BBCF/Hakumen/Matchups

Matchups

Note: this is a WIP and several document are based on older versions. Minor edits have already been done. However, several adjustments are still needed.

Template

Ragna

Overview

Neutral

Offense

Defense

Jin

Jin

Overview

Jin is an Ice type Pokemon that was introduced in gen 1. It has a very good stat spread and a large movepool. Being weak to Steel-type means j.C works very well against him.

Notable Jin players include Frenchrich and Frenchrich 2.

Neutral

Jin's neutral is all around very solid. He boasts very good ground and air normals. 5B, 5C, j.B, j.C, j.2C are all buttons with high priorities and are unmatched in there respective range. Staying out of those buttons' range and poking with 623AA, 4C and j.C can be used to deal with them. However, beware that due to Jin's superior mobility, it is easier for Jin to space his normals than Haku.

Jin's 3C can deal with both Haku's 4C and 623AA. Learning that move range is important as it has a long recovery and is punishable on whiff.

As far as Jin's anti-airs are concerned, they are on the weaker side. 2C is very slow and easy to bait with a j.214A. 623B is very fast but requires a CH to combo and can't be cancelled into anything on block.

j.D is a very good button to deal with Jin's air normals and 623B.

Offense

Jin's pressure can be tricky to deal with. Jin has plenty of freedom and several jump cancellable normals. To add salt to the injury, Hakumen has a fairly big crouching hurtbox, which means he has a harder time dealing with Jin's j.2C in pressure. The key to deal with Jin's pressure is to identify the opponent's habit. Lower level Jin's tend to autopilot the same pressure over and over. They can be easily dealt with well time drives before moves with long startups (6B, 2D, 9jc falling j.2C...). Higher level Jin players, however, are considerably scarier as they will vary their pressure and attempt to bait drives for high reward punishes.

Jin's overheads are 6A and j.214D. 6A can only be cancelled from 2A/5A and require 50 meter to combo or CH. With 19f of start-up, it is borderline unreactable. Paying attention to Jin's meter is key to anticipate and block it.

j.214D requires 25 meter by itself but can be done after any jump cancellable move on block (5C, 2C) or moves that leave Jin airborne (6B).

If Jin uses 236D as a mean to reset pressure with the character, this can be dealt with by parrying it 3 times with 2D. This will prevent Jin from getting any momentum.

Jin's 6B is sometime used as a pressure extender. It can be cancelled into j.236A to go back to neutral or j.214D/214D for a high-low mixup. 6B has 24f of start-up and has a fairly noticeable animation. It can be parried with 2D on reaction.

Likewise, Jin's 2D can be parried on reaction. It prevents Jin from resetting pressure for free. If the Jin player likes to autopilot 2D into other normals, this can be dealt with by cancelling 2D into 214A

Defense

Jin has multiple reversals: 623C (meterless, 13f DP, poor horizontal reach), 623D (25 meter, 13f DP, 2-hit with decent range), 236236 (Yukikaze).

Jubei

Jubei

(guide written by SWA)

Overview

This matchup can be annoying because Hakumen has difficulty using some of his standard neutral tools against Jubei. However, it can be equally as annoying for Jubei since his ball oki gets almost completely mitigated by the use of Zanshin. The goal is to catch Jubei and defeat him before he can activate his troublesome install. Good luck!

Neutral

Neutral vs Jubei can be hard to deal with, he can force Haku to be on the defensive most of the time thanks to his fast dash attacks and drives. If you can get him to block something, however, you can gain significant advantage since he has no reliable defensive options. Contrary to most matchups, using 4C or 623AA in grounded neutral is mostly no good. Jubei can run under 4C and use one of his amazing low commitment lows to punish 623AA.

The most important thing is to not panic and not let him get you in his flow. Try to establish your own pace instead and cover yourself from far away using moves such as j.214A and j.2C. j.214A is good for throwing around since it can catch his 2B attempts and punish the extended hurtbox. It also hits out of the range of his antiair (2C) and punishes it so it is good to use it in tandem with a high jump. j.2c can be a good jump in for the Jubei match up if used at max (and only max) range, since it outranges both his 2C antiair which doesn’t hit diagonally upwards and his 3C pseudo-antiair due to better hitbox. Try not to hit much pre-emptive stuff except while in the air, because jubei can dash break and wiff punish you very effectively, be it with a 2b or a drive. Out of your pre-emptive options the best are 6C (since it can defeat both his run up 2b and run up IAD jC). If 6C is done from max potential range, jubei will have trouble whiff punishing it on reaction due to it’s large hitbox/relatively good recovery (the only way is to blindly do a dash break into instant 5d). If you block the drive it is minus and punishable on instant block with 2A into guren.

