The King of Fighters XIV/Leona Heidern

Movelist

(*) = EX OK

(!) = MAX OK

Throws

Leona Crash (Forward) - / +

Leona Crash (Backward) - / ; +

Command Normals

Strike Arch - +

Special Moves

Moon Slasher - (charge) + / *

Baltic Launcher - (charge) + / *

Earring Bomb - / *

Grand Saber - (charge) + / *

Grand Saber (Follow Up) - after Grand Saber, +

X-Calibur - in air, / *

Desperation Moves

V-Slasher - in air, /  !

Slash Saber - /  !

Climax Desperation Move

Leona Blade - +

Quick Combo Reference

Quick Combo Reference

Notation Key (place notation here)

0 Meter	Anywhere Low, Anywhere Low, Anywhere	(Combo 1) = (damage number here) dmg (Combo 2) = (damage number here) dmg (Combo 3) = (damage number here) = 231 dmg
1 Meter	Corner Anywhere Low, Anywhere	(Combo 1) = (damage number here) dmg (Combo 2) = (damage number here) dmg (Combo 3) = (damage number here) dmg
2 Meters	Anywhere	(Combo 1) = (damage number here) dmg

Gameplay Overview

Leona is an excellent KOFXIV character with no major weaknesses. As of patch 2.0, her health was nerfed to 900 (along with Kula, Athena and Mai). Her damage was also toned down quite a bit as X-Calibur won’t combo from any air normal anymore, but overall her damage went down too. She still has an amazing set of normals and combo potential to take down anyone. Leona also has the fastest back roll in the game and a run animation so low that it runs under several pokes from the whole cast. She is execution-heavy with plenty of charge moves and tight cancels, but a strong character for anyone willing to learn her.

Strengths:

• Crazy damage
• cr.B links into cr.C, also acts as frametrap
• Complete set of great normals, both ground and air
• V-Slasher to punish for slip-ups
• Versatile, can be played defensively as well as rushdown
• Two instant overheads with big damage potential

Weaknesses:

• Bad meterless reversals
• Demanding execution
• Low health means she can be killed in one hit against certain anchors
• Somewhat low damage for 1-bar combos

Normals

Standing

• st. A - A good, fast poke. Will stuff hops too, but due to height, it doesn’t cover full jumps that well. No special or command move cancel. Suits well for MAX-cancels. Also has a super cancel.

• st. B - Slightly less range and height than her st.A. Cancel-wise it’s very similar to st.A. Due to input overlaps, it’s better to use st.A for super cancels.

• st. C - Best range out of all her ground normals barring s.CD. Advances her forward by a lot and is a fast move to throw out in hopes of a MAX or super cancel.

• st. D - Used pre-emptively it’s a fair antiair kick. Will whiff on crouchers unless you are close enough to prefer any other move instead of it.

Close

• cl. A - Despite the animation being a higher standing punch than st.A, it will still hit crouchers. Very quick and has a special and command move cancel. Slightly plus on block.

• cl. B - A standing low kick. Other than being low, it doesn’t have much use due to being lesser to cl.A.

• cl. C - A somewhat slow heavy normal that hits twice. The most important thing that cl.C does is forcing opponents to stand up. Which means it’s one of the best normal to go for after MAX-cancel. Both hits have all possible cancels. As of 2.0 with the MAX run speeds unified, cl.C has become consistent to go for in combos.

• cl. D - A two-hit knee attack, either hit is cancelable to ground moves despite the animation. Good for hitconfirming although you will be left minus on block.

Crouching

• cr. A - A good fast crouching jab that has a whiff cancel into itself and both B-normals! Slightly plus on block.

• cr. B - The fastest normal Leona has, tied with cr.C. This great low also links into cr.C on hit. Does not cancel into command moves, but otherwise has every cancel. A cornerstone poke for every Leona-player.

• cr. C - Fast, crouching uppercut swipe that links from cr.B, which is huge. Huge recovery on whiff or if left uncanceled. Do not use unless it hits in which case it’s a great move. Works as an antiair.

