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Controls are based on the PS3.
These are based on my ancient, rough notes. Some stuff might be a little off though I've done quick tests on almost everything and didn't see any different results. Still a few more things to check.
I'll post in segments because it's quite long.
Groggy Status
-This is a stun/dizzy state where you can instantly kill a zombie by decapitating them.
-Pom-pom strikes and other non-chainsaw attacks build this up.
-You can't see any indicator of how much you've built up.
-Butt Attack, Dropkick, and Nick Ticket moves cause it instantly.
Sparkle Hunting
-If you catch 3 or more groggy zombies with a chainsaw attack, they'll all be killed at once, resulting in a Sparkle Combo.
-Only chainsaw attacks can cause this (and Chainsaw Blaster though only to a max of 3).
-The more zombies you catch (max in one combo is 7) the more gold and platinum medals you'll receive. This is the only way to get platinum medals.
-It's possible to get a Sparkle Combo with just chainsaw attacks on non-groggy zombies if they had low enough health to be killed by the chainsaw attack.
Star Soul Mode
(Press R2 when meter is full)
-Meter fills by killing zombies or collecting the star item.
-Complete invincibility.
-Instant decapitation on all non-boss zombies.
-The instant kill property does not affect Chainsaw Blaster.
Dismembering Zombies
Some zombies can be dismembered. Losing arms seems to be no more than an HP indicator, as the basic ones don't lose any of their arm attacks and can still grab. But the baseball player will lose his bat if you take both arms. Many of the more powerful types can't be dismembered at all.
When I refer to 'basic' zombies, I mean the ones that are just students/regular civilians, as opposed to the tough ones like cheerleaders, cops, dancers, fat types, hazmat, footballers, etc. Eventually I'll produce an enemy specifics list for this kind of stuff.
Losing legs causes a big change as they can only crawl. Without going too much into enemy specifics at this point, there is another zombie type that undergoes a massive change when her legs are cut off.
Low chainsaw attacks directly target the legs, but it's possible to attack the legs with high chainsaw attacks. The basic zombies have a jumping, one handed attack. It you intercept this with a regular chainsaw strike, you can cut off their legs in mid-air.
Types of knockdown for Juliet
Hard knockdown
Smashed to the ground. Requires mashing X to get up faster.
Air recover
Juliet gets knocked off her feet and flies back a little, then flips in mid-air and lands on her feet. This has nothing to do with the player, rather the type of attack you were hit with.
When Juliet is grabbed
(Regular zombies only)
When grabbed, immediately hitting C will break it and you won't take damage. Juliet will knock the zombie down leaving it free for down attack follow ups.
If C is not pressed, the zombie will begin biting her. You have another chance to get them off by mashing C. If you don't, the zombie will push Juliet to the ground and keep biting. From here, mash C to get them off. Juliet will spring up, knocking the zombie down.
Behind grab
Functions the same.
Pile Up
If taken to the ground as detailed above, and other zombies are nearby, they will pile up on Juliet. Mash C to escape. Requires 4 zombies.
Standing multi-zombie grab
When grabbed while standing, and other zombies are nearby, they will surround Juliet and all grab her at once. Mash C to escape. Requires 3 zombies.
When Juliet breaks out, she'll do a spinning chainsaw attack that knocks them all down.
Crawler grab
Press C to escape. Juliet will stomp them.
Weapon Clashing
Some zombies have weapons and you can get into a clash with them. Mash the button onscreen to win.
Clashes appear to be random.
Exploding Barrels
-There are two types: Red (explosive) and blue (freeze).
-Explosive damages and kills zombies and freeze freezes them in ice and allows for instant decapitation.
-Red barrel explosions will hurt Juliet, but blue ones don't affect her at all.
Basic Attacks
Pom-pom bash/Cheerleader Chain
(press S up to 6 times)
-Requires upgrades to add more strikes.
-Lower damage than chainsaw strikes, but faster.
-Used for making zombies groggy (dizzy/stun state allowing for instant kills).
-Final hit knocks down most zombies.
-Cannot hit crawling zombies.
Homing Attack
(S when near an enemy)
This is the first hit of Pom-Pom Bash. Juliet will zip toward an enemy from a short distance. Distances increases with upgrades.
Zombie Grab
(S then C)
This is an extension to the first Pom-Pom Bash strike.
-Grabs a zombies and smashes them into the ground, putting them in a downed state.
-Grab animation and is different depending on zombie type.
-Complete invincibility while the grab is in progress.
-Has an AoE that knocks down nearby enemies.
-Can't grab bosses.
Chainsaw Strikes/Chainsaw Chain
(T for high and X for low strikes)
-Requires upgrades to add more strikes.
-High is 8 hits, low is 2.
-You start with the two low attacks. They aren't part of Chainsaw Chain which is the main T string.
-Can dismember zombies.
-First hit of the low strike is the fastest chainsaw strike in the game.
-Chainsaw Attacks can't make zombies groggy.
-Slower than pom-pom strikes, but more damage.
-Any chainsaw attack will instantly decapitate a groggy zombie.
Dodge
(Press C up to three times)
-You can dodge three times in a row. Final dodge has slower recovery.
-Has i-frames but doesn't work on every attack. Does work on the majority though.
-Cancels pom-pom and chainsaw strikes.
