UMVC3/Vergil

Overview Combos Strategy/Counterstrategy Resources Data

Introduction

A half-demon, son of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, and older brother of Dante. Although his powers and abilities are similar to Dante's (including the ability to use Devil Arms), his fighting style and personality are very different. He primarily fights with a katana, the legendary blade Yamato, but occasionally uses other melee weapons. His design and movelist in this game is based on his appearance in Devil May Cry 3.

In UMvC3, Vergil is an aggressive character with attacks that have impressive range and powerful, disjointed hitboxes. He forces opponents to respect his strong normal attacks, locks opponents down and deals chip with his Round Trip special, and fishes for throws/airthrows once he has the momentum. Vergil's Devil Trigger and Spiral Swords give him many unique ways to spend meter and, when utilized properly, enable some very high damage potential.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Amazing Normals: Extremely powerful and oppressive normals allow Vergil to dominate the neutral game. Vergil can quickly take control of the flow of the match and keep it indefinitely unless the opponent takes risks to contest him. His Helm Breaker (j.2H) command normal is particularly infamous for being a safe, spammable attack that is extremely difficult to challenge. Incredible Damage w/ Resources: Vergil can stack the damage and speed boosts from his Devil Trigger (214XX) install hyper with the boosts from X-Factor. "Dark" Vergil is an extremely powerful anchor with fast mixups and enormous damage, who can quickly snowball a losing match back into his favor. Support Value: Provides great team support. Rapid Slash is a solid assist with large amounts of screen coverage that many characters can use to extend combos. His Spiral Swords hyper is a very powerful DHC that other characters can use to safely escape or to accommodate their poor solo damage. Oppressive Pressure: With the right assists, Vergil has arguably the most oppressive offense in the game. Utilizing a glitch that allows him to keep his Round Trip charge, he can easily get in with an assist, Round Trip, make some distance, rinse and repeat. Opponents will always have to take a huge risk to challenge this game plan. Motivated.

Ground-Based: Vergil has almost no air options. He has only one air-OK special and only one air-OK Hyper. His only aerial movement tool outside of Devil Trigger is a Walljump. Although Vergil can still run an offense in the air, his gameplan becomes much more linear when airborne. Bad Incoming Defense: As an extension of the above, Vergil's lack of air options make him infamously bad at defending on incoming. Vergil lacks any way to escape setups when brought in via a Snapback or dead point character, and has to rely on blocking correctly or a Hail Mary air Hyper in order to survive. Needs Resources: Vergil is a very resource-hungry character, and his damage without significant amounts of meter and/or X-Factor is below average.

Unique Mechanics

Vergil can not special-cancel his normal attacks on whiff, unless he is in his Devil Trigger (214XX) install.

Health	850,000
Invulnerable Reversal(s)	214XX (In Devil Trigger)
Grounded Magic Series	Simple
X-Factor Damage Boost (1/2/3)	25% / 50% / 75%
X-Factor Speed Boost (1/2/3)	15% / 20% / 25%
Air Movement Options
Air Actions	Air Jumps?	Air Dash?	Flight?	WallJump?
(1)	Yes	(2-Way)	No	Yes
Minimum Attack Scaling
Normals	Specials		Hypers
5	20		35

Move List

Assists

Judgment Cut
Assist A

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
30,000 x5	49 / 42	30	121 / 111, 91 / 81
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid	, Priority: Low, Durability: 5
THC Hyper: Dimension Slash. Vergil swipes his sword, causing a multi-hitting projectile to appear a short distance ahead. The projectile is stationary, and remains in place for 30 frames before disappearing. If Vergil is in Devil Trigger, the hitbox is significantly larger.

Rising Sun
Assist B

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
50,000 + 80,000	33 / 30	3(14)4 / 3(12)4	122 / 110, 92 / 80
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid
THC Hyper: Dimension Slash. Vergil kicks upwards into the air, hitting twice. Like most DP-style assists, it lacks any invincibility, and knocks opponents too high into the air to be useful in normal combos. Notably, has no invincibility when used as a crossover counter, although it’s quite big and leads to a combo on hit when done this way. The range / hitbox on the second kick is deceptively large, capable of hitting from just over half screen distance. This gives it some limited anti-air usage, if used by a character with good air-to-air confirms. If Vergil is in Devil Trigger, the hitbox is larger.

Rapid Slash
Assist Y

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
35,000 x5	52 / 48	16 / 14	123 / 111, 93 / 81
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid	, Priority: Low, Durability: 99 (!!) except the last slash, which has 5
THC Hyper: Dimension Slash. Recommended assist. Vergil dashes across the screen, leaving a series of slashing projectiles in his wake. This assist has fantastic horizontal coverage, although Vergil himself is not protected. Opponents who block or are hit by Rapid Slash are dragged backwards across the screen. For this reason, it is difficult for most characters to use Rapid Slash in combos midscreen(can be used for corner carry by characters who can combo with it this way however). When used in the corner instead, the lengthy juggle caused by Rapid Slash makes combos quite easy. This assist is also very useful for keepaway characters, as any forward progress the opponent makes will be erased when Rapid Slash drags them back to the corner, even on block. If Vergil is in Devil Trigger, the hitbox is larger.

