This thread is for Questions and Answers. Ask a question or answer a question. I'll try to keep an FAQ updated in this post, which may contain questions which were only asked once (i.e. FREQUENTLY ENOUGH).

This obviously isn't very important, I just thought it was funny.

Discuss the nitty-gritty of how to Axl here. One of many stickies to come.

Talk Axl combos here.

NOTATION USED BY ME: (Assume anything I don't mention is whatever's standard on DL)

- denotes a cancel from one move to another. Gatling, special cancel, jump cancel, whatever. For example, 2H-2D-Rensen is all cancels.

, denotes a link. For example, 5H-6H, 2S implies a gatling from H to 6H, then a link to 2S.

RCs, FDCs, and FRCs are not noted like cancels, just note them in parens. For example, Kokuu (FRC), 5P should be listed like a link, because you're not cancelling the FRC into anything.

... denotes a delay. For example, 2D-Rensen (FRC) ... 5P implies a delay between the rensen FRC and the 5P

In air gatlings, I use lack of spaces to denote air normal gatlings and dashes to denote other kinds of cancels, including landing and using ground normals. Only write j. once, and write it again if you mean jump again. For example, the combo c.S-H-Rensen (FRC), 66 c.S-JI-2S-sj.KPK-j.HD-Kokuu has one superjump and one doublejump in it.

I often write names of specials for visual and conceptual clarity. If you're playing this character, you should know roughly what your specials are called anyway

If you can, please make note of what characters a combo works on (Or, if it's a fairly universal combo, characters it does not work on) For example, (From midscreen) c.S-2D-Rensen (FRC), 66-2S-j.D-Bomber (Works on Slayer, Johnny, Dizzy, Justice, and Faust)

Please list superjumps separately from normal jumps For example, the combo (in the corner) Throw, j.PD-Bomber works on a lot of characters. The combo Throw, sj.PD-Bomber doesn't work on most characters.

The abbreviation for Hard slash in combos is H. If you write "HS", it's confusing and I will hunt you down.

One of many stickies to come.

That being said, I was wondering if some people could give me a couple tips or links on some "easy" combos to practice, not necessarily optimal, but preferrably universal. I've just been beating the AI on Maniac with normals alone to get the feel for him. There's a lot of great info on these forums that I've been reading for about 2 hours, but most of the information is really old and I'm not experienced enough to tell if it still works.

Thanks all

So I've decided to stick with Axl as my new Main and currently I'm learning the basis.

I've visited the combo thread and it has tons of combos... I dont really think every combo is necessary, what combos is useful and I should really learn? also the lockdown and pressure theard has tons of information.

I'm pretty lost, and I need to be directed :> Thanks

Step 1: Learn to block

Nothing will bring up your success rate with Axl better than learning to block. Learn when it's not your turn to swing, be patient, and just block attacks. Block low, wait for overheads, FD in the air. Axl has bad reversal options, and there's not really a way around that. Pay attention and learn to react fast. If you are playing against good players, you should be blocking a lot.

And since we're playing Guilty Gear here, this also means that blocking is hard and you need to be doing advanced defense most of the time. FD stuff when you need space but not time, IB when you need time but not space. Learn to backdash at the right times. Axl's backdash is horrible compared to most of the cast. It's also your only invulnerable thing besides your super. It's your best option in a lot of situations, so you have to use it. Learn to smell throws and jump them or DP them. Axl doesn't have a 5F jab, so tick throws are a huge weakness you're going to have to cover. Get in the habit of running forward and FDing, then letting go of the buttons so you can instant block. It's a tool you need badly.

If your defense isn't good, you're going to have a bad time as Axl. There are lots of guides out there about defensive options in Guilty Gear. I wrote an article about FD and IB a while ago, and there are other resources for it. Every character in the game benefits from good defense, but as Axl, you do not have the benefit of safe options designed for defense. You've got to use the system mechanics available to everyone, and get as much out of them as possible.

Step 2: Learn your gatlings and meterless knockdown combos.

Especially in +R, where Axl got the ability to combo from e.g. f.S, 2H, 2P, 3P, 5P at max range, etc., you need to know what you can chain into what, and what combo you do to get the bare minimum knockdown combo into rensengeki (Rensen. [4]6S. The green thing. Very important move.) (Or kokuugeki (j.63214S. Big ol' circle in the air. Also pretty important) if you're too far to get knockdown). If your throw combo to guaranteed knockdown is throw-rensen, that's fine. Do that. Knockdown is great in GG.

Did you know that 6K can chain into 6H? That 2P chains into f.s now? That f.S-rensen is a real combo from most ranges? Nearly any hit can confirm at least two ways into rensen. You should be able to get knockdown from almost any normal you hit with, and at least 120 or so damage from the things you can't. With no meter. Did you know you can't combo c.S into 5H on a standing Kliff? Now you do. You're welcome.

A key advantage Axl has over a lot of characters is his ability to get a knockdown off of a lot of situations. You don't always need or want knockdown, but you should know when you can get it, and how to do it. Most of the time, this involves confirming a short combo. So you should know how to do that.

Step 3: Convince yourself that this is not a zoning character.

I've heard a ton of definitions of zoning, and until we nail down a real operational definition of the term, it's not that useful to talk about things using it. So I'm going to define it for my purposes here. Zoning means making parts of the screen unsafe by throwing out moves. It helps a lot of those moves happen to be projectiles that last longer than it takes to spawn them, but that's not necessary. You may notice that this definition is super broad, and that by that definition, every character in at least Guilty Gear, and probably most fighting games, can zone sometimes. Axl has some great zoning tools from mid-range in f.S and 3P. But then, Axl can do literally anything well in mid-range. Against lower-mobility characters, 5H is a pretty good zoning tool too.

That being said, Axl is a pretty terrible choice of character if you want to zone a lot. There are several very effective zoning-oriented characters in Guilty Gear, and Axl is not one of them. His moves tend to cover a few but not many of your opponent's choices, for the most part are not very disjointed, and while they do have a lot of active frames, they also have a lot of recovery. The only projectiles Axl has access to take longer to recover than they stay out, and FRCing the summon will make them disappear. If you're playing Axl in a neutral game and throw out a move that does not connect, 90% of the time you have fucked up in a big way. You will more than likely take moderate-to-serious amount of damage and/or be at a severe disadvantage.

Basically, you just don't have the tools you'd expect a zoning-focused character to have, and pretending you do is a great way to lose. If you like zoning a lot and want to pursue a zoning-oriented playstyle, there are plenty of great characters for it in Guilty Gear. I've been picking up Justice lately, and she's hella fun. Testament, Faust, Zappa, and Ky are also decent picks, and there are even ways to play characters like Slayer or Jam to be more effective at zoning than Axl is.

Obviously no one's perfect and I'm not saying you should never try to throw out moves, or even that zoning isn't sometimes an effective way to play. Just that I see a lot of people try to play Axl like he's got a lot of real zoning tools, and they tend to get wrecked. The zoning mentality of controlling space with hitbox and constraining your opponent's decisions is a good thing to learn about, but trying to play Axl and focus primarily on zoning will not lead to success.

Step 4: Start tracking and punishing

So if Axl's not a zoning character, what are all those long range moves for? Two things: pressure and punishing stuff. We'll talk about your pressure later, punishing is more important. Generally, when people talk about "punishing" in a fighting game, they mean hitting someone in the recovery of their move. A true punish is one that they literally did not have time to do anything about (In GG, technically punishes on block are less guaranteed when the opponent has meter, because of RCs). I'm invoking the concept because it's the mentality you should adopt in the neutral game with Axl. Except instead of punishing them for not having you in enough frames of stun to recover, you're punishing them for being in the wrong place.

For initial intents and purposes, your primary tools for this purpose are 2S, 6K, 5P, 5K, f.S, and 2H. Think about where those moves hit, how fast they come out, and what positioning they punish. Practice being essentially a targeting system. Spend matches watching your opponent, trying to predict where they're going to move, and sniping them with one of those 6 tools. Wait until you are pretty certain that you know where they're going before you throw something out. Remember that if you don't hit them, you've just guessed wrong and it is going to be bad for you. Your opponent will either hit your chains and get damage, or at the very least get their approach uncontested.

In actuality Axl has a ton more tools than that for this playstyle, including Kokuugeki, Rensen, Rashousen, 5H, 3P, j.K, H Benten, airthrow, etc. You can punish things like a midscreen backdash with rensen or raeisageki, a lot of approaches with Kokuugeki, any long-range setup with Rashou, etc. Axl can play entire matches just by tracking the opponent and punishing them for their position in space. If your opponent techs or bursts in a predictable way, that means you know where they are. If you are calm and throw out the right punish, you get your damage or at least your pressure because of their positioning.

Guilty Gear's neutral game is in large part about movement. Most characters have a ton of movement options available to them, ways to cancel movement options, and lots of attacks that have weird trajectories, and sometimes can be FRC'd and are then more movement options to deal with. A lot of high-level matches have sections in them that are just positioning, and exchanges get won because of smart movement decisions. Jam has a move that's just a weird movement option with recovery. Japanese players use it a ton. It's a really good move. Being able to punish movement and positioning options is a very strong niche for a character to have. If you get into the mentality of punishing your opponent for their position on the screen, you will be a stronger Axl player.

Step 5: Learn Rensen FRC. Just do it.

People bitch about FRCs a lot, but they're really not that hard, and they add a lot to your gameplan. Axl in particular has a lot of great FRCs. Axl Bomber has an FRC now, and it's a great way to maintain safe pressure from the air, or get from the air to neutral on the ground faster than your opponent. Kokuugeki and Benten (S) are extremely strong tools for poking once you get their FRCs down, making them safe. Raeisageki's FRC gets you both damage and mixup. 3H FRC is a great way to bait out reversals on okizeme. Learning any of these FRCs will give you a little boost to your overall ability to win games, but you shouldn't practice them at all until you have Rensen FRC down.

Rensen FRC is a 2F window in a pretty intuitive place, but since you're going to be confirming it from a bunch of things, you should probably learn a few different timings, since hitpause is going to fuck with your timing if you're doing what sane people do in airdashers and buffering the special input into the pause. Learn to rensen FRC from neutral, from 2K (Level 1 hitpause), K (Level 2), f.S (Level 3), c.S (Level 4), and 5H (Level 5). Then practice it from every other special-cancellable move Axl has. The timings should correspond 1-to-1 with what level the move you cancelled from is. If you can do the FRC visually instead of by muscle memory, you'll have an easier time, but you should really just drill it into your head and make sure you know it.

I can't stress how important it is to have this down. Rensen FRC gives you a tool that reaches about halfway across the screen in 15 frames, gives you a huge launch that you can always combo from, is +33 on normal standing guard, and now that we're in +R, builds up the opponent's guardbar. If you can't FRC rensen, you lose almost all of your ability to keep up pressure, about 80-90% of your ground confirms into damage, and you are unsafe in situations where you should be completely safe. There is no one execution thing you need to learn that is more important to Axl's gameplan than this move. Just learn it. You should have that shit on demand, 100% of the time.

There's no way around it. You need to learn rensen FRC to play Axl. Stop being a baby and learn it.

Step 6: Get a feel for mid-range and how to put yourself there.

Axl operates optimally at mid-range. For all intents and purposes, I'm declaring mid-range to be from about 3 to about 5 character widths away, or, more usefully, from the absolute max range of your 5K to the max range of rensen FRC. Most characters have somewhere between 0 - 4 tools that work well in this range. Axl has about 20.

Axl's pressure at mid-range is amazing, because while a ton of his moves will connect, most characters don't have something fast enough to hit with in any gaps you may leave (or they might make by IBing). Axl has stronger mixup than most characters at mid-range, with a ton of lows and three overheads that will hit from that range, one of which is an ambiguous crossup, most of which can consistently confirm into damage given 25% meter. Rashousen feint is relatively safe at that range, and rashousen will still hit extremely quickly. You can do a string into rensen FRC a lot of ways from mid-range, especially with 2P chaining into 2S and 2H chaining into 2D now, and once they block a rensen FRC, your pressure is pretty much freestyle.

Additionally, Axl's tools are optimized for reacting from mid-range. If someone is trying to get in from mid-range, you have plenty of breathing room to react and punish with e.g. a 623P for fast approaches, a 2K to go under things, a f.S to stuff ground moves, or a 5P or 6K to punish jumps, or a rensen to punish backdashes, etc. You have faster moves and more options than almost every character at that range, so they have to either try to get in, get out, or hit you with a very limited option set. That gives you an advantage you don't have when the opponent is farther away or closer in.

Even better, your anti-air tools at mid-range will get you really good damage consistently. While you can get decent short confirms by hitting with a long-range anti-air attack, hitting at mid-range means that you get to confirm into whatever combo you want, including meterless knockdown or carry-to-corner bomber loop setups. Mid-range gives you optimal damage for your anti-air punishes. Even if your opponent happens to FD your anti-airs at mid-range, that means they've blown some meter to still be stuck in your pressure, because you can pull them to the ground by continuing to chain 6K and 2S, then mix up into rensen FRC, rashousen, raeisageki, or 6H.

My point is, you want to be at mid range pretty much all the time. If you're closer than that, you want to back up, and if you're farther away than that, you want to approach. Once you've gotten tracking your opponent and throwing out the correct punishes down, work on always being at mid-range. Learn ground strings that will keep you there no matter how they block, even if it means cancelling into that rensen FRC or rashousen on reaction to a green flash. Learn to approach or retreat in the air while covering yourself with j.S. Use backdash and running FD to keep yourself where you want to be. Learn to corral your opponent to mid-range if they block something, using the many movement options and pull/push tools available to you.

Axl is a mid-range-specialized character, and thrives at that distance. Get there, stay there, force your opponent to be there, and you will win more.

Step 7: Use unblockables and fear to confuse your opponent and make them jump.

Axl's pressure is pretty great now. As long as you have meter, you can keep folks in blockstun for a long-ass time, and you also have some real high-lows you can throw in, such as 2H-{2D/5D}. But your mixup is still pretty subpar. Ambiguous stuff like Kokuu or Raei crossup are slow, and your fastest grounded overhead is still 23 frames. Sure, if you're doing the mid-range thing properly, you can get a lot of false gap tricks working, but you don't have crazy unreactable millia stuff, so people who are patient can just wait you out and make you waste all your meter or get to a point where you have to stop attacking. And of course we all play fighting games here, so you know what that means. Gotta go for throws!

Axl's got a lot of cool tools for going for throws. j.P, 3P, 5K, and 2K are all good ticks, a blocked rensen FRC gives you enough time to run in and throw, and you've got an FRC on raeisageki that lets you land pretty fast and throw people too. Your option-select throws with S or sometimes 6P, K or 5H cover the jump-out option, and you have some interesting baiting tools, such as 2K and 623P to bait out throw-invincible reversals. It may be weird to think that Axl relies on throws because he's ostensibly trying to operate outside of throw range most of the time, but it is a pretty strong option in Guilty Gear in general, and you have the tools to utilize it.

Did I mention you've got a full screen fake command grab?

