Cerebella
Team Value
Great character to add to your team if you want to really bolster your offensive and damage capabilities. While Cerebella doesn’t exactly have a “Win Neutral Button” assist like the other two Glue characters, her assists do an excellent job at keeping the opponent locked down and afraid to challenge or attempt to escape your point character’s offense. Add on that level 1 and level 3 DHCs allow for followup combos in the right situations, so you can switch a character out and still keep the advantage going. Her level 3 in particular being a Touch of Death machine in the right ratios. Cerebella also has one of the scariest Alpha Counter options in the game through Alpha Counter into her command grab super.
What they bring
Offensive pressure and Lockdown assists
Touch of Death machine via DHC'ing into her level 3
Amazing Alpha Counter options
High meter building moves so can be a great battery, even as an assist
Flexible team member, goes anywhere and has several top level assists to choose from
Can easily get a sliding knockdown and tag in partners to a more advantageous position
What they want
Neutral assists to get in on opponents
Lockdown assists to bulldog her way in with armored moves
Assists that let her combo off of Diamond Drop/Dynamo
Partner that deals well with zoners, if forced to tag out
Position - Any
Point: Has some of the highest meter build in the game, making her one of the best battery characters. Struggles against some of the common point characters, but thankfully she'll have assists to back her up (but so will your opponent).
Mid: Great assist value, good level 1 combo DHC when near the corner. If you like playing Cerebella once she's actually playing the game but hate Cerebella neutral, you have your point character do their thing and then tag/DHC Cerebella in to skip to the fun part.
Anchor: Similar to the mid position, but with potentially more meter to make a comeback. Cerebella's level 3 super is a true game-stealer that the opponent must always be wary of before they get robbed.
Most Common Assists
H Lock ‘n’ Load (236HP) -
Armored Neutral, Pressure
Controls the mid-range space well in neutral, and makes your opponent think twice about challenging your offense with its armor. Adds a BRICK of damage and meter gain to the start of your combos. Even though it has a limited range, it's a very good anti-zoning assist. It acts as a nice shield for projectiles with its 2 hits of armor (meaning you’ll have to hit Bella 3 times to interrupt her), and Bella starts out slightly in front of the point character, requiring no repositioning.
Cerecopter (623HP) -
Lockdown, Space-Control, Anti-Armor
Takes up a pretty nice amount of space with a hitbox that makes it difficult to contest without risking trading. The quick succession of multi-hits makes it impossible to force Bella away via pushblock, making Push Block Guard Cancels and Alpha Counters your only means of fighting back. The quick multi-hits also make it good for stopping armored approaches.
Excellebella (623LP+LK) -
Anti-Air, Combo Tool
Unblockable while the opponent is rising, blockable when they start falling. Takes a long time to complete, making it great for resource-building characters.
Partners
Beowulf
Recommended Assists:
L/H Hurting Hurl, Grendel Flex (chairless 2HP)
L Chair - Projectile Sweep
Good for trying to catch opponents trying to upback away from Bella either from her approach or from her pressure, making it good for both neutral and mixups
Easy to fit into combos midscreen and in the corner for more damage
H Chair - Projectile DP
Easy combo conversions, and serves as a plus on block Alpha Counter(!!)
The chair flies fullscreen through the air, causing opponents trying to play campy to respect it while Bella moves in
Adds nice damage to corner combos
Grendel Flex - Armored Space-Control, Combo Tool
Your option for getting Diamond Dynamo conversions, though there aren't any universal routes
Good combo assist in general
Pros:
Beo gets either neutral or taunt support from Cerebella's assists
Diamond Dynamo into Airwulf DHC is safe
Cons:
Both share a number of bad matchups, and Beo isn't doing a lot to help Bella in that aspect
Bella's assist options for Hype gain don't help Beowulf's approach all that well, while her better neutral assists aren't great for Hype gain
Synergy:
Decent for Cerebella, Good for Beowulf
While this duo can work, it has some real matchup struggles and its flaws come to light when Beowulf is second or is the last one standing. With Bella's assists, you'll have to choose between approach tools or resource-building tools for Beo.
