2D Slightly slower, but cleanly counters some mid-height attacks.
5K Great with a microdash to interrupt the opponent.
6P Call out conventional poke attacks.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Boldly call out their attack by hopping to the other side, punishing whiffs.
Elphelt's round start attacks are generally on the unimpressive side, as she lacks any particularly safe options against many characters. Her f.S is the most reliable, at 11F startup it matches a lot of other good Round Start attacks in the game, but it can be outsped or low profiled.
Where Elphelt excels considerably is her ability to utilise her range for backward walking. This can cause a whiff and punish it with a simple knockdown, either on prediction or reaction. In addition, her signature Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air) makes an extremely good counter option to most strong pokes, jumping over to counter. If an opponent plays more patiently, Elphelt's good dash speed allows her to close distance as needed.
Delayed Out of Repair
By intentionally delaying a 214 input it is possible to buffer Elphelt's Out of RepairGuardAllStartup14Recovery10Advantage-8~+3 and react to whiffed attacks or other unsafe actions by pressing . This makes a powerful low-commit option to challenge certain round starts.
Because no character can hit Elphelt for a minimum 9~11 frames, the 2 part of the motion can be delayed for a brief window without actually being at risk of any attack. While this does not back off as much as immediately backwalking, it can still cause a few additional actions to whiff
If needed it is possible to further complicate the input with a 2141 to crouch block while buffering the motion, and 4214 to backwalk briefly before starting the motion.
Huge normals, fast movement, but hard to get your pressure started.
Elphelt comes equipped with a range of large attacks combined with her impressive mobility.
Footsies: Overview
f.S Your standard poke. Long-range and easy to hit.
2S Defensively cover approaches, from both air and ground.
2D Low-hitting poke, with high Counter Hit reward.
6P Top-class counterpoke and anti-air.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Powerful low-crush to get over pokes and start your offense.
Fast Dash Elphelt has a strong dash to quickly close the distance!
Despite appearance, Elphelt is not very comfortable staying in neutral. She wants to close distance, either securing a Bomb-Bomb Chocolat or get in close enough she can use Here I Go! to initiate Chain Lollipop. Outside of this range, knockdowns tend to send opponents very far, and it's hard to prolong an offense safely. Many of her attacks have surprising extended hurtboxes throughout recovery, and her basic strings will fail at max range, even including f.S > 5H. This is instead helped by her strong dash speed and ability to threaten opponents with pokes to give her the opportunity to close distance, and allowing Elphelt to dash slightly closer than the theoretical limit of her moves.
Counter-intuitively, Elphelt has a strong defensive toolkit at the mid-range. 2S makes an especially versatile coverage against approaches, including airdashes and low-profiles, while 2D covers significant range and devastating Counter Hit reward, and 6P makes it trivial to catch opponents approaching from the air. Most matchups will struggle to simply close distance on her. This is still useful, as Elphelt can use that to pressure opponents toward the corner. Once they're cornered, it becomes much easier to force an offense. This is especially helped by the huge pushback on her strings like f.S > 5H~H > 236H quickly pushing opponents into the corner.
Long-Range / Closing Space
Footsies: Overview
5H
2H
Miss Charlotte
Miss Charlotte (Out of Repair)
Elphelt has a multitude of long-range callouts, to give her the opportunity to close the distance on the opponent.
Her 5H is useful as its huge range makes for a great callout to shooting projectiles or other attacks that might extend into it. However, it is very bad on whiff, and should be treated as a callout tool. While Elphelt has a very tall hurtbox when dashing, some high-hitting ranged tools (e.g. Testament's Unholy DiverGuardAllStartup21RecoveryTotal 39Advantage+1) can be slid under with 2H making for an extremely explosive callout from long-range.
At long-range, Elphelt's 'Out of Repair' stops being punishable on block. Its enormous range and fast speed makes it a fantastic callout to everything from setup tools to approaches to getting under airdashes. While it can be easily poked out, this provokes opponents to rely on whiffing preemptively and giving Elphelt the chance to close in once more.
Unfortunately Elphelt's projectile, Miss Charlotte, is very weak and among the weakest in the game due to a multitude of problems. Elphelt should not rely on it as a zoning tool due to its many shortcomings. However, some characters have special bonuses they can set up at long-range which disappear on hit, and sometimes even on block. This includes Ky's Shock State, Zato's Eddie, Jack-O's servants, Chaos' Curse, Testament's Stain State, Bedman?'s Error 6E, and Johnny's cards. These are especially susceptible to poking with Miss Charlotte to disrupt them and close distance before they can set up again.
Anti-Air
Anti-Airing Instant Air Dashes
An Instant Air Dash (IAD) allows many opponents to close the distance and punish mid-height attacks in neutral such as f.S and 5H. However, doing so requires a momentary pause in the air, telegraphing their approach. There's two main categories of anti-air for this: 6P challenges long and fast attacks, while 5P challenges slow and deep-hitting attacks.
6P
Most common airdash attacks hit far and fast, making them especially dangerous from long-range and after whiffing standing attacks. Aside from many of these having a worse on-block, they can also be trivially crushed and anti-aired by 6P thanks to its upper-body invuln. This also means you can react later, as the upper-body invuln begins faster than any other attack could hit. While the reward is often lower, this does reliably confirm for a knockdown with Out of RepairGuardAllStartup14Recovery10Advantage-8~+3.
