zeth07

If he's a liar, then him saying Saya being playable in the home version could be a lie within the exact same context as the Kokonoe statement. TheMixup. TheMindGames.

Frame Traps

Yea you can, as long as they don't have a command throw/unblockable. Block all day, they go to throw you>tech/jump>suddenly you're back at neutral. There's literally never a single moment where you need to mash on defense. Bang can't mash his 5A, so.......how exactly is he or Tager any different from the rest of the cast in that regard for it to be their tactic? In fact some characters CAN mash their 5A while he can't.....

After checking out the combo video posted the other day I came across OEE's blog which seems to have a lot of information about Azrael at least from their personal experience. Unfortunately I don't know Japanese and because the information is relatively large in terms of text/content, Google Translate does not help out all from a broad perspective so a lot of it is just lost in translation using that method. However, there was one post in particular that seemed like it would be way more important than the others since it appeared to be information regarding the mook data and how Azrael's moves actually work. Going by the mook data alone makes it seem like Azrael doesn't require the use of "links" as much as previously stated when we were first getting information about him. However, the mook seems to lack actual "timing" information regarding the moves that isn't readily apparent just by looking at it. This means while he might not be as dependent upon "links" in the strict definition of the meaning, it seems he does have a bit of "delayed gatlings" or something of the sort that would give almost the same feeling of "links" as you would expect. Since this information is probably pretty damn important to learning the character I thought it would be good to actually get it properly translated by someone instead of trying to wing it and interpret it on my own through Google Translate. I asked hakimiru to translate the information and they were nice enough (as always) to help out and translate the entry as best as possible. HUGE THANKS to hakimiru for translating the info, I really can't say it enough as they have always helped with translations whenever I asked about Azrael stuff. [Collapse=] [/Collapse] As you can see, that is a lot of information to take in and definitely seems like good-to-know information when learning the character and possibly clears up some details about how his moves really work in terms of "gatlings" and what not. RA = Revolver Action btw if you didn't realize it. There seems to be a good bit of other information that could prove useful from OEE's blog that I am going to try and go through myself at some point (with Google Translate....) to try and make sense of it so that we can get as much useful information as possible from it. Also because that is just too much stuff to ask someone else to translate all the time.

Most notably in the corner doing Sentinel on the opponents wakeup isn't a bad option at all, it is still timing dependent but for the most part it covers a lot of options. Most notably it stops them from trying to roll, since even if they roll forward it hits on both sides. If they don't tech, you more or less get a free combo, so in a sense they are almost forced to just neutral tech. Of course if they just tech+block, it is hugely plus so you can go into your pressure/mixup. I would also assume it would give you a CH under most circumstances if the opponent tries to do anything since it should be done as a meaty (as much of a meaty can be in BB's tech system). Unless they have enough time to tech+mash numerous buttons to get passed Sentinel's GP and hit him out of it. It's hard to give a definitive answer for obvious reasons, so all we can do is go by the random video examples we get from time to time and be able to say "oh look it beats this, or it loses to that".

I'll try to play you. I'm just really really bad at the game so don't expect much, lol.

Yea that's true. I'd still like to understand it better since the frame data sure doesn't help in this case.

I wanted to point something out in the video that I thought was interesting. During the later half of the video there is a combo where he has the opponent tech 2C because of SMP at the "end" of part of a Valiant Charger combo. The opponent is then "reset", and he goes into 5D or 3D combos, but the interesting thing is that the Valiant Charger effect is still somehow active, even though it is an entirely different combo. http://youtu.be/-WG70f2r3ZI?t=3m19s You can see after the initial combo, he does 5D > 2B > [6] (here you see the Valiant Charger effect again) > etc. He also does it again to show a combo off 3D from that setup but follows up with more 5Cs. So I can't really explain exactly why that works, I can only assume the effect is "stored" for a short period of time regardless if it's within the same combo. Looking at the frame data, I'm guessing the "101T" refers to the "duration" in which Valiant Charger is applied since all the moves in-between are being canceled from it and the time is only used up while he's actually using it. Nothing else in the frame data really explains how Valiant Charger actually works in detail, at least compared to other moves which I find kind of strange. Just like we were told you can do up to 5 Valiant Chargers within the combos, yet it isn't like the frame data specifically puts a number of moves on it. And the "Love Phantom" combo has wayyyy more than 5 Valiant Chargers in it as well. That's my guess at least.

OD makes it so the weakpoint is reapplied immediately after use, thus you could use multiple attacks that use the same weakpoint within the same combo, but realize most (I think all) of those attacks have SMP so you can't just do multiples of the same attacks. Scud Punishment on the other hand immediately applies both weakpoints, then for the next ~20 secs or so both weakpoints will be reapplied AFTER the combo has ended. When combined together the combos are obviously even stronger.