• cr. D - By itself it’s a standard sweep, but lacking in the cancel department. You can only MAX cancel from this which is somewhat of a waste on hit. Do not whiff.

Jumping

• j. A - One of the best aerial normals in the game. This move will hit crouching opponents as an instant overhead. In addition to that the hitbox is wide and fast enough to be used as an occasional crossup and air-to-air. Special and super cancel. As of 2.0 will no longer combo into X-Calibur.

• j. B - For straight up air-to-air situations j.B is the better choice with a long and fast horizontal reach. Special and super cancel.

• j. C - Her best jump-in with the chunkiest crossup hitbox. Has a special and super cancel too.

• j. D - Leona’s least useful jumping move, but possesses the same cancels as the rest. Hits slightly further horizontally than j.C which might make it useful in some cases. Will only rarely crossup.

• nj.D - Leona has two instant overheads, this one does more damage, but has to be used up close. As of 2.0 will no longer combo into X-Calibur so you need to opt for V-Slasher instead.

Blowback

• st. CD - A long-reaching hand stab. Longest range out of any ground normals and it has a whiff cancel. Avoid using it without a cancel into D Grand Saber, which makes it quite safe and gives a combo on hit.

• j. CD - Leona does a glowing kick which in line with other j.CDs does major blockstun. On counterhit you can go for D Grand Saber into C Moon Slasher.

Throws

Leona Crash (Forward) - (b/f+C) close

• The “Apple Juice” throw. Soft knockdown. In the corner depending on the opponent and hop normal used, you can make their reversal whiff for a big punish.

Leona Crash (Backward) - (b/f+D) close

• A basic backward throw with no significant properties. Soft knockdown.

Command Moves

Strike Arch - (f+B)

• Leona’s infamous overhead that knocks down on normal hit for another one. If done raw it will not cancel into anything, not even MAX since she’s considered airborne.

• Canceling any normal into Strike Arch will make it lose the overhead and knockdown property but gain special cancels (in the air). This is part of her main combo routes.

Special Moves

Moon Slasher - (charge briefly down then up + A/C)

• Moon Slasher is Leona’s “flash kick”-type of move. In this game it isn’t a proper reversal outside of EX and more of a combo ender. Super canceling Moon Slasher requires you to go from qcb to upback and all the way half-circle forward to get the cancel into Slash Sabre.

• A: The light version is pretty lackluster with no invulnerability. Can still work as an anti-air and has super cancel too.

• C: Heavy version has some invulnerability but it doesn’t last long enough to cleanly beat anything. Occasionally you might get away with this as a reversal. This is also one of her main combo moves to use after D Grand Saber.

EX: As previously mentioned, EX Moon Slasher is a proper reversal. Outside of that it’s mostly for better damage.

Baltic Launcher - (charge briefly back, then towards + A/C)

• Another staple Leona move that has her creating a whirlwind ball in front of her. Despite being one of her trademark moves, it doesn’t see much use in high-level matches. It has a slow startup and is beatable by long range lows. Mostly a hard read antiair, but it is annoying to deal with for people that aren’t familiar with Leona.

• A: Light version hits for 9 times and has a slower startup. Also hits crouching unlike C-version. It’s major advantage on block.

• C: Baltic Launcher does a whopping 12 hits at best and is even more plus than A-version but since, due to its height, it doesn’t hit crouching characters at all. It’s more like a pre-emptive antiair. Startup for this is actually a bit faster than light Baltic Launcher.

EX: Will whiff on crouchers except the big ones (Daimon, King of Dinosaurs, Xanadu, Chang, Maxima, Antonov, Verse). Can be used in combos, but there are better ones available.

Earring Bomb - (qcb + B/D)

• Another trademark move for Leona, she chucks her earring away that explodes on impact. Strangely she has an unlimited supply of explosive earrings. The move has a terrible startup, double most overheads in the game. Still if you find time to use it safely, it’s annoying to deal with. Good to occasionally use from fullscreen.

