Introduction

Venom's oki can be considered among the most complex and varied in Guilty Gear. His ability to summon balls in different positions, and shoot them in various timings, speeds, and angles, allows him to lock down the opponent on their wake up, taking away reversal options like DPs, low profile moves, blitz, and wake up throws, forcing a mix up on them with late airdash/empty low, or his specials like teleport and Mad Struggle, all while chipping away with his high chip damage pressure.

However, it's not always possible to have an oki that does it all simultaneously, and that's because his best oki options require a few things, which are:

- A specific combo route that has him doing QV early, generating a ball that is NOT used during the combo, instead saving the ball for the oki

- A high and close 6H done at the corner near the end of a combo in order to combo to QV (without QV hitting as OTG) and securing a knockdown, giving him a free ball out without spending precious knockdown time summoning it

- Meter to spend on YRC or Dark Angel or Bishop Runout

It might not be required to accomplish all of these for every oki, but Venom is flexible enough to be able to adjust his oki based on circumstances. For example:

- Vs a character with a DP, if Venom is unable to use meter or early QV or a QV knockdown to secure a strong lockdown oki that is safe from reversals, he can forgo risking an upclose mix up and just do oki safely from afar, outside the DP's range, that does chip damage and grants him lockdown long enough to cover his approach to start a blockstring (even if it's not long enough to do a high/low mix up). Venom can also just get a knockdown and zone from a safe distance.

- Vs a character with unfavorable weight and hurtbox that makes it difficult to get a 6H > QV knockdown (Kum being a prominent example), Venom can go with 6H > ball set and use Dark Angel to lock them down, to either do a mix up, or do more chip damage pressure on top of Dark Angel, chipping their life out or forcing them to spend tension to FD, taking away defensive options like blitz or reversal overdrives or Dead Angle Attacks.

- Vs a character with a fast wake up where doing a close low opener might have Venom risk getting thrown, especially if the opponent IBs the meaty ball, he can choose instead to land further out, that way the low hits outside throw range, and it would still be fast enough to catch jumps or any mashable normal during start-up. And if it does hit, he can take the 2D knockdown (even if it does meager damage), or spend meter to RRC and extend the combo if it's enough to kill.

This page lists a number of Venom's most prominent oki, but it doesn't list all of his options as they are too numerous. A player learning Venom can pick a small number of these and have a solid set of tools against most match ups and at all levels of play. They can perhaps even invent a few new oki options if they develop their playstyle enough.

Midscreen Knockdowns

Venom has solid Midscreen oki, but they're not his best. Due to pushback of balls, he can struggle with getting a high reward from low 2K starters since a small amount of pushback can make cS(3) not connect on standing on a lot of characters. His pressure with carcass also becomes weaker due to pushback. Venom's oki is also weak to backdashes, as Venom won't be close enough to punish their backdash after they invul through a ball. And while you should take every knockdown you can get, it can sometimes be worth going for a corner carry route just to get a corner knockdown, especially if it gets you a corner QV knockdown.

2D(2) Knockdown

Standard knockdown option. If you can't get cS on crouching to combo to QV, either due to lack of proximity or gatling restrictions, like if you hit them with fS or 2S or 2H, or if you're not close enough to get cS(3) on standing (particularly obnoxious on thin characters like Chipp/Slayer), then you go for 2D(2).

K-set

The classic. Very robust and dependable. It's no wonder this is the first oki any Venom player learns in any Guilty Gear he's in.

