Anime Vanguards Update 9: Release Date & New Features
The highly anticipated Anime Vanguards Update 9 is just around the corner, and players are buzzing with excitement about what…
I’ve been grinding A Universal Time for weeks now, and let me tell you the Mad Dog ability from Update 5.3 is absolutely worth the effort. When I first heard about this legendary ability inspired by the Mad Dog of Shimano, I knew I had to get my hands on it. It’s chaotic, it’s fast, and honestly? It’s one of the most fun abilities I’ve used in AUT.
But here’s the thing unlocking Mad Dog isn’t just about luck. You’ve gotta put in the work, complete a pretty intense questline, and be ready to fight. A lot. I spent hours figuring out the most efficient way to do this, so I’m gonna share everything I learned with you.
Before we dive into the “how,” let me explain what you’re actually getting here. Mad Dog is a Legendary melee ability that came with the massive YAKUZA Update 5.3. If you’ve ever played the Yakuza games, you’ll instantly recognize the inspiration this ability is all about that wild, unpredictable fighting style that makes every battle feel like controlled chaos.
I’m not gonna lie, when I first equipped Mad Dog, I felt the difference immediately. Every move is lightning-fast, aggressive, and designed to overwhelm your opponent. It’s the complete opposite of the more calculated Dragon ability (which also came in the same update). Where Dragon is about precision and timing, Mad Dog is pure adrenaline.
The moveset includes rapid slashes, brutal combos, and some seriously stylish finishers that’ll make you feel like you’re in a street brawl scene from the games. Plus, as you level up your mastery, you unlock even more devastating attacks. I’ve taken down opponents who were way more experienced than me just because Mad Dog’s speed caught them off guard.
Look, there are tons of abilities in AUT. So why should you spend hours grinding for this one? Here’s why I think it’s worth it:
1. It’s Incredibly Fun to Play
I’ve used plenty of Stand abilities and specs in AUT, but Mad Dog just hits different. The combat feels smooth, responsive, and satisfying. Every hit has weight to it, and chaining combos together feels natural once you get the rhythm down.
2. You Earn It Through Skill
Unlike some abilities where you’re just hoping for good RNG from crates, Mad Dog requires you to complete specific tasks. Defeating players, taking down NPCs, and proving yourself in combat. When I finally unlocked it, I felt like I’d actually accomplished something.
3. The Mastery System Keeps You Engaged
Even after you get the ability, there’s more to work toward. Each mastery level unlocks new moves, and trust me you’ll want them all. I’m currently working on getting my fourth mastery, and the fights just keep getting better.
4. It’s Great for PvP
If you’re into player versus player combat, Mad Dog is a monster. The unpredictable attack patterns make it hard for opponents to counter, and the speed advantage lets you control the pace of the fight.
Alright, let’s get into the actual process. I’m gonna walk you through every single step I took to unlock Mad Dog. This questline requires you to be Standless for most of it, so make sure you’ve unequipped any abilities before starting.
First things first you need to get to the new Champion District. This area was added in Update 5.3, and it’s where all the action happens. If you’re not sure where it is, here’s what I did:
The Champion District is located near the Colosseum (which got moved in this update, by the way). When you spawn in, just head toward the Colosseum area and look for the gritty, urban back-alley vibe. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see street fighters hanging around and the whole aesthetic shifts to that Yakuza street combat feel.
It took me a minute to find it the first time because I kept running past it, but once you know where it is, you’ll never forget.
Once you’re in the Champion District, you need to find Homare Nishitani. He’s the NPC who starts the Mad Dog questline. Now, this is super important you MUST be Standless when you talk to him. I learned this the hard way because I forgot to unequip my ability and had to run back.
Nishitani is pretty easy to spot. He’s hanging out in the Champion District, and when you interact with him, he’ll kick off the questline. The dialogue is pretty cool, and you can tell right away this guy means business.
Here’s where things get a bit RNG-based, but don’t worry it’s not terrible. Nishitani will ask you for a Mysterious Dagger. This is an Epic-rarity item that you can find in chests scattered around the map.
