My attempt at a guide... and a few revelations?

[Zaenos]

I'd like to share a guide I decided to write on Testament. It's written for newbies as well as advanced players and is still a very rough draft so please bear with the poor formatting, grammar, spelling, and choppy paragraphs. I'm still relatively new at this and I want to share it here for criticism before the big editing job.

Special thanks to the whole of Dustloop Forums for providing me with lots of terminology, system functions, Badlands loop info, and a crapload of move data.

Guilty Gear: Accent Core: Testament

I'm under the belief that all moves are useful in some way, if only for mix-ups, so I'm not going to skimp out on any here.

Normals:

P- Testament's punch is one of his fastest moves and has decent range for a punch (still not too good). It's completely safe on block and recovers faster than any of his other moves, but it is weak and lowers their guard gauge quite a bit while hardly raising it at all on block. Use it mostly for exploiting openings in an opponent's attack strings, a quick combo starter, or to push the opponent back to a more comfortable range.

Combos into: P, K, c.S, 2P, 2K, 2S

Can not: cancel into 6K

K- This kick has fair range and does twice as much damage as his punch. It's hardly any slower on start-up but is a touch slower on recovery. This move is useful as an opening-exploiter and combo starter and also as a longer-range poke, especially since it raises the guard guage pretty well. Considering that it's also pretty safe on a block and combos into more useful moves, this should probably be your poke of choice over P.

Combos into: c.S, f.S, HS, 2S, 2D, Zeinest (214HS),

Can not: cancel into P, K, 6K, 6HS, 2P, 2K

c.S- This is a great move for use in combos, but can be unsafe if used outside of them. It's Testament's fastest move starting up, but is a little slow on the recover. However, it cancels well, and as such try not to end a combo string with it, even on a block. Cancel into a move with of a disadvantage on block or try and catch them with a low.

Combos into: f.S, HS, 2S, 2D, Zeinest (214HS)

Can not: cancel into P, K, c.S, 6K, 6HS, 2P, 2K,

f.S- Good range makes this a great keep-away tool, and even though the opponent recovers slightly faster than you do on a block they'll probably be knocked too far away to make any use of it. Similarly, the fairly slow startup time shouldn't matter too much at a distance. It 's a component in some nice combos, but the follow-ups don't have the same range it does so be wary of that. It's often best to only try to combo this from c.S so it can be used closer. Your biggest worry when using this move should be that it can go right over certain things (Sol's Grand Viper, I-No's Stroke the Big Tree (o.o; and even Zappa's normal run) leaving you wide open. This problem also applies to people coming from above, a more common, but more predictable problem.

Combos into: HS, 2S, 2D, Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into P, K, c.S, f.S 6P, 6K, 6HS, 2P, 2K; be jump canceled

HS- One of Testament's stronger moves, it has a relatively slow start-up and recovery, but it may be worth throwing out now and then anyway. It's pretty safe on block, raises guard gauge a lot, and staggers on a counter hit but don't miss with it or it could hurt. It also has trouble canceling, so be careful with this one on it's own. Makes a great ending for combos, though, even on block (so long as the opponent is still within range).

Combos into: Zeinest (214HS), Badlands (214P), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), Grave Digger (214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into any normals; be jump canceled

D- Testament has one of the slowest dusts in the game, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the best. Like most dists, it's an overhead attack (ducking opponent's can't block it), it has great range and Testament leans backward to perform it making many moves miss him, and after a certain point in the start-up it will come out even if Testament is hit. If you learn to use this to your advantage it may not be long before you have people screaming "broken" at you, especially considering the nasty dust sept-ups that are possible for him (more on that later). It even gives you frame advantage on a block! Even with all of this, it's still a dust and as such will be punished if used recklessly. A valuble tool to be used with care and disgression. NOTE: It has an FRC point, but it's aftter the startup yet before the attack so it's only really useful in an emergency.

Combos into: Nasty-ass dust combos (see combos section later)

Can not: Cancel in any way except for it's FRC.

6P- This is where Testament got gyped. For many characters 6P is an all-around good move with great anti-air capabilities, not here. The move is slow as hell, has practically no range, and has almost no AA value whatsoever. It has the trademark 6P upper-body invunrability but it's neigh useless against aerials when the damn attack hits at the knee level! granted, this move isn't useless though (it just doesn't do it's job as a 6P). It's Testament's only grounded overhead besides his dust and can be tricky. If you're feeling lucky use it as a set-up for bigger combos, just be sure not to end with it, the recovery time is awful too. Oh, yeah, and it prorates 85% (all moves in a combo that start with this do only 85% damage).

Combos into: c.S, f.S, HS, 2S, Zeinest (214HS), Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into P, K, 6P, 6K, 2P, 2K, 2HS; be jump canceled

6K- Some people don't seem to like this move, I like it fine, one just has to know when to use it. This move takes the place of Testament's primary anti-air (an area in which he lacks a bit). It's untechable on an air hit (oppoent can't air-recover) and can be followed from there with either 6HS or Badlands (214P) to put the opponent right back where they belong: away from you. This very same combo is also the follow-up of choice from a ground throw (more on that later). Against grounded opponents up close be sure to follow this move up with HS or Zeinest to be safe. Farther away use Zeinest or HITOMI to shorten the recovery.

Combos into: HS, Zeinest (214HS), 6HS (vs air only), Badlands (214P) (vs air only)

Can not: cancel into any normals except HS, D, 6HS; be jump canceled

6HS- This is a move to be used with great care. It's his single most damaging attack (kind of sad, really) and it has great range. It is, however, slow to come out, slow to recover, and has a most peculiar and frustrating hit zones. that is, it will outright miss any opponent who's too close, even big ol' Potty. This = pain so do not use this recklessly. Use it as a longer-range anti-air, or as punishment (seizing the oppurtunity given by an opponent's mistakes) if the opponent is too far for anything else. Outside of this and a few combo endings there aren't too many uses for this move but they do come up, just be careful, this move doesn't cancel into anything. NOTE: This move has an FRC point, but you should never be in a position where you'd have to use it.

Combos into: nothing(!)

Can not: cancel into any other move, normal or special(!)

2P- Though tied for his fastest move that's about all it has going for it. Poor range, prorates 90%, the worst damage of any of his moves, can be blocked standing (dispite how it looks low), and it's not even totally safe on block (though you can make it so by comboing into P). It's still useful for a ducking poke, just to mess the opponent up a bit and it can actually be be a fair combo starter if you don't mind the proration.

Combos into: P, K, c.S, HS, 2P, 2K, 2S

Can not: cancel into 6K or 2HS; be jump canceled

2K- This is a low poke with just a teensy bit more range than 2P. It's roughly the same speed but prorates 70% hurting the usefulness of this move. It can still be used as a low poke or combo starter but it's not quite as safe as it doesn't link well. Use with caution.

Combos into: c.S and 2S

Can not: cancel into P, K, HS, 6HS, 2S, 2K; be jump canceled

2S- This move is similar to it's standing counterpart f.S and should generally be treated in a similar way. It is a little weaker and less safe though, so it's even more important that it be used at a distance. In general f.S is the better choice, but when the opponent is coming in low and f.S would miss, use this instead, but be careful using this outside of combos otherwise.

Combos into:HS, 2D, Zeinest (214HS), Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into any normals except HS, D, 2HS, 2D; be jump canceled

2HS- This is a useful move that's tempting to spam, but try to refrain from that. It has huge range for a ducking atatck, grants invunlrability for a brief period on the start up, does decent damge and really knocks up the opponent's guard gauge while not lowering much on a hit. It's even fairly safe on a block (though not a miss). Love this move, but don't become predictable with it. If you do hit with it, following into 2D for a combo is the clear thing to do every time.

