Airk

The way you kara throw (I sortof wrote some of this up in my 'mixup' post for the tutorial video) as Tsubaki is this: You begin to perform a 6C and then cancel it into a throw. This causes Tsubaki to 'lean' forwards as if starting a 6C, but then cancel it into a throw, essentially moving herself forwards very quickly before throwing. The actual method for doing this is to press 6CB i.e. push 6C and then VERY quickly thereafter also push B. There's not much visual indication to tell you that you got it right, except that your grab will have more range.

On the subject of stuff that might actually want to be commented on in the video, would it be worth mentioning (and I know this is kinda dumb) the value of being able to do short dashes into pressure? Being able to keep close to the opponent is critical, and being able to stay in jab range is especially useful, and watching a lot of the higher end japanese players, they are making lots of very short dashes to 'slide' themselves forwards and continue jab pressure.

Well, for that specific set of criteria, I know exactly what the problem is. You're in a hurry, and you are hitting the button a split second too early. If you are doing 2362C36 that gets you a 236C, and if you are doing 23623C6, that gets you a 623C. Try to pause just a moment longer, and you'll get your super every time. (Note: I know this, because this is the exact thing that happens to me under pressure. Nothing is as much of a bummer as trying to finish a combo with a 236236C for the kill and getting a 623C instead. x.x Anyway, odds are, this is probably related to your problem with other moves as well. So just try to be conscious of when you're hitting that button. Oh, and try out training mode with inputs on - try to replicate the circumstances of your actual play by oh, trying to reversal the CPU or something, then look down at your inputs and see what you actually did.

If you're up against a Hakumen who likes to poke/zone with 4C, you can retaliate with 214B/C/D (Depending gauge, distance, etc) and counterhit him easily. Be wary of getting too predictable with this though, because if he decides to swing a 5C instead, he gets a juicy counterhit.

Can't we pretty much Astral after any 22X? I know I landed one on a red-beat after 5BB>2BB>5CC>22C. (I think the 2BB was in there. I don't recall though.) And midscreen too.

Thanks again for all your hard work. I, at least, have enough combos to last me into next year. @_@

I think you're a little confused. The Quick Roll/Neutral Roll/Forward/Backward Roll are for when you've been knocked down. Not when you are in a combo (Usually, anyway. It's technically possible for combos to continue while you're lying on the ground.). If a combo has become blue, it's actually already too late for you to try to escape it - there will be a smaller number beneath the combo counter that tells you what hit you could have escaped on (by pressing A/B/C and maybe a direction.) Neutral Roll is, in fact, generally the preferred option for recovering under pressure - quick roll is only rarely used. You automatically quick roll if you are lying on the ground (and not getting hit) for more than like, 68 frames or something, but that's mostly just so your character doesn't lie on the ground forever if you never push any buttons. Also, I believe that holding downback while pushing A/B/C will actually give you a backwards roll, not a quick roll. Ugh. Someone else explain, I am failing.

Hrm. You're right. That means either he then dropped the combo by mistake or dropped it deliberately to try to bait the burst. Twice, actually, from the look of it. Giving the opponent too much credit. =/

That second Arakune match was heartbreaking. Going for a DD instead of the rapid cancel burst bait at the end of round 2 would've finished it. =/

Only you don't really have more than 20 frames, because you don't actually know if and when he's going to try to throw you, even in a tick-throw situation. If you get over enthusiastic, and throw out your throw tech early, you risk getting a TRM. And at that point, you are really no longer reacting. You're anticipating.

Valk's major downfall is that, really, he's not THAT Scary in human form anymore. 236A is no longer + on block, 236C is no longer a high. He really has to go wolf to generate any serious mixup, and when he does, he puts himself into "Oh yeah, I can't block" mode. Figure out when he likes to wolf out, and attack with 236C or D if he's far away, or a 214 move. None of his wolf moves except wolf5A have foot attribute, so 214 moves timed correctly will go right through his attacks and hit his unable to block self, so if you can anticipate an attack, he's not in a good place. OTOH, good Valk players spend a lot of time airborne, and it's not at all safe to chase him up there. Try to figure out where he's going to land and catch him with something when he does.

Yeah, 13 frames, though it's SORTOF 20 if you can see the 7 frames of startup animation. This is the only way you can reasonably "react" to a throw. 13 frames is below what a person can be considered capable of responding to on reaction. Most people who tell you they are "reactively" breaking throws are actually anticipating.

Guard breaking really isn't that hard against someone once they burst (with, of course, the exception of Tager, who is better off after 2 bursts than most characters are after 1.). Barrier helps a little, but to do so intelligently adds another thing someone needs to keep in mind. If someone is spamming barrier throughout the whole match, they likely won't have enough to stave off persistant guard break attempts, and if they're NOT using barrier constantly, they need to keep tabs on their primers and remember to barrier primer breaking attacks when they hit 1 primer... which is just another thing they have to keep their mind on. Not precisely a "mixup", but by splitting their attention this way, you reduce the chances of their avoiding your "traditional" mixup.