Rashousen ([4]6H) is an unblockable move that travels the full length of the screen fairly quickly. It's really annoying to deal with, but more importantly, it is a grab-like option that knocks down and puts them in mid-range automatically. Knockdown is great in GG. It also isn't beaten by jumping at the last second or being throw-invincible, and it will hit limbs, because it's not considered a throw. Because of this, one has to jump early to avoid it. It's really punishable on whiff, but it also has a free break that puts it in a shorter recovery animation and cancels the move. This is important, because this means Axl can fake a rashousen and get the opponent to jump. Jumping is exactly what Axl wants everyone to do, especially at mid-range. Rashousen is a very important tool for Axl, especially since they buffed its recovery and range in AC+R. There's a lot of weird mixup to learn as Axl, but rensen-rashousen-feint mixup is a staple of your gameplan, and, conveniently, something you should mainly be doing from mid-range.

How do you beat blocking well? Throws. How do you beat throws? Jumping. What does Axl want you to do? Jump. It's just science.

Step 8: Optimize your damage (Advanced combos).

Axl is a high-damage character, but you can play him as a low-damage character if you don't learn any non-basic combos. We have a combo thread and I and hopefully others will fill in specifics later, but some good stuff to practice:

- (Any launch that takes less than 7 hits), 5H-6H, 2S. This is new in +R and is how you get your non-situational big damage. It's a tough link, especially at certain distances, but you should learn it anyway.

- (Air combo into corner), Kokuugeki 6FRC6 Bomber, 2S. Bomber loops are harder this game, and you will have some trouble getting corner-carry combos to work compared to AC. This is one of the more reliable and damaging ways to connect with the bomber into the corner without putting them too high first.

- JI S Raeisageki (Hit FRC) Airdash ... j.H, whatever. If you're punishing or fishing with this move, you can confirm it into damage! All it requires is a 1F FRC! Only sometimes useful but pretty good to learn, as I don't know a better way to confirm a non-into-corner Raei hit into any real damage.

Also, you're going to want to learn to do character-specific combos, but we'll talk about that in the combo and matchup threads.

Anyway, hope this was helpful to all you hypothetical new Axl players out there. I'll try to periodically update this guide as I learn new stuff and/or realize some of the stuff I told you is actually bad.

NOW GO WIN TOURNAMENTS. I want to see Axl winning more stuff.

Talk deep theory here.

Page 1:

- standard air combos and variations

- TK Bomber in B-Loops

Page 2:

- throw follow up combos

- thoughts on new B-Loops

- 63214S and follow up combos

Page 3:

- 63214S and follow up combos (continue)

- Problems with bomber loops

Page 4:

- TK Bomber (CH) midscreen follow up

Page 5:

- FB Bomber

- B-Loops again

Page 6:

- Combo variations after rensen [FRC]

Page 7:

- easier B-Loop variations

- meaty unblockable setups

Page 8:

- meaty unblockable setups (continue)

- dashing between B-Loop reps

- Dust combo variations

- Pro kokuugeki talk :P

Page 9:

- Pro kokuugeki talk :P (continue)

- weight class, hitbox and combos

Page 10:

- CH 3P: combos and hitconfirmation

Page 11:

- CH 3P: combos and hitconfirmation (continue)

Page 12:

- CH 3P: combos and hitconfirmation (continue)

- weird tricks with 63214S

- slide (after 63214S) into unblockable setup

Page 13:

- slide (after 63214S) into unblockable setup

- weird tricks with 63214S (continue)

- running rashousen

Page 14:

- Dizzy + Pot throw follow up combos

- FB Bomber as anti air talk

Page 15:

- Midscreen Rensen Loop (flashy combo)

- Pot B-Loop Variation

- Alternative Impossible Dust Combos

Page 16:

- Alternative Impossible Dust Combos (continue)

- Information on meaty Rashousen setups from Arcadia magazine

Page 17:

-Random stuff on dashing after an FB Bomber / follow up air combos / 3-sectional B-Loops

Page 18:

-Height and connecting SJC, j.H

Page 19:

- B-Loop Variants for more damage

Page 20:

- B-Loop Variants for more damage (continued)

Page 21:

- Koku [FRC] in air combo and its follow up options

- some more on B-Loop variants

-------------------------

-Basic and Situational Combos -

This is a list of the most useful / standard combos that have been posted in this thread (or are common knowledge).

For those new to Guilty Gear, you can find the basic notations here:

http://dustloop.com/ggac/data/conv.html

CONTENT:

0.) Common Axl specific abbreviations and terms

1.) Basic Gatling Combos

2.) Air Combo System

3.) Throw Follow Up Combos

4.) Anti Air Combos

5.) Air to Ground Combos

6.) Catch Follow Up combos

7.) Situational combos

8.) Counter Hit Combos

9.) Dust Combos

10.) 6H link combos

----------------------------

0.) Common Axl specific abbreviations and terms

rensen = [4], 6S

benten = 623S

UB or unblockable (Rashousen) = [4], 6H

Bomber = 623H while airborne

FB Bomber = 623D while airborne

TK Bomber = Bomber done as low to the ground as possible*

koku = 63214S while airborne

*go to this thread to find out about the various inputs:

http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2895

If not noted otherwise

- the combo will leave the opponent grounded

- all of Axls 2hit moves will be canceld after the second hit

- the combo should connect on all charas

1.) Basic Gatling Combos

(read trough the Move Analysis and / or the Pressure thread to get an better idea what makes these variations different from one another except the damage)

a.) K, 2D, rensen

b.) 2K, 2D, rensen

c.) 5K, S©, 2D, rensen

d.) 2K, S©, 2D, rensen

e.) 3P, 2D, rensen*

f.) (5K,) 3P, 2H, 6H

If your opponent is cornered and you don't have the tension for an FRC, you can tap 2 after the rensen for extra damage

* the trick is to tap 3P for a split second, then immediately start charging back.

2.) Air Combo System

After every combo into rensen [FRC] you can continue with:

a.) run up, (6P,) S©, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, kokku (can recover)

Standard air combo

b.) run up, S©, 2S, 6K (1hit only), 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku

Try to catch the chara lower to the ground so that he won’t be able to recover until you reach him with your SJC, j.H. Does not connect on all charas in all situations (generally easier to land on the big hitbox charas) and is affected by the Player 1 Recovery bug (which hopefully will be gone with the US version of AC).

c.) run up, S©, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, 623D, air dash, j.D*, koku (can recover)

+25% tension variation

* if the hitbox of the chara is big enough and you are a bit above him you can go for j.H, j.D, koku (works against Faust or Chipp for example).

d.) run up, S©, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, 623D, air dash, j.D, Bomber, 2S, j.D, bomber, rensen, tap2

+25% tension near corner variation (still needs some checking, seems to be chara specific and is hard to do even on those charas it works on; furthermore seem to be affected by the Player 1 Recovery bug (which hopefully will be gone with the US version of AC)).

The above variations apply to every air combo that ends in kokku, no matter from where it started.

e.) rensen [FRC], run up, [2S, JC, j.D, Bomber] x2*, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

Standart B-Loop; start with any gatling into rensen [FRC]

against Jam you need to do a short dash after you recovered from the first Bomber or the second won't connect

*against Johnny, if you end up near enough after the second time you're able to connect the Bomber a third time (even without dashing).

dashing in after Bombers allows you to do one more rep against some charas (not yet checked on which charas this is possible.) Neverthess this should apply to all B-Loops

alternative Bomber Loop ender: FRC the last rensen instead of tapping 2 and follow up directly with 63214S (start charging back). Now time the Rashousen so that he will hit approximately on the first frame. As this doesn't count as combo you will get full damage again so it should be worth the tension (will be updated; till then see my post on page 16 for more info).

