New Genesis: Soaring Blades Photon Arts and Actions

New Genesis: Photon Arts and Actions
Hunter	Sword	Wired Lance	Partisan
Fighter	Twin Daggers	Double Saber	Knuckles
Ranger	Assault Rifle	Launcher
Gunner	Twin Machine Guns
Force	Rod	Talis
Techter	Wand
Braver	Katana	Bow
Bouncer	Soaring Blades	Jet Boots
Waker	Harmonizer
Slayer	Gunblade

New Genesis: Soaring Blades Photon Arts
Destructive Stork	Rampaging Harrier	Roaring Pheasant	Raving Falcon

Overview

The Bouncer's Soaring Blades has long, 2 stage PAs that can be separated as single-tap and double-tap versions, each having different attack animations and utilities. The weapon is also able to inflict and contribute to one of Bouncer's skills, Physical Decline, to make enemies more vulnerable to Physical Downs, and can dish out powerful attacks by using the active skill Pinion Blade and Blade Arts Parry Counter Edge.

However, the Soaring Blades relies heavily on PP management to perform these counterattacks, requiring PA usage and canceling to effectively perform them. The length of the Soaring Blades PAs can also leave you vulnerable, even with its defense options learned.

Features of Soaring Blades

Normal Attacks

Icon	Stat	NA1	NA2	NA3
	Potency	90	100	60 + 130
	PP Recovery	4	4	2 + 6

Slash the enemy with the Soaring Blades.

Normal Attacks

• NAs move you forward both on the ground and in the air.
• NA3 creates an X-shaped shockwave that can hit enemies at range. This attack also hits twice.
• The beginning of NA3 has an auto-guard from the front.

Weapon Action

Icon	Stat	Photon Blade	Fanatic Blade	Counter Edge
	Potency	90 x 2	36 x (4, 6)	500
	PP Recovery	1.5 x 2	1.5 x (4, 6)	0

Fire two Photon Blades at the enemy, with a 1 second cooldown.

Photon Blade

• You can fire the blades while using any movement action (jumping, gliding, photon dash, etc.). You will continuously fire the blades while holding the Weapon Action button as well.
• Cooldown is increased to 2 seconds if any sort of attack is performed during the 1 second cooldown.
• Damage reduced by 1/4th if used in a multiweapon setup with the other weapon unsheathed.
• Cannot be used during Sidestep Attacks, NAs, and PAs.
• Does not cause the enemy to flinch when they are hit.

Fanatic Blade

• Active skill that increases damage and attack speed of the Photon Blades for 15 seconds, with a 60 second cooldown. Learning Fanatic Blade Augment increases the amount of blades sent out per level of the skill (level 1 sends out 4, level 2 sends out 6).
• Deals high damage-per-second when active. This can be further increased using the add-on skill Encore Jump to constantly jump on the enemy while firing blades.
• Can still be affected by the aforementioned 2 second cooldown.

Blade Arts Parry Counter Edge

• Successfully guarding an attack with Blade Arts Parry during a PA creates a massive Photon Blade that drops directly onto the enemy. Can only be performed once per PA (as Blade Arts Parry can only be used once as well).
  • Can hit enemies at a distance as long as they are targeted.
• You can perform a high-damaging but difficult counter by guarding an attack with Blade Arts Parry, then quickly pressing Sidestep to dodge the same attack. The Parry's hitlag is essentially the time you want to press Sidestep.

Universal Actions

Action	Potency	PP Recovery
Sidestep Attack	95 x 2	4 x 2
Sidestep Counter	260 x 2	7 x 2
Dash Attack	280	15
Dive Attack	200	0

• Sidestep Attack/Counter: After a Sidestep, press Normal Attack to slash the enemy twice instantly. If you dodge an enemy's attack with Sidestep, damage and PP recovery is increased.
  • You will remain in the air during Sidestep Counter.
• Dash Attack: Swing the Soaring Blades in a horizontal sweeping motion in front of you.
• Dive Attack: Nearly the same across all weapons. Dive deals damage to nearby enemies and restores no PP, and is mainly used to reach the ground faster.

Photon Blast

Fire enhanced Photon Blades at the enemy, then combine your Soaring Blades into a massive Photon Blade to then perform a powerful cleave.

• You will remain still during this Photon Blast. You can slightly adjust the horizontal direction of the Photon Blades, but they will not home onto the enemy.
  • As a result, it can perform poorly against enemies that move fast or vertically.
• You can adjust the horizontal direction of the cleave, even to hit an enemy behind you.
• The Photon Blades have a wide hitbox, making it effective against groups of enemies. This can be a downside, as it can cause them to hit unwanted parts of an enemy.
• Like all Photon Blasts, you are invincible during its animation.
• Potency Notation: Deals 180% x 18 hits (Photon Blades) + 960% (cleave).

