Welcome to this guide on air cancelling. This is usually one of the very first 'advanced' mechanics taught to new players under the instruction: “attack and press space”. Veteran players use it all the time and one should aim to be able to perform this technique almost without fail. Read on!

Why bother learning this technique anyway, you're probably wondering. Well there are 2 big reason below, along with the fact they are pretty cool when you get used to performing them.

• Elevation and Spacing/Angling - Allows for the tracer to gain some elevation and be positioned in different places not normally achievable.
  
  The elevation helps as now you do not need to constantly look up to hit some jumping players with certain attacks i.e. Phalanx's HLT1.
  
  This also helps with spacing i.e. Judgement using F2T2 attacking over a Phalanx heavy left (assuming the phalanx player does not look up, which would aim the tracer up). Another good example is using F3T2 on phalanx and looking up which allows one to jump over the enemy player or sniping people.
  
  
• More multihits - Manipulating the tracer so that more of it goes through the opponent's body[hitbox] allows for more multihits with certain moves.

It is easier to learn air cancels by learning how to perform them for a charged attack first, so let's begin with that and then move onto uncharged attacks:

• Charged Attack - While charging your attack as normal, press space riiiight before releasing the attack. The timing between pressing space and releasing is very small, but the jump comes first.
  
  
• Tier 3 Attack - Press jump riiiiight as the charge pops, the timing is again very small (too soon and you will perform an air attack instead). The attack button is not released when performing a tier 3 air cancel. This is a tricky to get consistent.
  
  
• Instant Air Cancels - Now for instants. Do the same as for a charged attack but now, charge the attack for shorter and shorter and shorter periods, eventually until you're not really charging it anymore.
  

More specific uses will be discussed on a per character basis for each of their moves below. Unless stated otherwise, all the attacks are by default air cancelled. The application is left as an exercise for the player.

Fast Stance

• F1 - Catch jumping players better.
  
• F2T2 & F2T3 - Attack over a low tracer and can be used to jump over the opposing player.

Balanced Stance

• B1T3 - Can jump over low sweeping tracers.
  
• B2T1 - Can go over some low tracers. Can go over block. Also, to prevent other Judgement players from using an air cancelled B2 to attack over one’s own B2 if not looking up as one was busy judging distance by looking down charging B1.
  
• B2T2 – Can go around block easier.
  
• BRT1 – Go around block easier.

Heavy Stance

• H1 - Looking up and turned the other way, the tracer can be used to parry some incoming attacks before turning and hitting.
  
• H3 - Looking down and turned the other way, the tracer can be used to parry some incoming attacks before turning and hitting.

Fast Stance

• F1 - An air attack can be used right after if one looks up while performing the attack.
  
• F3T2 - Can be used to jump over the enemy player if close enough and looking up and out snipe a lot of moves.
  
• Fast sides - Can be side cancelled into a side air of the opposite direction.

Balanced Stance

• B1 - Moves back slightly more distance if the backwards movement key is held down.
  
• B3 - Be careful of missing as the tracer is naturally quite high.

Heavy stance

• Heavy sides - Prevent enemy players from attacking over the tracer.

Fast Stance

• F1 – Looking to the side, the tracer can go over block.
  
• F4 – Can be used to go around the opposing player when looking to the right or left. Can go over the opposing player when looking up.

Balanced Stance

• BRT1 – Go over/around block easier.
  
• BLT2/B2T2 – Better chance to hit and harder dodge.

Heavy Stance

• H2T2 – Be careful of missing as the tracer is naturally aimed high.

Fast Stance

• F2T1 – Lets one attack the top right of the opposing player quicker than most other moves in game to begin a combo and avoid a punish from the other player.

Balanced Stance

• B2T1 – Can go over the opposing player/blocks and over attacks. When feinted, using katana, it can be used to go over block.
  
• B3T1 – For max damage and to avoid getting punished by the opposing player.

Heavy Stance

• H2T2 – Can be used to parry incoming air attacks by attacking over them.

Below is some specifics about air cancelling which is not meant to be exhaustive. It does have some important information, but is not critical so you could skip it for now if you would like and return to it later.

1. Air cancelling with rapier will sometimes do less damage compared to normally attacking.
   
   This is because the tracer, while air cancelling, might need to be manipulated into a different position to land the attack i.e. looking slightly downward rather than being straight.
   
   
2. Air cancelling and shuffle jumping can be combined using the charged attack method described above.
   
   After landing while performing a shuffle jump, and the attack is still being charged, you can press space riiiight before releasing the attack.
   
   The same is for a shuffle air cancel without a jump. Can also be used at the end of a roll without delay.
   
   
3. Air cancelling a side attack which has a short animation allows for one to side cancel into an air attack while still in the air.
   
   For example, phalanx can air cancel FR and immediately used air left, and this is also used with Ryoku to attack past block with FL and air right. A consequence of this is that you will need to wait for your character to land if you don't want to use an air attack.
   
   
4. When out parried while air cancelling, one is in the air and this may affect the hit stun one receives. This also affects the amount of the tracer that will pass through the hitbox and can increase the damage one receives.
   
   
5. This often helps to parry incoming air attacks as the tracer is higher up but the timing is more difficult.

Hope this helped you in some way. If you have any suggestions/notice a mistake etc. let me know below.

If you are new, you may want to consider starting here first and check out the other guides on
shuffle jumping and side cancelling, if you haven’t already.