I spent about 30 minutes server-hopping and checking chests before I found mine. Here are some tips that helped me speed up the process:
If you’re really impatient (like I sometimes am), you can also buy the Mysterious Dagger from the Premium Shop for 500 uP. I personally grinded for it because I like earning things the legit way, but the option’s there if you want it.
Once you’ve got the dagger, head back to Nishitani and hand it over. He’ll be impressed, and you’ll move on to the next phase.
Okay, this is where the questline gets real. Nishitani wants you to prove yourself by defeating 15 unique players while using Standless. Yep, no abilities, no Stands just your base combat skills.
Here’s the catch: each unique player only counts once, and there’s a 2.5-minute cooldown between counts. So you can’t just farm the same person over and over.
This step took me the longest, and I won’t sugarcoat it it’s tough. Fighting with Standless against players who have full ability loadouts is challenging. But I figured out some strategies that made it way easier:
My Tips for the 15 Player Defeats:
It took me about two hours of solid gameplay to get all 15 defeats, but honestly? It made me way better at the game’s fundamental combat mechanics.
After you’ve proven yourself against players, Nishitani sends you after some NPCs. You need to defeat 15 Thugs and 15 Hooligans while still using Standless.
This step is way easier than the player defeats, I promise. These NPCs spawn frequently around the Champion District and nearby areas. They’re not particularly tough, and since you’re fighting AI enemies, you can take your time and learn their patterns.
I finished this part in maybe 20-30 minutes. Here’s what worked for me:
Once you’ve cleared all 30 NPCs, head back to Nishitani. You’re getting close now.
This is it the boss fight. Nishitani challenges you to a one-on-one battle to prove you’re worthy of the Mad Dog style. And let me tell you, this guy does NOT mess around.
The fight is challenging but fair. Nishitani uses fast melee attacks that are similar to what you’ll be doing with Mad Dog once you unlock it. It’s almost like he’s giving you a preview of your own power.
How I Beat Nishitani:
It took me three attempts to beat him. The first two times I got too aggressive and he demolished me. The third time, I played it safe and managed to take him down without too much trouble.
After you defeat Nishitani, talk to him again. He’ll be impressed by your fighting spirit and hand over the Demonfire Dagger a Legendary item that’s basically the key to unlocking Mad Dog.
When I got this, I was so hyped. All that grinding had finally paid off.
Now, here’s the final step: while you’re still Standless, use the Demonfire Dagger from your inventory. It’ll consume the item and grant you the Mad Dog ability.
Congratulations you’re now a Mad Dog user!
Once I unlocked Mad Dog, I spent hours in the training area just experimenting with the moves. The base moveset is already pretty solid, but here’s what you’re working with:
The ability focuses on close-quarters combat with rapid strikes and unpredictable attack patterns. Your attacks are faster than most abilities, but you need to be in melee range to be effective. It’s all about pressure keeping your opponent on their toes and never letting them breathe.
What I love most is how the ability rewards aggressive play. If you’re defensive or passive, Mad Dog doesn’t shine. But if you’re constantly pushing forward, mixing up your attacks, and reading your opponent, you become a nightmare to deal with.
The combos flow naturally once you understand the timing. I practiced against NPCs first to get a feel for the chains, then moved into PvP. My win rate shot up significantly once I got comfortable with the rhythm.
Getting the ability is just the beginning. The real depth comes from the Mastery System, which unlocks additional moves as you progress. I’m currently working through this myself, and it’s genuinely rewarding.
Once you reach Ascension 1+ with your Mad Dog ability, you can return to Homare Nishitani to begin mastery training. This opens up a whole new questline focused on pushing your skills to the limit.
Here’s how it works:
Each mastery level unlocks a powerful new move. Here’s what you’re working toward:
Mastery 1: Haanya Dance
This is your first unlock, and it’s absolutely wild. The move involves rapid, unpredictable slashes that are incredibly hard to dodge. When I first used it in PvP, my opponent literally messaged me asking what just happened because they couldn’t react in time.
Mastery 2: Triple Rush Attack Finishers
This one adds brutal finishing moves to your rush attacks. It’s perfect for ending combos with style and maximum damage. I use this constantly because it catches people off guard when they think they’ve escaped my pressure.
