Chaos Breaker/Bernhard

Bernhard's victory screen

Introduction

Bernhard is a really tall dude with a really big sword and can easily swing at you from half a screen away. He can also teleport to close the distance, run away, or escape situations that other characters find more difficult to deal with. His defense is the best overall and he can drain health and Mana from his opponents through his various types of command throws, but he is far from invincible. Good zoning, high defense, and devastating loop combos.

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The Basics

• While it is true that Bernhard's normals have a range advantage over most characters, they also come out a lot slower. Don't throw them out recklessly, as you will either be counter-hit out of them or be punished on whiff.

• Bernhard likes to stay at mid-range where his pokes are generally safe and can pick away at overeager opponents. Throws are probably his fastest option at close range, but be wary of accidentally getting 5D or 6D (especially the former) as you will most likely be punished for it.

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Combos

Mid-screen

5B>236A/B or 632146B

• Simple 2-in-1. You'll have to do it slightly closer than the max range of 5B in order for the command throw to connect.

2C(1)>236C

• Low to special. You need to cancel 2C on the first hit and you need to be close enough in order for the hits to combo. Do it slightly closer than max range and it should work.

j.C, land, 6D

• Jump-in to blowback. 6D comes out faster than Bernhard's B moves and you can use it to push your opponent towards the corner.

j.B, land, 2B>236C

• Basic juggle combo that works most effectively against grounded opponents. If you use j.B as an air-to-air you may have to omit the 2B and use a different strength special. Watch your opponent's height and adjust accordingly.

j.C, land, 6321463214X

• Heavy jump-in to super throw. Make sure you hit confirm before doing the super otherwise it'll whiff and you will feel the pain.

2C(1)>6321463214X

• Low to super. It helps to buffer the command in order for this to go off properly and it needs to hit meaty as hell in order for it to connect.

Corner

j.B, land, 2B>214A, 2B>236C

• Basic corner juggle when you don't have the meter for Blood Barrier. Make sure you don't hit your opponent too high with the second 2B or else the 236C will whiff.

2B>214B j.B 2B>214A 2B>360X(2 hits), (jump back, Barrier 1 hit, j.B, j.B)x2, 2B>214A...

• One of many ways to start Bernhard's 100% combo. The trick to keeping this loop going is to hit your opponent with the Blood Barrier as you jump back but doing it in such a way as to only connect with one of the hits. From there, all one needs to do is jump out j.B and then jump in j.B, all the while making sure the Barrier doesn't hit the opponent until the 3rd hit. It can be difficult to find the correct spacing at first, but the Japanese Wiki suggests being about half a character away. Another thing to watch out for if you're using 214A to maintain the juggle is performing it too close to the corner. If you end up under your opponent while you perform this move, it will appear off-screen and miss completely. Pay VERY close attention to where you are in relation to your opponent at all times.
  • Some of the smaller characters like Dorgan, Vargan, and Goblin will occasionally take all 3 hits of the 214A instead of the regular 2, which can cause your 2B to whiff. Make sure you listen to the number of hits before hitting 2B to make sure you don't mess it up.
  • Nsidor floats too high after the initial 2B to actually be hit by 2 hits of 214B, so you'll need to use 214C instead to start the combo. Once you get it going, the usual 214A works just fine throughout the remainder of the combo.
  • It should also be noted that Nsidor and Goblin do not cause the screen to pan up while they are being juggled, which can be confusing when you are first starting out. It's also really hard to hit-confirm on Nsidor and tell if you're connecting with the barrier properly due to his odd character sound effects. If you are new to this combo, try starting on one of the regular-sized characters first.

360X, 2B > 623D, (Barrier hits), j.B, j.B, 2B > 214A, 2B > 360X, Barrier combo

• This is a version that involves activating the barrier first, then hitting your opponent into the air and teleporting to meet them. Can be used as a way to counter-hit your opponent while they try to deal with your Blood Barrier. This also works if you managed to drop the initial loop but still have some hits left on your Barrier and have meter to burn.

Requirements: Blood Sword

2C(1)> 236C > Blood Sword IB, j.B, 2B > 214A, 2B > 360X, Barrier combo

• A practical way to land the Barrier Loop that makes use of the Blood Sword IB. It requires 2 bars to start with in order to work properly.

