User:Invalidvalue/Counterplay

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Anji Mito

Anji’s goal is to get in on you and apply constant mix up pressure using his special move FuujinGGST Anji Mito 236H.pngGuardAllStartup16 [32]Recovery21Advantage-8 [-6]. He accomplishes this by counter poking and whiff punishing you using his f.SGGST Anji Mito fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-9 and 5KGGST Anji Mito 5K.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery9Advantage-2 as well as using the autoguard properties of his special moves to pass through your attacks. Each follow-up to Fuujin has their own counter-play, and all of Anji’s autoguard moves are vulnerable to throws, and RC slowdown.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Autoguard

Suigetsu No Hakobi (aka Spin)GGST Anji Mito 236K 1.pngGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 34~50Advantage- is a special move that has Anji spin forward while in the autoguard state the entire time. If a non-projectile move makes contact with Anji during this state, the opponent will be locked in hitstop for 28 frames before continuing their move. The start up to his special moves KouGGST Anji Mito 236S.pngGuardAllStartup12 [28]Recovery14Advantage- and FuujinGGST Anji Mito 236H.pngGuardAllStartup16 [32]Recovery21Advantage-8 [-6] have this same property if the special move is held and functions the same way as Spin. If the autoguard is triggered during the start up of either of these moves, then the attack won't come out.

The autoguard does not start for the first 10 frames of any special move with autoguard properties, and Anji is in a counter hit state for the entire startup and recovery of Spin. If you miss the window of opportunity to punish it, you can just run up and throw him out of it at any time as well, as Spin is not throw-invulnerable. However, be aware that Anji can mix you up by inputting a held Fuujin or Kou instead of just a normal Spin. If a projectile or aerial attack triggers the autoguard, it does not trigger any hitstop, leaving Anji vulnerable for the full duration of the autoguard trigger. If you do trigger the autoguard, you can Roman Cancel to avoid any punishment from triggering it.

Kou is an anti air move that has Anji leap into the air after a brief spin and hit people with its wide hitbox. It’s pretty great for swatting out people carelessly jumping, and like Fuujin, it can be held during startup to apply the autoguard properties. It’s also a key part in Anji’s longer combos. This move only hits aerial opponents however. It doesn’t function like a DP. The second hit of Kou applies guard crush onto a blocking opponent, locking you down even if you manage to block it. This move has 14 frames of recovery, so Anji is wide open if he whiffs this in neutral.

Fuujin is an advancing attack that is a key part of Anji's neutral and offensive pressure. It has four possible follow-ups. Anji can immediately go into Fuujin’s follow ups at any time, without it connecting or even fully coming out. The follow ups are:

  • Shin: Ichishiki (aka Fan Toss)GGST Anji Mito 236HP.pngGuardAllStartup30 (43 if early cancelled from Fuujin)RecoveryTotal 43+6 after LandingAdvantage+7 is the Punch Fuujin follow up. Anji will leap up into the air and toss fans towards the ground.
  • Issokutobi (aka Hop)GGST Anji Mito 236HK.pngGuardStartupRecovery22+6 after LandingAdvantage- is the Kick Fuujin follow up. Anji will hop towards the opponent, which allows him to set up throws or reset pressure.
  • Nagiha (Low)GGST Anji Mito 236HS.pngGuardLowStartup15 (28 with early cancel)Recovery20Advantage-7 is the Slash Fuujin follow up that hits low and leads to a soft knockdown on hit. Anji can use this as a far reaching poke in neutral.
  • Rin (Overhead)GGST Anji Mito 236HH.pngGuardHighStartup21 (34 with early cancel)Recovery24Advantage-9 is the Heavy Slash Fuujin follow up. It's main purpose is to be another option to be wary of during his pressure.

Fuujin is explained further in the "Dealing with Fuujin" section.

Round Start


Anji's round start isn't the worst, but it's not particularly strong either. From round start, he only has three buttons that will reach: f.S, 2SGGST Anji Mito 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery16Advantage-6, and 5HGGST Anji Mito 5H.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery23Advantage-8. These buttons have 21, 16 and 23 frames of recovery respectively on whiff, so if he’s pressing buttons round start, you can back up and pretty easily whiff punish them.

He’ll more likely opt to use Spin, Kou, or charged Fuujin round start. Dashing forward and throwing will negate all of these options, but this is a bit risky. You could also IAD in with an aerial that hits low to the ground and throw punish Spin that way, assuming he doesn’t open up with Kou.

Neutral


Anji's neutral is very straightforward. He'll mainly be trying to fish for a counter hit, or whiff punish/counter poke using f.S and 5K. These are his best pokes. If either of these buttons connect, on hit or on block, Anji will be able to gatling into Fuujin either directly or via a string, allowing him to start his close range pressure. He’ll also throw out random Spins, Kous, or Fuujins. Spin to try to catch you tossing out buttons from a long distance, Kou to catch you jumping, and Fuujin to either advance forward with Hop or fish for a counter hit with the Low follow up. You'll need to play neutral slowly and patiently. Space yourself just outside of charged Fuujin, and try to intercept Anji's approaches.

Anji may throw out his projectile special move Shitsu (aka Butterfly)GGST Anji Mito 236P.pngGuardAllStartup29RecoveryTotal 52Advantage-6 from a distance to try and control space. If he does, you can actually drift BRC through the Butterfly and you’ll avoid getting hit by it. The Butterfly will also disappear if you manage to land a hit on Anji while it’s active.

Issei Ougi: Sai (aka Fan Overdrive)GGST Anji Mito 632146H.pngGuardAllStartup11+6RecoveryAdvantage-30 is a projectile Overdrive that’s primarily used as a combo ender for damage or to break the wall for both a hard knockdown and Positive Bonus. On block, it’s -30. However, because it’s considered a projectile, it will continue if Anji Roman Cancels it, allowing him to add on additional damage, or try a high/low mixup on block while the fan keeps people locked in place with 5DGGST Anji Mito 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15. This is an expensive tactic that requires 100 Tension, however. The Overdrive also doesn’t go away on hit either, so Anji can use it to call out slow attacks if he’s in the range to trade with it.

Offense


On defense, the tools that Anji will mainly be relying on system mechanics such as Burst, YRC, jump or backdash. For mashing, 2PGGST Anji Mito 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2 has a gigantic hitboxGGST Anji Mito 2P Hitbox.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2 for a 5 frame button, meaning he can disrespect pressure from much farther away than other characters.

Anji has a surprisingly high jump, and he can also stall his jump with j.DGGST Anji Mito jD.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery18Advantage-. Use Air Throw to counter extended stalling in the air.

He doesn't have a meterless invincible reversal, but you do need to be careful with your pressure once Anji has Tension, as he could always mash Kachoufuugetsu Kai (Parry Overdrive)GGST Anji Mito 632146S.pngGuardStartup1Recovery10Advantage-. Any hit will trigger an advancing counterattack from Anji. Up close, this will be a cinematic attack that does guaranteed damage, but from farther away, Anji will dash forward and do two follow-ups instead. If you trigger the parry from a far enough distance, you can whiff punish it. This Overdrive is impossible to safe jump, and has a tiny 10 frame recovery window. Note that unlike Spin, you can’t PRC to make yourself safe if you trigger this. However, like Spin, it’s not throw invulnerable, and you can punish it with one.

Defense


If Anji manages to get you in the corner, he can engage in pressure with c.SGGST Anji Mito cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage+1. This mainly involves blockstrings that utilize Fuujin. c.S is +1 on block, so it’s actually decent to get something going. He’ll usually combo from c.S into f.S, 2S, or 5H and then proceed to follow up with Fuujin and one of its follow ups. Make sure you’ve practiced your character’s appropriate responses to Fuujin. He could also dash cancel c.S and go for a throw, but you can react to that and backdash or tech it.

Defending Against Fuujin

When Anji uses this move, he does not have to do a follow up, but the move by itself is -16 on block, so he’s very unsafe if he doesn’t do one. Anji can also delay a follow up, but this leaves him vulnerable to mashing. Mashing can be extremely risky due to his ability to frametrap into the follow ups, however. Each of Fuujin's follow ups have their own weakness to them. The thing is, you'll have to play RPS around which follow up Anji will do.

  • Fan Toss- This is Anji’s only plus on block move, and it’s only +4. Coupled with his lackluster frame data, it doesn’t really give him that much of an advantage. The move has 25 frames of startup (38 with early cancel) and the hitbox only exists once the fans have reached the ground, so this can be punished by simply jumping it. You can either air grab, or hit Anji with an aerial.
  • Hop- Because of this move's recovery, Anji can immediately be thrown out of it once he lands. It can also be punished on reaction with a button. He can use Roman Cancel to set up some mixups, but this requires Tension and doesn’t really lead to that substantial of a reward.
  • Low- It hits low and it’s -7 on block. It has high pushback which sort of makes Anji safer, but at -7, you can absolutely take a turn here. If you are in the corner, Anji is applying pressure to you, and he goes for this, his turn is over as long as he doesn’t have Tension to RC and make this safe.
  • Overhead- It hits high, but the move has 21 frames of start up, and is -15 on block. You have to learn to either fuzzy guard, or react to this. The start up of the move makes it reactable, and since it’s -15 on block, you have plenty of an opportunity to punish Anji if he goes for this without meter. Anji will be more likely to go for this if he has Tension since he needs it to not only keep the Overhead safe, but to convert from it as well, since the Overhead leads to a soft knockdown on hit.

If your character has a DP, then Anji has to be very careful with the spacing of Fuujin and use it almost exclusively at the end of blockstrings. Up close, DPs beat all Fuujin follow ups. DPs WON’T cover all Fuujin follow ups from spaced out Fuujins, but it will cover most of them. Each character’s DP beats different spaced Fuujin follow ups, so if your character has a DP, you’ll have to lab and see what beats what.

Defending Against Butterfly Oki

After a hard knockdown, Anji can toss out Butterfly and put you in a high/low and strike/throw mix with Fuujin on your wake up. Some of his options:

  • Kara Fuujin > OverheadGGST Anji Mito 236HH.pngGuardHighStartup21 (34 with early cancel)Recovery24Advantage-9 just before the Butterfly's second hit that lets him get a small meterless combo. React and block High.
  • Same thing, but with uncharged 5DGGST Anji Mito 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15. He can only get a combo from this when throwing the Butterfly from a close distance. React and block High.
  • ThrowGGST Anji Mito Ground Throw.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup2Recovery38Advantage- in-between the Butterfly hits. This option isn't as strong as seems because it's possible to Option Select it with delay Throw Tech (up to 15 frames after your wake-up), whereupon your Tech attempt will get eaten by the Butterfly's second hit if he doesn't try to Throw you, but you will successfully Tech if he does. However, because Teching requires you to be Standing during the input, this opens you up to...
  • Lows (Kara Fuujin > LowGGST Anji Mito 236HS.pngGuardLowStartup15 (28 with early cancel)Recovery20Advantage-7 or 2KGGST Anji Mito 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2). Same principle as before, the Butterfly's second hit gives him a meterless combo from his Low options.

Axl Low

Axl is a zoner whose goal is to keep his opponent away from him, shave off their health with his long range normals/specials, frustrate them to the point where they make mistakes in their approach, and then capitalize on them.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


At round start, you are basically already in Axl’s win condition. In between his anti-airs, ability to retreat safely, and his quick lows, you’re most likely getting hit first. Axl mainly controls the ground using his special move Sickle Flash (aka Rensen)GGST Axl Low 46S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery29Advantage-19~-9, which hits full screen and has a number of different follow ups. However, if you are outside his 6KGGST Axl Low 6K.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery25Advantage-13 range, all his Sickle Flash follow ups can be nullified or jumped over. Try not to block this move. He can really lock you down if you do, but if you do block it, KEEP blocking in case he does a follow up.

The follow ups are as follows:

  • Winter Cherry (Bomb)GGST Axl Low 46SS 1.pngGuardAllStartup18 [22]Recovery24Advantage-3 [+10]- Detonates the sickle. Axl can delay the explosion up to 40 frames. Axl uses the non-delayed timing to catch jumps and dashes, while the delayed explosion does a lot of chip damage and leaves him Plus. To counter this, try dash blocking with into it with Faultless Defense. Faultless Defense will negate the chip damage. You can also jump and IAD forward if Axl does delay the explosion.
  • Soaring Chain StrikeGGST Axl Low 46S8.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery34Advantage-11- Pulls you towards Axl if you jump. Counter this with a double/super jump. This also whiffs if you’re crouching. If you block this when airborne, you'll be pulled right next to Axl. Normal air-blocking will leave Axl incredibly plus to perform guaranteed pressure on you shown here:

Ky and Axl both hit 5f normals, but Axl counter hits Ky

But if you use Faultless Defense, you will fall faster in the air and improve your frame advantage after blocking it as shown here:

Ky hits a slower normal than Axl, but still counter hits Axl when he presses 2K

Depending on the height, this usually allows you to Throw or counter hit the Axl player out of his 2KGGST Axl Low 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery11Advantage-4. After that, they'll try to RPS with you by using Backdash or Jump so vary your responses after landing. This is another way to significantly reduce Axl's zoning RPS and "approach" him easily. Video explanation timestamped here.

If you block the Chain very close to Axl, you'll fly over and switch sides with him, be prepared to block in the opposite direction. Instant Block makes you fall straight down to the ground but usually doesn't grant you a punish since you're too far away.

  • Spinning Chain StrikeGGST Axl Low 46S2.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery19Advantage-6- Vacuums the opponent in towards Axl. The vacuum effect works regardless of whether you’re in the air or on the ground. If you’re far away, hold your ground by walking back or backdashing. If you’re closer, don't wait for the vacuum to pull you in. Jump and/or airdash and let the vacuum bring you in to punish him. This move has has no hitbox above Axl’s legs. It’s a free turn or punish if held too long.

Ky Punishing Spinning Chain Strike

Neutral


Approaching Axl

Axl's normals might be long, but they all are generally very minus on block and have long recovery times, making them very committal. Getting in on Axl requires patient, reactive play. Rotating between dash blocking jumping is essential for getting in on him. He has strong tools to cover the ground and the air, but he can't cover both at once.

In addition to Rensen, the main normals Axl will use to zone you out are 2P, 2H, 2S, j.S, and 5P.

  • 2PGGST Axl Low 2P.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery14Advantage-6 is a quick low hitting poke, great at checking ground movement.
  • 2HGGST Axl Low 2H.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery26Advantage-18 [-8] has a slightly longer reach than 2P but is slower to come out. From farther away, this is what Axl will mainly use to control the ground with.
  • 2SGGST Axl Low 2S.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery23Advantage-16 is -16 on block, and is also special cancellable. It’s a big anti air that hits above and in front of Axl.
  • j.SGGST Axl Low j.S.pngGuardHighStartup14Recovery18Advantage- is one of Axl’s best zoning tools. Jumping frequently is unironically an important part of fighting Axl, which will force Axl to resort to j.S spamming to keep you out. This normal also extends his hurtbox. You can anti-air with with 6P in midrange. From further away, it may clash, but this is an opportunity to initiate a planned response. You can also punish with a DP. Even if he blocks it, the block time is extended in the air. Sometimes, you might even be able to land an Overdrive on this move depending on which you use. It can also be jumped over and leaves him extremely vulnerable. Be prepared to deal with IAD back into j.S, since it's extremely quick and has to be blocked standing. Being nearby Axl while he uses j.S will leaves a dead zone where you can't be hit.

5P

Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
40 [52] All 7 6 19 -11 [-3]
Total: 31

Axl's 5P is by far the most staple lynchpin move in his arsenal and how well your character gets around it is a large determining factor to how easy the match-up is for you in neutral. Axl loves to use this move in many situations as his fastest long-range interrupt, fairly non-committal poke, pre-emptive anti-air, reactive anti-airing, general zoning, IAD shutdown and the list goes on. If blocked you can immediately attempt an aggressive jump option to dissuade Axl from special cancelling, but he can reactively anti-air should he never commit. A relatively universal option is to run at Axl which is usually enough to low-profile 5P while approaching, whilst risking getting caught by 2P or 2H zoning attempts which in turn loses to jumping and IAD approaches.

The risk-reward of beating either 5P or 2H and getting a clean approaching punish is usually relatively higher than Axl's risk-reward so you always have time to guess and brute force it. However if you don't have access to a run mechanic or have bad movement options in general the aforementioned vague strategy will not work.

If your character is on the shorter end of the spectrum ( Millia,  Giovanna,  Chipp,  May etc) almost anything you do grounded will make 5P whiff, thus eliminating a huge part of Axl's zoning RPS. Really leverage this and force Axl to zone with 2H and RensenGGST Axl Low 46S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery29Advantage-19~-9 to open Axl up to easy aerial approaches.

At longer distances, always keep your eyes peeled for Axl's full screen command grab, Winter MantisGGST Axl Low 41236H 2.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup28Recovery34Advantage-. He tosses a sickle into the ground and pulls it back, dragging the opponent towards him if they’re caught. This is something that you need to be vigilant of if you’re concentrating on blocking Rensen. From fullscreen, you want to be jumping in with empty hops, and since you’re already jumping, you can react to the command grab more easily since you’re already hopping and trying to bait out the long range attacks anyway. You can backdash over the grab as well. It’s only active as it returns, and whiffing it leaves him in a counter state for over half a second. If you're ever hit with a combo that sends you fullscreen, default to jumping during your wake up, as Axls LOVE to use this during your wake up.

Another thing to be aware of his Axl's Overdrive One Vision (aka Time Stop)GGST Axl Low 632146P 1.pngGuardStartup5Recovery30Advantage-. There are two parts to this Overdrive. The first part of this Overdrive activates the countdown determining how long Axl has to use the follow up. The second part has Axl actually activate the Time Stop. The first part lasts for 5 seconds, and if Axl hasn't used it by then, its effect disappears and he'll have wasted his Tension. Don't be scared if Axl ever does the install his in neutral or immediately in front of you. He suffers 22 frames of lag after the install which gives you a sizeable window to contest for pressure and possibly hit him, making him waste 50 meter. If you do get hit by the Time Stop, DON'T BURST while under its effects. You will burst frame 1 when the Time Stop ends and the majority of the time, it will not work.

If you're fullscreen and Axl activates the install, he's likely trying to bait you into blocking so that he can use Winter Mantis to pull you in and set you up for a damaging combo. Be aware of this, and react to whatever Axl does once Time Stop is prepped. One Vision is 0 on block, so after defending against it, be patient and wait for Axl's next move. Don’t immediately go charging in.

What to Do When Axl Approaches

Once you've closed the distance to about midrange, Axl might be pressured to begin to approach you, lest he put himself in the corner. He may start dashing towards you before stopping to toss out a 2P or dashing right up to you and putting you in a strike/throw mix with his regular throw or his 5 frame, low profiling 2K. He could also initiate a blockstring with his f.SGGST Axl Low f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8. You'll need to be aware of what to do in these situations. Because Axl's normals are generally negative, he'll be forced to special cancel to keep himself safe. More information on what to do in the "Spotting Obvious Special Cancels" section.

When approaching on the ground, you should also keep an eye out for RainwaterGGST Axl Low 214S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery21Advantage+3. This special move has Axl leap backwards while striking the ground with a swipe from his scythe. It’s +3 on block and it pulls the opponent towards Axl on hit or block. However, it has 24 frames of start up, so you can punish this on reaction by jumping and then air dashing into an aerial.

Brute-forcing Aerial Approach

No not just air dash in on Axl. This is a death sentence. It's super easy for him to anti-air you, and he'll just send you right back to the other side of the screen if he does. Aside from building up the RISC gauge, it does not cost you any resources to just jump frequently towards Axl whilst blocking anti-air attempts. Watch out for blocked 2S into late cancel 2H which will catch you low on landing, and make sure to immediately jump again if Axl does 2S > 2H on air-block to prevent the Rensen or Winter Mantis special cancel from connecting.

You can bait out a 2S with empty hops and then punish appropriately if you’re near him.You can also bait him out by jumping near him, and then double jumping back. Being directly above Axl is a good place to be because his aerials will not reach you there. Once you’ve conditioned Axl to not pre-emptively throw out normals, THEN you can do the instant airdash in. Mix up your air approaches. Don’t do the same air approach every time. Eventually Axl will miss an anti-air which gives you the free signal to land that counterhit jump-in attack. However, characters with less air options or low mobility in general might struggle to utilise this baseline strategy, and this strategy is highly susceptible to getting air-thrown.

Offense


When you finally manage to close the distance and begin running your offense, you need to always keep Axl's 2K in mind. It's his fastest button, with 5 frames of start up, and allows him to low profile many midrange pokes. Your offense needs to be air tight, and you need to avoid leaving gaps in your pressure as much as you can. If Axl manages to get a successful hit in, any string he does will send you right back to fullscreen and you will have to work to get in on him all over again.

You'll also have to worry about Axl's 2-hit invincible reversal Overdrive Sickle StormGGST Axl Low 236236H 1.pngGuardAllStartup11+1Recovery26Advantage-2 when running your offense. The first hit has a long horizontal reach to catch you if you’re in the air. The second hit goes across the ground, and is safe on block. Bait it out, and when you do, block the first hit, and then jump in with an aerial during the second to punis hit.

Defense


When on the defensive, keep an eye out for Axl's 6HGGST Axl Low 6H.pngGuardHighStartup27Recovery13Advantage-3. This normal is an overhead that's -3 on block. Blocking it close allows a guaranteed throw punish. It is also approximately +0 on hit and +1 on crouching hit, so you can conceivably always contest Axl with a 5 frame normal or mash throw to defeat him if he ever tries to take his turn after pressing 6H. Video demonstration here.

Spotting Obvious Special-cancel Windows

Whenever Axl presses 2D, 2H or 5H he is forced to special cancel if he wants to further his pressure and not forfeit his "turn". However, jumping forwards the moment you recognize those normals will shut down 3 out of 4 of Axl's special cancels (Winter Mantis, Rensen, and Rainwater) whilst losing to a delayed-cancel SnailGGST Axl Low 214H.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery29Advantage-24 which puts Axl at -24 if you block this move.

Delayed-cancel SnailGGST Axl Low 214H.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery29Advantage-24 catching IAD

RainwaterGGST Axl Low 214S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery21Advantage+3 getting caught by IAD

If you can consistently block-punish Snail (using moves like  Sol's VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17,  Nagoriyuki's SpinGGST Nagoriyuki Kamuriyuki1.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3,  Ky's Stun DipperGGST Ky Kiske 236K 1.pngGuardLow, AllStartup7Recovery30Advantage-19 [-14],  May's S DolphinGGST May Mr. Dolphin Horizontal.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery20 (24 OH)Advantage-3,  I-No's Chemical LoveGGST I-No Chemical Love.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery22Advantage-9,  Potemkin's Hammer FallGGST Potemkin Hammer Fall.pngGuardAllStartup18~62Recovery26Advantage-9, etc) and jump over his other 3 options Axl's risk-reward of performing an offensive special cancel will be so terrible that he will have to resort to stagger pressure or leave himself at mild minus frames and hoping to Antiair you with 2S.

However, whether you can actually get a punish against Axl's RainwaterGGST Axl Low 214S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery21Advantage+3 special cancel off further-spaced 5H and 2H specifically is slightly more character-specific. Refer to this video timestamp here for a detailed visual explanation of the above.

You should also not let Axl get away with special cancelling his 2H ever, especially at further distances. If you jump he cannot catch you with Winter Mantis or Rensen, and Snail will be too far away to connect unless he reads your IAD. If you have a quick forward-advancing Super you can also punish Axl for attempting to 2H special-cancel, and if your super is less than frame 18 startup, you will punish Axl regardless of him special cancelling or not. Video details timestamped here. Yes, this still applies if you get normal-hit by the long-ranged 2H, you will be able to jump both specials still or reversal Super his special cancel gap, but cannot punish him if he doesn't cancel.

Baiken

Baiken’s goal is to simply get in on her opponent and apply her strong close range pressure on them. This pressure consists of a wide variety of frame traps and mix ups that are difficult to challenge or block, and leads to massive reward for Baiken on hit. Her strongest mix ups and pressure come from her attaching her Tether on you, which can be done via a throw or if she lands the S versionGGST Baiken 41236S.pngGuardAllStartup29Recovery15Advantage+3 of her special move Kabari. Unlike other rushdown characters, Baiken doesn’t have fast advancing options. She has low initial dash speed, so her approach in neutral can be linear and predictable. Her health is also on the lower side, making mistakes on her part very costly.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Tether

After landing a ground throw or S Kabari, the opponent is connected to Baiken via a rope. Should either character move a certain proximity away from the other, the rope will repel them back toward their respective opponent. After a certain amount of time, the rope breaks automatically. The momentum/movement of the resulting pullback depends on the movement used before the pull took effect. (i.e. simply walking back will nudge characters forward, whereas air dashing backward will swing them directly toward their opponent full speed).

For more information on the tether, its properties, and how it impacts Baiken's playstyle, see the Strategy page.

Round Start


Baiken’s round start is extremely strong. Since she’s a character that can bulldoze you if she gets momentum once, her round start RPS is extremely valuable. She’ll most likely start rounds with f.SGGST Baiken fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery15Advantage-7, as it’s a fast, 9 frame normal that’s disjointed at the tip and difficult to whiff punish. Her 5KGGST Baiken 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage-3 is 7 frames and advances her forward. On hit, 5K leads to extremely strong reward, and on block, she can frametrap with 6KGGST Baiken 6K.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery10Advantage-5.

f.S and 5K both lose to 6P, but in response, Baiken could do 2SGGST Baiken 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery19Advantage-8 instead. This has 11 frames of start up, and like f.S, is also disjointed at the tip, so it will actually beat 6Ps at round start. However, this button actually isn’t a low and can be blocked standing. It also has 19 frames of recovery, so it can easily be whiff punished.

She can also use her 2HGGST Baiken 2H.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery26Advantage-13 to catch you if you’re just mindlessly mashing 6P round start. This can also catch backdashes as well, which is some characters’ optimal round start against her strong options. Neutral jumping round start, and then falling with a deep hitting aerial such as a j.H can be a strong option to deal with this. 2H has 17 frames of start up, and if it whiffs, it has 26 frames of recovery, leaving her wide open for a punish. It can low profile a variety of mid height attacks due to the low hurtbox, so don’t rely too heavily on mid height pokes in this match up. During the startup frames, 2H does not fully low profile until the move becomes active, so she can’t use it as a reactive low profile.

She can also catch backdashes with the H versionGGST Baiken 41236H.pngGuardAllStartup18Recovery19Advantage-3 of her special move Kabari. This special move will pull you in on hit or block, and has a follow up where Baiken lunges forward with a slashing attack. It can be held so that Baiken can pass through the player and cross them up, similar to Millia’s Mirazh special move (More info in the Dealing with H Kabari section below).

To cover aerial approaches, she can use her massive j.DGGST Baiken jD.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery26Advantage- This is a strong air-to-air option. It’s slightly disjointed, has pushback that halts her air momentum, large range and strong counter hit reward. If the Baiken doesn’t want to gamble round start, they can IAD backwards and use Tatami GaeshiGGST Baiken 236K.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery5Advantage-3 to punish preemptive long range pokes. This is a two hitting move that can also be used in the air as a falling projectile.

Depending on your character’s level of risk/reward against her round start options, it might be best not to challenge her here and instead back off and try to immediately go to neutral instead. Just mix up your options whether you’re challenging or retreating, and don’t rely on the same option every single time.

Neutral


Baiken’s best range is up close. She doesn’t have many tools she can convert with from either mid or long range. Her fastest, farthest reaching buttons are f.S and 2S, both of which are mids. You can walk back freely and backdash or jump on reaction if she tries to get in with her slow advancing 2H. 2H has 26 frames of recovery. If she ever whiffs this, she’s wide open for a punish.

In neutral, the best way to play against her is space yourself just outside the range of her f.S and 2S, intercept her attempts to approach, and move in on her after her approach has been stuffed. As previously mentioned, Baiken’s approach is very linear and easy to deal with, though if you fail to stuff it, it does lead to massive reward for Baiken.You can afford to play slow and reactive.

Her most common method of approaching, and something you really need to keep an eye out for, is IAD-ing in with j.SGGST Baiken jS.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery19Advantage+1 (IAD), one of the best aerial normals in the game. On hit and counter hit, it leads to a very strong combo with a large corner carry. Keep your eyes open for when she approaches with this, and swat her away using your 6P. For some characters, 6P will always beat IAD > j.S no matter how late you react. Just try not to block j.S if you can. From j.S, Baiken can special cancel into YouzansenGGST Baiken j236S.pngGuardHighStartup9Recovery7 after LandingAdvantage-14 (IAS), an aerial special move that can be used on the ground as an instant overhead. She can combine this with her low-hitting normals for high low mix ups during her close range pressure. She can also delay inputting Youzansen after j.S to frame trap in the air. If she doesn’t delay Youzansen after j.S, she is minus, and can be throw punished depending on the spacing. Aside from special canceling into it from j.S, Baiken can also IAD over you and use Youzansen to cross you up. Since Youzansen isn’t disjointed, it will lose to 6P if you manage to time it right after Baiken does the cross up air dash. On the ground, TK Youzansen is very punishable, at -14 on block.

If she has Tension, be wary of Kenjyu (Fireworks Gun)GGST Baiken 214214P.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup8+3RecoveryTotal 47Advantage+5 from a farther distance. This is a strong anti-zoning and whiff punish Overdrive where Baiken shoots an exploding ball of fireworks at you. The air version fires diagonally towards the ground. Its main purpose is to help Baiken close the gap from farther distances. It causes a hard knockdown on hit and a guard crush on block. The explosion from Kenjyu is an expanding one that lasts for 28 frames. If you dodge this, make sure that you don’t get hit by the explosion while its hit box is expanding. Baiken is better off spending Tension on Youzansen mix ups, so she may be hesitant to use this unless she absolutely has to in order to get in. Still, this is an important tool to bear in mind when keeping her out.

Challenging H Kabari

In addition to the aforementioned methods of attempting to approach, another tool Baiken relies on in neutral is H Kabari. This is Baiken’s primary tool for engaging from farther distances, and she can use it to initiate RPS situations from further away. The chain pulls you towards Baiken on hit or block. This move has an optional follow upGGST Baiken 41236HH.pngGuardAllStartup11 [23]Recovery14 (23 on block)Advantage-7 that has Baiken advance forward. If the follow up connects, it leads to a hard knockdown on hit and you’ll be launched for a full combo on counter hit. The farthest she can advance is about a character space beyond the maximum length of the chain.

Baiken can either do the follow up immediately, or she can hold H to cross you up if the chain makes contact with you. She also doesn’t need to make contact with the chain in order to use the follow up. If you’re within range, the immediate follow up will only travel up to point blank in front of you. Otherwise, it will always travel max distance. If you block it, Baiken will be in a guard crush animation, but she’s only -7. After blocking the chain, the delayed follow up is always capable of crossing you up, even at max distance.

Try to avoid blocking H Kabari if you can. From just outside the range of Baiken’s f.S/2S (which remember, is the range you generally want to play at), you’ll always have enough time to jump or backdash out of the way. The chain has 19 frames of recovery, and the follow up has 14 frames of recovery if either of them whiff. You could play footsies within its range to bait it out and punish it with a IAD > aerial depending on the spacing. Just be wary of your position and don’t be predictable with your aerial approach. Remember, Baiken has strong air-to-air options that lead to massive reward for her.

You can also use 6P on H Kabari, which can lead to one of three situations afterwards:

1. 6P clashes with the chain In this scenario, you can immediately use your fastest normal or special to punish her. If the Baiken player anticipates this, this initiates a scramble that’s generally in your favor. In the midrange, Baiken has no fast specials that she can cancel into. The fastest thing she could do is dash cancel into a TK Youzansen. You’ll have to experiment with your character’s options and see if there’s something in your arsenal that can beat her if she tries this. Otherwise, it’s best to back off and whiff punish Youzansen’s recovery instead.

She could try canceling into her normals instead of her specials. f.S will likely be her go-to, but she’ll whiff this depending on the distance, allowing you to punish her during its 15 frames of recovery. If she’s closer, remember, it loses to 6P. Even Potemkin has options he can do post clash with his armored special moves, such as Slide Head. You can’t immediately jump after a clash, so this is a free Slide Head almost all the time. She could opt for 2S instead, but most characters’ 2S is faster than hers. If you have an advancing special move that goes over 2S, like Ky’s Foudre Arc, this will cleanly beat it as well.

2. 6P whiffs

6Ps have the same hurtbox but not the same startup. As a result, some characters’ 6P will whiff as opposed to clash. Always buffer your post-clash options behind your 6P, then block afterwards in case your 6P whiffs. Since some characters’ 6Ps are slower, they are more likely to get whiff punished by H Kabari’s follow up, so bear that in mind.

3. 6P counter hits

The closer you are when you 6P, the more likely you are to counter hit her. If you expect an H Kabari in neutral, try to get as close as you can before you let it rip. This is risky, however, and if you get counter hit, Baiken will get immense reward. Always buffer a post-clash option in case the 6P clashes, and then block.

4P+K OS is a fairly safe way of dealing with Baiken's H Kabari RPS. If she goes for the same side option, or no cancel you will simply stand FD. If she goes for the delayed option you will 6P the crossup and punish.

RPSing with H Kabari on Block

If she lands H Kabari on block, you need to be prepared to punish her follow up option. The chain is -3 on block. Depending on the distance, Baiken can be thrown during either the immediate or the long follow ups. Both you and Baiken have several options that you could do after you block the chain. Wait, and watch for what she does. She could do the H Kabari follow up, dash in for a throw, punish you for pressing a button with Hiiragi (Parry)GGST Baiken 236P 2.pngGuard-Startup1Recovery32Advantage- (see the Offense section for how to deal with this) or simply walk back and punish you if you throw or press a button with longer recovery.

Depending on the distance, Baiken can be thrown during either the immediate or the long follow ups. From up close and towards the medium length of the chain, both follow ups can be consistently throw punished. You can mash throw immediately after blocking the chain and it will always catch the follow up. However, always mashing throw is risky, and not recommended. If Baiken doesn’t do the follow up, then you’re wide open for a counter hit punish. Throwing is not the only option you have. After blocking the chain, you could wait and watch for which version of the follow up she does. If she does the immediate follow up and you block it, it’s -7 and can be punished with fast, far reaching normals like 2K or 5K, though this is character and space dependent. If the follow up crosses up, don’t panic. Throwing on reaction is the most reliable way to punish it, but if you’re too late, the throw will whiff and you can get counter hit. Remember: just wait, see which follow up she does (or if she does a follow up at all), and punish accordingly.

It’s also important to note that despite the benefits of Faultless Defense in this match up (which will be explained in the defense section), using Faultless Defense on H Kabari has mixed results. Faultless Defense affects the distance at which the chain pulls you in, and it pushes Baiken further back if you block the follow up. This can actually cause Baiken to frame trap your throws, and if you block the follow up, it can push her back too far to punish it. Your methods of punishing H Kabari will be much more consistent if you don’t use Faultless Defense when blocking it. However, FD does give you more space to attempt to escape her pressure with a delayed jump or backdash. This can be a risky option, however. You’ll have to be the judge of whether or not you want to use FD.

At all ranges of blocking the first hit, depending on your character, the safest play is to walk back and look to throw a cross-up or punish a blocked follow-up, or jump back if you're a character that can just get out of threat range of the follow-up. At max H Kabari range, she’ll likely use the immediate follow up because it can be harder to punish it if it’s blocked. Even if a character has a 5K/2K that’s fast enough and can reach Baiken in time to punish her, she might still be too far to connect it into anything. You can use Drift Red RC to convert into a combo if you have Tension for it, though. At close range, you can simply mash throw during the block stun from blocking the chain in order to beat it. Throwing will also cover both the immediate and long follow up. Because of this, Baiken is a lot less likely to use H Kabari at close range.

Offense


Baiken has unique options on defense to be aware of. One of which is her 4 frame 5PGGST Baiken 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery10Advantage-2, which she can mash to challenge gaps in offense that other characters can’t. You’ll need to keep your offense tight when running your pressure on her.

You need to be wary of her reversal special move Hiiragi (Parry). This is a special move that parries attacks that come into contact with it. Getting hit by this is very dangerous, as a successful parry gives Baiken an opportunity to get in for a meaty c.SGGST Baiken cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1. She’ll typically opt for this during frametraps or attempts to continue your pressure on her with a meaty. The parry is only active for the first 6 frames of the move. It has 45 frames of recovery and she’s in counter hit state for the entire duration, so she can really be blown up if she’s hit with a move that has a medium-to-large start up time. If she has Burst, chances are this is when she’ll use it, so be ready to Burst bait here. On whiff, Baiken can PRC the parry’s recovery and throw you out of slower or delayed buttons, so be careful when challenging it.

Parry also loses to projectiles and throws. If your character has a projectile, try using that as a meaty as opposed to a regular attack. This will allow you to keep running your pressure. If you don’t have a projectile, you can attempt to meaty her with a long range button. You could do this with Giovanna and her 2D, for example. If Baiken parries a long range attack, it will only force you into a guard crush state. She still has to go through the 45 frames of recovery if she parries a long range attack, and she can’t RC the recovery of the parry at this point, so at best, she’ll reset the situation to neutral. You might even be able to move before she does depending on what attack she parried.

Because of the threat of her Parry, and her ability to challenge stagger pressure with 5P, it’s recommended to delay your frametraps and blockstrings as much as possible to snuff Parry out, especially early in a set when she can’t RC it. Once you show you’re willing to delay your strings by this huge window, she won’t know when to parry.

If she has Tension, she may opt for her invincible reversal OverdriveGGST Baiken 236236S.pngGuardAllStartup8+1Recovery48Advantage-32. This Overdrive has three hits to it, and on the final hit, she’s -32, leaving her wide open if successfully baited. She can use this as opposed to her Parry if you’re relying on meaty projectiles or long range attacks to continue your pressure. If your character can, you can jump, air dash over, and cross her up on her wake up to protect yourself from both Parry and her reversal Overdrive. Another way to counter both Parry and reversal Overdrive is by using PRC after the startup of your meaty projectile. With this, you can counter hit her if she tries to parry, and you can also defend yourself if she goes for the reversal Overdrive.

Baiken has very few options for dealing with approaches from the air while on the ground. Her 6PGGST Baiken 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery19Advantage-10 is pretty much the only option that can reliably beat air approaches, and even then it covers a specific angle that still leaves her vulnerable from above. Potemkin, Axl and Faust all have aerial moves that require her to be in a sweet spot for the parry to be considered a close range parry. Faust can use j.2K to try and dive towards her feet, so she has to use 6P to try and stop it.

Defense


Defending Against Close Range Pressure

If Baiken manages to get in your face, this is a very dangerous spot to be in. The best thing to do in this situation is Burst or use YRC and attempt to take your turn back. Up close, Baiken can immediately start putting you in high/low mix ups with c.S or 5K. She can cancel into TK Youzansen or several low options:

  • She can go into her two-hit 2DGGST Baiken 2D 1.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery21Advantage-10. She can only special cancel after this, and if you FD just a single hit on her blockstrings, your 6P will counterhit both H Kabari and S KabariGGST Baiken 41236S.pngGuardAllStartup29Recovery15Advantage+3, and if they use Tatami Geashi instead, you won't get counterhit by the initial hit.
  • From c.S, she can go into 2H. However, this option does lose to DPs and invincible reversal overdrives with a 9 frame start up.
  • She can stagger into another c.S/5K or throw. If she delays inputting dash after either of these buttons, she won’t get a dash cancel, and she’ll dash normally, but she’ll still quickly get in your face for a mix up.
  • She can frame trap with 6K.

If Baiken ever scores a counter hit, the round is likely over. Not only is she able to do immense damage, but she gets a safe jump afterwards as well. Whenever you’re blocking Baiken at close range, always make sure you’re using Faultless Defense. If you can, try to Instant Block with Faultless Defense, as that will push her out even farther. You can do this during her attempted meaties.

The most dangerous out of all of Baiken’s post c.S/5K options is throw, as a successful throw will allow her to attach the Tether to you and let her run her strongest mix ups. However, using Faultless Defense will push her back farther and give you more time to react if she attempts to dash up for a throw. If you see her dash towards you, time your IBFD so that you’ll defend during her meaty, and then press Dust to throw in case she goes for a grab. You are going to have to just guess high or low when defending against her. If you do guess correctly on when she uses TK Youzansen, if you’ve been using Faultless Defense, you can jump after blocking it to avoid her attempts to repressure you.

Faultless Defense is Baiken’s major weakness, and if you don’t have Burst or enough Tension for YRC, it’s going to be your only hope of getting her off of you. Despite having some decent buttons to control space with, Baiken’s normals do not gatling into another depending on the distance from her and the opponent. This is why she’s particularly vulnerable to Faultless Defense, as it can cause her buttons to whiff. An example would be f.S > 5HGGST Baiken 5H.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery25Advantage-8. While these normally gatling into one another, at close to max range, 5H will whiff. She could gatling into 2H from f.S instead, since 2H is a big, advancing normal. However, it doesn’t combo unless you’re crouching. You could get hit by f.S, and THEN crouch block, and you’d still be able to block this button. You could also just mash backdash after getting hit by max range f.S, and you can dodge 2H that way. This same concept applies to 2S into 2H. Faultless Defense is also essential for dealing with stagger pressure from 5K/6K as well. As long as you’re using it, she’s forced to commit to block strings if she wants to keep you within her optimal range.

Creating distance with Faultless Defense affects not just her mix, but her damage as well. Even if you get mixed, as long as you block the initial mid that she uses to start her pressure with Faultless Defense, she won’t be able to cash out for maximum damage unless she has Tension to Roman Cancel. Just because you guessed wrong, it’s not always the end of the world.

An additional way Baiken can do a high/low mix with 2D and Youzansen is by using Drift BRC after a blocked normal. This can be countered with YRC. Make sure you only input the YRC during the Drift BRC. If you use it immediately off of the c.S or 5K, the BRC will freeze you in the startup animation for YRC, and Baiken can block it and counter hit you if she notices you’ve input it.

Dealing With Tatami Pressure

Tatami Gaeshi is another element to be wary of during Baiken’s close range pressure. It’s generally used to frametrap her unsafe normals. You need to pay attention to the distance between you and Baiken when blocking this move. On the ground, the first hit Baiken lands is -3, but if the first hit misses and only the second hit lands, Baiken ends up slightly plus on block. Any strings that go into Tatami Gaeshi can be back dashed midscreen, though this move is harder to punish since it only has 5 frames of recovery. From the right spacing and timing, this can be punished with drift BRC, and you can score a counter hit on her.

If you use Faultless Defense on strings that lead into Tatami Gaeshi, this will push Baiken out far and cause the first hit to whiff. From farther away, you can counter hit Baiken in between the first and second hits if you have a fast, far reaching button like Nagoriyuki’s 2S or I-No’s f.S. Do NOT mash after the second hit of Tatami. She is plus. If she's close and tries to re-pressure with f.S after blocking both hits of Tatami, you can also mash here as well, specifically since f.S has a 9 frame start up. This spacing can be tricky to judge. Just bear in mind that Baiken essentially has to be in your face in order for you to mash after Tatami.

Tatami after an IAD is an extremely powerful okizeme tool. Its main use is for her auto-timed safe jumps after her H Kabari hard knockdown, letting her continue her pressure after almost any knockdown she gets. However, if Baiken does a combo that ends with ground Tatami, she can’t use it for a safe jump. Instead, she can super jump > IAD into j.HGGST Baiken jH.pngGuardHighStartup15Recovery3 after LandingAdvantage+7 (IAD). From here, she can initiate another high/low mix, by special canceling j.H into Youzansen in the air, or she could land and go for a low option. This is a safe jump, so don't input a reversal here. Instead, look to IBFD her j.H safejumps to create enough distance that she can't continue her pressure.

Dealing With Tether Situations

The S version of Kabari as well as a grounded throw attaches a Tether to you. S Kabari has 31 frames of start up, so try and react to it with a jump, or punish the start up if you’re close enough. Just don’t let her attach this to you. On hit, S Kabari will pull you towards Baiken and leave her at a +5 frame advantage. On block, it’ll pull you less than half of the move’s maximum distance towards her, but she’s still +2 on block. With the Tether applied, she can backdash and then be pulled back in by it and hit you with j.S, cross up Youzansen or an aerial Tatami with an altered range. Only Baiken can slingshot like this, even though the Tether is attached to both of you. Baiken can also determine the timing of when she’s pulled back in by the Tether, depending on when she uses a jump normal. This is essentially her win condition, as this is a Millia-esque situation where Baiken can mix you up from just about any direction at any time. She can do a mix up with Youzansen where it can hit either side of you. Outside of guessing which direction to block or using Burst, there’s not much you can do when she attaches the Tether to you. Do not mash, mashing is extremely risky. If your mash fails and you get counter hit, Baiken can convert into very damaging combos.

At this point, there aren’t any reactable options you have. Baiken becomes almost unblockable post-throw. There are no options you need to be aware of in order to make good decisions. Pick a direction and hope that it’s the right one or that the Baiken messes up. You can try and 6P her, but she can jump instead and hit you with a j.H > Youzansen to get around it. Again, it’s best to avoid mashing. If you somehow manage to successfully block a Tether mix up, Baiken has one last chance to continue her pressure. She could also just let the situation return to neutral if she doesn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. She has a few different options:

  • Dash up and throw, which lets her attempt another Tether mix up
  • Reset into a button
  • H Kabari - this is a poor option because she’s up close and can be thrown out of it. It’s best used off of buttons with lots of pushback like 2D.
  • Tatami Gaeshi - Tatami Gaeshi is the common option here. It leads to great reward on hit, has no risk, but it ends Baiken’s pressure. It stuffs mashing, builds distance, is disadvantageous, but not punishable. Do NOT mash before Tatami. Remember, Baiken is at advantage if ONLY the second hit of Tatami connects. As a general rule in this situation, if both hits land, it's your turn.


Bridget

Bridget is an all-rounder character with traits of just about every archetype in the game. Her goal is to use her long range normals and Stop and Dash (Yo Yo Throw) special move to control the screen in conjunction with her unique movement special moves to create pressure that’s difficult to challenge, as well as a number of potential mixup scenarios. Her drawbacks are her low health and her low damage, meaning she has to play very well and can’t afford to make mistakes for a longer period of time in comparison to other characters.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


Bridget has many long reaching normals such as her 10 frame f.SGGST Bridget fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery18Advantage-9 that can become oppressive once she starts poking if you get too scared. Her 5PGGST Bridget 5P.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery14Advantage-6 is slower than most 5Ps at 8 frames, but it’s still fast and good for stuffing quick approaches. Her pokes may be fast and long reaching, but Bridget lacks good disjoints, so they generally lose to 6P. That applies to both f.S and 5P. Bridget’s 2SGGST Bridget 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery20Advantage-9 is a callout for people who are overly reliant on 6P. It might not reach as far as her other normals, but it will still clip people who aren’t minding their spacing. She’s at the perfect spacing to use this round start. Otherwise, Bridget might opt to back off and create some distance so that she can safely set up her yo-yos.

