Overview

A.B.A. at her most simple explanation is a high-risk, high-reward power character. However, what makes her unique amongst characters described by that playstyle is how they implemented her risk: by essentially splitting her into two characters, a very strong one and very weak one. A.B.A. starts each round in the weaker form, or “Normal mode.” In this mode, she’s essentially F-tier. Poor normals, horrible maneuverability and speed, wimpy damage... She’s pretty terrible in every regard. However, upon landing a Keygrab or using a Bloodpack, she transforms from the worst to one of the best characters in the game by entering what’s known as “Moroha mode.” In Moroha mode, everything about A.B.A. becomes MUCH scarier, and she instantly goes from F-tier to S+. Her normals become ridiculous (giving her access to some really scary frametraps), her damage goes through the roof, her pressure game is vastly improved, she is granted an extremely fast ground dash, and she obtains one of the best specials in the game (Danzai/FB Danzai). This pseudo-brokenness does not come without a catch, however: while Moroha mode is certainly amazing once you gain access to it, there are a few drawbacks to its awesomeness; built-in safeguards allow the character to have such strong tools without being broken. The key (har har) to mastering A.B.A. ultimately depends on the player’s proficiency in both modes as well as properly managing her intricate subsystems.

Character-specific Mechanics

- You start every round in Normal mode.

- Moroha mode must be earned by landing a Keygrab or using a Bloodpack, which can be quite difficult to accomplish if put at a disadvantage early on (and against some characters, you are inherently at a more distinct disadvantage as the round starts).

- Your time in Moroha mode is limited. When in Moroha mode, a red bar appears above A.B.A.’s tension gauge. This bar, the Moroha gauge, acts as a time limit for how long she can be in Moroha mode, and is depleted 1) over time, 2) when connecting an attack with the opponent on hit or block, 3) by getting knocked down (which depletes roughtly a third of the gauge).

- If the Moroha gauge is allowed to completely drain by any of the three depletion causes above, A.B.A. goes into a huge recovery animation (50+ frames) called Suka Motion. During Suka Motion, she can’t do anything, not even Burst! This means she’s wide open to your opponent’s best starter, or even worse, their Instant Kill. In order to play A.B.A. effectively, you MUST learn to properly manage her Moroha gauge to minimize the risk of this happening. Important note: if you get knocked down with less than a third of the gauge remaining, you can perform an OTG Burst as a last ditch effort, since OTG Bursts are both strike and throw invincible. You’ll still go into Suka Motion upon landing if you didn’t burst the knockdown early enough (i.e., if you Burst after the Moroha gauge has already disappeared), but if the Burst lands, they get blown back to a distance where you can safely complete the Suka Motion. You’ll still permanently lose self-inflicted health if this happens, and it’s still possible for your opponent to simply block the Burst and punish, but OTG Bursting is definitely an option here.

- In addition, A.B.A. self-inflicts damage when landing a move on hit or block with an opponent. A portion of this can be recovered by landing another Keygrab (restores 80% of self-inflicted damage) or by using a Bloodpack (restores 120% of self-inflicted damage). If you enter Suka Motion, 0% is restored--that health is lost for the remainder of the round. You cannot die from self-inflicted damage, but it can bring you down to one pixel, so beware of chip damage.

- A.B.A. starts with three Bloodpacks per round. Once these have been used up, they cannot be replenished by any means for the remainder of the round, forcing you to rely solely on Keygrab to transform.

Without these restrictions, A.B.A. would be fairly easy to play; low execution barrier, lenient rushdown and pressure options, big damage, and very high overall health make her overall difficulty appear to be low. However, these are counterbalanced by the complexity and extreme importance placed on her subsystems. While many characters only need to worry about their health, tension, guard bar, and burst, a good A.B.A. must in addition manage Bloodpacks, Moroha gauge remaining, and self-inflicted damage. This leads to a lot of choices the A.B.A. player has to make, and more often than not, the “correct” option is a neutral shade of grey, where realization that you made the wrong decision might not become apparent until it’s too late. Fully understanding the limitations of A.B.A.’s system mechanics and minimizing their impact as handicaps is of utmost importance in order to effectively play her.

Now that we’ve discussed A.B.A.’s unique restrictions, we can move on to specific information regarding how to play each mode.

General:

In short, Normal mode sucks. A.B.A.’s walk speed is one of the slowest in the game, and in Normal mode, she has a fairly awful ground dash. Her airdash is very slow and barely covers any distance. The few positives are that A.B.A. is very heavy and she has a pretty funky hitbox, which can cause her opponent’s BnBs to drop or require sub-optimal adjustments to make them work. She also has very high health (tied with Robo-Ky for second best defense modifier in the game).

Normals:

5P - 3f startup, upper body invul from 2-4f. This move has terrible range, but is an extremely important normal for A.B.A. as a last-second anti-air or to beat certain high-hitting pokes clean.

5K - Another important normal in Normal mode, since it has a decent hitbox and range for its speed (7f startup). About as close to a decent “mid-range” poke as you’ll get in this mode.

c.S - Fast, but at that range you’re probably using 5P instead. Works alright as combo filler though.

f.S - Hits low. The range on this got buffed in +R, as it now causes A.B.A. to slide slightly farther forward. Can catch opponents off guard if used at max range.

5H - Definitely one of her go-to NM normals. A.B.A.’s longest ranged normal in NM. Slow as Christmas, but it has an alright hitbox once it’s out, and can usually be chained into a Bloodpack on hit or block for an easy transform since the pushback on it is so great. In +R, this got a nice buff of knocking down on counterhit, making it much more viable to throw out in scenarios where it’s likely to trade.

5D - Decent speed, animation isn’t overly subtle or unsubtle. You probably won’t use this much in NM since her dust isn’t used in defensive situations at all, which is where you’ll spend most of your time in NM. If you do land one, just homing jump, land a few hits, Keygrab. No need to break out the flashy stuff since the damage increase will be negligible.

6P - Upper body invul like most 6Ps. If you land this, chain into whatever leads to a jump combo for a Keygrab.

6H - The hail mary. Terribly slow and punishable if blocked, but has a 2.5x stun modifier, making it inflict CRAZY stun on CH--land one, Bloodpack, land half a BnB, Instant Kill them because they’re now dizzy. Due to the trajectory A.B.A. swings the axe at, it can also make for an interesting (albeit situational) anti-air to tag people directly above her or certain airdashes. If this whiffs, you’re in trouble.

2P - When you need something fast (5f), but with more range than 5P. Pretty standard.

2K - Okayish range for NM, hits low. If you land this, immediately chain into 2D > Keygrab.

2S - The only move in NM that is arguably as good as its MM counterpart. Ever seen Sakura’s d.HP in SF4? That’s this move. Fantastic hitbox makes this amazing anti-air, which leads to jump combo > Keygrab. Better yet, on CH, the untech time is long enough that you can just straight up Keygrab for an effortless transform. It doesn't have upper body invul like 5P or 6P, but in anti-air scenarios where you don't need that, use it!

2H - Slow, but weirdly great hitbox once it’s out. I’ve seen this stuff pokes it doesn’t seem like it should, anti-air odd jump-ins, and even tag opponents behind A.B.A.’s feet ala BBCT Nu’s 2C. Confirm into jump combo > Keygrab.

2D - Standard sweep. When you land it, Keygrab. It’s slightly slower than 2K with marginally better range, so unless you’re at max range, it’s probably better to do 2K > 2D > Keygrab instead.

j.P - Very fast but crap range. You probably won’t be using this much unless you’re trying to win air-to-air battles with speed or using it in a jump combo.

j.K - Hits directly above A.B.A. Useful air-to-air if they’re above you, but otherwise not very useful since its horizontal hitbox is narrow and it will whiff nearly every time if used as a jump in.

j.S - A.B.A.’s best air normal. Fast, solid hitbox (for normal mode), good in jump combos, good air-to-air, good jump-in.

j.H - This move can potentially be used as a jump-in when directly above opponents since it’s basically a bootleg version of Baiken’s j.H/May’s j.2H. In +R, its horizontal hitbox was widened enough that it can cross-up! Unfortunately, it can still easily be punished with ground throw if instant blocked. It can also be airthrown, so use carefully.

j.D - Nice horizontal range, but very slow. Good for early anti-air, but not much else, especially since it has some landing recovery. If you manage to land a CH with this, you get a wallbounce > free keygrab for your troubles.

Throw - A.B.A.’s NM throw got a really nice buff in +R in that the distance opponents are thrown is shorter, making Throw > dash > Keygrab much easier when in NM (or on some characters, Throw > Keygrab). If you land one, do that.

Airthrow - Standard range, can’t be combo’d from. Fairly... standard.

Specials/Forcebreaks:

Keygrab (63214H or air 63214H) - The most important move A.B.A. has in NM along with Bloodpack, since ultimately pulling one of those two off should be your top priority at all times when in NM. Upon successfully landing, this move will do a negligible amount of damage and transform A.B.A. into Moroha mode. An interesting quirk to note with this move is that it’s both a command grab AND a strike; if the opponent is in a state where they are able to be thrown (i.e., in throw range, not blocking, not in hitstun, not throw invul, etc.) on frame 9, the command grab version will come out and the Keygrab cannot be blocked. If the command grab cannot land on frame 9, the strike version comes out instead, which is slightly slower, can be blocked, and is very unsafe on block, but is able to be used in combos. It’s important to note that there were also changes to the recovery of this move upon landing it in both Normal and Moroha mode. For the strike version, ABA’s recovery was increased, giving her far less time to follow it with a bloodpack, oki, etc (this is also why old [strike version]x2 doublekey combos don’t work anymore). For the command grab version, the opponent’s knockdown time was increased, allowing her to easily combo into a second Keygrab or set up more lucrative oki.

Bloodpack (63214P) - The other most important move A.B.A. has in NM. A.B.A. consumes one of her three Bloodpacks and is guaranteed to transform into Moroha mode on frame 23. Create space or get a far knockdown and use this, or chain into it from a hit/block 5H. NM Bloodpack also has a quirky invincibility window on frames 19-22. Although it rarely comes into play, it’s highly useful in certain situations (e.g., avoiding Slidehead).

Slide (236P) - One of NM A.B.A.’s most useful moves. An evasive slide, A.B.A. becomes VERY low-profile when executing this move, making it great for sliding under anticipated pokes for a throw > Keygrab. You can even slide under stuff like 2Ps or Robo-Ky’s knee bazooka! Just beware of lows/being thrown before the slide is over. This move also has an FRC point just as A.B.A. tucks herself inward, which can be used as a last resort to cancel the slide if baited, or to bait your opponent into attempting a punish. But if you’re going to spend 25% tension on slide, you might as well just use...

FB Slide (236D) - The best move A.B.A. has in NM, hands down. Why? Well, it’s mostly identical to regular slide aside from being faster, going farther, and being able to pass through opponents. But, it’s also COMPLETELY invincible for its entire duration. That means it’s absolutely unpunishable, a “get out of jail free” card (or well, a “get out of jail for 25% tension” card), which is something you’ll be wishing you had in many NM situations. It can evade oki, including meaty setups. It can slide through moves and supers, even stuff like Raoh’s Bellows Malice, for easy Keygrabs. Keep the tension cost in mind, but otherwise a fantastic move. This got a HUGE new FRC point in +R on frames 9-23, which is highly useful in certain situations since you can FRC to choose which side of the opponent A.B.A will appear on, or to buffer into a surprise Keygrab. The downside is that it’s kind of expensive at 50% meter.

Razor kick (236K) - Very long range, hits overhead. Throw and feet invincible while mid-kick, which makes it okay as a meaty, but you probably won’t beat many lows unless they hit very low to the ground. Has a strangely late FRC point of which use is limited to making blocked attempts safe or gimmicks. Causes a nice stagger on CH, giving you free Keygrab. Slightly unsafe on block (-4) if not FRC’d. You can also use this in place of the 3rd Rekka.

1st Rekka (236S) - Can be decent as a long range poke, but mediocre speed. Hitbox is one of the better ones in NM. On hit, string into 2nd and 3rd Rekkas > FRC > (optional combo stuff >) Keygrab. Unsafe, but its long range and decent pushback can make it safe-ish if used from afar.

2nd Rekka (236S > 46S) - Possible to frame trap after a blocked first Rekka, but take care as it’s not airtight. Staggers on hit, but in NM, it’s pretty wimpy and requires an RC to take advantage of with anything other than 3rd Rekka unless they’re asleep, and even then, spending 50% on something they can probably still shake out of is a big gamble.

3rd Rekka (236S > 46S > 63214S) - Note: from here out, if I say “Rekkas”, I’m referring to all three used as a set. Again, there’s a gap between the 2nd and 3rd Rekkas which can potentially be problematic against characters who can reversal through it, and it’s highly unsafe on block. On the plus side, this has an FRC just as the key touches the ground, making it safe and able to followup on hit, where it groundslides. An easy BnB to get into Moroha with this: Starter > Rekkas > FRC > dash > 5H > Keygrab. In the corner, you can substitute that 5H for a 6H. The absolute optimal combo would be Close starter > Rekkas > FRC > dash > 2H > character specific jump combo like j.P, j.S, dj.P, j.S > Keygrab. Big damage (for NM) and style points there, just make sure your distance is correct before attempting. It’s also important to note that combo’ing off 3rd Rekka’s groundslide required an FRC in AC 99% of the time, but in +R, its groundslide time got a nice buff, so situations to combo without FRC may be more frequent.

Bloodball (236H) - A very slow-starting projectile, but it can be tough to avoid once it’s out. After ending a Moroha combo with an air Keygrab to transform back to NM, you can toss this out upon landing to give your opponent something to deal with when waking up. Better yet, if you have 25%, you can use the FRC point this move has just as the projectile appears and Bloodpack for an almost entirely safe transformation back into Moroha. It’s no AC EXE Beast, though: Bloodball takes 20+ frames to come out and will disappear if hit before ~22f. Finally, this is sometimes okay to throw out at neutral to give your opponent something to deal with while you sneak in a quick Bloodpack.

Supers:

Mushroom clouds (632146H > optional 236H > optional 236H) - Has a tiny bit of invul on startup, making it a sometimes-decent reversal option. FRC points for safety on each cloud just as A.B.A. slams her fist to the ground. The gaps between these got smaller and the explosions come out faster in +R. Unfortunately, the third cloud’s unblockable property was removed (sadface). On block or whiff, you can try gambling on frametrapping with a followup cloud or FRC to safety. On first cloud hit, you can go straight into a Keygrab if they’re close, or string into the followup clouds for more damage, then Bloodpack.

Air super (632146P) - Practically useless unless you absolutely need a hair of invincibility while in the air. There are better uses of tension.

Gameplan:

As mentioned before, A.B.A.’s gameplan is very simple in Normal mode: get out of it. How you do this will obviously depend on your opponent’s character, but typically this will involve one of the following at the start of the round and in other NM situations throughout the match:

- Evade something with slide > throw > Keygrab

- Evade something with slide > combo punish into Rekkas FRC > 5H > Keygrab

- Anti-air > combo > Keygrab

- Raw Keygrab as a counterpoke (warning: risky)

- Chain into 2D > Keygrab

- 5H hit or block > Bloodpack

- 5H on counterhit > Keygrab

- Bloodball to create space > Bloodpack

- Reversal Mushrooms > Keygrab (after 1st cloud) or Bloodpack (after 3rd cloud)

- Starter (which could be 5K, f.S, j.H, etc) > combo into Rekkas FRC > 5H > Keygrab

- Wait and see what your opponent does

An important place where a lot of Normal mode is played is right at the start of each round. Your options here are character specific. Do you start backdashing to create space for a Bloodpack? Raw Bloodpack, anticipating that they’ll back away instead? Raw Keygrab to catch their opening poke? Slide in to go for a throw? There are several choices that can be made here, and there’s never a really “right” answer, but smart play in the first few seconds of each round can be the difference in obtaining Moroha early on to stamp out your opponent or getting pushed into the corner and crushed while in Normal mode because you weren’t able to transform. Some rounds are literally decided in the first few seconds due to this. Play smart here, and when in doubt, go with the safer options (backdash, IAD away, wait and see, etc).

When you land that Keygrab or Bloodpack, IT’S TIME. Now you can actually fight back, and that’s because you’re in...

General:

Welcome to the machine, my friends. A machine of absolutely silly normals, disgustingly gross pressure, brutal damage, and overall steamrollery. With a few nicely fished CHs, a smart footsie game, or well-applied frame traps, your opponent will be reduced to mere tatters. They want to block? No problem, their guard gauge will be flashing in seconds, making your next throw potentially lethal, or you can use your unblockable special move(!) to clobber them. They want to hit buttons? A.B.A.’s frame traps can quickly discourage that with far more than a slap on the wrist, or you can Danzai for the ultimate in “No, it’s still MY turn” moves to punish telegraphed poke out attempts. They get hit? Depending on how much you were able to crank their guard bar, they’re going to get severely hurt, put on life support, or outright killed. This is where A.B.A. is truly played, and in this mode, she is an unrelenting powerhouse in the right hands.

HOWEVER, this reward does not come without risk. Moroha mode is where you must deal with the strict limitations mentioned earlier, always keeping one eye on your Moroha gauge to ensure it doesn’t slip too low, possibly necessitating you to end a combo or pressure early to go for a transformation. You have to pay attention to how much damage you’re self-inflicting so you don’t effectively beat yourself up--one of the worst feelings an A.B.A. player can experience (next to allowing themselves to be Instant Killed by mismanaging their gauge) is to get into Moroha, apply heavy rushdown to the point of accidentally burning up your remaining Moroha gauge, then getting killed by a single poke punish because you self-inflicted enough damage to yourself to bring your health down to a pixel without your opponent having to lift a finger. You have to actively pay attention to the times you’re knocked down and when getting knocked down would lead to a Suka Motion scenario (i.e., getting knocked down when you have less than 30% Moroha gauge remaining), OTG bursting if necessary to avoid instantly losing the round. A.B.A. can be truly terrifying when played well, but don’t get so drunk on power that you lose sight of the importance in properly managing her subsystems.

In regards to other general info, your weight is the same (really heavy) and your hitbox is the same (really weird). Your lackluster ground dash has now been replaced by a VERY fast run that’s almost up there with Chipp and Millia (but not quite). Your airdash is now much faster and covers more distance. Your walk speed still sucks.

Normals:

5P: Same as NM. Still highly useful for anti-air, as a superfast close normal, or to beat high-hitting pokes.

5K: Same as NM. Slightly less useful here since you now have better options, but still useful if you’re in range and need something a hair faster than f.S.

c.S: Combo filler. Also a go-to normal when you’re close, but out of 5P range.

f.S: THIS is where things get interesting. f.S ranks among the better pokes in the game. Great range, fast (especially considering that great range), hits twice so it can stuff armored moves like Hammerfall, or take out Little Eddie/Dog then hit Eddie/Zappa. It can also be chained into 5H, which received some interesting changes that I’ll discuss momentarily, or you can confirm straight into Rekkas for a combo. f.S stuffs LOTS of things and is an all around amazing poke. Keep it handy in your footsie game.

5H: For +R, this is where things get REALLY interesting. 5H now hits twice, with the second hit yanking the key back for a vacuum effect. It has received a new gatling route into 2H, which also vacuums. When both are used in succession, you can stick to your opponent like glue. However, this gatling doesn’t combo and has a slight gap (don’t get DP’d!), so it’s best used for blockstring pressure or to beat throw tech/throw punish attempts since 5H's even advantage on normal block makes it great for tick throws. The untechable time on this second hit vs. airborne opponents is pretty good and can usually be confirmed into big damage, especially near the corner. Unfortunately, 5H got hit with some nerfs as well. 5H is now pretty slow at 15f startup, and while the first hit can still stagger on CH, the second hit immediately knocking them out of it kinda ruins it. Because of this, you should be wary of throwing 5H out during footsies--the slower speed is a major issue for its usage as a poke.

5D: Same as NM, but slightly faster. In Moroha mode, A.B.A. gains access to an Impossible Dust which can be performed via double jump j.H. And A.B.A. ID combos hurt.

6P: Similar to NM, but slightly faster with a different hitbox to accommodate for the altered shape of the key. It’s otherwise used exactly the same as NM 6P: as an upper body invul anti-air.

6H: Long range, two hits, hurts really bad. This move is mainly used to catch people trying to low profile 5S/5H from afar. It can’t be confirmed into Rekkas if landed from too far away and the recovery on whiff is awful, so keep that in mind. Its air hit untechable time got a neat buff in +R, opening up some new combo options (for example, air hit 6H > Butt now works).

2P: Same as NM. Close range poke. Faster than c.S, not as fast as 5K or 5P.

2K: Same as NM. One of only two lows A.B.A. has in Moroha mode (the other being sweep), so this will be your low midsceen combo starter.

2S: Slower than NM’s 2S, but HUGE range. On CH, your opponent floats for eternity and you get whatever you want. Anti-air with this if you have time to get it out.

2H: One of your most important normals in Moroha mode. The first thing you should know about 2H is that it’s throw invincible just as A.B.A. hops slightly off the ground, making it an excellent meaty option when timed correctly. It ruins guard bar, launches on hit for a combo, has vacuum property, is +2 on block, and has an FRC point just as the axe touches the ground for the 2nd hit, making it sickeningly good for applying pressure or baits. Awesome.

2D: Really long range for a sweep. Useful to poke for a knockdown, then run in and start your pressure. Near the corner (and against some chars midscreen, depending on how close you are), this move got WAY better since you can confirm into +R A.B.A.’s new Rekka loops. You can also use this at max range to bait some DPs (Volcanic Viper, Vapor Thrust) since it swings low enough for the DP to whiff. A neat option select is to max range meaty 2D against an opponent with such a DP: if they stand and block, start staggered Rekka pressure. If they stand and eat the hit, confirm into Rekka loops. If they stand and DP, laugh as their DP whiffs, then obliterate them.

j.P: Same as NM. Use if you need something fast in the air. If you’re dash-jumping toward an airborne opponent and they block one of these, you can mash it to bring them back down to the ground and start your pressure.

j.K: Same as NM. Used raw in the air, this move is still fairly mediocre. However, it has much more interesting usage in MM thanks to...

j.S: This move rocks. I’m not even talking about how it’s great for air-to-air or for straight up jump-ins, but because it gives A.B.A. access to one of her best mixup options: fuzzy guard. This is performed by running deep j.S > dj.S > falling j.H > land and combo. Fuzzy guard combos do BIG damage, upwards of 300+ depending on guard bar and available tension. But wait, it gets better: deep j.S also doubles as a safe jump. With proper timing and practice, you can actually confirm the safe jump into the fuzzy. It’s hard, but doable and awesome. Even if you time the initial deep j.S too late, it has a tendency to clash with some DPs (notably, Volcanic Viper). j.S can also gattling into j.P or j.K. This means you can fuzzy guard by simply doing j.S > j.K or j.S > j.P. The latter isn't as useful since the hitstun on j.P is still so tiny, but the possibilities from j.S > j.K are really gross. Knock an opponent down in the corner and do this: running j.S > j.K > dj.S > j.H. When timed right, this is airtight, and if the opponent blocks low at any point, they're getting fuzzied. You could also just do j.S > j.K > land > Throw, or j.S > j.P > j.P... Lots of options here. Another nice bonus of this is that j.K CH launches opponents similarly to 2S CH, meaning this setup is especially potent when used after cranking a guard gauge to flashing. Better still, you can autopilot the j.S > j.K > dj.S > j.H variation since it combos! Sick.

j.H: This return from this is slightly lower than before thanks to its new proration, but j.H is still a beast of a move. Huge hitbox, great for cross-ups, and on CH it ground slides into ludicrous damage, even taking the new proration into consideration. Not to mention that your airthrows come with this built-in as an option select. People hate this move.

j.D: An improved NM j.D. This is faster, has longer range, and better untechable time. While moreso than before, it doesn’t see much use outside of combos, and it still has that bothersome landing recovery. It’s a staple for A.B.A.’s Orb loop BnBs, which I’ll cover in the BnB section. This also wallbounces on counterhit. In +R, j.D’s untechable time got a nice buff, allowing for much better followups than before (for example, Keygrab or dash j.S combos, etc).

