Very good video on how to play Anji, by Klaige. I know this game is basically dead, but Anyone still playing it that wants to play Anji, here you go. 

This is a list of changes from vanilla AC. It may still be incomplete and some elements may still be unsure but at least we'll have a comprehensive list to work with and to complete if necessary. Don't hesitate to tell me if you think something is wrong or missing.

Sources for the info : personal experience, Anji Mito strategy info site, JBBS Anji thread, GGXXAC+R guide

- All normal moves are now cancellable into other moves up to until the end of their recovery. Moves that originally aren't cancellable into anything like 3P DO NOT become cancellable with this change.

- 5P : Attack level up from 2 to 3, as a result air untechable time is also up from 14 to 16. Recovery increased from 6 to 8.

- 5S : Guard balance increased from 0 to 14. Hitbox reportedly better somehow (can now beat a lot of moves when used as a poke).

- 6S : The hitbox may have been increased a bit as some non Anji players described the move as more threatening than before somehow. Damage up from 30 to 34. Now gatling cancellable into 3K.

- 5HS : Now gatling cancellable into 6P and 6HS.

- 5D : GP frames changed from 4~12 to 4~18. Is now special cancellable although the window to cancel is pretty short (no late cancel possible). Startup went from 25 to 27F.

- 2P : Now gatling cancellable into 6HS.

- 2K : Now gatling cancellable into 6HS.

- 2S : Now gatling cancellable into 6HS.

- 2HS : Attack level up from 4 to 5. Frame advantage went up from +3 to +5 as a result. Now gatling cancellable into 5HS. 2HS, 5HS combos even on standing opponents.

- 2D : Range is extended forward by a noticeable amount.

- 6P : hitstun is increased by 2 frames on ground hit.

- 3K : attack level up from 3 to 4. As a result, frame disadvantage went from -4 to -1. Damage up from 20 to 38. Startup went down from 20 to 19. Is now a low attack. 80% prorate added. Doesn't float on normal hit anymore but wall bounces on counter hit. Hitbox extended to hit enemies close to Anji easier.

- 3S : 3S cancel frames changed from 8~9 to 6~8. Frame advantage went to +1 from -3. Doesn't cancel into itself anymore. Guard point frames changed from 5~10 to 1~27. Hitbox behind Anji removed. Now moves forward a bit but only after the 3S cancel frames.

- 6HS : now has a base proration of 80%. Recovery changed from 18F to 25F. Invincible to throws on frames 14~20. Startup increased by 1F, went from 20F to 21F. Untechable time reduced from 28F to 19F. FRC timing is moved to right before the move hits, frames 17~20. Now cancellable into special moves.

- jP : hitbox is reportedly stronger. Very good anti air.

- FB shitsu : can now fly further to about half a stage distance, travel speed also increased.

- HS Fuujin : now has 80% of initial prorate.

- K Kai : bounce seems to be a bit lower than before. After the FRC Anji is now automatically facing the opponent. Auto jump install added.

- Shin ichishiki (fuujin P followup) : projectiles aren't overhead anymore and can now be blocked low. Their travel speed is however slower, which makes them easier to followup with a air dash assuming the opponent blocks them. Landing recovery is decreased.

- FB rin : guard point frames are increased from 2~10 to 2~20.

- Rin : is now an overhead. Is now +0 on block up from -3.

- Aoi : the last hit wallsticks but only on CH. Startup went up from 4 to 11F but as a result invincibility is 1~11F up from 1~4F. Lower body invincibility is also changed from 5~13 to 12~23. Doesn't float the opponent anymore. +4F advantage on block, up from -12. Possible to followup with 5K but the timing is very strict, especially on standing opponents. FRC added right when the last hit hits.

- FB Kou : now possible to move in the air after the move is finished. Vacuum effect on hit is stronger.

- Kou : Vacuum effect on hit is stronger. Untechable time increased from 38 F to 60 F, knowdown is now guaranteed in most if not all cases. Only the last hit knocks down now, the opponent can now tech right away if the move is RCed on the first hit for example.

- FB On : New move. Anji pauses a bit then jumps very high and fast at a 45° angle. Startup is a bit slow (21F) so its use in combos is limited (possible from 5D though). Has low profile stance for frames 10~18, then invincibility to strikes for frames 19~28. FRC window 19~20F. On hit the opponent flies very high. It's possible to air dash after it hits, allowing for midscreen combos. Much easier to combo from if the opponent is sent towards the corner. Improved horizontal range in 1.10 +R.

- Issei Ougi "Sai" : FRC window went from 66~68 to 66~70. Startup is faster went from 10, 3 to 7, 3.

- Tenjinashi : damage down from 30, 15x13 to 30, 14x13.

The current one I have been using is 5K>5S>5H>Shiitsu. (People usually respect it for 2-3 reps, and then I just AG and got free meter or a combo) But this doesn't really seem to be the optimal thing to be doing.

What are some better options for blockstrings as Anji?

So for those of you who have PSN or XBL and want to play Anji Vs Anji hotness matches and stuff post here.

My PSN is TheSlyMoogle.

My XBL is TheSlyMoogle01.

I want to try and have some weekly room gatherings. Anji Vs Anji is one of the more interesting and hilarious mirrors in Guilty Gear. Though nothing beats alcohol consumption and Ky mirrors all night long.

As of right now My 360 is in RROD status and my Gold account expired, but as soon as I get another 360 I'll be back on and getting GG there as well.

I know the netcode is pretty awful, but hoping some people will want to play, and hoping they'll improve on the netcode with R+

I'm a relatively new player at this game, I play Anji and I'm having a hard time dealing a proper Butterfly pressure. I usually play against a friend who played #R online and AC for several years.

Every time I knock him down and throw a shitsu, it seems that he escapes easily and I can't apply pressure at all. In fact:

- he IB the first hit and backdashes,

- he IB the first hit and hit my Anji approaching like a dumb for pressure,

- he IB the first hit, jumps and guards the following hits while airborne (especially with FB shitsu).

So, how can I put some pressure on him, or making him standing still ? :]

Is the first hit of the Butterfly always IBlockable ? (I think yes, but maybe I have some timing issues)

And if I manage to apply that pressure, what are the main patterns I can use ? (when playing the CPU, I mix between a 2K/2S, a 3P and a crossup j.H)

Thank you !

It has certainly been a long time. We are at the start of something new here. With a new gg on the horizon I'm certainly excited. For us old anji players and new ones to come hopefully.

So... I know I've been the world's worst mod in probably the history of fighting game forums. I've posted half finished guides, generally not been around the forums, and left a lot of players pissed I'm sure. I apologize for that.

With a new game coming I'm personally excited to play, I hope everyone else is too. That's why I'm coming here today to say this and ask what you want.

I've been playing anji since late 2004. I was active in the competitive gg scene for almost as long. I never changed characters (and god did I want to in ac.) I was probably the longest active tournament anji player in the us. Most of the old school players lft the scene by now, showed up rarely and even switched characters. I can't say I've done amazing things, I've never won a major, even though I've generally placed high in every tournament I've entered. I've played tons of matches with the best the us had to offer back in the hayday of accent core and slash. I've learned tons about the game and anji playing in itself. I even went as far as to improve my anji play when the game was next to dead (I.e. 18 players entering in a major tournament). I'll probably never be the best anji out there, though I will always strive to be the best. However what I can offer is knowledge. Knowledge gained from years of playing him in all his iterations.

What I'm really saying is that I want to pass on my knowledge of the character. With a new game coming out things are going to change and now is the prime time for me to do that.

What I'm really asking here is I there is even any interest? It always felt like there wasn't a lot of interest in the old days for anji. Every time I started a guide or something of the sorts, it just seemed like no one was actually reading it, or really any feedback on what was needed, or what you wanted to read. So I just stopped posting, my real life was hella busy at the time anyway.

So I'm asking you guys to post up, let me know you're interested, that you hunger for anji info. I'm able to give a lot more attention to this little corner of dustloop now. Let me know what you want to read here. What things will help you guys as anji players to get better.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Your mod,

Theslymoogle

Also I do plan on making a full guide for acr, but I just wanted some feedback before I started. I've got the gg fever again after day 1 vids, and nothing gets me as rock hard as a new guilty gear.

So anyway, here's the current change list:

Anji Mito:

- 6HS: FRC changed to be just before the move hits.

- FB On (623D): New FB, FRC possible right after the move hits, not possible to combo after (yet).

- 2H, 6H new gatling, combos on crouching hit only.

- 6H is now special cancellable.

- FB Butterfly (236D) travels farther.

- K Stomp (214K) causes a smaller ground bounce.

- Fuujin (236S/H) has shorter untechable time.

- 3S cancel is easier.

- Close 5S increases the guard gauge more.

- 3K no longer floats opponent.

I can't really figure out what they were trying to accomplish with these changes. The nerfs seem unnecessary - it's not as if Anji was a dominating character in AC. I'm not sure how much untechable time was cut from Fuujin, but I'm concerned that it'll make midscreen combos into running Fuujin -> K hop -> On harder.

Ok guys, It's been a long time coming but here is the start of my ever continuing Anji-Mito guide.

First off let me tell you a bit about me:

My name is John, I'm 21, and I live in Morehead, KY. I like long walks on the beach... Just kidding.

Anyway I've been playing Anji for about 3 years now. I started in Reload but didn't fully understand Guilty Gear, or really Anji up until the end of Slash.

Uhm if you asked people I figure they would probably tell you that I'm probably one of the top Anji players in the Nation. Maybe even second only to Kenji.

Speaking of Kenji, he was pretty much the guy who taught me all about Anji, and was the one who gave me the most help when I first started. I think it's because of Kenji that I probably do so well now.

Also if you ever meet me in person and want to know about Anji, get some matches in, maybe a long set or whatever, just say the word. More than happy to help you out and teach you things.

I play with Jais the mod of the Bridget forums, and unquestionably the best U.S. Bridget, WUT/Ryan-Bill who plays HOS and is probably the flashiest HOS I know, and I play with Kyle recently added May mod and one of the top May players in the nation.

So I hope that gives me some street cred. No I've never won a tournament, and I haven't really placed that high in one either. Eh well at least a major tournament that is, some little stuff here and there I've played in and won/placed high in, but that shit don't count.

So anyway a few things about Anji:

Anji has probably changed more in combos and play style than any character in Guilty Gear since his time in the game.

