JackG Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Rachel Matchup Statistics Japanese Ranking: [finput][/finput] yet Personally: 4.5-5.5 -maybe 4-6 Punishes: -3c will beat fork at all ranges (3c startup: 9 frames. Rachel's 6b startup: 15 frames.) Will net a counterhit, which you can follow up with 2c> j.b > j.c tensionless or for 2 stars 3c (CH) > 6b > 623a~a > falling j.C > etc. -Preemptively you can airdash at her and do a j.d when you're close to punish a 6a. This goes for all characters with 6a obviously, but with Rachel's being so good and with your approach being pretty limited, you can telegraph your airdashes to her easily and hope she 6a's your approach like she should. Once you get her with one of these, your airdash approach will be a lot easier and that will give you more options to get in. Anti-airing: Most of Rachel's approach is relatively safe with the use of a winded pumpkin. However if she goes for 5b > j.2c I'm fairly certain you can 6d it (may require an IB of the 5b.) Other than that she probably won't approach you from the air. Zoning: Rachel will likely be throwing eggs at you fullscreen, with the occasional pumpkin, frog, and wind forward. Don't IAD into egg or 6a because, well, it just a bad idea. Their game plan: Keep you out with eggs, fork (6b), 6a, and wind. When she gets a Pumpkin out and has the wind, she will force you in guard stun with a wind forward pumpkin and will start mixup. More than likely she'll do something > 5b > JC 3d j.2c for the overhead or 5b > 3c for the low. Both of these options are plus frames on block and on hit will give her a combo. She'll use frog after knockdowns to force your guard and to further mix you up. Strategy: Don't eat 6b's and 6a's stupidly. Fight Rachel at the range where she will want to 6b you, and then 3c the hell out of her. At a slightly further range, fish for 6c hits while she summons egg/pumpkin/frog, and hitconfirm into super accordingly. Don't let her push you to the end of the screen and chip you with eggs. Char specific details: Rachel has the fattest hitbox when knocked down out of anyone on the cast. While I haven't tested character specific combos with this in mind, I'm sure it's relevant somehow. Hakumen's C moves can cut through projectiles, giving him 1 star each time. This works on eggs (negates their flying hitbox, but they still land and become pikachu poles), frog (kills it immediately) and possibly pumpkin. If you are mid to full screen away and Rachel has a frog coming at you, kill it. However, if she has a pumpkin out and wind, you probably need to j.c the frog very close to the ground or else she get's a wind forward pumpkin CH into big combo afterwards. While Rachel is considered S tier, I find her zoning and overall control of the match much less annoying than that of v-13 and Arakune. As such I only list this matchup as only slightly in Rachel's favor. Will update with more info based on what's found out and how people respond.
zer0kage Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Kishu is a very good tool to close in on Rachel and get a CH throw. IBing j2C nets Hakumen a CH throw which no one wants to be the receiving end of. I think 6C is quite good in catching Rachel in 1/4 screen distance, besides with 4 bars you get shippu which really hurts.
Silhouette Posted July 12, 2009 Posted July 12, 2009 This matchup is probably the one I have the most experience with... Now, I'll agree that this match up is only slightly in her favor since she gains momentum faster and has an easier time corner-raping than you. You have a better life rating and deal mindfuckingly better damage than she does for less, on average. Occasionally, you can use her wind to your advantage (i.e. ending up where she didn't want you, like the other side of her), but I wouldn't recommend it unless you like living dangerously. Common sense advice: Try not to IAD if there's a lightning rod between the two of you. Good Rachel players seem to have some kind of magical clairvoyance as to when they should move to shut that shit down with a Sword Iris. It's not really such a bad idea to see if you can get her to come to the other side of it, and she might do that since a negative penalty generally means more to her. If she's on the other side of a lightning rod and summons a pumpkin, rush her down fast since you can smack her with something strong in the recovery time and that pumpkin will be gone. If there's a frog near you, 5C/3C (duh) and get that shit gone. If you have the magatama, and she's coming at you, that means it's time for 6C > Shippu, or Zantetsu > Any rape you want to follow it up with. Rachel's stuff is incredibly safe, so probably the only shit you're going to be able to punish is a summon, and good luck on that one. Oh, if you're in close, her lightning rod eggs will pretty much consistently out-prioritize anything that uses magatama, so be careful. This match tends to become a battle to be the one that's not in the corner, getting fucked in the mouth. Your 6A and 6B are some pretty good tools to have if you lose that battle initially. An average (hell, sometimes even a good Rachel) is generally a character of relative predictability, so, if you're good with them, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to catch the Draculoli bitch with a Drive and put the fuck on her with a half decent follow up.
BladeOfJustice7 Posted August 15, 2009 Posted August 15, 2009 Would anyone recommend 2c on the frog if it is possible since that would put hakumen in a state where his upper body could be protected from and mid level to upper body projectiles. Also due to the pumpkins floating around in the air is it recommended when they are around floating during air dashes to do j2c instead of simply c since it comes out faster and can guard against her pumpkins if she sends them flying at you during your air dashes?
Recommended Posts