You're missing the point but whatever.

Why would his drive have to have anything to do with "story" stuff or ars magus or whatever? That seems totally irrelevant to them making a character's playstyle..... EDIT: Plenty of characters don't have Nox Nyctores if that's what you're referring to.

She's at least an entirely different person. Her own personality, her own look (still similar to Tao but whatever), and of course she'd play different but that applies to any character even if they are alternate versions. My point is that kind of Ragna would still be Ragna, except I imagine he would just make nonsensical noises and have no relevant "story" to the point of just being a "what if" character at which point you might as well just say it's Unlimited Ragna. Otherwise all people are asking for is "Another Ragna" with a different playstyle, which I feel is wasted when any other character would bring in a new playstyle. And yes I do find it a bit silly that they have all these other characters with alternate versions before some of the other characters I mentioned were even playable. Jin/Hakumen is an obvious exception, Noel/Mu is somewhat reasonable for the story, but Tsubaki/Izayoi and Hazama/Terumi came out of nowhere basically in terms of being playable or even relevant going INTO BBCP since there was no indication of that kind of stuff possibly happening going into the game.

Unlimited Ragna isn't good enough? I mean if you want ANOTHER alternate form character I would think it'd be the one that actually exists already within the story. Otherwise it would just be Ragna with more dark attacks+always Blook Kain, which Unlimited Ragna already does. Otherwise you're just going to make up a different playstyle "just because" which would be the same exact thing as making Bloodedge. Just seems silly to me. I'd rather there be actual different characters instead of more alternate forms. Jubei, Kokonoe, Nine/Phantom, Saya, Torakaka, Celica, any other characters from the Duodecim families (which leaves a lot of room for "new" and unique characters). Instead people want another Ragna.......

Kinda wish they would put the notations horizontally like in KOFXIII. When the combos get really long you can't even tell what's next until the other move happens, so you either end up not even directly looking at what's happening or you have to go through it multiple times just to see what to do (unless you pause and look at the whole thing in the menu). It would also be nice because then you could match it up directly with your own notations at the bottom and see where you messed up. The other thing I would've hoped for is frame data in training mode which has appeared in other games but oh well.

There isn't a chart, but you can use this thread to see some of the Japanese players opinions for their characters: http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/game/45148/1354888439/ Just don't take them as fact or try to make a chart out of it. Although I guess you could and it'd be incredibly rough to the point of being inaccurate (and pointless). Just take them as one opinion worth about as much as asking someone random here on Dustloop for their opinion. Also pay attention to the dates and realize that probably not every character has something posted. But at least that's something for you to look at it if you really wanted to.

6A beats or clashes with a lot of things, as long as they are Body attribute. 7-24f Body invul. is quite a lot and it is level 4. For added reference, it clashes with Ragna's DP.

Those look nice.

My guess is that it isn't Phantom/Nine in the image but it is Eight for the reasons stated in the other thread. doesn't change anything to me since Nine was supposed to be dead as well, unless I'm missing some kind of context that goes along with her death and maybe something someone said that I just haven't followed along with. So I at least think the person in that image is a completely separate character from Phantom entirely is what I'm really getting at. Meaning while they are in somewhat control of "Phantom"/Nine, they could also be in control of that character who I'm guessing is Eight. This also means anything any characters have said about Phantom doesn't apply to this character for her to not be Eight for whatever reason. That image just seems really evil looking, even though Phantom has been showing signs of actually being "good" towards the good guys recently so that's part of the reason I don't necessarily think it is "Phantom". But that's just my guess.

Since I brought this up on twitter and don't think I ever mentioned it here I'll post up about it now. We typically only ever see 5C>BHS for the unblockable, but Azrael has quite a few other moves that are special cancelable and are in his typical blockstrings/pokes. So as you can expect, any of those attacks into BHS works as an unblockable setup. 2B / 5B / 5BB / 5C > BHS are frame tight even on IB. 5A / 2A are not, so they could technically reversal out if they were really good I guess. They can of course Counter Assault / Burst out of the initial attack as we all probably know by now but it is still good to know that there are other moves you can go into the setup from. From what I recall, no one ever did BHS unblockable off of any of the other moves, but I saw Kaqn do it off 5BB which confirmed what I figured originally. Then when someone asked about on IB I checked it out further just to make sure.

I added an FAQ section to the Character Overview thread, this way we will hopefully avoid any repeat questions that may come up. This will also help in knowing if people actually read the thread, that way I won't feel bad for getting "angry" when they don't. I tried to put in questions that aren't really directly answered by the overview itself. Something like "What kind of playstyle does Azrael have?", is already answered in the overview so there's no reason to really ask that since it was something that was supposed to be read already, just as an example. Anyone can still ask questions in this thread, but like I always say please take the time to read the resources of information provided before doing so. This isn't directed at anyone, just generally speaking. If something comes up a lot or if I missed a question worth including in the FAQ it will be added. Thanks

Azrael - Frequently Asked Questions: 1) Who are the best Azraels / players to watch? -Dogura / Tahichi: Both players qualified for the Finals of Arc Revolution Cup, with Dogura making it into Top 4. They are also two of the highest ranked Dans for Azrael. -Tochigin / Senchou: Both of these players were Area qualifiers for Arc Revolution Cup. They are both also relatively high ranked Dans, and tend to show up a lot in the videos uploaded. -Shirou Madoushi (Shiroma): He appears a lot in the videos uploaded due to playing at Game Chariot, and he is also a decently ranked Dan. -There are a lot of other good Azraels but the ones above tend to appear in videos more often than others. So please visit the Video Thread for a in-depth Player List sorted by Dan ranks which can give you an idea of how good they are. This only applies for Azraels we actually have videos of. You can find that thread -> HERE! 2) Who is Azrael most similar to in other fighting games? -Most notably Slayer from Guilty Gear. -Because Azrael is pretty heavy on Footsies and has a “rekka chain”, you could draw some similarities to Fei Long in Street Fighter. In a sense you might also say Dudley as well, but those two are just in a very broad sense. -If we had to pick a character from Persona 4 Arena that is similar to Azrael it would probably be Akihiko, but there aren't really that many similarities besides just a general sense of playstyle. 3) How do you cancel Azrael's forward dash? -Azrael's forward dash can be jump canceled, and from that you can also cancel into specials by “Tiger Kneeing” the input of the special, this more or less means you are inputting a jump as part of the specials motion but it is being canceled anyway. Example: Gustaf Buster is 236A, so you would do 662369A very quickly (notice the 9 input acts as the jump cancel). 4) How good is Azrael / where is Azrael on the tier list? -Azrael is considered to be a fairly good character. The general consensus seems to be that he is a solid “A Tier” character. Compared to the characters in “S Tier”, Azrael has some character gameplay flaws and/or has some tough match-ups that leads to there being an entire small group of characters better than him. In no way is he a “bad” character though. 5) What are Azrael's bad/tough match-ups? -I'm not going to apply a number like 4-6 or 4.5-5.5 just know that these characters will probably make it a tough match regardless. -While it is hard to give a real answer at this point for obvious reasons, some match-ups that at least appear to be harder than others would be Hazama / Jin / Hakumen / Taokaka / Valkenhayn / Litchi (all probably considered “S Tier” coincidentally or not). -Then you might say Mu/Carl (possibly Nu/Relius) / Tager from a pure character playstyle stand point, with Mu and the others making it hard for Azrael to maneuver around and Tager being dangerous at close-range where Azrael wants to be as well. 6) What are Azrael's “Reference Colors” and who do they reference? -All color #11s are reference to Guilty Gear characters, all #13s to Anime or something else, all #14s to other BlazBlue characters, and #15s to Persona characters. #11 = Johnny from “Guilty Gear”. #13 = Kamina from “Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann” (Anime). #14 = Bullet from “BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma”. #15 = Takaya Sakaki from “Persona 3”. 7) What is the reason most Azraels tend to end their combos with “Upper Weakpoint”? -The main reason Azrael players end combos with UW instead of LW is because of “Valiant Charger” Combos. These combos have HUGE corner carry and also do big meterless damage. “Hornet Chaser” by comparison is just not as good. -Another reason to consider is that Azrael has no other “normal” overheads besides 5D/6D, so if you want to land an overhead you might as well land one while you have an UW to get good damage or so you can actually get UW for the reason above. Not to mention the fact that Azrael at least has other lows besides 2D/3D in 2A/3C. 8) How do I play Azrael? -Please check the Strategy Guide Thread -> HERE! 9) What are those crazy kicking combos Azrael does, where he kicks them across the screen repeatedly, turns pink for a second, and says "Gomikuzu" a lot? -Those types of combos are Azrael's "Valiant Charger" combos. If you hit the opponent with "Valiant Crash" while they have an "Upper Weakpoint / UW" applied you can follow up with "Valiant Charger" by pressing 6. From this you can follow-up with multiple attacks with the "Valiant Charger" property still in effect and repeating the "Valiant Charger" input after each one (thus the pink color you see him as). -The typical combos off "Valiant Charger" involve multiple 5Cs, this is the kicking move Azrael does with his jacket. This is also the move where Azrael will usually say "Gomikuzu", and since he's repeating the same move he tends to say it a lot while doing these combos. To answer the question of what it means, both Gomi and Kuzu mean "trash" so you get the idea of what it means. -This combo is important because it provides corner to corner carry and deals good meterless damage as long as you have the upper weakpoint applied. It is literally the "go to" combo when playing Azrael. 10) How do you do "Valiant Charger" combos in general? What is the timing for it? -After you land 236D with upper weakpoint applied all you have to do is press forward (6) and it will make Azrael go into his Valiant Charger (the purple looking dash). From that you can press a button for an attack, then press forward again, and repeat as needed for the combo. You have a lot of time to visually confirm it so the timing really should not be an issue if you just take your time to press the directions and buttons correctly. The typical Valiant Charger combo involves looping 5Cs, this is incredibly simple to do. Land 236D, press 6, let the stick go to neutral (or whatever on pad), press 5C, press 6, press 5C, repeat. Everything should be very smooth as there is no rush when doing the 5C loop. 11) What is the red shadow/after-image that Azrael sometimes has in videos, and what is the difference between Scud Punishment's effect and Azrael's Overdrive effect? -The red after-image appears when Azrael successfully lands Scud Punishment. It is a visual indication that SCP's effect is still active. -OD makes it so the weakpoint is reapplied immediately after use, thus you could use multiple attacks that use the same weakpoint within the same combo, but realize most (I think all) of those attacks have SMP so you can't just do multiples of the same attacks. SCP on the other hand immediately applies both weakpoints, then for the next ~20 secs or so both weakpoints will be reapplied AFTER the combo has ended. When combined together the combos are obviously even stronger. 12) How do you do Azrael's Challenge Mode combos #25 and #30? -#25 = Do a Crush Trigger combo that does over 4,000 damage = CT > 3C > 22C > 5B > TCL > 5B > 2C > 5B > OD > OD BHS -#30 = Use all of Azrael's drive related moves within the same combo = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7DfrSKs6Xc

