Beening

I was wondering since I enjoy Rachel so much, but also the game, is there a reason someone can't have fun using 5 characters seriously? I get the whole use two people to be competitive but with Rachel most of her stuff is so ingrained that unless I find someone amazing it doesn't feel challenging anymore, I have been using Hazama, Lambda, Mu, and recently Ragna because they are all fun. What would be a good limit? BTW Rachel and Mu will always be my favorites because they have such a fluid and awsome gameplay mechanic to me, they are both "trap" characters, and for most of CS1 they were the underdogs that held a special place in my heart. Labmbda was cool but all my friends she-dogged me for using her when she was bermench a.k.a. Nu-13 and Hazama makes me laugh a lot. Ragna seemed like a good test since his PR changes a lot and he seemed to have those long-meaty combos 2D are known for. I am sorry if this is not the best place for this question but I truly value the input of all the great people here could any one please help me out?

So it is not made by the same group? I am sorry then for my ignorance. I assumed it was the same people since it was the same company (both under Aksys) so I thought it would be cute for the Rachel or Platinum to have their colors since Deathsmiles is described on the cover as a loli game.

too true, I wonder what that means for Tagers. Rachel was my favorite before I realized she was the strongest character in the story, her attitude made me laugh. Plus her gameplay is sweet!

I just got Catherine and tried hard right off the bat, big mistake if you are not used to that kind of speed puzzle solving. On another note has anyone played Deathsmiles? I got it for about $17 at Gamestop and it is pretty fun. Since it is made by Arc Systems/Aksys I was wondering if any of Rachel or Platinum's DLC colors should match one of the cast. Deathsmiles advertises BBCS on the back and it is a game full of lolies, so I thought one or both or BlazBlue lolies should have a color to match. Does it seem odd that I want to get good with Platinum due to my main (rachel) being a loli? I list Rachel and Mu as my mains but Rachel is definitley my #1.

If this is at all helpful, I put together a couple multi-character combo vids that include Lambda gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtC0HPu3hbQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ilxOlYO-4 Let me know how I did, I tried the sickle chaser since it seemed an easier way to go into APZ Cavellier.

CS2 VIDEOS THESE ARE BOTH MULTI-CHARACTER VIDEOS BUT HAS A LOT OF HAZAMA. I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ilxOlYO-4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtC0HPu3hbQ PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW I DID.

I made another new video. There are some good Rachel combos in it and I am prepared for whatever critisism I may recieve. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ilxOlYO-4

These are amazing, did you come up with all of them on your own? I am curious about these combos P2 Starting Position to Corner Combos 100% Heat Required 5B, 5C, 2D (RC), dash 5C, 5D (1), 214D, dash 5C, 5D (1), 214214D, dash 5B, 5D (1), 214B -> 214D, 6D (JC), j.214C, 6D, 623D -> immediate 236C -> immediate 214D, falling j.D, j.214B -> 214D, 5D, 214D, 5D, 22C Damage: 5589, Heat Gain: 30 100% Heat Required 214214D, 5D (1), 22C (RC), 6D, whiff j.D, 5D (1), 214D, 6D, whiff j.D, 5D (1), 214B -> delay 214D, 6D, j.623D -> immediate 236C -> immediate 214D, falling j.D, 5D, 214D, dash 5D, 214214D Damage: 8180, Heat Gain: 50 Notes: Standing opponent only. the one for 8180 damage, is it only possible on some people? I can't seem to get the timing for the whiff j.D, at least on Jin. Is there maybe a combo video so I might see what it should look like?

I see, that sounds manageable. Thank you very much I will try and practice the timing.

Well these two are combo movies I put together this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtC0HPu3hbQ Is a multi-character vid with some of my best Rachel stuff, the combo afer lv2 J.2C into George is strong but hard to do online (or in general) and I am working on comboing another jumping 2C from it but so far has not worked. The other one s just Rachel and was intended to be helpful and flashy but might be stuff everyone already knows (I am not that good at "inventing" devestating combos on my own yet).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArXXZf2M_wc&feature=related I hope to help the Rachel forums in some way, she is definitely my favorite character and I am constantly trying to improve with her.

