[CT-CS2] Taokaka Strategy Guide

[TaoFTW]

Taokaka Strategy Guide
Written and Edited by: TaoFTW and the Dustloop community

If you want to improve your Taokaka; if you’re a random newcomer who wants to try winning with the ultimate furry; then this thread is for you. Enclosed within this guide is the following:

Fundamental Strategies (Complete)
Closing the Gap Tactics (Complete)
Mixup Tricks and Gimmicks (Complete)
Tech Traps and Throw Setups (Complete)
Ground and Air Tactics (In Progress)
Preemptive Defensive Strategies
Combo Troubleshooting


Fundamental Strategies
Taokaka’s greatest strength is her close range high-pressure game. None of her normals have a lasting block stun on her opponents, but she compensates for that with quick mixups and crossups. For example, she can force her opponents to block low with 2a, but suddenly break into a throw or 2d~b crossup. Here’s a few examples of her pressure game:

1) [On block confirmation] 2a (block low only)-> 2a -> 5b -> 66 -> 2a -> 2a -> b+c
2) [On block confirmation] 5d~c -> 2d~b -> 2a -> 5b -> 6b (block high only)
3) [On block confirmation] 5b -> 2a -> 2a -> 66 -> 2a -> 5b -> 236cc (block high only)
4) [On *okizeme] 2d~b -> 2a or j.c (block high only)
5) [On block confirmation] 2a -> 2a -> 2d~b -> j.c
*okizeme – term used to describe how you’ll exploit your opponent’s wake up phase after a knockdown.

Tao has many opportunities to land 50/50 mixups and throw setups. Each of those combos vary in damage, but the reward for the risk is very reasonable + knockdown (2.4k – 4k).

Taokaka’s greatest weakness is her lack of defense. The last place you want to be is in the corner blocking your opponent’s pressure string. If you are in that position, then your only safe guard options are to: (1) burst, (2) reversal super or (3) dead angle. You only get one burst and supers/dead angles require 50% meter. If you don’t have a burst, then Just Defend everything. Once you’ve built enough meter, then use it to your advantage and reversal your way out.

The best solution to her poor defense is to stay on the offense. This does not necessarily mean you have to keep on attacking, but to apply enough pressure to force your high pressure game. So your first, and foremost, goal – in any match – is to learn how to get close to your opponents.

Closing the Gap Tactics
Tactic #1: Triple Jumps
- One of Tao’s best tools in her arsenal is her high mobility. She can jump, not once or twice, three times! Use that to your advantage to close the gap.

Tactic #2: Triple Drives
- Tao’s dancing edge adds to her mobility in ways that are more ambiguous than a cross dresser. Not only can she use her drives to close the gap, but she can drive cancel to confuse her opponents. Just as how you can jump in the air three times, you can drive cancel thrice. Use it, exploit it, and drive your opponent insane.
o A cancel: Allows Taokaka to stop in midair.
o B cancel: Travels through opponents.
o C cancel: Let’s her jump in midair.

Tactic #3: Double Air Dashing
- Tao’s triple jump allows you to air dash twice in the air. You can air dash forward, backward, or both!

Tactic #4: Crawl
- Tao’s crawl makes her hit box lower than a banana slug. Many specials, normals and ranged attacks wiff. XDest is currently compiling a thread with all the moves that will wiff against her. Use it to your advantage whenever necessary.

Tactic #5: Just Defending the Air (aka Instant Blocking – IB)
- Every character has this ability, but it’s more important to Taokaka than most other characters for two important reasons:
o 1) IB in the air gives her a +10 recovery. This gives her enough time to use her unused jumps.
o 2) Some characters have air normals that shuts off Tao’s air game pretty hard (Ragna’s DP, Arakune’s 6a, and Nu’s swords). It’s imperative you learn how to block those to apply more close range pressure.


Mixup Tricks and Gimmicks
When you manage to close the gaps, you have a plethora of ways to play with your opponent's head. Here's the following normals you should greatly consider using when you pin your opponent:
- 2a (block low only)
[low risk/low reward]
- 3b (block low only)
[low risk/low reward]
- 5b
[low-moderate risk/good reward]
- b+c (kara throw)
[moderate risk/moderate reward]
- 2d~b -> j.c (block high only)
[moderate risk/low reward]
- 6b (block high only)
[moderate risk/low-moderate reward]
- 236cc (block high only)
[high risk/high reward]

An easy way of understanding risks is the following, "If a normal is slower, then the reward is greater." That doesn't necessarily mean you can't use it to your advantage. For example, 6b has a relatively moderate risk, but throw it early on your opponent's wakeup so it will wiff. When you do that, you can force your opponent think that you're going for a high mixup, but you follow up with a 2a instead. What was, originally, a relatively risky move became safe.