Neutral


In neutral, Bridget will mainly be poking from a distance with her long range normals. She wants to catch you pressing a button so that she can transition into her close range pressure using her special moves. Bridget’s pokes have long recovery times on whiff. f.S has 18 frames of recovery, 2S has 20 frames of recovery, and her 5HGGST Bridget 5H.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery29Advantage-17 has 29 frames of recovery. If she ever whiffs a button in neutral, take this time to advance on her or try to whiff punish them if you can. This tactic also applies to her anti-air normals, namely her 6PGGST Bridget 6P.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery20Advantage-12 and 2HGGST Bridget 2H-1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery24Advantage-18. They’re strong, large anti-airs that control a lot of vertical space. Bridget gets a huge reward off of counter hit 2H, so be very careful with your vertical approaches. The problem with Bridget’s anti-airs is that they’re very committal as well as very minus on block. 6P is -12 on block with 20 frames of recovery and 2H is -19 with 24 frames of recovery. Baiting these anti-airs out can put Bridget in a very dangerous spot, especially if you manage to score a counter hit. Also remember, aside from 2S, her pokes are vulnerable to 6P. Use a combination of whiff punishing and 6P to disincentivize her from relying too heavily on her pokes until she adapts and starts using other options, which opens the space up for you to approach more aggressively.

Bridget tends to struggle against characters that can contest similar ranges as her, such as Ramlethal. Other characters that work well at longer ranges like Happy Chaos, Axl and Testament can keep Bridget from being able to use 214 Yo-Yo and force her to use other options that give her opponent more opportunities to interact. Faust is able to crawl under a lot of Bridget’s neutral pokes. She does tend to do really well against characters that struggle to stop her Yo-Yo Setups, like Nagoriyuki or Goldlewis.

Dealing With Yo-Yo Setups

Eventually, Bridget wants to get in a position to safely set up her yo-yos with the 236GGST Bridget Stop and Dash Overlay Air.pngGuardAllStartup15RecoveryTotal 38Advantage-4 or 214GGST Bridget Stop and Dash 214X.pngGuardAllStartup130RecoveryTotal 30Advantage~ version of Stop and Dash (Yo-Yo Throw). Both Yo-Yo Throws have an S and H version. Bridget tosses the yo-yo directly in front of her with the S version, while the H version sends it upwards at a diagonal angle on the ground, and downwards at a diagonal angle in the air. Depending on which input is used, the yo-yo either hits as it’s sent out (236) or on its return (214). The yo-yo automatically returns to Bridget’s hand after a set amount of time, or if Bridget is hit or blocks an attack. The 236 yo-yo stays out longer than the 214 version.

Whichever version of the Yo-Yo Throw she uses will determine her neutral and her pressure. Of the two yo-yos, 214 is the more dangerous one and the one you need to be especially wary of. If you just walk back out of its range, Bridget can just start pushing you towards the corner where her mix is a lot more potent. If you try to advance on her after the yo-yo has been thrown, she’ll have an opportunity for mix. You’ll need to know the differences between the two Yo-Yo Throws so that you’ll know when you can challenge her.

At longer ranges you can see that:

  • 236 YT will be glowing/sparking and expanded so you can know to block and not worry about it coming back. This leaves Bridget slightly negative (unless you got hit) but either way the range almost makes both null, it's just an excuse for Bridget to have a yo-yo out so that she can have access to Rolling MovementGGST Bridget 214K.pngGuardAllStartup20~38Recovery0Advantage+16 (Airborne). It only has 15 frames of start up, 3 frames of recovery and is -4 on block, so it can’t really be punished.
  • 214 YT will always be in its shrunk form until it reaches its max distance. A rule of thumb for this set up is that if you are between Bridget and said yo-yo, you'll be at a disadvantage because it will come back and hit to either put you in a combo or just pressure in general, which is scary. This version of the YT has significant start up, with 130 frames, as well as 30 frames of recovery. Bridget can’t ever safely set this up except for during okizeme. Never let her get away with sending this out for free. Always try to advance or punish if you ever notice she sends this out.

Up close, it can difficult to tell which one she throws out. This can leave you prone to getting hit as a frametrap from trying to mash/move out of the way. At closer ranges, look for hitstop after she throws a yo-yo. If there is hitstop after she throws it, you’ve blocked a 236 YT. If there isn’t any, then she's thrown a 214 YT and you need to try to take your turn back. You never want to just dash and block a 214 Yo-Yo in neutral. This just lets Bridget perform her setups for free. 214 Yo-Yo always returns after a set time of two seconds. If you’re not in range to punish the start up of it, you can simply avoid it by jumping and doing a backwards air dash over it while tossing out a far reaching aerial normal, such as Ramlethal’s j.S. You don’t lose space, and if Bridget attempts an aerial approach, she'll fly directly into your aerial normal. Alternatively, you can just stay out of its range. 214 Yo-Yo doesn’t go full screen, so as long as you’re not within its range, you won’t have anything to worry about. You could also throw out a long range attack that forces Bridget to block, which will make the 214 Yo-Yo return to Bridget without causing damage. You have a number of options, but under no circumstances should those options be to sit there and wait for the 214 Yo-Yo to return. A good Bridget player will always exploit that.

Dealing With Rolling Movement/Aerial Approaches

After a yo-yo has been sent out, Bridget can use her special move Rolling MovementGGST Bridget 214K.pngGuardAllStartup20~38Recovery0Advantage+16 (Airborne) to dash through the air towards whatever yo-yo is active. This is Bridget’s mixup/pressure tool, and is central to her strongest okizeme. She can run very strong mix-ups with this, as she can cancel into certain actions during the movement like jumps, air dashes, or aerial attacks. She can cancel the air movement early using a whiffed Air Throw or j.PGGST Bridget jP.pngGuardHighStartup6Recovery10Advantage+1 (IAD j.PP) to go for a low or a throw, or cancel it later for an overhead attack. Bridget recovers immediately after Rolling Movement connects with her opponent, making it so advantageous on block that she can gaplessly chain into an air normal or even land and frame trap with 2KGGST Bridget 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery11Advantage-2. From lower yo-yo setups, she can even jump cancel the air moves for a fuzzy overhead mix-up. This is the foundation of Bridget's setplay.

You need to avoid Rolling Movement as much as you can. Do your best not to block it, blocking it will allow Bridget to put you in a free 50/50 situation. Rolling Movement has a 20 frame startup, making it really easy to 6P from a farther distance. However, Rolling Movement can be used as additional air action Bridget can use on top of any of her universal options. She can use it like an airdash after using up her universal air options, like I-No's hoverdash to high profile certain moves in neutral, or even like a divekick to punish attempted anti-airs. The potential behind Rolling Movement's ability to drastically alter Bridget's air momentum is enormous. This makes it harder to anti air than you’d expect. You’ll have to experiment with the anti air options your character has to find the best way to deal with her movement.

Another aerial option Bridget has in neutral is Roger DiveGGST Bridget j236K 1.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery15Advantage-5. In this move, she dives directly down in the air while holding her bear, Roger, performing a two-hit attack. Bridget flies upwards and then back down during this move, allowing her to bait and punish anti-airs, making it harder to challenge her jump-ins. It’s also very safe on block unless used at point blank range. Roger Dive has 25 frames of startup, so it's easy to react to. It’s also not an overhead, meaning you can block it low. The strength of this move comes from its ability to maintain Bridget’s horizontal momentum, allowing her to set up Ambiguous Cross-ups, including from Rolling Movement or the later frames of 6HGGST Bridget 6H.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery13Advantage-12. However, again, this is slow and reactable. The cross up can be blocked with Faultless Defense to make it more punishable.

Rolling Movement is only completely safe off of knockdowns from 2DGGST Bridget 2D.pngGuardLowStartup13Recovery15Advantage-6, or by using a returning yo-yo from 214 Stop and Dash. It’s extremely important to avoid getting knocked down by Bridget’s 2D. If she lands it, she’s able to loop into constant 50/50s that are almost completely safe. This is her win condition. You need to avoid this at all costs. Save your burst for whenever you get hit by a 2D. You need to time your burst carefully. Once she starts running her oki, she has many points where she’s burst safe.

In neutral, don’t try to use big, slow normals with large hitboxes to control space. Bridget can easily whiff punish you thanks to the versatility of Rolling Movement and the reach of her f.S and 5H. If Bridget has Tension, she can also whiff punish with her Overdrive Return of the Killing MachineGGST Bridget 632146H.pngGuardAllStartup9+1RecoveryTotal 37Advantage+16. This is a niche option however. It starts up relatively fast, but it has slow travel speed, making it hard to use from far away. Bridget has other and better options to get around zoning, and aside from dealing with certain projectiles like Goldlewis’ Thunderbird, it’s generally not worth going for.

Mix up your approach options post Yo-Yo Throw. Try and react to what Bridget does. 6P her pokes and Rolling Movement while out of range of her 2S. Bait out her anti-airs. Bridget has strong tools to cover approach options, but she can’t cover everything all at once. Just don’t overly respect 214 Yo-Yo Throw and stay in one place.

Dealing With Kick Start My Heart

Kick Start My HeartGGST Bridget 236K.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery9Advantage-20~+4 is a special move where Bridget rides her yo-yos forward. This is a fast approach tool, as well as used as a setup for okizeme. Its movement can be increased or decreased by holding either forward or back, allowing Bridget to vary her approach times. Kick Start My Heart has two follow ups:

  • Brake has Bridget perform an attack while halting her momentum. Brake is best used as a poke, as it has a long hitbox. It can also be used as a frametrap, however, it’s -6 on block, so if used up-close, it can be throw punished.
  • Shoot has her leap forward with a fast upwards strike. It deals more damage than Brake, however, it’s -33 on block, making it very punishable. It’s rare you’ll see Bridgets use this to attack unless they have Tension to Roman Cancel it. By Roman Canceling it, Bridget maintains its aerial momentum and can put you in a high/low mix by either opting for one of her aerials or going for a low option. Combined with Kick Start My Heart and ambiguous drifting it becomes several frametraps in a row, with a mix-up, into a pressure reset, from long-range, for as little as 36% Tension.

In neutral/during blockstrings, an option you have after blocking Kick Start My Heart, even if she delays the start up to make the block advantage plus, is throw. Her fastest button is her 5 frame 2K, which loses to throws. She can bait the throw by backdashing, so throwing shouldn’t be your go-to option every time you block Kick Start My Heart, but it is an option worth representing. Doing a delayed grab will keep her from being able to immediately throw you after blocking Kick Start My Heart. You can also dash-block towards Bridget during Kick Start My Heart’s start up, and then throwing afterwards becomes a true punish. There’s not really any downside to dash blocking

Offense


Bridget's only invincible reversal is StarshipGGST Bridget 623P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery39Advantage-28. You can really vaporize Bridget if you successfully bait this out and counter hit it. Neither of her Overdrives are invincible reversals. She also has a 5 frame 2KGGST Bridget 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery11Advantage-2 that she can mash during gaps in her pressure. If she tries to escape the corner with an air dash, she can use Roger DiveGGST Bridget j236K 1.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery15Advantage-5 to bait out an air throw or beat a 6P.

Defense


Dealing with Rolling Movement Okizeme

If you’ve been knocked down by 2D and you don’t have burst, as mentioned before, you’ll be put in Bridget’s blender, where she’s able to loop constant 50/50s. It’s impossible to account for every possible mix up that Bridget can do. You’re just going to have to block either high or low in relation to Bridget’s attacks. One option she has is j.DGGST Bridget jD.pngGuardHighStartup15Recovery16Advantage+0 (IAD), which hits overhead. Another option is whiffing a j.KGGST Bridget jK.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery18Advantage~ into an immediate 2K for a low option. Keep an eye out for a whiffed j.K as an indication that she’ll go for a low option. Rotating these two options will allow Bridget to beat a lot of wake up options. They’re both safe jumps that beat invincible reversals and they both catch backdashes.

If Bridget does go for a 2K, she can gatling into either 2D or 6H. There’s a gap between both of these that loses to invincible reversals but the timing can be tight. Bridget can also bait reversals out by simply not doing anything after the 2K. 2K is -2 on block, so if you think she's going to bait the reversal Overdrive, you could go for a throw punish instead.

Defending Against Bridget's Pressure and Mix Ups

When defending against close range pressure from Bridget, always make sure to use Faultless Defense, especially if she manages to get a meaty Yo-Yo out. Her S and H normals push her out far, so she has to rely on stagger pressure with her multi-hitting c.SGGST Bridget cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery13Advantage+1 if she wants to maintain her pressure. Her 5DGGST Bridget 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15 reaches far and she can convert into a combo from a meaty Yo-Yo setup, but using Faultless Defense will push her out of range for her to be able to use this to mix you.

During her blockstrings, you need to watch out for Rock the BabyGGST Bridget 63214P.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup27Recovery28AdvantageN/A. This is a command grab that has Bridget leap forward with Roger, who’ll grab and damage you. It can be special canceled during blockstrings, and since Bridget leaps forward, this can be used from a distance to take you by surprise. It does have 26 frames of start up, it can be interrupted with many normals, including 5P, 5K, or even a well-timed c.S. You could also backdash and punish the recovery. Fuzzy jumping during gaps in her pressure will cause her to whiff, and you can do this to cover both Rock the Baby or a regular throw. If she whiffs either a command grab or a throw, fall down with j.H to punish it. Be sure to chicken block when jumping to protect yourself in case she staggers with a normal or special instead. With Tension, she can Roman Cancel Rock the Baby and put you in a potential high/low mix up. You’ll just have to guess here.

When Bridget knocks you down or hits you with any of her ranged normals, she can use Kick Start my Heart without any follow-ups to scoot right next to you. It may not look like it, but she is in an advantaged oki position, and depending on the range, she can hit you with a meaty button. (This also applies to many combos that end with Kick Start my Heart.) This means she can put you into an oki-loop. It is consistent, it puts her right next to you and allows her to repressure you with a meaty c.S. If c.S hits, she can wall-break from it, so you should expect it to be the standard option and respect it accordingly, unless you want to hand out free wins to Bridget. She could also go for a throw, or repressure you from a distance with 2S. Bridget can loop this strong and relatively safe pressure. You don’t ever want to mash because she can easily frame trap off c.S with a delayed 2S. The best thing to do is to simply block it, and use Faultless Defense to push her out when she’s in your face. Bridget's normals might reach far, but they also push her out far as well, and Faultless Defense will push her out even farther. Look for an opportunity to counter poke one of her attacks.

She may attempt to repressure you with Kick Start My Heart again. If she does, she’ll either use Brake in your face, or mix you up if she has the Tension to RC Shoot. You could take a risk and try to poke Kick Start My Heart with a long reaching, low recovery normal like Nagoriyuki or Giovanna’s 5K, but it’d be safer to simply jump and chicken block, which would protect against all options from Kick Start My Heart. If she doesn’t do Shoot, you can use this opportunity to IAD out of the corner. If she DOES do Shoot, you’ll block it and can punish it if she doesn’t have the Tension to RC. If you have Tension, you could also use Drift BRC to move yourself forward and punish the recovery of whatever Kick Start My Heart Follow Up Bridget does.

If Bridget ends her blockstrings with a Yo-Yo, that means her pressure is over and the situation has returned to neutral. You can dash block after pushing her out, and then try to safely advance or attempt to run your offense if you close the distance enough. Remember to mix up your options. Don’t just stand there post Yo-Yo toss, you’re just handing over another free opportunity for mix to Bridget.


Chipp Zanuff

Chipp is a glass cannon, whose goal is to whiff punish you and then mix you up with his ridiculous speed, long combos and pressure tools. It may seem overwhelming at first, but there is counter play to each action, and because he has the lowest health in the game, there’s immense pressure on Chipp players to play as perfectly as they possibly can.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


Chipp’s round start is weak. 2DGGST Chipp Zanuff 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-7 is his only low that reaches, and only against crouching opponents or big bodies. As long as you don't crouch round start, the only option he has are mids. The most practical mid that he has round start is f.SGGST Chipp Zanuff fS.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery20Advantage-8, which has 9 frames of start up. However, it loses to 6P. Simply walking back or using a quick normal with 4-5 active frames should be enough to keep him out. Without a hard read, his bet is to try and maneuver around your buttons. Don't open up with anything super committal. Since his round start options are so poor, he'll more likely opt to back up and whiff punish you instead. He could also attempt to immediately Instant Air Dash into j.HGGST Chipp Zanuff j.H.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery17Advantage+4~5 (IAD). This will lose to fast 5Ps, but j.H's deep hitbox allows this button to beat certain characters' 6Ps.

Neutral


Dealing with Ground Approaches

Chipp’s ground approach boils down to 3 options he’s rotating in relation to pressure you’re applying. Primarily, he wants to whiff punish, or make you uncomfortable enough to get in range of 2KGGST Chipp Zanuff 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 or 5KGGST Chipp Zanuff 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery8Advantage-3. Kicks into 2D are extremely valuable to him because he can convert into his BNBs easily, use the hard knockdown to push you into the corner where his mix is more potent, and with Tension, give him low into overhead mix off of command normals and specials.

Midscreen, you need to stop his approach with small, quick buttons that have low recovery like 5P, 2P, 5K, and 2K. Some characters, like Giovanna and Nagoriyuki, have a 5K that can actually low crush Chipp’s 2K. In general, the best way to fight Chipp is to anticipate his buttons and try to fight them head on. Don’t run away by backdashing. Chipp’s 2K recovers so fast that he can input 2D afterwards, even on whiff, and still catch you with it.

Once we’ve removed the kicks from his neutral, he starts to run into problems. None of his slashes, even his 2SGGST Chipp Zanuff 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery17Advantage-7, are lows. That means you can freely move back and forth and 6P any slash approaches. If he tries to bulldoze his way in with his own 6PGGST Chipp Zanuff 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery25Advantage-16, use your 2D/low profile moves. You can also whiff punish 6P as it has 25 frames of recovery. Stand a solid mid-range away from Chipp and make him come to you. That way you’ll be able to react to his dashes in neutral. However, don’t put yourself in the corner doing this, as Chipp’s offense becomes a lot more volatile in the corner.

Dealing with j.2K

Chipp's j.2KGGST Chipp Zanuff j.2K.pngGuardHighStartup16RecoveryUntil Landing+8Advantage+3 (IAD) is a fast dive kick that hits at a steep angle. Coupled with his three jumps, it can be extremely difficult to block. An effective strategy is targeting the moves long recovery by dashing/back dashing out of way and attempting to punish. Another simple option is to take advantage of its large hurtbox by simply pressing any high reaching button. Most buttons can easily counter hit Chipp's j.2K (including some lows) so it is rarely necessary to attempt a 6P and risk being crossed up. On block, Chipp's j.2K will hit multiple times with each hit being an overhead An attack that the opponent must block high., so it is important to avoid crouch blocking too early. Chipp will be left at advantage and up close forcing a very unfavourable RPS Rock Paper ScissorsA situation wherein an attacker and a defender have options that only beat certain responses from their opponent. For example, on wakeup a defending opponent may use a reversal to stop an attacker from using an attack, but the attacker can also block to defeat the reversal. If the attacker blocks, the defender can use the opportunity to take the offensive. guessing game on his opponent. It is best to counter hit j.2K and avoid the situation entirely.

When Chipp is jumping

  • His jump always pushes towards the way he’s facing. This is good for long range jumps, but not for crossups.
  • In order to face you again, after he crosses over, he must either jump again or airdash. With a single jump, at best, he can only really make you uncomfortable with 1 or 2 hits of a cross up j.2K. Nothing really scary.
  • If he wants to threaten with a cross up, he has to wait and time his jump/finish his air dash to even threaten it. Chipp can’t face the direction of his opponent until he double jumps, and since anti-airing single jumps is commonplace (at least it should be) we can use ourselves as an anchor point for Chipp’s jump/dash and directly challenge when we know he wants to j.2K.

If Chipp baits out a 6P with a single jump, but double jumps over it, dash forward from where you’re standing (the anchor point) and respond to his next move instead.

If you’re not able to get out of the way in time, FD j.2K to increase pushback and make 2K whiff. If all else fails, remember you can backdash 2K > 2D, which are his most meaningful follow ups after j.2K, however, he can target the backdash if he sees you go for it everytime, so mix things up. If he delays his options after 2K, this opens him up to reversals/jab punishes. This creates a rock, paper, scissors game that he doesn’t have the health to keep participating in.

Brief j.2K RPS Summary
j.2K ▷ follow up Chipp beats... Chipp loses to...
j.2K ▷ Button Mash Throw (4/6D)
j.2K5P Throw (4/6D) Crouch button
j.2K ▷ Jump Crouch button / Throw (4/6D) Mash

Note: Chipp is not limited to these options and his opponents answers will vary from character to character.


Offense


Chipp's 5PGGST Chipp Zanuff 5P.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery10Advantage-2 is the fastest normal in the game with 3 frames of startup. He can mash this during gaps in blockstrings, however, mashing as Chipp can be extremely risky. If you notice the Chipp isn't respecting you, try frametrapping more frequently and see what happens. This also applies to his meterless reversal Beta BladeGGST Chipp Zanuff Beta Blade.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery23Advantage-27. If this whiffs or is blocked, and Chipp is counter hit out of it, you can make him explode.

Zansei RougaGGST Chipp Zanuff Zansei Rouga 1.pngGuardAllStartup20+1Recovery49~53Advantage- is Chipp's main damage overdrive which sends him back and forth several times hitting anything along his path. This move has good damage and covers a huge portion of the screen but has long recovery and will never break the wall. Expect Chipp to use this move to whiff punish, in combos, or as a gimmick in neutral. Despite the move crossing back and forth, Zansei Rouga only needs to be blocked from the side of the initial hit with no need to switch from left to right. In other words, if Chipp connects this move from the left side of the screen, then all subsequent hits of Zansei Rouga can be blocked as though Chipp is on the left. Zansei Rouga is not invincible on start up but it has some invincible frames after the super flash. This means that Chipp can be hit in the later active frames but it is normally safer to simply block and punish the move. Chipp will land on the opposite side from where he used Zansei Rouga and the attack will hit 5 times total. Blocking and chasing using directional inputs rather than the dash macro can prevent accidentally running away from Chipp and missing a punish. You don't have to wait until the Overdrive is complete in order advance towards Chipp. When Chipp goes towards the top of the screen, the Overdrive won't hit you unless you just jump into it. If Zansei Rouga hits, Chipp will be left close and at advantage mid-screen so be prepared to block a mix up.

Defense


Chipp can cancel his 2S into his 2HGGST Chipp Zanuff 2H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-14 on whiff. In addition to his 2K > 2D, this is what he'll use to punish back dashes. If he manages to make contact in neutral, always make sure to use Faultless Defense when blocking him, as it'll hinder his pressure. He can't stagger 2H after 2S or f.S if you're using Faultless Defense, or else it'll whiff. This will force Chipp to start relying on his special cancels.

Defending Against Rekka Pressure

The safest special Chipp can cancel into is his rekka A series of special attacks that are only available after the first one is performed.. This is an advancing attack series that is used in combos or as a pressure tool. Chipp's rekka always begins with Resshou (Rekka 1)GGST Chipp Zanuff Resshou.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery16Advantage-4. This is -4 with good push back. Rekka 1 has two possible follow ups: a low and an overhead. It is risky to challenge rekka 1 on block despite being negative. The spacing allows Chipp to press one of his fast far reaching buttons or cancel quickly into rekka 2 for a counter hit.

Rokusai (Rekka 2)GGST Chipp Zanuff Rokusai.pngGuardLowStartup8Recovery21Advantage-6 is the low follow up. It's -6 on block but leaves Chipp somewhat far. You can actually take a turn after this. If Chipp doesn’t cancel into the overhead, he’ll likely backdash after this because it *is* minus on block. You can catch the backdash with fast, far reaching normals. If Chipp delays inputting the low after Rekka 1, it can be backdashed and punished with a back throw. However, this does leave you vulnerable to:


Senshuu (Rekka 3)GGST Chipp Zanuff Senshuu.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery20Advantage-9 is the overhead follow up. It has a longer start up at 20 frames, and leaves Chipp close at -9 ending the series. Chipp can go into the overhead either after the low, or immediately after the first hit of the rekka. He doesn’t need to do the low follow up to go into the overhead one.

When blocking the rekka, block low and react high. It’s not recommended to try and press here unless you’ve got a 3 frame button (so basically, if you’re Sol or also Chipp). You can input a DP or any invincible reversal Overdrive if Chipp goes for the overhead, but be aware that Chipp can bait this out and block it. If Chipp special cancels into this after 2S/f.S > 2H, use Faultless Defense on his normals, but stop using it once he cancels into the rekka, as this will bottleneck his options. If he doesn’t backdash, certain characters can punish the low if he stops the rekka there. If you use FD the entire time, he’ll be pushed out too far for you to punish at all.

Chipp can do a microwalk backwards after the first hit of the rekka to avoid punishes, and then go for an instant dash throw, adding another layer to the RPS game.

Dealing with the Rest of his Specials/Special Cancels

All of his special cancels have flaws. Even more so if he doesn’t cancel with the blockstun from 2H.

Genrou ZanGGST Chipp Zanuff 63214S.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup27Recovery15AdvantageN/A is a tricky command grab and an important part of Chipp's pressure. He disappears into a swarm of leaves and then reappears on top of you with a clone. This will catch you blocking. While it has a slow start up, it can be mixed in with Chipp's other options making it difficult to react to. It’s a strong option for Chipp if you’re not ready for it. Chipp will disappear with a unique sound cue and animation when using Genrou Zan. Despite disappearing, Chipp has a hurtbox during this time and can easily be hit out of the move with a fast button on reaction. If Genrou Zan is avoided by jumping, it will be very difficult to punish Chipp since the move has a somewhat short recovery. If you do go for a jump, an air throw is the best way to guarantee a punish. Chipps typically like to do this after knocking you down. After being knocked down, any high reaching 5f button can interrupt a meaty Genrou Zan. Attempts to back dash and escape will usually fail since Genrou Zan travels quite far and is extremely active.

Chipp's Alpha Blade is a move where Chipp quickly dashes forward before vanishing, crossing his opponent up midscreen. It's also used in Chipp's combos and pressure. Chipp will vanish with a unique sound cue (shared between all versions) and then re-appear at a fixed distance before the attack activates. There's a Horizontal Alpha BladeGGST Chipp Zanuff Alpha Blade Horizontal Ground.pngGuardAllStartup29Recovery19Advantage-4 and Diagonal Alpha BladeGGST Chipp Zanuff Alpha Blade Diagonal Ground.pngGuardAllStartup27Recovery17Advantage-2.

It is important to remember that Alpha Blade should be guarded based on the side Chipp re-appears on and NOT based on the side the move is used from. This is particularly important near the corner where will cause Chipp to perform a bounce off the wall which keeps him same-side. Despite being invisible during the startup of Alpha Blade, Chipp is not invulnerable. Chipp has an enlarged hurtbox that travels slowly along the path of the move which can be easily counter hit or thrown on a read or reaction.

A fuzzy jumpslightly delayed jump - attempting to cover multiple options forward can also be used to cover both versions of Alpha Blade in block strings while simultaneously defending against Chipp's Command Grab. When Horizontal Alpha Blade is blocked, Chipp will be left close and at disadvantage so he will not be able to continue pressure freely. When Alpha Blade Diagonal is blocked fast jump buttons like j.P or an air throw can can be used to end Chipp's pressure. If you're in the corner, this move can NOT cross you up. Instead, Chipp will try to cross you up by initiating a brief wallrun before bouncing off of it and attempting to hit you on the opposite side. You can punish this with a well-timed air throw, or try to escape from the corner altogether with a dash.

Diagonal Alpha Blade is Chipp’s medium risk/reward option, so you’re gonna see it a lot. If you FD his most used blockstrings 2K > 2D/2S > 2H, you can avoid the hitbox entirely and focus on punishing him mid-air. Although the threat of Alpha Blade may seem overwhelming, it is important to remember that Chipp's reward from Alpha Blade is low even when he uses Tension.

Gamma BladeGGST Chipp Zanuff Gamma Blade.pngGuardAllStartup25~50RecoveryTotal 42Advantage+9 has Chipp summon a clone that dashes towards the opponent. It launches on hit and does very high wall damage. It’s slow, with 25 frames of start up and is +9 on block, so mashing after the move is a bad idea. You can jump back to get out of pressure. You can interrupt this move but it’s risky. The clone has a hurt box on it, causing Chipp to take damage when it comes out. You can punish this with a reversal super depending on your timing. Again, this is risky, but extremely rewarding. This move will also not hit airborne opponents. If you have a special move that causes you to be airborne, like Sol’s Bandit Revolver (236K) or Nagoriyuki’s Beyblade (214H), you can punish it with this. If Chipp uses this after a ground throw, you can actually mash backdash and punish his attempt to approach with 2K.

It’s important to pay attention to what Chipp is canceling into his specials from. 2K > 2D having less block stun allows you to challenge whatever special move he uses sooner. For the command grab, you can backdash, mash on reaction, or even airgrab. The same concept applies to both versions of Alpha Blade and Gamma Blade as well. Just keep an eye out for 2K > 2D, because it allows your character to directly challenge sooner. His 2S - 2H make it hard to challenge, so have a more passive response ready (like simply jumping for example).

One of Chipp’s primary ways of breaking the wall is combos via Wall Run. Chipp has the natural ability to dash up along the wall, where he has access to special versions of his grounded normals. If you’re caught in a wall run combo, it’s important to wait until the second hit before you burst, so that he ends up in the corner. Bursting early will just turn the situation to neutral. You can really put him in a bad spot with this knowledge check.

Banki Mesai is an overdrive where Chipp summons a posse of clones to jump you. It has no invincibility on startup, so Chipp can be thrown or hit out of it. It's also -20 on block, leaving him wide open for a punish.

Faust

Faust’s goal is to keep his opponents at bay with his long range buttons and then take control of neutral by causing utter chaos using his special move What Could This Be? (aka Item Toss)GGST Faust 236P.pngGuardStartup26RecoveryTotal 40Advantage-, which tosses a random item onto the battlefield. These items all have a multitude of different effects, and Faust uses these items in tandem with his normals and other special moves to mix opponents up and overwhelm them. Faust's whiff punishment game is quite strong given his reach. If you whiff a dominant option in front of him, he’s well-equipped to punish you for it compared to some other characters. Faust generally struggles against characters with strong forward movement options (Such as those having really good runs). His mid-range options are slightly slower than average, and after touching the opponent, his ability to meaningfully trap them is limited after key buttons like 2PGGST Faust 2P.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-3. This doesn't hold true in matchups where a character's forward movement is subpar, such as Nagoriyuki, Potemkin and Zato.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • What Could This Be? (Item Toss)

Item Toss is what Faust will mainly be using in order to take control of neutral. He reaches into his shirt and tosses out random items. Each item has its own function, and while Faust generally benefits from them, there are certain items that he tosses out that you can use to your advantage as well. What Could This Be has 26 frames of startup, so Faust generally has to use this on a hard knockdown or from long range, otherwise he risks getting counterhit. It does have 40 frames of recovery, but depending on what item he tosses out, he could be safe from getting punished regardless, so it’s best to attack him during the start up of the move, before he can toss an item out.The following are the items that Faust can toss out:

Bomb- The bomb will explode after a set period of time. Both players can use attacks to knock the bomb up and away while the fuse is lit. Good Fausts will likely delay hitting the bomb towards you, to try and bait you into hitting it back so that you get caught in the explosion. The bomb can be hit at varying angles depending on what move you use, but you’re going to have to experiment with your character to find out what move launches the bomb at what angle. Additionally, the explosion pollutes the screen with fire and smoke, which Faust can use as cover to approach the opponent or to hide an item if he tosses another one out. When the Bomb is in play, you’ll want to hit it so that the Bomb remains either behind Faust or at least nearby should you be already hitting him. If your case is the latter, canceling a combo starter into FD and have the Bomb go off can extend your combo and allow you to get close to Faust, a position that is generally unfavorable for him. If Faust delays hitting the Bomb before nudging it your way, it is best to respect the explosion if your character lacks safe long-range tools to challenge it, since blocking the explosion only yields Faust 1 safe item pull, whereas getting hit yields him at least 2 and allows him to keep distance.

Banana/Banana Peel- The banana restores a small amount of health. After being consumed by either player, the peel is flung backwards roughly one character length, where it has a persistent hitbox and can make characters slip when touched, briefly making them airborne for a possible air follow up and ruining some ground-based set-ups. It is also possible for Faust to randomly toss a lone peel, which makes oki and pressure with it more straightforward. If either a peel or a full banana are out, the chances of Faust tossing another banana or peel are decreased. If you advance to grab the banana, ensure that you can keep advancing and pressuring Faust, and be wary if he attempts to use Faultless Defense to push you into a peel. If Faust is the one at risk of slipping, be reminded that one cannot backdash into a peel without slipping.

Donut- It remains on the ground until consumed by either player. Grants health on pickup. After a duration, it will rapidly blink before disappearing. If a donut is out, the chances of Faust throwing another donut are decreased. Grab it if you can but the heal is pretty negligible. If your character has guts, it will have more use to you than for Faust himself.

Afro- Falls slowly. Grants whoever touches it a glorious Afro. The Afro extends the wearer's hurtbox upwards at all times except when landing during blockstun. A character wearing an Afro also loses upper body invincibility on their 6P. Characters with Afros on become susceptible to instant overhead setups, although, even if Faust touches the Afro, it doesn’t really affect him as much because of how low his crouch is to the ground and he can get rid of a self-inflicted Afro at any time by using Love!GGST Faust j236P.pngGuardAllStartup27RecoveryTotal 48Advantage-. Moves with fire properties, such as j.DGGST Faust j.D.pngGuardHighStartup13Recovery23Advantage+5 (IAD) , Love!, Bomb, and Meteors, as well as certain moves from other characters, can ignite the Afro, causing it to explode after a short while if triggered. On hit, the explosion happens immediately, whereas on block, it stays ignited for a few seconds before exploding. In both cases, the explosion launches the Afro'd player upwards for a combo on hit. The explosion only affects the Afro'd character. If an Afro'd character blocks a total of 10 attacks from Faust, the Afro will disappear.

Hammer- The hammer itself is a high level attack. It works well as an anti-air, and it bounces on whiff, giving Faust a lot of potential for covering his mixup/throw attempts. It’s +19 on block/+21 on hit. If you are very close to Faust, you can disregard this item entirely and attempt to strike/throw at will. If you are approaching him, however, it is usually best to respect this item unless you have disjointed normals to hit Faust with.

Mini Faust- Mini Faust simply walks around back and forth harmlessly until he is activated by one of the following events:

  • Bumping into you.
  • Being struck by an attack from you.
  • Being hit by the explosion from a Bomb.
  • Being hit by the explosion from Love.

Upon triggering, there are two phases to Mini Faust’s attack. First, he stomps the ground in anger, dealing two hits in quick succession. This is followed by a pause where there is a sizeable gap. Then, he flings himself at the opponent, dealing multiple, rapid-fire attacks. It also acts as great cover for more items, Scarecrow mix (potentially), and covering throw/strike mix. Avoid it like the plague. If you trigger it, throwing Faust completely voids the threat of Mini Faust due to the invul frames associated with throwing. If you cannot throw Faust, either jump out of range or respect it, as it does very little chip damage. Be mindful that it can block projectiles before being triggered. Also avoid hitting it purposely as it will give Faust more time to pull items or to set up a safe Scarecrow.

100T Weight- A heavy weight that shakes the entire screen when it lands, affecting both players. On air hit, it deals damage with minimal knockback. Then, the screen shake hits any player on the ground for a debilitating Guard Crush or Hard Knockdown if they are caught. Both players can react to 100t weight with jump, miscellaneous airborne options, or backdash to avoid the screen shake. Faust has many options to both contest the air if you jump, or continue pressure if you commit to blocking. Combine these together with the threat of the screen shake for potent okizeme and approaches from fullscreen. If you’re forced to block this, the Guard Crush state allows for some powerful crossups with Mix Mix Mix (as Guard Crush temporarily removes crossup protection). The Guard Crush state can also allow Faust to go for command throws that will beat you attempting to mash. Play around the shockwave as you would with Potemkin's Slidehead: either jump, backdash it or become airborne with a special move if your character enables it. DO NOT GET HIT BY WEIGHT ITSELF, ESPECIALLY IN THE AIR: the guard-crush will enable Faust to set-up true 50/50s that can be frustrating to deal with and the added landing recovery allows him to whip out an unavoidable Snip Snip Snip. The shockwave can also cause any bombs that are already out on the stage to bounce towards you, allowing Faust to get even more items out without having to worry about the explosion.

Trumpet- Whoever picks it up summons a crowd of Mini Fausts that move laterally across the ground in a single wave, starting from the corner behind them toward the other player. A cloud of music notes will appear around said player, which dissipate as the Mini Fausts appear. If Faust picks it up, you’ll either be forced to block, allowing Faust an opportunity for a mixup, or jump into the air where Faust can easily swat you down. It can save/ruin combos, scrambles and whole rounds, so make sure to go for it. Faust can use his unique movement options such as Mix Mix Mix, Scarecrow and Bone-crushing Excitement to secure a trumpet, but you can exploit these options (how to exploit them is explained further in the guide).

Meteors- If Faust pulls this out, several more meteors come hurtling back down at a slight angle toward the opponent. The blast zone tracks you from where Faust first spawns the meteor. Every meteor causes Guard Crush state, leaving players incredibly vulnerable to cross ups if they block it (As every new hit needs to be blocked correctly), and quite vulnerable to throw mixups on recovery. This gives Faust an excellent chance to confirm into damage, or to pull more items.

With the exception of Meteor, items are thrown a set distance. This distance can be broken down into close/medium/far ranges: Far: Trumpet, Afro, Mini Faust Medium: Bomb, Donut, 100T Weight Close: Banana (and Peel), Hammer

Items will also bounce slightly off the wall if Faust throws items in the corner for pressure.

A key part of beating Faust is going to be a matter of reacting appropriately to his items. You need to understand what each item does, navigate past the items that would do you harm and secure the ones that can turn the match in your favor, all the while keeping Faust himself at bay. Faust has an Overdrive version of What Could This Be titled W-W-What Could This Be?GGST Faust 236236P Items.pngGuardStartup1+3RecoveryTotal 33AdvantageN/A in which he tosses 4 items onto the screen at once. This can potentially be a strong option for Faust as he can dominate neutral this way. This overdrive has 43 frames of recovery. Remain calm, assess the items that have been tossed out, and do your best not to let Faust jump you in the chaos. Additionally, he has a sort-of secret version of this Overdrive called W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What Could This Be?GGST Faust 236236236P Items.pngGuardStartup1+1RecoveryTotal 48AdvantageN/A where Faust can spend 100% of his Tension gauge to throw 10 items onto the screen for complete and utter mayhem. It’s hilarious, but Fausts will rarely use this because there are safer and better uses of his meter.

Round Start


Faust’s round start is decent due to his longer reach and unique crouch. The reason why it’s unique is that it dramatically lowers his hurtbox and he can actually move while crouching, allowing him to pass under certain attacks and pokes. Check the Crawl Table for a list of attacks that Faust can crawl under. Faust will usually start rounds off by trying to stuff quick approaches with 2P, which is 7 frames and one of his fastest normals. Its speed and recovery makes it so that he can challenge the ground while leaving himself available to challenge opponents that might jump. This can be low crushed by normals that raise your hurtbox (Nagoriyuki’s 6K, for example). Another possible round start is his 6PGGST Faust 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery32Advantage-21, which launches grounded or aerial opponents back far, granting him a safe opportunity for an item toss. This option loses to far reaching low attacks such as a 2K or 2S. It’s also -21 on block, however, and very punishable. He can use his 5KGGST Faust 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery8Advantage-2 to beat out aerial options that avoid his lows as well. This is safer and less risky than 6P, as it’s only -2 on block. This does lose to his opponents' 6Ps, however.

There’s also j.2KGGST Faust j.2K.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery9 after LandingAdvantage-, an aerial poke that has Faust dive towards the opponent. This aerial comes in at a weird angle and can be difficult for some characters to challenge, even with 6P. When used low to the ground, it’s very safe on block, up to +2 if blocked low enough. Despite being an aerial move, it’s not considered an overhead, and can be blocked low. If j.2K connects from higher in the air, it’s actually minus on hit, and can be punished by numerous attacks depending on the character. To keep himself safe, he can cancel j.2K into Love (j.236P). This move halts his air momentum as he tosses his bag down towards you as a bomb. It also raises his lower hurtbox, making it harder to hit him from the ground when he does this. There’s a number of different ways you can punish a roundstart j.2K into Love. You can get the read by immediately jumping and hitting Faust with a long reaching aerial. Depending on the height of your character, as well as Faust’s position from where he’s canceling into Love from, you could 6P him after blocking the j.2K, or hit him with another high reaching button or special, like Giovanna’s Sol Nascente. The explosion from the bomb can effect both you and Faust as well, so you could chicken block after blocking the j.2K and cause Faust to be blown up by his own bomb. Or, you could simply run underneath it. Experiment and find the best solution with your character.

Neutral


Approaching Faust

As mentioned before, Faust’s gameplan generally consists of zoning you out with his big buttons, and getting items on screen so he can work with those items to try and mix you up.

For example, if Faust is able to successfully get an item toss going from roughly mid range, depending on the item tossed, he may take the opportunity to run up and put you in a strike/throw mix with his command grab Snip Snip SnipGGST Faust 236H 1.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup6Recovery41Advantage-, which applies an Afro to your head. The only item that would keep him from doing this is Banana Peel, since he’ll slip if he comes into contact with it. Since grab animations ignore the effects of Faust’s items, this allows him to put you in a strike/throw mix any time he’s able to get an item out while he’s close enough to you. Once the Afro has been applied, Faust gets a free safe jump. He will likely use this safe jump as an opportunity to try and detonate the Afro on your wake up with j.D. If this hits you while Afro is applied, you’ll be launched into the air for a full combo. It can be rough blocking j.D with an Afro on, as now you must also deal with the threat of a delayed explosion while Faust continues pressure.

Alternatively, Faust can also cross you up on your wake up with Mix Mix MixGGST Faust 236S.pngGuardAllStartup17Recovery14 after LandingAdvantage-7, a move where he rises forward into the air while stirring his scalpel, dealing four rapid hits around him. When you have an Afro on, this becomes an instant overhead on your wake up and Faust can convert into loops that allow him to carry you towards the corner. Alternatively, Faust could take advantage of the wake up from Snip Snip Snip to get another item out.

Faust will also try to maintain distance using his long range normals. Faust primarily has to use his longer range normals as counter pokes, however, because they all suffer from a long recovery period. If Faust whiffs them, he’s left wide open for a punish. His pokes include f.SGGST Faust fS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery20Advantage-8, 5HGGST Faust 5H.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery18Advantage-7, 2HGGST Faust 2H.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery29Advantage-12 and ThrustGGST Faust 41236K.pngGuardAllStartup26~37Recovery19Advantage-12. Aside from 2H, all of Faust's pokes are vulnerable to 6P. Faust uses 2H to punish careless jump-ins.

If you're ever hit by Faust's 5H, he can do a follow up attack that will send you flying into a hard knockdown. This gives Faust enough time to toss out an item while still being plus (+32) or even toss two items and be slightly negative (-9). The windup is burstable and it can’t be Roman Canceled, so this is a good opportunity to use your Burst. If you Burst when Faust lifts you above him, you can send him flying in the direction Faust is facing. This means that you could Burst Faust into the corner if you manage to time your Burst right.

If Faust is opting to keep his distance and spam items, keep in mind that the items will force him to take a break at some point, whether it's to capitalize on a specific item he's pulled (Mini Faust, Meteors) or to avoid or secure an item that can be also be harmful to him (Bomb, Trumpet, 100T Weight). That being said, however, you are going to have to account for the fact that there are multiple items on the battlefield. Faust can make neutral stressful and difficult to keep up with this way. If you're patient, you could wait until the Faust comes to you, but if he doesn't budge, then unfortunately, the only thing you can really do is brave your way through it and slowly approach until an opportunity comes your way.

How to Deal with Scarecrow/Scarecrow PRC In Neutral

Scarecrow can transport Faust directly in front of you with P ScarecrowGGST Faust 214X.pngGuardAllStartup54 [84]Recovery10 [7]Advantage-8 [+7], behind you with K ScarecrowGGST Faust 214X.pngGuardAllStartup54 [84]Recovery10 [7]Advantage-8 [+7] or directly above you with S ScarecrowGGST Faust 214X.pngGuardHighStartup50 [69]Recovery36Advantage-40* [-35]*. Normally, Scarecrow has very high start up time, with 54 frames of startup minimum for the P and K versions and 50 frames for the S version. You will automatically turn to face whichever version of Scarecrow is used (except for S Scarecrow, where the camera will pan upwards quickly as Faust falls down from the sky).

By itself, this move isn't much to worry about. It’s high startup time makes it easy to react to. It’s when Faust does this in conjunction with items on the screen or Tension, or a combination of the two that this move becomes a lot scarier. You have to be wary of Scarecrow when items are out. Don’t become so focused on the items that Faust crosses you up with this. Pay attention and make sure to block in the right direction whenever he attempts to use this.

When Faust has Tension, this move is at it’s scariest. Faust can use Tension to rapid cancel S Scarecrow, causing him to appear almost immediately in front of you and get you with either a regular throw, Snip Snip Snip, or an uncharged 5DGGST Faust 5D.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery26Advantage-10. This is very difficult to react to because of how fast it is. A lot of Fausts like to go for this in low health situations. Snip Snip Snip is the option that Faust will be most likely to go for since it's un-techable and it's 6 frame start up it makes it very difficult to react to. The best way to deal with Scarecrow PRC is by jumping. It's difficult to jump in reaction to Scarecrow PRC because of how fast it is, but jumping during common neutral situations where Faust might use this could go a long way in helping you avoid this.

When Faust Will Approach and How to Deal with It

Faust will mainly only approach in neutral if he's working in tandem with an item (or multiple items), or an item's effects. Down below is a list of items that might make Faust come to you, as well as how he plans to approach and how to deal with it.

  • 100T Weight - Since the only way to avoid the 100T Weight is jumping over it, Faust could air dash forward and try to snipe you in the air with j.H. If you block the shockwave from the weight, you will be Guard Crushed. Faust could also take this opportunity to air dash forward and then cross you up with Mix Mix Mix while he's in the air, as Guard Crush temporarily removes cross up protection.
  • Bomb/Afro - Getting hit by an explosion from a Bomb or lit Afro might prompt Faust to air dash forward and attempt to pressure you. If Faust has been afflicted with an Afro, he can use Love! to remove it. Love! becomes buffed with longer range, a higher bounce arc, and a wider bomb explosion. It deals double the damage on hit and inflicts Guard Crush on block. It will bounce twice on the ground, so be wary if Faust comes into contact with a tossed out Afro. You can destroy it with projectiles, stuff it with disjoints, reflect it with projectile reflectors and some characters can even duck it.
  • Mini Faust - After triggering a Mini Faust, Faust might use Scarecrow to cross you up. He could also use Scarecrow PRC to hit you with Snip Snip Snip while you're concentrated on blocking the Mini Faust. During the gap in between where the Mini Faust gets angry and then attacks you is when Faust will most likely try and use Scarecrow PRC. Jumping and then blocking in the air will allow you to avoid Snip Snip Snip while also protecting yourself from the Mini Faust's attacks.
  • Trumpet - After pulling a Trumpet, Faust might dash forward to try and secure it for himself. Dashing forward is generally the fastest way for him to get the Trumpet, unless he chooses to Drift RC forward. He can also use 2H to keep you from getting the Trumpet for yourself.
  • Meteors - Since every meteor causes the Guard Crush state on block, like 100T Weight, they will leave you vulnerable to cross ups if you block them. He could use Scarecrow to cross you up here, use Scarecrow PRC > Snip Snip Snip while you're concentrated on blocking the Meteors, or just air dash forward and try to cross you up in the air with Mix Mix Mix.