Holy crap that's a lot to take in at once but you have some insightful info. I like the idea of mixing up te usual BnB for reliability and using her ground overhead more often. I should have consulted you pros more often before I made my (now seemingly sad) Rachel combo video. Thanks for the tips, you all make maining Rachel much less stressful in a Ragna/Lambda world.

One thing I am having trouble with while using Hazama is the jumping 6D after his Hungry Coil move. Is there some height requirement or is it all timing? Normally I try to jump ASAP but either accidentally perform a lowjumping move or they tech. Any help please?

Well here's a Rachel combo vid that I made. I hope this helps, though the ones by Matsu looked a bit more advance but these all work online reasonably well. I put it to the song Vampire by Janne da Arc (couldn't resist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAZLSdt04Zc

Cool, so I should aim for lower on the ground. Is that the trick to getting 5B to combo with George after the level 2 J2C? I want that to work so badly!

I believe it was Matsu or Tetsu (some amazing Rachel player) that gave me a good mixup idea, 5B->6B->3D->jA->jB->(land) 2B->5B BnB. It is a pretty useful setup for me since it is a little hard to mix in a good overhead in a pressure combo since the JC and J2C are not overhead but combo really well. Possible a rapid cancel in air during a forward CD move followed by a fast jA. Was this helpful?

I apologize but I am not too good with frames, approximately how long would 1 frame be, about .05 seconds or something crazy brief? I love Rachel's combos but some have timings too strict to do online with any lag.

Hey about that 2:22 combo on Ragna, is there some trick to landing the part where you summon George after the jumping 2C lv 2 and landing 5B so that it combos? I have tried a couple dozen times and I cannot figure out how to land it, a couple times I got the 5b to hit to early but otherwise the computor techs out of it before 5b or George connects. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am not sure if this counts but there is an awsome fight in which Matsu beats a good Ragna player with some excellent combos http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV1pdCqbopc Matsu' is the laast round but it does show a few nice combos and some really nice defensive/offensive play.

Nice, you are certainly diligent. Excellent!

I know what you mean, Physics major and I love Rahcel because of it!

With regards to the Dance to Wind combo video, I must say that the combo on Rags form 2:22 -2:39 was F'ing MAGIC! I cannot wait until I can do that online. My only question though, does anyone konw how to connect the j2C ->frog->5b? I cannot get the 5b to connect (same 2:22-2:39 combo). I must admit that I had my doubts upon te new patch (I tried an old 5cdc combo immedietly after downloading patch, :0) but that video has given me a new goal. I do feel a little weird trying to learn form a combo vid and thinking "wow, could I ever have figured this out on my own? It's hard enough when I know what it will look like but how hard did this awsome person have to work to get it from scratch?" Does anyone get that feeling?

Oh, I see what what you mean. I kinda forgot about how cheap that would be now because in CS1 her j.a was not an overhead. I guess the confusion was due to my being told ALL air-borne moves were overhead with the exception being Arakune's j.d. I was just starting to get the hang of the CS1 advanced rachel stuff when they changed the cdc so that it could no longer go into the vast majority of her BnB from midscreen. Thank you very much for the insight.

If I may also contribute: I have noticed that the 5b-> 5cd->3c->214a is a nice basic setup for 1 wind charge and goes into either 4b or 3d->jaba->3c for overhead->low mixup or to 3c then 4b for low->high, giving you a nice 50-50 mixup. Alternatively, summoning George followed by either 3c then pumpkin or straight inot the pumpkin gives you nice okizeme options. I have also noticed that BBL almost always combos into sj 8d->2c 2d->George->236a->3c-> etc. I also love how her 6cd->2c combos into 3c or 5b, if only 2c was an overhead that would be devestating. Was that helpful? I have never made a combo help thread before but I seriously respect what Glirandy and Bohemian Polka have done for the Rachel forums.

Two things about Rachel's 2c move 1) What determines the level, fall height or fall time? 2) Why is it not an overhead?

It takes my whole gaming career, "proficient" is not good enough, and for me, impossible to identify by time, it is a goal you continuously work towards, as a stepping stone towards perfection. There is always someone stronger or better with your main, I work to surpass them. In a less/more serious answer, I think a few months for Rachel (Ct-CS). Maybe longer for Mu in CS.