I'm not going to tell you EVERY single gimmick or mixup trick out there known to mankind, but Tao is a very versatile character. Be creative with your mixups and setups.

Other gimmicks include with 3b into a kara throw. If you hit confirm 3b, then you can follow up with a low/high mixup...OR you can take a chance with a throw. Throws gives you four HUGE advantages when your opponent is unable to break them:

- Guaranteed damage
- Okizeme
- Burst bait setups
- Tech traps

Here's a few ways to get your throws in efficiently...


Tech Traps and Throw Setups
Effective throwing requires two conditions: (1) Create a situation where you can get an ambiguous throw mix up and (2) forcing your opponent in either a tech trap or a reset.

#1: Ground pressure mixups
- This will be one of the most common ways to get your throws. Forcing your opponent to guess your high/low mixups gives them one more thing to think about when you input throws. For example,

2a -> 6b -> 3b -> 5b+c

#2: Air tech traps/resets
- Air throws may prorate more than other moves, but the reward is better than trying to gain a low poke mixup. So if you have crummy execution, then you will need to find alternative ways to score some meaty damage. One way is to constantly create tech traps to catch your opponent off guard. Here's an examples,

While executing a combo
3c -> 5d~6 -> j.c -> j.d~6 -> j.c -> j.d~6 -> Dropped your j.c input

You may have dropped your j.c combo, but what if your opponent does a forward air tech? Your counter to their tech would be the following,

3c -> 5d~6 -> j.c -> j.d~6 -> j.c -> j.d~6 -> Dropped your j.c input -> 66 -> (your opponent forward techs) -> j.b+c

Granted they can break out of your reset, but they have 7 frames to break out of a green throw. If they don't, then you get a free 3k combo and you can do another oki setup. Commit to your tech traps and you'll get some throw resets. Even JP players fall victim to it.

Why do you want to aim for the reset? If you try to throw during a combo string, then you'll get a purple throw mark. Your opponent will have 27 frames to break out of it.

#3: Roll Tech Traps
If your opponent doesn't neutral tech on their wake up, then they will either roll or do a hastened wakeup. Both are punishable with 5b or 2a. Use it to gatling to another combo. You can always use a kara throw, to your advantage, to grab them in their recovery. To do that, simply press C and B, one after the other, in rapid succession. Remember that Tao has the second largest throw range in the game next to Tager.


Some of you might be saying, "I've been doing all this combos n' stuff, throw tactics and high pressure mixups, but I'm still losing!" There are many variables that can make you lose a game, but you're likely losing cause: (1) you're a beginner, (2) you're playing against top notch opponents, (3) execution is poor or (4) not using Tao's mobility to the fullest extent. So in order to win matches, you need effectively read your opponents while exploiting your mobility. That includes knowing what you can, and can't, do in the air/ground.


Ground and Air Tactics
The first, and foremost, rule of any matchup - or competitive sport - is to know your opponent. Pacquiao beasts on his opponent with his swift jabs and hooks, but he doesn't charge in like a raging bull. Likewise, the best Tao players have good execution and mixups, but they don't mash one strategy. Even though we've discussed the basic mixup strats, there are some key proponents that are important in your ground and air game. Therefore, this section will discuss the basic ground and air tactics to catch your opponent off guard.

Tao's Yomi Tactics
There are, generically, two types of players that wins high-level tournaments. The quick-wit reaction speed of Ricky Ortiz's Ragna and the high-level yomi player - Daigo. According to Urban Dictionary,

"Yomi is a Japanese term meaning 'Knowing the mind of the opponent', and is essentially an intangible asset required in fighting games. It's the ability to know what your opponent is going to do, and act appropriately. Whether you achieve this by "conditioning" the opponent to act one way, and then acting in another way, or simply work your way into the head of your opponent, yomi is just that: the ability to know what your opponent is going to do."

[TaoFTW]

Space Reserved

[XDest]