Ground Normals

Stand Light
5L

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
40,000	6 / 6	3 / 3	12 / 10
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-1 / +1	-3 / -1	Mid	-
A long reaching jab attack with excellent coverage; this move will hit pretty much anything in the immediate vicinity of Vergil. It can also anti-air as well as catch low stances(including Chris's Prone).

Stand Medium
5M

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
60,000	8 / 7	3 / 3	23 / 20
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-7 / -4	-8 / -5	Mid	-
Vergil steps forward and does a swipe with Yamato. Has good reach / anti air ability, however it is unsafe on whiff. As a neutral tool it is generally outclassed by stand L, but can be used if L is being held for Round Trip charge.

Stand Heavy
5H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
85,000	10 / 9	3 / 3	33 / 29
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-12 / -8	-13 / -9	Mid
Vergil makes a wide swing with his sword. 5H has a huge, disjointed hitbox, and it is an excellent neutral tool for poking or anti-airing. 5H causes a large amount of hitstop on contact with the opponent, making it a good choice for activating the Round Trip Glitch (see Round Trip under Special Moves). This attack will fully nullify Low and Medium priority projectiles that come into contact with its active frames. Even longer duration, multi-hitting beams will be completely destroyed. However, destroying a projectile with 5H does not count as making contact for the purpose of canceling, and Vergil will still be unable to special-cancel the attack if it whiffs. This move is very unsafe on whiff(can occur in blockstrings if the opponent pushblocks earlier attacks), so always be ready to cancel into Spiral Swords or Devil Trigger if you see it miss.

Crouching Light
2L

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
45,000	5 / 5	2 / 2	16 / 14
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-4 / -2	-6 / -4	Low	-
Standard fast low attack.

Crouching Medium
2M

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
63,000	8 / 7	2 / 2	24 / 21
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-7 / -4	-8 / -5	Low	-
A standard low M attack. It has slightly less range than stand M, as it does not have a forward step on startup. On hit, it can link into stand H if at low hitstun decay, this can be useful to avoid wasting wallbounce early when hitting a grounded opponent and later chaining into Stinger, also has usage in some other combo routes, as crouching H pops opponents into the air and is slower than stand H.

Crouching Heavy
2H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
80,000	12 / 11	3 / 3	26 / 22
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-6 / -2	Low	,
Long-ranged low poke with Vergil's sword. 2H has a very high minimum hitstun. In practice, opponents will never aerial recover when hit by 2H, only teching if they actually reach the ground. This property makes 2H a critical part of Vergil's extended combos and loops. Like with 5H, this attack nullifies Low and Medium priority projectiles on contact.

Launcher/Special
S

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
90,000	10 / 9	4 / 4	32 / 28
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
Launch	-13 / -9	Mid	, (except Upper Slash),
Launcher with an enormous, disjointed hitbox. Like with 5H and 2H, it destroys projectiles on contact. 5S has a special command follow-up performed by pressing H on contact with an opponent (see Upper Slash in Command Normals). Upper Slash can itself be chained back into 5S. Although 5S is unsafe on block, Vergil can loop these two moves together indefinitely, creating a true blockstring that can only be escaped by pushblocking Vergil to safety.

Aerial Normals

Jumping Light
j.5L

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
43,000	6 / 6	2 / 2	18 / 15
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+12	+10	OH
When Vergil is in Devil Trigger and has access to Double Jump, this attack can be canceled into Double Jump.

Jumping Medium
j.5M

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
65,000	8 / 7	3 / 3	21 / 19
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+17	+16	OH
Vergil swipes his sword directly forward. Destroys Low and Medium priority projectiles on contact. When Vergil is in Devil Trigger and has access to Double Jump, this attack can be canceled into Double Jump.

Jumping Heavy
j.5H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
88,000	11 / 10	2 / 2	23 / 20
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+19	+18	OH
Vergil slashes his sword at a slight downward angle. Destroys Low and Medium priority projectiles on contact.

Jumping Special
"Plaque!"
j.5S

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
90,000	18 / 16	Until Grounded	20 / 18
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	0	OH	,
Vergil pauses in the air, then performs a diving kick at a shallow angle. Ironically, this attack is largely outclassed as an Air Combo Finisher by Helm Breaker (j.2H), which is faster and leaves the opponent closer to Vergil on the ground. This attack becomes more notable for its use outside of Launcher combos. When it does not activate as an Air Combo Finisher, this attack causes Ground Bounce, rather than a Hard Knockdown. On hit, the move can be Special-cancelled while Vergil is still in the air, but not after landing. This makes it possible to combo the ground bounce into Round Trip, although the timing requirement is very tight; it is often more practical to simply land and use his normals. j.5S has a wide hitbox underneath Vergil and can hit as a cross-up. This can be easily set up against a crouching opponent by performing 214H Teleport -> Slight delay -> j.5S. If Spiral Swords is active, no delay is needed.

