Gakuran Basic Style Guide

The free starter style every player begins with. Balanced, forgiving, and the best teacher of fundamentals — Counterstrike rewards a clean parry, and Swift Recovery keeps your posture healthy.

By Gakuran Guide · Site Maintainer: CT

Last updated: September 11, 2026

Quick Answer

Basic is the default free Common (59%) starter and a solid B-Tier (community) style. Its signature perks are Counterstrike (+5% damage on your next hit after a perfect block) and Swift Recovery (+15% posture regen after a perfect block), backed by Guard Pierce II (15% chip) and Resilience II (25% grapple). It works on any height — Average (170–176cm) is recommended while learning — and is the ideal style to master parry timing before rerolling into a rarer pick.

Basic Combat Combos & Mechanics

Core combo strings and parry-timing fundamentals:

Core Basic Combos Breakdown

Punish Pressure: M1 → M1 → M1 → M2. A simple, readable string that ends on a ragdoll M2 — the safest way to learn spacing.
Counterstrike Window: Perfect Block → M2. A confirmed block triggers Counterstrike, adding +5% damage to your next hit.
Posture Management: Perfect Block → Swift Recovery fans your posture regen by +15%, letting you re-engage faster than the opponent expects.

Basic Style Overview

RARITY & ODDS

Common 59%

TIER RANK

B-Tier (community)

BEST HEIGHT

Any (Avg 170–176cm)

GUARD PIERCE

II (15% chip)

ANIMATION REFERENCE

Basic is the style every account starts with, and its whole design is fundamentals: Counterstrike and Swift Recovery pay out on perfect blocks rather than on button mashing, so the M1 string matters less here than the timing of the block in front of it. The official frame captures of the M1 animation sit on the official Gakuran Trello board, which is also where the perk cards below come from. We link to the board instead of mirroring the developer's animation files.

Official Trello Perks

Counterstrike

After a perfect block, your next attack deals +5% damage. Punishes opponents who spam into your block and teaches reactive defense.

Swift Recovery

+15% posture regen after a perfect block. Keeps you upright in long trades and rewards disciplined blocking.

Guard Pierce II

15% block chip damage. Even when the enemy blocks, you still deal chip — a rarity for a free starter style.

Resilience II

25% grapple win chance. Decent clash defense for a starter, though far below the V-tier grapple styles.

Source: Official Gakuran Trello - Combat Styles (Basic card) and Combat Style Perks list.

How Basic Fits into the Meta

Strengths

Free and always available: you start with it and roll it constantly, so there is zero cost to learn on.
Teaches fundamentals: Counterstrike and Swift Recovery directly reward parry timing and posture control.
Surprisingly complete: Guard Pierce II and Resilience II give it real pressure and clash defense for a starter.

Weaknesses

Mediocre damage: no big damage perk means long trades against meta styles.
No iFrame M2: unlike Boxing, Basic M2s can be interrupted.
Outclassed at the top: Boxing, Wrestling, and Kure simply out-pressure it once you can reroll.

Best Build for Basic

Stat	Recommendation	Why
Height	Average (170–176cm)	Balanced range and speed — ideal while you learn spacing and parry timing.
Ethnicity	Any	Basic has no height-specific synergy, so pick whatever look you prefer.
Playstyle	Reactive defender	Lean on perfect blocks to trigger Counterstrike and Swift Recovery rather than raw aggression.

Basic vs Other Top Styles

Style	Basic Advantage	Basic Disadvantage
Boxing	Counterstrike can punish predictable Boxing pressure	Boxing's speed and iFrame M2s out-trade Basic badly
Muay Thai	15% chip wears down Muay Thai's block	Muay Thai's higher Guard Pierce and ragdoll M2s dominate
Slugger	Faster attacks interrupt Slugger's slow swings	Slugger's 30% Unstable trade wins raw damage races

How to Counter Basic

Basic is a beginner style, so the counters are about punishing mistakes:

Out-pressure it: Boxing and Muay Thai simply out-speed Basic's M1s and force trades in your favor.
Bait the parry: Basic players overuse Counterstrike — feint a block-bait and punish the whiffed M2.
Grapple: with only 25% Resilience, Basic loses most grapple clashes to high-Resilience styles.

FAQs

Is Basic a good fighting style in Gakuran?

Basic is the default free style every player starts with, and it is a solid B-Tier (community) Common. Its Counterstrike perk rewards a clean parry with +5% damage on your next hit, and Swift Recovery gives +15% posture regen after a perfect block. It is not the strongest style, but it is the best for learning fundamentals before you reroll into a rarer style.

How rare is Basic style in Gakuran?

Basic is the only Common rarity style at 59% odds — you start with it by default and will roll it in well over half of all rerolls. It is never a rare pull.

What height is best for Basic style?

Basic works on any height since it is the balanced starter. Average (170–176cm) is recommended while learning, because it keeps a balanced mix of range and speed without forcing a min-max build.

Does Basic have Guard Pierce and Resilience?

Yes. Basic carries Guard Pierce II (15% block chip) and Resilience II (25% grapple win chance), which makes it surprisingly usable in blocked exchanges and grapple clashes for a starter style.

Should I keep Basic or reroll?

Keep Basic while you learn the game. Once you understand parry timing and posture, reroll toward Boxing (short), Muay Thai (short–med), or Wrestling (tall) for stronger meta pressure. Use our Roll Simulator to plan your rerolls.