Final Fantasy IV

Cecil Harvey

A two-job punisher: Dark Knight on the ground, Paladin in the air

Fastest BRV 15F (Valiant Blow)Fastest HP 13F (Shadow Bringer)Dash 81 (Dark KnightATK 109DEF 1111-hit HP NoHP links Yes

Standing in the meta

Tier C 27th of 30 — 2017 tournament tier list from dissidia.wiki (half matchup values, half expert player votes).

Ranked 27th, in tier C, on the 2017 tier list, which matches the overview: Cecil is commonly placed in bottom / low tier competitively, owing to the constraints of his job system and an unfavourable risk/reward ratio.

Overview

Cecil Harvey fights at close and mid range with two distinct jobs: Dark Knight, built around ground combat and wall rushes, and Paladin, built around aerial combat with a more balanced moveset. Practically two characters in one, he changes job at will — but that change goes through specific HP attacks, a double-edged sword: decent in neutral and as punishes, they are mostly telegraphed and carry long recoveries. Cecil therefore adapts to many situations, at the cost of risk every time he wants to reach a particular job.

Cecil is built neither for pure offence nor for iron defence: he excels as a punisher. Many of his moves have good reach, vertical or lateral, and he punishes the opponent's whiffs effectively with either job depending on the matchup. He has several solo combo routes, which he can set up with an assist depending on whether he is after damage or EX.

His difficulties: below-average frame data (long startups and animations, late cancel windows) that makes filling the assist gauge on whiff dangerous — a fundamental weakness in competitive play, which exposes him to whiff punishes as well as assist punishes. His capricious tracking makes punishing dodges awkward, or even simply hitting a mobile opponent, and his slow or low-priority projectiles limit his zoning.

Competitively, Cecil is generally ranked bottom / low tier. His job system constrains him as few other characters are constrained: good pokes on the ground but no solid aerial poke, with no way to force ground combat to compensate. A ground or air specialist depending on the job, he is judged the strongest in neither register and often takes high risks for a lesser reward. He can nonetheless capitalise on clean hits with an assist when the chance arises.

Strengths

Good poking and explosive damage as Dark Knight.
Good EX generation as Paladin.
Whiff punishment: several moves suited to punishing missed attacks from various angles, such as Valiant Blow, Shadow Bringer and Sacred Cross.
Solo combos with heavy bravery damage, able to link into HP attacks.

Weaknesses

No safe aerial poke: more vulnerable to whiff punishment on average, and filling the assist gauge is difficult and risky.
Situational solo combo starters, which limit the chances to make use of his combo routes.
Mediocre zoning: telegraphed projectiles with a good reward on hit but hard to place in neutral.
Changing job generally requires telegraphed attacks that expose him to punishes.
The job dilemma: specialising in one job always imposes notable compromises, and he cannot rely on a single job on large stages.

Stats & speeds

Name	Cecil Harvey (セシル・ハーヴィ)
Original game	Final Fantasy IV
Base ATK (LV100)	109 (Low / +2 as Dark Knight, High)
Base DEF (LV100)	111 (Average / +2 as Paladin, Very High)
Run Speed	9 (Dark Knight, Slow) 5 (Paladin, Above Average)
Dash Speed	81 (Dark Knight, Below Average)77 (Paladin, Average / Good)
Fall Speed	81 (Dark Knight, Average) 89 (Paladin, Below Average)
Fall Speed Ratio After Dodge	39 (Dark Knight, Average) 40 (Paladin, Average)
Fastest BRV	15F (Valiant Blow)
Fastest HP	13F (Shadow Bringer)
1-Hit HP	Dark Flame Luminous Shard
HP Links	Yes (Combos only)
Command Block	No
Weapon	Axes, Greatswords, Swords
Armor	Gauntlets, Heavy Armor, Helms, Light Armor, Shields
Exclusive weapons	Dark Sword, Mythgraven Blade, Lustrous SwordLightbringer, Cimmerian Edge
Unlock	Default
Alignment	Cosmos
Voice Actor (JP)	Shizuma Hodoshima
Voice Actor (ENG)	Yuri Lowenthal

Mobility profile (normal mode) — position within the cast

Gold dot: this character · small dots: the rest of the cast · violet line: average. Wiki values, lower = faster; the rank on the right reads directly (1st = fastest).