Saki, or at least that's what was given whenever the videos of him appeared. I know it's kinda hard for you guys to do it, but if you just hover over the Profile link you can see the # for their profile so you could technically look and try to find someone with the same number (if you REALLY wanted to try and figure it out by yourself at least). I'm fortunate enough to be able to go into my post and just Ctrl+F the profile number and see if the player's #'s match up. Now if it was someone not listed that's another story entirely lol.

This was pretty much officially established the day he was first revealed.......

*UPDATED 12/01/13* ----Added another part from Ice Cube's midscreen oki info. Gameplay Overview: Azrael's general gameplan is to use his movement and pokes at neutral to get in and land a hit so that he can apply his weakpoints. With weakpoints Azrael's combos tend to do big damage even meterless, without weakpoints his damage is average at best. Knowing this, you want to make sure you always try and get a weakpoint applied, in some cases you might be inclined to do combos that lead to getting both weakpoints for big damage on the next combo or getting a possible unblockable from Black Hawk Stinger. Azrael's forward dash and back dash are teleport dashes very similar to Slayer from Guilty Gear. Each one moves him slightly forward or backward, and he is able to go through the opponent with his forward dash even if they are in the corner. His forward dash can be jump-canceled (and from that special canceled), though his back dash cannot. His back dash has a lot of invincibility, which is useful for avoiding attacks and creating space at neutral. His forward dash only has 4 frames of invincibility however. Basic Rundown: Basic Attacks: Anti-Airs = 5B / 2C / (6B) Air-To-Air = j.A / j.B / (j.C) Air-To-Ground = j.A / j.B / j.2C / (j.D/j.2D) Go To Pokes = (close) 5A / 5B / 2C / (mid-range) 2C / 5C / 6C Mix-Ups = (low) 2A / 2D / 3C / (3D/214D) / (high) 5D / (6D/236D) / Throw Pressure = (close) 5A (+1) / 5BB (+5) / 2A (+2) / 236A (+1) / (mid-range) 2C (-3) / 5C (-3) / 6C (+2) / 236A (+1) Punishes = 2C / 5D / (5C/236A/236D with UW) Unblockable = Both weakpoints applied, then any special canceable attack into Black Hawk Stinger on an opponent not in the air (since they can Barrier block it). Basic Combos: ----For visual reference to some of these combos and more, please refer to this video -> HERE. Non-Weakpoint Combos These are the basic combos without weakpoints applied. You want to always try and get a weakpoint from your combos. More advanced combos can get both weakpoints. (2A) > 5A > 5BB > TCL Works from anywhere, 5BB is easy. | (Standing) (2A) > (5A) > 5B > 2C > 6D/3D This is your go to Standing combo. 6D adds [uW], 3D adds [LW]. If one was already applied you could go for the other, or use the same one and extend the combo. | (Crouching) (5A) > 5B > 3C > 22C > 5B > Aerial This is your basic Crouching combo. With weakpoints applied, follow-ups are possible. | 3C > 22C > 2C > 2B > TCL > (5A/5B>Aerial if you reach the corner) Combo off of 3C starter. If TCL carries you to the corner you can follow up into an aerial combo. | (50%) Anything into TCL > BHS The simplest way to combo into BHS, any combos that involve TCL you can end with BHS for extra damage. | (50%) 5C > BHS One of your few mid-range pokes into BHS. Buffer the input for BHS while doing it and if it hits press D. Weakpoint Combos Each Drive move changes when a weakpoint is added, and allows for extended combos. Decide on which combo to use based on which weakpoint is applied, [uW] = Red Mark / [LW] = Yellow Mark. Some weakpoint combos are universal as long as you use the drive move corresponding to the one applied. (Standing) (5A) > 5B > 2C > 6D/3D > (2B>) TCL > (5B > Aerial) With either weakpoint applied 6D/3D bounces allowing for a follow-up. You can go directly into TCL or pick-up with 2B first. If you reach the corner from TCL, you can combo further into 5B>Aerial. | (Crouching) (5A) > 5B > 3C > 22C > 5B > Aerial > TCL > 3D (Alternatively, go into the above combo starting w/ 2C) This is your standard crouching combo with weakpoint. The extension after 22C is explained below as it applies to the majority of combos involving weakpoints to some degree. | ~j.B > j.C > jc j.D/j.2D > 5B > Aerial With either weakpoint applied j.D/j.2D ground bounces allowing for a follow-up back into Aerial. This would be your standard Aerial combo confirm with 1 weakpoint applied. If you have [bOTH] weakpoints applied this is your weakpoint combo extension off your other combos anytime it says 5B>Aerial. | [uW] ~236D>{6>5C}*4>6>(3C)>6A>2C>6D With [uW] applied you can do Valiant Charger combos. This is your