Command Normals

Stinger
6H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
80,000	13 / 12	3 / 3	50 / 43
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-29 / -22	-30 / -23	Mid	(vs airborne)
Vergil thrusts forward with his sword, advancing about 1/3 of fullscreen distance. If Stinger hits an airborne opponent (such as when chained into from 2H), it causes a Wall Bounce. If Stinger hits a grounded target, the opponent does not move but is instead placed into a lengthy hitstun that can be followed up by canceling into a special. Both of these variations are important combo tools for Vergil. The startup of Stinger can be kara-canceled into a dash. As a result, Vergil can gain the benefits of Plink Dashing without actually having to plink inputs - simply mashing 6M+H will cause Vergil to rapidly cancel the starting frames of his forward dash into itself, quickly traveling across the screen. Additionally, if you crouch-cancel any of these dashes, the next dash in the sequence will automatically Option Select a throw. This property can be further expanded on to create a powerful three-way Option Select, using the following inputs: 6M+H -> 9 -> 3H Video Tutorial. If done correctly at close range, Vergil will ground throw the opponent. If the opponent attempts to jump away, Vergil will automatically pursue them into the air. He will then either perform an airthrow if they are in airthrow range, or use Helm Breaker if they are not. This OS is very powerful and low-risk, and can be seamlessly transitioned into from the dash-up sequence described above. This move is very unsafe on whiff(can occur in blockstrings if the opponent delay pushblocks earlier attacks), so always be ready to cancel into Spiral Swords or Devil Trigger if you see it miss.

High Time
3H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
100,000	9 / 8	10 / 9	31 / 27
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
0 / +5	-17 / -12	Mid	, , (except Trick)
Vergil performs an upwards swipe with his sword, carrying both himself and his opponent into the air. High Time can not be canceled into specials or hypers. However, it does have a special "Trick" follow-up performed by inputting H during recovery (see below). This Trick can in turn be hyper-canceled, allowing Vergil to indirectly cancel High Time into his Dimension Slash hyper. As long as Dimension Slash is input using H such as with 236M+H, Vergil can perform this double cancel in a single input, going High Time xx Trick xx Hyper. There is a window after High Time initially hits the opponent where Vergil is still considered grounded. If High Time is X-Factor canceled during this window, Vergil can manually input a superjump and pursue the opponent into the air. This is a very high-damage way to convert any Hard Knockdown. This move's hitbox also has significant coverage behind Vergil, which can enable him to catch assists on the opposite side in happy birthday situations.

Trick (High Time)
(During High Time) > H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
-	11 / 10	5 / 5	10 / 8
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	-	Invuln frames 11-15 (in DT: 10-14)
Teleports Vergil directly down to the ground.

Helmet Breaker
j.2H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
90,000	13 / 12	Until grounded +2	18 / 16
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	0 / +2	Mid
Vergil plummets straight down while slashing with his sword. Helm Breaker is an infamously oppressive and spammable move. It has an enormous hitbox, starts up quickly, and is safe on block. It can (and should) Option Select a throw by being input as j.3H or j.1H. Helm Breaker's hitbox covers a large part of the space below Vergil as he falls. It heavily discourages opponents below Vergil from pursuing him into the air. It also functions as a limited form of aerial mobility, allowing Vergil to quickly escape to the ground if his position in the air becomes too dangerous. Despite what the animation suggests, Helm Breaker can also hit as a cross-up, and so even dashing behind Vergil to punish him is risky. The initial swing also has coverage above Vergil. When Vergil lands, he can chain into one of three "Trick" follow-ups by pressing the respective button (see below). Additionally, if Helm Breaker makes contact with an opponent (hit or block), Vergil can chain into 5S upon landing. This will never combo on hit, and is redundant on block vs grounded opponents, as Helm Breaker is safer than S on block. However, if the opponent blocks in the air(ie chicken blocking), they will gain frame advantage; you can use this cancel into S > Upper Slash > Judgement Cut to maintain safety.

Trick (Helm Breaker)
(During Helm Breaker) > X

L (During Helm Breaker)	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	14 / 13	11 / 9	11 / 10
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 14-24 (in DT: 13-21)
M (During Helm Breaker)	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	16 / 15	7 / 6	13 / 11
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 15-22 (in DT: 15-20)
H (During Helm Breaker)	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	16 / 15	5 / 4	10 / 9
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 16-20 (in DT: 15-18)
Teleport follow-up to Helm Breaker. Button strength determines the location of the teleport, mirroring the teleports in Vergil's regular 214X special: L version teleports to the location directly in front of the opponent. M version teleports to the location directly behind the opponent - it can cross up even when the opponent is cornered. H version teleports to the space directly above the opponent. When Vergil hits with Helm Breaker, he has enough time to use an L or M Trick follow-up before OTGing with High Time. This can be useful to reposition the opponent, because Dimension Slash deals more damage on average when the opponent is closer to the center of the screen.