The rest of Faust's items likely won't prompt him to approach. The health gained from either the Banana or Donut are negligable, the Banana Peel causes a soft knockdown so Faust would want to avoid it, and the Hammer's purpose is to stuff approaches.

Offense


When running your offense, you really need to stick to Faust and make sure it's air tight. You can’t afford to let him escape and start getting items out, as it’ll let him take control of neutral and leave you with little way to stop him. 5PGGST Faust 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 is his fastest button, at 5 frames. This can gatling into his 6P so try not to leave too many gaps on your offense.

Faust's Overdrive Bone-Crushing ExcitementGGST Faust 632146H 1.pngGuardAllStartup16+5Recovery48Advantage-32 is his only invincible reversal. Unfortunately for him, it's start up is extremely slow. In most cases, you can actually block it after the super flash, even after you've pressed a button. To get around this, Faust can use Purple Roman Cancel to cancel the super during it's start up. Faust retains invulnerability frames to avoid attacks and punish with any option of his choosing (and this only costs 50% Tension since the move doesn't actually activate). Faust can use this to grab a meaty while not committing to an attack in case you chose to jump or block to bait it. RC startup is not invulnerable, so Faust can still get hit out of the PRC by cancelling the super too early or if you choose to do a delayed or highly active meaty option.

Defense


Defending Against 2K Pressure

Faust's 2KGGST Faust 2K 1.pngGuardAll, Low, LowStartup5Recovery12Advantage-2 is a multi-hitting button with three hits that is a corner stone of Faust's close range pressure. The first hit is a mid, while the rest of the hits are lows. It’s important to use Faultless Defense whenever you block this button. Faust can go directly into a tick throw via Snip Snip Snip from any of the hits from 2K but using Faultless Defense will eliminate this option. He’d have do a quick run up if he still wants to use Snip on you, but this would be telegraphed because Faust would have to wait out all of 2K’s multihits.

He can gatling any of the hits directly into either 6P or 2DGGST Faust 2D.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery18Advantage-4 and toss out an item during your recovery. There is a gap in-between 2K > 2D where you can backdash. Faust can punish backdashes, but he’d have to start delaying his follow up options to do so. He could use a delayed 2D or do 2K > c.S. These options lose to mashing. Whether you backdash or block, it’s important to make sure you avoid getting hit by 2D so you can keep him from tossing items out. Fausts tend to backdash after this is blocked to keep from being punished, but you can punish that with Beyblade or f.S.

He can also condition you into blocking low and then catch you off guard with his 6HGGST Faust 6H.pngGuardHighStartup25Recovery44Advantage-34, which is an overhead. If you choose to block during strings from 2K, block low, and react to the 6H.

From a distance, Faust may try to cancel a blocked 6H into Thrust. Remember, Thrust loses to 6P. From farther away, you likely won't be able to connect the 6P into anything, but it's still a counter hit that gives you time to get in. If you’ve been hit by Thrust, you can Burst during the pull back and punish it from afar. Just be aware that Faust can still go into the follow up hit even after you’ve used Burst to get out of it, and the hit will still launch you if it connects.

Keep Watching for Scarecrow

Faust can attempt to use Scarecrow and Scarecrow PRC in a blockstring to take you by surprise. Be on the look out for it, and try to backdash or jump in reaction to it if you can.

Giovanna

Giovanna is a rushdown character whose goal is to get in your face with her fast step-dash and then use her plus on block attacks to smother you with pressure and put you in difficult strike/throw situations. Because Giovanna has tools to play both offense and defense in the right scenarios, understanding how to face her on a general level can often require knowledge of that specific Giovanna's playstyle. That being said, though, there's still plenty of general mistakes to look out for to avoid being dominated by basic strategies when facing this character.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Meter Boost
  • Step Dash

When Giovanna's tension gauge is filled above certain thresholds, she deals more damage, receives less damage, and her normals begin dealing chip damage. There isn’t really any counter play to this, as aside from just applying pressure that forces her to use her Tension on Faultless Defense or YRC, you can’t really force her to expend the Tension. Still, it’s important to understand what this is and why you need to keep Giovanna away from you at all costs. When defending against her, always remember to use Faultless Defense if she has Tension to negate the chip damage.

Giovanna step dash defines her playstyle. It’s fast, it travels far, and allows her to approach reliably from the ground. It can also be instantly canceled into any other action, and any canceled action retains momentum from the dash, the distance of which depends on how early Giovanna cancels it. Canceling it early gives less distance for faster start up, and canceling later gives more distance for the cost of some extra start up. Combining this with her best ranged pokes extends her effective range, combo routes, and overall neutral game drastically. Because her step dash is both cancelable and has no skidding animation, Giovanna can dash and then immediately block, allowing her to block while still moving forward. She can combine this with FD Braking to allow her to have more control of her dash without having to throw out a move. This is essential for Giovanna’s spacing, as well as her ability to get you to whiff. It also allows her to approach safely against characters with fast long range attacks that are normally able to stuff her dash-in attempts, like Axl or Nago.

Round Start


Giovanna has some of the most threatening round start options in the game. It can also be a little bit tricky interacting with her at round start. Her ability to cancel her step dash into any normal or special can cause the range of her attacks to change depending on how quickly the Giovanna player inputs the dash canceled normal. For example, her 5KGGST Giovanna 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2 won't reach you at roundstart, but it will if she does a dash right before it, increasing the time it takes by roughly a couple frames. If the dash is cancelled as early as possible, its distance is lowered, making it a "microdash" that you are still often able to get out of range of with proper timing. If she wants to do an even bigger dash to ensure you don't go out of range, she must sacrifice even more speed for it, making her easier to interrupt, and so on.


Some examples of how to beat the threatening opener of microdash > 5K


This can lead to inconsistent round start interactions that could be beneficial or a detriment to either player. It makes labbing round starts against Gio a bit tricky, and is something to consider when deciding whether or not to challenge her round start.

Her 5HGGST Giovanna 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5 is a 10 frame disjoint, which forces some characters to open with a 6P or hold their ground. Any move that 5H can’t handle (such as a 10 frame low or 6P), she can rely on Sol Nascente (Cartwheel)GGST Giovanna Sol Nascente.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery21Advantage-15 to bulldoze through it, and counter hit those options. This move is not invincible, but can be hard to punish at times because Gio’s hurtbox is so low to the ground that it can low-profile most attacks, even jabs. If all else fails, she can rely on her infamous 2DGGST Giovanna 2D.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery12Advantage-8 to safely whiff punish, go under mids, or otherwise fish for counter hits. Walking back will put you out of range of any of her immediate options of value, including her mids and her 2D. If she throws these options out, you’re in a prime position to whiff punish. This leaves her with specials that you can react to easily with 6P. Her only other options is to dash in, either on the ground or through the air. Keep her movement options in check with your keep out buttons, and round start is yours.

Neutral


In neutral, remember, Gio has to come to you. She doesn’t have any projectiles. It’s not a matter of if she comes to you, but when. Use that knowledge to your advantage, but be smart about it. Don’t just throw out buttons. You have to really focus on two key things:

First, instead of placing your buttons where she is, place them where she’s going to be. You know she’s coming to you, so you don’t have to dash in yourself. Instead, aim to place them further back than you would normally, checking her movement. This requires less work and opens up less committal options in neutral. Most Gios know that you’re trying to take advantage of the fact that she has to come to you. Don’t throw out big buttons to stop her approach. Gio’s excellent ground movement and the range of her 2D and advancing special moves allow her to take advantage of the recovery of larger buttons and whiff punish her opponents into oblivion. Instead, rely on low commitment options such as long reaching P and K buttons, as proper use of them will force her to adjust her approach. She can try to air dash over your low commitment buttons, or force her way in with Trovao (aka Spiral Arrow)GGST Giovanna Trovao.pngGuardAll [All (Guard Crush)]Startup27Recovery13Advantage+4 [+15], but you can take care of both of these options on reaction with 6P. Trovao is an advancing special move that does go through single hit projectiles. It has 27 frames of start up and is +2 on block. Most of the time this move will be used to get in on you, so just keep an eye out for it and don’t let her get in for free. She’ll try to back dash to bait out buttons with higher commitment and punish with 2D, but she can’t keep this up forever. As long as you’re steadily advancing, she’ll run out of space eventually.

The second thing you want to do in neutral is understand your options in relation to her 2D. What’s important to remember is that she’s not pressing 2D because she wants to. It’s because she has to. On block, she has nothing to gatling into, so we’ll only be defending against her 4 special moves. On whiff, it can be hard to punish, but we’re guaranteed at least a turn. Just be wary in case she’s very reliant on Sol Nascente. On hit, she gets a little damage and a safe jump. Its effectiveness varies depending on distance. If she tries to air dash in from farther away, you can use a DP or invincible Overdrive to intercept her approach. With all this considered, her using 2D in neutral is actually the least threatening thing she could do.

If you see Giovanna double jump high into the air while she has Tension, she's likely attempting to use her aerial Overdrive Tempestade (aka Divekick)GGST Giovanna j236236H 1.pngGuardAllStartup3+1RecoveryAdvantage0~+6. You can punish this on reaction by inputting a reversal Overdrive during the super flash. If you don't have the Tension to punish this and you're forced to block it, it's not an overhead, so it can be blocked while crouching. However, it is +6, and Giovanna can do a tick throw immediately afterwards and begin running her pressure, so bear that in mind.

Offense


Giovanna has no meterless invincible reversal. She does have a 4 frame 5PGGST Giovanna 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2 and a 5 frame 2PGGST Giovanna 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2 that she can mash during pressure, but that's about all she has. Otherwise, just bait and punish her invincible reversal Overdrive VentaniaGGST Giovanna Ventania.pngGuardAllStartup5+4Recovery49Advantage-37 when she has Tension.

Defense


If Gio manages to get in, her close range pressure primarily consists of the use of frametraps, tick throws, and dash cancels for strike/throw mix.

Using Faultless Defense

Without Fautless Defense, Giovanna's c.SGGST Giovanna cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3 can create what feels like endless pressure that forces you into dangerous guessing situations from any hit. Fortunately, it only takes a single use of FD to make her pressure much easier to escape from. If Giovanna has not be conditioned to use 2SGGST Giovanna 2S1.pngGuardLowStartup9Recovery15Advantage-6 as a meaty, standing FD blocking is great as it has more pushback than crouching. Also IBFD on her c.S can completely end her turn. The more distance Giovanna has to travel to make her normals connect, the more time you'll have to interrupt her. The differences may seem hard to capitalize on at first due to the continued speed of her dash, but try your best to be aware of your openings and time your fast buttons preemptively to catch her in the act of getting back in.

Dealing With Her Special Moves

Both Spiral Arrow and Sol Poente (aka Flip Kick)GGST Giovanna 214S 1.pngGuardAll, HighStartup{4} 27Recovery21Advantage-5 can both be dealt with by using 6P. Sol Poente is an overhead kick that is +4 on block with 27 frames of startup. Gio can flip over opponents and cross them up with this move. In addition to 6P, if your character has a high reaching jab, you can 5P her out of it. If you’re feeling risky, you can even go for an air throw. If the move crosses you up, you’ll have to adjust your timing for 6P or 5P. You need to delay it so that your character will turn around and hit her out of it.

Cartwheel is -15 on block, but if Gio has meter, she can PRC it and attack you with an aerial move. You cannot punish her in this case, it’ll stuff any button, even 6P.

Dealing with Post-Sepultura Options

Because of the weaknesses of her other special moves, SepulturaGGST Giovanna Sepultura.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery20Advantage-4 is the only special move Giovanna has that she can rely on as a safe blockstring ender. This move is only -4, so it’s not really punishable with anything. Attempting to do so can lead you to getting frametrapped by Flip Kick or another one of Gio’s fast abare options. However, if you let Gio scare you into not pressing anything, she can start stealing turns. You're going to have to play a bit of RPS around what option she'll do post-Sepultura.

When it comes to dealing with this special move, the first thing you have to do is assess the distance between you and her. Figuring out just how far away she is after Sepultura determines how to deal with it. The closer she is to you, the more potent Sol Nascente becomes. Even 2Ps can get counter hit in close range because of how low her hurtbox is during this move. If she's up close, you can use 2K to take your turn back after blocking it. 2Ks are low and too quick for her to interrupt. She can backdash the 2K, but you’ll still have frame advantage, meaning she can't punish you if it whiffs, only restart her pressure. Study the Gio player’s habits. If she keeps backdashing after Sepultura, then you can start using a long range button, such as a 2S to catch the backdash. In turn, it's why lows are so important against Giovanna. Beating her low profile means you're able to reliably take back your turn when she ends her blockstrings with . If Giovanna has no meter, there's especially no reason not to hit a low unless you are one of the six characters with a ~4 frame normal ( Sol 5KGGST Sol Badguy 5K.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery25Advantage-16 & 5PGGST Sol Badguy 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2,  Chipp 5PGGST Chipp Zanuff 5P.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery10Advantage-2,  Millia 2PGGST Millia Rage 2P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery10Advantage-2,  Baiken 5PGGST Baiken 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery10Advantage-2,  May 5PGGST May 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery8Advantage-1,  Giovanna 5PGGST Giovanna 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery9Advantage-2) able to land a punish.


Two mid-hitting attacks, and then a low against Giovanna's 214KGGST Giovanna Sepultura.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery20Advantage-4 > 623SGGST Giovanna Sol Nascente.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery21Advantage-15 trap. Despite 5PGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 being faster, 2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 connects due to it beating the low profile.

If she’s outside of the range of 2K, you won’t be able to take your turn back this way. She can recover in time to punish longer range buttons by dashing into her own 2KGGST Giovanna 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery11Advantage-2 or 2PGGST Giovanna 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2, despite the frame disadvantage. If you misjudge the distance between you and her and input your 2K, she can easily whiff punish you with these buttons. There are three ways to deal with post-Sepultura options outside of your 2K range:

1. If you use Faultless Defense, you can push her out farther and give you more room to intercept whatever approach she opts for from there. Intercept them using the same buttons you'd use in neutral: either 5K or 2K for ground approaches, and 6P for aerial approaches or Spiral Arrow.

2. Sepultura is -4 on block. If you successfully Instant Block it, it's a free grab punish. This is a difficult option however, as it will hinge on whether or not the Gio player delays the Sepultura.

3. Finally, you can simply backdash out of this guessing game. As long as you’ve got space behind you, she can’t stop you from doing it, only punish you if you’re too predictable about it.

Dealing With Her Dash Cancels/Dash-In Options

Keep an eye out for the flames that appear on the ground when Gio dash cancels her normals. This will be key for dealing with her tick throws and frametraps. All characters can only dash cancel off of either their c.S or 5KGGST Giovanna 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2. Be on the lookout for these normals during her pressure. Once you see the dash cancel, she’s locked into the dash animation for its entire duration. She can’t shimmy or jump until the dash animation is complete. You can punish both of these dash cancels with a throw. After a dash cancel from c.S, you have a 4 frame window to throw punish her. You have a slightly longer window of time to input throw after a dash canceled 5K.

When it comes to her tick throws, remember that Gio can’t grab you immediately after a blocked c.S This move always manages to push you out of her throw range. However, with dash momentum inwards, she can throw you immediately off of her 5K/2K. These are the buttons you need to watch out for, they’re your visual cues. From here, simply grabbing not only beats her grab, it also saves you from 5[D]GGST Giovanna 5D.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery25Advantage-10, Sepultura, and her delayed gatlings. This will also work if she tries to tick throw after a dash-in 5P or 2P as well.

However, just because throw is a solution in these situations doesn’t necessarily mean you should just do it every single time. She can shut you down from doing this by frametrapping her 5K with 6PGGST Giovanna 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-9 or her ability to jump cancel her 5K and hit you with an aerial. To avoid getting counter hit by these options, you’ll need to do a delayed grab. A delayed grab will block both frametraps for you and still break the grab that may come after the dash-in 5K. To get the timing for this correct, set a bot to randomly do all 3 options for about 60 seconds. As long as you don’t get hit and break every grab, you’re delaying the grab the correct amount of time.

Dealing with Common Frametraps

Like with any character’s pressure, be especially careful about mashing in-between her f.SGGST Giovanna fS1.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery16Advantage-4 and 5HGGST Giovanna 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery19Advantage-5. The only reason to mash between these buttons is if you think she’ll go for a throw after the f.S instead of a 5H. Use Faultless Defense to push her out. You can use this to create space or challenge her directly with 6P if she inputs a delayed 5H after the f.S.

Another frametrap to avoid is a delayed Sepultura at the end of her blockstrings. To avoid this, once she’s reached the end of her blockstrings, briefly delay your next action to see if she goes for it.

The next frame trap is tricky. Some Gios like to gatling from her kicks into either her 2D, Flip Kick, or jump cancel into an aerial option. You can interrupt all of these options with a 5P or 2P since she isn’t in throw range, but if you’re a little slow to react, you’re getting counter hit into a wall break. In this situation, the safest option is hold your ground and be on the lookout for that delayed Sepultura before you take your turn.

Off of Gio’s c.S, she has a potential high/low mix, as she can do either an uncharged 5DGGST Giovanna 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery25Advantage-15 or 2D. She might not be able to combo off of the 5D if it hits (unless she has meter for a Roman Cancel) but she’s so plus she can dash in for another c.S. You're going to have to guess here, but make sure you're using Faultless Defense to give yourself time to punish her if she tries to dash in again.

Dealing with Safe Jumps

When Gio gets a clean hit on you, one of three things are going to happen if you don’t have Burst: you’re going to die, you’re getting wall-broken (which means she’s getting positive bonus), or you’re getting safe jumped. 9 times out of 10, you’re likely going to just get safe jumped. After a hard knockdown, either from Sepultura, 2D, or a throw, use Faultless Defense on her jump-in to push her out. This will take some of the immediate strike/throw pressure off the table and give you breathing room to use all of the counterplay talked about up until now. Make her work for those c.Ses and you should be getting conditioned for her strike/throw game significantly less.


Goldlewis Dickinson

Goldlewis’ goal is to use his special moves, which are passively buffed over time thanks to the Security Level, to lock you down so he can close the distance to where he can apply massive amounts of pressure and damage utilizing his Behemoth Typhoon special move, which guard crushes and cranks your RISC gauge on block and leads to massively damaging combos on hit. Goldlewis has limited mobility compared to other characters. While he has a dash, it's pretty slow. He also can't double jump, making aerial approaches extremely committal.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Security Level
  • Behemoth Typhoon

Security Level is a resource Goldlewis can spend to augment his special and super moves. The icon on the top of the gauge represents his current Security Level, which increases from Level 1, to 2, then 3 (there is no Level 0) Goldlewis starts the round at Level 1. Goldlewis' Security Level increases passively over time. As Security Level increases, Goldlewis' S special moves Thunderbird (Drone)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Thunderbird.pngGuardAllStartup57Recovery34 TotalAdvantage- and Skyfish (Minigun)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Skyfish.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery75~134 TotalAdvantage-13) and his Overdrive Burn it Down (Laser)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Burn It Down.pngGuardAllStartup13+(84 Flash)+79Recovery27 TotalAdvantage- gain three separate versions that correspond with his current Security Level. Using any of these moves causes the meter to be reset to 1. The gauge takes 2 seconds to fill from Level 1 to 2, but takes longer at 6 seconds to fill from Level 2 to 3.

Behemoth Typhoon is a special move where Goldlewis swings his coffin, leading to massively damaging combos on hit as well as guard crushing with extensive chip damage on block. This is his primary pressure tool. It has 8 different versions, all sharing the same name. Each corresponds to a different half-circle plus the H button, including some very unconventional motions. Because of this, all half-circles have been abbreviated to only the cardinal directions in numpad notation. For example, 63214H becomes 624H and so on. Goldlewis can also perform any Behemoth Typhoon in the air as well. When defending against Goldlewis, you need to get familiar with each Behemoth Typhoon, what’s plus, what’s safe, what’s a frame trap and what’s fake. Any air Behemoths are slightly minus, so you can take a turn if they end up doing one. Also, never burst a Behemoth if the Goldlewis has Tension, as they can PRC the Behemoth to block the burst.

Round Start


Goldlewis doesn't have especially strong round start options as long as you're aware of them and know how to deal with them. His best poke from round start is f.SGGST Goldlewis Dickinson f.S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery23Advantage-12, which loses to 6P and can be low profiled by shorter characters such as Giovanna or Baiken. He could approach with a j.DGGST Goldlewis Dickinson jD.pngGuardHighStartup14Recovery14Advantage+13 (IAD), but this also loses to 6P. Goldlewis' own 6P can't really be used as a counter poke a lot of the time due to it's really high hitbox. It’s mainly a defensive 6P. This means that his pokes are incredibly weak and yours are harder for him to contest. For certain characters, excessively relying on 6P will leave you vulnerable to 684HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (684).pngGuardAll* (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery21Advantage-5. This is Goldlewis' farthest reaching Behemoth Typhoon. It will also catch any attempts to approach or retreat from the air, as well as Guard Crush you if you walk back. However, it does whiff on backdashes. Some characters' 6Ps still beat it, such as Ky and Testament, but Goldlewis can also walk backwards and whiff punish you with 684H as well, so it's best to alternate between 6P or backdashing round start to immediately put some distance between you. His j.D catches backdashes, which is why you need to rotate your options and not default to just one response each time. Experiment with your character and see what options they have against him at Round Start.

Neutral


Goldlewis' corner pressure is debatably on par with that of Ramlethal's in both restriction and possibility of imminent death. While he may be scary, you cannot let Goldlewis back you into the corner, as you'll lose the ability to utilize backdash effectively, leaving FD as your only hope. If your meter runs out, that's usually the end of the round, as Drift RC means just 50 meter is enough for him to loop frametraps and deal insane chip damage. Avoid the corner at all costs.

Some of the weakness of Goldlewis that were touched upon in Round Start apply to neutral as well. Goldlewis' pokes and approaches are generally vulnerable to 6P. This means that you can generally play pretty passively, wait for Goldlewis’ approaches, and just 6P no matter what he does and the only thing he can get away with is going for a raw Behemoth Typhoon or running in with a 2DGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 2D.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery24Advantage-10, which is a pretty slow poke, and can be punished with an IAD > Aerial.

Most of Goldlewis’ options midscreen can be backdashed. In fact, all of them can be backdashed from a blocked f.S or 2D at their max range. Furthermore, Goldlewis has ZERO options to punish you for going for the backdash. NONE of the Behemoths can touch you. All he can do is go into a true string with his fastest 684H Behemoth, which leaves him -5 at full screen (which is pretty much neutral). You might eat the chip damage, but it could be worse considering he got a move out on you in neutral. In order to catch backdashes, Goldlewis will have to hard-call them out with specific options that only work at close range, such as 486HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (486).pngGuardHigh (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery18Advantage+14~15. 426HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (426).pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery18Advantage+12~+16 also works if Goldlewis has backed you up close to the corner since it causes a wallbounce. He can also go for a delay 268HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (268).pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery18Advantage+6~14. 5HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 5H.pngGuardAllStartup19Recovery15Advantage-2 can also catch a backdash, but he needs running momentum. Lastly,he can j.D to catch a backdash, which is a very hard read, because of that button’s weakness (6P).

Do NOT get cheesed by Behemoth Typhoon whiffs in neutral. Most variations of Behemoth Typhoon are extremely difficult or impossible to whiff punish, depending on your character's ability to do so. Many Goldlewis players prey on lack of experience to get free counterhits with sequences like 268H
Error: Table MoveData_Invalidvalue not found.
into 684H
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, or even into itself. This is not to say you shouldn't ever punish Goldlewis for a missed BT, just that you must be acutely aware of when you are actually able to. 684H
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in particular is actually quite punishable on whiff, so don't let him throw it out like it's nothing.

The gameplay that is awkward for Goldlewis to deal with in neutral is: playing patiently, just outside of the range of 684H, waiting for a whiffed move, or waiting for a blatant engagement. Whenever he engages, you should be ready to 6P. Whenever he whiffs, be ready to punish him.

Dealing with His Security Level Special Moves

Don’t let Goldlewis get a Security Level 3 Thunderbird (Drone)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Thunderbird.pngGuardAllStartup57Recovery34 TotalAdvantage- out. This is a projectile that blocks all other projectiles and can be hard for some characters to contest. It leads to a hard knockdown on hit, and the amount of time it stays active depends on the Security Level. When used in the corner, it remains in the corner until the Security Level is depleted. He can only safely get this out on a hard knockdown from 2D, throw, or OTG 5H. Make it part of your gameplan to just not let him get it out. If Goldlewis takes damage, Thunderbird will disappear, but this can still be a difficult projectile to deal with.

Security Level 3 Skyfish (Minigun)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Skyfish.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery75~134 TotalAdvantage-13 also causes a hard knockdown. This is a gatling gun that fires for a longer time depending on the Security Level. It also beats other projectiles (except for Nagoriyuki’s Clone). At fullscreen, this knockdown allows Goldlewis to close the gap and re-establish some pressure. Otherwise, this move is mostly used as a meaty for chip damage/tension drain, but it’s generally too slow to use on reaction. At Security Level 2 and 3, Goldlewis can cancel Skyfish to avoid punishes via aerial approaches.

Goldlewis' Overdrive Burn it Down (Laser)GGST Goldlewis Dickinson Burn It Down.pngGuardAllStartup13+(84 Flash)+79Recovery27 TotalAdvantage- is a multi-hitting projectile move. Its range, duration, and number of hits are dependent on the Security Level. The higher the gauge, the stronger it gets. Goldlewis can’t afford to use this up close. If he does, he can easily be run up to and thrown, and you’ll be invincible to the laser during the throw animation. Don’t let Goldlewis go for it midscreen. If they go for it fullscreen, some characters have options to stop this as well. Sol has Night Raid Vortex, Nagoriyuki could go for a Fukyo into PRC Throw, May could use S Dolphin, Potemkin could use Hammerfall, etc.

Offense


Goldlewis has no meterless invincible reversal. On defense, he can use his 5 frame 2PGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery6Advantage+3 in order to challenge stagger pressure. Certain characters have lows that can actually low profile 2P, such as Nagoriyuki and Testament's 2K. It's worth labbing with your character to see if they have any options that low profile this. Otherwise, when he has Tension, be sure to bait out his reversal Overdrive Down With the SystemGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Down with the System 2.pngGuardAllStartup6+(135 Flash)+4Recovery46Advantage-33.

Defense


If Goldlewis gets in on you, you need to use your Burst early. Be smart about using it, but still, use it early. Don't just hold onto it in pressure and only use it once you've been put into a combo or counter hit into a strong starter. With Goldlewis, this is very dangerous. His high chip damage and massive amount of plus frames means his offense is long and does a decent amount of damage on its own without even needing to open you up. Thus, you should be very considerate about where you Burst and use it to push Goldlewis back out. Remember, Goldlewis struggles in the neutral game, meaning it can be advantageous to force him to play it again by Bursting his pressure instead of saving it to prevent damage. If you don’t have Burst, then remember: mashing and jumping are generally not effective. Goldlewis has many back-to-back frametraps that all have anywhere from decent to devastating reward. The absurd area of effect and active frames of any Behemoth Typhoon will catch jumps 99% of the time. Mashing or jumping can be used in fringe reads, but should absolutely not be go-to strategies. This means that you’re typically going to have to block on wakeup. Make sure you use Faultless Defense whenever you block him. Although blocking Goldlewis is scary, patience is key. Goldlewis can catch a backdash on your wakeup easily with a meaty 268H or 5KGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 5K.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery12Advantage-7, which are common okizeme options for him. 268H also gives Goldlewis a comically damaging combo on counter hit, so avoid mashing as well.

A well timed invincible reversal can throw a wrench in Goldlewis’ pressure. Since much of his pressure consists of frametraps, Goldlewis must worry about reversals more than many characters. Be careful, however, as his punishes on baited reversals are very damaging. You also need to be careful about using a reversal on wakeup if Goldlewis is airborne, as he is likely using j.HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson jH.pngGuardHighStartup15Recovery20Advantage- to safejump (which he can do off of almost all knockdowns). Your reversal will usually be better spent on his plus frames, as he will have to call it out. Goldlewis is very likely to go for a Behemoth Typhoon after a c.SGGST Goldlewis Dickinson c.S.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery12Advantage+1. This is usually a good time to input a reversal. Additionally, you could delay using Burst until you see the a Behemoth Typhoon in his blockstrings. This will be a free Gold Burst almost all the time, unless Goldlewis goes for a 268H.

Midscreen, if Goldlewis lands a hard knockdown on you, this is a very dangerous situation to be in. From specific spacings, Goldlewis can do a safe jump or cross you up on your wakeup with j.H or j.D. Goldlewis will typically go for this after a knockdown from a throw or a 684H. He could also go for this after sending out Drone. You’ll have to guess which direction he’ll try to land this on during your wake up.

A strong but risky setup Goldlewis can do after a hard or soft knockdown in the corner is whiffing 5PGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 5P.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery6Advantage+3 into either 842HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (842).pngGuardLow (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery18Advantage+16 or 862HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (862).pngGuardHigh (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery18Advantage+12. This is a mix up that can be extremely hard to see coming and is a true 50/50. The damage off of a Behemoth starter is also great, and if he has enough Tension to Roman Cancel, Goldlewis can convert into any number of his devastating corner combos. Even worse, if he successfully times either of these Behemoths then it counts as a true meaty with all the plus frames that Goldlewis usually gets, making this remarkably safe. This setup is vulnerable to invincible reversals, however. Goldlewis also needs Tension to convert into a full combo, which may lead to worse reward compared to the standard frame traps that Goldlewis has on offer.

Using Faultless Defense Against Goldlewis

Using Faultless Defense in general is essential for getting him off of you. It will force Goldlewis to play slower and a little more reactive. Faultless Defense can make many options, (including most Behemoths) whiff and force him to work hard to stay close, whether it's by risking a jump-in or spending Tension to drift Roman Cancel in after a Guard Crush. If he tries for a tick throw after a blocked c.S, Faultless Defense makes him have to run a lot further to get close enough for one. Faultless Defense will also prevent c.S into 2H. This is important because this string frame traps, combos into itself, and leads to a really big combo. It will completely whiff if you FD.

When blocking Goldlewis, it's worth memorizing common pressure strings so that you have an understanding of what options you have and when you can use them. However, you won’t be able to use any option if you don’t use Faultless Defense. Pay attention to which options the Goldlewis is going for after c.S. It can be easy to get distracted by the different highs and lows when guarding this character, but it’s very important to understand that Goldlewis’ kit is harder to mix you up with if you haven’t been knocked down. The highs and lows are all reactable. Instead, it’s much more important to understand whether Goldlewis is going for a safe or unsafe option.

  • If you’re blocking him up close, use Faultless Defense during the entirety of this standard gapless string: c.S > 268H > (button) > 684H or 624HGGST Goldlewis Dickinson Behemoth Typhoon (624).pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup12Recovery21Advantage-5. After this string, his turn is over.
  • If he loops 268H into 268H, this can be mashed on with 5K. If he goes for c.S into 486H, this can also be mashed on with 5K.
  • Using FD on c.S means that 624H and 842H won’t hit. If you don’t have the Tension to use Faultless Defense on these and you block them, then it’s his turn.


Happy Chaos

Happy Chaos’ goal is playing keep away while simultaneously applying pressure to you from anywhere on screen with his unique gun stances. Because of how the gun works, he’s capable of playing a really strong zoning game AND he’s capable of strong up-close pressure and mix ups. He does have two resources he has to manage in order to use the gun, and because of his low health, he can’t afford to make ANY mistakes when it comes to applying his pressure. He also doesn’t have a single invincible reversal, which makes him very vulnerable to corner pressure.

Happy Chaos as a whole is a character that’s extremely dependent on all of his resources, including Tension. In order to target the character, you must first target his resources, and that just means being patient, waiting him out whenever he has resources, and defending yourself with smart and careful use of YOUR own resources like Tension and Burst. Make him exhaust all of his resources, and go in for the kill once he tries to replenish his Concentration with regular Focus.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Gun Stances
  • Concentration and Ammo

Happy Chaos controls the screen using his unique gun stances. In order to use his gun stances, he needs to manage two resources: Concentration and Ammo. Each one is tracked individually and are restored through different means. Be sure to read up on how the gun works in the section The Gun: Understanding Happy Chaos' Stances, as fighting against Happy Chaos is going to require a solid understanding of how his gun stances and the reticle work, and how Happy Chaos manages his resources.

Round Start


Round start is when Happy Chaos is not at his strongest. He has decent round start options for getting his gameplan started, but his round start options are not overpowering. During round start, and in general, you need to mitigate any and all chances of the situation resetting back to neutral, because Happy Chaos’ neutral is extremely strong and difficult to deal with. If you're correct when you RPS with him at round start, because of his low health and lack of defensive options, it’s easy for him to lose a solid chunk of his health early on in the round.

Chaos has a few common round start options that you’ll need to lab out with your character. First, there’s CurseGGST Happy Chaos 236P.pngGuard-Startup-Recovery29 totalAdvantage-, which allows him to retreat and lets him start running Steady AimGGST Happy Chaos 214S.pngGuard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 18Advantage- pressure on you. You can chase him down if he does a round start Curse. Lab your character’s best options to approach. It is a common misconception that Curse is something you must dodge. At round start and in neutral, this is not always possible. It will hit you, and you will have deal with his increased accuracy. Really, this move is Chaos sacrificing time and stage control for more powerful zoning or pressure. When Chaos uses Curse, rather than do a cheeky IAD that will most likely get you shot, simply take space by dashing forward a modest distance. It might be worth getting cursed if it means that you score a hit on Chaos, but he’ll likely immediately Burst if you successfully call him out. This means that you’ll be sent flying away and now Chaos can start his long range pressure, so if you’re able to, it might be worth it to also bait a Burst during your approach as well.

ScapegoatGGST Happy Chaos 236K.pngGuard-Startup10Recovery43 totalAdvantage- is another option of his. Happy Chaos summons a clone of himself that will absorb a single attack (it does not absorb multihit attacks), even if Happy Chaos is in front of the clone. It costs 15% of Happy Chaos’ remaining health points to use this move, so he can’t really use it during low health situations. If you do hit the clone, you can actually cancel the hit into another move, as if you’ve actually hit Chaos. If the move you hit it with is jump/dash cancellable, you can also do that in order to continue your approach.

There are a few normals he likes to open up with as well. If Happy Chaos hits you with one of his normals, the reticle will automatically be locked onto you even on block, making him pretty much always safe as long as he’s got resources. It’s good to memorize the frame data of his slower normals, but if he’s got bullets and Concentration, you can’t really challenge them.

2SGGST Happy Chaos 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery18Advantage-7 is a long reaching button that’s disjointed at the very tip. It has 11 frames of startup and 18 frames of recovery. It can be difficult to punish this because it’s disjointed, and it can catch you walking backwards. Special moves that cause you to be airborne like Nagoriyuki’s Beyblade or Sin’s Hoof Stomp can beat this round start, but it’s a hard callout. Sol’s 6H beats it. You’ll have to experiment with your character and see what their best method of dealing with it is. 2DGGST Happy Chaos 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8 can catch you mashing round start. On counter hit, it leads to a very strong combo that leads to a wall splat. On hit Chaos can get a guaranteed Curse on you, as he can cancel into it from 2D. Avoid this normal whenever you can. It has 18 frames of recovery. It can be beaten by 5Ks, round start DPs, or whiff punished after walking back slightly.

If you manage to win round start, immediately force him towards the corner, and begin running your offense.

Neutral


Thanks to the gun, Happy Chaos is capable of extremely strong pressure, conversions, mix ups and okizeme from just about any range. This is all nearly impossible to challenge as long as he has resources. In neutral, you’re just going to have to play extremely slow and defensively. You have to simply block him and his pressure/mixups for as long as he has resources, mainly Concentration. Most of Chaos’ blockstrings allow him opportunities to safely reload the gun, but if he wants to maintain his pressure, at some point he needs to take the time to use FocusGGST Happy Chaos 214P.pngGuard-Startup41RecoveryTotal 46Advantage- and restore his Concentration. This is your biggest opportunity to advance and get a lot of ground. In neutral, you will spend more time looking at Chaos' Concentration Gauge than you will looking at the actual fight taking place on the screen. As long as Chaos has concentration, he can essentially guard crush you infinitely. Rather than getting impatient and giving him free burst safe combos, wait until he must replenish his resources and dash forward to take space. Depending on how mobile your character is, you may have to do this 2 or 3 times before you actually get a chance to touch him.

If Chaos lands a combo, he’ll almost always have time to replenish both of his resources either during the combo or during okizeme. However, if you successfully block his pressure/mix and he overextends, he could leave himself in a very vulnerable position. When you have an opportunity to run your offense, make sure that it’s safe and tight. Because he has few defensive options. One of the ways that you can consistently destroy this character is running your offense in situations where you don’t have to worry about RPS.

Dealing With His Normals

Happy Chaos’ normals, especially his pokes, are deadly since even on block, the reticle for the gun will automatically lock onto you, making them almost impossible to challenge if he has resources. In neutral, try to space yourself outside of the range of his 2S and 2D, since those are his farthest reaching and most rewarding normals.

5KGGST Happy Chaos 5K.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery12Advantage-3 is fast and one of his primary poking normals. It gatlings into 6KGGST Happy Chaos 6K.pngGuardLowStartup16Recovery16Advantage-7, which is -7. These will also be his primary pressure buttons at close range. 2KGGST Happy Chaos 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery12Advantage-4 is an excellent low mixup and close range poking tool. It can also low profile certain attacks like Axl’s 5K. 2D on hit provides ample time for Happy to replenish his resources with Reload or Focus. Can be cancelled into from 2K or 2S. It’s -8 on block, but it can be made plus on block with Super FocusGGST Happy Chaos Super Focus.pngGuard-Startup5RecoveryTotal 11Advantage-. Do your best to NOT get hit by 6SGGST Happy Chaos 6S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery24Advantage-14. It launches players about half a screen away on hit, and it can combo into Steady Aim and Deus Ex MachinaGGST Happy Chaos Deus Ex Machina.pngGuardAllStartup13+(193 Flash)+7RecoveryAdvantage-25 if the opponent has some height. It’s decent at anti airing as well. It can be canceled into from 5K or 2K. It’s -14 on block, so this is a prime time to punish if he has no resources.

Since Happy Chaos can enact his pressure from anywhere on screen, there are three positions that you have to adjust to his pressure from: Fullscreen, Midscreen, and Close Range.

Dealing With Fullscreen Zoning Pressure

If Happy’s zoning you out repeatedly with Steady Aim shots, you just have to wait it out for as long as he can keep it going. Flicker (but don’t hold) FD until he (eventually) runs out of Tension and Concentration. Even if you get pushed full screen, it’s fine. At some point, he HAS to use Focus to get his Concentration back, and this is your opportunity to go in on him as you’ll have about 65 frames to do so, 75 frames if you’re not cursed. Even if he immediately does Curse after Focus, it’s a long enough gap that you can dash up and hit him with a far reaching normal or a special move that’ll carry you forward like Ky’s Stun Dipper or Sol’s Night Raid Vortex.

If he uses Super Focus and then proceeds to zone, he’s just wasting Tension because Happy Chaos doesn’t build much Tension while zoning. Furthermore, the farther away Happy Chaos is, the slower his Concentration meter will replenish. Whether he’s zoning or if he’s hitting you with one of his strings, NEVER challenge or dash towards him after Super Focus. He’s EXTREMELY plus.

Do NOT jump during Steady Aim strings. If you get hit, you’ll just be juggled into a Deus Ex Machina finisher. If you’re Guard Crushed while in the air, it’ll send you back extremely far. If you want to advance, you HAVE to microdash with Faultless Defense braking. It’d clear the same amount of space as jumping forward anyway. If you jump, you’ll be knocked back further than where you started, and Chaos will have a guaranteed opportunity to get his resources back. This is how Goldlewis and Nagoriyuki typically die. If you’re Nago, you have to Fukyo when he does regular Focus. If you’re Goldlewis, save your Security Level 3 Skyfish for this moment as well. You can’t really challenge him when he reloads the gun because of how fast he reloads it, but you CAN challenge him whenever he tries to replenish his Concentration with Focus. This is your opportunity to advance. Keep an eye out for Focus at all times.

Once you get within a certain range, you’ll force him to either fight you directly and gamble with his low health, or attempt to get away from you and prevent your approach with Scapegoat. In addition to the round start strategies for dealing with this move, you can do a special or an Overdrive directly after hitting it. You can also red roman cancel after hitting it, and this will catch every option other than blocking. Even if he IS blocking, it will still enforce your blockstring. When you do this, make sure you do a forward drift RC. If you don’t, there’s a chance that it’ll whiff, but drifting forward will guarantee that the shockwave will hit.

Dealing With Mid-Range Pressure/Footsies

From mid range, Chaos can rely on his normals, specifically 2S, 6S, 2K and 5K to stuff approaches. 5K and 2K can lead to grounded corner carry which ends in a wall slump. After you get out of the zoning, playing footsies with Chaos is an unfair game for most. Depending on your character, you may be able to contest him with some success, but never be afraid to keep blocking.

He can use a charge shot from Steady Aim to close the distance without retaliation. From this point, he’ll likely attempt a mix up.

If you’ve been hit with Curse, Chaos is able to do fast and easy punishes, as well as stuff approaches, which leads to easy and good reward. If you’ve been Cursed from a farther distance, it's better to hold your ground and block as opposed to attempting an approach.

Dealing With Close Range Pressure

c.SGGST Happy Chaos cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 is his ideal pressure and combo starter. The ability to dash and jump cancel it combined with Chaos ability to shoot at any time allows him to start very potent but resource intensive mix. c.S also hits OTG, allowing him to perform extremely strong pressure resets as well. From c.S, he can dash cancel into At the ReadyGGST Happy Chaos 236S.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery13Advantage+3, which leaves him +3 and close enough to stuff people from jumping. c.S > 6S and c.S > 2D are gapless.

5K > 6K has a three frame gap that trades with 3 frame buttons. It loses to throws if he’s up close, but beats them from further away. 5K > 6S has a 1 frame gap so it beats throws clean up close. 5K > 2D is a true string. He can also dash cancel 5K into At the Ready, and he can delay it slightly and make it a frame trap that leads to one of his best combo starters.

If Chaos tries to reload after any of his block string enders, he’ll be left unsafe. After a blockstring, if you’ve been using Faultless Defense like you should, he’ll likely try to create space with Curse or Scapegoat. You can take this opportunity to advance on him. You can just dash through Curse, if you manage to land a hit or at the very least get him to start blocking, being cursed won’t matter. If he uses Scapegoat, remember to use Drift RRC after an attack to get through it. If you haven’t been using FD, he can frametrap after a blockstring ender with At the Ready.

His basic blockstring consists of c.S > Fire > Steady Aim > Fire > Reload. If properly timed, each hit of this will frametrap, and even if it trades, it’ll likely trade in a way that favors him. Chaos is capable of looping guard crush blockstrings like this for a while. It will take a lot of Concentration, but he will build almost a full bar of Tension while he’s doing them. When he runs out of Concentration, he can just immediately go into Super Focus and fill it again instantly, letting him repeat the process even longer. Remember, he doesn’t build Tension after doing Super Focus, so if you just continue to block, he’ll have to commit to another option at some point. You’ll be blocking for a very long time, but eventually, your chance will come.

If he jump cancels forward off of c.S, then does a crossup j.DGGST Happy Chaos jD.pngGuardHighStartup11Recovery21Advantage+3 (IAD), he gets a high low mix. He could cancel into either a rising j.2KGGST Happy Chaos j2K.pngGuardHighStartup10Recovery16 [11]Advantage+2 (IAD, airborne) or a low. However, this will use a large chunk of both of his resources, and while he’ll still have resources left over after the crossup, he won’t have much left to do a whole lot with, especially if the mix is blocked and he doesn’t get the okizeme he needs to do Focus. Using Faultless Defense will make this purely a high/low and prevent a cross up. Even if the mix does hit, Chaos will get lower reward for it. He will require a shot to convert, which costs resources and scales the combo.

At any time during a blockstring Happy Chaos can utilize 2H to exit At the Ready and allow him to utilize it to frametrap. He can Fire afterwards while dashing as a true blockstring, which enables him to close in the distance to get c.S and start the loop again. This allows him to effectively trade his resources for Tension gain while increasing his opponent's RISC gauge in a risk free but extremely high execution sequence. If he goes for these loops while you have Tension, you could let him do a few loops and then YRC after At the Ready, when he can’t block. He’ll be left with little resources and forced to retreat.

He can use Drift BRC from a dash canceled c.S as an alternate way to replenish his resources. For bullets, he’ll do c.S > 66BRC > c.S > Reload > c.S. He’ll be able to reload up to 3 of his bullets and frame trap afterwards. For Concentration, he’ll do c.S > 66BRC > 2P > Steady Aim > Fire > Focus, and he’ll be +6 on block if done correctly. You can also use YRC here to disrupt both setups. Use it after blocking the button Chaos uses after the BRC. Chaos can bait it, but if he’s low on resources, it’s unlikely that he will as he won’t really be able to get a punish without them.

Offense


Happy Chaos is not a character you ever want to reset to neutral with. EVER. If you consistently break the wall against this character, ESPECIALLY with a soft knockdown, you are not playing the match up correctly. The reason you don’t want to break the wall is because of the fact that the Concentration meter builds back up over time. If you break the wall, by the time the flying cutscene is over and you’ve reset the situation back to neutral, the meter will be near 50%, and he can easily just halt immediate approaches and resume his gameplan again. Once Happy Chaos is in the corner, you should commit to frame traps that don’t space you too far away from the character on block. You can’t give him ANY breathing room whatsoever. If he guesses wrong when trying to escape, he potentially dies from counter hits. An example of this would be running up and staggering c.S repeatedly as Sol. At worst, it might trade, but it will trade in YOUR favor. Crank up Happy Chaos’ RISC gauge and don’t be linear with your block strings.

If you’re a character with high damaging supers and you have 50% meter, you can potentially two touch Happy Chaos in the corner, as long as you don’t initially go for a string that causes a wall splat while he has high health. Do a smaller string that does a decent amount of damage, but do NOT go for the wall splat. Instead, corner him again and repeat the process of cranking his risc gauge while trying to frame trap him. After your first combo, if he’s got less than 50% of health, repeat the frame trap process, go for the wall splat and then make sure you kill with a super. If you accidentally cause a wall splat, go ahead and break the wall with a super if you have 50% Tension. Since this leads to a hard knockdown, you can keep the pressure going on Chaos.

You don’t have to go completely ham on offense either. As long as you keep him in the corner, you’re good. Prioritize positioning over getting a hit in. You can back up and try and bait a button out. If you’re a character like I-No, and you’re able to loop wallsplats, definitely try and go for those.

Defense


As mentioned previously, the best way to deal with Happy Chaos’ offense is to simply block it until he needs to take the time to restore his Concentration. He has far too many ways to successfully cover and punish just about all other defensive options because of how the gun works. You also need to use Faultless Defense when blocking him. This will help keep him outside of tick throw range and hinder his mix ups. So that you don’t waste too much of your tension against him, try to FD during the hits of his strings, but not the shots themselves, since FD-ing the shots won’t push him back. Attempting to challenge a Chaos who is confirming normals into an At the Ready Shot followed by a Steady Aim Clean Hit, is usually a death sentence, as the gaps are 2-3f at most and trades favorably for Chaos if he does get hit. What you can do instead is backdash the Steady Aim Clean Hit. Happy Chaos is able to catch you attempting to backdash the Steady Aim shot by delaying the shot more, but if he does that the gap widens to something that becomes more challengeable.

