SkyKing

What do you mean by throw recover? The whiff or the recovery after a throw is landed? Also, Optic feels the same regarding the frames. It may start faster now, but the recovery still feels the same. They are -3, -6, and -9 respectively for each Optic Barrel. All in all, it's not something to abuse, but it is certainly an option for controlling space a bit. They'll mainly be used for combos anyway. EDIT: I believe we have 5B, 5C, 6A, and 6C as our air-unblockable normals.

Yeah, I believe that trading our 5C with someone else's anything can actually give us the advantage for once. Especially if it trades with an airborne character, theh we might have enough time to recover and pick up the combo.

It did increase though. CS1 5C is level 3, and CS2 5C is level 4. However, they increased the startup time of 3C from 19F to 20F, still making it not 5C > 3C'able on non-CH standing.

That reminds me, I hit a Thor mid-screen and I somehow was able to get really close to the opponent. It felt like hitting it in the corner, but I clearly remember mid-screen because I jumped over them for j.4D right afterward to see if it would work.

She can get good damage midscreen off optimal starters, but most of the odd normals hits do about 3.5-3.8k, which is still about what we can do in CS1. The haida now is a lot more universal and is good for increasing damage output, but with everyone else getting mid-screen nerf you can get away with not doing Haida loops. If you can learn them, then it's a bonus for you. If not, then you still have really sick damage options and wall carry.

She seems a bit faster than she was in CS1, but not quite the level of speed she had in CT. It is still there though. And I think the hitstun and level increases in her moves really help her hit-confirm and land combos.

Since Valk's normals eat at Noel for free in this match-up, what should we look for when approaching or trying to counterattack his pressure? I know for sure you can't aimlessly jump at him for fear of eating an anti-air 2C into big damage.

The game feels faster during neutral, but slows down while pressure is being applied. Not the game itself, but the flow of the match feels changed. Noel herself plays very similar to her CS1 self, just with much better normals and gatlings. I just had to get used to her combos with OB and different drive links, and overall just not jumping out of pressure, especially against Ragna since everyone now has universal air-unblockable normals.

Noel (Buppa) vs. Makoto and Noel mirrors

REPOST FROM NVG: OK then, CS2 Report now: First off, Noel's normals - So good now! 5A - I used as a pseudo-anti-air and to extend pressure mid string. The increase in level is really noticeable when you beat things out with it when you would normally trade in CS1. 2A - Possibly our go-to normal for starting pressure. The change from 8F to 6F changes the dynamic of this move so much. Can also be used to poke out of staggered strings, and the JC'able properties of it I used for instant j.4D for the opponents who liked to press buttons during your block strings. 5B - THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! IMO, her biggest buff in the game. The increase in range, hitbox, and level make this her choice move for poking and footsies. It hits crouchers easier now, and the replaces 5C in punishing unsafe strings. The true value in this move now is with the additional gatlings that you can do now after 5B. You can go low with 2B or 2C, overhead with 6B, continue string with 5C, or jump cancel to either reset position (jump back or IAD back), continue pressure (jump forward of IAD forward), or do some trickier stuff (Instant j.4D or 4D FC fishing). 5C - Not much change in use from CS1, except now I used it as her air-unblockable normal for distances that 6A feels unsafe to throw out from. The increase in level makes it a crazy CH anti-air move, since you can throw whiff > 6C right after. 2C - Crazy good for string enders. The +3F advantage allows us to continue pressure, especially by resetting the pressure using 2A after you confirm a non-IB'ed block. Gatling into 5C also creates some distance after blockstring so you can be safe from certain ranges, like some characters' A moves. 6C - Amazing hitstun on CH, and almost back to CT (just don't AA with it. >_<) I stuffed some attacks that were used as pokes or fishing, like Ragna's j.C that wasn't optimally ranged, or certain ground attacks that don't have the same startup as 6C. The wallsplat helps in continuing combos from mid-screen wall carry that reaches the wall, and the hitstun allows combos to utilize the throw whiff from CT. I found 4 to be the magic number of 6C's per combo, setting up the OB link, the wallsplat link, and to link into the finishing drive combo. Drives - LOLInvuln? Her drives don't feel too different in uses from CS1. The only noticeable one is 5D. The changes make it harder to time invuln tactics, as I kept getting hit out of it before the move comes out. 2D feels like our go-to drive starter now, even more than CS1. The damage potential off drive starters have increased as well, averaging well around 4k, haida loop-less and meterless. Also, j.4D is legit! I mainly used it as a surprise tech from JC'able moves, and to catch waiting anti-air attempts from air-unblockable normals if I don't have a second jump after teching. The low hit property and FC potential really make this threatening, especially against aggressive style defenses that look for reversal hits rather than blocking. Overall game - We Fire the First Shots CS2 Noel almost harkens back to her CT self, taking a more offensive approach rather than a defensive one. However, we still need to be wary of characters that have faster jabs or longer ranges than we do. The air-unblockable normals now make us more needing to really understand where gaps in block strings now in order to poke out or jump out safely. The combos aren't actually too hard to adjust to, it still the same routine we do, just different inputs mid-combo. Anyway, part of the report done. If you guys have any more questions, I'll see if I can answer them.

