Movement is one of the core components in Brawlhalla. While movement may seem obvious, there are nuances to the mechanics that differentiate good players from great players.
There are a few methods of movement in Brawlhalla, including running, jumping, dashing, dodging and even some attacks. Being able to make the most of all your movement options is critical to high level Brawling, as it can frequently mean the difference between life and death.
Running, Jumping and Recovery Moves[ | ]
Like most games, running is the most standard way that players move around the stage. The player can move left and right with the respective inputs, both while grounded and in air.
Jumping, which lifts the player higher upward, can be performed on the ground, in the air, and while on a wall. It is possible to do 2 air jumps before having to touch the ground or a wall again. Grounded jumps and wall jumps do not count toward this number.
Recovery moves can be used alongside jumping to gain even more aerial height. These are a damaging type of jump unique to each weapon, and can only be used when the player is already airborne. If a Recovery is used more than once before touching the ground or a wall, every subsequent Recovery after the first becomes an Exhausted Recovery. Exhausted Recoveries move the player up by a lot less, take up one aerial jump, and do more force/damage.
In total, the player may only aerial jump or recover a total of three times before touching the ground or wall. There are three combinations of this:
- 2 Aerial Jumps, 1 Recovery
- 1 Aerial Jump, 2 Recoveries
- 0 Aerial Jumps, 3 Recoveries
Getting hit while out of jumps will grant an extra aerial jump, which can also be used as an exhausted recovery.
Each jump is preceded by a short startup delay of 2 frames, except after a hit, within 12 frames of the attack's Recovery Frames ending.
Landing on the ground also puts you in a brief recovery state of 4 frames, during which you cannot attack, dodge, or jump again. Because of that, your opponent may strike you as soon as you touch the ground, so choose carefully where to land and use your dodge before landing if needed. This recovery period only applies if you've done a jump (aerial, grounded, or wall) before landing.
Knowing when to use a jump and when to use a Recovery is important. Recovery moves give you the protection of the attack itself, however, some Recovery moves also limit your ability to move left or right. The decision between jumping and Recovering depends on circumstance.
Dodging[ | ]
Dodging allows you to become invulnerable for a brief time, allowing you to avoid incoming attacks entirely. A successful dodge is indicated by the Legend flashing white and performing a dodging animation as a circle flares out briefly around them.
Dodge usage[ | ]
Dodging can be used to:
- Avoid incoming attacks and thrown weapons and items.
- Reposition yourself, i.e. gain height (by dodging up) or cover distance (by dodging left or right). Useful for reaching a ledge after you have been sent flying from an attack.
- Move around more efficiently and safely. For example, Legends jump in large ("floaty") predictable arcs that can leave you vulnerable to attack. Dodges can be used to "shave off" some of that arc and reach your desired location more efficiently.
- "Setup" (bait) your opponent into thinking you will do a certain move, then dodging and attacking them while they are caught off guard. E.g. If you run toward an opponent, they may think you will attack, and thus attack you. But if you dodge away from them before their attack hits you, they are now open to attack because they will be either finishing their attack or "recovering" from it (in other words, unable to do anything until their attack animation finishes).
- Cancel momentum when you are sent flying through the air from an attack. Though this may results in you not being able to use a dodge to reposition yourself (mentioned above) and get back onto the stage.
- Perform your Signature attacks in the air – see the Gravity Cancel section.
Dodge mechanics[ | ]
You can dodge in any of the eight directions (left, right, up, down, and the diagonals), or in place (this is called a spot dodge). Dodging from the air into the ground at a diagonal does not stop your motion, and you will instead slide along the ground slightly for the remainder of the dodge. Dodges cannot be executed while a player is stunned from an attack.
While on the ground, players can only do spot dodges. While on a wall, players cannot dodge.
Dodging into a wall will cancel the dodge, but keep its momentum.
Players are locked out of dodging for 7 frames after missing an attack.