Combos into: 2D, Badlands (214P), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), Grave Digger (214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into any normal except D or 2D; be jump canceled

2D- This move is key to many of Testament's combos. It hits low and has great reach, but recovers very slowly. Even at a distance it's usually a bad idea to use this move on its own. On block follow it up with Zeinest (214HS), HITOMI (214S) or, if you anticipate a counterattack and are feeling ballsy, Warrant (214K). This should go without saying but don't miss. Notably, this move is one of the only ways to combo into Phantom Soul (236P or K) and definately the easiest.

Combos into:Zeinest (214HS) (but you need the speed of a god to pull it off), HITOMI (214S), Badlands (214P), S EXE Beast (41236S), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), P Phantom Soul (236P), Grave Digger 214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: cancel into any normals, be jump canceled

j.P- Your aerial poke attack. It has deceptive range, but it's still pretty poor. It shares most of the same flaws of his standing P as well as it's uses. Just don't miss with it or you'll be helpless for the rest of your time in the air.

Combos into: P, K (tricky to do), c.S, 2P, 2K, j.P, j.K, j.S, j.D

Can not: be jump canceled

j.K- This move has more range and power that j.P but less options to combo into, just like it's standing counterpart. It serves the same general purpose as standing K as well and makes for a good air-to-air attack, but again, don't miss or you'll be a sitting, er, falling duck.

Combos into: P, K, c.S, 2P, 2K, j.S, j.D, Badlands (214P), Grave Digger (214D)

Can not: cancel into j.K or j.HS; be jump canceled

j.S- This should probably be your main air-to-air attack, possibly along with j.K. It has decent range and speed while not being excessively weak and it combos back into j.P if you're close enough from which you can try for bigger air combos than j.S can get on its own. and if you're fast and in the right spot, you can even net some nice ground combos from this. Furthermore, this is the only aerial attack Testament has that can be jump canceled (using a mid-air jump of course).

Combos into: P, K, c.S, HS, 2P, 2K, 2S, j.P, j.HS, Badlands (214P), Grave Digger (214D)

Can not: cancel into j.K, j.S, j.D

j.HS- This is as a dangerous move to try but still useful in air combos. It's the best aerial move for hitting below you but the horizontal range falls short of j.K, j.S and j.D. Keep in mind the position of your opponent and the amount of time it takes each of the follow-ups to this to come out or you may end up missing a combo opportunity.

Combos into: : P, K, c.S, HS, 2P, 2K, 2S, Badlands (214P), Grave Digger (214D)

Can not: Cancel into any aerial normals except j.D, be jump canceled

j.D- Another popular move that has great uses, but must not be overused. It's Testament's strongest and longest ranging aerial normal. It's useful in combos and on it's own as long as you keep your distance. It also knocks down grounded opponents giving it a surprising ability to link into ground combos, so go for one if you can. Just be careful when using it close-up because if you throw it out too early when coming from above or below it can go right past the opponent without hitting. That situation is bad, avoid it.

Combos into:all ground normals(!), Zeinest (214HS), Badlands (214P), S EXE Beast (41236S), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), P Phantom Soul (236P), Grave Digger (214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS) (first hit only!), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: Cancel into any air normals; be jump canceled

Throw- The throw is important to Testament's game because of his vulnerability to 'pressure' tactics. It's his best tool for clearing an enemy out of his face so if you get the opportunity to, use it. Make them afraid to get close to you!, it'll make your job a lot easier. Just be careful to use it at the right time. If you miss and throw out a 6HS by accident it can cause big problems for you. Don't forget that depending the direction you push (6 or 4) the opponent will be thrown in the opposite direction. Use this in conjunction with your traps and other 'pushing' attacks to get the best results. A few specific follow-up combos to your throw will be covered later. It can even be benificial to just let them fall without comboing justr because following up allows them to tech this normally untechable attack. also keep in mind that it prorates 50% and that you can disarm your own traps by holding the opponent near them.

Combos into: f.S, 6K, 6HS, 2S, 2D, Badlands (first hit only, no untechable time!), S EXE Beast (41236S), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), Grave Digger (214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS)

Can not: be canceled in any way

Air Throw- If you, for some reason, find yourself face-to-face with another airborne character you may want to use this to dierect your opponent to a better location. Unlike its ground counterpart, this move has no really useful follow-ups that I've found so use to the after to orient yourself as well and ready a wake-up game for your friend. This move has more range than a ground throw, but you still need to be pretty close, a position you usually want to avoid in the first place.

Combos into:6H, S EXE Beast (41236S), HS EXE Beast (41236HS), Grave Digger (214D), Master of Puppets (236236HS)

Can not: be canceled in any way

Continued on next post...

[Zaenos]

Specials:

Zeinest (214HS) (also in air)- An integral part of Testament's game, you should be throwing these out fairly often. It sets a "net" which remains in place and invisible until 'activated' (by the enemy touching it) or 'disarmed' (by the opponent attacking it or about 15 seconds passing). When an opponent touches the net they are frozen in place completely vulnerable for a brief period of time or until you hit them. During this perioid they are considered airborne and remain so after released so factor that into your strategies. There are three moves that will cause the opponent to be knocked down if hit with one while trapped; these are Badlands (214P), Grave Digger (214D) and Master of Puppets (236236HS). Otherwise, once the opponent is free they can almost immediately tech and counterattack as long as you havn't caught them in a combo. This can be tigerkneed to guard against aerial assaults, but unlike most tigerkneed moves you will continue to go upwards after the move is complete. Not neccisarily bad, but something to be wary of. another thing to note is that like f.S some moves/runs acan allow an opponent to go right under the nets. It's not all bad, though, as most people who do that get caught when moving back. :evil: You can only have two of these out at a time, however. If you try to place a third then the first one you set will automatically disarm and you cannot place one while an opponent is trapped by one.. And finally, watch out for moves that grant "super armor" (the inability to be knocked out of the attack for a certain number of hits), such as Potemkin's Hammerfall, and moves that grant some invincibility as these allow opponents to pass right through.Sol's Riot Stomp is an unusual nussance as it disarms any Zeinests it hits. Luckily, it's easily punished. Use these wisely and often when not under pressure.even if the opponent isn't trapped it'll limit their options so seize oppurtunities!

Combos into: Anything short of an Instant Kill, depending on the circumstance!

Can not: Be canceled in any way; be followed up with his Instant Kill (it passes through without hitting)

Zeinest (powered up) (214HS with at least one doll)- A most dreaded attack indeed. I tend to call this Zeinest+ or 'Bone Zeinest'. An opponent caught in this version of Zeinest will be held for longer and remain trapped even when attacked allowing them to be subject to much more 'creative' forms of punishment. It only lasts about 10 seconds before dissapearing, but aside from that it's almost exactly like normal Zeinest. these should be used more carefully though as your opponent will be very eager to disarm them and then you're out one doll. These are more useful used directly on the opponent rather than hoping they'll run into it. Doing so costs you a bit of time, but with how much longer the hold lasts it's worth it. I reccomend setting it up with a lone, point-blank K or HS and ending the ensuing combo string with a knockdown or status effect-inducing move. Either that or an elaborate 'knock-around' set-up... Any untechable time or knockdown effect on the last hit the opponent recieves before the Zeinest+ ends will be carried out as soon as it ends. This is of big note for Badlands and HITOMI+ which both have huge untechable times/launching power. It's not a bad idea to try and end this with one of those two often.

Combos into: Anything short of an Instant Kill, depending on the circumstance!