typical Valiant combo using the "5C loop". Any combos with the Valiant "5C loop" have insane corner carry and do great damage. Definitely combos to learn, and reason why you mostly want to end combos with [uW] instead of [LW]. Neutral: Close-Range: This is the range you want to be in most cases. From here Azrael can use his pokes to put on pressure and try and mix-up the opponent. Back dashing will help you avoid putting yourself in a bad situation if you can't readily attack yourself. Forward dashing at close range can lead to a cross-up mix-up through the opponent, but will lose to mashing so be careful. Go for your basic pokes and strings, as well as possible Drive moves as mix-ups for big damage or getting weakpoints. j.B is really good, and can easily cross-up the opponent. Remember Gustaf is safe on block and can be RC'd for a possible mix-up or tricky cross-through setup. Valiant and Hornet have some armor and hit high/low respectively so they could be possibly useful against some mashing. For a close range Anti-Air you will mostly want to use 5B, it does not have any head invincibility however but it's hitbox seems to be pretty good and is easier to follow-up after. 2C could also work at this range and it does have head invincibility from frames 9-21, with 13f start-up. 6B is another possible anti-air although the actual use of it and following up is fairly awkward since you have to dash cancel it. 6B has head invincibility from 6-14f with 13f start-up which is the same as 2C. (Actual in-game testing will help clarify this information so we can see how good 5B works as an anti-air, 2C is probably the more reasonable choice since it is confirmed to have head invincibility at least). Mid-Range: At this range Azrael's threat starts to diminish. Here is where proper use of Azrael's movement is most important. Always consider using his back dash to get out whenever you don't feel comfortable, and be wary of using his forward dash since you could very well run right into an attack. Remember you can jump cancel his forward dash into specials like Gustaf and Tiger Magnum. His go to poke at this distance would be 5C, but he doesn't get much off it in most cases on a regular hit, mostly just going straight into Gustaf. You could also try going for 6C or even Sentinel Dump, the latter loses to multi-hit moves or even jab mash so be careful with just throwing it out. At this range you can also try using j.2C to change your air momentum or possibly get in for pressure unexpectedly. The anti-airs at this range vary in effectiveness but for the most part are the exact same as close-range. 2C would probably become the go to anti-air at this distance. With this distance between you and the opponent, you could try and use Growler to absorb any projectiles that seem easy to react to. Some characters can immediately follow up their projectiles so you must be careful, even if you absorb it and are invincible you are still giving up pressure to them. Long-Range: Azrael is borderline useless at this range. If you get to this range in certain match-ups you are going to have to run a gauntlet of attacks (Mu / Lambda as examples). Use your movement to get out of this range as safely as possible, usually it won't take much to get back to that mid-range but you're accomplishing nothing here until you do. Phalanx Cannon is one of the few moves that Azrael has that can go full-screen. The problem is you first need to absorb a projectile with Growler. This is easily recognized so the opponent can then expect it coming as well. It does however go through and destroy most if not all other projectiles and even combos into itself or BHS. Even though BHS can reach practically full-screen, use caution when trying to punish attacks from this range with it. It has practically no invincibility after start-up so any attacks already out will hit him out of it if it is in his line of fire. This move is NOT like Spencer's Bionic Arm in Marvel. Offense: Once you are near your opponent you need to try and establish some fear into them. You almost ALWAYS want to get at least one weakpoint from your combos. There are already quite a few combos that actually give both weakpoints, usually if at least one is already applied. With the weakpoints on, Azrael can do big meterless damage, with both he hits like a truck. So your main goal should be to try and land a Valiant Charger combo for big damage and massive corner carry, or go for both weakpoints to do a big combo / go for the unblockable setup near the end of a round. For a full list of combos and more detailed combo information please check the Combo Thread -> HERE! Pressure: Azrael has a few moves that are actually + on block which means his pressure can be relatively safe depending on how you end your strings or what you go for as a mixup. His pressure however is relatively "short" on the actual strings before they end with either your mixup attempt or just playing it safe with a + move. Your starting pokes for pressure will mostly consist of 5A, 5B, 2A at close-range. 