He went from low tier hero in Reload, to mid tier god in Slash, then back to shit tier in Accent core.

Let me express this once again "Anji is quite possibly the worst character in Accent Core"

What does this mean really?

Well it means that you shouldn't expect to be constantly winning with Anji. He has too many weaknesses in this game to constantly lockdown your opponent in a 20 gazillion win streak (Heh Eddie).

Does that mean you can't do well with him?

No. Not at all. In fact I think it makes it more epic to win with him. It takes a true knowledge of Anji's match-up against every character. I think aspiring to win with Anji makes you a much better player, and I can say that Accent Core really set me straight when it came to playing Guilty Gear in general.

And for all purposes Kenji Bliss, A.K.A. KBNova, A.K.A. The fucking man, took Anji in Reload to top place in tournaments all the time. It can be done ladies and gents.

Anji's Playstyle:

First a little Anji history for you new kids:

#Reload Anji:

Reload Anji was perhaps the most gimicky character in Guilty Gear. His shitsu(butterfly) was always an overhead on block, so it set up a lot of traps and gimmicks, including perfect unblockable setups from throws and certain knockdowns, so he got a guranteed 120 damage or so from that. He was probably the most fun to play in terms of looking sweeeeeeeeeeet with tech traps, and general mind games, but he was terrible. I repeat terrible.

Slash Anji:

Slash Anji was an entirely different beast. He was low B tier, which in the right hands could destroy a man. His pressure was tight, and his combos were always a guranteed 200+ damage depending on guard bar, which an opponent in the corner with anji always had cranked bar. His combos also always ended in knockdown. Which was amazing. Apparently too amazing.

Accent Core Anji:

Accent Core anji is a strange mix of the two Anji. He has a much better pressure than Reload Anji, but not as good as Slash. He got back the overhead butterfly back, that is now two hits, but requires tension to use. His combo system has changed pretty hardcore though. He now has a ground based combo that requires tension to do damage and get the knockdown. No more awesome aerial damage for no tension. So overall he now gets the damage he did in slash for tension really, but not the extreme control he used to have.

Starting out:

Ok if you're new to Guilty Gear, like as in "HEY I JUST GOT THIS GAME OMG ANJI LOOKS SWEET!!!" and after reading the above, you're going to want to check out another thread first so you know what I'm talking about in this guide.

Start Here

That will give you a good idea of the game and how it works, make sure you check out like every page.

So without further ado:

The Beginner's Anji Guide:

Normals:

First let me explain a strange mechanic special to Anji: Guardpoints/auto-guarding. Basically some of Anji's moves have a special property where they guard and attack at the same time. He used to have a lot of them, but most of them have been nerfed, or taken away.

Let me say this about Anji, it's probably a good thing he lost the majority of his guardpoints. He used to be a character you could pick and do decent with just by spamming his guardpoint attacks.

Not Anymore.

Anji is a character with some pretty decent normals. Learn them, live them, breathe them, eat them and make them the main focus of your game.

From any ground normal in this game Anji can normally lead into his combo, and that combo is pretty much half life.

I'm not going to go into great detail about the frame data here.

Here is the link to the frame data:

Anji Frame Data

So check that out, it will help you learn many things about how good Anji's normals are.

Standing normals:

5P:

Anji's 5P is a staple of his game. At the right spacing it's a great Anti-air. It gatlings into a few other moves, including his command throw for setup. It also leads into air combos and resets. Learning the proper range and timing for 5P is a must for any anji player, as lots of air normals from other characters will beat it at the right range.

5K:

5K is really a pretty basic move. Fast start-up, fast recovery. Great for frame traps and if you score a hit with it you can gatling into 5HS for a FB(Force Break) Rin combo.

5S:

5S is a pretty good poke. Fast activation, and at the right range it can be used to anti-air, though 5P is much better. 5S is something that causes damage and will be part of your combo, on guard you also have some advantage, so you should throw a 5k after perhaps or a 5P. Creates frame traps, and that's important for anji these days.

5HS:

5HS is the first of Anji's normals to get nerfed. It no longer has an autoguard, but it is now part of your main combo. It causes a forced crouch state now, and this allows you to combo into HS Fujinn. Occasionally it can be used as a long range poke to score HS fujinn combo. A valuable tool, but not a spammable normal.

5D:

5D is Anji's Dust. It is an overhead, just like everyone's Dust, and it gives the special launch property like everyone else's dust. Anji has a few awesome Dust combos, including a very useful impossible dust.

6P:

Anji's 6P, like everyone's in this game, has upper body invincibility. Anji's 6P is a little hard to use as an Anti-air. It's most effective against people who like to IAD. You can score a nice little aeriel CH combo from it. On ground a CH 6P nets a stagger, which should lead to a nice little combo. So it's sometimes a good move against certain characters on ground too.

6K:

This normal is FRC-able, and it has auto-guard on start-up. This is one of the only moves they left with auto-guard capabilities. Which is good as you can use it to autoguard on wake-up. Be careful with this as any low poke will beat it, so you have to feel for what your opponent will do. Definitely can be used as an anti-air and anti-poke. On CH in the air it causes a quick float, and on ground causes a quick stagger. In order to combo from a CH 6K in this game you must FRC it for air combo, and a 5K will net you a ground combo during the stagger.