Moves

Startup of Cecil Harvey's moves

Shorter bar = faster move. Startup in frames (60 fps, dissidia.wiki data), with priority after the value. Moves marked ★ are the fastest in the kit — usually your best punish and pressure tools.

Bravery attacks

Ground

Valiant Blow 15FMelee Low

Base damage	40 (10, 10, 20)
Startup	15F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Dark Cannon 41FRanged Low (forward) Ranged Mid (backward)

Base damage	15 (1 x 4, 2 x 4, 3)
Startup	41F
Type	Magical
Priority	Ranged Low (forward) Ranged Mid (backward)
EX Force	each 3
Effects	Block (Ranged Low)
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Shadow Lance 35FMelee High (close) Ranged Low (far)

Base damage	50 (8, 7 x 6)
Startup	35F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee High (close) Ranged Low (far)
EX Force	~20
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Slash 23FMelee Low

A two-hit Paladin bravery attack, valuable for its reward: 20 base, 90 EX, and above all cancels into an attack or a dash on hit — extremely rare outside dash feints and EX Revenge. It opens the most practical Paladin combos on the ground (Radiant Wings, Sacred Cross, or even Paladin Force at a wall) and the dash cancel with Free Air Dash fills the assist gauge through Assist Gauge Up Dash. On the other hand, its range and accuracy are limited (fixed diagonal movement, no tracking, 23F): keep it for punishing block staggers and slow whiffs rather than for poking.

Base damage	20 (10, 10)
Startup	23F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low
EX Force	90
Effects	Chase
Cancels	A missed attack that doesn't make any contact. ) Attack or Dash (On Hit)
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Lightning Rise 43FMelee Mid (first half) Melee Low (second half)

A ground charge that is Melee Mid for its first half: a telegraphed mixup against blocking on a hard read, convertible into HP damage through a Chase with the Aerith assist, and able to block Ranged Low attacks (Squall's Thunder Barret) until it activates. Long startup (43F) and a long animation: neither a central mixup tool nor a reliable defence, and other moves outclass it as a punisher and as a gap closer. Cecil becomes airborne during this move.

Base damage	30 (3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 11)
Startup	43F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Mid (first half) Melee Low (second half)
EX Force	90
Effects	Chase, Block (Ranged Low)
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Dark Step 23FMelee Low

A two-part attack that switches him to Dark Knight as soon as the follow-up is confirmed. Good numbers (90 EX), but the poor accuracy inherited from Slash and the competition from Shadow Bringer / Dark Flame for changing job make it a marginal move in neutral; the follow-up can be finished even on a miss, a situational gimmick.

Base damage	27 (5, 10, 1 x 2, 10)
Startup	23F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low
EX Force	90
Effects	Chase, Job Change
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Aerial

Gravity Ball 37FRanged Low

Base damage	15 (7, 2 x 4)
Startup	37F
Type	Magical
Priority	Ranged Low
EX Force	0
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Nightfall 37FMelee Low (falling) Ranged Mid (landing)

Base damage	25+ (1 each hit, 24 finish)
Startup	37F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low (falling) Ranged Mid (landing)
EX Force	60+
Effects	Chase
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Paladin Arts 37FRanged Low

Base damage	30 (7, 2 x 4, 3 x 5)
Startup	37F
Type	Magical
Priority	Ranged Low
EX Force	0
Effects	Job Change
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Radiant Wings 19FMelee Low

One of the Paladin's main bravery attacks and the closest thing Cecil has to an aerial poke: 19F, it advances before striking, deals heavy damage with an assist thanks to the Wall Rush, starts assist combos and punishes whiffs and block staggers well. No tracking once launched, linear movement and three compulsory slashes before any dodge cancel: whiffs are costly. Used with lock off, it goes in the direction he is facing and lets him build assist gauge a little more calmly.

