- If you would like to view matches from BlazBlue Central Fiction (before 2.0 patch), here is a link to the previous thread: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/12997-cf-rachel-video-and-analysis-thread-20/

- You can also view videos on the JP Video Database (Nico Videos) here: http://horibuna.web.fc2.com/BBCF/index.html

- We also have KeepOnBlazing. This is the most likely future of video threads and anyone can chip in and help add matches, as well as watch them. Feel free to check it out and explore: https://keeponblaz.in/?char1=rc

- Disclaimer: Can't guarantee to update the Main Match Up post every week but will do so when possible. I also don't understand JP Text but if you do could I ask for the player names, info and even their pallet colour, feel free to post the details as it will help me greatly and hopefully help you guys searching for specific players. I am going to give running a video thread one more shot but this could probably be my last video thread, as you know I haven't been updating things right for the last couple of years. If people want me to keep this going I'll see what I can do because it has also helped me doing these threads and I did enjoy working on them over the years. I just didn't want it becoming a second job and stressing me out lol.

- Any feedback or problems you encounter please do not hesitate to contact me here, call me out on Discord and/or give me a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gamester_BB

General Guidelines for this thread:

- Here we encourage the posting of Match Video links and even Combo Videos. Feel free to analyse videos of low or high levelled players and talk about what you feel is notable, like what the Rachel may have done right or wrong, what did you learn from watching the video in question. Break it down and describe your thoughts.

- The purpose of the above is to learn how we take information from these videos and implement our shared findings into our own game through discussion. Here is an example to give you an idea of Video Analysis: InsterLinkHere (Need CF Videos)

- When Posting Video Links please be sure to mention player names as well as the characters they play, the date of the video and for the link itself, the point where the match starts:

If you are posting a link that is a Netplay (Online PSN/XBL) match, just let us know and I can add a * next to the date when I add it to the main posts.

- Videos can also be found and watched on NicoNico Douga itself.
To watch these videos you can use the Nico Re-director link here: http://www.mmcafe.com/nico.html 
You can now also create an English Account here: https://account.nicovideo.jp/register/email?sec=common_header&mode=landing 

- Notable Players (Keep an eye on these guys)

- List of Analysed Videos (Links to the main post analysing the video in question)

- CMVs (Combo Videos)

- Vs. Match Ups (In alphabetical order across 5 posts)

List of notable Japanese Rachel Players and their Players Guild Profiles (NESiCA):

- Rin-Hime / Link / Pallet Colours
- Momoiro / Link / Pallet Colours
- N-O / Link / Pallet Colours: (Standard/1)
- Tenkyo / Link / Pallet Colours
- Ino / Link / Pallet Colours (Purple/)
- Chourou / Link / Pallet Colours
- Player 7 Name / Link / Pallet Colours

Here is a reference list to all posts that have analysed videos: (By Post Date Older - Newer)

- Example Reference Post: InsertLinkHere (Need CF Videos)

- Example Older Dated Post Link

- Example In-Between from oldest to newest Post links go here

- Example Newer Dated Post Link

Combo Video Listings: (By Date Oldest - Newest)

- [MM/DD/YY] CMV link

- If you are looking for Combo Discussion from BlazBlue Chrono Phantasam Extend, here is a link to the previous thread: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/9571-cpex-rachel-combo-thread/&page=1 

- You can also find practical & accepted Combo Routes on the Wiki here as well as Basic Combo Notation:
http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php/BBCF/Rachel_Alucard/Combos 

- Combo Theory which will help you connecting particular combos can be found here:
http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php/BBCF/Rachel_Alucard/Combos#Combo_Theory 

- You can also find all Frame Data information on the Wiki here: InsertLinkHere (Need CF info)

- Any feedback or problems you encounter please do not hesitate to contact me here and/or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_gamester_ 

General Guidelines for this thread: (Useful information to know)

- We encourage the posting and discussion of Combo Routes to strengthen our Rachel game so don't hesitate to contribute your findings, thoughts and theories you may wish to discuss.

- When you post up a Combo Route, please add any information like the example shown below:
 Combo Notation (Damage/dmg, Heat Gain/HG, Wind Gain/WG) Video Example Link (if you wish)

- We also use additional Combo Notations which can be found listed in the section below:

Additional Notations we use when typing combos:

- (frog) = George Activates
- Iris = 214C (Either is fine though)
- Ivy = 214B (Either is fine though)
- Lotus = 22A (Either is fine though)
- BBL = Baden Baden Lily / AirBBL = Air Baden Baden Lily
- TD = Tempest Dahlia / AirTD = Air Tempest Dahlia
- OD = OverDrive
- CT = Crush Trigger
- EA = Exceed Accel

- Useful Information regarding various routes
- General information
- 6A route leading to 6A > 236A > dash 3C >
- Corner Ivy Combos
- Character Specifics

- 0 Wind
- Midscreen
- Corner Carry
- Corner

- 1 Wind
- Midscreen
- Corner Carry
- Corner

- 2 Wind
- Midscreen
- Corner Carry
- Corner

- 3 Wind (Can be impractical)
- Midscreen
- Corner Carry
- Corner

- 4 Wind (Impractical)
- Midscreen
- Corner Carry
- Corner

- General Information :
- (Combo Notation) When you see midscreen combos end in 5CC you can either decide to summon George or throw a lobelia/pole out onto the field, oki. Certain routes that end in 5CC can be extended provided you have the wind resources, these will be noted where appropriate.
Place Info here.