Mastery 3: Mad Dog Maul
A relentless combo attack that just keeps going. This move is exhausting for your opponent to deal with because they’re stuck blocking or dodging while you’re piling on the damage. It’s become my go-to for breaking through defensive players.
Mastery 4: Loose Dog
The ultimate Mad Dog move. This is the final form of chaos maximum speed and damage rolled into one devastating ability. I’m still working toward this one, but I’ve fought against Nishitani at this level, and let me tell you, it’s absolutely brutal.
Here’s something that caught me by surprise: every time you fight Nishitani for mastery progression, he gets stronger. Not only does his health and damage increase, but he also starts using all the moves you’ve already unlocked.
So when you’re going for Mastery 3, he’ll have access to Haanya Dance and Triple Rush Attack Finishers. By the time you’re working on Mastery 4, you’re essentially fighting a mirror match against someone who knows all your tricks.
It’s challenging, but it’s also really cool from a design perspective. The game is literally training you to fight against your own ability.
After spending so much time with Mad Dog, I’ve picked up some tricks that I wish I’d known from the start. Let me share what’s helped me the most:
1. Master the Dodge Timing
Mad Dog is aggressive, but you’re not invincible. Learning when to dodge is just as important as learning when to attack. I spent time in PvP just focusing on defensive play to understand enemy patterns better.
2. Mix Up Your Attacks
Don’t be predictable. If you always use the same combo strings, experienced players will read you and counter. I try to vary my approach sometimes I’ll start with a rush, other times I’ll bait with a single hit and dodge back.
3. Use Your Speed Advantage
Mad Dog is faster than most abilities. Use this to control spacing, chase down retreating opponents, or escape when you’re in danger. Mobility is one of your biggest strengths.
4. Practice Combo Canceling
Some of your moves can be canceled into dodges or other attacks. Learning these cancels makes your offense way more threatening and harder to punish.
1. Server Selection Matters
For the player defeat portions of the quest, I found medium-population servers worked best. Too empty and you don’t have enough targets. Too full and everyone’s way too skilled.
2. Time Your Attempts
I did most of my grinding during peak hours when more casual players were online. Weekday evenings seemed to have the best mix of active players and skill levels.
3. Be Respectful
This is a community game. When I needed player defeats, I’d ask in chat if anyone was willing to help. You’d be surprised how many people are cool with it, especially if you offer to help them in return later.
4. Don’t Rush the Boss Fights
I lost fights against Nishitani because I got impatient. These battles are tests of skill, not races. Take your time, learn the patterns, and play smart.
Let me save you some frustration by sharing the errors I made during this process:
Mistake #1: Forgetting to Stay Standless
I cannot stress this enough you MUST be Standless for the entire initial questline. I equipped an ability after one step because I forgot, and it completely broke my quest progress. I had to restart that entire section.
Mistake #2: Fighting Top-Tier Players
When I needed those 15 player defeats with Standless, I kept challenging people with Legendary abilities and wondering why I couldn’t win. Don’t be like me. Choose your battles wisely.
Mistake #3: Not Practicing Before Mastery Fights
I went into my first mastery duel against Nishitani thinking I’d breeze through it. I got demolished. Spend time in training mode or fighting NPCs first to really understand your new moves.
Mistake #4: Selling Items Too Quickly
I almost sold a scroll item I found in a chest because I didn’t realize it was used for another questline. Always check what items are used for before getting rid of them.
This is a question I see constantly in the community, and honestly? It depends on your playstyle.
I went for Mad Dog first because I prefer fast, aggressive combat. The chaotic nature of the ability matches how I like to play. But here’s my honest comparison:
Choose Mad Dog if you:
Choose Dragon if you:
There’s no wrong answer here. I’ve fought against amazing Dragon users who completely shut down my Mad Dog, and I’ve also demolished Dragon users with my aggressive pressure. Both abilities are top-tier when mastered.
If you’re torn, maybe just flip a coin. You’ll probably end up getting both eventually anyway.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room you can buy quest items from the Premium Shop to skip parts of the grind.
The Mysterious Dagger costs 500 uP. Is it worth it? Here’s my take:
I’d say no, with one exception.
If you’re a casual player with limited time and you just want to experience the ability without the grind, go for it. But if you’ve got the time, I genuinely think doing the quest legitimately is more rewarding.
