Dopples

Oh, I was confused, sorry. I thought you wanted the brackets everyone was in whoops :x

Bleed in pool B129 plays Margaret, according to the footage RSquared found.

I'm gonna bring my PS3 anyways, so I'll have a set up for BB, UNiEL, and DFC.

Hey, it makes them pay attention to one more thing. Anything that adds to how you can scare you opponent is a good thing, even if it's got a niche use. Plus, you don't have to use it, even if the bar does fill up. You can easily just cancel it out with another button press. Like, say...5C. And if they're waiting for Mediarama to come out, you get free pressure.

Hey look ma, I optimized an easy-ish BnB that does 4.1k meterless off of normal hit 2B. Seems purdy good, considering that's his best low. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUhKCcfJvuQ&feature=youtu.be

So, I have a probably dumb question, but what exactly do I have to stop Akihiko from running his game (My characters being Ken and Margaret, thought I'm not expecting to be able to understand how to use Margaret in most MUs anytime soon)? I understand that you have to essentially just outplay him in neutral since he has trouble with most characters with range (Ken being one of those), but these kinds of characters just always seem to get in, or whiff punish me perfectly, then I'm stuck just blocking forever against pressure because, hey. It's either I eat a 5B FC combo for a crap ton of damage...or I just eat like, 4-5k off of anything else. So, I guess my question is, what holes do I look for when on defense against this character?

Good to know. Still seems like a decent-ish pressure tool all the same.

Played a bunch of casuals with her last night at TRB. Thoughts: j.5B is a good spacing tool for quickly punishing attempts at zoning. 2B is good, but it seems super easy to mistime. Not that whiffing 2B is absolutely terrible, since you can still go into j.5C after wards. Mixing up j.5D and j. 2D on pressure created some interesting results. Both fireballs seemed safe, and j.2D in particular seemed good for stuffing zoning attempts. 5A>either 2A or AoA works as of now as a dumb mix up lol. Probably won't after the first week is over though. Conversions are hard :c 236C is super good in neutral. Her air DP isn't that great, since the range is garbage. Still, it's fast, and it can be used to hang in the air briefly if you need to. Speaking of, Margaret's ability to stall in the air seems really good. j.2C>j.2D>DP keeps you up there for a loooong time. j.2B seems safe? I might be wrong though. Instant overhead j.236C seems to be a thing. Have to confirm though. j.A is fast, but it's range is garbage. Sweep is really good against Aigis and Yukiko. The range on 236236A/B is surprisingly good/it's actually pretty fast. Might be her go-to wake up super? Her Persona-based command grabs are sick. They seem hard to beat out cleanly. j.5C da gawd. Will post more stuff later.

I'm having issues getting the 2B after 214C. Any tips, or do I just need to get the timing down?

So what are you guys generally doing for midscreen combos off of anything besides 2C?

Hrm, I see. So use the 2C to make them respect 236A instead of just 5B>236A. I like it.

Your conversions were solid enough, despite the drops. One thing I noted though is that you did a lot of 2C in your pressure, which while good, doesn't cover the massive gap before 236A/B that can be rolled pretty safely. It's fine for now when people don't know about it, but it might be smart to also consider using 236C/D more, as well as 214C/D if they like to IAD over it on start up. Edit: On that note, I suppose you could also delay 2C slightly to catch rolls, but it seems like it'd require somewhat weird timing? Plus, conversions off of 236C/D are easier, so....

It should be noted that this works in the corner still. Just not midscreen :o

Probably has something to do with when the Ken player hit 5D during the hit that KO'd Koromaru. At least, that's what I'd guess :s lol

So after playing for about a month, and with a better understanding of what makes Ken a good character, I can safely say there is no way this character is better than top tier. HOWEVER. He is also just barely worse than them, so he's about where Teddie was in the last game imo. The main difference is going to be on ease of use, and what MUs he dominates. In the ones he does well in, he does extremely well, and can often control the flow of the match with ease. The MUs he has problems with, however...they make things extremely rough for him. Anyone who can whiff punish with ease is going to be a problem as well (whiffed a 236A? Congrats, you just got supered by Sho/Aigis). He can definitely compete with a lot of the commonly used characters, but some of the lesser used ones (Yukari, Marie) might offer some trouble. All in all, it might be worthwhile to pick up a sub if you main Ken. Hopefully for me, Margaret will cover what I need to cover. Other good choices might be Aigis, Sho, Chie, Narukami. But that's just my take on it. I'd say he's probably the best out of the newcomers, even with his flaws. His control of space is really just that good.

