DBFZ - Bardock Strategy (2024)

Bardock can be described quite simply as a character that plays the game very well. Dragon Ball FighterZ is a game about rushdown and pressure, and Bardock is one of the best in the game at both of those tasks. He is blessed with exceptional normals, which leads to his strong stagger pressure. His 236L is a very strong neutral tool, and allows him a free in when covered by an assist. His only real shortcoming is that he has poor solo mix-ups. Your main goal with Bardock is to force your way in, keep the opponent blocking until they crack, and punish them hard for it.

Bardock's mobility and pressure make him usable in any team position. However, most players place him on point.

Point

Bardock's 236L makes if very easy to put the opponent in blockstun, which can be converted into pressure if you call a lockdown assist behind it. Bardock's pressure also includes tons of corner carry if 214M is used with a well-timed assist call so that he remains plus on block. Bardock likes lockdown assists, fast strike assists, or neutral assists like beams. Lockdown assists give him access to some mean mixups, and strike/beam assists allow for the liberal usage of 236L in neutral.

Mid

Bardock's A assist is surprisingly strong; almost everyone in the game can extend combos with it, and it has a surprising amount of blockstun while leaving your opponent grounded on hit. Think of it as a Yamcha assist that trades having multiple hits for greater horizontal range. His B assist is a completely different beast. It covers 60% of the screen, is +46, and has hella hitstun too. Most characters can use Bardock's B assist to convert Ki Blasts from a short distance and more importantly get mixups. Both assists can setup easy Dragon Rush enders. This makes Bardock not only a strong character on point, but a great contributor to your team at mid position.

Anchor

Sparking Blast is your only real way to get mixups. Otherwise, you're going to be relying heavily on 236H and your Ki Blasts to try to play around your opponent's assists, which is not a position you want to be in.

Picking Teammates

The first thing to note when composing a team with Bardock is that almost everybody can extend combos and augment their pressure with Bardock's assist. Bardock will contribute to your team even when not on point, so you don't have to worry about certain shells benefitting Bardock: Bardock helps almost everybody, so if they help Bardock, you have a playable shell.

Cell has excellent synergy with Bardock. Cell's A assist allows Bardock to extend blockstrings and gives him a neutral assist. Cell benefits from Bardock assist in many ways, not the least being dragon rush and command grab extensions in the corner.

SSJ Vegeta can extend pressure for Bardock with his A assist, enable very high damage extensions, and help Bardock control neutral.

Kid Buu is another very strong teammate for Bardock. The blockstun inflicted by Kid Buu's A assist is the highest in the game, which allows Bardock complete freedom to mix his opponent up.

Any beam assist is good for Bardock. These assists, on top of enabling very flexible combo extensions, complement Bardock's mobility and ability to put the opponent in blockstun. Jump-height 236L, combined with a slightly delayed beam assist call, controls a ridiculous amount of space and leaves Bardock at plus frames if any of the attacks are blocked.

Trunks and GT Goku have assists that are both fast enough to be used after 236L in neutral and cover the air, forcing the opponent back to the ground where Bardock can effectively and efficiently force them to guess.

• 2L/5L > 2LL/5LL > 2M > 5M > 5H > 2H > 214L/M > assist

You can easily get a self-sustaining blockstring going if you slightly delay the 2H.

Video example of some assist blockstrings:

Bardock's post level 3 oki has been heavily nerfed since the glory days. The best you get now is a dash jump j.H, but your opponent can 2H you midscreen. You can, however, easily bait Sparking Blast with whiff 236L > backdash > 236L > vanish, so keep that in mind.

236L and 236M also double as movement tools, don't forget you can Lariat out of the corner after an uptech to put yourself in a more advantageous position.

Bardock has two cruxes, having assists necessary to back him, and needing opportunity to generate mixups. You must work around either of these. First option is to snap Bardock out of the field, and deal with his allies, diminishing or straight up removing his assists to support him by any means necessary. Second options is to mentally outplay the opposing Bardock, and hit as hard as possible when you are given the interval to do so. TL;DR Take away Bardock's allies, or eliminate him quickly to prevent collateral damage to your team.