Also need to be wary of her very fast j.A + wind overhead.

Party bug has all attributes, so you can't go through it using 214X =(

Gravity field DP is no longer really an issue since it lost invulnerability. It's mostly a combo/zoning tool for her now.

Kiba's trick of cancelled 5B into 22D is still applicable, and moreso, because you have more charge, AND if you want, you can cancel into different 22 moves now. 22A comes out super fast now, and while it's -9 on block, there's not really much Tager can do there. 22C is basically a minor frame trap and leaves you at plus on block. So I expect a lot of 22X is going to be happening in this match.

Looks like all the followups have a five frame window, so it's definitely possible. Good thought! And please feel free to do whatever with my writeup. It's here to be used.

6CC can't be special cancelled on block either. All its cancels (except rapid) depend on it hitting.

Yeah, I was a little baffled by that 3CC thing too. Like "What?" Really, I'm still trying to figure out what they thought 3CC was supposed to be for now - I guess with rapid cancel there's some capability there, but it seems like such a niche case that I really don't know what to do with it. 3C has replaced 6B as my "Ohcrap, didn't mean to do that!" move. -_- S'gonna take some time to condition myself out of doing the air combo ender. And after all the time I spent learning to do that, too. =/

So I see that we still have several whole sections essentially empty (i.e. the entire "strategy" section), so I thought I'd take a stab at one of the easier ones - namely, mixup. This may be too verbose. I don't freaking know. I wrote it in a way I felt would be helpful for beginners, because advanced players can probably figure this stuff out without my help. :P Mixups: Tsubaki's high-low mixup is pretty weak, as her overhead is one of the slowest in the game, so many opponents can block it on reaction. Conditioning is critical here. Your primary "mixup points" in your blockstrings are during jab spam (Usually 2A, which gatlings to anything), after 5B (Gatling to 2B or 6A), 5BB (The same) or 2B (Gatling to 2BB or 6A). Once you move beyond that point in her blockstrings, you lose the option to quickly integrate a high into your blockstrings, though you may be able to catch an opponent off guard by charge cancelling 5C or 5CC and then going for the overhead (Especially if you use 6B heavily after these attacks), this is more risky than an actual gatling. Of additional mild use in the high/low game is j.CC - which can catch people who reflexively go into a crouch block after blocking j.C. In order to make up for your relatively weak high-low game, Tsubaki has a couple of other tools - she has a fairly decent kara throw, done by pressing 6C and then B immediately thereafter (while still holding C). This causes Tsubaki to lunge forwards and start the animation for her 6C attack, but then interrupt it, before the attack comes out, with a throw. This has the effect of extending the range of her throw noticeably. This can be used to catch your opponent off guard. Mixing in throws erratically in your pressure strings will require opponents to be alert for them. Remember, however, that you can't follow up a throw outside the corner unless you have at least one charge available. The other tool in Tusbaki's mixup game is 22D - when held down until it releases on its own, this attack becomes unblockable, and is an excellent starter for combos, though to do so outside of the corner will require a second charge for 236D. Visually, this attack is difficult to tell apart from 22C, and both 22C and uncharged 22D leave you at advantage on block, so it generally advantageous to mix uncharged or partly charged versions of these moves into pressure strings in order to make an opponent accustomed to blocking them, so that they won't recognize a fully charged 22D until it is too late to evade. Using 22C also adds pressure because this move breaks a guard primer. *** That leaves the "pressure" section, which I sadly feel completely unqualified to write about, other than saying "Well, uh, you have these moves that are plus on block" which only barely scratches the tip of the iceberg. Do we have an easy frame trap to catch jumpouts? The "okizeme" section seems likely to be short - Tsubaki doesn't have many good options here, I think, but it's worth mentioning the epic 6A->22D reset, and well, anything that does a good job stopping rolls. (I used to use 3C for this, but it seems like a bad idea now. 5B stuffs forward rolls though?) Misc tips and tricks is totally going to have to be done by an expert.

I am at once impressed and intimidated. Remembering all this stuff is going to be tricky.

Under what circumstances does the 6BB at the end connect? I was only able to land it sometimes, but maybe I just suck (very real possibility) Under what circumstances is it advisable to use it? Is it always a damage improvement over 5BB>2BB>6CC>stuff?

That was really informative and a good read. Thank you!

BatousaiJ - any recommendations for basic combos to start with for those of us who are: A) Just getting BBCS2 today B) Still pretty sad, fumbly beginners? i.e. Looking for basic easy BnBs for now. Ya know. One-Hat combos.