When it comes to worrying about throws, Chaos doesn’t get much in terms of damage off of them without Tension to RC, though he does get an opportunity to replenish his resources. He can’t ever go for a throw after a shot from 5H because of throw protection, however, there is no throw protection after a guard crush shot from Steady Aim. If he’s up close and starts dashing towards you after a Steady Aim shot, this might be an opportunity to buffer a throw or fuzzy jump, especially if he’s low on Concentration/bullets to effectively mix you with.

Remember, whenever Chaos has the gun out, he can’t block. This leaves him vulnerable to well-timed YRC depending on how close you are to him, and it can be essential for taking your turn back, especially when he’s low on resources.

When it comes to using your Burst on him, you really only ever want to use it when he’s close to the corner. If he successfully mashes out of your corner pressure, bursting in this situation will keep him in the corner and you can resume your pressure. You generally want to avoid sending him to fullscreen with burst, because that will either give him a chance to replenish his resources or start running his full screen pressure. The only time you should use Burst non-offensively is if you’re in the corner and he’s comboing you into a wallslump loop. On a successful hit, Chaos can loop 5K > 6K > Fire until you wall splat. This gives Chaos an opportunity to do Focus and reload two bullets, then dash up and do a meaty c.S into mix. This is extremely strong, loopable okizeme that lets him maintain his resources, so you’ll want to burst here to deny him that.

Dealing With His Mix Ups

He can use his special move RollGGST Happy Chaos 214K.pngGuard-Startup-Recovery35 totalAdvantage- to cross you up during his block strings. If you use Faultless Defense, then at certain ranges, this move won’t cross up. However, Chaos can dash cancel Roll from c.S or 5K to let him roll even farther, allowing him to crossup despite the pushback from Faultless Defense. Roll has 35 frames of recovery and Chaos can’t fire his gun until after he finishes recovering from Roll. If you’re looking out for it, you do have time to react to it. It is possible to throw Roll, but not if he does it from a blocked c.S or 2D. If he does it from a blocked 6K or 6S, it can be thrown. If he ends a blockstring in Steady Aim into Roll, he gets a true string cross up gunshot. With Tension, he can even PRC Roll afterwards into j.2K, letting him get the same 50/50 high low previously mentioned.

He can confirm into a hard knockdown from 5DGGST Happy Chaos 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15 by firing a shot and then using 2D. You’ll have to do your best to react to it and block high. He can go for either Roll or 5D during 5K > 6K loops. If Chaos is running low on either bullets or Concentration, he’s likely threatening 5D, Roll or a throw, all of which can be handled with FD and fuzzy jumping unless he has running momentum, in which case all can be handled by mashing throw.

Another possible mix up Chaos could do off of a jump canceled c.S is j.2K forward > j.D > j.2K back. He can set up either of these c.S mixes from a YRC into 5K > dash cancel > Fire, which is something to look out for if he does use YRC.

It’s not possible to account for every possible mixup Chaos is able to do, but these are some common things to look out for when he does attempt to mix.

Dealing With His Okizeme

Chaos gets immense reward off of his 2D (or any hard knockdown). During a hard knockdown, he has an opportunity to reload two bullets or use Focus and get a run up meaty c.S. If he’s close enough after 2D, he can also do dash > OTG c.S > dash cancel into a meaty c.S. This also works in the corner. If he wants to return to zoning, he could also hit OTG with 2S into Curse, or just go straight into Curse and use Fire to hit OTG. This also gives him an opportunity to replenish his resources while also cursing you and leaving him slightly plus.

Then, there’s a particularly nasty setup that he can do if he lands a 2D from midscreen. After 2D, he can reload one bullet, then dash forward and jump into the previously mentioned crossup j.D 50/50. In addition to the 50/50, it’s also a safe jump and beats 6Ps. He could do this, or he aerial backdash > j.2K and combo back into the oki or just carry you into the corner. This is loopable on either hit or block.

In the corner, Chaos can use Scapegoat to bait out DPs. He has several methods of punishing a DP this way, and they can even prevent Roman Canceling them, so if he tosses one out while you’re in the corner, don’t just mash one out.

From a throw, midscreen he can dash jump into a j.K then do a falling j.SGGST Happy Chaos jS.pngGuardHighStartup10Recovery23Advantage+2 (IAD) for a safe jump. In the corner, he just has to do a falling j.S for a safe jump.

Finally, there’s the aforementioned wallslump loops in the corner. Burst here in order to get out of them.

Character Specific Options

The following videos from aD Time are matchup gameplans for Happy Chaos against (almost) every character in the game. You can refer to these videos to have an understanding of the specific things Chaos is looking to do against your character, as well as any unique strengths or tools your character can utilize in the match up.

I-No

I-No’s goal is to get you into a hard knockdown and then use her unique hover dash to put you in constant high/low mix-ups, and whittle away at your health. Her biggest weakness is getting in a position to do so safely. In order to advance in neutral, she can’t avoid taking some risk, which can be very life-threatening.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Hover Dash

I-No’s ground dash is unique in that it does not behave like a normal run. Instead, it’s a hoverdash that puts her airborne. If she manages to get in on you, her dash allows her to become airborne while staying low to the ground and perform high/low mixups without having to actually jump. This is referred to as an I-No Hop.

The nature of I-No's dash affects every part of her gameplay. In neutral, it makes advancing tougher for her than characters with regular runs, especially with Strive's universal dash blocking. While it does give her access to quick overheads from any neutral state, it makes pressure resets and throws more difficult. On defense, it prevents her from simply running under certain jump-ins. Even in punishes, being unable to dash for only a couple frames can make them tricky for her. Playing around hoverdash’s strengths and weaknesses is key to beating I-No.

Round Start


I-No’s round start is weak. None of her buttons except f.S and 2S reach. These normals have 13 and 10 frames of start up respectively. Much of the cast can get their pressure going on her round start. Those that can’t/don’t wanna contest her round start can simply walk back to negate both buttons. That leaves her with her special moves Chemical LoveGGST I-No Chemical Love.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery22Advantage-9 and Stroke the Big Tree to look for advantages.

Chemical Love is a projectile with decent range. However, it can be ducked or air dashed over. Some characters have dashes that can low profile the move. It will even straightforwardly lose to midrange pokes that slightly shrink the users' hurtboxes such as  Ramlethal's or  Ky's 5H. Outside of round start, if you’re close enough, you can even 6P it.

If you get hit by S-Stroke, I-No gets a free high/low mixup. You’ll need to go for a Gold Stagger recovery to get the chance to even attempt to block it.

At round start, rotate between walking back and crouch blocking, backdashing. This will deny her the ability to steamroll you at round start.

Neutral


While I-No’s dash grants her access to strong offense, it oftentimes makes it harder for her to approach her opponent. Her special moves can help with this weakness as well as keep the opponent away from her, but they’re not especially strong in neutral, and are more so meant to help her offense. She also lacks especially strong zoning and anti-zoning tools. The overall objective is to force I-No to play neutral, where she struggles. Memorize and understand her neutral options/special moves and how they work. Then, punish or navigate your way past them, get in on her, and run your offense. She has no true defense outside of Burst, YRC and her reversal Overdrive which is also super punishable.

Try to favor normals with as little recovery as possible even if they would whiff like  Nago's 5KGGST Nagoriyuki 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 or normals that cover many different options like  Ky's 6HGGST Ky Kiske 6H.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery20Advantage-7, but be aware that she can beat them with her disjoints as well.

Preventing Her Approach

Her dash forces her to be more airborne over time, making her approach vulnerable to 6P from a distance. You need to be careful when timing your 6P, as she can whiff punish it with Sultry Performance. There are three variations: KGGST I-No Sultry Performance 1.pngGuardAllStartup10 [37]RecoveryUntil Landing + 15Advantage-2 ~ -4 [+4 ~ +1], SGGST I-No Sultry Performance 2.pngGuardAllStartup10 [37]RecoveryUntil Landing + 15Advantage-3 ~ -4 [+2 ~ 0], and HGGST I-No Sultry Performance 3.pngGuardAllStartup8 [32]RecoveryUntil Landing + 6Advantage-7 [-2], all of which hit at various angles. With proper timing, you can use 5P or 6P to hit her out of this move at any angle. If blocked, she can’t take a free turn, so toss out a 5P after blocking to make sure she doesn’t try and take one. If you block H Sultry Performance, try to punish with air throw instead of using a grounded normal. She can use the follow-up to keep it safe. Otherwise, you should NEVER let her get away with tossing out this move. The only time she can really do it is if she has Tension to Roman Cancel it.

If she tries to fish with Chemical Love during her dash, run forward and punish it. Chemical Love has 30 frames of recovery, and she’s in counter hit state the entire time. Like Chipp, the more ambiguous I-No is being while she’s in the air, the more time you have to respond. Chemical Love is less effective as a zoning tool and more effective as a punishing tool. She can use this to interrupt things like Faust’s Item Toss or Zato’s Summon/Unsummon. It’s also useful for opponents trying to set up slow projectiles in neutral like Anji’s Butterfly, Leo’s 214H, Ky’s Charged Stun Edge, Testament’s Arbiter Sign, etc.

If I-No uses Antidepressant Scale (aka Note)GGST I-No Antidepressant Scale.pngGuardAllStartup29RecoveryTotal 51Advantage-8 from a distance, she can use the hit/block stun to lock you down and give her enough time to get in your face. It gains hits as it travels so if you block it from full screen, she gains access to her win condition. Once the move is out though, I-No can’t move for more than half a second. Use your movement options and advance either via the air or the ground. I-No has to make a read on which option you pick, and she can’t cover both options at once. If you’re right, you can score a counter hit on her.

Keeping Stroke the Big Tree in Check

If all else fails, I-No might attempt to use Stroke the Big Tree to get in on you. H Stroke is -2 on block but pushes you too far for her to threaten a strike/throw mix. Fuzzy mashing a 2P denies her access to either an I-No Hop. If she wants to continue her turn, the only thing she can do after this is 2KGGST I-No 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2 > 2DGGST I-No 2D.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7, or she can try to follow up 2K with S Stroke. Whenever I-No goes for either Stroke during a blockstring, do a delay/fuzzy throw upon seeing the animation for it, timing it such that you would block if it was S Stroke and throw if it was H Stroke.

If I-No does 2K > 6HGGST I-No 6H.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery19Advantage-8 > H Stroke, this is NOT a real blockstring. Again, you can fuzzy throw her out of H Stroke every time. You can also jump backwards out of the way during the 2K > 6H blockstring as well. If the I-No notices you jump backwards, out of H Stroke, she’ll resort to using S Stroke instead. If 2K > 6H is followed up with S Stroke it’ll be hard to punish because it spaces you out, unless you have a button that can reach her and is faster than 7 frames. You can IB the 2nd hit of 6H in a blockstring to punish it, but beware that she can always cancel into 236S. Do NOT Burst during this string. There are two hits to 6H, and I-No can cancel either of them into H Stroke to bait your Burst. When you’re looking to punish Stroke, be careful not to get too conditioned to punishing it that you forget I-No’s other options to approach as well.

Offense


I-No's fastest buttons are her 5 frame 5PGGST I-No 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage-3 and 2PGGST I-No 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2. She has no meterless invincible reversal. Her invincible reversal Overdrive is Ultimate FortissimoGGST I-No Ultimate Fortissimo-2.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup7+2Recovery13Advantage+26. This Overdrive has two hits to it, with the second hit causing a Guard Crush state. There's a sizeable gap between the first and second hits where you can punish her with just about anything. Make sure you punish it during this gap, otherwise, I-No will be free to start running her offense.

Defense


I-No is supposed to win when she gets close, and she forces you to guess. Make liberal use of defensive options such as YRC, Reversal Supers, Meterless Reversals and Burst, and beat her in neutral where she's usually disadvantaged. Be aware of what your opponent likes to do as her offense is very interactable.

Defending Against I-No Hops

If I-No manages to win neutral and get in on you, this is a dangerous spot to be in. I-No’s hoverdash allows her to perform aerial attacks while being close to the ground. These are instant overheads. She can also jump cancel all of her aerials except for j.PGGST I-No jP.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery12Advantage0 (IHD), or cancel them into j.DGGST I-No jD.pngGuardHighStartup16Recovery20Advantage-4 (IHD) which is also jump cancellable. These traits allow her to perform strong blockstrings that constantly force you to guess whether or not she’ll go high or low and switch your guard accordingly. For example, she can go from j.S, her typical string starter, into 2K > 2D, or she could jump cancel j.S and do another j.S. j.KGGST I-No jK.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery14Advantage+3 (IHD) is even harder to react to, as it’s faster than j.S. However, she’s not as close to the ground if she goes for this and it has a lot of recovery, giving you more of an opportunity to guess here. She can use j.H after a short hoverdash to fake an overhead and go for a 2K or throw.

If you guess wrong during her blockstrings, she can land a 2D and put you in a hard knockdown again. On your wake up, you’ll have to guess if she’ll hit you with an aerial or if she’ll do an empty hop into a low. There are a multitude of high and low options that she can do, and it’s not really possible to react to any of them. The hoverdash is so low to the ground, almost any option she goes for happens pretty much instantly. She’s able to loop these mixups and push you towards the corner until you either guess right or use Burst/YRC, she breaks the wall and resets to neutral, or she kills you. Multiple hops are not real. If she ever tries to go from an aerial, lands, and tries a second hop, you can 6P her out of this at any time.

Fuzzy guarding here can really help you when she gets her mix ups going. On your wake up, going from high > low > high will defeat the j.S > 2K/j.S mixup. If I-No knocks you down with a 2D she can use Note to put you into blockstun on wake up using, which will get her one guaranteed high-low mix up upon blocking it. However, you can still fuzzy guard in this situation. If she goes from an overhead to a low, however, this will not work. If she tries to fake you out with a whiffed j.H and goes for a low, or if she just goes for a low without any prior follow up, you can mash throw to beat it. If you block an overhead, you could fuzzy mash 6P. This means, as opposed to immediately pressing it during a blockstring, you wait, and press it during blockstun. This isn’t a matter of reacting. This is preemptively sending out an attack to beat out I-No if she goes for a second aerial.

I-No does have a way to counter fuzzy mashing, however. If I-No goes from an empty hop to 2K, she can gatling into 6H to counter you if you try to punish her here. One thing to keep in mind is that once I-No has opted to go for a low option, she’s committed to low/mid options for the rest of the blockstring. She can’t go from a low into another instant overhead, she can only go from lows to mids. Knowing this can really help mitigate the guessing game. Her pressure should be over after she special cancels, especially after pushing her out with Faultless Defense. Remember the previously mentioned methods for dealing with her special cancels. She’ll likely cancel into one of the two Strokes. Chemical Love whiffs on crouching opponents so she can be counter hit out of it, and she can also be counter hit out of the start of Note as well.

Dealing with Megalovania

I-No's Overdrive MegalovaniaGGST I-No Megalomania 1.pngGuardGround Throw (All)Startup11+0(41)RecoveryAdvantageN/A (-18) is a command grab Overdrive where I-No locks you in place and then fires heart shaped projectiles at you. It happens instantly after the superflash. If the command grab doesn’t land, I-No still shoots the projectiles that will home in on you. Jumping and air dashing over her is generally the only punish to Megalovania. The projectiles will still home in on you, but they’re not fast or active enough to force you to block. Megalovania is punishable in the corner, so if your character doesn't have the means to jump over her and punish, try to see if you can get a sideswap combo instead.

Dealing with Wallslump Loops

After wall-splatting with a combo that ends with you grounded, you will be forced into a unique, untechable wallslump state instead of the usual wallsplat state. As long as I-No doesn’t hit you during this state, the wall will not break, and you will be completely inactionable long enough for her to run a mixup. This is a wallslump loop. These loop setups do little damage, but can easily be repeated indefinitely until it kills, or I-No chooses to break the wall, which she likely won’t do until she has the Tension to break the wall with an Overdrive. That way, when she does break the wall, she’ll retain okizeme. I-No has two primary ways of setting up a mixup from this state.

The first is a framekill setup with j.H. While you’re stuck to the wall, I-No will hop forward and whiff j.H a certain number of times. Once you fall from the wall, she can hit you with a few different mix ups. The reason she whiffs j.H is to help her time these setups.

The second wallslump loop setup I-No could do utilizes Antidepressant Scale and has two alternate methods of setting it up: -IAD back/backdash > Antidepressant Scale > Mixup

-Backdash > (delay) Antidepressant Scale > Mixup

This setup is much easier to perform, forces you to guess with no way to mitigate what option she goes for, and cranks RISC, but is vulnerable to DPs/Invincible Reversal Overdrives.

The best way to get out of this situation altogether is through bursting during her follow up combo during a wallslump if you guess wrong. If I-No has the Tension for an Overdrive, unless you’re at low health, she will likely just break the wall with one as opposed to going for wallslump loops. Again, the point of these wallslump loops is to either finish you off if you’re at low health, or build up Tension so that she can break the wall with an Overdrive and keep Okizeme. The longer she loops these, the more chances she’s giving you to either guess right, or build up your Burst to get out of this situation.

The answers to I-No's toolkit are highly character-specific. It might be helpful to consult your character's page or discord to find answers.

Jack-O

Jack-O’s goal is to get into a position to safely set up her Servants. Once she is able to get at least one Servant out onto the battlefield, she uses her normals in conjunction with the Servants and their attacks to apply immense pressure on her opponents. Her most threatening pressure and mixups come from positioning a Servant behind you, or forcing you into the corner. These are the situations you need to avoid being placed in at all costs.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


Servants are a crucial part of Jack-O's gameplan and without them she is one of the weakest characters in the game. Because of this, preventing Jack-O' from setting up servants is one of the best way to stop her from establishing momentum. Tied to her servants is the Servant Gauge.

GGST Jack-O ServantGauge.png



When summoning a servant it takes 1 yellow bar while leaving behind a gray bar which can be used for commands. When Jack-O' performs a command (Attack, Defend, Countdown) it consumes 1 gray bar. If Jack-O' has no gray bar it will consume 1 yellow without leaving behind a gray bar. If Jack-O' has no gauge she cannot summon servants or perform attack commands.

Round Start


Before she’s able to do any effective neutral, Jack-O’ has to get a Servant out. She has decent round start options that grant her an opportunity to summon a Servant if she's successful, but how effective they are against other round start tools is a character by character basis. She'll typically open up with either f.SGGST Jack-O fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery17Advantage-9 or 5HGGST Jack-O 5H.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-6. f.S extends over low profile pokes such as 2K or 2S and 5H is an advancing special move that's one of Jack-O's safest normals on block, due to it's large pushback and high blockstun making Summon Servant (Hold)GGST Jack-O Summon Servant.pngGuard-Startup10RecoveryTotal 25Advantage- safer. However, both of these options lose to 6P. To beat 6P, Jack-O' can take a risk with her forward advancing 2DGGST Jack-O 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-19. This low profiles most pokes and gives some of Jack-O's best okizeme on hit when cancelled into Summon Servant Hold. However, Jack-O' is at a terrible disadvantage if 2D is blocked. While she can frametrap this normal into her Servant ShootGGST Jack-O 236K.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery25Advantage-12 special move, this can be backdashed and is even throwable by some characters. Its poor blockstun and pushback leaves Jack-O' in an extremely unfavourable RPS. If Jack-O' doesn't want to gamble, she'll try to put distance between her and you by backdashing or taking to the skies and controlling space with her j.DGGST Jack-O jD.pngGuardAllStartup21RecoveryTotal 44Advantage- projectile.

Neutral


In neutral, your goal is to stay on top of Jack-O’, corner her, and prevent her from getting her Servants out. In addition, there are two situations when fighting Jack-O' that need to be prevented at all costs: letting her position a Servant behind you, and letting her force you into the corner. Both of these situations are her win condition. Prioritize getting in and staying in with this match up.

For movement, Jack-O’ can cancel into Summon Servant, and while holding a Servant, she can run backwards in an attempt to bait out a punish, or to just put distance between you so that she can zone you out. You’ll have to lab, but you have options to keep her from escaping. If she tries to run away on the ground, far reaching buttons or buttons/special moves that send your character forward will catch her. Remember, she can’t block and is in counterhit state as long as she’s holding a Servant, so this could lead to a massive reward. She could also try to IAD back, which is harder to catch. Again, you’ll have to experiment with your character and see what options you have.

Dealing With Her Zoning

If she manages to get her Servants out, the Servants themselves all die in one hit unless they have been buffed with S Cheer Servant OnGGST JackO Cheer Servant On S Buff.pngGuard-Startup3RecoveryTotal 15AdvantageSee Notes, and all Servants die at once if you manage to land a blow on Jack-O' herself, either on hit or block. Otherwise, they will disappear after a set amount of time. There is more nuance about Servants that be found here.

Use your low recovery normals, namely 5P, 2P, 5K, or 2K, to swat the Servants away if they’re launched at you. You can use 6P as well, but don’t rely too heavily on it, especially when closer to Jack-O'. Even if a Servant is successfully intercepted with 6P, the hitstun will add to that button’s recovery, and Jack-O’ has enough time to advance and run her offense. Servants can be hit while idle or while in flight, so if Jack-O' tosses or kicks a Servant, it is possible to hit the Servant before it reaches you. Servants are also jump, dash, special cancellable on hit. Othewise, your best option is to run past Servants, which is best when Jack-O tosses the Servant in the air.

When Servants are out, Jack-O’ may opt to keep you at bay by using the Attack CommandGGST Jack-O 214K.pngGuardAllStartup12RecoveryTotal 23Advantage+15. Eventually, however, she has to move in if she wants to maintain pressure, because of the Servant Gauge. She might also try to release the servants in mid-air, sending them straight down with an aerial move, release them, double jump, and do an Attack Command to prevent your aerial approach. If she does this, you simply need to run at her, potentially even cross her up while doing so.

Dealing With Defend Command

Defend CommandGGST Jack-O 214S.pngGuardStartup4RecoveryTotal 30Advantage+25 is a powerful tool and can be useful to make the opponent second guess hitting servants. It can be difficult to punish Jack-O' using defend command but it is easy to run through the defend command and throw her. Certain characters, such as Baiken's 2HGGST Baiken 2H.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery26Advantage-13, Sin's Elk huntGGST Sin Kiske 236K 2.pngGuardLowStartup21Recovery15Advantage-8, and Ky's Stun DipperGGST Ky Kiske 236K 1.pngGuardLow, AllStartup7Recovery30Advantage-19 [-14] have the ability to low profile defend command entirely.

Dealing With S Cheer Servant On

S Cheer Servant OnGGST JackO Cheer Servant On S Buff.pngGuard-Startup3RecoveryTotal 15AdvantageSee Notes has a lot more bark than bite. It’s mainly used to solidify a win and scare you into place. If it’s used from farther away, there’s nothing you can really do about it, but up close, this can be punished by inputting a reversal Overdrive during the super flash. If you’re farther away and you’re a character with a projectile or screen traveling Overdrive like Ky’s Sacred Edge, Baiken’s Kenjyu, or Potemkin’s Giganter Kai, you can input it during the super flash and get rid of them this way as well. You wouldn’t necessarily be able to punish Jack-O’, but you could still leave her in a vulnerable position since all of her Servants have been removed from the battlefield.

Offense


Jack-O's fastest buttons are her 5PGGST Jack-O 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 and 2PGGST Jack-O 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage-3 at 5 frames each. She'll likely mash 2P during gaps in your pressure. Otherwise, she has no meterless invincible reversal. You do need to be very wary of her Forever Elysium DriverGGST Jack-O 632146P Whiff.pngGuardAllStartup10+1Recovery58Advantage-41, however. You can bait this out with safe jumps or attacks that make you airborn such as Leo’s 2D. This is a notably high damage Overdrive that mitigates the effect of Guts, and is able to take many characters out from 25% health when used raw. You do not want to get hit by this. Jack-O’ can also cancel into this from an unsafe normal in an attempt to bait you out. If you have a reversal Overdrive that’s faster than 11 frames, you can punish it this way. However, if you’re in Faultless Defense, you cannot jump out or input a reversal Overdrive in time to avoid getting hit by this. If she uses this while you’re in Faultless Defense, you CAN actually hit her with a Gold Burst after the super flash. Jack-O’ can gatling into this from 5H, so take care not to get hit by this when she has meter, because it can lead to a lot of life lost.

Defense


Dealing with Servant-less Pressure

Jack-O's blockstrings without any Servants on screen heavily rely on delays, reads, or lack of knowledge from the opponent to start actual pressure. All of her attacks are unsafe and easily punishable without them. Jack-O' players will try to use frame traps to condition you into blocking so that they can safely summon Servants. More often than not, Jack-O' will end her blockstring with Summon Servant (either regular or held), or Recover ServantGGST Jack-O 214P.pngGuard-Startup10RecoveryTotal 19Advantage-. Most options can be punished by 5P,2P, or 6P but after 5H it can be very difficult or impossible to punish. To put it in perspective, here is a small table of the moves Jack-O' is most likely to cancel into:

On-Block Cancels
Cancelled Move 236[P]GGST Jack-O Summon Servant.pngGuard-StartupRecoveryTotal 14Advantage- 214PGGST Jack-O 214P.pngGuard-Startup10RecoveryTotal 19Advantage- 214KGGST Jack-O 214K.pngGuardAllStartup12RecoveryTotal 23Advantage+15 236PGGST Jack-O Summon Servant.pngGuard-Startup10RecoveryTotal 25Advantage-
f.S, 6P, 2D -1 -6 -10 -12
c.S or 236KGGST Jack-O 236K.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery25Advantage-12 +2 -3 -7 -9
5H or 2H +4 -1 -5 -7

If you block the first two hits of the c.S > f.S > 5H string with Faultless Defense, you can often can punish her 5H with 6P or low profile moves.

Dealing with Sandwich Pressure

If you fail to keep the Servants from getting behind you, you’ll be placed under Jack-O’s Sandwich Pressure. This is a difficult position to be in. Try to avoid getting thrown during Sandwich Pressure, because she has way too many oki options with her Servants. Ultimately, the best thing to do in this scenario is use your Burst or YRC to get out of the situation entirely. There are ways to defend against Sandwich Pressure, but Jack-O’ has answers to those defensive options. Still, it’s worth going over them. Block low and be on the look out for two things: a gap in her pressure (since this is where she’ll likely go for a throw) or her 5DGGST Jack-O 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15 since it’s an overhead. Here are a few scenarios that you need to keep an eye out for to keep from getting grabbed:

  • She may go for a grab immediately after using an Attack Command while the Servant is behind you.
  • She may go for it after a dash-in > c.SGGST Jack-O cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1. She can do a delayed 2HGGST Jack-O 2H.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery18Advantage-5 to catch you if you try to backdash here. If you notice a delay after the c.S, go for a throw. That way you’ll tech her throw if she goes for one, or you’ll interrupt the 2H and take back your advantage if she goes for that instead.

Jack-O’ can also go for aerials during her Sandwich Pressure as well. This looks scarier than it actually is. When blocking, react to her jumping and stand up to block the aerials.

Jack-O’ can also take advantage of hitting the Servants to extend the active frames of her attacks, turning normally fake interactions into ones that can't be mashed out of. For example, she could do c.S > 5D. The c.S's active frames would be extended because of the Servant, so you wouldn't be able to mash on the 5D despite its start up, even if it’s charged. You can only block high in order to avoid getting hit by it. The 5D is still punishable if successfully blocked, however. She can also make it so that c.S > c.S, which would normally be a fake and mashable option, into one that leads to a counter hit if you try to mash in-between both of them.

On a hard knockdown, Jack-O’ will often jump and release the Servant from above. From here, she threaten her Sandwich Pressure by jumping forward and then Instant Air Dashing backwards for a cross up. You will have to guess which direction to block here.

Dealing With Corner Pressure/Kick Loops

The other bad position Jack-O’ can place her opponents in is in the corner. This is where she can apply her most threatening and almost non-stop pressure. Jack-O's corner pressure is incredibly powerful, and getting out of it might prove very challenging. For that reason it might be a good idea to be conservative with your burst, and using it to escape corner pressure, rather than breaking a random midscreen mix or combo. Especially if your character is lacking strong defensive tools.

While in the corner, Jack-O’ will try to frame trap with Servant Shoot. This leads to massive reward, especially on counter hit. She’ll usually try to go into it from either 2H or 2D. Both of these buttons are very unsafe unless she cancels them into Servant Shoot. You can input a reversal after blocking either 2H or 2D to get out of this situation.

c.S > 2H > Cheer HGGST JackO Cheer Servant On H Buff.pngGuard-Startup3RecoveryTotal 15AdvantageSee Notes ~ regular block vs FD

Jack-O’ is also capable of using H Cheer Servant OnGGST JackO Cheer Servant On H Buff.pngGuard-Startup3RecoveryTotal 15AdvantageSee Notes to apply massive amounts of pressure that quickly leads to a cranked RISC gauge and immense chip damage. The best counterplay to this is to Burst or YRC after blocking a 236KGGST Jack-O 236K.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery25Advantage-12 because it's not possible to bait without spending additional meter. If she doesn’t cancel into H Cheer from 2H or Servant Shoot, you can simply mash 5P and get out of that situation entirely. If you have a reversal Overdrive that has less than 12 frames of start up, you could also input it during the super flash of Cheer Servant On as well and punish her. Everyone has a reversal Overdrive capable of this except for the following characters: Axl, Faust, Happy Chaos, and Testament (Anji would have to use his Parry Overdrive and hope that it worked). You’ll want to save your Tension for this scenario as this could be extremely rewarding. Otherwise, the only thing that can be done is relying on Faultless Defense to prevent the chip damage. Keep an eye out for her 5D or if she tries to do a Dash > Throw to reset pressure. DO. NOT. MASH unless you see that 5D. If you have enough health to take the hit, it can be good to intentionally get hit to force the wallbreak situation to reset neutral and avoid R.I.S.C being maxed out. The reason for this it can be difficult for Jack-O' to not break the wall and the damage she gets with the Servants out is not that high.

H Cheer at best will be +6 from Sevant Shoot + servant or +3 after 5H/2H. However even with that there are ways out of it by blocking with Faultless Defense early on. Most Jack-O' players would try and setup H Cheer by using c.S > 2H > Servant Shoot + servant, but if the first two hits were blocked with Faultless Defense, Jack-O' is out of range for her 2KGGST Jack-O 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery12Advantage-3 and her 5KGGST Jack-O 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage-4 can be hit by 6P.

Moveset Overview


5P


5K


c.S
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
39 All 7 6 10 +1 none
  • Throw punishable on recovery.

Despite being her best on-block normal this is pretty weak without servants. Her best pressure string is c.S > f.S > 5H. Just mind the usual frametraps and resets.


c.S&(Blocked)
  • +3 on block.
  • Links into c.S as a 4F Frametrap.
  • Cancels into Uncharged Dust as a true blockstring

Common upgrade when she has servants. Only slightly improves mixups.

 Sol and  Chipp: Using a 3F reversal prevents going for a reset and stops a Throw, but this is risky.


c.S&(Whiff)
  • +7 on block.
  • Links into 2K and c.S as a true blockstring.
  • Cancels into Uncharged Dust as a true blockstring
  • Cancels into Charged Dust as a 4F Frametrap.
  • Cancel into TK Attack Command sets up an overhead crossup.

Exclusive to sandwich pressure, this is an oppressive move. There is no simple option, but generally blocking low then reacting to highs is the safest approach. She can't loop forever, so be patient.

f.S


5H
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
24×2 All 10 3(3)2 23 -6 none
  • Crushed by 6P.

Her farthest reaching move, a disjoint, and her safest move on block, you should absolutely respect this in neutral. It is a little stubby and somewhat slow, however. Many crouching moves (even if they don't truly low profile) will defeat it. If you can make it whiff, she will be extremely punishable.

Can be low-profiled by some characters (See also: Low Profiling).


5D
Version Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
45 High 20 3 26 -15 -
56 High 28 3 26 -10 -

Same as any other character's Dust, watch for the orange glow and block high, but she has more situations to use this practically.


Uncharged Dust
  • Is a true blockstring after c.S&(Blocked) or c.S&(Whiff).
  • Can be 2-hit comboed in the corner with 5D&.

If you're in the corner, after a 2K or 5K, make sure to fuzzy block the 2D and 5D, as she can easily score meterless wallbreaks with this.

During her Cheer H pressure, if your R.I.S.C. hits 100%, expect this move, and try your best to fuzzy block and/or react.


Charged Dust
  • Is a 4F frametrap after c.S&(Whiff).

If you blocked c.S&(Whiff), backdash if you're slightly spaced or use Throw if point-blank. Otherwise, just block it.

 Sol and  Chipp: Using a 3F reversal will always win, even after a c.S&(Whiff).


6P
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
28 All 10 6 20 -12 1-3 Upper Body
4-12 Above Knees

A particularly good 6P, as it has upper body immunity faster than most. It is still like most 6Ps: use low-hitting moves or bait her into whiffing, its range is stubby for neutral play, and the recovery can be punished from the air if you make your timing unpredictable.

 Millia: Jack-O's 6P can attack out of H Disc setups, more than most. Be mindful of this abare option and her potential to option select.


6H
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
20, 40 All 8,19 2(9)11 14 -6 none
  • See also: 6H Range.
  • Despite the large Counter visual, there is no combos on Counter Hit without prior setup in the corner. Yes, really.

First hit can catch run-ins but otherwise nothing special. The second hit is functionally a giant long-range anti-air, however the angle makes it unable to hit most mid-range jumps, only functioning from further away. If you're being caught by this, it's almost certainly on prediction, so try to vary your approach. Its reward is low, so this is not a large threat overall, but you want to avoid being carried into the corner by it repeatedly.

The second hit always whiffs crouching, and has long recovery due to its huge active time. This move is very bad in neutral against any crouching approaches.

 Goldlewis: his huge size and tiny jumps makes him pretty much the only character that can be reliably reaction anti-aired with this move.


2P


2K
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
24 Low 6 3 12 -3 F6-20 Low-profile
  • Very low profile, taller at the back than the front.
  • Blockstrings into 2D; may leave a gap if spaced.

Similar to 5K but shorter, and a little safer to recover.

This move is very good at low profiling, but contrary to popular belief it is not as low profile as other moves like  Sol's Night Raid VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17 due to the back edge being much taller making it lose to a lot more interactions.


2S
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
31 All 9 7 22 -15 none
  • Vertical disjoint, but does not lower the hurtbox past crouching stance.

Absolutely worthless against grounded opponents. This is only relevant as an anti-air.

The horizontal range is stubby, this means it usually fails to air attacks that fall to the sides, even if they are going straight down. Careful use of your attacks to only hit the sides will avoid this move.

This move is particularly good against aerial ambiguous crossups, as both sides will usually extend the hurtbox into the 2S. You will likely need to adapt the mixups in these situations.


2H


2D
Damage GuardHow this attack can be blocked. StartupThe number of frames between inputting an attack and when the attack becomes active. Includes first active frame. ActiveThe number of frames for which a move has hitboxes. Occurs after Startup. RecoveryThe number of frames after a move's active frames during which the character cannot act assuming the move is not canceled. On-BlockThe difference between the attacker's recovery and the period that the opponent is in blockstun. This Frame Advantage value is based off the fact that the very first active frame touches the opponent. Invuln
29 Low 10 15 18 -19 F10~33 Low-profile
  • Very low profile, taller at the back than the front.
  • Leads into an unsafe RPS on block, unless supported by servants.

Similar to 2K, it is quite low-profile making it good for crushing moves in neutral. However, it loses to more moves than you would expect. Behaves similar to 5H, it is functionally slow at a distance, and is very whiff punishable. It is not a disjoint, and can lose to low-hitting moves easily.

This move is a very strong knowledge check early on. It is almost always a bad idea for Jack-O' to allow you to block this, and you are empowered to punish her. Review the RPS she has both before and after a Servant Shoot, as Jack-O' has no way to sustain pressure.

 Ramlethal,  Nagoriyuki: on block, can use their invincible Overdrive and always win. Can only lose if Jack-O' uses a pre-emptive PRC during 2D.

 Ky,  Giovanna,  Leo,  Baiken: if Jack-O' lacks 50% Tension, on block, can use their invincible Overdrive and always win. If Jack-O' has 50% Tension, she has on-reaction routes to punish it.

Low Profiling

Jack-O's 5K, f.S, and 5H all hit high enough to be consistently low-profiled, forming a major flaw in Jack-O's neutral game she has to largely compensate. Below is a chart of every move that can low-profile these three moves.

Low Profling Jack-O'
Character Move 5K f.S 5H Notes
 Sol Night Raid VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17
 Ky Stun DipperGGST Ky Kiske 214K.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery6Advantage-2~+6 [+5~+12] Will fail to 5H at point-blank range.
 May 3KGGST May 3K.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery15Advantage-10
2KGGST May 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery10Advantage-2 and 2DGGST May 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery17Advantage-7 ~ X X Only from mid-range of 5K.
 Axl 2KGGST Axl Low 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery11Advantage-4 X
 Chipp None
 Potemkin None
 Faust Crawl X
 Millia MirazhGGST Millia Rage Mirazh.pngGuard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 26Advantage-
2KGGST Millia Rage 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery12Advantage-3 X X
 Zato-1 Break The LawGGST Zato-1 Break The Law.pngGuardStartup13RecoveryTotal 28~95Advantage-
 Ramlethal 2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 X X Techniocally avoids f.S at far range with perfect timing.
 Leo 2SGGST Leo Whitefang 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-5 ~ X X Only from mid-range of 5K.
 Nagoriyuki 2KGGST Nagoriyuki 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery8Advantage-1 ~ X X Only from max range of 5K.
 Giovanna Crouching, 2PGGST Giovanna 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-2, 2SGGST Giovanna 2S1.pngGuardLowStartup9Recovery15Advantage-6 ~ X X Only from mid-range of 5K.
2KGGST Giovanna 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery11Advantage-2 ~ X Only from mid-range of f.S.
Sol NascenteGGST Giovanna Sol Nascente.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery21Advantage-15 ~ Only from mid-range of 5H.
 Anji 2SGGST Anji Mito 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery16Advantage-6 ~ X X Only from mid-range of 5K.
2DGGST Anji Mito 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery22Advantage-11 X
 I-No Stroke The Big TreeGGST I-No Stroke the Big Tree.pngGuardLowStartup16Recovery16Advantage-7
2KGGST I-No 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery12Advantage-2 ~ X X Only from mid-range of 5K.
2SGGST I-No 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-11 ~ X Only from mid-range of f.S.
 Goldlewis 2DGGST Goldlewis Dickinson 2D.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery24Advantage-10 ~ X X Only from max range of 5K.
 Jack-O' 2K and 2D ~ Only from mid-range of 5H.
 Chaos RollGGST Happy Chaos 214K.pngGuard-Startup-Recovery35 totalAdvantage-
2KGGST Happy Chaos 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery12Advantage-4 ~ Only from mid-range of 5H.
 Baiken 2HGGST Baiken 2H.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery26Advantage-13 ~ X Only from mid-range of f.S.

Ky Kiske

Ky’s goal is to enforce his strike/throw pressure utilizing the Shock State, which is applied by his projectiles and Dire EclatGGST Ky Kiske 214S.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery25Advantage-8 [-6] special move on contact. Once he has this applied to an opponent, he can do a lot more frame traps that he can’t normally do. His damage output is higher than what most people think it is, it’s just a lot more situational rather than straight forward. He is a well-rounded character, which means that there is no overarching weak point to exploit. Counterplay against Ky requires you to learn the ins and outs of each of his moves rather than overwhelming him with a particular strategy.

He has a lot of good tools to keep you honest. He has an answer for just about any situation. He has good range with his projectiles and decent reach on his slash. He has weak pressure because it can be a bit of a struggle for him to keep you on the defensive as many of his moves don’t give him frame advantage. So, playing a strong neutral game where you know when you can approach and how to effectively whiff punish with your normals helps a lot. Most of this will come from reading players’ tendencies when playing Ky. If you’re a rushdown character, you can really take advantage of dashing and blocking to counter some of his midrange game.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Shock State

Ky's projectiles and Dire Eclat special move temporarily put the opponent into the Shock State on contact. Shock State lasts for varying amounts of time based on the move, and can either be removed by Ky's specials or the opponent if Ky is hit. Hitting an opponent in Shock State with most of Ky's specials removes the Shock State (or reapplies it) in exchange for bonus effects varying from more damage, more blockstun, and better hit effects, allowing for more damaging combos or stronger okizeme.

Round Start


Ky has very strong round start options. Rounds start from mid range, which happens to be Ky's best range. As a result, Ky has better round start options than much of the cast. His lengthy 2SGGST Ky Kiske 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery20Advantage-8 hits low with a fast startup of 10 frames, giving Ky a chance to poke the opponent from the round-start position. Most of the time 2S recovers and remains safe on whiff if you jump over it. Usage of 2S can result in mind games in Ky's favor. If you block, Ky can inflict Shock State with 2S > Stun EdgeGGST Ky Kiske 236S.pngGuardAllStartup13RecoveryTotal 46Advantage-14. This is Ky’s projectile special move that will inflict the Shock State on contact. If you jump to evade 2S and try a jump-in attack, Ky can safely block it, or counter read by performing round-start j.KGGST Ky Kiske jK.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery8Advantage-1 (IAD) or j.SGGST Ky Kiske jS.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery21Advantage0 (IAD) air-to-air. If you try to escape 2S by backdashing, Ky can just use Stun Edge to directly apply Shock State to you. 2S may have a fast, 10 frame start up, but it loses to faster far-reaching K normals, such as Nagoriyuki or Giovanna’s 5K, or low crushing attacks such as Sol’s 6H or Nagoriyuki’s 6K.

Another notable round start option for Ky is 2DGGST Ky Kiske 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-10, which grants massive reward on counterhit. Like 2S, it has 10 frames of startup, but it has 18 frames of recovery on whiff, making it very punishable. It also loses to fast disjoints, like Ramlethal and I-No’s f.S. There’s also his 12 frame f.SGGST Ky Kiske fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery16Advantage-5, which can beat some low crushing moves that Ky has trouble with. He moves his hurtbox back slightly when he does this normal, causing certain normals to whiff. However, like most far slashes, this is easily squashed by 6P. In addition, fast disjointed attacks like Ramlethal’s f.S or Baiken’s 2S, as well as attacks that low profile such as Sol’s 2D or May’s 3K will also work here. Finally there’s 6PGGST Ky Kiske 6P.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery17Advantage-8, which cleanly beats many characters’ go-to round start pokes, but loses to long reaching lows such as Sol’s 2D or Nagoriyuki and Testament’s 2S.

Neutral


Contesting Ky from Mid-Range

Ky is versatile enough to function well at most ranges, but he is especially good at mid ranged poking, especially against characters with a shorter reach. f.SGGST Ky Kiske fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery16Advantage-5 is Ky's strongest poke. It reaches really far with dash momentum, has a lot of active frames, has a fairly notable disjoint and some of the shortest recovery on a slash normal in the game. It's likely to score a counter hit or interrupt an approach when used in footsies range, and is in turn also much harder to whiff punish. Characters with disjoints can really take advantage of it however, and exploit Ky’s strongest poke. Otherwise, you’ll have to pre-emptively use your 6P to beat it. Ky's 2S has longer recovery, shorter active frames and an extended hurtbox compared to f.S, but complements it well by hitting low and having faster startup to contest in midscreen scramble situations.

Dire Eclat

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
214S Dire Eclat 40 [44] All 14 3 25 -8 [-6]
  • It's always a bit negative on block and is the end of Ky's blockstring without spending resources.
  • You can almost always take back your turn, but Ky can use his DP to stop you from pressing a button on this move.
  • Usually comes at the end of a blockstring, since its timing is somewhat predictable you can aim to IB it so it's much easier to punish hard.
  • Extremely high damage on corner counter hit.
  • Puts you in Shock State on contact.

Both of these pokes can chain into 5HGGST Ky Kiske 5H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery21Advantage-8 > Dire Eclat for a frametrap from long range. Dire Eclat is a common blockstring ender for Ky that applies the Shock State on hit or block. It's -8 on block, but the pushback makes it difficult to punish for most characters. It usually comes at the end of blockstrings, so you can try to predict it and go for an Instant Block. If you Instant Nlock it, he’s wide open because of the massive endlag. Keep in mind that the range of Dire Eclat is somewhat lacking. You could use Faultless Defense on the hits before Dire Eclat to make it whiff, giving you a chance to punish. There are also some characters that can punish it on block without using Instant Block or Faultless Defense like Ramlethal.

Because he can special cancel into Dire Eclat from nearly any normal, it can be very dangerous to mash out of Ky's block pressure. The resulting combo on counter hit can take out well over 50% of your life, even without meter. Sol can consistently punish this with 6H. Ramlethal can consistently punish it on block with f.S, but not the Shock State version. Axl can punish it with 2P. A lot of Ky’s block strings end with either his slashes or 2D into Dire Eclat. Either way, there will be a gap that you can exploit. You can input a reversal/reversal Overdrive to take your turn back. Baiken can parry. Explore your options.

Stun Dipper

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
236K Stun Dipper 20×2 [20, 22] Low, All 7 12(7)3 30 -19 [-14] 1-2F Above Shoulders
3-6F Upper Body
7-18F Above Knees
  • Will go under a lot of attacks.
  • Grants a soft knockdown on hit.
  • Always very negative on block (-15, -10 in SS).
  • Get a <=10f punish so you can deal with the normal and SS version on block, then get a <=15f punish for when it's the normal version.
  • Usually comes at the end of a blockstring to catch jumps when Ky has 50 meter.

f.S and 2S can also chain directly into Dire Eclat or Stun Dipper for basic conversions from long range. Stun Dipper is an unreactable (5 frames) advancing low that can low-profile under many attacks. Lots of Ky players utilize this move to steal their turn back when they are at minus frames or to interrupt defensive options such as jumping back. Should a Stun Dipper connect, Ky is rewarded with a soft knockdown. It may make it seem like Ky can't hit you with oki, but he actually has enough time to meaty with normals like 5KGGST Ky Kiske 5K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery6Advantage-2, so be careful upon waking up.

This move becomes a lot more volatile when Ky has Tension. He can Red Roman Cancel if this connects for a very strong corner carry combo on hit, and it lets Ky start his pressure immediately on block. This makes Ky a spontaneous and unpredictable threat to watch out for in neutral. You’ll have to be on the defensive when Ky has Tension, because chances are, he’ll be fishing for a hit with this move.

If Ky uses Stun Dipper often, play a bit more patient. Study their patterns and predict the move. The risk-reward ratio of Stun Dipper is unfavorable for Ky, as it is -10 on block at best. Therefore, a simple block punish goes a long way for dealing with it. Doing so will force the Ky player to either burn 50% Tension on an RC to make it safe or to use the move less often. If you’re trying to counter Stun Dipper by playing in the air above it, Ky can Purple Roman Cancel Stun Dipper and then RPS with you in the air, either by doing an aerial attack or an air throw. Be prepared for this situation.

Aside from f.S and 2S, Ky can also poke with his 6P, which is one of the best 6Ps in the game. It has a great-horizontally reaching hurtbox with top-notch startup and great active frames and recovery. While the reward on a ground hit may not be the greatest, it can be an excellent tool for him to contest long reaching pokes against characters who do outrange him. In addition, like all 6Ps, it's also a great anti air that is very rewarding and easy to use. Keep the round start counterplay in mind when trying to deal with it.

6HGGST Ky Kiske 6H.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery20Advantage-7 is another great tool to compliment Ky's neutral game. It is his slowest poke of use at 15 frames, but it reaches really far and has a very big disjoint. Ky also takes a step forward with this normal, allowing him, extending his reach from a safe distance. This move's hitbox lets it beat out a lot of pokes that would collide it with, it’s especially effective at hitting crouching pokes and even low profiles. It does have 20 frames of recovery, which leaves him wide open if he whiffs.