6S:

One of Anji's best zoning tools. Still has auto-guard, but has a strange whiff property now that makes it slightly harder to use. Use it to stuff IADs, as an anti-jump in the corner, as an anti-poke on ground, and on CH you can actually start Anji's combo from it because 6S CH gatlings to 5HS > HS Fujinn.

6HS:

This normal is FRC-able, and has a late autoguard. This is perhaps the most nerfed move in Accent Core for any character. 6HS is garbage, and in fact I suggest you get familiar with never ever pressing 6 and HS at the same time. It hits late, auto-guards extremely late, and FRCs even later. It's only good property is it lifts on normal and Counter hit. On counterhit you get a tension free combo, and on normal hit you can FRC and do the same combo for 25% tension. This went from being Anji's best normal to his worst. Simply garbage.

3P:

They added this to anji's game in Slash. A normal hitting overhead, it starts out slow and is easily guarded. Best use during abstract block strings and butterfly pressure. If it hits during a butterfly you get a free combo. On CH you get a nice ground bounce so that you can combo into command throw and butterfly setup.

3K:

A move added in Accent Core. It's a move that has low autoguard on startup. Extremely useful because of this, make sure if you use it you cancel to one of his autoguard specials. Good at stuffing backdashes and it special cancels. Other than that it's ok to throw it in during pressure occasionally, but not really a good poke.

3S:

This move would be complete garbage if it wasn't for its special property. For a few frames you can whiff cancel 3S to either 5S or 5HS. You can do this during pressure or gatlings for added damage or to chunk up guard bar a bit. Kinda useless because if you fuck up, you're fucked as 3S has an extremely late hit and late autoguard. It does special cancel though.

Crouching Normals:

2P:

Anji's 2P is a fast move and can be used in a lot of different ways, including pretty useful in butterfly pressure, as a tick before a throw, and a great fast poke to hit out people out of certain pressure strings

2K:

Gives great frame advantage at +6 on guard. Use it during pressure and frame trap pressure please. Prorates damage so not a preferred combo starter, but if you get the hit might as well combo right?

2S:

A great low. Meaty on wake-up, so hard to throw (I think it might even be throw invincible if timed right?). It doesn't pro-rate, so it's great to start a combo with this move. Please!!! Will stuff certain moves from a lot of chracters, so it's good to use it, spam it sometimes even.

2HS:

This is Anji's other low auto-guard. Slow start up and late autoguard frames, so not completely useless, but not that great either. Sometimes you can use it to autoguard very predictable lows. Gatling cancels to 2D which is nice.

2D:

Anji's sweep is kinda good. Pretty long range sweep, and puts him in a very low profile, so you can do things like sweep under certain moves, like Baiken's sakura. Slowish start-up and kinda slowish recovery, but not bad. At the right range it's definitely a good poke.

Jumping Normals:

j.P:

A pretty quick jumping normal, starts pretty fast, but has a small hitbox. Can be used to win some air battles though, and you can pick up a small combo from the counter-hit.

j.K:

Also very quick, and very good for stuffing air pokes when used to predict them. Can pick up a small combo from this as well.

j.S:

Very large hitbox that is away from Anji's body. This is a very good aerial poke, and it's active for a long time. Good at stuffing a lot of ground normals even. I like to use it when airdashing back.

j.HS:

Slow move, but if it hits it has a pretty lengthy untechable time, and on certain air B&Bs you can actually end your combo in j.HS for the knockdown.

j.D:

This is a very big move, starts pretty quick, and has a great counterhit if close to the wall. It's great to use this as an anti jump, and as a tech trap in the air. You can input another move after the air recovery as well, and it stops your air momentum, so you can create some awesome mix-ups with this and a butterfly.

Normals Summary:

Ok guys, Anji's normals are his strongest point. None of them are particularily godly, but he has a good all around package, and using them effectively is what will make you a great Anji player. Learning to use them all together and learning what they are all good for is something that takes a lot of time, but is well worth it. Nothing in Anji's game is more important than this, and I can't stress his normals enough.

Throws:

Ground Throw:

Anji has a great ground throw. Why might you ask?

Well with it he can get the perfect butterfly oki. Throwing will be a big part of your game. Trying to land that throw when possible, creating situations where you can get that throw, are all important things to learn. This butterfly oki that you get is very important to create the mind games that Anji plays.

Other than that, you can't combo from his throw, or anything cool like that, but it's still a great throw.

Air Throw:

Anji's Air throw is a great Anti-Air first of all.

You can combo from it with a small bread and butter, but this nets you no knockdown and only a small bit of damage.

So what do you do with it?

You combo it into Anji's command throw: On, which is covered in the next section.

This nets you about the same amount of damage as the combo you can do, and it gets you a great butterfly oki.

MMM... Butterfly Oki.

Specials:

236P or Shitsu (Butterfly):

This is the move that makes Anji. It's his signiture move, and it's the meat of his game. It's the reason I started playing Anji.

