Tong

Midscreen 6D> Sekka> dash 5B> 2B> 5C> 2C> 3C> Musou~, Damage: 3490 6D> dash 5B(1)> 5C> 2C> (delay) 6C> Musou whiff~Followup> dash 2B> 5C> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 3691 6D> dash 3C> Hirensou> dash 2B> 5C> 6C> Musou whiff~Followup> dash 2B> 5C> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 4437 Corner 6D> 6C> 6D> 5B(2)> 5C> 6C> Rehhyou> 5B> 5C (JC)> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 4391 6D> 6C> 6D> 5B(2)> 5C> 2C> delay 6C> Rehhyou> 5C> 2C (HJC)> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.2C> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 4675 6D> 6C> 6D> 5B(2)> 5C> 6C> Rehhyou> 5B(1)> 5C> 2C> 6C> Musou whiff~Followup> 3C> Sekkajin, Damage: 4522 6D> 6C> CT> 5C> 2C> 6C> Rehhyou> 5B(1)> 5C (JC)> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.2C> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 5206 6D> 6C> CT> 5C> 2C> 6C> Rehhyou> 5B(1)> 5C> 2C (HJC)> j.C> j.2C (JC)> j.2C> j.C> Hizansen, Damage: 5332

I believe you have misunderstood the purpose of the ranking/tournament. When you said "What if better players don't/can't come out to as many tourneys as a lower-skilled player?", it sounds like the point of the system is to fairly rank every single player in the community, but that's just not feasible for many reasons, no. The point is simply to rank players based on their tournament results. Where is the bias in someone legitimately winning and placing high in tournaments? I dont think the american community lacks competitivity, but it can be improved and taken to the next level with a system that rewards and motivates even more the players for participating in tournaments. It's not a bad idea if it brings something positive.

Pretty good combos imo, they're nearly optimal and the triple rekka one should be valuable in the future!

Difficult, maybe when we get hyped about Persona again haha

BBCF .PSDs Since I'm taking a break from recolors, I figured I would share my BBCF .PSDs I use for twitter requests! There are so many requests on this thread that the least I can do, is leaving the files here and let others take care of requests. Hope you enjoy!

Best Naoto I've seen so far, I'm not even kidding lol Out of all Naoto players I've watched, MSR is the one that really took advantage of Naoto's tools and had the best hit confirms.

MSR (Naoto) vs Various (Kokonoe, Makoto and Nine) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvFluaXHAE

Timing feels abit off for me, and both my monitor and TV, on PC and PS3 respectively, have low input delay. It's like the extra input buffer the console had is gone, and on PC it runs slightly faster too (at 60fps and everything).

Watching kaqn's set made me think that EN Kaid could possibly be a decent tool on neutral, thoughts? Looks relatively fast, has decent range and isnt unsafe on block apparently.

I've just noticed that EN 236BB forces crouching, that leads to 236BBC, and since 236BBC leads to good damage it could potentially be a thing.

Yet another Naoto basic combos video http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm27702346

Maybe as a preemptive AA or to anticipate jump outs, and it seems like only the charged version has a better hitbox for this. I dont think regular 6D has a good hitbox to beat most IADs on reaction.

OP has been updated with new info provided by @Dawn of Musou, good stuff man! The combo list will be part of the combo thread though, so I left it out. I watched Raayu's matches and there were many instances where he could've used Ddc> EN C Crusader routes. Going for Kaid ender isnt worth off 6A starter, he lost way too much damage. And not really feeling this 6C oki stuff, delay tech/rolls could potentially be an issue.

I LIVE. I'm giving priority to BBCF recolors right now, so that's gonna have to wait. Great recolors btw guys! I'll post some of my BBCF .PSDs when I'm done with some requests.

Very interesting metered route, and it will be even better if a sideswap route exists (possibly more damage). I dont think Naoto needs meter that badly to inflict good damage, except for DD enders maybe, so yea that might be a good way to spend meter.

Yes, midcombo Enhancer is possible by doing DDC (Drive Dash Cancel), where Naoto cancels the startup of the Drive into a Dash Cancel immediately into an Enhanced move. That's how things like 5B> 5C (DDC)> EN C IC are possible.

