[CP] Rachel Alucard Gameplay Discussion

[gli]

I've yet to put to use:

- OD combos / Reversal OD combos

- Crush Trigger combos

- 5C Fatal combos

- B Lotus specifics

On the match-ups...

Terumi is just as annoying to fight as Hazama (it figures).

Bullet is weird in terms of getting out of her pressure. I'm thinking a lot of the problems I'm having is related to using barrier to pushblock.

[sparkaura]

I've yet to put to use:

- OD combos / Reversal OD combos

- Crush Trigger combos

- 5C Fatal combos

- B Lotus specifics

On the match-ups...

Terumi is just as annoying to fight as Hazama (it figures).

Bullet is weird in terms of getting out of her pressure. I'm thinking a lot of the problems I'm having is related to using barrier to pushblock.

Terumi seems a lot easier to handle than Hazama. Simple rushdown characters aren't too bad for Rachel. I haven't fought bullet yet. Hakumen seems a lot tougher, Agito is a bitch to deal with.

[skiller41]

@2a punish: 2a 5b jc2d dash 5b 6a 236a dash 3c (214c dash 5cc)

In this combo there is a part that I might not understand. 5b jc2d dash 5b

Is this a jump cancel off of the 5b and then wind down immediately, land, and dash forward and 5b?

[kirbster]

In this combo there is a part that I might not understand. 5b jc2d dash 5b

Is this a jump cancel off of the 5b and then wind down immediately, land, and dash forward and 5b?

Yep

[TD]

jc is the attack. so yes you're jump cancelling 5b, doing jc, 2d, and landing to finish the combo.

[Rhapsody]

Thanks TD. Been trying to work on it, but I'm finding it difficult for some reason (was trying on Azrael). That 3C is giving me problems midscreen.

[skiller41]

jc is the attack. so yes you're jump cancelling 5b, doing jc, 2d, and landing to finish the combo.

Ok so jc as in j.C? also is it implied that since you are doing j.2D right after that it's actually a j.2C?

[kirbster]

He means 2a > 5b > j.c > 2d > land dash 5b > 6a etc lol.

[Anne]

5BD 6A dash 5B 6A 236A

5BD 6A 4B dash 5B 6A 236A

Is there a reason to pick one over the other? Maybe if you used 4B previously or something, but I'm just wondering.

The second one is a little wonky/inconsistent and more character specific. It actually gets more damage, has more carry etc. but on certain characters it either gets really difficult or the 236A doesn't hit late all the time or they get really far away for the 3C to connect etc.

So, basically the first one is just way more consistent.

Edited October 27, 2013 by AnneIFrank

[skiller41]

He means 2a > 5b > j.c > 2d > land dash 5b > 6a etc lol.

Ok. so for this combo: ... j3db jc dash 5b 6ad dash 5b 6a 236a dash 3c 214c (dash 6a 4b on normal starters) dash 5cc oki is it likewise? what's the purpose of the dash then (if they aren't being launched)?

[TD]

The dash is to keep you in point blank so the rest of the combo works.

Also, I made a mistake and put the d near 6a instead of 5b. The combo is 5bd 6a. And it does launch.

[TheArm05]

Just finished a two day session with floridas players. New rachel is definitely awesome and feels really strong.

Some of my findings/opinions based on playing this weekend.

Her mixup is impossible to block they just have to guess.

The new lobelia change where they bounce off the wall is AMAZING this is such a buff. You can use this to delay when lobelias hit to give yourself crazy frame advantage and it puts the poles in a perfect place to catch people airdashing out of the corner.

They nerfed how easy it was to combo off of CH lobelias hard but it seems so easy to combo lightning now even from full screen.

Everyone would counter assault immediately if they had 50 meter and they blocked anything. Baiting counter assaults is going to be really important.

Oh and jin is fucking stupid now. It seems like everything he does is faster, safer and combos better. This matchup seems hard.

This game is awesome and new rachel is fun as hell. I need to training mode and figure my combos out bad though.

[Nefarious]

Rachel seems pretty good, seeing as she is the only character I've played in this series I'm sticking with her.

Probably gonna learn Izayoi as a sub she is fun too.

