Mitsurugi

Hello, fellow gentleman ! What kind of combos are you looking for ? Very basic ones, without FRC and without complicated stuff (the different kind of Jackhounds) for starter ? Or do you already know how to FRC and even better how to to Mist Stance Jackhound or Step Jack/Dash Jack (this is the Jackhound performed from Mist Stance Dash. I think it is called MSDJ here on Dustloop)? Also keep in mind Johnny is very character specific. Therefore some combos can work on some characters but will need variations or a totally different ones for others. At first, you mainly have light, mid and heavy-weight but then you'll discover that it can be trickier, more character-specific. Knockdown, re-coin, bacchus sigh, putting the opponent in the corner, damage, tension management, burst safe, setting up a cross-up or other tricky stuff, ending out of reach from reversal throw, far enough to safely meaty against a SRK etc, there are many combos, not everything is set in stone and you have to judge and choose accordingly. And also be able to perform them ! Should you already master basic combos, here are some staple ones, not an exhaustive list and in no particular order : MF-S(2) combos, tensionless or not, preferably ending with a knockdown or a 1-hit but you can opt for damage should the situation calls for it, such as: basic midscreen ... > MF-S(2) back j.KS dj.K KJ FRC falling j.S tj.KSDE ... > MF-S(2) back j.KS dj.K KJ FRC falling j.S tj.SHDE depending on the character, height, distance, you have to eyeball, hitconfirm. While the notation should be self-explanatory, just in case, this means some gatling or string into a connecting Mist Finer S (low) level 2 then jump backward and do Kick, Slash then Jump Cancel (double jump) Kick, Killer Joker FRC, fall while doing Slash then another JC (triple jump thanks to KJ adding another jump option) Slash HeavySlash Dust then Ensenga. This combo is not necessary the best in terms of damage and setup but it works many times. On some instance (char and position to the corner) it can grant you a 1-hit. (Heavy chars version : ... > MF-S(2) c.S j.KPS dj.aircombo ... > MF-S(2) c.S (JI) 5H > DBT~DB FRC aircombo for some massive sexyness (^_^)b Though might not be worth the troubles) ... > MF-S(2) back j.KS dj.SH KJ FRC falling H > DB When not opting for a 1-hit, this combo grants you a knockdown. This one works on SL for instance and is a nice setup for the IAD j.S crossup okizeme since it puts you at an appropriate distance Slightly more advanced ("ad" means Air Dash) ... > MF-S(2) back j.KS dj.K KJ FRC ad.KSDE(1-hit) : The 1-hit depends on the character, you may have to add some delay between the hits or change the button pressed, for instance ad.PKDE(1-hit), ad.KPDE(1-hit) etc. Enkasu (1-hit from throws) corner Enkasu midscreen enkasu, some involving throw dash jump, some KJ FRC airdash/KJ FRC straight aircombo The coin loop combos, such as - from corner (or close enough or use of FRC) MF-K(2) coin iad.KSDE(1-hit) land bacchus sigh (FRC or not, depending on the char), meaty > MF-K(2) coin etc. - from MF-P(2) (can use iad for possible tensionless 1-hit but there are other setups too) hitconfirm 5K 2D MC(2) 5K 5H MF-P(2) coin loop +R only : coin loop into upper coin dash 214P is a way to set the unblocables. Once again, has some variations depending on chars, distance etc and also your own personal timing. Variations include : - hitting another iad. aircombo (iad.KPDE for instance) - doing dash immediately JC into IAD - doing sj.iad instead of plain iad - having to re-position yourself adequately, for instance : corner MF-K(2) coin dash 5H MF-K(2) coin iad.KSDE(1-hit) etc. - doing iad.KSD land then aircombo into 1-hit - a combination of the above Midscreen MF-K(2) into confirm in the corner ... > MF-K(2) dash then Jack (opponent in the corner) c.S tk.KJ FRC falling j.D land j.KSDE ... > MF-K(2) KJT delay~KJ FRC land j.PKSDE The KJT~KJ combos (with or without Jump Install) ground ... > KJT~KJ FRC falling j.HD land etc. ground ... (JI) > KJT~KJ FRC falling hit into aircombo with JC ground ... > KJT~KJ FRC > DB FRC falling Can start as string but end as combo given it can act as frame traps or crossups. The Jackhound ones. Begin with MS~Jack then when you feel confident enough, try Step Jack. Jackhound (from Mist Stance or Step Jack) can be used in ground combos (5K can sometimes be changed with c.S and you can also confirm it from f.S, though the timing is tighter than from 5H) 5K 5H > MS~Jack 5K 2D coin (if you are lv1) crouch confirm 5K f.S 6H > MS~Jack 5K f.S 6H MS~Jack etc. Therefore, they can be used as a starter/hitconfirm for the above combos (often MF-S(2) or KJT~KJ), for instance : 5K 5H > MS~Jack 5K 5H > MF-S(2) combo 5K 5H > MS~Jack 5K 5H > KJT~KJ combo Step Jack properties allow you, among other things, to space yourself differently thus removing the 5K (meaning less damage reduce and less pushback) and immediately connect with slower/stronger hits (f.S, 5H and 2D being the most notable), offering new combo options and more damage. Ensenga (RC or not), either from TK (meaning from the ground) or when falling down then Ensenga as close to the ground falling Ensenga land f.S MF-K(2) falling Ensenga land f.S > MS~Jackhound TK Ensenga RC ad.KD land aircombo TK Ensenga RC land f.S etc. 6P and 6K combo into knockdown, 1-hit or possible tech trap ... > 2D > coin > f.S MF-P(2) : distance and char specific (legit on MA and TE for instance) but the opponent might not tech fast enough, allowing for a viable black beat combo MF-K(3) or MF-P(3) combos (iad coin loop possible) Crouch and/or counter hit combos, such as the common 5H (CH) coin dash combo or 5H (CH) MC into stuff. Will be even deadlier in AC+R thanks to 1f faster Mist Cancels. Thanks to AC+R Divine Blade having a ground bounce now (CH only though) and having auto-JI, it is now time to some good old DBT~DB delights. Note that you can avoid pokes/projectiles as the DBT part has some invulnerability, not at the beginning though so unreliable on wakeup against a meaty. Might be used against poorly timed okizeme or a gap. It is something worth look into specially since it can potentially lead to combo (will need testing) or at least pressuring the opponent and closing the gap. Once again, those are just examples, this list is not exhaustive. I have tried to give you the main branches of combos but might have forgotten some. You will have to experiment by yourself and most important get the feeling of it, of JO, of the opponent and how "deep", how "clean" your hit is, know how to and be fast and precise enough to hitconfirm and such. Johnny may be difficult but he is beauty in motion, truly elegant (^_^)b Combos are just a part of the game though. At high level they are important too as they can open up many new possibilites and situations (from more starters or leading to re-coin, okizeme etc.) while being deadly enough to be a constant threat to your opponent. Nonetheless do not neglect mindgame, okizeme, pressing, frame trap, zoning, adapting/varying, understanding your opponent options as much as yours, way of thinking/playing (opponent and you, keep in mind both can change during the match too!), hitconfirming (a successfull poke leading to the appropriate combo depending on your ressource and situation, but also visually confirm crouch, stand, counter hit, airborne/ground etc), defend actively and cleverly (normal, IB, SB, FD, FD jump, backdash, overdrive, throw etc.), IB > 2H or IB > overdrive, feeling alive and dynamic, fluid, "be like water my friend" and not static or predictable, and many others. So much stuff indeed... but so much interesting stuff ! That is the beauty of Guilty Gear, offering many attack, defense, movement options ensuring some kind of freedom when playing and diversity. They are essential and in my humble opinion more important than just braindead combos and wanting to land them whatever the costs. Everything is complementary. Well, a good player should be good in all these aspects anyway. That is what one should thrive to become and improve even when one (thinks he) gets there ! EDIT : corrected a few blunders

