Cynthetik

Amane is an observer just like Rachel. It is also strongly hinted at that he is also immortal (or at the very least doesnt age) because Bullet knew him from a very young age and claims he looks exactly the same as when she first met him. Towards the end of the story, Rachel calls Amane "Uzume". If you arent already aware, BB is full of Shinto folklore. Uzume is the Shinto Goddess of Joy, Happiness, and Dancing. In Shinto folklore, Amaterasu (Shinto Goddess of the Sun) hid herself in a cave and brought eternal darkness to the world. It was Uzume who brought Amaterasu back with her dance. Not sure how this is going to relate to the BB story, but it gives clues that he may or may not play a bigger role later down the road.

I have been using this 2C blue beat stuff for a while now and it's really good for "training" your opponent to do things you want them to do. It also allows you to recognize what their wake up tendencies are as long as you pay attention during 2C's long animation. The only downfall I have had with using this is that it is easy to find yourself auto piloting and some characters can simply Emergency Tech > Reversal Super to punished the 2C (i.e. Ragna, Hakumen, Jin, etc). To avoid this, simply pay attention to the opponents meter and be wary of doing this when they have 50 meter or try to bait out supers via Hariken Cancels or dashes.

This was just a rough list I made so that it can be explored further. I will be updating it as time goes on and more info is found out. This was mostly to help push tech if anything interesting can be found

