niggajesus

horokei, try using c.s f.s 5h 6h instead of c.s 6h. just a suggestion. f.s 5h is one of the most amazing frametraps in the entire game, proper use of it can seriously double your damage output. also, try out strings like c.s f.s 5h rensen frc dash f.s 5h 6h/raei s/2d/rensen. slashback is definitely an obstacle to get around in ac, but im sure there are solutions to it (like horokeis c.s 6h idea for example), as there is with everything else also horokei, faultless may stop the loop but thats actually good for you. once they fd they'll lose tension and you can still do stuff like f.s 5h rensenfrc/6h/raei s to continue pressure (the more they fd the more tension they lose, the less they fd the more guardbar is built)

test it out in ac http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4hhXzJlGWE that's how you really do the loop, and you can even tech trap with it if you want to. umbc is in catonsville, right

yea, the way i did it in the video was just an example and doesnt work well in matches although there are ways of doing it in consistently in matches. honestly it's much easier to set up these blockloops with jam and bridget(due to their speed and good air attacks), although axl is definitely the character best equipped to handle the enemy's response to them(cause of his range and comboability). to do blockloops you gotta have the enemy block in the air, then attack them during their landing frames. tight timing (you can create blockstrings that can consistently create blockloops tho)

There's other ways to stop the loop, like bursting. Since both c.s and 6p are jcable, you can throw them out of their burst at any time. (if you're hit by the burst for some reason, you still made them use it without losing tension yourself) They can daa, as well. Depending on your reaction time, you could counter their daa (if their daa hits you, you still made them lose 50% tension without losing any yourself) Pretty much all they can do once it starts is burst, daa, or fd. when they fd their guardbar will still be increased from before they fd'ed, they'll lose tension from the fd, and since axl has so much range and good mixup, you're still at a huge advantage over them

I was in training mode with Bridget a few days ago and I discovered a new bug. Theres a way of doing this with Axl as well, and it's actually a lot more dangerous with him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODJkeDD1PxI That's just the easiest way to set the loop up, although there's several ways of doing it. The one in the video is a blocked 2s 6k, iad j.kph 5k [c.s 6p]. The []'s being the loop itself. So far, it works on Axl, Ed, Pot, Jo, and Slayer. As long as the enemy can't crouch low enough for 6p to whiff, the loop will work on them. It allows you to build up their guard gauge as much as possible, then using a mixup for massive damage. There are ways of escaping the loop, like crouching the iad. But that's not a reliable tool because if you suspect axl's going for the loop and you crouch, he can cancel the 6k into 6h instead of iading. Also, you can fd and push axl away, but since there is no pushback to increase, faultless will barely move him away and will completely destroy their tension bar. In the situation that they do faultless (and they will), you drop the loop and go for mixup (like raei s, 6h, 2h, 5d, etc). Basically the blockloop is a way to make your aa even more dangerous. If they don't fd your aa they'll get comboed, and if they do fd your aa they run the risk of getting blocklooped (which means they'll lose tension or get their guard gauge smashed) I'm sure this is possible in AC as well, although the string will be different since his pokes have different attributes to them. I'm curious as to what y'all can find with it.

take the # out of your gg directory name and try again

dont see much rkys, fun stuff

I've used the frame-trap in ~75 matches or so, and it's only been reversaled once. I've had many times where the enemy tries a reversal but the 5h hits them and counters their move. Basically what happens is that the enemy just accepts it as a blockstring and FDs a lot; less tension for them.

I wasn't going to make a post about just one move, but this move is so damn good and gets no love. Learning how to use 5h is massively important if you plan to play aggressively. Yea, it is slow. That's part of why it's so good. It has a start-up of 16-frames and builds 20 guard on block. 5h can chain into rensen frc to continue pressure, 2d for a low, 6h for a high, raei s for a crossup, and rouhousen for an unblockable. 3p > 5h is a frame-trap that builds ~28 guard. 5k > c.s > 5h, as a blockstring, builds ~24 guard. It only takes 65 guard build to put them into the "danger zone" where their gauge blinks and any hit is a CH. They also take mad damage when their guard is high. 6h CH gives you a ~60% rensen combo. CH raei s gives you a ~70% air combo. Throw gives you a 20-50% combo. Note that all of these moves are mixups, as well. Also note that even Potemkin takes 60+% damage from those combos. If you're going to pressure with Axl, you're going to need tension to do it. A few things you'll need to know... Instant blocking is important, helps you keep your tension gauge as full as possible. Also, don't turtle, walk forward as much as possible, also keeps your tension gauge filling quickly. If the enemy is running away from you, don't poke them until they approach you, just keep walking forward and IBing their long range attacks/fireballs; with them running, you'll be gaining mad tension, and when they have no more room to run they'll be forced to get close to you again (when they realize that them running away is helping you more than them, they will stop, and then they'll try to pressure you... and Axl is pretty amazing at stopping their attempts at pressuring).