Notable examples include Ky's j.SGuardHighStartup7Recovery21Advantage0 (IAD), Jack-O's j.HGuardHighStartup11Recovery32Advantage+5 (IAD), Baiken's j.SGuardHighStartup8Recovery19Advantage+1 (IAD), Testament's j.SGuardHighStartup9Recovery19Advantage0 (IAD), and Sin's j.HGuardHighStartup11Recovery26Advantage+3 (IAD).
5P
Certain attacks are slow to hit but hit very deep, this means they will still counter hit through the upper-body invuln on a 6P. However the slower startup makes it vulnerable to being outsped by a 5P. This also rewards a significantly higher reward on hit, as it can be freely linked into a c.S for a ground bounce.
Notable examples include Ky's j.HGuardHighStartup13Recovery23Advantage+5 (IAD), May's j.SGuardHighStartup12Recovery15Advantage+6 (IAD), Baiken's j.HGuardHighStartup15Recovery3 after LandingAdvantage+7 (IAD), Testament's j.HGuardHighStartup13Recovery16Advantage+5 (IAD), and Johnny's j.HGuardHighStartup15Recovery25Advantage-.
6H
In addition to conventional anti-airs, Elphelt's 6HGuardAllStartup25Recovery25Advantage-15 works as a predictive anti-airs against air dashes. Its extremely slow startup means it cannot be used on reaction, but it easily catches any air-dash and the delay can bait opponents attempting to cause Elphelt to whiff an attack. If it hits at all, it is likely to fully combo with Bomb-Bomb Chocolat, and on Counter Hit leads to devastating reward. Unfortunately, its extremely bad recovery and slow startup makes it liable to getting interrupted if done too late, and extremely bad if the opponent did not fall into it.
Anti-Airing Aerial Baits and Cross-ups
Much like a slow-hitting air dash attack, many aerial tools are designed to provoke an anti-air into whiffing, either by crossing behind or floating above the opponent longer than normal. While usually very threatening, these attacks and maneuvers open themselves to a weakness by positioning directly above Elphelt, in striking range of the most powerful anti-air of all, c.S.
c.S
When an opponent moves directly above Elphelt, whether to stall or cross over entirely, she will always perform c.S regardless of their height. This attack hits very high up, with good range, low recovery, good active time, and the reward on hit is astronomcially high. Even on trade it will ground bounce for okizeme, and is extremely advantageous on block, making it difficult to challenge.
This is almost strictly better than a 5P for the same job, but is slightly slower to recover, meaning it is slightly more prone to being baited out by double jumps and other air-stalling moves.
Air-To-Air
Elphelt has two key air-to-air attacks, j.P and j.S. These fulfil a strong role in approaching anti-air, as Elphelt can cover dramatically more range by dash jumpingDashing before a jump to gain a significant boost in momentum. as opposed to her grounded anti-airs, while securing a combo. This also has the benefit of evading grounded attacks that may whiff the jump but not grounded anti-airs.
j.P is the go-to air-to-air. It is very fast, with access to combos. However, its short range and combo routing makes it extremely reliant on getting very close to the opponent. In many ways this is a less-commital replacement to Air Throw, as it recovers mid-air very quickly.
This is usually applied by closing distance fully along the ground and rising up into the opponent's jump from below. This allows more powerful combo extensions and takes advantage of the high vertical reach on the attack.
j.S is a long-range air-to-air. On late active frames (14~16F) it hits high and far, able to cover an enormous range. This can confirm into small combos and is primarily used for calling out options that would be difficult to get close enough to use j.P against. Unfortunately, this has significantly more recovery, barely recovering just before hitting the ground, usually making it trivial to punish if whiffed.
This is usually best used with a further out dash jump, going diagonally to meet the opponent in the air quickly. This move has a lot of range, allowing you to begin the attack further out.
Long-Range Instant Air Dashes
Some characters have Instant Air Dash attacks that can hit from extraordinarily far, such as Ramlethal, Baiken, and Bridget. It is not unlikely an opponent will attempt a long-range IAD to catch certain behaviours pre-emptively, such as punishing Miss CharlotteGuardAllStartup16RecoveryTotal 50Advantage-15, or to simply close distance with advantage on block. However, doing so gives rise to a niche but extremely useful anti-air only available at such great distances, 2H.
2H
Deceptively, Elphelt's 2H hits high enough to catch opponents while slipping under some aerial attacks. Thanks to its devastating Counter Hit reward, this makes an excellent opportunity to anti-air when very far away. Normally this is too slow and will simply whiff past the opponent, but the distance allows Elphelt to hit. Additionally, if an opponent is attempting to attack from so far away, it is almost certain it will be using a far-hitting attack, not a deep-hitting attack, potentially unable to even hit Elphelt's crouch-height hurtbox.
Uniquely, even on trade this can confirm into a combo with 5K > dc~214S
Jump-In
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat is sometimes a better airdash than the regular Air Dash.