Match Up Favor: 6-4 Amane's Favor Match Up Breakdown: In this match up, Amane wants to make Arakune feel unsafe if he tries to zone him from full screen. Amane's main goal is to keep Arakune out of the air, doing so will limit his game plan and force him to take more risks if he wants to build curse. The trick to winning this match up is to stay grounded as much as possible. Arakune is a very aerial based character, most of his offense comes from him being in the air and sending out clouds or bugs from a distance. Unfortunately for Arakune, he is extremely floaty and Amane has great ground-to-air normals and specials to punish him for being air born. 6A, 5C, 6C, and Gekiren are all very strong tools against Arakune. Once Arakune realizes he can't stay in the air, he will be forced to move on the ground using his teleport dashes, 2C, and 3C to get in. ***Arakune is primarily a zoner and will be trying to zone until either a bug is covering his approach or when his opponent is nearing Curse. These are Arakune's main tools when he is trying to zone: - 6D Arakune's "Bell Bug". This bug is Arakune's first line of defense when he is zoning from full screen as it is a slow moving projectile that falls from above. Hariken can be used against 6D if Arakune decides to keep zoning. However, Amane needs to be careful when using Hariken against 6D because Arakune can use this as a chance to get in. Another option is to jump and hop over the bug then try to snipe Arakune with j.C/j.6C. (A key thing to note about this bug is that it hits overhead and Arakune can use it to set up unblockables by using a well timed low.) - j.D This is Arakune's main aerial zoning tool. Arakune summons a bug that can come up from the ground and any part of the screen. This move is fairly easy to deal with as Amane's C normals can completely take this option away from him unless he double jumps. Amane's 5C/6C can punish the start up of this move. 5C is the standard form of punishing and 6C being the better option as it fatal counters. Hariken can also be used on reaction to j.D if Amane wants to build free drill meter. - Clouds(j.236D): Arakune's has 3 different clouds that he can send out: One that will float toward the opponent, one that will float above the opponent, and one that will float in a ring around himself. Each cloud dictates how Amane should approach Arakune to avoid getting cursed. If the cloud that floats toward Amane comes out, Amane should take to the air and hop over the cloud. Try to poke Arakune with either j.C or j.B. If the cloud that floats above Amane comes out, Amane should stay grounded and try to poke Arakune with 5C/6C or 6C if the Arakune likes to jump. The last cloud is mostly used offensively because it gives Arakune curse meter if he hits you. Simply be aware that with this cloud out, Arakune is more likely to go in. Luckily, Amane only really has to respect one of the three clouds, the one that floats above. Gekiren can be used as a punish if Arakune attempts to summon a cloud full screen. (An important thing to note: Clouds are not considered projectiles, Amane cannot Hariken through them!) - Spiders(22A/B/C Ground and Air) This is Arakune's newest tool. He can call a spider to drop down in three different parts of the screen: close screen(A Version), center screen(B Version), and full screen(C Version). This move will generally be used as an oki tool on knockdown or in conjunction with his 6D to make an approach on him harder. Spiders have a lot of start up Arakune can easily be poked and knocked out of the move using 5C or 2C. Hariken can also be used on reaction to the animation of the move if you missed the punishing the start up with 5C/2C or if he wants free drill meter. If Arakune summons a spider in the air, 6C and Gekiren can be used to punish instead for big damage. ***Once you have successfully made Arakune feel like he doesn't have much options when he is full screen, he will have to go in. When Arakune feels like he has to go in, the roles switch and Amane can start playing a more aerial based game plan. These are the tools Arakune will be using most as he tries to get in: - Dash: Arakune's dash is a teleport and is a very annoying tool for Amane to deal with as he can dash through all C normals to generate an offense and sometimes punish. This is his best option to get in on Amane. Best way to deal with this is to be patient and wait for him to dash toward you and punish the recovery frames of the dash. - 2C: Arakune's "Shark" attack. This is another move that can be difficult for Amane to deal with because it can go right under his 5C and either punishes it or gets Arakune in for free. This is the move you dont want to get hit by as its the easiest way for Arakune to get Curse meter. In the corner, this move leads to a full Curse combo. There are a couple of options on dealing with 2C. Amane's first option is to hop over or air dash over Arakune's 2C and hit him out of it using j.2B. His other option is play patient and instant block the move to punish it with either 2A or 2B. The second option is the riskier of the two options as it requires the move to be instant blocked. If its not, Arakune is now in on Amane. - 3C: While this move does have a lot of start up, it is surprisingly good against Amane. Arakune can predict and punish any 5C or 2C. However this move is very unsafe on block and can be punished with Amane's 6B for a free fatal counter. Amane's best option is to simply stay in the air. As long as he is in the air, he has no reason to worry about this normal. - j.B This is Arakune's best jump in move because it hits multiple times. Amane's j.A and 6A beats this clean every time. - j.6A/B/C: Arakune's "Bird" attack. This is one of Arakune's most important jump normals. It not gives him not only a way to apply pressure in the air, but also acts as a movement option for him effectively giving him four air dashes. This move will usually trade with Amane's j.A and j.B because of its fast start up. Its best to stay on the ground as 6A is the best option for dealing with j.6B. How to deal with Curse: When cursed, the best course of action is to stay in the air. Use Amane's floatiness and great air movement to your advantage. Try to stay in the air as long as possible to make Arakune whiff bugs and waste curse meter. Do super jump > delayed double jump > delayed hop to stay air born for as long as possible. Be sure to barrier block in the air because most Curse bugs are air unblockable! If Arakune is full screen, he will try to throw out bugs to close distance. Hariken can be used to absorb bugs to avoid blockstun and jump or hop away. This is risky and must be used with caution. Dealing with Curse Mix Up: ***Work In Progress*** Important Things To Note: - Arakune can backdash out of all drill set ups that use Hariken drills. Skip straight to 6D instead. Arakune will need to do a frame perfect dash to get out against 6D. - Hariken can be used on reaction against all non-curse bugs. Abuse Hariken in neutral against Arakune and gain free drill meter. - Clouds are not projectiles, Hariken can't be used against them. - Arakune's 2C can go under 5C and punish if done close or the 5C is predicted. - 3C can go under and punish 5C/2C. - 5C beats out j.B clean when going for hop pressure, A Zettou > Gosei beats 5C clean.

