Black Dahlia Team Synergy Guide by ReyMercury

Video guide showcasing damage and tag-in routes, DHC interactions, Counter + assist usage, and gives examples of good Dahlia teams.

Position - Point > mid > Anchor

Point: Potentially gets assists to cover her when she needs to reload or wants to throw a doily. Empowered 5[HP] allows for very easy tags across the whole cast, making her a nice complement for mid position characters who wanna skip the whole "playing roundstart neutral" deal or fake anchor characters. One very nice draw for point Dahlia running Order Up! as an assist is that you can fully stock up on special bullets (notably ice shot) from her Last Call super, tag/DHC into another character, and now you have 6 calls of a very powerful assist. Unfortunately, the way her supers work mean you'll get pitiful to no damage output via DHCs, making your ability to cash out on damage very low with point Dahlia unless you have a partner with a comboable tag (and better damage supers) to take advantage of; something that makes her very different from most good point characters. Currently her most popular position.

Mid: Dahlia lacks a safe DHC at close range but has several low damage, but reliable combo DHC options making her a decent mid character with decent assist options. All of Dahlia's supers provide nice utility, so having some meter to spend helps her out quite a bit. Ideally, you would want a point character in front of her that can let her continue the combo off of Last Call (reload) DHC so you can come in with your preferred ammo loadout at an advantageous state. Put her here if you don't have a better mid character on your team.

Anchor: Potentially even more meter to spend on her utility supers. Her Girls' Night level 3 can help mount a comeback as the ladies act like a persistent assist that can even break Dahlia out of combos, and while they may not last a long time or do a high amount of damage, sometimes getting that one hit to gain momentum can do wonders. Dahlia's neutral and mixup games are pretty solid even without assists, but her damage is on the lower end of the cast with pretty middling defensive options stacked on top of a tall hurtbox, which does hurt as an anchor character. At the end of it all, though, Dahlia's assists and DHCs aren't strong enough to really recommend her as an anchor. In the majority of team compositions, you'll get more value out of enabling her as opposed to having her support her teammates.

Medici Mousetrap (2MK) - 

Ground Space Control, Low

Dahlia places a bear very large mousetrap that lasts for a few seconds, capturing opponents when they get hit. Controls ground space as the opponent either has to wait for the trap to disappear, dash block into it, or jump over it. Can serve nicely in combo routes due to the long hitstun, and even for mixups thanks to the assist hitting low. Does NOT beat armor as it's neither a sweep nor a hitgrab. A nice deterrent for your opponent's forward-moving assists as the trap can stop them with no threat to Dahlia. Do note that you have to wait for the first trap to disappear before Dahlia can place another one (when it starts flashing, you can call her), otherwise she just does the animation for placing a trap, but without actually placing one. As an Alpha Counter, because this move is a whiff canceleable normal, you can input Counter as soon as Dahlia comes in for a reversal. Extremely funny if you Alpha Counter > Counter on a lockdown assist, and choose between L/M Counter to potentially mixup the opponent.

Order Up! (236LP/MP/HP) - 

Projectile, Multipurpose

Dahlia shoots a projectile based on her currently loaded ammo. LP aims straight ahead, MP angles at a 45°-ish angle, H 60°-ish. This assist's utility changes depending on what bullets are loaded. Do note that Dahlia is still limited by her ammo count, so if you call her when she is out of ammo, she will instead reload her bullets using the H version of Another Round (2 Normal Bullets, 1 Special Bullet, 2 Normal, 1 Special in that order).

• Normal: Travels slowly in an arc. Decent for controlling space. Fire and Ice bullets follow the same trajectory, making them also good for controlling space.

• Shotgun: Disjointed close-range assist. Deals high damage and wall-bounces the opponent, so it's good for combos and punishing assists.

• Railgun: Quick, fullscreen, 1-hit beam that knocks down on hit. Good for neutral.

• Fire: First hit bounces off the opponent, second hit explodes when it lands. Good for lockdown and resets.

• Ice: Deals multiple staggered hits in quick succession and freezes the opponent on hit. Great for lockdown and combos. Lets pretty much anyone tag in safely after Dahlia, and usually they can continue the combo with the proper setup.

• Lightning: Slowly travels in a line. Stuns the opponent on hit, making this bullet good for combos and resets.

Skull Cracker (5HP) - 

Overhead

It's an overhead assist with the damage of a heavy normal. It has very short range and has nothing cheeky like armor, multi-hits, or invincibility, but it's pretty quick at 20 frames. Does a very short ground bounce before it takes up OTG, which might limit your followup combo if the OTG state does get consumed.

Big Band

Recommended Assists: 

H Beat Extend, H Brass Knuckles, H Take the 'A' Train

• H Beat - DP, Lockdown

  • H version preferred as it makes Counter + assist safe, and even converts from 5LP > 5HP overhead > counter+assist (to catch those who mash on, or get hit by the overhead)

  • Lockdown pressure and capture state work excellently for instant overhead jLK/low mixups

  • Beat Extend on hit leads to Dahlia's powerful 2MP left/right mixup

  • Easily confirmable conversions off of jHK; there are some situations and angles where Dahlia has trouble converting off of jHK on her own, with the added bonus of this conversion saving OTG

• H Brass - Armored Neutral, Anti-Zoning

  • Holds down the neutral, adds big damage to combos, and makes opposing zoners (who Dahlia has a bit of trouble against) calm down a bit

• H Train - Anti-Air, Combo Tool

  • High damaging conversions off of Dahlia's aerial pokes (jMP, jHK)

  • High damage combo routes that give her plenty of time to reload or toss a doily, also leads to the 2MP left/right mixup or any funky special bullet setups

  • Lmfao if they try to jump over Dahlia's beartrap while you have this assist ready

Pros:

• Dahlia gets great neutral, defense, and damage assistance from Big Band's assist kit, including strong Counter + assist measures

• Big Band gets more combo routes and enhanced mixups from Dahlia's assists

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs

• If Dahlia has a fire bullet ready, Barrel > SSJ works as a combo DHC - Credit to Xyned

• Dahlia/Band synergy

• Dahlia/Band combo routes

Cons:

• Both characters struggle to zoners, albeit Band does help Dahlia in this regard and Dahlia (if special bullets are loaded) can also help Band

Synergy:

• Favorite for Dahlia, Good for Big Band

• A strong duo

• Any character will fit for a trio

Double

Recommended Assists: 

Cilia Slide, Hornet Bomber

• Clide - Sweep

  • Lets Dahlia combo off of throw against the whole cast (follow-ups may differ, dash 2MP or Assault jHP)

  • Low mixup tool paired with Dahlia's quick overhead options, or even just a tool for an easy pickup off of Assault > jLK

• Hornet Bomber - DP (L), Lockdown (L, M), Neutral (M, H), Zoning (H)

  • L and M versions both preferred over H as Dahlia is more mid-range than far-range (which H helps out with the most)

  • L if you want a DP assist, M for better neutral and safer Counter + assist

Pros:

• Dahlia generally likes Double's assist kit for her neutral and offense

• Double likes the space-control brought by Dahlia's assists

• Double has a great combo tag to follow up from Dahlia

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs

• Dahlia/Double combo routes

Cons:

• Both characters love spending meter for their utility supers, making this a pretty meter-hungry shell, else you'll have to play more conservatively with one of them

Synergy:

• Good for Dahlia, Good for Double

• Works well as a duo

• Any character in any slot would fit well for a trio

Filia

Recommended Assists: 

H Hairball, H Updo

• Hairball - Lockdown, Neutral, Anti-Armor, Chip

  • Pushback on block aids Dahlia in keeping opponents at mid-range and keeps her safe on Counter + assist

  • Lockdown makes her close-range mixup very scary and hard to contest, and coupled with the chip damage makes her corner chip setups very powerful

  • Couples with jHK pokes nicely; converts to a full combo on hit to save OTG (timing is kinda wonky), jails on block long enough for Dahlia to reload, toss a doily, or force her way in with Assault

  • Can be used to crossup from fullscreen if Dahlia has a doily placed behind the opponent

• Updo - Anti-air DP

  • It's a DP assist on a tall character with sub-par reversal options, so it's good

Pros:

• Hairball is a very nice assist for Dahlia and Updo is a reliable DP

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs (Gregor > Last Call, Barrel > Fillia tag)

Cons:

• Dahlia's assists outside of special bullets don't do a whole lot for Fillia, but they aren't useless by any means

• Dahlia needs Ice Shot loaded or do 5[HP] in the corner to tag into Filia and keep the combo, and Filia's tag combos do not help make up for Dahlia's low damage

Synergy:

• Good for Dahlia, Decent for Filia

• An alright duo

• Both characters can play anchor but aren't amazing at it, so a better anchor would be recommended

Fukua

Recommended Assists: 

M Forever A Clone, H Platonic Drillationship

• M Clone - Neutral, Combo Tool

  • Generally good neutral assist, and in combos gives Dahlia plenty of time for reloads/doilies

  • Can be worked into a fullscreen left/right mixup if Dahlia has a doily behind the opponent. She gets an easy conversion on both a fakeout and real teleport whereas plenty of other assists would be spacing dependent or only work on the crossup, making it one of the best assists for this purpose. Also works from blockstrings

• H Drill - Lockdown, Neutral, Anti-Armor

  • Dahlia loves lockdown assists, this is a good lockdown assist

  • Also works for the fullscreen crossup with a doily, but not as well as M Clone as you ONLY get a combo conversion by crossing up, and it does not work nearly as well in blockstrings

  • Dahlia cannot call Fukua with a Counter + assist timing where it is both safe from mashing and allows Dahlia to continue the combo

Pros:

• Dahlia likes Fukua's assists for neutral, combos, pressure, and left/right mix

• Fukua likes Dahlia's assists for space-control focused neutral and high/low mix