I love 2B vs rolling opponents, its good range really helps. A few points you haven't touched upon yet that might have been stated in the threads you closed: - 6B becomes higher reward against Noel, Rachel and Litchi, since it can be easily comboed into 5B 3C on normal hit against those characters. On several other characters this can also work on normal hit, but needs to be timed, making it harder to confirm. Of course, on Counter Hit, and on 6B 2D Rapid Cancel, this will work on pretty much any character. In those situations, the reward jumps up to around 3500 damage, not insanely far away from the damage you would get from a 236CC overhead. As well, since it's +2 on block and has followup possibilities, it's not that much of a risk beyond its slow speed. - Her drive cancel C is her most safe cancel at -3 on block (and advantageous on hit I believe, correct me if I'm wrong). Of course any attack you do directly after can be anti-aired if they have a true anti-air with invincibility. But since you're already in the air, you have access to air dashes, and of course all of your other drive cancels/jumps. There's a lot of uses within pressure for this type of tool. You mentioned D~C 2D~B, but that's probably the least safe of options (although tricky), since a jumping back opponent ruins it. I think there's quite a few ways to either use the predictions of your opponent to keep him locked down using these options or to be able to retreat depending on the situation and character. - Things relating to 5B 2B are probably the only way you can mix up with a low in a true blockstring. This can be useful. - 2D~B j.A is a more difficult to react to crossup overhead with less reward than 2D~B j.C, and it's a bit harder to anti-air as well because of its sheer speed. As well, it can go into a 2A low a lot easier, which is a plus. - A couple more intentional green air-throw setups would be: 3C D~B [hit] 5B 2D~6 j.C 9D~9 236BB j.C 9D~9 j.B+C (vs Noel and Litchi (possibly other small characters) with no delay). 3C D~B [hit] 2D~6 6D~6 j.A j.A 9D~9 j.B+C (Most characters) And etc.... there's several ways to be creative with a chracter's hitbox to create a green air throw tech trap. Although situations like the one in the opening post are nice since you still have your air dashes. As well, playing around with the amount of hits you use before launch. That might also create more green air throw opportunities. - It's possible at a range to punish a rolling opponent with 6C. Of course, this is high-risk, high-reward. But if it's a situation where you know you can hit it, and you NEED the damage, weigh the risks and go for it. Please correct anything if I'm wrong. I'm just trying to contribute, maybe you can make some of these a little more concise.

[TaoFTW]

I'm just creating the generic structure, so there will be lots of stuff I'm leaving out. I'm going to sift through all the locked threads and apply it accordingly. There were too many random threads dealing with similar issues so I wanted to have all the traffic redirected. But yeah, LOTS more to come.

[RinHara5aki]

Its a nice list of strategies, definitely usefull :3. And I like your new avy btw XD

[XDest]

Sounds great TaoFTW. I'd love for there to be organized strats in one thread.

[OMG its a duck]

In "#2: Air tech traps/resets", it says that they only have 7 frames to tech a green throw, am I missing something or isn't it 13 frames?

[SkKiZzbE]

Arg im having problems doing a basic combo.. The one thats like... 236c - 2d - 9c - 9d - 9c... For some reason, like 95 percent of the time, my combo keeps messing up!!! Like while im doing 9d to 9c, tao stops attacking! and i do it really fast.. I also tried doing it a lil slower but most the time it messes up on me err anyone know why??? Thanks.. I just started trying to learn combos with tao so im kinda new i guess. Oh yea anothe question i have is.. how do people know when to block?? I never block in fighting games and just button mash but i want to learn now! When i watch pros play, they seem to always know when to block! How??whenever i block, its always at the wrong time or it ends up with me better off not blocking in the first place. T.T i am a total fighting game noob lol

[XDest]

Hold the 9 button after the 2D. Wait for the forward drive cancel animation before doing a j.C. Then loop that. Keep holding 9 until you get to the j.236B.

[XDest]

Yeah, that's DEFINITELY not a bot. Not a bot at all.

[kenn305]

Is there a thread that shows the difference from CT to CS tao.....

[RinHara5aki]

http://dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8067

You should look around a little better first... 3:

[kenn305]

Sorry i was on my phone...it was kinda hard to read but thanks.

[Kyle]

Which moves of Tao's break guard primer?

it was interesting to see the Hammer!

[Mystic d]

Which moves of Tao's break guard primer?

it was interesting to see the Hammer!

pretty much any of tao's C attacks fully charged break primer. 22C's 16th hit breaks primer and the last hit of 236236D breaks two primers. i feel like i'm missing one, but i can't remember right now, so i'll get back to you if there is another.

[lurch_E_bean]

pretty much any of tao's C attacks fully charged break primer. 22C's 16th hit breaks primer and the last hit of 236236D breaks two primers. i feel like i'm missing one, but i can't remember right now, so i'll get back to you if there is another.

I think the Kaka Kitten breaks a primer, too. So you're not going to be ripping through anyone's primers like a hot knife through butter...

[Cryingvoid]

I don't know if it was written already, but Taokaka's "close range high-pressure game" actually left her for good in CS. I find myself pressing my opponents with all her blockstrings, doing all the crossups and mixups, and suddenly see no damage at all... If in CT one could easily take half the lifebar without even full combos, just because the opponent failed to block a single hit in the blockstring, then in CS her normals' damage dropped completely. I want to say, that I actually succeed hitting in the blockstring, but it does shitty damage, unlike it was in CT. So am I right, that the only purpose for CS Tao to enter blockstringing pressure game is to slip in a starter for full and steady combo? No randomized mixups (like 5D>2D>5C>2C>6C>236AxN>D~b/2D~b/D~c/or any other crossover >'repeat pressure string with other crossover') will take effect if not getting you for full combo starter?

