Cryingvoid

On Rachel it worked fine. When you connect 236C to knockdown her, 6C connects definitely. And second 6C as well (since it is cancelling nature of AB2 mode), but the tricky part is that you must input your Backward high jump cancel right the moment you have executed second 6C. Pay attention: not the moment second 6C animation starts, but the moment you press the (second) 6C input. I'm worried how Jin manages to escape that very second 6C (first 6C sends him bouncing against the wall, and he manages to slip through the second 6C, which is meant to send him higher). It probably may by me who is failing the execution, but I fear this is the difference between Rachel and Jin's proportions. It might happen that after all the only universal AB2 ender is that hard version with many inputs in first Japanese video.

However, it is strange, I tried it on Jin, and double 6C didn't work the way it was supposed, but at the same time it worked on Rachel well. I cant get the point, hope XDest has something to say to clear the blurry parts. BTW, kataridragon, what's with those links to nico-nico with previous AB2 ender version? Do you have them? I can't find them in this topic... don't remember where they originally were... could you repost them, please?

Hawkk OK, let me introduce my own tutorial, that helped me in the first place. First of all, about the starter, do not do 6A > JC > j.2D, do 5B > 6A > JC > j.2D. I must confess, I have never taunt looped or taunt comboed off sole 6A. Only 5B>6A. It is easier to time your "blind" input for the jump cancel, since it requires the same amount of hold time, as '6' for '6A' part, and it can be felt clearly only off 5B as a starter. In other words, you need to input 5B, then 'blind' 6A, and then 'blind' 8. And the hold time for 6A (after 5B) is the same with 8, that's all. The tricky part here is the B-cancel itself. Most of the times it whiffs not of the delayed, but of the harsh input. Try 'delaying' yourself, as if playing a lazy-assed old fart The thing is - you have to input ~b cancels as late as possible, and hence - the whiff of a late cancel is better than the whiff of an early cancel! Remember that! Now to the tutorial. First, forget about actual practice for the beginning. All you have to do now is to teach your fingers to hit the right buttons in successive repetition without mashing, and with the same rhythm. Your very first exercise is to go to the training mode, set the opponent emergency rolls on, set the air tech on 'backward', set block to 'none', and then push him to the corner. As he is standing in the corner before you, it is time to practice your TL inputs. They are: Taunt>214D>WAIT>j.2D~b. First, look at your stick buttons (or a dual shock ones, whatever), and make sure, you can hit each button one after another, without looking at them, the following way (T - for the "Taunt"): T,D,,,,D,,B (comas show the approximately right rhythm, but later about that). When you learned the button input succession, and can hit them for eternity, time to work on your left hand. You need two directional inputs only, they are: 214 and 2 ('2' is not to be confused with '1', by doing so you will freak up the whole process, since j.4D (j.1D also) is another move). So try to input directions together with the buttons, 214 come before first 'D' input, and '2' obviously before second 'D' input. If you did first step correctly, now you must know the general execution and approximate rhythm of the taunt loop. Time to return to the training mode we set to parameters mentioned above. As your opponent stands in the corner, you will practice the Taunt Loop against him STANDING, so you could polish your rhythm and inputs with the visual clue. You start your pseudo-loop with a taunt (Taunt>214D>WAIT>j.2D~b), and you aim to hit the standing opponent with first hit of a Taunt, then Kitty Jump cancel it, then hit him with j.2D, and right the moment j.2D hits the opponent - cancel it with 'B' input. If it hits him, and you still manage to cancel it, then it is successful. Try it until you can do it automatically. Third stage of your training is the actual Taunt Loop, but the easier version - corner Taunt Loop. It is much easier to TL in the corner, since you get a bunch of free frames not to freak up it if you go faster or slower. For this step you will need to turn your monitor's sound off, to grasp the feel of the right TL without sound distraction. Best way is on arcade stick: it lets you hear the actual inputs. You will practice corner TL with 5B>6A starter. Forget about 6C for the time being, it is not used that often in actual matches, and it is slightly different from TL mechanics off 5B>6A. If you learned to TL successfully in the corner with sound off, then all is left is to turn sound on and first to corner Loop with sound, second to Loop FROM corner TO corner. That's the most difficult, since the window for j.2D is quite tight in full screen. After that stage you are free to try different starters and enders! The whole process took me myself a week or so, and I still fail many times. But for Tao - efforts are always rewarding! And you can learn some things subconsciously, meaning, you didn't see any progress when training yesterday, but today somehow you do much better! Hope these few advises will help you clear it out. Good loop... luck! :3

kataridragon No-no, twice as for input, hence - 4 hits in total. With just 2 hits the opponent is sent flying not high enough for your CAT2 to reach him. (Unless Dest discovered something different)

