Seems like every singleMultiVersuscharacter on the roster,including the newcomer Morty, is getting a ton of content made about them whether it’s guides, combo videos, or even Perk setups. But, there are a certain few characters who aren’t getting nearly the amount of recognition they deserve, and Garnet is one of them.
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This “two-kids-in-a-trenchcoat” experience of a Crystal Gem is one of the fan-favorite characters fromSteven Universe,and she’s actually a fantastic fighter as well. So, to help an aspiring Garnet mains out there,or people just struggling with the game in general,let’s go over exactly whatMultiVersusplayers might need to know in order to master her.
What Type Of Fighter Is Garnet?
First and foremost, players need to understand Garnet as a character before they can even take the first step towards “mastering” her, so let’s go into that. By design,Garnetis a Bruiser-Class characterwho excels inHorizontaldamage. But, in practice, Garnet is much more of aTank-typecharacter who has a lot of bothHorizontalandVerticaloptions. To put it as simply as possible, she’s both simplistic and predictable, yet very hard to deal with.
To be frank, Garnet is different from most otherBruisers.The Bruiser Class, so far, seems to be used to describe characters with a lot of reliable Normal Attacks that allow for an aggressive playstyle and easy combos. And, they’re constantly in the thick of the fight, racking up damage.
But, Garnet is much more of a “let them approach and then react” sort of character, which is more customary for the Tank Class, as she’s baiting enemies into hitting her while she charges up an Armored Attack. If readers think that this playstyle sounds sort of familiar to characters like Superman, it’s because it is. While Garnet has the ability to chase down opponents and play like a standard Bruiser, she succeeds much more when the opponent is coming to her.
Garnet’s Pros and Cons
However, if Garnet is comparable to Superman, why isn’t she played more, especially in a competitive sense? That’s because while Garnet’s “general” playstyle has some similarities to Superman, the two characters are still incredibly different. So, let’s go over the core reasons why Garnet should be played more than she iscompared to the rest of the roster,and then talk about the reasons why players have decided she’s not worth their time:
Why Garnet Should Be Played More
Of course, there are a lot more reasons why Garnet is a strong fighter (most of the cast is,which is why the game is so fun), but these are the most obvious ones. So, with all this, why aren’t there more Garnets in online play? Well, it’s because the community has decided that her cons outweigh the benefits.
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Why Garnet Isn’t Played Currently
Now, hopefully, a lot of these flaws below will be fixed in a future update as Tony Huynh,MultiVersus' Director has stated that buffs are coming for her. But, for now, these are the primary reasons that Garnet is rarely seen:
A lot of these negative aspects can be overcome by a player with a lot of skill who also puts the time into mastering her. However, because a lot of the roster has a much lower barrier for getting “good” with the character, Garnet is left by the wayside a lot.
Garnet’s Move List & The Best Usages For Each Move
Now, Garnet is one of the few characters inMultiVersuswho doesn’t have a Passive, and while this makes learning her a bit easier overall, it also gives her a bit less depth. That said, let’s briefly go over what herRythym Stacksdo, and then go into all of herNormalsandSpecials:
Gauntlet Strike
Neutral+Attack
One of Garnet’s least-used moves overall, as it’s basically a worse version of Superman’s Neutral+Attack in every way. It doesn’t travel nearly as far and has a more obvious windup. Still, it does have a whole lot of knockback to it and can be a great method of punishing enemies who approach on the ground too much.
Starburst
Aerial Neutral+Attack
By far one of Garnet’s best Attacks overall. This attack isCharge-able, has a wide hitbox, and can even spike opponents if she hits them with the ends of either of her feet off the ledge. This move is commonly used to push back approaching enemies in the air or deny them when they’re trying to get back on stage.
Crystal Combo
Side+Attack
Garnet’s “bread-and-butter” attack and the one players will easily see her using the most. This combo has three variations, and each one serves a different purpose:
Flying Combo
Aerial Side+Attack
This is the Attack Garnet players tend to approach with a lot since the first punch is deceptively fast and the second punch has a good amount of knockback. But, it does have a relatively tight hitbox around Garnet’s fists. Consequently, players tend to mostly use it to approach opponents on or near the ground, as using it high in the air gives them too many ways to avoid it. Also, players can space themselves so that the first punch intentionally misses while they’re moving toward their target and the second one lands.