3.) Throw Follow Up Combos

a.) [throw], run up, 5K, 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

connects on: all charas exept Jam*

The distance you need to run up differs a bit from chara to chara. I guess for Johnny it's the shortest, for Testa the longest.

*for Jam do a short dash right after the throw (as short as possible, you just need the momentum) and go on with 5P, 2S, SJC, j.J, j.D, koku (needs some practice)

b.) [throw], short dash, 5K, 5P, 2S, 623H, 623H

connects on: all charas except Baiken, Bridget, Jam, May, Millia

Does about 10 dmg (x chara defence modifier) less, knocks down therefore

c.) [throw], 6K, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Connects on: ABA*, Axl, Bridget, Chipp, Dizzy, Faust, INO, Potemkin, SOL, Slayer, Order SOL, Zappa

More damaging and even easier to do variation of the first combo as you don't need to dash (except against ABA); heavily recommend for every listed chara (except ABA).

*need to do short dash right after throw

d.) [throw], 6K, 2S, 623H, 623H

Connects on: ABA*, Axl**, Chipp, Faust, INO, Potemkin, SOL**, Order SOL**,

The knockdown variation of the foregoing combo.

* need to do short dash right after throw

**hard to connect due to height / hitbox

e.) [throw], 5P, 2S, 6K, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Pot only

e.) [throw], [2S, JC, j. D, 623H] x2*, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

Standard B-Loop

* x3 against Johnny

f.) [throw], 2S, JC, j.D, Bomber, TK Bomber, short dash,* 2S, JC, j.D, Bomber, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

connects on: all charas exept ABA (couldn't do it on Jam, but could be lacking practice)

Harder to do, but more damaging variation.

* For Johnny its S©, 2S after the dash

4.) Anti Air Combos:

a.) 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Should you catch your opponent very low to the ground (like if you hit a HOS out of a jump) you will have to continue with 6K(1), 2S before doing the SJC to lift them higher.

b.) 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Use this if an airborne enemy happends to be hit by your 5P (won't connect after a long range hit). The two hits actually give you enough time to continue the combo on reaction

c.) 6K, 2S,SJC, j.H, j.D, kokku (can recover)

Since 6K is less spamable than 5P less likely to happen. Nevertheless useful in combination with UB [feint] setups.

d.) 6P, (S©,) 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku

5.) Air to Ground Combos

a.) TK Bomber, 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (near corner)

If your enemy has been cornered use the corner only follow up.

b.) TK Bomber, [2S, j.D, 623H] x2*, land, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

Standard B-Loop

*x3 against Johnny

c.) TK Bomber, 2S, JC, j.D, Bomber, TK Bomber, short dash*, 2S, JC, j.D, Bomber, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

connects on: all charas exept ABA (couldn't do it on Jam but could be lacking practice)

Harder to do, but more damaging variation.

* For Johnny its S©, 2S after the dash

Of course any combo that starts with a TK Bomber can be done from a regular Bomber as well, the TK is just the more common starter.

d.) j.S, land, 5K, 2D, rensen

The second hit of j.S has to hit quite low to allow the 5K to connect and you have to be a in a certain distance so that both hits connect and you're still in reach for 5K. Nevertheless as j.S provides a good pressure opportunity even if blocked you should get yourself familiar with the right distance / timing.

e.) koku [FRC], land, 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

25% Tension. Has to be done rather near to the ground (the nearer the heavier the chara is). If you score a CH with the koku you won't even need the FRC to go on with the combo.

f.) koku [FRC], land, S©, 2S, JC, j.D, bomber, 2S, JC, bomber, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

25% Tension. If you score a CH with the koku you won't even need the FRC.

6.) Catch Follow Up combos

a.) 214P/K, 6K*, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Against verys light charas (Baiken, Bridget, Jam, May) wait a spilt second until you follow up with the 6K

* for Johnny and Robo Ky I recommend using 5P instead of the 6K

b.) 623P (CH), (wait for wallbounce), rensen

If this happens near a corner you may even run up a bit and try something fancy (like a B-Loop).

c.) 623P, 241D, then 5P / 6K / S©** into 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

25% tension combo due to Force Break follow up

**depends on the angle they end up after the Force Break

7.) Situational combos

a.) 623S [FRC], 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, kokku (can recover)

Should work against all charas. If the 623S gets blocked start pressuring

b.) 63214S, rensen

c.) 63214S, short dash, 3P, 2S, j.D, Bomber, 2S, j.D, Bomber, rensen, tap 2 (corner only)

In this situation the 63214S will obviusly not hit as crossup.. risky starter (don't recommend going for it).

d.) (5K,) 3P, 2H, 6H [RC], 5K, 2D, 623H, 623H [or 5K, 2D, rensen if the opponent is to far away]

50% tension. Can be easily hitconfirmed thanks to the 2hits of 2H, but the RC needs quite a strict timing.

e.) j.S (against airborne opponent), (j.H,) FB Bomber, air dash, j.D, koku (can recover)

8.) Counter Hit Combos

a.) 6H (CH*), K, 2D, rensen

Follow up with an rensen FRC combo if you have the tension. If you RC the 6H the instant it hits you will even be able to combo without getting the CH (but sadly it can't be hitconfirmed).

against about half of the cast it is possible to combo from 6H even without a CH if it is done from the right distance. To check for matchup specific setups for that distance have a look at the first post of the matchup thread

b.) 3P (CH), 5K, 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Can be hitconfirmed (but only for combo or not combo, not combo or pressure with gatling combonation [but it leaves you with the frame advantage of the 3P nevertheless]. So only try that it in situatons where a CH seems to be likely)

c.) After a whiffed rensen: tap 8 (CH on airborne opponent), run up / wait, S©, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

d.) 6H (CH on airborne opponent), run up / wait, S©, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

This CH won’t happen to often. 6H has a terrible priority, so you’re more likely to be hit out in this situation.

e.) TK Bomber (CH), dash, 6K, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Against Eddie, Ky, May, Millia and Robo-Ky use 5P instead of 6K.

f.) DAA (CH), 5P, 2S, SJC, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Near corner this combo will even work without the CH.

9.) Dust Combos:

a.) Basic Dust Combo

5D, j.D, jD, j.K, j.S, j.H, j.D, koku (can recover)

Simply hold up to cancel out the recovery of the first two j.D, then simply go from gatling to gatling (this one works, but tell me if you come up with a better one).

b.) ID Combo

5D, j.D, j.D, Air Dash, j.D, Bomber, land, 2S, j.D, Bomber, rensen (corner only)

Hold up to jumpcancel the two j. Ds, then air dash right after you jumpcanceld the recovery of the second j.D. Wait after the air dash until the charas hitbox is slightly below you to make sure the Bomber will connect (so this part is a bit chara specific).

10.) 6H link combos

Against about half of the cast it is possible to combo from a 6H into 5K, 2D, rensen even without a CH as long as it is done from the right distance and hits them crouching. The distance in which it is possible to combo is actually between the max range for 5K to connect and doing it right next to the opponent.

Here’s a list of possible setups to help you get a feeling for the for the right distance (end them with 6H):

5H / 3P / S© / 5K, S© / 2K, S© / 5K, 3P / 5K, 5H / S©, 5H

Except against those characters marked with * (or **) the best way to do them is out of a dash or run, starting the pattern right next to the character (so the best way to incorporate that into your gameplay is either after a FRCed Rensen or after a KD with the initial attack being meaty.

Works on:

ABA*

Anji

Bridget

Baiken*: only 3P / 5H / 5K, 3P (harder then the rest) / 5K, 5H

Chipp

Eddie

Faust** (against him you can even do: 5K, S©, 5H and S(f), 5H)

INO

May*: only 5H / 3P (quite risky) / 5K, 5H

Millia

Venom*

Zappa

* If you do a single hit setup too close to the character 6H will cross him up without even hitting them.

