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Moves:
Normal Shot: Double Slash: Pressed twice, Diamond performs two fast swings that can both start and extend combos. Worth noting that the first hit only combos if Diamond is on air platforms, while the second hit will always combo.
Aerial Normal Shot: Aerial Slash: Diamond's best combo starter, she spins around in mid-air with hitboxes that cover both sides of Diamond. When landing, it has enough hitstun to combo into either Jump Slash or Twirl Slash.
Down + Normal Shot: Twirl Slash: A good approach tool and a even better finisher. Diamond jumps and spins around with blades covering all around her. All 3 hits combo, and the move also has a ping around it making it harder to hit Diamond out of it. If used during her leap roll, Diamond will gain a distance and speed boost.
Up + Normal Shot: Jump Slash: A great combo extender, Diamond makes a jump in mid-air with both blades covering her sides and even above her. Always combos, and puts her in an aerial state, being able to do any Air action as soon as the animation is over.
Special 1: Diamond Barrier: Diamond puts up a barrier in front of her. It pings projectiles that come into contact with the barrier, and if Diamond is moving during it, the barrier will also have a damaging hitbox. It combos, but it's not particularly useful for it due to not connecting in her biggest damage combos. Be careful about it's high EP spend!
Aerial Special 1: Aerial Barrier: Diamond puts up barriers all around her, spinning around and not only pinging all projectiles that come into contact with it, but also making her invincible until she lands out of it.
Special 2: Air Platforms: Diamond's most unique and efficient tool. An amazing aerial approach option that also gives her a 60% speed boost for as long as it's held. Diamond can move, jump, attack, and leap, although some actions will disable the air platforms. The Air Platforms can also be buffered and used during hitstun, and if she's hit out of it, unless the attack has some special knockback attribute, she will not be knocked out of the Air Platforms either.
Other: Diamond does not have a traditional slide. Instead, she has a unique leap, giving her a massive lunge forward before transitioning into a roll which can be actioned out of, and even gives Diamond a speed and distance boost during Twirl Slash. Because of this leap however, she is one of the only characters in the game that cannot wavedash. Diamond also has a 15% speed boost on the ground and in the air, and, uniquely, she also can regenerate Energy Points twice as fast as any normal character. She has slightly less HP than normal characters though, at 26 instead of the standard 28. There is also a skin that makes her hair shorter if you'd like.
Combos:
- Before practicing your combos, know that Diamond's Double Slash will first have very weak knockback, and the second hit will knock the opponent up and towards Diamond.
- Diamond has two good combo starters, being her Double Slash and her Aerial Slash. Aerial Slash is safer, but deals less damage, while the Double Slash does more damage, but leaves Diamond open to a counter.
- Aerial Slash can lead into Twirl for a consistent 6 damage.
- From both starters, you can also go for a bigger combo. Jump Slash after your starter of choice hits, and buffer Air Platforms so Diamond gets on them immediately after Jump Slash's animation is over.
- After Jump Slash, pay attention to where your opponent ends up. If they're in front of you, use Double Slash while holding on to your Air Platforms. If they're behind, make a quick turnaround before doing that.
- When Double Slash hits, you can use one of two moves to finish the combo. Jump Slash deals less damage, ending the combo at either 11 or 12 damage depending on your starter, but is slightly safer overall.
- Alternatively, you can go for a bigger damage combo by waiting a bit, and turning around with Twirl Slash. This will turn Diamond slightly vulnerable when the combo ends, and in return the full combo deals either 12 or a whopping 13 damage depending on your starter!
- The full combo notation is: AirNS/NS x2, followed by Up NS (hold S2), followed by NS x2, then ending on Up NS/Down NS. Practice makes perfect!
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
- Diamond has great approach options, letting her get in easily from a distance.
- Air Platforms and her Leap makes movement hard to predict. Mixing up options is key.
- Once she's in, she has some of the highest damage output in the entire game.
- Her myriad of pings and even a invincible move makes approach even better.
- She has plenty of finishers against low health opponents, such as her S1, Aerial NS and Down NS.
- Diamond's double EP regeneration means she can spend a lot of it, and still be just fine.
- Diamond is the only character in the game that can only attack in close range, making her vulnerable in the long distance.
- She lives and dies by her high damage output. If she can't get it, it will not be a good time. Speedsters like Quick Man can easily keep her away.
- Although she can make it past traps, they make it hard for Diamond to get through efficiently.
- Her moves deal great damage when stringed together, but each separate hit deals pitiful damage. As such she struggles immensely against summons such as Met Train and Tango.
- Body hitboxes also makes it hard for Diamond to get combos going.
