Prototype909

I've tried taking a break, it doesn't help me in the slightest. All it seems to do is make me rusty and feel unfamiliar with the game. I think my inability to improve might just have to do with the frustrations I experience while playing the game. I feel like when they were designing the game and handing out the character gimmicks, that Ragna just got the short end of the stick. He just feels a lot weaker than a majority of the cast when you aren't playing complete idiots. (THIS NEXT PART IS COMPLETELY MY OPINION/RANT AND FEEL FREE TO TEAR IT APART) I mean, it just seems like Ragna doesn't have as much going for him as some of the other cast members. His gimmick, (Life Drain), sucks. Not in theory, but in execution. Last I checked it was what, 1/10th of the attack damage? In my honest opinion, he deserves either a bit more life drain, or a bit more health. Because compared to some of the other gimmicks, Soul Eater is trash without Blood Kain. Here are some Pros and Cons that I thought up in about 5 minutes. Think of them what you will. Pros (+) - Easy to pick up (Not that helpful at this stage of the game's lifespan) Pretty good damage Attacks flow together naturally and effectively Makes good use of meter Guaranteed reversal 6A is Godly Anti-Air Good pressure game Cons (-) Poor mixup options effectively ruin his pressure in some cases VERY predictable Low health Isn't particularly strong in any area statistic wise Life drain sucks without Blood Kain I don't know. Think of that stuff what you will. I think i'm just bitter and frustrated right now.

The matchup isn't bad, it's just stupid. The fact that Ragna has to play...so UN-Ragna like to win it. The match is a joke if you play as defensive as God himself and just throw out counter 5B/5Cs and BnB combo it up. But if Ragna plays offensive, Tager can just IB + Backdash/360A all day if you aren't mixing it up constantly (And I mean constantly). It's just stupid and shouldn't work the way it does. You basically get consistently punished for attacking.

Lately, it just seems like i've reached my limit. Like my Ragna cannot improve any more than being "Pretty good". I feel like if I could improve my mixup game some what that I could smash right through this wall, but I just can't for the life of me seem to improve anymore. That, and I really tend to crack whenever i'm getting pressured by Jin/Bang/Taokaka. I'm not one of those people who can IB every attack that comes there way for instance. Is this something anyone else has experienced? If anyone wants to see a video of how I play, if you're on XBL my gamertag is the same as my Dustloop name, Prototype909. So you could just find me on the leaderboards or something and see if I have any replays available or whatever. I'll try to put one up tonight if I can. Last I checked I was in the top 50 for the Ragna boards. Online play, lol. Other than that...yeah, let's just call this the "Improvement" thread.

I've been having issues with the standard BnB drive combo. I feel like if I could just realize what i'm doing wrong, then I could easily correct it and get any drive combo down easier. The one i've been practicing is relatively simple 6C -> 2D~6 -> (j.C -> 9D)x3 -> j.A -> j.C -> 236 (b)xn Somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd iteration of the drive + j.C, my j.C will always be a BIT too low to connect. I figure it's just human error, but am I too fast, too slow? Any input would be nice.

Other than standard BnB useage 5B -> 5C -> 2C -> Hell's Fang I hardly ever use it. It's really just a shorter/slower version of 5C and it hits mid all the same. So I tend to avoid using it. Off that topic, does anyone have some good mix up combos? I hardly know any, and it's really hurting my game as of late when I keep getting locked in the same 2-3 mix up combos that everyone knows to expect from me.

Can someone explain TK Gauntlet Hades to me? Is it the same principle behind Bang's 2369 Nails (Where you can execute them incredibly low to the ground, while still counting as behind in the air)?

Same thing as the difference between a super jump/regular jump

You've just gotta do the combos over and over again until they're pounded into your memory. Or at least that's what I did

No other inputs for this match?

Wow, I just beat jiyuna, though I think he let me win I had no health left and went into Blood Kain, he just started blocking and then I did 5B -> Devoured By Darkness which somehow killed him. I saved both that replay and the fight prior to that where he kicked my ass. Needless to say i'll be trying to learn some of the combos he pulled on me.

It usually only works for midscreen or at least a generous distance away from the corner. Delay each hit quite a bit (Also, use the C version of ID) and then use 5B -> 6A to relaunch into an air combo. The 5B should land JUST before they hit the ground. Just practice it, and it becomes 2nd nature.

jiyuna is just too good Oh well, I guess that this is just my shitty Xbox360 D-Pad imposed limit setting in combined with my lack of recent training. I really need to stop using Hell's Fang on blocked attacks and panic bursting If it's possible, i'd like another match sometime jiyuna. Preferably one I remember to save so I can relive getting my ass handed to me and learn from it. EDIT - Could someone please explain TK Gauntlet Hades to me? I've been doing the 2147 input for about an hour now and they still seem to be launching the same way if it it had been a normal 214 input. Am I doing something wrong?

5D special cancel into Dead Spike is usually safe, as long as they don't predict it. Then again, if you're being predicted on your combo strings you're probably dead anyways.

Yes. That's why you don't end blockstrings with Hell's Fang. It leaves you wide open to punishment against people who know what they're doing. Dead Spike is the only safe way to "End" combo strings, though dashing out of 5D can continue them if you don't get punished by punches or something.

I'm having trouble with the following combo 5B -> 6A -> 5C -> 5D (Special Cancel After first hit) -> GH -> 5C -> j.B -> j.C -> JC -> j.C -> j.D -> ID (D) -> 236C -> 214 C After GH the 5C doesn't connect. Do I have to delay Gauntlet Hades?

For the inferno divider, try delaying the hits of all of the followups as long as possible. Also, the 5B has to come out very late, like VERY late. It should look like your opponent is just about to hit the ground, then 5B -> 6A -> Whatever them.

Ok, I am getting my ass majorly raped by good Noels. Not the Noels who randomly toss out a drive, but the ones who actually know how to combo into it and get me into 1/3 health combos. Not too fun. Anyone got any tips?