5A is +1, 5B is �0, 5BB is +5, 2A is +2, and Gustaf is +1. 6C is also +2 but it is mostly used at mid-range, along with 5C/2C/Gustaf. Your pressure strings could typically end with Gustaf, 2C, 5BB, or any of your Drive mix-up attempts/Forward Dash cross through. Because Azrael is capable of forward dashing through the opponent, has a few + moves, and his j.B is a good cross-up, Azrael's pressure can still be relatively scary even though it can be short and not have the best "mixup". This comes from the fact that there is almost always a fear factor of what he might do, with almost everything leading to good damage if he has a weakpoint applied. Another thing to note that is slightly related to "Pressure" or at least in this case getting your opponent to block something. Azrael can get an "unblockable" from his Black Hawk Stinger distortion if both weakpoints are applied and the opponent is on the ground. Knowing this, if you get the opponent to block 2B/5B/5BB/5C you can immediately cancel into BHS and it will be an unblockable and frame tight even on IB. 5A/2A into BHS should also work but is not frame tight on IB, so they could possibly reversal out. The opponent can Counter Assault or Burst before the BHS though, but there can be situations where the opponent does not in fact have meter or their burst so it is good to know. This leads into situations where you might want to apply both weakpoints either through combos or Scud Punishment ender, then going straight into unblockable setups to end the match if they are almost dead. Collapsed: Pressure Strings: -*UPDATE* Due to the lack of in-depth information about the timing of Azrael's moves in the mook, some of these strings are possibly not 100% accurate. From OEE's blog post more information about his moves has been provided which will be displayed right underneath this pressure string section. -Numbers in ( )'s are the frames in between the moves, not frame advantage of the string. -This will tell you if it is a tight string, -3 to see if it is on IB. -Anything with -1 or more negative could get reversaled in-between (generally speaking). -Anything with -6 will trade or lose to 5As (depending on char.) -Anything with -7 or more negative can get thrown or hit out entirely. -Moves like Valiant/Hornet/Sentinel aren't listed for general pressure purposes, but due to GP can be used to bait stuff. -While 6C when used as a cancel has a huge gap, it actually has foot invul. starting from frame 10 so it could beat out things like 2A mash or Throws. -Everything is based off of the mook frame data, so there may be errors so take everything with a grain of salt. -If I somehow messed this up or didn't understand things correctly, please feel free to PM me and let me know. I will test things once the game actually comes out to see if I was wrong otherwise. 5A > Throw = TRM setup 5A > 5A (+7) 5A > 5B (+4) 5A > 2A (+4) 5A > 2B (+1) ///// 5A > 2C (0) (combo on hit) 5A > Gustaf/Tiger (0) (combo on hit) ///// 5A > 2D (-2) = Frame Trap (combo on hit) ///// 5A > 5D (-8) (might combo on CH) ---- 5B > 5BB (+3) 5B > 2C (+3) 5B > Gustaf/Tiger (+3) 5B > 3C (+1) 5B > 2D (+1) ////// 5B > 6A (-3) = Frame Trap (combo on hit?, 0f gap on hit) ////// 5B > 5D (-5) = Frame Trap (combo on CH?) *Hakumen/Hazama/Makoto/Noel/Ragna have 5f 5As. *I'm assuming this would trade in Azrael's favor anyway. ////// 5B > 6C (-12) ---- 5BB > Gustaf/Tiger (+3) ////// 5BB > 5D (-5) = Frame Trap *Hakumen/Hazama/Makoto/Noel/Ragna have 5f 5As. *I'm assuming this would trade in Azrael's favor anyway. 5BB > 3D (-8) 5BB > 6D (-11) ---- 5C > Gustaf/Tiger (+5) 5C > 2D (+3) ////// 5C > 5D (-3) = Frame Trap (could combo on CH...but the distance...) 5C > 3D (-6) (might combo on CH, 0f gap on CH) ////// 5C > 6D (-9) 5C > 6C (-10) ---- 2A > Throw = TRM setup 2A > 5A (+4) 2A > 2B (+1) ////// 2A > Gustaf/Tiger = (0) (combo on hit) 2A > 2D (-2) = Frame Trap (combo on hit) ////// 2A > 6A (-6) (combo on CH) 2A > 5D (-8) (combo on CH) ////// 2A > 3D (-11) 2A > 6D (-14) 2A > 6C (-15) ---- 2B > 2C (+3) 2B > Gustaf/Tiger = (+3) 2B > 2D (+1) ////// 2B > 5D (-5) (combo on CH) *Hakumen/Hazama/Makoto/Noel/Ragna have 5f 5As. *I'm assuming this would trade in Azrael's favor anyway. ////// 2B > 3D (-8) 2B > 6D (-11) ---- 2C > 3C (+1) (I don't think it combos due to the nature of the moves) ////// (On 2C hit just about anything will land) 2C > 3D (-8) 2C > 6D (-11) ---- 6B > Dash ////// 6B > 3D (-6) 6B > 6D (-9) 6B > 6C (-10) *Forward Dash = 20 frames (7-10f invul.) 