How to counter Afterimage Strike in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero

It’s not an understatement to say that Afterimage Strike is both the most feared and frowned upon skill in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, as it allows characters to turn even point-black Ultimate Blasts ineffective through auto High-Speed Evasions.

But don’t be fooled, as even if undoubtedly powerful, there are indeed a few ways to counter the skill. Here’s how to counter Afterimage Strike in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero.

How to counter Afterimage Strike in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero

As you can guess, the first way to counter Afterimage Strike in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero is by stopping its activation, a feat you can accomplish by staying in your opponent’s face through the use of ki blasts and rush attacks, and never backing off. If your opponent manages to activate the skill, then the best way to deal with it will be by activating your own and entering a battle of attrition.

In cases where the above is not an option, then it’s time to play defensively and bide your time until the skill’s uptime ends. You can check out a few ways to do that below:

• By staying at mid to close range and focusing on performing High-Speed Evasions, Rush High-Speed Returns, Super Counters, Revenge Counters, and Sonic Sways, all while looking for grabbing opportunities. Do not be offensive, as all standard rush attacks will trigger evasions.
• By using sequential ki blasts to keep your foe in check. To make this method viable, most players recommend using characters capable of instantly entering Sparking for its infinite ki reserve. Make sure to mix up your blasts so that your opponent won’t be able to easily reflect them and gain the bars needed for another Afterimage Strike activation.

What not to do against Afterimage Strike

Now that you know how to counter the skill, here are a few things you should not for the love of Zen’oh do after your opponent activates Afterimage Strike:

• Perform your Ultimate Blast: Like all beams, all Ultimate Blasts in the game (even the unguardable ones) will be auto-dodged and leave you open.
• Try to lock your opponent with a Violent Rush combo: The rush will trigger the skill and leave you open from the back for an almost guaranteed combo.
• Ki charge without an opening: Unless you have an Afterimage Strike of your own, stopping will give your opponent more than enough time to close in and take control of the match.

To make sure you are fully ready for whatever your enemies throw at you, I also highly recommend checking out how to Counter a Revenge Counter in Dragon Ball Sparking Zero.