K-set (214K)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
dash jK/jS BH, side switch	The ball should meaty on their wake up, and Venom should be on the other side as the ball pushes the opponent towards Venom. This is great as it'll put the opponent right next to Venom, guaranteeing a 2K cS(3) to hit on standing on any character. Using jK gives you slightly more frame advantage than using jS. This is because jK hits the ball slower and deeper than jS, and that means Venom can jump and hit the ball with jK earlier than jS, whereas hitting K-ball with jS too early would make it whiff past the opponent before they've woken up, especially if they have a slow wake up. Hitting K-ball with jK, however, is more prone to getting blitz proximity rejected, since Venom would be closer to the opponent than if you hit with jS when they do their reversal blitz on wake up. There are ranges where hitting with jK can be blitz safe, mainly if it's timed where the ball meaties while Venom is at the apex of his dash jump, barely going over the blitz projectile rejection hitbox, but it is unreliable. On the other hand, the extra advantage granted by jK can make it possible for Venom to land sooner and do 2D instead of 2K as a low in order low profile some dead angle attacks. The ability to hit K-ball earlier with jK also allows Venom to jump over and safely get behind more DPs than possible with jS. Axl, Chipp, and Leo can be jumped behind safely with jK, but is seemingly impossible with jS. Ky's DP can't be jumped behind with either jK or jS, while Sol's DP, Johnny and Elphelt's reversal super, and any other super with no back reaching hitbox can be safely jumped over with either jK or jS.	None	late back airdash jS or low. Back airdash being faster than a forward one means it'll lead to a stronger mixup than a standard late forward airdash or low instead of instantly doing jS during the back airdash, if Venom delays the jS he would do it after correcting sides and facing the opponent, and that opens up the option of doing a Mad Struggle after the jS, or a low after landing empty airdash back land throw, or airdash back jH (whiff) land throw. jH would whiff if they're blocking but it can hit if they are trying to mash out of the throw. You can OS by tapping 5S just after the throw, and if the jH whiffs, the 5S would not do anything during the throw animation, but if jH CH's, the 5S input would lead to cS comboing after.	None	+ Blitz proximity rejection (if you use jS BH, or sometimes jK BH at a proper spacing) + DPs and other reversals with weak backwawrds hitbox (like Volcanic Viper) + Low profile reversals (if jK BH is used since it hits at a deeper angle) - Blitz proximity rejection (if you use jK BH at an off timing) - Dead Angle (but possible to bait with 2D low profile depending on dead angle hitbox. Often requires jK BH) - DPs with strong backwards hitbox	Video example
jK/jS BH, same side	Can be done in various ways, like a forward jK/jS, or dash neutral jump, but the most effective is instant dash jump jK/jS as it puts you closest to the opponent for the best possible low opener combo. Doing same side oki is useful if the corner is close and you want to push them towards it with your combo or blockstring, but it leads to weaker empty low reward as 2K cS(3) might not connect on standing opponents, or you might not be even close enough to gatling 2K to cS, and you get a 2K fS instead. The instant dash jump also opens up the falling jP/jS options, as well as the falling jS jc jH > Red Hail F-Shiki overhead option. The instant dash jK can lose to blitz proximity rejection though, as Venom would be close to the opponent when they do wake up blitz.	None	Late forward airdash or empty low Falling jP/jS into Mad Struggle / Low (if the jump reaches them) Falling jS jc jH F-Shiki overhead > Red Hail (if the jump reaches them)	Close knockdowns might make it hard to remain same side. Back walk before doing jK/jS might be needed	+ Blitz proximity rejection (if you use jS BH, or jK BH from far enough) + Low profile reversals (if jK BH is used since it hits at a deeper angle than jS) - Dead Angle - DPs (Although with jK you might be able to recover and block on ground, or air FD) - Blitz proximity rejection (if you use jK BH close to them)	Video example
Early long dash jK BH cross up	If you do an instant long dash after K-set before doing jK BH, the ball would meaty them after sides have switched, and it would push the opponent away from where Venom lands. This ball would often land during cross up protection, but it can hit as a true cross up if done early enough. This removes the empty low option since the opponent would be pushed away out of range of you 2K or 2D, but it can open up a new left/right mix up layered on top of the ball itself landing as cross up. So even if the ball lands during cross up protection, you can get a solid tricky left/right mix up out of it.	None	Left/Right mix up, with instant airdash back late jD "uncross up". Convert the hit with either land 6H, or land dash jPPHD land dash 6H, or IAD jSHD etc. For the "single cross up" option you can do a later lower airdash back late jS. Both mix up options need to hit after blockstun for the mix up to not be autoblocked. If the ball lands as a cross up, you can convert that to a combo with an airdash back jS land cS, or just continue with the left/right mix and use the hit as a reset to strengthen the mix up	Requires a close 2D(2) knockdown for the ball to push them in a way to allow the left/right mix Needs an average or slower face up wake up for ball to hit as cross up Demanding execution to convert the jD "uncross up" to a damaging combo with dash jPPHD or IAD jSHD routes Faust's crawl can go under jD, so this oki is not recommended vs Faust	+ DPs (if they don't side-switch their input, other wise it will lose to most DPs) + Dead Angle (if they don't block the ball correctly and side-switch their input, otherwise the dead angle input works as a strong left/right "Dead Angle or FD" option select) + Low profile reversals (If the ball hits deep enough) - Blitz proximity rejection (Although it can be blitz safe if the ball connects when Venom is at the apex of his jump)	Video example
dash sj jK BH same side / side switch	This option has all the benefits of hitting K-ball with jK in the previously mentioned dash jump "side switch" and "same side" options (DP safety, low profile safety, able to bait dead angle with low profile 2D, high frame advantage before doing the overhead or low mix up) without the main disadvantage of jK BH, which is getting wake up blitz rejected. While it's true that dash normal jump jK BH can be blitz safe, it is not so dependable, and many of the benefits of jK BH require an early hit to gain more frame advantage in order to be safe from DPs or to land early enough to bait dead angles with 2D, and that tends to put you close to the opponent when the ball meaties, making you more vulnerable to blitz proximity rejection. The dash super jump input can be tricky, and it can be done "manually" with a dash then super jump jK, which is 65639K (or 6639K if we emit the neutral 5 input), but there's more risk of dashing too far before jumping, making jK not hit K-ball. It can also be done via a shortcut with 652569K (or 6269K). The "same side" and "side switch" variants retain some of their advantages, while losing others. With "side switch", it still makes DPs with weak back hitboxes whiff, and it guarantees a point block 2K cS(3) to hit everyone standing, but "side switch" loses the faster "back airdash" option that made back airdash jS a faster overhead, and an empty back airdash (or back airdash jH whiff) land throw possible. With "same side", you lose the falling jS jc jH > Red Hail F-Shiki overhead option since you can't double jump after doing a raw super jump. Lastly, due to the height, it can be easy to mess up, airdash too early and sail over a crouching opponent, particularly a short one like Baiken. If the airdash timing feels tricky, it might be easier to switch to a late mad struggle for either "same side" or "side switch" variant as an alternative overhead option with less chance of messing up, although it might be easier for the opponent to react to mad struggle than the airdash option.	None	Late forward airdash or low Late Mad Struggle or low as an alternative that does more chip damage and might be less prone to IBs if they are expecting a late airdash Falling jS to beat some slack fuzzy guarding attempts to block the standard high/low mix up options	Dash sj jK needs to be done instantly. Dashing for any amount longer would make jK not hit K-ball Dash super jump shortcut 6269 can be used to do it. Doing it without the shortcut, with 65639, is possible, but much harder to do	+ Blitz proximity rejection + Low profile reversals (if the ball lands deep enough) - DPs with strong backwards hitbox (but not Volcanic Viper, Venom can also air FD any DP after recovering from jK) - Dead Angle (but it's possible to bait with 2D if the Dead Angle Attack doesnn't have a big lower hitbox, and if Venom lands early enough)	Video example

P-set

The basic. Simple and effective. Can use the ball to meaty and approach to start a blockstring, or stay back and zone some more while P-ball protects you from ground pokes and ground approaches.

P-set (214P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
5P BH	After summoning it, P-ball takes some time for it to reach its low position. If P-ball is hit immediately with 5P, it would be moving high enough to stop most characters dashing in or even IADing in, but it would whiff on crouching or other low profile moves. So rather than waiting for P-ball to reach it's position, it's possible to use that time to close the distance by doing a short dash before hitting P-ball with 5P. Hitting it with 5P might not have the ball meaty if the knockdown is far and their wake up is fast, but you can "lead" the ball with a normal to keep them in blockstun before the ball reaches	None	This option doesn't really allow for an easy mix up since P-ball isn't doing the lockdown itself. But the threat of the incoming P-ball can give you "mental frame advantage" and also protection from mashing, as the P-ball should trade with most of their options aside from invincible moves and throws.	P-ball might not meaty if the knockdown is far and if they have a fast wake up. You can, however, "lead" P-ball with normals.	+ Blitz (if they reject your normal, the incoming P-ball will still - DPs (but trailing P-ball might trade with their reversal) - Dead Angle (but trailing P-ball might trade with dead angle)	Video Example
5K BH	Just like the 5P option, you would need some time after summoning P-ball before you can hit it low enough. Best to use that time to get closer by doing a short dash after P-set before you hit it. 5K's faster BH speed guarantees that it would meaty on anyone, but it'll give you less frame advantage than a 5P BH, although in most cases its enough to start a blockstring safe from reversals, or do a throw or TK Mad Struggle mix up.	none	Throw or low TK Mad Struggle or low	none	+ Blitz proximity rejection (if spaced correctly) - DPs (but it's possible to bait them) - Dead Angle (possible to bait them)	Video Example

H-set

Has a simple safe jump usage that is sadly vulnerable to wake up blitz, and a more complex option using sCR TS that is particularly strong against wake up blitz and reversals

H-set (214H)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
Dash jump late jS + BH	Safe jumps any invincible reversal, by having jS itself connect with the opponent very close to the ground when they wake up (AKA a normal safe jump), with jS then hitting H-ball shortly after the opponent. Since the ball is hit after jS's hitstop, the lockdown would be high, and jS can be cancelled at this point to Mad Struggle to hit gapless, allowing for a strong unmashable Mad Struggle or low mix up. This specific timing can be hard to do on fast reversals like Sol's H-Volcanic Viper. If the dash jump is done too early, jS would not connect with the opponent since they would still be down, but jS would hit H-ball, and H-ball should meaty. This does give you more leeway in that you'd be safe jumping their reversal even if you jumped too early and the jS here didn't hit the opponent. This timing can also catch players off guard trying to block the whiffing jS standing, and instead get opened up with the low.	none	Mad Struggle or Low (unmashable by fast buttons or DPs) TK Mad Struggle or low (after landing you'd still be plus to force that) Throw or low (after landing)	none	+ DPs + Dead Angle (if Baited. 2D can also be used as the low starter instead of 2K and it can low profile some Dead Angles) - Blitz (either by rejecting jS, or rejecting H-ball and subsequently Venom via proximity. The H-set and dash jump is very telegraphed, and baiting the blitz requires landing and doing low or throw, which would lose to wake up throw)	Video Example
sCR TS dash jH BH	The S-Carcass Raid should meaty the opponent on wake up, while also colliding with H-ball. The generated ball is then hit with the dash jH, and it should connect soon after carcass that there would be no gap between the two balls even if carcass was Instant Blocked. The 2-hits of the ball hit by jH should create enough lockdown for a late airdash or low mix up. This setup is particularly blitz safe since blitzing Carcass Raid won't get them out of the second ball you hit with jH, and they'd have to either block that second ball, or do a reversal DP right after blitz, or backdash (if they have a good eneough backdash), or do a second blitz. If they do a charge blitz to reject the second ball, Venom would still be safe, and he can punish the charged blitz with a low or throw. Wake up DP can hit Venom out of his dash jH if the knockdown is done close enough, but at the appropriate distance, most wake up DPs would clash with jH. Carcass Raid, however, can whiff on some characters crouching at certain spacings. To ensure that their wake up DP whiffs, allowing for a true punish, Venom has two options:- Delay S-Carcass Raid, then do dash jH instantly after (this will have carcass not meaty, and it will give them a chance to jump out or move) Do S-Carcass Raid instantly, but delay the dash jH (this will have carcass meaty, but it will open a gap between carcass and the jH BH to do a reversal, especially if they IB'd carcass, or blocked it crouching, or both)	none	Late Airdash/Mad Struggle or low (unmashable)	Needs a specific knockdown spacing for carcass to not whiff on crouching, while also being far enough for the dash jH to clash or not get hit with their wake up DP. 2D(2) > 214H [2]8+S can be demending execution-wise. The H-set can be input as 2141H so charging carcass can be done as soon as possible	+ Blitz (Opponent can't even use blitz reject's short invulnerability to escape the subsequent attack. They'd either have to block, backdash, or DP after. Using charged blitz to reject carcass and the jH BH won't reject Venom either, and allows Venom to punish their charge blitz with a low or throw. + Most DPs (Either by jH clashing, which won't allow Venom to punish if the clash was canceled to FD, or by completely whiffing if adjusted to specifically bait DPs, even if that can create other gaps for the opponent to escape from. - Dead Angle (Blocking carcass and then the jH BH would take a moderate amount of chip, so they can take that damage to save tension for the dead angle, or FD and then dead angle if they have enough)	Video example

Charged S-Stinger Aim

Solid way to get plus frames that sets up offense while also building tension and risc and also doing chip damage. Weak to low profile moves.

Charged S-Stinger Aim ([4]6S)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
Charge S-Stinger Aim lvl2	if you cancel 2D(2) to S-Stinger Aim, you should be able to charge it to lvl 2 to produce a 3-hit charged ball. It'll give you a lot of advantage to approach safely without risk of getting challenged with DPs or Throws. Backdashing won't work either since the slow ball would still catch them after backdash invincibility runs out. This option is weak to low profile reversals like Sol's Grand Viper, or Faust's crawl, or Chipp's 6P	none	TK Mad Strugggle or Low (needs a dash to be in range) Throw or low	none	+ DPs + Blitz proximity reject - Low Profile reversals	Video example

K, H-set

Offers two solid DP + Blitz safe options when used with YRC

K, H-set (214K 214H, or 214K,H)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
6H BH YRC Teleport	6H hits H-ball and Venom does YRC immediately after. During YRC start up, H-ball connects, and the RC freeze happens after, with the slowdown doubling the amount of hitstun/blockstun. Venom can teleport to the remaining K-ball-in-H-form and do jS to continue the combo or start a mix up after. jS connects with the oppoent and with k-ball, and on block it creates a long enough lock down for a mad struggle or low mix up that is unmashable. In case they did a wake up DP, the h-ball hit by 6H would collide, and Venom would just do a neutral telport and should be safe from getting hit with the DP, and might even be able to punish it. If the blitz H-ball, K-ball would still be there and Venom would teleport and stil force a mix up on the opponent.	none	Mad Struggle or low Airdash or low	none	- DPs - Blitz - Dead Angle	Video example
Dash jH BH YRC	Venom dashes and hits H-ball with jH just before he YRCs. The H-ball should connect during YRC start up, and the YRC freeze would extend the hitstun/blockstun. The freeze should also give you time to react to their reversal DP (by reacting to the "REVERSAL" prompt on screen) and you can air FD to block their DP and punish. Air FDing them can still give them an out to RRC their DP, but if you airdash back or double jump away, you can make their DP whiff. But in case the blocked H-ball, you can do falling jKS, and jS should hit K-ball-in-H-form and lock them down enough for an unmashable Mad Struggle or low mix up	%25 for YRC	Mad Struggle or low (unmashable)	none	+ DPs * Blitz - Dead Angle	Video example

S, P-set

Offers a potent throw or low mix up that is safe from DPs and blitz, with a big damage reward on the low, as well as safety from mashes thanks to a trailing P-ball leading to a trade

S, P-set (214S 214P, or 214S,P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
dash 5P BH	Venom hits both S-ball and P-ball with 5P. S-ball meaties, giving frame advantage, while P-ball trails behind. After S-ball connects, Venom can dash and throw before P-ball reaches, or he can do a low. If Venom does a low with 2D, he can use the trailing P-ball to combo afte 2D(1) and into QV for a much more damaging low starter combo than if 2K was used. The trailing P-ball also offers safety in case the opponent tries to mash out of the throw, as even if Venom is hit, the trailing P-ball would trade, possibly with a chance for Venom to convert to a combo. At the very least, it would hamper the opponent's combo potential out of the mash significantly. The opponent can use throws or invincible moves to hit Venom out of the throw while being safe from P-ball. The opponent can jump out of the throw, but if they jump back, or backdash out of a throw, the trailing P-ball still restricts their movement. The same concept of safety with P-ball applies if Venom goes for a TK Mad Struggle mix up instead of a throw mix up. Otherwise, Venom can stick a low recovery normal like a 2K between the S and P-ball to keep them locked down, and P-ball would connect after, giving Venom advantage to run a throw mix up or a TK Mad Struggle mix up.	none	Throw or low (with bigger reward on the low than usual) TK Mad Struggle or low (with bigger reward on the low than usual)	none	+ Wake up DPs (they could DP the throw after S-ball is blocked. But the low option can hit as a true string after S-ball, and that may catch their reversal input, or at least it would make Venom not get hit in this fork of the mix up). + Blitz + backdash (S-ball would still be there, so they can't start an attack or punish Venom for his offense. They could escape though) - Dead Angle	Video example

2D(1) knockdown

Used if 2D(2) would whiff or hit OTG due to distance, particularly vs heavier characters. Can also be chosen if you want the Dark Angel oki. Note the options here also apply if the second attack of 2D hits on its own without the first, this mainly happens if 2D low profiles under Dead Angle or certain other moves.

P-set

Similar to the 2D(2) variant, altho a bit more versatile thanks to the close 2D(1) knockdown.

P-set (214P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
Dash 5P BH	Basic oki to get plus frames to start pressure or set up a throw or low, or a TK Mad Struggle/Low. P-ball should meaty even after waiting for it to drop before hitting with 5P so it would connect on crouching, but you should try to keep a distance to avoid getting blitz rejected or hit with a DP on wake up, although that might make it hard to dash in time to start pressure or do a mix up	none	Throe or low TK Mad Struggle or low	none	+ Blitz proximit rejection (if you stay at a distance) + DP (if you stay at a distance) + Low profile reversals (if P-ball is hit when it reaches it's low point, altho Sol's grand viper might go under it still) - Dead Angle	Video example
sCR TS dash 2P/5K BH	A slightly enhanced option that builds more tension and does more chip, while also being more blitz and DP safe. sCR collides with P-ball and generates a 2-hit ball. You can dash and hit that ball with 2P or 5K. And since both 2P and 5K are jump cancelable, you can do a TK Mad Struggle or low after, and the lockdown from the ball should be enough to have Mad Struggle connect as a true string on normal block. You can also do 2P BH, recover use the advantage to dash and start a blockstring or go with a throw or low mix up	none	TK Mad Struggle or low (unmashable) Throw or low (easier from 2P)	none	+ Blitz (if they blitz the sCR, they still need to block the second incoming ball) + DPs + Low profile reversals = backdashes (they may escape sCR but the second ball would still prevent them from ground options, forcing them to jump or back away some more)	Video example
Dark Angel dash 5P BH	Probably the strongest way to use Dark Angel midscreen for oki. Dark Angel would meaty and keep them locked down for 1.5 screen lengths, doing lots of chip in the mean time. After hitting P-ball with 5P, you can dash jump and do a late airdash or low mix up that is hard to see, and in either options, the dark angel itself would continue the combo. The trailing P-ball can give you coverage in case they dead angle. P-ball can also layer your mix up in case they blocked the late airdash option by giving you another chance to do a TK Mad Struggle or low. Not recommended vs Baiken, and Answer's parry might limit this oki's reward, particularly if he YRC's after a successful jump installed parry	%50	Late Airdash or low (hard to see) Layered TK Mad Struggle or low in case the airdash was blocked	Can't be done on Baiken cause she can Azami out of it. Answer might escape it too with jump install parry YRC	+ DPs + Blitz (can't blitz overdrives) + Dead Angles (Since Dark Angel does a lot of chip, the opponent would either have to save their tension to do DA when Venom is close, or FD to not get chipped, possibly lowering their tension below %50, removing the dead angle option. Even if they did Dead Angle, the trailing P-ball would lead to a trade, so they can't use the frame advantage off landing a DA to help them out in neutral. - Low Profile reversals (as long as they're frame 1 low profile and can go under P-ball)	Video example

6H Knockdown

Common ender off many of Venom's routes, usually the big damage ground confirms and air to airs. 6H on its own can work as a poke or situational anti air, or to convert stray ball hits to a knockdown. 6H Knockdown oki is very dependent on distance and height as options don't work the same if the 6H hits the opponent on ground or in the air, or if it hits close after an IAD confirm or far after a crouching kQV confirm or a dash jKSHD.

P-set

With 6H knockdown usually being further than 2D, it can be hard to have P-ball meaty, but it is still doable, and it offers about the same advantages as the P-set options for 2D(2) knockdown.