Foudre Arc

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
214K Foudre Arc 40 [44] All 24 11 6 -2~+6 [+5~+12] 10-11F Foot
12-28F Below Waist
  • React and hit Ky out of the startup with a 5P/fast normal/reversal.
  • If you block it, stand block to make it negative.
  • After stand blocking, challenge with a 5f normal or jump to escape.
  • If you're in Shock State it's always plus, even on stand block.
  • Midscreen, it will pass over you if you crouch at certain spacings.

While 6H doesn't lead to many options on block or on a normal hit midscreen, it is in fact one of Ky's most rewarding pokes on counterhit, as it can easily lead into Foudre Arc for corner carry and oki or a high damage punish closer to the corner. Foudre Arc is a slow, flying kick with a high arc that is a superb combo tool to provide high corner carry and optimal knockdown, a way to hard-call jumps in offense/neutral as a high risk - high reward option, a solid option to reset pressure primarily with Shock State, and is a rewarding, advantageous and potentially reversal safe meaty option after situations where Ky is farther away.

Foudre Arc has a long startup animation. If he’s using this in neutral without chaining into it from a normal, it doesn't hit grounded opponents until frame 27 at earliest, which gives you an opportunity to intercept the move with a 6P, an invincible reversal, or another fast normal. Try to interrupt it if Ky is using it in a predictable manner. If you cant read your opponent's patterns you might be forced to block Foudre Arc. In this situation, be sure to stand block it as doing so reduces Ky's frame advantage. On standing block, it's -1, but on crouching block it's always plus. Ky's fastest normals are his 2PGGST Ky Kiske 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 and 5PGGST Ky Kiske 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery7Advantage-1 at 5f. You can jump out if he does anything except 5P, which you can block but will be forced back to the ground with.

Foudre Arc Countermeasure Recipe
Character Name Recipe Number Difficulty Notes
PC
Universal Foudre Arc No Shock State Counterattack 46056 Easy Ky will do a blockstring into 214K and try to continue his pressure with a 2P. You will have to stand block, then counterattack with any 5f normal such as a 2P

Keep in mind that if you block Foudre Arc while in Shock State (or Ky is in Dragon Install), he will always be at advantage, even if stand blocked. Therefore, Ky players might be more tempted to go for Foudre Arc during the three seconds you're in Shock State (or when he is in Dragon Install). Try to intercept the attack rather than preemptively snuff it out. You can try to be preemptive, but if you’re wrong, you can get frametrapped and lose a lot of life.

Finally, 2D is Ky's second low poke of choice. Its range isn't the best compared to his other pokes, however it is fairly fast, has a lot of active frames, is a low, and is also highly rewarding on counterhit, like 6H. In addition, it also gives him a hard knockdown on hit so the reward is more solid on normal hit compared to 6H. Again, keep the round start 2D counter play in mind.

Contesting Ky from Long Range/Dealing with his Zoning

While Ky does have a few options at far range, like Sol, this is probably where he is at his weakest. Ky has better long range options than Sol, but not by much. Any character who's designed to play at that range generally has better tools all around and can contest him very effectively, so again, Axl, Zato and Happy Chaos have an advantage here. In addition, his zoning tools aren't very competent at keeping opponents out.

Stun Edge

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
236S Stun Edge 30 [33] All 13 Until Hit Total 46 -14 none
236H Charged Stun Edge 20×3 [22×3] All 39 Until Hit Total 62 +22 [+25] none
j.236S Aerial S Stun Edge 30 [33] All 21 Until Hit Until Landing+10 none
j.236H Aerial H Stun Edge 30 [33] All 21 Until Hit Until Landing+10 none

At long range, Ky will mainly rely on Stun Edge as well as the S versionGGST Ky Kiske j236X.pngGuardAllStartup21RecoveryUntil Landing+10Advantage- and H versionGGST Ky Kiske j236X.pngGuardAllStartup21RecoveryUntil Landing+10Advantage- of Aerial Stun Edge. Using short forward dashes into block is a common strategy to close the gap against projectile users. However, remember that Stun Edge will inflict Shock State on the defender even on block. Mix in air dash forward to avoid blocking the move entirely. Don't air dash into aerial attacks recklessly, as he can intercept predictable approaches with 6P or other anti-airs. Air dash into block is essential to make Ky respect your aerial approach.

There can only ever be one Stun Edge on screen, so causing it to whiff means that Ky is unable to shoot out another one. If Ky is mindlessly spamming this in neutral, you can punish him this way, as he might accidentally do a f.S instead, leaving him vulnerable to a whiff punish. Aerial Stun Edge is Ky’s better tool for zoning. However, they leave clear blind spots for you to run under depending on which version Ky uses. One weakness of all versions of Stun Edge is that it leaves Ky vulnerable to counter hits during the recovery frames. Experiment with your character's options to find a way to exploit this.

 Sol: Night Raid VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17 (214S) can low-profile under Stun Edge and punish the recovery. At long distances, you can use Vortex to punish Stun Edge on reaction.
 Ky: Stun DipperGGST Ky Kiske 236K 1.pngGuardLow, AllStartup7Recovery30Advantage-19 [-14] (236K) can low-profile under Stun Edge and punish the recovery, though you need to be somewhat close to ensure it will reach.
 Axl: RensenGGST Axl Low 46S.pngGuardAllStartup24Recovery29Advantage-19~-9 ([4]6S) will nullify Stun Edge and punish from long distances.
 Nagoriyuki: ZarameyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Zarameyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 (236S) beats Stun Edge, allowing you to deal damage and build Blood Gauge. You can also teleport after shooting the clone for a safe approach. With enough Blood Gauge, 5HGGST Nagoriyuki 5HComparison.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery27Advantage-14 becomes large enough to contest Stun Edge during the start-up.
 Leo: Gravierte Würde'sGGST Leo Whitefang Graviert Wurde.pngGuardAllStartup10RecoveryTotal 50FAdvantage-12 ([4]6S) first hit will absorb Stun Edge, the second hit will continue as normal.
 I-No: Stroke The Big TreeGGST I-No Stroke the Big Tree.pngGuardLowStartup28Recovery16Advantage-2 (236H) can slide under Stun Edge in neutral, during blockstrings, and punish when at midrange or closer. Ky can counter your predicted Stroke in neutral by using 2SGGST Ky Kiske 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery20Advantage-8

Stun Edge Countermeasure Recipes
Character Name Recipe Number Difficulty Notes
PC
 Sol Type of countermeasure: Low Profile: Use 214S to land a counterhit on Stun Edge in its recovery. 45528 Easy Ky will Stun Edge as soon as the recording starts, input Vortex as fast as possible.
 Ky Type of countermeasure: Low Profile: Interrupt Ky's blockstring using 236K. 45531 Normal Low profile Ky mid blockstring by interrupting the recovery of his Stun Edge.
 Axl Type of countermeasure: Nullification: Cancel out Ky's Stun Edge with [4]6S. 45536 Hard Ky will block for a second or two and then Stun Edge, punish him when you see the Stun Edge startup.
 Nagoriyuki Type of countermeasure: Counterhit: Stuff out the Stun Edge startup at long range with 5H. 45539 Hard Ky will crouch block for a second or two and then Stun Edge, Walk forward while he is crouch blocking and then react to the Stun Edge startup with 5H and hit him.
 Leo Type of countermeasure: Nullification: Use [4]6S to land a counterhit on Stun Edge during Kys blockstring. 45540 Normal Ky will do a blockstring into Stun Edge, stuff out the Stun Edge mid blockstring.
 I-No Type of countermeasure: Low Profile: Use 236H to low profile Ky mid blockstring. 45544 Normal Ky will do a blockstring into Stun Edge, slide under the Stun Edge mid blockstring and counterhit him for a combo.

Don't approach Ky if you don't have to. Approaching an opponent always carries risk. If you have a significant life lead, Ky will be forced to approach you or risk losing to the round timer. If Ky keeps shooting at long range despite being at a life deficit, you can jump over the grounded Stun Edge and duck under the horizontal aerial one. Keep doing this until he is forced to switch his strategy to a less favorable one.

One last thing to be wary of is Ky's projectile Overdrive Sacred EdgeGGST Ky Kiske 236236P.pngGuardAll [All (Guard Crush)]Startup4+3RecoveryTotal 38Advantage+10 [+26]. This is a large and fast moving projectile that's very advantageous on block. It gains more damage and frame advantage when hitting an opponent in Shock State. It's usually used as combo filler to add more damage, but it also works as an anti-zoning tool as it blows through ordinary projectiles. If Ky chooses to use it as the wall breaking Overdrive, it'll put you into the Shock State in addition to the usual Overdrive wall break hard knockdown, giving Ky more pressure options afterwards. The resulting Positive Bonus will also quickly replenish the spent Tension. It can’t be punished on startup, so really, the only thing that can be done to defend against this is blocking it.

Offense


Ky's abare buttons are his previously mentioned 5P and 2P. He could also use Stun Dipper to steal a turn or convert into a combo if he has Tension for a Roman Cancel.

Vapor Thrust / Ride The Lightning

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
623S S Vapor Thrust 48 [52] All 11 4 43 -33 [-28] 1-14f Strike
623H H Vapor Thrust 60 [66] All 13 8 44 -38 [-33] 7-16F Strike
632146H Ride the Lightning 18×4, 42 [19×4, 52] All 8+1 3×4(20)2 99 -82 1-10F Full

He has 2 versions of his meterless invincible reversal, Vapor Thrust. The S version starts up faster at 11f, the H version is slower at 13f. Finally, there's his invincible reversal Overdrive Ride the Lightning. Both of these reversals sharesimilar weaknesses.

  • Bait and punish - The classic bait, useful in that it's not difficult and will beat both VT and RTL. Move in close to trick Ky into thinking you will attack, and then back away. This will allow you to avoid or block the reversal and punish. Backing away will also allow you to whiff punish a throw and stay safe against a jump. However, this option will allow your opponent to initiate a blockstring if they button mash.
  • Throws - VT is susceptible to throws during the startup. Standard throws have a startup speed of 2 frames, which means they will beat anything but a normal 5f or faster, should Ky go for it. Throwing against an opponent's wake-up requires precise timing though, so practice it in training mode (If you keep getting counter hit by VT, you're most likely throwing too early). Keep in mind that RTL has both strike and throw invulnerability, so it will beat your throw attempt.
  • Meaty OS - Both versions of VT are slow enough to Option Select with fast normals, such as Ky's 5K. When timed correctly, 5K will recover in time to block VT if the opponent used it, and still hit them if they don't. Explore your character's options. Only very specific normals are fast enough to OS RTL, such as Ky's 5K.

Defense


At close range, Ky relies on good strike/throw offense to open opponents up, with mixups only being available with Tension or in Hard Knockdown situations. c.SGGST Ky Kiske cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 and 5K are his best tools to start/restart his pressure with. c.S has a lot of active frames, threatens with high damage, and has a variety of useful gatlings to threaten with frametraps, namely f.S, 2D, 6H and 5DGGST Ky Kiske 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery25Advantage-15. It is the easiest to use and a good, basic meaty to start offense up close. 5K's unusually long active frames, low recovery and status as a low make it an excellent meaty if it hits at its latest active frames. It is a +5, reversal safe, low meaty, and one of Ky’s strongest normals.

During any of Ky’s blockstrings, buffering a dash block during blockstun before Ky uses his special move can threaten a large majority of his pressure.

  • You can get a potential Instant Block on Dire Eclat (making it punishable)
  • You’ll block Stun Edge (making it punishable)
  • You’ll side switch Foudre Arc, allowing you to both punish it and put Ky in the corner

You can do this even in the corner, and it can really help you with Instant Block timings.

Dealing with 5K Setups

Ky’s 5K is used for a majority of his strike/throw setups. His most ambiguous setup is dash > 5K > pause > throw. When weighing your options to beat strike/throw, keep in mind that if you’re trying to do buttons preemptively to beat them, Ky’s counter hit combos are his strongest ones. Not only do they do a healthy chunk of damage, but Ky’s combos are great for carrying you to the corner as well. You can jump during the pause in order to mitigate the throw, but you need to be careful if you press a button on your way down, as Ky can hit you with 6P. When dealing with his strike/throw game, keep in mind that run up 5K/5P are difficult to react to, but if you block these normals with Faultless Defense, you’ll push Ky a bit further out, giving you more time to react. His options post 5K > dash > 5K include:

Layer 1:

  • Dash up > crouch blocking (which baits out invincible reversals)
  • Dash up > throw

These options can be beaten by backdashing on wake up and punishing the crouch block/throw with a throw of your own.

Layer 2:

  • 2D (which punishes backdash).

This leaves Ky vulnerable to invincible reversals.

It is possible to option select both layers of offense. In GGST, you cannot be thrown 5 frames after you get up from a knockdown. The idea is to block on wakeup, then throw, backdash, or jump in that 5 frame window. You can input 4D after blocking the 5K, but if Ky goes for the 2D, you’ll still block it. Also remember to use Faultless Defense on the 5K during your wakeup to give yourself more space and keep from getting tick thrown. If you have meter, backdash + BRC also beats strike/throw. This is easy to mash in the corner, but harder midscreen. If Ky does 6KGGST Ky Kiske 6K.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery11Advantage+4 after the OTG 5K, it’s a frame kill that leads to an autotimed throw. Mash your character's 5 frame button here.

Dealing with Charged Stun Edge Okizeme

Charged Stun EdgeGGST Ky Kiske 236H.pngGuardAllStartup39RecoveryTotal 62Advantage+22 [+25] is a larger, multi hitting version of Stun Edge that is that is very advantageous on contact, allowing Ky to attempt further pressure and mixups. It’s Ky’s main okizeme tool after scoring a hard knockdown. In the corner, the only thing Charged Stun Edge is vulnerable to is invincible reversal Overdrives, and they need to be timed well. Ky’s able to do a variety of mix ups, and a number of combos give him an opportunity to set Charged Stun Edge up again, allowing him to potentially loop Charged Stun Edge setups. This is effectively Ky’s win condition. You’re going to want to save your Burst and Tension for when you get into these situations. Charged Stun Edge is best used as Okizeme. Ky shouldn’t be using this from longer ranges, as the move’s long 39 frame start up leaves him vulnerable to aerial approaches or counter zoning, so if you see a Ky trying to use this from a distance, bear that in mind.

Common Safe Jumps

Ky has a number of common safe jumps/approach options after these specific situations:

  • After Dire Eclat (air dash forward > j.SGGST Ky Kiske jS.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery21Advantage0 (IAD))
  • After a wallbreak from an Overdrive (dash up > 5K)
  • After a throw OTG (throw > dash up > 5K > dash up > 5K)

These are instances where Ky can’t really be challenged, so avoid mashing/inputting a reversal here.

Dealing with Dragon Install

Dragon Install

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
214214H Dragon Install 80 [88] All 11+1 5 25 +4 none

Dragon Install is a transformation Overdrive for enabling comebacks. Ky's ground dash speed becomes extremely fast, and he gains access to powered-up special moves and Overdrives. The enhanced moves can be considered of even greater power than their Shock State versions, retaining (or further improving) their enhanced frame data while dealing higher damage on hit and tripled chip damage on block. Going for Dragon Install is an option that Kys will rarely resort to/rarely get the chance to resort to. He can combo into it from his normals as well as wallbreak with it, but if he’s doing this from a distance, he’s vulnerable for 25 frames. If you’re able to zone him out, try and prevent him from getting in and inflicting damage while he’s in this state.

Dragon Install is a true blockstring from any of Ky's normals except for 5P/2P/5K/2K, and plus on block afterwards. You can punish the recovery at most ranges if he does it in neutral. It also has no invulnerability. If Ky does it close to you outside of pressure, input a reversal during the cinematic super freeze to invul through it and punish.

When transformed:

  • None of Ky's normals change.
  • Ky's grounded forward dash becomes almost as fast as  Millia's.
  • Treat Ky's specials as if they're always the Shock State versions. Mainly, this means Foudre Arc (214K)
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    is always plus and Stun Dipper (236K)
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    is always -10 rather than -15.
  • Dire Eclat (214S)
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    becomes almost impossible to punish without Instant Blocking due to the increased pushback.
  • Ky's chip damage on all Specials and Overdrives increases significantly. Make sure to use Faultless Defense when low on HP.
  • Watch out for Gold Bursts, which will immediately recoup the tension cost and give him lots of options to work with.

Leo Whitefang

Leo is a stance character with three stances: Neutral, Guard Point and Brynhildr (which will be referred to as Backturn or bt) Stance. His biggest weakness is that without Backturn Stance, he only has a few ways to break your guard. As such, his goal is to get into his Backturn Stance and then use his ability to dash through opponents as well as his high/low buttons to mix you to death.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Brynhildr (Backturn) Stance

Upon a successful ground throw, crossing up with Zweites Kaltes Gestöber (aka Run-Through)GGST Leo Whitefang Kaltes Gestober Zweit.pngGuardAllStartup25 [25]Recovery22 [15]Advantage-6 [+2], or holding S when using TurbulenzGGST Leo Whitefang Turbulenz.pngGuardAllStartup21Recovery21Advantage-8, Leo will enter a stance in which he is turned away from the opponent. In this stance, Leo has a different set of normal moves, as well access to two new special moves and his projectile Overdrive, StahlwirbelGGST Leo Whitefang Stahl Wirbel.pngGuardAllStartup4+1RecoveryTotal 27FAdvantage+14, but is unable to jump or block. His only defensive option in this stance is Kahn-Schild (aka Shield)GGST Leo Whitefang bt D.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery18Advantage-. Backturn Stance will end if Leo is hit, and can be cancelled any time by inputting 22.

Round Start


Most of Leo's buttons don't reach round start distance, so he'll need to dash into a normal in order to connect something. He'll typically dash into his fastest farthest reaching buttons 5KGGST Leo Whitefang 5K.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery13Advantage-3 and 2KGGST Leo Whitefang 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery11Advantage-5. Dash > 5K has a 10 frame start up, and Leo can threaten a strike/throw mix as it's only -1 on block. Dash > 2K has 9-11 frames of start up. It beats walking back as well as some crouch kicks/slashes. Leo doesn't need to dash into his 2DGGST Leo Whitefang 2D.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery19Advantage-8 for it to hit round start. During this normal, Leo leaps off the ground, allowing him to dodge most lows. On hit, he's able to enter Backturn Stance by inputting the Run-Through special during your wake up. It has great return on counter hit as well. All of these options lose 6P. 2D Loses because it targets above the waist, and the dash into 5K/2K can be stopped before it can start in most cases. What Leo is great at though, is holding his position with moves like 2SGGST Leo Whitefang 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery13Advantage-2 and 2K. It’s important you find options that beat both, otherwise you become too conservative at round start, giving Leo an opportunity to quickly go into Backturn Stance. Once you eliminate easy access at round start, Leo will begin to adjust his neutral to gain access.

Don't always default to mashing at round start. Leo can also dash into the H versionGGST Leo Whitefang Eisen Sturm.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery42Advantage-52 of Einsensturm (Flashkick). This will beat pretty much any button at round start and also allows him to use his Run-Through special during your wake up on hit. This is very much a Hail Mary option, however. If this whiffs or is blocked, Leo's wide open for a counter hit punish. Rotate your options between 6P, walking back, and anything else your character has that might be effective.

Neutral


When battling Leo, your number one goal should be to make it so that he can never be in a position to apply his Backturn Stance pressure on you. Leo has two big weaknesses. One is that he struggles with mobility. His range is decent, but it’s also not amazing. A lot of characters have the ability to zone him out or keep him away because they have better mobility that forces him to chase them down. The other is that without Backturn Stance, he only has a few ways to break your guard, and denying him the chance to go into it forces him to take risks for access or forces him to play without it.

In neutral, Leo will mainly be trying to get in. Once he's close enough, he'll be in a position to apply his Backturn Stance pressure, which we need to avoid as much as possible. We need to be especially careful when it comes to our spacing. Play the Leo matchup outside his f.SGGST Leo Whitefang f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery21Advantage-13 and 5HGGST Leo Whitefang 5H.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery22Advantage-8 range. Leo's range isn't especially long, though it is still decent. He also doesn't really have fast approach options. He has a slow-ish step dash as opposed to a standard dash, which causes him to struggle with ground mobility, though he does still have a standard air dash.

Leo does have tools to help him close the distance, but you can shut these tools down if you're able to react to them. In addition to the Run-Through special, Leo also has Erstes Kaltes Gestöber 236SGGST Leo Whitefang Kaltes Gestober Erst.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery20Advantage-6. 236S is primarily used as a blockstring ender and frametrap tool. If you block it, Leo is -6, so you can punish it with 5P depending on the spacing.

The Run-Through (236H) is a longer dash that passes through characters and can cross you up. Leo will also immediately go into the Backturn Stance if he successfully dashes through you. Leo can’t go directly into Backturn off of his f.S or 5H. If he lands these, or any slash normal in the mid-range, he can only cash out a bit of damage, so he will typically follow these normals with either of these specials. The primary way to deal with the Run-Through is to grab it on reaction. The timing can be a bit rough, but with practice, it becomes fairly easy to execute. Try to time it as soon as he is on top of you. You can grab him out of it even after he's hit you. Just stay calm and look for the cross up. You can also hit him out of it if you see him coming, but grabbing it is most likely going to be your best option. Grabs are 2 frames, making them faster than any normal in the game, and you can get a combo off of a grab if you Roman Cancel it.

The other tool Leo can resort to is the SversionGGST Leo Whitefang Graviert Wurde.pngGuardAllStartup10RecoveryTotal 50FAdvantage-12 and HversionGGST Leo Whitefang Graviert Wurde.pngGuardAllStartup35RecoveryTotal 66FAdvantage+17 of Gravierte Würde (referred to as a Fireball by the community), the multi-hitting Cross Projectile. The S version is small, has 10 frames of start up with 54 frames of recovery, hits twice, travels fast and goes about three fourths of the screen. The H version is large, has 23 frames of start up with 73 frames of recovery, hits four times, travels slow, and goes across the entire screen before it disappears. Leo is in counter hit state for the lengthy recovery of both versions. It’s difficult to challenge these however, especially if Leo is far away. You have to be close to Leo and try to punish this move during it’s start up animation. You can also jump over it and hit him with an aerial as it’s starting up. Otherwise, Leo can launch one of these out and then super jump into an aerial to cover the air, which guarantees that he gets in. If you are point blank, you can block the S cross and get a free counter hit. If your character has a far reaching disjoint, such as May or Ramlethal's f.S or Nagoriyuki's 5H, you can use that to counter hit him even after the projectile has been launched. Try to keep him from getting these out.

Leo's special move Turbulenz (aka Stance Change) is an attack that also switches Leo to the Backturn Stance. It's -8 on block, so if you ever block this, be sure to punish it. A tactic some Leo players may try is throwing out some projectiles to bait you into approaching, switching stances with Stance Change, and throwing out Stahlwirbel (the Cross Overdrive)GGST Leo Whitefang Stahl Wirbel.pngGuardAllStartup4+1RecoveryTotal 27FAdvantage+14. This Overdrive is very fast, has high damage, and hits fullscreen. Do NOT fall for this tactic. If you’re trying to chase Leo down from a distance, you can do a pattern of dash blocking with Faultless Defense until the moment you see the animation pop up for this Overdrive, as Faultless Defense will stop your dash momentum. This Overdrive leaves Leo at +14, so you can’t mash here if you block it either. It DOES force him out of his backturn stance however.

Leo has a Guardpoint Stance that he can enter after holding the button down after inputting f.S or 5H. This allows Leo to slowly advance while automatically blocking attacks that hit him while he’s in this stance, and he can do an attack by pressing the opposite button he held down. It blocks mids, highs, and supers, but is vulnerable to lows and throws. In addition to being vulnerable to lows and throws, the attack is -6 on block. Even if you hit the guardpoint, you can RRC. If he tries to counter attack, he’ll be hit by the RC shockwave out of the startup.

Offense


Leo's fastest button is his 5PGGST Leo Whitefang 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery6Advantage-1, at 5 frames. He also has two versions of his Flashkick. There's the S versionGGST Leo Whitefang Eisen Sturm.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery33Advantage-28 and the H version, though Leo will rarely ever use the S version. This is an important move to look out for and carefully space yourself around, as the Flashkick's hitbox is very large. The H version adds an additional hit that spikes you to the ground. If you get hit by the H version, Leo can freely can freely cross you up with 236H during your wake up and begin his Backturn Stance pressure. If Leo is crouch blocking, he’s automatically in a position to hit up and activate this move, so you need to be especially wary and mindful on your offense.

Both versions of the Flashkick are very negative on block, so be wary of it, bait it frequently, and punish accordingly. A great opportunity for a dust combo would be as he lands. Leos also like to throw these out on wake up, but remember, all meterless invincible reversals are not throw invulnerable. If you think a Leo will do a wake up Flashkick, you can put them in a strike-throw mix. Leo can Roman Cancel the Flashkick on block. He may do this and then immediately attempt a 236H, so be on the look out here as well. He can't Roman Cancel on whiff, however. You can stand next to him like you’re going to apply pressure and then just backdash or space yourself in a way that the DP whiffs and then you can get a full combo punish.

Finally, there's his multihitting invincible reversal OverdriveGGST Leo Whitefang Liedenschaft des Dirigenten.pngGuardAllStartup10+1Recovery43Advantage-33. If you're baiting out Flashkick, you'll automatically be baiting this out as well, so if he does it during his wake up, just block it and punish. There are five hits to this Overdrive. There is an interruptable gap between the 4th and final hits, but the final hit is -33. It's easier and safer just to block all five hits and then punish it.

Defense


Countering Leo's Kicks

Leo’s kicks are strong, but Faultless Defense reduces his options from them considerably. If Leo dashes in with 5K, he can threaten a strike/throw mix. His 5K is only -1 on block. If you contest with anything slower than 3 frames or a DP, you get frametrapped by 6KGGST Leo Whitefang 6K.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery18Advantage-4, and he gets an opportunity to switch stances. Even if you try to throw, despite the 2 frame startup, it will still lose here because of the spacing the gatling leaves him at. The same threat applies to 2K because 2K > 2D frame traps as well. Faultless Defense shuts down all of this. As long as you FD 5K/6K, his options will decrease substantially.

Defending Against Backturn Stance

When Leo is in Backturn Stance, this is a dangerous spot to be in, as he’s now able to execute dangerous and damaging vortex pressure with the ability to dash through you as well as his low/overhead buttons bt.KGGST Leo Whitefang bt K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery6Advantage+3 [+0] and bt.HGGST Leo Whitefang bt H.pngGuardHighStartup18Recovery22Advantage-7 [+5]. This is his win condition. If he’s in Backturn Stance and applying pressure, it may seem hopeless, but Backturn Stance is designed to be interacted with. Leo can also Cancel (22 while in Backturn Stance) and return to neutral stance. This allows him to create additional options to go with his already strong stance mix ups. If he cancels into neutral stance from bt.K, he’s 0 on block. If Leo doesn’t wanna continue gambling, he can always stance cancel for plus frames. If Leo cancels his stance, don’t panic mash/jump. He can cover both of those options. Take the cancel as a victory and play from there, since he can’t dish out much damage facing forward. Leo can also cancel his normals into another runthrough special, OR he can do the Stance Change special which can counter hit and set up a combo for big damage.

Dealing with Backturn Stance Normals

bt.K is a 5 frame low and is +3 on block. bt.H has 18 frames of startup and 22 frames of recovery. So, if you successfully block bt.K, and Leo immediately tries to cancel into bt.H, you can interrupt it that way with a 5 frame button. bt.H is also -6 on block, so you can punish it with a 5 frame button as well. bt.H is not cancellable into any moves other than Kahn Schild (aka Shield)GGST Leo Whitefang bt D.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery18Advantage-. It can be backdashed, and backdashing it with a standard backdash will leave you +6, assuming your character has a standard five frame invulnerable, 20 frame recovery backdash. Happy Chaos would be +8 instead of + 6. Nagoriyuki would be only +3, so he can’t actually get a punish. Lab with your character and see what you can do.

When his back is turned, he can't block, jump or use his projectile special moves. His only defensive option in Backturn Stance is Shield. This move can catch strikes and initiate a counter attack or reflect projectiles. If you use a projectile at close range, it will also counter it. From farther away, this move will cause opponents to enter a guard broken state, but it won’t initiate the counter attack. It’s a move with frame 1 start up, and is active for 18 frames, with 34 frames of recovery. The only thing you can do is grab this move, and this move gives you a decent opportunity to do so.

If you get an opportunity to jump out of his pressure, a good thing to do is to jump at Leo and do a chicken guard. A lot of times, they’ll use the Shield because they think you’re going to do a jump in, but instead, you won’t do anything and then you can either throw or punish the tail end of the shield. If the Leo instead tries to anti air you with bt.P or bt.H, you’ll block it. To reiterate: jump at him, block, and then look for the Shield. If he does it, punish it. If he doesn’t, do nothing. If you land near him, input a throw. If he counters, you’ll throw him out of the counter and if he attacks, most of them will lose.

An important rule of backturn stance is that Leo is actually not ever able to cancel a stance move into itself. Even bt.K, which can normally gatling into itself, can be backdashed if you block the first hit.

bt.S is a mid and -3 on block. This will catch backdashes (unless you play as a heavyweight character like Potemkin, Nagoriyuki or Goldlewis, though it will still catch backdashes if you’re in the corner), and it staggers you on counterhit, giving Leo access to even better combos. It has two downsides. The first is that he can only cancel into either bt.H or Shield. The second is that if you use FD to push him out far enough, then even bt.S can’t catch backdashes.

bt.P is like a traditional 6P in that it has upper body invulnerability. However, whereas 6Ps don’t become upper body invulnerable until frames 3-5, bt.P is upper body invulnerable from frame 1, which makes Leo in Backturn Stance effectively impossible to jump-in on. He can cancel into any other Backturn Stance move with it, so again, it’s very important to FD him out. It’s not as important as a combo filler tool as it is a neutral tool to discourage jump-ins as well as beat far range pokes such as Ramlethal’s f.S.

If you’re midscreen, the best thing to do would be to FD Leo’s normals, back up, observe the situation, and punish accordingly. If you don’t have the meter to FD, you can still punish the overhead on block if you have a normal that’s capable of doing so. Once Leo notices that you’re pushing him out with FD, he’ll have to dash cancel. Leo’s BT dash is not throw-invulnerable. Not even his backdash. That’s your chance to grab and run your offense.

Dealing with Backturn Stance Specials

Glänzendes Dunkel (Backturn Command Grab)GGST Leo Whitefang bt 214K 2.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup30Recovery42Advantage- is a command grab Leo only has in Backturn Stance. You need to be on your toes and look out for this. It has 30 frames of startup and 42 frames of recovery, making it very punishable, but it has a subtle animation and an even more subtle sound cue that you need to keep your eyes and ears open for. Sometimes, players will follow up a button with the command grab. In this case, you should jump and punish because this is NOT a true string. You can hit him out of the start up, DP it, or jump and punish.

Blitzschlag (Overhead Guard Crush)GGST Leo Whitefang bt 214H.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup29Recovery33Advantage+21 is an extremely heavy-hitting strike. It’s slow, with a 29 frame start up, but is +21 on block, builds a lot of RISC, and guard crushes opponents. You do not want to get hit by this, even on block. Because it is +21, it gives Leo time to dash up and hit you with either bt.K or bt.H, and since it guard crushes, you are not able to YRC it. You can hit Leo during its start up with just about any P or K normal depending on the distance. If it’s too far, you can also backdash it. If you successfully backdash it, you’ll be left at +16, which gives you a good opportunity for a punish. However, if Leo has Tension and reads the backdash, he can RC and punish it. If Leo does have Tension, it’s better to mash on reaction instead.

Rules for Fighting/Defending Against Backturn

When fighting/defending against Backturn Stance, there are a few rules to keep in mind when fighting against it.

The first rule is that it’s generally not worth trying to land a jump-in attack on Leo. You can try and bait out Shield like mentioned before, but just about anything you could do will lose to bt.P.

The second rule is to always use Faultless Defense. From up close, if you FD two bt.Ks, it pushes him too far away to do any high/low mix. He can only hit you a bt.S (which pushes you out farther) bt.H (which has a 7 frame gap you can backdash), or he has to dash in, and there’s a mashable gap there.

The third is to never respect stance cancel > throw. The typical way that you beat throws in Guilty Gear is by jumping, and bt.P prevents you from jumping against Backturn Stance. Mashing or backdashing will both beat this. Giving stance cancel > throw respect is really bad because it gives Leo a chance to reset Oki and in some cases it puts you in an even worse situation than you were in before. You just need to cycle the options that you use when dealing with bt.K and bt.H and then just hope that they beat throw. If you try to specifically target throw, you’ll actually end up losing to a bunch of Leo’s other options.

Options When Blocking Backturn

When blocking bt.S, there’s a 50/50 scenario that you’ve got to worry about. Leo can either go into bt.H or Stance Cancel into 2K. However, both of these options will lose to backdash. What Leo players can do instead is slightly delay bt.H to catch the backdash, so you can respond by simply delaying your backdash or (depending on the delay timing) you can mash. Also, keep in mind that the farther away you are, the easier it is to backdash the frames of bt.H. Again, remember rule 1: ALWAYS FD. The way you should see it is that getting knocked down by Leo is essentially a Tension tax.

When blocking Leo’s bt.H, Leo can frame trap with Stance Cancel > 2K if you simply try to mash on his minus frames. The better thing to do is to use FD to block bt.H and then backdash. In order to beat that, he’d have to dash forward > 5K, but you can mash on that. Generally, it’s good to respect bt.H unless you have a four or less frame button. Sol’s 5K and Chipp, May and Baiken’s 5Ps will work here.

Dealing with Backturn Oki Options

Off of an H Flash Kick knockdown, he is able to do a meaty bt.K/bt.S but not a bt.H. bt.H is so much slower that you can input a pretty late button and beat it. You can fuzzy mash a 5 frame jab while blocking bt.K so that way you never let them get away with a raw bt.H.

Leo’s best type of oki is throw oki. Throw oki is a three-way mix up between same side low, same side high, and crossup low. All of these are options that you are not able to mash on, you’ll just have to guess and block. In order to mitigate the guessing a little bit, you could try backdashing on wake up. If Leo goes for a bt.H, he’ll miss and be left open for a punish, making the Leo player feel like going for bt.H is a bad option. The problem with backdashing however is that Leo is able to OS the backdash with bt.K. If you backdash it, Leo will be able to recover and catch you with bt.S Alternatively, you could just Gold Burst. Remember, Leo can’t block in Backturn Stance so it’s free Tension and it gets you out of the situation entirely.

Finally, there’s oki from the Run-Through special. If you get hit and put into a soft knockdown from the Run-Through special, Leo can do a meaty bt.H or bt.K. Same rules apply. Either backdash if you guess high or block if you guess low. He’s farther away than he’d be in normal oki situations so again, use FD and push him out even farther. This also applies to being knocked down with the Stance Change special.

Leo can use fast roman cancels to get a free Run-Through that can’t be thrown. In this case, you can backdash it. If he does bt.K instinctively after this, it’ll whiff and give you an opportunity to backdash again and create more distance. If you do backdash and he doesn’t press a button, he’ll be +2, so don’t always mash after backdash. Your other option, which is better but harder, is to Instant Block it. He could backdash in order to evade your throw however, in which case, you could mash to beat the backdash. You’ll just have to guess here.

May

May’s goal is to force you into the corner, rush you down, and mix up her offense options at a fast pace so that the defender has to pick a defensive option relatively quickly. May has many strong tools to achieve this, including good ground and air movement, a variety of pokes to harass her opponent, and powerful counterpokes, anti-airs, and air-to-air options. She has high damage output, so if you pick the wrong option, she just deletes your life bar. Same thing happens if she gets a successful command grab. May is at her weakest when she is defending because her kit lacks meterless tools to escape from pressure. On defense, May needs to rely on matchup knowledge, universal mechanics, and her metered reversal to escape her opponent's pressure.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


May’s round start is actually amazing. Her 2SGGST May 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery18Advantage-7 is a 10 frame disjoint that can’t be 6P’d. It is a mid instead of a low, so it can be blocked standing. Her 3KGGST May 3K.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery15Advantage-10 is a slide that’s quick and stops you from simply walking back with an 11 frame start up. Her notorious special move Mr. Dolphin, as well as her disjoints, make it so that simply retreating gives her more pressure. There are two dolphin variations: the S versionGGST May Mr. Dolphin Horizontal.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery20 (24 OH)Advantage-3 - which is fast and -3 on block, and the H versionGGST May Mr. Dolphin Horizontal.pngGuardAllStartup25Recovery20 (18 OH)Advantage+7 - which has a slow start up, but is +7 on block. 2S, 3K and Dolphin each cover a different space at a different time. She can’t be everywhere at once. You can eliminate most of her options and react to the rest. Microwalk out of 2S range, and then crouch block to protect yourself from 3K. 3K is -11 and kick punishable. Walking back will also prevent you from getting hit by an S Dolphin. If she opens up with H Dolphin, this move has 25 frames of start up. If your character has a P/K with 5+ active frames, use that as your go-to anti-Dolphin button. The more active frames, the better.

Her most flexible option is approaching from the sky with her airdash, since she can get somewhat creative and come in at different angles, but she still has to come to you. She’ll usually come at you with j.HGGST May j.H.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery15Advantage+9 (IAD) or j.2HGGST May j.2H.pngGuardHighStartup13Recovery6Advantage+2 (IAD). Both options lose to 6P, though it does have to be timed well. May's aerial buttons aren't disjointed, but their hitbox is so large that they can still be difficult to anti air. If she airdashes, look for the sigil behind her and prepare yourself to 6P. You could also hit her with an air-to-air counter hit or an air throw if you’re feeling confident. May’s only real way around this is the fact that she can take advantage of the fact that you won’t be contesting her immediately at round start. This will manifest itself in different ways. She could dash up and grab at round start, or flail around in the air to bait out anti-air options with j.DGGST May j.D.pngGuardHighStartup10Recovery21Advantage-8 (Airborne), an air-normal that thrusts her upwards and alters her jump trajectory. These are desperate attempts to throw you off. Stay calm, and look to punish. Consistently stabilizing round start is the first step to bottlenecking her. As you contain her round start, you’ll see that a train of linearity that continues in her neutral structure.

Neutral


May’s neutral structure heavily revolves around Dolphin. In neutral, she has two stances: Dolphin Charged (she’s walking backwards or she’s crouched and blocking) and Dolphin Uncharged (any other time). If you force May to release her charge, her explosive options are off the table. Engaging her while Dolphin is uncharged means you only have to worry about her normals. There are several ways to achieve this.

You could play fullscreen and force her to advance or jump so that she has to release the charge, or look for a punish by spacing outside of her f.SGGST May f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery19Advantage-8 or 2S range. If she uses these in neutral, whiff punish them, they have 19 and 18 frames of recovery respectively, leaving you with a whiff punish opportunity. If you’re not confident you can directly punish her, remember sometimes just taking your turn is the best way to punish. Your objective is to whiff punish by quickly taking your turn. If you punish her directly, even better. If May whiffs her disjoints, she’ll typically Dolphin right after, so whatever you do, don’t let her whiff her disjoints and then Dolphin you in the face for free. May will try to transition from uncharged to charged by making contact with her longer normals (f.S/5KGGST May 5K.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery11Advantage-5) on block. You can counter both with 6P. Unfortunately, this is only half the battle. Engaging her without Dolphin locked and loaded is only possible if you have the space at your back to position yourself. Having space behind you is key to responding to either stance. Prioritize positioning over pressure when possible.

Offense


May's fastest buttons are her 4 frame 5PGGST May 5P.pngGuardAllStartup4Recovery8Advantage-1 and her 5 frame 2PGGST May 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2. She has no meterless invincible reversals. Her invincible reversal Overdrive summons a giant OrcaGGST May The Wonderful and Dynamic Goshogawara.pngGuardAllStartup6+4Recovery55Advantage-31. If she only has 50% Tension, you can simply bait this out and punish it like any other invincible reversal. However, if May has 100% Tension, she can use a Purple or Red Roman Cancel during the move to get off the whale while the attack continues anyway. This can lead to an extremely damaging combo on hit or a potent high/low or left/right mixup on block. Keep an eye on her Tension. If she goes for this with 100% Tension, instead of blocking and punishing it like normal, input your own invincible reversal Overdrive during the super flash to punish her instead. This will keep her from getting a chance to Roman Cancel it.

On defense, May's backdash has very few i-frames, so she gets clipped from everything. c.S stagger pressure can be very valuable because of this.

Defense


If you’re in the corner with no space, and May’s gotten a chance to charge Dolphin, 5P/2P can protect you in a lot of cases. The idea is that you’re basically making a wall with the short startup/active frames of 5P. This is much better than 6P-ing, especially when you don’t know when she will Dolphin because even if you whiff a jab, another will soon follow. What makes this strat work is the poor hitbox/hurtbox sizes on Dolphin. Using 5P also gives you time to respond to the vertical version of Mr. Dolphin, or other counter play. You can 6P if you see that she DOES do vertical Dolphin. This is more reliable once you are aware of May’s Dolphin habits. Mashing out of fear will get you hit. It’s not a solve-all solution because she can still whack you with disjoints, BUT the counter hit return on her slash is way lower than a horizontal Dolphin.

Once May gets in, her gatlings don’t leave her with much in terms of high/low mix. All the good risk/reward is in her charged dust. Her 3K (-13) and 2D (-7) are kick punishable on block. Uncharged dust is universally 0 on hit. Charged dust is a lot more reactable, as all charged dusts are 28 frames. Standard block low react high rules will protect you from her high/low mix.

6KGGST May 6K.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery6Advantage+2 is an overhead command normal that's +1 on hit with no combo-ability and is -2 on block. Unless she has Tension to RC with, it’s not much to worry about. If she notices you turtling up on defense though, she can call you out with her 6HGGST May 6H.pngGuardAll [All (Guard Crush)]Startup16~39 [40]Recovery24Advantage-8 [+8]. It’s not an overhead, but it guard crushes and can catch you mashing. If this hits you, you WILL explode. It’s also +8 on block and puts you in a high risk guessing game, so you have to respond with something. She can release it at any moment, so backdashing or inputting a reversal/reversal super is your safest bet. Lastly, she can dash cancel her 5K and c.SGGST May c.S.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery8Advantage+3 but both are grab punishable. Even if any of this does hit, she needs Tension or you’d have to be in the corner for it to matter. Outside of the corner, the high/low mix with 6K isn’t worth the bar. Without Tension, May is primarily doing two things on offense: conditioning you for her strike/throw mix and (more importantly) conditioning you not to intercept her Dolphins. If she can achieve this, the match is hers.

Dealing With Arisugawa Sparkle (Beach Ball)

Arisugawa Sparkle (aka Beach Ball) is a move that has May summon a seal that launches a beach ball at the opponent. The ball can be destroyed if hit by an attack. You can hit this with a 5P or 6P, or the active button you’re using to counter H Dolphin. Once you hit it, follow up with a special cancel in order to make yourself safe. It has 48 frames of start up, making it even more reactable than H Dolphin. Try not to block this, or let May get this out. It's +40 on wakeup meaties so if you ever get knocked down, May can use this on your wake up to enforce her pressure.

Engaging in S Dolphin RPS

Upon blocking S Dolphin, you will be forced to engage in RPS with May. Both you and May have an abundance of options that you can do after a blocked S Dolphin, and both of you will have to guess what the other will go for. May is only -3 after a blocked S Dolphin, and she’ll generally be out of range of most P and K normals, unless you somehow managed to Instant Block S Dolphin.

Your options include (but are not limited to):

  • Continuing to block, and waiting to see what May will do.
  • Poking (usually with a f.S or 2S but this is character dependent)
  • Counter poking with 6P
  • Jumping, either to to reposition (usually to escape the corner) or as a hard read to intercept a jump from May

May’s options include (but are not limited to):

  • Walking back to block while also charging another Dolphin
  • Crouch blocking
  • Backdashing
  • Jumping backwards
  • Jumping forwards
  • Counter poking with her 6P
  • 2K
  • 5K
  • Another S Dolphin
  • 2S

Different characters have different options to engage with here. You’ll have to lab with your character to see what options yours has. Here is a Twitter thread containing a list of a few post S Dolphin interactions with every character in the cast. The objective is to get her to block, so that May begins to associate S Dolphin with the end of her turn. If you don’t, it turns into a circus real quick, but as long as you handle this correctly, the match flow should stabilize, and no matter which Dolphin May chooses, it will begin to carry inherent risk. With all of these situations covered, you’ll start to notice more hesitation in the May player’s movement until she gets 50% Tension.

Millia Rage

Millia’s goal is to knock you down with 2KGGST Millia Rage 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery12Advantage-3 > 2D or a ground throw in order to initiate her simultaneous left/right/high/low mix up utilizing the H versionGGST Millia Rage Tandem Top Full.pngGuardAllStartup73RecoveryTotal 51Advantage+36 of her special move Tandem Top and her two air dashes. To accomplish this, she can rush you down with a combination of her fast ground movement and unique aerial mobility. Millia’s main weakness is her low health combined with her high R.I.S.C gain. This means that Millia is highly susceptible to Touch of Death combos, as well as losing fast in general. She also doesn’t do much damage, and as a result, her combos can restore Burst very quickly.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


While Millia can open up with a button, it’s far more likely she’ll take to the skies since losing round start can be extremely costly for her. From round start distance, her farthest reaching low normals such as 2SGGST Millia Rage 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery18Advantage-6 or 2D will only reach big bodied characters (Potemkin, Nagoriyuki, Goldlewis). Her mids, such as 5KGGST Millia Rage 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery12Advantage-3 or f.SGGST Millia Rage f.S.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery19Advantage-7 can all be crushed with 6P. She has no go-to button with enough active frames to play keep out. Aside from a hard read, her best option is to look for a grounded whiff punish or approach from above. With this in mind, careful use of your normals at round start will push her to the corner, forcing her to jump, which means she’s as far away from her win condition as possible.

Neutral


Millia has some of the fastest and most versatile movement in the game, both on the ground and especially in the air. Her neutral consists of rushing you down from either of those positions. As mentioned previously, her overall goal is to score a hit with 2K > 2D, or 2D by itself. After a hard knockdown from 2D, she can initiate her high/low/left/right mix ups with the H version of Tandem Top (aka Disk). Even more than other matchups, Millia's H Disk makes the match up a matter of who gets pressure first to steamroll over the opponent. Avoid committing to normals with long total duration in neutral, if possible. Focus on playing defensively and forcing Millia to come to you, as her approaches should be answerable if you try to react to her committing to something. It's best to try and put as much space between you and Millia as you can, so you have more time to react to both her ground and aerial approaches.

Dealing With Millia's Ground Approaches

On the ground, when combined with her fast run speed, her buttons have a good balance of range and speed in neutral. Offensively, she’ll try dashing into either 5KGGST Millia Rage 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery12Advantage-3 or 2K, as well as c.SGGST Millia Rage c.S.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery13Advantage+1 if she can get close enough. 5K and 2K both lead to her 2D, which in turn, leads to her win condition, so she’ll be fishing with these moves the most. 5K can be chained into itself, making it the safer of the two buttons to use in neutral. If you block this, Millia doesn’t have to commit to the end of a blockstring, she can just spam this and safely push her out. 2K has a farther reach than 5K, and when combined with her dash, it can be used from deceptively far distances. Getting hit by either of these buttons is extremely dangerous, and in neutral or on defense, the primary things you want to avoid getting hit by. 2K also low profiles a lot of mid range pokes. The downside to 2K is that it’s -3 on block, and since it can’t self-gatling, she’s forced to commit to something, otherwise she risks getting throw punished. Usually Millia will try to push herself out of harm’s way with 2D, but if Millia’s up close, she’s -8, allowing her to be punished with most K starter combos.

