[P4A] Aigis vs Akihiko

[AchedSphinx]

I'm starting the match-up threads to give a basic rundown of each character Aigis has to face. Please note this is a work in progress and I would be grateful to receive any feedback on errors I've made or things that are incorrect. This information isn't my own, I've gotten it from other sources, and part of it is my overall assessment.

Matchup Ranking:

The Enemy's Assessment:

Overview

General Tips

• Be cautious of Akihiko’s instantaneous charges across screen with Kill Rush. His typical starting chain is 5AAA, which allow him to go into his mix-up or set up an unblockable attack. Cyclone can end in corkscrew, ducking, weaving/wobbling, boomerang hook, and closeout blow. With the different levels of cyclone level he can augment his combos into high-damage combos.

Close-Range

• You want to escape as much as possible if Akihiko is in on you and you’re at the disadvantage. He can easily turn matches into his favor with his incredible momentum. Watch out for Akihiko’s Kill Rush, the only way for him to net damage if he does it is a low so be wary of it. He can also use his AoA for overhead. You can escape his pressure with quick escape, use wisely, or with Aigis DP.

Medium-Range

• Use Aigis 2B to keep Akihiko honest with j.C and j.D. He will be wary of jumping in because of it as long as you have bullets. If he has meter, he can Kill Rush from a fullscreen distance, however he is open if he guesses wrong, which is why most Akihikos will be cautious in using it. If he slips through 2B and does Kill Rush, watch his cyclone level, he can sneak in an unblockable attack to put the momentum in his favor, or one of the many options listed in the general tips.

Far-Range

• 2B, the universal Aigis keepaway is good to prevent Akihikos from making stupid mistakes. This is particularly important to recharge Orgia Mode if it’s lost and prepare for a counter attack. However, watch out for Kill Rush SB, it can reach a long ways and catch a 2B in recovery it he spaces it right.

Air-to-Air

• Aigis j.C is good to defeat Akihikos air game, in most cases you will win the exchange. As always be cautious when using it and have a back up plan.

Air-to-Ground

• Avoid Akihiko’s 2B, it is Air Unblockable and can lead into big damage. It also has long vertical reach so timing your jump will put you at a greater advantage to punish it.

Ground-to-Air

If Akihiko is in the air, 2B anti-air is a good means to keep him away. Akihiko’s j.C has long reach and is an overhead so be cautious of it.

Cornered

Basically a position you don’t want to be in against Akihiko. He gets the majority of his damage her, especially off fatal counters, so refrain from using bad pokes and falling for frame traps. Remember, Akihiko only has two overheads, j.C and All out Attack, both are fairly slow and easy to read so do your best to recognize when it is safe to escape and go on the offensive. Due to Akihiko’s short reaching normals, Quick Escape can be quite useful to escape from pressure, and if you have no other methods to escape Aigis Dp is always viable.

Reversal

Double Uppercut is Akihiko's DP, it is air unblockable on the first hit, and can lead to good damage if he has Cyclone Level. It hits fairly high as well but you can jump over it before start up to punish and avoid it. Pokes can make him mistake your pressure and you can easily punish it on block.

Good Tools For The Match Up

[*]2B

[*]j.C

[*]Orgia Mode

[*]5A

[*]5B

Things To Look Out For

[*]Kill Rush

[*]Cyclone Level

[*]2B

[*]j.C

[*]Unblockables

Conclusion

[*]Akihiko is a fight that will feel similar to facing a Kanji. It will be slow paced because any mistake can lead into big damage for Akihiko, especially if he gets a counter hit. Be cautious and zone to return the pace to your favor, watch for his SB Kill Rush, as it covers a lot of ground, and once the momentum shifts into your favor pressure him in Orgia Mode. It will be a slow fight but the favor can easily change depending on who sets the pace.

Edited August 3, 2012 by AchedSphinx

[currentlemon]

If an Akihiko player does a Maziodyne and you block it, you can punish it with machine gun (236 A/B/EX) or Shield Super. Note if you block it from full screen and you want to use the Shield Super, use the C version since it's faster.

Edit: I think there is a mistake, on the corner section. Akihiko has 3 overheads: all out attack, j.C and 5C.

Edited August 26, 2012 by currentlemon