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)

To really sum up the guide, Axl's greatest strengths are his ability to build guard in seconds and reduce your enemy's tension. His pokes and damage are vital as well, but guard and tension reduction is what makes him so powerful. So underrated.

This is an Axl thread designed to help people understand the character and some of the mechanics of the game, and while I will have combos and match-up information, it's not the focus of this guide. I'm an #R player, but I'm pretty damn sure everything applies to AC Axl; hell, I think any player could find value in this guide. Also, to really get the most out of this, I recommend going into training mode while you read. I'm going to start with the very simple concepts and build on to them. I. Getting the most out of everything you do. c.s > 5h > 2d > 2363214h A lot of people would say that this is a bad combo, and I would agree with them. So, what makes this a bad combo? To understand this, lets look at what advantages and disadvantages it has in relation to the other things you could do. + KD + Damage (206) - 50% tension - Unreliable (if it is not done right, the second part of the super will otg your enemy causing you to lose the KD and the damage) c.s > 5h > 2d > [4]6s (frc) > 66 > 6k (jc) > j.k > j.d > j.623h Costs about 13% tension. The best part about this combo is that it allows your enemy to recover, which is a win-win situation for you. Axl's ability to punish recovery is stronger than his oki game. If they do recover then you can punish their recovery with a c.s, forcing them to FD it which eats up 10-20% of their tension, unless they don't FD in which case they take a bomber loop to the face, it's their choice. You could also air throw them for +55 damage and knockdown if that's you're thing. If you're too far away to throw or c.s, then watch which way they tech and poke accordingly . If they don't recover, you get the knockdown anyway. + 25% tension usage (you also gain about 12% tension) + Allows the enemy to recover (they take a lot of damage or they lose 10-20% tension) - Damage (187) If you'd prefer to do bomber loops, then go ahead. BLoops tend to do more damage and you can take even more advantage of Axl's recovery punishing game, but if you mistime an axl bomber then they'll get a free combo on you. The only situation where I'll always BL is from a corner throw. Basically, just be aware of what your combos are doing besides just the dmg they deal. Minimize your opponents tension and maximize yours. Keep them thinking of what you're going to do next, and more importantly, make sure they don't have time to think. II. Mixup In the first section of this guide I showed you that what appears to be happening on the surface on things is not what is important. This applies to his mixup, as well. It's all mindgames. For example, if they block 5k > 3p, there are a lot of options: 2d for another low attack, 6h or 5d for high attack, 5h for massive guard-building and frame advantage, 63214s for a crossup high, or you could even 3p again. Every time you attack there is a another attack avaliable to you. Does this make sense? What you want to do is let your offensive game flow so that they can't predict what you're going to do. Considering Axl's mixup isn't anywhere near the best in the game, it's not a good idea to play rigidly. Millia and Eddie can use predetermined strings that are difficult to defend against, and alternate between them in a match. Axl doesn't have that luxury. The last thing I'm going to say about mixup, is that there really is no defined structure that you have to play with. Do what works for you. Just remember to use mixups so that your opponent feels disadvantaged when he is on defense instead of stronger (if they can predict your strings they will feel safe when you are attacking) III. Guard-building All I can say about this is damn, it takes Axl about 5 seconds to nearly fill someones guard bar. Combined with his already above-average damage, he can really tear shit apart. This section is really where all the practical stuff begins to come in. I'm going to show you a few ways to really break someone guard bar, but first there are a few things to keep in mind. Yes, building their guard meter makes them take more damage, but what else? Well, if you are good at building their guard and at mixup, then they will not like defending against you. Simple as that. Whenever you start strings, they will FD to get your ass out of there or they'll have their guard built up. Win-win. Seeing a tend in this? Your combos end in recovery, which leads to reducing their tension or them taking more damage. Your blockstrings also lead to reducing their tension or massively building their guardbar (which makes them take more damage). Your defense (which I'll get to in part IV) is also based on them taking damage or reducing their tension. This shit is KEY. Point blank period. Anyway, lets translate these concepts into practical techniques. These are Axl's best moves to build their meter, in this order: rensengeki, 5h, 6h, c.s. These are all damn good attacks, and are MEANT for building guard. USE THEM IN BLOCKSTRINGS! Guard building works like combos, the more consecutive hits, the less damage you get for each one. However, there is a way around this: chains. For example, if you use 3p > 5h, it does not "combo" but they are forced to block and take massive guard damage anyway! I love this game :D Here are some examples (these are not set in stone, I just like them a lot) 3p > 5h 3p > 6h (you want only the tip of 6h to hit them) c.s > 5h 5h > 6h (you want only the tip of 6h to hit them) Lastly, I want you to imagine a spectrum. On one side, there is guard-building. On the other, mixup. Most of the best attacks for building guard hit mid and do not mix up all that well. The ideal place to be is near the middle, maybe a little bit to the guard side. HOWEVER, there is a way around this using his best guard building attack: RENSEN. As everyone knows, rensen has an frc point which is a staple of Axl's pressure game. What this means is that you can make full use of your mixup moves AND your guard building moves at the same time! The timing for the frc is one of the easiest in the game, and helps Axl out more than most other characters benefit from frc'ing their moves. You can end almost anything with a rensen to punish jumpers, continue combos, continue pressure, continue mixup... ya get the point. IV. Defensive game Axl is full of superfluous anti-air that can hit nearly any spot on the screen. As good as Axl's offense can be, if you have no defense then you will never get a chance to use that offense. Defending with Axl means two things: using the right poke at the right time, and blocking correctly. There is a blindspot right above your head where you cannot poke them, so just air throw them or block when they're in that area. 5p is great to punish IADs. Completely destroys I-no. Will whiff against Sol's IAD. 6k has a lot of range, but it is his slowest poke so only use it when you know it will hit. 2s is amazing, just make sure it will hit. f.s is great for punishing dashers (2p can be used too, but it is risky) 6p is a situational and awkward anti-air. Patience is key. The point of poking as defense is to stop their offense from starting in the first place. Either they take the damage from the poke and are on the defense again, or they FD so that they lose tension and are put in a neutral position again. Either way you win... unless you miss the poke. This takes practice, but don't worry cause it'll come to ya. Counters are good but they are very much secondary to blocking and poking. Some attacks are easy to counter, such as Baiken's j.h, Sol's bandit revolver/bringer, and to an extent, Slayer's j.h. V. Pressure game Rensen, rensen, rensen. You have the ability to apple pressure at all times, from anywhere on screen. You don't even have to be attacking to pressure your opponent into flinching. They come at you, you punish them for it. They turtle, you walk forward (I can guarantee you that they will not continue turtling with you walking forward, Axl is incredibly efficient with his tension and walking increases it pretty quickly). Besides that, all of his pressure really consists of is a combination of the four above sections. If you lack in any of them, your game will suffer. The good news is that everything will feel perfectly natural once you get used to it, and then people will hate your Axl (