Counters are techniques that allow the player to be more effective against a given item or play style. Most exploit some weakness in the opponents play style or use a strength of the player to increase combat effectiveness. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, from outmaneuvering the opponent to dodge their attacks, to attacking during one of their moves to damage them while they're vulnerable.
Most Counters do not require the player to use specific items, although choosing the correct items against a given opponent can make combat against them far easier. In general, rarer and more powerful items will have more weaknesses to exploit because of the increased complexity of their move-sets, although successfully utilizing these counters may be more difficult compared to simpler items.
Common Examples[]
Instinct Trick[]
This is a very common technique used against moves that are entirely or partially unable to break Instinct. Just before a dodgeable attack is about to connect, the player will quickly activate Instinct, dodge the move, and then deactivate it again. This allows the player to conserve their dodges for more potent attacks, and makes the likelihood of it breaking far less.
Air Camping[]
This technique is used against items that are strongest when used on the ground. The player will simply remain in the air while fighting the opponent, either with Air Jumps, Flight, or attacks that lock them in place. This prevents the opponent from effectively fighting the player, and may expose some of their defensive weaknesses.
Out-Ranging[]
Out-Ranging is used to counter play-styles or items with poor range. The player will stay outside of the effective range of their opponent, preventing the attacks from connecting at all, or at least reducing their effectiveness.
This can be used against anything, although this technique benefits greatly from the player using long-ranged items, because if their range is less then their opponents, the player will eventually need to close the distance to attack, nullifying the benefits of this counter.
Item-Specific Counters[]
Blox Fruit | Counter |
---|---|
Rocket | Keep distance, stay airborne and use stuns. |
Spin | Run when they use their Air Slasher [C], attack when they use the other two skills. |
Chop | Just don't use swords. All of their moves have short distance. |
Spring | Use Instinct. The Z move has a short hitbox. |
Bomb | Stay airborne and keep distance. |
Smoke | Move fast, as all the skills are slow. Air camp. |
Spike | Rush towards your target but be careful, especially of the C move. |
Flame | Use long-ranged attacks since most moves have high knockback. |
Falcon | Keep your distance and use ranged moves. |
Ice | Air Camp. Be careful of the C and V moves. |
Sand | Air Camp (If the player is using Shark v2 or v3 just swim). |
Dark | Don't stay in one spot. All of their skills are slow and have short range, so keeping distance and applying pressure with long-ranged moves is recommended. |
Diamond | Keep distance, so they don't blind you with their V skill, and keep Instinct on when they use their C skill. X skill is mainly just mobility so make sure you attack them after they use it. |
Light | Just speed-blitz them, they have no stuns, and will only pause you for half a frame. |
Rubber | Keep distance, then they can only hit with the 1st move. If you are a gun/rumble user, this is useless. You will need to run from them if you have gun/rumble. |
Barrier | Keep your distance, activate Instinct or just run when they use their C skill, Flash Step or run away when they use V. |
Ghost | For the X and C move, you should keep your distance. You should get rid of the clones altogether with AoE moves so that they don't interfere with the fight. When the enemy is vulnerable and on cooldown, you should attack them until they're on their second life, and combo them after that. |
Magma | Magma is incredibly slow, so just attack them while they are using their moves and air camp. |
Quake | The player should keep their distance and air camp. Disable Instinct if you know an attack is going to hit. Quake has incredibly high endlag, which gives you an advantage. |
Buddha | Spam knockback and stun moves and be careful about the speed. Sharkman C skill makes them go into the stratosphere. No more running! |
Love | The Z move is really annoying so you need to move quickly and stay away from Besto Friendo. The F move is equally annoying, enemies can spawn move towards you if you don't destroy the flamingo, Godhuman is recommended for this. |
Spider | Move around quickly as Spider's moves are hard to land. It's recommended to use the Rabbit race against these players, or accessories which boost speed. |
Sound | Keep your distance as much as you can. Wait until they've used their C move as it auto-aims and has a large AOE while dealing continuous damage. Avoid getting near them as much as possible as they can be incredibly dangerous in close quarters. |
Phoenix | Aim for a one shot combo. Either that or keep getting them to heal until they run out of energy then combo them. This somehow doesn't work if the enemy has the Cyborg race V2 or above. |
Portal | Spam high damaging and fast moves when their Portal moves are on cooldown. When they use Portal X, hold a large AOE move like Rumble V or Flame V and release when they approach you to attack. If that doesn't work, then go for the ultimate evil strategy of teaming. If they escape using gateway, don't even try to get them. And some portal user use magma in Sea 2 to oneshot combo, so try to move faster when the portal user is low on health. |
Rumble | Don't stay in the same place (unless you want a Thunder bomb/Sky Beam to the face). Use Rubber to counter. And yeah, move slow. |
Pain | Don't let them get anywhere near you. Only attack after they have used their V move, because whether they are fruit or sword or gun main, that move WILL screw you up if it hits in PvP. Also watch out for their F skill. Bait out their F by using a stun move, then attack quickly before it recharges. |
Blizzard | This fruit has the biggest AOE (V move) so be careful. Z, X move are the worst skills of Blizzard because it cannot break Instinct and have slow and weak damage but stun enemies. C move cannot break Instinct but can auto aim so you can just Flash Step away. Stay away from enemies when using V skill and the room because V skill breaks Instinct. F move knock backs and slows enemies. |
Gravity | Not much needed. Only useful moves are V and Z, because the X has endlag so they can't do much after it and the C takes very good aim and prediction to hit. If they use V, run as far as you can(or take the hit like a man and fight back). |
Mammoth | Since this fruit is generally bad for PvP compared to other Mythicals, it is mostly ground-based and is hard to land mid-air, and there can easily be countered with being airborne. If the enemy using [F] Stampede while transformed, which is a big mistake, it is recommended to land as many moves as possible without the enemy touching you. |
T-Rex | When a T-Rex uses their X move and it does not hit the target(s), they become much more vulnerable to attacks. It is recommended to gain distance if the T-Rex hasn’t used their X move yet. |
Dough | It's recommended to keep your distance until they use up their V move. The X move can be problematic as well, but you can Flash Step out afterwards. If they use C, just Air Jump into the air, then attack once they end it. |
Shadow | Since the fruit has aimbot, a good strategy would be to take cover by NPCs, so their moves hit the NPCs instead. If there are no NPCs around, try to counter their Z with knockback moves (before it hits because when it does hit they don't take damage). Their X isn't too much to be scared of. It has auto aim but the move itself is slow so it's only a threat if you stand still or if they get in close. Don't let them get near enough to hit you with the C (since the move heals them). Also, don't let them use the [F] move near you because the bats will aimbot you. Finally, when they use V, Flash Step away and get out of there. Saving Instinct is great too. |
Venom | Move around quickly and unpredictably. Venom's skills are quite easy to land, and the C move only requires speed for the Venom user to stay in your proximity, so to counter this fruit, you need the Rabbit race. Try to move as much as you can, and try your best not to get hit by any Venom skills, because every move is deadly. Instinct is also essential to counter the C, Z, and F move, but it cannot dodge the X move, so try your best to dodge it. It is a difficult fruit to counter, but the more you fight with venom users and get used to fighting them, the more experience you will gain. |
Control | Stay out of the room or wait for them to use levitate to attack (in the air, because levitate is ground-based). Don't stay near them and keep moving around so they can't hit the C or V move (can break Instinct), because those will mess you up badly. Keep in the air so they can't teleport to you with F. |
Spirit | Spirit Z, C, and V are annoying. Spirit Z breaks Instinct and C stuns with disability, allowing the target to use deadly combos. Air camping can work if you're high enough; alternatively, keep your distance and move at great speeds. Spirit V is slow but breaks Instinct, and once you're in the beams it's quite difficult to escape, but you might be able to Flash Step out before the explosion. Use their endlag as an opening; the moves have endlag which allow you to combo if you don't get hit. |
Dragon | If they are untransformed, stay in the air, because the X and C moves are hard to hit when they are untransformed. When they transform, do not let them hit the X move, because it will allow them to stun you and start a combo. Try to line up with the gaps in the move so it misses you. The Z move is pretty difficult to dodge. However, try to get closer to make it weak, so it is recommended keeping Instinct off until they use it, then jump in with the combo. Not many dragons use C in transformation, but if they do, just Flash Step or dash away from the AoE. |