- 6A Route leading to 6A > 236A > Dash 3C > :
- When you hit your opponent with 6A, when you go into jc > j.A, you must delay the j.A for as long as possible.
- When you then go on to do j.B > j.C, you need to (ever so) slightly delay the j.C so when you land to do 6A again, your opponent is at just the right height to go into 236A > Dash 3C > etc.
- The Height you hit your opponent at varies between characters so be sure to hit training mode and experiment.
- These routes don't work on (Will list the characters asap).
- Video Example/Help/Guide [Will Add ASAP]
- For more information please view the Wiki: Rachel Combo Theory

- Corner Ivy Combos :
- @Rele has put together a fantastic video named "Ivy Blossom Combo Tutorial". Please check it out as it highlights where things can be going wrong for those struggling to understand these routes and the video also provides alternative routes utilising Ivy Blossom.
- Here's the Video: Ivy Blossom Combo Tutorial

- Character Specifics :
Place info here

Welcome to the Introductory Tea Party and Netplay Contact Info Thread. Here we welcome with open arms fellow players of the princess, whether you have been a hime player from the past and possibly returning, currently are a Rachel player or simply a passer by who is considering to join the Rachel army ;D

Feel free to introduce yourselves and if you wish, pop down your netplay details so you know who to find in the future for any GGs

Rachel also has a Discord Channel which can be found here: Rachel Discord 

Newer players. We suggest you check out the useful links shown below the lovely image of Rachel. We also want to highlight the transition guide which contains some key points about this version of Rachel: CPEX - CF Transition Guide 

[Daiaru Pixiv ] 
[Daiaru Twitter ] 
Please support this fantastic artists work

- [ CPEX - CF Rachel Transition Guide ]
- [ CF General Discussion and Gameplay Q&A ]
- [ BBCF Rachel Alucard Wiki ]

- [ CF International Video Posting and Critique (Your videos matter!) ]
- [ CF Video Posting and Analysis Thread 2.0 ]

- [ CF Combo Theory and Discussion ]
- [ CF Mix Up, Pressure and Oki Thread ]

- [ Previous Introductory Tea and Cake Party (come say hello!) Thread ]
- [ CF Match Finder Thread (Seek matches here) ]
- [ Rachel Discord ]
- [BBCF Rachel Twitter Hashtag ]

Now this is where you can share Netplay (Online play) details but not a place to seek matches or discuss any actual matches that take place. If you are looking for GGs, please use the [BlazBlue CF Match Finder Thread] or please drop the user a DM and say if they would like some matches or more preferably, check out the [Rachel Discord Channel] where it is significantly easier to ask and find games. This place is just to list your details.

When posting details, if you could list it like the example I have given below. It would make it easier for me to put details into the main list.

Dustloop Username: Gamester
PSN username/s: Gamester717
Location: Britain/Europe
Additional Info: twitter link or something if you want.

Something like the above example. You don't have to go into as much detail as I did but if you find players around in lobbies or player match rooms. You know who are fellow Rachel players 

Once you have your details down, I put them into the list and then the list can be used as a place to find fellow Rachel players if you are around online or save someone the trouble of telling them when you are available, direct them here.

If your details like PSN changes you times you said you are around to play. Send me a Direct Message and I will update the list for you, saves you making a post and it won't take my 2 seconds to change things

Dustloop Username: [ Gamester ]
PSN Username/s: [ Gamester717 ]
Location: Britain/Europe
Additional Info: [ Twitter ] 

Dustloop Username: [ tofurr ]
PSN Username/s: [ sirlunchbox ] 
Location: Northern California, US
Additional Info: [ Instagram ]

Dustloop Username: [ swordiris ]
PSN Username/s: [ MAGArev ]
Location: Detroit Metro Michigan, US

NEXT PLAYER
Details

NEXT PLAYER
Details

I thought it was time to add this now as the US also has BBCF on arcade machines this time around. With this version Rachel has has had some rather big changes and how we tackle playing her will also a change a bit, so don't hesitate to ask questions to the answers you seek. You can also find general Rachel information further below.
 

Notable Central Fiction Changes:

- Pumpkin has been removed and replaced by the poisoning Ivy (214B)
- Lotus will be our new Pseudo Pumpkin (22A Lotus was removed and we keep 22B)
- Wind Regeneration has slightly improved compared to CPEX (It also recovers slowly in the air)
- George Shock Time is less but has no cool down.
- Tempest Dahlia falls in at an angle and greatly recovers wind.

Notable Central Fiction 2.0 Changes:

- Example line
- Example line

Any info you believe is wrong or should be added. Just let me know and I'll sort it out.
However you can find a full run down on Final Changes and discussion on the following thread: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/12099-cf-rachel-alucard-final-changelist/

- Character Profile:

- Gameplay Summary:

- Move List:

- Commonly asked Q&A:

- Notable Links & Resources:

Head of the infamous Alucard vampire family, Rachel has spent countless years watching as the world repeated the same 100 years over and over. However, the world has finally broken free of the bonds that held it for so long, and Rachel is determined to put an end to Terumi with her own hands.