I assume that Ddc means 5D into Dash Cancel, but it's commonly written as 5D (DC). Enhanced moves will leave shadow trails behind Naoto (ala Alpha 3 V-ISM). Also, Naoto 8k+ Overdrive+50meter combo: https://twitter.com/sugi_vs/status/667363247041835009

Naoto Basic Combos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2VrDwQinbw Combo Transcripts Notations: Rekka Bash - 236B> 236B> 236B Rekka Raid - 236B> 236B> 236C D IC~ - j.623D/623D> 2C EN - Enhance See the OP for the full command list 2A> 2B> 5C> Rekka Bash, Damage: 1596 6A> Rekka Raid (HJC)> j.B> j.C (JC)> j.B> j.C> D IC~, Damage: 3006 Throw> dash 3C> EN Rekka Raid (HJC)> j.B> j.C (JC)> j.B> j.C> D IC~, Damage: 2892 Sway Follow-up> 2C> 5D> 2D> 6D> Sway (DC)> EN Kaid> 2C> Rekka Raid (JC)> j.D> air Divine Smasher> Divine Smasher, Damage: 4965

Koji Naoto footage: https://youtu.be/mdRm-TYW5CM?t=5m22s

I was going to post here originally but the forum was pretty slow and I really wanted to write about this otherwise I'd lose the will to do so. It's a copy and pasta from my original evernotes. So before BBCF becomes a thing it's better to post now. There's another topic here about BE but this one covers midscreen BE confirms. Anything here is open to discussion and subject to changes. tl;dr just look at the table. Introduction These notes will basically provide guidelines and methods to connect Belial Edge (BE) midscreen on different characters. Even though it's not an essential part of Ragna's combos for most part, in fact it's possible to live without it, aiming for the highest damage possible can still be a desireable goal for gameplay improvements. However due to it's apparent inconsistency many players seeking such improvements can be discouraged from using it at all in midscreen combos, opting to more safe and consistent combos since dropping combos can have a steep cost, specially in higher levels. The inconsistency stems from the lack of "universal ways" to connect BE across all characters. Each character has unique hitbox/hurtbox interactions that require specific ways to land BE sucessfully. Despite the existence of easier and more consistent options, using Belial Edge in combos has its advantages such as considerable damage improvement (up to ~16% total) and additional screen carry. Both can make a huge difference in a match. The purpose of these notes are to help and understand better how to get BE midscreen consistently on each character. 1. Definitions The table provided below contains 5 typical BE strings divided in 5 columns and all characters present in BlazBlue: ChronoPhantasma EXTEND divided in 26 rows. There are actually 28 characters in the game, but 4 share the same hitboxes/hurtboxes so for these purposes we have 26 characters. Each character has 5 BE strings with notes/guidelines called Adjustments. But before we get to it, let's first understand what each of these notations mean. 1.1 BE strings Fact, there are countless ways to combo into BE... so many that listing them all would be impractical. The strings listed here either offer the best compromise between "Damage" and "Consistency". It's not in our interests to use a BE string that only works on a single character or one that works on most but sacrifices too much damage and doesnt work off certain starters. Gauntlet Hades is the most common move used in a midscreen combo and is very important for BE combos. It's a very versatile move that can be easily combo'd into and puts Ragna in a good position to follow up with more moves. It's a vital move for BE combos. This is how a typical BE midscreen combo looks like: 5B> 6A> Gauntlet Hades (GH)>> Spin Kick> dash 5B> 5C> (BE string)> Etc Or, Gauntlet Hades (GH)>> Spin Kick (KA)> dash 5B> 5C> (BE String)> Ender The BE String could be any of the 5 listed below. There are differences between each, besides character specifics, and some BE Strings can only be used in certain combos. 1.1.1 TK BE TK is short for Tiger Knee, that is, an aerial move performed at the lowest possible height. TK BE usually leads to better damage and uses the least combo time, allowing more combo extensions. It usually must be done early in a combo, at late parts untechable/time decay will no longer make 5C> TK BE possible. 1.1.2 j.B> j.C> BE Also contributes to better damage in combos. Very easy to perform and works on many characters more easily than TK BE. 1.1.3 Neutral hj.D> BE An odd string that is used on characters that refuse to get hit by the prior strings. 1.1.4 hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE (f.JC) stands for Forward Jump Cancel. Most "universal" BE string there is. Works on virtually every character and has huge screen carry. The only drawback is that the excessive moves results in lower overall damage and uses too much combo time. When in doubt, use this string! 1.1.5 6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE Another, but less, "universal" BE string. Compared to the previous string this one is easier to perform. 1.1.6 Damage comparison Which one leads to more damage? Ignoring Character Specifics these are the results: 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> TK BE> 5C> 6A> TK BS> dash 5B> 5C> 5D> DID, Damage: 3546 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> j.B> j.C> BE> 5C> 6A> TK BS> dash 5B> 5C> DID, Damage: 3518 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> Neutral hj.D> BE> 5C> 6A> TK BS> dash 5B> 5C> 5D> DID, Damage: 3421 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE> 5C> 5D> DID, Damage: 3345 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> 6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE> 5B> 5C> 5D> DID, Damage: 3518 1.2 Timings The combo notations alone aren't enough to tell how to connect BE. For example they don't tell how much GH has to be delayed or how to dash 5B properly, and these tiny bits of information are the difference between success or failure! However using absolute terms such as "delay" this or that just complicate things even more, because we're talking about character specifics and different circumstances can make that "delay" fail in a specific position or situation. That's why relative terms are better to describe these BE specifics. 1.2.1 Gauntlet Hades>> Spin Kick Timing This is very important! GH>> KA launches the opponent into the air, simple. But how much the follow up is delayed makes a huge difference! Grounded opponents To sum things up, the more you delay KA, the earlier Ragna can land for the next attack to hit the opponent. Now there's another way to think about this: "The more KA is delayed, the higher an opponent can get hit." It works the other way around too: "The less KA is delayed, the lower an opponent can get hit." So: For max delayed KA the opponent will be above Ragna. For a delayed KA the opponent will be above Ragna, but less than max delayed KA. For a brief delayed KA the opponent will be aligned with Ragna. Airborne opponents The principle is exactly the same but there's a difference... to keep it simple, airborne GH>>KA adds more height to the opponents. A max delayed KA on airborne opponents will launch the opponent way above Ragna. A delayed KA on airborne opponents will launch the opponent above Ragna, around the same height as a max delayed KA on grounded opponents. This principle shouldn't be hard to understand, so let's move on. 1.2.2 Dash 5B Timing Because being close to the opponent is often needed to land BE (unless stated otherwise), the dash 5B can be necessary. Just like delaying KA, the timing on dash 5B can make a big difference. Typically after a max delayed KA, Ragna has plenty of time to dash 5B, that can vary from immediate to very delayed. An immediate dash 5B after max delayed KA results in hitting the opponent at greater heights. Delaying the dash 5B enough results in hitting the opponent at lower heights. An immediate dash 5B after a brief delayed KA is the only way to hit the opponent, since delaying dash 5B can make the opponent hit the floor and tech, and always results in a lower hitting 5B. In other words, take in account how much KA has been delayed (and how high/low the opponent is) and dash 5B accordingly. 1.3 Adjustments Now that we understand how to time those moves properly and how it changes the results, we can finally understand better and talk about character specific adjustments for each type of BE String. This is probably why you're reading this! 1.3.1 High hitting The opponent must be above Ragna. It's important to dash 5B as deep as possible so Ragna can be almost underneath the opponent, the most favourable position for a sucessful BE. A High hitting adjustment can be achieved in many ways, as explained before: (Ground) GH>> max delay KA> immediate dash 5B (Air hit) GH>> max delay KA> delay dash 5B (Air hit)GH>> delay KA> immediate dash 5B The height requirement may differ slightly from character to character. Some may need to be hit a little higher or lower than others, but both are still High hitting adjustments. While others have very strict height requirements... High hitting adjustments can be very finnicky. 1.3.2 Low hitting The opponent must be aligned with Ragna. This adjustment is particularly easier than a High hitting, because there are a number of ways to achieve a Low hitting dash 5B. (Ground) GH>> max delay KA> delay dash 5B (Ground) GH>> delay KA> dash 5B (Ground) GH>> brief delay KA> immediate dash 5B (Air hit) GH>> max delay KA> very delayed dash 5B (Air hit) GH> slight delay KA> immediate dash 5B And so on... Low hitting requirements tend to be easier and less strict for all characters. Plus there's another benefit in Low hitting adjustments, they dont use as much as combo time, allowing specific and damaging combo routes for certain characters. 1.3.3 Extra height only Only possible off Extra height given by Airhit GH>> KA. It's related to High hitting adjustments and usually TK BE. Even on "Grounded GH>> max delayed KA" confirms the opponent won't be launched high enough to position Ragna perfectly for a proper BE confirm. Only Air hit confirms will launch the opponent high enough. There are cases where a Grounded GH confirm can somehow give the proper position (hitboxes are strange) but in most cases it won't. 1.3.4 Everything else Things like "delay 5B", "delay 5C, "N Starter only" are self-explanatory. "---" means that no particular special timing/adjustments are necessary. This doesn't mean however that it can be done in any way. For these "normal" cases always aim for a compromise between High hitting and Low Hitting. 2. Reference table Character TK BE j.B> j.C> BE Neutral hj.D> BE hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE 6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE Ragna High hitting, forward high jump BE, easier on N Starters Low hitting, delay 5C High hitting, no dash 5B (...) (f.JC)> (delay) j.C> BE can be used --- Jin Low hitting, N Starter only Low hitting High hitting, no dash 5B, delay 5C Same as above --- Noel High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only Doesnt work High hitting, no dash 5B unstable --- Doesnt work Rachel Doesnt work Doesnt work Doesnt work --- Doesnt work Tager High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only Doesnt work Doesnt work (...) (f.JC)> (delay) j.C> BE can be used Doesnt work Litchi --- Low hitting, delay 5C Doesnt work Same as above --- Carl Doesnt work Doesnt work High hitting, no dash 5B Doesnt work Low hitting Arakune High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only, deep dash 5B Low hitting, delay 5C High hitting, no dash 5B (...) (f.JC)> (delay) j.C> BE can be used Delay high jump Bang Low hitting Low hitting, delay 5C High hitting, delay 5C Same as above --- Taokaka High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only Doesnt work Doesnt work Same as above --- Hakumen --- Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Nu/Lambda High hitting Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Tsubaki High hitting, forward high jump BE, strict Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Hazama/Terumi --- Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Mu High hitting, Extra height only, forward high jump