which allows you to easily block multiple projectiles. Also, if you wiff a normal block, since it’s recovery after the guard frames are gone is substantially shorter than Jecht Block, the opponent might be a little late on the attack and you can attempt Jecht Blocking directly after the wiff to try and catch them. It can work in reverse, but Jecht Block is a lot easier to punish, so don’t think you’ll get away with it often.

A final note on Jecht Block, sometimes it’s good to help you stop extreme knockback or prevent you from falling into a banish trap. Mashing Jecht Block can help prevent the banish damage as well as potentially stop wall rush damage from HP and brave attacks. It isn’t as safe to try with brave attacks usually, but it is almost always acceptable to try and use it to stop HP knockback.

Since we’re on the topic of defensive play through Jecht Block, let’s talk about not eating too much damage. If you’re facing someone with counter attack, it’s sometimes best to not act at all since the opponent will not get any critical damage (unless in a Catnip/BttW/EX situation). They can’t block attacks that don’t happen; they can’t counter attacks that don’t happen. This isn’t to say don’t do anything, but if you take it a little slower, it should be harder for the opponent to read when your attack is coming. What’s more, it gives you an opportunity to observe your opponent and see their habits. Make sure while you’re not acting, you don’t give away your habits (like certain jumping styles/spacing before an attack). If the opponent is a sneak attack user, you don’t need to be so cautious about attacking, but you DO need to be careful not to put yourself in a situation where they can hit you with an attack that activates sneak attack – or let them get behind you on a wiffed block.

That being said, sometimes a strong offense with Jecht is your best defence. Letting characters like Terra or Ultimecia out of your guessing games and wall rushes isn’t preferred. You’ll want to keep a relentless assault on your opponent and keep them guessing between dodges, attacks, and blocks. Once they make a few bad choices, and you pressure them well, you might want to deliver a final hit and book it out of there. If you step away when you were on top of them, they’ll continually question your ability to read them – which makes them easier to read. When you reset the situation (usually hidden in an HP attack or “messed up” combo), they think it was just a bad choice/poor technical skill, but you’re still able to read them like an open book. This is on an opponent to opponent basis, but definitely a defensive measure worth mentioning. Also, this doesn't mean get reckless with attacks - Terra for example REALLY needs to be approached slowly and safely and only AFTER to get in should you go on the aggressive.

Finally, after mentioning all his offensive skills and what you can do with them – they aren’t just for offensive use. They’ll limit the options your opponent feels they can use effectively against you. For example, if my opponent dodges over me a lot and I start snapping them with a charged Stream, Jecht Blade, or UJS, they’ll start thinking twice about dodging over me without a plan OR continue to let me punish them. That option isn’t an immediate concern anymore and now I can try to guess where they’ll dodge from now on. The same with blocking – if Jecht charges his attacks a few times on approaches and the opponent flinches a block, they’ll eat the stream anyway. Now when approaching the opponent, they need to guess if it’s just going to attack or if it’s going to be a charge. When you consider all the different tactics Jecht can approach with, you can basically have all of your viable moves at your disposal without worry of your opponent easily guessing what you want to do. Just be wary of Streams cooldown and dodging opponents since those are the best ways to start dealing with Jecht.

While Jecht is all about careful approaching and relentless assault once inside, there is a place for offence while outside of your range and defence when you’re within range. Mixing it up and keeping your opponent on their toes is the name of Jechts game. Learn it, love it.


VII. Offensive Play


VIII. Brave Management


IX. Stage Analysis

Old Chaos Shrine

Pandemonium

World of Darkness

Lunar Terrain

The Rift

Kefkas Tower

Planets Core

Ultimecias Castle

Crystal World

Dreams End

Orders Sanctuary

Edge of Madness

X. Match Up Tips

Warrior of Light

Garland

Firion

Emperor

Onion Knight

Cloud of Darkness

Cecil

Golbez

Bartz

Exdeath

Terra

Kefka

Cloud

Sephiroth

Squall

Ultimecia

Zidane

Kuja

Tidus

Jecht

Shantotto

Gabranth

XI. Writers Notes/Putting it all Together

Veysey

Wedge

NOTE: Guide still incomplete. If there are any issues noticed, feel free to let me know via PM or VM. Thanks.