Drake Aldan

Wait, aren't these the same combo with the same amount of damage? Did you make a typo or something? Anyway, as I said before... Where is the threshold for "not worth the execution difficulty"? Even taking Steve's 3902 combo which lands in the best case scenario- it does 677 more damage than the route I use. Consider that: 1) The height requirement (if Steve is correct) on 5B is a drop point. 2) The delay on j.C is a drop point (you may delay it too long and the j.C doesn't come out) 3) If you are too quick on the j.C or otherwise mess up the combo, 236BB will catch and throw your opponent out of the corner (very very bad!!!) 4) It doesn't work on all characters, so if you're playing unconsciously, that's a drop point. Now, given all this, and the time you have to spend practicing this to get it consistent- is the risk worth 677 damage in the best case scenario? I'm not convinced.

Dear diary: Today I learned that 236236A can be followed with a full combo. Yo... The timing feels tighter than 236236B combos. I guess I just need to practice, though. In any case, thank you for this. Adachi really needs 236AA in some matchups (i.e. Yukari) and I just got a big powerup for that, that's great. --- So I guess... it took me 4 days to really lock down a gameplan. This is how I play now (should these go in the video thread?) http://youtu.be/CWAtE7r1RPg http://youtu.be/l6F4IAf_n2k http://youtu.be/nNphk2l67vU http://youtu.be/sZEYzl4F4Z8 http://youtu.be/ENXgoUWaTVg Just to give an example. (A few notes; Rise's Furious Action is not like Naoto's, the laser always fires; and 236AA is not just for whiff punishing but it can also be used to cover distances faster than Adachi's dash, at the cost of possibly putting you at disadvantage when you recover. Also, 2AB sometimes goes under Yukari's arrow super for some reason.) I'm a little upset with CH 5C > IAD > j.C combos... It seems spacing/move specific, i.e. if you are too close you end up airdashing over their head. (Or maybe this is just against crouchers?) This happen to anyone else?

If you are using 5A>5AA>5B>5C>236236B... you are going to be pushing the opponent further away from you. At 5A's tip range, 236236B will completely whiff. I'd personally recommend you always use 5AAA instead. (plus, you get the autocombo meter boost.) Now, that being said- when to dash... You can dash after Heat Riser B, and you can microdash after j.C, or you can do both. Practice, practice. Break it down. Do 5AAA > 236236B, then dash in and do 2C and don't do anything else. (Position reset in training is the select button.) Repeat it over and over, see how far you can run in, when you can start running, and how low you can hit 2C. Then add the short hop and j.C. When you dash in for the 5B (if you have to) you'll want to microdash; that is, 66 and then immediately 5B (well, you don't have to let go of 6 if you want). Whenever you start a dash you keep the momentum during any followup attack, so you'll want to slide in and hit 5B at its tip. Or, that is to say, when you dash 5B, do not dash allllll the way in and hit 5B- dash halfway, or a third, or even less, and then do it. Experiment with it, see how far away you can hit with 5B. (The hitbox is kind of deceptive.) As Red noted, 2AB > 214AB > 5B > 2C loop... is a good way to practice your dashing 5B. It's necessary to get conversions when the spacing is odd off of things like AA CH 2B and such, so it's a good skill to practice.

Ahhh, OK. Thank you for this, that makes sense. http://youtu.be/oYx_a8sQTb4 This is pretty sick. Might just have to tuck this in for later though, I don't know if I'd be able to land this online. Lots of practice in store... This does about 703 damage more than what I normally use for 50 meter, so I don't know if doing it is worth the risk of me dropping it... but, CH 5C meterless with the IAD does tack on 985 damage. Hmm, I wonder where I should set the threshold for "not worth the execution difficulty"... How much extra damage do I need to go "I need to attempt this every time"...? And thanks for this again... Fear just got a lot better! http://youtu.be/X63DAevYfk8 Makes throwing out 5C at range actually worth something. If I recall correctly... I use burst at least once a round (is that about average?) and, when I do use it, I am not using defensive burst or OMB, I am always, always going for gold burst. You need that meter for all sorts of things, from 214AB to 3k off Megidola, so I make gold burst a priority. (Thanks to people in the topic for suggesting it in the first place.) Adachi is extremes; short range, long range, no middle. High close pressure, poor defense, no middle. If you're getting pressured you're just supposed to wait, 'cause you're the one who's supposed to be all over them.