** Since Faust has such a broad hitbox while crouching 6H will cross him up, but will still hit. Nevertheless if this happens you won’t be able to combo.

Does not work on:

Axl, Dizzy*, Jam, Johnny, Ky*, Order SOL, Potemkin, Robo-Ky*, Slayer, SOL, Testament

* If you do 6H too close it will cross them up without hitting them.

(Nevertheless this is nothing you can rely on too much as 6H is easily blocked on reaction)

Frankly, I feel like I do a lot of "talking the talk" around here and basically no "walking the walk." I maintain the video thread and helped out a little with the Axl Guilty Bits episode, but my real-world match-up experience is lacking, and I probably wouldn't make it out of pools if Guilty Gear were at EVO next year. And while I'm now in a better position than ever to travel to events, I still don't have anyone to play with on a regular basis, so my game sense won't be improving by leaps and bounds anytime soon.

But hell if I'm going to let that stop me.

To that end, I'm going to start doing some in-depth analyses of recorded matches. With any luck, some of them will be mine, but for now I'm going to have to make due with other people's fights. This is partly an exercise for me to start thinking about in-match decisions in a constructive way, partly a post made in the hope that you'll point out where I'm wrong, and partly an info dump for anyone looking to start thinking about Axl on a deeper level themselves. I have no idea how frequently they'll come, but hopefully when they do, they'll be useful.

So let's do this!

Analysis #1: Sammito (CH) vs. Keiichi (AX)

(Note: It's the first match in the video.)

00:29 - Already, we see Keiichi having problems. While Sammito goes for the classic 22D -> j.H approach, Keiichi...presses K? And then follows up with a 2H, out of which he gets counter-hit. All in all, not a good start against the most dominating Chipp player in the world.

But Keiichi had a reason for opening the way he did. That's not to say that he didn't make a stupid mistake: there's no way that 2H could have possibly been anything other than an autopilot button press. But what about the 5K?

I believe that Keiichi was expecting Sammito to run straight for him and start the match with a throw or some normal into a small BnB. In the world where that happened, 5K would have stuffed anything Sammito threw out, and Keiichi could have started off the match with a small life lead and a clean knockdown. When we see him throw out the 2H, we're watching his muscle memory hitch up in fits and starts - he was probably already operating under the assumption he'd hit, and was somewhere along the 5K -> 3P -> 2H -> 2D track.

But instead, Sammito started with 22D -> j.H. What Keiichi probably didn't think of is how surprisingly safe this option is against us! Seriously, go into training mode and try to anti-air Chipp after you see him start the teleport. You probably traded hits, and Chipp teched before you could chase with a 5P or 6K. This result isn't inevitable - if you wait just a moment longer, 5P will connect after the trade, and we can remove half of Chipp's life right away. But the knee-jerk "ANTI-AIR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE" instinct is a tough one to shake. And, of course, there's the possibility that we simply fail to react at all, we get crossed up, and we eat the combo anyway.

The other problem is that most answers to the teleport get badly stuffed by the run-in. Standing and waiting, or backdashing, or instant-air-backdashing, all Wreak Havoc on 22D, but leave Axl badly stranded against a charging Chipp: in fact, all three options cleanly lose to option-select 4H.

But Keiichi did have an option that beats both openings: f.S. At starting distance, it'll counter-hit him out of teleport and stuff all of Sammito's forward movement if he tries to dash. Now, Chipp can cleanly beat it with a 2D (a real threat, and something to watch out for if you like to start matches with f.S) or an Alpha Blade (too risky for Chipp, in my opinion). But here, it would have forced Sammito to respect Keiichi's distance and settle in for a longer-range neutral game.

00:35, 00:37, 00:42, 00:45 - These are all the times in the first round that Keiichi gets knocked down and Sammito goes for oki. In order, we see Keiichi eat a cross-up; block another cross-up, then fail an attempt to air-throw Sammito out of a teleport; fish for a trade with S Benten and get punished for it; and successfully survive a tech trap, only to press a button and die a moment later.

I learned two things from these exchanges. The first is that Sammito is a god of reading his opponent. I want to specifically talk about 00:42, when Keiichi goes for the ballsy S Benten. In Keiichi's mind, this was probably his best option: it's a square hitbox that covers his whole body and comes out on frame 4, the better to stuff whatever nasty cross-up the Chipp player had in store next. But think about this from Sammito's position: he just watched his opponent mash out the opening to the round, then go for a dangerous air-throw punish that couldn't have even worked (Keiichi was in too much blockstun). Off of just those two incidents, Sammito correctly surmised that his opponent was unnerved, unfocused, and prone to risky behavior.

If I were Keiichi, I'd have been wary of that S Benten from the moment Sammito FRCed his teleport in anticipation of a punish. Even then, Sammito was clearly baiting his mashy opponent. Keiichi missed another opportunity to force the game back to neutral by being too aggressive for his own good. He should have focused on patiently blocking and feeling out Sammito's complex pressure patterns.

The second thing that I learned is that Faultless Defense isn't all that great against Chipp! In none of these situations did Keiichi even try to FD, and I'm fairly sure he was correct to pass up the chance. In exchange for push-blocking, FD puts the blocker in extra blockstun. Chipp's ability to gatling his normal pressure into teleports turns this extra stun from a cost into a real disadvantage.

00:57 - Keiichi misses another opportunity to start the round with a f.S, opting instead to take his chances with the 5K plan again.

I've made this mistake a lot in Yomi, David Sirlin's fighting card game. Keiichi assumed that Sammito, having already punished the 5K opening once, could not imagine Keiichi trying it again. So naturally, Keiichi, hoping to catch Sammito with his pants down, tried it again.

There are a couple of reasons it didn't work. The first is that Sammito almost certainly knew that 5K was not Axl's only, or his best, option for beating a dash opening. We've already talked about how f.S tears it a new one, but even something as simple as a quick 2K can leave that attack plan dead on arrival. That explains why Sammito didn't fall for the bait.

But it doesn't explain why he started with a 5H. For that, we need to examine yomi, or "reading the mind of the opponent," a bit more. Keiichi started with 5K because he expected Sammito to think he wouldn't; in reality, Sammito had been playing a much less complex mind game for the whole match. Take a look at how Sammito handled okizeme in the first round again. He's simply answering what he believes his opponent's first instinct will be. Since Sammito's only information on how Keiichi starts matches is "with a normal," he obviously would not have opened with something that got beat out by any old normal. This is where the 5H comes in: it's active on frame 8, two frames quicker than Axl's f.S.

01:05 - I don't have anything to say about this moment, actually, other than that Sammito's Chipp is so fucking dirty.

After this, though, is when "stay at mid-range!" finally seems to click for Keiichi. One well-aimed 2S and suddenly Chipp's trying to approach from the opposite side of the stage, only really managing to get close enough at any time for Axl's most reliable combo starters to reach. We also see that Keiichi has really re-centered himself: he's far more patient now, poking with f.S and 3P and even landing a max-range 5K!

Notice that once Keiichi escapes Sammito's blender of an oki mix-up, the game becomes much less safe for the poor ninja. His overheads are nothing to speak of on the ground, so all Keiichi has to do is block low and wait to have frame advantage. Even meeting Sammito in the air at 1:20 wasn't such a bad choice: Chipp can't capitalize well from air-to-air hits, and his inability to react properly to the strange positioning costs him a combo's worth of life just a moment later.

Any time Sammito isn't right next to Keiichi, his offense simply loses to our pokier normals. Keiichi takes this round cleanly by forcing such risky approaches every chance he gets.