Elphelt has a huge number of options for jump-ins, at every possible distance. These give Elphelt a distinct versatility when trying to approach from the neutral. Unfortunately, all of her options bring distinct weaknesses. Recognising which move is most suitable to the situation is important.
Instant Airdash
j.K Very fast, but can't combo without a Counter Hit.
j.S Your full-screen option and cross-up attack.
j.H General-purpose mid-range jump-in.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Alternative and very powerful mid-range jump-in from the ground.
The most basic kind of jump-in is an IAD An air dash performed from a standing position as quickly and as low to the ground as possible from a jump. Done by inputting 956 754, and depending on the game, using a dash macro right after a jump.j.H. This leaves you +5, allowing a 2K frametrap, and on-hit combos into c.S. While j.S is 2F faster, the +3 on-block and +6 on hit is so much riskier as to make it almost never worth it. Conversely, if you're so far that j.S won't hit until the later frames (conveniently the same frame j.H would hit) it is easily her strongest jump-in thanks to its downright absurd range.
If you're very close, you will cross-up where j.S is the go-to option. This can never leave you in a position to combo for a knockdown, as Elphelt gets sent flying too far. But, it can be useful to escape the corner or otherwise begin some kind of pressure on the opponent.
IAD j.K > j.D makes for a strange alternative, usually better for simply closing the distance, especially in matchups where simply making the opponent block removes some significant threat. It is potentially very good on block (+10 on j.D, -1 on j.K), but the j.D can be interruped by 6P (blocking 10F or slower 6P attacks). This creates an RPS, but not a bad one, especially from such a fast and easy to use jump-in.
Lastly, there is Bomb-Bomb Chocolat. True to its appearance it's actually an extrmely useful replacement for an airdash. It hits Frame 29 compared to IAD j.H hitting Frame 39, giving it the ability to punish other options substantially faster, while always beginning offense on block. The only real downside is that it has a much weaker state when whiffing the bomb, as Elphelt is left hanging mid-air. Generally, it is best used either with dash momentum, or a bit closer than IAD j.H is.
Below is some refence frame-data for various airdash options.
Airdash option
Total startup
On-block
On-hit (Standing)
j.K
33
-1
+2
j.K > j.D
33
+10
KD
j.S (F11)
37
+3
+6
j.S (F13)
39
+5
+8
j.H
39
+5
+8
214H
29
+14 (Airborne)
+17 (Airborne)
Whiff Punishing
The key to a good rushdown is to make them afraid to simply attack.
Elphelt's has a remarkably strong kit for whiff punishing. Her good range makes it much easier to stay out of the range of enemy attacks while still being in range to punish, while her extremely good dash speed allows her to run in for a combo very easily. Combined with several solid confirms at range give her a lot of versatility to stay outside enemy ranges. While this is often felt as antithetical to the gameplan for approaching, this quality makes opponents more hesitant to attack and prevent her approach, potentially allowing Elphelt to close the distance from neutral much more aggressively, which is made harder to respond to thanks to her dash speed.
Whiff Punish Confirms
Elphelt has a variety of good moves for punishing whiffs. Generally your easiest options include 5H and 5K, depending on spacing. Each one offers a decent string into a knockdown, while this is not enough to set up very powerful okizeme, it quickly corners opponents and puts them under fire.
5K Very quick, excellent for dashing in to punish.
f.S Long-range, a safe way to check opponents.
5H One of the fastest long-range whiff punishes around.
2H Even larger, and even higher reward.
5K > 2D Effective at close range, and usually more lenient than a dash f.S for punishing. Needs to be slightly closer to ensure 2D combos, but is otherwise a very easy option.
f.S > 5H > 214K The most simple whiff punish, however not the easiest to use. Its more likely to incidentally whiff punish when attempting a poke, but is not your core option when punishing on reaction as it still needs a dash in.
5H > 214K Absolutely huge range for a safe confirm. While slower than f.S, it needs little to no dashing in to work, making it functionally very quick and good for mid-range whiffs such as f.S and 2S attacks. Unfortunately the Out of Repair confrm is more spacing-sensitive.
2H > 214S~S~S~K~H Ginormous range and extremely stable combo confirm. This is fantastic at distance and especially on moves with a lot of whiff recovery. Unfortunately, 2H is semi-unsafe on block as it presents an RPS, and it can be hard to confirm the punish in time, making it more commital and risky. Ending the combo early sets up stronger okizeme.
Elphelt has an extremely standard defense. No special gimmicks here!
For better and for worse, Elphelt has an extremely basic defensive kit with almost no unique qualities whatsoever, for many matchups she relies entirely upon universal counterplay. She has only very minor qualities, and is cursed with a weaker invulnerable reversal Juganto da parfeoGuardAllStartup9+4Recovery60Advantage-39 at 13F startup. That's about as far as it goes barring some very minor qualities.
Backdash of 5F invuln and 20F duration.
4F prejump.
5F abare options with 2P and 5P.
6F 2K and 7F 5K.
R.I.S.C. multiplier of ×1.0.
Standard jump height and jump speed.
11F mid-range punish with f.S.
However, this doesn't mean she entirely lacks some positive traits, but many are more minor.
6P Overall above-average frame data and vertical range makes it a strong 6P.
