GGACR/I-No/Matchup/Robo-Ky

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The General Gameplan

Your gameplan will shift a little bit based on how your opponent decides to play. If they want to always rush you down and try to use close range tools, you have to stand your ground just enough to counterpoke and dissuade this behavior, and also confirm your hits into knockdowns so you can run block pressure and oki. If your opponent is willing to be more patient and fire the rocket-punch missiles at you, you can actually learn to dodge those (even when they split apart) and sort of generally outzone RoboKy. Jumping at the right time will let you easily dodge the non-split missiles, and it's not the biggest deal if you have to block one (try to IB it). Being forced to block a cluster missile is problematic as it let's RoboKy get in to do stuff the same way I-No can do to him if he blocks a note at full screen for 5 hits, and they're harder to dodge. Get experience in the matchup against a RoboKy doing this, or record a Robo Ky using multiple patterns of setting mats and firing missiles from full screen and play them back at random. Focus just on dodging on reaction and trying to shoot notes where it's safe.

Don't overextend looking for a chance to dive at him or STBT. Those tools are definitely effective in this matchup, but his f.S is actually a rather strong poke against I-No as it's hard to challenge directly. WIth the proper timing it can beat both of those moves, 6P, etc. You want him to try to get him to whiff it so you can whiff punish. You also need to watch for the knee rockets, and for in-your-face rocket-punch (a counterhit from that can dizzy you and sometimes end the round after you've put in a lot of work). You can get the knee rockets to just barely whiff and then come in with Sdive while he's in recovery if he didn't FRC... but watch for FRC.

In a game of attrition I-No typically has the advantage. RoboKy will overheat and spend meter from shooting the missiles at you, so he has to balance shooting them with staying on the mat. However, RoboKy can also build up 50% to use the overdrive super, which causes him to vent heat rapidly and also get meter for free, on top of giving him better movement speed (the tradeoff is he takes damage when he explodes). With this active Robo Ky can pretty effectively lock you down with missiles until the timer is almost up, then move in with his incredible mobility to either hit you with the self-destruct explosion or force you to block it long enough to run a mixup. As long as RoboKy deals enough chip damage or is successful with a mixup after he can actually win the war of attrition this way over the long term. Try to catch him while he's setting up or play it super safe until he's only got a few seconds left and moves in to lock you down with the explosion. If you can dodge it somehow or swat him away, or hit him just to create room to make it whiff, you wind up winning the entire exchange as he'll take damage for nothing and you'll be able to get oki... though it's a rather long process just to get to this point.


Your Opponent's Gameplan

RoboKy can be happy to sit back and build meter to use, or to go in and take advantage of your lack of knowledge of his tools and gimmicks to run a train on you. Generally he's going to try to score a knockdown, set a mat, and run his oki/pressure while standing on it so that he can build meter. A strong RoboKy will also be happy to patiently block if your mixup isn't on point, as IBs will give him loads of meter to work with. If he has meter he can spend it more freely on Dead Angles and disrespecting the slightest gaps with lvl 2 and lvl 3 DP, which can be RC'd and even has an FRC point for on whiff. He has plenty of mixup tools if he can get you to block, and generally needs to manage his meter use and temperature so he can continually take advantage of his best tools.


RoboKy's unique mechanics are the unusual gain of his tension bar (which is the "electricity gauge" in his case), and his overheat.

  • Electricity builds almost nothing for "acting aggressive," which is normally Guilty Gear's way of rewarding players for moving toward the opponent by giving them more options (meter).
    • Instead he gets electricity for placing a mat (his 2D) and standing on it. It builds quite rapidly while he runs a pressure string on you or simply sits still blocking on it.
    • He gets lots of electricity for instant blocking, whereas other characters mostly increase their pulse and need to act aggressively after returning to neutral to see the results of IB on their tension meter.
  • Heat builds for using specific normals and special moves, but being at high heat gives bonus properties to a handful of moves.
    • 6H, 2S and 2H change the most noticeably, but most of his moves will light his opponents on fire, increasing damage and hitstun, which allows for very damaging combos. His normals will also begin to deal chip damage.
    • Building too much heat causes RoboKy to explode, taking self-inflicted damage (that you can combo off of) and knocking him down.
    • RoboKy vents his heat with 6H (the large gas cloud).


From long to mid range he'll try to get you to block with his unusual set of tools including:

  • An invincible dash attack that automatically cancels into a taunt/charge state that has full invul frames on hit (so don't burst it) that charges his meter, that can then be canceled at any time to convert into a combo if he wishes.
  • Missiles that split into a cluster of 5 homing missiles and track your location.
    • Note: Though this is most commonly used at longer ranges, it's still highly effective at point blank before the missile splits, and is actually a major source of damage when you're in the corner.
  • A rapidly forward-moving "horse" charge that's airborne and + on block.
  • A knee rocket that flies upward at a slight angle and controls the air quite well. It returns to the ground if fired when his heat is high.
  • A slow to start multi-hit bazooka that he can use to lock you down if he scores a knockdown, but most characters can punish if used in neutral.
  • A 6-frame 5P that's +7 on block and cranks guard bar like mad.

If he gets you blocking, his mixup tools include his 5K which is a standing low that self gatlings, the fastest 5D in the game, the option to TK his lvl 2&3 DP which are 3f overheads when used in the air, command throw that steals up to 25% of your meter while adding double the stolen amount to his own meter... and his forcebreak "fly" ability which can be used for rapid high/low mixups that are nicknamed "Stormlockables" after the incredible player Dr. Stormlocke who utilizes the technique heavily.

Spacing & Advantage (By Screen Position)

Up Close

Round Start Range

Long Range

Full Screen

Button Interactions

Pressure

Escaping Pressure

Common RoboKy pressure strings include:

  • Mash 5K up to 5 times and reset to neutral
    • Beat this by waiting it out. This exists to make the other mixup options viable.
  • Mash 5K xN and end in 5D
    • Recognize that a 5D could be coming at any point and be ready to react. This is difficult as it's the fastest 5D in the game, but still viable if you expect 5D.
  • 5K > wait for recovery > command throw
    • This is more likely to come up when you have meter or when he doesn't, but a strong Robo Ky will also just took to mess with you when you're committing to blocking or using FD to shut down his other options. You can try to FD a 5K to throw off his timing or make him whiff, but trying to mash backdash or jump is very risky as he can just keep doing lows to catch you attempting to escape.
  • 5K > TK lvl 2 or 3 DP for a fast overhead.
    • This is pretty dangerous as you can't see the overhead in time to switch blocking, and he's got enough meter to FRC on block (or even on whiff if you FD to push him out) to stay safe if he's at lvl 2 or 3. And just like his other mixup options from 5K, it's dangerous to block switch since he can keep doing 5K to catch you. Typically though, getting hit by a bunch of 5Ks into knockdown is less of a problem than eating the TK DP into a combo.

Special/Notable Confirms

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