-Special moves cannot be canceled by dodging (they can be canceled with Nick Tickets though).
-You can dodge on the spot by not entering a direction. There won't be any lag after three but not very useful.
Dodge Extensions
There are various actions that can be done after dodging.
Dropkick
-Sends a zombie flying backward and instantly makes them groggy if they hit a wall.
-If it misses, Juliet will fall to the ground and have to go through the recovery animation.
-Some enemies cannot be dropkicked at all or while they're using certain attacks that give them armor.
-You can kick in any direction. You can even kick without moving in any direction by pressing the direction you want to kick in plus S at the same time.
-If no direction is pressed, Juliet will kick in the direction she's facing.
Lollipop Stab
(C, then X in mid-air)
-After dodging, Juliet will come down and stab into the down or crawling zombie.
-A button prompt will appear. Mash for as long as it takes to kill the zombie.
-It doesn't matter how much health the zombie has, it will just take longer.
-If you don't press anything, the attack still proceeds, just not as fast.
-Has a good degree of homing. You don't have to be right on top of the zombie.
-Everything freezes while performing this move so you can't be hurt.
-Though designed for downed or crawlers, it can still hit standing zombies and cause hit-stun, though its use is limited as far as I have tested.
This is getting into enemy specifics, which I don't want to do at this point, but it will instantly destroy Zed's speakers, even the triple stacked ones.
Leapfrog and Extensions
(C when close to an enemy)
-Juliet puts her hands on the zombie's shoulders and vaults over them.
-Can cancel many enemy attacks. When Juliet vaults over, they get stunned briefly. This stops what they were doing.
-Doing Leapfrog on a groggy zombie will cancel the groggy state.
Split Kick
-This is part of Leapfrog and happens automatically.
-As she hops over, she does splits which kicks out to the left and right. This knocks down any nearby zombies it connects with.
Body Bash
(After Leapfrog, press S)
-Juliet flies through the air in a horizontal position and can smash down a group of zombies.
-Although this ability is named 'Body Bash', she will do different attacks like a flying kick depending on zombie type.
Lollipop Split
(Press Y when landing after Leapfrog, then continue to mash Y)
-Juliet will begin cutting the zombie in half from the opposite side after landing.
-Like Lollipop Stab, you must mash Y.
-Everything freezes while doing this so you cannot be hurt.
-Only kills the zombie if they have taken a certain amount of damage.
-If done on a full health zombie, Juliet will simply do a quick upward cut.
Jumping Stab
(C, then press T repeatedly)
-Done from a dodge by pressing T in mid-air.
-Juliet hovers while stabbing ahead and diagonally multiple times.
-Has great homing.
-When you connect, zombies will stagger back but Juliet will keep following while stabbing.
-Great for closing distance.
-You don't have to do all the stabs. You can just tap T once for a single strike, or up to four times to get all the stabs.
-Can hit crawlers.
Butt attack and Extensions
(Hold S, then release)
-Instant groggy state on any zombie type except crawlers which it misses.
-Juliet flies forward with her ass. Recovery if it misses is nasty.
Chainsaw Extension
(Press T after Butt Attack)
-Juliet does a small hop while turning to face the zombie and slashes downward.
-Very useful for decapitating single, powerful zombies.
-Slow recovery and can't be dodge canceled.
Pom-Pom Bash
-Butt attack links into this.
-Because it links straight into the first Pom-Pom hit, you have many options.
-You can go into the full Pom-Pom Bash string, dodge cancel for all dodge extension options like Dropkick, Leapfrog stuff, grab, or any special moves that start with Pom-Pom strikes.
Zombie Grab
Pressing dodge (C) right after Butt Attack will result in Zombie Grab just like if you did it from Pom-Pom Bash. Butt Attack takes over the usual Pom-Pom input.
Special Moves
-Cannot be canceled (except with Nick Tickets).
-Have long recovery.
-Very easy to be hit out of if you're not careful.
-Used for damage and Sparkle combos.
Which one you want to use depends on the situation such as distance and zombie position. Are they lined up, in a packed group, or spaced apart? Where the special move will leave you afterwards should also be considered. This applies for both damage and Sparkles. These moves tend to have long recovery so it can be dangerous to use them carelessly on non-groggy zombies.
These moves happen at the end of dial combos. Some start with pom-pom strikes, while others with a chainsaw slash before the move activates.
The latter may not be ideal on groggy zombies considering the first slash will decapitate before the actual special comes out, causing you you to catch less zombies in your Sparkle Combo. However, depending on the size of the group, this could be just fine, as after the Sparkle Combo ends you can still continue to input the command for the special move and get another Sparkle on the rest.
Most of these moves propel Juliet forward, meaning she can blast through a group of groggy zombies getting multiple Sparkles. Say you have a group of 20 zombies you just stunned with a Nick Ticket. The first slash will decapitate the ones at the edge of the group, getting a small Sparkle combo, then you enter the rest of the command and activate the special, and depending on the range and forward momentum, will plough into the group netting a larger combo. It all really depends on knowing the properties of each move and and observing the zombies' positions to maximize your Sparkle Combo.
Another option is to move away a few steps and whiff the first hits so only the special ploughs into the group.