Should a combo be legit whether the opponent is standing or crouching (meaning it won't whiff), hitting a crouching opponent is easier as timing is concerned since it gives you 1 more frame of hitstun, except a level 1 hit which is the same in both version : http://www.dustloop.com/wiki/index.php?title=Offense_(GGAC)#Attack_Level Therefore, you also have crouch-only combos.

Yes it is. Please note that some players disable it as they tend to accidentally press it when playing. It is not that much of an important button in GG except for a few characters that can use Respect as a feint but I don't think it is Bridget's case. Could another member confirm it or not, thanks! Should it not be that important in his game and especially should it bother you, do not hesitate to disable it. Though don't put Dust near Punch ! Keep the layout Jais mentioned, only with Respect being a blank button instead ! K-S-HS P-X-D where X button has no function. Have fun learning both playing on an arcade stick and playing with Buri desu yo, good luck and courage, do not give up (^_^)b

Thanks mods for renaming the thread and thanks Dream for correcting Zappa's part (^_^)b ReaVer, as stated by the Russian Beaver, should the FRC be right after the bite hits, it would make comboing afterwards easier. You can indeed go for more or less extra damage (depending on the proration and if you have built your opponent's guard bar or not), especially if that would make you win the round. Nonetheless that might also allow you to do combos putting you in a more favorable position/avantage. For instance midscreen bite FRC > followup combo that leads to a knockdown and the opponent in the corner. Combos aren't always just for damage, they can be to set up something, to broaden your options and/or restrict your opponent's. Sometimes/often it is worth spending Tension to gain such opportunities.

