Beginner - Control Explanation (Vital Read!)

This segment explains the control notation that will be used throughout the guide, and thus it's a pretty important read.

Arcana Heart is unique in that it's not a 4 button game or a 6 button game, but a 5 button game.

The buttons are known as

A = Light Attack
B = Medium Attack
C = Heavy Attack
D = Homing
E = Arcana

The traditional setup on a fightstick typically looks like this:

A B C

D E

Most databases on the game also use the keyboard notation. To clarify, imagine the directions as the numbers on the keypad:

7 8 9

4 5 6

1 2 3

So to translate, 6 is forwards, 4 is backwards, 5 is neutral, and so on. (This obviously assumes you're facing right - if not, flip it around. As long as you remember that 6 is forwards and 2 is down, you should be fine.)

A, B and C should be self explanatory.
D is for Homing moves - see Homing 101 and Arcana Gauge for more detail on how that works.
E is for Arcana moves - see Arcanas and Force Gauge for more info.

A + D is your throw input. Every character has two types of throws - neutral throws if you aren't holding a direction, and directional throws if you hold forward or backward. You can usually combo off of neutral throws for more damage, but they're also easier to tech out of.

A + B + C is your Extend. For an explanation of this mechanic, see the Force Gauge section.

C + E is your Burst, a last-minute escape out of trouble. For more information, see the Force Gauge section.