Moves that start with pom-pom strikes are fine because they won't decapitate, allowing you to freely attack into a group and let loose a special.
You can even use pom-pom strikes to move zombies around a bit. Say you have one slightly apart from the others, the pom-pom strikes can be used to nudge it toward the others. The strikes you use here don't have to be part of the special command. You just use the regular string whenever to push them.
I will give a description of the moves and in what situations I found them useful like how good they are for Sparkle Combos.
Chainsaw Swing
(S,T)
-First hit of Pom-Pom Bash followed by a quick, upward chainsaw swing.
-Not really useful. Maybe if you have a single groggy zombie to decapitate but a single regular chainsaw strike would still achieve that faster.
Chainsaw Stab
(S,S,T)
-Two pom-pom strikes followed by a forward chainsaw thrust.
-Has good range in a straight line and some forward movement.
-Good for small groups or lines of zombies, but becomes less useful once you get better moves.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good, because it starts with two pom-pom strikes that won't trigger a Sparkle, then the stab comes out. If you're dealing with a groggy packed group it's decent, but you'll likely not use it much once you get the better moves.
Chainsaw Full Swing
(S,S,S,T)
-Three pom-pom strikes followed by a powerful, downward diagonal swing.
-Good for high damage in a single strike.
-Its range is much wider than it looks.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Very good. Like Chainsaw Stab, it starts with pom pom strikes, giving you a lot of positioning freedom. Range to the sides is wider than it looks. You can easily catch 5 zombies with this.
Chainsaw Paradise
S,S,S,S,T)
-Four pom-pom strikes followed by a wide, horizontal chainsaw swing.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Excellent. Best used on large groups. Pom-pom strikes leading up to the chainsaw part offer more freedom, letting you really plough into a group and net up to 7 zombies easily. This is my most used special move.
Holy Chainsaw
(S,S,S,S,T,T)
-This is the upgrade to Chainsaw Paradise.
-It adds two more parts after the first swing. It's hard to explain because she spins and flips.
-Huge forward movement. Keeps her safer than other moves due to this and the spinning attacks
-You can stop this move by not pressing T, so it doesn't interfere with Chainsaw Paradise.
Use in Sparkle
Excellent. The first part is still Chainsaw Paradise and the follow up attacks keep her moving into crowds for further Sparkle Combos.
Say there was a huge group you had just stunned with a Nick Ticket. Chainsaw Paradise would only hit the edge of the group, where Holy Chainsaw will keep ploughing through netting another Sparkle or more.
Chainsaw Drill
(T,T,S)
-Two chainsaw strikes, then Juliet flies forward in a spinning, drill-like motion.
-Huge forward movement.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good, but the first two strikes are chainsaw, so sometimes I like to whiff those then plough into a group with the drill attack. Depends on the size of the group. There are situations like with Holy Chainsaw where is the group is large enough with a lot of zombies further back, you could set up the same situation with a Nick Ticket and get maybe 2-3 smaller Sparkle Combos.
Chainsaw Strike
(T,T,X)
-Two chainsaw strikes followed by downward chainsaw strike that slams into the ground.
-Designed to hit crawlers and heavily damage them, but turns out it's useless for this.
-Since the first two strikes are high, they miss completely and the crawlers just interrupt.
-The final hit often misses too, going too far past the crawler.
-If perfectly spaced, you can whiff the first two hits and land the final, but by that time you could have killed it way faster with better options.
Use in Sparkle Combos
None that I know of. I will be revisiting some of these seemingly useless moves though.
Armadillo Spin
(X,X,S)
-Two low chainsaw strikes then Juliet spins forward vertically like a wheel.
-Has good forward movement.
-Hits crawlers.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Similar situation to Chainsaw Drill. Even though the attack appears quite vertical, it hits pretty far to the sides and catches surrounding zombies.
Brutal Cut
(X.X,T)
-Two low chainsaw slashes followed by rising slash.
-Very short range.
-Game description says it hits all parts of a zombie's body.
-Hits crawlers.
Use in Sparkle Combos
To be honest, I haven't used this move much. It doesn't do better in Sparkle combos than the good options. Need to go back and test it properly.
Maelstrom Spin
(X,S,S,S)
-All low spinning attack. After a quick low slash, Juliet spins low three times.
-Moves forward a decent distance.
-High rate of cutting off legs as it hits low multiple times.
-You don't have to do all the spins. Each S input is a spin. The last spin has a slow recovery, so I usually stop after the second one.
-Great for groups even if not groggy as it hits many times keeping zombies in hit-stun giving you a chance to get out and repeat.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good for crawlers. I'd use other options in standing groups though.
Jumping Stab
(C, then press T repeatedly)
-Done from a dodge by pressing T in mid-air.
-Juliet hovers while stabbing ahead and diagonally multiple times.
-Has great homing.
-When you connect, zombies will stagger back but Juliet will keep following while stabbing.
-Great for closing distance.
-You don't have to do all the stabs. You can just tap T once for a single strike, or up to four times to get all the stabs.
-Can hit crawlers.
Use in Sparkle
It's decent. You can catch 3 or 4.
I think that's it for special moves for now.
Chainsaw Tools
As you progress you'll get upgrades for the chainsaw. They're kind of like special moves but are tied to a resource and limited in use outside of specific tasks.