This MU is actually good for Ken imo. Might be one of the hardest MUs for Aigis outside of Mitsuru. -Your 5B handles her approach if she's dashing in pretty well, even if she goes high. Sure, you can't convert off of it, but you force her to make a decision as she's landing. -Her reversal options are garbage against Ken. Once you go in, just go ham at a distance and don't let up. -2C goes underneath her ground gatling gun, and beats missile launcher if they do it from full screen. -2B is a pain, yes. But if you call it out with 236A+B on reaction, you can make it merely a waste of her precious bullets. -Your 2B is decent-ish against her pressure once she's in, since it's stubby vertical range suddenly doesn't matter. -Charging Star super bodies Koromaru, especially SB. If she has the meter to OMC after it, she can go for a mix up as well. If not, be sure to punish it. -Your j.A and j.5B are strong in this MU, but be wary of her command grab super in the air. A good Aigis will know how to use this to make you afraid to taking to the air, despite you beating her ranges. -Your DP is pretty decent in this MU as well, especially if you feel like she's going to try and put you into a TK command grab set up. -As always, watch the jets. Best advice I can give someone whose confused by what Aigis does. Overall, I'd say this MU is 6-4 in Ken's favor. Just be careful about whiffing 236A/B, or being too predictable with it in neutral, as she can punish you for it.

This MU is hard. Probably 6-4 at best in Mitsuru's favor. -You aren't beating her air to air. Not with your slow ass normals and her j.A. -Her 2B is perfect for stopping your jump ins, so you'll have to make sure you have her locked down with Koro pressure before going in. -Her 5C destroys Koromaru pretty handily. However, keeping him out is advised for one very, very strong answer to both her pressure and her approach. -236C+D WILL beat Droit clean. Every. Time. If you can get it out, and Mitsuru isn't close enough to hit Koromaru during start up, that is your chance to regain ground in this MU. While focusing on spending meter to keep her at bay in neutral might not be the most satisfying thing in the world, limiting her options is always worth it. -214214A/B is good for stuffing her pressure strings, especially anything with 5B in it. If you have access to this, make sure you keep this in mind. Keep in mind that if she blocks it, she can easily Droit for a punish, unlike most characters. -You aren't DPing in this MU while in neutral. It's worthless outside of combos, or if they accidentally input jump whip. -Don't drop combos, or else you eat shit. \o/ So yeah. It's hard. Not unwinnable, but definitely one of Ken's more difficult match ups.

Okay, so this MU is REALLY, REALLY weird. -Her 5B beats yours in almost all aspects. It has better gatlings, better range, and can lead to an impressive mix up game if she has meter for OMC after cancelled into her bag slam. Be wary if you use 5B a lot as a poke, it WILL lose to hers. -Her 2B is...okay. It can stuff some of your jump ins, but it's manageable. SB dog in pressure to cover jump ins will work well so long as you make sure you attack before or after Koromaru does. Basically, her 2B isn't active long, so it can stuff one attack, but not both if timed away from each other. -You out range her jumping normals, but air to air, it's hard to beat her if she's close. Her j.5B and j.2B are fantastic air-to-airs, and they're fast enough to stuff your j.5B. Your j.2B and j.A aren't too useful in this section of the air either, so be wary. -Her bag special looks like it has a gap after the first hit. It does NOT. You will get stuffed even if you instant block the first hit and DP. -Presents are a non-issue in this MU. Send dog at her if she starts fishing through her bag for stuff to throw. -Once you lock her down, her options are fairly limited, though be wary of using 214 C/D in pressure. Mistimed, and her 5B can stuff both you and Koro. -Her 5A and 5B beats your backdash for some reason. You basically won't be able to use this on wake up. -Your DP CAN stuff j.C and j.D, but it's incredibly easy to misspace. Only do this if you're SURE you'll hit, because you're asking to eat shit if you whiff. -Her DP is strong against your pressure. Treat it like Kanji's DP, essentially. Overall, this feels like it's slightly in Marie's favor, despite your range and her inability to use presents. She can also stop dog's approach if she has meter with 236C+D fairly easy, so keep that in mind. Once you get going though, you can run a train on her, just be wary of her DP.