Air Normals Large air normals make for safer jump-out opportunities.
Fast Dash Speed Stronger use of dash-blocking thanks to good dash speed.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat A strong substitute to air dashing out of the corner.
Unfortunately she has to also contend with a few notable downsides.
Slow invulnerable reversal Elphelt's Jugant da parfeo is 13F startup, making it vulnerable to safejumps and even safejabs.
Low Health Elphelt is very squishy, and is not afforded to make many mistakes.
11F Punish Elphelt lacks an attack able to punish -10 attacks outside 5K range.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Corner Escape
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Corner Escape
Similar to its over utilities akin to an Instant Air Dash, Elphelt's signature Bomb-Bomb Chocolat is effective in defensive situations for quickly getting over attacks to side switch, placing the opponent into the corner.
This is especially good in RPS situations where the opponent cannot frametrap the initial 6F grounded startup, and is likely to be punished heavily by the attack, but are difficult to challenge due to being plus or severely out-ranging Elphelt's attacks.
Elphelt's access to pressure is fairly limited from blocked normals. Most of the time the value she gets is tied heavily to how close she is. This pressure can be set up from any basic meaty c.S on knockdowns, or 2S if nessecary.
Close-Range Blockstring
Elphelt's basic close-range blockstring. Be careful of gaps the opponet can punish!
Your primary pressure string at close-range is c.S > 2S > (5H or 2H) > 214S~P/K~H. This gives a lot of opportunities for frametraps, and ends with Chain Lollipop for huge corner carry, meter gain, and an easy mixup.
One of the most important choices is between 5H and 2H. Using 5H will always lose to a 6P attack, but covers huge range as a frametrap. Additionally if you're still within range this allows Here I Go! (214S)GuardAllStartup20Recovery16Advantage-2 to be a frametrap for easy pressure. By contrast, 2H is Throwable, and even after Fautless Defense will enable you to threaten Here I Go! at the cost of no longer being a true frametrap and losing to 6P abare. Consider that while both options can lose to abare, the opponent must allow the other to be a Counter Hit, netting huge reward even midscreen. Below is a quick reference table for comparison:
5H
2H
Punished by 6P
Punished by Throw
Frametraps into 214S
6P can interrupt 214S
Pushed out very far by Faultless Defense
Barely affected by Faultless Defense
-11 at far range
-4 at close range
Big midscreen Counter Hit
Big midscreen Counter Hit
Here I Go! is an important pressure ender and reliant on staying close. If the opponent is pushing you out with Faultless Defense, using 2H will keep you in range, while cancelling from 2S can surprise an unsuspecting opponent with c.S > 2S > 214S~P/K~H at the risk of 6P and other strong punishes.
Despite the seemingly poor on-block frame data, Elphelt is built around Stagger Pressure. The opponent has to deal with a large number of potential frametraps, most often with 6P, and sometimes 5P and Throw. Staggering your offense allows easy whiff punishes on these while potentially closing the gap against Faultless Defense. This is easiest from c.S thanks to its advantage on block, but can occasionally be done from 2S/f.S and rarely even 5H.
K Normals Blockstring
Elphelt's K normals blockstring. The 2D is much riskier!
A much weaker string for K normals, usually taking the form of (5K or 2K) > 2D > 214S~P/K~H. While 2D can frametrap for very good reward especially on Counter Hit, its on-block stuation is much worse than its 2H sibling. 2D can usually threaten Here I Go! (214S)GuardAllStartup20Recovery16Advantage-2 for safe pressure ending. However, it has so little blockstun and bad recovery it can be challenging to make this safe.
Usually punishable on block by 2K attacks unless Elphelt is spaced out.
214S opens a 7F gap, able to be punished for a full combo with 5P, instead of 6P.
Only tight frametrap available is an extremely risky 214K.
Most 6P attacks will also frametrap you from staggering pressure unless very spaced out.
Spacing is crucial. Staggering pressure from 2K is good not just to vary timings but also to give Elphelt more opportunity to get out of an unsafe spacing. Additionally, even if you are too close it can be useful to use Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air) or an intentionally delayed Here I Go! to get over and punish moves like 2K. Notably, you don't have any low-risk, high-value Counter Hits like you normally would with 5H and 2H, making this a safer opportunity for the opponent.
Despite the numerous issues, it isn't bad offense and there is potential to open up and call out the opponent thanks to alternative tools including Bomb-Bomb Chocolat and Roman Cancels. However, it's virtually never worth prioritising this type of blockstring over c.S and 2S if the choice is available.
Chain Lollipop Pressure
They're in for it now. Let's see how far we can push this!
Elphelt's signature Chain Lollipop series, featuring Here I Go! (S)GuardAllStartup20Recovery16Advantage-2 to start and reset the offense, Down Low! (K)GuardLowStartup14Recovery24Advantage-10 and Up High! (P)GuardHighStartup14Recovery24Advantage-10 for mixups, and Nailed It! (H)GuardAllStartup13Recovery21Advantage-5 to end the pressure. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a simple 50:50 mixup, and there is a great deal of value to enforcing new options and altering timings.