Can not: Be canceled in any way; be followed up with his Instant Kill (it passes through without hitting)

HITOMI (214S)- Also known as "the tree", this is Testament's other big trap move. It's stronger and more stealthy than Zeinest, but slower and easier to avoid. Basicly, Testament plants a tree which will sprout when opponents are nearby damaging them and launching them into the air. Because the animation is so stealthy, an opponent will often not notice you setting these in a heated battle; this is what you want. In general, combos off of these are more damaging than those off of a regular Zeinest and the untechable time it has makes it just about as big a window of oppurtunity. The downsides are that when the trap is triggered a quick opponent can see it coming and guard or evade it. A running opponent can often be oblivious to the traps and still run right over them before they can hit. Like Zeinest, you can only have two active at a time. Unlike Zeinest, it prorates 90%, but considering the greater initial damage and how it lowers the guard gauge less on hit, that's not really so bad. Also unlike Zeinest, you cannot use this move as a direct attack. It's too slow to activate for that; it's a trap through and through. The worst part is that it dissapears if Testament is hit and how the trap will be set off if an opponent jumps over it. They can be kissing the stars and your little bean sprouts won't know the differance. Running and jumping over them are the primary ways of disarming these and neither require the opponent to slow down like Zeinest does so be ready for it and punish them appropriately. Don't step on the flowers, kids.

Combos into: Anything short of an instant kill

Can not: Be canceled in any way

HITOMI (powered up) (214S with at least one doll)- Now we get rid of most of HITOMI's weaknesses! HITOMI+ is bigger, faster and... weaker?! That's okay, because now it poisons! It remains 'armed' even if you get hit, it's too fast to outrun, and now it's completely untechable. It's unblockable by normal guard in the air, well, so is the normal HITOMI, but this one's big enough that it's likely to hit the airborne. It'll still get set off if someone goes over it and if they know it's there they can airdash over unharmed so be aware. Like Zeinest's powered-up form, this is not something to waste. Dolls are limited and a smart opponent will jump at a chance to make you waste one of yours. Since you can't properly combo into this so either be especially stealthy or try some nasty trick to lure or knock your opponent into it. Badlands works wonders for this purpose.

Combos into: Anything short of an instant kill

Can not: Be canceled in any way

Badlands (214P) (also in air)- Testament's spiffy new move isn't half bad. It does decent damage and covers a good range (though not quite as good as it looks, it has trouble hitting people above you). It can also be tigerkneed for a little extra range and speed. It's best trait, perhaps, is the great amount of untechable time it has, which opens a lot of doors for combos. It also throws the opponent around (behind you!) making it a great tool in conjunction with your traps. Set a bunch of traps > rush in > combo into Badlands > opponent thrown into sea of traps > hilarity ensues. Avoid using this ouside of combos, though. It can be punished pretty badly if blocked. It knocks the opponent to your other side and pretty far away. Whether this is good or bad depends on the situation, but keep it in mind whenever you want to use it.

Combos into: Badlands (only if positioning is right and you tigerknee it; see: "Badlands loop") Master of Puppets (236236HS), Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not: be canceled except by RC

S EXE Beast (41236S)- This is a very important tool for Testament. Use it whenever an opponent tries to play defensively or long-range and they will think twice really fast. It is one of the most stealthy moves in the game and by far the most stealthy projectile. Don't overuse it, though. A wise opponent can outrun the beast and hit you before you recover as it ouright misses anyone too close to you (important note!). It is for this reason that you should learn its FRC point and practice it. This is one of the few moves that Testament really benifits from FRCing. If you're fast it can open up a lot of options for you and can help keep you safe should you miss. Note that the beast appears at the corner of the screen, not a set distance from the opponent so it'll hit faster the closer they are to the corner. Finally, this move is a pusher, even on block it moves the opponent significantly and this can be used to your advantage. force your opponent into traps or your own direct attacks! FEED YOUR DOG!

Combos into:depending on your distance from the enemy, P, K, c.S, f.S, HS, 6K

Can not: be canceled in any way except for it's FRC

HS EXE Beast (41236HS)- This is even faster than the S version and gives you a slight recovery advantage on block, but covers less range. Perhaps the most noticable differance is that the beast is now moving in the other direction! This means, between the two versions of EXE Beast you can push your opponent back and forth pretty well. Like the S version, this move will come out even if you're hit while performing it, but it's much more notable in this version because if you're using it chances are the opponent's close enough to hit you easily. What this means is that even if you get hit the opponent won't be able to follow up on it and you'll still have knocked them pretty far back! Sweet deal, eh? There's a catch; even this version won't hit people directly in front of you so if they close in while you input it you'll be in trouble. This version starts a set distance in front of Testament, screen position doesn't matter this time around. Again, the FRC can help here so try to learn it.

Combos into: nothing :'(

Can not:be canceled in any way except for it's FRC

P Phantom Soul (236P)- Slow, doesn't combo well and won't hit opponents too close to you; this is not a move to use under pressure. It does have it's uses, though, mostly in taking advantage of incapacitated opponents when high damage isn't an option. On hit the opponent will be "marked" with a "curse". That is, they will be attacked by Testament's crow periodically. This can mess up your combos, but it's generally worth it as it will mess the enemy up even more. The crow has four attacks: a high dive, a mid dive, shooting three feathers, and transforming into her 'true' form and attacking with a scythe from above. The last one if of the most note not because it's the most powerful but because it's an overhead and if you perform a low attack at the same time as your crow does her scythe attack one of the two is guarenteed to hit! This 'unblockable setup' is obviously useful, but don't make stupid mistakes rushing in to meet your crow. Also, a moving opponent can easily evade this scythe attack so this is most useful when pressuring an opponent. Note that the high attack will miss a grounded opponent. The crow will attack following one of four patterns so you can predict is's attacks and coordinate your own with them:

1. mid, mid, scythe, feathers, high, (mid, scythe, scythe, feathers)

2. feathers, scythe, mid, high, high, (mid, scythe, feathers, feathers)

3. high, feathers, mid, scythe, feathers, (scythe, high, mid, scythe)

4. scythe, scythe, high, feathers, feathers, (mid, high, high, scythe)

(moves in parentheses only happen with K Phantom Soul, the last one may not happen depending on how far your crow has had to travel to get to the enemy (lazy bum))

The marking will disappear after the pattern is complete or if you are hit. The floating skull that causes the marking can be used as a trap in itself. In fact, it's probably better to think of this move as a trap rather than a projectile. It doesn't last long, but the skull can be used to force opponents to either wait or jump over it. Finally, you cannot have more than one Phantom Soul (P or K) out at once. In fact, if you use the move while a marking is active the marking will disappear wither you hit ot not. Yeah... so generally don't use use this if there's already a marking.

Combos into:Technically, anything except his instant kill, but right from when the skull leaves his hand, nothing

Can not: be canceled in any way

K Phantom Soul (236K)- This move has the same effect on hit as the P version except it lasts 3-4 attacks longer. The skull itself now floats up high and moves faster and further than the P version and the move executes quicker overall. It's not combo-friendly but it makes for a great follow-up to opponents caught in aerial Zeinests and those launched by HITOMI if you're close enough. It's biggest uses, though, are as an anti-air and scaring people out of going airborne. Be aware that it too misses opponents that are too close.

Combos into:Technically, anything except his instant kill, but right from when the skull leaves his hand, nothing

Can not: be canceled in any way

Warrant (214K>catch)- Testament's counterattack, the only way for him to poison without tension; this little slice of Hell can be your best friend or your worst enemy. the trick is knowing when to use it and when to not. Figuring that out is pretty simple, really, you just have to know the cast's move lists pretty darn well. Feel free to use Warrant to counter any move, including Overdrives, with 24 or more frames of recovery. Well, that limits the saftey of it, doesn't it? Don't worry, there's another part to this. Depending on the "level" of the attack, the opponent will be unable to recover for an additional number of frames. 12, for level 1 and 2, 13 for level 3, 14 for 4, and 15 for 5. So really, you can safely Warrant any move with a recovery of at least 12 - 9 frames, depending on the level. Not so bad now, eh? Just be sure to get it right, because if this move is blocked it means big trouble for you. That's why this is key FRC #2 for Testament players to learn. Not only will it keep you safe on a block, but on a hit it'll allow you to turn this normally un-comboable move into a combo starter! A mighty nasty one at that due to the poison. This can be RCed too, so on the upside, you can cancel even if you miss the FRC point, but on the downside you may end up accidentally wasting needed tension. I can be fun to use this on long-range attacks such as Ky's Stun Edge or so many of Axl's moves as a quick and nasty way to advance but try and keep this to when an opponent is busy and unable to block, such as a Stun Edge-spamming Ky. A bad guess with this move hurts more than most, especially considering its open season on your ass if you time it too early or use it when not being attacked. the worst part is, you really are asking for it!