This was originally going to be part of the Axl Bible, but I felt that it was more appropriate in here as it applies to all characters. Free free to post anything relevant, or any comments you have. Instead of telling you to do this or do that, this is all about creating a mental blueprint of how your character should play. There are so much good things that each character can do, I could tell you to use tech traps with Axl and show you some advanced mixup or something, but I'd rather explain a few basic principles that will automatically instill all of those good things into you game. This won't be a read-once-and-stop type thread, and I hope there will be enough value in this so that you can keep coming back to it and learning new information. That's what's awesome about using principles rather than specific techniques - they are loose concepts that can be used any way you like and create a strong foundation you can build on. *Dominance and Pacing Seriously, it seems as if people have sweat and even died trying to keep this information from the public; theres been pixelated blood shed and many grams of marijuana smoked in the effort to resolve this issue. You wanna know what the secret strats are? You really wanna know? Ok... Walk forward. Really. Just walk forward. Don't dash or dodge, none of that pussy shit, just walk slowly. Don't dodge projectiles, instead walk up to them and IB. The point behind this is control - the underlying principle that decides who wins and who loses. The next time you're in a match, simply take notice of how freely you're able to move. The more freedom you have, the less freedom your opponent has. The player who is in control of the match is the player who is the least restrained. Walking isn't just about control, but it is a good indicator of how much control you actually have in your matches. Walking is a great way to gain tension, puts pressure on your opponent, and also conditions you to play effective as hell. I'm not saying you should feel like following this to the t, it's just that walking forward and IB'ing go great together. It's about noticing any flaws in your game that you didn't notice before, so you can grow at the fastest rate possible. *Tension Putting tension and control together forms the most synergistic type shit. If you own the map, then you're building tension, limiting your enemy's options, and limiting their tension. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer until someone breaks the cycle. It's obviously not as black and white as it sounds here, nor is it unstoppable, it's just a great ideal. Most of the information in this thread are just ideals to strive for, to paint you a mental picture, if you will. Simple. Everything that costs tension in this game, with the exception of DAA, halts tension gain for a few seconds. You want your opponent to use faultless defense as much as possible; there's a few ways to do this. You can use tech-traps, you can use AA, you can bait moves that leave them open if they don't RC, and you can even use long intricate blockstrings that force them to be on the defensive for a long time unless they FD out of it. I'm sure here's a lot of good information on tension efficiency and other relevant stuff that someone wants to share, and you're free to do that in here, post away. Most of it will probably be character specific, and that's great. *The Blueprint All I want you to do here is imagine your character being played at their fullest potential. Perhaps even beyond the skill level that they're played in tournaments, it really doesn't matter. How is that character being played, and how does it look different than how you're playing now? Notice how you envision them moving, their movement patterns. Are they in a frenzy or are they playing safe? The "skill" of the player isn't even what is important, it's the way they play that is. The "style" that they play with is your ideal "style," because this image is just a projection in your mind. Everyone has a different idea of the perfect player, it's a personal thing, all I'm saying is to strive for it. Do you think "control" really exists? I don't think it does. It's all in our heads. If you've IADed twice, and punished on both of those attempts, how do you react? Probably more cautiously, right? Well, how you do know that they're going to punish your next attempt? It's all just a projection on what you think is going to happen. Doesn't mean it will happen, and it doesn't mean it won't. If you feel that you're limited in the match, then you will be limited. You'll play as if there were limits on you. In reality there is no limits, only the action you take and the reaction that creates. That mental image I asked you to make... That's is how you'll play, if you do strive for it. You've created the blueprint to get there already. The thing is, that blueprint will change as you progress. If you've got a mental image of you losing all of the time, then that is a blueprint that you're striving towards as well, so just be positive and have fun. Do not question the process. You think the blueprint is bullshit? All I'm saying is to put that skepticism aside and let the process flow freely. Don't force shit, just play with that mental portrait you painted.

Appreciate the input. What he gains in one area, he loses in another I guess. I can only imagine that his 2-hit pokes would eat even more of their tension, and make comboing off of pokes easier. Also, Koku and the downward bomber sound like nothing but improvement. Rensen is overall pretty ridiculous in #R, sounds more balanced in AC. Instead of getting a guard bar from neutral to 80% in 5 seconds, I guess it would take 6 seconds instead. :P The combos were only really shown for example, but whenever I decide to play AC (I don't know anyone who plays around here) I'll probably make some minor changes, mainly change rensen from top guard attack to the fourth (it would still allow Axl to do everything he does in #R, just with a little less guard built)