Chainsaw Dash
(Press R1)
-Mainly used for Chainsaw Dash segments but can be used outside of them. CD segments have fuel can pickups so you can dash continuously. Outside of those there are no fuel pickups. Once it runs out you have to wait for it to recharge.
-Can deflect certain projectiles. When you see the wind barrier, that's when you're protected (but haven't tested on every projectile.
-Knocks down most zombies (but haven't tested on all types).
-Does not decapitate groggy or frozen zombies.
As noted, I haven't deflected every projectile or knocked down every zombie type. Will add those to enemy specifics.
Chainsaw Dash Extensions
(Done during Chainsaw Dash)
Brake
(C)
Juliet will slide to a halt. This is just to get out of the dash.
Flip
(T)
Juliet will stop the dash by doing some kind of spinning flip. Looks flashy but doesn't do anything.
Lolli-O-Copter
(During Flip, press S in the air)
-Juliet will spin surrounded by a tornado.
-You can move it but it's a bit limited. Can't make sharp or 180 turns.
-Does not decapitate groggy zombies.
-Knocks down most zombies I've used it on but unsure if it does on all types.
Low Spin Slash
(S)
-Juliet will slide to a stop while spinning low.
-Doesn't actually function as a low attack.
-Decapitates groggy zombies.
Chainsaw Blaster
Controls
-Hold L2 to ready aim, then R2 to fire.
-Press S while ready to reload.
-Press X while ready to 180 turn.
-Left stick to move, right stick to aim.
-Hold 8 bullets in the chamber. Max of 36 can be held.
-You can dodge while aiming.
-Movement is limited to slowly walking back, forward and strafing. But you can still cancel and run around for better positioning.
-Reload automatically when you press the shoot button while empty.
-Any part of the zombie can be targeted.
-Can be used in Sparkle Combos, but only with three zombies since each shot can only hit a single zombie, so the Sparkle happens on the third.
-Ammo is replenished by pickups or purchasing from the shop.
-Necessary for flying zombies.
-Will detonate bomber zombies instantly.
-Great for red barrels.
-You can set aim to manual or auto. Auto targets the enter of the zombie's body.
Nick Tickets
(Click in the left stick to bring up the roulette, then press X to select.)
These are special moves that use the Nick Ticket item. Bringing up the roulette freezes the game, so you can't be interrupted. After selecting your move, a short scene will play introducing it.
-All Nick moves makes zombies groggy instantly.
-If you get the red X, you will fail and lose a ticket.
-There are certain situations where you can't use them, such as areas with fixed camera angles, mini-games, and some boss fights.
Nick Ticket Cancel
-You can use a Nick Ticket move to cancel the animations of most attacks. Some can't be canceled because for some reason you can't bring up the roulette during them.
-Useful if you use a special move with long recovery and find yourself in a bad position.
What can't be canceled?
-Dodge
-Dropkick
-Chainsaw Dash or any of its extensions.
-Can cancel Butt Attack at a certain point when she's boosting forward, but not the recovery if you miss.
-Leapfrog or any of its extensions.
I don't use this too often. Good to have but thing is if you were in a situation where you were facing a group, you likely wouldn't just special move into them put yourself at a disadvantage and take hits when you could have just blasted the whole group with a Nick Ticket from the start then wiped them all out while they're groggy.
Nick Ticket Moves
Nick Popper
-Chainsaw becomes a sort of gun similar to the blaster.
-Shoots out Nick's head, which knocks zombies down and makes them groggy.
-Basic movement the same as CB but no 180 turn.
-It's on a timer. A purple bar appears at the bottom of the screen.
-You can still dodge.
Use
-Good when it's all you have.
-Better used in small spaces, hallways, because it knocks zombies back which can scatter them.
-If you're in a larger space you can move around and knock zombies in the direction you want to attempt to get them closer together.
Nick Toss
-Juliet spins Nick's head on the end of rope of some sort and does some kind of cheerleader dance.
-Spins all around her constantly hitting surrounding zombies.
-She slowly walks forward but you can still control the direction.
-Is on a timer.
Use
-Best used in smaller spaces but is ok in more open ones because it doesn't send zombies flying.
-Not bad when it's all you have. You won't go back after getting Nick Shoot.
-On lower difficulties it can actually kill the zombies making it not so useful.
Nick Shoot
-Juliet kicks Nick like a soccer ball. He then ricochets off other zombies.
-Best Nick Ticket there is. Hits huge groups and is an instant move. No timer. No aiming required.
Use
I use it exclusively once unlocked. Works in any situation. You won't touch the other moves ever again.
Nick Shake
(Press S or T to shake Nick)
-Juliet shakes Nick's head and gold medals and lollipops come out.
-You can run while shaking and the animation is different.
-Can still use the 3x dodge.
-It's on a timer.
Use
Worthless really. I only ever used it to see what it did. If you need to waste a Nick Ticket for healing items then I'm sorry, but you suck ass. You barely get any medals either, unless you want to sit there by a shop buying tickets to generate more medals with it for hours.
Ok, I think that's all for what Juliet can do. I know I need to check a few little details though, so I'll edit those in later.
I have a few enemy specific notes but they're very rough and many points need more testing. Eventually I'll update this with a new section for them.
