General Techniques

Dashing

Base X and Zero

You can dash jump at any time while simply holding dash - you do not need to re-press it. This saves the time of the starting a dash animation and/or a player consciously pressing dash-before-jump.

Invincibility Glitch

Zero's technique from Rainy Turtloid (down+special) has a glitched invincibility property. The move makes Zero briefly invulnerable, however it can be interrupted (typically by having whatever Zero is standing on go away).

If interrupted, the game "forgets" to make Zero vulnerable again. You can use this to make Zero immune until you either use the move again to completion, or something locks Zero into place (such as a boss gate).

This is similar to a Mighty Number 9 glitch using Beck's back-jump, and interrupting it by removing the ground he stands on. Unlike MN9, Zero can walk on spikes in this state.

This allows Zero to ignore damage from enemy contact, shots, and even spiked walls. It does not, however, prevent him from getting crushed (such as Metal Shark Player's stage).

Useful Locations

This move can be executed...

  1. In Commander Yammark's stage, standing at the edge of one of the bugs with platforms on their backs.
    • The slash will cause the bugs to curl up, removing the platform Zero is standing on
  2. In Wolfgang's stage, have Zero walk left towards off the first cliff in the stage, using the spin just as Zero gets to the edge.
    •  Zero's momentum will carry him off the edge, triggering the glitch. Look for Zero's sword to stop spinning at "2 o'clock"
  3. Metal Shark Player, any grey destroyable block
    • The easiest of these to pull off, just destroy the block. Be careful not to use the move again
  4. Gate 1
    • Just like Wolfgang's stage, use an icy ledge
  5. Gate Battle
    • One of Gate's attacks draws the player into it. Use that to pull Zero off a ledge, using the move just before being pulled off

Saber Dash Cancel (SDC)

Base Technique

Zero's base attack is a triple slash. Only the third attack grants enemies and bosses invincibility frames. As such, by dashing in between slashes 1 and 3, thereby "canceling" the combo, you can do immense amounts of damage.

With Guard Shell

X6's Guard Shell is pretty broken.

Guard Shell is Glitchy

I'm probably typing this wrong but it's gotta get written down - Cab

With Guard Shell out, Zero hits much more often with his saber (as in multiple times in one jump slash). This is useful to get through many stages slightly faster than usual.

More importantly, bosses take immense damage if they have something that "dinks" the attack.

(gif of turtloid and wolfgang just dying here)

Activating Guard Shell

You may need to switch between Z-Saber and Guard shell in the menu repeatedly while standing still to get this thing to work.