Povard

you're correct, TCL > 5B only connects with normal starters, off a 2A/5A starter, you have to do 5A. Also worth note is anything with more button presses than 5A > 5B > 5BB > TCL > 5A > j.ABC > j.D will drop during the air combo. So if you confirm with 5A > 5A for instance, you'll need to omit the 5BB to actually get your ender. As for getting the timing on TCL > 5A and other links down, you just gotta grind it till you get the feel for it. If by any chance you're not aware of it, there's a setting to make the computer block after a dropped combo on the ground. It's the second setting from the top of the 4th page in the start menu in training. The default is not blocking ever, second setting is always blocking, and third setting is blocking after the first hit. It speeds up grinding the links out imo.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned in here at all, but off of an air hit 2D knockdown, if you don't opt for the safe jump, you can opt for an immediate 2D after the first one that will be a guaranteed punish on any delay tech. It blue beats, but since you pop a mark you can just 2D again to re apply it. If they tech as they land you have enough time to meaty after whiffing the 2D. Also was testing some Gustaf stuff. Turns out it has 1 frame more blockstun than hitstun (at 27f total blockstun). As a result, 236A > RC > 6D is a blockstring, as is 236A > RC > 66 > 5A/2A/5B. I also don't think the new property they added to Gustaf in CPE was mentioned anywhere either, but basically if you do it from far enough away, it has almost no pushback, so when Azrael takes that step forwards in the recovery, you actually get a pressure reset. Even on Barrier Block you can still tag a jump out attempt or someone mashing a jab thinking you'll be of 5A range. Works nicely if they ever barrier block 5BB, since they won't be able to avoid blocking a 5C after it through conventional means. RC > 66 > 5A is also a blockstring even on IB if you're looking to prevent a reversal attempt, and the forward dash can cross up depending on the spacing (and assuming they didn't barrier the gustaf). Not necessarily new stuff since Gustaf had more blockstun in the previous version, so this all would've worked before. tl;dr if you really need to stay 110% in there, or want an unmashable high/low/crossup (and crush trigger if they don't IB), then gustaf RC is a pretty good option.

So I noticed someone changed Scud startup to 5+2 on the wiki, which is just blatantly wrong, and since people were asking about it earlier in this thread I figured I'd post my findings. I apologize in advance if this has been discussed at greater length elsewhere. Firstly, Azrael can armor through Scud by inputting Hornet Bunker in the Superflash. Assuming Hornet Bunker doesn't get armor earlier than it did pre-extend, we know for sure that it's at least 10 frames after the superflash. Further assuming that Sentinel Dump's armor doesn't last longer than the previous 1-10 frames, we can input it in the super flash and still armor Scud. So we can say within reason that it's 10 frames after superflash (even if SD's armor frames got nerfed and HB's buffed by a similar number, this wouldn't account for enough to say the super comes out 2 frames after the flash). Going further, we can find the time pre-flash by testing the super as a punish option (which will of course also give us the total startup, and would probably have been a less dumb place to start than where I did.) Jin 3C is -15, and as a result is punishable with 5C on block, but Scud doesn't punish it. Kagura 5D~C is -16 on block (presumably) and Scud punishes it. So in conclusion, Scud is 6+10, assuming they didn't mess with armor on Hornet Bunker or Sentinel Dump. Not the safest testing method, but if it's not 6+10, it's not far off from that.