Entering Chain Lollipop
One of the most important parts of Elphelt's blockstrings is her constant threat of Chain Lollipop, leading into huge tension gain for safe-on-block mixups. However, this is usually interruptable and opponents will try to punish Elphelt using Here I Go!. From almost any move the opponent can 6P the Here I Go!, however doing so leaves them vulnerable to either a 2H frametrap, a whiff punish, or a punish with Bomb-Bomb Chocolat.
While it is usually safe to cancel into from 5H by making it gapless using c.S > 5H > 214S, doing so loses the opportunity to RPS or frametrap the opponent, where much of Elphelt's damage potential comes from. This is instead best reserved if you already have the resources to force round-winning mixups regardless.
Below is a table showing the gaps and potential counterplay present when cancelling into Here I Go! (214S)GuardAllStartup20Recovery16Advantage-2.
Canceled from
Normals
Frame gap
Notes
Attack Level 2
6P, f.S, 2S, 2D
7F
Can be fully comboed by AA CH 5P or 2P. Counter Hit by 6P. Trades into 2K.
Attack Level 3
c.S, 2H
4F
Frametraps jumps and most fast abare such as 2P. Punished by 6P. Trades with 4F abare () and countered by 3F abare. ()
Attack Level 4
5H, 5HH, 6H
2F
Frametraps all 6P attacks and fast abare. May still be interrupted by invulnerable reversals. If not delayed, it can be autotimed backdashed by 5F and 6F invuln backdashes.
The Mixup
When an opponent blocks Here I Go!, you have several core options.
Up High! P Overhead and frametrap
Down Low! K Gapless Low
Tick Throw Autotimed link out of 214S
Reset Push the opponent while building Tension
If the opponent is crouching, Up High! whiffs the first 2 frames, making it functionally a frametrap, even against Throw. This weakens the mixup, as it can now be fuzzy blocked or option selected with an invulnerable reversal, requiring to both delay the low to match the timing, and call out reversals with a bait. If for some reason the opponent is standing, both Up High! and Down Low! autotime for a gapless, unfuzziable, unreactable mixup, making it a completely true 50:50. However, it becomes hard to frametrap Throws, weakening other options.
Throw is short range, it can easily whiff on Faultless Defense, however from Here I Go! it auto-times for a Tick Throw, punishing opponents with a very short 6F gap. This is especially useful for opponents afraid of delayed mixups and catches DPs trying to OS the high-low mixup. However this still loses to 5F abare which is also a common callout to pressure resets.
Any attack resets into Here I Go! for a very small 6F gap, and cannot be stopped on reaction. Doing so gives more corner carry and Tension. There is also the much riskier 214S > S sequence for a 9F gap with a very good pressure reset. However, despite relatively narrow windows for the opponent, it's very difficult to threaten an opponent from challenging with a 5F abare, as there is no high-value counter hits of any kind. This is where delayed Down Low! and delayed Up High! are often used.
Hitconfirming
When Elphelt uses the High/Low mixup, it is invaluable to confirm the attack, reacting to the situation accordingly.
When the attack is blocked, you should always prefer H over P or K when below 50% Tension. This is because the reward on hit is very poor, while being punished on a Finisher variant is extremely bad. The risk-reward is almost never justified. If there is 50% Tension, and a combo will result in a Wallbreak with Hard Knockdown, it is usually worth confirming on-block into the mixup, as there is almost no downside to between K and H when Roman Cancelled. Be aware, however, that it is not always possible to get a strong combo, making it inefficient if done every time.
When the attack hits, it may confirm into any of the options based on your preferred okizeme. For reference, Down Low! Finisher midscreen gives the easiest okizeme with a dash 2D, and Nailed It! is always the best okizeme in the corner. You can also use H into RRC for a metered combo.
Alternatively, confirming on crouching hit at midscreen can reset into Here I Go!. Doing so will place the opponent back into the same mixup immediately. This is great for corner carry and Tension gain, since the offense is not much worse than the okizeme you'd otherwise receive. This can even be looped if the opponent keeps incorrectly guessing the mixup. Be especially mindful that if they get hit standing this opens an unsafe gap against characters with a 3F above-knees invuln 6P as there is virtually no threat outside the marginal threat of a frametrap Nailed It which could have already been comboed into. This does not apply on crouching hit as the opponent will be in hitstun for an additional frame. In addition, invulnerable reversals are still a threat and require you to bait them entirely.
All Chain Lollipop moves except Nailed It! can whiff cancel at a later timing than regular on-block/on-hit cancels. Additionally buffered cancels are overriden by the most recent input, this means you can input one response to occur if, and only if, the move whiffs. You can then make a second response you either buffer slightly later to auto-confirm on hit or block, or react manually to hitconfirm.
In addition, unique to Bomb-bombnniereGuardGround ThrowStartup7+0Recovery50 (32 OH)Advantage-, it is treated as a bufferable cancel, not a kara cancel, meaning it can also be used to Option Select.
This has several applications:
Bomb-bombnniere punishes almost any backdash.
Here I Go! can punish Backdash Throw punishes, especially when backdashing Up High! during the mixup.
Nailed It! is your fastest meterless cancel and covers a lot of distance, good for more safely catching opponents after IBFD or Deflect Shield causes a whiff.