Upper Slash
(During 5S) > H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
75,000	5 / 5	3 / 3	28 / 24
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-8 / -4	Mid	, , chains into 5S
Vergil can follow up his upward-swinging 5S by chaining into this special downward-swinging command normal. Upper Slash causes a Ground Bounce on hit, although it is typically more valuable for Vergil to use one of his other Ground Bouncing attacks instead, unless he has Round Trip charged. Upper Slash can itself chain back into 5S. On block, this is an infinite loop that the opponent can only escape by pushblocking. Vergil can also end this loop on his own terms by canceling Upper Slash into a special move. Canceling into Round Trip can be mashed out by the opponent, but gives Vergil huge advantage if it is not contested. Canceling into Judgment Cut is a lower risk option. Vergil can also repeatedly chain 5S > H > S > H on hit, but on the second Upper Slash the opponent will tech out, as the Ground Bounce has already been consumed. By combining the speed boosts from Devil Trigger and Level 3 X-Factor, it is possible to chain Upper Slash into 5S so quickly that the opponent does not reach the ground, preventing the Ground Bounce from being wasted.

Special Moves

Judgment Cut
236X

L Version

M Version

H Version

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
30,000 x5	25 / 22	30 / 27	30 / 26
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	+8 / +12	Mid	, Priority: Low, Durability: 5
Vergil swipes his sword, creating a multi-hitting, slashing projectile. Unlike a standard projectile, the orb created by Judgment Cut is stationary. Its location is determined by button strength: L version appears directly in front of Vergil. M version appears roughly halfscreen. H version appears at roughly 2/3 of fullscreen distance. Vergil steps back approximately one character length during the startup of this move. This makes Judgement Cut - and moves canceled into it - harder to punish. It also affects the spacing where the projectile appears. Judgement Cut is his safest option to end block strings; use the L or M version if the opponent simply guards, H version if they pushblocked. If L Judgement Cut hits an opponent, Vergil is close enough, and recovers fast enough, to connect a crouching normal afterwards. In some cases, he can also connect standing normals, if the opponent gets juggled along the top. In reset situations vs a knocked down opponent, you can backdash > L Judgement Cut to punish attempts to tech forward, and then get a full combo from it; this is particularly useful for trapping opponents in the corner. With Devil Trigger active, the projectile created by Judgement Cut is larger. Devil Trigger Judgement Cuts have fantastic coverage and are fairly spammable, causing significant amounts of chip damage that is difficult to avoid. On hit or grounded block, you gain enough frame advantage to approach and start an offense.

Rising Sun
623L

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
50,000 + 80,000	9 / 8	5(12)4 / 5(10)4	30 / 26
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+11 / +15	-11 / -7	Mid
Vergil rises into the air with a two hit uppercut. Although this attack is similar to traditional DPs, it does not have invincibility or other defensive properties. However, the range / hitbox on the second kick is deceptively large, capable of hitting from just over half screen distance. This move is primarily useful as a combo tool, as it throws the enemy into the air without launching them, allowing Vergil to utilize the ground bounce property on his j.S. Rising Sun has a "Trick" follow-up performed by pressing H during the move's recovery. If done early enough in a combo, Vergil can Rising Sun > Trick, and recover fast enough to superjump back into the air and continue comboing the opponent. With Devil Trigger active, the hitbox of Rising Sun is slightly larger.

Lunar Phase
623M

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
25,000 x7~8 + 50,000	15 / 14	36(9)6 / 31(10)5	24 / 20
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-7 / -2	Mid	into
Vergil hops into the air and spins rapidly, surrounding himself in a large hitbox. The final hit is a downward, slamming kick that causes a Ground Bounce, although it has a tendency to whiff if not spaced correctly. Unlike many other Ground Bouncing attacks, the opponent will not tech out if Ground Bounce has already been consumed earlier in the combo. Instead, the opponent will be placed into a Hard Knockdown state, which Vergil can follow up with High Time (3H). With Devil Trigger active, the hitbox of Lunar Phase is significantly larger. Devil Trigger Lunar Phase reaches high enough to catch an opponent who has been thrown into the air by High Time, although you need at least X-Factor level 2 in order to do so fast enough to combo. Since both moves have fixed hitstun, this gives him an infinite as long as Devil Trigger and X-Factor(Level 2 or level 3) are active: (starting with opponent cornered and in hard knockdown), High Time > Trick, Lunar Phase, repeat.

Rapid Slash
623H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
35,000 x5	28 / 26	16 / 14	32 / 27
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-8 / -3	Mid	(last hit), Priority: Low, Durability: 5 per slash.
Vergil dashes forward, creating a series of slashing projectiles that appear in sequence behind him. The individual projectiles remain active for 7 frames each. While dashing, Vergil can pass through opponents. Rapid Slash is a cross-up attack, because the projectiles do not become active until Vergil has already passed behind them. However, there is no "true" mixup to this, because it is not possible to make Rapid Slash hit same-side. Without the speed boost from X-Factor, opponents can simply react to the startup of Rapid Slash by holding down-forward to consistent block it. In addition, Vergil himself is vulnerable while performing Rapid Slash. Opponents who are experienced in the Vergil matchup can react to Rapid Slash by throwing Vergil out of it. Rapid Slash should almost always be canceled into Spiral Swords as it recovers. On block, this protects Vergil from punishment and allows him to maintain momentum and pressure. On hit, it starts a combo and allows Vergil to transition into Sword Loops. With Devil Trigger active, the hitbox of the projectiles created by Rapid Slash are larger. If combining Devil Trigger with X-Factor, it becomes advantageous on block, and can be converted on hit without additional meter.