P-set (214P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
5P BH	This will likely not meaty, especially if you wait till it's low enough not to be ducked under. But you can "lead" the ball by dashing past it, or at least by using normals like fS or 6H ahead of the ball, as P-ball would give you coverage in case they hit you. You can also just lay back and zone.	None	This option doesn't really allow for an easy mix up since P-ball isn't doing the lockdown itself. But the threat of the incoming P-ball can give you "mental frame advantage" and also protection from mashing, as the P-ball should trade with most of their options aside from invincible moves and throws.	P-ball might not meaty if the knockdown is far and if they have a fast wake up. You can, however, "lead" P-ball with normals.	+ Blitz (if they reject your normal, the incoming P-ball will still - DPs (but trailing P-ball might trade with their reversal) - Dead Angle (but trailing P-ball might trade with dead angle)	Video Example
5K BH	Just like the 5P option, you would need some time after summoning P-ball before you can hit it low enough. Best to use that time to get closer by doing a short dash after P-set before you hit it. 5K's faster BH speed guarantees that it would meaty on anyone, but it'll give you less frame advantage than a 5P BH, although in most cases its enough to start a blockstring safe from reversals, or do a throw or TK Mad Struggle mix up.	none	Throw or low TK Mad Struggle or low	none	+ Blitz proximity rejection (if spaced correctly) - DPs (but it's possible to bait them) - Dead Angle (possible to bait them)	Video Example

K-set

6H knockdown tends to be farther than 2D(2), so some of the options you do for K-set won't work here for far knockdowns, like using jK BH, as the ball might not be fast enough to meaty in time, or doing side switch from a regular dash jump jK or jS due to the distance. But if you do get a close 6H knockdown (which is not common), then those same options do apply in that case.

K-set (214K)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
dash jS BH	Just like the same side option in 2D(2) knockdown, but due to the further knockdown you get with 6H, it might be necessary to do a slightly longer dash before jumping, that way you land closer to them for a better empty low option combo. Even then, you will likely not get a full 2K cS(3) combo on standing, especialy against thin characters like Chipp/Slayer. The late airdash option, and falling jS/jP options still apply.	None	Late forward airdash or empty low Falling jP/jS into Mad Struggle / Low (if the jump reaches them) Falling jS jc jH F-Shiki overhead > Red Hail (if the jump reaches them)		+ Blitz proximity rejection (if you use jS BH) + Low profile reversals (if jS BH hits deep) - Dead Angle - DPs
dash sj jS BH same side / side switch	Whether the dash sj lets you side switch or land same side is only a factor of the 6H knockdown distance. For knockowns off a dash jKSHD land 6H, Venom woould be too far to super jump and land behind them, and he can't dash for too long before he's be unable to hit K-ball with jS. But off an IAD confirm, the 6H knockdown should put the opponent closer where a dash super jump would have Venom land behind them. The benefits of landing behing as opposed to in-front are the same as the 2D(2) option, with better reward on the empty low, and DP safety. The same side benefits also apply as they do in 2D(2), with an improved chance on getting a better empty low (but not guaranteed, like side switch), and the ability to air FD DPs.	None	Late forward airdash or low Late Mad Struggle or low as an alternative that does more chip damage and might be less prone to IBs if they are expecting a late airdash Falling jS to beat some slack fuzzy guarding attempts to block the standard high/low mix up options	Side switch option can only happen with closer knockdowns, generally off a standard IAD confirm.	+ Blitz proximity rejection + Low profile reversals (if the ball lands deep enough) - DPs with strong backwards hitbox (but not Volcanic Viper, Venom can also air FD any DP after recovering from jS) - Dead Angle (but it's possible to bait with 2D if the Dead Angle Attack doesnn't have a big lower hitbox, and if Venom lands early enough)

S, P-set

Less mix up potential than the 2D(2) version, but it works just as a simple meaty that gives Venom slightly more chip and tension than the P-set option.