01:48 - But Keiichi quickly becomes too bold again, and Sammito wastes no time taking advantage of him. Our Axl player throws out another 2H, which Sammito quickly punishes with a 22K into some tough pressure.

Let's talk about the teleport first. By this point in the video, it's become abundantly clear to me that it's Chipp's most dangerous tool: it sets up ambiguous oki and allows Chipp to wiggle his way out of our chains without even having to try. But for all it does for Chipp, teleports are not without risk against Axl. Go back and look at the last round past 1:05 - Chipp teleports once the entire rest of the match, and it's the fake-out version. Why? Because Keiichi was playing patiently. He barely moves for much of the fight, staying focused on watching and reacting to Sammito's approach angles. A K teleport in the environment Keiichi creates in round 2 would have been much riskier, by simple virtue of the fact that Keiichi would have had the time and the presence of mind to punish it.

Now let's talk about the pressure that comes after the teleport. Keiichi eats a knockdown, sure, but I actually don't think he made the wrong decision at any point! Instant-air-backdashing and FDing is a totally safe way to beat out a running f.S from Chipp. The fact that it didn't work comes down to an unfortunate circumstance: Chipp whiffed the attack. If it had hit, Keiichi would have been far enough away once he landed that Sammito's 5K would not have connected, and Keiichi could have gone back to playing the neutral game he'd set up so well in round 2.

And even after the knockdown, he makes an awesome, if risky, play! I'll be honest: I've come to really love S Benten as a countermeasure for in-your-face rush-down like Sammito's here. It comes out as fast as many jabs and is often favorable to Axl if it trades counter hits, as it does here. Why does S Benten work here, when it didn't in round one? Because since then, Sammito has seen his opponent calm down and settle in for the long game. He judged that a meaty j.H would be perfectly safe to attempt, because Keiichi would be too patient to try something risky. And I'm not sure the assessment was wrong: honestly, with Chipp flying at me from the air, I don't think S Benten is very risky at all.

01:58 - Keiichi eats a teleport punish again, this time for a running 6H. It's becoming obvious that aggression against Chipp carries real risks: the ninja is simply faster than we are. I especially would not have tried the 6H after just being punished for trying to start pressure with 2H a moment ago.

I don't have much to say about the rest of this match. Keiichi gets put in the blender and that's that.

Final comments - I play a lot of Magic: the Gathering, and one of the most famous MtG strategy articles of all time talks about knowing when to be the "beatdown" and when to be the "control." The idea is that, in any given match-up, one deck, the "beatdown," wants to win as fast as possible by veritably throwing itself at the opponent. Meanwhile, the other deck, the "control," plays for the long game, hoping to exhaust its opponent's resources and establish dominance by degrees.

When Keiichi lost trades, it was because he was too eager to be the beatdown. Look at round one again: instead of patiently feeling out his opponent's playstyle, Keiichi immediately goes for risky openings and punishes that leave him stranded against his rushdown-centric opponent. Now look at round three: Keiichi loses a lot of ground when, instead of carefully holding his mid-range ground, he tries to go in with 2H and 6H.

It's easy to look at the Axl vs. Chipp match-up and make the mistake of thinking that because Axl needs to guess right on offense fewer times than Chipp does, he must have an advantage in that department. This is wrong because while Chipp certainly does die in two combos, he's much better at making us guess than we are at making him. Our job is to sit back and avoid letting him force us to play a guessing game. Our job is to deny him opportunities to leverage his superior offense. Our job is to be the control.

Finally: in round one, I would have burst basically right away, as soon as I knew that Sammito had confirmed his j.H. The burst would have been up again at least by the end of round two, and I think the space would have given Keiichi just enough time to breathe deeply and really think about his spacing and his poking.

Also, I would never, ever use 2H here. Ever.

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Guilty Gear.

Today we'll talk about Axl, a time traveler who fights with chain-sickles that can stretch across the entire screen. If Axl knows where you're going to be, he can reach and punish you for it.

I’m Carlos, and you are watching episode 9... of Guilty Bits.

* intro *

Like a certain fire-breathing Indian fighter you may be familiar with, many of Axl’s normals have incredible range and cover various angles. All of his extended-chain normals hit twice and sport a vacuum effect, allowing him to easily combo off of them at a variety of ranges. When facing Axl, getting hit in the air will often allow him to continue into a damaging combo, and combined with all the angles he can cover, this gives him the scariest anti-air game in the cast. If facing Axl, do yourself a favor: don’t jump.

Axl is unusual in that he works in a different set of ranges than most characters. Although he has very long range normals, Axl actually operates optimally at mid-range, about 3½ to 6 character-widths away, being one of few characters who can both win exchanges and easily start his offense from that range. As such, many matchups will require you to play very differently to make your tools work against the particular character -- or player -- you’re facing.

His most important special move is the Rensengeki. (Editor’s note: emphasis on “sen”.) Done by charging back, then forward + S, this move comes out fast, destroys projectiles, and launches on hit. It also has a very useful FRC, allowing Axl to launch into an aerial combo or run and just continue attacking. Since it’s considered a projectile, the move is grants a huge advantage on block if FRCed.

Once in a while, Axl can mix Rensen with another special move, Rashousen. (Editor’s note: emphasis on “shou”.) Performed with charge back, then forward + H, Axl charges and sends forward an unblockable projectile that forces the opponent to commit to jumping early in order to avoid it. While this can be predictable and risky, you can cancel the move by pressing P early in the animation. The threat of the unblockable causes opponents to jump, which gives Axl a chance to punish them by dragging them down from the air with a crouching S and reset pressure if blocked. If they do decide to eat the unblockable, Axl gets a knockdown out of it, which lets him continue attacking as well.

In addition to his large anti-air chains, Axl has a lot of unusual ground normals. While the reward off of far standing S isn’t great, its hitbox, speed, and range make it a great poke. His down-forward P sucks the opponent in while leaving Axl with frame advantage, making it an ideal tool for false-gap and hit-throw mixups, which is great because his throw launches the opponent for an aerial combo. His crouching K is a strong tick throw setup that's very low to the ground, allowing Axl to go under a lot of moves. His forward H is a slow overhead which is punishable if you throw it out it in a predictable fashion, but if you use it as a meaty attack after a knockdown it grants big frame advantage. His crouching H plays an important role now because it can cancel to his crouching D, as well as to his overhead normals, forward H and standing D.

Axl has serious problems getting out of pressure. His lack of a real jab means he has no way to quickly interrupt enemy offense, making him susceptible to pressure and tick throw attempts. His best defensive tool is Hachisubako, a special move that in +R can automatically guard attacks before retaliating. But generally, as Axl, there’s just no substitute for solid blocking.

A new Force Break and changes to properties of normals like crouching H and down-forward P have improved Axl’s offense in +R, but his overall playstyle can be practiced right now in Accent Core. Expect Axl to have lower maximum damage in +R, but be able to confirm decent damage from nearly any hit, especially if he has 25% meter.

If you have any questions, please leave us a comment below! And if you like what you’ve seen, take a look at our other videos, and subscribe for more character guides like this.

Thanks for watching, and see you next time on Guilty Bits!

Contributors as far as I know:

Tataki

Digital Watches

Changes so far:

5P

Now gattles to 6K

Damage changed to 15 + 15 to 24 + 16

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

f.S

Recovery increased from 17f to 19f.

Active frames increased from 4f to 5f.

2P

Now gattles to 6HS and f.S.

Damage increased from 12 + 18 to 22 + 18.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

2H

Now gattles to 2D

Damage changed from 20 + 20 to 30 + 20.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

2S

Startup decreased from 9 f to 8 f.

Damage increased from 18 + 22 to 28 + 22.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

jS

Now gattles to “After Jump 6+P”

Damage increased from 12 + 16 to 23 + 16.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

3P

Total recovery increased by 3f.

