#pvp tips

Prevent the opponent’s attacks with Abnormal Status Skills

By inflicting sleep or paralyze on your opponent, it can cause them to skip their first few medals. Since the first medals are typically buff or debuff medals, this can greatly reduce their damage.

Beware of the pet’s one use skill “Esuna” that can heal the opponent’s abnormal status. Make sure to equip abnormal status skills on multiple Keyblades.

※ The pet skill “Paralyze Up” can help turn the tide in your favour.

※ If you inflict Sleep on your opponent, attacking them after will wake them up.

Reduce the opponent’s damage with Guard Up Skills

A simple way to decrease your opponent’s damage is to equip Guard Up skills to your medals.

Bring Guard Up 100% skills to ensure safety. If it’s not a 100% skill, equip accessories with Skill Luck.

※ Note that the ability “Guard Break”, that will be discussed later, can make the skills ineffective.

Activate Super Burst effectively

Using Super Bursts that increase Guilt will help increase damage significantly.

Since the Guilt increase does not stack, use the highest one first then fire off the rest.

※ If Auto is on, Super Bursts will not automatically activate.

Destroy the opponent’s defences with Guard Up Break

Guard Break is an ability that has a chance for each hit to break the opponent’s Guard Up skill. Breaking the Guard Up skill will make it ineffective for that hit.

Because it’s an ability (and not a skill), copying it with Copy medals will also trigger it. Even if the Copy medal has a low Guilt value, it can still do a ton of damage.

* As of this post, only <SB> KHIII Sora MP Ver, and <SB> KHIII Zeus have this ability.

Set up Defence Decks to maintain your ranking

When someone chooses to attack you, the person who goes first is switched, so take this into consideration when creating your decks. If you want to skip your opponent’s attacks, equip abnormal status skills to your first Keyblade.

Avoiding the Reflect ability

Among the large amount of medals, there are some that are capable of reflecting the damage of specific attributes. If the attack is reflected, the damage done to your opponent is also dealt to you, so it can be quite annoying! (You think?) To counter this, use medals that change the attribute of the next medal of something that won’t be reflected.

Getting Started with Scytheguard PvP

If you're maining Scytheguard in Crystal of Atlan, this guide is built to help you improve your PvP performance. Whether you're climbing ranked or just want to fine-tune your combat flow, you'll find helpful strategies and tricks to gain an edge in battle. Let's jump in.

Current Rank and Build Overview

At the time of this guide, I'm currently pushing through Diamond 1 and approaching Master rank. With nearly 600 PvP matches played as Scytheguard, I’ve found a reliable loadout. For PvP, prioritize HP-focused gear for your Relic, Seal, and Talisman. My current setup includes skill damage traits due to not yet upgrading to pink gear, but this matches what top-tier players like Asia’s #1 Scytheguard (Crazy Solo) also use.

Essential Camera Settings for Better Visibility

Optimizing your camera is key. I use the 3D RPG Camera mode, which lets me look vertically and provides better tracking in combat. Set your camera distance to 100 to maximize field of view. I recommend turning off the lower UI toggles, which can clutter your screen during fights. One trick I use is angling the camera downward to widen your effective view. On PC, press Tab to lock onto targets while still aiming downward—keeping enemies clearly visible.

Start-of-Match Damage Buff Tip

When a PvP match starts, there’s a 10-second barrier phase. During this window, start charging Flurry, then cancel using the middle mouse button. Doing this on repeat builds stacks of New Moon. Three seconds before the barrier drops, trigger Flurry one more time and dash forward. This gives you an 18.9% damage buff for 20 seconds, which is huge for early pressure, especially when opening with high-damage combos like Soul Link into Arcade Cross.

Basic Attack Rotation and Knock-Up Mechanics

Scytheguard’s basic attacks follow a sequence. The first three hits won’t lift enemies, but the fourth one will knock them up. The key sign is your puppet executing a dash-style motion—that marks the end of the rotation. Try to land abilities right after this knock-up, as enemies will be briefly suspended mid-air.

Follow-Up Attacks After Basic Combos

After the enemy is airborne from your fourth basic hit, immediately queue strong abilities like Arcade Cross or Photon Blast. This timing improves damage output and consistency. These two skills can often chunk opponents down to their HP protection threshold. Using this window correctly can heavily tilt fights in your favor.

Energy-Efficient Skill Usage

Energy management is essential. Even if your bar is nearly empty, 1 energy point is enough to cast a skill. Save that last bit for finishing moves like Flurry, Photon Blast, or Arcade Cross. Your ultimate needs around 70 energy, so plan ahead. Chain basic attacks until you’re ready, then unleash it for a powerful finisher.

Triple Jump Combo Tech

One cool movement trick is the triple jump for aerial pressure. Charge your basic attack, then double-jump at the end of it. This lets you float mid-air long enough to regen dash charges, then dash in for aerial skills. From there, hit enemies with Soul Link or Photon Blast. Soul Link has a wider range and lands almost instantly, while Photon Blast has a slight delay when cast from the ground—but in the air, it becomes way faster.

Skill Combo: Aerial Soul Link + Photon Blast

Pairing Soul Link and Photon Blast in mid-air can land significant burst damage. When both are bound to your hotkeys, you can alternate quickly between them during your aerial approach. Soul Link hits fast and far, while Photon Blast has a bit of animation lag unless you’re airborne. This combo is best used for catching enemies trying to escape vertically.

