[CP] Kagura vs. Azrael

[MikelAL93]

Discuss the Kagura vs. Azrael matchup here.

[-Seo]

Just a short post for a real easy way to deal with Azraels dashing/grolwer/no orb oki in the corner.

You can safejump all of these options with the following combo. 5BB>3C>6DC>2DC>B orb>5C>A orb>5C>2DA>6DB>5DC. After the 5DC, you need a really delayed jump (just before Azrael hits the ground) and you can safejump with j.4B >(land)5B>3C etc. If he growlers, you land and block, if he backdashes, 5B will catch him on recovery and if he forward dashes j.B will catch him and finally, if he does wakeup Scud (214214D) you can kara barrier the 5B.

[Verimeloni]

Azrael player here, I rarely get fight Kaguras online but yesterday I got to play 5+ matches against him. I noticed that they could combo alright with stances and orbs and DPs but their MU info just wasn't there yet and I was able to beat most of the matches straight.

6DC in neutral: keep this to minimum, it's extremely easy for Az to just do Valiant/Hornet to GP the attack and get a weakpoint (no CH though). I was able to do a ~4.7k combo with 50% heat in 2 separate matches when they abused this, so yeah.

[Dazardz]

6DC in neutral: keep this to minimum, it's extremely easy for Az to just do Valiant/Hornet to GP the attack and get a weakpoint.

I think Azrael can also crouch under 6DC, maybe it depends on how far 6DC has traveled. I might test that later.

So. Many. Too many Azrael's online, or at least in my lobby. 60% of the players are Azrael players.

Can Kagura actually use oki on Azrael? If Azrael absorbs even one orb with Growler, he obviously gets 3 fireballs. Because the orb hits multiple times. I don't think you can punish Azrael for absorbing any of our projectiles either.

[Verimeloni]

So. Many. Too many Azrael's online, or at least in my lobby. 60% of the players are Azrael players.

Tell me about it, some days I only get to do mirror matches.

You can try to bait Growler with orbs. You can use it as oki, if he absorbs it you can go for 6A or drive mixup 5DB etc. Orbs in neutral are bad, unless you can time your 2DC/6DC just right that his Growler invincibility wears off and he hasn't absorbed the orb yet.

[Justice7541]

I think Azrael can also crouch under 6DC, maybe it depends on how far 6DC has traveled. I might test that later.

So. Many. Too many Azrael's online, or at least in my lobby. 60% of the players are Azrael players.

Can Kagura actually use oki on Azrael? If Azrael absorbs even one orb with Growler, he obviously gets 3 fireballs. Because the orb hits multiple times. I don't think you can punish Azrael for absorbing any of our projectiles either.

He is full invul all the way through to recovery once he absorbs but you can take advantage of this to go for a meaty mixup since the recovery is so long. Just make sure you kill him with the followup because he's gonna have three Phalanxes after he gets up otherwise. On the plus side once he has three Phalanxes stocked you can go full ham on the orb oki without worrying about him eating any more.

[Errol]

it's generally much easier for him to get out than for you to meaty him. Unless you got a meaty mixup that will cover backdash and mashing... 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444

[Lord Pwnge18]

You can call out Azrael backdashing by running up and grabbing dat ass. The opportunity doesn't show itself too many times, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.

But yeah, this matchup is just exhausting for everyone involved. We lose a lot of our better oki tools and only Az's with balls of steel will go for their normal mixups. Also, just because he has growler, don't think that this means you shouldn't use orbs at all. They are still a viable tool against him, but you probably shouldn't be using them for oki or at full screen.

I find it best to play neutral like you're fighting Tager. Carefully use your C normals for spacing. Throw orbs at him if he jumps, but is too far for 6C. You'll get your chance to get in if he blocks the orbs. On the defense, keep your flashkick handy. Azrael loses a lot of options for mixup thanks to flashkick, so he has to choose his moves way more carefully. This makes for an awful lot of Mexican stand-offs, which can be fun, but don't be a jackass. You can wait to flashkick on reaction to whatever he does, or take the opportunity to get in for pressure.

[Justice7541]

Good Azraels who know the matchup won't fall for this but you can troll the bad ones by throwing A orb just out of range and let them whiff the Growler. Free 5C CH into kill combo.

Azrael's 5C beats Kagura's btw so don't rely on your C moves too much.

[-Seo]

Good Azraels who know the matchup won't fall for this but you can troll the bad ones by throwing A orb just out of range and let them whiff the Growler. Free 5C CH into kill combo.

Azrael's 5C beats Kagura's btw so don't rely on your C moves too much.

A well timed 2C at the right range will beat Az's 5C.

[BlackYakuzu94]

Why does almost every matchup for Azrael come down to turtling....it's so boring :\

[Angry Guy of DE]

Was just in training mode testing some things and there's a semi-option select that can be done when you IB Azrael's 236A.

On IB Azrael is -1/-2 so your 2A will beat out almost any button he presses aside from Growler.  Most of the time Azrael may opt to do Growler to catch buttons, backdash to safety, or dash through you to avoid some attacks.

If you immediately try to do 5C or 2C Growler will hit you and Azrael will dodge both during his backdash.  If you flicker Barrier for just a moment, you will block Growler (And allow CH 2C or 6C for potentially a 5K punish) and if he backdashes the delay from barrier actually times the 2C right to catch him before he can block. 

I'll have to test this some more and this should only be used against Azrael's that favor these options after 236A on IB.  I'll test some things with Azrael trying to dash through you and see if there's options to control that.