S, P-set (214S 214P, or 214S,P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
dash 5K BH	Venom hits both S-ball and P-ball with 5K. S-ball should meaty or at least land early enough to catch jump outs or most non-reversals. P-ball trails just behind it, and that should give Venom enough frame advantage to dash in safely and start pressure.	none	Throw or low TK Mad Struggle or low	none	+ Wake up DPs + Blitz - Dead Angle - Low Profile reversals As neither S nor P-ball hit deep enough for some low profile moves.	Video example

QV Knockdown

Not a common knockdown option midscreen off of most Venom combos but a QV knockdown can come up in three main ways:

1- Character-specific routes (vs Johnny, Leo, and Ky are the most prominent ones)

2- Truncating a standing cS(3) confirm to get a QV knockdown. Normally, that requires sacrifice damage and corner carry, but if it's off a prorated 2K starter, the potemtial damage lost won't be big

3- Certain CH 6P anti air routes

Early QV, 6H Ender

Requiring a standing cS(3) confirm, an Early QV option gives Venom a very strong oki using a combo route that does good damage and corner carry. This option can be done in two methods: 1- cS(3) xQV dash jKSHD land 6H y-set, works on everyone but some heavies, and allows for early pQV and sQV (and possibly hQV though its inconsistent). 2- cS(3) xQV dash cS(1) late jc jKSHD land 6H y-set. The late jump cancel input is done to retain momentum from the short dash before cS(1) and carry it through the jump, enabling you to go past balls and not hit them during the combo. Good for setting up early hQV, kQV, and sQV (pQV won't work cause P-ball gets in the way). Using this method is also useful in cases where you're comboing to cS(3) after a number of hits, increasing gravity combo scaling to make them fall faster, and they'd just fall below the dash jK and not get hit, particularly with heavier characters.

jH Knockdown

Used for getting a dependable knockdown off normal hit anti air 6P, or generally as an easier knockdown than 6H. The options are limited in reward but it's important to take any knockdown you can get.

Air P-set (j214P)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
jD BH	The ball should meaty and give you enough time to dash in and start pressure, or even do a dash jump and do a falling jKS string for a more rewarding approach. You can also stay back and choose to zone.	none	Throw or low TK Mad Struggle or low	Slower wake up characters might wake up after the ball hit by jD bounces off the ground and goes up. In that case delaying the jD or the ball set after jH might be needed, or it might not be possible to meaty at all	+ Wake up DPs As Venom should be at a distance + Blitz {{clr}\|3\|+ Low Profile Reversals}} as the ball hit by jD should land very deep - Dead Angle - Forward moving reversal overdrives Could reach Venom if he was in the middle of something, but if he was in the middle of dashing, he can react to the cinematic and block.	Video example
jD BH land k-set YRC dash jK/jS BH	Used as a way to get a more rewarding high/low mix up than possible	%25	late airdash or low Mad Struggle or low	Slower wake up characters might wake up after the ball hit by jD bounces off the ground and goes up. In that case delaying the jD or the ball set after jH might be needed, or it might not be possible to meaty at all	+ DPs As you can react to the reversal message to wait and punish them + low profile reversals If the ball hits deep enough	Video example

Air H-set (j214H)
option	description	meter usage	mix up options	restrictions	beats/loses to	video
airdash late jD BH	If the jH hits from a far, you can use this option to have the ball meaty as a cross-up. The option sadly is a little telegraphed with the airdash, but even forgoing the mix up, just having a side switch option could be useful if you want to pit them into the corner from where you were.	none	Cross-up But in case the ball was blocked you should still have a small advantage to run a small advantage mix up like: Throw or low TK Mad Struggle or low	Needs a far jH knockdown, a closer jH knockdown might have the ball whiff	+ Wake up DPs If they don't side switch the input + Low Profile Reversals as the ball hit by jD should land very deep - Dead Angle - Blitz proximity reject	Video example

Throw

Very important offensive mix up tool (especially when OS'd with cS with 6S+H) and also a strong defensive tool (and Venom lacks those in general). Despite the free combo, it won't grant Venom a lot of damage, and trying to maximize damage would only build burst and tension for the opponent, so unless it'll kill, it's best to use the throw to get the best knockdown situation, either with a strong midscreen oki, or with corner carry into a strong corner knockdown.

Air Throw

Crucial anti air and air tech bait tool. Need to have your anti airs on point for your zoning and defense to be effective. Just like ground throw, damage reward is meager and not worth maximizing unless it'll kill, so going with strong oki situation (either by doing a strong midscreen oki, or corner carrying to get a good corner knockdown) is recommended. If you air throw low enough, the listed air throw options might not work, but you can just do the ground throw option in this case.