GGACR/Ky Kiske/Starter

(For an explanation of notation (ie. 236H), please click here)

Core

Key Moves

• f.SGuardMidStartup10Recovery19Advantage-11, 2SGuardLowStartup9Recovery13Advantage-1 and 5HGuardMidStartup10Recovery12Advantage+1 are your go-to pokes. 2KGuardLowStartup5Recovery6Advantage0, 2S and 2DGuardLowStartup7Recovery12Advantage-10 are all strong and fast low pokes (in ascending order of speed and range).
• 5KGuardLowStartup5Recovery7Advantage-5 and 2D are excellent at stuffing approaches as both are active for an unusually long time
• 2PGuardMidStartup4Recovery5Advantage+1 is your fastest button. 2K is slightly slower but has longer range.
• c.SGuardMidStartup7Recovery18Advantage-3 is an excellent close range button, combo starter and combo filler.
• All buttons mentioned except for f.S and 5H combo into c.S, and all buttons including c.S will combo into 2D
• Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup10RecoveryTotal 41Advantage-5 (236S/H, also works in the air) is your typical "shoto" fireball, but be mindful that Guilty Gear’s movement allows many characters to get around and possibly punish obvious fireballs.
  • Varying up both the ground and aerial Stun Edge versions alongside good use of anti-airs is key.
• If possible, end your grounded combos with a knockdown, ideally with 2D.
• 6PGuardMidStartup9Recovery15Advantage-6 is your go-to anti-air. Ky’s hurtbox quickly shrinks to his knees, causing many jump-in attacks to miss completely before Ky’s elbow connects.
  • The hurtbox shrinkage applies against everything (not just aerial attacks) and 6P combos into c.S, making it a viable button against grounded attacks.
• 2HGuardMidStartup12Recovery20Advantage-7 is a slower but taller anti-air, excellent when used preemptively.
• j.PGuardHigh/AirStartup6Recovery6Advantage- and j.KGuardHigh/AirStartup7Recovery8Advantage- are serviceable air-to-airs and great for throw Option Selecting (ie. j.6P+H (press P and H at the same time), this will airthrow if possible; j.P if not.)
• Unlike many other fighting game Dragon Punches/Shoryukens, do not rely on Vapor ThrustGuardMidStartup11Recovery30+13 after landingAdvantage-33 (623S/H, also works in the air) as a go-to anti air due its slow startup and the opponent being able to air block.
  • Vapor Thrust can still be useful for cleanly beating some problem jumping normals from other characters.

Combos

Grounded Combos

• (Almost any grounded button) > (c.S) > 2D - Flexible and always-relevant combo route that leads to a knockdown. A few examples of useful routes:
  • 2P/2K > 2D
  • c.S > 5H > 2D
  • 6P > c.S > 2D
  • 5K > 5H > 2D
• 2K > c.S > 5H > Stun DipperGuardLow, MidStartup8Recovery26Advantage-15 (236K) - An example route that leads to a Stun Dipper knockdown
  • Stun Dipper has a lot of use in ending combos in a knockdown where 2D may not reach, but can often not combo correctly otherwise and is unsafe on block.
  • Stun Dipper's animation has Ky slide forward (the first hit) and then slash with his sword (the second.) This does not naturally combo. For both hits to combo, Ky must hit with the tip of his slide so that the second hit happens immediately after.
    • Outside of combos, if Stun Dipper counter hits then it will always combo properly regardless of positioning.
• c.S > 6KGuardMidStartup17Recovery11Advantage+4 > Stun Edge (236S/H) - Grounded combo route that ends in Stun Edge
  • By itself, this route wouldn't be preferred over a 2D route, but is worth remembering as a combo starter if you eventually wish to learn Stun Edge FRC routes (If interested, please check the Further Learning section)
  • Is a fine blockstring by itself, especially if using the S version of Stun Edge.

Some examples of routes that lead to an air/juggle combo:

• 6P > c.S > 2H > … - Anti-air route
• Greed SeverGuardHigh/AirStartup18Recovery5+11 after landingAdvantage-14 (214K) > c.S > 2H > … - Greed Sever route
• Ground Throw (4H or 6H when close to the opponent) > Roman Cancels > c.S > 2H > … - Throw route

After the previous routes you can finish with these:

• … > 623H (Vapor Thrust) > S or H followup
• … > j.S > double jump > j.S > j.H > 623H (Vapor Thrust) > S or H followup (can also use this route from an air-to-air such as j.K)
• Save 25 meter for Lightning SphereGuardMidStartup6Recovery4Advantage+8 (236D > 4D) This is an all-around excellent tool that can act as an anti-air, pressure extender, approach callout and combo tool.
  • An aerial equivalent is Stun RaisingGuardMidStartup45RecoveryTotal 22Advantage- (j.214D) which effectively places a stop sign on the screen for almost 3 full seconds
• Save 50 meter for Roman Cancels. This allows you to safely use otherwise punishable tools such as Stun Dipper (236K), Greed Sever (214K), Vapor Thrust (623H) and 5DGuardHighStartup25Recovery22Advantage-12.

Okizeme

What to do After a Knockdown

Ky can get excellent okizeme off knockdowns (i.e. from 2D) with Charged Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup43RecoveryTotal 68Advantage+18 (236D) and 3HGuardMidStartup23Recovery3Advantage+15. These can be easily timed to be hitting/on top of the opponent as they wake up from a knockdown. If any of these hit, Ky can do a simple combo route into 2D into Charged Stun EdgeGuardAllStartup43RecoveryTotal 68Advantage+18 (236D etc. to force the same advantageous situation.

Other tools for okizeme would be Aerial Charged Stun Edge (j.236D) and Stun Raising (j.214D).

Ky’s overhead tools to open up a crouch-blocking opponent are punishable and telegraphed (ie. Greed Sever (214K) or 5DGuardHighStartup25Recovery22Advantage-12). 5K, 2K, 2S, 2D and Stun Dipper (236K) all hit low. Against players able to react to and punish the overheads, you will need to make use of throws and frame traps to open them up.

Attempt grabs safely on a blocking opponent with 6S+H. You will either grab the opponent or otherwise perform c.S, which is much faster compared to 6H. A good time to attempt a grab is when you end a blockstring early and then walk forward (ie. if you were performing 2K > c.S > 2D > Stun Edge (236S/H) as a blockstring, you could instead occasionally perform 2K > walk forward for a beat > 6S+H.)

Reset your pressure with 6K, 3H and Lightning Sphere (236D > 4D). This gives you more chances to perform a blockstring or attempt a mix-up. If opponents attempt to challenge these reset options, make use of frame traps (2K > 5H, slightly delayed normals etc.)

Stun Dipper (236K) and Greed Sever (214K) can be used to get one last hit in before being pushed out. These have the added benefit of dodging low and high pokes respectively. Exceptionally risky unless you have 50 meter for a Roman Cancel.

You do not need to risk it all to open up a turtling opponent. Chip damage, the build up on their Guard Gauge and any spent resources on Faultless Defense or Dead Angle Attack etc. from your pressure are still worthwhile. Ky is also happy to play in neutral against most of the cast.

Further Learning

(These are intermediate/high level techniques that are best gradually learned and integrated into your play rather than learned up-front.)

• Force Roman Cancel (FRC) points
  • Throw FRC is a simple and riskless thing to attempt to get throw combos for half the meter cost
  • Stun Edge FRC turns Stun Edges from a middling blockstring and neutral tool into a pressure extender and combo tool. Extremely important for optimal Ky play.
  • Stun Dipper FRC lets you get away with Stun Dipper on block for half the meter cost.
• Vapor Thrust / Lightning Javelin loops
  • 623H (Vapor Thrust) into S follow up (Lightning Javelin) near the corner wallsticks the opponent. You can pick up with 6H > 6K > meaty 236D for example, but these require some manual timing and adjustment for different character weights/hurtboxes.
  • H followup midscreen is often used for a knockdown, but it is possible to pick up midscreen with a 2P with specific timing.
• Meaty 3H
  • Timing this normally is very easy due to the massive amount of active frames, but is still vulnerable to invulnerable reversals. However, if you time the 3H so that it is at the tailend of its active frames, you can get away with a minimum of 4F of recovery, allowing you to block almost all reversals in time.