This move basically sets up everything in his game. It can be used in a lot of ways, zoning, anti-projectile, but it's most effective as a pressure tool for okizime. A butterfly timed right, must be guarded on the opponents wake-up, this gives you time to run in and create pressure, mix-up, or to bait the few ways each character has to escape butterfly. Once the opponent is hit by or guards the butterfly it transforms into a falcon that descends to the ground and if you time it right you can for your opponent to guard both hits of this as well, and create awesome mix-up. Every butterfly is important to you, and every chance you can get to set this up, you take. DELICIOUS!

214P or Kai (p version), (p stomp):

This move is both an overhead, and used right creates a cross-up. Fairly useful as a throw bait and shoryuken bait as okizime, when you couldn't get that butterfly set. Close to the opponent Anji will actually jump over the sprite and cross them up. If you score a hit with this, you get a free launch into a decently damaging combo. On guard you are at advantage and can normally score a counterhit or more pressure, unless they IB or SB, in which case you can either guard, or try to jump out. Fear throws after this move once your opponent learns to deal with this. Can be used to create some gimmicky cross up action during butterfly pressure as well.

214K or Kai (k version), (k stomp):

Same as p stomp, only this move is a bit faster to start, but takes anji further horizontally and raises him up slightly. Has an FRC point that is during the time he stalls in the air right before he starts his descent onto the ground. Fairly useful to cross-up opponent in certain situations. Also leaves you in advantage on guard, but not as much as P stomp. Useful during butterfly pressure sometimes as well.

236S or Fuujin (Fuujin Slash):

forward advancing, and has 5 options after the initial move by pressing either P,K,S,HS or D. Causes slide property on an air hit. This slide allows Anji to do corner fuujin loops on some characters.

236HS or Fuujin HS (Hard Slash Fuujin):

This is the more useful Fuujin, it is invincible on start-up until frame 12, wall bounces on hit, and is the meat inside Anji's combo sandwich. Also on Counterhit it scores a free knockdown, but you can always combo after the counterhit, so why not do that instead?

After Fuujin S or HS:

Shin:Isshiki(P):

Anji jumps up and rains down several fans onto the opponent. You can jump again or airdash after this. Useful in escaping after a blocked fuujin during pressure. If the fans hit it's possible to airdash forward for a combo.

Hitoashitobi(K):

Anji Hops forward. Several uses, including as a crossup throw on guard, and certain characters after a hit from HS fuujin can be combo'd after the hop if the timing is right. This is also part of the fuujin loop.

Nagiha(S):

Anji sweeps his glowing fan at the opponents feet, this is a low. Has a late FRC point that can help you combo. Creates a knockdown in itself though, so you can combo into it in certain situations to get the knockdown.

Rin(HS):

This is a slow starting big ass move with lengthy autoguard high. It's ok to throw it sometimes to continue pressure when your opponent doesn't expect it. It will knockdown, so it's good to combo into it in certain situations. If you do score a counterhit you get a nice little ground bounce.

Kou (Hit punch during the hit-stop of autoguard):

Basically this means that during any time you auto-guard a move with Anji, if you press P during the part where their move and your autoguard connect you get this spinning special move thing. It does a decent amount of damage, and in certain situations you can autoguard aerial moves with 6K or some other autoguard and cancel into this to punish those people who like to maybe air dash or jump in at you a lot.

Aoi (Hit kick during the hit-stop of an autoguard):

Anji really needed this. It's basically for you to cancel into on ground during an autoguard. Does a decent amount of damage, and causes wall stick, which is a pretty long wall stick and you can combo from that wall stick into an On or some other combo. Great fucking move, with lots of nice invincibilty too.

(in air) 214P or Shin: Nishiki (Orb):

Anji does this little ball thing in the palms of his hands, looks like he's charging a kamehameha attack in DBZ. You can input 2147P to do it very close to the ground to create a nice little instant overhead. You can also combo into it for a knockdown at certain heights because it's untechable for 60 frames.

Specials Summary:

Anji has some pretty decent Specials. Fuujin HS is probably his best special, it's like a horizontal shoryuken and can be used a lot. Don't get too fuujin happy though, because every character can fuck you for using it. He has a lot of gimmicky special things to use with your butterfly. Mmm, fun right?!

Force Breaks:

These are the new mechanics they added to the game. Basically like EX moves from 3rd Strike, they cost 25% tension, and are normally super versions of other moves.

After Fuujin:

Force Break Rin (D after 236 HS or S):

A beefy version of rin that is faster, leaves you in advantage on guard,is and overhead, and on hit causes a nice ground bounce that's untechable for more combos. It's the zesty sauce on the Anji Combo sandwich. Less autoguard frames than regular rin though.

236D Force Break Shitsu (Red Butterfly):

This is a mixture of old and new. In reload Anji had unblockable setups from his butterfly, because the transformed part was always an overhead. The two hits of his FB butterfly are overhead. So for 25% tension you get an overhead butterfly. Best used only after a ground throw, or certain characters you can OTG this move and create a mixup that way.

Force Break Kou (D during the hitstop of an autoguard):

A spinning tornado of awesome that ends in knockdown, but overall really useless. Doesn't do a lot of damage, but it's pretty invincible. If for some strange reason it whiffs, or the opponent blocks it, it's very unsafe, unlike most other force breaks. Best to use Aoi instead, because it's so much more awesome.