Sorry to intrude but if I recall correctly, it would be like this, according to the last digit of the clock : 0 : Sword 1 : Dog 2 : Ghosts 3 to 9 : Random summon Indeed for Zappa's backdash. Not too sure about its total frame duration (found it: invulnerable 10f out of 11f of total backdash time) but as you mentioned, it has only 1f of vulnerability and is very fast. Backdashes and f.S are often efficient tools to zone and wait for the digit/summon you want. At least I know them to be very useful for the ZA-JO matchup and likely for other matchups too. Efficient but you still have to be wary as the opponent can find ways around it, don't go spamming them aimlessly and without paying attention to your opponent.

Sorry for double posting but this talks about a different matter. Besides, this is also to highlight these fresh news... and to avoid text overload in a single post (people are sometimes too lazy to read when facing a wall of text) Check out the [AC] General Discussion thread, a new version is already planned for January on arcades, ver 1.10 ! http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?13487-AC-General-Discussion/page253 The only change Johnny got affects his air overdrive : Johnny - Unchou no Iai * Bigger horizontal hitbox

Many thanks Alzarath, Nikki, Skeletal Minion and SolxBaiken, you are very fast and effective (^_^)b EDIT for the moderators : Shouldn't there be another thread named [GGXX ACPR] General Discussion (or [GGXX AC+R], [ACPR], [AC+R] whichever you deem best) as the current one seems to be [AC] only ? Sorry to nitpick but the way it is now might mislead some members and deter them from reading it (lazy bums XD) while in fact it contains such useful and relevant news about ACPR. And great people too !

There has been some good stuff shown in matches from any JO players but also bad stuff. I wouldn't dare say it is a grave disappointment as you have both sides. Truth be told, it was more or less the same on AC day in Mikado, Satou for instance may have been rocking in some of the vids you watched but on some others he would get annihilated. Now it stands even truer as the game offers new options and change many things so everybody is still learning. Could you please explain your last sentence and elaborate on your point of view? This will allow us to discuss more easily about it. Well, it is a coin with a new trajectory, it is not a god-like new special so as the standard coin, your opponent can find many ways around it. Nonetheless, it has some good use. You have decent unblockable setup with it consisting in ending a coin MF-P(2) loop with : [...] MF-P(2) 214H dash 214P The opponent won't be able to tech if you do it properly (spacing and height matter) and will be hit OTG by the coin. The Bacchus Sigh have good chances to hit too and you being on advantage (FRC needed or not, will need some more testing). It might not necessarily be a guaranteed unblockable depending on the character you face, distance etc. but at least it puts your opponent under pressure. Again, to be more thoroughly tested. Sometimes, when you used to go with j.D or sj.D as a tech trap, now you can use a 214H instead. As a coin, it can hit or be used as a locking tool. On okizeme, during your opponent wake and should the distance allow it, you can toss one 214H then do your usual stuff, you will be more or less protected. Works best in corner but not only. Either your opponent will block (possibility of throwing him before/after the coin is supposed to hit, possibility of increasing the guard gauge with some strings, possibility of doing some mixup/crossup etc.), flee (but FD jump and totally escaping won't be possible, this angle being covered by a coin so he will be forced to air block it or he will backdash or do a special that allows him to evade) or attack and risk being hit (trade should you attack, clean hit should you block or time a safe meaty and block afterward) or completely avoid it with an invulnerable attack but he will be helpless and/ore you woul have made him lost Tension. Nothing new in fact, the same as usual only you will have a coin backing you up, covering a different angle and giving you more time to prepare and do your stuff. Granted it won't be as dreadful and as effective as other stuff like Millia's FB disc but that can be proven useful. When the opponent is hovering just above you, depending on what he does, you might get a 214H wile before 236H wouldn't hit. Sure, you still have the coin startup to worry about and not getting hit but as you can hit if you can or go for some trades with the standard coin, you can do the same the the vertical one, more angle being covered. Not tested but corner throw and enkasu aside, should you opt for 236H, it could whiff depending on the character faced. With 214H it can connect (needs more testing). Likewise, for the characters you can't coin after a throw, whether midscreen or corner (AB, BA, DI, MI), it might be possible to land a vertical coin (testing need too, corner only), which would be very nice. EDIT : I forgot the ground throw now has more untechable time, increasing from 40f to 43f. Ground throw > normal coin can now connect, making my last point less relevant. At least it was seen midscreen against AB (hoping she did not try neutral tech, possibly making the hit in fact not legit) and need to be confirmed for BA, DI and MI. Also, after a counter hit MF-S(1) that now sends the opponent flying little, kinda like its lv2 version but with less untechable time and no crossing over, you have just the time to land a vertical coin. And others ways. Kliff seems to be a bad match for everybody haha !

Antitidus, there might be some misunderstanding so please allow me to clarify, if I understood both of you correctly. Qwerty meant "tapping HS" as in "quickly press the button", the emphasis being on "tapping". He is not implying you could use another button for Mist Canceling. It goes like this : 236P~H XX 5K You do not hold the P button (just an example, it could have been K or S too) as if you time correctly your press on the H button, the MF won't come out and be canceled. I am not fond of this technique and instead use the old-fashion input (236[P]~H XX 5K for instance) but to each his own, it can suit you best. Anyway, it just comes down to practice and getting the good rhythm/timing and execution. On some characters and depending on your spacing, after Mist Canceling your 2D, you might change the link and use 2P instead of 5K as it comes out a little faster, 1 frame faster. If you have trouble with 5K, you can try point blank 2D MC'ed into 2P. Granted point blank 2D is not very practical in actual match but it will help you get better, getting the feeling of it in training mode. Or you can train first with 2D lv3 MC 5K then when you suceed consistently and feel confident, go to lv2 MC. Some players rather go straight to the most difficult version, some others rather go step by step, gradually increasing the difficulty. There are no unique path, have faith in you, keep on training and you will eventually be able to perform it (^_^)b

Thanks a lot Teyah (^_^)b You even took the time to add some nice gifs to make it easily understandable by anyone ! Sorry, nothing really helpful here however one should not forget about thanking people who deserve it.

It was mentioned one page earlier in this thread and we were not too sure but it is confirmed that Divine Blade Transport (and/or DBT~DB) now has auto-jump install in GGXX ACPR. Don't know about KJT though.

Thanks a lot for the news, Skeletal Minion (^_^)b At least now we have an approximate date, it helps making the wait more bearable !

Axel, you do have a point. I had the false impression both were equally beasting but now you mention SBO, that makes sense and indeed I may have been focused mainly on Mikado, thanks for pointing that out. Haha, indeed, he is the fraud SynikaL, as far as I know, there is no date announced yet about AC+R on console, not even a time frame such as "Winter 2013" or such.

Wonderful Pasky, you are doing a tremendously nice job for the whole GG community, thanks for your hard and time-consuming work and BRAVO (^_^)b

RoBoBOBR and Horokei, thanks for the updated tier-list and the links ! Axel, that may be true but what about Satou then ? He was also beasting in 2011-2012 but it did not seem to change Johnny's rank in the latest tier-list. On a side note, a friend of mine living in Japan also said last year that the Japanese players were all about Zappa being in the top, becoming very popular but he didn't know why. There might be some more reasons than just Mitsurugi's impressive and continuous performance with him, maybe improved techniques and stuff unknown to non-Japanese. Well, those can be linked too, very advanced stuff displayed for the first time by him then it becoming common knowledge for Zappa's players.

Indeed sir, another exceptions, thanks for bringing it up! I stand corrected, even among projectiles the rule doesn't always apply.

Ky's j.D is considered as a projectile so let's say that is the exception which proves the rule! Or that the rule of being a projectile takes precedence over being an air normal.

Thank you Horokei, your video is not only very informative but also nicely done and edited (^_^)b Music is cool too !

Thank you very much Kosmos Badgirl for posting the link here (^_^)b

This stage is a special feature of the Korean version.

