Gravity Canceling For Beginners

I am sure that there is already a guide for this, and that many people have already found this out for themselves, but I feel like trying to do my part and spread this technique to more people. This guide will go over a useful trick called gravity cancelling. I apologize if there are any typos or errors, this is my first steam guide so cut my some slack.

The Basics

Now, gravity cancelling takes advantage of an odd little quirk in the dodge mechanic. You may have noticed that whenever you use a dodge in midair without touching any of the movement buttons (an airial neutral dodge) that you freeze for a moment before falling to the ground. That is where gravity cancelling starts.
This puts you in a state where you are
in your neutral posistion, as if you were
standing on the ground. That may
seem insignificant at first, but it actually
provideds a valuable opportunity. For
a half-second or so right after gravity
cancelling you can use an attack you
would normally use on the ground.

You can use all of you attacks that you could use on the ground, but downattacks are harder to do.

The Finer Points

Gravity Cancelling is obviously a cool trick, but it has a variety of uses for each weapon. Heavy Attacks (Also called Signatures, or Sigs) tend to be more useful, but light attacks have thier uses too.

Heavy Attacks

Axe: Axes can allow you to get a much needed airtime boost. The NeutralHeavy allows you to hover for a little bit, and the SideHeavy allows you to quickly move in either direction. The DownHeavy can get you a few moments of airtime, and knock away enemies attempting to hit you.

Bow: Bows can get you plenty of airtime, and can also let you land an attack or two. DownSigs can get you plenty of airtime and let you land a hit. NeutralHeavy give you plenty of airtime, but SideHeavy differ between legend.

Gauntlets: The Gauntlets are not nearly as good for airtime as some of the other weapons, but are very good for attacks. Using NeutralHeavy and DownHeavy in midair can be great for edgeguarding, and SideHeavy are great for knocking down enemies who don't like to touch the ground.

Guns: Guns won't buy you much airtime, but they can let you quickly dodge an attack. SideHeavy can let you very quickly move from side to side in the air without wasting any jumps. DownHeavy and NeutralHeavy can let you hover for a bit, and are useful for Edgeguarding.

Hammer: The Hammer is not the best weapon for this strategy, but it can be very useful with certain legends. Any legend who has a NeutralSig or DownSig that launches in a diagonal direction can be used for excellent edgeguarding.

Katars: Katars are one of the most useful weapons to Gravity Cancel with. The NeutralHeavy and DownHeavy are great for edgeguarding or attacking. SideHeavy with Katars are fantastic for attacking opponents in midair or dodging attacks from below or above.

Lance: The Lance is another one of the more useful weapons for Gravity Canceling. NeutralHeavy are fantastic for Edgeguarding, and DownHeavy are great for some extra airtime or hitting an enemy from above. SideHeavy can let you quickly move sideways, and still let you use your airial SideHeavy.

Scythe: Scythes can let you easily move around in the air, and let you easily land hits on floaty opponents. SidHeavy let you very swiftly move from side to side. NeutralHeavy and DownHeavy let you get a bit of extra airtime and hit an enemy easily.

Spear: The Spear is also among the most useful weapons for Gravity Cancelling. DownHeavy lets you get good air time and land hits on both sides to punish floaty opponents. NeutralHeavy is often very good at edgeguarding, and SideHeavy can easily hit opponents in midair.

Sword: Swords can be quite useful for this strategy, but they are not the best. DownHeavy can give extra airtime, and NeutralHeavy can edgeguard well. SideHeavy can punish floaty opponents better than almost any other weapon.

Light Attacks

Axe: Using light attacks with axes using gravity cancelling is not the best strategy, but they can punish floaty opponents well.

Bow: Using the bow with this strategy can be punishing and deal massive damage. Trapping attacks can be used to edgeguard well.

Gauntlets: Gauntlets are not the best for gravity cancelling with light attacks, but they can cause good amounts of damage against slow opponents.

Guns: Light attacks with guns can do good amounts of damage, but with a speedy or dexterous legend, they can be useful for damage.

Hammer: Just like with heavy attacks, hammers are not the best for Gravity Cancelling. Thier light attacks are too slow to be useful.

