Damage Priority

Damage Priority is a gameplay term in Dissidia Final Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy. It is a value used to determine which attacks can be blocked or offensively deflected. 
== Mechanics ==
Within fighting video games, similarly named traditional gameplay mechanics are used, determining the overriding attack in the case fighters clash, though "standard" use mainly sees it employed with close ranged throws, normal attacks, and special to super attacks. Dissidia in this case makes use of priority with a system that focuses more on spacing and two-way close to far range interval games with a simple power relative scaling level. 
There are two main types of attacks, Ranged and Melee, and three levels of priority, Low, Mid and High. Low attacks can be blocked normally, Mid attacks stagger the blocking character, and High attacks crush guards. What happens to the attacker depends on the move being Ranged or Melee—generally, blocking a Melee Low attack will cause the attacker to stagger, while blocking a Ranged Low attack will not.
Melee attacks deflect or cancel out Ranged attacks of the same priority—a Melee Mid attack deflects or cancels out a Ranged Mid attack, but fails against a Ranged High attack. Thus, Melee High is the highest normal block priority. There are two other types of attacks: some special ranged attacks cannot be blocked, but are canceled out by dashes and other attacks, while other attacks cannot be blocked or deflected in any way.
Attacks that crush guards are not the same as attacks that cannot be blocked. Cloud's Braver pierces a normal block, but High priority block abilities and other Melee High priority attacks still block it. Unblockable attacks cannot be reflected by any ability or attack of any priority, such as Terra's Flood or the Emperor's Starfall.
Blocks also have priority. Dashes and blocks deflect Ranged Low projectiles. Dashes fail against any attack higher than Ranged Low attacks. A normal block deflects Low priority and Ranged Mid attacks, but blocking the latter cause sthe blocking character to stagger. With the Precision Block ability equipped, a normal block blocks all Mid and High priority attacks as well, but causes the character to stagger. Jecht Block can block all attacks, but blocking Melee High attacks will stagger both characters.
The highest possible block priority blocks all attacks and does not cause the blocking character to stagger, but there are only three ways to achieve this: Exdeath's Omni Block, Ultimecia's charged Knight's Spear, and a Level 2 Assist Change. Various attacks also have block effects, but the priority varies on an individual basis. Attacks with Magic Block only block Ranged Low attacks.
== Priority tables ==
=== Colliding attacks ===
O: Win (stagger enemy melee, reflect projectile)	Δ: Draw (melee weapons clash, deflect projectile)
X: Lose (same as O, but in the opponent's favor)	—: Ignore (attack passes through other attacks)
 	 	Low priority	Low priority	Mid priority	Mid priority	High priority	High priority	Special	Unblockable
 	 	Range 	Melee 	Range 	Melee 	Range 	Melee 	Special	Unblockable
Low 	Range 	Δ 	X 	X 	X 	X 	X 	—	—
Low 	Melee 	O 	Δ 	— 	X 	— 	X 	O 	—
Mid 	Range 	O 	— 	Δ 	X 	Δ 	X 	O 	—
Mid 	Melee 	O 	O 	O 	Δ 	— 	X 	O 	—
High 	Range 	O 	— 	Δ 	— 	— 	X 	O 	—
High 	Melee 	O 	O 	O 	O 	O 	Δ 	O 	—
Special 	Special 	— 	X 	X 	X 	X 	X 	—	—
Unblockable	Unblockable	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—	—
=== Blocking attacks ===
O: Win (block melee, reflect projectile) 	Δ: Stagger (both stagger, reflect projectiles)
X: Lose (block fails, or is Guard Crushed)	—: Ignore (projectile passes through the block)
 	Low priority	Low priority	Mid priority	Mid priority	High priority	High priority	Special	Unblockable
 	Range 	Melee 	Range 	Melee 	Range 	Melee 	Special	Unblockable
Dash 	O 	X 	X 	X 	X 	X 	O 	—
Block Low 	O 	X 	X 	X 	X 	X 	—	—
Block Mid 	O 	O 	Δ 	 	 	 	—	—
Block High 	O 	O 	O 	O 	X 	X 	—	—
Jecht Block 	O 	O 	O 	O 	O 	Δ 	—	—
Block Highest	O 	O 	O 	O 	O 	O 	—	—
Shell Guard 	O 	— 	O 	— 	X 	— 	—	—
Protect Guard	— 	O 	— 	O 	— 	X 	—	—
== External links ==
*In-depth battle mechanics guide by DissidiaForums.com
Category:Gameplay in Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
Category:Gameplay in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy