Mike Z

Megafist FRC can link to 5p if you hit against a crouching character, which is rare and difficult. Otherwise, um, it's a PB setup, or you can FRC and airthrow if they jumped on reaction to your Megafist. Mike Z

Hey, nice job at SER2! You totally should have won that last one. (^.^) Used to be that you had to jump cancel 6K to do specials/supers because it wasn't special-cancellable. Now it is (witness the awesome 6K->Slidehead), so you can just do 6K/charge back, 6H. Mike Z

Tell your friends to hold 4 or 1 and press buttons while you're doing combos to them, and presto! air techs. It's a basic skill - even beginners mash when they have no idea what's going on - and once they're doing that, none of those combos work in the slightest. If you help them improve, when they get better so will you. One does not qualify as "pretty good at the game" if they don't try to tech. And yes, 5s 5h does combo on crouching, but nothing about it said 'vs crouch'. Mike Z

---Fular:--- Unless something changed drastically that I don't remember: combo 1 - 5s, 2s, or any other variation of s doesn't combo to 5h. (And you would never use 2k instead of 5k if they're close.) combo 2 - Heat does not have an FRC, never did. If you mean RC, then the combo costs 75%. 6h doesn't combo to 236P unless they're dizzy (it's techable), and even if I'm wrong around that, 236P definitely doesn't combo to 2d. combo 3 - you can't do c.s to 2k, maybe you meant j.s in which case use j.s->j.h and proofread your posts. 5s doesn't combo to 5h. Heat does not have an FRC, so it would cost 75%. If they're airborne after the Heat Extend, there is no way that 5p 5p c.s 5s HF combos without them being able to tech. You are aware that it's possible to air tech, yeah? :^) ---Pezzuti:--- Depends on what you did before the APB. If you start with PB FRC 5s APB, nothing will combo after the 5s except another 5s (not even a 2h), because the PB takes off too much guard bar. If you start with 5d j.h APB, you can do 5s 2h etc or 5s 5s Heat. If you start with 5k 2s 2h HF/break j.p j.k APB, you can't combo anything unless they blocked something first. If you start with 5k 2s 2h (or just 6k 2h) HF/break APB, you can since the shorter combos take less off the guard bar. If you start with Slidehead, close S (far S) APB, you can. Note 1: The far S has decently longer untechable time than the close S, so in some situations where you couldn't do close S, Heat you can instead do close S, far S, Heat. The far S will combo off the close S, and the Heat will combo off the longer untech time on the far S, even though you added a hit before it. Note 2: Even if it is impossible to combo 5s 2h (or 5s heat), you can always do 5s APB, because if done correctly a tiger-knee'd APB starts up faster than even a far S. Mike Z

Well, EX Pot Heat has FRC...but yeah, none of those combos really combo. :^) Mike Z

Yep, that's it. If he does it right you have no choice but to block or reversal invincible something (backdash etc). Mike Z

Lots of players recently are SBing the 2nd hit of Mawaru, because you know he's going to do it, and the 2nd hit always comes at the same time after the first hit, plus usually Eddie isn't hitting you at that point. There was a May match vid from a long time ago where the guy did that, as well. Mike Z

I agree with the posts above - beating the computer won't help you improve against humans since you can just figure out what always works, and it'll always work (witness Makoto's [Karakusa->Fierce->Hayate]xN beating any level of AI in Third Strike). Doubly so in GG because the characters' 'endings' are just a static picture with the credits rolling over it, and the special character-vs-character intros are much more awesome. However, if you absolutely have to beat her to continue liking GG, throw her a lot. Throw her as soon as you're allowed to after Megalomania (you have to wait a bit), and especially with Sol, Wild Throw her and combo. Learn how much of a combo you can do before she'll break out into Megalomania, and stop right after she breaks out. Use the bit of lag after her super to start pressuring her again, and it's almost like you never stopped. Also, you can hit Stroke the Big Tree (ground slide into spike up) with any low move, but it dodges mid and high - or you can throw it. You can FD if you try to advance in the air and she attacks, which is a good thing to be able to do properly against humans as well. Or you can play Potemkin, where [slidehead 5k 2s Heat walk back]xN is almost as bad as Makoto vs the computer. Mike Z

