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PoppySettVelkozDianaLeonaAurelion SolRivenIreliaMaster Yi

#04 · Standard body

Diana

Scorn of the Moon

Mark-and-recapture dive swordfighterResource: MoonlightDifficulty

A midrange sword who paints Moonlight on the opponent with Crescent Strike, then spends it with Lunar Rush to reopen her gatlings for a whole second chain. Pick her if you like confirming into a meterless double string that carries to the wall from anywhere.

Strengths

  • +The recapture (`236` into `6U`) buys a full second chain with no meter
  • +Every send carries forward, so her routes reach the wall from mid-screen
  • +Pale Cascade (`5U` / `214`) soaks the damage of one hit and covers both sides
  • +Moonsilver Blade (`22`) makes her heavy normals reach a step further
  • +Awakening doubles the recapture for her biggest single-spend route

Weaknesses

  • −No invulnerable reversal. Moonfall is a pull, not a DP
  • −Almost every special and Unique is minus on block
  • −Without Moonlight live, `6U` is just a minus dash-slash
  • −The recapture is once per combo, and only a fresh Crescent re-arms it
  • −Throws beat the Cascade shield

Unique mechanic

Moonlight

Crescent Strike marks the opponent with Moonlight for a few seconds; landing Lunar Rush while it is live spends the mark, relaunches them, and reopens her gatlings for one more chain.

Overview

Diana is the roster's dive. She has no reversal and no armor, and she earns her way in with two buttons that only work as a pair:

  • Crescent Strike (2U, j.U, 236) paints Moonlight on the opponent when it hits.
  • Lunar Rush (6U) dashes in and, if Moonlight is live, recaptures: it spends the mark, pops them up and forward, and reopens her whole gatling table for one more chain.

Everything else in the kit feeds that loop. Pale Cascade (5U, 214) is a shield that soaks one hit and glues strings together. Moonfall (623) is a pulling anti-air that also marks at H. Moonsilver Blade (22) is an install that widens her heavy normals. Without a mark she is a solid but plain midrange sword. With one, every confirm becomes two strings and a trip to the corner.

Gameplan

Neutral

  • Her mids are her range. 2M is her longest low, 5M steps in, and 5H has a tall box that can take a jump-in.
  • 236L / 236M are her main midrange checks. They are minus on block, but every Crescent leaves a brief moon-trace, so even a whiffed or blocked one can be followed by 6U to close the gap.
  • 623M is the anti-air pull. It is not invulnerable, so treat it as a read on a jump or air dash, not a panic button.
  • Jumping in with j.U marks on hit, so the landing 6U is already a recapture. j.M reaches behind her and is the cross-up.
  • With nothing better to do, 22M over a knockdown arms Moonsilver for six seconds of wider heavies.

Offense

  • The core pressure loop is 5L 5M 5U 6U, then a special. 5U gatlings into 6U on hit, block, or whiff, and 6U special-cancels into anything.
  • Your confirm target is always a landed Crescent. 5L 5M 5H 236M on hit marks them. Cancel straight into 6U for the recapture and run a second chain.
  • 5L is slightly plus on block and 5M / 2M are even, so the lights and mediums are safe to stop on. 5H, 3H, and every U move are minus.
  • Pale Cascade gives you a shield while you press. 5U or any 214 puts it up as the move starts, so a stray poke that hits you mid-string deals no damage.
  • With 50 Style, 236EX marks through block, so a blocked string can still end in a recapture threat.

Defense

  • No invulnerable reversal. Her escapes are backdash, air dash, Burst, and blocking.
  • The Cascade shield zeroes the damage of the next strike. You still take the hitstun, and throws go straight through it, so 214L on wakeup is a soak, not an escape.
  • After an instant block, 2U is her quickest mark. Follow a landed 2U with 6U to turn the steal into a full combo.
  • Burst is the corner exit.

Unique Mechanic

Moonlight (the mark)

  • One mark at a time, shown as a crescent over the opponent and on her MOONLIGHT bar. It counts down and fades. How long it lasts depends on what painted it:
SourceMark length
236L2 s
2U2.5 s
236M, 236EX, j.U, 623H, Skybound3 s
236H4 s
  • Moves only mark on hit. 236EX is the exception: it also marks on block.
  • A new mark replaces the old timer; it doesn't stack.

