madaxe_munkee

No combo off 3C is 'free'. 3C is a real nuisance to land on the vast majority of players who are capable of blocking. It can be blocked on reaction. Don't use it by itself, unless you know it'll land (like a really badly whiffed distortion or something). Learn to hitconfirm Noel's (slightly) safer moves that combo into 3C. Like 5B and 5C counterhit. Less damage than a straight 3C hit, but when your 3Cs can't land at all it has no meaning. It doesn't matter if you can do 6k off of a 3C if they never land.

Well I guess that for Noel, it's kinda easier to let Hazama come to you than going to Hazama. When you run at him, he starts throwing those chains everywhere and it's difficult to get close without a lucky guess as to which direction he'll throw them in. Not to mention that if he nicks you with them, he can go straight into combo+oki. If you let Hazama come at you (especially if he hasn't pinned you down with ouroboros), then you have more of an advantage, if you're confident that you know the openers he's likely to use that is.

Lol I think that the whole Bang's anti-air not being good thing misses the point. Because Noel's 'air to ground' game is not very good. Most of the time she can't combo off of a jump-in, because those combos require riskily low to the ground j.Bs and j.Cs.

I've put alot of work into making my anti-Tager game as good as possible. He used to be my worst matchup, but now I don't seem to have much of a problem anymore. I guess the first thing that I'll say about it, is 'learn good combos'. And by 'good combos' I mean, if you want to really get a heads up over him you want to know some really solid combos. Tager is one of the easiest characters to haida-loop and a well practiced Noel can do 5k against Tager without Tension, and that's really important. If you can't match his damage, then you're going to have alot of trouble bringing him down. However, when you can finally pull it off, most Tagers don't know what hit them. But well, setting that aside. You have to keep out of his grab range whenever you're not attacking him. If you get him in a block string, don't stick around. Knock him up a little, and then backdash/airdash out of there as quickly as possible especially if you start seeing him flash white. 5B is my favourite poke against Tager. It has good range, and on counterhit can combo right into 3C which means good damage, which is key. It's also something you can use to poke him while he's recovering from certain slow moves (although if the move is slow enough, you'll be better off just going straight for the 3C instead, since it leads to her best damage). I like to 5B Tagers that like to Sledge lots. Play keep away, but when you do get in close you might as well try some quick mixup. Watch Tager's sparkbolt gauge. When I'm fighting Tager and I see that his gauge is full, I hop to the other side of the screen to bait it and when he shoots his sparkbolt at me, I use a well timed 4D to go through it. Practise doing that, it's a surefire way to amaze and surprise some people. Also watch the way Tager moves. If he jumps, remember that he might be buffering Tager Buster and don't try and run at him. If he does voltec charge, he might be buffering Tager Buster in there as well, so be careful. When you're magnetized, stay away but be careful not to backdash too much etc. Don't allow yourself to be put under negative penalty. When Tager is on the ground rising, he might do a Tager Buster when he wakes up, so don't stand right on top of him unless you have a reason to believe that he won't. If he backdashes, don't run after him because he might Tager Buster once he's finished yomi-ing your moves. Train yourself out of these bad habits. Also, know that Tager's Drive moves (which magnetize you) are best countered by Noel's 5D or potentially 4D. If you learn the timing to go through it and are able to reliably predict when your opponent uses them, it'll be happy times for you. However, never use 5D or 4D if you're not certain that it's going to go through one of Tager's moves. Chain Revolver Blockstrings (an oxymoron?) are just too unsafe against Tager. Never try and use 5D to mount an offense against Tager. 5B and 5C are alot safer, and I shy away from 5A, because it requires me to be too close (no matter how much frame advantage it has). Also, curiously: Fenrir beats Emerald Tager Buster. It really does. If you get real good, you can do it on reaction possibly. Just don't throw Fenrir out all the time, because if you miss, you'll probably eat a sparkbolt for breakfast. And all of your teeth as well. Optic Barrel is not that great against Tager (or anyone else for that matter). Sometimes I throw it out when he's far away just to remind him that he has sledge, so he can try it on me and I can 5B him. I think that I'm all out of tips now finally. Maybe if you ask more specific questions I'll remember to check and answer them. At least I hope I will.

Valkenhayn has been spelt incorrectly. Please change the name of this thread before everyone starts commenting on it and this finds a way to stick ><.