Base damage	40 (3, 3, 7, 6, 6, 6, 9)
Startup	19F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Sacred Cross 21FMelee Low

The Paladin's vertical punish (21F, 90 EX): Cecil closes on the opponent and strikes upwards or downwards depending on their positions, with a little built-in evasion. A low reward without the Aerith assist or a ground wall rush, short hit stun (of little use for empty chases and EX Cores), and the animation runs to the end even on a miss: not a safe aerial poke, with assist punishes waiting and a last hit that can miss if the position is misjudged.

Base damage	30 (3 x 5, 5, 10)
Startup	21F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee Low
EX Force	90
Effects	Chase
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

Searchlight 95FRanged Low

A long-range projectile (95F): the orb places itself on the opponent then fires three projectiles with good hit stun, opening combos (Radiant Wings, Sacred Cross) and activating the hit glitch for Radiant Wings and Paladin Force. It is his favoured tool for occupying aerial space at range, but very telegraphed: Cecil is completely vulnerable during the animation, the trajectory cannot be corrected, and the orb can disappear on contact with walls, pillars and ceilings.

Base damage	15 (3 x 5)
Startup	95F
Type	Magical
Priority	Ranged Low
EX Force	0
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	20 (10)

HP attacks

Ground

Soul Eater 39FMelee High

The Dark Knight's ground punish (39F) against dodges and block staggers, with good lateral knockback into a wall rush and the ability to pass through low-priority moves once contact is made. Reactable, with no coverage above him, and generally outclassed by Shadow Bringer when that one is equipped.

Base damage	20 (4, 2 x 5, 6)
Startup	39F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee High
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

Dark Flame 53FRanged High

The Dark Knight's zoning: high-priority flames that occupy space for a few seconds, track well above him and serve as an anti-air against aerial approaches; Auto Assist Lock On protects him from slow assists during the animation. It sends the opponent upwards, with a wall rush that can be exploited on low-ceiling stages (Pandaemonium - Top Floor, M.S. Prima Vista). Slow in startup as in travel: ineffective against opponents backing off and zoning from range, and a small window of vulnerability remains against fast ground assists such as Jecht Rush.

Startup	53F
Priority	Ranged High
EX Force	0
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

Shadow Bringer 13FMelee High

One of the Dark Knight's strongest moves: 13F, unreactable, an anti-air, with very strong diagonal knockback into a wall rush, and a dodge cancel fast enough to serve as an honorary poke. It outclasses Soul Eater (vertical reach, safety, assist combos) and adds a passive +3 % BRV damage as Dark Knight (-3 % as Paladin). Equipping it disables Luminous Shard on the Paladin side; the recovery remains punishable and the range depends on a prior ground dash.

Base damage	20 (10, 10)
Startup	13F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee High
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush Dark Knight BRV damage +3% Paladin BRV damage -3%
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

Aerial

Saint's Fall 53FMelee High

A committal gap closer (53F): a hard call-out against whiffs and blocks at range, active during the charge, with a ground wall rush for assist combos. A fixed movement arc, little reach, and a full animation even on a miss: risky in neutral and outclassed by Paladin Force.

Base damage	10 (1 x 3, 2, 1 x 2, 3)
Startup	53F
Type	Physical
Priority	Melee High
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

Paladin Force 43FRanged High (first hit) Melee High (other hits)

The Paladin's main aerial HP attack for punishes and assist combos: a projectile which, if it connects, triggers an aerial combo with good homing finished by a ground wall rush. Vertical aiming is possible on startup to catch dodges above him, and after Searchlight the hit glitch lets him attack quickly from very far away — Cecil is one of the few characters to exploit this glitch well. Once the combo is running, no cancel is possible: the opponent's LV1/LV2 Assist Change creates punish windows (except at the ceiling), and a trade on the projectile alone can open another follow-up with matchup knowledge.

Base damage	15 (2 x 5, 5)
Startup	43F
Type	Both
Priority	Ranged High (first hit) Melee High (other hits)
EX Force	30
Effects	Wall Rush
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

Luminous Shard 63FRanged High

The Paladin's only single-hit HP attack and only aerial HP projectile: secondary zoning and a safer combo ending against LV2 Assist Change staggers, with 60 EX. Long range and an adjustable vertical trajectory; being a 1-hit HP attack, it can get around EX Revenge checkmates on a stagger. Slow frame data (63F) and low damage potential without an assist setup; equipping it disables Shadow Bringer, a trade-off between ground game and aerial safety in combos.