Lastly, when it comes to footsies and whiff punishing, one of Jubei’s strengths is the ability to catch you at least on block with 2B, during a whiffed air move. Hakumen can get around that by mashing a 2D on a wiffed move and force some respect out of Jubei. Don’t abuse it too much, jubei can just dash and throw you. This created another rps since Hakumen just mashing Jubei before he gets into range. Try to be unpredictable and make them hesitant of advancing towards you (unless they can do a perfect punish).

Defense

Even on normal mode, Jubei has access to very strong and variable mixup options, however none of them can be done from gapless (except for the lows). This includes 6c (his standing overhead) and 669jA, his instant overhead that he can use from a short jump. In order to use this overhead, jubei needs some respect, since he needs to run before doing it and therefore cannot cancel into it from anything. Try to use fuzzy jump much and make attempts to disrespect his minus jabs and other moves, unless it’s a 2b, which is his only plus on block normal. If jubei starts being jumpy you can use 5a or drive to try and beat him. If he uses either of his dash throw moves (j236d or run through) they are minus and his follow up attempts are punishable with even 5c

Jubei has a strong throw game which is complimented by his fast run speed but try not to use the barrier OS too much because you can dash through you, make you wiff a throw and punish you harshly. Be careful and mash him out.

If Jubei uses his Install on block, he is plus since it only lasts for 3 frames and he can act immediately afterwards, so you generally don’t want to press anything there! In his install mode, things can get hectic, as Jubei gets access to more powerful pressure and mixup that leads to great damage and the corner even without meter. From his rekka 236a he can stop at any hit to reset pressure but he is minus on block so if you can make that reaction, mash him out. This is hard to do because Jubei can cancel his rekka into any of his special options including a nigh gapless 15f version of his overhead special and a gapless 236b that is now safe on block. Try to instant block the rekka hits and go for Yukikaze or 6d in case he is trying to go for the overhead and therefore leave a small gap. This is a 50/50 situation with the gapless 236b option that can lead to 5k+ damage so you have to be good at guessing. A counter assault or OD is you best option here.

When you are knocked down, if Jubei attempts to use his otherwise very strong ball oki, remind him that he can’t and use 2d into a potential special cancel and RPS him out to get out of the corner safely.

Offense

One of jubei’s weaknesses is that he is considered to always be in crouching state for combos, when you hit him grounded. Haku can benefit from that by doing some crouch confirms into low cost damage routes such as guren > 2c.

If you catch jubei you don’t have much to hold back, so go ham staggering him or mixing him up. Midscreen his best tool to get away from you is backdash-frondash 2b which can punish you harshly on a wiffed move. However if you have the timing on the front dash down, you can anticipate him with 5c or a similar move and punish him harshly. You need to be able to recover quickly to do that, so when jubei wakes up try to use moves such as 2a or 2b to meaty him, then react to his backdash and counterhit him.

In the corner there’s not much he can do but ib barrier and try to jump out so aim to punish such attempts. Try not to jump much and not leave big gaps since his abare 5b is relatively good and his front dash can cross you up and make you the cornered instead.

If you, for whatever reason, are unable to meaty jubei properly when he is waking up, there’s a chance he’ll try to rps you with his frame 3 6a or 6b counter move. 6a catches mids only and 6b catches lows only (high risk move that is specifically aimed to catch non meaty 2b attempts here). If that’s the case, try to make him respect you by RPSing him with a 6b since he has no options against overheads and 6b counter hit can lead to big damage. Beware though, because such slow attacks can leave an opening for Jubei to escape with a backdash.

Punish

Jubei’s mixups and general moves are mostly safe on block unless you instant block them. Such moves are 214B (hix special standing overhead), 632146C (his uncharged unblockable) or 5d. Two exemptions are his special low (236b) which is -9 on block and his jD, which is generally punishable by 5c on block and even 6c on wiff.

Kokonoe

Kokonoe

BBCP1.1 match breakdown video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM5sj3yFCvw

Neutral is handled the same for the most part, specific answers to Koko’s Oki is a little different from what’s shown in the video.

Naoto

Naoto (guide written by von_yaourt)

Overview

Naoto is a good matchup on paper, but as most rushdown characters, he can be tricky to fight and requires some patience. Pokes, spacing and a good neutral are your best friends here, because you don’t want to get close to him for too long, especially if he’s the one pressing buttons.

You should focus on recognizing when Naoto’s specials are in enhanced version, which changes their properties and usually makes them better on all respects, including frame advantage. You’ll have to punish the unsafe moves accordingly, which shouldn’t be hard since Naoto leaves a blue remnant image. You can’t miss those multiple blue clones.

With discipline and awareness of Naoto’s toolset, the matchup becomes quite simple to win. The one scary thing he has is his offense, and you should commit to an active defense to counter it.

Watch this entire set (00:32 to 29:20) of Kamikaze, the best Naoto in the world, against Camellia, it’s a gold mine that will show you all the ins and outs.

Neutral

This is where the matchup is won. You’ll want keep Naoto at 4C and 3C range at most times, this is the distance where you can safely poke with 4C and react with enma to his potential answers.

Video : 4C and 3C pokes work!

Although Naoto is a very quick character, his quick normals have poor range and cannot be used to counterpoke. He has to find solutions in either his long range normals or his moving specials, and we have answers for both of them as well.

His far range normals are his drives, which he can charge for very long and can cover more than half of the screen, but all of them can be cleanly beat by yanagi if you’re on the ground when he charges. His only option is to cancel into a dash, which yanagi punishes with CF2 changes. The specials he will use to cover the distance are either 214D (slash kaid), 236B (banishing fang) or 214A > 8A (phantom pain).

Video : 2D punish by yanagi Video : 2D punish by yanagi twice in 15 seconds Video : don’t use it at close range, though

Both slash kaid and banishing fang can be called out easily with well timed 4C and 3C, which are big threats to Naoto’s poke game. Slash kaid has a slightly higher startup and is slightly unsafe (-7 when enhanced), and it doesn’t travel as far as banishing fang, making it a situational poke at best. Banishing fang will usually be the prefered option, as it can be left in the very safe initial state (-3) and cancelled into rekkas that are either slightly unsafe (-7) for the first one, or can lead to a fatal counter frame trap for the second one, which is easily punishable (-10). He moves forward each time, and it will often be seen in neutral, as it’s a good way for Naoto to close the space while hitting with a safe move. It’s also a nice starter.

Video : banishing fang in neutral can cover a lot of distance

Phantom pain will be the real danger at 4C range, though. It’s a good move, the basic version being quick and leading to a good combo, the enhanced version being slightly slower but with the ability to cross the opponent. In both case, it’s a fully invulnerable move that can’t be blocked while standing, making it the perfect counter for Hakumen’s spacing. Hopefully, it’s easy to dodge on reaction with a simple crouch, which leads to a whiff punish. You’ll often see Naoto use this move when he tries to land the kill.

Video : 4 DPs then 3 phantom pain in neutral to close the round, Naoto is crazy

Most matchups allow Naoto to use a variety of j.D pokes, another move that can be charged and gain range. It’s a very good option on okizeme in the corner, as it baits reversal when well spaced or can be used quickly to create a large amount of blockstun and keep the pressure up. But Hakumen can punish most uses of this move, with enma when it’s used far, 2C when it’s used very high, or 5D/6D when it’s right above. Don’t let Naoto get away with it.

Video : j.D punish by 2C

Finally, don’t be greedy with your moves, a Naoto that commits to end the round can use dash into enhanced DP, which is a monster of a move. It hits everywhere on the screen, can be rapid cancelled into an instant overhead that leads to a fuzzy guard at the right height, and deals tons of damage. Beware.

Video : enhanced DP in neutral

Defense

Naoto possesses one of the best pressure in the game. He can delay, stagger and frame trap everywhere, and his quickness means he can grab quite easily too. You’ll need to be both quick to react and willing to take some risks to get out this. Use the barrier to create a space where Naoto will be forced to use a special move or a jump to close the gap, and then react accordingly with either a drive or a 3C. Beware of his standing overhead, one of the best in the game, its range is very good and it can’t be punished on block. You can try to jump out of the pressure at this range, Naoto has very few answers for chicken blocking.

Don’t take the risk to mash into banishing fang’s follow-ups, they can be stopped or delayed and used as very potent frame traps, and the third hit is one of his best starters. But if you’re feeling like doing it, 2D is the answer, as long as the follow-up is coming.

Video : barrier block to create a space and force Naoto to move

Video : when the space is created, use 3C to beat a lot of options

Video : charged drive has a lot of frame advantage because it needs to be barrier blocked, and the combo can lead to a cross-under set-up.

Also, beware of his okizeme game, he can be hard to read, and reversals are heavily punished by some of his options.

Video : charged drives on okizeme can be delayed enough to beath both OD and yukikaze (yes, that’s a 7K combo)

Nine The Phantom

Nine

(Note: this guide was written in 1.0 and some points need to be updated)

Overview

Nine is one of the most powerful characters in this game. She is an elusive character who possesses dreadful pokes and amazing teleports, which allows her to control space very efficiently. For Haku-men whose mobilities options are limited and telegraphed, approaching Nine can be quite a laborious task.

Once she gets a knockdown, her setplay is nothing to scoff at either. If she can get the momentum in her favor, she can lock you out of the match.

A unique trait to Nine is that all of her A, B, C normals share similar properties. What set them aside is their “elements”. A is Water, B is Wind, C is Fire.

Water: Usually the fastest ones, but their hitboxes are smaller. Wind: Longest reach and active longer, but she can hardly convert into anything. Fire: As fast or slower than wind, less reach but can convert into solid combos with the right spell.

Note that her normals are not projectiles, which means you counter them but not cut them.

On block or on hit, those elements are stocked, she can then press the D-button to unleash them and get a spell.

Neutral

5X

5A: 5A is an extremely fearsome poke. It outspeeds our 4C, but 4C outranges it. At roundstart, it beats our 4C, drives don’t have enough reach to catch it, and she recovers early enough to block Yanagi. 3C does beat it, but the risk involved are too high to be reliable. 5B: Her 5B outranges our 4C by a few pixels, but 4C outspeeds it. Unlike her 5A, Yanagi can successfully catch her, unless you are at max range or if she jumps canc 5C: Her 5C is slower and has less reach than our 4C. Like 5A, she can still block Yanagi.

Kishuu (623A) goes under all of 5X, but don’t be predictable since she can just punish it with any of her 2X or 3C and get a juicy CH combo.

While Yanagi is possible as well, it will only catch her out if they aren’t paying attention and autopilot another normal. Nevertheless, even if they block Yanagi, you would still end up close to Nine, which is a victory in itself.

6X

6A: Has a wide upward hitbox above her head, which makes approaching by air troublesome. She can also jump cancel it on block. Like most of her normals however, it has a lot of recovery. Do your best to make it whiff and punish. 6B: Similar to 6A, but with a much larger hitbox. 6C: Another Anti air with a very large hitbox. She’ll primarily use this in neutral and to catch attempts to jump out of her pressure. She can easily get knockdown even at maximum distance, so be aware when you are in range of this move.

All of her Anti airs are good for stopping any air approach, so in most cases you’ll simply have to respect them by air barriering or attempt to make them whiff and punish the recovery.

J.X

In the air, all of her J.5X are faster than our J.C. Her J.A and J.C however have less reach than our J.C. However, as far as J.C concerned, it’s only by a small margin.

Her J.B is both faster and has more reach than J.C. But fortunately she doesn’t get much out of it.

While she is close to the ground her, J.X can be dealt with with 623AA. However, beware of her airdashes.

Dashes

Nine’s teleports are very strong. Combined with her great pokes, they allow her to control space very efficiently or escape when she needs it.

How they work: ...

Others

3C: Excellent sweep with a long range. Her main neutral tool to deal with 623AA attempts. Can technically be whiff punished with a very well spaced 4C but it is very difficult.

214C: An overhead projectile that tracks. Fullscreen, it is Nine only option. Can theoretically be cut, however it cannot be done on reaction.

Gameplan

While approaching Nine is very challenging thanks to her amazing pokes. Nine also struggles in that regard. 623AA deters her 5X and J.X/J.2X series and 214D is strong overall tool.

Additionally, unless her overdrive is used, Nine can only store spells if her normals hit or are blocked.

Thus, a common strategy is to create spaces between the two characters early on and wait until the meter fills up. If Nine attemps to approach using her airdashes deal with them with 623AA, if she attempts 3C or 5X deal with them with 214D.

Offense

Defense

Nine’s defensive options are limited. Her backdash is only fully invincible on the 5th, so a meaty will beat it cleanly.

Her other defensive options are:

214D: With 22-frames of start-up, 214D is one of the slowest reversals in the game. Haku-men has some options on okizeme to meaty her while avoiding the DP. She also needs at least a spell stocked in her active slot to use. It’s a projectile, so it’s possible to cut it.