My best attempt at translation. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but it feels like this is what's going on from my perspective. I went to http://generalnantoka.blog35.fc2.com/ to get these, but could only be bothered translating the red ones. 通常投げの補正増加かマズル補正増加 Noel's command throw (muzzle flitter) has been buffed. ・Cハイダーの浮きが高くなったため高火力コンに行くときに工夫が必要に To make the C haida float higher, it now twists opponents. ・CR5Cがjc出来なくなった No jc after CH 5C ・5Cが前進しなくなった No improvements on 5C ・5Dの発生AMショー時よりさらに鈍化。一瞬溜めてから前に出て、距離が長い Startup for 5D is longer than it was at the AM show. If you dash just before, it now hits farther. ・スプリングレイドで横への吹っ飛ばしが強くなり、画面端じゃないと追撃不可に The hit for spring raid is now stronger. Can't follow up except in corner. ・ハイダー同技乗算付加？長いハイダーコンは削除に Haidas now have more tech time proration. Can't do long haida combos.

5D will only work against sledge if you know it's coming. You can't hope to get anywhere if you throw it out without working for a counter hit, since you'll just get sledged properly or if you're unlucky Tager Buster-ed. Jumping is a safe option in that he can't Tager Buster you while you're in the air. And often, you can j.A him before he can get atomic collider out. 5A spam will protect while you're close, but get out quick or you might eat a Tager Buster as soon as he recovers. It certainly doesn't hurt to spam Optic Barrel at long range (i.e. as long as he's not close enough to sledge through it an hit you) but it's unlikely to give you a significant advantage unless you're hunting for a time-out. Just never do it while he has a full spark gauge, or if you're magnetized, because then his ability to draw you into his attacks becomes just too good. 5B is still good though. And I actually like j.A, it has good range and a knack for creating openings.

Erm, well don't run straight into Orobous. Learn to block his attacks when he pulls himself in, esp when to block low. If you drive spam while he's far away, odds are he'll Orobous you for a free combo.

I j.A spam to victory. It's got nice reach. Just gotta watch out for his grabby air hand lol. Never 3C, never 5D. I can combo off of 5A as well, which turns out to be immensely helpful.

With Noel? To be honest, I don't really know. Usually what I do is block, and then if he goes for the second hit, I 5D through it and hit him, but there's not much combo potential after that. Usually throw in a 2D, 28D after. Can RC into Drive Juggle, but that only works if he's low enough to the ground or he'll tech. As for 3C slide, I find it usually works for me. If he's throwing you on landing, then you should probably have done 3C sooner. I think the best idea would be block, 5A, 6A, 6C, drive loop. But that's if you can think fast enough. I usually can't. And well, some of them activate straight away (yukikaze & all green), so they don't have i-frames on startup. Some definitely have more invulnerability frames than others, and so they'll actually be used to move through some moves (i.e. Fenrir). Others don't have many. Ragna's devoured by darkness does have i-frames for example, but they aren't long enough that they lead straight into his active frames. So, you can almost always 5A him out of it before he hits you if you think fast. 5D is also a solid option. Jin's Ice Fang has a similar problem. Also Hakumen's Shippu is slower than that guy in front of you in line at McDs trying to make up his mind as to whether he wants a Big Mac or a Fillet o Fish.

This is actually more of a CT question, but I'm gonna ask it here because it comes with a corresponding CS question: Under what circumstances will blocking a burst put you under guard break? Does this still happen in CS? I've done it, and had my guard broken as well a few times, but I couldn't figure out any common features in any of the cases :/

Around how much damage do you get from Haida Loops in CS?

I like punishing Hells Fang and Carnage Scissors with 5D. I bait them just by keeping my distance. If you're playing a pro Ragna, his wakeup game is probably too good for you, so it's better to knock him down, and then keep your distance or stand over him just a little bit away and guard. Inferno Divider is just too good as a wakeup move. He'll also try to cross you up with ground rolling. Sometimes he'll switch sides and then open with Inferno Divider (which is ass) so watch out for that. If you're at midrange, bear in mind that Ragna most probably can still hit you. 2D is still a solid pressure option. 5D is good to phase through his attacks if you know what you're doing. Solid Blood Kain combos are hell. If he goes into Blood Kain and knows how to combo, Burst as soon as he's close enough for you to know the burst will knock him away. Make sure not to burst while he's using Inferno Divider. If he lands the full thing on you, that could be 6k right there or more if he has additional tension (I mean heat...). And that's about it.