In the BlazBlue universe, Rachel is an extremely powerful individual, controlling wind and lightning. While she will rarely directly interfere with the events that surround Kagutsuchi, her primary goal is as an observer, and gently (or less so) nudges the pieces into their places. She has several servants under her command; Nago, a cat familiar, and Gii, a bat familiar, which serve as her weapons, furniture, and anger relief. Her butler, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, is also notable for being a werewolf, as well as one of the Six Heroes.

• Height: 4'7"
• Weight: 68 lbs
• Blood Type: Unknown
• Birthday: October 31
• Birthplace: Transylvania
   

• Hobby: Tea Time
• Likes: Sweet Things 
• Dislikes: Being bored, Bell peppers and Tomato Juice
   
• JP Voice Actress: Ueda Kana
   

• Health: 11,000 HP
• Overdrive: Elfried
  - Speeds up Wind Recovery.
  - Damage increase on Baden Baden Lily and adds extra projectiles to Tempest Dahlia.

Rachel is a very unique character who specializes in keeping her opponent at a distance with a variety of projectiles and traps that make it difficult for opponents to approach her safely. She is also extremely effective at keeping the opponent in the corner, and has very intimidating corner mix-up. Her Drive, Sylpheed, makes her one of the most mobile characters in the game.

On the flip side, Rachel has very few ways to escape pressure, a very fat OTG hitbox, and most of her normals have fairly short range. She is definitely not a beginner level character and her play style may prove difficult to learn for people new to fighting games.

However, her unique play style and charm cannot be found anywhere else in BlazBlue. With a little patience and perseverance, she can be one of the most exciting and fun characters to play.

Slypheed: Any Direction +  
Rachel's Drive summons a gust of wind that pushes in the direction pressed. Wind is held in the Sylpheed Gauge above Rachel's heat bar. There are 4 Wind Stocks; using her Drive will consume 1 stock. Consumed wind will regenerate slowly while Rachel is on the ground.

Wind (Slypheed) does a variety of things:

• Affects Rachel's movement greatly
• Affects Opponents movement greatly and to further effect with Lotus attached.
• Affects the movement of Tiny Lobelia trajectory, Ivy Blossom, Barrel Lotus and George the XIII.

You can use Wind when Rachel is not being hit or blocking.

Gerbera Lute: Rachel's Exceed Accel can only be used when you have earned Active Flow Status. Usually used as a combo ender it can add on around an extra xxxx damage or if it is blocked will push the opponent away from you.
 

Question:

Answer:

Question:

Answer:

- Rachel (Currently up to BBCP) Gameplay Guide
- BBCF Rachel Alucard Wiki 
- BBCF 2.0 Rachel Alucard Wiki (Link go here)

- CPEX - CF Transition Guide 
- Rachel Discord Group
- Twitter BBCF Rachel Hashtag 
- Twitter BBCF2 Rachel Hashtag (Link go here)

- BBCF Rachel Combo Theory/Discussion Thread
- BBCF Rachel Mix Up, Pressure and Oki Thread
- BBCF (Needs Updating) Rachel Alucard Frame Data

- Rachel BBCF Video and Analysis Thread
- Rachel BBCF 2.0 Video and Analysis Thread (Link go here)
- Rachel International Video Posting and Critique (Yours Videos Matter!)

- JP Rachel Player Rankings Link:
- JP Wiki Link: 

- Previous (CPEX) General Discussion Thread
- Previous (CT - CPEX) Gameplay Q&A Thread

- If you would like to view matches from BlazBlue Chrono Phantasama Extend, here is a link to the previous thread: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/9570-cpex-rachel-video-thread/&page=1 

- Since this is the 2.0 Video Thread for BBCF, here is the link to the original BBCF Video Thread if you feel you need to find something in particular: http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/12050-cf-rachel-video-and-analysis-thread/

- You can also view videos on the JP Video Database (Nico Videos) here: http://horibuna.web.fc2.com/BBCP/BBCP_RC.html 

- Also we have KeepOnBlazing. This is the most likely future of video threads and anyone can chip in and help add matches, as well as watch them. Feel free to check it out and explore: https://keeponblaz.in/?char1=rc

- Disclaimer: Can't guarantee to update the Main Match Up post every week but will do as often as possible. I also don't understand JP Text but if you do could I ask for the player names, info and even their pallet colour, feel free to post the details as it will help me greatly and hopefully you guys searching for specific players. This is probably going to be my last video thread, if another game is announced and people want me to keep it going for old times sake then I will consider as I have enjoyed doing this over the years from time to time lol.

- Any feedback or problems you encounter please do not hesitate to contact me here and/or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_gamester_ 

General Guidelines for this thread:

- Here we encourage the posting of Match Video links and even Combo Videos. Feel free to analyse videos of low or high levelled players and talk about what you feel is notable, like what the Rachel may have done right or wrong, what did you learn from watching the video in question. Break it down and describe your thoughts.

- The purpose of the above is to learn how we take information from these videos and implement our shared findings into our own game through discussion. Here is an example to give you an idea of Video Analysis: InsterLinkHere (Need CF Videos)

- When Posting Video Links please be sure to mention player names as well as the characters they play, the date of the video and for the link itself, the point where the match starts:

If you are posting a link that is a Netplay (Online PSN/XBL) match, just add a star/asterisk  " * " next to the date like this *[MM/DD/YY].

