Axl Q&A thread

[Digital Watches]

It's basically a surprise trick you can pull off in certain situations. On the one hand, being able to RC it into basically any combo is a huge improvement, but without the range and speed it had in +R, it's very easy to read and thus not all that useful in high-level play.

One thing it does still have is being low-profile, which means it can be a situational read/punish, but for the most part, throwing it out is just asking to get bopped.

[Epic]

[4]6HS, YRC, air throw is a nice gimmick.

[TotheFace]

i miss the old rensen >frc >[4]6HS trap/gimmick. i do it now and the opponent has like 2 minutes to react to it, lol. 

[Yannick]

Reporting in. 3P is crazy (didn't play Axl in #R, so I'm only used to his AC/AC+R 3P). I still need to space it better against DPs, but in most other situations where I'm using it, it's beginning to feel more natural and more scummy. Scummy is good, because I was starting to feel like Axl was a bit more honest than I'd like in this game. I've been experimenting on my own, but mostly taking strats from gnu's use of the move. He's so persistent with that move; if people don't IB Axl at that range, gnu pretty much does whatever he wants (depending on the matchup).

 

One thing I've been wondering is if anybody has been running a RISC gameplan as a priority yet. Once I got kinda comfortable with using Axl in +R, I wanted to develop a gameplan and cranking up guard gauge was just something he did really well in that game. Nailing the CH 3P/5H/6H once you got everything flashing just opened up all sorts of offense. I'm curious to know if a similar strategy can be effective in Xrd. I'm still trying to tighten up my offense, so I don't spend too much time peeking at the RISC bars, but trying to figure out if cranking that up has been working for people. Rensen RRC builds plenty, but the move is so damn expensive now that making the judgment call seems difficult.

[Sarvets <---xbl]

Can anyone give me advice about chipp vs Axl matchup? I use chipp and have the least exp in this MU

[Doveston]

Any idea why you can use the bandana counter vs Leo's unblockable stomp but not vs Slayer or Fausts unblockables?

 

You can Blitz Shield them all fine so I know they count as hits not throws. Seems kinda arbitrary.

[Digital Watches]

I think Faust's is actually considered "unblockable" whereas Leo's is still like, a mid or overhead hit that just has the weird "Staggers you on block" property. Slayer's is actually a command grab, can you really blitz shield it?

[Doveston]

Talking about the 632146P giant arms, undertow replacement move, not his bite. But yeah I guess having a "stagger on block" instead of actual unblockable property makes sense.

[Dragonthorn]

What situations are best to use Axl's AA options? 2s obviously if they're higher up, but what about 6p and c.s? From my experience c.S is best use for opponents directly on top of you. But at times I find my AA being beaten out by other normals, so when is the best situation to use each?

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[Digital Watches]

6P is really situational and I'd say pretty bad. It's slower than c.S, is basically the same hurtbox and startup as 2S at the relevant frame without as easy a confirm and giant upper hitbox.

Of course, you're forgetting your other AA options:

5P for far-away jumps (Remember, this move is not really good for ground exchanges, except in certain matchups)
6K for jump-ins and airdashes. Extremely relevant against most characters that want to approach this way

DP because it's a DP. You can wait to guess for a super long time and still tag something because whatever, it's invincible, and the hitbox is super tall now.

2K is easily one of your most versatile anti-air options. It'll go under a lot of aerial moves all the way to the ground, and can give you more time against a lot of other things, or even make someone cross you up when they didn't mean to.

tl;dr 6P sucks, use 2K

[Gamegenie222]

So I'm learning Axl as a character along with Elphelt and I wanna know how do you deal with people getting in your face constantly like Millas, Chips and Sol's? XRD is my first GG game and I come from a smash and 3d background mainly Soul Calibur and Tekken and tend to lean toward defensive style characters.

 

EDIT: Also what are the most importing things I need to learn playing as Axl?

[Baf0]

I wanna know how do you deal with people getting in your face constantly like Millas, Chips and Sol's?

 

Beat them in neutral, keep them out,etc....

One of the most important things to learn as Axl is the neutral game.

Learn how to constantly space yourself, you wanna keep your opponent between a max range 5k and Rensen for most matchups.

Learn how to punish aerial approaches, because you can do that with not two... but five anti-airs (six if you count DP as one).

In Xrd you have YRC and PRC, you can use those to correct your mistakes, read the situation, or even bait stuff (i.e 6K > YRC baiting a dash in,teleport,w/e)

One thing to keep in mind is his chains extend his hurtbox, so you'll need to learn when/where to throw buttons (i.e don't throw a 2H at gunflame).

 

Just play a lot, and you'll get a feel of his game plan fairly quick.

note: you can check out DigitalWatches' +R Axl guide. It's a different game, but it'll give you an idea on how to play Axl.

[Capconian]

In what sitiuation should I use Shark Strike aka (Kairagi Yakou) super?

[Digital Watches]

It's basically dead on time for a lot of intents and purposes. Use it if you need a punish from that distance at that speed, which to be fair, is further out than any non-stance move, and faster at decent range than most moves you have.