Combos into: I'm actually not sure on this one; it's a pain in the ass to test. I know it combos into some things.

Can not: be canceled except by RC or FRC

Grave Digger (214D) (also in air)- Testament's Force Break; selectively useful, but it can help in a pinch. Most of the situations it would be good in Badlands works as well but with no tension cost. It has a shorter recovery period, making it much safer to use outside of a combo, but it's still not completely safe. It has some invincibility near the beginning, just as he leaves the ground and the hit area is nice so it can be used to "stuff" a lot of moves. Tigerkneeing this move gives it a little more range and speed, but not recovery time, which is actually hurt, if only by one frame. Unless you're pretty far away, using this move will bring you into perfect throw position on block. Using a throw as a follow-up to this a popular and powerful follow up, but a wise opponent can seize the advantage first, so it's not a very reliable tactic. Use it as an emergency stuffer and not much else, I say. Save your tension for...

Combos into:HS, 2K, 2S, 2D, 6K, 6HS, Nightmare Circular (632146HS)

Can not:be canceled except by RC

Master of Puppets (236236HS)- Master of Puppets! The first of Testament's Overdrive attacks. some people use them too much, some people think they're a waste of tension, but any self-respecting Testament player should know this move and how to use it well. It starts up quite fast and as such works nicely at the end of combos; this is where it should normally be used. Dispite it's range and speed, if it's blocked you're out 50% tension and if you happen to miss you may find yourself in a world of shit. But wait... it only does 52 damage!? For 50% tension?! You probably know this by now, but hitting with this 'ere MoP gives you "dolls", two for the first hit and one for the second hit.This is the only way to get these dolls and they are needed if you want to use any of the 'powered-up' versions of Zeinest or HITOMI. depending on your preferances you may aim for this more or less, but at least learn how to combo into it just in case. Said combos can be found later in this guide. In general, any time you would or could use a gounded Badlands, Master of Puppets will probably work there too. In fact, depending on the situation you can combo Badlands into Master of Puppets. This can often end with only the first hit of MoP, though. Practice with it and maybe you can find a consistant way. ;-) You can hold up to 4 dolls at a time, they can be seen above your tension gauge. Finally There is a FRC point, but it comes before the 2nd hit

Combos into: 2K, 2S, 2D (must be pretty close for any to hit)

Can not: be canceled except by RC

Nightmare Circular (632146HS)- A little slower but has a bigger range than MoP. It's useful in pretty much all the same situations as MoP all-around. does a tad more damage and poisons instead of giving dolls. Use whichever suits you best. Thankfully, this move no longer misses opponents at point-blank range (he has enough moves that do that, ugh) but it will miss if you're very far away... about as far as the game allows.This move is safer on it's own than MoP as it hits a bigger range and significantly gives you the advantage on block. Plus, it gives you nice combo oppurtunities on a counter hit, so if you've got tension to spare and you see an oppurtunity, grab it.

Combos into:all ground normals if you're close enough, Badlands (first hit only)

Can not:be canceled in any way

Seventh Sign (IK mode -> 236236HS)- Testament's instant kill. It's relatively slow and short range, even for an IK so don't plan on relying on this. One of the few things it does have going for it is that the 'super flash' comes late in the animation, so opponents who rely on that to know when to block my be in for trouble. Also, The IK mode activation is relatively fast and Testament is pretty good at getting a moment to himself to use it. It can't be canceled into and won't hit opponents trapped by Zeinest or launched by HITOMI... but it will hit them right after they tech out of traps! Still, most people won't fall for it and the cost is high so save it for a last-ditch effort, humiliating people (nicely, of course), or just screwing around. It does look nice! Looked better back whin it had blood, though....

Combos into: nothing, ever

Can not: be canceled in any way

Continued on next post...

[Zaenos]

Combos:

-Badlands loop:

-(tk)214P>tk214P>tk214P... {Damage: variable}

Ridiculously simple, very powerful, and relatively easy to do; this is Testament's new pride and joy. Albeit it only works when the first hit it done at the right distance, opportunities to use it abound. The first-to-second hits are the hardest to get, after that it seems to fall together quite nicely. Keep it up as long as you can and you can rack up 200+ damage on this one!, no tension required! If at some point you want to you can combo this right into Master of Puppets easily and net some dolls too. Some people call this combo "broken". Maybe they're right, maybe they're just pissed that it's whooping their asses. I'll refer to this loop throught the rest of the combos section in the move sequences.

-Throw to BL loop

-throw>6K>Badlands loop

This is a pretty simple and sure-fire way to get the right starting distance for the badlands loop to work. It's also the most damaging option I know of off of a throw, so use it freely!

-Zaenos Combo 1:

-(c.S)>(f.S)>(2S)>2D>214P or 236P {Damage: 129 or 98 + 'curse marking'}

A simple combo I developed and use very often. It's reliable, decently powerful, pretty safe, and really easy to do. What's more, it's versatile, so much so it can hardly be called just one combo. It can be ended with either Badlands or P Phantom Soul, depending on your preference and you can drop any number of moves in the sequence except 2D and it'll still combo! If blocked either substitute any move up 2D with HS or 2HS. HS provides a very distancing finish while 2HS doesn't actually combo, but nobody should be able to take advantage of that; and if they try you may score a counter hit! (from which you can use 2D and continue the combo). Both of them rack up the guard gauge pretty well and are pretty much safe. you may be able to catch the opponent with a low by just going to 2D but it's quite unsafe on a block; I'd avoid it. You really can't go wrong with this combo. Quick damage, quick cursing, this is often the best way to do it. It's also the most damaging option I know of to follow up Zeinest+ with, along with the Badlands loop.

Things to beware:

-You may have to drop moves to get the combo to work due to distance and pushback

-Even if done at point-blank range, you may have to drop a move for the P Phantom soul ending to hit some characters. Test and see.

-It may be possible to enter the Badlands loop from this combo, but I've yet to successfully pull it off. Maybe you will!

-Zaenos Combo 1.5 (Requires 50% tension):

-(c.S)>(f.S)>(2S)>2D>(214P)>236236HS {Damage: 153 (126) + 3 dolls}

This is really just another variation of the other combo, but I decided to list it separately since itP requires 50% tension. Refer to "Zaenos combo 1" for the details. The only other major differances are the doll gain, a little extra damage, and that if you drop the Badlands (214P) it puts quite a distance between you and the opponent without switching sides.

-Zaenos Combo 2:

-2HS>2D>214P or 236P {115 or 74 + 'curse marking'}

Like ZC1, this can also end in either Badlands (214P) or P Phantom Soul (236P) depending on your preference. Difference is, it can be used from farther away and/or to evade-and-counter high attacks. Actually, due to 2HS' invincibility period this can counter a whole lot of things, but that can be rather risky. It does a bit less damage and is less versatile, but still pretty safe on block as long as you stop at 2HS.

-Zaenos Combo 2.5

-2HS>2D>236236HS {Damage: 113 + 3 dolls}

Another variant of another combo. It too gives 3 dolls and a big push-back at the cost of 50% tension and a little less damage. Use in the same situations you would ZC2.