Meaty 5A works because 214C has no invincibility. That is to say, hitting them with Megidola over and over gives them a reason to mash out. Welcome to meaty city. (Which brings up the question... if you know you're going to land CH 5A 'cause it's meaty... why not do meaty 5B? Hmmm...) I have to say though, gambling like this all day every day is not doing anything for my cardiac health.

So, here's my initial analysis of the Minazuki matchup. Of course, things are subject to change, but this is what I've come up with for now. http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9230-p4au-adachi-vs-minazuki/?p=851372 Please let me know what you think.

Well, er... I come from 3D land, these are 3D terms. Generally, a "punish" is an attack meant to punish a move used by the opponent that has severe disadvantage on block (so much so that they can't block for a short while after using them). A "whiff" is whenever they miss a move (do not connect on hit or block); a "whiff punish" refers to either the act of reacting to or anticipating them missing, and hitting them during their attack animation (usually during their recovery). Taking the example of Minazuki's All Out Attack, which is -22 on block; IADing for a punish combo takes too long (it'd have to be really, really negative). 5C is supposed to be the meterless punish option, so if it throws them away for some reason it just means "you should have spent meter". I'll have to think about this. See, a lot of times, disadvantaged moves come with pushback, so you'd end up having to run in to land 5B. Running in takes valuable time, time you could have saved using 5C or 2AB standing in place instead. We don't know the startup on 5B apparently so I wouldn't know how effective it would be as a punisher (I am assuming it is faster than 5C or 2AB, but you have to take into account the short range). I didn't know CH 5B linked into sweep. That's pretty cool. As far as punishes go though, CH 5B > Sweep > 214AB... does 2817 damage; the exact same combo without the 5B starter (just Sweep > 214AB...) does 3013. And generally, if you're punishing a move where hitting them during their recovery causes counterhit, it means they're really disadvantaged and it'd be much easier to just go for sweep instead of running in to 5B. Evil Smile hits fullscreen (well, you have to aim it). If the opponent whiffs moves at 3/4th or fullscreen, and they remain standing, you might be able to sneak in one. 236AA I covered above. 4 frame startup and good range means it would be pretty good for whiff punishing (it's also unsafe on block, which is usually the standard sign of a whiff punish move, like Ryu's cr. HK for example; fast, good range, very unsafe.) Jumping for j.C would take way too long to punish any whiffs. Usually you don't get counterhit state as you're trying to hit the opponent during their recovery frames. I don't understand. AOA can be thrown, and it can be supered if the opponent keeps you in blockstun and they are aware enough, but just letting the opponent know "I will use this" should make them a little more hesitant during footsies. It is, check the frame data. Atom Smasher C is invulnerable for 16 frames, starting from the first frame. Ghastly Wail C doesn't have invulnerabilty frames listed (though testing it, they seem to be there)... D and CD are going to leave you some more room for error, though. Magatsu Mandala A doesn't have invulnerabilty frames listed either- but I have been counterhit out of it before, so that's why it's not there. I am assuming that the invul frames start on frame 4 since the SB version starts on frame 4. (Ugly thing, if you are counterhit out of Mandala, it's always Fatal.) I'm considering the 236BB combos advanced stuff that's not for me right now. It doesn't work on every character in the game, so I'll only implement it later. The 2C(1) > 2D corner ender needs CH or FC on the starter a lot of the times in my experience (at least with the routes I use); the enemy ends up teching out and dodging 2D, leaving you open. Since it's not applicable in a wide variety of situations I left it out. The "Invuln" tab is the reversals tab, pretty much. 236AB has strike invulnerability frames and projectile invulnerability frames? Damn, wish I knew the numbers on that... FC 2D requires you to be close to get anything from it (activating 2D up close is pretty risky...) In the video you land it on an opponent who's midair already... The best I can get is 5B > 2B > 2C and that is right next to them, any further and they tech out. I don't think I'll be able to use this in normal play.

