Cyclone Slash

Cyclone Slash is the Nail Art taught to the Knight by Nailmaster Mato. By holding ATTACK until fully charged, then releasing it while holding UP or DOWN, the Knight spins around like a cyclone while continuously attacking its vicinity.

The attack consists of two phases. The first phase lasts about 0.45 seconds, during which the Knight will perform a total of 3 hits. During the second phase, ATTACK can be repeatedly pressed to lengthen Cyclone Slash’s duration by up to 1.2 extra seconds, adding four more hits for a total of seven. Each hit deals 1.25x Nail damage, pushing foes back in the process. While mashing ATTACK, the Knight's movement speed is greatly reduced. Similarly, if used in the air, the Knight will fall much slower. While performing this attack, the Knight cannot perform any actions, aside from moving left and right, until the Nail Art is finished. Taking damage cancels the Nail Art immediately.

The multi-hit spinning attack effectively covers both sides of the Knight. Furthermore, the continuous slashes are able to deflect certain projectiles and halt the charge attacks of many enemies (e.g. Squit and Baldur). Because of this, Cyclone Slash is extremely effective against large swarms of foes, constantly dealing damage and pushing them back to prevent the Knight from being overwhelmed. Because of the attack’s ability to drastically reduce the Knight’s falling speed, it can be used against flying foes. However, in most cases, Great Slash is preferable.

The long duration of Cyclone Slash, coupled with the drastic movement speed reduction, results in a long duration of time in which the Knight is vulnerable to attack. Foes that are unable to be pushed back, or those whose projectiles cannot be deflected, can take advantage of the window of opportunity to inflict damage on the Knight. Furthermore, agile or light enemies can easily move out of Cyclone Slash’s range, resulting in sub-optimal damage.

How To Perform
Hold ATTACK + UP/DOWN until fully charged, then release ATTACK without dashing. Repeatedly pressing ATTACK extends the duration. Deals 1.25 x Nail damage/hit.

If this is the only Nail Art that has been learned, the ability executes regardless of direction or whether the Knight is dashing.

How To Acquire
Cyclone Slash is taught by Nailmaster Mato who resides in the Howling Cliffs.

Cyklonowe Cięcie