Easy to fit in a third character, preferably someone with a good neutral assist
Big Band
Recommended Assists:
L/M Beat Extend, H Brass Knuckles
M Beat Extend - Anti-Air DP, Combo Tool
Lets Cerebella convert off of Diamond Drop/Dynamo midscreen, on top of opening up her combo routes for even more damage
Top level DP and Alpha Counter
L Beat Extend is the choice for a faster, better anti-air; M Beat for easier combo conversions
H Brass Knuckles - Armored Neutral, Anti-zoning
A very good anti-zoning assist, which is a massive help for Cerebella in those matchups
Covers her approach with Battle Butt putting her right in the opponent's face while being plus on block, and can even lead to a combo on hit if you call Brass late
Illegal amounts of damage in corner combos
Pros:
Band and Bella give each other overall amazing assist support for neutral, pressure, and combos
This shell has enough damage to share with the whole class, can easily 2-touch for little meter in 3v3
High damage DHCs that allow combo extensions
Bella builds good meter both on point and even through her assists for Big Band to burn
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Favorite for Cerebella, Good for Big Band
Very strong duo, and though they share bad matchups, both help each other deal with them through their assists
Extremely flexible, fit in any third character and change your assists/character order from match-to-match as you see fit
Double
Recommended Assists:
Cilia Slide, Hornet Bomber
Cilia Slide - Sweep, Combo Tool
One of Cerebella's favorite combo assists even outside of Diamond Drop/Dynamo conversions
Great for catching upbackers in neutral and pressure
Hornet Bomber - DP (L), Neutral (M), Lockdown (L, M)
Not as good as Cilia Slide for combo purposes, but still a good choice if running a trio (pick your version of Bomber based on the third)
Better for Battle Butt + assist purposes
Cannot convert off of Diamond Drop/Dynamo with Bomber
Pros:
Double's assists give Bella everything she wants in a partner
Bella's assist value is pretty dang good for Double
High damaging assists and DHCs make it easy for Double to two-touch in 3v3s
Cerebella's metered reversals are much better than her meterless options, and Double backs her up with a safe DHC if blocked
Between both characters, can change assists depending on the matchup
Easy to combo into Double's tag-in using 5MP's stagger
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Favorite for Cerebella, Good for Double
Very good duo in either order
You can't make a bad team with this shell, stick on any character for a trio
Eliza
Recommended Assists:
Butcher's Blade, Carpenter's Axe, H Osiris Spiral
Butcher's Blade - Armored Lockdown, Space-Control, Anti-Armor
Lets Cerebella ram her way into the opponent with Battle Butt or Lock 'n' Load and start her pressure
Sekhmet will eat any non-beam super projectiles for Bella (but take a lot of damage in the process)
Does give some Diamond Dynamo conversions, but they're kinda jank
Carpenter's Axe - Armored Overhead, Combo Tool
Good mixing up during pressure with staggered lows
Adds a brick of damage to midscreen and corner combos
Osiris Spiral - Space-control, Lockdown, Mixup
Trades the neutral application of Butcher's for better left/right mixup opportunities on hit
Pros:
Eliza's assists are pretty good once Bella is in Battle Butt range
Bella supplies good assists to help with Eliza's mid-range control and approach
Bella can connect and combo after Lady of Slaughter with her level 1 DHC, albeit only in the corner
Easy to tag into Eliza mid-combo and continue if you need to tag out for whatever reason
Cons:
Nothing bothersome
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Good for Eliza
A nice duo in either order. While they can struggle against zoning comps, they help each other's ability to approach the opponent quite well.
Pretty open to any characters in a trio
Filia
Recommended Assists:
H Hairball, H Updo
Hairball - Lockdown, Neutral, Anti-armor
Locks the opponent down for a decent amount of time on contact and pushes them toward the corner, giving Bella time to move in while limiting the opponent's room to escape
Some (jank) conversions off of Diamond Dynamo
Updo - Anti-Air DP
Bella's meterless reversal options aren't great, so this is good to have if you don't want Bella taking the risk or you want to save meter for other things
Pros:
Hairball is nice for Bella, Updo is a good DP assist
Cerebella's assists feel like they were made for Filia
Gregor DHC is nice to have if you land a hit with Cerebella but want to get her out
Filia can build meter pretty well for Bella to threaten with her level 3 super
Cons:
Nothing in particular aside from wonky and difficult Diamond Dynamo + assist conversions if you run Bella/Hairball
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Filia
Strong duo, go bananas
Toss in any character for a trio
Ms. Fortune
Recommended Assists:
M/H Fiber Upper, Cat Slide, Dash
Fiber Upper - Anti-Ar DP, Meter Build
Bella's meterless reversal options aren't great, so this is good to have if you don't want Bella taking the risk or you want to save meter for other things
Extremely difficult to combo off of H Fiber if it hits as an anti-air, knocks the opponent away if you don't get the conversion, which Bella does not want
M Fiber is easier to convert off of, but you trade some invincibility frames; it is however also nicer as a tool for setting up left/right resets especially with Kancho feints
Cat Slide - Sweep
Pretty much a mixup tool, which is never bad to have
The only assist that gives Diamond Dynamo conversions... but they only work on a few members of the cast and are difficult
Dash - Alpha Counter options
Lets you Alpha Counter into Fortune and have her choose any option, including a 5 frame jab, a fast DP, super, jump, or just block. You get to steal your turn out of some pressure strings or get punishes that no other Alpha Counter will safely allow.
Pros:
Fortune gets amazing offensive assists for approaching and pressure
Fortune builds a ton of meter for Bella to become a Dragon threat with level 3 available
Great combo DHCs making it easy to two-touch or even Touch of Death characters with all the meter Fortune builds up
Fortune can fight off Bella's most hated matchups pretty well... including opposing Fortune players
Cons:
Fortune does not help out Cerebella much in neutral or damage, neither addressing her weaknesses nor augmenting her strengths
Fortune's DHC options are not very good coming after Cerebella who spends OTG pretty often
Diamond Dynamo conversions are eugh
Canonically, they are enemies and we respect the lore
Synergy:
Poor for Cerebella, Favorite for Fortune
Very strong duo as long as Fortune is in front
Look for a non-point character for a trio
Fukua
Recommended Assists:
H Platonic Drillationship, M Forever a Clone
H Drill - Lockdown, Neutral, Anti-Armor
Covers a good amount of ground space to help Bella move in
Great for creating an advantage when charging in with Battle Butt or Lock 'n' Load + assist
Can be used in tricky Kanchou mixups, the lockdown from Drill letting you continue pressure if the opponent manages to block the mixup
M Clone - Neutral, Combo Tool
M Clone ignores the opponent's projectiles, so along with Bella's armor and Reflector it's something for zoners to be wary of
Gives Cerebella high damage combo routes
Pros:
Bella gets nice help in neutral from Fukua's assists
Fukua gets great aid to screen control and pressure from Bella assists
Good DHC support from Bella, including being able to combo after Drill super in the corner
Fukua's DHCs are easy to combo into and keep your momentum going
Bella's a good battery character to make Fukua's command grab game and overall damage more threatening
Cons:
Fukua doesn't provide the best options for converting off of Diamond Dynamo
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Fukua
Very solid duo in either order
Takes very well to any third character in a trio
Painwheel
Recommended Assists:
L Pinion Dash, M Gae Bolga Stinger (M Nails)
Pinion Dash - Combo Tool, Pressure
Good for keeping Bella safe when she tries to approach the opponent with Run > Battle Butt or Kancho
Heavy combo damage, with strings such as Titan Knuckle + assist > Pummel Horse
Surprisingly pretty solid for Diamond Dynamo conversions
M Nails - Projectile
Similar to L Pinion in protecting Bella when she tries to bully her way in
M Nail moves at just the right speed for Bella to run behind and use as a shield
Pros:
Painwheel's assists are surprisingly nice for Bella overall in helping her approach
Bella offers great assists to control the space closer to Painwheel and make her pressure scarier
Bella builds bundles of meter for Painwheel to play with
Good DHC synergy both ways; both characters hit hard and offer combo extension supers, along with Hatred Install DHC being safe
Easy for Bella to combo into Painwheel's tag-in for damage or just to get Bella out to safety
Cons:
Nothing crazy
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Painwheel
A nice duo, just don't leave Painwheel alone.
Open for adopting any third trio character
Parasoul
Recommended Assists:
L Napalm Shot, Napalm Pillar
L Napalm Shot - Projectile, Pressure
Bella can run behind the projectile using it as a shield in neutral
Amazing for Bella's pressure as the opponent has to deal with the shot and the tear left behind as Bella threatens with low/throw
Napalm Pillar - Anti-Air DP
Bella's meterless reversal options aren't great, so this is good to have if you don't want Bella taking the risk or you want to save meter for other things
Pros:
Para grants Bella pretty good neutral assistance
Bella lends Para great assists for space-control that work well with her mid-range control
Good combo extending DHCs
Cons:
Bella isn't getting Diamond Dynamo conversions from Parasoul's good assists
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Parasoul
Good duo in either order
This circus will take any characters for a trio
Peacock
Recommended Assists:
George's Day Out (L George), Level 3 Shadow of Impending Doom
L George - Persistent Projectile
A lingering ground threat that the opponent is forced to block, shoot, or jump over if you hide behind it, or can cover your approach and act as a combo breaker if you get ahead of the bomb. If you have a second partner, you can still call them while George is out.
SoID - Gimmick
Skullgirls - Bella DDrop/Dynamo conversions compendium - YouTube (Timestamp: 10:17)
Pros:
L George is a pretty good assist for Bella
Bella offers great assists that simultaneously help protect Peacock and help her be the aggressor
Cerebella has consistent routes to DHC after Lonesome Lenny, continue the combo, and damage the enemy in the explosion without taking damage herself, all on top of Lenny being a safe DHC
Bella is a good battery to fuel Peacock's Lonesome Lenny and Argus funds
You get to do Teleport > Lonesome Lenny > 360 DHC for a fullscreen command grab for a lot of damage
Cons:
No help for Diamond Dynamo conversions outside of Shadow of Impending Doom
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Peacock
A certain Peacock player places top 4 in tournaments with this duo very often
Any character is welcome for a trio
Robo Fortune
Recommended Assists:
H Theonite Beam, Headrone Salvo (Missiles)
Theonite Beam - Beam Projectile
Beam helps you get in, not much to say
If opponent wants to crouch under the beam, they're leaving themselves open to getting command grabbed
That said, because the beam can be crouched, it's not a good option for Battle Butt + assist to approach... but you have no real reason to commit to that when Beam does the work on its own
(Kitten) Missiles - Hidden... Missiles
Skullgirls - Bella DDrop/Dynamo conversions compendium - YouTube (Timestamp: 11:10)
It's just a cool assist, really
Pros:
Bella Backed By Beam Bassist
Robo receives assist support for keeping opponents off of her, while also aiding her pressure should she choose to switch to rushing down
Bella is a good battery character to fuel Robo
Safe DHC with Magnet super (DHC instantly out after 1 hit of Diamond Dynamo)
Cons:
Beam assist is not giving Cerebella Diamond Dynamo conversions... but the pros far outweigh this con
Synergy:
Favorite for Cerebella, Good for Robo Fortune
Fairly good duo combination, preferably with Robo Fortune on point, but even if the order gets disrupted then Bella is backed by a great assist and can easily tag Robo back in meterlessly.
Any character works well for a trio
Squigly
Recommended Assists:
Drag 'n' Bite, Center Stage
Drag 'n' Bite - Lockdown, Neutral
Great pressure with its lengthy lockdown while also pushing the opponent to the corner
Good combo tool for the same reasons
Good for Diamond Drop conversions... but only when charged so it's not reliable
Center Stage - Screen Manipulation
Brings the opponent right to Bella while limiting their escape options
Center Stage dragging the opponent toward Bella, then Bella immediately doing command throw sounds really funny
Surprisingly useless for Diamond Drop/Dynamo conversions
Pros:
Squigly offers Bella great offensive support from assists
Bell gives Squigly good neutral, pressure, and charge combo help from assists
Bella is a great battery to build meter for the meter-hungry Squigly, both on point and even as an assist
Cons:
No good (reliable) options for Diamond Dynamo conversions
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Good for Squigly
Very solid duo as both characters support each other well, and Bella can build a lot of meter for Squigly even if she ends up as the anchor.
Pretty open to any character for a trio
Valentine
Recommended Assists:
H Savage Bypass
Savage Bypass - Combo Tool
Tied with Cilia Slide as Cerebella's best combo assist, allowing conversions off of Diamond Drop/Dynamo, and opening up high damage combo routes
Pros:
Valentine's assist (singular) is very good for upping Bella's damage as her favorite combo assist
Excellebella assist is the Valentine Enabler, but the other options are also good for neutral and pressure
Good DHC synergy for combo extensions
Valentine deals pretty well with Cerebella's more troublesome matchups when she's on point
Cons:
As good as H Bypass is for Cerebella's combo game, it does very little for helping her out in the neutral game, her biggest weakness
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Valentine
The only problem with this duo is that it would be even better with a third character with a strong neutral assist, as both characters really want each other as combo tools
Pick a mid or anchor with a good neutral assist for a trio
Annie
Recommended Assists:
H Crescent Cut, H North Knuckle, H Destruction Pillar
H Cut - Projectile
Big projectile for Bella to chase behind as she inches closer toward the opponent
Gives you a nice left/right reset
Bella H Cut Sameside - Ivory
Bella H Cut Crossup - Ivory
H Knuckle - Neutral, Lockdown
Good neutral option that pairs well with Bella's armored approach options such Lock 'n' Load and Battle Butt
Adds a lot of damage to midscreen and corner combo routes, also works well in fake Kancho left/right mixups
H Pillar - Anti-Air DP
It's a good DP, but Bella may have trouble converting off of hits
Pros:
Good assist options for helping Bella out in neutral, as well as raising her damage output
Good offensive assist support for Annie
If Bella is in front of Annie she can build up plenty of meter
Bella can stagger the opponent and continue the combo by tagging into Annie
Cons:
None
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Good for Annie
This duo works out well as they give each other nice assist support, and if you need to save one character you can safely tag into the other mid-combo
Any third character will fit for a trio
Umbrella
Recommended Assists:
Cliff Hanger (6HP)
Cliff Hanger - Anti-Air, Neutral, Combo Tool (Stagger)
General neutral tool, lower commitment anti-air
Checks opponents who try to up-forward out of Cerebella's pressure (something she can sometimes struggle to deal with)
Helps frontload Cerebella's damage, she no longer has to rely on unchained 5MP or Pummel Horse to combo into her command throws
Pros:
Cerebella offers two great utility assists that help expand Umbrella's gameplan
High damage through assists with both characters offering a safe DHC and a high damaging level 3
Cons:
Umbrella's assists are overall nice for Cerebella, but don't help her deal with her most difficult matchups
Two characters who struggle with zoners, but only Umbrella is getting help in countering them
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Good for Umbrella
Very good duo in either order but struggles against zoning teams.
A very strong shell that will be of great assistance to most characters.
Black Dahlia
Recommended Assists:
Medici Mousetrap (2MK), L/M/H Order Up! (X Shot)
Mousetrap - Ground Space Control, Low
Great addition to Bella's corner pressure and mixup
Lets Bella convert off of airthrow
X Shot - Projectile, Multipurpose*
*Slow projectile (all but shotgun and beam), combo (shotgun, ice, electric), lockdown (ice, electric, fire), long-range (beam, electric)
Normal shots don't do a ton for Bella's neutral, special shots can help with near any situation
Gets some funky grab conversions if Dahlia has Ice Shots loaded (see the Dahlia/Bella Routes link below)
Pros:
Trap assist is alright for Bella, special shot assists hold potential
Dahlia gets an amazing lockdown assist she really likes, assists to contest the close-range space, and great Counter + assist help
Dahlia with Ice Shot loaded can tag into Bella and still let her continue the combo, which is very rare with how Bella's tag works (corner only, see video below)
Last Call and Barrel DHCs
Cons:
Both characters struggle to zoners, but can help each other out. LnL protects Dahlia from projectiles which can buy her some space to toss a doily to make H Counter and Teleport available which may help with good timing, Cerebella backed by special bullets may be able to put up a better fight
Synergy:
Good for Cerebella, Favorite for Dahlia
A fine duo
Any character can fit for a trio
Marie
Recommended Assists:
[assists this character wants]
[assist] - [function]
[what it's good for]
Pros:
[How does the supporting partner's assist kit help, if helpful]
[How does this page's character assist kit help their partner, if helpful]
[Any special notes: Is there high utility or damage in their DHCs, can they easily tag to each other for preserving health or upping combo damage, Is either partner a good battery that enables the other, Does either character help deal with the other's bad matchups, etc.]
Cons:
[If either character's assist kit is poor for their partner, note it here]
[Any special notes: Is it difficult to make use of this partner's DHCs, Do these characters compete for meter or a position, Do they share bad matchups, etc.]
Synergy:
[Fav/Good/Decent/Poor for this page's character, Fav/Good/Decent/Poor for this section's character]
[Does this shell work well as a duo, or are they incomplete? Even with duo health and damage, does either character suffer as the anchor?]
[How flexible is this shell for building a trio?]