After playing a few matches and doing some analysis, this is what I've come up with so far. I hope these ideas can help you, or give you a sense of some possible options. Underlined text is hyperlinked; click to view a video demonstration. --- Minazuki has much more range than you do. Because of this, he can really lock down the neutral game and make spacing difficult for you. Things get especially hard if your back is to the wall, as it becomes extremely difficult to counterpoke normally. Minazuki also has long blockstrings with few gaps in between, meaning he can barely touch you and then make you block for quite some time. If you end up mashing or panic, he can open you up and convert into a full combo easily for big damage. The big thing with Minazuki, I think, is patience. Approach the matchup carefully in a defensive posture and wait for your chance. Once you have the advantage, do not let up unless absolutely necessary. First things first: these crazy blockstrings. First is his normal autocombo, and second is his extended chain. Note that his 5B and 2B are two hits each, which add time to the string. Also note that 5AAA is NOT an overhead (and neither is 5C). Tip: When you're getting rushed by Minazuki, you'll want to hold down-back and wait. Don't mash- don't panic- any attempt at interrupting his flow needs to be deliberate. Wait for your chance, strike, and then don't let go. Anyway. The usual ender is Minazuki's "rekkas", usually referred to by name in combos. There are three parts: "Flash" (the forward rush), "Soaring" (the upswing), and "Destruction" (the downswing). Destruction is an overhead. There are hardly any gaps in these blockstrings, unless the opponent puts them there. (The gaps in the extended chain are 5C and Destruction.) That being said, if all you can do is block until these gaps come- why not try instant blocking for some meter? Even if you are shy about it, you can still get some good gains off just a few instant blocks. The more blockstrings Minazuki puts you through, the more you should give yourself meter (which, as we all know, is Adachi's lifeblood). About these gaps, then. 5C is generally a gap whenever it is used in blockstrings. The thing is, you are not going to be able to react to it (except with maybe just DP), so if you interrupt using this gap, it'll have to be a hard read. Your options are DP (Furious Action), Ghastly Wail, and Atom Smasher C/CD. DP lands counterhit here, so it's not too bad of an option. Follow with 5C > 236D. Ghastly Wail and Atom Smasher are self-explanatory. Be careful that you are not hit while buffering them. Destruction is an overhead that you need to block high. At 22 frames, it is fairly obvious to see, and you should be able to spot it if you are staying calm. (A Destruction, the quicker variant, will not hit you if you stay crouching.) Your options are DP, Atom Smasher C, and 2B. DP is technically OK here- a last ditch resort if you end up panicking for some reason (but you shouldn't be). Atom Smasher C is a little different from normal; because you catch Minazuki floating, you can follow with a short 5B > 2B > 2C combo. 2B is the preferred option, ideally. 2B will land counterhit, which means you get to land this beefy combo: CH 2B > jC whiff > 5B > 2C > 2AC > jC > 5B > 2B > 2C. Now that's what I'd like to call big damage! Master this punish combo, since you'll be using it elsewhere in this matchup. Shutting these down will force Minazuki to mix things up. Crouch block, watch for throws, and remember that Minazuki only has 4 overheads: j.A j.B AoA B Destruction All of these you should be able to deal with if you are staying calm and paying attention (and if Minazuki isn't pulling crossup airdash tricks or whatever). Crouch block and wait! --- There are not too many raw punishes here, but it's important to look out for them. Izayoi (Furious Action/DP) is pretty much your standard DP- it's almost like Narukami's. You'll want to punish it with 5B > 2C > 2AC > jC > 5B > 2B > 2C. You can switch out 5B for 2B if you're more comfortable with that, or you can go for a heavy sweep punish combo (you have to wait for them to land, though). Beware, Izayoi can be cancelled into super right when you're about to punish them, so watch their meter carefully. If you block their super you can resume punishing them with the same combo. 