Here I Go! can also be used to perform an intentional whiff to close the distance and reset offsense, if the opponent is waiting for a more obvious whiff punish opportunity.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat Cancel
A pressure reset, set-up tool, and a great way to call out abare!
Elphelt's Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air) makes an excellent pressure reset. It low-crushes to punish abare, while setting up for potential mixups on block, and in rare circumstances even acts as a cross-up mixup itself. This section will talk about cancelling into it as part of a blockstring.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat: Crushing Abare
Thanks to Bomb-Bomb Chocolat's impressive ability to vault over attacks, it can be a fantastic way to call out and punish abares. The key ones being 6P, for its ability to stop 5H and Here I Go!GuardAllStartup20Recovery16Advantage-2, and 5P (or very occasionally 5K) for its very fast startup. However, this is strangely character-specific.
Depending on the blockstun of the move cancelled from, and Elphelt's spacing, some 5P and 6P attacks actually stop Bomb-Bomb Chocolat. It is very helpful to know which characters this can work on. For example it is very rarely possible to reasonably prevent Potemkin using either 5P or 6P, limiting your options a lot more. By contrast, May has to rely on core counterplay like Air Throw, making it much riskier for her to use abare.
1 Trades at this level, but cleanly counters at lower levels. 2 Likely to whiff unless Elphelt begins significantly spaced out. Does not work if they are in the corner. 3 Likely to whiff unless Elphelt begins significantly spaced out. Will always work if they are in the corner.
Bomb-Bomb Chocolat: Cross-ups
If Elphelt is close to the opponent, especially after 2H and 2D, she will often cross-up. This functions as a weak mixup and may even cause some punishes to whiff entirely. But it also changes the entire dynamic of your offense afterwards. This takes on two forms, Close and Far cross-ups, for even more spacing-specific behaviour.
On a'Close cross-up, Elphelt is able to reach with the back of j.S. This is generally ideal but much harder to set up the spacing for. On hit you can confirm j.S > f.S > 5H > 214K, while on block you are reliably plus enough to use a gapless 2K, Dash c.S, Tick Throw, or jump cancel for a meterred j.K or j.S RRC mixup.
Strictly speaking this is still blocked same-side, Elphelt only falls to the other side after the bomb connects. This means it isn't a mixup despite its appearance.
On a Far cross-up, Elphelt is sent too far to use j.S and must rely on strange alternatives. This is very common if starting very close. Beneficially this is a mixup, hitting cross-up. Unfortunately, it's hard to follow-up from this. You will need to either Air Backdash immediately for a j.Sj.D, leaving a 3F gap vulnerable to 6P, or land and remain only +0. in 2D range, among other strange options like Air Miss Charlotte to bait and punish a 6P or double jump to switch sides again. None of this is particularly strong, and makes the reset questionably poor.
Compounded with this, the confirms on hit are inconsistent. If the opponent was stand-blocking or immediately stands up by using an attack (e.g. 6P) they will prevent your crossup momentarily, causing you to remain too far to use j.S but also ABD j.S won't combo as it sends you same-side again. In this scenario you instead use a linked j.D, however it is extremely hard to hitconfirm this.
Among Elphelt's strongest okizemes. By hitting the bomb on its late active frames Elphelt can become very plus on landing, and recover in time to bait invulnerable reversals from the air. If meaty enough, this allows a gapless 2K, j.D, or even Air Backdash j.H, making it a great opportunity to enforce high-low mixup threats that keep the pressure on the opponent.
Depending on the setup, this may cross-up the opponent in the process for additional mixup potential. This can also bait reversals by falling behind them, even as you attack with j.S. For most siuations, crossup is much weaker than sameside, as you're limited to fewer options and much weaker conversions, such as ABD j.S > j.D(1) > 5K > 2D > 214K or even j.S > f.S > 5H > 214K.
There are a couple downsides to the okizeme. Firstly, DPs on sameside are extremely annoying, as you will be forced to air block, usually netting a much worse 5H or 2D punish on block. This is especially true for Sin who will jail you into the second hit, and be much safer. This can be improved by Air Instant Blocking to land faster, netting a real punish on any DP, which can be freely attempted right before landing into a grounded option like a gapless 2K.
The other problem is the bomb can be backdashed if it's very meaty. Doing so will leave them at best slightly plus on your landing, however the backdash will always be punishable by j.S or j.H for a full combo. With more advanced play, this weakness can be exploited with a Backdash BRC to evade the bomb and Air Throw Elphelt out of most follow-up actions, behaving as a universal reversal option.
Meaty Bomb-Bomb Chocolat: OTG Setup
OTGs automatically set up Bomb-Bomb Chocolat, meaty enough to even be reversal-safe.
On Hard Knockdowns caused by 2DGuardLowStartup12Recovery18Advantage-8 and ThrowGuardGround ThrowStartup2Recovery38Advantage-, an OTG The act of hitting the opponent when they are knocked down. Short for "off the ground" or "on the ground." can be performed with 2H or Dash c.S. This deals additional damage while setting up Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air) to hit extremely meaty, leaving Elphelt +7~8 on landing. This allows a gapless 2K, j.D, or even Air Backdash j.H, making it a great and reliable way to set up Bomb-Bomb Chocolat.
