Dominic Hargan (White Rhino Ranger) Enters the Grid

New Characters / 5.07.2021

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Dominic Hargan charges his way into Legacy Wars

Dominic Hargan is an Epic Attacker that likes to get up close and personal. His attack startups generally have poor range, but their speed makes them difficult to defend against. His damage is spread pretty evenly across his attacks, so he never has to rely on luck to make a combo worthwhile. He lacks a disruptor, but his long attack animations help out his energy regeneration, so he’s often able to make his best defense a good offense.


Skills


Primary 1: Rhino Fury
Type: Strike
Cost: 4
A mixup strike that can be dash canceled on the first or second hit. On the third hit, it triggers an extra animation that can’t be blocked. The first hit has poor range, but the following hits go a surprising distance. It’s Dominic’s most damaging attack, so land it as often as possible.


Primary 2: Super Slash!

Type: Strike

Cost: 3
A slash attack that causes a launching shockwave. The attack at point-blank range is too quick to block on reaction, and even at mid-range it can be challenging to block or dodge if you aren’t ready for it. Its cheap cost and launch his reaction make it ideal for a combo starter or extender.



Special 1: Blade Attack!
Type: Strike

Cost: 4
Dominic’s fastest attack, but with the worst range. If the first hit connects, it causes a follow-up animation that ends in a launch. If the first hit misses, it recovers quickly, so you won’t be punished for using it aside from needing to regain energy.

 


Special 2: Rhino Blade
Type: Breaker

Cost: 4
A quick breaker with poor range on the first hit, but fullscreen range on the final hit. If the opponent doesn’t have a strike available, they’ll probably get hit by the final hit. It’s very fast for a breaker, just barely on the cusp of reactability if the opponent has really sharp reactions. To be as safe as possible, the first hit can be dash cancelled to help avoid a potential strikeout.

 

Assist: Rhino Stampede
Type: Disruptor

Cost: 4
Dominic comes in with a short ranged attack before shooting a laser shot. Its speed is above average and it’s easy to combo after, so it’s quite valuable as a disruptor assist.

Sample Combos
Blade Attack! → Rhino Fury
An easy-to-do combo that can be done in any stage position.

Rhino Blade → Super Slash → Blade Attack!

Thanks to the long animations and launches, the energy regeneration of this combo is quite efficient. It’s not necessary to dash or taunt after Super Slash or Blade Attack, but your energy regeneration will be even better if you do.


VS Dominic
-Dominic’s fast attack speed but poor range makes smart backdash timing very important. This also makes it possible to avoid Super Slash.

-With Dominic’s arsenal of fast strikes, aggressively using breakers against him is ill-advised. It’s better to attempt to start combos with strikes or counters, if possible.

-If Dominic tries to mix you up with Rhino Fury, the less risky option is to try blocking. A big chunk of Rhino Fury’s damage is at the end, and if he baits your block and goes for Rhino Blade, he won’t have enough energy to combo afterward. Things only start to get dicey depending on which assists he’s using. 

-Be sure to have a strike available at all times so that you can’t get blindsided by the fullscreen range of Rhino Blade’s last hit.

Advanced Tip

Rhino Blade Cancel
If you’re against a character with lots of strikes, you may want to backdash cancel to stay safe against a strike. If the opponent has backdashed to avoid Rhino Blade and you’re quick enough to recognize it, you’ll stay safe against an otherwise easy strikeout. If the Rhino Blade connected, the opponent would be stunned for a combo.