[TD]

did more testing with b lotus.

homing wind depends on both rachel and foe's position. example, pressing 5d on the ground will give you homing 5d which is just stronger wind. using 5d on your jump will give you a homing 3dish wind. superjump height will get you a sharper 3d wind, explained later. didnt test both players in the air yet among others.

it homes the moment you press the button, nothing more, making it a little unreliable as the opponent can move out of the way while all winded projectiles travel among the designated wind.

of all ground/air lobelias, only 236a seems to be worth using with 5d. thats ok because its already a very strong strat.

however, at closer range l found something very interesting. because of the closer distance, air b and c lobelias w/5d almost hom directly in on the foe! l was able to escape the corner a few times using this. with lotus b equipped, superjump, launch the lobelia and 5d. even with the foe under me, l was able to hit with it, shifting the momentum.

[Diveman]

what's the correct way of doing instant overhead j.A? I tried doing 5B3D then j.A or should I 5B j.A3D?

[gamester]

5B > J.2AD

D or A, either way as long as you're in the air and pressing 2 along with those buttons to do it. Something like that. My explanation might be confusing?

Edited October 27, 2013 by gamester

[gli]

http://youtu.be/W2jDm7LMGg8 really simple OD corner combo I hastily put together. don't 3C at the end just frog and do normal oki stuff

[Zoular]

Nice find TD we got more defensive options in a sense, guess I'll play around with that for a while.

[sparkaura]

Lotus B (the horizontal wind increase) is GODLY. The increase wind power makes zoning so much easier. I used this tactic against my friends Hakumen and it worked wonders with A lobelia.

[tofurr]

http://youtu.be/W2jDm7LMGg8 really simple OD corner combo I hastily put together. don't 3C at the end just frog and do normal oki stuff

Whose stage is that? Is it inside Rachel's castle?

[tehxdemixazn]

;_;

[DudeUnderscore]

Im picking up rachel in this game, do you guys have any tips for me?

I played Mu and Lambda in BBCS.

What are good block strings? What should i do in neutral? when is a good time to throw out george and pumpkin? How should i manage my wind? Should I always have 1 bar of wind for emergencies? what are good ways to build up wind/delay your opponent's rushdown?

[samthegreat]

Whose stage is that? Is it inside Rachel's castle?

Yep. Best map.

[mMarikom]

How different would you guys say Rachel feels from her previous iterations? From the videos I've seen and info I've been reading it seems like combo wise this is her biggest departure but she still adheres primarily to her high low mixup and similar zoning, as well as the game's different "weight" (in a sense the game is...heavier than other iterations of BB). I'm primarily asking because I play Noel and Litchi and plan on playing Kokonoe. Rachel was a previous sub of mine from CS1 through Extend but I only took her seriously in CS2. Playing 4 characters (especially characters that different) tends to throw me off and...I want to be good with all of them. My Rachel was pretty bad honestly but I don't want to gimp my Noel and Litchi (and eventual Kokonoe) with another playstyle. How far does she depart from the previous Rachel formula?

[TheArm05]

Im picking up rachel in this game, do you guys have any tips for me?

I played Mu and Lambda in BBCS.

What are good block strings? What should i do in neutral? when is a good time to throw out george and pumpkin? How should i manage my wind? Should I always have 1 bar of wind for emergencies? what are good ways to build up wind/delay your opponent's rushdown?

I can try to answer some of these although I am just getting used to new Rachel as well so I may not be entirely correct.

Whenever they block george/2A/5B/etc you want to go for high low mixups with wind. The simplest (and brutally effective) mixup with Rachel is just 5B (blocked) > j.A2D or 2B. People have a tendency to block low automatically so make them afraid of the overhead a couple times before you start going low.

At neutral what I do is try to set up an advantageous position by putting out lobelias/pumpkin to control space. If you hit with a lobelia or a pumpkin you can either use that time to go in or set up george/more poles. The decisions you make are entirely character specific. Against characters like Hakumen you just want to zone him out until you have a clear opening but against Nu or Mu you have to go in since they will destroy your zoning. Some characters like Valk its better to go in then to try to keep him out since he gets in so easily and has no reversal outside of super.

Managing wind is something you have to figure out based on your playstyle. Some Rachels prefer to use all of their wind to keep people out where others will save up wind to 3+ stocks so they can do unblockable mixups/larger combos when they get openings. Counter assaults and tempest dalia are both good stalling tools for getting more wind or getting some breathing room. Backdash + 4D is good for getting out of pressure.