Regarding the coin punished by the BBU, while it is more than true, keep in mind that in Slayer's wakeup, the Johnny player can toss the coin early enough to recover from it and block the (reversal) BBU. On JO's wakeup, if you suspect a 2HS, go for SL's 6K to avoid it while hit him then combo from it. If you sense an OD coming, you can 6P it. JO's main pokes 5K [too famous "Kick on Fire" ] and f.S are stuffed by BBU, plain and simple. If you are too late to act (if you prepared for it)/react though, you'll be hit during the startup of BBU. He can however stop you from BBU'ing with other pokes, preferably 2S but also 2D. Those two however can be Pile Bunkered (FB or not) if the JO gets too predictable. Or worse (for JO so better for you!) if you have 50% Tension, you can DOT him. As every character, you should learn JO-specific combos as he has weird hitbox and weight often making him his own category of character-specific combos but when you do, it will be a bliss. You'll eat a good portion of his life while putting him in the corner and having the okizeme, even if you started from the opposite side. Back Dash Canceling is really useful too as JO whiffing means a lot of pain for him, having horrible recovery on certain of his normals. If you add to the previous statements BDC, for instance BDC Mappa or BDC DOT, you'll be even deadlier. You also have to learn how to move properly, how to "flow". For instance dash > jump, j.2K then back airdash, use efficiently his overpowered j.HS (know when you'll beat his coin or his 6P and be out of range/above his MF-P) and stuff like that in order to keep your opponent on edge and not what beginners often rely on to close the gap : IAD'ing all day. And of course you always have to take into account JO's range, varying from the upper Mist Finer, his j.S, ground pokes etc. Good SL players won't get coin easily when doing their j.HS cause they know their distance and stuff. On the contrary, if the JO like to rush you, should he come from the air, use the many anti-air (abbreviation : AA) SL has then confirm it into an aircombo. 5P (you can add anothe 5P in order to hitconfirm more easily) or 2S works like a charm as AA. Due to his hitbox (thanks to the damn long coat, blaaah !), you can even sometimes use BBU as an anti-air ! Though if JO does a well spaced j.HS close enough to the ground, the tip of his sword will stop your low-profile BBU. There more to say but right now, that's all that comes to my mind. Do not hesitate to post what you think of the opposite side of this matchup, meaning what JO can do against SL, what SL can't do etc. Knowing what are the options of both your opponent and you is the core of the understanding of how to play a matchup. As a side note Mindgam3, as already mentioned previously, it is a good idea for you to ask for help but you should specify what are the points that make you meet difficulties.

Indeed, you'll be just fine doing the KJ FRC then airdashing (depending on the combo used/char faced/positioning, sometimes you have to delay your airdash in order to get the 1-hit, input is j.214S, K+S+H, 66) or what I usually use is pressing both the FRC buttons and the first forward motion, the input being j.214S, 6+K+S+H, 6. Of course if your timing is too sloppy or you delay too much you won't be able to connect the combo with you ad.P or ad.K but it seems too much to buffer the AD beforehand, especially if you are learning it. As for the j.P not connecting, as already stated, you may press the P button too early, still in the AD startup. Keep practising and don't despair, you'll eventually learn it and it will be part of your BnB combos. Note that you should practice against a character that is easy to combo. Avoid the weird hitboxes char as for now, till you get it on the "easy" char. You can try against Venom (I find it easy on him but that is because I have several friends playing him, thus having enough honed the combo against him) : K, HS, MF-S(2), back j.KS, dj.K, KJ FRC (small delay), ad.KSDE 1-hit. Also the timing you input the airdash combo for 1-hit may vary depending on which character you are facing, some need delay, some don't etc.

Hey, what happened to all the international events threads, MFA in Russia, Showdown in Sweden, SVB in England, Stunfest in France etc. ? Looks like some big pruning. Or maybe American censorship haha, just kidding. EDIT : it does look like pruning as no one really knows what happened ( http://dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7019 ) Anyway, let's look forward. Guilty, Sea, Sex and Sun, what else ? Who would be interested in this gorgeous event ? See you at Cannes 2010, braaaaaaaah(vo da ze)

By the way, I may have a different meaning of seeding than you. Could you please explain in details what you mean ? Thanks. In my understanding, seeding means : 1) Groups all have at least 1 seeded 'top" player. 2) Within a group, each player face all of the other, resulting in a ranking within the group. 3) Then you'll go into the elimination (single or double) tree where you have the first of A group meet the last of B group and so forth. If this last notion is what you called seeding, I would agree then as the first of group A earned the right to play a "lesser ranked" player in the name of the last of B group. What I called "non seeding" is just replacing the above step 1) by : 1) with randomly generated groups and do the rest all the same, 2) and 3) being logical in my humble opinion. Sorry if that looks redundant but it may be useful to clear all doubts.