Photon Arts

Destructive Stork

Icon	Name	Stat	Lv.1	Description
	Destructive Stork	Potency	900	Soaring Blades Photon Art. Mows down nearby enemies and unleashes an additional Photon Blade attack. Pressing the PA button again during the attack will change it.
		PP	25

• On single tap, spin your blades around you in the first half, and summon Photon Blades to spin around you in the second half. On double tap, rotate your blades upward, then downward.
  • You cannot double tap once you reach the second half of single tap (once the Photon Blades spin).
  • You can move in any direction during the first half of the single tap if you are not locked on to an enemy; if you are locked on, you will instead move towards the enemy. You will stay in place on the second half of the single tap, as well as during the double tap.
• Double tap, if used on the ground, will slightly rise you. If used in the air, you will instead stay at the same height. If you are targeting an enemy, you will continue to rise until you are above the enemy.
• Single tap is most effective against groups of enemies.
• Provides super armor during double tap, and invincibility during the transition to double tap.
• Can be canceled anytime on the single tap's first half with Sidestep, and between spins on second use with Sidestep, PA, Normal Attack, or Jump.
• Potency Notation: The single tap's first half deals 6% x 5 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 8.75% x 8 hits. The double tap deals 6% x 7 hits on the upward rotation, and 9% x 7 hits on the downward rotation.

Rampaging Harrier

Icon	Name	Stat	Lv.1	Description
	Rampaging Harrier	Potency	1270	Soaring Blades Photon Art. Unleashes a combo slash attack and then causes numerous Photon Blades to rain down on the enemy. Pressing the PA button again during the attack will change it.
		PP	35

• On single tap, slash multiple times in the first half, then rain Photon Blades on the enemy in the second half. On double tap, direct the Photon Blades towards the enemy.
  • You cannot double tap once you reach the second half of single tap (Photon Blade rain).
  • You will slowly move forward in the single tap's first half, and you can briefly move in any direction before attacking in double tap.
  • On both single tap's second half and double tap, the Photon Blades will initially direct themselves to the enemy if you are targeting or locking onto them.
• Main damage PA for Soaring Blades due to its total damage and Sidestep Counter cancel opportunities.
• Provides invincibility during the transition to double tap.
• Can be canceled during the first half of single tap with Sidestep.
• Potency Notation: The single tap's first half deals 6% x 2 hits + 10% x 2 hits + 11% x 2 hits + 16% of noted potency, and the second half deals 3% x 10 hits. The double tap deals 8% x 4 hits.

Roaring Pheasant

Icon	Name	Stat	Lv.1	Description
	Roaring Pheasant	Potency	1200	Soaring Blades Photon Art. Releases a powerful strike after charging forward with vertical slashing attacks. Pressing the PA button again during the attack will change it.
		PP	30

• On single tap, spin and slash while moving towards the enemy in the first half, then perform a single powerful slash in the second half. On double tap, lock into place and spin rapidly.
  • You cannot double tap once you reach the second half of single tap (stationary spin).
  • Single tap's first half will "store" missed hits that will then be unleashed when hitting the enemy.
  • You cannot change the direction you are spinning in the single tap's first half, but you can change the direction of the slash in the second half.
• In double tap, if you are locked onto an enemy while in the air and hold the backwards input key, you will quickly descend.
• Provides super armor, and invincibility during the transition to double tap.
• Can be canceled at any time in the single tap's first half and at the beginning of the second half with Sidestep. Can be canceled halfway through the second tap with Sidestep.
• Potency Notation: The single tap's first half deals 4.3% x 12 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 48.4%. The double tap deals 5.6% x 14 hits.

Raving Falcon

Icon	Name	Stat	Lv.1	Description
	Raving Falcon	Potency	900	Soaring Blades Photon Art. Unleashes a monster shockwave along with a combo slash. Pressing the PA button again during the attack will change it.
		PP	26

• On single tap, send out 4 shockwaves using your blades in the first half, then a cross shockwave in the second half. On double tap, rush towards the enemy and perform a slash.
  • You cannot double tap once you reach the second half of single tap (when you prepare the cross shockwave).
  • You can slowly move in any direction before the single tap's second half.
• The shockwaves in the single tap have good range. You can also target and hit enemies almost anywhere, and you can turn somewhat quickly. This makes the PA quite effective for tracking moving or hard to hit enemies that Rampaging Harrier would struggle with.
• Double tap can track enemies slightly above you, allowing you to gain some height.
• Provides super armor for double tap. Unlike other Soaring Blades PAs, this PA does not provide invincibility during the transition to double tap.
• Can be canceled after the first shockwave and before the second half with Sidestep.
• Potency Notation: The single tap's first half deals 15% x 4 hits of noted potency, and the second half deals 20% x 2 hits. The double tap deals 20% x 2 hits.

Reference

PSO2 NGS Japanese Swiki: Soaring Blades PAs and Actions