5A/5B/5BB/5C/2A/2B can be Special cancelled. 3C can only be cancelled into Sentinel Dump on hit, ends pressure. 5D/2D/6A/6C/6D/3D can't be cancelled into ANYTHING, thus ends pressure. Collapsed: Move Timing: Mix-ups: For actual mix-ups off your pressure you have your Forward Dash which can cross-through the opponent, your Drives which each hit high or low and can lead to damage with a weakpoint or on CH or earn you a weakpoint, 2A/3C which hits low, j.B which is useful for crossing up, RCing moves combined with Forward Dash for a tricky mix-up, and finally Throw/CT to catch opponents off-guard. Unfortunately, Azrael's forward dash mix-up can lose to mashing. Besides just the basic forward dash mix-up, you can also try special canceling into moves out of the forward dash through jump canceling. Gustaf Buster and Tiger Magnum both have 13f start-ups, which is pretty fast under those circumstances. More notably is Phalanx Cannon which has 7f start-up which is incredibly fast, and would be hard to react to under those conditions. Notation for these kinds of tactics would be 662147X (with X being the button press needed). Notice how the input is backwards for the moves themselves, this is because you are dashing through the opponent and would then in fact be on "2P side" but notation is always listed from "1P side". Another tricky thing to do is Sentinel Dump during pressure, if the opponent is crouching it will actually go over them and cross them up, which could prove effective at times. Other Mix-up Tricks/Gimmicks from jbbs: Tiger Magnum first hit>RC>Forward step crosses over. Up close, you can probably randomly RC something, forward step, and cross over easily. Something like Forward step (cross through)>Low airdash crossover JB can be a pretty tricky mixup. In the corner, you can also do Forward step>Low airdash JA for a fast overhead. From SCP > OD > Opponent techs setup: 66(Cross through) Throw / 214D / 236D / 5B / 5D / 66 (Cross through) 5B / etc. SCP applies both weakpoints, and OD makes it so weakpoints don't disappear on hit while they are active. So you get a really good mix-up and on hit can lead to huge damage no matter what you land. 3C>RC>j.A is an incredibly hard to react to overhead mixup. The reward off j.A is low though. Collapsed: Mix-up Moves: 5A - Jump/Throw cancelable. +1 on Block. 5B - Jump cancelable. Neutral on Block. 5BB - +5 On Block. 5D - High. -4 On Block. 2A - Low. Throw cancelable. +2 on Block. 2D - Low. -4 on Block. 6D - High. -2 on Block. 3D - Low. -2 On Block. j.A/j.B/j.C/j.D/j.2D - Highs. 623C (Sentinel Dump) - Mixed Properties. Notable because it can hit on both sides. Is +12 on Block. 236D (Valiant Crash) - High. GP starts on 11th f. But -26 on Block. 214D (Hornet Bunker) - Low. GP starts on 10th f. But -19 on Block. 4/6B+C (Throw) - Throw. 7f Start-up. A+B (Crush Trigger) - Guard Crush. 30-60f Start-up. +4 on Block. Needs 25% Heat. Okizeme: Azrael has no real oki tools (after knockdown>getting a "guaranteed" advantage). Most of the combos will end with 6D/3D, j.D/j.2D, or TCL which knockdown but Azrael has nothing to force the opponent to respect his oki after the fact. You have to guess how they are going to react after getting knocked down and go from there. If the opponent is further away (like after TCL) you can immediately forward dash to make up ground but you aren't really getting any immediate guaranteed mix-up. Azrael's Sentinel Dump has seen use to beat out tech rolls due to the nature of the move. Even if they try to tech roll forward, Sentinel Dump hits on both sides. If they happen to block it, it is still +12 so you at least don't lose pressure. It doesn't seem to cover all options so you probably can't use it after every single knockdown though, but it is something to consider, particularly in the corner. You may also choose to try and go for 6D/3D to get the other weakpoint immediately after your air enders if they really don't want to tech, thus making your next combo even more scary. Besides that, you can go for pick-up combos off 2A for extra "Blue Beat" combos as long as the proration wasn't a lot, which can lead to getting both weakpoints as well. Or do 2C to possibly have enough time to actually reset the combo counter. Using 2A > 5A > j.A after a knockdown can be effective even if they do neutral tech. All of that will actually whiff but as you are in the air and see that you can go for j.B which will actually cross them up at that point. So it works against no tech since it picks them up into an additional Blue Beat combo, but it's also somewhat useful against neutral tech. If they