236236B: A 10-frame super (7+3), its invulnerability starts after the superflash and only lasts for about 4 frames, so you can beat it with a well timed meaty. However, this move is also +5 on block. It’s her turn if you block it. If you haven’t inputted anything, you can still 2D/6D after the super flash to catch her. It won’t work at max range though.

236236C: 15 frame reversal, unlike 236236B it’s actually invulnerable until its active frames.

Rachel Alucard

Rachel

Overview

Rachel is one of the best character in the game, she is comfortable at both zoning and heavy rushdown using wind. Although, her zoning is projectile-based, her ability to control the speed of her projectiles and setup some of them from behind make them very hard to cut. Playing passively doesn't work in this match-up, Rachel can just comfortably zone Hakumen. Fortunately, even though her zoning is strong j.2A is still an amazing tool and forces Rachel to adapt her zoning.

Neutral

Neutral in this match-up is highly dependent on how the Rachel plays. Rachel's zoning can be either very or extremely difficult to deal with. This depends on the level of the Rachel player and her resources available. Rachel's zoning has to be altered significantly in this MU, a player unfamiliar with the MU may go on autopilot and get punished for it. For instance, 236A~9D and spaced 22A are usually key tools in her arsenal, however, cutting them with 4C/5C is very consistent. If the Rachel player know how to zone Hakumen efficiently, this is a different story. If they do, they will often shoot lobelias not at Hakumen but near Hakumen or close to her. This will allow her to setup multiple poles for 214C to prevent 66 and IAD approaches.

IAD in general is very risky in this match-up and not recommended. Due to its long animation, it is very easy to interrupt with a well-positioned 214C; Rachel also boast an amazing anti-air in the shape of 6A. While j.D can be used to deal with it, it remains a high-risk mid-reward option. Only rely on it if the Rachel player is very aggressive with it.

9jc and in particular 669 > Delay j.2A are excellent tools in this match-up. They minimize the risk of getting hit by a projectile during jump start-up, travel a far distance and makes it possible to cut projectiles with j.2A.

In neutral, Rachel's 214A can be cut down using 5C, this is the most reliable way to destroy it while also preventing 236X attempts with wind. Beware that a common strategy is to setup 214A in neutral then delay wind to suddenly put into Haku's face.

Pressure

Rachel's mix-ups and okizeme are among the best in the game. Fortunately, parries help circumvent part of it and deny some of her tools.

At the core of her offense is the instant overhead 9jc > 2D~j.A, it is typically done after 5A, 5B and 6B. There is a gap between 5A and the IOH on normal block to use 6D; after 5B there is only a gap on IB; after 6B there is no gap to 6D even on IB. To prevent the IOH after 6B the most reliable solution is to use barrier to push Rachel away.

However, beware that Rachel can easily beat 6D by doing 2B instead of the IOH to beat it. Alternatively, she can also do 9jc > 2D > Land > Throw.

Due to Hakumen's hitbox, Rachel can also do 9jc > 3D~j.A instead when Hakumen is too far. She usually has to delay the j.A, however this isn't case here due to Hakumen's tall crouching hurtbox. This allows Rachel to do her IOH even from a distance.

Following the IOH Rachel has several options. Her main follow-ups are j.A for another overhead but little blockstun or j.B a mid with more blockstun. A list of her most common follow-ups and their limits are as followed:

9jc > 2D~j.A > Land > 2B: 2B can be 2D.
9jc > 2D~j.A*2 > Land > 2B: 2B can be 2D.
9jc > 2D~j.A > j.B > Land > 2B: No gap but j.B isn't an overhead, if barrier is used her options are very limited afterward.
9jc > 2D~j.A*2 > 9jc > j.A: The last j.A can be 6D on IB.
9jc > 2D~j.A > j.B > 9jc > j.A: Cannot be .

Gambling on a drive on is possible but high-risk. Only use them if you have noticed a pattern in your opponent's pressure.

Okizeme

Midscreen, Rachel's okizeme is fairly limited, her most commmon combo ender is 5CC for corner carry.

Her other midscreen okizeme enders aren't as effective, especially on Hakumen...

Defense

Rachel's CA is excellent, it has a very good horizontal range and knockdown on CH. It can be baited by jumping or using 623AA.

Rachel also has access to backdash into wind on wake-up. This is fairly tricky for Hakumen to deal with as it deals with a lot of 3C and j.214A okizeme options, except in the corner. As such, it it recommended to prioritize sending Rachel to corner as soon as possible and 6B okizeme enders.