These are based on my ancient, rough notes. Some stuff might be a little off though I've done quick tests on almost everything and didn't see any different results. Still a few more things to check.
I'll post in segments because it's quite long.
Groggy Status
-This is a stun/dizzy state where you can instantly kill a zombie by decapitating them.
-Pom-pom strikes and other non-chainsaw attacks build this up.
-You can't see any indicator of how much you've built up.
-Butt Attack, Dropkick, and Nick Ticket moves cause it instantly.
Sparkle Hunting
-If you catch 3 or more groggy zombies with a chainsaw attack, they'll all be killed at once, resulting in a Sparkle Combo.
-Only chainsaw attacks can cause this (and Chainsaw Blaster though only to a max of 3).
-The more zombies you catch (max in one combo is 7) the more gold and platinum medals you'll receive. This is the only way to get platinum medals.
-It's possible to get a Sparkle Combo with just chainsaw attacks on non-groggy zombies if they had low enough health to be killed by the chainsaw attack.
Star Soul Mode
(Press R2 when meter is full)
-Meter fills by killing zombies or collecting the star item.
-Complete invincibility.
-Instant decapitation on all non-boss zombies.
-The instant kill property does not affect Chainsaw Blaster.
Dismembering Zombies
Some zombies can be dismembered. Losing arms seems to be no more than an HP indicator, as the basic ones don't lose any of their arm attacks and can still grab. But the baseball player will lose his bat if you take both arms. Many of the more powerful types can't be dismembered at all.
When I refer to 'basic' zombies, I mean the ones that are just students/regular civilians, as opposed to the tough ones like cheerleaders, cops, dancers, fat types, hazmat, footballers, etc. Eventually I'll produce an enemy specifics list for this kind of stuff.
Losing legs causes a big change as they can only crawl. Without going too much into enemy specifics at this point, there is another zombie type that undergoes a massive change when her legs are cut off.
Low chainsaw attacks directly target the legs, but it's possible to attack the legs with high chainsaw attacks. The basic zombies have a jumping, one handed attack. It you intercept this with a regular chainsaw strike, you can cut off their legs in mid-air.
Types of knockdown for Juliet
Hard knockdown
Smashed to the ground. Requires mashing X to get up faster.
Air recover
Juliet gets knocked off her feet and flies back a little, then flips in mid-air and lands on her feet. This has nothing to do with the player, rather the type of attack you were hit with.
When Juliet is grabbed
(Regular zombies only)
When grabbed, immediately hitting C will break it and you won't take damage. Juliet will knock the zombie down leaving it free for down attack follow ups.
If C is not pressed, the zombie will begin biting her. You have another chance to get them off by mashing C. If you don't, the zombie will push Juliet to the ground and keep biting. From here, mash C to get them off. Juliet will spring up, knocking the zombie down.
Behind grab
Functions the same.
Pile Up
If taken to the ground as detailed above, and other zombies are nearby, they will pile up on Juliet. Mash C to escape. Requires 4 zombies.
Standing multi-zombie grab
When grabbed while standing, and other zombies are nearby, they will surround Juliet and all grab her at once. Mash C to escape. Requires 3 zombies.
When Juliet breaks out, she'll do a spinning chainsaw attack that knocks them all down.
Crawler grab
Press C to escape. Juliet will stomp them.
Weapon Clashing
Some zombies have weapons and you can get into a clash with them. Mash the button onscreen to win.
Clashes appear to be random.
Exploding Barrels
-There are two types: Red (explosive) and blue (freeze).
-Explosive damages and kills zombies and freeze freezes them in ice and allows for instant decapitation.
-Red barrel explosions will hurt Juliet, but blue ones don't affect her at all.
Basic Attacks
Pom-pom bash/Cheerleader Chain
(press S up to 6 times)
-Requires upgrades to add more strikes.
-Lower damage than chainsaw strikes, but faster.
-Used for making zombies groggy (dizzy/stun state allowing for instant kills).
-Final hit knocks down most zombies.
-Cannot hit crawling zombies.
Homing Attack
(S when near an enemy)
This is the first hit of Pom-Pom Bash. Juliet will zip toward an enemy from a short distance. Distances increases with upgrades.
Zombie Grab
(S then C)
This is an extension to the first Pom-Pom Bash strike.
-Grabs a zombies and smashes them into the ground, putting them in a downed state.
-Grab animation and is different depending on zombie type.
-Complete invincibility while the grab is in progress.
-Has an AoE that knocks down nearby enemies.
-Can't grab bosses.
Chainsaw Strikes/Chainsaw Chain
(T for high and X for low strikes)
-Requires upgrades to add more strikes.
-High is 8 hits, low is 2.
-You start with the two low attacks. They aren't part of Chainsaw Chain which is the main T string.
-Can dismember zombies.
-First hit of the low strike is the fastest chainsaw strike in the game.
-Chainsaw Attacks can't make zombies groggy.
-Slower than pom-pom strikes, but more damage.
-Any chainsaw attack will instantly decapitate a groggy zombie.
Dodge
(Press C up to three times)
-You can dodge three times in a row. Final dodge has slower recovery.
-Has i-frames but doesn't work on every attack. Does work on the majority though.
-Cancels pom-pom and chainsaw strikes.
-Special moves cannot be canceled by dodging (they can be canceled with Nick Tickets though).