[Shadow Ninja 64]

Shark Strike is also your combo option off a far S or if you know for sure a 2P or 5P is going to connect grounded. Shark Strike combos are less damage but better meter-wise than RC combos off the same starter, so it's worth knowing them. An example:

5K 3P f.S Shark Strike, dash 6K(2) c.S 5H 2D Rensen~up

- On Faust and May, you have to omit the 6K

You might also opt to just omit the Rensen and keep the 2D knockdown if damage is less important to you.

[Digital Watches]

I'd definitely say keep the knockdown whenever possible. 30 or so more damage is seldom worth being in a less advantageous position (Although if your opponent is getting baited hard into tech traps and just won't learn, sometimes letting them tech can be good)

[Digital Watches]

Also, I was planning to keep this under my hat longer, but since it's come up: Shark strike combos are pretty inconsistent for my tastes. The pull-in will only put opponents in 6K range from certain distances (The confirm you mention, 5K-3P-f.S-Sharkstrike will only lead to 6K at max stagger if you're in throw range at the start of the confirm, which is not where I like to be in real matches unless I'm throwing.)

I propose an alternate confirm from f.S (As well as 5P, 2P, and other stray hits that don't seem to lead to much):

Raeisageki RC. 

If you RC it early, you get a long jump arc that puts you in a good position to launch them for no additional meter, leading to at least one bomber loop rep (Which nets you knockdown and some damage.)

 

The spacing is way less tight, as you can confirm it from max f.S range easily once you have the RC timing down. For example, a combo I've been practicing on Leo from the same confirm:

5K-3P-f.S-Raei (RC) j.HD, c.S-5P-6K-2S-TKB (162 and KD, with significant corner carry). I can space this at max range for f.S and still have the combo hit.

Versus 5K-3P-f.S-Sharkstrike, 6K-c.S-5H-2D (140 and KD, only works from basically in throw range). With rensen-8, the damage goes up to 160, but you lose the KD, and they don't get significantly pushed toward the corner either way.

I'm working on a lot of tech with Raeisageki RC lately, it's a very versatile and strong move, not only for confirms, but also as a movement option (for 25%) that lets you get some strong punishes and long range offense in the neutral game.

[Shadow Ninja 64]

5K 3P f.S Shark Strike dash 6K works just fine even if the f.S connects at its maximum range. Just to be sure, I went and verified it with Quickest Possible stagger recovery. The key is the dash timing, obviously, but it's not hard in practice.

Anyway, to continue the comparison you started with that Raei RC combo:

5K 3P f.S Shark Strike dash 6K(2) c.S 5H 2D Rensen~up [160 damage on Sol, no hard knockdown, 25% tension built]

5K 3P f.S Shark Strike dash 6K(2) c.S 5H 2D [144 damage on Sol, hard knockdown, 18-20ish% tension I guess]

5K 3P f.S Raei RC j.HD, c.S 5P 6K(2) 2S(2) TK Bomber [163, hard knockdown, 12-13% tension]

I think where your Raei RC combo is going to show its real merit is when you get to the corner since there's potential to get another rep of something into TK Bomber there. You might have to modify the combo somewhat for it. Also, it might be wiser to do 5K after the j.HD than c.S, since at least on Sol I'm having issues with getting far S instead while I'm messing with it just now.

[Baf0]

Anyone figured out how the YRC Burst OS works for Axl in terms of what buttons to press?

[Digital Watches]

YRC burst OS is pretty freeform for me. I just notice I'm at 25-50, and then start doing stuff like 5KSH, c.S KSH 2D PKS etc. and make sure not to do any DPs in combos (Which you can't until 50% anyway, but I try to avoid it when they have burst in general). Burst has a pretty long startup and the whole reason people bitch about the YRC OS is because it's kind of stupidly easy to do. Just pretend you're YRCing every move in your combo and you'll bait most bursts (And if they can find a point to burst where you'd have to PRC, you can't do the OS either way).

[Kumlekar]

Can I get a better explanation of the YRC OS?  I understand RC-ing a move to avoid the burst, but where does the option select come in?

[Rhiya]

Between 25% and 49%, if you input a YRC with every input while comboing someone, you'll get a YRC if your move whiffs and nothing if it hits (since you can't YRC on-hit, and you don't have 50 meter, which would make your YRC inputs turn into an RC). The only reason for a move in your combo to whiff is if they burst, so it's a free burst bait.

[Kumlekar]

Between 25% and 49%, if you input a YRC with every input while comboing someone, you'll get a YRC if your move whiffs and nothing if it hits (since you can't YRC on-hit, and you don't have 50 meter, which would make your YRC inputs turn into an RC). The only reason for a move in your combo to whiff is if they burst, so it's a free burst bait.

At what point does a YRC change to a PRC then?  I guess its when the active frames end?

[Tsuki Garyuu]

Curious: What are all the projectiles that Sparrowhawk Stance can either destroy or clash with? It's disappointing that when a SS attack hits the I-no projectile, I'm reset to neutral and yet many other projectiles counter it. What could have been an extremely dangerous skill doesn't have that many advantages beyond a guessing game.

[Digital Watches]

As far as I know, none.

It's not a projectile. 

It won't destroy projectiles.

It's a hit with a hitbox and a hurtbox. It loses to most projectiles.