Startup	63F
Priority	Ranged High
EX Force	60
Effects	Paladin BRV damage +3% Dark Knight BRV damage -3%
Cancels	Dodge
CP (mastered)	30 (15)

EX Mode: Job Augment! & EX Burst

The “Job Augment!” EX Mode: Regen, Critical Boost, Proteus and Inner Strength. EX Mode raises all his damage through criticals and Inner Strength (every attack at 1.5 times its power), and Proteus [R + Square] allows him to change job instantly without attacking, whenever Cecil is not in an attacking state (running, dashing, dodging), with no cooldown and repeatable in quick succession.

The major gain: no more need for telegraphed HP attacks to reach the other job, and Proteus is crucial in the Paladin Arts loop in combos — Cecil can thereby combo into Paladin Arts from Dark Knight while out of an attacking state. Careful, though: his stats (including run speed) still differ by job. The whole package rewards Paladin combos and EX Cores over the long term.

EX Burst : Face Shift: three simultaneous d-pad + button combinations to enter in about 3.5 seconds, read from left to right on both sides of the screen; a complete failure results in the weak “Darkness” finisher, which leaves Cecil as Dark Knight. Damage is average overall, fluctuating with the job changes and with the Dark Knight's passive ATK bonus.

Special moves

Special commands that never appear in the equip lists: they cost no CP and trigger from a dedicated input.

Proteus Special moveR + Square — EX Mode only

A special command available only in EX Mode: it allows him to change job freely, without going through an attack. Outside EX Mode, switching between Dark Knight and Paladin is only possible through specific moves — ground HP attacks or Dark Step towards Dark Knight, aerial HP attacks or Paladin Arts towards Paladin — which have to be equipped for the change to stay available.

Sources: dissidia.wiki/Cecil_Harvey_(Dissidia_012)

Unique mechanic

The job system: two jobs with radically different movesets — Dark Knight, geared towards ground combat, and Paladin, geared towards aerial combat. Each job has its own ground and aerial bravery attacks, while the HP attacks are shared. Only one job is active at a time, and the change happens through specific attacks: ground HP attacks or Dark Step (while Paladin) switch him to Dark Knight; aerial HP attacks or Paladin Arts (while Dark Knight) switch him to Paladin. Each of them has to be equipped for the change to be possible.

Cecil starts every fight as Dark Knight: reaching the Paladin's moves means committing to specific attacks — risky given how long his whiffs are, but unavoidable. In EX Mode, Proteus (R + Square) lifts that constraint by allowing a free job change without attacking.

Certain pieces of equipment modify his stats in a particular job: Cimmerian Edge (ATK +1 as Dark Knight) and Lightbringer (DEF +1 as Paladin).
Dissidia 012 adds two HP attacks: Shadow Bringer (Dark Knight) and Luminous Shard (Paladin), mutually exclusive — equipping one disables the other.
Competitively, Cecil generally specialises in a single job.

Gameplan & advanced tech

Play Cecil as a punisher: many of his moves have good vertical or lateral reach (Valiant Blow, Shadow Bringer and Sacred Cross to punish from various angles), and his reward comes from clean hits converted with an assist. As Dark Knight, hold the ground with your pokes (Shadow Bringer above all, a quasi-poke at 13F) and the Dark Flame anti-air; as Paladin, Radiant Wings serves as a quasi aerial poke, Sacred Cross as a vertical punish and Searchlight to occupy space at range.

Combos structure the gameplan: as Dark Knight, Dark Cannon opens into Valiant Blow or Shadow Bringer / Soul Eater, and assist conversions start from a wall rush or from the first part of Valiant Blow (Jecht is ideal for damage and for Dark Cannon setups by staying on the ground). As Paladin, Slash (cancelled into a Free Air Dash) leads into Radiant Wings for damage or Sacred Cross for EX, Searchlight > Paladin Force forms a solo HP combo, and the Aerith assist converts Sacred Cross into HP damage through a chase. Since his most reliable starters (Dark Cannon, Searchlight) are telegraphed low-priority projectiles, the assist is what makes the whole thing dependable.

