[CP] Tsubaki vs Hazama

[Kiba]

Discuss the Hazama matchup here!

[Kiba]

It can be acceptable for you to start the match with jump > OD if you don't want a hard time dealing with Hazama's options. By using OD you can punish some typcial habits like jump back chain and 3C. If nothing happens then it's not a big deal since you can threaten chain abuse with [4]6D > 236D.

 

Not my words.

[Monarch]

So how exactly are we navigating neutral here? His chains are really a problem, since they pretty much allow him to do whatever he wants.

[Airk]

Chains are still kindof a commitment on his part though;  You kinda just have to outsmart him and go where the chain doesn't, and then usually you're good for a little bit.  You can charge at absolute fullscreen and it'll probably encourage him to try to dash in and chain forward to get to you, or you can jump a lot and air barrier and even blocking a chain there isn't THAT bad.

 

2C nerf hurts in this matchup though, since it's markedly harder to stuff a generic fly-in-j.B.

[chzchan]

You kinda just have to outsmart him

 

But if you don't or can't, then you lose. That's how I have been feeling about this. They have full control over the screen and the match. It is 100% them messing up or overextending that leads to their downfall. If they are patient, calculating, and lame then there is no way in hell they will lose the matchup.

[TeeJay]

I approach the matchup either playing fullscreen where you can charge or try to stay in. Trying to 2c his chain approaches are tricky to react to (easy low levels though but EMP Blazgreen didn't allow it). Sometimes, I'll just 2c first chance to make them know what's up. I think if you can get fullscreen you might make him have to overextend himself to make things happen. Konan will 214A/D from fullscreen sometimes and run straight in. He'll also just back IAD to get far away if halfscreen or more. A good Hazama player will chain anti-air you in predictable jump in situations. If you can get a knockdown, you have the advantage suddenly. I honestly don't know what you do besides, make him chain low and take the air or chain high and run up to his face-- make him guess wrong. If he's patient, hang back and charge it up.

 

I think the matchup is extreme patience, knockdown, go ham (wild). 

[Airk]

Yeah. The place you DON'T want to be in this matchup is about 3/4ths screen - this is within chain poking range and he can pretty much do whatever you want. You want to either be closer than that, or as far away as possible.

 

And sorry, chzchan, but that's basically ALL of Tsubaki's matchups.   This one doesn't feel appreciably worse to me.

[chzchan]

And sorry, chzchan, but that's basically ALL of Tsubaki's matchups.   This one doesn't feel appreciably worse to me.

 

Haha, I know. I just feel probably the least comfortable with this one. Personally I would place Hazama right under Kokonoe in terms of difficulty to fight.

 

See, in most other matchups, the opponent's domain created by either superior normals or some other gimmick probably extends to around the middle of the screen if it does not have gaps between close and close-mid range. For example, zoners Nu-13 and Amane have a sort of dead zone at close range, but have domains that extend to around 3/4 of the screen. Hazama has control over you at the press of a button unless you are in that last 1/4 of the screen and still maintains superiority at close and mid-close range. He does not have this dead zone.

 

You probably feel different, but I just really really hate this matchup relatively speaking.

[Airk]

Technically, this is not correct; Hazama also has, if not a "dead zone" then a "weak zone" just beyond the range of his 2B.   Technically, he CAN hit you with chains at that range, but it doesn't do anything because the short range versions aren't very good.