BE Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Makoto High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only Doesnt work High hitting --- Doesnt work Valkenhayn --- Low hitting, delay 5C Doesnt work (...) (f.JC)> (delay) j.C> BE can be used --- Platinum High hitting Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Relius --- Low hitting Doesnt work Same as above --- Azrael Low hitting Doesnt work Doesnt work Same as above --- Bullet --- Low hitting High hitting, no dash 5B unstable Same as above --- Amane Low hitting Doesnt work Doesnt work Same as above --- Kagura Low hitting Low hitting High hitting, no dash 5B unstable Same as above --- Izayoi High hitting, delay 5C, Extra height only, strict Low hitting, delay 5C Doesnt work Same as above --- Kokonoe High hitting, strict Low hitting Strict (specific horizontal spacing) Same as above --- Celica Low hitting Low hitting No dash 5B Extra delay on BE, (...) (f.JC)> (delay) j.C> BE can be used --- . 2.1 Compatibility rates These rates tell how many characters can be hit by a given BE string. It's possible to draw a "difficulty" rating based on specifics of each BE string across all the characters. Assume that: The more specifics, the more "difficult" a particular BE string it is Low hitting adjustments are "easier" since they are versatile and can be applied more easily TK BE works on 24 out of 26 characters (~92,8%) without taking in account specifics. TK BE works on 6 out of 26 characters (~23%) under Low hitting adjustments. TK BE works on 12 out of 26 characters (~46,1%) under High hitting adjustments. TK BE works on 6 out of 26 characters (~23%) that doesnt require special adjustments. Out of these 12 characters that can be hit by High hitting adjustments, 10 require specifics. (~83,3%) j.B> j.C> BE works on 18 out of 26 characters (~69,2%) without taking in account specifics. j.B> j.C> BE works on 18 out of 26 characters (~69,2%) under Low hitting adjustments. Out of these 18 characters that can be hit by Low hitting adjustments, 0 require specifics. (0%) Neutral hj.D> BE works on 11 out of 26 characters (~42,3%) without taking in account specifics. Out of these 11 characters, 7 require specific timings. hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE works on 25 out of 26 characters (~96,1%) without taking in account specifics. Out of these 25 characters that can be hit, 1 require specific timings. 6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE works on 22 out of 26 characters (~84,6%) without taking in account specifics. Out of these 22 characters, 2 require specific timings. 2.2 Difficulty rating Using the aforementioned criteria: j.B> j.C> BE is the easiest and most versatile BE string to perform, since it can performed the same way many characters. Followed by hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE, that works on virtually every character but results in less combo potential than j.B> j.C> BE. Followed by 6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE, that works on less characters but has better combo potential. TK BE is very strict compared to the previous BE strings, but has the best combo potential. Neutral hj.D> BE is not only more strict but has the least versatility. 3. Discussion No, the point of this table is not being completely memorized (good luck remembering 130 specifics) and yes help to understand better how a Midscreen BE Combos works on different characters. Practice is important and getting the right feel for these combos is necessary in order to get consistent with them. Consistency that will make a difference, BE combos have their share of benefits. Based on the "Difficulty ratings" I recommend: Learning and giving preference to j.B> j.C> BE. It works on all characters but: Noel, Rachel, Tager, Carl, Taokaka, Makoto, Azrael, Amane. For those exceptions, use "hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE". It works on them all, except Carl. For Carl use "6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE". When in doubt use "hj.B> j.C> j.D (f.JC)> delay BE" or "6A (HJC)> j.C (JC)> j.C> BE". "Neutral hj.D> BE" works better on Makoto. This way hitting BE midscreen shouldn't be a problem on any character! If you can, try memorizing which characters get hit by "TK BE". It may sound very difficult to memorize at first but eventually it just sinks in. TK BE may not look like a very attractive choice because of how specific it is, but the benefits outweight the downsides. 4.Extras 4.1 Combos Some combos to better picture the difference between non-BE and BE combos. GH>> KA> 5B> 5C (HJC)> j.C> j.D (JC)> j.C> j.D> DID~, Damage: 2819 GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> TK BE> 5B> 5C> 5D> DID~, Damage: 3303 (+14,7% damage) GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C (JC)> j.B> j.C> BE> 5C> 5D> DID~, Damage: 3335 (+15,5% damage) Throw> GH>> KA> 5B> 5C (HJC)> j.C> j.D (JC)> j.C> j.D> DID~, Damage: 3080 Throw> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C (JC)> j.B> j.C> BE> dash 3C> 22C> DID~, Damage: 3413 (+9,8% damage) 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> 2C> 6A> TK BS> dash 5B> 5C> 5D> DID~, Damage: 3123 5B> 6A> GH>> KA> dash 5B> 5C> TK BE> 5C> 6A> TK BS> dash 5B> 5C> 5D> DID, Damage: 3546 (+12% damage) The damage benefit may not seem much, but it exists. I recommend visiting Ragna's Combo Thread for more combos. 4.2 Useful links This other guide is also about Belial Edge, but talks about optimal positioning and damaging BE routes. Framedata is super important! There are reports about data inaccuracy but most info is fine. This YouTube channel has plenty of useful info for Ragna in general. Yes... shameless self promotion I guess. 5. Closing words Not much to say but I really hope this guide helps someone out there to understand better Ragna's midscreen BE combos in CPE. It may not seem very important for some, but I believe it's a step torwards mastering Ragna. It's not the difference between life or death but can make "that" really small difference that really counts in the end... these are my thoughts. And that's all!