- Videos can also be found and watched on NicoNico Douga itself.
To watch these videos you can use the Nico Re-director link here: http://www.mmcafe.com/nico.html 
You can now also create an English Account here: https://account.nicovideo.jp/register/email?sec=common_header&mode=landing 

- Notable Players (Keep an eye on these guys)

- List of Analysed Videos (Links to the main post analysing the video in question)

- CMVs (Combo Videos)

- Vs. Match Ups (In alphabetical order across 5 posts)

List of notable Japanese Rachel Players and their Players Guild Profiles (NESiCA):

- Rin-Hime / Link / Pallet Colours
- Momoiro / Link / Pallet Colours
- N-O / Link / Pallet Colours: (Standard/1)
- Tenkyo / Link / Pallet Colours
- Ino / Link / Pallet Colours (Purple/)
- Player 6 Name / Link / Pallet Colours

Here is a reference list to all posts that have analysed videos: (By Post Date Older - Newer)

- Example Reference Post: InsertLinkHere (Need CF Videos)

- Example Older Dated Post Link

- Example In-Between from oldest to newest Post links go here

- Example Newer Dated Post Link

Combo Video Listings: (By Date Oldest - Newest)

- [11/19/2015] Nico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27624251 YouTube: https://youtu.be/AqUQRetM7qI (By Vartra)

- [11/28/2015] YouTube: https://youtu.be/bL0nRV3w4EM

- [12/10/2015] Nico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27767675 YouTube: https://youtu.be/QeRpp9NjnMs (By Vartra)

- [09/14/2016] Nico: http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm29648178 YouTube: https://youtu.be/cIWg3Uk9y1w (By Vartra)

- [MM/DD/YY] CMV link

Hey Rurouni here,

Welcome to the CPEX -> CF Rachel Transition Guide. I got this idea while talking with SoWL in the Bullet forum about whether or not we should include changes to system mechanics to the final changelist I was compiling and decided I would make one for Bullet and Rachel.

What's this "transition" guide for? I'm glad you asked! A lot of the other guides I've written (and have yet to finish writing) concerning CF are both designed to be as informative as possible for potential newcomers and to cover only one specific topic. If you've been a long time player of Rachel, I didn't really want you to have to go through these giant walls of text and try to figure out what's new so instead I've written a guide aimed at highlighting the most important changes that you need to be aware of coming from the previous version. At the same time, I wanted to inform people of possible changes to things that didn't really fall into the topics that the guides cover or normally get talked about. Things like changes to the overall gameplan and thought process of the character.

This is my first attempt at this sort of thing so I'm sure it'll be a bit rough around the edges. So, uh, please bear with me!!!

Better wind economy

In general, the wind situation is much better for Rachel in CF. For the most part, you should always have a good amount of wind at your disposal at all times. 

A few of the changes that have led to this are:

• It's unclear whether it's due to a change in gravity or the float properties on some normals but in general in CF, Rachel has to spend less wind to juggle the opponent. As a result, a lot of routes that required 2 wind stocks to stabilize an air to air juggle now only require 1 and a lot of routes that required 1 wind can now be done windless.  
• Lotus oki requires no wind, allowing to you to save a stock of wind you would normally use to wind the pumpkin for a meaty on an opponent's wakeup
• Tempest Dahlia recovers 2 stocks of wind during the distortion now and is a great way to restock on wind in the late game
• ASW has given Rachel the ability to recover wind in the air but at a significantly reduced rate. It isn't much but it does help a lot with recovering more wind when you're juggling opponents.

Much more deadly corner game

Rachel's corner game has changed a bit. In addition to her usual very oppressive corner oki + high/low mixup and pressure, the new corner Ivy Blossom combos can deal a large amount of damage to the opponent if you have the resources to spend. Not only does it speed up how quickly you can die in Rachel's corner game but it also makes it so that even just getting opened up near the corner can be fatal to the opponent. As a result, you'll find that CF Rachel's ability to make comebacks in the late game is quite good.

No more Pumpkin

As you all probably know by now, Rachel's pumpkin has been removed in CF. As what was once Rachel's most powerful tool, you're definitely going to feel the weight of it's absence in CF. However, it's loss is mostly felt more on the how you should approach individual matchups level rather than a universal improvement or decline in Rachel's performance. If you used to play Rachel with a more Pumpkin centric gameplan, then you'll probably feel the difference a lot more than most.

Improved Lotus

On the bright side of things, the buffs to lotus' start up and recovery have made it much more usable in neutral. 
Windless lotus in the right formation can control space very well and can be troublesome obstacles to halt an opponent's advance at fullscreen distance.
Lotus controlling space to cover a frog summon Example 1 - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=99 
Lotus controlling space to cover a frog summon Example 2 - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=218 

Depending on where the lotus spawn, you can sometimes use them much like you used to use pumpkin by winding them towards the opponent to cover an advance. On hit, you can convert it into a full combo and on block you can start pressure like you used to with pumpkin.
Winded Lotus covering an approach -> https://youtu.be/K-s19aXysD4?t=8530 

Also similar to pumpkin, you can use winded lotus to save yourself in a jam if you're stuck in the air and need a safe way to get back down. It requires you to know where your poles are beforehand though so that you can wind the lotus in the right direction.
Winded Air Lotus help Example -> https://youtu.be/4PQ-h2ercxQ?t=4927 
Winded Ground Lotus help Example - > https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=1222 

Another more subtle benefit of the improved lotus and its more frequent use in neutral is that your opponent will have a lotus attached to them more often. This will help your neutral game a bit because of 5D gaining homing properties and the extra push wind will give while a lotus is attached. This extra push is especially useful for getting George across the screen with a winded 236A accompanying it.
5D extra push to get George across the screen example - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=769 

When you start playing CF, I recommend experimenting with the new lotus a lot in neutral, both wind and windless to get a good feel for what works and what doesn't. 