Leopard | If they're untransformed it shouldn't be much of a problem, keep your distance from them and fight back as you normally would. Beware of their transformation; when they first transform, they do damage and break Instinct if you're near them. Don't use Instinct during the fight, as most of their attacks can easily break it. Their attack hitbox may be large, but it isn't long, so as mentioned before, make sure to keep your distance as best as you can, and use long-ranged attacks to damage them. If they get too close, use a weapon with high stun (Ice V, Rumble V) or try to knock them back and back out as fast as possible. |
Kitsune | If transformed, avoid the attacks as much as possible and try to wear down their tails. Once they are forced out of the transformation, they become slower and their attacks don't hit as hard. If you are knowledgeable about stuns, then use the right ones when any transformed Kitsune gets too close and combo them quickly. If possible, try using ranged attacks. |
Awakened Blox Fruit | Counter |
---|---|
Flame | Same as unawakened, but also move around a lot and stay above the ground because of the area burn. |
Ice | Keep mobile, as the [Z] and [C] moves can easily hit still targets. If the player gets caught into Ice's [V] move, they should try to Flash Step out as quickly as possible. For their [X], just try not to get hit. If you can, use Flash Step to surprise them and at all costs, do not let them get near you and use [V]. Ice's [Z] and [X] moves can be Instinct tricked, which can sometimes be life saving. |
Sand | The most deadly moves they have are X and V, so keep moving around a lot to prevent them from hitting you with the X. Z can be dodged with Instinct, so it is not too much to be worried about, as long as they haven't broken your Instinct first. For their V move, you should get as far as you can. |
Dark | Like most stun fruits, keep your distance. Dark is more difficult to do so, however, because of the F move. It is recommended to bait out their F, like with Paw, or keep moving unpredictably, so the user does not know where exactly to teleport, which will either give you time to attack, or will result in them messing up the teleport. If they catch you with the C or X move, you're screwed unless if you're fast enough to Flash Step out or counter attack with a fast move, like Superhuman C or Dragon Talon Z. You should avoid their V as much as you can, because if they hit it, they can easily hit you with another stun move and start their combo. |
Light | Move around quickly, light is hard to aim, so the user is likely to miss. Don't keep your Instinct on around them, because they can demolish it with their Z or V moves. You should keep Instinct on after they have used those moves, so they can't hit the C move on you (because that move is very annoying and can ladder you to a Superhuman Z Combo). Also, if they run, don't give up. Chase them down and make them pay for what they've done. |
Magma | If you can 1 shot combo, try to do so if they miss the X because of the endlag. Keep Instinct on when they are using their moves, because it's really hard to break Instinct with magma. (Disable it if they equip their sword or fighting style, so they don't use that to break your Instinct instead). Air Camp because the [Z], [C], and [V] skills spawn a lot of Lava puddles. |
Quake | Pretty much same as unawakened. You should stay in the air to prevent being hit by their V move. The C move is troublesome, but long, so you could Flash Step out and attack once they have done it. AT ALL COSTS, NEVER.GET.HIT.BY.THE.PULL. or they will start a combo. |
Buddha | Big hitbox and is slower than Unawakened. For M1 spammers, same as unawakened. If they actually use skills like spam V, It is recommend to stay in the air, since that way they can't hit the X and F moves and the C and V moves will be much harder to hit. The player can also use Shark race to counter their V move. |
Spider | As soon as they start using the X, you should get away from them. The X move is very important for Spider users because the other 3 moves are hard to hit on their own. The Z move doesn't break Instinct and the C and V moves are slow and can be dodged before they hit. The X move is what allows Spider users to use their combos because of the stun, so try as much as you can to avoid it. Getting hit by it might be game over as it has little knockback. |
Phoenix | (Sometimes Phoenix users use the Ghoul race) The Z and C moves for phoenix users are kinda hard to hit so just move around quick to avoid their braindead combos, also dark/ice/rumble/high stun, high dmg/good combo potential fruits are recommended. Since they can just fly away into the thermosphere and heal there, you need to make sure to stun them when they're yellow/red health or they'll make you flip your keyboard. The V move can also be avoided by dodging continuously/ spamming moves at the thing, if they keep healing, damage them a little and then just let them heal if you can't stun until they run out of energy (like V1) so they can't transform and heal then write their name in the death note. This somehow doesn't work if the enemy has the Cyborg race V2 or above. |