Unlike alot of other characters, the best defense against Nu is a good defense. Learning how to block those swords of hers makes your life alot easier. Don't get impatient and rush at her if she has you locked down for a while, because most Nus rely on that to get their damage. However, if you think you can read her, then know this: For Nu, her 2 main offensive options have a 50/50 chance of success. 5D.D will fail her if you IAD quicksmart. and 6D will fail if you run, and then 3C. You've gotta be quick. If you miss your chance, you miss your chance and the best thing you can do is sit smart and wait till she gives you another chance. At range, I find it's better to be in the air, since it's more difficult for her to cross you up. Jump cautiously, and keep your barrier block up. Watch out for her sickle storm at range, since she'll try to sweep you. 4D (the overhead) will often get you off guard, esp against a good Nu, so watch out for that. Once you're close, you have to give it all you've got, because if she manages to reset again, then you'll most likely have to deal with another 3 blockstrings before you get another chance. I find that often when Nu tries that backdash of hers, a 3C will still hit her if you're close enough. Do beware though, since we all know how horrible it's recovery is. Nu's C moves will beat out all of your drives, so don't start combos with those. 5A is your friend, 6B as well at the right range, and 3C so long as you know she won't see it coming. Also bursting isn't great unless Nu's in the corner since otherwise, it'll set the game up in Nu's favour again. I wouldn't bother bursting while she's driving you, since it's only really beneficial if it actually hits her. Otherwise she'll just hit you again while you recover. Your best weapon is patience.

At least Rachel is now the only character who took more nerfbat than us. Often when I fight Rachel, I just have to try and psych her out. Run at her, and stop suddenly to see how she reacts. If she throws out a rod prematurely, its a free chance to RTSD. Rachel has poor defensive options, with the (albeit big) exception of that cat chair of hers. You have to get in her face, and once you're there you need to be creative and unpredictable. If you notice any blocking/defensive patterns that she's used to, make sure to subvert them next time you get the chance. As for george, your best defense against him is keeping the pressure on Rachel. She'll either get hit and george will disappear, or you can hope to make her run so you can get away from george or push her away yourself. And lastly, if your corner game is weak, stay out of the corner because most Rachels have great corner games.

Has anything to do with Noel changed in the console patch for CS? That is all.

Standing guard is pretty effective against chain revolver. You'll only need to worry about 6D, which as we all know is painfully slow. So slow that I deem it nigh unusable. As long as you know she isn't going to 2D, 214D or 28D you can feel free to 3C under her moves. If you detect a hint of 2D, 214D or 28D well. I often just block 2D, since most likely they'll just go into another move, and you can 3C under that one. Or they'll go into 214D 28D which can be blocked and then punished, or 236D which can be 3Ced under again. If you know what you're doing, 5D through 236D into BnB combo for style points. I also 5A spam against Noel between active frames. Anything that it can't stop, you'll have plenty of time to see coming and block (except maybe 3C. Just don't spam 5A at range) Noel's weight and hitbox might come across as strange to you. I know I think it's weird still. You really don't have an excuse not to hit her with all you've got though, since all your combos are still available to you in their fullest. Just be patient with your 6Cs after your haidas. Mixup is still your greatest asset in this match, and against Drive Spamming Noels, I find that mixup is what really clinches my matches for me. Drive spamming Noels are weakest when they can't Drive, and need to use their basic skills. Okizeme and so forth. If you know your combos, you only need to hit her with an opener 3 times. Even less if you hit a distortion drive or two. Use your 6B, and your 3C. Most players actually block low by default, and 6B and 3C both have alot of reach if you know how to use it. Just be careful with 3C, since it's more punishable on block than 6B and if they read you, it's likely you'll eat a 2D. They key to using mixup effectively is nailing your BnBs down. It doesn't matter all that much if you know which move they're gonna be vulnerable to next round if you don't have the weight behind your attack. Good BnBs are the difference between a good Noel player and a Drive Spammer and I know that there's no better way to stake your claim at Noel pro-ness than punishing a poorly selected drive move for 4k+ damage.