Katars: Katars can be very punishing when used right, and can deal damage to floaty opponents with a vengeance.

Lance: Lances can be quite damaging for Gravity Cancelling, but it can be hard to land a hit with them.

Scythe: Scythes are similar to bows in that trapping attacks can do massive damage in midair.

Spear: Spear light attacks are not the best for damage, but with a speedy or dexterous legend

Sword: The sword's usefullness with gravity cancelling is about speed and damage.

Combat Uses

Axe: Axes can be fantastic for edguarding and damage with heavy attacks, and thier lights can heavily punish floaty enemies. Knocking enemies off, then jumping into the air and Gravity Cancelling with a NeutralHeavy can end most matches early.

Bow: The bow can be a serious pain to line up a shot with, but is great for launch. A good tactic is to jump off the map and gravity cancel when your head is at level with the platform, then use a NeutralHeavy to launch your enemy as they try to edgeguard (on the ground, because they don't have your skills) then follow it up with a DownHeavy or SideLight.

Gauntlets: Gauntlets are great for edgeguarding with thier NeutralLight, as you can throw someone right off the edge from somewhere they never would expect it. DownHeavy can also have many uses with Gravity Cancelling.

Guns: Guns can be very useful for launching floaty opponents, but strategies differ from legend to legend.

Hammer: The Hammer is not the most useful for landing hits, but DownHeavy can launch from good positions.

Katars: Katars can rack up massive damage with thier SideHeavies, Edgeguard well with thier NeutralHeavies, and inflict some serious pain with Side and Neutral Lights.

Lance: The Lance is more about positioning than damage with Gravity Cancelling, but can edgeguard ridiculously well with NeutralHeavies.

Scythe: The Scythe can do some serious damage, but it can be quite hard to land a hit. it is honestly better to be used on the ground.

Spear: The spear is great for whacking floaty enemies with DownHeavies, Edgeguarding with NeutralHeavies, or damage with Side and NeutralLights.

Sword: The Sword is more about movement or launch then damage, so NeutralHeavy is good for edgeguarding, but SideHeavy is good for launching floaty foes. SideLight can also be used to inflict good amounts of damage.

Velocity Cancelling

Velocity Cancelling uses the same basic mechanic as gravity cancelling, but instead of being an attack move, it focuses on building up a different important aspect of a good brawl: recovery. Velocity Cancel is the same as the setup for a gravity cancel (an armed or unarmed NeutralDodge) This gives you that quarter-frame of no movement, but has a different use, and hence a different name. It is extremely useful, and can turn many a match in your favor. The main use is when you have been hit by a powerful heavy attack and are launched in a way that would throw you off the screen. Instead, you can velocity cancel once you are off the border of the screen to stop your movement, and jump back to safety. (you will not have you midair dash, but it's better than dying!) Another use of Gravity Cancelling is to recover upwards, which is best with a NeutralHeavy or any other move that sends you upwards.

Conclusion

Gravity Cancelling is quite useful, and is a good trick up any players sleeve. I highly suggest you try it out. It can be hard to pull off, but is really satisfying. If you have anything you think I should add, or a correction, leave a comment.

[Raptor]

How do I master the spear gravity cancel combo? I have been working on it for a while and cant get the sLight part right.

[Toilet Tyrant]

It can be difficult to use, but practice makes perfect!

[ZalgofiedMe]

Thanks for making this guide! Now I understand fully how to use gravity cancel, though it's a bit hard `:)

[Toilet Tyrant]

I believe that it was originally a bug, but it was so useful that the development team smoothed it out then left it in so it could still be used.

[Ainz Ooal Gown]

its a bug in the game, not feature so if they don't get rid of it, it will make more problems in the future

[Toilet Tyrant]

I am working on a section about how to use gravity cancelling in combos, and plan to possibly include a gallery (just for fun) later.

[Toilet Tyrant]

The use of gravity cancelling to recover (velocity cancelling) has now been added!

[Bowden]

nice

[Toilet Tyrant]

Glad it was useful

[LeThief]

really helpful thanks