XDest So you've finally got yourself into our little AB2 fetish? :3 The taunt delay must be a tricky part, since you end already high, there is a possibility for an opponent to tech. However, I found three more tricky parts. First is that you must input your super back jump just as immediately as possible after 6CC, unless you won't hit your CAT2 on time. Second, I often whiff when jump-cancelling into second set of CAT2. Let me see, my last hit of CAT2 1st set sends an opponent to the wall, than I should forward jump cancel to collide him with my CAT2 2nd set there, at the wall, right? So he often techs out of his wall-knock out state before first possible hit of my CAT2 2nd set connects. Last, one very essential thing about the CAT2 sets, is NOT, NEVER extra hit after fifth hit connected. The sixth CAT2 hit will freak up the wall bounce strategy. About continuing it with 236236D for fanciness, that sounds cool, but also there must be a chance for tech trap, if in your 3rd set of CAT2 you'd hit the 6th hit. I curiously wonder, how should CAT2 ender behave with so called 'corner oki ender'? I figured, if it could be connected after the whole oki ender, it would be a whole new world of damage. And it may even sound reasonable, since the oki ender leaves you some window for action, after last hit of it has been performed. What if, instead recommended 236236D try out 236236B with immediate 6C etc.? Warahk The input is: 6C>TL>AB2(activate)>Taunt>236C>6Cx2 (there must be 4 hits to send the knockdown opponent flying as high, as it needs)>37(backward high jump cancel)>j.236BBBBB>9(air forward jump cancel)>j.236BBBBB>8(air jump cancel)>j.236BBBBBB(Japanese players add the sixth hit to the last set, since its damage is almost identical to the fifth one).

Dunno, but 236C ver. seems to be clearer to understand. Anyways, this ender is pretty complicated. Hope one time someone will come and explain the hard parts and share some tips :3

The point of successfully finishing the AB2 ender (from the version performed above) is to get in the following: taunt>AB2>taunt>CAT3 (exact input: 236CCC; must hit 6 times strictly)>6Cx2(must hit 4 times strictly, this is to send the opponent higher)>high back jump cancel>cat2 etc. This part can be easily trained right away turning AB2 mode to infinite in training options, and starting with 236CCC part right away against the casually standing opponent (since CAT3 always positions the opponent the same way, everything must be accurate in comparison with the original TL version). UPD: Pardon me, in the TL version, the CAT3 is okay to be 2 hits (input 236C only), since it is enough to bring airborne opponent into knock-out state.

kataridragon Hey, they are there: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bbcs+tao+almost+becoming+two!+combo&aq=f PS: Hell, third ver. (off 6C) does 7.5 or 8 k dmg... Godly I suppose, since AB2 is a super cancel, that 'extra' taunt that follows doesn't count, since you do not have to "keep hitstun waiting", that is.

I got the point. But how come, that in AB2 3 sets of CAT2 follow each other without even jump cancels? All I need is just press Cat2x5 -> Cat2x5 -> Cat2x5 one after another?

Can 2a starter bring 4.5k? Is it really worth the Tension gauge? Better try out casual 5B 6A start up, I wonder, how much will the AB2 enforced version of 5B 6A do?

I've used it at first too. But fatal is sometimes coincidental, sometimes a good luck, and eventually you'd come to understand the casual "drive CH/5B B'n'B" necessity and irreplaceableness (wow, what a word...) since Tao is just damn-arse-WEAK without the said! So get yourself steady on a chair, since TL training is a long process ;(

KM Riku What is the point of 3c? kakaism introduced "a complete 6C taunt loop -> Almost Becoming Two! -> 236A -> 4D~6 -> Cat2x5 -> Cat2x5 -> Cat2x5", as far as I remember. BTW, it was mentioned earlier, and I've recently come to check it: 2C FC-> 6C-> 214D-> j.2D~b-> TL version allows you to do up to 12 repetitions (meaning that original 2C FC-> 6C-> TL allows you up to 13 reps, - the loss is not that significant).

In other words: j.C for spam, j.D for a hitconfirm! Guns for Show, Knives for a Pro © Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

To go for oki means to go for maximally low CAT2 ender? ___ Hmm... Off which starter does the damage count in 'TL recommended enders' section comes from? Or is it literally with starter OFF?

Taoeon Drive-hit confirm on counter (from fullscreen or whatever), then casual 5B>6a>JC>J.2D~B>Taunt Loop. Or Drive-hit confirm on counter in air, then "catch" the falling opponent with TL. That's what JP experts use every single minute.