-You can dodge on the spot by not entering a direction. There won't be any lag after three but not very useful.
Dodge Extensions
There are various actions that can be done after dodging.
Dropkick
-Sends a zombie flying backward and instantly makes them groggy if they hit a wall.
-If it misses, Juliet will fall to the ground and have to go through the recovery animation.
-Some enemies cannot be dropkicked at all or while they're using certain attacks that give them armor.
-You can kick in any direction. You can even kick without moving in any direction by pressing the direction you want to kick in plus S at the same time.
-If no direction is pressed, Juliet will kick in the direction she's facing.
Lollipop Stab
(C, then X in mid-air)
-After dodging, Juliet will come down and stab into the down or crawling zombie.
-A button prompt will appear. Mash for as long as it takes to kill the zombie.
-It doesn't matter how much health the zombie has, it will just take longer.
-If you don't press anything, the attack still proceeds, just not as fast.
-Has a good degree of homing. You don't have to be right on top of the zombie.
-Everything freezes while performing this move so you can't be hurt.
-Though designed for downed or crawlers, it can still hit standing zombies and cause hit-stun, though its use is limited as far as I have tested.
This is getting into enemy specifics, which I don't want to do at this point, but it will instantly destroy Zed's speakers, even the triple stacked ones.
Leapfrog and Extensions
(C when close to an enemy)
-Juliet puts her hands on the zombie's shoulders and vaults over them.
-Can cancel many enemy attacks. When Juliet vaults over, they get stunned briefly. This stops what they were doing.
-Doing Leapfrog on a groggy zombie will cancel the groggy state.
Split Kick
-This is part of Leapfrog and happens automatically.
-As she hops over, she does splits which kicks out to the left and right. This knocks down any nearby zombies it connects with.
Body Bash
(After Leapfrog, press S)
-Juliet flies through the air in a horizontal position and can smash down a group of zombies.
-Although this ability is named 'Body Bash', she will do different attacks like a flying kick depending on zombie type.
Lollipop Split
(Press Y when landing after Leapfrog, then continue to mash Y)
-Juliet will begin cutting the zombie in half from the opposite side after landing.
-Like Lollipop Stab, you must mash Y.
-Everything freezes while doing this so you cannot be hurt.
-Only kills the zombie if they have taken a certain amount of damage.
-If done on a full health zombie, Juliet will simply do a quick upward cut.
Jumping Stab
(C, then press T repeatedly)
-Done from a dodge by pressing T in mid-air.
-Juliet hovers while stabbing ahead and diagonally multiple times.
-Has great homing.
-When you connect, zombies will stagger back but Juliet will keep following while stabbing.
-Great for closing distance.
-You don't have to do all the stabs. You can just tap T once for a single strike, or up to four times to get all the stabs.
-Can hit crawlers.
Butt attack and Extensions
(Hold S, then release)
-Instant groggy state on any zombie type except crawlers which it misses.
-Juliet flies forward with her ass. Recovery if it misses is nasty.
Chainsaw Extension
(Press T after Butt Attack)
-Juliet does a small hop while turning to face the zombie and slashes downward.
-Very useful for decapitating single, powerful zombies.
-Slow recovery and can't be dodge canceled.
Pom-Pom Bash
-Butt attack links into this.
-Because it links straight into the first Pom-Pom hit, you have many options.
-You can go into the full Pom-Pom Bash string, dodge cancel for all dodge extension options like Dropkick, Leapfrog stuff, grab, or any special moves that start with Pom-Pom strikes.
Zombie Grab
Pressing dodge (C) right after Butt Attack will result in Zombie Grab just like if you did it from Pom-Pom Bash. Butt Attack takes over the usual Pom-Pom input.
Special Moves
-Cannot be canceled (except with Nick Tickets).
-Have long recovery.
-Very easy to be hit out of if you're not careful.
-Used for damage and Sparkle combos.
Which one you want to use depends on the situation such as distance and zombie position. Are they lined up, in a packed group, or spaced apart? Where the special move will leave you afterwards should also be considered. This applies for both damage and Sparkles. These moves tend to have long recovery so it can be dangerous to use them carelessly on non-groggy zombies.
These moves happen at the end of dial combos. Some start with pom-pom strikes, while others with a chainsaw slash before the move activates.
The latter may not be ideal on groggy zombies considering the first slash will decapitate before the actual special comes out, causing you you to catch less zombies in your Sparkle Combo. However, depending on the size of the group, this could be just fine, as after the Sparkle Combo ends you can still continue to input the command for the special move and get another Sparkle on the rest.
Most of these moves propel Juliet forward, meaning she can blast through a group of groggy zombies getting multiple Sparkles. Say you have a group of 20 zombies you just stunned with a Nick Ticket. The first slash will decapitate the ones at the edge of the group, getting a small Sparkle combo, then you enter the rest of the command and activate the special, and depending on the range and forward momentum, will plough into the group netting a larger combo. It all really depends on knowing the properties of each move and and observing the zombies' positions to maximize your Sparkle Combo.
Another option is to move away a few steps and whiff the first hits so only the special ploughs into the group.
Moves that start with pom-pom strikes are fine because they won't decapitate, allowing you to freely attack into a group and let loose a special.