10/16 Edit: You'll have a better time if you run behind Minazuki before you punish him. You don't even have to be patient, as long as you run behind. If you let him land, Minazuki recovers crouching, so punish hard. Minazuki's All Out Attack has a lot of range, and a special property- not only does it hit high without an obvious overhead windup, but if it is done close enough it will cross you up. Thankfully, it's very unsafe on block. Punish with 5C > 2AB > 214A or your choice of 2AB (Sweep) combo: 2AB > 214AB > 665B > 2C > 2AC > jC > 5B > 2B > 2C for 2.9k and 25 meter, or 2AB > 236236B > run forward > 2C > 2AC > jC > 5B > 2B > 2C for 3.6k and 50 meter + Heat Riser buff. Be warned; again, watch that meter, as Minazuki can One More Cancel to escape your punish. (Thankfully sweep is safe.) 10/8 Edit: Use these combos instead: 5C > IAD > jC > 5B > 5C > 2AB > 214A or, add 5C as a starter to the two 2AB combos above. Tsukiyomi ("Teleport" 236C/D) is quite a tricky move. Minazuki disappears and reappears, either in front of or behind you, and drops an overhead on your face that leads to combos on hit and advantage on block. Tsukiyomi gets mixed into blockstrings (especially the D crossup version) to make you panic and get you frustrated. The secret, as said earlier, is NOT TO BLOCK IT. Do NOT block Tsukiyomi if you have any choice about it. Instead, spot its startup (40 frames) and then land the beefy 2B combo from earlier. You will always get Fatal Counter, so you have a little more wiggle room to land your attacks if you need to dash into position for things. Just hold down-back, block, block, block, see Tsukiyomi, then continue to hold down-back and just hit B when you're ready. You will autocorrect, don't worry. Just keep your head down. Tsukiyomi is trouble, so you want to make Minazuki pay every time he tries it. Wings of Purgatory (236236C/D) is Minazuki's giant projectile super. There are two speeds, slow and fast. If you are close enough, you can punish using the 5C or sweep combos. Again, watch his meter, as he can One More Cancel to avoid your punish. If you are out of range for a punish, keep in mind that the further away you are the less disadvantage Minazuki will have. Be careful if you decide to run in. Definitely don't go for 2D or something. Try not to roll to avoid the chip. If Minazuki notices you roll every time to dodge the projectile, he can throw you off by using the slow version. If he's chucking this fullscreen, just block and let him use up his meter. Moon Smasher (Awakened 214214A/B) is Minazuki's super-duper reversal option. There are two hits; he lunges into the sky, and then slams into the ground. You don't have to block the second hit high- but you should (well I would), as you have to make note of which side he lands on. He can cross you up if you're not paying attention (A and B have different ranges to them). Punish with 5C or sweep as normal, and watch his meter for the OMC escape. --- We'll analyze some odds and ends from his moveset, now. Minazuki's 5B and 2B are both two hits. On block, Minazuki can jump cancel anytime. Be aware of this when defending. There's a tiny, tiny gap in 2B if you instant block the first hit. Maybe this will be of use to you (I would probably never use it). 5A / 2A have stupid range for weak attacks. Minazuki can easily convert off of mashed 2A at tip range, it's kind of disgusting. Anyway, if they whiff 5A or 2A for any reason, you can try to shoot them with 214A/B. Remember to aim. 5B is a ranged, advancing poke, often used to approach. Your 5A and 5B can't really counterpoke him, and his 5B will beat your 5C straight a lot of the time. So, Minazuki can oppress you with 5B, forcing you to block it, and then put you into blockstrings to start mixing you up. If we know the opponent will be using this in neutral, what can we do about it? We do have a few options, but for the most part they are almost all preemptive. That means if you wanna counter 5B, you should block, block, block, wait for your chance, and then once you have a read check him hard. Your options are: AOA - AOA has guardpoint, so it can be a useful way to stop 5B. Minazuki has a few counter-options if he knows you are going to do this (if he doesn't know you will probably catch him). He can attempt to jump cancel, he can attempt to Tsukiyomi cancel, and he can super. Super will stop you every time, so watch their meter. AOA will sometimes hit Minazuki's counter attempts out of the air- follow with the 5B short hop combo. Backdash, 236AA - Put yourself at about 5B's tip range. (You can do the Adachi shuffle here if that's your thing.) Backdash before he presses the button, then 236AA back in. Be careful, if you backdash late, you'll get smacked. Forward jump j.B or j.C - Preemptively jump into the air, and then, depending on the spacing, air turn and j.B, or j.C (I'd prefer j.C 'cause of that big-ass hitbox). Watch your range, and use 5B when you land so you don't whiff. Back jump j.C - Escape and whiff punish. I wouldn't use this a whole lot though, you lose ground and it's not a lot of damage. Maybe if you need to stall for time or something. 