Her f.S has great range and speed, but will cleanly lose to 6P and certain low profile moves. It also has 19 frames of recovery, allowing it to be whiff punished. Her f.S is easy for her to combo off of on counter hit, but has limited return on normal hit unless she's really close with it. She can only get good use out of it if it confirms into 5HGGST Millia Rage 5H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery23Advantage-8, which will whiff at full range.

The S versionGGST Millia Rage Tandem Top Full.pngGuardAllStartup12RecoveryTotal 45Advantage-10 of Tandem Top is her strongest poke hitbox-wise. It goes over lows and can also be used against long range, disjointed pokes such as Sol’s 6S, Giovanna's 2D, Ramlethal’s f.S, etc. On hit, it sends you tumbling into a soft knockdown. Combined with Millia’s run speed, she can take this opportunity to get in on you and start running her pressure if you're hit towards the wall, though she can't meaty from a midscreen hit and doesn’t get any combo returns. Keep in mind S Disc is -10 on block (although slightly better depending on distance) with counterhit recovery. Make sure to lab your best frame 10 or faster ch starter that can reach to consistently blow Millia up for placing it incorrectly. With forward-drift purple RC, she can use S Disc as a get in-option or blockstring extender that will combo on-hit or extend pressure on block. On block however, this is mashable with most 5P's at most distances. experiement with disrespecting her here as she doesn't have the plus frames to lock you into an airdash air button string. If you jump over PRC S Disc, Millia can either air grab you, or intercept you with j.KGGST Millia Rage j.K.pngGuardHighStartup6Recovery12Advantage- or j.SGGST Millia Rage j.S.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery14Advantage-.

She can also use her command dash MirazhGGST Millia Rage Mirazh.pngGuard-Startup-RecoveryTotal 26Advantage- to avoid attacks. Millia is invulnerable above the knee for 24 frames during this special move. She can also cancel Mirazh into her other grounded special moves, including S Tandem Top. She can approach very quickly by canceling Mirazh into a PRC S Tandem Top poke.

She can also cancel Mirazh into Iron SaviorGGST Millia Rage Iron Savior.pngGuardLowStartup20Recovery17 + 10LAdvantage-12, an advancing special move that hits low. With Mirazh, she’s able to low profile certain projectiles and by canceling into Iron Savior, she can punish them. Iron Savior serves two purposes: ending combos and being a high commitment poke. In neutral, it can be used to advance from a distance, but it has 20 frames of start up and is -12 on block, making it easy to see coming, block, and punish. Millia needs to Roman Cancel this in order to keep herself safe. With Red RC, it can be used to extend pressure while including a mixup. For Fast RRC her options here include going into j.KGGST Millia Rage j.K.pngGuardHighStartup6Recovery12Advantage- for a fast overhead or 22 FRRC 2k or 2S to go for the low. If you notice she's at the further range of her Iron SaviorGGST Millia Rage Iron Savior.pngGuardLowStartup20Recovery17 + 10LAdvantage-12 you should stand block as the 22 options will often whiff. Fast RRC mixups for the most part are the same as their normal RRC counterparts, however by fast canceling the RRC Millia saves meter and can still chose the high option to string into c.S with no gaps. The opponent also isn't in block stun as long and Millia can almost immediately grab you, so keep watch for this and try to tech it.

Dealing with Millia's Air Approaches

Millia has two air dashes, which makes her more agile than most other characters in the sky. She also has further ways to alter her air trajectory. She has very good air normals that can dominate air-to-air scenarios, make excellent jump-ins, or convert air button hits very well. She can also cancel all of her aerial normals with an air backdash, adding yet another layer to her mix ups. And likely the largest note of Millia's airgame is KapelGGST Millia Rage Kapel.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery12Advantage-1 (IAS), a 6P and other anti airs counter and movement tool in one. Millia can dominate a match by being in the air alone until you show you know how to stop her.

Her instant air dash into a slightly delayedj.HGGST Millia Rage j.H.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery25Advantage+1 (IAD) is a classic poke, and can be used to punish slower ground based pokes. j.H is her go-to button during jump-ins. It hits on both sides of Millia and is a core part of her aerial mix ups and blockstrings. She can cancel it with an air dash and either go forward for pressure, or go back to keep herself safe. She can cancel into KapelGGST Millia Rage Kapel.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery12Advantage-1 (IAS), or she can just land and go into a low. If you don’t anti-air this and end up blocking it, she can start pressing her advantage with options like airdashing into another air button. Naturally, it's susceptible to 6P, however, Millia can also mix up her aerial approach with Kapel, which will beat 6P. The most consistent punish to her airdashing after a blocked j.H will be to do a rising airthrow, or a rising air button of your own. It's worth to lab out which of your air buttons can hit her out of kapel at that height consistently. Certain characters also have attacks that allow them to low profile her KapelGGST Millia Rage Kapel.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery12Advantage-1 (IAS), such as Sol or Anji’s 2D or Nagoriyuki or Testament’s 2K. It’s worth checking to see if your character has a button that allows them to do this.

Once Millia uses Kapel, she can't air dash, she can only do aerials, so she'll have committed to whatever direction she's flung herself in unless she uses turbofall. You can hit Millia after her kapel with 5P/6P or most anti airs as turbofall takes some time to startup. To beat out Kapel before the move happens your best options are to airthrow or do a rising air-to-air. While kapel raises Millia's hurtbox very high up to avoid grounded anti airs, it's still quite reachable by an air button in most cases, and the detection for an airthrow doesn't change nearly as fast (it follows Millia's body as expected, vs her strike hurtbox shifting up very soon). Millia can also alter her timing in the air by using Turbo FallGGST Millia Rage Turbo Fall.pngGuard-Startup14Recovery9LAdvantage-. She can cancel into Kapel from this, and use this to throw your timing off when looking to intercept Kapel or her other aerial options. Vs a Millia using kapel from the top of the screen, aim to play patient and punish her after she's jumped off the kapel, and vs a Millia using kapel in your face to try and hit you or make you block, use air throws and rising air buttons.

Controlling neutral with big air buttons is risky versus Millia. Certain matchups definitely still can beat her own air buttons with theirs, but many crumble to her j.S and you risk a fair amount by preemptively jumping into the air versus her fast ground speed and amazing use of c.S as an anti air. j.P can be good as a fast check to hit her out of her nonsense, but if you throw them out to much Millia can play keep away with j.S and convert on the counterhit. If you end up blocking her j.S in the air, keep blocking. She can follow up a blocked aerial in multiple ways, and usually string into c.S to begin grounded pressure. If she tries to jump out of your pressure, chase with your best rising air buttons (or air throw her), keep her in block stun, and bring her back down to the ground. Some characters may have good high reaching complete disjoints as well such as Goldlewis or Giovanna who can use those and mostly ignore the risk of kapel after Millia jumps out of pressure.

Offense


Her fastest button is her 4 frame 2P
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, though it doesn’t reach very far. Her fastest, farthest reaching normal is actually her 2K, with 6 frames of start up. Unlike most other 5Ps in the game, Millia’s 5P
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has 7 frames of start up, which makes it one of the slowest 5Ps in the game, and not one she can reliably mash on pressure. Her only reversal is her Overdrive Winger
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, which has subpar horizontal range and is -32 on block, making it easy to punish.

The invulnerability on her backdash is below average (4f), although it makes up for this by having a fast recovery (16f total duration). It’s better midscreen than it is in the corner. She also has a very low meter multiplier, causing her to generally gain less meter than her opponent does, making it hard to offset their offense with defensive tools like Faultless Defense, YRC, or an Overdrive.

Because of the height of her jump as well as her numerous air mobility options, most Millias will be pretty desperate to jump out of the corner, so try to keep her grounded and control air space as much as you can.

Defense


Defending Against Millia's Blockstrings

Like most characters, Millia’s blockstrings stem from either 5K or c.S. Since these normals are universally jump cancelable, she has a multitude of different options she can go into from either of these buttons. Saving your Tension for Faultless Defense is extremely valuable when defending against Millia, as it will lock her out of a number of options as long as you’re prepared to deal with them.

As previously mentioned, Millia’s 5K gatlings into itself. Typically, Millia will initially pressure you by spamming 5K repeatedly for a number of reasons: on offense, it’s a great way to keep you locked down and prevent you from pressing buttons. The additional hitstop on counter hit allows her to easily hit confirm this. She’ll mainly do this to check for what you like to do on defense, as well as to hit certain mashing timings that would protect you from throws. Using Faultless Defense will push her out and give you more time to either mash or get away from her if she goes for a throw.

Millia’s c.S is very versatile. It works as an anti-air, pressure tool and confirm tool all at the same time. It has two hits, and either hit is jump cancelable. When blocking Millia using Faultless Defense, she’s forced to interrupt the first hit with something else. This means she can’t run strike/throw as well. Her c.S is +1. If you mash afterwards, she can catch you with her 4 frame 2P, however, blocking both hits of c.S with Faultless Defense will cause this to whiff. 2S is -6 on block, so if she chooses to gatling into this after c.S, she has to commit to a blockstring. She ends the majority of her strings with Lust ShakerGGST Millia Rage Lust Shaker.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery-16, -18, -20Advantage-5, -7, -9. This is mainly used to make unsafe blockstings more safe, frametrapping, or to drain your Tension while you're using Faultless Defense. Depending on how much Millia mashes S, Millia can get 3 different versions: 3-hit, 6-hit, and 9-hit. Each version has slightly more range than the last but will also have more recovery. 3-hit and 6-hit are safe on block depending on distance, however, some characters can punish even 9-hit regardless of distance like Sol's 6H.

In pressure, Millia can cancel Mirazh into Lust Shaker, however, Lust Shaker has a 17 frame startup that makes this vulnerable to mashing (though it will catch delayed mashing or slower buttons). She can’t cancel Mirazh into her other grounded special moves during pressure unless she has Tension, otherwise she’ll leave herself very punishable. S Tandem Top is -10 with counter hit aerial recovery, H Tandem Top has a 73 frame start up, during which she’s in a counter hit state, and Iron Savior is -12. Don’t let her get away with canceling into any of these.

If she jump cancels 5K or c.S into an aerial approach, this gives her access to IAD > j.H, which is really important for her. You can counter hit her out of this with a delayed 6P and swap sides with her if you're in the corner (though this won’t side swap if defending with Faultless Defense). This leads to an opportunity for a corner combo. Nago's c.S hits high enough that he can actually counter hit her out of IAD > j.H, though getting the timing down could take some practice. Millia can also delay the air dash, but a delayed 6P should still at the very least catch her if she doesn’t immediately block after the IAD forward. These options all risk being crushed by KapelGGST Millia Rage Kapel.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery12Advantage-1 (IAS) though, so the most reliable answer to Millia performing an IAD after 5K or c.S will be to air throw, and in second place, a rising air button. Alternatively, you could also just dash forward and escape altogether in some cases.

From 5K, Millia could go into 2K, which again, is something you always want to avoid getting hit by. If you block this and she immediately gatlings into 2D, there is a gap in between where you can input backdash to dodge the 2D. If you’re in the corner, after you backdash you can punish 2D with a backthrow. This gap also loses to invincible reversals as well.

She can go into her 6KGGST Millia Rage 6K.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery10Advantage+2, which is an overhead. It has 28 frames of startup, so keep an eye out for this during her pressure. 6K shifts her lower hurtbox, allowing her to counter hit low profiling moves, but it still loses to high enough hitting mash buttons. This normal also isn’t airborne, so she’s vulnerable to throws as well.

She can jump cancel either 5K or c.S into Bad MoonGGST Millia Rage Bad Moon.pngGuardHighStartup11Recovery20 + 12LAdvantage-21, which is an instant overhead. Millia isn’t likely to use this move without Tension. On hit she isn’t able to convert without it as it just leads to a soft knockdown that gives a meaty 5K, f.S or 2D midscreen which is very susceptile to backdashing on wakeup, and on block, it’s-21, leaving her wide open for a punish. She can also meaty with c.S in the corner, or she can 2S/Bad Moon/Grab for a 3-way mixup. When blocked from 5K, the high/low mix from Bad Moon/2K can be fuzzy from low to high for initial timings, and if the 2K is delayed to hit around when Bad Moon does, there is a dp'able gap, which Bad Moon has even at the earliest timing. From c.S, Millia can do a high/low mix up with either Bad Moon or 2S. This can NOT be fuzzy blocked as both options happen during blockstun and Bad Moon is multihitting to catch any swapping to low, and is a pure 50/50 where you have to guess. This is also completely gapless, you cannot mash anything at all here. Faultless Defense if used on both hits of her c.S will make Bad Moon whiff, meaning she is forced to cancel into either of her high/low options on the first hit against FD'ing players, which weakens her ability to go for resets or throws.

Her two-hit 6HGGST Millia Rage 6H 1.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery23Advantage-8 is another option she can do. With this, Millia’s return on hit or counter hit is really big, as such, 6H’s primary use is to frametrap opponents in a direct way. Millia generally doesn’t do high damage, but she does do a lot of damage from a successful 6H, so try not to get hit by this. Since it’s an advancing normal, it can also chase your backdash or continue her pressure when you're using Faultless Defense. She is airborne for the first of the two hits, making it invulnerable to throws and allowing her to go over lows. Millia can also special cancel into any of her airborne special moves (Bad Moon, Turbo Fall, Kapel) during the first hit.

  • Whenever you’re defending against Millia, ALWAYS stand up after blocking the first hit of 6H so that you can block in case she tries to cancel into any of her aerial special moves. There’s no threat of a low here, so be sure to stand up whenever you block this.
  • If you’re using Faultless Defense, Millia can’t special cancel the first hit of 6H into Bad Moon, or else it will whiff. Otherwise, keep the previously mentioned counter play for Bad Moon in mind.
  • As long as you're using Faultless Defense, the Kapel is vulnerable to whiffing and can be punished with a 5P, 5K, or even a c.S punish if timed well, which is very valuable.

Finally, there’s blockstrings that start from IAD > j.H. After blocking j.H, she can go into numerous aerial options, including:

  • Kapel
  • j.D > dl. Kapel > air normal
  • IAD - If she instant air dashes, she can do another j.H as well as all of the aforementioned options. Remember, she can only do 2 air dashes.
  • Land and do an immediate 2K

These options cover mashing after blocking a j.H. If you didn’t anti-air her j.H and you block it, as a layer 1 option, fuzzy block from low to high, to defend vs land 2K vs airdash air button. you can work with using air throw instead of switching to standing block as well.

Dealing with H Disc Okizeme

Once Millia gets a knockdown into her H Disc okizeme, this is a very difficult situation to be in. The H version of Tandem Top is Millia’s best move and what her entire game plan and win condition is centered around. 2D into H Disc is very difficult to mess with, as it causes the H Disc to become a meaty (although bursting after eating a 2D will hit her out of H Disc startup and beats most other options).

You’re going to have to guess, but there are ways to eliminate some of her options. After the disc is set up, she can switch sides, land and go for a low option, or go for an overhead option. This can be structured as either a 3 way mixup or 2 50/50 mixups (a left/right followed by a high/low). The 3 way mixup is made up of land 2K, airdash j.H (sameside), and airdash j.H (crossup). these are not mashable or reactable, but they are all reversable, meaning a dp or reversal super will hit her and win. They also all generally give poor combo options compared to the 2 50/50 mixup set of options. Millia will mostly use the 3 way setup only to kill. The 2 50/50's setup consists of Millia doing an airdash that is timed to either crossup or collide with your character and stay same side. it's possible for the millia to airdash too early and become a reactable crossup, but done correctly this is unreactable. the second mixup is to either airdash j.H/j.K or land 2K/2S. the first options (j.H and 2K) are used for the fact that they will whiff if you fail to block the first left/right and allow millia to then pickup the combo for free. the second options (j.K and 2S) do not whiff if you fail to block the left/right and make the combo much worse, but time up to be less fuzziable. 2K can be delayed to matchup with the j.H but at frame 18 starting frame 18 starting from the airdash, certain players on pc may be able to react.

If she hits you with a 2D from a far distance, she may be unable to reach in time for a crossup, meaning you only have to guess between high and low, both of which are suboptimal starters.

It’s important to note as well that any disc that ISN’T setup from 2D, after a RRC, or her super Septem Voices is not the same. From a throw or 214P you can fuzzy jump out if she tries to use the usual mixups, however, she covers this with a safejump j.H typically. Anything else she tries is mashable or can be fuzzy jumped. The best thing to do is to try to block high (preferably with IBFD) and then fuzzy jump. This will IBFD j.H, and you’ll jump over any throw/crossup/2K attempts. If you end up forcing her to use j.H, her post-j.H options include:

  • IAD > j.PGGST Millia Rage j.P.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery12Advantage- > j.P
  • IAD > j.KGGST Millia Rage j.P.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery12Advantage-
  • Landing after the j.H and doing a 2K
  • IAD > Faultless defense cancel airdash into 2K

There is a fuzzy that beats this pretty consistently. Do the same fuzzy jump from before, and then block low, then high, then low. This will beat all of these options besides delaying the land 2K intentionally. If you’re able to IBFD the j.H, this is also really good at shutting down her options. Also note that this is a safe jump, meaning that if Millia does j.H after a throw, you cannot use a reversal, she will block it and punish you if you try.

Millia can cross you up using Turbo Fall, adding another layer to her mixups, although reactable. If she ever crosses you up, you have to switch your guard. When defending against Turbo Fall, throw punish it on reaction unless there's an H Disc out, in which case you block. From a certain height, and by doing a string that involves j.D > Turbo Fall > Kapel, Millia can cross you up in the corner by falling with j.H while landing on the same side. She can then force a Wall Slump. You can hold forwards and block this setup. This is not a true left/right for her.

Nagoriyuki

Nagoriyuki is a character that has long range normals, extremely high damage output, and unique special cancel opportunities. In exchange for these strengths, he has very poor mobility, including a slow super jump and the lack of ability to dash, air dash, or double jump. In addition, the use of his special moves is limited by the Blood Gauge. The higher the Blood Gauge, the more damage he takes when he gets hit. When the Blood Gauge is filled, it causes him to go into the Blood Rage state, where he loses up to 50% of his maximum HP as well as the ability to use his special moves at all. His goal is to land very damaging combos on you without going into Blood Rage while in a disadvantaged position. He has a command grab that can reset his Blood Gauge that should be avoided at all costs.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


Nagoriyuki can cancel any of his ground normals into a special move as well as cancel his special moves into other special moves. This allows him to perform extended pressure strings that constantly threaten extremely damaging frame traps. His ability to do this is dictated by the Blood Gauge. The number one thing you need to understand and keep an eye on when fighting against Nago is his Blood Gauge. Whenever Nago uses his special moves, it causes the Blood Gauge to fill. As the meter gets higher, the range of Nago’s heavy slash normals and the speed of his S and H normals as well as j.DGGST Nagoriyuki jD.pngGuardHighStartup15Recovery20AdvantageN/A increases. Nago’s defense also gets weaker, and he will take more and more damage the higher the gauge is. Once the meter gets full, he will go into the Blood Rage state, which causes him to lose 50% of his maximum HP as well as the ability to use his special moves. His slash and heavy slash normals gain even more range, but those can easily be blocked. If Nago carelessly reaches this state, he has effectively lost the match as long as you take advantage of this moment and punish him for over-extending. However, higher level Nagos may try to use Blood Rage to their advantage in combos and during their pressure. This is extremely risky for them, as they’re effectively gambling up to 50% of their health for a single RPS situation (more info on that in the Beating Blood Rage section down below). The animation when he goes into Blood Rage will either knock you backwards or cause your guard to break if you are close to him. Up close, it’s -12, and if you’re farther away, the animation has a 70 frame recovery. Either of these instances leave Nago extremely vulnerable. These are your opportunities for a very damaging punish.

The only ways for Nago to get out of the Blood Rage state is to either wait for the meter to drain or use his Overdrive ZansetsuGGST Nagoriyuki Zansetsu2.pngGuardAllStartup11+(58 Flash)+10Recovery80Advantage-66, which is only available in the Blood Rage state. This Overdrive is -66 on block, so like Blood Rage activation, it’s also super punishable. However, this attack also does immense damage (it likely will kill you if you have around 50% HP) and can be comboed into from his normals. Be aware of this, and be careful. Do not take any unnecessary risks.

Round Start


Early in the match, target his Blood Gauge instead of his health, and opportunities will open up. Depending on your character, it's likely best not to contest Nago at round start. He has some of the strongest round start options in the game.

  • His 5KGGST Nagoriyuki 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery14Advantage-2 and 2KGGST Nagoriyuki 2K.pngGuardLowStartup7Recovery8Advantage-1 both have fast start ups and reach from round start distance. This can stuff a lot of round start buttons and immediately put you in a nightmare situation.
  • He also has 2SGGST Nagoriyuki 2S.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery21Advantage-11, which makes walking backwards unsafe. 2S has 21 frames of recovery and is -11 on block, forcing Nago to special cancel and build up his blood if he wants to keep himself safe. If he ever whiffs this button, he’ll be wide open for a long range punish.
  • A niche option he has is 6KGGST Nagoriyuki 6K1.pngGuardLowStartup15Recovery13Advantage-2, which can crush lows because he raises his hurtbox upwards when he does the move.
  • If he reads the backdash, he can easily catch it with Kamuriyuki (aka Beyblade)GGST Nagoriyuki Kamuriyuki1.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery17Advantage-3. If you block this move, it is -3 so it can be punished by mashing throw, however Nago can special cancel this to frame trap you and keep himself safe. This will drive up the Blood Gauge, however. Either way, be prepared to RPS with this move on block (more info in the Defense section).
  • Nago’s most threatening round start, is ShizuriyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Shizuriyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 (note: this is commonly referred to as a DP by the community, but it’s not actually an invincible reversal.) This is a large and fast (11 frame startup) two hit rekka. Nago can delay the second hit of the rekka to frame trap. If Nago scores a counterhit with this special, it leads into a lot of his most damaging combos that will take massive amounts of your health. Getting counterhit by this round start is a death sentence if you don’t have burst. There’s a round start setup Nago can do where he can chain DP into Beyblade over and over again until you wall splat. He’ll then go into Blood Rage, which will un-stick you from the wall. While in Blood Rage, Nago’s j.HGGST Nagoriyuki jH.pngGuardHighStartup14Recovery23AdvantageN/A becomes large enough that he can use it as an instant overhead. This will put you in a high/low and strike/throw mix where you’ll have to guess if Nago will go for a low, j.H, or regular grab. If he’s right, he can prop you into a combo with Red Roman Cancel to wall splat you again and then finish you off, or combo into Zansetsu if you don't block low.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to measure your risk/reward when challenging Nago round start, especially if you don’t have Burst. “Nago Rounds” happen because players are contesting him when he holds all the cards with the Blood Gauge not filled up. Rotating between jumping back and backdashing forces him to build up the Blood Gauge in order to take control at round start. Forcing him to pay a Blood tax simply to approach eliminates his options afterwards and keeps you in control. This tactic is how you should approach neutral as well.

Neutral


Playing Around The Blood Gauge and Nago's Immobility

The Blood Gauge determines Nago's capabilities at all times. Nagoriyuki is very strong on the ground and he has a lot of great grounded neutral options. However, his biggest weakness is that he lacks traditional mobility, and cannot dash, air dash, or double jump. He also has a unique super jump that travels at a far arc, but it has a slow 10 frame start up and needs to be used preemptively, as it's really easy to anti-air. He mainly has to approach on the ground while relying on his special moves to traverse the stage, which remember, all gradually fill the Blood Gauge upon use. Once Nago has accumulated high blood, he can’t really use his special moves to advance without risking going into Blood Rage, and if goes into Blood Rage while in a disadvantageous position, it's over for him. If you’re a zoning character that can control grounded space from afar like Axl, Zato, Jack-O', Happy Chaos, or Testament, you can make it extremely difficult for Nago to approach at all.

Nagoriyuki must play around his Blood Gauge, which means players fighting against Nagoriyuki also must pay attention to the Blood Gauge in order to know what options Nagoriyuki has available at that moment. Playing around it, and controlling the rules of engagement means you’ll be able to get him to pop. Also keep in mind that Nago’s defense gets significantly weaker the higher the Blood Gauge is. At level 3, Nago will take damage at a rate comparable to how Chipp takes damage, so despite his large amount of health, he becomes significantly easier to beat the higher the Blood Gauge is. You can check here for detailed information on the moves that increase and decrease Blood Gain.

You're going to want to play defensively initially, and gradually shift your tactics depending on how much Blood Nago has accumulated. In general, Nagoriyuki will have more dangerous frame trap options at low Blood but a better neutral game at high Blood. Play keep away, and force him to approach at Blood Level 1 to about halfway through Blood Level 2. From that point onwards, you can start challenging and stuffing his approaches with less fear of being frametrapped. From Blood Level 3 onwards, you can start approaching Nago, and he'll be a lot more limited in the ways that he can stop you.

Nagoriyuki needs to avoid getting into the Blood Rage state at all costs. In order to manage the Blood Gauge, he has to rely on his slash and heavy slash normals, as well as j.D. His slash normals and j.D all decrease the gauge on hit, and his heavy slash normals as well as the third hit from the f.S rekka decrease the gauge on hit or block, but won’t reduce the gauge nearly as much on block. In addition to that, Nago has a command grab called Bloodsucking Universe (aka Bite)GGST Nagoriyuki Bloodsucking Universe.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup7Recovery48AdvantageNA which resets his turn, heals him, and gives him 3+ seconds without blood penalties. This is effectively Nago’s win condition, and when playing defensively, something you need to avoid getting hit by at all costs. When the Blood gauge is higher Nagoriyuki's command grab becomes more rewarding as it will give him oki as well as the Blood to open up more of his frame trap options once again. As a defender, avoiding the grab with jump or backdash will become the lower risk option as Nagoriyuki will have very few options of extending combos especially without tension. Knowing when Nagoriyuki has overextended on special moves and has made Blood rage imminent will also help with defense as Nagoriyuki's only option to stop the Blood Rage activation from happening is landing his command grab and any combo he starts will be cut short from the activation animation.

Stuffing Nago's Approach

input name startup recovery invuln notes
236K Forward Fukyo - Total 25 1-25F Above Chest Increases Blood Gauge over 3 seconds (+43.2/300) Does not begin movement until Frame 7. Can cancel into Specials from Frame 14 onwards, except either variant of Fukyo Holding down K and 4 or 6 will fast cancel into their respective directions of Fukyo on Frame 14. These cancels cannot be delayed and re-inputting 214K or 236K will not perform a cancel When cancelled into a Special, imparts forward momentum into the cancelled Special Can decrease distance travelled by pressing 4 from Frame 22 onwards Fukyo Frame Advantage Chart
214K Backward Fukyo - Total 16 1-16F Above Chest Increases Blood Gauge over 3 seconds (+43.2/300) Does not begin movement until Frame 5. Can cancel into Specials from Frame 9 onwards, except either variant of Fukyo Holding down K and 4 or 6 will fast cancel into their respective directions of Fukyo on Frame 9. These cancels cannot be delayed and re-inputting 214K or 236K will not perform a cancel When cancelled into a Special, imparts backward momentum into the cancelled Special Can decrease distance travelled by pressing 6 from Frame 13 onwards Moves backwards during initial movement on frames 1~16 Decreases Tension Balance during the initial movement, for a total of -1584 Tension Balance. Increases Negative value during the initial movement, for a total 640~1328 Negative value (amount varies and increases with distance to the opponent). Cancelling Backward Fukyo's momentum by holding forward, or cancelling into another special except another Backward Fukyo on frames 14~16 will slightly reduce the penalty to both Tension Balance and Negative value. Fukyo Frame Advantage Chart

Nago's main method of traversing the stage is with his teleport special move Fukyo. He has a forwardsGGST Nagoriyuki Fukyo.pngGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 25AdvantageN/A and backwardsGGST Nagoriyuki Fukyo.pngGuardN/AStartup-RecoveryTotal 16AdvantageN/A version of the move. Forward Fukyo can be used to reset pressure or sneak in a command grab. However, Nago can’t act for 25 frames during forward Fukyo, giving you an opportunity to stuff his approach. You can do this with a fast normal such as a 5P/2P, or even throw him out of it if he teleports right up to you. This applies to blockstun as well, as even off of his heavy slash moves, you have 7 frames to punish this. The problem is, Nago can mix you up with a backwards Fukyo to try and punish you. Both directions of Fukyo have identical startup animations, so they can be confusing to react to during blockstrings. Backwards Fukyo has less recovery than the forward version, so you are likely to get whiff punished if you blindly intercept forward Fukyo before determining which version it actually is. On the other hand, if you wait long enough so that Nagoriyuki reappears after his dash you will likely not have enough time to interrupt his next attack. Since backwards Fukyo has less recovery, Nago will stay invisible for a much shorter duration compared to the forward version. You can use that fact to react to the forward Fukyo sooner than normal. Instead of waiting to see where he'll reappear, it can be better to get familiar with the timing of just the backwards one, and react to whether or not he has reappeared on time. If he hasn't reappeared on time further back, you will know it's a forward Fukyo just a little bit earlier than if you were to wait and react to him appearing in front of you.

He can also cancel both versions of Fukyo into his other special moves to frame trap you as well, so you’ll have to be especially cautious challenging Fukyo at low blood. Intercepting Fukyo is a high risk/high reward response, depending on Nago's current Blood Level. A lower risk answer though is to just avoid the possible grab with a jump in response to either Fukyo. It's nearly impossible for the Nagoriyuki player to catch your jump startup. At best you can get a jumping counter hit punish against his command grab and at worst you'll have to air block and let Nagoriyuki reset pressure. Even if you’re not confident in your reactions, BRC helps with back and forwards Fukyo punishes. Try not to let Nago just dash in for free. Whether in neutral or blockstrings, he’s gambling with his life. Limiting Fukyo will force him to use even more blood for clear entry. As mentioned before, pay close attention to Nago’s Blood Gauge. Fukyo doesn’t increase the gauge all that much, but the rest of his special moves do. When he has higher blood, he’s going to be more likely to go for a riskier command grab. He’s also going to be less inclined to use any frame trap that involves the utilization of his special moves.

Nago can cancel Fukyo into Beyblade, which allows him to travel an immense distance at the cost of nearly a bar and a half of the Blood Gauge. This is something to keep an eye out for if you’re trying to keep him at a distance. Zarameyuki (aka Clone)GGST Nagoriyuki Zarameyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 is a special move where Nago fires a body double of himself as a projectile. It clashes with other projectiles and is Nago’s primary anti-zoning tool, allowing him an opportunity to get in. If you see him toss this out from afar, it will likely be followed up with a Fukyo > Bite, so be wary of this move and jump it either backwards or forwards, or backdash. Clone into Fukyo builds up almost 1 and a half bars of the Blood Gauge, so baiting it can ruin him. He can only afford to do this twice before his Blood Gauge gets too high. Try not to block it, or you’ll be put in a deadly RPS situation. From time to time, falling down from the air with a button can be a good idea. Denying a speedy approach will put Nago near two bars by the time you engage or he does, which is a win-win situation.

Approaching Nago

If your character has fast/unique aerial approaches or long reaching/deep hiting aerial normals, you can rely on those as well. Nago's air-to-airs are poor, and he primarily has to rely on his 5PGGST Nagoriyuki 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage0 and 6PGGST Nagoriyuki 6P.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery15Advantage-6 to intercept most aerial approaches. He does have other ways to cover aerial approaches, but they all come with their own caveats. j.D is pretty decent for sniping people out of the air, but it won't lead to anything unless he's close to the corner, where he can convert from this button on the ground. 2HGGST Nagoriyuki 2HComparison.pngGuardAllStartup19Recovery29Advantage-17 is a very long reaching button that's great for covering aerial space, but it has slow start up, especially at lower blood levels. It also has a long, 29 frame recovery on whiff no matter what blood level he's at. He mostly has to use this move pre-emptively in order to anti-air with it, and it's slow startup and recovery makes mistiming or whiffing it a dangerous risk. Finally, DP has a rather tall hit box that can be used against specific aerial approaches, but this costs Blood and shouldn't really be used frequently.

Mix up your approach options between the ground and the air when he’s at high blood levels. 5HGGST Nagoriyuki 5HComparison.pngGuardAllStartup20Recovery27Advantage-14 covers a lot of horizontal space at higher blood levels. 2H covers a lot of vertical space. Like 2H, 5H leaves Nago wide open if he whiffs, as it has 27 frames of recovery. Dash blocking will generally keep you safe from 5H, and if you take to the skies and he whiffs this button, then you’ll have gotten in and you can run your offense. He can't cover both the ground and the air at the same time.

Beating Blood Rage

name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock notes
BR Activation N/A All (Guard Crush) 4+(38 Flash)+3 10 70 -12 Triggers as soon as Nagoriyuki is grounded and free to act, i.e. not during the duration of another move and not in the air. Using a Roman Cancel when the Blood Gauge is full will force a frame 1 Fast Roman Cancel Guard Crush duration: 67f

Blood Rage is a fail state for the Nagoriyuki player, but it's up to you to maximise the punishment it brings. Don't get surprised by the activation. Make sure you're watching the Blood Gauge so you can set yourself up to punish. If possible avoid blocking the activation. It's -12 on block, and while that is rather hefty, it can push you outside of c.S range. As long as your back is not up against a wall you should have time to avoid the activation with a backdash after the screen freeze. For optimizing damage off of a whiffed activation, front-load your damage to avoid guts scaling later on and be sure to use a combo that will last the full duration of the Blood Rage health drain (about 3.5 seconds). If you've missed the punish on the activation and the Nagoriyuki tries to exit Blood Rage early with his Blood Rage Overdrive, block it and you will have a full second to dash up (or Fukyo, or Hammerfall) from fullscreen and punish.

If they know they’re about to pop, some Nagos will do their best to combo INTO the Blood Rage activation as opposed to completing a combo that leads to a knockdown in order to keep the situation neutral. If you've been popped up in the corner during the Blood Rage activation, you need to be careful. Don't forget about the j.H setup mentioned during round start.

Depending on the distance between you, Nago, and the corner, you may be put in an RPS situation, or he may use the activation explosion to knock you to the other side of the screen. Also, be aware that Nago can use Faultless Defense to delay Blood Rage activation for as long as he has Tension. He can bait you into approaching and then knock you back with the activation explosion if you're not prepared for it. If you’re too far away for a punish, the next best thing you can do is chill and block low. There is no need to be a hero. When he’s in this state, there’s really nothing he can do, even with the extended reach of his normals. You can block low, anti-air his slow jump if he tries it, and not have to worry about anything. He can’t dash so he’s just stuck like this until it either runs out or he uses the Blood Rage Overdrive, which remember, is -66. However, if you DO get hit by one of his normals, remember that he can combo into the Blood Rage Overdrive with them, and likely kill you. As long as you’re blocking low, you never need to worry about this. When defending against Blood Rage just block and use Faultless Defense. FD will be your best friend during Blood Rage. Nagoriyuki gets huge chip damage in Blood Rage so you want to prevent that whenever possible.

One more thing to be aware of when Nago goes into Blood Rage is the deactivation of it as well. When Blood Rage deactivates, the screen will freeze as Nago does an animation of him putting his mask back on. This returns the situation to neutral. This is an important knowledge check to bear in mind. If Nago is being juggled in a combo, he will remain in the Blood Rage state, even if the Blood Gauge has fully drained (though his health will no longer drain). However, as SOON as he touches the ground again, the screen will freeze as Blood Rage deactivates. Get your combo in if you manage to punish Blood Rage, but if it doesn’t kill, do not attempt to greedily repressure him after the combo is finished and put yourself in a vulnerable position once Blood Rage deactivates. If Nago somehow isn’t dead after a full combo punish from Blood Rage, chances are he’s at least very close to death. Force him to approach you, and then punish his attempt to approach.

An important element to keep track of with the Blood Gauge is how it can limit Nago's offensive capabilities. While Nagoryuki likes to play at midrange when he's at level 2 and 3 Blood Rage, circumstances may make it so that he remains up close with it full, such as after a corner carry combo. In this situation, retaining pressure can be difficult due to the Blood Gauge effectively limiting his best frametrap options in his two H specials. Thus, an observant Nago player will likely either go for a Command Grab to retain pressure via emptying the gauge, pressure with H normals while fishing for a counterhit, Fukyo in for a normal grab if his opponent is at low health, or Fukyo out and try and zone you with his H normals. On defense, try to identify which of these options your opponent likes to go for and punish accordingly.

Offense


Nago's fastest button is his 5 frame 5P. His only reversal is his invincible reversal Overdrive WasureyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Wasureyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup7+(173 Flash)+2Recovery54Advantage-39. His super jump has a long start up time, and he can't use it to escape the corner. All he can really do on defense is backdash or look to punish or abare something.

Defense


Faultless Defense is essential for defending against Nagoriyuki. It will protect you from almost everything outside of the strike/throw mix forced by Clone, including the chip damage from his S and H normals. You’re pretty much always going to want to use Faultless Defense during engagements with him, especially if the other Nago's on higher Blood. It prevents him from running stagger pressure of any kind. Nago also frame trap all of his kicks and punches into 6K to create a stagger and combo into command grab. As long as you don’t mash and use FD here, you’ll be fine. Once he's been pushed out of the range of 5H, he'll have to either jump towards you (which he can't really do since it's incredibly easy to anti air him) or spend Blood in order to continue his pressure. Make him overextend during his pressure, and don't give him free opportunities to restore his Blood. When it comes to defending against Nago’s RPS situations, you can’t do the same response every single time, otherwise you risk getting blown up.

Whenever you get knocked down by Nagoriyuki, do NOT go for a wakeup throw. Upon knockdown, Nagoriyuki will go for one of two options: his command grab or a meaty c.SGGST Nagoriyuki cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3. Both of these options will beat wakeup throws. Your safest bet is to jump on wakeup, chicken block, and be ready to tech an air throw. Backdashes can be beaten because Nago can use PRC to cancel the command grab if it whiffs, and punish with a normal. Jumps can’t be true punished by the PRC however, and Nagos will generally go for the air throw upon a PRC’d command grab. If you have an invincible reversal Overdrive, it will counter all of Nagoriyuki’s strike/throw mix options. This is the only way to keep Nagos from aggressing your wake up.

Be sure to use burst if a Nago is doing a long combo or applying pressure that utilizes his special moves, as this can severely cripple him. Try and burst before he combos into f.SSS, as that will drain a lot of his blood. You need to be smart with your burst, however. Don’t *always* burst after the first two hits of his far slash rekka. This is an extremely common point where people burst, and most Nagos will bait your burst here by Fukyo-ing backwards and then forwards again. This potentially grants him a free Bite, which will just reset his blood gauge altogether.

Everything covered so far applies to Nago’s corner pressure as well. Nagoriyuki’s corner pressure might be long, but it’s limited because of the Blood Gauge. Pay attention to the spacing between you and Nago in the corner. You never want Nago to get in your face. If he’s pushed back closer to midscreen, Nago has to spend blood to keep you in the corner. When he’s at high blood, he doesn’t have too many ways to keep you in the corner without risking going into Blood Rage, especially if you’re smartly using your Faultless Defense and stuffing Fukyo. You’ll have an opportunity to jump and IAD out of the corner after he uses a very minus move, usually 6H or 2H.

Use Faultless Defense. Keep him off of you. Make him over extend. The ONLY THING you should mash is forward Fukyo.

Blocking 214H (Beyblade)

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock notes
214H Kamuriyuki 50 Low 14 5 17 -3 Increases Blood Gauge over 3s (+90/300) Airborne 5~12F Can cancel into Specials Frames 14~25, except Bloodsucking Universe and another Kamuriyuki When cancelled into a Special, imparts forward momentum into the cancelled Special Cannot cancel into specials Frames 26~35 12.5 Chip Damage on block

Nagoriyuki's 214H is -3 on block when blocked close, making it punishable by a ground throw. However, Nagoriyuki has the option to spend Blood Gauge to cancel the recovery into another special move. It's important to know which options are available to Nagoriyuki given his Blood Gauge.

The Special Cancel Frame Trap - Nagoriyuki can cancel 214H into ShizuriyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Shizuriyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-7 (623H) or ZarameyukiGGST Nagoriyuki Zarameyuki1.pngGuardAllStartup18~29RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+5 (236S) for a total of 1.8 bars of Blood Gauge. While very expensive on Blood, they lead to huge reward on hit even without spending additional Blood if in the corner. This is your main incentive to continue blocking and let Nagoriyuki reset his pressure. Always keep the Blood Gauge in mind though as this will become less threatening at high Blood due to its cost, allowing you to contest the situation at lower risk.

Respecting Back Dash Cancel - Nagoriyuki can cancel 214H into his backwards command dash leaving him +2 on block and in range for his 16/14/12F f.SGGST Nagoriyuki fS1.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery28Advantage-17, or his 12/11/10F 2SGGST Nagoriyuki 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery21Advantage-11 in the corner. Less rewarding than the frame trap, but cheaper at 1.3 bars of Blood Gauge and safer to reversals so you will see it a lot against more cautious players. If you get caught pressing a button to contest Nagoriyuki's 5P option Nagoriyuki will easily whiff punish. The combos Nagoriyuki can do at this range are all mildly Blood or tension expensive though and he already used 1.3 bars of Blood Gauge for 214H and 214K, so keep in mind the option will be less threatening when Nagoriyuki has high Blood and low tension.

Avoiding Command Grab - If you show you're willing to continue blocking, Nagoriyuki will try to open you up with his command grab. If 214H connects close, it's possible to punish it with a ground throw, though this can be heavily punished if Nagoriyuki uses a special cancel frame trap. A delayed backdash or jump can beat both the tight 623H frame trap and command grab, but both will lose to the 236S frame trap. At very high Blood levels the command grab becomes much more rewarding for Nagoriyuki and the frame traps become more of a non-option due to Blood Rage so jumping, backdashing, or jabbing become better options. If you FD Nago's 214H he will not be in range to use command grab, but he will also be out of range for you to punish 214H with a throw.

All around it's a lot more complicated RPS situation than the -3 on block would imply, but know your options and keep in mind how the Blood Gauge changes the risk/reward and you should be able to keep up.

Blocking f.SS (Advancing Slashes)

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock notes
f.S Level 1 25 All 16 3 28 -17 Lowers Blood Gauge on hit over 6 seconds (-7.2/300) Cancels into f.SS during Active Frames 2.5 Chip Damage on block
f.SS Level 1 25 All 13 3 19 -8 Lowers Blood Gauge on hit over 6 seconds (-7.2/300) Cancels into f.SSS during Active Frames 2.5 Chip Damage on block
f.SSS Level 1 25 All 14 6 35 -22 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -64.8/300, OH -115.2/300) 2.5 Chip Damage on block

The blocking situation is very similar to Nagoriyuki's 214H as described in the section above. All the same special cancel threats still apply. The main difference is Nagoriyuki is -8 off of f.SS so he cannot continue pressure with 5P like he can off of 214H in some matchups. The new option to be aware of here is f.SSS.

f.SSS Risk/Reward f.SSS is the fallback frame trap option if Nagoriyuki's Blood gauge is too high to use his better 214H or 623H frame traps. By itself it has very little reward on hit and is extremely punishing on block at -25 making it very risky. Because of this, many players will never use this follow up on block without RC to back it up. f.SSS also drains an impressive amount of the Blood gauge on block, so it won't be too uncommon for Nagoriyuki to commit to this option just for the Blood drain. In short, don't think you're safe from the frame trap when Nagoriyuki is at high Blood especially if he has tension for RC. If Nagoriyuki is at very high Blood but does not have RC available, the frame trap is riskier for Nago and therefore less likely to be used allowing you to focus on dealing with the command grab.

Characters with 6F backdashes can successfully reversal backdash this move, but since this is punishable to PRC it is not advisable without an RC of your own. f.SSS also has a very small window to delay the gatling which will catch backdashes, but this is rarely done due to execution and niche usefulness.

Avoiding Command Grab Nagoriyuki can late cancel his f.SS into command grab to catch you blocking. This is possible because the recovery animation of f.SS moves Nagoriyuki forward. If you're blocking at range, you don't need to worry about this threat. Additionally, you can FD to push Nagoriyuki out of throw range. Lastly, you can go for a fuzzy jump. If you jump precisely after the frame trap would hit, but before your block stun throw invuln wears off you can effectively beat both options. The timing is strict, but if you get it right the Nagoriyuki will be forced to delay his frame traps or make a hard read to catch you.

5H & 2H

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock notes
5H Level 1 60 All 20 6 27 -14 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 6 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F
5H Level 2 65 All 18 6 27 -14 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 9.75 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F
5H Level 3 70 All 16 6 27 -14 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 14 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F
2H Level 1 50 All 19 7 29 -17 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 5 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F
2H Level 2 55 All 17 7 29 -17 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 8.25 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F
2H Level 3 60 All 15 7 29 -17 Lowers Blood Gauge on block/hit over 6 seconds (OB -7.2/300, OH -57.6/300) 12 Chip Damage on block Hitstop: 25F

Potemkin

Potemkin is Guilty Gear's resident grappler. He cannot dash or air dash. As such, his goal is to utilize a combination of his far reaching pokes and his special moves to put you into a position where he can land one of his command grabs, Potemkin BusterGGST Potemkin Potemkin Buster Startup.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup5Recovery37Advantage- or Heavenly Potemkin BusterGGST Potemkin Heavenly Potemkin Buster.pngGuardAir ThrowStartup12+0Recovery16AdvantageN/A. Each command grab does massive amounts of damage and should be avoided at all costs. Potemkin has counter measures for most situations, but they are often too slow and committal to rely on. Leveraging, baiting, and punishing his neutral tools will allow you to safely start your turn and expose his poor defense.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Potemkin Buster/Heavenly Potemkin Buster
  • Kara Special Cancels

As mentioned before, Potemkin’s goal is to lock you down into a position where he can land one of his command grabs: Potemkin Buster or Heavenly Potemkin Buster. These are command grabs that do an immense amount of damage. Heavenly Potemkin Buster is one of Potemkin’s Overdrives. It’s an aerial command grab that does even more damage than a standard Potemkin Buster. If Potemkin has meter, don’t carelessly jump near him. Playing against Potemkin is going to be a matter of playing keep away. You don’t want to play a greedy close range game and then get grabbed. If your character has long ranged normals, projectiles, or any sort of move that avoids getting close to the character, you need to use them and keep him away. Potemkin Buster is a 5 frame grab. All it takes is 5 frames, and then you’re gonna see a lot of your health disappear. If Potemkin whiffs a Potemkin Buster, he’ll be left in a counter hit state during it’s 37 frame recovery. This is an opportunity to go for a big punish.

Potemkin is capable of kara cancelling Potemkin Buster (and all of his special moves) to increase its range. He can do this round start to catch you by surprise. Always be aware of this and keep out of the way, especially at round start.

