Welcome toDNF Duel,a new title from Arc Systems Works and 8ing, the teams behindGuilty Gear: StriveandMarvel vs. Capcom 3. DNF Duelcombines the best of both studios into one epic fighting game. It features all the bombastic animations andeasy-to-learn mechanicsthat madeGuilty Gear: Strivea success, and it’s an adaptation ofDungeon Fighter Online,known in South Korea asDungeon & Fighter (DNF), a popular MMO RPG that is one of the highest-grossing games of all time.
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Much like inGuilty Gear: Strive,there are plenty of introductory mechanics to understand here. Once players get a handle on the basics, the most essential tools to master are combos. Each character has several pre-mapped combos at their disposal that are listed in the tutorial and allow tons of freedom for players to experiment and create combos of their own. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are the most essential combos to master early on. Credit to Youtuber Daryus P for several of these (and many,manymore)DNF Duelcombos.
9Light > Medium > Skill > Magic (All Characters)
This is the most basic combo sequence in the game anda perfect starting pointfor players trying to weave their character’s many abilities together into an extended sequence. This chain is applicable to all characters.
Obviously, combos inDNF Duelare more complicated than a simple four-button progression, but they all follow this basic formula. For example, a combo that begins with a Medium attack should be continued with a Skill attack, rather than going back to Light attacks. There are exceptions, but as a rule of thumb, this is the most reliable order of attacks to fall back on.
8Medium > Down+Skill > Down+Forward+Magic > Magic (Troubleshooter)
Troubleshooter is one of themore beginner-friendly charactersinDNF Duel. Both his sword and gun attacks have great range, he hits hard, and the time delay on his grenades allows for some great mixups where an opponent may think his combo has ended.
This chain opens with a blast from Troubleshooter’s shotgun (Medium), which is followed up with a sword swing that launches the opponent into the air (Down+Skill). After that, a quarter circle from down to forward followed by a Magic attack unleashes two much bigger, more damaging shotgun blasts that juggle the opponent (Down+Right+Magic). Pressing Magic attack a third time will fire off a third shotgun blast, this one being the biggest of all.
7Jump+Magic > Down+Medium > Magic (Troubleshooter)
The other Troubleshooter combo worth memorizing is this quick three-hit sequence. It starts off with a slam attack that knocks the enemy down (Jump+Magic), follows it up with a basic sweep attack (Down+Medium), and then finishes with a two-handed swing that will bounce the enemy off the ground (Magic).
What makes this combo so valuable is that it can be followed up seamlessly with Troubleshooter’s Awakening ability, which isDNF Duel’sequivalent toMortal Kombat’sX-Ray abilities.His Awakening is a close-range startup, and the Magic attack that precedes it should bounce the enemy into a perfect position to be hit by it. This combo breaks the standard sequence listed at the start of this article. In this case, the sweep attack is just used to extend the combo and ensure the opponent is vulnerable to the second Magic attack. The actual damage dealt by the sweep attack is negligible.
6Medium > Down+Medium > Down+Skill > Magic (Berserker)
Berserker is a more complex character to master, given his very situational mechanics. However, players who familiarize themselves with his abilities will find that he can be one of the most devastating characters in all ofDNF Duel.
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This combo could be considered an intro chain to a more complex combo. However, with Berserker, different situations will give different results. It begins with a thrust attack (Medium), followed by a sweep (Down+Medium), a launch attack (Down+Skill), and then activates Berserker’s Frenzy ability (Magic). Frenzy causes Berserker’s attacks to do more damage at the cost of slowly draining his health. Once his Frenzy is activated, his Magic attacks change. In this case, performing the combo once and then repeating it after activating Frenzy will result in Berserker using a pull move that yanks his opponent closer to him. This allows him to follow up with further combos.
5Medium > Magic > Magic > Back+Skill > Down+Back+Magic (Ghostblade)
Ghostblade is another tricky character to get a handle on. His ability to summon a “Ghost” to fight alongside him can make for some devastating combos, but players will need to balance their attacks with the Ghosts for greater effect.
This combo starts with a horizontal slash (Medium) followed by a ranged dart throw (Magic) and then a lunging slash that is mirrored by the Ghost (Magic). After that lunge, the player will end up behind their opponent. The next attack in the combo is a backward slash (Back+Skill) which will finish with them facing their opponent again. Then, a quarter circle from down to back into a Magic attack will unleash the Ghost for three consecutive hits (Down+Back+Magic) while Ghostblade watches like a total badass.
4Down+Skill > Back+Skill > Down+Forward+Magic > Magic (Hitman)
Hitman’s concept is founded upon deadly simplicity. His combos are nearly effortless to execute, and they deal a ton of damage. What makes him tricky to play is how crucial positioning can be to his effectiveness.
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This combo starts out with a two-hit attack where the second hit is a launch (Down+Skill) immediately followed by a slam that knocks the opponent back to the ground (Back+Skill). The first two-hit attack must be performed when Hitman is right next to his opponent, or the launch won’t connect. After the subsequent slam, a quarter circle from down to forward with Magic attack dishes out a huge horizontal slash (Down+Forward+Magic), and pressing Magic a second time deals a second massive vertical slash that acts as a launch.
3Skill > Down+Forward+Magic (Lost Warrior)
Lost Warrior has been getting a bad rap. Panned by many as the game’s worst character, he can be difficult to use outside of training and CPU fights, mostly because of the way his attacks make him fly around the stage.
That’s part of why this combo is so basic, but it’s also one of Lost Warrior’s more crucial. Begin with a standard Skill attack, which is a forward lunge with Lost Warrior’s sword (Skill), then follow up with a quarter circle down to forward and a Magic attack. This will result in several swords being summoned out of portals to stab the opponent (Down+Forward+Magic).
The trick with this is that the lunge attack will carry players past their opponent, which will make them want to make the mental switch to “Forward,” now being in the opposite direction, towards their opponent. In this instance, that switch will mess up the combo. For the quarter circle, rotate forward in the same direction as the lunge, even though the opponent may be located in the other direction. It’s confusing, but it works.
2Skill > Down+Forward+Magic > Down+Skill > Down+Forward+Magic (Crusader)
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Crusader isone of the game’s strongest characters.He’s a bit slow but hits like a truck, and his Grace Of Lemidios ability allows him to take one hit at vastly reduced damage. He may also be one of the best zoning characters ever put in a fighting game.
This combo is a perfect example. Opening with a downward slam with his hammer (Skill), Crusader can then activate his Deflection Wall with a quarter circle from down to forward and a Magic attack (Down+Forward+Magic). This ability allows him to place a corner wall behind his opponent, and if they are knocked into it, they will bounce back towards Crusader. Follow that with an uppercut launch attack (Down+Skill) and another Deflection Wall, and players can trap opponents in a tiny section of the arena while they dish out attacks.
1Down+Medium > Down+Skill (Crusader)
Here’s a cheap one for the players who just want todrive their opponents crazy.Crusader has an infinite combo. It will likely be patched out soon, so savor it while it’s available.
This can be activated out of any Crusader combo, including the one listed above. All it requires is for players to hit their opponent with a low medium attack (Down+Medium) while the opponent is in the air to knock them down. They’ll need to land close enough that Crusader is basically standing on top of them. Then, just use Sacred Upper (Down+Skill) repeatedly until they’re dead. There are just a few seconds to trap them before they recover, but mashing the buttons will work just fine.
DNF Duelwas released on June 28th, 2022, and is available on PS4, PS5, and PC.
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