Force Breaks Summary:

Overall, Anji's Force breaks are good. FB Rin is essential to his combos now, and FB Shitsu is pretty sweet. FB Kou is garbage though. Overall it could have been worse (See I-No and Johnny's FBreaks)

Overdrives:

Anji's Overdrives haven't really changed much since Reload.

632146HS Issei Ougi: Sai:

Giant Fan Super. Pretty useless, doesn't do a lot of damage anymore, you have to FRC it to combo after it, unless you can time it right where you get hit during the right time in startup. Overall there are better uses of your tension.

Charge 2, 8K Tenjinashi:

Anji does this move that looks a lot like 214K, but then he spins around on the ground. Decent damage and invincible to strikes starting at frame 4, so not really bad, but if blocked you're at a disadvantage. Better uses of tension once again.

63214S (during the hitstop of autoguard) Kachoufuugetsu:

Anji does this pretty fan thing, and this does a decent amount of damage. You can RC and combo some if you have a gold bar of tension. Once again, better uses of tension.

Overdrives:

Honestly I can see no reason for you to be using overdrives with Anji. Save your tension for his various force breaks, and RC for combos that create knockdown. Perhaps at the end of the match, to get that last pixel of health it's ok to combo into Issei Ouji: Sai for the last hits of damage. That's about it. Anji didn't get blessed with good overdrives, sorry folks. The autoguard Overdrive is ok, but Aoi is free and most of the time you get wall stick and combo to do almost as much damage for free as the autoguard overdrive.

Most of the videos in my profile contain Japanese Anjis and Anji CVs,so take a look.(I don't put up videos of myself though)

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DawnbringerRB

And here's a link to stuff they record and let people watch:

http://www.norematch.com/ggxx

Now,this thread can also be a feedback thread so videos of myself in tournament:

http://www.youtube.com/kellfire5541 (look for Dawnbringer,preferably the ones on November 10th)

This guide is designed to be a help tool in using Anji from a beginner’s level all the way to a very advanced status. In here I will attempt to cover everything from moves, combos, and basic strategy, to advance concepts and tactics that I have developed in the years I have played with Anji. What you should keep in mind at all times is that much of this guide is based of my experiences as well as input from other high level players. You should not take this guide as an end-all-be-all bible. No strategy and ideas are perfect in Guilty, and I encourage you to challenge my thoughts and add to this guide as if you wrote it yourselves.

Special Thanks goes out to 722 for his help on this guide and to all the Midwest players who drive me to be a better player myself.

Without further Ado let us begin.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

Part 1: Moves

2. Normals

2a. Standing Normals

2b. Crouching Normals

2c. Jumping Normals

2d. Normals Summary

3. Throws

3a. Ground Throw

3b. Air Throw

4. Specials

4a. Specials

4b. Specials Summary

5. Overdrives

5a. Overdrives

5b. Overdrive Summary

Part 2: Tactics

6. Defense

6a. Blocking

6b. Faultless Defense

6c. Instant Blocking

6d. Dead Angle Attack

6e. Defensive Bursting

6f. Backdashing

6g. Zoning

6h. Counter Poking

6i. Defensive Throws

6j. Defensive Autoguards

6k. Defensive Tactics Summary

7. Offense

7a. Get the Knockdown

7b. Poking

7c. Basic Mix up

7d. Getting In

7e. Butterfly Pressure

7f. Non Okizeme Butterfly Pressure

7g. Non Butterfly Okizeme

7h. Baiting Defensive Counters

7i. Offensive Tactics Summary

Part 3: Combos

8. Ground Combos

9. Basic Air Combos

10. Jump Install Combos

11. Dust Combos

12. Comboing off Rin

13. IAD Combos

14. RCing Orb for extra damage

15. TK Orb combos

16. Momentum Preserved Jump Installs

17. Combos Summary

Part 4: Closing

18 Do’s and Don’ts of Anji

19 Final Thoughts

Character Introduction

This is about as basic as this guide will get, I’m writing it with the assumption that everyone on this forum understands the most basic concepts about the game (what normals and specials are, what an FRC is, etc).

Anji in slash has moved on from being a one trick trap pony to a better rounded character. He still relies on his butterfly for his basic offense and mix up but Anji now possess a strong offensive rush-down game and a very powerful okizeme on top of his good zoning and air game. If you liked Anji in #R odds are you will like him even more now with his improved tools and strengths. At this point Anji is consider to be in the A tier. Keep in mind I am only telling you this so there aren’t a billion questions on it, this isn’t a tier thread, and match up discussion is more important anyway (and that will get covered in another thread). Anji is a fairly easy character to pick up with relatively simple combos to learn. His learning curve is more difficult than people will admit and it is very easy to get into bad habits playing Anji. Even I will admit that parts of his game have gotten very scrubby, but if you think picking up Anji is going to guarantee wins in Slash, you should think again. It takes a lot of work to bring Anji’s game to its highest level and this guide should help start you on the path there.

Normals:

This section will break down all of Anji’s normals in great detail, Anji has a great set of normals and you would be well served to learn them and put them to good use.