In addition, Elphelt can do an ambiguous cross-up. By OTGing with c.S, you can do a tiny delay to be technically sameside when the explosion hits. Note that while 2H may change sides if done close, it won't be able to hit cross-up unlike c.S.
The frame data of the OTG is slightly affected by the combo leading into it. While the vast majority of cases are either +7 or +8 on landing, this can slightly alter the timing and gaps of certain follow-up offense. Below is a chart showing how plus Elphelt is functionally after recovery and upon landing, depending on the combo leading into it.
Combo Decay
Knockdown examples
On-block (Airborne)
On-block (Landing)
Wakeup active frames
10-15
2D
5K > 2D
c.S > 2D
2K > 2D
+22
+8
2
20-25
Throw
Counter Hit 6P
j.H > 2K > 2D
236D > c.S > 2D
+21
+7
3
30-40
+20
+6
4
Note: If hitting the OTG very early, such as Throw > c.S OTG in the corner, you may get a slightly higher OTG for +1 frame advantage.
Meaty Bomb-Bomb Chocolat: Nailed It! Setup
Only meaty if used immediately out of Chain Lollipop, but still a good reset.
On Nailed It!GuardAllStartup13Recovery21Advantage-5 knockdowns in the corner, linking into Bomb-Bomb Chocolat sets up a meaty for stronger okizeme to reset the pressure. Even if you wish to go into Chain Lollipop again, it is usually stronger to perform 214H > j.H > c.S > 5H to reset it, giving more opportunities for mixups, while generating resources.
Keep in mind it is only barely meaty from an extremely low scaling. While it can frametrap the opponent's wakeup even with some scaling, it won't hit meaty and it can never be safe to fast reversals, but on characters without these it can be much stronger.
Below is a chart showing the frame data of a Bomb-Bomb Chocolat used after Nailed It! in the corner, including which frame it first connects on their wakeup (e.g. 5-14 means it can be jumped safely as it won't hit until Frame 5), and a quick reference on which invulnerable reversals this loses to.
Never meaty, but very reliably frametraps their wakeup
After Out of RepairGuardAllStartup14Recovery10Advantage-8~+3 knockdowns in the corner, or at close-range in midscreen, you may link into Bomb-Bomb Chocolat for okizeme. This is reliable even from relatively long combo strings such as c.S > f.S > 5H > 214K
This always has a slight gap, meaning it cannot be meaty nor safe from fast reversals, but hits soon enough to frametrap most other wakeup options (especially jumping).
Below is a chart showing the frame data of a Bomb-Bomb Chocolat used after Out of Repair in the corner, including which frame it first connects on their wakeup (e.g. 5-14 means it can be jumped safely as it won't hit until Frame 5), and a quick reference on which invulnerable reversals this loses to.
Tricky to input but one of the only okizeme options from so far away.
A usable okizeme Out of RepairGuardAllStartup14Recovery10Advantage-8~+3 from the furthest launches of Air ThrowGuardAir ThrowStartup2Recovery38 or Until Landing+10Advantage- and Nailed It!GuardAllStartup13Recovery21Advantage-5, to be +3 on block and continue offense.
Out of most Air Throw and Nailed It! knockdowns midscreen, simply using Out of Repair will whiff at the spacing. However, doing a simple dash first will usually fail to frametrap the opponent or even leave you minus. You require an extremely small amount of distance with a very narrow window to perform it. Small enough to require some unique precision, there are two main input methods to do this.
Notation
Visual representation
Description
2145~Dash~K
A buffered 214 motion allows you to plink Dash into K extremely quickly. To avoid a backdash, you must return to the 5 position before pressing Dash.
[Dash]~214K
(Held)
A buffered Dash input can be performed and held as you perform the standard motion. You must input 214Kfast. Make sure you to get the K input as you press the 4 direction.
While tricky to perform, being only slightly off can still be plus, which can often be enough to keep pressure. If it hits an opponent in the corner, it can lead into a full combo with c.S due to the incredibly short recovery. While +3 on block is not substantial, you're able to frametrap most actions with 2K or 5K and threaten Tick Throws among other things. In addition, while it can always be backdashed, the recovery is so low they may even be punishable if they attempt to backdash the attack. This can also lead to additional mixups, such as by intentionally using fPRC Throw to interrupt the okizeme.
Unfortunately, the 25F startup makes it vulnerable to reaction invulnerable reversals. At best, you can either do a buffered 214K, and rely on their reaction not seeing the lack of microdash performed, or Roman Cancel before you reach the opponent to bait out their wakeup.
Furthermore, depending on how far you were or the advantage of the knockdown, your okizeme might require slightly more dash to reach, meaning it might not actually be able to frametrap actions like Jump or 6P, creating a lot more counterplay depending on the situation.
Miss Charlotte Ricochet
Miss Charlotte Ricochet: Overview
Slow to set up and usually obsolete to Bomb-Bomb Chocolat.
By whiffing the initial shot from Miss Charlotte H, it can ricochet back into the opponent to hit on their wakeup, leaving Elphelt as much as +21 on block (+13 for the S version).
