Build Guide: Damiane

Overview

Damiane is the speed character. She is the second playable character you unlock through the story, and she plays nothing like Kliff. Where Kliff is a generalist with a tool for every situation, Damiane is built around not getting hit in the first place. She has the fastest attacks, the most evasion options, and the most aerial mobility of the three characters. The trade-off is lower raw damage per swing and less forgiveness if you mistime something.

Multiple previews have called her the "glass cannon who never gets hit" archetype. Mein-MMO notes that she rewards skilled players with agility-focused tactics. If you liked Bayonetta's dodge-offset system or Devil May Cry's style-switching, Damiane is your character.

Appearance

Damiane's default look features a white cape, gold gauntlets and pauldrons, and a gold headpiece. The color scheme is distinct from Kliff's darker tones and Oongka's black armor -- she looks lighter and more agile even before she moves, which fits the speed-fighter identity. Like all three playable characters, she has separate armor sets that can be swapped via equipment.

Weapons

Claymore

Her two-handed greatsword. This is the weapon shown in most of her trailer footage. Despite its size, Damiane's claymore moveset is fast -- much faster than you would expect from a weapon that big. Preview footage shows sweeping horizontal slashes chained into thrust attacks, and GamingBolt's hands-on coverage notes "diverse move sets" for the greatsword. The claymore is your go-to for general combat and crowd clearing.

The claymore has wide arcs, so it connects with multiple enemies in a swing. Use it when you are surrounded or need to control space. Switch to rapier for single-target precision.

Rapier and buckler

A lighter weapon pairing for faster, more precise hits. The rapier deals less damage per swing than the claymore but attacks significantly faster and pairs with the buckler for quick parries. This loadout is built for duels and one-on-one fights where speed matters more than reach.

The buckler is a small hand shield. It is not meant for sustained blocking the way Kliff's shield is. Think of it as a parry tool -- you deflect an incoming attack at the right moment, then punish during the opening. The timing window is tighter than Kliff's block but the payoff is higher because Damiane's follow-up combos are faster.

Flintlock pistol

Her close-to-mid range secondary. The flintlock fires single shots and works as a combo finisher after melee strings or as an interrupt to stop an enemy's attack windup. It is not a sustained-fire weapon -- you shoot, you deal with the reload, and you go back to melee. The timing of when you fire matters because the shot has to count.

Musket

A longer-range option with a charge mechanic. Hold the aim to charge the shot, then release for higher damage. The charge delay means you need space and time to use it, so it is best used at the start of an encounter before enemies close distance, or from an elevated position where you have a clear line of sight. Good for opening on a boss before switching to melee.

Core combos

The Izuna Drop

This is Damiane's signature move and one of the most visually striking combos in the game. The sequence: spinning kick to launch an enemy into the air, grab them before they can recover, then pile-drive them into the ground. It is lifted directly from Ninja Gaiden -- GamingBolt specifically called it a "Ninja Gaiden-style Izuna Drop."

The Izuna Drop chains into an execution move, which means it can close out an enemy in a single combo if they are already damaged. Use it to finish off tougher enemies or as a high-damage punish after a successful dodge. The spinning kick that initiates it also has enough range to catch enemies who are trying to back away.

Quick-step dodge chains

Damiane's dodge is a quick-step -- a short, fast directional dash instead of Kliff's roll. It covers less distance but recovers faster, letting you chain multiple dodges together and immediately counter-attack from a new angle. The quick-step works on the same principle as Kliff's dodge but with less recovery time and more directional precision.

The idea is: dodge through an attack, end up behind or beside the enemy, and start a combo before they can turn. Against groups, you quick-step between enemies rather than trying to block or tank hits. Against bosses, the quick-step gives you more dodge attempts per stamina bar than Kliff's roll.

Aerial magic

Damiane has access to aerial spell attacks -- she can cast magic from the sky. The exact spell list has not been fully detailed, but preview footage shows her raining down projectiles from above after launching into the air. This ties into her vertical mobility: use the propeller to gain height, then attack from the air while enemies are stuck on the ground.

One confirmed aerial combo involves a spinning kick that launches both Damiane and the target upward, followed by aerial strikes before the Izuna Drop brings them both back to earth. The air time is where a lot of her damage happens.

Traversal

Damiane's unique traversal tool is a propeller device. All three characters have their own movement gadgets, and Damiane's propeller is the most capable of the three for vertical and aerial movement. At base speed, it functions like a glider. Spun faster, it achieves true flight -- she can actually gain altitude, not just slow her descent.

This makes her the best character for reaching elevated positions, crossing gaps, and approaching encounters from above. It also feeds directly into her aerial combat: propeller up, then drop into aerial magic or a dive-kick. See Gliding for the shared traversal mechanics and how Damiane's propeller compares to Kliff's Crow Wings.

Playstyle tips

Boss strategy

Against most bosses, Damiane's approach is: quick-step to avoid the big hits, punish during recovery windows with rapier combos, and save the Izuna Drop for stagger states. Her speed lets her get in more hits per opening than Kliff or Oongka, but each hit does less damage, so you need to be more consistent about exploiting every window.

For bosses that use area-of-effect attacks (stomps, sweeps), the propeller lets you escape vertically instead of rolling laterally. Gain height, wait out the attack, then dive back in. Against faster bosses like the Reed Devil, the quick-step is more reliable than trying to fly away.

Defeating bosses yields materials for crafting their weapons, which can be equipped across all three characters. A boss weapon earned while playing as Damiane expands her combo options and can potentially add heavier swings that complement her otherwise speed-focused kit.

Equipment priorities

Focus on gear that boosts Attack, Critical Chance, and Stamina. Damiane burns through stamina faster than the other characters because quick-stepping and aerial combos both consume it. Defense matters less because you should be avoiding damage entirely. If you are taking enough hits for defense to matter, work on your dodge timing first.

See also