Gravity Jump

Absa has the ability to jump downwards by beginning her double jump on the same frame that her fastfall begins. Combined with her unique double jump momentum and the ability to double jump cancel with her aerials, this allows her to move through the air in unorthodox ways. There are a couple variations of this technique to learn, so let’s take look at how each of these are performed.

Midair Copied to clipboard

The first of these is a midair Gravity Jump that can be performed anytime you are able to fastfall. For those of you who don’t know, fastfalling in Rivals of Aether is not an instant action and is delayed until 4 frames after the input is made. Since we need to begin our double jump on the same frame that our fastfall begins, to perform the technique in midair we will need to input our double jump exactly 4 frames after the fastfall input. If done correctly, Absa will begin falling towards the ground with reduced speed and more horizontal control. As this variation requires a frame perfect input, the reliability of the technique is questionable, however the movement it provides has some obvious benefits.

Platform Drop Copied to clipboard

If you’d prefer to avoid a frame perfect input however, then you’re in luck! Due to a mechanic related to fastfalls from platform drops, the Gravity Jump is far more easily performed while standing on a platform. Anytime you platform drop you will begin an 8 frame timer. If you are holding down on the last frame of this timer your character will fastfall instantly. By using this timer to force a fastfall, the Gravity Jump becomes far easier to perform, simply drop from the platform and keep down held while you input your double jump. You may input the double jump anytime before the plat-drop timer ends, so long as you are holding down on the 8th frame of the timer, making this version consistent to perform and much easier to use fluidly in your movement. It’s worth noting that beginning your double jump earlier into the timer will cause your momentum in the air to stall slightly more before you start to fall, as the fastfall will always begin on the 8th frame of airtime.

Application: Up Air Copied to clipboard

There is one more notable property of the Gravity Jump to learn. Absa’s double jump normally begins by accelerating downwards slightly before quickly rising into the air. As her Gravity Jump reverses this momentum, the technique will cause her to accelerate upwards slightly before travelling downwards. When combined with the delayed fastfall of a platform drop Gravity Jump, you are able to slow your descent enough that you can reliably hit characters standing beside you on a platform from beneath with an instantaneous Up Air before you reach the ground. This can be performed even from some of the lowest platforms in the game. As your Up Air has the same knockback as your Up Strong, this is an extremely powerful mix-up to have at your disposal. Remember to hold the jump button during your aerial to preserve your momentum, as releasing it will instead perform a double jump cancel and will cause you to fall and land before your Up Air becomes active.

Refresh Copied to clipboard

Our last important lesson is that Absa’s Gravity Jump is also able to restore her double jump, allowing you to use the technique without sacrificing the use of your double jump in the processs. This can allow you to move in unexpected ways and can extend your horizontal reach through the air quite significantly without the risk of being stuck off-stage without one of your most valuable resources. The double jump will be restored 7 frames into the animation, but only if your vertical speed is moving downwards fast enough. This allows you to cancel the animation and instantly input any of your aerial attacks whilst still refreshing your jump, however, moves such as your Up Special and Neutral Special will halt your momentum and prevent it from being restored. This double jump refresh applies to all variations of the Gravity Jump that have been discussed so far, and since you can perform the Gravity Jump in midair this even allows you to refresh your double jump multiple times if performed correctly!

Try testing out the Gravity Jump on stages with different platform layouts, practicing your movement and your aerial control during your attacks. There’s a lot of room for experimentation in how you can use it with Absa’s unique double jump mechanics, but most importantly it’s also pretty fun to play with as well!