Manage the risk of the job system: every job change outside EX Mode goes through a telegraphed attack, so choose your specialisation according to the stage and the matchup — bearing in mind that a single job cannot be relied on on large stages. Your slow frame data makes filling the assist gauge on whiff dangerous: Radiant Wings with lock off and Slash's dash cancel are your least exposed options. EX Mode (Proteus + Inner Strength) is the long-term reward that lifts the job constraint: capitalise on EX-generating Paladin combos and on EX Cores to reach it.

Character-specific tech

Hit glitch (Searchlight)

After a Searchlight that connects, the hit glitch activates for Radiant Wings and Paladin Force: Paladin Force then swoops onto the opponent from long distances with vastly superior tracking. Cecil is one of the few characters to exploit this glitch well, and it directly improves his Paladin game.

Slash dash cancel

Slash can be cancelled into a dash on hit — a rare property outside dash feints and EX Revenge. With Free Air Dash, that links into Radiant Wings or Sacred Cross and fills the assist gauge through Assist Gauge Up Dash.

Lock off Radiant Wings

Used with lock off, Radiant Wings goes in the direction Cecil is facing: a way to build assist gauge a little more safely, since the opponent can no longer dash into Cecil and block as easily.

Sacred Cross as a dodge-counter (pseudo double dodge)

According to Hollowed's Competitive Cecil Guide (2011), a well-timed Sacred Cross passes under single-hit attacks (Hopstep, Rough Divide) and counters immediately, dodges even assists, and in practice gives Cecil a Tidus-style double dodge against certain attacks. The guide also recommends using it as a feint / tech trap: presenting an opening (a block, a dodge or a Searchlight/Paladin Force) that Sacred Cross actually covers, and countering the opponent who bites. Set to neutral Circle (lock off), it always attacks downwards and becomes a safe way to counter quickly and build assist gauge.

Sources: web.archive.org/web/20120107184432/http://dissidiaforums.com

Gravity Ball link glitch

The Competitive Cecil Guide notes that Gravity Ball, normally unable to combo into HP damage without a setup, can get one through the link glitch — preferably cast from below the opponent, where the glitch goes through more easily. Risky, but it adds an HP conversion to a move otherwise confined to harassment; its curved trajectory also lets it hit behind blocks from above or below.

Sources: web.archive.org/web/20120107184432/http://dissidiaforums.com

Documented solo combo routes

Searchlight and Paladin Arts are cited among the most versatile combo tools in the game: Slash > a small dash or a wall > Radiant Wings, Sacred Cross or Paladin Force; Dark Cannon > any ground melee attack; Searchlight > dodge cancel > EX Switch > Paladin Arts; Searchlight > anything except itself or Luminous Shard.

Sources: pastebin.com/8FWDXjvJ

Empty chase into an assist gauge reset

Sacred Cross, at both of its angles, offers the empty chase into an assist gauge reset; Nightfall falls just short.

Sources: pastebin.com/dKSWgUQ6

Documented combos (original notation, dissidia.wiki)

Main article: Cecil (Combos)

Cecil has a couple solo combo starters with both jobs, which can lead to bravery and HP follow-ups alike. Most of his attacks can be used as follow-ups, so Cecil has rather flexible combo routing. Cecil's most reliable starters (Dark Cannon & Searchlight) are telegraphed low priority projectiles, so he may need assist to do these combos more consistently. With assists, Cecil can get damage from unfinished attacks and wall rushes as well.

Dark Knight can combo with either Dark Cannon or Paladin Arts. Dark Cannon leads to other Dark Knight melee attacks, while Paladin Arts leads to Paladin attacks. Cecil gets decent damage with Dark Cannon starters, but its low damage can vary due to how projectiles move. On average, Dark Cannon can deal four hits (3x3, 3 / 9 total).

Cecil's combos expand considerably with Slash and Searchlight. Slash provides a few good Paladin combos on the ground. Searchlight also supports both jobs (and in EX Mode), and Cecil can do more if the opponent is on the ground. With Searchlight, Cecil can also go for the hit glitch with Paladin Force as means to do HP damage in the neutral.