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Strategy

Item Compatibility

Talisman

• Using the Stock Action before activating Blood Barrier will stop your opponent from clashing it on activation as the barrier will stop their attack and counter it as well. The Talisman IB can also be used to land command throws, but this will only work on hit and not on block. Use this trick when you wish to recover life in order to make the meter usage worth it.

Blood Sword

• Beefs up Bernhard's attacks and opens up more ways to start his Blood Barrier loop by making use of the Blood Sword IB.

Mana Potion

• Keeps Bernhard fuelled for when he wants to pull out his great supers. You can even pop a Mana Potion while Blood Barrier is active to keep your opponent from interfering.

Character Chemistry

Nagar

• Nagar's assist is useful for most characters, but this is especially true for Bernhard when he has an opponent trapped in the corner. Essentially, a successful hit guarantees him a free Blood Barrier loop if he has the meter, and even if they block, it makes mistakes much more dangerous.

Goblin

• Goblin's assist is great for any character who can corner juggle and the nice chunk of damage from a successful hit will help Bernhard get that 100% combo that much faster.

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Matchups

Serious Advantage Matchups

Bernhard has no serious advantage matchups.

Advantage Matchups

• Troll
• Curse Head
• Fina
• GerhardsenII
• Dorgan

Fair Matchups

• Mara
• Goblin

Disadvantage Matchups

• Elion
• Evetta
• Nsidor

Serious Disadvantage Matchups

• Vritra
• Nagar
• Vargan
• Ramda
• Sandra
• Orc
• Zon

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Move Analysis

Normals and Command Normals

Standing

5A

• Relatively-quick, mid-level slash with very little range. Inferior to 6A in terms of range, but comes out 1 frame faster. Used to add damage to things that don't really combo well.

5B

• Upwards swipe that doesn't reach nearly as far horizontally as it looks but closer to about two character lengths away. Decent poke and good for stuffing jumps, but you'll need to use it early because of its slow startup. This is Bernhard's anti-air of choice.

5C

• Slow overhead slash with a misleading hitbox. Despite the animation, the vertical hitbox is practically non-existent and only starts after the sword is level with Bernhard. This makes it useless as an anti-air, so use 5B instead.

5D

• Horrendously slow axe kick that distinguishes itself from most other 5Ds as being one of the few that does not involve jumping. It's unsafe as hell on block and can't be comboed from, making it a pretty useless move. You'll use this move so infrequently that the one time you do use it, your opponent might not even realize what's going on before it's too late. Consider that the one and only time this move might be useful.

Crouching

2A

• Typical anti-clashing 2A that looks like it might hit low but actually hits mid. Has slightly more range than 5A, but less range than 6A.

2B

• Upward slash that works as an anti-air but is most reliably used as a launcher or to continue a juggle after j.B. 2B is an essential tool to master for Bernhard's Blood Barrier loop and is excellent for pushing your opponent towards the corner.

2C

• Slashing sweep that hits twice and is cancellable on the first hit. Has a lot of range and is also incredibly useful as a meaty. As a C move, it is not particularly safe on block and it also extends Bernhard's hitbox, placing him in danger when he otherwise wouldn't be. Another interesting property of this move is the fact that the second hit (as Bernhard pulls the sword back) will not connect if you are too far away from the opponent, which means you will lose the knockdown. The best way to avoid this is to use 2C no further than the actual range of 5B.

2D

• Spinning low kick that comes out fairly quickly, but cannot be comboed from. This move is in the same boat as 5D in that the only reason it's useful is because people won't expect it. It's mostly used as a pursuit after landing an anti-air Mana Counter since Bernhard has no oki game to speak of.

Command

6A

• Almost identical to 5A, the difference being it has slightly more horizontal and vertical range, making it slightly more effective for use as a close-ranged poke and better for clashing.

6B

• Lunging stab with a late cancel point that reaches as fair horizontally as 5B wishes it could. Has a fair amount of startup (like most of Bernhard's moves), so it's not a good idea to use it closer than max range. Decent for applying pressure although it is not cancellable on block.

6C

• Similar to 5C, except Bernhard moves forward as he swings, giving this move more range. There is also more recovery (he swings the sword harder, apparently) and this move is not cancellable. The interesting part about this move is that it has a vertical hitbox and plummets on air hit, but it's far too slow to use as a reliable anti-air. This move has uses, but it won't be very often.