Otherwise, Rachel is very lacking. Her 2C has head, body and foot guardpoint starting from frame 5. It however has a very slow start-up and is heavily punishable on whiff. A good Rachel player will hardly ever or never use 2C in this match-up. It is easily punished with 5C CH.

Beware that Rachel's AH is a very fast reversal. It can be used as a last resort or a surprise to win the match.

Ragna The Bloodedge

Ragna

Overview

Ragna is a fairly simple and straightforward character. His gameplan is to rush in, win neutral using his strong normals and deal damage. The two main strategies in this match-up are to zone him out and counter poke or fish for a high damage combo by exploiting gaps in his pressure/punishing his DP.

This match-up is essentially a battle of fundamentals, whoever has the best ones is almost guaranteed to win.

Neutral

Ragna's core neutral tools are his 5B and j.C. They are both excellent all-around normals. His 5B, if used correctly, will in most instances beat our 4C. j.C boasts a large vertical and horizontal hitbox and leads to solid combos. IAD j.C is a very effective mean of approach thanks to Hakumen's tall hitbox. Anti-airing it is also fairly difficult. 5A will very often not work due to spacing; 2C requires a hard read and Ragna can very heavily punish it on whiff.

In order to deal with those pesky normals, a strategy is to keep a large distance between both characters. The Ragna player will have to dash a fairly long distance to get in, which makes it easier to anticipate the 5B/IAD j.C. Haku's j.C outranges Ragna's. 7jc > Barrier > Delay j.C can be used to deter IAD approach and keep Ragna away.

If the Ragna player is very 5B-happy, 623AA is a solution. However, good Ragna players will use Dash 2B to deal with it. Regardless, the risk/reward is usually in Haku-men's favor in this instance.

A well-spaced 3C can also deal with dash 5B. However, due to clear difference in mobility options, it is much easier for Ragna to space his 5B correctly than for Hakumen to space 3C.

Offense

Ragna's overheads are 6B and 214B. 6B can notably done after his 2B and 2C; Barrier will very often not be enough to make 6B whiff in blockstrings. 6B, however, has a 24f animation and can be blocked consistently with a bit of practice. To practice blocking it, record the following in training mode:

Dash 5B > 2B > 2D
Dash 5B > 2B > 6B
Dash 5B > 2C > 6B
Dash 5B > 2C > 2D

Then set it to random.

214B, on the other hand, is much more volatile. Being a special, almost all Ragna's normals can be cancelled into it. In practice, that makes it much harder to anticipate and block reliably. It is important to note that both Ragna's 2D and 214B have long horizontal range, barrier won't work to deal with them. It is worth noting that after 2D, Ragna cannot cancel it into a low, but can cancel it into 214B. As such, automatically block high after 2D.

After blocking 214B, it can be safely punished with air-hit 2B into either 623AA / 236B. This will make the j.214D follow-up whiff. 2B > 623AA may sideswap and 2B > 236B leads to 236B > 9jc > delay j.2C > 6A > 6B.

Defense

Ragna boasts a 9f reversal with a solid hitbox both vertically and horizontally. Because Hakumen has a lot of gaps in his pressure, resetting with 214A > 2A is discouraged and should be used cautiously. With 50 meter Ragna can safely escape any pressure and return to neutral. A preventive 623AA can be used to deal with it but it requires a read.

In the corner, it can safe-jumped in the corner with 6A > 6B > 8/9jc > j.A(whiff) > j.B or j.2C. Notably, doing 8jc and j.B prevents Ragna from rolling away.

Susanoo

Susanoo

(Guide written by Stevo and Beret)

Roundstart

Susanoo has a couple of round start options, and you’re going to have to choose an adequate response or gamble with your choice if you want to advance. Susanooh’s 5B can reach us at the starting location, so a good way to make sure that it doesn't happen is to up back or IAD back. On the other hand, if you’re anticipating a 5B round start and want to directly counter that, Hakumen’s 3C can counter hit it, netting you early 3-4k damage, but it can be risky as an IB 3C could lead to him punishing us. You may want to 4C immediately on round start, and that could also stuff out 5B, but Susanooh’s 5A round start could counter hit Hakumen’s poke due to its disjointed hurt and hitbox. For the safest approach, you should back away from Susanooh, and start your neutral from afar.

Neutral

For Neutral, you’re going to want to be the passive one between the two. It's not uncommon to be playing most of the game in the air utilizing your air normals like J.2C (If spaced properly) or J.C.