Dark Knight Cecil can convert off of wall rush or with first part of Valiant Blow. Jecht assist is good for damage and Dark Cannon setups, and Cecil can stay on ground.

Main article: Cecil Combos (Aerith Assist)

Paladin Cecil uses wall rush and chase to set up HP damage with Aerith assist. If Cecil gets a ground wall rush, he can go for Slash combos to get even more bravery with Searchlight routes or EX with Sacred Cross.

Universal techniques (blodge, dash feint, lock off, dodge punishment): see the Techniques & glitches page.

Matchups

Seen from the opponent's side, Cecil comes across as a dangerous opponent: tehdr4g0n's Golbez guide (GameFAQs, 2012) describes two toolsets he switches between, and details what ground zoners fear — Dark Cannon eats their magic pokes with more range (a trade leaves both players at close quarters, where Cecil's options are the faster ones) and Nightfall combines a very fast fall with a stagger on block, which opens a Soul Eater or whatever else he wants. The documented counter-measures give the anti-Cecil plan in negative: dodge Dark Cannon instead of trading, anticipate Nightfall with an early dodge then punish with a jump. The Paladin is judged more threatening still: with Speed Boost++, almost as fast as Onion Knight, and Searchlight shuts down the opponent's zoning — a Searchlight that connects means a big guaranteed combo, to be avoided at all costs; his physical options, on the other hand, can be blocked and punished. It is up to Cecil to exploit that asymmetry: his projectiles are feared, his physical moves are not.

On Cecil's side, Hollowed's Competitive Cecil Guide (dissidiaforums, 2011) documents tools designed matchup by matchup: a well-timed Sacred Cross passes under single-hit attacks and counters — the named examples are Tidus's Hopstep and Squall's Rough Divide — to the point of giving Cecil the equivalent of a Tidus-style double dodge against certain attacks, assists included. Lightning Rise is to be kept as a counter in specific matchups: its magic block answers ground spells of the Thunder Barret type from Squall and protects against dodge punishes in Ranged Low. Against mages, Luminous Shard reflects Ranged Low attacks (the opponent then has to dodge their own spell on top of the blade) and Saint's Fall cuts through Cyclone, Flare, Windburst or Watera. So many one-off answers that make up, matchup by matchup, for his lack of a safe aerial poke.

The Firion view (b0untyhunter270's guide, GameFAQs, 2012) matches the risk/reward profile of the overview: Cecil's attacks are very easy to dodge — Dark Cannon, Valiant Blow and Shadow Lance can be seen coming and can be blocked or Shield Bashed, Radiant Wings and Sacred Cross can be dodged — but the one real alarm is Searchlight: if it connects and Cecil follows up with Paladin Force, he can hit you at any distance. Even opponents who dominate the neutral exchange therefore have to respect his projectile starters, and the EX Mode (Proteus + Inner Strength) that lifts the job constraint.

Sources: gamefaqs.gamespot.com/psp/605802-dissidia-012-duodecim-final · web.archive.org/web/20120107184432/http://dissidiaforums.com · gamefaqs.gamespot.com/psp/605802-dissidia-012-duodecim-final

Match videos: Replay Theater — Cecil Harvey matches.

Builds

Two builds are documented, with the Equip Glitch assumed for the CP cost.

Side by Side (Dark Knight)

High base bravery (1623 BRV), Jecht / Sephiroth / Yuna assist, Rubicante summon, Piggy's Stick / Chainsaw / Thornlet / Maximillian, boosters (Sniper Eye, Dismay Shock, Battle Hammer, BRV = 0, Empty EX Gauge, Pre-EX Mode, Pre-EX Revenge) plus Blue Gem, Miracle Shoes and Side by Side, for a Max Booster of x3.8.

Stats
HP	9883
CP	450
BRV	1623
ATK	176
DEF	182
LUK	61
Max Booster	x3.8

Special Effect: None
Equipment
Assist	Jecht / Sephiroth / Yuna
Weapon	Piggy's Stick
Hand	Chainsaw
Head	Thornlet
Body	Maximillian
Accessory 1	Sniper Eye
Accessory 2	Dismay Shock
Accessory 3	Battle Hammer
Accessory 4	BRV = 0
Accessory 5	Empty EX Gauge
Accessory 6	Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 7	Pre-EX Revenge
Accessory 8	Blue Gem
Accessory 9	Miracle Shoes
Accessory 10	Side by Side
Summon	Rubicante

Building your moveset: CP cost of each move — 450 CP available depending on the build

Move	Type	Equip slot	Job	CP	Mastered CP
Dark Flame	HP	Ground	Both	30	15
Luminous Shard	HP	Aerial	Both	30	15
Paladin Force	HP	Aerial	Both	30	15
Saint's Fall	HP	Aerial	Both	30	15
Shadow Bringer	HP	Ground	Both	30	15
Soul Eater	HP	Ground	Both	30	15
Dark Cannon	Bravery	Ground	Dark Knight	20	10
Dark Step	Bravery	Ground	Paladin	20	10
Gravity Ball	Bravery	Aerial	Dark Knight	20	10
Lightning Rise	Bravery	Ground	Paladin	20	10
Nightfall	Bravery	Aerial	Dark Knight	20	10
Paladin Arts	Bravery	Aerial	Dark Knight	20	10
Radiant Wings	Bravery	Aerial	Paladin	20	10
Sacred Cross	Bravery	Aerial	Paladin	20	10
Searchlight	Bravery	Aerial	Paladin	20	10
Shadow Lance	Bravery	Ground	Dark Knight	20	10
Slash	Bravery	Ground	Paladin	20	10
Valiant Blow	Bravery	Ground	Dark Knight	20	10

The wiki leaves the equipped-moves table empty for this build (or these builds): that moveset is not documented. Instead, here is the CP cost of every move, to weigh against the build's total. The most expensive moves are at the top.

A constraint specific to Cecil: each of his two jobs has its own ground and aerial bravery attacks, while the HP attacks are shared by both. He starts every fight as Dark Knight, and changing job necessarily goes through specific moves — ground HP attacks or Dark Step to reach Dark Knight, aerial HP attacks or Paladin Arts to reach Paladin. Each of those moves has to be equipped for the change to be possible: a moveset that leaves them out locks Cecil into a single job, outside EX Mode where Proteus allows a free change.

Sources: finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Cecil_Harvey_(Dissidia_PSP) · dissidia.wiki/Cecil_Harvey_(Dissidia_012)

Hybrid (Paladin)

The full Lufenian set + Cleaver (Judgment of Lufenia special effect), Kuja / Aerith assist, 956 BRV (1147 with First to Victory), Hyper Ring, Muscle Belt and Dismay Shock accessories and conditional boosters (Summon Unused, Pre-EX Mode, Pre-EX Revenge, Opponent Summon Unused), White Gem, Tenacious Attacker and First to Victory, Max Booster x3.0.

Stats
HP	10299
CP	450
BRV	956 (1147 with First to Victory)
ATK	178
DEF	183
LUK	60
Max Booster	x3.0

Special Effect: Judgment of Lufenia
Equipment
Assist	Kuja / Aerith
Weapon	Cleaver
Hand	Lufenian Shield
Head	Lufenian Helm
Body	Lufenian Armor
Accessory 1	Hyper Ring
Accessory 2	Muscle Belt
Accessory 3	Dismay Shock
Accessory 4	Summon Unused
Accessory 5	Pre-EX Mode
Accessory 6	Pre-EX Revenge
Accessory 7	Opponent Summon Unused
Accessory 8	White Gem
Accessory 9	Tenacious Attacker
Accessory 10	First to Victory
Summon	Rubicante

Documented substitutions: on the Dark Knight side, Blue Gem and Miracle Shoes can give way to Together as One, Hero's Seal or Back-Breaking Straw (to offset Thornlet's penalties), and the “Grounded” and “BRV = 0” boosters swell HP wall rush damage at the cost of a lower base bravery. On the Paladin side, Muscle Belt and “Opponent Summon Unused” are freely replaceable, Tenacious Attacker is not indispensable with the Aerith assist, Hero's Essence can provide extra abilities (critical rate) and Winged Boots is useful on stages with banish traps.