Now has two hits,

Damage gone from 24 to 24 + 11

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

”After Jump 6+P”

Damage from 8 + 10 to 17 + 11.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

6K

Damage up from 18 + 22 to 28 + 22.

Does only one hit if you hold the button.

The guard meter balance of the pull back-part of the move has been reduced (x2 factor).

6HS

Now +4 on crounching hit if you hit as soon as the hit of the move has started.

Now floats closer to the ground on air hit, making it easier to combo from.

Prorate: 90 %.

6P

Upper Body Inv on second half of the move removed.

5HS

Counter hit = ground bounce

Untechable time now 24 f.

FB (Move 4 charge 6 D) FB曲鎖撃

New move

Normal Axl Bomber

Guard recovery 7 f shorter. ガード硬直時間が 7F 短くなりました。

Guard balance decrease changed from 10 to 20.

Can be guarded crounching, standing and in air. (no longer a overhead)

FRC added (f5-8).

J 63214 S Kokuugeki

Now sends the opponent higher vertically on hit.

63214 HS

No FRC.

Rensengeki

The chain now extends faster.

S-Benten

Startup decreased from 5f to 4f.

Up- Followup after Rensengeki曲鎖撃

Recovery increased from 35f to 40f

Unblockable move (4 charge 6 HS

Cannot be used when the opponent is in slide down state.

Now travels across the WHOLE screen.

Moves faster.

Recovery decreased from 50f to 30f

Counter hit state increased 被カウンターヒット時間が延長されました。

623P

Is now a guardpoint move (aka gets executed even if Axl gets hit)

No longer has any invicibility.

You can now guard the hit.

Startup decreased, from 16 f to 8 f.

Recovery time changed from 27f to 17f

Hitbox behind Axl removed アクセル後方部分の攻撃判定が削除されました。

Now launches your opponent even more on counter hit カウンターヒット時の相手の吹き飛びが大きくなりました。

Hitbox of Axl during the GuardPoint portion of the move has been increased.

2363214 HS 百重鎌燃

Changed so that all hits now connect (more often)

Watches' armchair theoryfighter first impression:

Looks like whoever's balancing R really likes Axl and really hates gimmicks. Optional 2-hit chains and the new gatlings (Seriously that shit is gonna be overpowered) basically stack up to mean that Axl has even more ground-to-air control (especially if doing one-hit chains means less recovery, but even being able to counterhit more readily on AA will be a big win) and even more disgusting abare for hitting someone who jumped. I'm guessing that if you're jumping against Axl in ACR, you pretty much done dropped the soap, good luck next round.

It also looks like they're trying to get rid of some of the more gimmicky Axl mixup, like JI H Raei and TK bomber, which makes me sad, but isn't really a serious nerf, since Axl's high-low mixup was always shit on offense anyway. Gimmicky players will learn to tickthrow and frametrap and probably do better in matches overall. Meh. I personally am going to abuse the shit out of ambiguous 2-hit 2H and j.S if I can find any way to do so. Probably get used to using your 6H, a jump-in, your dust, or maybe raei if you really need an overhead. To be honest, you're not losing much utility, just a little variety. And the BOMBER FRC of course.

As for the new FB: I can see this going a few ways.Best case: Remember those combos you couldn't get because you hit a f.S or 2P, or just straight up hit from too far away to get a rensen FRC to hit? Wellp. Almost full-screen ground abare buff to complement the almost full-screen air abare Axl already had and got even more of from the new gatling.Worst case: Basically does the same thing as rensen FRC in a combo and is a very situational anti-air that's probably outdone by Axl's already extensive air control from the ground in most cases. Boring but not bad. Either way this is probably going to be more of a combo extender/launch than a zoning tool, just because it barely fills a role Axl doesn't have something better in his kit for. I'm sure a lot of people who aren't very confident with their pokes will use it as a more "general-purpose" anti-air at that range, but I doubt it'll be what you see people use in high-level play to anti-air most of the time, unless it does something crazy like prorates > 100%. What it WILL probably be good for is beating invincible stuff that twitchy people throw out (Like kokuugeki and to an extent rensen already do, but slightly better due to being probably faster and having more space coverage.)

Page 1:

- Note on new 623P FB follow up

- Note on Axls 2hit chains

- Note on the 63214S FRC

Page 2:

- Kokuugeki discussion

- Notes on IAD pressure

Page 3:

- meaty crossups (that is: the lack of them)

- Kokuugeki corner crossup bug

- again 63214S FRC

Page 4:

- Anti Air Game

Page 5:

- Anti Air Game (continue)

- Wake up Rashousen after sliding

- question on air dash after FB Bomber

Page 6:

- Jump-Installed Raeisageki (63214S) FRC

Page 7:

- 63214S late and early FRC and it's uses

- 63214S done after 5H and air throw safeness

Page 8:

- 1Frame Jump

Page 9:

- Basic overview of Raeisageki

-------------------------

- General Strategies and Tactics Index -

CONTENT:

A. Basic Stuff

---I. Comprehensive change list from Slash -> AC

---II. List of gatling chains

---III. FRC Points

B. Move Analysis

C. Basic Gameplay

--1. Defence

--2. General Okizeme

---a. Dealing with uppercutters

--3. Keep Away Tactics

Also here is replay pack

http://www.sendspace.com/file/la923c

Please, tell, what's wrong with Axl, what should be fixed?

• 2K: Changed Guard to "LF".
  
• Added footnote to Normals table: "Note: Startup value in [ ] indicates Startup of the weapon's tip."
  
• Rensen Geki: Changed SD to -14.
  
• Kokuu Geki: Changed Recovery to "landing 12".
  
• Shiranami no Homura: Changed Guard to "HLF x2, A".
  
• Rensen Ougi: Midare Gami: Changed Level to "5". Changed Guard to "HL".
  
• The footnotes showing observations that were undocumented in the mook were merged into the Comments of their respective attacks.
  
• Several move names have been re-named as per the English version AC or XX manuals, and were checked against the Japanese GGXX wiki. Most changes are minor; the only noticeable one is that Housoubako is now Hachisubako (although I think people probably knew this already?). Incidentally, the English manuals consistently misspell his super as "Hyakue Renshou", even though the Japanese wiki clearly indicates it as "Byakue Renshou", so I've left it as Byakue Renshou.
  
  Gatling Table:
  • Removed extraneous "5" notation for neutral attacks; renamed columns.
    
  • Removed 6P-P, 6P-2P, 2K-H. j.S-j.D.
    
  • Added 3P-6H, c.S-6P, c.S-6H.

  If there are any questions or comments about the frame data, feel free to post here or PM me. Otherwise, this thread is just to let the Axl forum know of the revision, so please don't post off-topic.

S Raeisageki (63214S on the ground) is, in many situations, a very risky move. It can be airthrown on reaction by some, and has a lengthy startup that makes it rather easy to beat out. Still, it has some very cool applications and should not be overlooked.

So first off, The Basics:

Raei's most obvious application is as an overhead crossup. While it is slightly faster than most IAD crossup options Axl has (Not Kokuugeki!), it's still rather slow, so your goal here is to catch the opponent by surprise. The main variables to keep in mind are spacing and momentum. The move can cover up to about 80% of the screen at a full run, but at a standstill, it covers about match-start distance (IE it will cross an opponent up at match start.) It's good to get a feel for about how far you'll go, and at what distance you can hit the opponent without crossing them up. Obviously, this can be done standalone, in oki (safest), or in blockstrings, or even when hitting the opponent (I would say this is the most likely to catch them off guard, although typically it's better to just finish your combo).