Mixup is pretty much the same. It's oki that's undergone change due to Pumpkin loss, Improved lotus, New Ivy Blossom and no cooldown on George. 

Most notably are: 
- You can go for lotus oki midscreen from doing stuff like 6A > 236B > Lotus oki
- Pumpkin oki has been pretty much replaced with lotus oki in the corner
- Much more rare to see but there are some combos that allow you to end in an Ivy Blossom + Frog oki setup

For more information on the specifics of the new Lotus and Ivy Blossom oki, please check out the related sections in CF Rachel Mixup, Pressure and Oki Thread:
http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/12745-cf-rachel-mixup-pressure-and-oki-thread/ 

6A always floats now. Mostly used for midscreen routes

In CF, j.C float under the effects of 5D wind has been removed and replaced with 6A giving a low float, even without the use of wind. This has resulted in midscreen combo routes on grounded opponents involving 5CD > 6C > j.C being replaced with 5B > 6A > jc delay j.A > j.B > delay j.C instead. 

SMP removal = less use of microdash 3C > 214C as a combo part

The changes to how SMP works has also made the old CP combo piece of doing 6A > 236A > micro dash 3C > 214C more optional and less used in most situations. A lot of the times you can replace it with another 5B > 6A > 4B instead. 

6B's new crumple. More stable confirms into full combos

Perhaps one of the most noteworthy changes for long time players of Rachel is that her 6B no longer blowsback full screen on ground CH. Instead, it'll just cause a crumple state. This is a pretty good change because it's more stable to confirm into a full combo anywhere compared to the old IAD route. Typically you'll see CH 6B > microdash 6B > jc j.3DB > j.C > 5B > 6A > jc j.A > j.B > j.C > 6A > 4B > 5CC

New ender for corner combos

In CF, the corner combo route has changed but it still uses a lot of parts and pieces you've probably gotten familiar with in CP. The most noticeable new parts are

* 5CC > 6C > j.C > delay j.236C at the beginning. The j.C > delay j.236C  was done in CPEX but the chaining into the route directly from 5CC with 6C is new
and
* 5CC > 214C > 6A > 236A/B > 3C |> 22A at the end. The removal of SMP opened up an interesting new ender here that allows us to churn out a bit more damage and set up lotus oki

Corner Ivy Blossom combos spikes damage output

Of all the new combos in CF, these combos are probably the ones that caught your eye the most. A single Ivy Blossom can add up to 600 unscaled damage to a combo so the basic theory of these combos is to get out an Ivy Blossom, keep comboing them while the bats drain life and then throw out another Ivy Blossom before using BBL, which will keep the opponent in hitstun long enough to get the most out of the second Ivy Blossom's damage over time. 

The exact route can vary based on whether you started in the corner or you started the combo close to the corner and ended up there but in general, the corner route goes
5CC > 214B8D > 6A > 236B9D > 3C > 214B > 3C > 632146C > 8D 

Change in FC 5C route due to George having less shock. Requires at least 25 meter now for best damage

Unfortunately, one of the side effects of george's shock doing less hits in CF is that the old big punish combo from FC 5C doesn't seem to be possible anymore meterless. You'll instead have to spend at least 25 meter on a Crush Trigger where you would've done 2C > (frog activates)
FC 5C max damage Example -> https://youtu.be/K-s19aXysD4?t=8601 

New midscreen ender from 5CC that uses 2 wind 

After knocking an opponent away fullscreen, you have the option to stay close at the end of the combo by doing 5CC > 236C > 3D > j.214C > j.5D > land 6A into either 236B > 22A oki or 4B > frog summon. It'll cost you an extra 2 wind to do but in CF's wind economy where many routes require 0-1 wind to do, it's not as steep a price as it might sound at first. The price is also definitely worth it considering the corner carry 5CC will give you just on it's own without factoring in the combo itself.

Please see the combo section of the wiki for more details:
http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php?title=BBCF/Rachel_Alucard/Combos  

To be honest, when I first started writing this guide, I was going to put some tidbits for the matchups vs Naoto, Hibiki, Nine and Izanami here. Long story short, my idea evolved into a full blown CF Rachel Matchup Guide (Still in the works!!!). But I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to just write a brief paragraph about each MU here later? Not really sure. Feel free to reply and give me your thoughts about it.  If I do update this guide with it, I'll be sure to post here that I did and tweet about it.

Hi Hi, Rurouni desu.

This time I'm here bringing you a Rachel Mixup, Pressure and Oki guide. I originally started this idea of a mixup, pressure and oki guide back in P4AU after Marie's release. Marie was a character that had a lot of cool tools, similar to Rachel, and it wasn't immediately obvious how to structure your mixup and pressure with her. So I wrote a guide that I hoped would help Marie players understand not just what their options were but what are the potential weaknesses they need to look out for and how different options can compliment other options to improve your mixup and pressure.