Anji jump -> slashback first hit of Heat, FD 2nd, 3rd hits -> Pot does Extend, Anji does um, some kinda super and gets counterhit. Old glitch. Mike Z

I didn't post that. (^.^) He means Heat, let them drop and walk back, Slidehead on wakeup into OTG Giganter/Bullet and combo afterwards. It works: - on light/medium characters, but only characters where the Giganter hits them out of the sliding state (not everyone!) - only from far enough away that the Giganter hits right before it ends, so the Bullet has more time to start up - only midstage because otherwise you can't combo after the wallbounce. If you want to try to get the distance right for training, have Baiken block 5p 5p 5p, then Slidehead, and the Giganter will hit at the right time. I think FAB didn't follow up because he didn't think the 5p would actually hit. (^.^) Mike Z

PB 2s Heat works on everyone. It helps at first to do the FRC with PKS, because then you can just hold 2 and double-tap all three buttons to get FRC->2s quickly. Though on Ky, Jam and everyone else which it works on (Baiken Bridget etc) doing FRC 5s 2s is easier since 5s is faster then 2s. Mostly it's just hitting the button as quickly as you can after the FRC. Mike Z

You *can* PB it, but you have to either have done the motion before and hit P just after he goes behind you, or do the motion backwards. Normal throws don't have that problem. Mike Z

I think it counts the H as both the bite input and the throw tech, because I seem to remember not having to release it to get the special after teching...you get it no matter what. Mike Z

Air VT is useful against HPB. Don't forget that dumbness. Also starmine after throw... Mike Z

rtl nailed it - I mess around to see how games work a lot. (^.^) Just like He Who Shall Not Be Named Lest He Find These Posts. Mike Z

- You can tech your opponent's throws with any special that ends in 4H or 6H (for example, 236236H "To SPACE!" with Slayer). - If you do so, your character will do their special immediately after teching, before the opponent is able to move. However, the opponent is completely invincible, so if this is what's happening Slayer should tech and immediately do a whiffed bite. - Another way to test this is by doing the bite as a release move (i.e. do it by releasing H) because I think releasing the button won't tech throws...but you should check that first. You can also tech while FDing... Mike Z

HOS - I fight ID all the time (^.^) so here's what I've learned: - You can 6P the Lv3 Storm Viper's last hit - this is very useful. You can also 6P after a Lv1/2 SV -> Action Charge, which will CH or simply miss if he FRCs into another SV, but you still get to retaliate. - HF gets eaten alive by a lot of his moves - careful use of 5p and 5k along with walking works better for me. - HOS is very good at getting out of JG, since he can either JC most anything, SV, BHB->AC, or Gunblaze (too many acronyms!). Also, a lot of his pressure is PPP->something, which is easy to bait JGs with, so save them for when you really need them. - Vs. his air pressure (PPPPPP SV!): IB->backdash or IB->buster is very useful. Jumping up to meet him either with a very early j.S, or a j.P to clash also helps. 2h can get you counterhits more than you think if you smell a jump coming, since a lot of his on-the-way-up moves only hit you if you're standing up. If you do CH, stun combo and win! - Double backdash to buster is more useful than simple backdash buster, because HOS can do standard doublejump stuff to get you out of just one. - If he decides not to rush you down, there is basically nothing you can do to prevent him from running away and manual charging to Lv3, so learn what to do against Lv3 moves. - Unless it's a meaty corner Gunblaze, learn to throw (NOT PB) Gunblaze on reaction. Double Gunblaze mixup is dumb, and if you get hit by one it leads to half life combos. PB, JG, and FDB are very risky since it's hard to tell which side he is on when you do it, whereas a simple throw works regardless of direction. 5p can also help. - Slidehead beats a lot of his pokes (like with everyone) but it loses horribly to, of all things, RockIt, which is one of his main far pokes. Bah. - You can still loop HOS, and you can still SH him on wakeup if you're perfect. You can also get it a lot if he's not paying attention, but the 6K/SH mixup isn't much use because he can wait and FD the whiffed 6K then kill you. - Since SV is so good, baiting on wakeup is more useful than trying to beat it out or assuming he won't do it, as with Sol. Baiting with a Giganter is safe and leads to huge damage and possible stun. - An important part of strategy is what you decide to do after teching from a SV - move around and try to j.S rather than j.D, would be my suggestion. - Lastly, don't hesitate to waste meter or Extend. I find the optimal range for Pot in this match is max PB range, rather than really up close, since he has to rush you down anyway. Once you learn to deal with Lv3s (as above) you reacting to HOS trying to get back in is very much in your favor, I think. Overall - very winnable, just take whatever damage you can get. If you end up with 5p 5k 2d, fine. If you have a choice, take damage over a knockdown, since HOS is also mostly an in-close character. PBs will be rare until you are very accustomed to his pressure, but when you get one be SURE to convert it into max damage you can (2s 2h Heat is optimal, but if you can't do the 2h, I say go for the Extend!). Maybe I should clean that up some. :^) Mike Z

