Damage Boost

Note: This page describes a glitch, trick, or exploit. To see others, click here.

Explanation

When Ammy runs into certain obstacles, or gets hit by certain NPC's, she experiences a damage/recoil animation which leaves her rear paws on the ground and stops her in-place. She can experience this same animation on the ground or in the air. If the animation ends while she is still in the air, there is a single frame at the end where a jump or tackle can be input, which will behave as though Ammy were grounded. This is called a Damage Boost or Recoil Jump. Like the KT Glitch, it is a type of D Boost. This can be chained together as long as Ammy can collide with the damage source.

In order to actually gain height this way, Ammy needs to be damaged at the very start of a ground, double, or wall jump, so that the damage animation finishes by the peak of her jump arc.

Unfortunately, there are no known practical uses for this trick, due to the heavy limitation of requiring a tall damaging surface to gain significant height. However, it can be used to get out-of-bounds in the very starting area of the game, before even entering the River of the Heavens.

In theory, it is possible to use this technique to save yourself if you get hit by falling acid while jumping over the water when escaping from the Water Dragon, by mashing tackle as soon as you get hit to hopefully nail the Damage Boost frame, but this would be an extremely rare event.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/XauIMp9UMMM

The same effect can also occur with the longer damage animation where Ammy gets knocked off her feet, such as by cannon fire, but this animation is so much longer than the other damage animation that it's unlikely to be possible to gain height with it.

Applicable Damage Sources

• The barrier at in Cursed Kamiki at the start of the game. Note that you must wall jump to avoid Issun's trigger telling you not to run into the barrier.
• NPC's like Susanoo, enemy cherry blossoms, the Dojo Master, and bears can all attack Ammy, though none can hit her while she is high in the air, as needed to actually gain height via Damage Boosting.
• The barrier around the upper exit to Shinshu in Cursed Agata. Note that you can only barely reach this barrier before succumbing to the cursed zone.
• Falling debris from failing Blockhead puzzles
• Flame walls in Gale Shrine and Wawku Shrine
• Blocking Spiders in Imperial Palace and Oni Island
• Spiky walls in Oni Island
• Icicles if you have the Fire Tablet equipped
• Burning Chests
• The door inside the entrance of Gale Shrine before you've obtained the key.
• Bramble walls in Yoshpet
• Falling debris after defeating True Orochi