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs, Dahlia can use Barrel to continue the combo after Fukua's Drill super midscreen

• Both characters can meterlessly tag into each other and continue the combo (Fukua M Shadow > Dahlia Tag (Normal Bullet) > 2LP > .... is possible, but hard)

• Dahlia/Fukua Combo Routes

Cons:

• No safe Counter + assist

Synergy:

• Good for Dahlia, Good for Fukua

• Strong Duo

• Any character in any position will fit for a trio

Parasoul

Recommended Assists: 

H Napalm Pillar, L/H Napalm Shot

• H Pillar - Anti-Air DP

  • It's a DP assist that's more reliable than Dahlia's own Counter and Teleport

  • Lets Dahlia reload/doily mid-combo

  • jHK combo conversions to save OTG

• L/H Shot - Projectile, Pressure

  • Closing in on the opponent with Assault jMP + L Shot works pretty well, H Shot's increased speed may make it better for checking people trying to avoid Dahlia's bullets

  • Leftover Tear can serve a variety of purposes in pressure, covering low/Assault jLK/5HP overhead mixups, or going for hard callouts with Counter while the Tear covers you (provided they can't just easily throw you)

Pros:

• Dahlia likes Parasoul's assist kit for defense, or neutral and pressure

• Parasoul gets alright usage from Dahlia's assists

• Dahlia can still combo tag with Parasoul, though it requires the corner and OTG

• Last Call DHCs

• Parasoul/Dahlia DHC Route

Cons:

• No Counter + assist help for Dahlia

• No Barrel DHCs

Synergy:

• Decent for Dahlia, Good for Parasoul

• Workable, but not a very strong duo

• The best orders for this shell would be X/Dahlia/Parasoul, Dahlia/X/Parasoul, or Parasoul/Dahlia/X, so any character would fit in any slot

Robo Fortune

Recommended Assists: 

H Theonite Beam, Collimating Saw (5HP)

• Beam - Beam Projectile, Anti-Armor

  • Checks anyone who plays neutral at ranges further than Dahlia can reach (read: Zoners)

  • Easily buys time for Dahlia to reload/doily in neutral

  • Doesn't do anything /special/ for Dahlia, but the neutral help is more than enough to make up for that

• Saw - Armored Lockdown

  • If you /really/ insist against beam assist, the lockdown is nice for Dahlia's offense

  • Armor and lockdown properties make it nice for Counter + assist

Pros:

• Beam assist does a lot for Dahlia in neutral, Saw is good for pressure and Counter + assist situations

• Robo appreciates the space-control from Dahlia's assists

• Dahlia can combo into Robo's weird tag and have her continue the combo, though only in the corner

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs (Barrel > Tag > Super requires OTG)

Cons:

• None

Synergy:

• Good for Dahlia, Good for Robo

• Could use better anchor options, but otherwise it's an ok, though low damage duo

• A good anchor would be best for a trio

Valentine

Recommended Assists: 

H Savage Bypass

• H Bypass - Combo Tool

  • It's for combo damage

  • Dahlia cannot protect Val well unless you happen to have a Railgun bullet loaded, so be careful if you wanna call this for neutral

Pros:

• Val appreciates Dahlia's assists for space-control and vial loads, getting 2 vial loads if Ice Shot assist is available

• Dahlia can tag into Val and let her pickup the combo anywhere on the screen, sometimes even being able to save OTG

• Because of the above, while Valentine is usually a "point-only" character, it is still a viable strategy to play point Dhalia, load up on Ice shots then tag into Val so she gets an amazing lockdown assist and 2 vial load combos

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs

• Dahlia/Val Synergy

• Dahlia/Val Combo Routes

Cons:

• Bypass assist is pretty whatever for Dahlia outside of combos

• No Counter + assist help

Synergy:

• Decent for Dahlia, Good for Valentine

• A good team shell, but questionable duo. Could potentially still work

• Absolutely pick an anchor character with a neutral or DP assist if you want to run this shell in a trio

Umbrella

Recommended Assists: 

Cliff Hanger (6HP), Salt Grinder

• Cliff Hanger - Anti-air, Neutral, Combo Tool (Stagger)

  • Decent defensive utility as the assist has a large hitbox to contest the close-range

  • Stagger gives easy reloads/doilies mid-combo

• Salt Grinder - Combo Tool (Stagger)

  • Gives a looooong time to setup resources, giving you time to shoot a bullet to meaty the opponent, reload, AND set a doily. And the assist itself does a lot of damage

  • That's it, 0 neutral or defensive utility

Pros:

• Umbrella can let Dahlia play in front of her, tag-in after Dahlia 5[HP], and follow-up with a combo that puts her into Ravenous

• Last Call and Barrel DHCs

Cons:

• Neither character really cares much for the other's assist

• Both characters can hold to zoners and don't do much to help each other fight them, outside of Dahlia's special bullets

Synergy:

• Decent for Dahlia, Decent for Umbrella

• Not a good duo as the assist support isn't all there

• An anchor with a strong neutral assist would be a great asset to this shell