If you have busy hands, you can also do it by doing 664P...this comes from BBHood's infinite in Darkstalkers, but I'm sure it applies here, because for some reason for many people it's easier to be pressing a direction after the dash than to just let go. (^.^) Mike Z

12:51 - Even if the Slidehead hits them after the 2s (it's too slow to really combo), if you hit them with Slidehead out of the air or as OTG they can tech immediately, so no followups are possible. Boo. Greedy - If you are having trouble timing the close S, try holding forward after you do the APB and hitting S the moment you see Pot start walking. You have a slight bit of leeway to be able to hit the button before they hit the floor. You could also try using 5p and just learning what the timing is with that, then moving to 5s after you already know. Mike Z

Eyeball game controls were broken - my GF got really angry at it. (^.^) 3 hr drive was totally worth it to see everyone, even Hellmonkey who I never found afterwards. Mike Z

Not about distance, it's about timing. Buster has startup before he grabs (3 frames but 1 is enough), meaning if the bazooka (or anything meaty) is active there's nothing he can do since it's not a Volcanic Viper. Stormlocke does knockdown, 5p (for timing I guess), Bazooka. I'll let people who actually play Robo answer for real though. (^.^) Mike Z

From a Potemkin player's perspective: ==Pot player== - Didn't ever do the better Slide Head combo on Robo, which is 5k->5s->2s->heat. - Didn't do Buster FRCs (??????) - Did too many reactive tech->j.D's against Robo, where missile beats it for free. - Tried to do the Giganter loop on Robo Ky, which is impossible even if Robo doesn't GOTFTSD. - Did a whole host of other things incorrectly. ==He's getting there, but it needs a lot of work.== ==Robo Ky== - Did way too many random DPs that weren't Lv3. - Did random Robo Dashes, which are completely unsafe vs. Pot (backdash Buster on reaction). - Not once did 5H FRC or Steam FRC pressure. - Not once did Bazooka as okizeme, which is arguably the best thing you can do vs. Pot. - Didn't make good (any?) use of his Force Break. - Didn't do Lv3 missile keepaway, since the Flick projectile no longer goes full screen. - Did black-beat dust combos... ==Overall, too many things that are unsafe if the Pot player would have been looking for them, and didn't put enough mixups into his pressure game. Also getting there but not there yet.== Mike Z