Also, I think, first post got just a bit rusty, since it concerns mostly CT. Can anyone do some general strategy notes specially for CS Tao? Since she is really different from CT's Tao in all the aspects, and CT's strategies do not mostly work. In CT I could leisurely exchange pressure strings with Ragnas and do the same damage this way. But now I get 2000 at maximum, while losing more that a half lifebar myself.

Thanks in advance. Retraining is a pain.

[demonicZERO360]

yeah i want to learn tao but will it be difficult coming from jin

[XDest]

I don't know if it was written already, but Taokaka's "close range high-pressure game" actually left her for good in CS. I find myself pressing my opponents with all her blockstrings, doing all the crossups and mixups, and suddenly see no damage at all... If in CT one could easily take half the lifebar without even full combos, just because the opponent failed to block a single hit in the blockstring, then in CS her normals' damage dropped completely. I want to say, that I actually succeed hitting in the blockstring, but it does shitty damage, unlike it was in CT. So am I right, that the only purpose for CS Tao to enter blockstringing pressure game is to slip in a starter for full and steady combo? No randomized mixups (like 5D>2D>5C>2C>6C>236AxN>D~b/2D~b/D~c/or any other crossover >'repeat pressure string with other crossover') will take effect if not getting you for full combo starter?

Also, I think, first post got just a bit rusty, since it concerns mostly CT. Can anyone do some general strategy notes specially for CS Tao? Since she is really different from CT's Tao in all the aspects, and CT's strategies do not mostly work. In CT I could leisurely exchange pressure strings with Ragnas and do the same damage this way. But now I get 2000 at maximum, while losing more that a half lifebar myself.

Thanks in advance. Retraining is a pain.

What? If you hit with a drive, a 5B, a throw, or an overhead, those go into 4k+. If you hit somebody with a 2B, it's 2.8k. What's the problem here? The whole point of the pressure in the first place should be to open the opponent up so you can do a BnB...

[TaoFTW]

Tao never had solid ground pressure; not even in CT. She did lose a lot tick throw setups cause her kara throw got the nerf stick. She actually plays exactly the same (with the exception that her drive are -far- superior). Nobody, not even Litchi or Ragna, can punish a full screen Lamb-chan sword wiff except for Tao.

This was CT Tao in a nutshell:

- Land a 5c -> 6c or kara-throw; j.c is fine too

This is CS Tao:

- Mash drive, on hit confirm, then taunt loop; it's just so much easier.

[Ronove]

Hehe, yeah it's easier but at the same time I dislike how convenient has become to use her drive from full screen. In CT I used to approach opponents with just dash/IAD or jumps, driving from fullscreen was usually a big nono. Now it's become the default approach and I actually feel that somehow it makes me a tad little "too lazy".

[Cryingvoid]

Yeah, I understand this. My point is that I used to finish matches in CT without combos, doing pressure-for-pressure game, since her normals and specials in pressure strings were significantly damaging, and it was much fun. So now in CS I lose that ability and need to retrain myself, to go for BnB every time I hit confirm instead of my casual (5D>2D>5C>2C>6C>236AxN>D~b/2D~b/D~c/or any other crossover >'repeat pressure string with other crossover') pressure loop. I mean, I took my time back then to learn a very well and fast and pretty solid pressure mixup game, and now it can't be used as freely.

[Ronove]

Learning to hitconfirm should be among the first things when learning a character, Cryingvoid.

Just because she could vary her pressure doesn't mean that you can solely rely on that. If anything CS Tao will finally force any player to work on their execution without dropping any combo since all of her big damage comes at the very end. Which really isn't a bad thing, it means people will have to be less lazy and actually train hard on execution. However the payoff is definetely worth it.

[Kami42]

a nice string is 5b>6B[hit confirm]>236bb (2 hits)>2C> (3C>6C\5b to start again)

it has a chance to be broken on 6b but if not - goes great. Unless target roles back at 6C if goes to 236c\5D starter which is GOOD nyasu!

I guess there could be a 66 run to avoid escaping by roll, but it is dangerous.

[XDest]

That goes on for way too long and has too many gaps unfortunately:

6B is slow, and 5B does not have enough blockstun to compensate.

6B->236BB does not do damage while real combo variants do. 2C is also too slow coming from that point.

The best gatlings from 5B are, 6A, 5C, 2B, JC (...), SJC (...).

If you are going to risk 6A, have a more solid followup. If it hits, do 5B or j.D~B depending on the character. If it's blocked you can do 2D~B or j.D~B into a mixup. This is generally a bit safer, in my mind.