My experience with CS2 at Anime Matsuri: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzofUy58i6s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yur5A_26Cs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM_z71ow_vs

Noel mirror and Jin vs. Noel

Noel's 2D is only really good now because she can actually give out pressure without everyone's everything beating it out. 2D cross-up isn't that bad considering her low options don't give her as much damage potential as her high ones, except for 3C which can be reacted to. Just block high against her... She still can't break primers that well like the other RTSD characters can, and her hitconfirms off regular hit normals are still really bad.

He probably took it down because the CS2 Mook has it listed as only JC-able on hit again. Until there is confirmation of it being otherwise, it's safer to not list it.

I plan to dabble with everyone in CS2, just for the information aspect. Since Platinum is a new character, so much more can be discovered. I, personally, won't be playing her too much, but I know my brother will and that's enough reason for me to try out stuff with her. Platinum does look fun as hell though. Also, if you are too concerned about Platinum gaining too much popularity because of one player, then just remember that most of the time they are playing an XCOPY version of that character. Being a main means continuing to use her and finding new things to use, and not just playing the auto-pilot way to winning (or losing).

All of Noel's normals have been buffed. The extent of those buffs we aren't sure yet until someone can confirm to us what those are. Theoretically speaking, 2A looks like it has been given a hitbox buff, and also seems to come out faster than CS1. Seems like Rachel's 2A in that regard.

We actually have a decent burst bait combo, although it's still really hard to do it as Noel.

With each iteration, Noel becomes even more stylish with the way she handles regular and Chain Revolver combos. Being able to Optic Barrel in the middle of combos gives her an easier link into 6C than Spring Raid did in CS1. I'll surely miss those mid-screen SR combos though, since they were what made her achieve really nice damage if you weren't near a wall.

Noel Vermillion CS2 Combo Video #2 - Trigger Happy

Welcome to Blazblue and the Noel boards! Since your interested in Noel, I suggest going into her tutorial and challenge modes to understand how her game works by looking at how the demonstration does her combos. In CS1, she is a character that relies heavily on understanding what your opponent is doing, and reading, reacting, and punishing. For starters, you'll be up close to your opponent a lot, so learn how you want to attack by experimenting with her regular attacks. Chain Revolver, her drive attacks, all have different invulnerable frames and areas. Also, her drive attacks put you into a special state that have another set of moves that otherwise aren't accessible from normal stance, but in exchange you can't block. Her combos will all lead into this state, and you will finish combos with one of the drive finishers. We have a fair amount of player for both systems, so you'll be good to go on that. Just check the directory thread for the other players' XBL tags.

This matchup basically boils down to who can make the most out of their reads. Understanding what works and what doesn't work in here is even more important because the potential damage you can be taking is incredibly high, along with the fact that she can punish herself quite well and quite often with her drives. For the most part, stay defensive and analyze what the other Noel is trying to do. If she's very aggressive, then use the appropriate normals to punish with, and the appropriate drives to invuln through obvious patterns, such as 5Ding through CR strings, or 2Ding over her lows/6Bs/throw attempts. If the Noel also plays out the reaction game, test what sort of read she is trying to get, and possibly beat it out with your own or baiting out an attempted invuln read. If they understand how to manuever during CR strings to avoid being punished, then just wait it out until she finishes her strings, and make sure to know how to block them. There are some auto-pilot CR strings to look out for since some players will continue the string as if it comboed, instead of hit-confirming the starter, such as 5D/2D > d.6A > d.6C. You can 5D through the d.6A, and 2D over the d.6C. Just watch out for possible anti-punish strategies like being Spring Raided or Assault Throughed. Also, some other punishes I like to do are CH 5B/5C > 3C if you block their 3C depending on the distance, and using 6A against jump-ins (although still very risky). After understanding the other Noel's gameplan, just work on maximizing your damage output to give yourself the much needed wall carry and life lead. Noel's back-to-corner game isn't very strong until she gains 50 Heat, to which she can turn the tides on you with her Counter Assault. You can also do the same, but make sure to pick your spots. If she can guess where to punish your CA, then she can very easily put you back in the corner with a devastating combo that will net her the Heat for corner Fenrir finishes and Heat for CA if she needs it.

Pretty much, except we still don't have concrete numbers to decide which is optimal yet. It sure looks like it, though.

Incoming Bolverk Shower! Seji (Taokaka) vs. Yuuki (Noel) Yuuki (Noel) vs. YAMA (Rachel) Noel vs. Litchi Makoto vs. Noel Platinum vs. Noel Lambda-11 vs. Noel Another Noel Mirror!?!? Noel vs. Jin Noel vs. Hazama GUCCI (Noel) vs. Jin GUCCI (Noel) vs. VER (Arakune)

Saki (Makoto) vs. R-1 (Noel) Noel Mirrors, FINALLY!!! (???? vs. R-1) Haida Variation!!

A-cho Eco-mode: kuma (Noel) vs. Galileo (Litchi) Memory of Tears: kuma vs. kuyaki(?) - 2B whiff and d.6A whiff in the same combo!!