Dodge cooldowns[ | ]
The cooldown is how long the player must wait after a dodge to perform another dodge.
| Position you dodge from | Cooldown | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | 60 frames (1 second) | |
| Air | 163 frames (2.7 seconds) | Touching the ground 75 frames (1.25 seconds) after an air dodge will remove dodge cooldown. Touching the ground less than 75 frames after will set the cooldown to 75 frames. This does not apply to Gravity Cancels. |
Dodge length[ | ]
The length of a dodge is how long the player is invulnerable, and depends on what type of dodge is performed.
| Type of Dodge | Duration |
|---|---|
| Directional Air Dodge | 12 frames (0.2 seconds) |
| Aerial Spot Dodge | 20 frames (0.3 seconds) |
| Grounded Spot Dodge | 16 frames (0.27 seconds) |
| Chase Dodge | 17 frames (0.28 seconds) |
Additionally, each dodge has 2 frames of startup and 0 frames of recovery time.
Dashing/Dash Jumping[ | ]
When your Legend is grounded, pressing the Dodge button whilst holding a side directional button will lead to a Dash. Dashing grants your Legend a burst of speed.
If a Dash is done in the same direction that your Legend is facing, it is a Forward dash. A Dash done in the opposite direction, while the legend is turning around, is known as a Backdash. It is possible to increase the window for doing a Backdash by holding down. The normal window lasts 4 frames, and the extended one lasts 9 frames.
Players are locked out of dashing for 6 frames after missing an attack.
Forward dashes are faster, and have many more useful properties compared to Backdashes:
- Inputting a Forward dash once and holding the direction you dashed in will cause your character to sprint.
- By doing a Forward dash and pressing jump right afterwards (within a 9 frame window), a Dash jump is performed, resulting in a faster jump with more forward momentum.
- Forward dashes can be cancelled into any attack, a jump, or a dodge freely. For Backdashes you must wait 7 frames before being able to jump, attack, or dodge.
To Forward Dash immediately after an attack, hold down instead of a side directional button. This is different as the regular input for a dash will result in a Chase Dodge after an attack.
When inputting a dash in the air while being close enough to the ground, the Legend will snap to the ground to perform the dash. Additionally, any attempt to Backdash will cause a Forward dash instead.
When Forward dashing or Backdashing, if the direction opposite to the dash direction is held, the dash length will be shortened. This is useful to move quickly, but accurately.
A common technique known as Dash Dancing involves chaining Backdashes and Forward dashes to make it harder for the opponent to guess your next action.
Dashes have different startup time - the amount of time until the burst of momentum starts, based on their type and the situation:
- Normal Forward Dashes - 1 frame
- Normal Backdashes - 1 frame
- Forward Dashes done right after a Forward Dash - 8 frames
- Forward Dashes done right after a Backdash - 4 frames
- Backdashes done right after a Forward Dash - 4 frames
It is impossible to chain a Backdash into a Backdash.
Chase Dodging[ | ]
An advanced dodge technique is called the Chase Dodge. A chase dodge is a speedy dodge that can be performed after some attacks, allowing for a more aggressive play style and opening up combo possibilities.
The amount of chase dodges available after an attack lands depends on several conditions:
- 2 chase dodges if the player is touching the ground at the end of the attack - for example: most light attacks, grounded aerial attacks.
- 1 chase dodge if the player is airborne at the end of the attack - for example: aerial attacks, Spear Dlight, Sword Dlight.
- 0 chase dodges if the attack is a projectile signature.
Further notes on chase dodges:
- A chase dodge can be executed within 12 frames from the end of the attack's Recovery Frames.
- You can only do 2 seperate chase dodges in the air before the dodge cooldown is applied. The second chase dodge (which can also be used as a normal dodge) must be performed during the first chase dodge, or up to 2 frames from its end.
- Chase dodges can be performed in any direction EXCEPT for backwards.
- On its face, a chase dodge is very similar to a normal dodge - It allows the Legend to move while avoiding damage during it's duration. Unlike normal dodges however, an attack can be performed within 20 frames from the start of a chase dodge. The attack will execute immediately and stop the dodge - this technique is called a Chase Dodge Cancel. Additionally, chase dodges last longer than normal dodges, and have more momentum, making them useful for chasing an opponent, or getting back to the stage after a hit.
If a player is hit during the startup frames of a chase dodge, their dodge is not consumed. This mechanic is called Chase Dodge Forgiveness. This does not apply when chase dodging after a gravity cancel.
Gravity Cancel[ | ]
If a player attacks within 18 frames of inputting an aerial spot dodge, they will perform a grounded light or heavy attack in the air. This is a gravity cancelled attack, often abbreviated to "GC".
It is also possible to do a GC from an aerial directional dodge, albeit the attack will be activated slightly later, must be done within 3 frames of inputting the dodge, and must match the dodge direction (side: slight, ssig. down: dlight, dsig. up: nlight, nsig).
All light or heavy ground moves – and even emotes – can be used with Gravity Cancel. This technique is used for many purposes: to extend a combo, break the recovery of an opponent, or catch them in the air with a well-timed surprise hit. If your attack misses, however, you will be left mid-air with no dodge, giving your opponent a good chance to punish you.
You can also charge heavy attacks for a short time when gravity canceling (up to 25 frames). This is useful to bait dodges and punish with a kill. Additionally, the window to perform a gravity cancel from a spot dodge is quite large, allowing the player to both dodge through an attack and punish with a gravity cancelled attack.
Fast Falling[ | ]
Fast falling is done by holding the down key while in the air. The player will accelerate downwards a bit faster than normally. This allows the player to be more unpredictable and to make more accurate hits. Fast falling can be cancelled anytime by releasing the down key or by jumping.
If a player attempts to Fast fall too early after they jump, they will still fall faster. However, the speed will be slower than if they wait a bit, and Fastfall with the right timing.
This limitation does not apply to Dash jumping - you are able to do a full speed Fast fall immediately after performing one.
Dash Jump Fast Fall[ | ]
A dash jump fast fall.
A "dash jump fast fall" (sometimes abbreviated to DJFF) is a move where the player quickly jumps forward and falls down, making them airborne but giving them little air time. This can be done by performing a dash-jump (dashing and immediately jumping) then immediately performing a fast-fall (holding down to fall faster). Dash jump fast falling can be especially useful for quickly dishing out aerial attacks.
Ledge Cancelling/Platform Cancelling[ | ]
Performing a down air attack, a ground-pound, or a dash when the bottom of your character's hurtbox is in the platform will result in a ledge cancel (also commonly known as a platform cancel).
Ledge cancels snap your Legend to the platform and immediately perform the move you inputted. Jumping sideways makes ledge cancelling easier since you hover over the platform for a longer period of time. Ledge cancelling is also possible right after dropping through a platform.
While moving downwards, holding down for more than 4 frames prevents Ledge cancelling from down air attacks and ground-pounds. After dropping through a soft platform, this does not apply for 12 frames.
Attempting to Ledge cancel with a Backdash will always cause a Forward dash instead.
Situational Mechanics[ | ]
The following movement mechanics will not appear in all Brawlhalla matches due to their situational nature. However, they are still important to know and understand for when they do come into play.
Directional Influence[ | ]
Directional influence (or "DI") is a movement mechanic with very specific circumstances: if you are stuck in a true combo and your opponent(s) use the same attack twice, you can change your trajectory by holding a direction when hit by that same attack.
This mechanic is useful to save yourself from harsh combos, typically in a 2v1 situation. At lower health percentages you can hold up or diagonally to break away from a combo, and at high percentages you can even hold down to hit the ground and reduce your velocity, preventing you from getting KO'd.
Note that for attacks with active input, performing the same attack with a different active input does not count as a different move; for example, Scythe active side-light into Scythe non-active side-light would activate DI when used in the same true combo.
Wall Slip[ | ]
Wall Slip is a punishing mechanic for players that stay on the wall too long. When in Wall Slip, the player is unable to perform any jumps or recoveries other than wall jumps.
Wall Slip occurs after performing 9 air actions (aerial jumps, wall jumps, recoveries) without touching the ground, hitting a player, or getting hit. The countdown towards Wall Slip will reset if a player does touch the ground, hit a player, or get hit (not including hits from throws or summoners). However, if a player is already in Wall Slip, only touching the ground will reset it; getting hit or hitting a player will not grant any recovery options.
There are visual indicators to warn for impending Wall Slip:
- First warning, at 5 jumps: a single "!".
- Second warning, at 7 jumps: "!!".
- Wall Slip, at 9 jumps: "!!!". This also shows for every consecutive wall jump until Wall Slip is over.
Wall Slip is used to discourage "wall hugging," a technique where one repeatedly jumps on the wall, waiting for the opponent to make the first move. Some players use this to bait an opponent to the side of the map and try to gimp them.