I play alot of Hakumens, but there is this one guy who often does well against me. He just stays in the air continuously, and is always jumping. If I run at him, he'll j.C and then combo off it. Sometimes I can land a 6A, but I always have to beat out a j.C to do so which is risky, and even when it works I have trouble following up, since beating the j.C required me to use 6A earlier than I would have liked. I've considered 2D to get him, and it works sometimes, but it's risky, and can still lose to a j.C as well. When it comes to stuff like this, I just want to knock him back to the ground so I can use pressure and mixup, but it's never long till he's back in the air and the game resets all over again.

Also with Noel, it's always favourable to have your opponent on the ground in my opinion. Any tips for keeping Litchi nailed to the floor?

Litchi's blockstrings are really good. I think, that I just need to learn more about them, and figure out their openings. That's what I did with Ragna basically, and I haven't had too much problem since. Noel doesn't have a USEFUL reversal (I'm looking at you arcsys), so it's really important to know any openings that your opponents give you, seeing as how you can't make them for yourself very easily. I usually don't have a problem fighting Litchi, unless the guy is good. When that happens, I often have trouble landing solid meaningful combos. I get the feeling that Litchi players are pretty well accustomed to Noel's weight. I hardly ever play against her :/ What's always key for me, is knowing how to start up my combos. Because once you've got things going, things tend to keep going in your favour. I like playing mindgames with my opponents to screw up their block, but it's hard to keep Litchi under pressure with Noel since, well... I think we know what I mean. If anyone has tips that are along these lines, that'd be great for me.

I think that 5D is good for dodging hishouken if you know what you're doing. 5D also leads into better damage than 3C if you can't haida loop. Also, if you 3C and he's smart, he'll either throw a quick sword or run at you and capitalise on that poor recovery. At least with 5D you have other offensive options. if he throws another sword at you, bloom trigger quickly. It'll cancel, since it's a projectile. I've done that a few times actually. It's rather satisfying.

Okay, my turn for a rant on fighting Tager. This is all CT stuff mind you, since I haven't had a solid run against Tagers on CS. Especially against other good players. Fighting Tager is tough for Noel because the way you fight needs to change so drastically. There are alot of key moves that are just absolutely out of the question. I mean, don't even think about them if you're playing a good Tager. It's important for you to rethink how you start your combos in particular. Don't use 5D, 6D or 3C. To be honest, I don't even like 5A as a combo starter against Tager. It requires you to be too close. Do use it to poke him in the middle of combos and to relieve pressure on yourself and if it hits, you either combo right off it, or run while he's stunned. Sometimes, you'll be tempted to hang in there and push your pressure on, and that's really up to you, just be aware that if you give him a chance, he'll throw out a Tager buster in the middle of your combo, and it's unlikely you'll be able to do anything about it. You want to keep just out of his range, in my mind I just make sure that he can't hit me with his 5D. Your preferred combo starters will be 6A and j.A/j.B/j.C. Do stay just close enough so that when he whiffs a move you can rush in with 6A and go into a 6C throw cancel loop. Stay further when you're magnetized, since it extends his range. Actually, just run when you're magnetized. He wants you to try and play pressure games with him, because that automatically puts you in his range. You'll want to switch to hit and run instead. If you can make him come to you, your life will be alot easier. I do know though that it's difficult to just wait. If you play Noel, you probably have the "If I'm not attacking, I'm not doing my job" mentality (like I do). But forcing Tager to come to you puts you in a better situation, because Tager players tend to be impatient, and so he'll try to sledge or drive towards you. Truth is both of those moves are unsafe against a Noel that is prepared. If he jumps, 6A to victory. It's great. Air approach is recommended, but mixup is important as well. Air approach hardly ever leads into good damage, and you really do need it against Tager, what with his meaty lifebar. It's a mouthful. and lastly, learn to keep an eye on that sparkbolt gauge of his. Getting hit by that thing is a bitch, and can straight up kill you if he has the heat. Someday I'll learn to 5D through it, and then I won't have to take the magnetism. Yes, a man can dream. Good luck guys.

Kill Nirvana. When it comes down to it, Carl will usually prioritize his health bar over hers, since it's low and he doesn't want to lose. Get a hit in whenever he gives you the chance, he's alot weaker without her.