5P Level 2

Frame Data: Startup: 4 Active: 3 Recovery: 6 Advantage: +3

Standing punch is a great all around normal for Anji. It’s a worthwhile poke on the ground with good frame advantage, you can use it for some very basic frame traps in the corner and it of course gatlings into almost any of Anji’s basic ground combos. 5P’s primary strength is when you use it as an Anti-Air. When scoring an anti-air counter hit Anji gets a free air combo which in slash guarantees a knockdown (read: Great for Anji). It is not an unbeatable anti-air and moves like a deep J.H. from Sol can easily put a hurt on you. Learning the proper range and timing of 5P is a must and it should be a staple in your game.

5K Level 1

Frame Data: Startup: 5 Active: 5 Recovery: 6 Advantage: -1

Standing Kick is your basic ground normal, nothing special, nothing bad about it either. Its main use is starting ground gatlings or juggles but it can also prove to be a useful poke with only have a minor disadvantage on block. Simple strings like 5k, 5k, 6h, are useful in the corner and can get opponents to freeze long enough to let Anji build a little guard gauge. The hitbox at the tip of Anji’s foot goes surprisingly far and you can occasionally use it like a 5P to stop characters running at you who would run under a 5P (I.E. Sol, Baiken). For the most part stick to using this in combos and juggles, but don’t overlook it’s poking and tick throw usefulness.

5S Level 4

Frame Data: Startup: 7 Active: 4 Recovery: 10 Advantage: +3

Standing slash can now be used at any range since Anji’s far slash has been changed to a command normal. It is your primary juggle starter (S, S, air combo) and is a great move for frame traps. It is a potent +3 on block and is perfect for following up after a move like Rin which allows Anji to keep advantage over his opponent for long strings at a time. It does solid damage is and is a mainstay in any of Anji’s combos that begin on the ground. It can also be used as an Anti-Air but I consider 5P to be far superior for that task. Learning to use 5S followed by autoguard moves on the advantage is a very useful tool and one of the more overlooked strengths of the move.

5H Level 5

Frame Data: Startup: 15 Active: 4 Recovery: 21 Advantage: -6

Autoguard: Frames 4-11

Standing hard is the first of Anji’s normals with an autoguard that I will discuss. This move is all about taking up space and is a prime example of Anji’s zoning capability. Since standing hard hits on both sides of Anji (as well as having a decent size hitbox above his body) and is a great move to use as a deterrent against opponents wanting to move in against him. It is a very solid autoguard to use against opponents trying to drop down on top of Anji, but keep in mind that the autoguard does not start until frame 4, meaning that you will have to time it faster than you would a 6H. Netting a counter hit with 5H can get Anji a huge chunk of damage. On a ground CH you can hit confirm into HS Fujinn, and in the air it is untechable giving you plenty of time for a follow up juggle into an air combo. Because the fans start at the top of Anji’s body and are pulled down you may be surprised at how many moves can out poke this on occasion. It is certainly not a spammable move, but it is invaluable in helping Anji to control the screen. Using it sparingly, but effectively is a must in improving his defensive zoning game.

6P Level 5

Frame Data: Startup: 18 Active: 4 Recovery: 16 Advantage: -1

Anji’s forward punch can be very difficult for a new player to learn to use but is extremely effective when handled properly. 6P has upper body invincibility on the first 21 frames, making it ideal for anti-air against instant air dashes (IAD). In the air a CH will float the opponent for a free juggle and combo, and on the ground the CH causes a stagger that should allow for at least a knockdown. 6P has a few useful gatlings such as 5S that allow for a mini loop (6P, 5S, 6P, 5S) on a crouching opponent. It also has only a minor disadvantage on block, so gatling into 6K is a tricky string to try and net a counter hit or autoguard. 6P will feel very clunky at first due to its slow startup, but after you learn to understand where the reach and where anji is invincible you will find it an invaluable tool for out poking people who are prone to IAD too much.

6K Level 3

Frame Data: Startup: 11 Active: 6 Recovery: 13 Advantage: -5

Autoguard: Frames 1-7

FRC-able

Forward kick is simply a solid all around move, its autoguard makes it useful as both a ground poke and a decent anti-air against moves that have a long range (I.E. Sol’s Bandit Bringer). None of Anji’s autoguards have a faster startup, so if you are looking to try and sneak an autoguard into a tight spot it is the better choice over 6H. On any CH 6K floats the opponent very high, giving Anji a free combo. Because of the autoguard, netting a CH is a frequent occurrence when the move is used properly. 6K is also a great move to throw at the end of a pressure string as the Autoguard can often catch an opponent looking to swing quickly after Anji is pushed back. Forward Kick is arguably the safest of Anji’s autoguards because of the ability to FRC it and its faster recovery. 6K can be used in various situations, but its strength really shines when you utilize it as a counter poke. A CH almost guarantees Anji 150+ damage in Slash, and knowing when to throw it is vital to improving your game both offensively and defensively.

