iAnimate

My brother put an octo gate on one of the joysticks he has so I can to try it out. I felt like I was starting over on learning to use the stick with an octo because I had to travel further to reach those up/down/left/right directions. It really is a difference. You better be quicker with your left hand if you want to dash. It's really all on preference, going to have to try it out if it's right for you. I think it's pretty cheap so you're not going to go broke buying just to try it. Check out this place if you really want to understand the design and mechanics of the joystick. http://slagcoin.com/joystick/restrictors.html

There is an opening while she's doing her drive combo to throw/counter. Here's something to practice in training mode. Record this to the Noel dummy *snicker* D, 6A, A, 6A, 236D (6 hits) Or record some other Chain Revolver combo you know, check the Noel forum. Now try finding the spot where you can sneak in a throw, 5B, or some other poke. Wait until you get hit and then go. Just practice for those openings and Noel should feel less intimidating and you can beat those drive spammers easy. At the very least you can attack after the 1st or 2nd input. If you can pull off a throw you can do 4B+C>214B>delay 214D>5B>623D>236C>214C. Or any poke and follow through with the appropriate combo.

Just try them all and you'll know which ones are beginner or expert. But someone else listed a good set of beginning combos. http://www.dustloop.com/forums/showpost.php?p=435424&postcount=2

Make a checklist for story mode. Don't forget you also have to lose to them too. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/file/958721/56987

I'd pronounce it like kak-n. I suppose since he's japanese it could be like ka-qin because they pronounce their 'ka' with a long 'a' like 'caw', don't know about the 'qn'. But then it kinda sounds like cock-in Yeah, he has the lowest health. I guess he makes up for that with his drive being able to drain life but I wouldn't count on it to really make much a difference.

Good job on landing the air combo. Unfortunately you're missing out on the counter hits from HF. Those are opportunities to do the BnB air combo again or just complete another ground combo. You also left the throw alone, you can do GH after throwing. Don't know how much of that you already knew, so I hope it helps some.

He's really up there. I wish I could mention other top Ragna players but once you see a bunch of Kaqn's matches you should be able to tell who's a good Ragna player and who's a bad one.

Sindarin got it covered. Do learn those combos. Two Ragna combo vids I recommend watching are http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1nP-gruS3I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZCcNtLHSo But do watch Kaqn fight to see how those combos get put into use AND watch how he maneuvers around the screen. Doesn't help to know combos but not know how to get yourself into position to do them. Another thing I'd add to learning the basics for Ragna specifically is to do his Gauntlet Hades after throwing, that's two free hits after throwing right there. Soon you'll learn how to put a delay on GH to do a longer combo, but for now just settle for GH after a throw. Took me awhile to figure this out but if you hear someone mention TK Gauntlet Hades it means to make it like Tiger Knee... adding a jumping input with the move. Rather than doing 214B do 2147B to add a jump to it. I wouldn't worry about that now but farther down the road you'll deal with it. For his Carnage Scissors distortion drive I think you're holding D too long which is causing the single slash. You have to let go of D for him to do the 2nd hit.

One time I was playing a good Noel player tried to get me with 3C a bunch in a row and I was surprised that I kept countering it with 2B. So I'm starting to use 2B rather than 5B against Noel and it's been more successful. But since I'm not used starting off that way I end up not following it up :/