Mike Z

Mac - I did not mean those were boring matches, at all. They were pretty hype, actually. Playing vs. Haku is boring when I do it, maybe not for other people. :^) As Tager, letting yourself worry about getting in makes it that much easier to mess up, and the only alternative for me is sitting around doing 2B all day. AXIS - Yeah, convincing yourself that Collider isn't going to get you Fatal'd takes a while, heh, but the reward is way worth it. I won't repeat "you didn't follow up your Ds", but I will say that you should go learn the slightly better combos. For example, there's pretty much no reason to ever do ACx2, 2B when you can do 6B, especially since it lets you end with better stuff. One thing to add to your poking game is 6A - if you do it at the right range, even if Haku counters it successfully you won't get hit. It's risky, but so is absolutely anything in that match. ;^) Also remember about 4D - you can do blockstrings to 4D, which is much safer against Haku since he can't IB and counter the 4D's hit like he can with chain to ASledge or 5D. 4D even beats his 4C if you do it approximately at the same time. And yes, save that Spark. Use the threat of it to get in, not the Spark itself - if Mac were ready for it, the most a random Spark will get you is a black orb. It's a pity I don't have a 360 to play on...

Aww, now there will be TWO entrants. :^P

Yeah Hakumen is like that, whoever falls asleep first loses. :^( That aside - Spinny/Terra after long combo to Spark isn't worth doing unless they'll die. Spinny to Gadget kinda is, but saving your meter > spending it all. You don't Gadget - remember, AC after Gadget cleanly beats Hotaru, one of the only moves in the game that does, so Gadget isn't as bad against Haku as it could be. Don't forget you can charge the Spark if Haku's far away. Skip past some of the boredom that way. 4C is -5, so if they are magnetized and you IB it, a 720 is freeee since you buy yourself the extra frames to pull him in...practice that if you are so inclined. You get impatient, too; I know it's hard not to, but your best offense in this match is walking! For his part, he needs to remember that he can counter pretty much anything after Tager's 5C. He lets you get 5C->5D a few times, which is easy for Haku to catch.

Air tech -> recover airborne -> has jump landing recovery, so yes they can't hold up to jump out. They can doublejump, but most people aren't good enough to get it. Neutral tech -> has no landing recovery, which is why if you do a 720 early they can land after the superflash and jump out.

There are little white circles when you 'hit' a move that is invincible to your hit. How do people not see these things?

Remove Slidehead from AC Pot and he's just good, not amazing. (Even with Slidehead he has bad matchups!) A grappler should be a decent regular character first before you add command grabs, which Potemkin was. What's everyone's problem with him? However, I recall reading somewhere that Mori&co are keeping Tager crappy because a grappler that's any good makes people not want to play the game. So they are keeping scrubs in mind, unfortunately their only previous example is AC Pot. (^.^)' IMO Tager needs Spark Bolt startup to be projectile invin, a combo rate > 40%, and a cancellable Sledge and he'd be much less crappy, but not overpowered. Give him a real antiair or let him cancel Volt Charge into 720 if they want to be really nice. But nobody listens to Murrica!

Note - you can actually do 2A->5C instead of 5B->5C in the second combo, which makes it eeeeven easier. ;^)

BBVlog got to grand finals, and I already made this post (oops) so I may as well duplicate the rest of the info: DacidBro (BA) vs. Some Guy (TG), Norcal Install Top 8 Zenmetsu (LI) vs. Some Guy (TG), Norcal Install Winner's Finals FURINKAZAN (BA) vs. LOOOOSEEEERR! (TG) part 1 Part 2 is the same thing, but isn't up yet. Gah.

Battle Gaiden was awesome, but you do know that Tetris Attack isn't Tetris at all, right? Hmm. Time is up to you...

Gayane (?) got tired of destroying everyone and went back to the ethereal plane. Seriously people, bring your SNES controllers and your A-Game, this Tetris Attack thing is happenin'. (I will have a few pads, but I won't have your old favorite that's still sitting in your closet.)

I just want to say this is probably the best tournament name I've ever heard.

BBVlog got to two: DacidBro (BA) vs. Some Guy (TG), Norcal Install Top 8 Zenmetsu (LI) vs. Some Guy (TG), Norcal Install Winner's Finals Also, I wish to make it known that I respect Dacid, and he's improved a ton. As the Marvel heads would say, "In the end who got that dubya?" :^) [edit] Can't wait to see me lose badly? Only one more left!

Delayed 360A lasts long enough to land it clean on an Astral-happy Hakumen, plus is a decent option on wakeup since it grabs most stuff and avoids the air kick as well. Protip - you can do it and let go of the button like regular anti-wakeup 360A, but if they do an Astral you can hold it again during the superflash and (as long as he didn't grab already) you will extend the Buster.

GG has 6f of throw protection after hitstun, meaning you can't be thrown at all. BB turns this protection into time where the throw will be purple even though the opponent has recovered. Gadget is +3, A-Buster startup is 11f, 11-3 is 8 frames before the 360A hits after the opponent recovers...meaning in theory you can't ever do a purple A-Buster after Gadget. Even if they extended the throw protection to 8f in CS (I dunno) you still would be grabbing the frame after the protection expired. 360B starts up in 6, 720 in 5, so those can both easily be purple.

I am certain this has been mentioned, but you should be BSledging these if your opponent is dumb enough to do one.

Should at least have me vs Dacid from top8 and me vs. Zenmetsu in winner's finals. Also Coopa's match, and Orion's - those were linked already. (They'll be up eventually...Rin is working his tail off, I'm sure.) Hard match is hard, yes. There are some incredibly stupid things in CS, but remember - it's not Nu!

No you don't, unless you enjoy watching FRKZ be dumb for 8 games. The rest of the matches are good though.

Coopa - like I said at NCI, your defense is fine...go practice execution. You miss Gadgets and combo enders all over the place! After 360A you can do walk 5B->4D/Spark for magnetism on Litchi, instead of nothing; the burst at 3:20ish could have been easily AC'd; at 3:50 Terra, 5C xx AC would have won right there, or even Terra, ASledge; you drop the (anything!) at 5:03; I dunno what was going on at 8:35; and at 12:10, don't forget you can always do the CT combo (360B, ASledge, Hammer) if you need damage. :^)

FTFY.

Yeknom - yeah, I know it was BB (and would have been any other new Arc game), which makes me sad...in terms of gameplay systems, BB is a sorry hack next to GG. After things like Arakune/Nu/Ba-ba-ba-Baaaang, I can even forgive Eddie. That said, you're the best already, get on with the Baikening. :^D

HYAPPOSHINSHOU -> win? Short book, Ken. ;^) If Yeknom had stopped using Eddie, SoCal would still have a GG scene. (^.^)

Yeknom - the GG-always-happens triumvirate is Max > you / you > me / me > Max. So in order for one of us to win, another of us has to have a random loss before facing both opposing members of the Triforce. So far that's always been me...shoutouts to being out of practice! :^P And though Flacidbro may be wrong-for-the-pun's-sake it forever changed my real-life pronounciation of Dacidbro to dak-sid-bro.

"Self deprecating". The difference between the terms is rather large, too.

That was an AMAZINGLY well-run tournament. All of the organizers/streamers/commentators/bracket runners did a super-sexy job. Evo could learn a thing or two...that was easily the slickest tourney since CUT. You all get a round of applause. Also mad props to not having SF4 at all - made my weekend. If I don't specifically mention you below, it's because I'm hella dense. The Animu Fighter community is seriously amazing. - OK srsly what the...TaoFTW is disappearing? Why didn't anyone tell me ;_; you are one HELL of a guy! You had better return, or I'll find you in 5 years and give you a nice smile. - Orion...here's to being my only Tager mirror all day! You'll have to forgive me for not remembering what I said, but I'm glad it helped. ;^) - Flacidbro, you are a great person, and you have significantly improved as a player. We know Bang is dumb, but with you it's for a different reason every time! Try as I might, I unfortunately have nothing but positive things to say. Keep it up! BTW, I won the single-elimination version of the tourney. (^.^)' - Fred and Ernest - GOGOGO OG UCLA GG CREW! <3 Although really, Ernest is one salty mofo. - Watches, the only GG player who gets 100% SARCASM from a gold burst: Snazzy duds, yo! Anyone keep any pics of you and Severin together? - Rin: My suggestion would be go make "clips" out of the streamed matches on the IPW site first so they can be found at will, then upload anything not covered by those, then upload HD versions of the things already streamed. Or you could ignore that advice and put up my Astral. - Max...yeah sorry about that. (^.^) Somehow you always manage to be scary as hell without having any local comp...or even a copy of the game. Hair-rubbing was warm fuzzies. - Yeknom...see, that wasn't so bad, was it? One day at a time, and you can overcome that Eddie addiction. Clean and sober. - Honnou - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ::some Japanese:: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Soniti, I was sad when I realized you wouldn't be there this Wednesday, or for many Wednesdays after, but then I remembered you'd be on a campus...with girls. Keep it real, kid. :^) - Scott ROCKHEART: 'nuff said. - Copperdabbit: I only got to Grand Finals because I didn't have to face you or render or ZONG. Thanks buddy! Your smile and unconditional adulation means the world to me. Come to the next tourney though, ya? - ZONG...speaking of that, wtf? You free to anyone who lives north of Granada Hills? - Everyone who played Skullgirls: You're the reason I get up in the morning. oh and - MAKOTO CAMARO - DEAL WITH IT. Pulsr I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!