214A - Shoot him! Brrrat! If you are lucky, you'll be close enough to go in for a combo. Minazuki extends his hurtbox when he does 5B, so you have a little more range than you think. Last-second DP - Technically an option, but... ehhhh. Playing neutral with 950 blue health? I'd rather do something else. 2B interrupt - OK, this is not really an option unless you are Mike Ross, the spacing is just too specific. It is the definition of "godlike read" though. 2C is used to check you at range. Minazuki's Persona appears behind you up close (but you don't have to block the opposite way) and in front of you from afar. Blocking 2C if it appears behind you pushes you towards Sho, so he can force you into another blockstring... The startup on this is fairly obvious at 30 frames and Minazuki has to crouch to use this, so if you think you have the time, you can try rolling (Evasive Action 5AC) to get close. Watch your spacing; you might be able to start 5AA blockstring pressure, or you might just be SOL. 2AB (Sweep) is a two part low hitting move. There are two things you should know; one, is that you can reversal through with Atom Smasher C/CD or Ghastly Wail (any) after blocking the first hit. Two, is that if he whiffs sweep for whatever reason, you should try to shoot him with 214B. (You can also punish his whiffed 2B with 214A/B too, remember to aim.) Just because he whiffed, don't assume that you get to run in on him, you will probably get smacked as the recovery is not bad at all. Survival Knife A gives Minazuki a little bit of advantage, as he can follow it in to attack, ala Sonic Boom/Kikoken. Hint: If they like running across the ground, you can slide under the projectile with a sweep and catch them... A common Minazuki setup is to throw Survival Knife A at range, and then Tsukiyomi D soon after. If Minazuki spaces it right, you won't be able to 2B him out of Tsukiyomi (or at least, the timing will be a lot tighter). You can try rolling or DP to get out of it. Or, you could just block (watch your timing...) The corner is a very bad place to be for you. Minazuki has better range, better speed at range, and can generally lock you down something fierce. There are a few things to note. Tsukiyomi D in the corner is triiiiicky. You cannot be crossed up when cornered, but the issue here is that if you try to smack him out of the air as usual... well, there are a number of things that can go wrong with your response here because of how your inputs switch. I would just block Tsukiyomi here, and then roll the dice on a DP or reversal afterward. When you are cornered, Minazuki may walk backwards within 5B's first hit range to get you to push a button or something and then beat you to the punch. If you notice him walking backwards, his legs are open- 214A him. If you get lucky, you'll get a counterhit into side switch. --- When you get hit with a combo ending in Flash > Soaring > Destruction, you recover at disadvantage. Don't mash... You can block, DP, reversal, or late tech (I think late tech would be the best option). Did you block Destruction in a blockstring instead of attacking through it? You do have advantage... but you can't use 5A to strike back. Use 5B instead. Be aware that if Minazuki uses SB Destruction he has advantage (a LOT of advantage) and you will have to continue to block. As said- never ever ever 5D Ziodyne against Minazuki, he will just 2C and smack you. As far as 2D Cross Slash goes though, I'm not so sure- Minazuki won't be able to stop you on reaction (at least in my testing), he has to predict that you'll use it to hit you with Tsukiyomi or projectile super. This should be a non-issue anyway, however, since just chucking out raw 2D is a bad idea (why feed the other guy your persona cards anyway?) Sometimes Minazuki may cancel into Tsukiyomi from Soaring. Just hit him. Sometimes Minazuki may do Soaring and... follow it with nothing. He recovers in the air when he does this. Your 2B is air unblockable, so just pop him with your favorite Anti-Air combo. Watch out, they can super or OMC to get out. If you block 5C and Minazuki just stands there... don't do anything. Take a breath. Don't think you have advantage enough to run in, as Minazuki can cancel into Flash really late. Don't use your 5C too much in this matchup, you will just get Persona Broken. If Tsukiyomi whiffs, don't try to punish it or run in or anything. Minazuki recovers too fast. Just take note of your opponent's habits.