6D

• Blowback kick that comes out faster than one might expect. It's not cancellable, but it is possible to link 236X off of a wall-bounce. Unfortunately, this requires perfect spacing and incredibly strict timing and is not really worth the effort. 6D is best used for pushing your opponent into the corner, since that's where the real fun starts for Bernhard.

Jumping

j.A

• Quick mid-level slash that has a reverse hitbox and works as a cross-up of sorts. It can be used to sneak in attacks on your opponent when they don't expect it and as it is cancellable, it can also be used to teleport away. It has fairly decent range for an A normal and can be used in air-to-air situations where j.B would be impractical.

j.B

• Upward slash that launches foes into the air. It is actually possible to jump towards an opponent, launch them with j.B, land, then jump and hit them again. This move also plays a very important part in the Blood Barrier loop and can be used to keep an opponent airborne for far longer than normally possible. Fantastic as an air-to-air.

j.C

• Heavy downward slash that can cross-up at the back of the hitbox. Has a fairly large range, if a little bit slow to start up, but works for applying pressure and is easy to combo off of. It can be used for clashing moves directly below Bernhard, but it may prove difficult to do so.

j.D

• Downward angled kick that works well as an anti-clashing jump-in or as an air-to-air. It has less range than Bernhard's other air normals, but as it is relatively quick and doesn't clash, it can be quite useful in situations where you'd rather trade than clash.

Normal Throws

Forward Throw: 6D (when close)

• Bernhard grabs the opponent by the head and slams them down into the ground in front of him.

Back Throw: 4D (when close)

• Bernhard grabs the opponent by the head and slams them down into the ground behind him.

Mana-Counter

A forward kick that's the same animation as Bernhard's 6D. Near the corner it can easily be linked into 236A/B and can also be used to start Bernhard's Blood Barrier loop with the help of the Blood Sword IB. Upon hitting an opponent out of the air, it is possible to use Bernhard's 2D pursuit as a quick source of damage or try using 214X on wakeup. Standing opponents hit at mid-screen basically reset the situation, but you can dash up and try to cross-up with j.A/j.C or teleport shenanigans.

Specials

Spurting Blood: 236A/B/C

• Dash attack that knocks down on hit.
• Button strength determines distance.
• Can be burst-cancelled.

Distortion: 214A/B/C

• 3-hit projectile. Last hit launches into juggle state.
• Hold attack button to send out projectile.
• Button strength determines speed and how quickly projectile detonates. A travels slowly but detonates quickly, C travels quickly but detonates slowly.
• Pressing 2 or 8 will aim the projectile up and down but be aware that it moves really quickly during this time and is extremely difficult to use effectively.

Warp: 236D/214D/623D/421D (can be used in air)

• Teleport with limited invincibility.
• DP and reverse DP version put you in the air. Using them in the air puts you on the ground.

Energy Drain: 632146A/B/C

• Command throw
• A version restores Mana, B restores health, C restores a little of both.
• Mash attack buttons to add hits.

Mana Bursts

Blood Barrier: 360A/B/C

• Self-barrier. Worth 5 hits.
• Can be hit out of.
• Bernhard cannot move during the initial activation, which can allow your opponent to quickly take action and destroy the barrier before you can even use it. Unless you're using the barrier as a juggle, make sure your opponent is either too far away or still in the process of getting up before using it.

Bloodsucker: 6321463214A/B/C

• Super version of command throw.
• Mash attack buttons to add hits.
• Cannot be activated during Blood Barrier.

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Frame Data

Attack	Cancel	State	Total	Start-up	Active	Hit	Guard
5A	No	Mid	21	7		+1	-1
6A	No	Mid	22	8		+1	-1
2A	No	Mid	24	7		-2	-1
j.A	Yes	Overhead		7
5B	Yes	Mid	41	17		-5	-4
6B	Yes	Mid	42	17		-6	-4
2B	Yes	Mid	42	17		Floats	-4
j.B	Yes	Overhead		11		Floats
5C	Yes	Mid	49	21		-3	-16
6C	No	Mid		25		-15	-16
2C	Yes/No	Low/Low	51	15		Knockdown	-17
j.C	Yes	Overhead		17
5D	No	Overhead	49	25		-5	-14
6D	No	Mid	48	16		Blowback	-22
2D	No	Low	31	11		-1	-10
j.D	Yes	Overhead		8

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Chaos Breaker