Round Start


Potemkin's round start is weak. Most of his options are slow, and are beaten out by other buttons. The fastest reaching normal that he has at round start is his 2PGGST Potemkin 2P.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery9Advantage-1, which is 8 frames. Simply trying to hold ground with it round start can put him in a bad spot. His special moves Slide HeadGGST Potemkin Slide Head.pngGuardLowStartup29Recovery24Advantage0 and Hammer Fall each have a single hit of armor on them, which means that he can’t be hit out of these moves except with multi hitting attacks or invincible Overdrives. If he opts for either of these options round start, they both leave him open to jump-ins. Slide Head has Potemkin fall forward and creates a shockwave that hits low and fullscreen. This grants a hard knockdown on hit (but doesn’t do damage). Slide Head is an easy move to deal with, all you really need to do is either block low, backdash, or jump since it has 29 frames of start up. If Slide Head connects, Potemkin will typically use Hammer Fall to dash forward and close the distance. Hammer Fall is a move where Potemkin dashes forward, and then slams his two fists together. It’s best dealt with by blocking it. Hammer Fall is -9 on block, so you can punish this with a fast button.

He could try approaching from the air first with Mega Fist. Mega Fist has Potemkin forwardsGGST Potemkin Mega Fist.pngGuardHighStartup25Recovery16Advantage-6 or backwardsGGST Potemkin Mega Fist.pngGuardHighStartup25Recovery16Advantage-6 with a double-punch. This is a move of his you’ll see very often. It can be difficult to punish. You can’t 6P it because this move is a massive disjoint, don’t try it. You’re going to have to just block it. Forward Mega Fist is -6 on block, so you can punish him with a throw or fast button upon blocking this. It’s also -2 on hit, so if you don’t get counterhit, you can challenge him. It’s not his turn even if it lands. Like other specials, Potemkin can kara cancel Back Mega FistGGST Potemkin Mega Fist Back.pngGuardHighStartup25~27Recovery12Advantage-2 to go about half the distance of a regular Mega Fist. If Potemkin opens with a kara canceled Back Mega Fist, it's -2 on block, and he can be throw punished. If your character doesn’t have a quick button that reaches from round start, walking back will put you in a safe position to respond. If you wanna reduce risk even further, backdash is your best friend. As long as you aren’t being too conservative at round start, you should be able to safely transition to neutral.

Neutral


Since Potemkin lacks a dash or air dash and has slow walk speed, his primary methods of getting in are a combination of jumping forward, as well the previously mentioned special moves Slide Head, Hammer Fall and Mega Fist. Remember, Slide Head creates a shockwave that hits low and fullscreen. While it is easy to defend against it, you do need to make sure you don't get hit by that shockwave. If you do get hit by it, Potemkin will have a chance to get in on you using Hammer Fall and you'll be placed in a position where Potemkin can enact his deadly strike/throw game. It’s worth jumping consistently if you’re a solid distance away from him to avoid Slide Head. You can also air dash forward and attack as well because this move has 28 frames of recovery.

Be wary when Potemkin has Tension, as he can PRC Hammer Fall into a Potemkin Buster. You really need to keep an eye out for this if he has Tension. It’s very fast. If you just block Hammer Fall, he can cancel the recovery of it with a red Roman Cancel into Garuda ImpactGGST Potemkin Garuda Impact.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup28Recovery24Advantage+19. This is Potemkin’s most oppressive oki tool. He leans back and launches a blast of fire from his gauntlet. On hit, it’ll put you in a stagger state. When blocked, this move builds up RISC, has ridiculous chip damage, and causes a guard crush. In addition to that, he can also Kara Cancel this move like Pot Buster and Mega Fist. (More info on dealing with this in the “Surviving Against Garuda Impact” section down below). If the Pot messes up and cancels into this with a purple Roman Cancel instead, it’s not safe, and you can challenge it. If you jump to avoid Hammer Fall in neutral, Pot can cancel it into a Heavenly Potemkin Buster. It’s difficult, but if you’re trying to maintain distance and avoid a Hammer Fall approach when he has meter, the best thing to do would be to time a backdash to avoid the PRC Hammer Fall.

If you try to challenge Hammer Fall, he can cancel into his Overdrive Giganter KaiGGST Potemkin Giganter Kai.pngGuardAllStartup10+1Recovery17Advantage+100. For this Overdrive, Potemkin unleashes an electrical shock all around him, while also summoning a slow-moving energy shield to assist him. Giganter Kai essentially grants Potemkin full control of neutral. It does not disappear until either it's 481 frame duration is over or until it lands three hits on the opponent. The hits can be blocked, but up close, Potemkin can put you in a high/low situation with his 5DGGST Potemkin 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery21Advantage-15 or set up a simultaneous high/low strike/throw situation after the end of the move. You can try and chicken block, but if Potemkin reads it, he can either lock you down in the air by spamming j.PGGST Potemkin j.P.pngGuardHighStartup7Recovery6Advantage+6 (Min. height) or he can go for an air throw or Heavenly Potemkin Buster if he has 100 Tension. It’s generally a pretty scary situation to be in all around. You could burst Pot away, but you don’t wanna burst until Giganter Kai ends since the energy field won’t go away even if you burst him. Until the end of Giganter Kai, block low, react high if he tries to hit you with 5D and then either burst or jump at the end of the Overdrive. Potemkin can’t grab you with either Pot Buster or a regular grab until the end of the move thanks to throw invulnerability.

If Potemkin is spamming Mega Fist as a means to approach, a tactic you can do to get around it is dashing underneath him and causing a cross up. Then you can follow it up with pretty much anything. Mega Fist also loses to specific air to airs. Lab with your character and find out what aerial moves will work against this. Just be aware that like Potemkin Buster, this move can also be kara canceled, which will allow him to travel a farther distance than normal. If he’s right on top of you, it’s definitely your turn to hit him. If he lands this move with the tip of his hands, he’s spaced the move properly, and you don’t want to press any buttons. Instead, backdash, because he’ll likely attempt to Pot Buster you.

If his specials are getting consistently stuffed, Potemkin might try to get in by jumping a lot and using his aerial attacks, in particular, j.HGGST Potemkin j.H.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery16Advantage+15 (Min. height). This normal hits on both sides of Potemkin. You can counter this with well timed anti-airs (such as a 5P or 6P) or completely distance yourself entirely.

Some Pot players will intentionally use Heavenly Potemkin Buster to close the gap if you’re trying to keep your distance. They’ll land with j.DGGST Potemkin j.D.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery9 After landingAdvantage+1 (IAS) and try to get you with that. Position yourself in a way that you don’t get crossed up and punish this accordingly if you see players just throwing out HPB like that.

F.D.B. (aka Flick)GGST Potemkin FDB.pngGuardAllStartup18~36Recovery19Advantage-6 is a special move that lets Pot reflect incoming projectiles. Solely relying on projectiles to keep Pot out isn’t necessarily the best way to do so. Up close, it can be used in blockstrings, and is -6. It is vulnerable to 3 frame buttons, 6Ps and low profiles.

Finally, be wary of Potemkin's pokes. 2SGGST Potemkin 2S.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery18Advantage-4, f.SGGST Potemkin f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-8, and 5HGGST Potemkin 5H.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery25Advantage-11. These can ALL be beaten by 6P. Space yourself around is his 2DGGST Potemkin 2S.pngGuardAllStartup14Recovery18Advantage-4. On hit, or block, Potemkin will be able to get his pressure started, however, it has 18 frames of recovery, giving you time to whiff punish, or set up one of your slower special moves uncontested. Properly using 6P and spacing outside 2D expose another weakness of his neutral structure: without meter, if he has to come to you, his options are linear and risky. Patience on top of a health lead often force Pot to flail around to make something happen.

Offense


Potemkin absolutely falls apart on defense. He can’t mash out of strike/throw pressure with his fastest button, his 5 frame 5PGGST Potemkin 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery6Advantage+1, because it whiffs on lows. Adjusting your strike/throw pressure to stay low profile means he has to rely on his backdash. It has 6 frames of invincibility, but staying low profile and covering it isn’t too hard. Combined with his 5 frame pre-jump animation, Pot may look to reversal Mega Fist to get out of trouble. Both forwards and backwards Mega Fist can be frametrapped and leave him in a counter hit state. If there’s anything you should learn, it’s how to trap a reversal Mega Fist. This will counter any desperate attempts to use armor specials as well.

Defense


What to Do When Pot Closes the Gap

If Potemkin ever manages to close the gap, you need to utilize your dashes, specifically your backdash, or air dash over him. Dashing is going to make him whiff and provide you an opportunity to punish. Neutral jumping can also be a way to avoid him. If he’s hitting you with normals, wait for the blockstring to finish, and then jump when there’s a gap, because usually at that time, Potemkin will be buffering a Potemkin Buster. You need to be careful, though, as he does have other options and he can potentially read this. He could use Heat KnuckleGGST Potemkin Heat Knuckle 1.pngGuardAir Guard CrushStartup12Recovery18Advantage+10~+3 to grab you out of the air. In the corner, this move will also lead to a wallbreak. Despite the fact that the move involves Potemkin grabbing, it is not actually considered a grab and can be blocked. However, blocking this move will put you in a guard crush state where you can’t move or YRC until the state is over. It will also pull you towards him for a strike/throw mix. You’ll be taking a lot of damage if you guess wrong. You’ll have to be wary of this in addition to Heavenly Potemkin Buster as well, so jump sparingly when Pot is up close. The worst thing you can do is panic and default to holding up and back.

If you’re in a blockstring, block low and respond appropriately when it comes to the few overheads he has, like 5D or Mega Fist. At worst, a backwards Mega Fist will be -2, but remember that forwards Mega Fist is -6 on block. You also need to keep an eye out for 6KGGST Potemkin 6K.pngGuardAllStartup22Recovery18Advantage-6. 6K can be special canceled into Flick or Garuda Impact. Pot can put you in a 50/50 situation here. The options that could challenge Flick will lose to Garuda Impact due to the pushback/disjoint. You also can’t jump here, because there’s a 4 frame gap that will catch jump outs. The best thing to do in this situation is to use Faultless Defense. While Pot can special cancel 6K into various follow ups, he cannot kara cancel these, so FD will buy you enough space that his turn is over. You can also use your Burst to send him flying back and reset neutral. Use this last, or in an emergency situation though, as this is a limited resource.

Surviving Against Garuda Impact

Potemkin will most often use Garuda Impact as a meaty after a hard knockdown, either from Slide Head or 2D. If you’re in the corner, Pot will also often attempt to go for it after a 6K, as previously mentioned. Garuda Impact has a slow start up of 28 frames, which is why it’s best used as a meaty. If a Potemkin is using this in a situation where it’s NOT a meaty, it can be jumped over or backdashed. Blocking it leads to a lot of problems. It’s +19 on block. This leads to over a third of a second where he has advantage over you, and most times Potemkin will follow up Garuda with another Garuda. If there’s no doubt he’ll do Garuda into Garuda, you can jump out of it. If he goes into it from a 6K, note that 6K is -6 on block. Combined with the 28 frame start up, you have plenty of time to jump out of this situation. On knockdown, however, don’t try to jump immediately. Since it’s usually used as a meaty, it’ll catch you if you try. Then you’ll get stunned, and hit with a Pot Buster. You’ll have to time your jump well.

In the corner, after either a Pot Buster or a regular throw into an OTG c.SGGST Potemkin c.S.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery11Advantage+4/6K, Garuda can hit meaty enough that Pot can do a second Garuda that can also catch attempted jump outs. After the second Garuda, they can cancel into 6K, which will catch all escape options. You’ll be put into the same 50/50 as previously mentioned, so remember to use Faultless Defense. You can’t hold up-back to jump out of it either, you’ll have to manually time your jump. Though, if they kara cancel it, that will give you time to hold up-back out of it. If you block two Garuda Impacts and they go for a third, you can jump out here too.

If your character has an invincible reversal, then it will clash. If it has multiple hits, it will proceed to hit Potemkin as well. If Potemkin is very close, there will be no clash at all, the invincible move will just win clean. Though bear in mind that this shouldn’t be your go to always on wake up, as DPs are throwable on wake up, so you can be Pot Bustered if you always try this. If moves clash, it can immediately be canceled into another move. This is another thing to be wary of, as your invincible can clash with Garuda, and then Potemkin can immediately cancel into a Heavenly Pot Buster, however, you can ALSO mash out a fast button and stuff it. These are all of your primary options for dealing with this move. However, it’s best to use Burst here and get out of the situation entirely.

Ramlethal Valentine

Ramlethal’s goal is to use her disjointed normals, as well as her special moves Bajoneto (aka Sword Toss) and Eralumo (Rekka)GGST Ramlethal Valentine Erarlumo 1.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery12Advantage-5 to force you into the corner, where she can then apply her nearly infinite corner pressure on you that can be extremely difficult and risky to escape from. Because of her disjointed buttons, she’s a character that’s really difficult to Burst. She also has high movement speed and incredibly high damage output, making her one of the most dangerous characters in the game.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Brigadier Swords

Ramlethal is built around her two familiars and the large swords they carry for her. Her S button and H button moves are mapped to one of her two swords, and using Bajoneto will launch them. Launched swords change the properties of her moves that use either one or both of her swords. The swords will return to Ramlethal after a delay, but can also be picked up by walking or dashing over them.

Round Start


Ram’s round start isn't the greatest. She has no lows that reach from round start. Only her f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13] and 5HGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5H.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery28Advantage-12 [-13] (which have 11/12 frames of startup) reach and can be beaten with 6P or starters under 10 frames. Knowing this, Rams can try to whiff punish by walking back and waiting to see if you press somethng first before pressing either of these buttons. She could try to stuff farther reaching pokes with 5KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-2. This can also cause certain lows to whiff. She could also hold her ground with 2SGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-5 [-8], a fast (10 frames) and large disjoint that will stuff almost any immediate round start button. It does lose to buttons that reach from round start that are faster than it, such as Chipp’s f.S or Sol’s 6H, and it can be low crushed with buttons like Nagoriyuki’s 5K. It has 18 frames of recovery, so it can also be easily whiff punished.

She could instead try to gain initiative with an aerial approach where her options are slow and linear. Her air dash is slow so to land safely, she’ll try to cover her landing with j.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine jS.pngGuardHighStartup12Recovery24Advantage+5 (IAD) or j.HGGST Ramlethal Valentine jH.pngGuardHighStartup19Recovery31Advantage-. j.S has long range and good hitboxes which make it hard to anti air. When dealing with Ram’s aerial approach, you have two options:

  • Contest the landing with a 6P punish. Perfect if your character can convert meaningfully.
  • Jump around her landing button and begin your offense from there.

The worst thing you can do is block her jump-ins or contest her disjointed aerials. Both push you towards the corner, which will give her easier access to her win condition.

Some Rams like to be cheeky and start rounds off with SabrobatoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Sabrubato S-less H-less.pngGuardAllStartup19Recovery42Advantage-27 [-27] {-32}. It has a 19 frame start up and is a giant attack that can catch an opponent off-guard from afar. However, it’s very punishable, at -27 on block. She's not super likely to use this at round start as a result, but it leads to very strong reward for her, and is something to keep in mind. It's much better post wallbreak, when Ram has Tension. She can use drift RC to get in close and immediately apply her Rekka pressure on you. Be aware and be prepared.

In conclusion, cycle between immediate 6P and walking back to either whiff punish her 2S or 6P her aerial approach.

Neutral


It is extremely important that you avoid getting put into the corner at all costs. Putting you into the corner is Ramlethal's win condition. Her corner pressure is extensive and very difficult to defend against or escape. You need to play a passive, yet strong footsies game, and counter poke and contest her approach. If you succeed, then get in and maintain up-close pressure as much as you possibly can. As mentioned, she has two primary ways of getting you into the corner: strings that lead into Sword Toss and strings that lead into her Rekka.

The Sword Toss will carry you far on hit and push you back far on block. After launching the swords, they’ll be embedded in the ground. If they make contact with the corner, they’ll be embedded in the wall and explode after a short moment, giving Ram automatic combos on hit and an opportunity to reset pressure when blocked. Once Ramlethal has launched them, however, she'll lose the disjoints she relies on to control space in neutral and make her difficult to challenge, so she can't recklessly toss them out. If the Sword Toss gets blocked or dodged, she can be gatekept from her tossed sword and left at a disadvantage.

Her 3-hit Rekka is her most important tool midscreen. She can combo into it after 2KGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery9Advantage-2 > 2DGGST Ramlethal Valentine 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery19Advantage-8. You need to be afraid of 2K > 2D because if she scores it, not only is she going to carry you towards the corner, but she’ll also get a ton of Tension. (More info on dealing with this in the Defense section).

Ramlethal thrives at controlling the mid range thanks to her large disjointed buttons. Her f.S and j.S are both excellent normals. They are fairly fast, have a long range and are difficult to deal with since they’re disjointed. Learning the range of those normals is very important as they are at the core of Ramlethal's neutral game. f.S is her best poke, but as mentioned during round start, it's weak to 6P. However Ram's f.S is too fast to react to, so 6P is relegated to a read/prediction option. She can gatling into 5H from f.S, either immediately, or after a delay to catch you mashing.

If the Ramlethal player is always going into f.S > 5H without ever delaying the gatling or going into a special. The entire roster can punish the 5H with blue roman cancel drift forward after blocking. Some characters can also punish without having to spend meter and even if you don't use BRC, you can easily take your turn back. Most Ramlethal players will delay f.S > 5H because of this to try and catch the opponent moving or trying to punish. This however gives more options to the defender. If Ram does f.S > dl 5H, you can use 6P to stuff the 5H. Once these options have been forced the Ramlethal player then has to sometimes end their blockstring in f.S only or take a risk with a Special. If they don't delay the 5H, as long as you're delaying your 6P, then you will always block. However there is a tight frame where they can frame trap to leave a small gap where it will punish 6P mashing. In those instances you also have DP/reversal Overdrive if Ram gets too close. Try and dash block during the delay. The closer you are to Ram, the more likely you can punish the extended hurtbox on her normals. Her f.S has 21 frames of recovery, so if she whiffs it, she’s left wide open for a punish. Try and play footsies just outside of the range of her f.S so that it’s easier to whiff punish her if she throws it out. If you try and go for an IAD punish after a whiffed f.S, she can mash 6P and get a huge reward if she counter hits you. Keep this and mind, and alternate your whiff punish attempts between the ground and air. She can’t cover both at once.

Aside from f.S, she could also poke by dashing into 2K. Remember, you need to avoid 2K as much as possible since it can gatling into her rekka, which she can use to carry you into the corner. Ram may also try to go into 2K > 2D from Slido Detruo (Flip Kick)GGST Ramlethal Valentine Sildo Detruo.pngGuardAllStartup22Recovery17Advantage-2 in order to get the rekka pressure going. The Flip Kick is +1 on block and forces you into a crouching state on hit. However, this move does not hit high. You can block this while crouching. You can go for a grab if you instant block it as well. While you can block it, doing so isn’t really advisable since again, she can go into her rekka pressure from it. It’s better to anti-air her or avoid the move entirely. Ram can use this after jumping in the air, which can make it difficult to anti-air, but easier to avoid.

Finally, as a reminder, be wary of Saborobato when Ram has Tension. Unless you hit can hit Ram before it reaches you (which, depending on spacing, you likely can't), you cannot contest this move because the hitbox is all disjoint. Always try to keep this in the back of your mind.

Offense


Ram is weakest with her back to the wall and fighting at close range. Her 5K and 2K are barely keep out tools. If you have a fast button that will move your lower hurtbox (like Nagoriyuki’s 5K for example), you can use that to beat 2K. They also don’t reliably gatling into her 2D or 6P from farther away. This forces her to rely on stagger pressure a lot or take a risk with her unsafe special moves. When you’ve boxed her into the corner, prioritize keeping her there over getting a hit. At some point, she will have to gamble to get out, effectively handing you her health bar. She may try to use the Flip Kick to escape the corner, so try to react to it by anti-airing while on the ground or intercepting her jump before she can get this out.

You do need to be very cautious of her invincible reversal Overdrive MortobatoGGST Ramlethal Valentine Mortobato.pngGuardAllStartup7+2Recovery51Advantage-38 [-38] {-43} when applying pressure to her, however. It hits far in front and above Ram, so you need to be careful with your pressure. This is her only invincible reversal. You need to be wary of her Tension as she tends to do this when waking up from a knockdown. It’s -30 on block, making it a free punish. From a hard knockdown, a well timed cross up forces the move to whiff entirely. The best thing to do is treat it like a Burst or DP: bait it out and punish. You can also punish this with an invincible reversal super of your own by inputting it after you see the flash for hers.

Defense


Defending Against Rekka Pressure

There is a gap between all of the rekka hits. The second hit is -10/-12 on block depending on the delay. You can get a guaranteed reversal Overdrive on block here. On the first and second hit of the rekka, she can do a special cancel and dash after the move comes out. She can also chain the dash cancel into a special cancel, meaning she can do the first hit of the rekka, dash, and start it up again, chaining the first hits of the rekka together if she so wishes. If she’s close enough, she can be thrown in between the first and second rekka. If you manage to instant block any part of this, it’ll make it a lot easier to throw her out of it. If she combos into the first rekka hit after 2K > 2D, this is a good opportunity to buffer an instant block. The third hit from the rekka leads to a soft knockdown.

Escaping Corner Pressure Part 1

If Ram is up close and applying pressure in the corner, this is the worst situation you can find yourself in. This is her win condition. When she’s applying her pressure, you can NOT just jump or challenge with buttons. Instead, use Faultless Defense to push her out. If she goes for her rekka, remember your options for defending against it. There are a few different blockstrings that Ramlethal will rely on to keep you jailed in the corner, both of which start with c.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1. Burst/YRC are also strong tools to get out of this situation. There are ways to use them more effectively against Ram’s corner pressure. Wait and use them after H Sword Toss, when she doesn’t have both Swords. She can bait you if you use them immediately after the Sword Toss, but she can’t bait for very long if she wants to continue running her pressure.

The first string Ramlethal uses is c.S > f.S > 5H > H Sword Toss or c.S > 5H > H Sword Toss. These strings are both knowledge checks. H Sword Toss is +3 on block and can keep you jailed thanks to the sword explosion. You can jump or dash out right after blocking the sword, but before the explosion to escape. However, Ram can use S Sword Toss to lock you down. You can double jump to avoid the S Sword, but a smart Ram player rarely throws both swords and after a double jump, you are an easy target for an anti air. If she does throw both swords to pin you down, be wary of a dash up into grab, and try to jump or tech it. Certain characters like Sol and Giovanna can use their lowered run hurtbox to slip under S Sword.

You have a number of options when it comes to handling H Sword in the corner. If she’s in your face, you can YRC or use an invincible reversal, however, Ram can bait these options and these options will also whiff if Ram is standing further away. If she’s farther away, you can escape after blocking H Sword with either of the two following methods before the explosion locks you down:

  • Escape going high with a superjump
  • Escape going low by dashing out. Dash macro is a life saver here.

Using Faultless Defense here on these strings will push Ramlethal out far. Because of this dashing forward and blocking can often be the best solution to see what the Ramlethal player is going to do. This creates a 50/50, where Ram has to guess whether your escape route will be high or low. She can’t cover both options. If she guesses low, she’ll use a f.S to keep you jailed. If she guesses high, she’ll jump and mash j.PGGST Ramlethal Valentine jP.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery8Advantage- to keep you jailed. Even if she does, she cannot pickup the sword as you both land without leaving a big gap. If your character does not have a dash you can jump and you only have to worry if Ram tries to j.P you.

You could also potentially bait her to pressure you after without her precious H Sword when using Faultless Defense before the Sword Toss. If she gatlings into 5H without the sword, she is -13 on block, and can't cancel into any of her Special Moves without some risk. This includes her special move Dauro, a combo ender and frametrap option that’s -10 on block.

Certain special moves can also be used to escape and counter attack. Nagoriyuki can use Clone to nullify the explosion from the Sword Toss. Ky can use Foudre Arc and even if Ram blocks it, he has an opportunity to start running his pressure. Experiment with your character’s options and see what you can do.

Be patient, wait for the Sword Toss and mixup your escape options.

Escaping Corner Pressure Part 2

The other string she could do is c.S > close range H Sword Toss. Better Rams are more likely to use this string instead. She has multiple options she can do after the Sword Throw here.

She could do c.S > H Sword Toss > 2K > Sword Explosion > Dash~c.S. Since H Sword Toss is +3, she can then do 2K which will catch prejump frames and if the 2K is blocked, then the the sword will explode after, leaving Ramlethal at +10. After this the Ramlethal player can dash in and continue pressure. This string frametraps all the way, and can be looped into itself. You can’t jump or mash, no matter which part of the string it is. Furthermore, Ram can throw at ANY point of the block string. This is very scary pressure to deal with but when defending you have several options.

  • If your character has a DP, they’re good to use here as every part of this string has gaps. However, DPs don’t have enough invulnerability to beat the explosion.
  • Faultless Defense in general is useful against this string. From a knockdown though, Ram’s dash momentum beats FD.
  • Ram’s strike/throw is pretty difficult to react to in this string, but if she’s dashing after H Sword Toss, jumping beats whatever she’s trying to do.
  • 6P beats c.S > H Sword Toss cleanly, but she can beat that with c.S > 6HGGST Ramlethal Valentine 6H.pngGuardAllStartup18Recovery33Advantage-16 [-18], c.S > delay 2S, or just delaying the H Sword Toss. However, these strings are weak to Faultless Defense, allowing you to jump or dash before the explosion. Even on wake up, with dash momentum, Ram is pushed out too far to frametrap with 2K. This brings us back to the same guessing game from the previous string: you’ll have to choose between going high with jump or low with dash.
  • If you manage to IB c.S, Ram will be in throw range. The gap between c.S > H Sword Toss is long enough for you to get a throw in. Ram can still frametrap with 2S, however.
  • If Ram dashes up to do a c.S after the sword explosion, she can be thrown here as long as you’ve been using Faultless Defense to guarantee a gap in her pressure. She can try to do a c.S outside of throw range, but this doesn’t let her loop back sword pressure.
  • Stand block FD is a very good option if you know they will not go for 2S > H Sword Toss during pressure resets. The reason being is stand block has more pushback than crouch blocking, which will push Ramlethal fairly far away unless they did a dash-in, which then allows you to jump after the H Sword is blocked.

Ram can kara dash cancel into H Sword Toss after the c.S to beat Faultless Defense. You can throw between dash momentum c.S > kara dash H Sword Toss, or just throw the post explosion dash up > c.S. Also, with or without Faultless Defense, c.S > kara dash H Sword Toss is just as weak to 6P.

Defending Against Calvados

Calvados (aka Laser Overdrive)GGST Ramlethal Valentine Calvados.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup11+13Recovery17Advantage+16 is a fullscreen laser blast that Guard Crushes on block. It's +16 on block due to Guard Crush and thus cannot be punished if blocked. It has 24 frames of startup and hits under normal jump height, so if you’re low on health, double jump most of it, then block with Faultless Defense to prevent the chip damage. Ram will generally only use this to break the wall, or whiff punish moves with extremely long recovery, she'll likely never use this in neutral. If she does, you can punish it by jumping after the super flash and IADing into an aerial move if close enough. Some characters can use an extra air special move to stay airborne longer and get a better punish, so make sure to check what your character can do.

Extra Counterplay Resources

Ramlethal Counterplay document

Sin Kiske

Sin’s goal is to whiff punish you or stuff your approach with his far reaching (but slow) normals, and then convert into his special moves and their optional follow-ups to carry you into the corner. From there, he can use his c.SGGST Sin Kiske cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 or 2SGGST Sin Kiske 2S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery13Advantage-5 in conjunction with his specials/follow-ups for very strong okizeme as well as frame trap focused pressure. Sin can only do his special move follow-ups at the cost of the Stamina meter. His pokes are very negative on block, and depending on the distance, very punishable. In a lot of situations, he’ll need to use his specials and their follow-ups to keep himself safe or continue his turn. This leaves a lot of gaps and opportunities for you to take your turn back.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Stamina
  • Still GrowingGGST Sin Kiske 63214P.pngGuard-StartupRecoveryTotal 49Advantage-

Stamina is a unique resource that allows Sin to use Follow-ups after any of his special moves (other than Still Growing) on hit or block. The Follow-ups for each special move are unique moves themselves, and have a variety of uses ranging from combo extenders to Guard Crushing pressure extenders. He also has access to a command dash Follow-up in Gazelle Step opening up mix-ups, pressure resets, and combo routes. It’s an important tool of Sin’s in order to maintain his pressure, especially after midscreen special follow-ups since just about all of the follow-ups to Sin’s special moves sends his opponents far away. However, it is throw punishable on reaction. If the Stamina Gauge does not have at least 1 Bar filled, Sin will be unable to cancel his special moves, weakening his offense or leaving him open to punishment.

Still Growing is a special move where Sin will eat a random food item. This random food item grants him a random effect with a random potency and a random duration from 2-6 seconds. The effect of the food varies from irrelevant to fairly decent. This special move has 49 frames of recovery, and because of the random nature and the buffs and their miniscule benefits, this is rarely worth using unless it’s completely free of risk. It’s not really something you have to worry about.

Round Start


Sin doesn’t have strong round start options. Most of the normals that would reach the opponent from round start are too slow, and are likely to get beaten. However, remember, Sin’s goal is to whiff punish. It’s not necessarily wise to always press a button round start. Sin could do a slightly delayed 2S or a slight walk back and then 2S in order to punish slower or more far reaching buttons. 6PGGST Sin Kiske 6P.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-12 beats a lot of mids and is a really big anti-air. It also easily converts into Beak DriverGGST Sin Kiske 236H.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery22Advantage-14 and its Follow-upGGST Sin Kiske 236HH.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery9Advantage-3, allowing Sin to easily start running his pressure and push you towards the corner. Beak Driver is a long range poke and pressure extender. He extends his hurtbox with this move, making it vulnerable to 6Ps or other disjointed pokes It’s also -14 on block, and has 22 frames of recovery. Sin can’t afford to whiff this, and on block, he has to cancel into its follow-up (which is -3) or Gazelle Step in order to keep himself safe.

He might occasionally dash into Hawk BakerGGST Sin Kiske 623S 2.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery36Advantage-26 or Gold Burst to deter people who constantly like to mash round start. However, this is very risky, and not something Sin should be doing constantly. Hawk Baker is a two-hitting invincible reversal DP. It is -26 on block, so while you could punish it like a traditional DP, it’s not recommended to do so when Sin has Stamina, because he can frame trap it with its Follow-upGGST Sin Kiske 623SS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery33Advantage-19. There is a 16 frame gap between the first and second hits. When trying to punish Hawk Baker, you should always punish that gap in-between the hits as opposed to after it recovers, so that you don’t have to worry about being frametrapped by its follow-up.

Otherwise, Sin’s main goal at round start is getting out safely, since his round start’s not good compared to most of the cast. He’ll likely rotate his options between just walking back, backdashing since Sin’s backdash travels far, or an IAD backwards in order to create space.

Neutral


Sin's primary goal in neutral is to whiff punish. You have to play neutral with him similarly to how you would play neutral with Giovanna. Keep him out, try to outpoke him, and don't use moves with long recovery. Elk HuntGGST Sin Kiske 236K 2.pngGuardLowStartup21Recovery15Advantage-8 is Sin’s best neutral tool. It's a fast dash attack that hits low and can low profile a lot of midrange pokes. Elk Hunt by itself is -8 on block, but its Follow-UpGGST Sin Kiske 236KK.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup13Recovery20Advantage+8 is +8 on block and Guard Crushes. Sin can cancel this into Gazelle Step at the cost of two Stamina bars to approach while maintaining large frame advantage. Sin wants to fish for a hit with Elk Hunt since it lets him start running his RPS pressure, especially when he’s at full Stamina. This is the primary way Sin sets up his offense.

Otherwise, Sin will mainly be standing a solid distance away from you, watching what you do, and poking with 2S to deter approaches. He wants to get you to block his specials, because with them, he can initiate very potent RPS pressure from a far distance. Play neutral outside of the range of Elk Hunt and Beak Driver. Elk Hunt travels a set distance. It has 24 frames of start up in addition to the travel time it would take for Sin to reach you at longer distances. From up close, it is possible to throw Sin out of Elk Hunt but it’s harder to do so from farther away. At longer distances, check for it with 2K or another fast low button. You need to be on the look out for this move and avoid it or throw him out of it whenever you can.

Beak Driver has 22 frames of recovery, so take that opportunity to advance. You can whiff punish it with advancing special moves like Sol's Night Raid Vortex or Ky's Stun Dipper. Beak Driver is not at all disjointed and greatly extends his hurt box, making it fairly easy to whiff punish. Try to make it whiff. Avoid blocking it, if you do, Sin can use either its follow-up or Gazelle Step in order to get in on you and start running his offense. He could delay either of those options. Or he could just do nothing and bait you into throwing out something unsafe. Sin can really make you explode if he guesses right.

Sin’s specials by themselves are generally punishable. He needs to do the Follow-Ups to make himself safe depending on the distance between you and him. He should never be throwing out specials if he has no Stamina. If he’s out of Stamina in neutral, he’ll likely start to back off, make some distance, and play passively. He might IAD back > j.HGGST Sin Kiske jH.pngGuardHighStartup11Recovery26Advantage+3 (IAD) or use 2S to control space and buy himself time for the Stamina Gauge to replenish. This is your opportunity to get in on him.

Offense


Sin's fastest button that he can mash is his 5 frame 2PGGST Sin Kiske 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery9Advantage-2. He also has the previously discussed invincible reversal Hawk Baker. He has a very poor backdash. It’s really slow to recover, and leaves him very vulnerable, meaning he can’t use it as an option in the corner.

Defense


Sin’s close range pressure is very dangerous because it heavily revolves around RPS. Remember, all of Sin’s special Follow-Ups can be delayed. He can vary his timing with the Follow-Ups to condition you to keep blocking his pressure. He can get very strong conversions from counter hits this way, and fishing for counter hits is primarily what Sin is trying to do. It’s when Sin gets in that you’re going to want to look for an opportunity to Burst and reset back to neutral, just be smart about when you use it so it doesn’t get baited. Otherwise, there are things that you can do to make his pressure harder for him. When blocking, make sure to use Faultless Defense. It’ll push him out far and force him to overextend his pressure, usually at the cost of Stamina. Remember to keep an eye out for either Elk Hunt or Gazelle Step during his pressure and throw him out of those moves.

Sin’s c.SGGST Sin Kiske cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+1 is +1. He has numerous frametrap options from this button, including:

  • His 5 frame 2P, which he can use to check your jump/mash.
  • His 2HGGST Sin Kiske 2H 2.pngGuardLow, AllStartup14Recovery27Advantage-16 and his 5HGGST Sin Kiske 5H 2.pngGuardAllStartup16Recovery18Advantage-2 which he can convert into for big damage.
  • Hoof StompGGST Sin Kiske 214S 2.pngGuardHighStartup21Recovery22Advantage-11 an overhead that crushes lows.
  • 6KGGST Sin Kiske 6K.pngGuardLowStartup21Recovery10Advantage+3, which launches upwards on hit and leads to massive reward.
  • 2S to bait out invincible reversals.
  • Dashing in for a throw.
  • Reset the threat of his frametrap options by dashing in and doing c.S over and over.

This is what makes Sin’s close range pressure so strong. It’s built entirely around keeping you guessing what he’ll do and when he’ll do it.

  • Sin’s 5H and 2H are both two-hitting normals. Sin can cancel the second hit into any of his special moves, but if he doesn't, the timing of the second hit can't be delayed and will always be the same. This leaves these buttons very vulnerable to instant blocking.
  • Since his 2H is a low, when combined with Hoof Stomp, he can threaten a high/low mix. Hoof Stomp does have 21 frames of startup, so it can be interrupted with a quick button such as 5P, 5K, or invincible reversal if you react in time. Hoof Stomp is -11 on block, but it also has a Follow-UpGGST Sin Kiske 214SS.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery22Advantage-8 that he can use to frame trap. It’s -8 but it has enormous pushback so it's difficult to punish unless it’s Instant Blocked.
  • His 6K has a slow, 21 frames start up, but it’s +3 on block, so try to interrupt it during its start up.
  • Aside from Hawk Baker, all of Sin’s special moves lose to invincible reversals on start up. However, he can also use 2S to keep himself safe and bait it out. Never input one after blocking 2S.
  • As long as you're using Faultless Defense, you can increase the distance Sin would have to travel in order to get you with a tick throw or additional c.S.

Countering Gazelle Step

While Gazelle may seem like a major threat on defense, it is generally a knowledge check that can be easily beaten by fuzzy throw (mashing throw the moment you see Sin move). All of Sin's specials have quite distinct animations, meaning that when he cancels into Gazelle, you can react to the very first frame. Canceling into Gazelle is negative after every special (excluding Elk Hunt's followup
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) and 24 frames long, so you can simply throw Sin out of Gazelle on reaction (or throw tech on a late reaction). All of Sin's special's followups are completely unreactable, so if Sin does a special followup and you react with throw, you'll press during hitstop When a character is hit, both characters are stopped in place to visualize the hit and give feeling of impact. Hitstop describes this phenomenon. Typically hitstop affects both players equally, but this is not always true. For example an attack may cause the opponent to be in hitstop longer than the player, or in cases of most projectiles, the attacker does not experience hitstop at all. or blockstun When a character successfully blocks an attack while standing or crouching, the defender is forced into a stun animation for a set period of time where they are incapable of acting. This period of time is called blockstun., causing the move to not come out at all. Therefore, if you press throw on reaction to Sin moving after a special, you'll punish gazelle and block any special followup. This effectively allows you to counter the main mixup Sin gains from you blocking specials with essentially no risk, forcing him to rely on much more risky stagger pressure in those situations. Fuzzy throw also works when he cancels into gazelle on the first hit of specials (non-followups).

Understanding How Sin Uses His Resources on Offense

Make sure you're watching the Stamina Gauge. Since Sin has no way to restore the Stamina Gauge outside of just waiting, you can come to an understanding of what options Sin will be likely to go for and when. Sin can use Tension as a substitute for Stamina in situations where he lacks it. For example, Sin will be a lot less likely to go for Hoof Stomp mid screen, because in order to get anything meaningful off of it, he’d have to use two bars of Stamina. In fact, it’s generally not worth it for him to go for Hoof Stomp unless he has the Tension to RC since the ONLY thing he can convert into off of Hoof Stomp is either the Follow-Up or Gazelle Step.

As mentioned before, Sin’s specials are generally punishable and he needs to do the follow-ups to make himself safe depending on the distance between you and him. If he runs out of Stamina when he’s running his pressure, he'll try to make distance and keep himself safe using the methods mentioned before in the neutral section.

Midscreen, Sin can do strings into his invincible Overdrive R.T.LGGST Sin Kiske 632146H.pngGuardAllStartup11+5Recovery25+32 After LandingAdvantage-55. It's similar to Ky's Ride the Lightning, but unlike that Overdrive, Sin can change the trajectory of the attack up to two times. It can be a strong whiff punish tool thanks to its corner carry. Like his special moves, R.T.L. also has a Follow-UpGGST Sin Kiske 632146HH.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery39+15 After LandingAdvantage-43 which is a large explosion. Sin needs more than 50% Tension in order to do the Follow-Up. He doesn’t need full Tension, but the size of the Follow-Up’s hitbox is dependent on how much Tension he has, and doing the follow-up will completely drain the Tension gauge. The additional hits ofR .T.L do not have invulnerability like the first hit does.

In the corner, Sin will generally use his other Overdrive Tyrant BarrelGGST Sin Kiske 236236PP.pngGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup3Recovery39Advantage-12 to break the wall. It’s similar to Sol’s Tyrant Rave, but unlike that Overdrive, Tyrant Barrel isn’t invincible. Furthermore, Sin performs a powerful secondary strike when P is released. If the attack is timed well to strike the opponent accurately, Sin will Clean Hit for additional damage. It launches into a Rolling Tumble and Hard Knockdown on hit. If Sin takes too long to input the second hit, the opponent will land with a soft knockdown and the wall won’t break. Tyrant Barrel has 39 frames of recovery, but even without a Clean Hit, Sin will be pushed back far enough that it can’t truly be punished, but you can still take your turn.

Sol Badguy

Sol’s goal is to get in on you and then use his strong normals as well as his screen traversing and screen controlling special moves to force you into the corner, where he can put you in strike/throw situations with his command grab. Beating Sol is a matter of knowing how to properly RPS with his normals as well as stuffing his methods of approach. He's a well-rounded character who has a tool for nearly every situation, allowing him to counter almost any option you pick. There is no overarching weak point for you to exploit (such as  Millia's weak defensive moves and frailty). Instead, counterplay against Sol requires you to learn the ins and outs of each of his moves rather than overwhelming him with a particular strategy. Against a player who is skilled enough to use all of Sol's options and cycle them well, you'll need to rely on proper spacing, tight meaty okizeme From Japanese "起き攻め". Attacking an opponent about to wake up after they were knocked down, usually with meaty attacks or mix-ups., and the occasional Instant Block to get your offense going. If your character can fight effectively at long or mid range, try to keep the fight at that distance.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Round Start


Sol has several decent tools in the midrange that he can also use at round start. f.SGGST Sol Badguy fS.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery13Advantage+2 is an advancing normal that's plus 2 on block, and leads to a very strong reward on counter hit. It also has low recovery frames, so even if you jump, it's difficult to whiff punish it. f.S is Sol's most versatile button, get used to seeing it a lot. If you try to backdash to evade f.S, Sol can use 6SGGST Sol Badguy 6S.pngGuardAllStartup15Recovery20Advantage-9 to catch you with its longer reach. 6S is a bit slow, with 15 frames of start up. If you have a button that’s faster than 6S and has enough range to connect from round start distance, you can use it to beat 6S reliably. Additionally, both round start f.S and 6S both lose to 6P. If the Sol realizes that you’re using 6P round start a lot, they may opt for a microdash into 2DGGST Sol Badguy 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-4 instead. 2D has good speed and range, leads to strong Okizeme, and can low profile most projectiles and pokes. Alternatively, they may opt to move backwards slightly and whiff punish your 6P with 6S. While 6P is a strong round start option against Sol, it’s not necessarily an option you should always go for every single time.

Sol's 6HGGST Sol Badguy 6H.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery43Advantage-27 is a fast command normal with 9 frames of startup. It’s long reaching, and can catch players off guard. It launches on counter hit and is faster than 6Ps, so Sols may opt for this at round start or as a post-wallbreak option. However, it’s -22 on block and cannot be special canceled, so keep that in mind. It might not be a bad idea to block once a round begins, or if you get caught in a wallbreak that doesn’t lead to a hard knockdown (any wallbreak that isn’t from an Overdrive).

If the Sol is playing safe, they may opt to backdash or walk back and check if you whiff a button round start. This isn’t fool proof though, as characters with long range buttons like Ramlethal or Nagoriyuki can punish a backdash or initiate a block string against walking back. Sol could also jump and attempt an approach with an aerial or Air Bandit BringerGGST Sol Badguy 214K.pngGuardHighStartup22~29 [30]RecoveryUntil Landing+18Advantage- to try and throw you off. Bandit Bringer is an attack where Sol floats through the air before doing a diving punch. It hits overhead, but is very reactable, and has a lot of pushback on block, making it unsafe to use.

Neutral


Contesting Sol From Mid Range

Sol’s best range is up close. As such, he’ll mainly be trying to get in on you with his strong mid-range tools and special moves that allow him to approach from a variety of angles. If your character can, try and fight Sol from a distance. You need to keep out of his best range as much as possible. This is a lot easier for characters that play best from a distance, such as Axl or Testament.

From mid range and especially up close, Sol has strong tools to slug with. He’ll mainly be using his mid range tools to open you up and give him an advantage to get up close. In the mid range, Sol wants to use his farther reaching attacks, such as 6S and f.S, as well as his low-hitting and disjointed 2SGGST Sol Badguy 2S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery15Advantage-7 to control space and give him an opportunity to approach. 2S has 15 frames of recovery. Position yourself so that you’re out of range of it and Sol’s other pokes, and whiff punish or 6P them (note that you can’t 6P 2S because it’s a low).

6S

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
6S 45 All 15 6 20 -9
  • Has large horizontal range and a slight disjoint.
  • The disjointed hitbox becomes a hurtbox during the recovery frames.
  • Highly rewarding on Counter Hit.
  • It's often special canceled due to being -9 on block.

6S is Sol’s main poking tool at mid range. The hitbox of 6S is disjointed during the active frames of the move, but the hitbox actually becomes a hurtbox during the recovery frames. This, in combination with its significant 20 frames of recovery, make it more punishable than you might expect. There are two main ways of contesting it. The first is using moves with longer range than 6S to contest Sol from beyond its effective range. The other is by counter poking 6S with moves that have enough speed and range to contest it. Clever use of large space control tools that fulfill either of these criteria can force Sol to play more patiently and methodically, giving you more breathing room and more opportunities to intercept his approach. Examples of such moves include  May's f.SGGST May f.S.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery19Advantage-8,  Ramlethal's f.SGGST Ramlethal Valentine fS.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery21Advantage-10 [-13],  Nagoriyuki's 5HGGST Nagoriyuki 5HComparison.pngGuardAllStartup20Recovery27Advantage-14,  Axl's 2HGGST Axl Low 2H.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery26Advantage-18 [-8] and  Potemkin's 6HGGST Potemkin 6H.pngGuardAllStartup23Recovery29Advantage-15. If you’ve been struggling against this move, learning about its various cancel options can help you understand which option to go for and when.

Gun Flame

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
236P Gun Flame 40→35→30→30 All 18 8, 8, 8, 8 Total 54 -10
  • Plus on block at max range or when it connects meaty.
  • Counter Hit state for entire duration.

Sol can also try to control mid range space with Gun FlameGGST Sol Badguy 236P.pngGuardAllStartup18RecoveryTotal 54Advantage-10. This is Sol’s projectile special move where he releases a pillar of flame that slowly crawls along the ground. This is Sol's only projectile. It isn't all that threatening as a zoning tool due to being slow. At worst, it'll force you to be more patient. Its long start-up, short horizontal reach and advancing hurtbox allows it to be stuffed by pokes. When blocked from tip range, it leaves Sol at an advantage and allows him to get in. Its hitbox also hits fairly high, allowing it to snuff you out if you recklessly use Instant Air Dash.

Sol will most commonly cancel into Gun Flame from a blocked 6S. If you block 6S at tip range, Gun Flame will connect late, making it plus on block. It's a good idea to backdash or jump to avoid blocking Gun Flame entirely. You can jump in and punish it from certain angles. There are also some character specific methods to punish Gunflame from 6S. If you have full screen projectiles, definitely use them. Leo can use his Cross Projectile. Nagoriyuki can use his Clone. If you block this move at close range, it’s also your turn here, as it’s -10 on block. If you predict Gun Flame, you can IAD after blocking 6S for an aerial Counter Hit punish. Keep in mind that Sol can mix up Gun Flame with Bandit Bringer, which can catch backdashes and is plus on air block. Most Sols will end their blockstrings with Gun Flame as it's safe on block. Remember that Sol is negative on block if the first flame column hits on its first active frame, so make sure to press your advantage. You might want to jump over Gun Flame, but you'd have to do so preemptively, or else Sol can punish you with his highly rewarding anti-airs. Try to not jump toward Sol without a plan.

If you end up blocking the projectile meaty or at range, Sol's frame advantage is quite significant. There's no option to escape easily, Sol will go for a mix-up and you just have to hold it. Block against strikes, jump or mash against throws, backdash against short-ranged moves, or reversal To perform an attack as soon as possible after getting knocked down or leaving hitstun/blockstun. Overdrives if you want to gamble. Avoid blocking it if you can. If you're often forced to block it from a meaty set-up, you are simply losing neutral too often, and have to adapt to your opponent. If you often end up blocking it at tip range during footsies, then you aren't moving around it properly. Retreating with backdash or air backdash is a fine option if you have space behind you. You can also try jumping toward Sol and block in the air to stay safe should Sol go for an anti-air.