-Zaenos Combo 3, a.k.a. "Dust Freeze" (Requires at least 1 doll):

-D>homing jump>j.D>j.HS>j.D>j.214HS>?

Ah, the Dust Freeze. I'm rather proud of this one. Using Zeinest+ as part of a dust may not seem like anything special at first, but there's a lot of little things that add up to make this a dangerous technique. The Zeinest+ locks the opponent up in the air for a while, and during this time the background is frozen in the dust animation. The purpose of dust changing the background in the first place is to distort the player's sense of height, making it seem like the characters are farther off of the ground than they really are. the Dust Freeze takes this a step further and really messes up a player's sense of space and time, even if it's subliminal. Part two to this is the follow-ups available. You can continue to beat on the opponent in mid-air for more damage than normally allowed, possibly ending in Badlands for extra damage, distancing, and untechable time. You can also drop to the ground out of sight and plant a trap or two or simply allign yourself as you like all with the opponent unable to see where you are. Whichever you chose, remember that dusts can be followed up with another mid-air jump or airdash, which is suddenly particularly useful. I have yet to tap the full potential of Dust Freeze; I know that j.D>j.HS>j.D is by far not the only sequence that can lead up to it (just the most damaging one I've found) and I suspect that many more unusual tricks are possible if you could net the opponent closer to the ground. See what you can discover!

-Zaenos Combo 3.5 (Requires at least 1-3 dolls):

-Dust Freeze>?>j.214P>land>214HS>214S>?>reposition>236K or 236P or Badlands loop? <-Path 1 (at least 3 dolls needed)

or >dash over>high jump forward>continue into air combo <-Path 2 (at least 1 doll needed)

or >Badlands loop? <-Path 3 (at least 1 doll needed)

If you want something to really impress your friends, this'll do it. In my practice with the Dust Freeze this was the possibility that interested me most. It's a cinch to input, but timing it correctly is another story. The Badlands (j.214P) that follows up the Dust Freeze's Zeinest+ (j.214) must be done PERFECTLY to get the most desired result. This is that you end on the opposite side of the opponent from which you started and the opponent is primed to fall in that same direction. It is a complete bitch to do and I still can't find a reliable way of making it happen.

Path 1: It's very possible to connect with both Badlands hits and still get this result with a little more damage, but is more common if only the first connects. Either way, if you happen to do it, great! now continue with path 1 to catch the opponent in another Zeinest+, poison them with HITOMI+, possibly sneal another quick hit in if you're confident, then quickly back into position and finish with either a Phantom Soul of your choice or Badlands. I've yet to test it, but if this can somehow turn into a Badlands loop we have a rediculously powerful combo here, likely a full health gauge for at least some characters.

Path 2: Most likely the Badlands is going to prime the opponent to be knocked in the direction you started from. After all, that's what it's supposed to do. Then again, the opponent is ofen knocked in this direction if only the first hit connects too! GAH!! It's not supposed to do to do that! Whatever; this result isn't that bad, but it does take some speedy fingers and the poison damage is lost. But look on the bright side! you saved yourself dolls! Anyway, you hit the wrong way with Badlands so now you must rush over in the direction they'll be flying very quick and super jump to meet them! If done right you should be able to get in an air combo before they can tech. It may even be possible to use Zeinest+>Badlands all over again and get another shot at path 1's results! Being closer to the ground you could probably catch them with HITOMI+ without another Zeinest+ for set-up!

Path 3: Or, you can dash over, nix the air combo and go straight into the Badlands loop. your choice!

--Note that it is possible to use Grave Digger instead of Badlands and make it a lot easier to knock the opponent in the 'prefered' direction (to get on Path 1) but your back must be somewhat near the wall or it won't work (because you'll wallbounce the opponent and they'll then be able to tech). there's also the obvious 25% tension cost. Practice with both, see what you like. The combo as a whole is beautiful if you play it right so put it to good use!

-Zaenos Combo 4 (requires at least 2 dolls)

-(?)>214HS>>reposition>(?)>214S>reposition>Badlands loop {Damage: variable + poison}

A simple, yet effective way to make good use of your dolls. This can be used any time the opponent is caught in a ground or low aerial Zeinest+, including combos into it! The sequence goes 'optional combo>Zeinest+>dash up close if needed>optional normal(s) (whatever you can fit in the situation, I like c.S>2S>2D)>HITOMI+>back into 'Badlands loop distance'>enter Badlands loop!'. Buy some time for the poison and repositioning yourself by holding the Badlands until the opponent is falling in front of you instead of aiming for right as the Zeinest+ ends. All this should score decent hit damage in addition to almost guarenteeing maximum poison damage!

-Zaenos combo 5 (requires at least 2 dolls)

-(?)>214S>reposition>214HS>(?)>Badlands loop (Damage: variable +poison)

This is really just a mix-up of ZC4. With both of these at your disposal your dolls become quite a dangerous thing as any random hit with either Zeinest+ or HITOMI+ can lead to half-health combos easily! again, try and catch the opponent as they fall from the HITOMI+, not as they're knocked upwards. Again, there's oppurtunity for a few normals to be thrown out if you want, but in this case if you go straight to Badlands before the Zeinest+ even ends you can enter the badlands loop much easier at the possible cost of some damage loss.

-Zaenos combo 6

-(tk)(214HS)>low air dash>j.D>(?)

A very simple maneuver, and not really a combo on it's own, its purpose is mostly for a safe and quick advance with the possibility of a knockdown. It's nice in that it's quite safe, but doesn't look like it so it'll land counter hits quite a bit. There are a few ways to make this one-hit technique into something more. Tacking on Badlands at the end is one way, especially if you can turn it into a Badlands loop, but don't Badlands on a block, it's not safe. Another way is a bit trickier, but satisfying to pull off. before you air dash in set a Zeinest. This can be done in a number of ways, mostly by setting it before you jump or by tking it, which should allow you to set the trap and air dash all on the way up. Then, finish with Badlands (if you hit). If done right the opponent should soar right into your net allowing for follow ups to make this pretty damaging, especially if you gambled with a Zeinest+. If you did score a counter hit you can follow up with almost anything you want! In any case this is all distance-sensitive. It's very dangerous up close and, if you're going for a netting, too far so experiment and see what works for you. done on it's own it can telegraph (be easy to see coming) pretty well, but if you tie it smoothly into your regular game it shouldn't be much a problem at all (for example, after a retreating jump.)

Basic tactical tidbits:

-Testament is a mind game character, more so than any other. With the right tactics you can have your opponent fighting him/herself on what to do! Confusion is one of Testament's greatest weapons and neccisary to use him to his highest potential.

-If you want to use Master of Puppets (236236HS) it fits nicely into almost any place Badlands (214P) would. in any combos listed ending in a standing Badlands you can replace that with MoP

-Nets above, forest below! By setting Zeinests above HITOMIs you hinder the opponent's ability to 'disarm' your HITOMIs or advance freely on you. Smart opponents can find their way around this, but in doing so should open up oppurtunities for you!

-Remember, your S EXE Beast (41236S)'s favorite food is turtle.

-It likes keep-awayers and long-rangers too, but hates pressure and advancing enemies.

-In case it hasn't sunk in by now, Testament likes his personal space. It's sad how many of his moves will outright miss a point-blank opponent (about 6: 6HS, P Phantom Soul, K Phantom Soul, S EXE Beast, HS EXE Beast, and sometimes j.D). Use combos, HS EXE Beast (41236HS), or your throw to give him some breathing room. Using Faultless Defense can also give you some much needed room, but at the cost of some tension.

-Go a spare moment? Set a trap or two! Traps are Testament's calling card and can really mess up the opponent if used well.