You can even use pom-pom strikes to move zombies around a bit. Say you have one slightly apart from the others, the pom-pom strikes can be used to nudge it toward the others. The strikes you use here don't have to be part of the special command. You just use the regular string whenever to push them.
I will give a description of the moves and in what situations I found them useful like how good they are for Sparkle Combos.
Chainsaw Swing
(S,T)
-First hit of Pom-Pom Bash followed by a quick, upward chainsaw swing.
-Not really useful. Maybe if you have a single groggy zombie to decapitate but a single regular chainsaw strike would still achieve that faster.
Chainsaw Stab
(S,S,T)
-Two pom-pom strikes followed by a forward chainsaw thrust.
-Has good range in a straight line and some forward movement.
-Good for small groups or lines of zombies, but becomes less useful once you get better moves.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good, because it starts with two pom-pom strikes that won't trigger a Sparkle, then the stab comes out. If you're dealing with a groggy packed group it's decent, but you'll likely not use it much once you get the better moves.
Chainsaw Full Swing
(S,S,S,T)
-Three pom-pom strikes followed by a powerful, downward diagonal swing.
-Good for high damage in a single strike.
-Its range is much wider than it looks.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Very good. Like Chainsaw Stab, it starts with pom pom strikes, giving you a lot of positioning freedom. Range to the sides is wider than it looks. You can easily catch 5 zombies with this.
Chainsaw Paradise
S,S,S,S,T)
-Four pom-pom strikes followed by a wide, horizontal chainsaw swing.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Excellent. Best used on large groups. Pom-pom strikes leading up to the chainsaw part offer more freedom, letting you really plough into a group and net up to 7 zombies easily. This is my most used special move.
Holy Chainsaw
(S,S,S,S,T,T)
-This is the upgrade to Chainsaw Paradise.
-It adds two more parts after the first swing. It's hard to explain because she spins and flips.
-Huge forward movement. Keeps her safer than other moves due to this and the spinning attacks
-You can stop this move by not pressing T, so it doesn't interfere with Chainsaw Paradise.
Use in Sparkle
Excellent. The first part is still Chainsaw Paradise and the follow up attacks keep her moving into crowds for further Sparkle Combos.
Say there was a huge group you had just stunned with a Nick Ticket. Chainsaw Paradise would only hit the edge of the group, where Holy Chainsaw will keep ploughing through netting another Sparkle or more.
Chainsaw Drill
(T,T,S)
-Two chainsaw strikes, then Juliet flies forward in a spinning, drill-like motion.
-Huge forward movement.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good, but the first two strikes are chainsaw, so sometimes I like to whiff those then plough into a group with the drill attack. Depends on the size of the group. There are situations like with Holy Chainsaw where is the group is large enough with a lot of zombies further back, you could set up the same situation with a Nick Ticket and get maybe 2-3 smaller Sparkle Combos.
Chainsaw Strike
(T,T,X)
-Two chainsaw strikes followed by downward chainsaw strike that slams into the ground.
-Designed to hit crawlers and heavily damage them, but turns out it's useless for this.
-Since the first two strikes are high, they miss completely and the crawlers just interrupt.
-The final hit often misses too, going too far past the crawler.
-If perfectly spaced, you can whiff the first two hits and land the final, but by that time you could have killed it way faster with better options.
Use in Sparkle Combos
None that I know of. I will be revisiting some of these seemingly useless moves though.
Armadillo Spin
(X,X,S)
-Two low chainsaw strikes then Juliet spins forward vertically like a wheel.
-Has good forward movement.
-Hits crawlers.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Similar situation to Chainsaw Drill. Even though the attack appears quite vertical, it hits pretty far to the sides and catches surrounding zombies.
Brutal Cut
(X.X,T)
-Two low chainsaw slashes followed by rising slash.
-Very short range.
-Game description says it hits all parts of a zombie's body.
-Hits crawlers.
Use in Sparkle Combos
To be honest, I haven't used this move much. It doesn't do better in Sparkle combos than the good options. Need to go back and test it properly.
Maelstrom Spin
(X,S,S,S)
-All low spinning attack. After a quick low slash, Juliet spins low three times.
-Moves forward a decent distance.
-High rate of cutting off legs as it hits low multiple times.
-You don't have to do all the spins. Each S input is a spin. The last spin has a slow recovery, so I usually stop after the second one.
-Great for groups even if not groggy as it hits many times keeping zombies in hit-stun giving you a chance to get out and repeat.
Use in Sparkle Combos
Good for crawlers. I'd use other options in standing groups though.
Jumping Stab
(C, then press T repeatedly)
-Done from a dodge by pressing T in mid-air.
-Juliet hovers while stabbing ahead and diagonally multiple times.
-Has great homing.
-When you connect, zombies will stagger back but Juliet will keep following while stabbing.
-Great for closing distance.
-You don't have to do all the stabs. You can just tap T once for a single strike, or up to four times to get all the stabs.
-Can hit crawlers.
Use in Sparkle
It's decent. You can catch 3 or 4.
I think that's it for special moves for now.
Chainsaw Tools
As you progress you'll get upgrades for the chainsaw. They're kind of like special moves but are tied to a resource and limited in use outside of specific tasks.