Since making the Marie Mixup, Pressure and Oki guide, it's been my hope to make this sort of guide a standard here on Dustloop. In secret, I had plans to create a mixup thread for every Persona character when 2.0 released on consoles. Unfortunately, we all know how 2.0 Console release ended ;.; I don't think I'm going to do anything as extreme for BB for the upcoming BBCF release but I will be trying to do it for a good amount of characters or as many as I can with the time I have. I probably won't be able to go into this much detail with everyone though. (P.S: I probably will go back and do those mixup threads for Persona 1.1 instead after I'm done my BBCF work)

For Rachel in specific, I also wanted to do this mixup, pressure and oki guide to provide an alternative perspective from Sakaku's Rachel Bible and TD's Mixup thread. I wanted to put more emphasis on how to optimize the structure of your mixup and pressure with this guide. I also wanted to structure the guide in a way so that its easy to see that there are points to vary your pressure at almost every button you press in Rachel mixup and pressure. Instead of thinking in terms of pre-canned blockstrings like most other characters, there's a higher emphasis on dynamically making your blockstring as you go that you should get comfortable with. 

Rachel's mixup revolves around her instant overhead that she can do by doing a short hop j.A by making use of a 2D wind. This gives Rachel an exceptionally strong high/low mixup game compared to the rest of the cast. But Rachel's mixup and pressure only truly reaches its full pottential when she is in the corner and her oki options become oppressive. There are ways to escape her oki setups midscreen if the opponent is knowledgeable and on guard but a lot of these problems disappear in the corner. In the corner, her oki is not only able to deal with many wakeup options, it's also capable of baiting counter assaults. When you combine this with Rachel's really good high/low mixup, you get a corner mixup and pressure that might very well be the most scariest to deal with in the game. Once Rachel puts an opponent in the corner, they might die in that corner.

IOH j.A 
Go to Overhead. Even on block, you'll have very good options to go for more mixup or continue pressure.

j.B
Mainly used as an overhead in the fuzzy guard mixup. It can be used as an IOH overhead in the same manner as j.A. It's slower but it's also a better starter. It's usually better to just go for IOH j.A though. 

4B
The overhead mixup option you use when your opponent has completely forgotten that this normal can be used as an overhead mixup. Not really recommended to use as a mixup. Not only is it a slower mixup compared to IOH j.A, your options on block are also much more limited in comparison. On the bright side, it is a better starter and doesn't require wind so maybe it wouldn't be too bad to go for when you're low on wind and want to conserve wind

2B
Go to low. Much like IOH j.A, you'll still have good options to go for more mixups or continue pressure if your opponent blocks it correctly. 

3C
An alternate low mixup option. Unlike 2B, it doesn't have any good options to go for more mixups on block and your pressure will probably come to an end here since it's -2. You mostly want to use this option in two situations.
 

1. On an opponent's wakeup during frog oki. On hit, the shock from George will allow you to pick up the combo without spending a wind or using a pole/lotus for iris. On block, the shock from George will allow you to reset pressure.
2. Winded 3C can be a good complimentary mixup after using j.3DA a few times to try and get yourself back in close to an opponent after being pushed far out in a blockstring

Throw
The mixup option you'll be luckily to see once in your lifetime. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit but it does sum up this mixup very well. Rachel's high/low game is already so good that there isn't really a good reason to try and go for a throw mixup, especially since a throw tech will end your pressure right away. On the other hand, the fact that you have no reason to go for it is the very reason it'll work if you go for it once in a blue moon.

Video Example - https://youtu.be/4PQ-h2ercxQ?t=4572 

tk 214C (2147C)
If you have a lotus attached to the opponent or a lobelia pole on top of them, tk Sword Iris can be a great way to reset pressure because of how + it is on block.

Lotus

Experimentation with lotus oki began in 1.1 when it's attack level got increased to match Pumpkins but ultimately, both pumpkin and frog oki ended up being better and more used. In CF, Lotus oki has become the most used oki in the absence of pumpkin and also thanks to it's improvements in startup and recovery. Lotus oki has many great pros.
 

1. Lotus only hits once but its active for a long period of time, making it easy to deal with all kinds of wakeup options.
2. Lotus automatically seeks out the opponent, making it unnecessary to spend wind like the former pumpkin oki and making it even easier to conserve wind in CF.
3. Lotus oki means you'll have an attached lotus to work with in your combo later if you need it. Using the attached lotus to extend a combo with sword iris leads to alternative combo routes that will allow to not have to use a stock of wind and keep regenerating wind instead. You can also use the attached lotus to reset pressure with tk Sword Iris.

Setting it up Midscreen

Midscreen, lotus oki can be set up by doing 6A > 236B |> 22A at the end of the right combos. You can change the timing of the lotus summon as well. If you summon the lotus quickly, it'll force the opponent into blockstun when they air tech low to the ground. If you delay the lotus summon, it'll force the opponent to block the lotus when they've landed.
Midscreen lotus oki from midscreen 236B Example - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=440

Setting it up in the Corner

Typically, lotus oki is setup in the corner by ending your combo with 214C |> 6A > 236A/B |> 3C > 22A oki. However, in cases where you started the combo close to the corner and ended up midscreen, it can also be set up by doing 5CC > 236B |> 22A

Corner Example - https://youtu.be/AIBItQNlgiA?t=138
Close to Corner Example - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=517
Close to Corner Example 2 - https://youtu.be/Z0Lyn72-Tlc?t=417 

George/Frog

Summon George at the end of the right combo to have him activate his shock on the opponent's wakeup and trap them in blockstun for an extended period of time. 