-EXE Beast (41236S or HS) is your friend.against pressurers. Even if you're hit they'll keep going for you and hit-or-block the'll push the opponent around. Remember that they won't hit close-up opponents, though!

-Testament's aerial game isn't that strong, so you may want to avoid going airborne outside of combos without cover of traps.

-If the opponent is poisoned you have two major options: Play keep-away and let the poison do it's work, or trap the opponent in a combo. Either way, make sure they don't hit you or the poison effect will vanish!

-Poison cannot kill an opponent! It will bring them to 1 point of health and leave it up to you to finish the job. Traps work great for this, as do any moves that do "chip damage" (small damage given when blocked). For Testament this means any of his specials. Remember that they can still survive such an attack with Faultless Defense or Slashbacks!

-Your crow is your friend... usually. She can mess up combos now and then, especially those that rely on untechable time (such as the Badlands loop) so avoid those when she's active. On the other hand, she can also add damge to some combos and act as a missing link to create combos that are normally impossible. The possibilities are endless!... and a a pain-in-the-ass to develop. She doesn't do much damage so don't count on her for that. What she's really there for is to cover you and open up oppurtunities for you. It's difficult and takes practice, but coordinating your attacks can pay off.

-The Burst gauge is your proverbial get out of jail free card. If you're caught in a combo that looks like it may cause you some serious pain, use it to break free. this may seem obvious, but it's really quite important to know when and when not to use it. As tempting as free tension is, going for a gold Burst can hurt you in the long run, even if it connects. It's really a big gamble. Use it too soon and it's not there when you need it, use it too late and you're dead just the same.Experience may be your best teacher here, but I'll remind you to never forget it's there and that if you do want to go for a gold Burst it's usually best to do so early in a match when you have low tension and giving it ample time to recharge for later.

-FRCs play a much smaller role for Testament than some other characters. Even so, learning to FRC effectively, especially the EXE Beasts (41236S or HS) and Warrant (214K>catch), can save you and open new windows for attacks.

-Feeling lucky? You can save time by canceling normals into traps! This is risky at close range but becomes progressively safer as distance grows.And if you expect your opponent to counter a blocked combo string you can cancel into Warrant. That one especially is a high-risk tactic, though. Don't become predictable!

-Being predictable is bad with any character, but especially so for Testament. It can be difficult for him too, but it's certainly possible and important.

-Panic is a weapon, use it! Three things especially can quickly send opponents into a panic: Poison, curse markings and instant kill mode. With either poison or a curse marking the opponent will want to hit you as soon as possible to remove it and they will often let their guard down in doing so. It's not uncommon for the resulting panic of an affliction to hurt the opponent more than the affliction itself!

-Now, IK mode is more of a gamble. Contrary to the offensive panic produced by 'status effects', going into IK mode puts many opponents, especially less experianced ones, on a defensive panic, holding back a lot more than they should. It also puts you in a position to use your IK should your actually find an oppurtunity (opponent misses big-time or is dizzied, usually). This is more of a despiration move than anything though, and is probably good to avoid unless there's not much hope left at that point.

-Determined to use his Instant Kill? Here's a little trick that'll work now and then if you don't abuse it: Throw out a Dust Freeze (see combos) and quickly land and go into IK mode. Inless the opponent is being attentive to the sounds (you can also throw out a real-life laugh to cover it up if you really want to get nasty) he/she should have no idea what's waiting for them when they fall. If they tech allign yourself quickly and they'll be dead before their feet touch the ground. See if that doesn't drop a jaw or two! That is unless they throw out a long-reaching downwards attack or you miss (never, ever miss with an IK!). If for some reason they don't tech, don't use the IK, it'll just go right through, but at least you got into IK mode and with any luck by the time they realize it it'll be too late. ...Still, try not to count on IKs. :-P

-Players often avoid Testament's traps like the plague. Hey, who could blame them? They just might catch it! (214S w/one+ dolls). But you don't have to wait for them to run into the traps, when you can push them in yourself! EXE Beast (41236S or HS) works great for this as does Badlands (214P) if the traps are behind you. If an opponent is foolish enough to jump over a Zeinest it's not very hard to push them right into it, (so long as you don't block-push them). Hell, half the time they do it themselves with a backdash! I still don't understand why, but, *shrug*.Even Phantom Soul (236P or K) with it's short lifespan can be subject to this. It's all situational.

-Testament is the ultimate zoning character. The battlefield is yours to command! Every one of Testament's specials is exceptional at controling area. You chose where the opponent can and can not go with traps (Zeinest (214HS), HITOMI (214S), and Phantom Soul (236P or K)), you make the opponent move with EXE Beast (41236S or HS), you advance instantly with Warrant (214K>catch), and you fling your opponent across the battlefield with Badlands (214P)! You can attack the enemy from all angles, so do it! They'll be shitting their pants soon enough. There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

-If you're close and an opponent is caught by a powered-up HITOMI you can follow up with K Phantom Soul

-I'm not sure of it, but Zeinest+ may make for an easy set-up for the Badlands loop.

-There's one technique I found derived from the Dust Freeze that seems to have a lot of potential. If you set a Zeinest+ above an opponent and dust them into it a funny little glitch happens; you can homing jump up to attack them, land, and then do a second homing jump to continue the combo! In addition to the obvious extra damage, all sorts of weird things are possible by doing this including triple+ jumps, extra homing jumps, extra jump cancelability, and far more special cancels than a normal dust allows (you know how at the beginning of a dust many moves combo that normally don't?). This is still a new find, but by the time the next update of this FAQ comes out I should have added a derivitive or two of this to the combos section. See if you can find your own! Could this be the birth of the Ultimate Dust?

[Corner-Trap]

I'm not trying to shit on your guide, because I can tell you put some work into it, but have you read this thread?

http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3414

I think it's also a good thing to list the pros and cons of a character within a guide.

+Easy combos for good damage that have lots of setups

+Good high/low/throw mix-ups with nice follow ups

+Good pressure game thanks to HS.EXE Beast

+Incredible okizeme game thanks to nets, trees, and S.EXE Beast

+Great zoning with his various traps

-He can keep pressure from getting to him but he has trouble getting pressure off him once it's on

-Lacks a solid air-to-ground attack

It seems that you really haven't covered many of those areas.

[Zaenos]

o.o I did cover most of those, just not in great detail. And you can shit on it all you like, as long as you're nice and constructive about it. Like I said, it's a very rough draft and I'm not even content with it yet. And it's not like I'm trying to usurp that other guide. I do this to get my own thoughts out for constructive criticism and to help it all sink in to my own head. The only thing I think might be news here are some of the combos, perhaps. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that I'm looking for other people's combos to add to the list! Any ideas?

[Xeno88]

Thanks I just picked up AC yesterday and along with other guides and the GG encyclopedia this is a lot of help :D

[Corner-Trap]

o.o I did cover most of those, just not in great detail. And you can shit on it all you like, as long as you're nice and constructive about it. Like I said, it's a very rough draft and I'm not even content with it yet.

And it's not like I'm trying to usurp that other guide. I do this to get my own thoughts out for constructive criticism and to help it all sink in to my own head. The only thing I think might be news here are some of the combos, perhaps. Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that I'm looking for other people's combos to add to the list! Any ideas?

Well I was only pointing a few things out. As far as combos go, I basically use basic BnB combos.

[Zaenos]

Thanks I just picked up AC yesterday and along with other guides and the GG encyclopedia this is a lot of help :D

I'm glad. ^____^

Well I was only pointing a few things out. As far as combos go, I basically use basic BnB combos.

Well, if you find any good ones let me know.

[Diveman]

you can actually combo K phantom soul, if you do. 2D, Net, OTG 2K K PS. it works on a lot of characters, but some others are trapped in the net before they fall on the ground and man, what you´re talking about? Testament´s 6P is a Godly move! one of the best testament has, its fast! just as much as Millia´s 6K, Testament is crouching during the animation, so some people may believe its a low. It can be throwed after a 2K wich is always a plus, and its a decent anti-air some times.