Chainsaw Dash
(Press R1)
-Mainly used for Chainsaw Dash segments but can be used outside of them. CD segments have fuel can pickups so you can dash continuously. Outside of those there are no fuel pickups. Once it runs out you have to wait for it to recharge.
-Can deflect certain projectiles. When you see the wind barrier, that's when you're protected (but haven't tested on every projectile.
-Knocks down most zombies (but haven't tested on all types).
-Does not decapitate groggy or frozen zombies.
As noted, I haven't deflected every projectile or knocked down every zombie type. Will add those to enemy specifics.
Chainsaw Dash Extensions
(Done during Chainsaw Dash)
Brake
(C)
Juliet will slide to a halt. This is just to get out of the dash.
Flip
(T)
Juliet will stop the dash by doing some kind of spinning flip. Looks flashy but doesn't do anything.
Lolli-O-Copter
(During Flip, press S in the air)
-Juliet will spin surrounded by a tornado.
-You can move it but it's a bit limited. Can't make sharp or 180 turns.
-Does not decapitate groggy zombies.
-Knocks down most zombies I've used it on but unsure if it does on all types.
Low Spin Slash
(S)
-Juliet will slide to a stop while spinning low.
-Doesn't actually function as a low attack.
-Decapitates groggy zombies.
Chainsaw Blaster
Controls
-Hold L2 to ready aim, then R2 to fire.
-Press S while ready to reload.
-Press X while ready to 180 turn.
-Left stick to move, right stick to aim.
-Hold 8 bullets in the chamber. Max of 36 can be held.
-You can dodge while aiming.
-Movement is limited to slowly walking back, forward and strafing. But you can still cancel and run around for better positioning.
-Reload automatically when you press the shoot button while empty.
-Any part of the zombie can be targeted.
-Can be used in Sparkle Combos, but only with three zombies since each shot can only hit a single zombie, so the Sparkle happens on the third.
-Ammo is replenished by pickups or purchasing from the shop.
-Necessary for flying zombies.
-Will detonate bomber zombies instantly.
-Great for red barrels.
-You can set aim to manual or auto. Auto targets the enter of the zombie's body.
Nick Tickets
(Click in the left stick to bring up the roulette, then press X to select.)
These are special moves that use the Nick Ticket item. Bringing up the roulette freezes the game, so you can't be interrupted. After selecting your move, a short scene will play introducing it.
-All Nick moves makes zombies groggy instantly.
-If you get the red X, you will fail and lose a ticket.
-There are certain situations where you can't use them, such as areas with fixed camera angles, mini-games, and some boss fights.
Nick Ticket Cancel
-You can use a Nick Ticket move to cancel the animations of most attacks. Some can't be canceled because for some reason you can't bring up the roulette during them.
-Useful if you use a special move with long recovery and find yourself in a bad position.
What can't be canceled?
-Dodge
-Dropkick
-Chainsaw Dash or any of its extensions.
-Can cancel Butt Attack at a certain point when she's boosting forward, but not the recovery if you miss.
-Leapfrog or any of its extensions.
I don't use this too often. Good to have but thing is if you were in a situation where you were facing a group, you likely wouldn't just special move into them put yourself at a disadvantage and take hits when you could have just blasted the whole group with a Nick Ticket from the start then wiped them all out while they're groggy.
Nick Ticket Moves
Nick Popper
-Chainsaw becomes a sort of gun similar to the blaster.
-Shoots out Nick's head, which knocks zombies down and makes them groggy.
-Basic movement the same as CB but no 180 turn.
-It's on a timer. A purple bar appears at the bottom of the screen.
-You can still dodge.
Use
-Good when it's all you have.
-Better used in small spaces, hallways, because it knocks zombies back which can scatter them.
-If you're in a larger space you can move around and knock zombies in the direction you want to attempt to get them closer together.
Nick Toss
-Juliet spins Nick's head on the end of rope of some sort and does some kind of cheerleader dance.
-Spins all around her constantly hitting surrounding zombies.
-She slowly walks forward but you can still control the direction.
-Is on a timer.
Use
-Best used in smaller spaces but is ok in more open ones because it doesn't send zombies flying.
-Not bad when it's all you have. You won't go back after getting Nick Shoot.
-On lower difficulties it can actually kill the zombies making it not so useful.
Nick Shoot
-Juliet kicks Nick like a soccer ball. He then ricochets off other zombies.
-Best Nick Ticket there is. Hits huge groups and is an instant move. No timer. No aiming required.
Use
I use it exclusively once unlocked. Works in any situation. You won't touch the other moves ever again.
Nick Shake
(Press S or T to shake Nick)
-Juliet shakes Nick's head and gold medals and lollipops come out.
-You can run while shaking and the animation is different.
-Can still use the 3x dodge.
-It's on a timer.
Use
Worthless really. I only ever used it to see what it did. If you need to waste a Nick Ticket for healing items then I'm sorry, but you suck ass. You barely get any medals either, unless you want to sit there by a shop buying tickets to generate more medals with it for hours.
Ok, I think that's all for what Juliet can do. I know I need to check a few little details though, so I'll edit those in later.
I have a few enemy specific notes but they're very rough and many points need more testing. Eventually I'll update this with a new section for them.
Last edited by Birdman on Fri Jan 20, 2023 3:36 pm; edited 4 times in total