Here's my quick reference, if anyone wants it. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hu2C4DGAtx4rDGSMIj4f5OR_-YlWEb5jpeFt3xw-tuU/edit?usp=sharing This is pretty much what I'm going to be using. Everything might not be optimal, but I strictly play online (and I have crap execution). Suggestions and comments are welcome.

Can you elaborate on this? When you say "25 meter" and "5C jC route" what are you referring to?

Late 2B should do ya. I would just 2B > 2C if I was not confident on nailing the timing.

Here's something you could possibly do with Fear/Evil Smile. http://youtu.be/CQw8_E87w3o I'd say about... maybe within 1/3rd of the screen, you can start thinking about using 214AB, which tracks. If it hits, you can dash in and use momentum 5B to get a nice little combo. Because it's fatal, you get a little more time to dash in for the link between Sweep > 214AB and 5B. It's just in the autocombo, mind. 236AA doesn't really build anything by itself. About 2k. Adding any more meter other than the OMC doesn't really help. Same for the air throw (about 2k). I would rather go for Megidola + Heat Riser B though when it comes to throws.

Meaty 5A seems to be extremely important. I have a habit of backing off from a knockdown (ala DOA/VF/etc.) but it seems to me that if you're not doing meaty 5A every chance you can you're not playing Adachi. Of course you have to watch out for reversals, but that's just how it is. Adachi has no neutral game so I think you're just gonna have to roll the dice like that. Regarding defense with roll/DP/AOA, there's also backdash/space out whiff punish. Depending on the move being whiffed, I think 236AA may be good as a whiff punisher, as you seem to recover fast enough to continue pressure. 4f startup is nothing to shake a stick at, though I have to wonder how long it takes to get in and out of stance at its fastest. 5AA > 5B > 5C(4) > 2AB > 214A builds just 3 less meter than autocombo. So, the only reason to use autocombo is either to go into Heat Riser B or to build your burst. It's 5AAAA (the tackle) in particular that builds the burst.

Yeah, I realized this. You have to dash forward before you do 2C to get into position for the short hop followup. Though, the timing doesn't seem too bad. ed. after messing around with it, I think dash forward, 2C is the way to go in most cases involving Heat Riser B for consistency. Because you can hit them higher than 5B, there's a little more room for error. So, assuming the combo 236236B > 66 (run forward) > 2C > 2AC > jC > 5B > 2B > j2C you can start with... 5AAA 2AB (Sweep) 214C/214D (Megidola) 5C(1) (though this doesn't seem too practical because of how close you have to be) Nice and easy. Sweep is particularly important, as it seems to be Adachi's max damage "stupid" punish (i.e. blocked Furious Actions, supers, etc.)

