Skeletal Minion

I'm surprised no Mugen changes seem to have been made since it's so garbage in CP. I know they want to balance Mugen + OD situations, but how much would that even matter? Just force OD to end when Mugen does, or even simpler just make post-Mugen's meter gain penalty affect OD. I'd like to see 6D changed to 1F, fully invul on catch, grants a magatama on successful activation, Enma follow up not possible, combo not possible, blockable, does no or low damage, but forces a special "neutral tech only"/unrollable knockdown. Its usage would essentially become a backdash that has tighter timing (i.e., for avoidance or as an escape tool), but nets you a fuzzy j.B setup or other mixup and maybe a little damage.

Room up.

Copy+pasted shouts: I'm currently on the flight back to Atlanta and figured now would be a good time to start typing up shout outs. I still haven't slept since an hour nap on Saturday, so please excuse any spelling/grammatical/nonsensical errors. First, NEC in general: This. Tournament. Was. AWESOME. Definitely the best one I've ever been to. The only negative was that the hotel was meh, restaurant's service was terrible and they were obviously not equipped to handle max capacity (those fucking Bufudyne showers, man). Fortunately none of that mattered because everything else was GODLIKE. And wow, I met a fuckton of awesome people this year! It seemed like nearly everyone I bumped into is someone I've either played online, chatted with on DL, or heard about through the grapevine. Guilty Gear: Shouts in no order to Jais, Zidane, Alzarath, Digital Watches, A3Religion, Kenji, Blacksnake, Bob Washington, Mynus, Bryce, and anyone I'm forgetting. Thanks a lot for the casuals and advice! Those were easily some of the best sets I've ever had in Guilty and I feel I leveled up a ton! I wish I could have placed higher than I did in singles and I wish I could have not looked like a total scrub next to Mahouko's Bridget, but the casuals were fun as fuck. Especially the sets I had last night--I was intent on retiring from GG after NEC, but just as soon as I had thought that, those sets reminded me of exactly why I play Guilty. It really isn't like anything else. I can't wait for the recorded casual footage to be uploaded! Blazblue: Shouts to Lich, Kirbster, Cirno, Psykotik, SKD, Jourdal, TheArm, Her Omen, Brkrdv, Huey, Tsutenshi, and everyone else on the BB side. I was pretty disappointed with my performance in teams and at the Copabanana, but I'm glad I was able to shift gears by the time singles came around. I made top 8 in singles, woooo! The BB casuals were fun too! I wish I had time for more, but this tourney was fairly Guilty-centric for me. Next time though. Dudes I've already met before: Shouts to St1ckbug, Circ, Anne Frank, Axis, ShinSyn, DC, Lord Knight, KyleW, and anyone else I'm forgetting. You guys are da bess and I'm glad we were able to meet again either in casuals, tourney, or just hanging out I'd also like to extend a special thanks to Amadeous and St1ckbug for making arrangements for me to be able to attend. You guys are bros among bros--if you're ever in Atlanta and need a favor (or even if you're not!), just let me know. Also to Eshi for sharing the room, thanks man. Also... Shouts to Yakitori Boy on Thursday Shouts to casuals/drinking at Copabanana on Friday Shouts to Kara-cancel-oke upstairs at Yakitori Boy Shouts to St1ckbug working his unpaid ass off to deliver the best tourney and stream he possibly can Shouts to getting a foot of snow while in Philly Shouts to Bufudyne showers Shouts to BBCP for being on main stream, even if team finals were meh Shouts to Lich/Kirbster/Bryce's team since they deserved to win Shouts to OmniSSycthe for hard calling out 4D mashing Shouts to BigE, St1ckbug, NEC staff/volunteers, Spooky, their sponsors, and everyone else involved in making NEC so damn great But mostly, shouts again to everyone I mentioned above and even to everyone I didn't mention. My FG bros and broettes are fantastic! I love this community and love all you guys :D

Thanks guys! Sadly, no I wanted to but we never seemed to bump into each other in casuals

That's an excellent write-up! Definitely needs to be moved into the OP.

I'll be playing most of the day today. I'd like to get in some good 1v1 sets. PSN ID: Skel_Minion Add/Message/Invite me.

Yeah, that's what I was going for. It's obviously a minor personal gripe, but I always thought it looked stupid and unfitting. Ideally I would prefer that they made it knockdown for only enough frames to link maybe Renka or 2B on normal hit, but for a long enough time to link 5C on CH. On CH you'd get follow up guaranteed; it would still be possible on normal hit, but you would have to spend meter or settle for 2B-prorated damage. Regarding the Haku CP comparisons to CT, I agree in that he feels more similar than his other versions. If that's what they were aiming for with CP, I would have been a lot more forgiving of his general mediocrity if they had given him his old 6A back. Maybe not exactly, but something closer to CT 6A in terms of quicker startup/head invul would be nice. I don't even think it would be unfair to ask since they took away 6D and made 6A laughably negative on block; giving him a more viable AA would at least resemble a fair trade off at that point. If that's not reasonable, shit, remove 6A's head invul and give its frame advantage back, I'd rather have a legit pressure tool instead of an "anti-air" that's so slow they can often land and ground block. Or if they were really going for CT Hakumen, just make counters not shit again. I will never understand why people are so afraid of them when they have never even been as good as a DP.

I use color 3 because it's close enough to the version of it I've been using since CS1, which is my favorite Hakumen iteration. Counters are actually solid, including j.D? 6D > charge 6C combos? Hotaru fatals and is usable in pressure? Great frame advantage offsets the mediocrity of his pressure game? Capable of doing big damage? Mugen doesn't suck and is practical? He was solid in the areas he needed to be without being broken. They hit the nail on the head with this version of him, then decided, "Hey, even though he's not top tier, let's pepper him with a bunch of random, unjustified nerfs." CT Hakumen was pretty fun, but was incomplete/had problems (bad frame data, couldn't deal with projectiles at all, had some of the worst MUs in the game). CS2 Hakumen was just flat out poorly designed. As mAc said, you had to spend meter to get them away from midscreen since he was garbage there, but then you didn't have any stars once you got them to the corner. It was counterintuitive. Several moves had nonsensical properties (ground slide Tsubaki, lol). CSE Hakumen was cool, but somewhat uninteresting. Basically land a starter > perform the one combo you ever really needed > corner combo for 6k+. I liked his tools, but many of them were needlessly good and he could have done without them (like j.B, which was WAY over buffed from CS2 when it was already a solid move). Long story short, they had a good thing going with CS1 Hakumen, then they had to fuck it up for literally no goddamn reason.

I wouldn't say he's as devoid of enjoyment as CS2 Hakumen. I hated basically everything about that version.

I'm pretty disappointed with CP Hakumen myself. It's like they explicitly designed him to be as unfun as possible... At least, that's how I feel until I blow their face off with a 9k combo. I hate how most of his tool changes range from "okay I guess" to "Jesus what the fuck were they thinking." He feels really bland. I just like playing characters that hurt like fuck--if he couldn't do that I would have already swapped to Kagura or Azrael.

Derrell told me he was going, but Isaac is too? And Phoenyx? YOOOOOOOOOO I'm flying in Thurs and will be leaving Monday. Can't wait to see you guys!

Not even worth it.

I played around with the Agito > j.B cross up, but can't seem to convert from it since the cross up j.B will often land, but cause me to fly to far over their head to follow up. Am I overlooking something obvious? 1. The Hotaru nerf hit Hakumen like I predicted. If you use mid pressure, you'll probably whiff it and die. Better to get back in with Kishuu, then maybe mix in hop Agito if they start trying to low/throw it. If Agito is blocked, you can continue pressure via j.B. On CH, combo. On normal hit, oki. 2. Regarding strings for general pressure, I've been sticking to old standards (2A > 2A, 2B > 2A, etc) while trying to figure out good places to adapt for his tool changes. Take 2A > 2A > 6A. If they block the 6A (which should be spaced to avoid throw punishes), you can try 2A/2B if they'll let you. You could also Kishuu after 6A if you think they'll try to punish with a fast poke like 5A, or if they want to go for a low, Gatling from 6A > 6B to blow it up (and maybe score a CH 6B combo, yay). What's great about this is the new 2A Gatling to 3C. If they let you get away with 2A > N, keep doing it. If they realize, "Hey, WAIT A MINUTE" and start trying to get sassy by mashing out in between the 2A(s) and your next move, you can frame trap into CH 3C for silly damage as a major deterrent from disrespecting your pressure. The problem is that nearly all of the above is flimsy due to frame data nerfs (6A -4, 2B -4 if not canceled, etc). He doesn't really have other options for pressure otherwise though, so it will likely rely on smart reads/observations about what punish they'll most likely use, then using the option that beats it accordingly. 3. Familiarize yourself with your hit confirms. You could 2B > Enma, and that's a great option. But were you aware you could CH 2B > Zantetsu, which will combo if confirmed? 4. Haku's meter frame traps, while slightly watered down in their reward, are still hella good mash deterrent when use from any special-cancelable normal. Example: Renka, while offering less return due to lower P1, is still scarily "good enough" as a starter and will make them reconsider their poke out/escape attempts. 5. TRM is hardly worth it anymore IMO. Yes, it can be a valid option if they're abusing throw tech OS, but the universal throw nerf really hurts here--it's far from being a cornerstone of Haku's pressure like before, since even a single barrier'd 5A/2A/Etc will probably push you too far out. Again, it still has its uses, but they are much more limited than before. 6. On that note, I'd like to remind everyone of the Instant Block Barrier change. For those unaware, IBB has greatly increased pushback from previous Blazblues. Keep it in mind when pressuring since smart opponents will use it to slip away quite quickly (or use it yourself when pressured to create enough space to whiff punish with CH 3C...).

I'll be flying in Thursday afternoon. Shinobi: Oh snap, Doren's going!? Good shit! Who else from Bama will make it? We need to play.

I'm down to compete in Guilty teams/regional 5v5s. Actually I'm down for anything with Gear or BBCP. I'm so hype for this it's ridiculous.

Newbloods? In Bama!? Welcome! We use Facebook groups to communicate basically 99% of the time. Look for Alabama Anime Fighters (Birmingham/Huntsville/General group for ArcSys and other airdash games) There's the Huntsville group above as well. Oh, and Rushdown Liam: if you want Guilty Gear, you're in luck. Get in touch with the Bama scene...

Me vs. Ivysaur, who might be the best Kokonoe in the country right now, in Grand Finals of a local tourney. Lots of good stuff in this vid. Learn from my failure ;_; Oh, and you can see the inescapable setup of the unblockable here. I think it's 236C > B? Catches all techs, counters don't catch it, Kishuu can't dodge it, delaying tech just means you get hit with it slightly later. I personally advise delaying it since you're getting hit with it regardless to maximize meter gain. http://youtu.be/hXKUS4rMLnU

https://twitter.com/skeletal_minion/status/399034512749113344 You can see the setup towards the end of this video. When performed on Hakumen, it is inescapable. The combo that follows can do at least 6.7k. Verified in person... I got hit with it

Guilty Gear +R please.

Can't wait for this. See you guys there! Excitement!

Rekka1 > Rekka2 > Flipkick can work mid screen, but you have to be really close and use a low number of hits prior to Rekka1 (to keep pushback to a minimum). Personally I find it works well when they're instant blocking Rekka1/2.

Really? Lol, I didn't know that. I'll correct it in the guide when I have a moment. If anyone else has suggestions or corrections, please post! I want this to be the best guide possible (much like Moroha's ABA 101 guide--shouts to him writing that since it's how I learned AC ABA).