6S Level 3

Frame Data: Startup: 13 Active: 4 Recovery: 17 Advantage: -7

Autoguard: Frames 7-10

Anji’s far slash how now become a command normal and can be performed at any range. If S, S is used in a gatling it will act as it has in past versions of XX (close slash, then far slash). The ability to use 6S at any range has turned in into a valuable tool for controlling space against an air attacker. 6S has a long hitbox up and diagonally out in front of Anji, it is particularly useful in catching characters that like to double jump a lot in an attempt to gain better position. It has decent startup, but lacks any invulnerability and only a scant 3 frames worth of autoguard, thus you should be careful about spamming it at a close distance. If you connect against an opponent in air you can follow up with a combo even without a counter hit if you jump cancel it quickly enough. 6S thrives when it is used in conjunction with Anji’s other zoning and anti-air pokes to cover various angles that an opponent may use to try and get in against you. 6S is also incredibly useful in butterfly strings as it can force the opponent to remain in block stun long enough to use IAD pressure or Fujinn mind games. Even though the autoguard on 6S is a very small window, if you connect with it you will almost always be able to link it into a kou due to the fact that your opponent will have likely thrown a move in the air with enough recovery to allow kou to hit cleanly.

6H Level 3

Frame Data: Startup: 13 Active: 18 Recovery: 18 Advantage: -12

Autoguard: Frames 1-11

FRC-able

Perhaps the most infamous normal move in all of Anji’s repertoire is the spinning fans of 6H. While being a very powerful move when used correctly, 6H is often the bane of new Anji players and becomes a crutch. 6H is the easiest of Anji’s autoguards to use as it begins the moment the move activates and has a huge 11 frame window. Using this autoguard is a very important part of Anji’s game and there are more than a few valid situations that you will find to throw 6H in hopes of connecting with an Autoguard. Using it on wakeup is an option to beat certain okizeme, however it’s always a risk (just like any wakeup attack), and it works well against IAD strings that are too high or quick to take out with a 6P. The key to 6H is not letting it become your panic button, which is very easy to do. Even the best Anji players can get in a rut where they spam 6H too much in an attempt to get out of a bad situation (I am no exception, I’ve done it more than my share of times). Beyond autoguard and space control 6H is an excellent pressure tool. It can be canceled into almost anything (specials, certain normals, and jump cancels) on the first 2 hits, and if it is blocked this is the ideal tactic as it leaves Anji at a terrible disadvantage on a full block. You can cancel into overheads (orb), crossups (p stomp), or pressure specials (fujinn and butterfly). The FRC is very tricky to learn as it comes extremely late in the move’s animation (after the final hit), but if you can hit it consistently this opens up more mind games and options for 25% tension. Using 6H is a must in strengthening Anji’s game and using its autoguard properly will strengthen your defensive game to a top level. 6H will either be a great asset or one of your biggest detriments, don’t let this move become a crutch and you will be well on your way to being better than 90% of the scrubby kids who try to pick up Anji.

3P

Frame Data: Startup: 20 Active: 3 Recovery: 11 Advantage: 0

Anji at last has a normal hitting overhead for the first time since the days of X. Before we all rejoice let me explain that 3P is not a godly move like Testament’s 6P or Millia’s 6K. 3P is a slow and very situational overhead that in all honesty does not have a whole ton of uses. The primary strength of 3P comes when using it during butterfly strings, since the butterfly no longer hits high people will almost certainly start blocking low and try to react to your decisions. Because of its slow startup (Even for an overhead) reacting to the move is not as difficult as you may imagine, so you will have to be somewhat creative in how and when you throw it out. 3P will not gatling into ANYTHING, so the only way to combo off of it is to Roman cancel it, combo it with a butterfly, or net a CH. On CH 3P gives a huge ground bounce, leaving more than enough time for a solid air combo. You can gatling into 3P from a few different moves or link it off things like 5P. For the most part you are going to be using this to play mix up games during your pressure strings, but 3P can be especially useful in trying to score a round ending hit on a turtling opponent. On occasion you could even throw this as your okizeme poke if a good butterfly is not an option. 3P has a good sized hitbox and reaches a long distance despite the animation being so close to Anji’s body. Use this move sparingly, but do not forget to add it to your mix up and pressure strings. Even though it is slow you are likely to catch more than few players snoozing when they try to block it on reaction.

5D Level 3

Frame Data: Startup 25 Active: 6 Recovery: 26 Advantage: -18

Autoguard Frames: 19-24

Anji’s standing dust has never been one of the better ones in the game and though it has gained some autoguard in slash, it takes a bit of skill and trickery to use. 5D is decently quick for a dust, but it is loaded with frames of animation that set off a big siren that says “Hey look, I’m using DUST”. Good dusts like Jam’s have very subtle animation and it makes them more difficult to block, so to hit with Anji’s dust you’ll need to have very solid mix up and throw it in the right spot. The autoguard comes very, VERY late, and it is rather difficult to time against an attack, but if the autoguard hits you can pretty much guarantee you are going to get a CH dust. All of Anji’s dust combos can end in a knockdown and we’ll cover all of those in the combo section later in the guide. In general Anji’s dust has its uses, but it is far from an abuse-able overhead, sneak it in when you have your opponent under a barrage of pressure and you can catch your opponents off guard.

Welcome to the Anji Mito Forum!

Anji Mito is a fun character, with a pretty easy learning curve, but he does utilize a lot of the basic "trick of the trade" of Guilty Gear.

So I suggest if you've just picked up the game, and don't understand it yet or know a lot about it, you should go here:

Guilty Gear 101

It's outdated, but we're working on that, but it still has a lot of the basic concepts you should learn and understand before diving into this thread.

Good Luck!

-TheSlyMoogle