In Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, mastering defense is critical. Often, players find themselves overwhelmed by aggressive offense. If you’re not careful, a single mistake can cost you dearly. Yet, simply blocking attacks won’t cut it. You need to be unpredictable and versatile in your defense. This guide will unveil five powerful tools to elevate your defensive game, ensuring your opponents can’t easily break through.
Guard Cancel
Guard Cancel is a thrilling new feature in GBVSR. Use it while blocking or during Guard Crush by pressing Medium + Heavy attack. Guard Cancel pushes your opponent back or knocks them down on a counter-hit. From blocking, it creates a short distance. From Guard Crush, it sends opponents full screen. Plus, it’s +6 on the block, keeping the advantage in your hands.
It is important to note that Guard Cancel costs 1 Bravery Point. In total, you only have 3 Bravery Points in a match. You must use them wisely, or you will lose all your Bravery Points. Once you lose them all, you will take more damage from attacks and combos. You will not have to go through this problem if you mix up using other defensive tools. With that said, let’s talk about the following defensive tool: invincible reversals.
Invincible Reversals
Before I explain invincible reversals and how to use them, I need to explain the concept of gaps. A gap is a decently large opening in someone’s block string. In this gap, you can interrupt the opponent before they do another attack. Remember that if your character blocks two attacks without a gap, that is called a true block string. Whenever you see someone do an attack sequence, ask yourself, “Is there a gap in that string?”. This will help you to know whether you have the option to do anything except block. If someone does a block string with a gap, you can use an invincible reversal to counter their next attack.
Every character has an invincible reversal. Use it when you spot a gap in your opponent’s attack sequence. Some characters have these reversals as ultimate skills. They’re one of the great tools for countering block string gaps.
Capitalize on Opponent’s Pressure
Speaking of gaps, the opponent has a significant enough gap in some block strings to where you can do more than just a reversal. You can roll, attack, and dodge certain block strings, giving you better punishments. This requires knowledge of characters to know where you can capitalize on opponents’ pressure. Training mode helps you increase this knowledge. Go to training mode and record block strings you’ve seen players do with certain characters. From here, you can find answers.
You can also watch replays in the game and take notes on what you see players doing. Some people think you have to play many games to learn things, but watching replays can help just as much. This will seriously help you improve your defense in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising.
Tech Throws
Defending against throws in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is necessary. There are two ways to break throws in this game. The first way is to input a standard throw while being thrown. This will leave the attack and defender on even terms, allowing you to reset the situation. The other way to break throws is by inputting an attack button while being thrown. This option, while easier, leaves you at a disadvantage. You will also lose a bit of health in the process. It’s not as rewarding, but it’s an easy way to tech throws.
I recommend getting an idea of when the opponent wants to throw you. When you figure it out, you break the throw from there. That way, you make the opponent apply other ways to crack open your defense.
Just Block
Blocking is a powerful defense tool in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. Not only do you block attacks, but it also gives you time to react to things. For example, the opponent might jump at you or do a raging strike. It allows for a powerful passive strategy that mitigates risk. While it might not seem rewarding, blocking does much good for you.
You can also do something called instant blocking. Instant blocking is another form of blocking that has its benefits. You will build a 1% additional Skybound (SB) gauge when done. If done correctly, the word “Just” will appear on the left or right part of the screen.
Closing
Mix these tools to solidify your defense in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising. No defense is perfect, but variety is essential. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on mastering GBVSR!
Here are some guides below on how to generally improve at the game:
