Vaan

Standing in the meta

Tier B 25th of 30 — 2017 tournament tier list from dissidia.wiki (half matchup values, half expert player votes).

Ranked 25th (tier B, last in that tier) on the 2017 competitive tier list. The overview describes him as mid and low tier throughout the game's competitive history.

Overview

Vaan is a short to medium range character with highly varied bravery attacks. His unique “Switch” mechanic gives every bravery attack two versions: Switch (SW) when the attack has not yet been used, On-hand (OH) when he uses it again afterwards.

The weapon is double-edged: his attacks have often above-average properties, but having a particular bravery attack available later means attacking now. Many of his attacks have a long startup or a long recovery and target specific distances and angles; the need to whiff therefore comes as much from the accessibility of his repertoire as from the assist mechanic.

This gameplay suits beginner and intermediate players well, however: its mechanical diversity exposes them to many aspects of decision-making and game interactions. Few standard loadouts exist — each matchup can demand its own combinations — which makes him a stimulating character to experiment with. He can crush blocks, engage at mid range, get around projectiles, and even has infinite combos; his solo combos are rare, but assists markedly extend his potential. His damage multipliers are relatively high, but his below-average base ATK limits his damage without heavy investment — with which he scales well; good mobility overall, above-average base DEF, slightly above-average EX intake, but an EX Mode among the most disappointing in the game.

Historically ranked mid and low tier in competition, Vaan has no reputation as an effective counterpick, and optimising him takes a specialist's effort. Even at his best, his gameplay is not polarising: he suffers from a three bravery slot dilemma, from frame data and tracking that are often below average, builds his assist gauge poorly and struggles against command blocks designed around medium and high priority attacks. Players have to make compromises and exploit every mechanic, quirk and strategy available — Vaan may genuinely embody the adage about being a jack of all trades and master of none.

Stats & speeds

Moves

Bravery attacks

List

Each of Vaan's bravery attacks has two versions: Switch (SW) when the attack has not yet been used (including at the start of a match), On Hand (OH) when he uses the same attack again afterwards. All of them exist on the ground and in the air.

HP attacks

Ground

Aerial

EX Mode: Obtained all Licenses! & EX Burst

The “Obtained all Licenses!” EX Mode grants Regen, Critical Boost, Free Switch and Zodiak. Free Switch (activated with R + square) allows him to return to his unarmed attacks at any time: it starts at 1 frame, ends at 31, and is cancellable into a dodge or an attack at 21 frames — enough to reuse his SW versions more often and with less risk. Zodiak, permanently active, increases his stats and abilities and greatly strengthens his attacks: every Switch version of a bravery attack gains a bonus (increased range, invincibility, a shorter charge or an extra follow-up).

The overview tempers that, however: this EX Mode is still considered one of the most disappointing in the game.

EX Burst : “Quickening”: a Mist-infused attack where the options are scrolled with R and confirmed with X. One consistent method: press R, then mash X a few times, and repeat that loop three times per Quickening.

Unique mechanic

The Switch: all of Vaan's bravery attacks exist in two versions. The Switch (SW) version executes when the attack has not yet been used — including at the very start of a match; the On Hand (OH) version, when he uses the same attack again afterwards. The two versions of a move differ in frame data, priority and effects — the detail is in each move's entry.

Vaan's whole game consists of sequencing his weapons so as to stay on the right versions at the right moment: the SW versions, slower but often carrying a block or extra effects, open the game; the OH versions, faster, punish — his fastest bravery attack (19 frames) is an OH version.

Gameplan & advanced tech

Vaan's game is organised around the Switch: every bravery attack used flips to its On-hand version, and an attack has to be “spent” (often by whiffing) to recharge its more powerful Switch version. The plan is therefore to sequence his arsenal: open with the SW versions and their strong properties (Sword & Shield, which blocks, Axe & Shield, which breaks the guard, an 11 frame Greatsword, Rifle with its built-in dodge), then exploit the faster OH versions — several of them, such as OH Greatsword, signal nothing on startup and are hard to react to.

In neutral, Greatsword is the pivot: a close-range starter, a gap closer, a combo extension and a dodge punish in its charged SW version, with an OH first hit that confirms easily into an assist without a wall — valuable for a character who is otherwise mediocre at building assist gauge. Katana, Spear and Staff cover mid range (with Staff generating an enormous amount of EX Force), Crossbow and Rifle long range. On HP attacks, Torrent (21 frames on the rising component) and Cataclysm are his fastest; Cataclysm and Windburst's projectile serve as 1-hit HP attacks.

The documented build illustrates the typical spread: Spear, Axe & Shield and Sword & Shield on the ground; Katana, Greatsword and Rifle in the air. The three slot dilemma forces compromises, and each matchup can demand its own combinations: few standard loadouts exist. In EX Mode, Free Switch temporarily lifts the character's main constraint by giving access to the SW versions on demand, and Zodiak strengthens every Switch version.

Character-specific tech

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

Matchups

The wiki's matchups page is a stub, but the sources give a few markers: Vaan has no reputation as an effective counterpick, and each matchup can demand specific attack combinations rather than a standard loadout. Greatsword is cited as a popular choice in many matchups, notably Cecil, Cloud and Squall. Conversely, he struggles structurally against command blocks designed around medium and high priority attacks.

Match videos: Replay Theater — Vaan matches.

Builds

The documented build, “Damage (Seal of Lufenia)”, banks on the Seal of Lufenia special effect with a Max Booster of x4.4: the exclusive Zodiac Blade weapon and the Lufenian set (Dirk, Headband, Vest), accessories geared towards conditional boosters (Muscle Belt, Battle Hammer, Summon Unused, Pre-EX Mode, Pre-EX Revenge, two After 30 Seconds, Opponent Summon Unused, Glutton, First to Victory), the Kuja assist and Rubicante as the summon. It relies on the Equip Glitch (the total CP cost assumes it has been performed) and recommends the Master Guardsman extra ability for +1000 HP.

The associated attack loadout: Spear, Axe & Shield and Sword & Shield on the ground; Katana, Greatsword and Rifle in the air.

The loadout of the “Damage (Seal of Lufenia)” build, as documented by the wiki. Only the bravery attacks are specified: the choice of HP attacks is not documented for this build.

The second build (“Build #2”) is an empty template in the source data.

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

Assist synergies

Vaan as an assist

As an assist, Vaan is ranked in the Mid tier of Muggshotter's assist tier list. The sources on his page do not detail his use as an assist beyond that ranking.

Recommended assists

• Kuja — Cited by the page among the assists that work well with Vaan; he is also the assist chosen in the documented Seal of Lufenia build, and OH Greatsword confirms easily into an assist with no wall.
• Aerith — Cited by the page among the assists that work well with Vaan, with no further detail in the sources.
• Jecht — Cited by the page among the assists that work well with Vaan, with no further detail in the sources.

Community tech

Sources

• https://dissidia.wiki/Vaan_(Dissidia_012)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDG7aVLYZUM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJRXYv1Cdc
• https://pastebin.com/8FWDXjvJ
• https://pastebin.com/dKSWgUQ6
• https://dissidia.wiki/Tier_List_(Dissidia_012)
• https://dissidia.wiki/Tier_List_(Assist)

Known limits

• The wiki's matchups page is a stub: only the markers from the overview and from the Greatsword note (Cecil, Cloud, Squall) could be used.
• No combos section is filled in (the Solo subsection is empty): the “infinite combos” mentioned in the overview are detailed nowhere.
• No “Unique Mechanics” section is documented: the Switch is described only in the overview and the bravery intro, hence uniqueMechanics being left as null and the mechanic being covered in the overview and gameplan.
• Detailed usage notes are absent for most moves: only Sword & Shield (the EX version) and Greatsword have genuine notes; the rest is limited to the in-game descriptions and the frame data.
• The second build (“Build #2”) is an empty template; the assist gain values are absent from the move tables.
• The wiki's References section is empty and there is no dated community mention on the page; the community tech entries come from the external sources pass.
• 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.