[Harem]

2P then 2K or 6P. Mixuppppppppppp

[Zaenos]

you can actually combo K phantom soul, if you do. 2D, Net, OTG 2K K PS. it works on a lot of characters, but some others are trapped in the net before they fall on the ground

and man, what you´re talking about? Testament´s 6P is a Godly move! one of the best testament has, its fast! just as much as Millia´s 6K, Testament is crouching during the animation, so some people may believe its a low. It can be throwed after a 2K wich is always a plus, and its a decent anti-air some times.

well this is news to me. :-/ How is it fast? With 27 frames of start-up the only normal slower is his dust. 26 frames of recovery and -15 SD, the only normal slower there is 2D! On second look, I see that the ducking+lots of high invulnerability can be useful. It covers the entirety of the start-up and active frames! Comboing into ZC1 can negate a lot of the recovery too... It does prorate 85%, have a horrid hitbox and I don't know why you said it's fast. Even so, I'll have to reevaluate this move, thanks!

[Corner-Trap]

well this is news to me. :-/ How is it fast? With 27 frames of start-up the only normal slower is his dust. 26 frames of recovery and -15 SD, the only normal slower there is 2D! On second look, I see that the ducking+lots of high invulnerability can be useful. It covers the entirety of the start-up and active frames! Comboing into ZC1 can negate a lot of the recovery too... It does prorate 85%, have a horrid hitbox and I don't know why you said it's fast. Even so, I'll have to reevaluate this move, thanks!

6P is one of the core moves to Testaments mix-up game along with 2K and throw. It hits overhead has upper body invincibility and is one of the best lead in into combos. This is all pretty basic stuff for effective Testament play, I'm not sure how you could've skipped out on this.

[Zaenos]

6P is one of the core moves to Testaments mix-up game along with 2K and throw. It hits overhead has upper body invincibility and is one of the best lead in into combos. This is all pretty basic stuff for effective Testament play, I'm not sure how you could've skipped out on this.

*shrug* It usually gets stuffed any time I try it so not much else seemed to matter. Proration doesn't help comboing either, I usually use c.S for that purpose at that range. I'll experiment more with it.

Anyway, I fixed some errors in the combo section and added a new one I developed.

EDIT: Two new ones.

[Corner-Trap]

*shrug* It usually gets stuffed any time I try it so not much else seemed to matter. Proration doesn't help comboing either, I usually use c.S for that purpose at that range. I'll experiment more with it.

Anyway, I fixed some errors in the combo section and added a new one I developed.

EDIT: Two new ones.

The difference between 6P and 5S(close) is that 6P hits overhead. Testaments basic high/low mix-ups revolve around 6P and 2K. If you're getting stuffed out of the attack then you're not using it right, you should be using it on wake up or during pressure strings. Here are two common situations to use it:

1) Place a net over the opponent on wake-up which acts as an automatic meaty, forcing your opponent to block. Then you go for a 50/50 mix-up between 6P and 2K.

2) During a pressure string do a FRC EXE Beast which gives you an incredible amount of frame advantage and you can easily run up and do a 50/50 mix-up between 6P and 2K.

[Zaenos]

The difference between 6P and 5S(close) is that 6P hits overhead. Testaments basic high/low mix-ups revolve around 6P and 2K. If you're getting stuffed out of the attack then you're not using it right, you should be using it on wake up or during pressure strings. Here are two common situations to use it:

1) Place a net over the opponent on wake-up which acts as an automatic meaty, forcing your opponent to block. Then you go for a 50/50 mix-up between 6P and 2K.

2) During a pressure string do a FRC EXE Beast which gives you an incredible amount of frame advantage and you can easily run up and do a 50/50 mix-up between 6P and 2K.

I see... that does make more sense. I guess I'm just more of a 'set-up' player than a 'guessing-game' player and that's why it never quite appealed. I'll be sure to include that in the revision. Thanks very much. ^__^

EDIT: Added another "combo"

[Corner-Trap]

I see... that does make more sense. I guess I'm just more of a 'set-up' player than a 'guessing-game' player and that's why it never quite appealed. I'll be sure to include that in the revision. Thanks very much. ^__^

EDIT: Added another "combo"

........ Huh? You make setups that lead into guessing games, they're both one in the same. In the example I made above I placed a net over my opponent on wake-up(which is the setup), then I did a mix-up between 6P and 2K(which is the guessing game). I don't understand how you could be one type of player and not the other when they're close to the same thing.

[Zaenos]

........ Huh? You make setups that lead into guessing games, they're both one in the same. In the example I made above I placed a net over my opponent on wake-up(which is the setup), then I did a mix-up between 6P and 2K(which is the guessing game). I don't understand how you could be one type of player and not the other when they're close to the same thing.

Well, of course everyone uses both, it's just a matter of which you use more of. I play more hit-and-run, where I aim for something and if it fails I back up/push back to 'reset', all the while looking for opportunities to grab. This is opposed to some playing styles I know where you throw out a poke or few and play mix-up pressure string from there until something connects, then follow to combo.

[Corner-Trap]

Well, of course everyone uses both, it's just a matter of which you use more of. I play more hit-and-run, where I aim for something and if it fails I back up/push back to 'reset', all the while looking for opportunities to grab. This is opposed to some playing styles I know where you throw out a poke or few and play mix-up pressure string from there until something connects, then follow to combo.

How can you do one more than the other when you have to do one in order to lead into the other. You make setups to lead into guessing games, so how can you do one more than the other. What you're saying doesn't connect, I'm not sure if you understand the concept I'm speaking here.

[Zaenos]

How can you do one more than the other when you have to do one in order to lead into the other. You make setups to lead into guessing games, so how can you do one more than the other. What you're saying doesn't connect, I'm not sure if you understand the concept I'm speaking here.

Well, if you want to get technical, everything's a set-up and everything's a guessing game. But if you go that route the terms lose their meaning.

[Corner-Trap]

Well, if you want to get technical, everything's a set-up and everything's a guessing game. But if you go that route the terms lose their meaning.

Thats not even what I'm getting at, you're being real hardheaded right now. I'm just saying it's impossible to be more of a setup player than a guessing game player, or vice versa. Simply for the fact that one leads into the other, therefore you can't be one more than the other, it's just not technically possible.

[Caer-caveral]

Settle down now people. No need to get upset over definitions. I'm not sure I'd like to call a mixup a guessing game anyway, but whatever. Regardless of all, 6P is indeed an important move. Prorate isn't horrendous, you can still do decent damage from it. It starts in 17, not 27, frames, and the invuln isn't really important. The fact that it hits high and is fast and subtle enough as to not be easy (albeit fully possible) to block on reaction makes it your primary move for getting thos hits in. Recovery means nothing unless you whiff, because you will always chain it into 5S anyway. Regarding the actual guide, it's pretty nice, though I don't agree with everything. Also, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to lay such a big importance on Master of Puppets. It's good, but also quite hard to use effectively. I must admit I like it when people evolve different playstyles, but I'm just not sure beginners should feel MoP to be a neccessity. Regarding combos, almost everything I use regularly is in the first post of the combo thread. You can find most combo related things there.

[homer]

not a bad guide, i enjoyed the read, would help some beginners to the game though some of the stuff is a bit unrealistic, and testament having a poor air to air game, hah. i can tell you're still a bit new to the game so i'd reccommend reading through the testament thread in it's entirety. and thanks to Caer and a few others there is a LOT of really good info in this thread that has been battle tested, listen to caer's posts, they're from experience. i haven't actually been to dustloop in a long time and it was nice finding good organized info on him. though just watching shonen play is just as good in a different way. but it seems you're enjoying the game coming up with that crazy shit. so good luck

[Zaenos]

Thats not even what I'm getting at, you're being real hardheaded right now. I'm just saying it's impossible to be more of a setup player than a guessing game player, or vice versa. Simply for the fact that one leads into the other, therefore you can't be one more than the other, it's just not technically possible.