Throw - A.B.A slams her opponent for a ground bounce. Easy to follow up with a corner carry combo, or with damage if their guard gauge is flashing from downbacking too hard. Standard range. Tick throw with any fast normals (5P, 2P, 2K) or after vacuuming them in with 5H.

Airthrow - Basically identical to her NM airthrow. Average range, can't follow up.

Specials/Forcebreaks:

Keygrab (63214H or air 63214H) - This gets you back into Normal mode, restoring 80% of self-inflicted damage. Use it as a combo ender when you’re low on gauge. As mentioned earlier, Keygrab was slightly tweaked in +R: the command grab version has longer range and A.B.A. recovers faster, making it easier to Command Keygrab > Keygrab for a complete transform. However, the strike version saw A.B.A.’s recovery increased, meaning strike version double-Keygrab combos in AC don’t work anymore. As a consolation prize, there are some combos that can be ended by going straight into Bloodpack > FRC > Keygrab for a complete transform thanks to the new FRC point on Moroha’s...

Bloodpack (63214P) - This also gets you back into Normal mode, consuming one Bloodpack and restoring 120% of self-inflicted damage. In +R, Moroha mode’s Bloodpack got a sweet new FRC right as she transforms, enabling the new combo above and letting you Bloodpack back into Normal mode much more safely for a mere 25% tension. Similar to its NM counterpart, MM Bloodpack has a sliver of invincibility, fully on frame 9 and to strikes on 10-13.

Flipkick (41236K) - A.B.A. climbs up on the key and performs a backflip-kick dismount to launch her opponent on hit (higher on CH, so adjust combos accordingly) or stagger on block. Flipkick is best used with 50% to RC it--on hit, this gives you better combo options like Flipkick RC > dash j.S > etc, while on block it guarantees you can capitalize on the stagger. A.B.A. is also unthrowable and feet invul when she’s up on the key. You can also use this move in place of the 3rd Rekka, but the pushback from the first two Rekkas is usually enough that the Flipkick will whiff, making this option best used when opponents have IB’d the first two Rekkas or in combos after the first two Rekkas have landed, allowing for grimy oki setups (including FB Bloodball > Flipkick). This move received some buffs in +R in that it now bounces the opponent higher and does slightly more damage than in AC. The Flipkick would be straight up dumb if it weren’t for one major flaw: it can be normal blocked in the air (i.e., chicken blocked), no faultless required. If you time it as a meaty, it’s slightly better since they can’t jump, but they can still reversal or backdash. Use sparingly. You can also get this (almost) guaranteed if you’re able to set up a meaty FB Bloodball. While they’re blocking the FB BB’s new extra hits, just run up and Flipkick--no FRC needed! I say “almost” because there are a scant few options that will get them out, namely, DAA.

1st Rekka (236S) - Almost completely identical to NM 1st Rekka, but more useful here since you can string into it from better long range pokes.

2nd Rekka (236S > 46S) - Similar to NM Rekka, but with much better stagger on hit. If you want, you can RC and go into whatever you want from the stagger, or if you’re close enough, you might be able to link into a quick poke (5P, 2P, or 5K) depending on how good your opponent is at mashing out of stagger. You can even get Rekka 1 > Rekka 2 > [Command Keygrab]x2 for a complete transform. This move got a really nice buff to its untechable time on air hit in +R and is now nearly triple(!) what it was in AC. The reason this is so nice is because the untech time is long enough that you can confirm in 3rd Rekka > Rekka loops after tagging an opponent trying to jump out with 2nd Rekka.

3rd Rekka (236S > 46S > 63214S) - Also similar to its NM counterpart, but with longer groundslide time. This groundslide time has been extended in +R, removing the necessity to use an FRC to followup in more scenarios. Between the increased groundslide and the above change to the 2nd Rekka’s untechable time, A.B.A. has a great new combo piece in the form of Rekka loops, performed as [1st > 2nd > max delay 3rd Rekka]xN for two or three reps. While this isn't an "end all, be all" option, A.B.A. can now convert much more effectively from previously “meh” starters such as corner 2D.

Orbs (air 41236S) - Orbs are an integral part in many of A.B.A.’s combos in Moroha mode, specifically her Orb loops. The Orbs are considered a projectile, meaning sometimes they’ll linger and still trade when you get hit first. It’s possible for both the front and rear Orbs to land if you’re really close, and when you do, it hurts like hell. For example, during Butt loop, Butt > RC > Orbs (2hit) > PAIN. There’s an FRC point just as A.B.A. begins to tuck her outstretched leg back in (right when the Orbs become active), which is useful for making the timing to begin the next rep of the Orb loop more lenient to land and as an oki tool. Dash jump at downed opponent > Orbs FRC over their body just before they wakeup > 2K, 5D, begin pressure, etc. If your Orbs are mistimed or if you land too close, you opponent can wakeup throw, but if they want to do that, you can Orbs FRC > Orbs again for HUGE damage as you CH their throw attempt, or you can simply Orbs FRC > land > jump to bait the throw and still land CH Orbs.

Danzai (623H) - This is one of the best specials in the game. Throw invincible on the upswing, super armor, big hitbox, launches on hit, and huge pushback on block to help make it pseudo-safe since you’re moved back pretty far (although it can definitely still be punished, so don’t go crazy with it). Danzai is just great and has many uses. It can blow up pokes or telegraphed poke out attempts, it can be used as a reversal or to beat throws, it can be used as anti-air, it can be used to eat blue bursts... What’s not to like? Just be sure to keep the following in mind: it only absorbs one hit, so multi-hit or fast attacks will win, it loses to Supers automatically, characters with long range attacks can punish even after blocking the second hit, and characters who don’t can IB the first hit and backdash the second. Some characters also have char-specific ways to deal with Danzai as well (for example, Baiken can alpha counter). Danzai is best used as a defensive option, but can work as an offensive one if used very sparingly. If you just run up and Daigo Danzai, you’re probably going to get bodied. It should also be noted that any attacks the armor absorbs will still inflict 50% of their damage, so don’t use this if you’re extremely low on life.

FB Danzai (623D) - Remember what I said about Danzai only absorbing one hit? Not for FB Danzai, which has hyper armor(!). This will plow through whatever non-Super hits are thrown at it and keep on truckin’. FB Danzai also launches higher on hit, and the height an opponent is bounced depends on their height when they were hit and if it landed as a CH (which makes them bounce even higher). In most situations, this is a good thing, since it gives you better/easier followup options. However, it’s possible for the opponent to bounce too high, typically when landed as a CH anti-air. When this happens, even 2S might not be able to land before they tech, so you’ll need to go straight into a jump combo ASAP. (Note: this air height/ground bounce height correlation happens with regular Danzai as well, but it’s far less dynamic there, rarely requiring your combos to be altered as heavily as high FB Danzai bounces).

Butt (421H) - This move is limited to combos, specifically, Butt loops or as an ender to get knockdown. If used outside of a combo, it’s possible to make it safe depending on spacing, but it’s far too specific to rely on in an actual match, since the distance is really picky and the frame your opponent blocks the move on will be slightly earlier if they block high. It auto jump installs, so you can double jump if you RC it, but this is rarely useful.

FB Bloodball (236D) - Normal mode’s Bloodball makes a comeback in Moroha mode for 25% tension. In +R, this got a tremendous buff, being that it now hits 6 times instead of 2. The FRC point on the NM version is the same here, and with the extra hits, this can lead to some really gross setups like meaty FB Bloodball > dash in Flipkick while they’re guarding the Bloodball for a dirty unblockable. For the ultimate in scumbaggery, you could FB Bloodball > FRC > dash in and throw just before the Bloodball goes active, or dash in Command Keygrab > Keygrab for a complete transform. Overall the FRC is great, with the downside being the high tension cost at 50%.

