The Tekken series is deeply rooted in fundamentals and solid gameplay. However, Tekken 6 introduced a controversial comeback mechanic, Rage. This polarizing, yet widespread feature in modern fighting games strives to increase every match’s tension down to the final hit.
Welcome to the final edition of our Tekken 7 Beginner’s Guide. Let’s discuss everything you need to know about the Rage System, including how to best use Arts and Drives. Learn when to use it to help overcome seemingly insurmountable life deficits.
What is Rage in Tekken?
The Rage System triggers once per round when a player’s health bar reaches a critical level. Rage is active when your character has a red aura and the health bar flashes red. Every attack deals more damage in Rage. Players often turn this disadvantage into strength:
In Tekken 6, characters entered Rage for the rest of the round at 5% health. The entire mechanic was reworked and expanded upon in Tekken 7. Rage now activates when a character reaches 20% health. The damage buff also correlates to the amount of health left. Less health means higher damage output.
Tekken 7 also introduced Rage Arts and Rage Drives, powerful attacks only available while Rage is active. Rage Arts are cinematic moves that function similar to Fatal Blows in Mortal Kombat 11 or Critical Edges in SoulCalibur VI. Rage Drives are enhanced versions of one or more of a character’s most iconic attacks. Once a Rage Drive or Rage Art is used, Rage deactivates for the remainder of the round.
Rage Art
Rage Arts are a controversial addition to Tekken 7. They are the first “super moves” in the series and have several properties that make them frustrating to handle. For example, Rage Arts armor through most attacks. Players will often take advantage of their opponent trying to close them out and Rage Art while under pressure. If their opponent presses a button at the wrong time, they can dish out a lot of damage and quickly turn the tide of the round.
At higher levels, spamming Rage Arts becomes less viable. Even though the armor is intimidating, they still pose a huge risk. Nearly all Rage Arts are -22 on block and can be launch-punished by just about any attack. Some characters like Alisa, Jin, and Steve have Rage Arts that are safe on block but can be easily ducked and punished. Others have unique Rage Arts that require different defensive counters. Lucky Chloe’s Rage Art is a low attack that must be blocked, while players must jump to avoid Akuma’s unblockable Rage Art.
Rage Arts deal somewhere between 50 and 70 damage alone depending on the remaining health. Their damage potential can reach up to half a life bar in combos. Some Rage Arts like Paul’s can be canceled on hit to start high-damage combos. Similarly, Yoshimitsu’s Rage Art can be canceled into his signature Soul Stealer parry. Though his Rage Art has no frame properties on block, whiffing the parry allows the opponent plenty of time to punish. Given the high risk they carry as well as the hefty, once-per-round reward, you should always make sure that your Rage Art connects if you are going to use it.
Rage Drive
Rage Drives are much more plausible in neutral than Rage Arts. They are colloquially called “the Blue Stuff” in Tekken 7 because a character glows blue on use. The vast majority are plus on block and have useful properties that cater to their character. They can start, extend, or finish combos for devastating damage. Rage Drives tend to derive from one of the character’s most iconic attacks in their move lists. Some are nearly identical to their normal counterparts, such as JACK-7’s “blue” Debugger and Paul’s “blue” Death Fist.
Specialized and nontraditional Rage Drives
Not all Rage Drives function as traditional attacks. For example:
- Armor King’s Rage Drive does not deal damage. Players can instead follow up with nearly any of his throws, which become unbreakable.
- Gigas uses a plus frame charge that sets up a mixup situation with one of three attacks, including an unblockable high.
- Kazuya has the most unique Rage Drive in the game. It activates his “Devil Transformation” for the remainder of the round. Kazuya transforms into Devil from Tekken 2 and can perform a host of new attacks, including unblockable lasers.
Some characters can only unleash their Rage Drive from a specific stance. For instance, Ling Xiaoyu can only use it if her back is toward the opponent. Many characters like Hwoarang, Lars, and Steve have two Rage Drives that come from different stances. Lei Wulong, the premier stance character in Tekken, actually has five different Rage Drives. Rage Drives have more utility than Rage Arts, especially at high levels of play, but take more time to fully understand.
How and when to use Rage Arts
Knowing how and when to make the most of the Rage mechanic is crucial for mounting comebacks in Tekken 7. The best strategy is to stay in rage until you can finish the round with a Rage Art or Rage Drive, unless you’re in a desperate situation. You might even want to drop a combo before your opponent enters Rage. That way you can finish them more easily without their comeback factor.
Rage Arts excel as combo finishers. They also diminish the risk of dropped combos, helping you to close out rounds after screw attacks. A well-orchestrated combo into Rage Art can deal 90 or even 100 damage.
Use Rage Arts to counter aggressive opponents trying to close out rounds with pressure or oki. They will armor through any attack that won’t KO the user and make someone pay for overextending. If you are sure your opponent is going to press a button, go ahead and let it rip. Be careful of players feinting aggression in an attempt to bait a Rage Art. Experienced players will be more than prepared to punish it.
Understanding Rage Drive properties
Unlike Rage Arts which are mostly universal, all Rage Drives are unique, so learn how to best use your main’s version. For example:
- Alisa and Lili’s Rage Drives can tailspin an opponent a second time even after they used a screw attack.
- Asuka and Dragunov launch the opponent when their Rage Drives are landed raw. They also leave them in a defenseless state on the ground when used as a combo ender, which can be followed up with a final attack for unscaled damage.
- Kunimitsu can re-splat opponents against the wall with her Rage Drive to set up hefty wall combos.
Many players throw Rage Drives out (plus on block) just to take away their opponent’s turn and set up their own offense. This is an especially effective strategy when pinning players near the wall for splat or bounce mixups. A handful of characters like Kazumi and Feng Wei deal chip damage when their Rage Drives are blocked against walls. While it is smart to save Rage Drives for the end of a round, their versatility allows for a variety of other strategies. Experiment with your favorite character until you figure out a few reliable options for different situations.
We have officially covered every facet of Tekken 7. You are now ready to put what you’ve learned to practice on your path to greatness. Take the next step forward!