Trick
214X

L Trick

M Trick

H Trick

L +	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	14 / 13	11 / 9	11 / 10
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 14-24 (in DT: 13-21)
M +	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	16 / 15	7 / 6	13 / 11
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 16-22 (in DT: 15-20)
H +	Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
	-	16 / 15	5 / 4	10 / 9
	On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
	-	-	-	Invuln frames 16-20 (in DT: 15-18)
Teleport special. Vergil disappears from his current position and reappears at a location determined by button strength: L version teleports to the location directly in front of the opponent. M version teleports to the location directly behind the opponent - it can cross up even when the opponent is cornered. H version teleports to the space directly above the opponent. Vergil can cancel his normals into teleport in order to safely escape or reposition. Teleporting while Round Trip is active can increase the time that the projectile remains active on screen. H teleport is also a strong way to pursue opponents who flee into the air, since few characters have attacks that are aimed upwards toward the location Vergil appears(can be airthrown though).

Round Trip
[X] (90 frames), ]X[

When any attack button is held for 90 frames, Vergil's arm will begin to glow.

Release the attack button to throw Round Trip.

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
20,000 per hit	30 / 27	-	15 / 13
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+90 / +80	+89 / +79	Mid	, Priority: Low, Durability: 5
Buster input, performed by holding any of the three normal attack buttons for at least 90 frames, then releasing. When Vergil has held a button long enough, his arm will glow blue, indicating the move is ready. If Vergil releases the button while in a state that he can perform a special move, Round Trip will activate. If he releases the button when he is not able to perform a special, the charge will be lost. Button strength has no effect on Round Trip, and Vergil can charge it using any button. It is also possible to switch the charged button by holding down a second button and then releasing the original. During Round Trip, Vergil pauses for a moment, and then throws his sword as a boomerang. The sword becomes an active, constantly hitting projectile that travels directly forward. After traveling fullscreen distance, the sword changes direction and returns to Vergil, chasing him to wherever he is on the stage. The projectile remains active until it returns to Vergil, and can be kept out indefinitely if Vergil is able to continually run away from it. The sword thrown by Round Trip is Force Edge, not Yamato. Vergil is still able to use all of his Yamato-based normals and attacks while Round Trip is out. However, Vergil is unable to use Helm Breaker (j.2H) while Round Trip is active, since it uses the same sword. If Vergil attempts to use Helm Breaker, he will perform j.5H instead. Similarly, you cannot use Stinger or High Time while Round Trip is active, for the same reason. If Vergil blocks - or is hit by - any attack, Round Trip becomes inactive and attempts to return to Vergil. Round Trip acts as a powerful form of "solo assist" for Vergil. Once thrown out, the opponent is effectively forced to block a lengthy attack while Vergil is free to move and attack, all while dealing heavy chip damage. It provides enormous frame advantage and basically guarantees that Vergil will have momentum for the next several seconds. Round Trip Glitch Under normal circumstances, Vergil's Round Trip attack requires 90 consecutive frames of charge in order to activate. Vergil can switch which button is held mid-charge, so long as at least one button remains held at all time. If Vergil releases all held buttons, he will lose his charge and must start over from the beginning. Obviously, this also includes releasing all held buttons in order to actually activate Round Trip. Furthermore, if Vergil activates Round Trip, he can not start charging a second Round Trip until the sword returns to him. This serves as a limiter on how often he can utilize this powerful move. A glitch allows Vergil to retain his Round Trip charge even after activating the move. Although he can not have multiple Round Trips active at once, he can still use this to fire Round Trips much faster than normal. To perform the glitch, release the held button during the hitstop caused by landing any normal attack (Note: this is Hitstop, not Hitstun). Instantly re-hold the button after releasing it, before the hitstop concludes. If done correctly, Vergil will perform Round Trip, but maintain the blue glow on his arm indicating the move is fully charged. As soon as Round Trip has completed, Vergil will be able to perform another Round Trip with minimal delay. Video Tutorial. The Round Trip Glitch can be performed during the hitstop of any special-cancelable attack, although heavy attacks cause the largest amount of hitstop and are thus easiest to properly time. Mastery of this glitch is a significant improvement to Vergil's pressure and his combo potential. After performing this glitch, you cannot lose charge while Round Trip is active, meaning you can release the button to perform other actions without penalty, as long as you are holding a button again before Force Edge returns to you.

Hyper Combos

Dimension Slash
Maximum Vergil
236XX (1 bar)

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
17,000 per hit	8+3	106	65
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-59	Mid	, , mashable, Priority: High, Durability: 5 per projectile
Vergil disappears and begins to rapidly teleport around the screen, creating a large amount of slashing projectiles. Once finished, he recovers on the ground, resheathing his sword. The opponent falls to the ground for a lengthy Hard Knockdown. Many elements of this hyper are infamously random. The specific location of each slash is not consistent, and so damage can vary heavily based on how many of the projectiles actually connect with the opponent. As a general rule, opponents will take more damage if they are closer to the center of the screen, and less damage if they are at the edge of the screen or in the corner. If the very last hit of this hyper happens to connect on the opponent, it takes so long for them to be knocked down that Vergil can actually recover and perform 3H xx Dimension Slash a second time. Again, this occurring is mostly random, but is worth looking out for in order to score free extra damage. It is also possible for this hyper to semi-randomly crossup. It is dependent on the relative screen position of the two characters, and whether Vergil happens to be behind the opponent when the first hits become active. There is a known setup to "force" a crossup. By standing immediately next to the opponent on the ground, and using a Tiger Knee motion to perform Dimension Slash immediately off the ground (2369XX), it will typically hit on the opposite side. Despite not being visible on screen, this hyper gives Vergil no invincibility and he is vulnerable for the entire duration if he happens to be hit. Invincible hypers and active projectiles tend to knock Vergil out of this hyper, ending it prematurely.

Spiral Swords
623XX (1 bar)

"You're going down."

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
15,000 per hit(max 18 hits)	13 + 1	180	10
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid	Priority: High, Beam Durability: 5 per frame for 3 frames per sword
Vergil surrounds himself with a "belt" of floating energy swords. Although not as simple to use as a standard hyper, Spiral Swords is one of the most powerful hypers in the entire game. It is an easy DHC option for most characters, and gives Vergil a universally safe cancel option for his specials. The swords last for 180 frames (3 seconds), but disappear instantly if Vergil is hit by any attack. The swords form a sort of barrier around Vergil which make it extremely difficult to hit him with projectiles or physical attacks. Opponents close to Vergil are effectively locked down by the swords and forced to block. However, Spiral Swords by itself does not create a true blockstring for the full duration; it has a gap roughly halfway through, and Vergil can throw opponents into the Swords during this gap. Spiral Swords hit fast enough to keep an opponent in hitstun or juggle them, and Vergil is essentially free to combo opponents whoever he likes while Spiral Swords is active. Vergil does not build any hyper meter while swords are up. However, it is possible to combo during Swords in such a way that the swords expire just as Vergil begins a sequence of high-hitstun attacks which will generate almost enough meter to pay for another Swords activation. This is the basis of "Sword Loop" combos that allow Vergil to deal very high damage. While Spiral Swords is active, Vergil has access to two separate follow-up hypers: Sword Storm and Blistering Swords. These are detailed below. Vergil must have at least 5 hits remaining on Spiral Swords in order to use either of the followups. Other notes: If Vergil is forced to guard an attack, the Swords are temporarily deactivated during guard stun. If Vergil teleports, the Swords will reappear before he does. This helps keep him safe when attempting to counter other Beam supers, but also causes it to hit same-side even when teleporting behind opponents. If you want to cross up with Swords on, you can still do so by dashing under airborne opponents, or cross over grounded opponents. If Vergil crouches, the Swords will be lowered with him. This also includes the crouch startup on teleports and his dash. Although the Swords have excellent coverage around Vergil and a large horizontal reach, they do not cover his head or toes; be wary of this when attempting to approach chars with good diving attacks. If you hit an opponent high in the air with Swords on, the Swords will interrupt attempts to bring them down with Helm Breaker/j.S. Fix this by using an air normal and then waiting for Vergil to fall below them before doing Helm Breaker. Video explanation.

Sword Storm
Crown
(During Spiral Swords) > 236S (1 bar)

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
50,000 per hit	5	-	5
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid	, Priority: High, Durability: 5
Performing this move while Vergil has Spiral Swords active will cause him to "crown" the opponent. All six swords will appear directly above the opponent, following them if they move and pointing downwards menacingly. After 146 frames, the first sword will become active and shoot downwards at the opponent. Another sword will fall every 20 frames until all six have fallen. The gap between sword hits is large enough that they do not combo into each other(unless in X-Factor or Devil Trigger). Unlike normal Spiral Swords, these swords do not disappear if Vergil is hit by an attack, and can even save him from being comboed. The timer on the Swords will be paused during any throw, command throw, hit-grab, or level 1 cinematic super(this also applies even if they have started shooting). However, level 3 cinematic supers will instantly destroy them. They will also disappear if Vergil is KO'd, snapped out, or otherwise removed from the playing field. Activating Sword Storm costs an additional bar of meter, besides the one initially needed to activate Spiral Swords. Because Sword Storm is less oppressive and damaging than regular Spiral Swords for the same cost, it is rarely used. It does have potential as anti-Dark Phoenix tech. Crowning Phoenix just as she goes Dark is one of the few ways to actually force her to block, since she does not have an easy way to destroy the swords hovering above her.

Blistering Swords
(During Spiral Swords) > X+S (1 bar)

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
60,000 per hit	3	-	2
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Mid	, (vs airborne), Priority: High, Durability: 5
Performing this move while Vergil has Spiral Swords active will cause the swords to reposition behind Vergil, pointed forwards. After 150 frames, the swords will start to launch forwards as standard projectiles in sequence. Alternatively, Vergil can manually fire each of the six swords by using Summoned Swords (see below). Like with Sword Storm, this move costs an additional bar of meter for dubious value. However, gaining access to Summoned Swords allows Vergil to perform some very tricky mixups, which can make it worthwhile. It can also be used to perform overheads at a very low altitude, by plinking S~H immediately after jumping, then performing another attack. They do shoot fast enough to combo into each other, and can also be fired manually, allowing for additional combo routes(see "Summoned Swords" entry below) Also like Sword Storm however, these swords will not disappear if Vergil is hit, and can therefore save him from combos. The timer on the Swords will be paused during any throw, command throw, hit-grab, or level 1 cinematic super(this also applies even if they have started shooting). However, level 3 cinematic supers will instantly destroy them. They will also disappear if Vergil is KO'd, snapped out, or otherwise removed from the playing field. Blistering will be cancelled if you activate it in the air just before landing, unintentionally wasting a bar. You can avoid this by plinking S~H(causing him to do j.S and immediately kara-cancel into Blistering, stopping his air momentum).

Summoned Swords
(During Blistering Swords) > X+S

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
60,000 per hit	1	-	4
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
+27	+26	Mid	, (vs airborne), Priority: High, Durability: 5
Vergil gestures. After 9 frames, one of the Blistering Swords behind Vergil becomes active and shoots forward. L version fires directly forward. M version fires forward at a slight upward angle. H version fires forward at a slight downward angle. Summoned Swords can be used as a powerful cancel tool because it gives all of Vergil's normals a very fast cancel option. Vergil can use this to create pseudo tri-jump setups by superjumping and quickly canceling air attacks. Video example.

Devil Trigger
214XX (1 bar)

"Now - I'm motivated!"

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
-	6	600	4
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	-	Invuln frames 3-6, 600 frame install.
Vergil enters a powered-up, demonic state for 600 frames (10 seconds), granting the following effects: Vergil gains a global 15% speed increase and 20% damage increase, stacking with the bonuses granted by X-Factor. The modified frame data under Devil Trigger is included in the move list, separated by a slash mark ( / ). Vergil passively regenerates Red Health at a rate of roughly 200 health per frame (12,000 per second). This stacks with the health regen from X-Factor or from being tagged out (but not both). Vergil gains access to a Double Jump and a 2-way Airdash. He can cancel his j.5L and j.5M normals into a double jump. Vergil gains the ability to special-cancel his normals on whiff. Vergil's special attacks are enhanced, mainly in the form of having larger hitboxes. This also applies to Vergil's assists. Vergil gains access to the "Dark Angel" Level 3 Hyper. Vergil does not build meter for the duration. The 600 frame duration only counts down while Vergil is the active point character, and he can tag out after activating Devil Trigger to maintain it indefinitely.

Dark Angel
(During Devil Trigger) 214XX (3 bars)

"Rest in Peace."

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
610,000	6+5	8	42
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-27	Mid	Invuln until frame 19, , ,
Special Devil Trigger-exclusive "Level 4" cinematic hyper. Vergil thrusts his sword forward. On hit, it pulls the opponent into a cinematic where they are dealt extreme, unscaled damage. This ends with the opponent in a crumple state, so an opponent who somehow survives can easily be further comboed. Using this hyper ends Devil Trigger, no matter how much duration remained when it was activated. Dark Angel is expensive, but for all practical purposes, it guarantees a kill on any opponent.

Universal Mechanics

Ground Throw
6H, 4H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
80,000(front throw is 2 hits)	1	1	-
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Throw
Vergil strikes the opponent in the gut, then throws them onto the ground in front of himself. Causes an immediate Hard Knockdown that Vergil can follow up with High Time (3H).

Air Throw
j.6H, j.4H

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
80,000(5 hits)	1	1	-
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-	Airthrow
Vergil dashes through the opponent, causing a series of hits that send the opponent spinning into the air. Unlike most normal throws, which force a Hard Knockdown, Vergil can actually catch an opponent he airthrows with a low normal before they reach the ground, allowing him to avoid using an OTG.

Snap Back
+/

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
50,000	2	3	33
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-13	Mid	Snapback,
Animation and hitbox based on 5H.

Hard Tag
Hold 14f /

Damage	Startup	Active	Recovery
30,000	-	19	33
On Hit	On Block	Guard	Properties
-	-14	OH
-

Team Position

Vergil is a popular character that has seen tournament success in every position on a team. That said, he is most well-known for his strong potential as an Anchor character. The speed buff from level 2 or 3 X-Factor nicely covers one of his biggest weaknesses (some of his attacks are quite unsafe), and make him notoriously difficult to defend against. When run second or last, he also will have more meter built up, allowing him to make frequent use of Devil Trigger and Spiral Swords.

Historically, one of Vergil's biggest weakpoints has been his poor options as an oncoming character. Outside of Devil Trigger, Vergil has no doublejump, no airdash, and no air-OK special moves(except Round Trip, which requires charging). As an oncoming character, his only options are Helm Breaker, air 236XX Dimension Slash hyper (which has no invincibility) or to simply block and hold the mixup. Players running Vergil teams have come up with ways to work around this flaw. Often a player will put Vergil in the third slot, then have the second character bring him using using a DHC, TAC, or Hard Tag. From there, Vergil can fight with Level 2 X-Factor and one assist, circumventing the need for him to survive oncoming to mount a comeback.

Notable Synergies

Morrigan: Vergil's Rapid Slash assist is exceptionally powerful for keepaway-focused characters like Morrigan. Even on block, it forcibly drags the opponent backwards towards the edge of the screen, resetting any progress they made in trying to advance towards Morrigan. Mixing an assist like Rapid Slash into Morrigan's Soul Fist patterns drastically increases the amount of time she can pile on chip damage before actually having to engage the opponent at close range. Although Morrigan is usually a very meter-hungry point character, her Dark Harmonizer assist can also be used to generate additional meter for Vergil.

Players to Watch: Cosmos(Morrigan/Doom/Vergil), ChrisG (Morrigan/Doom/Vergil), ShadyK (Morrigan/Doom/Vergil)

Dante: Dante's Jam Session assist combines with Rapid Slash to make an incredible support kit for any point character. Rapid Slash has very good ground-level horizontal coverage, and Jam Session has infinite vertical coverage. Combining the two allow you to easily control space and fight the opponent on your own terms. Dante and Vergil also fight well together. They can quickly and safely tag out to each other by using their respective Devil Triggers as DHCs. Dante can compensate for his low solo damage by DHCing to Vergil's Spiral Swords, allowing him to start a highly-damaging Sword Loop and secure the kill. Jam Session's vertical coverage is also very helpful for Vergil, to help counter attempts to zone him out in the air - Vergil has very limited options to chase flying characters, but can easily convert an air hit. On block, the lockdown also helps complement his Round Trip pressure / chip damage.

Players to Watch: Jibril (Zero/Dante/Vergil), YourSenpai(Vergil/Dante/Strider), Flux (Zero/Vergil/Dante), Knowtruth(Trish/Vergil/Dante), Cloud805 (Zero/Vergil/Dante)

Zero: Rapid Slash's excellent corner carry is particularly valuable for Zero, whose damage and mixup potential become exponentially stronger when he has the opponent cornered. With Rapid Slash at his disposal, Zero can turn almost any hit into a corner combo, which will quickly enable Lightning Loops for an easy kill, snowballing into a dangerous oncoming mixup. Zero is also a very meter-efficient point character, leaving plenty of bar for Dark Vergil to mount a comeback if necessary.

Players to Watch: Jibril (Zero/Dante/Vergil), Romora (Zero/Doom/Vergil), JoeyD (Zero/Doom/Vergil), Flux (Zero/Vergil/Dante), Cloud805 (Zero/Vergil/Dante), Flocker (Zero/Vergil/Hawkeye)

Doom: Doom/Vergil is one of the most commonly used shells in the game. These two characters effectively complement each other in a variety of ways, and can also provide a solid support & anchor combination to almost any point character. Doom's excellent support value pairs well with Vergil, who generally wants to get in and lock opponents down; Plasma Beam offers good horizontal coverage to punch through other projectiles and give 50/50s with teleports, while Hidden Missiles greatly complements his lockdown game with Round Trip, and also allows for extremely damaging / meter efficient combos, allowing Vergil to easily secure a kill while maintaining bar to spend in neutral for Swords/DT. Rapid Slash assist is also helpful for Doom's gameplan of forcing opponents to the corner, as it pushes them fullscreen even on block. Doom has several projectile options he can use to cover it, in order to effectively make use of it for zoning or aggressively pushing his opponent to the wall and then going for a high/low/throw mix. He can also utilize Rapid Slash well in combos, as most of his routes will carry to the corner where Rapid Slash provides an easy conversion. In addition to this, they can easily set each other up - Vergil's Lunar Phase has a long ground bounce allowing for easy tags to Doom, and Spiral Swords DHC is an effective way to bring Vergil back in to secure a kill after Doom has done his work. If Vergil is being played on anchor, it is often useful to tag/DHC him in and play him with XF2 + one assist, in order to avoid having to take an incoming mixup; Doom is an excellent choice to put in the second slot for this, as he provides good assists for both Vergil as well as for a variety of point characters. Alternately, if Vergil is being played on point, Doom is an excellent damage engine and battery, which helps cover Vergil's weakness of being dependent on meter to kill without XF, as well as give him more bar for neutral.

Players to Watch: DeadXPride (Vergil/Doom/Strider), RemyMartin (Magneto/Doom/Vergil), Artiztikk(Vergil/Doom/Strider), datHazy(Magneto/Doom/Vergil), MemesMayCry(Nova, Zero, or Morrigan with Doom/Vergil), Winrich (Wolverine/Doom/Vergil, Morrigan/Doom/Vergil), Miniboss (Vergil/Strange/Doom), Clockwork (Vergil/Doom/Strider), Takumi (Magneto/Doom/Vergil)

Other Players to Watch:

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