Supers:

Air super (632146P > optional 214K) - I’m listing this first to get it out of the way because it still sucks. Yes, it got some buffs in +R, including extended untechable time on both the Super and its follow-up, and it received a strange new FRC point that occurs incredibly late in the move (after the Super is over and A.B.A. is already descending), but it’s just not enough to justify spending 50% unless you’re desperate for a sliver of air invincibility. Especially since that 50% is MUCH better spent on...

Goku Moroha (63214,63214S) - Now THIS is how you buff something. Goku Moroha mode, a.k.a. Tsubu Mode, is an install super that activates Goku Moroha mode, which is essentially a hyper-Moroha mode that costs 50% and one Bloodpack to activate. In AC, Goku Moroha was one of the worst supers in the game for several reasons, the main one being that it only replenished a third of her Moroha gauge and barely lasted a few seconds even if your Moroha gauge was full. In +R, Goku Moroha got HELLA buffs, and is now arguably one of the best supers in the game:

- Requires 50% tension and one Bloodpack to use

- The activation is an attack that is invincible frames 1-15, +5 on block, staggers on hit, knocks down/wallbounces on air hit, fully replenishes the Moroha gauge, and cannot be interrupted (although it can and will sometimes trade). The invincibility and safety when blocked makes it a solid reversal option.

- A.B.A.’s damage output is slightly reduced while in Goku Moroha mode. Her self-inflicted damage is slightly increased.

- A.B.A. gets a large speed boost, gaining an insanely fast ground dash and a second airdash.

- Almost every one of A.B.A.’s normals can gatling into any other normal. An easy string to ruin guard bar is [5S > 5H]xN.

- Practically every attack A.B.A. has receives faster startup, less recovery, or both. A.B.A.’s 5D, for example, becomes the fastest dust in the game.

- Several new FRC points are added (the timing being just as the move goes active): 1st Rekka, 2nd Rekka, Flipkick, and Danzai.

- All FRC windows are widened by roughly 2f, making all FRCs easier to perform. The newly added FRCs have large 4f windows as well, so they too are easy to hit.

- The Butt is now naturally jump-cancellable, no RC required.

- Danzai’s total animation becomes MUCH faster (although this makes it harder to eat bursts with it mid-combo, since you'll probably already be downswinging when the burst goes active).

- Perhaps best of all, Goku Moroha’s activation bears a unique property in that it can be cancelled into from ANYTHING that isn’t airborne. If you’re on the ground and just connected with a move, you can cancel into Goku Moroha. This means that anytime A.B.A. has 50% and at least one pack, she has access to the most ridiculous frame trap in the entire game, one that is almost completely safe and puts you in a very dangerous install mode, meaning that even if the frame trap fails and they kept blocking, A.B.A. still benefits. About to have your blocked Danzai punished? Goku Moroha. Not respecting 3rd Rekka or 5H post-block? Goku Moroha. This property is an excellent mash/punish deterrent when you’re at 50% and have a pack.

Instant Kill:

Unknown Darkness (236,236H while in IK mode) - Keep this in mind when your opponent is approaching a dizzy (red flashing character portrait). If you’re close and quick enough to activate IK mode as soon as the dizzy occurs (hint: RC), it’s possible to squeeze this in before they can shake out. Otherwise, never use this.

BnBs:

Here, I’m going to go over how the flow works for A.B.A.’s Moroha combos. For ground hits, you'll usually string into 2H or Rekkas, then combo into Orb, Butt, or Rekka loops depending on what you want. "What you want" could be damage, knockdown/oki, Moroha gauge refresh, or corner carry. These choices are both affected and determined by distance to corner, available tension, special properties (e.g. if they got launched by the starter being CH), number of hits early in the combo, positioning, Bloodpacks remaining, Moroha gauge remaining, the opponent's guard gauge, and other factors.

The combo route choices are less obvious in +R for A.B.A. now that [strike Keygrab]x2 is gone, but some generalizations are: Low on gauge? Combo into Keygrab, or if possible, Goku Moroha for full gauge refresh and knockdown. Not low on gauge? Combo for damage or corner push. Depending on the combo, you can also end in Keygrab and possibly have time to Bloodpack before they wakeup, but this is riskier now that you have less time to get the Bloodpack out. You’ll recover at about the same time so you won’t be able to pressure, but hey, you refreshed your bar. Then there’s the new “end combo with Bloodpack FRC > Keygrab” thing, a complete transform that restores 120% self-inflicted damage as a pseudo-replacement for double Keygrab. The uses for this are a bit limited and IMO it's overly difficult--for only 25% more meter, you could refresh by going into Goku Moroha with much greater ease and have enough time for a sweeter oki setup (not to mention that simply being in Goku Moroha is a great reward in itself).

Some sample combos:

- Orb loop from Rekkas (corner): Starter > Rekkas FRC > dash in > 6H (1hit) > j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs (FRC if too high off the ground or to make timing easier) > dash j.S > j.H > Keygrab.

- Butt loop from Rekkas (corner): Starter > Rekkas (FRC if needed) > 2K > 5S > 2S > Butt > dash 5S > 2S > Butt > 5P > 5S > 2S > j.D > Orbs.

- Orb loop from 2H (corner): Starter > 2H (2hit) > IAD j.S > j.H > Orbs FRC > dash j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs > Keygrab.

- Butt loop from 2H (corner): Starter > 2H (2hit) > dash in 5S > 2S > Butt > 5S > 2S > Butt.

- Rekka loop into unblockable setup (corner): 2D > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > Flipkick.

- Midscreen throw combo: Throw > 5H (2hit) > Danzai > dash j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs.

- Midscreen corner carry: 2H (2hit) > iad j.S > j.H > land > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka (FRC > dash for longer distances) > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > Flipkick.

- Anti-air combo: 5P > 5S > 2S > sj.K > j.S > j.H > Keygrab.

- Moroha gauge refresh: Starter > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > dash 5K > 5S > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > dash [Command Keygrab]x2.

Gameplan:

Now that you’ve made it into Moroha, you can start fighting back. If you’re not already in, play footsies by utilizing your normals. When something connects, you can push directly to the corner if it hit. If blocked, draw them in with 2H and 5H, then go to work wrecking their guard gauge. If they start getting pushed too far away, re-vacuum them back in or burn 25% to extend your pressure via 2H FRC or 3rd Rekka FRC. Observe when they’re trying to poke out and frame trap--A.B.A.’s frame advantage on most normals in Moroha is pretty damn great. Mix it up by throwing in staggered Rekkas. Pay close attention to your Moroha gauge, and if it dips below 30%, back off or go for a transformation. You don’t want to lose because you failed to bait a single DP or was mashed out once by 2K > 2D, then got IK’d. Capitalize when you open them up and end the combo appropriately depending on the needs of A.B.A.’s subsystems. When their guard bar is flashing, DESTROY. In Moroha, you have the upper hand, and once you get in you can straight up bully your opponent. Please note that it’s not entirely free though: DAAs are a free knockdown, so they must be baited/punished accordingly (or if you’re styling, Danzai on reaction). After a combo, if you ended in Keygrab, you’re back at step one in Normal mode, so Bloodpack back into Moroha or get back in there to land a Keygrab. If you went for damage, were able to perform Bloodpack FRC > Keygrab, or are otherwise still in Moroha as they stand, depending on how they were knocked down you could run in and time a 2H to bait throws and begin your pressure anew, jump and go for a fuzzy while safe jumping reversal attempts, meaty with a FB Bloodball to set up the unblockable, run up and go for throw...it’s up to you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide as much as I enjoy A.B.A., and to those of you who are new to Guilty Gear, I hope you enjoy it even more

So you're looking to pick up a Guilty Gear character. You tried Millia, liked that ground dash, but didn't like her fragility. Potemkin's damage was tight, but the guy's just too immobile. Jam was cool, but her range wasn't good enough. You want it all. You want to steamroll Dizzy in two hits, and look good while doing it. In that case...welcome to A.B.A. This thread is designed to give you a solid understanding of how to play ABA as quick as possible. She's a high risk, high reward character that puts you in the "I have no life, he's got 2/3rds health left" situation more frequently than you'd think - but you've got the tools you need to take that win at your disposal. Poon described it best in the old Slash thread;

"If you play ABA, you need to revel in winning fights off a single hit, off of putting someone in the corner and cranking their guard bar to full and then landing a basic bread-and-butter combo that does 400+ damage without needing any setups or difficult variants. If this is for you, welcome to the ride."