Thanks for this. The large invincible frames and + on block makes sense. http://youtu.be/fDbpzuf7sJk http://youtu.be/uXBxCBHfGkw (Please excuse my sloppy play. Minazuki gives me fits, I think I'm developing a complex...) From my observations, sweep is hard to use as a spacing tool because you move your hurtbox along with you... Minazuki in particular is in the air a lot of the time. 5C often loses to his swords as well (it's just too slow). so, I suppose it goes without saying, that against characters that have more range than you (which is gonna be a lot of characters!), you are going to be on the defensive, most of the time. That doesn't necessarily mean all hope is lost, though, since you have to take into account all of your defensive options; not just DP (which is very important) but roll and AOA. Rolling out of pokes, depending on the poke used, seems to be a good way for Adachi to get closer aside from airdashing/jumping in. Being able to actually do anything afterwards, though- I think this will be more move-specific, as in you confirm what whiffed, and then decide if you want to try punishing it or not. (This is also related to how close you are- if you have to run in for a 5A or 5B you might as well just do 5C instead, and sometimes you don't have enough time for 5C.) A lot of times it is just running away since you might not end up with advantage, but you definitely need to find a place to roll out of the corner, as counterpoking becomes impossible due to your lack of range and speed. AOA, I think, is maybe more important than sweep and 5C in neutral. You have large range with it, but the big thing is that you have guard point for quite some time on the approach (starting on the 10th frame). so, if the opponent is bullying you with pokes to keep you out, AOA acts like an advancing shield. I have to wonder about the damage on it though, you get corner carry but I'm really not impressed (as compared to Minazuki's freakin' 4k AOA... that crosses up...) I'll stick with Adachi for a little while longer, I'll go through and make a punish list for Minazuki soon and post it in the matchup thread. But seeing people whiff or do something that leaves them wide open and not being able to do anything about it is driving me nuts... I need to remember to use C Atom Smasher more often. And whiffing 5B on an anti-air 5AA is bull. Uuuuugh.

http://youtu.be/PR92z6SU-uo

I don't like this so much. If you're not absolute point blank the Heat Riser just loves to whiff... I'll have to try 5AAA into it more. Sho Minazuki's been giving me a hard time. I'll map everything out in training later, but at first glance everything seems impossible. Adachi has short range and long range, but nothing in between, so Minazuki can just mash 5A/2A at max range 'cause what are you going to do about it? Sweep and 5C are too slow to compete and I often had my Persona broken trying to space... Ahh, there's gotta be a punish opportunity somewhere, I just have to find it.

I think I understand this a little more after reading through the topic. so, I think the main mixup when pressuring would be (all on block) http://youtu.be/Vq23jdDgikM 5AA / 2AA > 236B > 214C I use 236B to stance cancel because of the faster walk speed compared to 236A. Does anyone think 236A starts up faster or something? The blockstun from 5AA can sometimes eat button presses and lead to a counterhit Megidola for you. Anyway, the opponent can get out by mashing 5A/2A and hitting you out of your grab's startup. So, mix in 5AA / 2AA > delayed 5B And that's all she wrote. If you panic or spaz out you can always end with 214A for a safe blockstring ender or 214AB to keep going. Lemme know what you guys think, if you believe this is viable- or what other escape options you think exist, like DP. ed. 5AA / 2AA > 5C seems to work too, if you can't be assed with timing 5B. Though, your confirm'll have to be a little tighter since 5AA does not link into 5C on hit.

