Dante Weapons and Abilities

Note that because DMC4 appears on both the 360 and the PS3 (as well as the PC), we can't give precise input commands for all versions of the game. Instead, we'll use M to stand in for Melee attack, G to stand in for Gun attack, and S to stand for Style attack. Find the buttons that these correspond to on your controller and go to town.

Devil Arms

Rebellion

The sword you begin the game with, the Rebellion, is a quick, yet powerful weapon that'll suit you well throughout the game. It's nice and quick and can hit multiple enemies with its default combos, provided they're grouped together.

Combo I: M, M, M. Simple three-swing maneuver that will usually knock weak enemies down. Continue to tap away for extra damage while they're on the ground. Excellent when used in the middle of a crowd of enemies; the wide swings will normally hit multiple foes.

Combo II: M, pause, M, M. Another forward-aiming combo with an extra swing.

High Time: Lock on, press back on the left analog stick, then hit M to launch your target up into the air. If you hold M, Dante will jump up after the target, allowing him to swing away in mid-air. Either variation can be a good starting point for a gun-assault; Ebony & Ivory can often juggle an enemy in mid-air indefinitely. Not all enemies will be launched upwards by this maneuver, though.

Helm Breaker: Hit M while in midair for a downward slash. This can be performed either after jumping or after holding down M to launch yourself during a High Time.

Stinger: Hold lock-on, press forward on the LAS, and hit M. Dante will launch himself forward towards his enemy with his sword outstretched; if he hits the enemy (he might not, if the enemy moves or if it's too far away), it'll usually be knocked backwards and onto the ground.

Stinger is incredibly useful, so nab it early on.

Stinger 2: This is an upgraded version of Stinger. When performed, Dante will hit with more power, and will be able to travel across a greater distance. A great weapon for spamming on weak enemies to knock them around and to create distance for yourself between you and a large mob.

Million Stab: While performing either a Stinger or at the end of a Combo II, start rapidly tapping M, and Dante will begin repeatedly stabbing forward with his sword. Although this move doesn't have much of an arc of damage, it will do massive damage to anyone in front of Dante, and if you keep hitting the button for a while, he'll eventually finish it off with a single powerful thrust.

Round Trip: Press and hold M. You will attack once, and then Rebellion will start to glow. When it charges up completely, let go of M to fling it at your foe. It will stay in place, cutting them to shreds, until you call it back to yourself by tapping M again. A handy way to focus your fire on one of your foes while using your guns on another, but it takes a while to throw the sword, making it less useful in fast-paced fights.

Rebellion (Full Sword Master Style)

Prop: Press S to flick your sword forward, twirling it around in front of Dante. Most demons will be thrown upward by this.

Shredder: Press S again immediately after performing Prop. You will appear to perform another Prop, but if you hold down S this time, the shredding animation will continue to occur for a few seconds. If you can knock an enemy up into the air with Prop, Shredder can often finish them off before they hit the ground, but be careful: you won't be able to move while Shredder is being performed. You can always drop it by letting go of the button, however.

Aerial Rave: Repeatedly press S while in midair to perform a four-strike combo. This can be done immediately after a High Time, rather than following that move up with a Helm Breaker, or simply after jumping. This will be an important skill for Dante to have, as beating many of the bosses rely on aerial attacks that Nero has by default.

Drive: If you use lockon, press backwards on the LAS, and tap S, Rebellion will begin to glow; releasing it will send a shockwave towards a nearby enemy. You can hold down S for a bigger charge on this attack.

Over Drive: Immediately after releasing a Drive, tap S again to send out two more shockwaves after the original Drive. You'll need to practice a bit to get the timing down on this.

Quick Drive: Press M and S at the same time on the ground. Starts with a slash and ends with a Drive that does less damage than a normal Drive. You also apparently can't use Over Drive after this maneuver.

Dance Macabre: Dance Macabre is essentially a long, automatic combo. By holding lockon, pressing forward on the LAS, then tapping S rapidly, you'll send out a dizzying array of weapon strikes that ends with a powerful sword strike. Great for building up your style meter on slow or stunned enemies.

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