Table of contents:

I. Intro to ABA

II. Normal Mode

III. Moroha Mode

IV. ABA Strategy

V. Intermediate / Advanced Combos

I. Intro to ABA

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

*Tremendous damage in Moroha Mode.

*Very fast in Moroha mode.

*Fantastic range in Moroha mode.

*Frightening pressure game.

*A plethora of viable ways to spend your tension.

*Almost as much HP as Potemkin.

*Small hitbox and real funny weight can make her tough to combo.

*Has a giant bloody key axe.

Cons:

*Meh damage and very slow in Normal Mode.

*Inflicts damage to herself in Moroha Mode.

*Mode Management via Keygrab and limited supply of Bloodpacks.

*->If ABA is knocked down three times in Moroha Mode, she can be Instant Killed.

ABA is, design-wise, far more complex than the average Ryu/Ken/Shoto-Clone.

ABA has two main modes of play; Normal (aka "Passive") mode and Moroha (aka "Double Edged") mode. (She also has a Goku Moroha (aka "Double Edged Hell") mode which is much less used). Every match, ABA begins in Normal mode. The key has big googley eyes and a flat, round head. Her moves deal poor damage and are generally subpar to average. She is pretty immobile in normal mode.

The goal is to get her into her other main mode - Moroha mode - when you can. ABA will start off every match with three bloodpacks (in the bottom corner of your player side). You can consume a bloodpack (63214P) to transform in or out of Moroha mode. She also has access to a command grab (63214H) which can be comboed into that will also trigger a transform.

In Moroha mode, ABA is a nightmare. Many of her attacks have great range, stay in play for awhile, and tend to have very high priority. All of her hits can lead to taking anywhere from 1/3rd of your opponent's health to ALL OF IT - depending on the situation. There are two drawbacks to Moroha mode. Every time you connect with an attack - hit or block - ABA will inflict herself with a small amount of damage. Should you successfully transform out of Moroha - via Bloodpack or Command Throw - you will regain a lot of the HP that you lost.

Most importantly, when you enter Moroha mode, a gauge will appear below your lifebar that will slowly diminish over time. If ABA gets knocked down, she will lose 1/3rd of this bar. Should you fail to transform before your bar expires, her key will forcefully cough up the blood, and your ABA will eat whatever combo (or even Instant Kill) your opponent wants. In addition, all the health you could have regained from a Bloodpack or Command Throw transform is lost forever.

Check out her Force Break 236p in Normal Mode...That will become very useful durning an attempted lockdown...

From what I've seen in the main thread (as of the June 2nd loketest):

From Teyah's post http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?13487-Guilty-Gear-Accent-Core-Plus-R!-Loketests-June-2-3!&p=1336698&viewfull=1#post1336698:

- Goku Moroha mode: damage up, damage penalty from hits landed reduced, longer duration, more powerful overall.

- 236D FB fireball in Moroha or Goku Moroha: more hits, travel distance increased.

- 5H now gatlings to 2H.

- 5H now vacuums in on second hit, has slower startup, cannot be comboed from far 5S.

- Moroha mode gauge moved to be above tension gauge.

- Now has 4 bloodpacks, up from 3.

- Can't do double Keygrab anymore.

So, thoughts? Having an extra bloodpack sounds pretty useful but I'm a little apprehensive over losing double keygrab.

Opponent on Corner or near the corner

This one is A.B.A's most important BnB, as it's her most damaging one and can lead to double keystab.

2HS > IAD j.S j.HS 41236S -land- > j.S j.HS j.D 41236S -land- > Keystab > OTG Keystab

Works on: Ky, Zappa, Chipp, Anji, Robo-Ky, Testament, Venom, Potemkin

Her standard double keystab BnB, if you are not getting the combo, try delaying your air dash a bit, or doing 866 for your air dash instead of 966, or delaying your second 41236S a little bit so you end up close enough to the floor so you can double keystab. Or, do both, delay your Air dash a bit and your second 41236S, but not by much.

2HS > IAD j.D 41236S -land- > j.S j.HS j.D 41236S -land- > Keystab > OTG Keystab

Works on: Axl

I couldn't get the first combo to work on Axl, so instead I use this one, it works great on him.

2HS > IAD j.S j.HS 41236S -land- > dash 5S 2S sjc > j.S j.HS j.D keystab

Works on: Light characters

I couldn't get the double keystab on light characters from the first combo listed, as they often float too high for the keystab to work when I am on the ground. So instead I use this easier one, I'll try to find a double keystab combo for them though.

-----

2HS > IAD j.S j.HS 41236S -land- > j.S j.HS j.D 41236S > 669 j.S dj.S keystab/ 669 j.S j.HS j.D 41236S

Works on: Everyone, except the last 41236S will miss light characters, so try dropping the j.D before it

So far this combo worked on everyone I tried, if you find out it isn't working on someone go head and post.

-----

Throw > 669 j.P j.S j.HS -land- > 5P 5S 2S > sj.S sj.HS sj.D 41236S

Works on: Everyone

This is her BnB throw combo, it does the most damage, can be done mid screen, or make you throw them nearest the closest corner so that the 41236S will connect.

Throw > 669 j.P j.S j.HS -land- > 5P 5S 2S > sj.S sj.HS Keystab

Works on: Everyone

Throw combo into keystab.

----

2HS > IAD j.S j.HS 41236S -land- > 669 j.P j.S j.HS j.D 41236S

Works on: Light characters

So far I can only get this to work on light characters, maybe FRCing the first 41236S could help land it on heavier characters, I need to play around with this combo some more.

----

236S 46S 63214S(FRC) > dash 2D 623H > dash 5S Keystab > OTG Keystab

Only works when opponent reaches the corner through the 3 piece set. This is to be used if you need a quick way to get double keystab, it -should- work on everyone, but light characters might be a bit harder.

----

236S 46S 63214S(FRC) > dash 5S/6HS > j.S j.HS j.D 41236S -land- > 669 j.S j.HS j.D 41236S

Not sure if you can add an extra rep after this, as I haven't messed around with this combo as much, so still needs testing. You can double keystab after the first 41236S on most characters.

----

Throw > j.S j.HS j.D 41236S -land- > 669 j.S j.HS j.D 41236S -land- > j.S j.HS keystab/41236S

You must throw the opponent towards the corner when you are anywhere near the corner.

-----

That's all I got for now, will keep updating this as I test on other characters, feel free to contribute though.

Also, let me know if I posted any errors, thanks.

General Rules:

- The most practical way to punish Danzai is to use a fast (up to 8-9 frames) or invincible move in between the two hits. If you block both hits, she seems unsafe from the frame data, but she pushes you back too far to punish with normals.

- The gap in between the two hits appears to be the same for both versions of Danzai.

- For most characters, the absolute best way to punish Danzai is to slashback the 2nd hit, allowing you to follow up with any dash-in combo. It's quite a bit harder than the above method (though still doable with practice), and I would only say it's a must with a few characters.

- If the Danzai is performed from close to its max range, most fast normals won't reach her, and DPs tend to clash or outright whiff.

- ABA is in counter-hit state during Danzai, so punishing her in between the two hits allows for some things you couldn't normally do.

And now, here is a list of the most useful punishes with each character! Since slashback is a generic solution, I'm only listing moves that hit her during the gap.

Sol:

Grand Viper! Yes, this is always guaranteed, no matter how far she is. He can also Volcanic Viper, Tyrant Rave, or Fafnir (very range-specific), but Grand Viper is one of the best Danzai punishes, period.

Ky:

Ride the Lightning always works, DP works at close range. His sweep can punish at close range (worth doing when you can combo into Sacred Edge), and at long range it will trade. The latter is both a good and bad thing, since it's a knockdown but she gets to pressure you on wakeup.

Millia:

Roll through the 2nd hit and combo her ass. There's also the angel super, but that seems kinda pointless to me.

May:

The most reliable one is the slide. If she used the Danzai right next to you, however, you can do something a million times scarier: c.S-2D-FB Dolphin, etc. Also worth remembering is the whale super, which is the only thing that works from max range. She is one of the characters who benefits a lot from slashback here, as it gives her free command grabs.

Axl:

You'll mainly be using the counters. If you have meter then you want 623P into the force break, but with no meter 214P works just fine and leads to a knockdown combo. This is also one of the few situations where the flame super is actually very good: Over 1/3 life plus knockdown.

Potemkin:

Pot Buster, baby. If she's at max range, then you'll have to settle for Hammerfall or the mirror super...how sad, I know. Actually, you might be able to Hammerfall Break into Pot Buster anyway (not 100% sure of this, though).

Faust:

One of the few punishes I actually see Americans doing consistently: Dust! Scalpel super is pretty good as well, since it's a knockdown.

Eddie:

Not a whole lot, honestly. At very close range you can 2P-2D, and there's the super that doesn't even knock down. He's one of the characters who gains a ton from slashback here.

Chipp:

DP is the safe bet. Up close, a lot of his normals work, leading to various combos. And there's that super that does like 500 hits.

Baiken:

Counters, obviously! I like the kick one myself, since you get sweep -> tatami etc. And, of course, the slashing super works if you need easy damage.

Testament:

2H-2D-Badlands (does OTG exe beast hit?). The counter and both supers also work.

Anji:

Autoguards & HS Fuujin.

Venom:

He probably needs slashback the most of anyone. Without it, pretty much all he has is sweep, and even that merely trades from a distance.

Jam:

Parry the 2nd hit and go to town. There's also the supers, not sure how useful they are though. And I wonder if you could FB puffball or even do the crossup one...

Johnny:

The most reliable ones are 2H and the super. Up close, you can 2P-2D, or c.S-5H-level 2/3 Mist Finer stuff.

Dizzy:

5K-5H-Icespike from close range, or just 5K-Icespike from farther away. The unblockable super is also effective.

Bridget:

The most consistent punishes are sweep and the twirling yoyo super. If you have the yoyo close to ABA, the flaming bear super becomes the best option. Starship can be used if you really need that last bit of tensionless damage. Another character who is helped out by slashback.

I-no:

Up close, you can combo 2S-5H-Chemical Love. There's also the ground super.

Zappa:

In normal mode, you obviously want to summon. The sword has the DP, which I think might knock down since it's a CH. The dog can attack during blockstun, of course. The ghosts are kinda screwed, as all you have are little chains that only work at close range. And Raoh's got the uber-DP. Oh yeah, there's also that super that gets rid of summons. I think that about covers it. =)

Slayer:

Bar none, the best character at punishing Danzai. With no tension, you can forward dash through the 2nd hit and combo with 5H-command grab, 2K-2D. At 25% tension, you get free Big Bang Uppers. And best of all, at 50% tension...COUNTER-HIT DEAD ON TIME. One of several reasons ABA is forced to play a more patient game in this matchup.

Robo-Ky:

5H, mainly. DP super is sometimes good up close. The punching super also hits her, but you have to time it early; the move doesn't have invincibility, it's just really fast.

Order Sol:

You can actually Gunblaze her up close, but from farther away it gets stuffed. Fafnir always works, as do the supers. Also, when close, you can sweep if you really need that last knockdown.

A.B.A.:

The answer should already have occurred to you: Danzai her back! =P

That's about it for my guide. If I missed any other useful moves, please let me know and I'll edit this post!

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=445086C77469810F

So far I only got the latest matches from gamechariot and some other places, I'll keep getting stuff in there though.

http://dustloop.com/guides/ggac/data/ac/aba.html

Well, I have finally figured out the secret! First, for the sake of any new people who just might happen to read this, here is the basic how & why:

What is ABA's fuzzy guard setup, and why does it work?

To execute the fuzzy guard, perform a deep j.S, then immediately jump cancel into another j.S. After a SLIGHT DELAY, chain to j.H then land and combo. When done the right way, this will hit every character in the game (yes, even the Baiken/Faust/Zappa types). This works because of a bug prevalent in many fighting games: After blocking high, you maintain your standing hitbox even when crouch blocking, so you can be hit with certain overheads (read: jump attacks) which would normally whiff.

Note that you cannot jump cancel if you hit the j.S too low to the ground.

This sounds simple enough, but as I mentioned in the beginning, it often seems not to work even when it should. With that in mind, here are the proper ways to perform it:

At Midscreen:

Yes, ABA can use her fuzzy guard at midscreen and convert it to a juicy combo on anyone. There are two ways to do this.

When close to the opponent, jump forward and j.S, then jump forward again for the second j.S. Simple as that.

From farther away, the ideal method is slightly less obvious: Dash jump toward the opponent for the first j.S, then NEUTRAL JUMP for the second j.S. The fuzzy guard is easiest when you can tag them with the lowest part of j.S's hitbox (the "sweet spot", so to speak), and a dash jump followed by a forward jump will cause that part to miss, making it many times harder.

In the Corner:

Forward jump with j.S, then forward jump again. My mistake here was always dash jumping - DO NOT DASH JUMP IN THE CORNER. It makes the setup needlessly difficult, and literally impossible on Baiken. With two standard forward jumps, it becomes easy to use on everybody.

Why fuzzy guard?

It's the basis for one of ABA's strongest mixup games: Fuzzy guard, or j.S into 2K, or j.S into throw. When timed properly on the opponent's wakeup, it is safe from almost all reversals, so it is especially valuable against characters like Sol and Potemkin. If you make the opponent afraid of her ground pokes, you may even be able to sneak a fuzzy guard in the neutral game every once in awhile.

What to watch out for: Jam's parry and Anji's autoguards have instant startup, but there are ways to punish these. Against Jam, just land and throw (or perhaps even use Orbs as you're about to land), and vs. Anji jump forward then double-jump straight up to bait autoguard normals. It may also be impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to safe jump into fuzzy guard on Robo-Ky; his level 2/3 DP is only 3 frames, and remember that you cannot land j.S too low to the ground. If that's the case, you can jump in and FD, then hit him with a big combo to make him wary of trying reversals.

That concludes this guide. Practice this stuff in training mode (record the dummy to block high for a bit, then low) and have fun with it! =)

A.B.A. vs..

Anji: 6.0

"If I had to play Anji in tourney, I'd switch to Eddie without thinking about it... A.B.A will just die so fast.. But maybe that's just my A.B.A.." -Marn

Apparently Anji's Birthday Cake (Air Orb move) doesn't knockdown anymore, which is very good news for us. Strings that end in Ons are still bad news for us. Since Anji's knockdownability (??) degraded, this matchup got better for us by far. Check out what Klaige has to say on Anji's changes. - http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?p=158422#post158422.

Baiken: 4.0

"Baiken is actually pretty easy because ABA can jump cancel all sorts of shit to bait counters, and you can always use 623h in the middle of strings if you suspect a counter. Just don't spam reccas against Baiken and you should do OK, and remember how easy it is to throw baiken and how much damage and meter aba gains from this." - Poon

I only played one Baiken in my area in AC, and we split, but goddamn, was that fight stupid. As Poon suggests, use smart Danzais in strings to try and catch her riding dirty. RC the Danzai if you don't. Jump Cancel like a fiend.

Chipp: 5.5

"Chipp - He's too fast for her normal mode, you'd prolly have to waste a pack to go into Moroha mode to try to match his speed, and even then, he'll probably spam 2D til he dies =(!" - Marn

I don't know if this matchup changed at all on the Chipp end, but FB Danzai has to count for something against Chipp, j.HS notwithstanding.