Back when Novril asked me to write the strategy/information for Guilty Bits Ep. 20: A.B.A, he asked for an overview of the character. I started off jotting down important info about her, but gradually kept expanding on it until I ended up with a nearly complete guide for the character--far more than what could be covered in the video. I didn't want to scrap it though, so I decided I would expand upon and finish it, then release it as a "companion guide" of sorts for the actual Guilty Bits episode. Now that the vid's out, I can finally post it! If you have any questions/critiques/whatever, post them here and I'll address them to the best of my ability. Enjoy! +R A.B.A COMPLETE GUIDE Overview A.B.A. at her most simple explanation is a high-risk, high-reward power character. However, what makes her unique amongst characters described by that playstyle is how they implemented her risk: by essentially splitting her into two characters, a very strong one and very weak one. A.B.A. starts each round in the weaker form, or “Normal mode.” In this mode, she’s essentially F-tier. Poor normals, horrible maneuverability and speed, wimpy damage... She’s pretty terrible in every regard. However, upon landing a Keygrab or using a Bloodpack, she transforms from the worst to one of the best characters in the game by entering what’s known as “Moroha mode.” In Moroha mode, everything about A.B.A. becomes MUCH scarier, and she instantly goes from F-tier to S+. Her normals become ridiculous (giving her access to some really scary frametraps), her damage goes through the roof, her pressure game is vastly improved, she is granted an extremely fast ground dash, and she obtains one of the best specials in the game (Danzai/FB Danzai). This pseudo-brokenness does not come without a catch, however: while Moroha mode is certainly amazing once you gain access to it, there are a few drawbacks to its awesomeness; built-in safeguards allow the character to have such strong tools without being broken. The key (har har) to mastering A.B.A. ultimately depends on the player’s proficiency in both modes as well as properly managing her intricate subsystems. Character-specific Mechanics - You start every round in Normal mode. - Moroha mode must be earned by landing a Keygrab or using a Bloodpack, which can be quite difficult to accomplish if put at a disadvantage early on (and against some characters, you are inherently at a more distinct disadvantage as the round starts). - Your time in Moroha mode is limited. When in Moroha mode, a red bar appears above A.B.A.’s tension gauge. This bar, the Moroha gauge, acts as a time limit for how long she can be in Moroha mode, and is depleted 1) over time, 2) when connecting an attack with the opponent on hit or block, 3) by getting knocked down (which depletes roughtly a third of the gauge). - If the Moroha gauge is allowed to completely drain by any of the three depletion causes above, A.B.A. goes into a huge recovery animation (50+ frames) called Suka Motion. During Suka Motion, she can’t do anything, not even Burst! This means she’s wide open to your opponent’s best starter, or even worse, their Instant Kill. In order to play A.B.A. effectively, you MUST learn to properly manage her Moroha gauge to minimize the risk of this happening. Important note: if you get knocked down with less than a third of the gauge remaining, you can perform an OTG Burst as a last ditch effort, since OTG Bursts are both strike and throw invincible. You’ll still go into Suka Motion upon landing if you didn’t burst the knockdown early enough (i.e., if you Burst after the Moroha gauge has already disappeared), but if the Burst lands, they get blown back to a distance where you can safely complete the Suka Motion. You’ll still permanently lose self-inflicted health if this happens, and it’s still possible for your opponent to simply block the Burst and punish, but OTG Bursting is definitely an option here. - In addition, A.B.A. self-inflicts damage when landing a move on hit or block with an opponent. A portion of this can be recovered by landing another Keygrab (restores 80% of self-inflicted damage) or by using a Bloodpack (restores 120% of self-inflicted damage). If you enter Suka Motion, 0% is restored--that health is lost for the remainder of the round. You cannot die from self-inflicted damage, but it can bring you down to one pixel, so beware of chip damage. - A.B.A. starts with three Bloodpacks per round. Once these have been used up, they cannot be replenished by any means for the remainder of the round, forcing you to rely solely on Keygrab to transform. Without these restrictions, A.B.A. would be fairly easy to play; low execution barrier, lenient rushdown and pressure options, big damage, and very high overall health make her overall difficulty appear to be low. However, these are counterbalanced by the complexity and extreme importance placed on her subsystems. While many characters only need to worry about their health, tension, guard bar, and burst, a good A.B.A. must in addition manage Bloodpacks, Moroha gauge remaining, and self-inflicted damage. This leads to a lot of choices the A.B.A. player has to make, and more often than not, the “correct” option is a neutral shade of grey, where realization that you made the wrong decision might not become apparent until it’s too late. Fully understanding the limitations of A.B.A.’s system mechanics and minimizing their impact as handicaps is of utmost importance in order to effectively play her. Now that we’ve discussed A.B.A.’s unique restrictions, we can move on to specific information regarding how to play each mode. NORMAL MODE General: In short, Normal mode sucks. A.B.A.’s walk speed is one of the slowest in the game, and in Normal mode, she has a fairly awful ground dash. Her airdash is very slow and barely covers any distance. The few positives are that A.B.A. is very heavy and she has a pretty funky hitbox, which can cause her opponent’s BnBs to drop or require sub-optimal adjustments to make them work. She also has very high health (tied with Robo-Ky for second best defense modifier in the game). Normals: 5P - 3f startup, upper body invul from 2-4f. This move has terrible range, but is an extremely important normal for A.B.A. as a last-second anti-air or to beat certain high-hitting pokes clean. 5K - Another important normal in Normal mode, since it has a decent hitbox and range for its speed (7f startup). About as close to a decent “mid-range” poke as you’ll get in this mode. c.S - Fast, but at that range you’re probably using 5P instead. Works alright as combo filler though. f.S - Hits low. The range on this got buffed in +R, as it now causes A.B.A. to slide slightly farther forward. Can catch opponents off guard if used at max range. 5H - Definitely one of her go-to NM normals. A.B.A.’s longest ranged normal in NM. Slow as Christmas, but it has an alright hitbox once it’s out, and can usually be chained into a Bloodpack on hit or block for an easy transform since the pushback on it is so great. In +R, this got a nice buff of knocking down on counterhit, making it much more viable to throw out in scenarios where it’s likely to trade. 5D - Decent speed, animation isn’t overly subtle or unsubtle. You probably won’t use this much in NM since her dust isn’t used in defensive situations at all, which is where you’ll spend most of your time in NM. If you do land one, just homing jump, land a few hits, Keygrab. No need to break out the flashy stuff since the damage increase will be negligible. 6P - Upper body invul like most 6Ps. If you land this, chain into whatever leads to a jump combo for a Keygrab. 6H - The hail mary. Terribly slow and punishable if blocked, but has a 2.5x stun modifier, making it inflict CRAZY stun on CH--land one, Bloodpack, land half a BnB, Instant Kill them because they’re now dizzy. Due to the trajectory A.B.A. swings the axe at, it can also make for an interesting (albeit situational) anti-air to tag people directly above her or certain airdashes. If this whiffs, you’re in trouble. 2P - When you need something fast (5f), but with more range than 5P. Pretty standard. 2K - Okayish range for NM, hits low. If you land this, immediately chain into 2D > Keygrab. 2S - The only move in NM that is arguably as good as its MM counterpart. Ever seen Sakura’s d.HP in SF4? That’s this move. Fantastic hitbox makes this amazing anti-air, which leads to jump combo > Keygrab. Better yet, on CH, the untech time is long enough that you can just straight up Keygrab for an effortless transform. It doesn't have upper body invul like 5P or 6P, but in anti-air scenarios where you don't need that, use it! 2H - Slow, but weirdly great hitbox once it’s out. I’ve seen this stuff pokes it doesn’t seem like it should, anti-air odd jump-ins, and even tag opponents behind A.B.A.’s feet ala BBCT Nu’s 2C. Confirm into jump combo > Keygrab. 2D - Standard sweep. When you land it, Keygrab. It’s slightly slower than 2K with marginally better range, so unless you’re at max range, it’s probably better to do 2K > 2D > Keygrab instead. j.P - Very fast but crap range. You probably won’t be using this much unless you’re trying to win air-to-air battles with speed or using it in a jump combo. j.K - Hits directly above A.B.A. Useful air-to-air if they’re above you, but otherwise not very useful since its horizontal hitbox is narrow and it will whiff nearly every time if used as a jump in. j.S - A.B.A.’s best air normal. Fast, solid hitbox (for normal mode), good in jump combos, good air-to-air, good jump-in. j.H - This move can potentially be used as a jump-in when directly above opponents since it’s basically a bootleg version of Baiken’s j.H/May’s j.2H. In +R, its horizontal hitbox was widened enough that it can cross-up! Unfortunately, it can still easily be punished with ground throw if instant blocked. It can also be airthrown, so use carefully. j.D - Nice horizontal range, but very slow. Good for early anti-air, but not much else, especially since it has some landing recovery. If you manage to land a CH with this, you get a wallbounce > free keygrab for your troubles. Throw - A.B.A.’s NM throw got a really nice buff in +R in that the distance opponents are thrown is shorter, making Throw > dash > Keygrab much easier when in NM (or on some characters, Throw > Keygrab). If you land one, do that. Airthrow - Standard range, can’t be combo’d from. Fairly... standard. Specials/Forcebreaks: Keygrab (63214H or air 63214H) - The most important move A.B.A. has in NM along with Bloodpack, since ultimately pulling one of those two off should be your top priority at all times when in NM. Upon successfully landing, this move will do a negligible amount of damage and transform A.B.A. into Moroha mode. An interesting quirk to note with this move is that it’s both a command grab AND a strike; if the opponent is in a state where they are able to be thrown (i.e., in throw range, not blocking, not in hitstun, not throw invul, etc.) on frame 9, the command grab version will come out and the Keygrab cannot be blocked. If the command grab cannot land on frame 9, the strike version comes out instead, which is slightly slower, can be blocked, and is very unsafe on block, but is able to be used in combos. It’s important to note that there were also changes to the recovery of this move upon landing it in both Normal and Moroha mode. For the strike version, ABA’s recovery was increased, giving her far less time to follow it with a bloodpack, oki, etc (this is also why old [strike version]x2 doublekey combos don’t work anymore). For the command grab version, the opponent’s knockdown time was increased, allowing her to easily combo into a second Keygrab or set up more lucrative oki. Bloodpack (63214P) - The other most important move A.B.A. has in NM. A.B.A. consumes one of her three Bloodpacks and is guaranteed to transform into Moroha mode on frame 23. Create space or get a far knockdown and use this, or chain into it from a hit/block 5H. NM Bloodpack also has a quirky invincibility window on frames 19-22. Although it rarely comes into play, it’s highly useful in certain situations (e.g., avoiding Slidehead). Slide (236P) - One of NM A.B.A.’s most useful moves. An evasive slide, A.B.A. becomes VERY low-profile when executing this move, making it great for sliding under anticipated pokes for a throw > Keygrab. You can even slide under stuff like 2Ps or Robo-Ky’s knee bazooka! Just beware of lows/being thrown before the slide is over. This move also has an FRC point just as A.B.A. tucks herself inward, which can be used as a last resort to cancel the slide if baited, or to bait your opponent into attempting a punish. But if you’re going to spend 25% tension on slide, you might as well just use... FB Slide (236D) - The best move A.B.A. has in NM, hands down. Why? Well, it’s mostly identical to regular slide aside from being faster, going farther, and being able to pass through opponents. But, it’s also COMPLETELY invincible for its entire duration. That means it’s absolutely unpunishable, a “get out of jail free” card (or well, a “get out of jail for 25% tension” card), which is something you’ll be wishing you had in many NM situations. It can evade oki, including meaty setups. It can slide through moves and supers, even stuff like Raoh’s Bellows Malice, for easy Keygrabs. Keep the tension cost in mind, but otherwise a fantastic move. This got a HUGE new FRC point in +R on frames 9-23, which is highly useful in certain situations since you can FRC to choose which side of the opponent A.B.A will appear on, or to buffer into a surprise Keygrab. The downside is that it’s kind of expensive at 50% meter. Razor kick (236K) - Very long range, hits overhead. Throw and feet invincible while mid-kick, which makes it okay as a meaty, but you probably won’t beat many lows unless they hit very low to the ground. Has a strangely late FRC point of which use is limited to making blocked attempts safe or gimmicks. Causes a nice stagger on CH, giving you free Keygrab. Slightly unsafe on block (-4) if not FRC’d. You can also use this in place of the 3rd Rekka. 1st Rekka (236S) - Can be decent as a long range poke, but mediocre speed. Hitbox is one of the better ones in NM. On hit, string into 2nd and 3rd Rekkas > FRC > (optional combo stuff >) Keygrab. Unsafe, but its long range and decent pushback can make it safe-ish if used from afar. 2nd Rekka (236S > 46S) - Possible to frame trap after a blocked first Rekka, but take care as it’s not airtight. Staggers on hit, but in NM, it’s pretty wimpy and requires an RC to take advantage of with anything other than 3rd Rekka unless they’re asleep, and even then, spending 50% on something they can probably still shake out of is a big gamble. 3rd Rekka (236S > 46S > 63214S) - Note: from here out, if I say “Rekkas”, I’m referring to all three used as a set. Again, there’s a gap between the 2nd and 3rd Rekkas which can potentially be problematic against characters who can reversal through it, and it’s highly unsafe on block. On the plus side, this has an FRC just as the key touches the ground, making it safe and able to followup on hit, where it groundslides. An easy BnB to get into Moroha with this: Starter > Rekkas > FRC > dash > 5H > Keygrab. In the corner, you can substitute that 5H for a 6H. The absolute optimal combo would be Close starter > Rekkas > FRC > dash > 2H > character specific jump combo like j.P, j.S, dj.P, j.S > Keygrab. Big damage (for NM) and style points there, just make sure your distance is correct before attempting. It’s also important to note that combo’ing off 3rd Rekka’s groundslide required an FRC in AC 99% of the time, but in +R, its groundslide time got a nice buff, so situations to combo without FRC may be more frequent. Bloodball (236H) - A very slow-starting projectile, but it can be tough to avoid once it’s out. After ending a Moroha combo with an air Keygrab to transform back to NM, you can toss this out upon landing to give your opponent something to deal with when waking up. Better yet, if you have 25%, you can use the FRC point this move has just as the projectile appears and Bloodpack for an almost entirely safe transformation back into Moroha. It’s no AC EXE Beast, though: Bloodball takes 20+ frames to come out and will disappear if hit before ~22f. Finally, this is sometimes okay to throw out at neutral to give your opponent something to deal with while you sneak in a quick Bloodpack. Supers: Mushroom clouds (632146H > optional 236H > optional 236H) - Has a tiny bit of invul on startup, making it a sometimes-decent reversal option. FRC points for safety on each cloud just as A.B.A. slams her fist to the ground. The gaps between these got smaller and the explosions come out faster in +R. Unfortunately, the third cloud’s unblockable property was removed (sadface). On block or whiff, you can try gambling on frametrapping with a followup cloud or FRC to safety. On first cloud hit, you can go straight into a Keygrab if they’re close, or string into the followup clouds for more damage, then Bloodpack. Air super (632146P) - Practically useless unless you absolutely need a hair of invincibility while in the air. There are better uses of tension. Gameplan: As mentioned before, A.B.A.’s gameplan is very simple in Normal mode: get out of it. How you do this will obviously depend on your opponent’s character, but typically this will involve one of the following at the start of the round and in other NM situations throughout the match: - Evade something with slide > throw > Keygrab - Evade something with slide > combo punish into Rekkas FRC > 5H > Keygrab - Anti-air > combo > Keygrab - Raw Keygrab as a counterpoke (warning: risky) - Chain into 2D > Keygrab - 5H hit or block > Bloodpack - 5H on counterhit > Keygrab - Bloodball to create space > Bloodpack - Reversal Mushrooms > Keygrab (after 1st cloud) or Bloodpack (after 3rd cloud) - Starter (which could be 5K, f.S, j.H, etc) > combo into Rekkas FRC > 5H > Keygrab - Wait and see what your opponent does An important place where a lot of Normal mode is played is right at the start of each round. Your options here are character specific. Do you start backdashing to create space for a Bloodpack? Raw Bloodpack, anticipating that they’ll back away instead? Raw Keygrab to catch their opening poke? Slide in to go for a throw? There are several choices that can be made here, and there’s never a really “right” answer, but smart play in the first few seconds of each round can be the difference in obtaining Moroha early on to stamp out your opponent or getting pushed into the corner and crushed while in Normal mode because you weren’t able to transform. Some rounds are literally decided in the first few seconds due to this. Play smart here, and when in doubt, go with the safer options (backdash, IAD away, wait and see, etc). When you land that Keygrab or Bloodpack, IT’S TIME. Now you can actually fight back, and that’s because you’re in... MOROHA MODE General: Welcome to the machine, my friends. A machine of absolutely silly normals, disgustingly gross pressure, brutal damage, and overall steamrollery. With a few nicely fished CHs, a smart footsie game, or well-applied frame traps, your opponent will be reduced to mere tatters. They want to block? No problem, their guard gauge will be flashing in seconds, making your next throw potentially lethal, or you can use your unblockable special move(!) to clobber them. They want to hit buttons? A.B.A.’s frame traps can quickly discourage that with far more than a slap on the wrist, or you can Danzai for the ultimate in “No, it’s still MY turn” moves to punish telegraphed poke out attempts. They get hit? Depending on how much you were able to crank their guard bar, they’re going to get severely hurt, put on life support, or outright killed. This is where A.B.A. is truly played, and in this mode, she is an unrelenting powerhouse in the right hands. HOWEVER, this reward does not come without risk. Moroha mode is where you must deal with the strict limitations mentioned earlier, always keeping one eye on your Moroha gauge to ensure it doesn’t slip too low, possibly necessitating you to end a combo or pressure early to go for a transformation. You have to pay attention to how much damage you’re self-inflicting so you don’t effectively beat yourself up--one of the worst feelings an A.B.A. player can experience (next to allowing themselves to be Instant Killed by mismanaging their gauge) is to get into Moroha, apply heavy rushdown to the point of accidentally burning up your remaining Moroha gauge, then getting killed by a single poke punish because you self-inflicted enough damage to yourself to bring your health down to a pixel without your opponent having to lift a finger. You have to actively pay attention to the times you’re knocked down and when getting knocked down would lead to a Suka Motion scenario (i.e., getting knocked down when you have less than 30% Moroha gauge remaining), OTG bursting if necessary to avoid instantly losing the round. A.B.A. can be truly terrifying when played well, but don’t get so drunk on power that you lose sight of the importance in properly managing her subsystems. In regards to other general info, your weight is the same (really heavy) and your hitbox is the same (really weird). Your lackluster ground dash has now been replaced by a VERY fast run that’s almost up there with Chipp and Millia (but not quite). Your airdash is now much faster and covers more distance. Your walk speed still sucks. Normals: 5P: Same as NM. Still highly useful for anti-air, as a superfast close normal, or to beat high-hitting pokes. 5K: Same as NM. Slightly less useful here since you now have better options, but still useful if you’re in range and need something a hair faster than f.S. c.S: Combo filler. Also a go-to normal when you’re close, but out of 5P range. f.S: THIS is where things get interesting. f.S ranks among the better pokes in the game. Great range, fast (especially considering that great range), hits twice so it can stuff armored moves like Hammerfall, or take out Little Eddie/Dog then hit Eddie/Zappa. It can also be chained into 5H, which received some interesting changes that I’ll discuss momentarily, or you can confirm straight into Rekkas for a combo. f.S stuffs LOTS of things and is an all around amazing poke. Keep it handy in your footsie game. 5H: For +R, this is where things get REALLY interesting. 5H now hits twice, with the second hit yanking the key back for a vacuum effect. It has received a new gatling route into 2H, which also vacuums. When both are used in succession, you can stick to your opponent like glue. However, this gatling doesn’t combo and has a slight gap (don’t get DP’d!), so it’s best used for blockstring pressure or to beat throw tech/throw punish attempts since 5H's even advantage on normal block makes it great for tick throws. The untechable time on this second hit vs. airborne opponents is pretty good and can usually be confirmed into big damage, especially near the corner. Unfortunately, 5H got hit with some nerfs as well. 5H is now pretty slow at 15f startup, and while the first hit can still stagger on CH, the second hit immediately knocking them out of it kinda ruins it. Because of this, you should be wary of throwing 5H out during footsies--the slower speed is a major issue for its usage as a poke. 5D: Same as NM, but slightly faster. In Moroha mode, A.B.A. gains access to an Impossible Dust which can be performed via double jump j.H. And A.B.A. ID combos hurt. 6P: Similar to NM, but slightly faster with a different hitbox to accommodate for the altered shape of the key. It’s otherwise used exactly the same as NM 6P: as an upper body invul anti-air. 6H: Long range, two hits, hurts really bad. This move is mainly used to catch people trying to low profile 5S/5H from afar. It can’t be confirmed into Rekkas if landed from too far away and the recovery on whiff is awful, so keep that in mind. Its air hit untechable time got a neat buff in +R, opening up some new combo options (for example, air hit 6H > Butt now works). 2P: Same as NM. Close range poke. Faster than c.S, not as fast as 5K or 5P. 2K: Same as NM. One of only two lows A.B.A. has in Moroha mode (the other being sweep), so this will be your low midsceen combo starter. 2S: Slower than NM’s 2S, but HUGE range. On CH, your opponent floats for eternity and you get whatever you want. Anti-air with this if you have time to get it out. 2H: One of your most important normals in Moroha mode. The first thing you should know about 2H is that it’s throw invincible just as A.B.A. hops slightly off the ground, making it an excellent meaty option when timed correctly. It ruins guard bar, launches on hit for a combo, has vacuum property, is +2 on block, and has an FRC point just as the axe touches the ground for the 2nd hit, making it sickeningly good for applying pressure or baits. Awesome. 2D: Really long range for a sweep. Useful to poke for a knockdown, then run in and start your pressure. Near the corner (and against some chars midscreen, depending on how close you are), this move got WAY better since you can confirm into +R A.B.A.’s new Rekka loops. You can also use this at max range to bait some DPs (Volcanic Viper, Vapor Thrust) since it swings low enough for the DP to whiff. A neat option select is to max range meaty 2D against an opponent with such a DP: if they stand and block, start staggered Rekka pressure. If they stand and eat the hit, confirm into Rekka loops. If they stand and DP, laugh as their DP whiffs, then obliterate them. j.P: Same as NM. Use if you need something fast in the air. If you’re dash-jumping toward an airborne opponent and they block one of these, you can mash it to bring them back down to the ground and start your pressure. j.K: Same as NM. Used raw in the air, this move is still fairly mediocre. However, it has much more interesting usage in MM thanks to... j.S: This move rocks. I’m not even talking about how it’s great for air-to-air or for straight up jump-ins, but because it gives A.B.A. access to one of her best mixup options: fuzzy guard. This is performed by running deep j.S > dj.S > falling j.H > land and combo. Fuzzy guard combos do BIG damage, upwards of 300+ depending on guard bar and available tension. But wait, it gets better: deep j.S also doubles as a safe jump. With proper timing and practice, you can actually confirm the safe jump into the fuzzy. It’s hard, but doable and awesome. Even if you time the initial deep j.S too late, it has a tendency to clash with some DPs (notably, Volcanic Viper). j.S can also gattling into j.P or j.K. This means you can fuzzy guard by simply doing j.S > j.K or j.S > j.P. The latter isn't as useful since the hitstun on j.P is still so tiny, but the possibilities from j.S > j.K are really gross. Knock an opponent down in the corner and do this: running j.S > j.K > dj.S > j.H. When timed right, this is airtight, and if the opponent blocks low at any point, they're getting fuzzied. You could also just do j.S > j.K > land > Throw, or j.S > j.P > j.P... Lots of options here. Another nice bonus of this is that j.K CH launches opponents similarly to 2S CH, meaning this setup is especially potent when used after cranking a guard gauge to flashing. Better still, you can autopilot the j.S > j.K > dj.S > j.H variation since it combos! Sick. j.H: This return from this is slightly lower than before thanks to its new proration, but j.H is still a beast of a move. Huge hitbox, great for cross-ups, and on CH it ground slides into ludicrous damage, even taking the new proration into consideration. Not to mention that your airthrows come with this built-in as an option select. People hate this move. j.D: An improved NM j.D. This is faster, has longer range, and better untechable time. While moreso than before, it doesn’t see much use outside of combos, and it still has that bothersome landing recovery. It’s a staple for A.B.A.’s Orb loop BnBs, which I’ll cover in the BnB section. This also wallbounces on counterhit. In +R, j.D’s untechable time got a nice buff, allowing for much better followups than before (for example, Keygrab or dash j.S combos, etc). Throw - A.B.A slams her opponent for a ground bounce. Easy to follow up with a corner carry combo, or with damage if their guard gauge is flashing from downbacking too hard. Standard range. Tick throw with any fast normals (5P, 2P, 2K) or after vacuuming them in with 5H. Airthrow - Basically identical to her NM airthrow. Average range, can't follow up. Specials/Forcebreaks: Keygrab (63214H or air 63214H) - This gets you back into Normal mode, restoring 80% of self-inflicted damage. Use it as a combo ender when you’re low on gauge. As mentioned earlier, Keygrab was slightly tweaked in +R: the command grab version has longer range and A.B.A. recovers faster, making it easier to Command Keygrab > Keygrab for a complete transform. However, the strike version saw A.B.A.’s recovery increased, meaning strike version double-Keygrab combos in AC don’t work anymore. As a consolation prize, there are some combos that can be ended by going straight into Bloodpack > FRC > Keygrab for a complete transform thanks to the new FRC point on Moroha’s... Bloodpack (63214P) - This also gets you back into Normal mode, consuming one Bloodpack and restoring 120% of self-inflicted damage. In +R, Moroha mode’s Bloodpack got a sweet new FRC right as she transforms, enabling the new combo above and letting you Bloodpack back into Normal mode much more safely for a mere 25% tension. Similar to its NM counterpart, MM Bloodpack has a sliver of invincibility, fully on frame 9 and to strikes on 10-13. Flipkick (41236K) - A.B.A. climbs up on the key and performs a backflip-kick dismount to launch her opponent on hit (higher on CH, so adjust combos accordingly) or stagger on block. Flipkick is best used with 50% to RC it--on hit, this gives you better combo options like Flipkick RC > dash j.S > etc, while on block it guarantees you can capitalize on the stagger. A.B.A. is also unthrowable and feet invul when she’s up on the key. You can also use this move in place of the 3rd Rekka, but the pushback from the first two Rekkas is usually enough that the Flipkick will whiff, making this option best used when opponents have IB’d the first two Rekkas or in combos after the first two Rekkas have landed, allowing for grimy oki setups (including FB Bloodball > Flipkick). This move received some buffs in +R in that it now bounces the opponent higher and does slightly more damage than in AC. The Flipkick would be straight up dumb if it weren’t for one major flaw: it can be normal blocked in the air (i.e., chicken blocked), no faultless required. If you time it as a meaty, it’s slightly better since they can’t jump, but they can still reversal or backdash. Use sparingly. You can also get this (almost) guaranteed if you’re able to set up a meaty FB Bloodball. While they’re blocking the FB BB’s new extra hits, just run up and Flipkick--no FRC needed! I say “almost” because there are a scant few options that will get them out, namely, DAA. 1st Rekka (236S) - Almost completely identical to NM 1st Rekka, but more useful here since you can string into it from better long range pokes. 2nd Rekka (236S > 46S) - Similar to NM Rekka, but with much better stagger on hit. If you want, you can RC and go into whatever you want from the stagger, or if you’re close enough, you might be able to link into a quick poke (5P, 2P, or 5K) depending on how good your opponent is at mashing out of stagger. You can even get Rekka 1 > Rekka 2 > [Command Keygrab]x2 for a complete transform. This move got a really nice buff to its untechable time on air hit in +R and is now nearly triple(!) what it was in AC. The reason this is so nice is because the untech time is long enough that you can confirm in 3rd Rekka > Rekka loops after tagging an opponent trying to jump out with 2nd Rekka. 3rd Rekka (236S > 46S > 63214S) - Also similar to its NM counterpart, but with longer groundslide time. This groundslide time has been extended in +R, removing the necessity to use an FRC to followup in more scenarios. Between the increased groundslide and the above change to the 2nd Rekka’s untechable time, A.B.A. has a great new combo piece in the form of Rekka loops, performed as [1st > 2nd > max delay 3rd Rekka]xN for two or three reps. While this isn't an "end all, be all" option, A.B.A. can now convert much more effectively from previously “meh” starters such as corner 2D. Orbs (air 41236S) - Orbs are an integral part in many of A.B.A.’s combos in Moroha mode, specifically her Orb loops. The Orbs are considered a projectile, meaning sometimes they’ll linger and still trade when you get hit first. It’s possible for both the front and rear Orbs to land if you’re really close, and when you do, it hurts like hell. For example, during Butt loop, Butt > RC > Orbs (2hit) > PAIN. There’s an FRC point just as A.B.A. begins to tuck her outstretched leg back in (right when the Orbs become active), which is useful for making the timing to begin the next rep of the Orb loop more lenient to land and as an oki tool. Dash jump at downed opponent > Orbs FRC over their body just before they wakeup > 2K, 5D, begin pressure, etc. If your Orbs are mistimed or if you land too close, you opponent can wakeup throw, but if they want to do that, you can Orbs FRC > Orbs again for HUGE damage as you CH their throw attempt, or you can simply Orbs FRC > land > jump to bait the throw and still land CH Orbs. Danzai (623H) - This is one of the best specials in the game. Throw invincible on the upswing, super armor, big hitbox, launches on hit, and huge pushback on block to help make it pseudo-safe since you’re moved back pretty far (although it can definitely still be punished, so don’t go crazy with it). Danzai is just great and has many uses. It can blow up pokes or telegraphed poke out attempts, it can be used as a reversal or to beat throws, it can be used as anti-air, it can be used to eat blue bursts... What’s not to like? Just be sure to keep the following in mind: it only absorbs one hit, so multi-hit or fast attacks will win, it loses to Supers automatically, characters with long range attacks can punish even after blocking the second hit, and characters who don’t can IB the first hit and backdash the second. Some characters also have char-specific ways to deal with Danzai as well (for example, Baiken can alpha counter). Danzai is best used as a defensive option, but can work as an offensive one if used very sparingly. If you just run up and Daigo Danzai, you’re probably going to get bodied. It should also be noted that any attacks the armor absorbs will still inflict 50% of their damage, so don’t use this if you’re extremely low on life. FB Danzai (623D) - Remember what I said about Danzai only absorbing one hit? Not for FB Danzai, which has hyper armor(!). This will plow through whatever non-Super hits are thrown at it and keep on truckin’. FB Danzai also launches higher on hit, and the height an opponent is bounced depends on their height when they were hit and if it landed as a CH (which makes them bounce even higher). In most situations, this is a good thing, since it gives you better/easier followup options. However, it’s possible for the opponent to bounce too high, typically when landed as a CH anti-air. When this happens, even 2S might not be able to land before they tech, so you’ll need to go straight into a jump combo ASAP. (Note: this air height/ground bounce height correlation happens with regular Danzai as well, but it’s far less dynamic there, rarely requiring your combos to be altered as heavily as high FB Danzai bounces). Butt (421H) - This move is limited to combos, specifically, Butt loops or as an ender to get knockdown. If used outside of a combo, it’s possible to make it safe depending on spacing, but it’s far too specific to rely on in an actual match, since the distance is really picky and the frame your opponent blocks the move on will be slightly earlier if they block high. It auto jump installs, so you can double jump if you RC it, but this is rarely useful. FB Bloodball (236D) - Normal mode’s Bloodball makes a comeback in Moroha mode for 25% tension. In +R, this got a tremendous buff, being that it now hits 6 times instead of 2. The FRC point on the NM version is the same here, and with the extra hits, this can lead to some really gross setups like meaty FB Bloodball > dash in Flipkick while they’re guarding the Bloodball for a dirty unblockable. For the ultimate in scumbaggery, you could FB Bloodball > FRC > dash in and throw just before the Bloodball goes active, or dash in Command Keygrab > Keygrab for a complete transform. Overall the FRC is great, with the downside being the high tension cost at 50%. Supers: Air super (632146P > optional 214K) - I’m listing this first to get it out of the way because it still sucks. Yes, it got some buffs in +R, including extended untechable time on both the Super and its follow-up, and it received a strange new FRC point that occurs incredibly late in the move (after the Super is over and A.B.A. is already descending), but it’s just not enough to justify spending 50% unless you’re desperate for a sliver of air invincibility. Especially since that 50% is MUCH better spent on... Goku Moroha (63214,63214S) - Now THIS is how you buff something. Goku Moroha mode, a.k.a. Tsubu Mode, is an install super that activates Goku Moroha mode, which is essentially a hyper-Moroha mode that costs 50% and one Bloodpack to activate. In AC, Goku Moroha was one of the worst supers in the game for several reasons, the main one being that it only replenished a third of her Moroha gauge and barely lasted a few seconds even if your Moroha gauge was full. In +R, Goku Moroha got HELLA buffs, and is now arguably one of the best supers in the game: - Requires 50% tension and one Bloodpack to use - The activation is an attack that is invincible frames 1-15, +5 on block, staggers on hit, knocks down/wallbounces on air hit, fully replenishes the Moroha gauge, and cannot be interrupted (although it can and will sometimes trade). The invincibility and safety when blocked makes it a solid reversal option. - A.B.A.’s damage output is slightly reduced while in Goku Moroha mode. Her self-inflicted damage is slightly increased. - A.B.A. gets a large speed boost, gaining an insanely fast ground dash and a second airdash. - Almost every one of A.B.A.’s normals can gatling into any other normal. An easy string to ruin guard bar is [5S > 5H]xN. - Practically every attack A.B.A. has receives faster startup, less recovery, or both. A.B.A.’s 5D, for example, becomes the fastest dust in the game. - Several new FRC points are added (the timing being just as the move goes active): 1st Rekka, 2nd Rekka, Flipkick, and Danzai. - All FRC windows are widened by roughly 2f, making all FRCs easier to perform. The newly added FRCs have large 4f windows as well, so they too are easy to hit. - The Butt is now naturally jump-cancellable, no RC required. - Danzai’s total animation becomes MUCH faster (although this makes it harder to eat bursts with it mid-combo, since you'll probably already be downswinging when the burst goes active). - Perhaps best of all, Goku Moroha’s activation bears a unique property in that it can be cancelled into from ANYTHING that isn’t airborne. If you’re on the ground and just connected with a move, you can cancel into Goku Moroha. This means that anytime A.B.A. has 50% and at least one pack, she has access to the most ridiculous frame trap in the entire game, one that is almost completely safe and puts you in a very dangerous install mode, meaning that even if the frame trap fails and they kept blocking, A.B.A. still benefits. About to have your blocked Danzai punished? Goku Moroha. Not respecting 3rd Rekka or 5H post-block? Goku Moroha. This property is an excellent mash/punish deterrent when you’re at 50% and have a pack. Instant Kill: Unknown Darkness (236,236H while in IK mode) - Keep this in mind when your opponent is approaching a dizzy (red flashing character portrait). If you’re close and quick enough to activate IK mode as soon as the dizzy occurs (hint: RC), it’s possible to squeeze this in before they can shake out. Otherwise, never use this. BnBs: Here, I’m going to go over how the flow works for A.B.A.’s Moroha combos. For ground hits, you'll usually string into 2H or Rekkas, then combo into Orb, Butt, or Rekka loops depending on what you want. "What you want" could be damage, knockdown/oki, Moroha gauge refresh, or corner carry. These choices are both affected and determined by distance to corner, available tension, special properties (e.g. if they got launched by the starter being CH), number of hits early in the combo, positioning, Bloodpacks remaining, Moroha gauge remaining, the opponent's guard gauge, and other factors. The combo route choices are less obvious in +R for A.B.A. now that [strike Keygrab]x2 is gone, but some generalizations are: Low on gauge? Combo into Keygrab, or if possible, Goku Moroha for full gauge refresh and knockdown. Not low on gauge? Combo for damage or corner push. Depending on the combo, you can also end in Keygrab and possibly have time to Bloodpack before they wakeup, but this is riskier now that you have less time to get the Bloodpack out. You’ll recover at about the same time so you won’t be able to pressure, but hey, you refreshed your bar. Then there’s the new “end combo with Bloodpack FRC > Keygrab” thing, a complete transform that restores 120% self-inflicted damage as a pseudo-replacement for double Keygrab. The uses for this are a bit limited and IMO it's overly difficult--for only 25% more meter, you could refresh by going into Goku Moroha with much greater ease and have enough time for a sweeter oki setup (not to mention that simply being in Goku Moroha is a great reward in itself). Some sample combos: - Orb loop from Rekkas (corner): Starter > Rekkas FRC > dash in > 6H (1hit) > j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs (FRC if too high off the ground or to make timing easier) > dash j.S > j.H > Keygrab. - Butt loop from Rekkas (corner): Starter > Rekkas (FRC if needed) > 2K > 5S > 2S > Butt > dash 5S > 2S > Butt > 5P > 5S > 2S > j.D > Orbs. - Orb loop from 2H (corner): Starter > 2H (2hit) > IAD j.S > j.H > Orbs FRC > dash j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs > Keygrab. - Butt loop from 2H (corner): Starter > 2H (2hit) > dash in 5S > 2S > Butt > 5S > 2S > Butt. - Rekka loop into unblockable setup (corner): 2D > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > Flipkick. - Midscreen throw combo: Throw > 5H (2hit) > Danzai > dash j.S > j.H > j.D > Orbs. - Midscreen corner carry: 2H (2hit) > iad j.S > j.H > land > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > delay 3rd Rekka (FRC > dash for longer distances) > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > Flipkick. - Anti-air combo: 5P > 5S > 2S > sj.K > j.S > j.H > Keygrab. - Moroha gauge refresh: Starter > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > dash 5K > 5S > 1st Rekka > 2nd Rekka > dash [Command Keygrab]x2. Gameplan: Now that you’ve made it into Moroha, you can start fighting back. If you’re not already in, play footsies by utilizing your normals. When something connects, you can push directly to the corner if it hit. If blocked, draw them in with 2H and 5H, then go to work wrecking their guard gauge. If they start getting pushed too far away, re-vacuum them back in or burn 25% to extend your pressure via 2H FRC or 3rd Rekka FRC. Observe when they’re trying to poke out and frame trap--A.B.A.’s frame advantage on most normals in Moroha is pretty damn great. Mix it up by throwing in staggered Rekkas. Pay close attention to your Moroha gauge, and if it dips below 30%, back off or go for a transformation. You don’t want to lose because you failed to bait a single DP or was mashed out once by 2K > 2D, then got IK’d. Capitalize when you open them up and end the combo appropriately depending on the needs of A.B.A.’s subsystems. When their guard bar is flashing, DESTROY. In Moroha, you have the upper hand, and once you get in you can straight up bully your opponent. Please note that it’s not entirely free though: DAAs are a free knockdown, so they must be baited/punished accordingly (or if you’re styling, Danzai on reaction). After a combo, if you ended in Keygrab, you’re back at step one in Normal mode, so Bloodpack back into Moroha or get back in there to land a Keygrab. If you went for damage, were able to perform Bloodpack FRC > Keygrab, or are otherwise still in Moroha as they stand, depending on how they were knocked down you could run in and time a 2H to bait throws and begin your pressure anew, jump and go for a fuzzy while safe jumping reversal attempts, meaty with a FB Bloodball to set up the unblockable, run up and go for throw...it’s up to you. I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide as much as I enjoy A.B.A., and to those of you who are new to Guilty Gear, I hope you enjoy it even more

---ABA Guard Gauge values--- Below are the GB+ values I've verified for A.B.A. If someone could edit them into the Wiki, then thanks. Numbers in parenthesis are for specific hits of the move, for example, 6H(2) is referring to the 2nd hit of 6H. ---Normal mode--- Standing 5P: 3 5K: 6 c.S: 10 f.S: 11 5H: 20 5D: 8 Command 6P(1): 10 6P(2): 10 6H: 20 Crouching 2P: 3 2K: 5 2S: 10 2H(1): 10 2H(2): 10 2D: 8 Jumping j.P: 3 j.K: 8 j.S: 8 j.H: 11 j.D: 8 Specials 236K: 15 236S: 10 -> 46S: 10 -> 63214S: 20 -> 236K: 15 236H: 0 63214H: 3 air 63214H: 3 Supers 632146H(1): 20 632146H(2): 20 632146H(3): 20 air 632146P(1): 11 air 632146P(2): 11 air 632146P(3): 11 air 632146P(4): 11 Instant Kill 236236H: 14 ---Moroha--- Standing 5P: 3 5K: 6 c.S: 14 f.S(1): 14 f.S(2): 14 5H(1): 20 5H(2): 10 5D: 8 Command 6P(1): 10 6P(2): 10 6H(1): 20 6H(2): 20 Crouching 2P: 3 2K: 5 2S: 14 2H(1): 20 2H(2): 20 2D: 15 Jumping j.P: 3 j.K: 8 j.S: 11 j.H: 15 j.D: 8 Specials 41236K: 20 (tested on normal air block) 236S: 10 -> 46S: 10 -> 63214S: 20 -> 236K: 20 (tested on normal air block) air 41236S(F): 0 air 41236S®: 0 63214H: 3 air 63214H: 3 623H(1): 14 623H(2): 20 421H: 20 Forcebreaks 236D: 0 623D(1): 14 623D(2): 14 Supers 6321463214S: 20 632146P(1): 20 632146P(2): 20 632146P(3): 20 632146P(4): 20 -> 214K (1): 15 -> 214K (2): 15 -> 214K (3): 15 -> 214K (4): 15 Instant Kill 236236H: 14 ---Goku Moroha--- Standing 5P: 3 5K: 6 c.S: 14 f.S(1): 14 f.S(2): 14 5H(1): 20 5H(2): 10 5D: 8 Command 6P(1): 10 6P(2): 10 6H(1): 20 6H(2): 20 Crouching 2P: 3 2K: 5 2S: 14 2H(1): 20 2H(2): 20 2D: 15 Jumping j.P: 3 j.K: 8 j.S: 11 j.H: 15 j.D: 8 Specials 41236K: 20 (tested on normal air block) 236S: 10 -> 46S: 10 -> 63214S: 20 -> 236K: 25 (tested on normal air block) air 41236S(F): 0 air 41236S(B): 0 63214H: 3 air 63214H: 3 623H(1): 14 623H(2): 20 421H: 20 Forcebreaks 236D: 0 623D(1): 14 623D(2): 14 Supers air 632146P(1): 20 air 632146P(2): 20 air 632146P(3): 20 air 632146P(4): 20 -> 214K(1): 15 -> 214K(2): 15 -> 214K(3): 15 -> 214K(4): 15 Instant Kill 236236H: 14

Thanks for these! I forgot just how badly that Zappa got decimated. Wow.