Mostly used when a combo ends close to the corner. When combined with the right windless or winded lobelia, it'll force them into the blockstun of George's shock, giving you time to run up and start mixup and pressure. It can also be good for midscreen oki in situations where you want to try and keep momentum and your current combo is ending with 6A > 4B > 5CC. In these situations, you can cut the combo short and do 4B > 214A instead.  
Close to Corner Example - https://youtu.be/AIBItQNlgiA?t=273 
Midscreen Example - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=209 

However, George oki isn't completely inescapable. It's important to note that George's shock won't immediately hit the opponent if they neutral tech immediately, giving them a chance to jump out of it. It's also possible for the opponent to delay tech through most of George's shock. Doing 2A after summoning George should solve both of these problems though. If they try to jump, they'll get tagged out of their jump startup and get opened up off the bat. If they try and delay tech, 2A will OTG out of the period of time where they can't tech at all after hitting the ground.

Once you've done this a few times to show you know how to deal with it, your opponent should start realizing it's too risky to go for these options except very sparingly and you can start doing other stuff on their wakeup instead. 
 
Also, you should keep an eye on your opponent's meter. If they have 50 meter, they might try and take advantage of George oki's blockstun to try and counter assault out of your pressure. To discourage this, play around with the timing of when you want to start your pressure from oki. If they try to counter assault right away and you instead choose to wait a bit, you'll block the counter assault and will be able to go for a full punish. If they try to delay their counter assault and you go for a mixup immediately, you might just end up opening them up before they even get a chance to use their counter assault. 

Additionally, Jin and Hakumen can Yukikaze out of George oki. There's no real danger to you so long as it catches the shocks from the frog but you still need to be ready to hop over the strike and chase after the Jin and Hakumen player. 
Yukikaze Video Example - https://youtu.be/lg6CF4Iw3xM?t=5336 

Ivy Blossom

Summon Ivy Blossom at the end of a combo to drain some life from your opponent as you do your followup pressure.

Typically, doesn't see any use in matches since it doesn't really offer much in terms of handling wakeup options compared to lotus and frog oki. Combine this with the fact that Ivy Blossom corner combos already do a lot of damage and the minor life drain you'll get from Ivy Blossom oki doesn't really seem worthwhile. If you attempt to go for this oki, I recommend doing it from a combo route that'll allow you to get both frog and ivy blossom oki
Example Combo -
Corner Ivy Blossom + Frog Setup - https://youtu.be/Lv8ICY-WKp0?t=1433 

How to Input it

There are two different ways to input it

1.  When you do it raw on an opponent's wakeup or another situation, you'll have to input it as 2D > jump forward j.A. Usually you'll want to do this from situations where you can hide that you're holding 2 down for a while so that you can do this input comfortably without getting a super jump.
2. When you cancel into it from a normal, you should input it as X > 9jc j.2AD to make it harder to react to.

Getting the most out of IOH j.A

IOH j.A may not be reactable on its own but that's still a 50/50 chance of the opponent blocking a mixup. That's a bit too big. We want to turn that 50% chance of blocking the mixup to almost no chance of blocking the mixup so that we can minimize wind used to open up the opponent. 

The trick to improving your odds of opening up your opponent is straight forward: variation. We're going to vary the points at which we'll throw out the instant overhead, making the opponent not only have to guess whether to block high or low but also when they need to do it.

1. Raw 2D j.A - https://youtu.be/lg6CF4Iw3xM?t=4905
2. 5A(1) > 9jc j.2AD - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=212
3. 5A > 9jc j.2AD - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=169
4. 5B > 9jc j.2AD - https://youtu.be/Vj42DygQ_Uk?t=212

You can go for a 2B mixup in many places but not all of them are equally as great places if your 2B gets blocked. We need to be careful about controlling our distance from the opponent. We don't want to get pushed out too far if we don't have to or IOH j.A will start whiffing. 

The best places to go for 2B are:

• On wakeup -> There's no better way to minimize how much pushback you'll have to deal with on a blocked 2B then to make 2B the first thing you do in your blockstring. 
• After a blocked IOH j.A -> Great place to go for a 2B for similar reasons as doing it on wakeup. A blocked IOH j.A > j.B puts you at a distance comparable to the positioning you would do wakeup 2B.
  Video Example https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=178

This isn't to say that using alternative blockstrings to go for a low are discouraged. Stuff like 5B > 2B is still a very good option to go for a low but requires taking advantage of you training your opponent to block high after 5B first by putting a higher emphasis on doing IOH j.A previously.

Long story short: Ultimately, the best way to make sure 2B doesn't result in you getting pushed back too far is to structure your overall mixup and pressure in a way that people blocking 2B is fairly low to begin with.

Congratulate your opponent. He managed to block the first in a series of hard to block mixups. Can his luck hold up though?

You have three options at this point:

1. Fuzzy j.B overhead. After chaining into j.B from your blocked IOH j.A, do double jump j.B to go for a second overhead.
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/4PQ-h2ercxQ?t=4711
    
2. Land after chaining into j.B and go for a 2B low to open people up who remain standing to block a fuzzy j.B
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=178
    
3. Land and just reset pressure from here. You can for IOH j.A again either raw or from cancelling 5A (1), 5A, or 5B or do whatever else you want. 