Does he have a neutral game??? I made a list of his attacks and ranges, from shortest to longest, if anyone cares. [collapse] "/" means these moves have about the same range. Below starting distance 214C 2A / 214D / 214CD 5A 5B/2B 214214 A 214214 B / 214214AB / Ghastly Wail (all versions) 214A / neutral jump jC -- Starting distance Furious Action / Heat Riser (all versions) 5C / Sweep 236AA / 236BB / 236ABA --- Outside starting distance 214B AoA 236C 214AB 236D --- Fullscreen 5D 2D / j2D 236CD Atom Smasher (all versions) Instant Kill [/collapse] So... at first glance, it would seem that you pick your spots. You could always airdash in and j.C, that's the obvious thing to do, but you can also play defense with 2B and 2C both being air unblockable. If they whiff or do something stupid, you can go for 2D, a successful hit will let you gain some ground (but if you just chuck it out, that's a good way to lose a Persona card). 5C and sweep seem good, but the issue there is speed and recovery, you don't want to get caught with your pants down. You can 5D if you have the time, but as said, you just gave the other guy a free bar for that. Though, at the same time, if you notice they are fully loaded I don't think there's anything wrong with using it freely. You could go for Evil Smile, but you still have to land a hit afterwards. Dunno how I'd go implementing that. My green is showing too, though... I don't quite know what you're supposed to do when you're actually on the inside, if the opponent is not already making mistakes. 2A is not a low- only 5A is jump-cancelable- 214A is disadvantage on block and can't really be mixed with j.B or anything- sweep/AoA is a bit too slow to be a mixup option, I think- so I'm not really seeing how you're supposed to open up someone who's blocking. Frame traps via delayed button presses? But if they were just being patient and blocking, what would make them push buttons to get frame trapped in the first place? Adachi's throw needs OMC to combo... it isn't particularly scary anywhere, and it seems like you don't recovery with much advantage if at all. There's Megidola, but I feel like that is more for hard read throw defense if anything. I mean, if people wised up to it, given a choice between an "eh" throw and a counterhit Megidola, people would just rather get thrown instead of trying to tech...? Somebody set me straight. I'm slowly reading through this topic for anything I'm missing.

http://youtu.be/CNy-xDP8wVY FC Megidola > 236236B (don't be late!) > 665B > 2C > hop cancel > jC > 5B > 2B > 2C Finish with Magatsu Mandala A if you like or whatever. ed. oh, it looks like you don't even need counterhit if you OMC. http://youtu.be/_YV5IBqwuPE

Sorry for dipping out early, I was working on my gameplan and accepted the invite out of habit... I'm just mashing at this point, I wouldn't wanna mash my way into some bad habits. I don't have a chat headset (well I do, but it's cheap garbage) so I play with headphones plugged into my monitor. I couldn't hear mic chatter over the game, and from what I can see, there's no way to increase chat volume, so I guess I'll just have to play with all the game sounds really low. (Saves my ears, I guess.) You guys seem pretty cool, see you soon.

https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/addons/persona4-arena-ultimax-additional-character-1-tohru-adachi/cid=UP0005-NPUB31563_00-UNLOCKCHARAAD000?smcid=ps:nav-playstation-store https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/addons/persona4-arena-ultimax-additional-character-2-marie/cid=UP0005-NPUB31563_00-UNLOCKCHARAMR000?smcid=ps:nav-playstation-store https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/games/addons/persona4-arena-ultimax-lobby-avatar-adachi/cid=UP0005-NPUB31563_00-UNLOCKLOBBYAVT03?smcid=ps:nav-playstation-store (Hint: You can "purchase" and put the free DLC in your download queue even if you don't own the game yet.)

reposting from the Q&A thread- --- How does buffering work in this game? It feels like, during some combos, or punishing some unsafe attacks (like punishing a -5 on block with a 5f impact move), or mashing reversal DP/super, that the window is fairly tight (like Street Fighter-style links). or, that is to say, mashing anything doesn't seem worth it since you only get results half the time; good timing or bust. --- I feel like if you're getting pressured and you don't explicitly know what's coming next, it's best to just focus on blocking. If you are trying to mash something out you'll leave back or down-back and open yourself up to getting hit.

... so I can enter both?

A B C X D X X X Index on A, middle on B, ring on C, thumb on D. Or, B C D X A X X X Index on B, middle on C, ring on D, thumb on A. Just press all 4 buttons.