Hey, this here be the matchups thread. Complaints about playing against Hellmonkey should go in the thread devoted to that topic. (^.^) If anyone else wants to do this thread properly, feel free. I'm not as organized as anyone else (the Bridget matchups thread is amazingly well laid out, with "Their Gameplan" sections and all that jazz) so I'm just going to start by complaining about Testament for a moment. Testament: Testament is stupid, at least vs Pot. Or maybe it was specifically myself vs Mint. I can deal with the getting-through-traps-to-hit-him, the waking-up-into-a-net-and-a-high/low-mixup, and the 50%-Badlands-loops-into-MoP-into-powered-tree-and-stand-there-next-to-it, but the constant EXE Beast spam finally got to me. I swear EVERY TIME he hit the ground from a jump, tech, or wakeup, he was throwing one out. I even got to combo 5k->5s->Judge Gauntlet because of the constant Beasting. The safest possible thing was just to try for PBs, because they'd grab the EXE beast (which it was 100% guaranteed he'd try to do) out of startup. You cannot win this match if you can't FDB, either. Be sure to know when you can burst out of BL loops without being combo'd again, and don't let him get away once you've got him. He's not terribly good at escaping, but don't Extend unless he's going to die from it. Instant-blocked Badlands is PBable. Also remember that one blocked 5k->2s->PB tick can do 90% if you have meter. Openers: For some reason in AC moreso than previous games, at the start of the round 2p seems to beat a ton of other character's opening moves, and leave you pretty safe if they opted to be defensive instead. Against certain chars (Johnny, Anji, Faust OMG!) anything that 2p doesn't beat you could do Slide Head against and win. If you do open with 2p, make sure to cancel to HF and go from there (Break/Buster, whee). In conclusion: You can always backdash the 3rd unblockable in the Triple Unblockable from Eddie, making him easier to beat than Testament. Thank you for your time, Mike Z

After 6p, it depends on how much tension you have and what your plan is - do you want tension, mixup options, or straight damage: - If it's a character you can Heat/Giganter loop, you might want to go with a simple Heat and do that if you can keep yourself from throwing up at the thought of doing it. - If you have no tension and it wasn't a counterhit, Heat is still the best option. If it was a counterhit, you can jump and do a falling H, land 2S(->2H)->Heat. This applies to all situations if you want wakeup options and extra tension. - If you have 25% tension, you can choose between Heat (for getting over 50% tension) or Air Buster combo for decent damage. You can also do a Judge Gauntlet after a CH 6P for um...some stun... - If you are going for damage and you have 50%, in midstage a Giganter (632146H) + Bullet (the followup) into 2s(->2H)->Heat gives good damage, you get back a lot of tension from the Heat, and you get good wakeup options. If you are close to the corner and you have 50%, your best option is combo to fwd-moving Air Buster then 5s(close)->5s(far) Air Buster, which is actually pretty ridiculous damage and still gives you wakeup games. ** Keep in mind that 6p->Giganter combos against jumping chars, but also combos against standing chars (letting you do Slidehead or HF/Break Buster) and is safe on block, meaning you don't have to react very much to how they get hit by the 6p. - If you have more than 50% tension, in midstage after the Giganter either Air Buster or Heavenly Buster are good for damage, but he's had the HPB stuff since forever. In the corner if you're repeating 5s->5s->Air Buster (like on Faust), the 3rd one is worth the tension but the 4th one is not (only 10 damage or something), to me it's better to let him drop after 3 and do wakeup games. Near corner you can you do Giganter+Bullet, 5s->fwd Air Buster and do crazy damage plus be right next to them on wakeup. Edit: Also remember that tradeoff of the tension+knockdown vs. damage also applies to Heat vs. Heat/Extend: You get much more tension for a simple Heat, plus forcing a knockdown, but if you combo into Heat/Extend you get more damage, less tension, and they can usually tech. On chars who take high damage, the Extend may be worth it simply because it hurts a lot (see: Baiken!), or if you are near the corner it's possible to Extend then have them tech and re-Heat. Mike Z

I am...humbled. Someone who can draw needs to make a map of that whole place with icons indicating points of interest. Mike Z