So, you've let yourself get pushed out far enough that you can't go for the usual IOH j.A or 2B mixup. Maybe you decided to throw caution to the wind and after 5B you went "Screw it, I'm going for 2B now! I've done IOH j.A a bunch after this, there's no way he'll expect it coming!" and the jerk actually decided to keep crouch blocking. It doesn't really matter how you got here. The point is you're here and you need to deal with it.
 
You have four options

1. Wind yourself back in and go for a mixup at the same time by doing 6B > j.3D > delay j.A
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/K-s19aXysD4?t=8866
    
2. Chain into a winded 3C to try and open them up low if they're expecting you to try and wind yourself back in with the above overhead option
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/lg6CF4Iw3xM?t=5094
    
3. If you have a lotus attached to them or a lobelia pole on top of them, take advantage of 5B or 6B being jump cancelable on block to do tk 214C. As mentioned earlier, tk Sword Iris is pretty + on block and will allow you to run up and reset pressure
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=1334
    
4. Retreat. Take advantage of 5B or 6B's to IABD away. Sometimes, it's better not to push your luck, especially if you're running low on wind.  
   Video Example - https://youtu.be/FYarNUEZ168?t=1027

In CPEX, Overdrive Raid wasn't too big of a deal as a Rachel player because the way her pressure and mixup is structured made it hard to catch her whiffing something with long enough recovery to punish. Usually, it pretty much required just as much of a guess as blocking her 50/50s and so it wasn't worth wasting your burst on such a high gamble.

Unfortunately, the addition of Exceed Accel has changed things. The ability to go straight from Overdrive Raid's invuln straight into Exceed Accel's invuln makes it dangerous to try and continue pressure. There still isn't much risk to Rachel since she can usually react to the Overdrive Raid's super flash in her pressure and retreat but it can be troublesome because this scare tactic can force you to have to stop your scary mixup and pressure game or risk eating 2-4k damage and still losing momentum anyway.

There are some things you can do though to try and prevent putting yourself in this sort of situation. The root of this problem is Overdrive Raid. Fortunately, Overdrive Raid works similarly to Counter Assaults, so you should consider taking similar counter measures.  Keep an eye on your opponent's burst. When you see they have a burst available, you need to start carefully deciding the structure of your pressure and oki. You might consider shying away from George oki since this is a very easy target for Overdrive Raid and Counter Assaults. You might also consider higher emphasis on opening people up very early with stuff like raw IOH j.A, 5A (1) > IOH j.A and wakeup 2B while putting a lower emphasis on using 5B in your blockstrings which is also an easy target for doing Overdrive Raid.

Here we encourage you to share your videos. Any videos pretty much, you can Post videos in regards to your progress and get feedback (analysis/critique) as it's always nice to have fellow players give their views to help you, Match Ups which you feel you can share to some tips on, demonstrations, guides or any creative work you wish to share like a CMV for example. This thread is for you

Here is a link to the Previous games version for Video Posting and Critique (BBCPEX): http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/10656-cpex-rachel-international-videos-critiques/ 

- All criticism is to be constructive.
- If you post a video and ask for criticism, it will be given. Please do not get butthurt.

I like Tari's idea of having a nice piece of Rachel Artwork to see you off. I'll sort something out later but may change it every month or so to keep interest up.

[Insert Image here]

Artist name / Artist Twitter

NOTE: This is something I've had in mind but wasn't really sure how to go about wording it and what needs to be added and whatnot, may be some set rules? If anything this won't be possible until people can get BBCF on their home consoles anyway.

Do you run streams or recorded sessions on PSN/XBL player match rooms or lobby mode? Would you be interested in sharing details of when you generally run these sessions? If so you are more than welcome to put your details here and you could be reaching out to fellow Rachel players in the same region/area who do not have the ability to record matches themselves but could have them recorded through your stream or session. 

An example (NOT THE REAL THING) would be something like this.
(Note: I am hoping to do something like this when I can get BBCF on console depending how life works out for me)

[Dustloop Name: Gamester]
[Console: PSN]
[Region: Europe/UK]
[Stream/Recorded Session: (Day + Time + Room Name) Wednesday 8pm (GMT+1) RachelEU]
[Additional Notes: Any EU player and especially Rachel players are welcome, happy to provide a service as I too am a Rachel player looking to improve myself. Videos will go up on YouTube and if you don't want your matches recorded, just say so and I won't add.]

(Something like the above but tidier, it seems similar to Match Finder but what I would be doing here is offering to reach out to Rachel Players in EU who want to improve but can't find a method to share their match footage for feedback/advise)

If an opponent jumps, he must eventually come back down. Shoot your laser [in this case, pumpkin] at him before he touches the ground.

Words of wisdom from mvc2. This applies to Rachel with pumpkin as well.

Getting past the opponent's guard

Most mixups in BB can be blocked on reaction. Maybe not everyone can do it, but it's well within the realm of possibility for most people to do. That's why there is a great emphasis on creating situations where the opponent will be forced to guess and trying to read your opponent.

It is vital that you understand common blocking habits and figure out ways to get around them. Most players defend by blocking low by default if the opponent is on the ground and blocking high if the opponent is in the air. Then, simply react if they see an overhead or throw attempt. Knowing this, you can do things that are designed to trip them up.