Brief Naoto combo impressions (courtesy of @xlolxlolx) Source was this new Naoto combo list: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s73/sh/313fdce7-e2cf-4221-8ba6-9686131ddbd8/3d842503af42150155ec34200b90098c

Unknown. Update! This evernote contains many Naoto combos, and since this loketest is the final version of the game I think this is gonna be a base for the future Combo Thread: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s73/sh/9df140db-8cfa-41a0-85b1-21f390778a9b/fca6cbb235d5233a It's all in japanese but it's possible to understand most notations.

UNIEL Hyde Satomaru's Combo List (Translated) https://www.evernote.com/shard/s614/sh/62bf528a-7999-4c20-b702-f66dcc3e7342/eba329c6d00487a6c553bcafced96724

I believe you have misunderstood what @redsilversnake said. The lack of a tool doesnt automatically means it's a character's weakness, because it's usually an intentional part of the character's design to balance their strengths. Giving a character like Phonon a reliable DP and good mixup at many ranges isnt sensible considering she already exceeds in other areas. If by definition "weakness" is a character's lack of certain tools, then every character in the game has weaknesses which is true, but doesnt tell us much. That's why we have stronger and weaker characters, even though they all have weaknesses. You have characters that can use their tools and strengths more easily and safely, or that can easily enforce a gameplan that is hard to beat. They also can easily destroy another character's gameplan. This is how a strong character looks like. On the other hand you have weaker characters that have to take considerable risks, usually gets less rewards or rely on situational circumstances to even start something... and they can all have versatile tools. Now, that's more like a real weakness. So in the end it doesnt matter whether Phonon has a meterless reversal and/or good mixup at many ranges, she's still strong... because her strengths more than make up for it.

Another minor change for [st] Hyde is that 22A prorates better, it can be used midcombo for more damaging routes apparently.