Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Combat Guide: Master Every Mechanic

Q: Do Simple inputs deal less damage than Technical inputs?

Not in Rising. The 2020 game penalised one-button skills, but the creative director confirmed that Simple and Technical inputs have identical damage and properties here. Simple inputs are a legitimate competitive choice.

Q: What are Bravery Points for?

Each player starts a round with 3. They pay for Brave Counters, and they are drained by Raging Strikes, guard crushes and Skybound Art damage. Your defence weakens as they fall, and taking a Raging Strike at zero leaves you defenceless for the follow-up.

Q: How do I deal with an opponent spamming Raging Strike?

A Raging Strike costs meter and only pays off if you are sitting in block. Brave Counter out of the guard crush at a cost of 1 Bravery Point, or contest the approach instead of blocking. An opponent who leans on it will run their own gauge dry.

Q: Do I need to have played the first Granblue Fantasy: Versus?

No. Story Mode's first two acts recap the original's plot, and 24 of the 28 launch fighters came across from it. Rising also removed the RPG progression layer the first game used, so nothing carries over mechanically.

Q: Is there crossplay and rollback netcode?

Yes to both. Rising supports rollback netcode and crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, and Versus Rank is tracked separately for each character you play.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising combat guide covering every mechanic, advanced techniques, and the strategies that separate good players from great ones.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is Arc System Works' follow-up to the 2020 fighter, published by Cygames and released on 14 December 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The launch roster ran to 28 fighters, with Anila, Siegfried, Grimnir and Nier joining the 24 who came across from the first game. The defining change is Bravery Points, a three-point per round defensive resource that Raging Strikes, Brave Counters and Skybound Arts all pull from.

Combat in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising rewards knowledge over reflexes. Understanding how each mechanic works (and how they interact) is what turns a struggling player into a dominant one. New here? Start with our beginner's guide for the basics.

Core Combat Mechanics

1. Bravery Points

Both players start every round with 3. They pay for Brave Counters and are stripped by Raging Strikes, guard crushes and Skybound Art damage. Your defence weakens as they drain, and being hit by a Raging Strike at zero leaves you defenceless for the follow-up.

Why it matters: This is the foundation of all combat. Everything else builds on this.

2. Guard Crush

The state a Raging Strike forces on a blocking opponent, opening them up for a punish. It is the reason blocking is not a safe default in Rising the way it was in the first game.

Why it matters: The most underrated mechanic. Players who master this early have a massive advantage.

3. Simple and Technical inputs

Rising removed the damage and property gap between one-button Simple inputs and full motion Technical inputs. The creative director confirmed identical properties, which makes Simple a legitimate competitive choice rather than a training mode.

Why it matters: Unlocks a new layer of gameplay depth once understood.

4. Rollback netcode and crossplay

Rising ships with rollback netcode and crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, so the online population is pooled rather than split three ways.

Why it matters: The tactical edge that separates average players from advanced ones.

5. Per-character Versus Rank

Your rank is tracked separately for each character, so picking up a second fighter does not put your main's rating at risk. It is the reason the roster stays experimented with rather than locked in after week one.

Why it matters: The endgame optimization mechanic. Small improvements here compound into massive gains.

How These Mechanics Combine

Understanding how mechanics interact is where real optimization happens:

Bravery Points + Guard Crush

Both players start every round with 3. When combined with Guard Crush, the state a raging strike forces on a blocking opponent, opening them up for a punish. This combination is the core of every effective build.

Simple and Technical inputs + Rollback netcode and crossplay

Rising removed the damage and property gap between one-button Simple inputs and full motion Technical inputs. Paired with Rollback netcode and crossplay, rising ships with rollback netcode and crossplay between pc, playstation 5 and playstation 4, so the online population is pooled rather than split three ways. This is why the tier list favors builds that leverage both.

Per-character Versus Rank as a Multiplier

Your rank is tracked separately for each character, so picking up a second fighter does not put your main's rating at risk. It is the reason the roster stays experimented with rather than locked in after week one. This system amplifies everything else. The better your Per-character Versus Rank optimization, the more your other mechanics pay off.

Combat by Role

Each role approaches combat differently:

Gran (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key weapons: Skybound Art Primary mechanic: Bravery Points

Gran offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Charlotta (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key weapons: Super Skybound Art Primary mechanic: Guard Crush

Charlotta offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Vaseraga (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key weapons: Ultimate Skill Primary mechanic: Simple and Technical inputs

Vaseraga offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Ferry (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key weapons: Raging Strike Primary mechanic: Rollback netcode and crossplay

Ferry offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Lancelot (A-Tier)

Combat approach: Balanced combat style. Key weapons: Brave Counter Primary mechanic: Per-character Versus Rank

Lancelot offers a solid combat experience. Full setup in our builds guide.

Advanced Combat Techniques

Damage Optimization

Match your weapons to your role's stat priorities
Exploit Bravery Points for maximum damage windows
Chain Guard Crush and Simple and Technical inputs for combo damage
Use Rollback netcode and crossplay to create openings

Survivability

Learn enemy patterns before committing to attacks
Watch the opponent's Bravery Point count, not just their health. Both players start each round with 3, and an opponent at zero cannot Brave Counter, which turns your safest pressure sequence into a genuinely free one.
Position using Bravery Points to control spacing
Save defensive options for guaranteed survival, not comfort

Boss Combat

Bosses test your understanding of every mechanic. See our boss guide for fight-specific strategies.

Phase awareness: Most bosses change behavior at health thresholds
Patience over aggression: One extra hit per opening beats dying to greed
Build preparation: Swap gear and weapons for specific fights when needed

Common Combat Mistakes

Button mashing: Committed attacks have recovery frames. Mashing locks you into animations.
Ignoring Guard Crush: This mechanic exists for a reason. Players who use it take significantly less damage.
Wrong weapons for the situation: Check our weapons guide for situational picks.
Not learning from deaths: Every death teaches something. If you don't know why you died, you'll die the same way again.
Overcommitting: Trading hits works in Story Mode but will get you killed in Figure Studio.

More Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Guides

Similar Games

If you enjoy Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, check out these related guides:

Helldivers 2 Combat Guide: action game with similar mechanics
Black Myth: Wukong Combat Guide: action game with similar mechanics
Monster Hunter Wilds Combat Guide: action game with similar mechanics

More Game Guides

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Arms of God

Arms of God Demo

Batman: Arkham Knight