In 1.1, Amane's Hariken stance got a nice buff that gives it Projectile Armor. With this new tool, he can use Hariken on reaction to certain projectiles to "parry" them and gain free drill meter at the same time. The benefit to using Hariken in this manner is that he can avoid the hit stun of any projectile giving him the ability to punish or escape from certain situations. Here is a list of all the Normals/Specials/Supers/Astrals that Amane can use Hariken against. *Disclaimer: Just because Hariken can be used against something doesn't mean it's the answer to beating it. It is ill advised to use Hariken against certain moves. (Example: Carl/Relius 236236D)* General: -Burst Character Specific: Amane: - 5D - 2D - 6D - j.D - j.6D - 236D~A/B/C - 632146D - 222D Arakune: - 5D* - 2D* - 6D* - j.D* - 22A/B/C* - j.214214D* - 632146D *No Curse meter gained Azrael: - 2C - 236B - 214C Bang: - j.236A/B/C/D - A+B Bullet: - 5C - 5[C] - 236A - 236[A] - A+B Carl: - 4D - 6D - 2D - 3D - 421D - 4136D - 623D - 632146C - 236236D - 214214D - OD 632146D - 64641236D Hakumen: - j.214A - 62146C Hazama: - 6C - 5D - j.6D - j.4D - 236D - 632146C - 1632143D Izayoi: - 236A* - j.236A* - 236D - j.236D - 632146D *Gains only one stock Jin: - 5D - 2D - 236A - 236D - j.236A - j.236D - 632146C - 632146D - j.632146D - 28D Kagura: - [4]6A - [4]6B - [4]1236C Kokonoe: - 5C - j.C - 214A/B/C - 22A/B - 236C* - j.214A/B/C - 214214A/B/C - 632146D* - j.214214A/B/C *Hariken doesn't last long enough to beat **Note on OD Black Hole: Hariken cannot beat it if done meaty due to start up Litchi: - 5D[e] - 2D[e] - 623D[m] - 41236D[e] - 41236D~A/B/C - 6428C - 632146D* - A+B *Hariken doesnt last long enough to beat horizontal version Makoto: - 236A - 236A~D - 632146D Mu-12: - 6C - 5D - 4D - 6D - j.D - j.2D - j.4D - j.6D - j.8D - 236D - 214D - 632146D - A+B Noel: - 5C - 2C - 3C - 6C* - 5D - 4D - 2D - d.5A - d.6A - d.5B* - d.5C - d.4/6C - d.236C* - j.D - j.2D - j.4D - 236A/B - 236C - j.236D - 632146D* - j.236236D *Move is both Physical and Projectile. If too close, Hariken will lose. Nu-13: - 5C - 5DD - 2DD - 4DD - 6DD - j.2DD - 236D - 236D~C - 214D - 214[D] - j.214D - 236236D - [Luna] 632146D - [Luna] j.632146D Platinum: - Neko Missiles - Neko Bombs - Presents - Treasure Chests - Super Hammer j.D - 214A/B/C - 236236C Rachel: - 5B - 2B - 236A/B/C - 214A - 214B - 214C - j.236A/B/C - j.214C - 632146B - 62146C Ragna: - 236D Relius: - 2D - 6D - j.2D - j.4/6D - 214A - 214B - 214C - 22A/B/C - 236D - 214D - 23663214C - 632146D - 236236D - 214214D Tager: - 623D - 41236D Taokaka: - 63214A/B/C Terumi: - 5D - j.D - 236236D Tsubaki: - j.236A - j.236D - 632146B Valkenhayn:

Haven't posted anything in a long while, but here is a FT5 against my local Hakumen player. This was a really good set and both of us were respecting each other greatly. Would love some feedback on this because even though I felt like I was playing the match up right, there is always room for improvement! http://www.twitch.tv/milehighburst/c/4379745 Moblin (Hakumen) vs Hellfire (Amane)