I don't think I'm being hardheaded, I just have examples that prove otherwise. This is probably just a matter of differing definitions of the terms. What I mean is that If an opponent gets caught up in a Zeinest, that's a set-up, but you can follow up guaranteed so there's no guessing involved. Likewise, you can run up to an opponent and go straight into high-low mix-ups. This is a guessing game but no real set-up into it. I don't mean to be obstinate, I just don't believe they're indivisible.

Settle down now people. No need to get upset over definitions. I'm not sure I'd like to call a mixup a guessing game anyway, but whatever.

Regardless of all, 6P is indeed an important move. Prorate isn't horrendous, you can still do decent damage from it. It starts in 17, not 27, frames, and the invuln isn't really important. The fact that it hits high and is fast and subtle enough as to not be easy (albeit fully possible) to block on reaction makes it your primary move for getting thos hits in. Recovery means nothing unless you whiff, because you will always chain it into 5S anyway.

Regarding the actual guide, it's pretty nice, though I don't agree with everything. Also, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to lay such a big importance on Master of Puppets. It's good, but also quite hard to use effectively. I must admit I like it when people evolve different playstyles, but I'm just not sure beginners should feel MoP to be a neccessity.

Regarding combos, almost everything I use regularly is in the first post of the combo thread. You can find most combo related things there.

Definitions are the root of so many silly arguments. In regards to your points,

-I am seriously reconsidering 6P's usefulness.

-I don't think MoP is necessary, but I am fascinated by the combo opportunities the dolls present so that may have given a false impression.

-Apparently, I do have a rather different play style. Maybe it's from being self-taught or influence from past fighting games I've played, but whatever the cause it sems to have me speaking a different language. :-/

-And I shall go check out that thread in detail when I get back from work. Thanks for the comments!

not a bad guide, i enjoyed the read, would help some beginners to the game though some of the stuff is a bit unrealistic, and testament having a poor air to air game, hah. i can tell you're still a bit new to the game so i'd reccommend reading through the testament thread in it's entirety. and thanks to Caer and a few others there is a LOT of really good info in this thread that has been battle tested, listen to caer's posts, they're from experience. i haven't actually been to dustloop in a long time and it was nice finding good organized info on him. though just watching shonen play is just as good in a different way. but it seems you're enjoying the game coming up with that crazy shit. so good luck

Unrealistic how? and not poor air-to-air? Certainly I have missed somethings so do elaborate. Though not to fighting games, I am fairly new to Guilty Gear, yes. The biggest problem I have is lack of human opponents. I try and make up for that by ensuring that my combos do the most possible damage while remaining safe and inescapable (except by Burst, of course). I assume those combos are what you mean by "that crazy shit". ^^;; Maybe it's this working off of theory that's having trouble mixing with other's working off of experience. Two recipes for the same pie? Hmm... I do hope we can all share and benefit!

[geist]

air-to-air well you seem to think that whiffing an attack mid-air makes you "dead weight" when this is not the case. Testament has a very nice "pre-emptive" air to air game...and while you might not be able to beat some stuff on reaction, throwing things out at when you jump can provide for REALLY nice screen coverage. in General it's going to be j.S...fast...long range good priority and good recovery as well as good "abare"...if you use this immediately after a jump, you can net, land, green block an on-coming attack (usually) or just double jump and do something else (another j.S, any of those options above or j.D) j.K similar to j.S but shorter range and faster start-up/recovery j.D a.k.a "The Wall"...this move is pretty much unbeatable once it's already out there...sure it's kinda slow but you shouldn't be throwing it out when you're close enough to get hit anyway. Regardless...the range and priority on this move is just too good to pass up. Unfortunately however you don't get the comfort of being able to do another action after using this mid-air whiff...unless you're really high up Zeinest- sure it's mostly pre-emptive, but it limits the opponent's air game regardless..forcing them to do a quicker move or something with better range on a side note...if you're getting stuffed while doing 6P, you're not doing it at the right time...this should pretty much only be used on wake-up and during EXE pressure. Also good to note is that 6P is linkable from c.S as well as 2D. 2D is 14 frames while 6P is 17...so they're going to be hard to block on reaction....and both will lead to a nice combo/knockdown anyway. You complain about the proration but at proper spacing you can go directly into badlands loop from that on 90% of the cast leading into at least 150-200 damage and some nice tension and maybe even a skull. one last thing you state that forward EXE can't combo into anything...but it definitely can. From a good distance away you can still 6K, and from small distances you can k or S...you also mentioned nothing in terms of the FRC as combo purposes...forward exe will ALWAYS hit after a 2D (from what I've seen...it will hit pretty damn far) anything->2D->H EXE...if you're close enough or in the corner, 6K->badlands... if you start a combo with 2D you can H EXE->K->air combo (I think >.>) if you're far away when dust hits you might have to FRC 6P(overhead ^_^)c.S->f.S->2D->H EXE FRC->TKbadlands or run 6K badlands or run K->S->air combo or run S-> air combo or (about half screen) Instant air dash j.H->j.D->Zeinest-> dash j.K->j.S->j.H->one hit badlands side switch, land->HS->Zeinest->TK badlands->p skull you also mentioned that you can't combo after an air-throw but he definitely can outside corner- air-throw-> H EXE FRC->6K badlands->TK badlands->TK badlands...with correct spacing you can do HS badlands TK badlands after the first TK badlands and end in with dash->p skull this was around 136 damage...didn't get the p skull at the end but I threw it out without a dash and was definitely close enough **NOTE** this combo will probably be character specific in corner- H EXE->c.S->Zeinest->run, j.K->j.S->badlands one hit...side switch will happen...HS-> zeinest->TK badlands->phantom soul- 111 damage just tested the last two on ky...all of the others should work

[Corner-Trap]

I don't think I'm being hardheaded, I just have examples that prove otherwise. This is probably just a matter of differing definitions of the terms. What I mean is that If an opponent gets caught up in a Zeinest, that's a set-up, but you can follow up guaranteed so there's no guessing involved. Likewise, you can run up to an opponent and go straight into high-low mix-ups. This is a guessing game but no real set-up into it. I don't mean to be obstinate, I just don't believe they're indivisible.

apples/oranges, whatever.

Definitions are the root of so many silly arguments. In regards to your points,

-I am seriously reconsidering 6P's usefulness.

-I don't think MoP is necessary, but I am fascinated by the combo opportunities the dolls present so that may have given a false impression.

-Apparently, I do have a rather different play style. Maybe it's from being self-taught or influence from past fighting games I've played, but whatever the cause it sems to have me speaking a different language. :-/

-And I shall go check out that thread in detail when I get back from work. Thanks for the comments!

-6P is one of Testaments best moves

-MOP is good but not necessary

-Your self taught play style that has been tested against the computer VS. Play style of top players that has been tested in tournaments

Unrealistic how? and not poor air-to-air? Certainly I have missed somethings so do elaborate. Though not to fighting games, I am fairly new to Guilty Gear, yes. The biggest problem I have is lack of human opponents. I try and make up for that by ensuring that my combos do the most possible damage while remaining safe and inescapable (except by Burst, of course). I assume those combos are what you mean by "that crazy shit". ^^;; Maybe it's this working off of theory that's having trouble mixing with other's working off of experience. Two recipes for the same pie? Hmm... I do hope we can all share and benefit!

-Testy has good air-to-air, but not godly

-Making better combos does not compensate for lack of human competition

-Experience fighter >>>> Theory fighter