Ken vs Yukiko is a war of attrition. Whomever gains momentum first tends to control the flow of neutral in the match...however, her ability to pressure you is a LOT less potent as your ability to pressure her, and the ability to switch the momentum of a match heavily rests with Ken's superior normals, and her lack of a good reversal option. -If she gains momentum, it is VERY hard to keep Koromaru on screen without getting bodied. Don't be afraid to put him away if she has the upper hand in neutral. -From full screen is where you suffer the most, as you can't really do much besides slowly approach her. -Her 5C, 2C, and 5D are all VERY strong pressure tools that you should respect...unless there's a gap BEFORE 5C. If she goes 5D>2C>5C for pressure, and delays between the 2C>5C, you can blow up her Persona for free with 2B. -Your DP is great if she takes to SJ height to try and get a j5D off. Enjoy your free combo! -She can throw two fans at once, but she can't actually do anything after throwing them until she A. Recovers, or B. You block/get hit by one. Take advantage of this as you approach midscreen range via jumps and rolls. -If she throws fans in pressure, ALWAYS crouch block, especially if you notice she's doing two fans in her blockstring. The second one will whiff completely over Ken's head, and you get a free counter hit, especially if she's already used any of her Persona attacks in said string. -Awakening super is extremely strong against her pressure. Don't be afraid to throw it out to get some breathing space. -If you think she's going to mash, back up some, do 214C+D, and rush in. If she doesn't, congrats! You're laying down pressure. If she does, you will get hit...but then Koromaru will keep going and punish her for it. Use this chance to get back in, or even try to poke her attempt to try and zone you out with fans. -Speaking of, if you have the momentum advantage, your normals will absolutely dominate hers. j5B is da gawd, and 236B is an excellent way to force her into the air. I'll update with some more notes tomorrow. Until then, hope this helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhGTCr05ZpA&feature=youtu.be So it turns out, we have an excellent tool to stop almost all approaches/a LOT of pressure. Works with 214 C+D also, but the move has to already be out for it to continue going. If you're smacked during start up, Koro just stops. Also keep in mind that Koromaru himself is NOT invulnerable during this, so anything that hits both him and Ken will still work.

Ken Amada CMV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uydA17QQsMY&feature=youtu.be

This MU can either go really well, or really poorly, depending on how well you can take the neutral game. Her 2B kinda works against Ken j.5B jump ins, but you don't have to fear it if you just use a Koromaru normal while doing it. Either you, or Koro will get stuffed, but it won't trade in her favor. Be wary about doing raw 5B, her DP can call it out for little risk. Start of the round is in your favor, take advantage of that to get momentum. Falling j.A isn't advised against her, since her crouching hurtbox will cause it to whiff. She's really, really fast. If she calls out a bad 236A/B, she can IAD into a world of pain, so be wary about throwing it out without Koromaru backing you up. Once she gets going, it's going to be REALLY hard to stop her. Your DP is essentially combo fodder in this MU, so don't rely on it much at all unless she goes for 236A/B>236A/B follow up. Your normals outspace hers a great deal. Take advantage of that in this MU to turn the tide in your favor. As Ken, this is one of the MUs you can play super lame in, and actually get away with it. Have Koromaru on her at all times. You'd be surprised how easy it is to Persona break her with him. She has no real answer to Koromaru mauling her from full screen besides to dash/IAD in. Make her regret it. Your 2B actually isn't complete garbage in this MU thanks to her kinda stumpy limbs. Feel free to use it if you think she's going to jump in.. If she's in Awakening, make sure Koromaru stays on her...if she's full screen. You don't want to eat a meteors mix up, so smacking her once for trying is generally a smart idea. 214C/D is strong in this MU for covering space. Abuse it in neutral. Save your burst for incase you get FC'd. You don't want to eat Chie damage/mix-up, ever This MU feels like it's 5-5. You win in Neutral, she wins if she gets in. Make sure she doesn't get started, and you should be gravy.

Off of raw SB Maragidyne, you can actually confirm into a small combo for not much effort. Even at max range, you have time to dash up>236B>2B into air series. However, I noticed that, while messing around with it in training mode, I was getting something like 3.9k raw when Koromaru was right on top of them. When I get back from class, I'm planning on messing around with it, to see if this damage boost will make it a better ender in combos, or if it'll be neglible at best.

So has anyone been experimenting with how to get max damage from Koro's Maragidyne super? It seems that, the closer your opponent is to Koro, the more damage it does. Plus, with how easy it is to pick up/continue a combo after SB Maragidyne...well, there might be some applications here.