Sol's Bandit RevolverGGST Sol Badguy 236K.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery9+6 LandingAdvantage-7 is a flying knee kick which can be followed up with a spin kick by pressing K a second time. The first hit moves Sol forward a decent amount and can lead to powerful counter hit combos. This is a tool that Sol can use to play an extensive RPS game. The first hit of Bandit Revolver is -7, making it punishable on block. Despite this, because of the potential of Sol using the second hit, challenging the first hit can be risky. If the second hit connects, it can be used to counter hit you and initiate a combo. However, the second hit is -11, and unless Sol has Tension to roman cancel and make it safe, he’s very punishable here. As a result Sol will be more likely to go for Bandit Revolver when he does have meter, as he can roman cancel it to put you in a potential high-low mix up by mashing j.PGGST Sol Badguy jP.pngGuardHighStartup5Recovery8Advantage- after the cancel, or just landing immediately and knocking you down with 2KGGST Sol Badguy 2K.pngGuardLowStartup5Recovery11Advantage-2 > 2DGGST Sol Badguy 2D.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-4.

Fafnir

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
41236H 65 All (Guard Crush) 24 3 16 +11
  • Cannot be special canceled from any move.
  • Massive frame advantage on block (+11!)
  • Can extend range by dashing and/or kara canceling.

Lastly, Sol can transition from mid range to close range by using Fafnir, a forward-lunging Guard Crush. It leaves Sol at a massive +11 frame advantage on block, and is also very rewarding on Counter Hit. However, Fafnir is vulnerable during its 24 frame start-up. Characters with strong space controlling normals, such as Ramlethal, Leo, or Nagoriyuki can intercept the move quite easily. Its range can be significantly extended by dashing and kara canceling. Its massive frame advantage and powerful Counter Hit combos make it a move to be feared. However, the move is by no means infallible. The most important thing to keep in mind is the move’s hefty, 24 frame start-up animation. If Sol extends its range, it becomes even slower. Because the move has no defensive properties, Sol is wide open when using it. Note that Fafnir does not hit below the knees, so any 6P out long enough to progress from upper body invincibility to above knees invincibility should beat it convincingly, even once it has become active. Long-ranged attacks that are well rewarding on Counter Hit are also a good option for punishing Sol from a distance.

That being said, you are going to be forced to block Fafnir from time to time. Keep in mind that Sol can use the move off of set-ups that make it safer, such as during okizeme From Japanese "起き攻め". Attacking an opponent about to wake up after they were knocked down, usually with meaty attacks or mix-ups.. In these scenarios, the risk-reward ratio is skewed to be more favorable for Sol. If you do end up forced to block Fafnir, then whatever you do, don’t mash! Its +11 frame advantage is far too large for any regular button to be a good choice. Using a counter throw is a decent option if you predict Sol to follow Fafnir up with a dash into an attack up close, but this is heavily punishable if he meaties you, jumps or backs away. It’s also possible to challenge Sol with an invincible reversal, though this has its own obvious risks and can get predictable in the long run. Be careful.

Keeping Sol from Closing Space

Sol lacks meaningful options that reach full screen. From farther away, he’ll be trying to find a way to close enough space to transition to his mid or close range tools. He mainly has to rely on basic movement options such as dash blocking, and mixing up his grounded and aerial approaches in order to get in. As mentioned before, characters like Axl and Testament can really take advantage of this, and zone him out based on whether he approaches from the ground or air. Be on the look out for Sol’s air dash, it’ll likely be followed with a j.HGGST Sol Badguy jH.pngGuardHighStartup11Recovery0Advantage+7 (IAD). Punish this with a 6P. Likewise, be careful trying to air dash in on Sol. His 5KGGST Sol Badguy 5K.pngGuardAllStartup3Recovery25Advantage-16 has a 3 frame startup and is an easy way for him to anti-air.

Sol has several special moves that advance him forward a fair bit.

Night Raid Vortex

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
214S 45 [55] All 15~31 [32] 2 [8] 32 [26] -17 7-(1F before Active) Low Profile
  • Cannot be special canceled from any move.
  • Can extend range by holding S.
  • Has low profile When a character's hurtbox is entirely beneath an opponent's attack. This can be caused by crouching, certain moves, and being short. properties until the attack comes out.
  • Launches opponent on hit, hard knockdown upon landing.

Night Raid VortexGGST Sol Badguy 214S 1.pngGuardAllStartup15~31 [32]Recovery32 [26]Advantage-17 is a Low Profile attack that slides forward across the ground. The range can be extended to reach full screen by holding the S button. It’s useful for slipping under many pokes and projectiles. In neutral, Sol can randomly throw this move out at any time, which can make it quite stress-inducing. It has some limitations though. Notably, Night Raid Vortex cannot be special canceled into, which means you don’t have to fear this move during blockstrings. In addition, it has several weaknesses that you need to be aware of in order to deal with it.

  • Bait and punish - If the Sol player keeps using Night Raid Vortex to get close and punish your pokes, try to bait him by whiffing fast buttons that recover quickly, such as 5P. There's a good chance that the Sol player isn't reacting to specific attacks or openings, but rather, is simply responding to the fact that you did something. If he falls for the bait, simply block the attack and punish it. At -17 on block, you can punish him with essentially any S or H normal for a full combo. The stronger your punish is, the more you'll discourage Sol from using Night Raid Vortex again, so make sure to practice your optimal punish. Keep in mind that Sol can use Roman Cancel to make Night Raid Vortex safe on block. However, forcing Sol to burn 50% Tension is a win in and of itself.
  • Space controlling lows - As evasive as Night Raid Vortex may be, Sol still has a hurtbox, which means that its evasive properties are limited. In addition, the hitbox doesn’t come out until a frame after the evasive properties disappear. The combination of these two limitations means that attacks with low hitboxes can consistently interrupt the move if you predict it. Low hitbox attacks that have good speed, range or a combination of both are especially good at this. Examples of such moves include  Ky's 2SGGST Ky Kiske 2S.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery20Advantage-8,  Nagoriyuki's 2SGGST Nagoriyuki 2S.pngGuardLowStartup12Recovery21Advantage-11,  Axl's 2HGGST Axl Low 2H.pngGuardLowStartup11Recovery26Advantage-18 [-8] and  Giovanna's 2DGGST Giovanna 2D.pngGuardLowStartup17Recovery12Advantage-8.

Bandit Bringer also moves Sol forward a decent amount and leads to an RPS situation on block. It can be used as a risky approach option and can be initiated either from the ground or the air. Sol can dash forward and use Bandit Bringer to get over your mid/long range pokes. If used in the air, the K button can be held down to delay the timing of the attack. If you try to challenge it with anti-airs, delaying the attack can throw off your timing. On block, Sols can mash the S versionGGST Sol Badguy 623X.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery18+10 LandingAdvantage-28 of Volcanic Viper to counter hit you for trying to punish Bandit Bringer from farther distances. Volcanic Viper is an invincible reversal move that can be used to escape pressure. All DPs in Guilty Gear Strive can be thrown on startup. You can also block this, as it is very punishable, but Sol can RC it on block and actually make him safe. He CAN’T RC on whiff, however. Just be careful if he has burst, almost any Sol player that whiffs this will immediately mash burst.

Heavy Mob Cemetery

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
214214H 40, 161 Ground Throw 13+7 16 49 14-35F Throw, Guardpoint

An option rarely used by Sol, but still something to keep in the back of your mind, is his Overdrive Heavy Mob CemeteryGGST Sol Badguy 214214H.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup13+7Recovery49Advantage-. In this Overdrive, he transforms with Dragon Install and does a dashing command grab that does a lot of damage. It’s pretty easy to jump over this on reaction, but be sure to do an airdash backwards so that you can actually punish it. Don’t just jump over it. If you have a move that will put you airborne, you can punish it this way as well, but it’s both range and character specific. Sol himself can punish this with a well-timed Bandit Revolver, but it’s likely safer and easier to just jump and air dash backwards. You can also drift RC upwards if Sol tries to use this to whiff punish you as well. Note that Sol is completely vulnerable before the super freeze, so they cannot use it as a reversal To perform an attack as soon as possible after getting knocked down or leaving hitstun/blockstun. on wake-up. If you need more help, refer to novriltataki's anti-Heavy Mob Cemetery guide.[1]

Offense


Sol has some of the fastest normals in the game he can mash during pressure. His fastest normal is his 3 frame 5K. If he whiffs this, it has 25 frames of recovery, so be sure to punish it if you bait this out. He also has a 4 frame 2PGGST Sol Badguy 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 with only 8 frames of recovery.

Volcanic Viper & Tyrant Rave

input name damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
623S S Volcanic Viper 40 All 9 14 18+10 Landing -28 1-11F Strike
623H H Volcanic Viper 35, 40 [35, 100] All 13 5, 11 19+10 Landing -26 7-14F Strike
632146H Tyrant Rave 58, 82 [58, 112] All 7+2 3(20)20 41 -44 1-11F Full

He also has his previously mentioned meterless invincible reversal Volcanic Viper, as well as his invincible reversal Overdrive Tyrant RaveGGST Sol Badguy 632146H 1.pngGuardAllStartup7+2Recovery41Advantage-44. Both the S and H versions of Volcanic Viper have strike invulnerability from frame . Many players who aren't good at dealing with pressure or mix-ups will rely on it like a crutch. The S version starts up faster at 9 frames, the H version is slower at 13 frames. Volcanic Viper can be rather difficult to deal with when you're attempting offense, but it does have several exploitable weaknesses.

Tyrant Rave (input: 632146H) is another reversal option Sol has, and while it may cover some of Volcanic Viper's weaknesses, Tyrant Rave is rarely used as a reversal and is instead mainly used to break the wall. If he does use it as a reversal, the first hit has poor range and the entire attack is unsafe on block or whiff.

  • Bait and punish - The classic bait, useful in that it's not difficult and will beat both Volcanic Viper and Tyrant Rave. Move in close to trick Sol into thinking you will attack, and then back away. This will allow you to avoid or block the reversal and punish. Backing away will also allow you to whiff punish a throw and stay safe against a jump. However, this option will allow your opponent to initiate a blockstring if they button mash. Be wary if Sol has Tension to spare, as Volcanic Viper can be Roman Canceled on block for safety, and Tyrant Rave can be Roman Canceled on block or on whiff.
  • Throws - Volcanic Viper is susceptible to throws during the start-up. Standard throws have a start-up speed of 2 frames, which means they will beat anything but a normal 5 frames or faster, should Sol go for it. Throwing against an opponent's wake-up requires precise timing though, so practice it in Training Mode (If you keep getting Counter Hit by Volcanic Viper, you're most likely throwing too early). Keep in mind that Tyrant Rave has both strike and throw invulnerability. Check if Sol has 50% Tension before deciding on whether to throw him or not.
  • Outrange it with safe moves - A great option is using long ranged setplay moves to pressure Sol's wake-up without putting yourself in range of a reversal. Characters with projectiles that have long active durations are especially good at this.
 Millia's H Tandem TopGGST Millia Rage Tandem Top Full.pngGuardAllStartup73RecoveryTotal 51Advantage+36 has a long active duration. Once you throw it out off of a 2D
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and think Sol will perform the reversal, you still get to perform a crossup or same side mixup with no risk, as even if Sol performs the read on which side you will be on, the disk will still be active after you block the move, and catch Sol as he is landing.
 Ky's Charged Stun EdgeGGST Ky Kiske 236H.pngGuardAllStartup39RecoveryTotal 62Advantage+22 [+25] is another powerful setplay projectile, just make sure you set it up properly by being out of range when using it as a meaty Hitting an opponent to cover the moment as they lose invincibility. The most common one is performing an attack early on okizeme to gain frame advantage and bait reversals.. It also has the benefit of inflicting Shock State Hitting an opponent in Shock State with most of his specials removes the Shock State (or reapplies it) in exchange for bonus effects varying from more damage, more blockstun, and better hit effects, allowing for more damaging combos or stronger okizeme..
 Anji's ShitsuGGST Anji Mito 236P.pngGuardAllStartup29RecoveryTotal 52Advantage-6 is another projectile attack that functions similarly to the previous two.
 Sol can use Gun FlameGGST Sol Badguy 236P.pngGuardAllStartup18RecoveryTotal 54Advantage-10 to cover an opponent’s reversal. Space yourself so that Gun Flame hits at max range to make it plus on block.

Defense


If Sol manages to get in on you, be prepared to deal with a lot of RPS situations. At close range, Sol’s c.SGGST Sol Badguy cS.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery10Advantage+3 is an amazing button. It has a +3 frame advantage on block and leads to strong combos on normal hit and Counter Hit.

f.S

input damage guard startup active recovery onBlock invuln
f.S 29 All 10 2 13 +2
  • Is +2 on block, allowing powerful frame traps and strike/throw mix-ups.
  • Has enough forward movement to allow it to loop into itself against regular block.
  • There is an 8 frame gap if Sol goes for f.S twice in a row, challenge with an attack that's 8 frames or faster to escape.

f.S is similar to c.S, though it has less flexible gatling routes but works at longer ranges. It’s still a powerful pressure tool thanks to its speed, range and +2 frame advantage. It's a cornerstone of Sol's pressure game, as it allows him to initiate his strike/throw mix-ups.

Sol has highly damaging frame trap options from f.S, and it can be intimidating to challenge it with a button. You have to try to escape at some point, though. If you don't, Sol can condition you to keep blocking and then force a strike/throw mix up with grounded throws or Wild ThrowGGST Sol Badguy 623K 2.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup6Recovery41Advantage-. Wild Throw is a command grab, an untechable throw with more range and damage than his normal ground throw, but with the caveats that it starts slower, always side switches on hit with considerably weaker okizeme, and is slightly more unsafe on whiff. With Tension, Sol can RC and dash underneath you to switch sides and continue a combo that can lead to a wall splat. He may be more likely to go for this when he has the Tension to do so.

Against regular block, f.S has enough forward movement to always leave Sol in range for another one. This means that if you never try to escape, he can continue to loop f.S into f.S, which means he gets away with more strike/throw mix-ups than he should. Faultless Defense is a great option for pushing Sol away. In addition, f.S into f.S leaves an 8 frame gap to attack him through. Every character has at least two grounded normals that are frame 7 or faster, which will allow you to interrupt Sol. If you aren't sure what moves your character can use to escape, go into Training Mode with Sol as P1 and your character as P2. Set the Training Dummy to reversal To perform an attack as soon as possible after getting knocked down or leaving hitstun/blockstun. with an attack after blocking, then attack them twice in a row with Sol's f.S. Experiment in Training Mode to find your strongest conversions from your fast buttons to improve the risk-reward ratio. If you need more help on how to lab the move, check out Sajam's video tutorial on the topic.[2]

By challenging Sol's f.S, you will force him to occasionally continue the blockstring with 5H or 5K in order to frame trap you. If he succeeds in scoring a Counter Hit, you're going to be taking a lot of damage. On the plus side, these moves don't allow him to loop pressure as easily, giving you more opportunities to escape if you block. For an example, if you think Sol might frame trap you with 5H and you’re mid-screen, you can use Faultless Defense to push him away, then either continue blocking to react to his next move, backdash and punish whiffed attacks, or jump away to disengage entirely. You can also escape f.S into f.S by backdashing. However, the recovery of f.S is too short to punish Sol. Backdashing will, at best, reset to neutral, giving you an opportunity to punish his next move. Do note that backdash can be punished by Sol’s 6S, should he go for it. Mix up all your options to throw your opponent off.

Do note that no matter how unpredictable you are and no matter how optimized your conversions are, the risk-reward ratio is always in favour of Sol. Such is the nature of highly damaging plus on block moves. If you want to learn more, check out HiFight’s video tutorial.[3]

When it comes to dealing with 6S > Gun Flame, the situation changes when 6S is blocked up close. Jumps will get clipped by Gun Flame, which means that you won't be able to IAD for a punish. In addition, backdashes will leave you at the range where Gun Flame becomes plus. In this situation, you should block Gun Flame as it becomes minus on block (-8 specifically) when close. Just be wary of Gun Flame (Feint)GGST Sol Badguy 214P.pngGuardStartupRecoveryTotal 25Advantage-, which fakes the animation of Gun Flame without actually committing to it, allowing Sol to recover quickly. Skilled Sol players will use it to catch you by surprise.

Testament

Testament’s goal is to force you into the corner by controlling the screen using their large normals and zoning special moves, as well as to use their special move Unholy DiverGGST Testament 214P.pngGuardAllStartup21RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+1 as well as their Overdrive NostroviaGGST Testament 236236P Cinematic.pngGuardAllStartup11+19RecoveryTotal 53Advantage+63 to apply the Stain State to an opponent. This allows Testament to extend their combos on hit, or maintain their pressure on block. Without Stain State, Testament is unable to meaningfully convert from the distances they prefer to play at, so even on a successful hit, it can be difficult for them to dish out much damage.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Stain State

As mentioned before, a part of Testament’s goal is to apply the Stain State to their opponent. While their opponent is in this state, an automatic follow-up attack will trigger after being hit by any of Testament's normals, Arbiter Sign, or the scythe slash of Grave Reaper. The explosion it causes can be used to extend combos on hit or maintain pressure on block. The Stain State will disappear if the opponent scores a hit on Testament while Stained. There are two ways that Testament can apply the state to an opponent:

The first way is via their Unholy Diver projectile special move. In this move, Testament sends their pet crow flying at you. If the crow makes contact, either on hit or block, it will apply the Stain State. From its default position the crow will usually whiff opponents. The only characters that can be hit from its default position (if they’re standing idle) are Faust and Potemkin. In order for Testament to truly get their gameplan started, they must first rely on the special move Grave Reaper. This is a projectile special move that has Testament launch a skull made of blood at the opponent. 236SGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup16~22Recovery27Advantage-4 launches the skull forwards horizontally and 236HGGST Testament j236S.pngGuardAllStartup13~19Recovery21Advantage+2 launches it at a diagonal angle. Both versions can be held and charged, which changes their frame data. Uncharged comes out the fastest at 16-22 frames, partially charged comes out at 23-29 frames, and fully charged comes out at 30-36 frames. There are two hits to this special move: the first comes from the slash of Testament’s scythe, the second comes from the skull itself. The slash and projectile form a true blockstring between themselves. When the skull finishes traveling, it transforms into a succubus that remains in place on screen for nearly 3 seconds. Once the succubus from Grave Reaper is on the screen, the crow from Unholy Diver will home in on the Succubus’ location. This is the only way to alter Unholy Diver’s trajectory from the default position.

The second way Testament can apply the Stain State to an opponent is with their Overdrive Nostrovia, which has Testament summon their succubi, who move forward with a total of three strikes. This has 11 frames of start up, as well as an additional 19 before the succubi start attacking. Because of its high start up, Testament generally has to combo into it or use it to wallbreak, otherwise they’ll have spent a bar of Tension just to apply the Stain State.

Round Start


Testament’s round start options aren’t the best compared to many other characters. They're far more likely to back off and whiff punish or create distance so they can start their zoning. f.SGGST Testament fS.pngGuardAllStartup12Recovery18Advantage-7 is a great button to do this with. A common opener for Testament is to walk back before pressing this. It’s a great whiff punish tool, and on counter hit, it can immediately go into Grave Reaper. However, it’s not a disjoint, and can be 6P’d. Testament's 6PGGST Testament 6P.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery15Advantage-7 is another strong option that will beat most mids. They have one of, if not the best 6Ps in the game. It’s an extremely strong anti-air and poke. It can also be buffered into Grave Reaper. 2SGGST Testament 2S.pngGuardLowStartup10Recovery18Advantage-7 is an uncommon option that they have. It doesn’t reach very far, and it doesn’t reach round start distance. You would have to approach them for it to reach. It’s mainly used to call out something very specific. Their most typical option would be IAD back > H Grave Reaper. It’s a good, safe option that allows Testament to get a succubus out and let them start their gameplan. Testament will typically rotate between these four options, as well as backdashing and blocking. Since their round start options aren’t the best compared to other characters, they don’t want to take too many risks, so they’ll generally want to make space unless they’re playing against someone like Happy Chaos or Axl.

Neutral


Approaching Testament

Testament’s overall goal is to get you into the corner with your back against the wall, so that they can apply safe pressure on you from a distance. They do this by combining their screen controlling special moves with their large normals to prevent your approach. Once the succubus from Grave Reaper is on screen, Testament has control over the space between them and where the succubus is. They have numerous options they can do post Grave Reaper. Typically, they’ll try to apply the Stain State with Unholy Diver.

Another option Testament has when the succubus is out is moving their position with PosessionGGST Testament 214K.pngGuardStartup16RecoveryTotal 35Advantage-. This move has Testament teleport to the location of the succubus. When teleporting, Testament is invulnerable after disappearing, but not immediately on start up. Posession has has 16 frames of startup and 9 frames of recovery and Testament is in counter hit state for the duration of them both. Depending on the position of the Succubus, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to punish this move, but if a Succubus is behind you, they may try to teleport to it and catch you with a throw. You will always be able to throw them before they can throw you if they try this, so keep an eye out, and don't them get away with this.

In addition to controlling the screen with Grave Reaper, Testament can also use Arbiter Sign to prevent you from being able to send out long range attacks of your own and keep you from passively blocking on defense. This is a special move where Testament summons a biting beast that tracks your position. The S versionGGST Testament 214S.pngGuardLowStartup24Recovery26Advantage-12 is a low and the H versionGGST Testament 214H.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery26Advantage-12 is an overhead. Both versions have slow startup speed, at 24 frames and 28 frames respectively, and slow recovery speed, at 35 frames. There is a four frame difference in their start up speed, so blocking low then blocking high will safely defend both versions. Both moves are -12 on Block, making them punishable at close ranges for some characters, however, Stain State can make both versions +4 on block. It's slow start up also leaves Testament vulnerable to fast, advancing special moves, such as Ky's Stun Dipper or Sol's Night Raid Vortex. Arbiter Sign has both minimum and maximum ranges resulting in dead zones directly in front of Testament and at fullscreen. This move has 35 frames of recovery, so if they whiff it, you have an opportunity to advance. Furthermore, the tracking for this move is somewhat poor, making it extremely exploitable. You can dash forward and depending on your character’s run speed, you can simply outrun the tracking. You can backdash once you see either the high or the low. If you’re close enough, you can punish the recovery of the move after blocking it with fast, long reaching attacks. You can react to the low Arbiter, and IAD forward. You can dash and quickly block. You can even input an advancing invincible reversal Overdrive if you’re close enough. The "Testament Match-up Tutorial 2" Mission in the 5 Star area in Mission Mode is a tutorial for blocking Arbiter Sign that may help. Just bear in mind that Testament has other moves that cover options that evade Arbiter such as delayed 5H, Unholy Diver or S Grave Reaper.

Testament’s neutral will mainly consist of zoning you out with Grave Reaper and attempting to apply the Stain State with Unholy Diver. Patient Testaments will be watching how you play around these two special moves. They will also occasionally mix you up with other options such as either Possession or Arbiter Sign. Match the pace at which they play. Alternate your approaches from the ground and the air if you can. Don’t autopilot into one single response. With the right read, you’ll be able to blow them up by punishing one of their special moves. Generally, they’ll control space with f.S into S or H Grave Reaper. There’s no restrictions when it comes to spamming Grave Reaper. Testament can immediately launch another after sending one out. They can even transition from S to H Grave Reaper and cover the air this way as well. There is a gap between f.S and Grave Reaper, and characters with fast, long range buttons can mash during this gap depending on the spacing.

You could also IAD over Grave Reaper, however, Testament has strong anti-air options, including the aforementioned best 6P in the game, as well as 6HGGST Testament 6H1.pngGuardAllStartup23Recovery32Advantage-19, which also leads to strong reward, especially on counter hit. Testament gets strong return from their anti airs, they essentially want you to jump at them. Jumping at them is an option to represent occasionally, but it shouldn’t always be your go-to option.

One point that you can always challenge Testament is when they send out Unholy Diver. It has 21 frames of start up with 39 frames of recovery. While the crow does home in on the succubus once it’s been launched, Testament can hold P to send the crow flying straight from its default position. Both you and Testament will be playing the match up depending on what you think the other will do post Grave Reaper. It’s a 50/50 for both sides. Testament has options to cover your approach from both the ground and the air, but they can’t cover both at the same time.

  • You could wait for them to send the crow out, jump, and IAD forward to punish them, but they can counter hit you with 6P or 6H.
  • You can run forward and hit a button or use a fast and low-profiling advancing special moves such as Ky’s Stun Dipper or I-No’s Stroke the Big Tree to go underneath the crow if they send it out, but they can hit you with f.S or 2KGGST Testament 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery13Advantage-3 preemptively.
  • You can jump over the crow, but they can punish your landing.

Different characters have different options. Testament will have to run their pressure on a character by character basis, so you’ll have to study the match up, and see what options you have.

Once the succubus is on screen, Testament can only do either Unholy Diver or Possession. They can’t do both moves, so they’re committing to whichever option they choose to do. However, they can get past this restriction if they have Tension, as they can PRC Unholy Diver, and then use Possession in order to send the crow flying AND teleport to the succubus, so be on the lookout for this if they have Tension.

If you manage to close the distance, they’ll likely try to fish for a hit with 2K > 2DGGST Testament 2D.pngGuardLowStartup14Recovery22Advantage-8. From there, they can gatling into Grave Reaper and send you tumbling back away from them. 2K can also low-profile most long range pokes. If you block it, there’s a gap in between the two buttons that loses to reversals, throws, and you can backdash and whiff punish the 2D, which has 22 frames of recovery. This gap is covered if you’ve been Stained, however.

If they push you to full screen or they land a throw on you, they have two different options. They could do an IAD forward > delayed j.HGGST Testament jH.pngGuardHighStartup13Recovery16Advantage+5 (IAD) for a safe jump. They can mix this up with whiffing a j.H into 2K. These both hit on the exact same frame and you won’t be able to react. It’s a true 50/50 and their best option midscreen after a throw. Both options will beat wakeup throw as well.

Take note of the Testament’s habits. If they’re sticking to one linear gameplan, that makes them a lot easier to predict. Mix up your approach options in order to break through their zoning onslaught.

What To Do After Being Stained

After you’ve been Stained, be patient, and observe what the Testament tries to do. They’ll attempt to fish for a hit in order to trigger the Stain State, but before they do, they’ll likely attempt to condition you not to move by throwing out another Grave Reaper. Testament wants you to be in a situation where you’re Stained and they have a succubus out. If they’re able to get another Grave Reaper out, they can do a number of dirty setups. They could also use Arbiter Sign to trigger the Stain explosion or Possession to teleport, mix you up, and trigger the Stain State explosion that way as well. In particular, they could use Possession after an H Grave Reaper and hit you with a cross up j.KGGST Testament jK.pngGuardHighStartup8Recovery12Advantage-3 (IAD) to trigger the Stain State explosion.

Be on the lookout for a dash into 5KGGST Testament 5K.pngGuardAllStartup7Recovery11Advantage-3/2K. These are their fastest far hitting buttons, and the easiest buttons they can confirm the Stain State explosion from. Between the two of them, they’ll be more likely to use 2K. Don’t be too hasty to take your turn back once the Stain State has been applied to you. You’ll have to be patient and wait for the right moment/read to challenge them.

Counter-Zoning Testament

Testament’s zoning options are not effective from fullscreen. Uncharged Grave Reapers and Arbiter Sign won’t reach from that distance, they need to be at least within the midrange in order to properly zone. This leaves them vulnerable to characters who can zone from longer ranges, such as Axl or Happy Chaos. Against characters who can counter them with fullscreen zoning, Testament is forced to approach and is prevented from being able to run their traditional gameplan.

Offense


Testament's fastest button is their 5 frame 2PGGST Testament 2P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery10Advantage-3. They could also mash out their 6 frame 2K from longer distances as well. If they've managed to get a Succubus out before you start running your pressure on them, they may attempt to jump and use Posession to teleport away from you and get out of it, especially if they're in the corner. They don't have a meterless invincible reversal. Their invincible reversal Overdrive is Calamity OneGGST Testament 236236K.pngGuardAllStartup11+4Recovery67Advantage-38. The start up to this reversal is 11 frames, plus an additional 4 for the attack to actually come out. Because of the slow start up, it’s easy to bait out, react, and block. However, like Faust’s Bone-crushing Excitement, Testament can cancel its startup with PRC and avoid/punish attacks this way at the cost of a single bar of Tension.

Defense


Testament has several options to start their pressure if they manage to get in your face. Generally, they’ll be playing a standard strike/throw game. From c.SGGST Testament cS.pngGuardAllStartup8Recovery10Advantage+1 they can either do a tick throw, or do stagger pressure with c.S > f.S > 2S. All three of these buttons can be frame trapped with 2HGGST Testament 2H.pngGuardAllStartup23Recovery12Advantage-2. 2H has a vacuum effect that pulls opponents in on block and gives Testament another opportunity for a strike/throw mix up. It is -2 on block, making it throw punishable, but it can be frame trapped with either version of Grave Reaper. Aside from this, they could do c.S and then immediately IAD > H Grave Reaper, or tick throw from 2K as well.

In the corner is where Testament especially thrives. After a throw, they can do a meaty Grave Reaper in a couple of ways. They can do it right away against characters that have a DP. From here, they can follow up with Unholy Diver and continue their pressure from there. Against non-DP characters, they can just dash forward and then do Grave Reaper. Then they can run their pressure from there.

Testament doesn’t have that great of mix, so if you’re just blocking everything, once they have 50% Tension, they can set up a high-low mix with Nostrovia. During the Overdrive, they can try to hit you with either 2K or 5DGGST Testament 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15. If the mix doesn’t land, they can still send Unholy Diver after one of these buttons has been blocked, wait for it to return after the Overdrive is over and use it again as soon as they can. It’ll give them another chance to run their offense. If Testament tries to confirm into Nostrovia during a blockstring, it’s very fake. You can immediately jump and IAD over it after it’s start up.

Zato-1

Zato is a puppet character whose goal is to summon his shadow, Eddie, and use him to either zone you out, force you into the corner where he can apply immense pressure, or position Eddie behind you so that he can assault you with multilayered high and low mix-ups. Without Eddie, Zato has few tools to initiate a strong offense or even defend himself well, and it’s when Eddie is gone that you should run your offense. A lot of players focus on counterplay after Zato’s been able to position Eddie behind them. This is his win condition, there’s not much that can be done when this happens. You need to focus on forcing Zato to play without Eddie to secure your victory.

Overview | Frame Data | Matchups | Strategy | Reverse Matchup Return to Top

Unique Attributes/Mechanics


  • Eddie/Eddie Gauge

As mentioned before, Zato’s gameplay revolves around the use of his shadow Eddie. Zato can summon him using the special move Summon EddieGGST Zato-1 Summon Eddie.pngGuardStartup20Recovery8Advantage-. This is what’s referred to as an empty summon. The same command unsummons Eddie as well. This isn’t the only way Zato can summon Eddie, he can also summon him by inputting most of his other special moves.

Zato has a gauge above his tension gauge for Eddie. The gauge signifies Eddie's health (3000 HP). When Eddie is summoned, it will gradually decrease by 5 HP every frame when idle, and each of Eddie's attacks use up a certain amount of the gauge. If Eddie is unsummoned before the gauge runs out, the gauge will turn white, and quickly recover (55 HP recovered each frame until full). Eddie can be summoned again at any time during this. Unsummoning Eddie allows Zato to preserve Eddie’s longevity and summon him again much faster. If Eddie or Zato is hit by an attack, or the Eddie gauge is depleted fully, the gauge will turn red and will recover at a slower rate (15 HP recovered every frame until full, 200f duration). During this time, Zato cannot summon Eddie until the gauge is full again. Zato needs to avoid this as much as possible in order to preserve Eddie, and keeping Zato from being able to summon Eddie should be your number one priority every single match. There isn’t much that Zato can do without Eddie. Most of his special moves involve Eddie, and Zato can’t do any of them if the Eddie gauge is depleted.

Round Start


When rounds start, Zato doesn’t have Eddie summoned, so he begins in his weakest state. In order to safely summon Eddie, he needs to at least land a normal on block. His fastest option is f.SGGST Zato-1 f.S.pngGuardAllStartup10Recovery23Advantage-12, which has 10 frames of start up but this is easily beaten by 5P or 6P. This is also whiff punishable with a microwalk backwards, as this normal has 20 frames of recovery. His next option is 2SGGST Zato-1 2S.pngGuardAllStartup11Recovery20Advantage-10, which is slower than f.S (it has 11 frames of startup), but has more reach. If you’re a character with a 2S faster than 11 frames, you have a faster round start option and can stuff this from a safe distance. This normal has a pretty big hurtbox on it. It can be stuffed by just about any button that’s active during the same interval of time. After shutting down his slash options, he’ll try to rely on his punches and kicks to hold his ground. Both his 5PGGST Zato-1 5P.pngGuardAllStartup5Recovery8Advantage-2 and 2PGGST Zato-1 2P.pngGuardAllStartup6Recovery9Advantage-3 can be 6P’d. Some characters can even low-profile his 5P. His 5KGGST Zato-1 5K.pngGuardLowStartup8Recovery10Advantage-2 has no range. His 2KGGST Zato-1 2K.pngGuardLowStartup6Recovery13Advantage-3 is decent in terms of speed and range, but it doesn’t convert into 2D or anything else at max range. It also won’t hit you round start unless you move forward. Flight is Zato’s unique airdash. This allows him to slowly fly anywhere on screen. This could be his last resort for round starts, as it can be a tricky neutral option to deal with. You’ll need to rely on either your 6P or a well-timed air throw. If Zato is constantly using it and stalling to bait anti-airs, the best universal option is an air throw.

Neutral


In order to win neutral, Zato must complete a three step process:

1. Close the distance, so that you’re within Eddie’s effective range. 2. Create enough blockstun to safely summon Eddie 3. Set up his high/low or strike/throw mix

He has two ways to accomplish this process. He either has to create the blockstun using one of his own normals, or empty summon Eddie from a safe distance and use Eddie’s attacks to set up his mix. It’s safer for him to use Eddie’s attacks to do so, so you’ll need to learn how they work and the proper counterplay for Eddie’s attacks.

Zato’s most frequent and safest method of summoning Eddie is OpposeGGST Zato-1 Oppose Armor.pngGuardAllStartup66Recovery(Summon Vanishes)Advantage-. Unless you have Tension, you CAN NOT attack this move if it is active, no matter what. It has infinite hits of armor, it will absorb any attack even if Zato is in front of Eddie, and it will automatically attack after a set period of time. (More info on how to deal with Oppose in the “Dealing with Oppose” section down below). Oppose is often used to safely set up Eddie, as Zato can cancel Oppose into any other Eddie-related special move. In addition to Oppose, you’ll have to worry about:

  • Drunkard ShadeGGST Zato-1 Drunkard Shade.pngGuardAllStartup9Recovery12Advantage-8, a move not only reflects projectiles, but also causes Eddie to dash forward in order to cover the distance. A common mistake newer (or nervous) Zato players make is to use Drunkard Shade to send Eddie fullscreen at the opponent. Zato can’t protect Eddie if he does this. Eddie has recovery from this dash and can be hit out of any of his attacks with low hitting moves like 2P or 2K. Killing Eddie in this situation can turn neutral in your favor.
  • PierceGGST Zato-1 Pierce.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery24Advantage-- a two-hitting attack that’s disjointed at the tips. After the first hit, Zato can cancel into almost any of his other special moves.
  • LeapGGST Zato-1 Leap.pngGuardAllStartup13Recovery34Advantage-- a large move that causes Eddie to transform into a frog and leap into the air. It’s used in Zato’s anti-air conversions, of which, Zato has some of the best of in the game. Don’t carelessly jump in against Zato if he has Eddie out.
  • That's A LotGGST Zato-1 That's a lot.pngGuardAllStartup19→34→49→64RecoveryTotal 66Advantage-- has Eddie create 4 lingering drills that, one after the other, go across the screen horizontally. It has 19 frames of start up if he’s already summoned and 27 frames if he’s unsummoned. The most important thing about this move is that it’s +55 on block. It’s a move that’s often used in Zato’s pressure to keep you locked down. Because of the attack's long duration, it's an effective tool to lock you in blockstun, allowing Zato to close distance or create a variety of ambiguous mixups. In neutral it can be used to cover a lot of ground, denying you space and allowing Zato to take it. This move also makes it very tricky for certain characters like Nagoriyuki or I-no to approach Zato.

The best way to play against Zato is to play patiently, bait him into overextending with Eddie, take Eddie out as fast as possible, and then move in on Zato when he doesn’t have much of a way to stop you. You also need to visually confirm what he’s doing and be able to tell the difference between the different Eddie moves. Once you’re able to do that, you can consistently counter him.

Dealing With Oppose Situations

As mentioned before, Oppose has two phases. The first is a moving guardpoint. All strikes and projectiles will be absorbed, even if Zato is in front of Eddie. Oppose can’t stop you from just running up and grabbing Zato, however Zato does have a command grab, Damned FangGGST Zato-1 Damned Fang.pngGuardGround ThrowStartup6Recovery38Advantage-, and since all command grabs take priority over regular grabs, Zato can stop you from grabbing him during Oppose by doing this. If Zato uses Oppose in the corner, he’s likely trying to set this up. To avoid this, you can jump to avoid the command grab or dash up and try to grab him yourself. If you jump, do not land with an aerial attack, or else the snakes from Oppose will hit you. If Zato ever uses Damned Fang midscreen, the okizeme he gets from it should not be respected. Zato is only +7 and spaced at a little more than roundstart distance. He’d have to go for unorthodox meaty buttons like 2S. This is vulnerable to invincible reversals.

As far as neutral is concerned, it’s better to play around the second phase of Oppose. In its second phase, Oppose becomes a falling disjointed hitbox. To escape this, super jump, backdash, or move behind Eddie. It’s even better if you can make Zato block after he sends it out because that’ll unsummon Eddie. Experiment with your aerial movement and attacks to create opportunities. If Oppose fully completes, this will completely drain the Eddie gauge. Zato does have ways to work around this.

If you’re not in position to threaten Zato immediately after Oppose comes out, you’re in the “Oppose Stance”. Think of it as a mini game where the underlying premise is that Zato must get some value before Oppose completes and he loses Eddie. Once this stance is in play, there are three primary ways Zato can get value out of Oppose:

  • Run up and grab you as fast as possible if you’re close by
  • Use Oppose as a meat shield to safely land a normal and then put Eddie behind you with Drunkard Shade
  • Go directly into Drunkard Shade and mix you from there

Which option he’ll choose will depend on the range he’s at when Oppose Stance begins. In essence, the further away you are the more guesswork Zato has to do to get a reward.

For run up grab, it’s easy to spot. Jump, back dash, or use a special move to get out of the Oppose zone entirely. This is Zato’s low commitment option. Remember, even if the grab whiffs, Zato is protected by Oppose. If you think the grab is coming while in close quarters, focus on repositioning. Then look for an unsummon or Drunkard Shade. That’s when he’s vulnerable.

In the mid-range, he’ll opt to land a normal, then special cancel into Drunkard Shade. Whether the normal lands on hit or on block, he can send Eddie behind you and run his mix. However, there aren’t a lot of Oppose Stance situations where you can’t avoid the normal. You can bait his normals out with a super jump or you can do a regular jump then air dash out of the way of his normals.

At further ranges where he can’t lock you down with normals, he wants to save Eddie. He’ll almost be forced to either unsummon or send out a raw Drunkard Shade. If he sends out Drunkard Shade, remember, this is extremely risky because Zato himself is completely unprotected. He’s simply betting on you respecting the space where Oppose just was. If you notice you’re at a distance, look for the Drunkard Shade to punish or jump out.

This might be a lot to remember. Just bear in mind, after Oppose, Zato must act by either giving Eddie a command before Oppose completes or attacking you directly. The worst thing that you can do is nothing. That’s when Zato starts unsummoning point blank in your face. Do NOT just let him get away with unsummoning. Him unsummoning in your face means that he is consciously choosing to become a bad character because he thinks you’ll respect him long enough so that he can become a good character again. Remember, the further away you are from him, the more guesswork he has to do.

These are the guidelines for Oppose if you don’t have Tension. If you DO have Tension, you can actually hit Oppose with an attack and then RRC it to kill Eddie and initiate a combo, though bear in mind Zato can block this. You can also get through it with an Overdrive or Burst. Additionally many characters have options to punish fullscreen summons on reaction such as Ky's Sacred Edge or Baiken's Kenjyu (Fireworks Gun).

Dealing With Pierce

If Eddie is already summoned, Pierce will be his go-to for setting up his mix. It has a 13 frame startup, is disjointed and can’t be 6P’d. Pierce will beat everything except for 3 frame normals, however, it has a 6 frame gap between the two hits that can be contested. If Zato is not at close range and/or Eddie is not already summoned when Zato does Pierce, this gap can and should be contested every single time. The best way to punish this is by mashing your 5 frame normal. This will beat uncanceled Pierce.

Countering this will force Zato to either plug the gap with a normal such as 2S, or special cancel into other moves which could leave him vulnerable. Pierce can be canceled into Oppose, Leap, That’s a Lot, or Drunkard Shade. He can do these options to protect Eddie, but they all come at a cost to the Eddie Gauge. If he closes the gap, he can’t use his high/low mix. All he can do is strike/throw. Jumping followed by an aerial will allow you to escape (and sometimes punish) uncancelled Pierce or if he cancels into That's a Lot or Drunkard Shade. If he cancels into Oppose, this leaves him vulnerable to a run up grab. If he tries to use Drunkard Shade at point blank to send Eddie behind you, this leaves him open to immediate punishes. Dash blocking will allow you to react and punish canceling into Leap or Drunkard Shade while being safe whether Zato cancels into anything or not.

Being proactive once Pierce comes out is key. Zato has answers to all these options but for the most part they have to be done as a read and not on reaction. This results in an RPS situation. As such, if you are good at mixing up your options you can make it much more difficult for Zato to get his offense started. Furthermore, Zato will have significantly less Eddie gauge to lock you down with.

Dealing With Leap

If Zato is using Leap in neutral, you’ve kind’ve already won because it takes half of the Eddie gauge no matter what, meaning if he locks you down properly, he won’t be able to both mix AND convert. Leap is vulnerable to 6P. It consists of two hits, with the first hit taking place as Eddie rises and the second hit taking place as Eddie falls. From farther distances, if the first hit whiffs, you can 6P the second hit. Even if you block it, depending on the distance, Zato’s gotta get the hit quick or he has to retreat and get some of the Eddie gauge back.

Dealing With That's A Lot

That’s a Lot is not fast, but it’s very low commitment. Since the move is disjointed, it allows Zato to safely pressure you without risking himself or Eddie. Like Leap, this move takes half of the Eddie gauge to use, assuming Zato doesn’t cancel it and allows all four drills to come out. Unlike Leap, since Eddie stays on the ground, he can be sent behind you at any point during That’s a Lot with Drunkard Shade. Since this move travels slowly with a fixed distance, you can just get out of the way and be prepared to take out Eddie, or you can back up and then super jump and air dash forward to punish Zato after he sends out Eddie with Drunkard Shade. Since Zato loses half of his gauge if the move completes, he will most likely cancel the move on whiff or on block as soon as he feels comfortable to start locking you down. You can use this to your advantage. If you’re not locked down quite yet and you see the approach of Drunkard Shade, you can either approach from the ground or the sky. If Zato doesn’t get Eddie to cover him up in time, you’re officially in. Don’t just rely on one option though. The more Zato has to guess the approach, the less gauge he’ll have. Whenever Zato goes into this move from a blockstring, you’ll always have enough time to jump out of it. If you have a double jump, you can keep yourself in the air. You can jump and air block onto the spikes so that you can avoid any mix up and further pressure. You can’t give him the on-block frame advantage.

Exposing Solo Zato

If Zato doesn’t have time to summon Eddie, he’ll try to make due with his normals, then summon. His most valuable button in regards to this is his 5H. It has 13 frames of startup, is disjointed at the tip, and guarantees the first hit of Pierce on block. However, it’s very bad for Zato to whiff this button, as it has 19 frames of recovery and leaves him very vulnerable. Contesting this with your 6P can also work, but only if you’re close and fast enough. He can still summon Eddie in case it clashes, but following up clashes with your fastest move will typically beat this, since Zato’s buttons and specials are on the slower side.

Any other grounded normals cannot protect Eddie from 5F jabs during Pierce. You can mash after his slashes, however Zato can deter you from mashing with Invite HellGGST Zato-1 Invite Hell 1.pngGuardAllStartup18Recovery2Advantage-7. This special has Zato create a big drill that sprouts from the ground. It starts off tall but then sinks back to the ground, expanding its hitbox and making it wider. It doesn’t lead into anything other than a soft knockdown, however. It’s generally safe to jump, however, it can be canceled with Drift PRC which can also allow Zato to cover the ground while being able to react to what you’re doing, and he can anti-air you while doing this. It is -7 on block, so depending on your distance, you can also just block and punish it, and Zato will be forced to play neutral at a frame disadvantage.

Aside from Invite Hell, he could also cancel into Leap or That’s a Lot, but if you block these, he now has to start his offense with half of the Eddie gauge. Chances are he’ll mainly resort to Invite Hell as a result, so as long as you respond correctly to Invite Hell on block, his slash normals hold little to no value and just like 5H, his f.S and 2S are very whiff punishable. Since Zato can’t afford to whiff, use this to your advantage, and try to bait out his slash normals.

Offense


Zato has no reversals, a lackluster backdash, and low reward abare options. Do not be afraid to meaty Zato if you can time them well. He has the worst options in the game to contest this. One caveat is that in the corner wakeup throw can be very rewarding for Zato so keep your meaties tight.

Defense


If Zato’s managed to get Eddie behind you and has begun to run his offense, there is one thing that dictates your survival: The Eddie Gauge. If it’s near full at the beginning of his offensive sequence, in all honesty, you’re likely getting hit, so if you have the ability to YRC or Burst, use it here. If it’s around 30%, it’s okay to just block or recklessly contest because the punishment won’t be too hard. There’s not enough Eddie Gauge left for him to do much damage. When the gauge is around 50%, Zato only has one or two spots to open you up. You’re gonna have to be a lot more proactive and look for an opening. Remember these three rules for his offense:

1. Eddie can’t mix you. He can only do mids. You have to block either high or low in relation to Zato’s attacks. 2. You have 5 frames of grab invulnerability after leaving blockstun. If Zato chooses to grab, there will be a gap in his pressure. Backdash and punish if he tries to go for it. 3. Zato has two overheads that he can hit you with: 5DGGST Zato-1 5D.pngGuardHighStartup20Recovery26Advantage-15 or 6KGGST Zato-1 6K.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery7Advantage+2. If he goes for either, there will always be a mashable gap, so just block low and watch out for these. Uncharged 5D has 20 frames of start up, while charged 5[D]GGST Zato-1 5D.pngGuardHighStartup28Recovery26Advantage-10 and 6K both have 28 frames of start up.

Zato’s safest way to open you up is with frametraps to catch mashing. Simply blocking low and waiting will protect you from the first layer of offense. If you don’t take the frametrap bait, he’ll have to start taking risk for overheads/grabs. It’s practical for Zato to go for a riskier overhead/low/grab mix after the second hit of Pierce. If you’re going to contest, do it here. Each time you contest correctly on defense, he needs more Gauge to engage with so he can alter his pressure, which requires even more use of the Eddie Gauge. Your goal by the time you get locked down is to force Zato to use at least half of his Eddie Gauge.