Ross

I think you are misunderstanding. S = Normals + specials. Most of yukikos normals don't really occupy the space you want to be. She has a couple of good ones but nothing like Teddy, Aigis, Mitsuru. Its not just raw space control its the tools you use to control the space that is important. Most other things is just I have some of the tools of S tier but don't do it quite as well as them so I make up for it with some persona attacks or other tricks. They ahve most of the stuff of top tier but not all of it. Really if you look at the current "Best characters" in this game Teddy, Aigis, Mitsuru they all have the same basic game at least to start, zone you with impressive normals and then start the rush down once they have you blocking. Only one that kind of doesn't fit that is aigis but really her normals are basically just like that. Shoot some guns have people run into it then cancel into origa and rush shit down. I realize its kind of a broad over simplification but in general having a whole host of Normals that occupy large portions of the screen that other characters like to mount offense from is what occupys the top tier in this game.

Chie is most other things

I doubt akihiko is really at an advantage in any match. He is at most just even with people. Other characters have more options for playing a safe game then akihiko does. Akihiko has no way to zone people at all, this alone gives him a huge liability against most of the cast. Luckily he has ways in but you have to be smart as no one option is safe from everything. Matchups that are Bad: Mitsuru Teddy Yosuke Matchups that are sort of okay but more annoying: Yukiko Elizabeth Naota Matchups that are okay: Chie Yu kanji akihiko S.Labrys (maybe needs to move not enough experience) Labrys

This game goes like this S - My normals + specials take up all the spaces you want to be in A - Most other things B - None of my normals occupy any space

Well you can interrupt any block string into killrush with dp or super or other invinicble attack some people may get more off this tactic than others do. But no blocksting into kill rush is safe afaik. After a blocked 5c you can cancel into sweep or into st. C for a mixup, you can also then cancel the sweep or other things. You can also cancel straight into weave or duck. Or just let it be blocked, I don't think its that negative where any old thing will punish you. One thing ive seen alot of people do is do, 5c (blocked) 2c (blocked) delay sweep and then if thats blocked just let it ride or occasionally cancel into killrush @eishi That kind of glitch is pretty common for wall splat moves. Its cool that happens though, I wonder if you can purposefully setup raw crossup corkscrew off an air reset.

wait you can do the 236a -> c duck -> b+d? I didn't realize that, also always doing killrush on blocked 5b is super scrubby and should get you lit up if you do it everytime. @eshi yeah all the ducks def have some upper body invulnerability what it looks like is that from teh range he ducked he must have just avoided that hitbox using just that cause if he was right next he probably would have gotten clipped by the big ass square.

I think the really hard part about 5b fatal is confirming it off random shit (like beating out a normal in a frametrap.... Getting it off a dp or something is pretty simple (depending on the dp)

Well more what I was saying is, if you run into people who are mashing on 2a im pretty sure doing 4b after killrush instead of doing 4a frametraps them and the only thing you have to worry about is invincible reversals and if they block the 4b you are actually in a better position for all future mixups. Also you are very angry, I was just pointing something out not saying you are wrong.

Random notes, kill rush into 4a -> 2a will lose to other jabs since you are negative on 4a... it may be better to risk the dp and do killrush into 4b.

If you do it they seem to pop out instantly after the sweep everytime so I am unsure. Usual ender is like b+a,f+d,B+b,Weave+d, B+D > some finisher (Ie sweep xx weave xx corckscrew) . Like you said it seems like it wouldn't work so I don't know maybe I accidentaly reset the combo at some point and didn't notice : /

So maybe someone else knows what happened or can work to figure it out.... I was testing combos after lvl 2 or 3 throw and I was doing the standard b+A, f+d, b+B[hold], b+D(slight delay) b+B and then I was going for a finisher of sweep and randomly I was able to do sweep into killrush and it looks like I could have done a F+A afterwards.. but then I tried again for awhile and I couldn't get it to work? Anyone have any clues on this one?

Hmm I'll look when I have time but I swear when I was messing around in training I could pretty easily back throw after like weave -> duck -> backthrow.. hmmm maybe Im misremembering though.

If you think they will jump can't you frame trap with sweep or delayed b+a? thats what I would try

Yeah I didn't mean it actually changed what the AoA did. Just startup and recovery.

The wiki is your friend "Becomes faster AND safer when done at higher cyclone levels. Exact data still missing." Also from AoA frame data thread Akihiko Sanada Startup varies by cyclone level (level zero is shown). At level 3, it becomes the fastest startup AOA. The attack part is long so it's good for hitting backsteps, too. http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?14789-Frame-Data-for-All-Out-Attacks

Maybe we should talk more about akihiko pressure strings. I haven't been able to play any where but online so its been hard finding the right things to do as everyone just mashes alot. obviously there are other important things like getting in, but I feel like Aki's basic pressure strings are where he is strongest so Maybe we can talk about options we use and what is most successful for us. Starting with I figure might as well go with teh basic blocked killrush Options I use back+a, weave back+B (charge or not) for frame trapping this kind of works though mashing seems to hit me out? am I not doing it fast enough back+a, f+C throw or dp straight up guessing game, though I seem to get hit out of the dp before it starts up occaisonally especially if they are mashing is this always the case or am I doing it to slow again? back+a, b+d I try to use this as a bait but I feel like I always get hit out is this useful at all? sweep, or c basic overhead or low, also nice to sometimes do like a duck or a weave before hand to really mix it up (also you can increase level over you AoA which is fastest in the game at lvl 3 Things I want to use: back+a, weave back+ab - seems useful for autoguard to catch mashers? is this worth it at high level? EX duck mixups - seems like its not really that good since you always go to the same place? EX Weave - maybe the better choice if people are mashing? not much experience, maybe other people find it useful?

Also the 6c midscreen doesn't work on everyone from what I can tell. Like noel...

You actually can convert if they are to low to the ground before the second[w]j.b by do [w] j.a instead... just sorta depends. As for the poster above that here is the standard combo i do with the 5b ender starts arounfd midscreen 5c xx236+c,9d, [w]j.a,~j.b, 5b xx 236b xx 236b ~ 5c, jb ~ jb, 5b, j.b, 3c, j.a, 5d, [h] 5b xx super. If you learn that its got all the important parts to valk combos and does good damage.

There is definitely something with landing animation recovery. If you don't time the j.b right it seems like you have more recovery when you land so it takes longer to transform. But Im not sure what it is.

NO tricks, just have to make sure your timing on the first wolf C to setup the j.b and the j.bs themselves are timed right. Just takes some practice.

Just learn all the combos, no one knows when we will be playing cs2. So learn everything. None of his combos are super duper hard, except for j.214b to 236b combos which may be character specific.

if you mean midscreen fatal of 6b, then its at least kind impractical cause that shit like never happens, unless people are mashing slow moves.

Using all your meter for okay damage is pretty retarded. Dang.

Hmm change to 236b sounds interesting, possible midscreen wolf combos off it, would be nice. But the rest sounds sad. Esepcially reduced frame advantage on 6b, no wolf cancel on 6c, no jump cancel on j.c Booo nerfs booo.

Maybe it just refer to the type of hit reel they are in. Like they don't bend away from the attacks anymore they actually get stuck in regular standing stun or something.