Animation Cancelling with Jump

Most abilities can be animation cancelled using jump (spacebar) rather than dash. This saves your dash charges for evasion instead of cancelling skills. For example, Arcade Cross has a long wind-up, but if you jump right after casting, you exit the animation early. Flurry, however, is best cancelled with the middle mouse button to avoid putting it on cooldown.

Faster Cast: Photon Blast Cancel

When you jump right after casting Photon Blast, it almost eliminates the casting delay. This makes the projectile hit quicker and increases your chances of connecting before the enemy reacts. While Photon Blast doesn’t have huge range, it's still effective when used in close or mid-range combat, especially in combination with jump canceling.

Ancient Echo Combo Setup (Sol Tech)

Inspired by Crazy Solo, this technique leverages Ancient Echo as more than just a zoning tool. If used alone, enemies often avoid its damage zone. Instead, initiate a basic attack, then cast Ancient Echo, jump cancel, and resume basic attacks. This combo forces the enemy to stay in the hitbox and often pushes them into HP protection. For best results, try executing this near a wall to prevent knockback.

Close-Quarters Pressure After Combos

If your opponent is out of energy post-combo, and you still have at least 30% energy, stay near their body. Classes like Elementalist and Gunner are weak in close-range when energy-starved. They’ll usually try to dash away. Once they waste their dash, follow with Projection or basic attacks to re-engage. Just one or two skill rotations here often leads to an easy protection trigger.

Jump Ult Tech for Extended Range

Here’s a smart trick when your target is just outside of ultimate range. Normally, your ult has about the same reach as Photon Blast, so casting it beyond that won’t connect. However, if you jump before ulting, the second part of your ultimate will often still land, even if the first doesn’t. This allows you to extend your ult range slightly, hitting enemies who think they’re safe.

Although you won’t get the full damage or medium armor break from the initial strike, you’ll still land solid damage and maintain super armor. This is especially effective as a finisher, or if you’re under pressure and need to turn the tables fast. Just make sure you still have one dash ready to follow up or retreat safely.

Auto-Aim Ult Mechanics

Your ult also benefits from auto-aim, so you don’t need to be facing the enemy directly. Even if you’re repositioning or turning away to bait them, triggering ult will still home in on your target. Use this to your advantage when countering jump-ins or surprising enemies who think they’ve outmaneuvered you.

Tips for Fighting Specific Classes

Certain PvP classes require different approaches. Against Berserker, Starbreaker, or Magic Blade, consider ending combos early and disengaging. These classes become dangerous if they still have energy after your combo finishes. By backing off after triggering HP protection, you avoid retaliation and can re-engage on your terms.

Versus ranged or magic classes like Gunner, Elementalist, or Blade Maiden, stay close when they’re low on energy. They struggle in close-quarters and often rely on spacing. Hover near them after a combo to force panic dashes. Once they commit, follow up with Projection or basic strings to reinitiate and snowball damage.

Closing Thoughts for Scytheguard PvP

That wraps up the major tips and techniques for PvP as Scytheguard in Crystal of Atlan. From camera settings and damage buffs to energy management, animation canceling, and matchups—these methods are battle-tested to help you play smarter, not just harder. As always, PvP is about adaptation. Mix these tactics with your own style and game sense to dominate in ranked.

Conclusion

If you're aiming to climb ranks or just win more matches with Scytheguard, mastering these PvP techniques will make a big difference. Focus on efficient energy usage, combo timing, and camera control to keep your edge in every fight. Stay close when it matters, disengage when needed, and learn each matchup to maximize your success. With enough practice, you’ll find yourself consistently outplaying opponents across all tiers.

FAQs

Q: What is the best gear for Scytheguard in PvP? A: Focus on HP-based gear for relic, seal, and talisman. Prioritize survivability and damage scaling through buffs and skill synergy.

Q: How can I increase my damage early in a match? A: Use Flurry to build New Moon stacks before the barrier drops, then dash in for a 20-second damage boost right at the start.

Q: What’s the most efficient way to cancel animations? A: Use jump (spacebar) instead of dash to cancel animations. This preserves your dashes for movement and defense.

Q: Can I use my ultimate outside of its normal range? A: Yes. Jumping before casting your ult can extend its reach slightly, allowing the second part of the attack to land on distant enemies.

Q: How should I approach ranged classes like Gunners or Elementalists? A: Stay close if they’re out of energy. They’re vulnerable in close range and often burn dashes to escape. Follow up aggressively.

Stay Connected with Haplo Gaming Chef

Haplo Gaming Chef blends gaming guides with casual cooking streams for a truly unique viewer experience. Whether you’re here for clean, no-nonsense walkthroughs or just want to chill with some cozy cooking content between game sessions, this is the place for you. From full game unlock guides to live recipe prep and casual chats, Haplo Gaming Chef delivers content that’s both informative and enjoyable.

You Can Follow Along On Every Major Platform:

YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, Flipboard, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Medium, Blogger, and even on Google Business.

Technically they’d have to use at least one other CC first, then Grapple me. I spec Iron Man, which prevents a CC and gives me 1 IA for a few seconds. :3c The window of time in which I’m vulnerable to CCs is quite large (20 seconds) but not many people go against me expecting me to have it. So they CC me once and don’t CC again before Iron Man’s cooldown is up.