Meterless combos:

There are three basic things you can do with a Raei with no meter. Either Rensen for a bit of extra damage (Honestly, I usually skip that to save more time to set up my oki), a running Rashousen, timed to hit meaty (Running rashousen input is [4]6[6]H,) or, if you're in the corner, a standard B-Loop off a launcher. 3P and c.S work fairly well.

Anyway, this easy stuff is boring, but I figured I'd put it down just to be complete.

NOTE: Stuff most people already probably know ends here.

Advanced meterless tricks:

The "Safe" Raei: If you get some running momentum behind it, you can get a very far-reaching Raeisageki crossup without really putting yourself in danger on block. The crossup will happen, and on block, your momentum will carry you way the hell out of the way of any attacks that could come at you in the 6 frames disadvantage you're at (All hail level 5 moves!). Down side is that you can't really follow up if you hit without spending some meter.

Landing on the wrong side: Under certain circumstances, a counterhit non-crossup Raei with running momentum will allow Axl to land on the other side of the opponent before they can slide under him, thus making them slide towards him. Don't expect this to happen in many matches, but if it does, just start with whatever you start corner combos with and then do a standard air combo.

Running versus not running: In the corner, Raeisageki (hit) can be very punishable. The opponent can hurt you pretty bad if they're able to block it, so what you have to do is cut your run (Either by FDing or some other means) before going for a non-FRC'd Raei. This actually opens up a pretty good mindgame for people who don't have the knowledge or timing to punish it (Has to be a well-timed IB into walk forward --> throw if you do it right.) I will often do Raei (blocked) 2K, as it will usually get me under whatever quick jab the opponent thinks will punish you, and bam. Free corner combo. In addition, if you're just barely going to cross up with a run, you can often cut your run and hit a non-crossup point that actually looks like it will cross up, and vice versa. Learning to kill your run fast and Raei is an invaluable tool you can use with no meter (and probably will have more opportunities to than you will to do the tricks listed below.)

FRC tricks (No JI):

Raei FRC was improved in AC, and now has a three-frame window. However, since only the third frame hits, it's best to think of them as two separate FRCs: A hitting one, and an empty one. This also means learning the 1-frame timing for the hitting FRC. If this is too hard for you, don't read the JI section.

The easiest game to play with Raei FRC is a potent High-Low-Throw-Crossup game. This works best on Oki, but can also of course be done naked or in blockstrings (Some opponents can react and airthrow, however). Non-hitting Raei FRC can be followed by a throw, another high (j.K, j.H, j.D, and Bomber are good, and you can even do things like j.H-->Bomber/2K to be extra tricky), a Kokuugeki (Basically to punish jumps) or a low move (2K is best.) This is all in addition to the judgement as to whether the move will cross up, and can make for a very tricky and intimidating mixup situation. The hitting FRC is really better if JI'd, but you can still go for additional overheads or land-->low. Of course, if the opponent blocks well, you've still got your pressure going, as most of these options either give frame advantage or can gatling.

JI Raeisageki:

With a Jump installed, you have even more options. A jump-installed Raeisageki allows you an additional jump after the FRC, which can play games with an opponent's AA, but more importantly, you have an airdash, which gives you a way to combo off Raeisageki midscreen. A fairly standard combo would be:

632147S (the 7 JIs it) --> Airdash toward, j.H, 5K, 2S, j.D, Kokuugeki.

The j.H must be done while falling. It will hit any character, but against low sliders, it has to be done even later. Naturally, this can work like any other air combo, which means FB bomber to get to the corner can replace the Kokuu, and if done into the corner, Kokuu can be replaced by bomber loops. Notably, the j.H-->5K can be substituted with j.S and 5P respectively as needed to connect from further away. (Good for running setups that overshoot the opponent a little)

So now you have a much more damaging and dangerous move for just 25% meter. This is not only a useful tool for damage, but also makes getting hit by Raei a much less attractive prospect for your opponent, which will make them think more about blocking it the right way (adding the threat of damage to the mixup situation) Additionally, there are several more mixup and safety options open to you:

For one, you can go for double-crossups, such as JI Raei-->Empty FRC, airdash back, j.H (double crossup.) Kokuugeki is an especially potent crossup, as it comes out quickly, stops your dash momentum (and thus can be very ambiguous,) and can be FRC'd into big damage. Being a projectile also makes it difficult to beat. This also allows you to run away with a jump or an airdash if you think the situation is not in your favor.

Of course, while you're dancing around in the air, you can just get airthrown. This is why it's often useful to have the Raei get blocked and FRC on the third frame. From here you can go for a re-crossup game, as well as all aforementioned mixup, but you can also very easily continue your pressure with an airdash back into j.S, which keeps the opponent blocking while you land.

Additionally, a JI'd Raei can be used to chase an opponent that tries to backdash away from a raeisageki to avoid being crossed up.

Special notes:

Low Profile: The hitting FRC won't connect against "low-profile" stance moves, but the move itself will. The FRCable first active frame of the move will reach crouching opponents (not Faust, though) but doesn't quite reach the ground yet) Probably RCing it in order to get a combo isn't usually going to be worth it, but it's something worth knowing.

Turn-around: To get Axl to turn around immediately after the FRC, you have to SJI the move, so if your intent is to combo from a crossup, you'll have to keep that in mind.

Anyway, hope this has been helpful, and I hope to see some of this used in more matches!

Axl defaults to Rensen as something to use after he's expended any gatling options/gotten too far away from the opponent to hit them with more blockstring. While you can make this a solid blockstring by ending your string with something high-level (e.g. 5H->Rensen) and cancelling right away (Which you especially do if you want to FRC and keep your string going), Axl will more often, intentionally or not, leave a small frame window between the last normal and the rensen. If you're especially impatient and think this window is somehow big enough to poke out (Er, it's not, 'nuff said), people will try to jump or swing or something, and rensen will just eat the startup and knock you down, giving Axl free oki. Continuing to block is almost always your best option, because eating a rensen is a free knockdown, or, if the Axl GUESSES you'll do that and FRCs it (or just has ungodly good reaction time) a free combo, which will probably hurt a lot because you were just blocking shit and your guardbar is up..

However, Axl can screw with you for trying to block, because he has Rashousen, and until the special effects come in (The green bubbly stuff or the Blue giant zappa-orb thing), the animations are exactly the same. What this means is that if you know you can't jump out of the string before the rensen hits, you're probably going to sit there and block, and although Rashousen isn't fast, it's a lot of frames in before you can tell it's not a rensen, and it doesn't count as a commandgrab, so it'll eat your jump startup if you try to jump too late. This is made especially dangerous now that Axl has a feint for the move, so that basically, if he fakes it and you jump late, you're at a great range for Axl to kill you with his stupid-good AA, which, best case, you faultless and get into another blockstring, minus a chunk of meter, and worst case, you get smacked and take a good 1/3-2/3 of your life, depending on character, spacing, whatever.

The OPTIMAL solution to Rashousen is to jump early. That is to say, REALLY fucking early, right when you're out of blockstun, because that way, even if Axl does the feint, you get a free punish, because it's just not fast enough to recover. The problem with that is, well, you know, jumping too early makes you eat a rensen, and it's hard to tell. You can 1FJ, but then you won't get the forward IAD, and probably won't get your punish. Plus it gets complicated, because this is Guilty Gear and Axl can pretty much throw rensen/Rashou into his string at a LOT of places, so you can't as easily memorize the situation and watch out for it after specific string-ender moves.

Essentially, it's a lot of conditioning and visual ambiguity. While it's definitely true that a lot of people play impatiently and just try to jump/poke out/stop blocking and eat Rensen, you'll see it among people who aren't quite as bad at defense because Rashousen strikes fear into the hearts of man and beast alike.