DFCI neutral is focused on balancing air movement and ground options to check your opponent. Air movements and air attacks are very powerful in DFCI. To balance this, there are a variety of ways to challenge air movements. Unlike other airdash games, DFCI does not have head invulnerable anti-airs. Therefore, the checks to air approaches is largely based on understanding your opponent's options and tendencies. While each individual answer to an air approach is not very powerful by itself, all the options together make the air and ground balance in neutral more apparent. Each check to an approach also has a counter-check. The answer-and-response nature of these intricacies make up the neutral game in DFCI.
Similar to Under Night In-Birth, you can quickly cancel your dash forward by holding back (1 or 4) to dash block. Use this to block assists or projectiles and wait to see your opponent’s plan of action and react accordingly. You can use Reflection Guard in tandem with dash blocking to punish players who commit to canned strings.
Your ground momentum also carries into your jump to some extent, meaning you can mix in dashes and jumps to make it difficult for your opponent to guess your air trajectory. Which brings us to the many air options available in DFCI.
Similar to Melty Blood, you can slightly alter your trajectory while in the air by either holding 4 or 6. This can make your landing less predictable and prevent the opponent from crossing under or keep you out of reach from an anti-air attempt.
All air normals are air and stand blockable. If timed correctly, air normals can lead into an air unblockable ground move. Usually this is a character's 5B. You can avoid the guard crush by using Reflection Guard to push away the opponent. Reflection Guard also makes air unblockable attacks blockable during the Reflection Guard state. If timed correctly, you can then block normally unblockable attacks even if airborne.
Try to get a conversion from contesting double jump patterns and delayed air normals. Normally these occur when a player tries to challenge an air approach by using their rising j.A normal from the ground.
This is the main method by which many characters approach and usually the one that leads to the most damage. Air normals are very good in DFCI so varying your air approaches is the best way to command respect and start pressure. Jump forward air normal is the most clear cut approach, but can be countered by a variety of methods such as delay stand guard, 2AB, or other anti air methods. Neutral jump drift forward allows you more control as to how you space your approach. However these can lose to correctly timed anti-air moves.
All characters are given a double jump to further diversify their air movement trajectories. You can neutral air drift from a double jump as well. Double jumps make you vulnerable to preemptive anti airs and dash unders. Delaying your jump move so that it hits late on a 2AB will allow you to double jump, block the attack, and punish the recovery. Incorporate this to discourage the use of 2AB as a reliable anti-air method. Double jump is also essential to re-positioning your character to face the opponent in the case of them crossing under you or air-teching in the opposite direction. Double jumping while still high in the air is tantamount to asking the opponent to punish you.
Yuuki in trump mode and Yukina both have access to a triple jump, which amplifies the way in which they can mix up their air trajectory and air normal attack timings to throw off the other player. In exchange, they cannot air block after using their third jump, making them vulnerable to anti airs, dash unders, well-timed assist calls, Red trumps, etc. if used excessively.
Unlike Melty Blood super jumps and more akin to Under Night In-Birth assaults, in DFCI super jumping always moves you forward in a set trajectory. These help you close space quickly and if used sparingly, can throw an opponent off. However, their predictable trajectory means an opponent can outmaneuver you and punish. To avoid this predictability double jumping during any portion of the super jump, in tandem with drifting will give you more granular control of your movement.
Air dashes are character specific and can be performed by inputting 66 while in the air. There are no back airdashes in DFCI. Air dashes have unique traits depending on the character. When used sparingly, these can be powerful in throwing the opponent off guard. Used too often and they can be punished.