Double Jab
Up+Attack
Unlike a lot of Garnet’s moves, this Attack actually has a bigger hitbox than it might seem, allowing her to use it while on top of enemies to punch them upward. It’s a great surprise move and a great way to punish a player coming down in the air who isn’t being careful enough. And, the fully-ChargedVariant having an additional punch that knocks back more and reaches higher gives Garnet a way to trick her enemies into taking a hit as well.
Rising Gauntlet Strike
Aerial Up+Attack
An Attack used by Garnet quite a lot, but not exactly an amazing Attack overall. Garnet punches upward twice, but the hitbox is tight and it can be hard to hit. Additionally, the knockback of this move is nowhere near as strong as some of her other Attacks or even the Up+Attacks of other characters.
Shocking Slam
Down+Attack
This is Garnet’s best “mind games” type attack. Because the length of the electricity on the ground is dependent on how long sheChargesthis Attack, Garnet can use that mechanic to trick opponents into thinking they’re safe, only to hit them with the Slam. Additionally, if they’re hit by the electricity they’re knocked toward Garnet in the middle, making it easy for her to Attack out of this as well. Lastly, this Attack has Armor on it, even if there isn’t an “Armor” icon above her head while using it, so it’s another move she can trick players into Attacking her while charging it.
Meteor Punch
Aerial Down+Attack
Garnet’s Spike and overall the best move to use while fighting enemies on the Ledge. If the opponent can’t move much to the left or right, this Attack is easy to hit. But, if they have free movement, this Attack missed a lot more than it hits. That said, if players just short hop into Meteor Punch, it can be an easy way to start a combo or build up some damage.
Stronger Than You
Neutral+Special
As it currently stands, Garnet’s Stronger Than You Special isn’t nearly as useful as the developers likely intended. Now, they did buff this move’s windup in the Season 1 patch so that it comes out much faster, but it wasn’t quite enough. It’s too difficult for Garnet to use this Special to block a projectile, hit the projectiles so that they fly back at the enemy, and then also get out of the animation for this Special without getting Attacked. Still, it’s worth using for the Rhythm stacks and does have some specific matchups or moments where it’s very helpful.
Rocket Fist!
Side+Special
By far Garnet’s best Special. Rocket Fist literally shoots Garnet’s two Gauntlets forward similar to Snake’s Remote Missile from theSuper Smash Brosfranchise. That said, players don’t have nearly the same amount of control on the Fist’s flight path as they do for Snake’s Remote Missile. Still, Rocket Fist is a great tool for getting the pressure off Garnet, Attacking an enemy off-stage safely, or setting up her Marker for Gem Dash using her “Marker” Signature Perk. Additionally, the “Shoulder Charge” Garnet does while Rocket Fist is on Cooldown is relatively useful for recovering with.
Spark Of Love
Up+Special
At the moment, Spark of Love has some uses but is another one of Garnet’s Specials that isn’t used all too often. When people use this move, it’s typically to put Spark of Love on Cooldown so that Garnet will use the Overhead Clap instead. Still, it’s a great tool for stopping an approaching enemy while also setting up a stage hazard and/or electric buff for allies.
Flying Crossarm
Aerial Up+Special
This Special is Garnet’s vertical recovery as well as her “T-Pose” Special. When using it, Garnet rises up a bit in the air and literally T-Poses, knocking any enemies hit upward. This Special is used relatively often as it surprises opponents easily and has a deceptively large hitbox that can Ringout at decent percentages. That said, it’s honestly awful for recovering.
Gem Dash
Down+Special
And finally, there’s Garnet’s Gem Dash and her most “technical” ability. Using this, players “put down” a star-shaped Marker wherever the ability is used. Then, when Garnet presses the input again, she’ll fly to the Marker, and grab any enemies in her flight path. If the Marker is on an ally, Garnet can use this Dash to cancel their Hitstun and Knockback as well as refresh their Air Options. So, this Special has a lot of uses. But, its best usage, by far, is when Garnet places the Marker just a bit below the “ledge” of a map and carries an enemy here, as the enemy will bounce off the stage wall and set Garnet up for either an easy spike or Ringout.
MultiVersusis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
