Dark Step
Dark Step, formerly Black Leg, is the leg-based fighting style of the First Sea and the cheapest one you can buy: a teacher sells it for 150,000 Beli. It has four skills instead of the usual three, and its V skill, Overheat, sets your legs on fire for extra damage. Its skills need little mastery, which makes it easy for beginners, and it is the first step towards Death Step and Superhuman.
Dark Step
Quick questions about Dark Step
What moves does Dark Step have, and what are their cooldowns?
Overheat is the V skill that powers up the other three.
Dark Step moves, stats and Instinct
- Tap
- A short string of leg swings at close range.
- The slowest M1 of the fighting styles, not counting Combat.
- Z
- Launches you in an arc towards the cursor, and a red line marks your landing spot.
- The landing can be off from a long distance.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage and an area hit on impact.
- X
- A handstand spin that kicks everything around you.
- Damages and stuns enemies for as long as it lasts, and you cannot move meanwhile.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage and sets the wind around you on fire.
- C
- Kicks fired towards the cursor; holding the key makes the barrage last longer.
- Getting hit during it cancels the move.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage, and the kicks burn.
- V
- Spin fast to set both legs on fire: about 22% more Dark Step damage for 60 seconds.
- The ignition itself only hits for about one M1 click, so use it as a buff.
- Tap
- A short string of leg swings at close range.
- The slowest M1 of the fighting styles, not counting Combat.
- Z
- Launches you in an arc towards the cursor, and a red line marks your landing spot.
- The landing can be off from a long distance.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage and an area hit on impact.
- X
- A handstand spin that kicks everything around you.
- Damages and stuns enemies for as long as it lasts, and you cannot move meanwhile.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage and sets the wind around you on fire.
- C
- Kicks fired towards the cursor; holding the key makes the barrage last longer.
- Getting hit during it cancels the move.
- With Overheat on, it adds extra damage, and the kicks burn.
- V
- Spin fast to set both legs on fire: about 22% more Dark Step damage for 60 seconds.
- The ignition itself only hits for about one M1 click, so use it as a buff.
How do you get Dark Step?
Talk to the Dark Step Teacher and buy the style for 150,000 Beli. He stands in all three seas, and the tabs below show where to find him.
What you need to learn Dark Step
What are the best Dark Step combos?
Melee main means most of your stat points are in Melee, sword main means Sword, gun main means Gun.
Dark Step combos, easiest first
DS X, C, Z
Melee main. Strongest with Overheat running.
DS V (before you attack), Z, X (hold), C
Melee main. Turn Overheat on first.
Soul Cane Z, DS C, Soul Cane X, DS X
Needs the Soul Cane; sword main. Strongest with Overheat running.
Gravity Blade Z, DS X, C, Portal Z, DS Z, Gravity Blade X
Needs the Gravity Blade and Portal; sword main.
Ice V, C, DS X, Z, Dark Blade X
Needs Ice and the Dark Blade. The Ice stun sets up Breakdance.
DS X, C, Z
Melee main. Strongest with Overheat running.
DS V (before you attack), Z, X (hold), C
Melee main. Turn Overheat on first.
Acidum Rifle Z, X, DS Z
Needs the Acidum Rifle; gun main.
Soul Cane Z, DS C, Soul Cane X, DS X
Needs the Soul Cane; sword main. Strongest with Overheat running.
Gravity Blade Z, DS X, C, Portal Z, DS Z, Gravity Blade X
Needs the Gravity Blade and Portal; sword main.
Ice V, C, DS X, Z, Dark Blade X
Needs Ice and the Dark Blade. The Ice stun sets up Breakdance.
Dark Step strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
General
- Cheap, and the low mastery needs (1, 40, 80 and 150) unlock every skill quickly.
- Good for farming the First Sea and for Aura levels, thanks to the many hits of Breakdance.
- Breakdance and Barrage extend combos when they land.
- Low knockback, so enemies stay bunched up for grinding.
Flying Kick (Z)
- Some air mobility.
Breakdance (X)
- Hits everything around you and stuns it while the spin lasts.
Barrage (C)
- Good damage for a combo extender.
Overheat (V)
- About 22% more damage for 60 seconds.
Weaknesses
General
- Low damage overall.
- Falls behind once better styles unlock: Death Step replaces it.
- All its cooldowns are long (10, 15, 20 and 90 seconds).
- Poor with Buddha: most skills fail while you are transformed, so spam the M1 instead.
Flying Kick (Z)
- Low damage, a small hitbox and a long start-up, since you aim, fly and then recover.
- Cannot hit airborne players or NPCs.
Breakdance (X)
- Locks you in place with high end lag, so a miss is easy to punish.
- Lowers your hitbox, which removes the invulnerability Buddha has against some attacks, and can drown you near the sea surface.
Barrage (C)
- Needs a full hold for full damage, and its range is low.
Overheat (V)
- The long animation leaves you open.
- The 90-second cooldown is longer than its 60-second buff.
Verdict
Dark Step is a good budget starter for the First Sea, but Water Kung Fu and Electric have better M1s and more damage, so many players buy one of those first. Keep levelling Dark Step on the way to Death Step and Superhuman.
What do you unlock with Dark Step?
Fighting styles that need Dark Step
- 400 mastery in Dark Step.
- A Library Key from the Ice Castle: the Awakened Ice Admiral drops it, and Ice Castle enemies far less often.
- 2,500,000 Beli and
5,000 Fragments. - Learn it from Phoeyu, the Reformed in the Ice Castle (Second Sea) or the Castle on the Sea (Third Sea).
- 300 mastery in Dark Step, Water Kung Fu, Electric and Dragon Breath.
- 3,000,000 Beli.
- Learn it from the Martial Arts Master in Snow Mountain (Second Sea) or the Castle on the Sea (Third Sea).
- 400 mastery in Dark Step.
- A Library Key from the Ice Castle: the Awakened Ice Admiral drops it, and Ice Castle enemies far less often.
- 2,500,000 Beli and 5,000 Fragments.
- Learn it from Phoeyu, the Reformed in the Ice Castle (Second Sea) or the Castle on the Sea (Third Sea).
- 300 mastery in Dark Step, Water Kung Fu, Electric and Dragon Breath.
- 3,000,000 Beli.
- Learn it from the Martial Arts Master in Snow Mountain (Second Sea) or the Castle on the Sea (Third Sea).
Dark Step showcase video
Dark Step showcase
Dark Step showcase by Kaskobi on YouTube.
What changed in the Dark Step updates?
- Dark Step was reworked.
- Added to the game.
