Learning other characters' combos

[ToastyBiggins]

Hi everyone, just started playing BB a few months ago, maining Tager. I've never played a fighting game "seriously" before BB, and certainly not one this combo-intensive.

A while ago it occurred to me that being intimately familiar with the rest of the cast's combos would be a huge advantage, as it lets you know when you can tech, when not to tech, what moves you need to watch out for as potential combo starters, when to burst most effectively etc. Probably pretty obvious to anyone who's played fighting games for a while, but for me it was a revelation.

So I started trying to complete everbody's challenge mode, or at least the first few missions, since it seems like those are usually fairly standard BnBs, figuring it would be easier to memorize them if I could actually pull them off myself.

The problem is, it's taking forever. I have most of Tager's non-obscure combos down pretty solidly, but on the other hand lol Tager combos. I figured it would start getting easier after the first few, but so far at least that hasn't been the case. I'm wondering if this time couldn't be better spent practicing something else. Do you think it's worth it to master the combo repertoire of everyone in the cast, or would watching videos and trying to memorize the most commonly used combos suffice? Also, I'm playing pad right now. Do you think getting a stick would affect this process at all?

Thanks in advance.

[YukiBlue]

I can play everyone in the cast to a mediocre standard (Some far better than others) aside from Carl.

I've got to at least challenge 6 with everyone, bar a couple. And in all honesty unless you want an encyclopedic knowledge of Blazblue it just isn't worth it. Sure you get your monies worth with hundreds of hours more playtime learning someone new, That's all fun, But in order to get better at the game I believe you need to have a main, and some subs. Find friends who play characters you dont see too often and learn the matchups that way. I'm horribly mediocre at this game because I spend time playing everyone, Instead of focusing on one.

Watching JP videos and practicing Combos on Dustloop seems to be the method of choice for many people, Works for me now i've settled with Mu, Platinum and possibly Lambda.

Although. You can do what you want. It's your game.

And yes, Sticks make the game easier and you drop less combos. (Takes weeks to "Get to grips" with) hah.

[Zeron_X25]

I think it's easier to learn harder combos that other characters have and then play Tager. It levels up your execution and you get a basic knowledge of the game and the rest of the cast.

My execution was really bad until I played Guilty Gear and CS2 on the PSP for about 4-5 hours a day and in training mode. That boosted my execution tenfolds and I'm assuming it can work for you as well. It's better to start with the harder things. If you're having difficulty keeping up with all the inputs, try doing the combos part by part till you get them down and then combine them all under one combo. As for needing stick... let's just say there's no need for one. I'm very comfortable with my dpad and the only characters I think need the use of a stick are Carl and Arakune because it's hard to manage the buttons in such a cramped space.

Of course all this is for execution. If you want to get better at the game, you just have to play other people consistently.

[Delrian]

Hi everyone, just started playing BB a few months ago, maining Tager. I've never played a fighting game "seriously" before BB, and certainly not one this combo-intensive.

A while ago it occurred to me that being intimately familiar with the rest of the cast's combos would be a huge advantage, as it lets you know when you can tech, when not to tech, what moves you need to watch out for as potential combo starters, when to burst most effectively etc. Probably pretty obvious to anyone who's played fighting games for a while, but for me it was a revelation.

So I started trying to complete everbody's challenge mode, or at least the first few missions, since it seems like those are usually fairly standard BnBs, figuring it would be easier to memorize them if I could actually pull them off myself.

IMO, having the other characters' combos down on muscle memory won't help for knowing when they are burstable, techable, and the like. You only need to see and recognize these points while you're being hit by them, which is learned by playing other players or watching videos of other players playing. I learned Lambda combos when I played BB, but I didn't realize you shouldn't burst when she's comboing with D swords until I had to punish the one guy who tried to burst out of it.

The problem is, it's taking forever. I have most of Tager's non-obscure combos down pretty solidly, but on the other hand lol Tager combos. I figured it would start getting easier after the first few, but so far at least that hasn't been the case. I'm wondering if this time couldn't be better spent practicing something else. Do you think it's worth it to master the combo repertoire of everyone in the cast, or would watching videos and trying to memorize the most commonly used combos suffice? Also, I'm playing pad right now. Do you think getting a stick would affect this process at all?

Thanks in advance.

Learning others' combos might help you increase your execution (though I would say keep trying on the Tager combos rather than learning others' first). Stick can improve execution, but is a bit of investment in money and time.

[Fluck]

You don't need to know how to do the combos of characters to know when to burst, you just need to know how the combo works in theory. Much less effort.

[Reikomaru]

Agreed with what other people said above. Most things are best learned through experience.

Here are some stuff I learned the HARD WAY online:

1. One of Valk's BnB combos sometimes end on a certain flying kick that's an OverHead, and if blocked it's VERY punishable.

2. The last hit on Tager's Magna Tech Wheel (236236B) is an OverHead.

3. Don't back-roll when cornered.

[Star-Demon]

Not everyone plays the same - if you see two people doing the same thing, they are probably trolling you.

Just play the shit out of the game. You'll get it over time. Time. It's all about time.