Build and check a Cecil Harvey loadout slot by slot: build creator (CP gauge, ability exclusions and tournament rules applied).

Assist synergies

Cecil Harvey as an assist

Cecil is ranked Mid on the assist tier list (Muggshotter); the wiki provides no written evaluation of his role as an assist, only his data: Shadow Lance (ground BRV, 35F, Wall Rush, up to 50 base), Radiant Wings (air BRV, 19F, Wall Rush), Soul Eater (ground HP, 39F, Wall Rush) and Saint's Fall (air HP, 53F, Wall Rush).

Recommended assists

Jecht — For the Dark Knight: fast whiff punishes, conversions off the key moves and off the wall rush, solo combo setups, and a return to Dark Knight from Paladin on a hit within a combo.
Sephiroth — For the Dark Knight: whiff punishes and above all easy knockback cancels — with gauge available, Cecil no longer has to depend on wall rushes to convert into an assist.
Yuna — For both jobs: a Ranged Low priority that LV2 Assist Change does not stagger, conversions off the key moves and off the wall rush, effective within Cecil's range on small stages and close to the ground.
Aerith — For the Paladin: she converts Sacred Cross into HP damage by initiating a chase (with no EX depletion on hit), sets up solo combos anywhere and combos safely into Luminous Shard with no LV2 Assist Change stagger.
Tidus — For the Paladin: the fastest aerial whiff punisher, with less aerial combo potential but a ground assist that can wall rush for extended solo combos.

Community tech

Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy Cecil Combo Montage 2011

A period montage by Andyz5448: a collection of Cecil combos and chains tested on level 105 opponents at maximum strength.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhIEbsPIKc0

Advice Using Cecil? (GameFAQs thread) 2012

A period coaching thread: balancing Dark Knight and Paladin, Dark Cannon comboing cleanly into Soul Eater, an Assist Chase converted into an easy Paladin Force and considered use of assists (after a Wall Rush or as an HP punish).

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/605802-dissidia-012-duodecim-final-fantasy/63911036

Cast-wide solo combo list (Eddiegames) 2022

A community record of solo combo routes for all 31 characters, compiled by Eddiegames on the Discord DISSIDIA and published on pastebin (last updated December 2022). Cecil is described there with Searchlight and Paladin Arts as combo tools among the most versatile in the game.

https://pastebin.com/8FWDXjvJ

List of empty chases leading to an assist gauge reset (Eddiegames)

A character-by-character record of the moves whose hit stun allows an empty chase (a chase initiated without executing anything in it) followed by a reset of the opponent's assist gauge. The detail for this character is covered in the specific techniques.

https://pastebin.com/dKSWgUQ6

Sources

Known limits

The wiki's Matchups page is a stub: the matchups section is sourced outside the wiki (tehdr4g0n's Golbez guide and b0untyhunter270's Firion guide for the opponent's view, Hollowed's Competitive Cecil Guide for the matchup-by-matchup tools); no matchup-by-matchup analysis from Cecil's point of view was found.
The documented bravery moveset is incomplete (only 6 moves detailed): Valiant Blow, Dark Cannon, Paladin Arts and Shadow Lance appear in the infobox, in the combos or in the assist data with no detailed move entry.
No written evaluation of Cecil as an assist: only the data table and the Mid meta ranking are available.
In the combo tables, the “Opponent Assist (Comrade's Vow)” values are marked “???” and some EX gains are partial.
The assist gauge gain per move is not filled in (empty columns).
The References section is empty: no attributable or dated community tech.
The community's empty chase record is undated (the solo combo record that accompanies it is dated December 2022): how current it is cannot be established.
The job of each bravery attack comes from the “Ground/Aerial (Dark Knight)” and “(Paladin)” sections of the 012 page on dissidia.wiki (which the automatic extraction had flattened into ground/air), and is confirmed by the “Dissidia 012” tables of the Cecil page on the Final Fantasy Wiki — which also list the two HP attacks specific to 012, Shadow Bringer and Luminous Shard. The HP attacks remain shared by both jobs.