• B: Throws the earring in an arc that covers a bit over half a screen. It will bounce off the floor to go over fullscreen. Better version to use most of the time.

• D: Slightly slower than B version, Leona will also toss the earring further away. Right about a full screen’s length at which point it will still bounce from the floor.

EX: Very fast startup compared to normal versions. The flight arc is totally different too, it will fly at jump height first and the bounce is smaller than B-version’s. Length-wise it’s slightly further than B-version but doesn’t compare to D Earring Bomb. Combo tool and raw MAX party starter.

Grand Saber - (charge briefly back, then towards + B/D)

• Leona does a running slash attack with her hand. It can be used to cover distances, but has no added invulnerabilities or anything so it’s a risky move to throw out. Mostly a combo tool.

• B: The light Grand Saber has Leona dashing for half a screen, if there is no one in the way she’ll brake without a slash. Will combo from heavy normals. Punishable on block unless spaced safely.

• D: This is the preferred version in most cases as it’s even on block and can be comboed after. It’s too slow to combo from any normals other than CDs. Heavy Grand Saber has her run just a step short of fullscreen. Unless dodged by a well-timed jump back, she will always perform the slash. This version also has a special extension (f+D after D Grand Saber hits) which can be super canceled into V-Slasher.

EX: A mix of light and heavy version dealing a smidge more than both combined. It’s a great tool in combos, but also plus on block.

X-Calibur - (qcb + A/C)

• Leona swipes the air performing an X-shaped energy cross. This is her only aerial special, but luckily she has a lot of air special cancels to go for. The cross does not remove other projectiles, but will beat counter moves such as Geese’s or Angel’s. By pressing qcb~b+P you can perform low altitude X-Caliburs to build meter.

• A: Light X-Calibur has Leona jumping back from the attack, which is highly punishable if the opponent knows how to deal with it. This can also be super canceled into V-Slasher.

• C: Heavy X-Calibur has Leona sliding along with the cross. Done from a canceled Strike Arch (f+B), you get to extend with Moon Slasher. Surprisingly this is less minus on block, but it does usually leave Leona right next to them, guaranteeing a heavy punish still.

EX: This is essentially a bigger, better version of light X-Calibur. It’s similar to Benimaru’s EX air Raijinken however due to the jump back animation, Leona is left with lesser frames to work with. As Leona has a plethora of great EX moves, this is redundant.

Super Special Moves

V-Slasher - (qcf~hcb + A/C) in air

* Among all the iconic moves Leona has, V-Slasher is probably the ultimate. V-Slasher can only be performed from the air. After the super freeze, Leona will swoop in a 30-45° angle and upon connecting, she’ll draw out a flaming V-sign for big damage. This is a great move to throw against badly spaced projectiles and badly thought jumps. With enough meter, no one can contest Leona in the air. For Climax cancels it’s a waste to use MAX version as all V-Slashers deal 0 damage on the first hit(which is the one you need to cancel). All versions are heavily punishable on block.

• Depending on button strength she’ll either attack in a 45°(light) or about 30° (heavy) angle. The invulnerability in normal V-Slasher doesn’t last until active frames, but it is still a great move to blow through projectiles. 180 damage for a mistake.

Max: This is the V-Slasher to go for if you need to make a statement. Whopping 320 damage and invincibility to blow through almost anything as long as you can make contact. It only has one angle though. As noted before, do not use this for Climax cancels since it does no damage on the first hit.

Slash Sabre - (qcb~hcf + B/D)

• Leona does a fast running slash similar to her Grand Saber. On hit it’ll commence a fast back & forth Sabers into a final explosion which can be Climax canceled. Note that since Leona always ends up on the other side, you need to input the Climax cancel “backwards” too. It has a few invincibility frames at startup, but only upper-body invincibility during the charge. Enough to go through any normal standing projectile move (except Mature’s). Both are heavily punishable on block.

• Button strength does not affect the move in any way. Similar to V-Slasher, the first hit does no damage, which means you will not enjoy trades.

Max: Does more hits and more damage, also has a few more invincibility frames, but not enough to make a difference. Same 0-damage initial hit applies here.

Climax Super Special Moves

Leona Blade - (qcb~hcf + A+C)

• Leona imbues her hand with power and slashes at the opponent. From further away you’ll only get 180 damage, but it does reach fullscreen. If performed close enough for her hand to reach the target, she’ll juice it up with a big explosion doing 452 damage raw. Climax canceling this will always result in the full animation. Leona Blade has plenty of invulnerability, the most out of any of her attacks, but it is very punishable if blocked.

Combos

• Any bnb ending in [2]8+C (charge down then up+heavy kick) can be followed up with any amount of bar you want to spend with Slash Saber (EX) to Leona Blade or just Leona Blade. Input as 2147C 41236KK

Any combo where you end with V-Slasher, can be extended with Leona Blade or Advance canceled to Saber slasher. You can also EX V-Slasher for more damage.

Notation

Rush Auto Combo

Meterless: Leona does two punches into a jumpkick similar to her D Grand Saber extension, ending into a light X-Calibur. 121 damage. Worthless as Leona has so many better options.

1 Meter: Instead of X-Calibur it’s a V-Slasher. 223 damage which is less than what she does meterless light confirms.

EX: Instead of V-Slasher she does the MAX version resulting in 342 damage. Totally useless except maybe as a taunt.

0 meter

Anywhere

• (cr.B), cr.B, cr.A > charge d~u+C = (125/148 dmg)

(The most basic hitconfirm Leona can go for. If you know cr.A reaches and hate sweating, this is something you can always go for.)

• cr.B, cr.B, cr.A > f+B > j.qcb+C, charge d~u+C = (230 dmg)

(Easier version of her optimal light hitconfirm. Decent damage by itself, it’s only topped by the next combo.)

• cr.B, cr.B, cr.C > f+B > j.qcb+C, charge d~u+C = 271 dmg

(Possibly the best meterless hitconfirm in the game as Leona gets to go from light to heavy for big damage. The link may feel difficult due to the long time you actually have to wait before pressing cr.C.)

• s.CD > charge b~f+D, f+D/charge d~u+C = (177-198 dmg)

(Her CD conversion, it’s pretty good to always cancel into D Saber as it’s even on block and hard to deal with (can’t jump or mash in between). f+D extension is easier to do, while Moon Slasher is more damage.)

Corner

• s.CD > charge b~f+A, charge d~u+C = 224 dmg

(With the same logic as CD > D Saber is good, you can fish for A-Baltic Launcher in the corner. It’s heavily plus on block and you get a slightly better combo on hit.)

1 meter

Anywhere

• cr.B, cr.B, st.A/st.B [BC] cl.C(2) > qcb+BD, charge b~f+BD, charge d~u+C = (303/308 dmg) {1000 MAX}

(For all the damage Leona does, as a point she will not deal much with 1 bar.)

• cr.B, cr.B, st.A/st.B [BC] cl.C(2) > qcb+BD, charge b~f+BD, charge d~u+AC = (358-391 dmg) {1250&1500 MAX}

(The same combo ending in EX Moon Slasher is possible with mid and anchor spot and will deal significantly more damage depending on how deep you get the hit with Moon Slasher.)

2 meters

Corner

• cr.B, cr.B, st.A [BC] cl.D(2) > charge b~f+BD, qcb+BD, j.qcb+C, charge d~u+C > qcb~hcf+P = (523 dmg) {1500 MAX}

(You can switch st.A for st.B and cl.D for cr.C to get slightly more damage, but especially cr.C by itself is very tough to cancel into a charge move (possible still). This is the optimal corner damage for 2 bars and anchor MAX.)

5 meters

• (place combo here) = (place damage amount here)

(place combo description here)

Videos

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