Lunar Rush (the recapture)

  • 6U that hits while Moonlight is live is a recapture. It spends the mark, relaunches the opponent up and toward the wall, and lets 6U cancel into 5L 2L 5M 2M 5H 2H 3H for one more chain.
  • Once per combo. Only another Crescent re-arms the mark, and even then the combo won't take a second recapture (except under Awakening).
  • A 6U that hits with no mark is a plain slash. It is minus and can't chain back into normals, but it can still special-cancel.
  • Where 6U can come from:
    • 5U hands it over freely, on hit, block, or whiff.
    • 5H cancels into it only on hit with Moonlight live.
    • A Crescent (2U, 236) cancels into it on a marked hit, or on whiff or block while that Crescent's moon-trace is still up. A trace lasts about half a second, so cancel promptly.
    • j.U has no airborne Rush. Land and press 6U.
  • The second chain pays the normal repeat-chain damage tax, so cash it into a special or super rather than looping lights.

Pale Cascade (the shield)

  • 5U, 214L, 214M, 214H, and 214EX all put up a shield as they start. It lasts 1.5 s and absorbs the damage of one strike, then breaks. You still take the stun, and throws ignore it.
  • A landed 5U, 214H, or 214EX refreshes the shield for 2 s.
  • 214H and 214EX also pull a marked opponent in.

Moonsilver Blade (the install, 22)

  • Arms a window where 5H, 2H, and j.H swing a wider arc: a step further forward and a little behind her.
  • 22L 4 s, 22M 6 s, 22H 8 s, 22EX 10 s. 22EX also paints Moonlight whenever those heavy normals hit.
  • One window at a time. You can't refresh it while it's armed.

Combo Notes

  • Mark, recapture, second chain (the spine): 5L 5M 5H 236M 6U 5L 5M 5H. Cancel the Crescent into 6U as soon as it hits, then run the chain again. End the second chain on 2H jc j.L j.M j.H for the knockdown, or on a special or super.
  • Pick the Crescent by what comes after. 236L is the easiest mark. 236H holds longest and opens most of her top routes. Any of them is enough for an immediate 6U.
  • Cash-outs after the second chain:
    • 623EX (50 Style) for the big drag toward the wall.
    • 236EX (50 Style) to leave them marked.
    • Skybound (100 Style) for the wallstick and the +25% on a live mark.
    • Awakening (100 Style) for the most damage from one spend.
  • Two legs, no meter: 5L 5M 5H 236H 6U 5L 5M 5H 3H 5L 5M 5H 623H. 3H knocks down, the 5L pickup opens a new leg with a fresh special cancel, and 623H flings them at the wall.
  • Cascade glue: 5L 5M 5U 6U 236M. Here the Rush is unmarked, so it doesn't reopen normals. It only special-cancels into the mark.
  • Already marked: if Moonlight is live when you open (a j.U jump-in, a blocked 236EX), start straight from 6U: 6U 5L 5M 5H 623EX or 6U 5L 5M 5H Skybound.
  • Style Cancel: a Style Cancel after the first 236M buys a second Crescent without spending the leg boundary: 5L 5M 5H 236M SC 5L 5M 5H 236H 6U 5L 5M 5H 623EX.
  • Style Dash: after the second chain's 236EX or 623H, an up Style Dash (SDC8) chases the launched body for j.M j.H.
  • Corner: the sends already carry, so mid-screen routes finish at the wall. With the opponent cornered, the two-leg route into Awakening is her corner damage answer.
  • Autocombo: mashing L walks 5L 5M 5H 236M, then Skybound at 100 Style or 623EX at 50. The recapture is manual: press 6U yourself after the Crescent.

Key Moves

Generated from the kit data.

Fastest button5L 5f
Lows2L 6f2M 9f3H 13f
Safest specials on block236L 9f · -4236M 12f · -6214M 10f · -7