Dizzy: 5.5

"Thing is, Dizzy can't really do much against A.B.A's frame traps" - Furix

Dizzy has not changed much, outside of her new crossup air move, the homing bubble, and the fish staying on the field regardless if she gets hit or not. That last one is a big pain in the ass. But regardless, much like Venom, Johnny, and some other members of the cast, she doesn't have any defensive options ala SRK once you get the ABA train going. The problem is actually getting there. Getting the pack to Moroha is tough, and can definitely end up with a Dizzy knockdown and you having to deal with some stupid projectile shenanigans high/low/throw guessing game. Not fun.. until it's your turn.

Eddie: 4.0

"Eddie is hard because he can start his lockdown at the very beginning of a fight and keep you from changing modes. That's scary." - Poon

Yeah. But, to be fair, if ABA's got 25% tension, she can at worst take a wakeup unblockable's damage but avoid the knockdown. Reversal FB Danzai in Moroha mode will also catch the unprepared Eddie for 40% (lol), and Reversal FB Slide in normal mode just negates it entirely. FB Danzai is lols in this matchup.

Holy Order Sol: 6.0

"HOS is a pretty sucky character overall, so A.B.A doesn't have a hard time stomping him either." - Furix

I don't fight any Hos, so any insight into how his buffs / her buffs change this matchup would be good.

Ky: 6.0

"The main problem with ky is that he can IK ABA very easily because Ky has not trouble landing 3 quick shitty knockdowns that do 16 damage each but then you change modes and he gets an IK. Ky can do risky shit to force this or he can just play normally and that is what makes this fight dangerous. Any time you are down to 1/3 meter Ky can start playing risky because any hit means a win, so you seriously have to be careful as hell." -Poon

Still the case as far as I know, but his damage really got toned down. He can still do Stun Dipper RC shenanigans, do tick throw or crossup setups, etc.

Potemkin: 4.0

"I believe Potemkin is a potential bad matchup for ABA. Tons of knockdown methods with Potemkin (Potbuster, Heat Extend, Hammerfall, Slide Head, even his normal throw is a knockdown now), and his 6P is rather good in stopping ABA aerial assault. ABA will also have a hard time getting in if Potemkin plays keepaway with 5HS and far S. Not to mention Potemkin can absorb the damage ABA throws at him pretty well." - axel

As far as I know, ABA gets to RTSD and abuse far slash as best she can. Once Potemkin gets going though, he's a freight train. Try not to leave holes in your strings, and when there are holes, plan for a backdash -> potential Buster. If you had trouble reacting to slide head in Slash, fucking react to it now or lose. You can make ONE MISTAKE against Potemkin, and find yourself in deep shit.

Robo Ky: 6.0

Robo-Ky's ground game is not as successful against ABA as it is against other characters. Be wary of his charge move that nets him meter and knocks you down. I THINK you might be able to punish his ground eye laser move with f.S, confirm/deny? His 5P gives him mad frame advantage. His dust is also really fast - faster than Ky's. Also, his SRK can only give him a knockdown on CH.

Slayer: 5.5

"Between 2D, HS, 6HS, f.S, the Orbs and Danzai, ABA's got enough ways of covering the ground well against Slayer's shenanigans. It might be a good matchup for her, or at least an even one." - Me

I think still she's got tools to deal with Slayer, but he's absolutely got stuff to fuck her up too. I actually don't like using f.S too much in this matchup, it gets Dandy Stepped and BunkerT. HS is fantastic. I think the big equalizer in this matchup is Danzai, honestly. It trumps pretty much everything he's got, -=including=- FB Bunker AND (YES!) BBU. Regardless, SOMEONE'S going to get messed up in SL vs AB.

Testament: 4.5

"Testament is trouble because.." - Poon

Because he makes it hard to get into Moroha, makes it hard for you to get to him, and if by some miracle you finally do, can Warrant or Fwd EXE to get out AND knock you down. I know I have a hell of a time against Jamie Saphri's Testament. The last thing you want to happen is get caught by ANY Testament knockdown, because that leaves you with at most two knockdowns to go and a batshit insane wakeup game to deal with.

Venom: 5.0 - Even

"Yes because of ABA's huge range. Venom needs time to set up his traps and pressures. ABA can knock him out of hit. Plus she has good pressure to keep him on lockdown so he can't do anything. Venom has little to no "get off me" moves. Of course he has good pressure too which could screw you over should he get you in the corner. But you have better ways to get out of them then he does." - Zoogstin

If Venom knocks down ABA and starts his pressure game, you're going to have to deal with it - unless you've got an FB Danzai or Slide in the bank. Use at your own discretion, obviously. However, if you catch him, WHEN you catch him - he has to deal with your game. HE can't sit on the chance of him doing an FB Danzai that YOU have to plan around, so make the most of it.

Zappa: 6.0

"Dog: Nothing to say bout this, just try to play safe

Ghost: For normal if he wants to play turtle with his ghosts, try to steal a moment and use a bloodpack to change ASAP, it will be easier in Moroha.If he spams ghost from air far away, keep away from the ghosts and 2S or air HS him when hes recovering, it should net a CH and then you can punish him appropiately

Sword: For normal, use the 236+P dash to go under his sword dash. In moroha, your Danzai will rape his sword for free, dare him to use the sword dash and make him eat a CH Danzai to a juggle, will cause major pain to him

Raou: Eh only thing i can say is in normal your 236+P will go under his Last Edgy, but its just too risky. In moroha try to turtle a bit and hunt for openings to land your combo, but try not to die doing so." - kiske

Don't know how this matchup changed.. or what this matchup is actually like in the first place for ABA. When I played Wondertonic's Zappa, I waited for him to lose some ghosts when he had them, tried to poke away the dog, and tried to stutterstep to get in when he had the sword + danzai. (Zappa does have a 2 hit move with the sword > Regular Danzai). Oh, and don't get hit by Raoh.

Others:

I-No: 6.0

Uh, didn't sound like anybody here expressed enjoyment in playing this one.

Axl: 4.0

Axl is unsurprisingly a pain in the ass to fight. His counter knocks you down - and that's assuming you get in close enough for him to use it. Also watch out for the unblockable. Take your time, choose your advances wisely, and for the love of god, don't dash jump j.HS at him - you WILL get countered.

Johnny: 5.5

I fight this one a lot, since I play GG with 4r5. Johnny might have a little more range on the whole, but ABA can certainly poke with him. If ABA gets hit, it's not necessarily OSHIT for her. If Johnny gets hit, that's a different story. Johnny can crank up the guard gauge until he gets poor. ABA doesn't need money to crank up a guard gauge, it just happens. Johnny has a small hop, ABA can dashes across the screen at Johnny as if he had a PS Tripple. (AND her shoelaces are untied :x). Johnny has an interesting air game, since you don't really want to 6P him and eat an Ensenga or Divine Blade. Too bad ABA's Danzai doesn't give a shit. Therefore, ABA > Johnny as far as I'm concerned. And don't be afraid to use 6P, it goes through that TK Ensegna jazz.

Bridget: 5.5

Like Testament, only you don't see as many of them played. Another character you have to catch. I don't know this matchup.

Faust: 4.0

Watch out for that horizontal scalpel strike that crosses the screen when you're changing modes, it's bad news. From my experience, it seemed to sometimes be tougher jumping in on Faust than on other characters (not even taking whatever items he's got out there into consideration). Don't really know what else to say about this fight. Other than mini Potemkin is an asshole.

Jam: 5.5

??? Shed some light on this one.

May: 6.0

Whenever I connect with a Danzai on PsiPhi's and Tritone's Mays, I can expect some form of expletive or unkind remark. That being said, while May has gotten buffs, her game hasn't changed too much from what I've seen. If you see her start her dust animation, don't guess, don't even jump away, just danzai it. Either you'll danzai her low dust, or you'll danzai her overhead. You win! Watch out for the command throw, it hurts. Don't ever forget to FD charge Dolphins in the air. And catch her sneaking in her low slide attack, I think you can punish it with a 6H -> Combo. If not, just 2K -> combo works too.

Millia: 5.5

A mix between Chipp's and Jam's comments, I suppose. ;p

Sol: 5.5

FB DANZAI

(15 Favorable Matches, 6 Bad Matches, 1 Even Match according to http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/game/34745/1172460815/)