Yeah, I understand this. My point is that I used to finish matches in CT without combos, doing pressure-for-pressure game, since her normals and specials in pressure strings were significantly damaging, and it was much fun. So now in CS I lose that ability and need to retrain myself, to go for BnB every time I hit confirm instead of my casual (5D>2D>5C>2C>6C>236AxN>D~b/2D~b/D~c/or any other crossover >'repeat pressure string with other crossover') pressure loop. I mean, I took my time back then to learn a very well and fast and pretty solid pressure mixup game, and now it can't be used as freely.

I don't know if it was written already, but Taokaka's "close range high-pressure game" actually left her for good in CS. I find myself pressing my opponents with all her blockstrings, doing all the crossups and mixups, and suddenly see no damage at all... If in CT one could easily take half the lifebar without even full combos, just because the opponent failed to block a single hit in the blockstring, then in CS her normals' damage dropped completely. I want to say, that I actually succeed hitting in the blockstring, but it does shitty damage, unlike it was in CT. So am I right, that the only purpose for CS Tao to enter blockstringing pressure game is to slip in a starter for full and steady combo? No randomized mixups (like 5D>2D>5C>2C>6C>236AxN>D~b/2D~b/D~c/or any other crossover >'repeat pressure string with other crossover') will take effect if not getting you for full combo starter? Also, I think, first post got just a bit rusty, since it concerns mostly CT. Can anyone do some general strategy notes specially for CS Tao? Since she is really different from CT's Tao in all the aspects, and CT's strategies do not mostly work. In CT I could leisurely exchange pressure strings with Ragnas and do the same damage this way. But now I get 2000 at maximum, while losing more that a half lifebar myself. Thanks in advance. Retraining is a pain.

Mystic d must be a barrier burst.

lololo, How to learn and master taunt loop: 1) Taunt Loop with sound off to get the right input rhythm; 2) Taunt Loop with sound on to get the right ingame feel; 3) Taunt Loop with video off to get the subconscious instinct. Wish they added the input lag imitation mode to the game) But wait, I use Phillips flat HDTV, it has a bunch of different video improvers, that I turn off while playing fighting games. So turning them on might imitate input lag :3

Taunt Loop is boring to watch for newbies only, since they have no idea how complicated the move and its repetitions are. TL doesn't drop Tao's points, it just stresses her fooling around (in our case - trolling around lol) personality; and, yes, don't you get the wrong idea: TL is not boring for others to watch - it is pissing for others to watch, and that's exactly what Tao's style of fighting is meant for. "How can this fooling idiot defeat the proud me?" - it works like this Taos' expert matches in the eye of the beholder look more like playing around than fighting, look at Tsujikawa's matches for example. And I don't think the developers increased the hit stun her taunt causes occasionally. Nor do I think, they will change something fundamentally with a patch. At least nothing that will force to fully reconsider her tactics and combos.

Oh... I actually saw this numbers on the first page, but considered 'this must be a mistake' since the number (of taunts) was too small. Now I see, there was no mistake, just 6A does its hitstun scaling work 'well' -____- However, the good news for me are that since it is 6 taunts from 5b 6a, I already actually DO 5B TL combo! And what about corner oki variant? (Taunt Loop -> 214D -> j.2D~C -> ... -> j.D~A -> Taunt -> 214D -> j.236Bx5)? Since it is written '-1 taunt', I assume it is 5 taunts off 5B (+ one taunt in the ender itself)? PS: today online I clearly felt the influence of the lag: when you do your casual jump cancel in 5b 6a JC 2d~b, you find yourself jumping actually till the top of the screen lol. However, it might be okay with 4-type connection (I tested 2-type). PPS: thanks everyone one more time! Should get other starters trained as well.

Thanks for info, but I still don't get the max Taunt number for Tao's mixup #1 - 5B->6A/2B->6A/j.C->5B/2B->6A starter?

NekoExDeath Tail attack is actually one of Makoto's most bothering things, since it can't be countered, and has its active state till Makoto reaches the ground. So it forces you either to block, or to dash away. They often abuse their air tails to escape Taos' mixuping and blockstringing, so well-timed air grab works fine on them. A descent Makoto player will easily 'tail' you into a damaging combo like this, so don't be fooled by funny animation: her tail is something to fear O_O . Also Makoto has an overhead in her BnB string. It never goes on the first hit, so better start blocking low, and change to high block further.

And the maximum count is 9, right? From any starter?

It is called 'CAT2 loop'. Here are some tips how to get it in.