This has a few benefits. As a disconnected projectile it can set up advantage against some invulnerable reversals. In addition, it pulls the opponent out of the corner, allowing for potential mixups with airdashes or Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air). Compared to a meaty c.S, it provides a resiliance to IBFD "Instant Faultless Defense", performed by doing a Instant Block (pressing block within 2 frames of an attack landing) while holding Faultless Defense. while allowing a more variable timing for 2K or 5D mixups, and being safer against a wakeup Super PRC.
That is, unfortunately, where the advantages end, as this okizeme is among Elphelt's weakest setups and only exists to replace a meaty c.S in situations—specifically after a Throw or 2D hard knockdown—where usually meaty Bomb-Bomb Chocolat is universally preferred. This is because Elphelt requires an extrmely long knockdown to safely use Miss Charlotte H without leaving a huge gap to be Counter Hit, and the S version does not send the projectile far enough to work on other knockdowns nor give a worthwhile advantage on block.
As a result, it is currently more of a concept than anything optimal.
Super Wall-Break
Secure the knockdown and keep that pressure going!
When Elphelt breaks the wall using Juganto da parfeoGuardAllStartup9+4Recovery60Advantage-39, Bomb-BombnnièreGuardGround ThrowStartup7+0Recovery50 (32 OH)Advantage-, or Wild AssaultGuardAll (Guard Crush)Startup20~31Recovery20Advantage+13, the opponent will be knocked down for +36 advantage.
Elphelt has multiple useful tools for okizeme, depending on the situation, to safely maintain her offense, and abuse the many benefits of Positive Bonus. There's two main approaches to okizeme from this position, usually based on the matchup.
Super Wall-Break: Instant Air Dash j.H
+5 on block, enough to frametrap with 2K.
A common option creating decent pressure on block and advances on the opponent. It leaves Elphelt +5 on block, to frametrap with 2K. It has enough advantage and pushback to bait out Throw, YRC, or even Gold Burst by simply backing off or jumping up (especially to punish Gold Burst on read), allowing her to potentially threaten riskier options like c.S.
Due to Elphelt's slower jump speed, the slightly slower timing means her airdash does not safejump 10F or faster reversals. Generally if the opponent can use an invulnerable reversal, it is not advisable to use this as baiting is notably risky and takes away the main advantages of jumping in.
Aditionally, opponents cannot ssafely backdash this. 4F and 5F invuln backdashes will get caught mid-air, while 6F invuln backdashes () are left punishable due to their longer recovery.
Super Wall-Break: Microdash Bomb-Bomb Chocolat
A more difficult, but usually more powerful okizeme, bringing with it safer okizeme against fast reversals. Elphelt performs a very small dash before Bomb-Bomb ChocolatGuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air), allowing the explosion to barely hit the opponent's wakeup while setting up Elphelt to begin pressure.
Harder input, but a much better okizeme.
On Sameside, similar to other Meaty Bomb-Bomb Chocolat setups, the explosion connects late enough to leave Elphelt safe from fast invulnerable reversals. Depending on the exact dash timing, you can be anything from +6 to +4 on landing (note this variance makes for unpredictable behaviour against Throw).
To stay sameside while hitting the explosion, Elphelt must perform an extremely short dash. There are two main input methods to do this. Even a slightly longer dash results in the cross-up variant.
Notation
Visual representation
Description
2145~Dash~H
A buffered 214 motion allows you to plink Dash into H extremely quickly. To avoid a backdash, you must return to the 5 position before pressing Dash.
[Dash]~214H
(Held)
A buffered Dash input can be performed and held as you perform the standard motion. You must input 214Hfast. Make sure you to get the H input as you press the 4 direction.
Generally weaker, but has a cross-up mixup with j.D.
On Cross-up, the explosion connects less meaty, but Elphelt lands behind the opponent. This can cause most reversals to fail by simply making them whiff. This is generally weaker, as it places Elphelt into the corner for little benefit, with the exception that j.D is a cross-up mixup as it can still open a gap to hit cross-up (either by dashing slightly longer or delaying the j.D input). The explosion is still blocked same-side, as Elphelt only falls to the other side after the bomb connects.
Notably Giovanna's VentaniaGuardAllStartup5+4Recovery49Advantage-37 and Ky's Vapor Throst SGuardAllStartup11Recovery43Advantage-33 [-28] will still hit behind, defeating this option. However Giovanna will not get strong okizeme, as only the first hit will connect.
Miscellaneous Tech
IABD Overhead
Elphelt is able to hit crouching opponents quickly by performing an Instant Air Back Dash (IABD) with j.S or j.H.
When used this way, j.S needs to be input slightly delayed, and will hit much later than j.H, but has more range and is better on hit and block.
Because the advantage on hit is relatively low while sending Elphelt extremely far back, this doesn't particularly serve a notable utility for Elphelt currently.
GuardAllStartup29Recovery0Advantage+14 (mid air) makes an extremely good counter option to most strong pokes, jumping over to counter. If an opponent plays more patiently, Elphelt's good dash speed allows her to close distance as needed.
input it is possible to buffer Elphelt's 
part of the motion can be delayed for a brief window without actually being at risk of any attack. While this does not back off as much as immediately backwalking, it can still cause a few additional actions to whiff
to crouch block while buffering the motion, and 4214 