Rumble | Just listen out for the rumble sound effects, which play before the moves hit. Avoid the V at all costs. Also, DO NOT go into an enclosed area with a Rumble user (that's literally a death wish as it has high damage and paralysis). This fruit has good stun and it can counter air camp, so you need to learn a good stun combo or use Portal and Rubber (this fruit can counter Rumble). |
Dough | Make sure your Instinct is always off because almost all Dough moves can break Instinct, the C move can be dodged when they are still in the donut so try to dodge it or keeping your distance away from them. It is possible to also dodge the [X] move (only if the dough statuette is going down if it was executed at the ground and the punch barrages after the initial hit if executed in the air). One current decently working counter is to stay in the air (but watch out for the X move because of the long distance), and moving around a lot using ranged moves such as Godhuman's X or Dragon's Z. Also use high mobility moves if you see a bigger donut than usual (Dough C donut is bigger than the F move). It is recommended to use weapons/fruits that have tick/burn damage as some awakened Dough moves such as the V move need to be held to deal the most damage; the tick damage can counter this. Most dough users are mainly cyborg users so try to waste their V3 then get them into a combo. |
Universal sword counter: Chop fruit
Weapon | Counter |
---|---|
Cutlass/Katana | They are probably starters so you just simply dodge out of their X move range. |
Dual Katana | Keep distance, don't rush to them because they will combo you with X, then Z. |
Triple Katana | You need speed to counter them and turn on Instinct if they use the Z move. |
Iron Mace | Range, only range. |
Shark Saw | Dash away if they use their X move and attack them while they are in their moves. |
Twin Hooks | Just turn on your Instinct and dodge fast since all of their moves have short range. |
Dual-Headed Blade | Just air camp so they can't hit you with the sword. |
Pipe | Always air camp and fight them horizontally because their moves can't hit horizontally. |
Soul Cane | Keep range, and try not to get hit with the Z move. |
Trident | Try not to get close to them and keep your speed to dodge the Z move, because it's deadly. |
Longsword | Keep your distance, since all of their moves have short range. |
Gravity Cane | Air camp and keep your distance so they won’t be able to hit you with their Z. |
Jitte | Move around unpredictably, because they can use their X move to teleport to you. Always use Instinct because their moves don't break Ken and are single-target. |
Dragon Trident | All moves can break instinct. Try to avoid the X move (because of the high AoE and stun). The Z move has very high knockback but a small hitbox, so try to avoid that too. |
Pole (1st Form) | Keep your distance so they can’t hit you emeith their Z. Try to avoid their X move, as its stuns make it possible to start a combo. |
Saber (V1 and V2) | Try not to get hit by the Z move (V2) because it's the most damaging skill in every sword (it is recommended to dash away from them). With the X Move, use Instinct and keep in mind, don't underestimate the X move's damage, it's insane. |
Bisento (V1 and V2) | Air camp, since all of its moves have a small hitbox. |
Saddi | Their moves are weak, so stay away from them if they use Z, and use Instinct if they use X. |
Shisui | Their Z move is fast but has short range, so always keep your distance. |
Wando | Use the Cyborg race or anything with tick damage to prevent them from holding Z, which has a very long stun. |
Koko | The Z move is really slow and the X move requires high skill. Try to avoid the X move. |
Pole (2nd Form) | The Z move cannot break Instinct, so just Flash Step when people already used their X move. The X move has a small distance. |
Yama | Almost everything is the same as Jitte, Z move is really fast but has a small hitbox. |
Tushita | Keep distance as their moves are short-ranged. People usually use Electric Claw C move first, so turn on Instinct then dodge the Z move. |
Canvander | Move fast and use Instinct, this sword is like Shisui and stronger, but the animation is pretty slow. (Use Rabbit race if you can) |
Spikey Trident | All moves can be dodged. The X move reaches very far, so don't stay in one place. |
Buddy Sword | Z move can break Instinct (burn). X move, when held, can heal and requires high skill. Try to close in on Buddy users and one-shot combo them. |
Dark Dagger | X move doesn't break Instinct and has a small hitbox. Z move has a short distance. |
Dark Blade | Their X move has very good range, but it doesn't break Instinct, so just keep your distance from them so they cannot land their Z move. |
True Triple Katana | You can dodge the attacks by dashing or using Flash Step, and since both moves don't break Instinct, you can use that too, or just use Chop. |
Hallow Scythe | Use Chop if necessary. The Z move has high knockback but it can be dodged with Instinct, and the X move is slow and hard to use. |