One of your goals is to prevent, or at least delay, Susanoo from unlocking some of his specific seals as some of them are quite powerful. This can be done by zoning him and preventing him from getting any hit or by pressuring him early on in the match. Try to be in the adequate mid-range where you can instant air dash forwards if the Susanoo wants to 6A or 4D for seals. His 6A can be whiffed and punished from fullscreen with an IAD into J.C.

After you have the number of stars you feel most comfortable with (4 stars being a good level most of the time) you can start to be a little more aggressive in your approach and start playing footsies on the ground and trying to get in (With 623AA / 214D mainly).

In the air, you’re mostly gonna outrange Susanoo. His J.C will get beaten out by ours. J.2C is a good spacing tool if he tries to run to you. Depending on your height and if you’re high enough, a Susanoo might try to run under you and catch you with a 2C. In this instance, you’re going to have to trust your intuitions and try to bait it out if you have an available second jump. If not, Agito is a good tool to use since it's a projectile, it will catch his 2C. J.D can be good too, but like every drive opportunity, it can backfire on you. So as always drive responsibly.

Be wary of Susanoo’s IAD. In particular, IAD J.A will hit Hakumen even if he is crouched and is a very effective way to approach. Hence why you should aim to keep your distance and have J.C available as an option.

For grounded footsies, things start to get just a tad bit daunting, but it’s manageable if you keep a level head.

Susanoo’s best poke is undeniably going to be his 5B, so get used to its range and try to play around it by creating distance so that it whiffs in neutral. You can whiff punish these 5B whiffs with 4C for the safest and most consistent source of damage, although you won’t get any confirms. If you’re on the ball, you can whiff punish with 214A if you’re close and fast enough and you can extend into whatever combos you have stars available afterward for, however, the timing can be a bit hard. 5B also loses to 623AA, so if you’re feeling aggressive and the Susanoo is feeling particularly tail-happy, using 623AA can go underneath it and will net you a full combo. If you’re lucky you might even nick him on his startup and get a counter hit. Be wary though, as Enma can be shut down pretty efficiently by Susanoo’s 2B, so don’t become too over-reliant on it. Although, if you play neutral in the air a lot, you will jump over any 2B’s that they may use and punish them.

Mix up your approaches. Staying in the air at midrange or across the screen is the safest place you can be in this match up. So think of it as your brief sanctuary as you build meter. As you build more and more, try to inch your way forward along the ground and the sky to keep the Susanoo guessing.

Defense

There’s not much to cover here and it will mostly rely on your ability to react to his 6C, 214B,Sweeps, and 5/2Ds. So good luck. General point; try to get the rhythm of his 6B down so you can IB. Afterwards he has to commit to a straight up gattle into his drives or 3C if he doesn't want to get contested in any way. If they try to reset pressure after 6B, most of the time you can mash out of it. Try not to rely on drives too much. I know that's asking alot for Hakumen players, but the sad truth is that Susanooh hurts if you guess wrong, and the paycheck is stacked in his favor. Not to say you can't use it at all, but it's something to be wary about. Risk/Reward=/= our favor.

If you really have to though, there's a couple of relatively common counter points in his pressure. A staple string Susanooh’s like to do is 5B into 6B. You are able to 2/6D in between them if you feel like they are autopiloting it.

If you have overdrive, Susanooh’s C moves can be overdrive raided into an EA for a consistent punish. So if you see your burst icon glowing, and the susanooh is pressing his 3C or 5C or is about to 6C?

Just Overdrive in his blockstring and delete 40 percent of his health.

General approaches

Stevo’s Philosophy: My main goal of neutral in this matchup is to stay safe and build meter while trying to harass Susanoo as much as possible within our mid-range. You generally don’t want to be the aggressor between the two characters. You want them to come to you and hang themselves as they try to get in. You want the timer to be on your side, and to try to keep your HP above the Susanoo’s, or at least around the same so where a good poke or counter hit could easily turn the tide of the match. In my opinion, the damage accrued through our pokes in neutral should be more than what we could get with our limited pressure options. If you’re trying to beat Susanoo at their own game, it’s gonna be a lot riskier. Of course, if you find that the Susanoo is getting hit by your pressure options a lot more often from Zantetsu’s and 6B’s then you could deviate from this gameplan into a more aggressive one.

