Double Butterfly (DBF): two slashes in one jump

The Double Butterfly (DBF) is the Butterfly with two slashes in the same jump. Its job is trapping: once you have cornered someone, DBF keeps the pressure on without giving them room to leave.

Before you start: the plain Butterfly has to be automatic. That is not gatekeeping — DBF adds exactly one new element, and if the rest still needs your attention you will not be able to isolate what is going wrong.

The sequence

If you skip step 5, it is still a valid DBF — two slashes in one jump. And that is exactly how you should learn it: no dash at all, just jump → slash → block → slash → block.

Mistake number one is invisible

The most common DBF mistake throws no error on screen. It disguises itself:

Dashing before the first slash.

If you dash before slashing, you performed a regular Butterfly — with a single slash — and probably did not notice, because it looks similar. The motion flows, it looks clean, and you think you are doing DBF.

Diagnose it by ear: two slash sounds per jump means it worked. One sound means you dashed early.

The fix: jump, slash, and do not touch any direction key until the first block is done.

Why the second slash exists

This is where most guides get it wrong, English ones included.

A slash in the air locks out further aerial slashes — that is why you normally only slash once per jump. What unlocks it is the block: the instant your guard goes up, the game clears that lock and frees the next slash.

So the entire engine behind the butterfly, in one sentence:

Slashing in the air locks further slashes; blocking unlocks them instantly; releasing the block unlocks the dash; and slashing gives the dash back. The block is the engine — the dash is just movement.

Two things people repeat that are false:

• “The dash cancels the block.” It does not exist. While you are blocking, the dash is simply ignored. The block ends when you release the key.
• “You only get one air dash per jump.” Also false. There is no dash counter in the game; every slash returns your dash. A regular Butterfly does not “spend” anything.

The proof that the block is the engine: Triple and Quadruple Butterfly are documented with no dash at all — three and four slashes in a single jump. If the dash were what unlocked the extra slash, they would be impossible.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Note
Dashing before the first slash	Mistake number one, and the most invisible. It becomes a regular Butterfly
Blocking late	The sword’s return animation plays out and you hang in the air finishing the swing
Holding the block	Dashing is forbidden while guarding and the second cycle is lost
Trying it before BF is automatic	You cannot isolate what is failing
Using DBF to close distance	It is worse than BF at that. Enter with BF, trap with DBF
Repeating DBF into a turtler	Every successful block charges a Massive for them
Dagger or greatsword	They cannot block. No block, no butterfly

Also ignore two forum claims: that “taking too long triggers a roll instead of a dash” (with a sword out, rolling is impossible — rolls belong to firearms) and that “jumping too high wastes your air time” (jump height is fixed, and air time is precisely the resource that allows extra cycles).

How to train

1. Phase 1 — Butterfly against a wall, 20 clean reps. Confirms the base.
2. Phase 2 — DBF with no dash: jump → slash → block → slash → block. This phase isolates the one new thing you are learning. Classic target: 100 reps without breaking.
3. Phase 3 — add the dash between the first block and the second slash. Check by ear.
4. Phase 4 — against a target, confirming that both slashes connect.
5. Phase 5 — Gladiator, a pure sword environment.
6. Phase 6 — duels, with one specific goal: use DBF only when the opponent is cornered.

When to use it

Close range and pressure, not approach. DBF shines when the target is stuck against a corner, wall or platform and you want to keep the hitstun chained without giving space.

Do not use it to cross the map or to open from range — Butterfly and Slash Shot are better for that.

If it feels broken, it’s probably not you

Since the relaunch there have been reports of inputs registering inconsistently. The sequence has not changed; what fluctuates for some players is registration. Check the status page and the settings guide before assuming it is a lack of skill.

What comes next

With BF and DBF in hand, the path leads to the Slash Shot — the bridge between sword and gun, and the base of nearly all competitive play.

The community video guide has a section on DBF (the link opens at the right point), and K-Style from zero gives you the full map.