Match Up Favor: 6-4 Amane's Favor Match Up Breakdown: Amane's primary goal in this match up is to run away and zone Kagura all match. There is absolutely no reason for Amane to go in and try to pressure Kagura even if Amane is at level 3 drill. Doing so is a sure fire way to lose the match because of Kagura's Flash Kick. Amane's movement is too much for Kagura to handle if done properly because he jumps too high and has a ton of air mobility options. Abuse the fact that Amane has a greater range to attack from than Kagura. There are two main ways to zone against Kagura: A) Always be in the air. Constantly be up-backing and hoping around in the air while poking Kagura with j.B and C normals. Kite him around the stage and slowly whittle him down. B) Stay grounded and in 2C/5C range. Try to reaction poke Kagura every time he enters a stance or attempts to throw a fireball to get in. When at level 3 Drill, continue doing a solid zoning game. Level 3 5D is one of the best pokes to use against Kagura because it will eat up his 6D[C] and 2D giving him very limited option to get in. Poke Kagura with 5D on reaction every time he enters a stance. Use Hariken to level yourself back up in neutral every time you drop to level 2 and Kagura is on the other side of the screen. ***While zoning, Kagura has 4 ways to try and approach Amane: 6D[C], 2D, Airdash, and Fireball. Amane has great tools to stop each of these approaches. - 6D[C]: Wyvern or Sky Dragon Strike has 1500 points of projectile armor and will go through Amane's drills. However, all of Amane's C normals are not projectiles and will hit him out of 6D[C] clean. Simply poke him out with a C normal to stop his advance. Amane's best option for doing this is 2C. Thanks to Amane going low to the ground during the animation, even if 2C whiffs, Amane will low profile under the 6D[C]. While risky, Amane's 3C will also low profile under it scoring him a good CH, but this needs to be timed well or else Kagura will get a free CH into big damage. Another option you have is jump above or over 6D[C] and use j.2B. Be careful though, if you are too low in the air Kagura will get a free CH. The final option can only be used while at level 3 drill, 5D will eat right through 6D[C]'s projectile armor. - 2D: This move is commonly referred to as Kagura's "skateboard" move. All options for dealing with 6D[C], except for 3C, also work for dealing with 2D. Instead of 3C, Amane has access to 6B. Instead of low profiling, 6B puts Amane air born and Kagura's 2D will whiff right under him. This is Amane's best option for dealing with 2D because it scores Amane a free Fatal Counter. - Airdash: Kagura's most basic way to get in. Simply 6A him every time he is above you, but be wary of j.C because it will lead to big damage for Kagura if it counter hits. If you don't feel confident in 6A, jump back and hop away to create space. - Fireball: *Work in Progress* Important Things to Note: - Kagura can get out of any drill set up using: Flash Kick > RC. - Raibu > RC > 2C wiffs on Kagura, use RC > 5C instead - Second hit of 5C can wiff on Kagura standing at max range - 6B will always beat out and Fatal Counter Kagura's 2C > 2D as long as you don't barrier block 2C - Level 3 5D will always beat out Wyvern(6D[C]) - Bait out Kagura's Flash Kick by doing Forward A Zettou > Air Backdash on oki. Punish with j.C CH

I feel like Bang could also a 7-3 match-up as well. His ability to disrespect Amane is crazy! Also, what is everyone's thoughts on the Rachel match up?

Here is another guaranteed level 3 set up that uses 50 meter via Rapid Cancel. The only problem I see with this set up is that it is spacing dependent, but with enough practice, it might not be so bad. Looks like the 6B Fatal Counter version can be done anywhere midscreen and the 3C Counter Hit version needs to be done just outside of the corner (about 1/4th screen away). Also posted under the "6D setups and how to escape them" thread. http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm23504757

Here is another guaranteed level 3 set up that uses 50 meter via Rapid Cancel. The only problem I see with this set up is that it is spacing dependent, but with enough practice, it might not be so bad. Looks like the 6B Fatal Counter version can be done anywhere midscreen and the 3C Counter Hit version needs to be done just outside of the corner (about 1/4th screen away). http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm23504757

I played a long set against Pain a couple days after the patch dropped. Hariken stance does indeed beat Black Hole practically for free as long as it isnt a proper set up (for proper set ups, you need to do 632146C > 236D to escape), but there are a few things to be aware of. 1) Hariken barely lasts longer than Black Hole so best bet is to jump/hop/dash before entering Hariken to guarantee that the stance will last through Black Hole. 2) You can still get meatied by Black Hole because projectile invincibility does not start up until frame 5 3) BE AWARE OF YOUR DRILL METER! Try not to attempt to use Hariken unless you are at level 1. At higher drill levels, your meter has a higher chance to overheat before Black Hole is over and you will be sucked in. 4) Apparently there is a bug with Black Hole's recovery. Sometimes Kokonoe recovers fast and other times she does not. Don't be surprised if you miss out on a punish.

Last week my local scene decided to finally stream again, here are my matches that were recorded. Feel free to critique anything. http://www.twitch.tv/milehighburst/b/517497481 1:47:5 - Hellfire (Amane) vs Femoral (Valkenhayn) 2:12:30 - Hellfire (Amane) vs KrsJin (Bang) 2:30:27 - Hellfire (Amane) vs SecretHighTier (Makoto)