Cursed Dual Katana | Both attacks move in a straight line, so dodge and move unpredictably or Flash Step away. The Z move (not held) can't break Instinct. |
Triple Dark Blade | Same as Dark Blade but the X is triple. This sword is very rare. |
Fighting Style | Counter |
---|---|
Combat | The opponent is probably a beginner. Both moves are slow, and they are really easy to dodge. |
Dark Step | The opponent is most likely a beginner, or they may be using Dark Step in order to evolve to Death Step. Moves are close ranged and predictable, so they aren't a problem. "BreakDance" is the only move you need to watch out for. |
Electric | Keep distance. If you get hit by C, you're most likely going to die. However, if the opponent misses C, they are left vulnerable in the open for an extended period of time, making a way for the player to attack. |
Water Kung Fu | Move around while keeping a medium distance, since Water Kung-Fu is hard to hit. |
Dragon Breath | Keep a GREAT distance. Turn on Instinct when the opponent is getting ready to use Z and/or X. Keep a distance if they use C. |
Superhuman | Turn on Instinct at a distance, so you can avoid Superhuman's Z. But if you get caught in Superhuman's Z, you can enable Instinct to "ken trick" and ruin the opponent's combo. |
Death Step | Turn on Instinct and avoid Death Step [C], otherwise, the opponent can perform Z and X. It is relatively difficult to escape the combo unless you "Ken trick" Death Step [C]. |
Electric Claw | [C] move can be really annoying, and it is an excellent combo starter/ender, as it breaks Instinct and carries you with it, so be sure to save Instinct and use Flash Step or a travel move to fall back and keep the opponent from extending or ending their combo. |
Sharkman Karate | All moves are annoying, as [X] breaks Instinct, leading them to do Z which stuns you and carries you, with [C] which deals massive damage. Keep Instinct on, just in case, and turn off Instinct when you know they will perform Sharkman Karate's [X]. The opponent is most likely to use [Z] and [C] after, so turning on your Instinct after [X] will most likely result in the opponent missing [Z] and [C]. |
Dragon Talon | Z and X are Instinct trickable, you can enable Instinct during talon z and x, which are great but C has a great AoE and hitbox, best if you Flash Step/travel move away if not, utilize their stun and combo them, not recommended if your HP is low. |
Godhuman | Z and C are Instinct trickable. If they land the Z, just enable Instinct after they finish the move so you can avoid C. For X just keep dashing in different directions because they usually don't land X. For the Hold of X just jump in the air and they will miss. For C holding just keep dashing in different directions because it will ruin the auto-aim. |
Sanguine Art | Z Move has short range and is Instinct trickable, so it's best to keep your distance and attack when they're on cooldown. For X you should also keep you distance and just keep running and you should be able to dodge it. Sanguine C has limited reach, so you should be able to stay safe if you are not close to the enemy. Since range is Sanguine's biggest weakness, it's best to keep a distance for all of the attacks. |
NOTE:
- The main counter to all guns is using the Rubber fruit as it is immune to all guns.
- A guns M1 will not work on chromebook unless touchscreen.
Gun | Counter |
---|---|
Slingshot | Keep distance because the range of the slingshot isn't too far. Also, avoid the Z move because it slows you down. |
Flintlock | Keep your Instinct on? I don't know, I never tested this gun out. Also low damage so you should be able to tank the damage. |
Musket | Avoid the Tornado move because it can be the start-up of some combos. It also has low damage so you should tank that. |
Cannon | Try not to use Instinct when fighting this. The M1 and X moves all break Instinct. |
Refined Flintlock | Same as above. Read the Flintlock section. The only change is the damage is higher. |
Refined Musket | Read the Musket section. Moves are the same except the damage is higher. But unlike the Musket, this is a boss drop. It is dropped by the Magma Admiral. |
Refined Slingshot | Same as Slingshot. Only damage is higher. |
Bazooka | Weak in the air and all moves are really slow. |
Kabucha | Z move is slow and can burn, and the X move can break Instinct but is also really slow. |
Acidum Rifle |
|
Serpent Bow | Z move is slow and can break Instinct (when it explodes), while the X move is really, really slow. |
Bizarre Rifle | Very high damage if it has max stats, mastery, and level. The Z move auto-aims if you get too close, so try to keep your distance. If they fire the X move, Flash Step out immediately as it breaks Instinct and deals the highest gun skill damage. |
Soul Guitar | The X move can break Instinct and heal, so try to air camp and avoid using Instinct. The Z move travels fast and goes far but can be dodged. Beware of the X move because it will blind you for a while and throw you off. The best idea is to Air Camp. |