neutral tech>bach dash, the j.B could possibly catch them. This option "loses" to immediate rolls though and more than likely reversals. If they do actually neutral tech you can go for your mix-ups, so more than likely you'll have to condition them to respect you by hopefully punishing their no tech/rolls. More In-Depth Mid-screen Oki from Ice Cube: Collapsed: ] [/COLLAPSE: More In-Depth Tech Punishes from Ice Cube: [COLLAPSE=] Meter Usage: Azrael has various uses for his meter, and there's no definite answer on what you should or shouldn't use it on. The easiest use of meter would be using BHS as an ender for extra damage to your combos. This is easily setup after TCL or after any Throw. Another interesting thing to note is that if you have both weakpoints applied BHS becomes unblockable on the ground, this can be easily setup if you get the opponent to block 5C (they can Counter Assault/Burst). In most cases you probably only want to use meter for BHS if it will kill, but maybe you might want to do it to gain some momentum as well or take the health lead. You may also want to consider ending some of your combos with Scud Punishment to use 50% Heat to gain both weakpoints immediately and gain SCP's special weakpoint effect. This is definitely something worth considering as part of your gameplan. This becomes more apparent if you actually have 100% Heat. With 100% you can do things like end combos with SCP, then immediately 5C>BHS into the unblockable setup. This isn't a frame tight "setup" of the unblockable, but it is relatively close it seems, other special cancelable moves might work better depending on the distance. More advanced uses of meter would be using it to RC combos to get a weakpoint when normally you wouldn't, or to extend combos further off starters that might end short. One specific example would be RCing part of a combo so that you can go into Valiant Crash where you might not be able to normally. Another notable example is RCing after Gustaf and going into 3C>22C combos. Besides that you can RC some blocked attacks to try and get a mix-up, possibly with a forward dash through them. Another advanced use of meter involves using CT mid-combo to increase damage or to make certain parts of combos possible that otherwise wouldn't be. Of course you could always try and use CT during pressure in hopes to guard break the opponent and get a free combo, but if they have good reactions you just wasted 25%. Finally with 100% you can easily combo into AH. This is a completely viable option for Azrael, especially now that the burst requirement is removed. If you have the Heat and the opponent's health is at the needed range, there's really no reason not to use it. Use this to your advantage. Defense: Defensively Azrael has a few options that really help him out of a tight situation. First off, Azrael has a not-so-typical reversal. That is "Growler Field" performed with 214B and it is chargeable. It has some start-up invincibility so it can be a reversal as stated. On hit it sends the opponent flying away from Azrael, which in retrospect can be counter-productive in some match-ups but at least it is better than them being right on top of you on offense. While it is active any projectiles or projectile property moves will be absorbed with up to 3 stocks, and Azrael is invincible during the absorbing animation. The move itself can be punished like any other reversal, so use it wisely. *Special Note* - In certain match-ups (like Taokaka), Growler can be punished ON HIT (non-CH) because of the way the move works and some character's ability to get in quickly even after teching. Taokaka was able to get a CH combo that did 4.7k meterless+oki. So you really need to think before using it. EDIT: As of the 1.1 patch, growler is now safe on hit The second thing to consider is that Azrael has a really good backdash. Knowing this you can get out of a lot of situations by simply blocking/IBing and knowing when you can escape. Or just back dashing to avoid things entirely in a "defensively neutral" situation just to try and be safe. If you are getting pressured you can also use Azrael's Counter Assault with 50% Heat. Nothing too special about it. One other thing to note, Black Hawk Stinger has practically NO invincibility after start-up, so DO NOT try to use this as a reversal. Scud Punishment does have some invincibility but if you think they are going to do something you should just use Growler (and RCing it if needed). Azrael's Astral does have some invincibility on start-up and is relatively fast so it may work as a situational reversal as well if you really want to bet it all on that.

There are probably mook errors, but I just listed things as they were given.