Someone had asked me to make a post regarding stance cancelling and the options it gives to Amane's game. Hariken Stance Cancel (236D~D) is a powerful tool that Amane can use to create drill set ups, keep pressure going, and bait out reversals. The most obvious and basic use for stance canceling is using it mid combo to set up drill set ups. Pretty straight forward, do 236D~D after the first hit of 6C, follow up with either 5B > 6D or 5B > 236D~B > 6D. These set ups change the timing of of drill oki just slightly enough and can force the opponent to respect drill setups a little more. 236D~B can be change to either 236D~A/C to catch any roll attempts. Hariken Stance canceling is a very strong tool for Amane's pressure game. Stance canceling normals like can help Amane "break up" his pressure strings and allows him to catch his opponents pressing buttons giving him potential counter hits. Throwing in 3C > 236D~D during a pressure string will make 3C safe, same goes with stance canceling 5B. (A well spaced 3C/5B > 236D~D can even prevent 3C from being grabbed by Hakumen's counters). Amane can follow up the stance cancel with either another 3C to get a potential CH 3C for a nice combo or a 5B to push the opponent back and allow for fabhop pressure. 5B > 236D~D, as stated before, is great for pushing the opponent out and gives Amane breathing room to either start pressure of his own again or start a zoning game. If you go for a meaty 2C after Raibu, 2C > 236D~D can be useful to change the timing on a 5C or Gekiren follow up to catch people who want to jump out/at Amane. You can also just wait for the opponent to do something and react accordingly if you decide to stance cancel a meaty 2C. (6A/5B/3C to stop an opponent's attempt to get in). Raw 236D~D can be very useful for baiting out an opponents reversal or super because Hariken stance can be canceled so fast. When you have the opponent cornered and they have a reversal or are sitting on 50 meter for a reversal super, you can bait them out by entering Hariken stance and waiting for a short moment before canceling. Let your opponent see the stance and trick them into thinking you either messed up or that you are going for a drill set up, cancel and block the reversal. This can can also be used midscreen against certain characters that can reversal super out of drill set ups (i.e. Ragna, Terumi, etc).

Amane can keep Valk out pretty easily when he is wolf form as long as he plays smart since Valk cannot block and Amane has full screen normals. j.B is pretty hard for him to deal with cause it has farther range than w[5B] and usually beats it clean. 6A is also a really good AA for dealing with Valk. At neutral, Amane has the upper hand.

In the match ups against heavy rushdown, you have to pretend Amane doesn't really have a C button. Especially if the opponent is always running or airdashing at you. To handle these situations, take note on how the opponent is attempting to get in on you. 6A and 5A are really strong anti airs against low airdashes and can easily set up a zoning game once you knock them back with a combo or you could go for a drill set up. Other options against airdashes are j.A and air throw to beat out most of the opponents jump in normals. 3C is strong against people who are dashing in on Amane and its even better if you get good at Hariken Stance cancelling it because it makes it safe and can still confirm off of a counter hit. 214A/B > j.B is also a strong option if the opponent is constantly running at you. 5B is good for handling both situations once you know the spacing better, it has both a good vertical and horizontal hitbox, its air unblockable unless they barrier block (which is good because it pushes them out that way), and can be Hariken Stance cancelled on block. Once you have the opponent respecting your options to stop them from getting in, you will have your C button back. When on the defense, Amane doesn't have any real tools to get him out so blocking is our only real option unless you have meter. If you have 50 meter, counter-assault (6A+B) is a very useful way to spend meter and is Amane's best defensive tool. If you don't have meter, look for gaps in the opponents block string and jump out (you will want to jump back > barrier block in case of an air unblockable attack). Once you are in the air, you have more options to escape (double-jump, fabhops, airdashes, etc). Take note though, if you jump out too much the opponent might catch on and start doing frame traps to catch jump animations or air grabs to catch you off guard. Don't try to mash out during block strings! Amane's normals have too much start up to really be doing that. Only press a button when you know it will beat out a move. (i.e. 6A/5A/5B will beat out Hazama's 214D~A) As for the Rachel match up, I will give some quick advice: Rachel is one of Amane's worst match ups. Against a zoning Rachel, play patient try to poke her with C normals during the start up of her projectiles. Use your fabhops to get around the obstacle course she creates. If the Rachel decides to rushdown, I hope you have good blocking because it becomes a lot of guessing lol. You can't really do fabhop pressure in this match up because Rachel's 6A is really good at stopping Amane for attempting his pressure game. Be cautious of her wind as she can use it to wind-tech to escape all drill set ups or meaty 2C attempts and she can use it as a way to disrupt your movement when you fabhop. Try to save meter for counter-assault.