As you’re finishing an air combo and deciding on whether you should end your airstring with a J.C or with an Agito, think to yourself for a bit. What are you planning on doing afterward? What is your end goal from this specific choice in the match? Take into consideration the number of stars you have. Take into consideration how effective your oki options are. Take into consideration the resources the Susanooh has, what seals he has or how much meter. You’re about to take off one Star. How many do you have left? Would it be enough to accomplish what you want to do? What happens if they block whatever I plan on doing? Would I have enough stars to keep myself comfortable if my attempts fail? Take into consideration the risks if you lose the momentum after Agito. If you make a mistake, Susanoo could get a hit; unlock multiple seals and deal tremendous damage. Choose very carefully, because once a Susanoo has the momentum, it is hard to get it back.

Valkenhayn

Valkenhayn

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_yvPynPOi_fw9MlUjDvg4rc_GjzkEN3W__UDX3xCwJ0/edit#heading=h.utid512rele6

(guide written by Beret)

Overview Valkenhayn is a very tricky character to fight. His mobility in wolf is one of the best, if not, the best in the game. On top of this, Valk has access to excellent lows such as 3C and w5C, rendering 4C and 623AA almost obsolete. His mixups/okizeme are brutal as well, with 2 IOH (J.C and wJ.A). Once knockdowned, the match can be over very quickly.

Yet, compared to other characters, Hakumen has one tool which can turn the match-up upside down: His drive. Valkenhayn players often complain about that match-up as it is one of the rare one where the other player is allowed to play after being knocked down.

Regardless, this match-up is special as it puts great pressure on both party as it’s not possible to use either character's toolbox at his full potential. Thus, this MU is often loathed from both players.

Neutral

Valkenhayn possesses two forms, human and wolf forms. In human form, Valkenhayn is a fairly slow character with a few long range normals, but he is overall pretty weak in that form, his mobility limited and he is fairly slow . In wolf form, however, Valkenhayn boasts one of the best mobility in the game, possessing a wide range of tools to control space and attack from any direction, amazing normals and a shortened hitbox. As a compensation, Valk is unable to block while in wolf form and it drains his wolf meter. Once the Valkenhayn player is low on wolf meter, they have no choice but to go back to

In wolf form, Valk’s standing hitbox is shortened. 4C won’t reach him on the ground unless you are very close.

video: 4C whiffing against Valk

video: J.C whiffing against Valk

In wolf form, Valkenhayn can quickly close any gap with 6D and attack with wJA. If you block wJA, then they can go for a 50/50 with wJC/w5C. 6D > wJA is very fast and is hard to react too. A solution is to use 5A in neutral, it’s a low risk option if Valk is afar and can prevent the Valkenhayn player from approaching.

video: Neutral: Valk’s 6D

623AA can be very strong as well, it goes through wJA as well, helps catching Valk moving around and can occasionally deal with Valk’s Wolf cannons. Be careful as 623AA loses to w5A and w5C and Valk can easily dodge while in wolf form.

video: Using 623AA

video: 623AA limits

214D is also an option, it covers both w5A and w5C and benefits from the fact that Valk can’t block while in wolf form. However, it’s more expensive and easier to punish if it whiffs.

video: Using 214D

video: 214D limits

Staying in wolf form drains Valkenhayn’s wolf meter, once he is low on wolf meter, your strategy in neutral should be to drain Valk’s wolf meter has much as possible, once he runs out of wolf meter. He has to switch back to human mode. Use this opportunity to approach Valk and put the pressure on him.

Even in human form, Valkenhayn has access to good neutral tools. 6A is a solid anti-air that leads to decent damage.

video: Valk’s 6A

His J.C also has an excellent hitbox and is an overhead, in human form, this acts as an IOH but requires RC or OD to combo afterward with J.C > RC > J.C > 5B. To combo after an IOH, however it requires delaying the second J.C, so you have enough time to fit a 6D.

video: Punishing J.C RC

Roundstart

3C: Valkenhayn’s 3C beats both our 4C and 623AA, if this happens you will eat a 3k combo and be carried into the corner.

5D > 44: It makes 4C and 623AA whiffs. If you IAD J.B / J.2C at roundstart it loses to 5D > 44 > w5B.

Defense

If you exclude OD and EA, Valk’s defensive options are very limited, he only has access to one reversal super. Be warry of his CA, it is slow but has an amazing range and if he scores a CH, he has enough time to turn into wolf form and get back the momentum. His CA can be ducked under with 623A.

His backdash also has very little invulnerability.

3C > Hop > 2B: Catches his backdash, beats wake-up 2A/5A.

6A > 6B > 6A > 2B: Catches his backdash, rolls, beats wake-up 2A/5A. Loses to delay wake-up backdash and reversal 632146D.

Punish Valkenhayn’s 632146D, his reversal super, can be crawl under with 623A and punished with 6C FC: