- BURST, Rapid Cancel and DP extra section

Master the core mechanics of BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle! Learn how to effectively use Burst, Rapid Cancel, and DP to control neutral, extend combos, and turn the tide of battle.

The BURST and the Rapid Cancel mechanisms deserve special attention due to being universal mechanics that allow to almost “break the rules” of the game, on top of having applicability in almost every aspect of the game. The DP isn’t a universal tool, but it DOES have applicability in almost every aspect of the game, making it worthy of a section in this guide.

Starting with the Rapid Cancel (A+B+C), this allows to ERASE/Cancel the recovery of almost ANY attack in the game at the expense of 50% heat meter, with the condition that the enemy BLOCKS your attack (if it WHIFFs, you can’t cancel its recovery). Thus, it has the power to make almost ANY move SAFE on block. It’s one of strongest tools that can be applied in a huge array of situations:

• In neutral game, it can be used to make Supers (Distortion Drives) or Specials (like projectiles) SAFE (unless they whiff), allowing you to use them more at ease and potentially COUNTER enemy actions or give you the upper hand in approaching.
• On wake-up, or when defending against the enemy pressure, it can be used after DP, Distortion Drive or Counter Assault to make them SAFE, while also potentially allowing you to start your own offensive game from them.
• When applying offensive pressure, it can be used to: extend blockstrings (especially useful if used to cancel the recovery of negative moves or specials); create frametraps; or even cancel any attack to be able to do a MIXUP at ANY moment of your string (including cancelling an overhead into the same overhead, or allowing to do an air dash after a descending air attack to be able to hit with another overhead). Rapid Cancel even allows to trick the enemy regarding predictable MIXUPs included in 2-hit attacks in which only the second hit is an overhead (such as Mu-12’s 6B), because it allows to cancel the 1st hit into a LOW attack right after, which will most surely break the enemy’s guard, thanks to the fact that he was expecting an Overhead after the 1st hit (assuming he knew your character).
• When doing combos, it can be used to GREATLY extend them, increasing their damage and potentially increasing the corner carry or allowing to switch positions. By extending the combos, it can also make them last longer, which can be an advantage when near time-up, or when you want to waste the enemy’s overdrive duration. Rapid Cancel can also allow to combo from “isolated” attacks (including Overheads and even Distortion Drives) that otherwise weren’t cancellable and thus didn’t allow to start a combo.

The BURST icon (A+B+C+D) can be used at any moment, and it may result in either a true BURST shockwave – in case you’re getting hit by any attack/combo (while you’re in hitstun) – OR in entering the Overdrive mode – which can happen in neutral state, while you’re guarding the enemy’s pressure (while you’re in blockstun), or while you are attacking the enemy (applying pressure or doing combos). The overdrive mode activation has invulnerability frames on startup, gives your attacks special properties, and FREEZES the time clock for a limited duration while your overdrive lasts. This means that it can be activated ANYTIME in the match (except if you’re taking damage) to BUY time. On top of it, at any moment during the Overdrive mode, you can activate the Exceed Accel, which is yet another move with invulnerability frames on startup that can be used as a REVERSAL OR as a combo tool (usually to finish combos). There is a MAJOR difference in how fast you recover your BURST icon, according to whether you have used it as a BURST shockwave, or to enter the Overdrive mode. While in the first case, your BURST gauge count will start at 0, if you use it to enter the Overdrive mode, it will start at 3. On top of that, if you damage the enemy with Exceed Accel, you’ll automatically enter active flow mode, which BOOSTS the BURST gauge recovery speed by a lot. So keep that in mind when deciding to use the BURST icon either as a BURST shockwave (during the enemy’s combo), or to enter the Overdrive mode. It’s also really important to note that while the BURST shockwave CAN be baited and PUNISHED (if the enemy interrupts his combo to guard it), the Overdrive may be predicted, but CAN’T be punished, making it possibly more worthwhile.

Regarding the BURST input, DO note that if you’re holding any attack button (including for example A, B or C to recover as soon as possible from an enemy combo), your BURST shockwave will NOT happen. So you really need to input A+B+C+D at the specific time you want to use it (mashing also works, and that can be useful if you want to use the BURST AS SOON AS your icon is available). In regards to the Exceed Accel input, you can NOT be inputting ANY guard directional button (1, 4 or 7) at the same time as A+B+C+D, because that will make you block instead of activating the Exceed Accel (because the game system gives priority to guarding than using Exceed Accel).

The BURST shockwave can be used with a wide array of goals:

• To turn tables/REVERSE the situation (according to the difference between your and the enemy’s Hit Points, you might deem it worthy; you can also use it on the last round regardless of your Hit Points, since it’s your last chance to use the BURST icon anyway);
• To avoid HUGE damaging combos (including DP Punishes);
• To get out of the corner;
• To keep the enemy in the corner.

Keep in mind that you should AVOID at all costs using the BURST shockwave when airborne (especially if you’re at a high height, far from the ground), because after using it, you’ll be stuck in a recovery state (during which you can’t block or move) until you land. This means that if the enemy predicts and blocks your BURST shockwave, you’ll be totally vulnerable for even longer (according to the time you take to land) and for much higher damaging combos (due to being airborne).