The questline teaches you combat fundamentals, makes you better at the game, and gives you a sense of accomplishment. When I finally beat Nishitani and got that Demonfire Dagger, it felt earned.
Plus, the grind isn’t even that bad compared to some other AUT quests. I’ve spent way more time farming for rarer items in this game.
However, if you’re a Premium player already and you have excess uP from subscriptions, maybe it’s worth it to save a few hours. It’s your call.
As of [cm] 2025, Mad Dog is sitting in a really good spot. It’s not overpowered to the point of being broken, but it’s definitely strong enough to compete at the highest levels.
In PvP, I’ve had success against most ability types. The matchups I struggle with most are:
But against most standard matchups, Mad Dog holds its own. The speed and pressure make it a threat, and the skill ceiling is high enough that you can outplay opponents through sheer mechanics.
In PvE content, Mad Dog shreds through most NPCs efficiently. The fast attacks make quest grinding smoother, and the combos are satisfying against boss enemies.
I’ve heard rumors about potential balancing changes coming in future updates, but as of right now, there’s no official word. Honestly, even if they tweaked some numbers, the core gameplay would still be fun.
No, you must be Standless for the entire questline up until you use the Demonfire Dagger. This is a hard requirement. I tried to cheese it, and it just broke my quest progress.
For me, it took about 5-6 hours total, including finding the Mysterious Dagger and completing all the player defeats. Your time might vary depending on RNG and your PvP skill level.
No, you don’t need Ascension to start the Mad Dog questline. However, you DO need Ascension 1+ to begin the Mastery progression after unlocking the ability.
Yes, but each unique player only counts once. So you can’t just farm the same friend repeatedly. You need 15 different players.
Nothing bad. You can challenge him again immediately. There’s no penalty for losing, so don’t stress about it. Just learn from each attempt.
The ability itself is beginner-friendly in terms of controls, but mastering it takes time. The aggressive playstyle might be tough for new players who are still learning game fundamentals. But if you’re willing to practice, it’s absolutely worth learning.
No, quest items like the Demonfire Dagger are untradeable. You have to earn it through the questline. This is by design to prevent people from just buying their way to the ability.
The mastery progression requires you to defeat 5 unique players, then fight Nishitani solo. So technically you need access to at least 5 other players willing to fight you, but the actual boss battle is a 1v1.
The developers have been pretty active with updates, and I’m curious to see where they take Mad Dog in the future. Based on patterns from previous updates, here’s what I’m expecting:
Potential Future Content:
The AUT team seems committed to keeping abilities fresh and relevant, so I don’t think Mad Dog will become outdated anytime soon.
After everything I’ve experienced with Mad Dog, here’s my honest recommendation: if you enjoy fast-paced, aggressive combat, absolutely go for it.
The questline is challenging but fair. The ability is fun, rewarding, and has enough depth to keep you engaged for dozens of hours. The mastery system gives you clear goals to work toward, and the power fantasy of being a chaotic street fighter is just plain cool.
I don’t regret a single hour I spent grinding for this ability. It’s become my main in AUT, and I’m still discovering new tricks and strategies weeks after unlocking it.
Yes, there are other strong abilities in the game. Yes, some might be “better” in specific situations. But Mad Dog has soul. It has style. And most importantly, it’s fun to play.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably ready to start your own journey to unlocking this legendary ability. Here’s my advice: bookmark this guide, take it step by step, and don’t rush the process.
The grind might seem intimidating at first, but trust me every step teaches you something. Every defeat makes you better. And when you finally land that Demonfire Dagger and unlock Mad Dog, you’ll understand why it was all worth it.
I’m still actively playing AUT and working on maxing out my Mad Dog mastery. The game continues to surprise me with new updates, and the community is more active than ever.
Update 5.3 really breathed new life into A Universal Time, and abilities like Mad Dog are a huge part of why. The developers clearly put love and effort into this content, and it shows in every aspect of the design.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there, find Nishitani in the Champion District, and start your path to becoming the One-Eyed Demon. I’ll see you in the fighting pits.
Remember: stay aggressive, stay unpredictable, and most importantly have fun. That’s what Mad Dog is all about.
