Ryyudo

Got to play around with this today. I like this.

Really? Like just straight grounded?

Yeah pretty much was Lensta said. I usually just go for simple 6C knock down with the 2A, 5B pick up. Something like 2A, 5B, 4B, Chun, 5B (which works here due to the height of Ragna vs Litchi), 6C i.e (staffless) 5B, 5C, 2C, 3C, Haku, Hatsu, Chun, 2A, 5B, 4B, Chun, 5B, 6C, [continue if staff is in 2D set and close enough] 2D, 421C, 6D (1), Tsubame [3.1k]. 6D is pretty picky, so you may also just want to try to go for straight Tsubame. Can end with super after 6C for around 4k, probably can end with super after Kanchan too, to be honest. Never thought about trying it. EDIT: Tried it (with a slightly added-to combo) 5B, 6B, 5C, 2C, 3C, Haku, Hatsu, Chun, 2A, 5B, 4B, Chun, 5B, 6C, Super [4026] vs 5B, 6B, 5C, 2C, 3C, Haku, Hatsu, Chun, 2A, 5B, 4B, Chun, 5B, 6C, 3C, 2D, 3C, Kanchan, Super [4091] Just... keep it simple in that case if you're going for damage lol.

Messing around with the jump cancel OD stuff. Haven't found any situations where it would do more damage, but it is useful for, say, getting a forward throw in a corner and wanting to go into OD quickly so it isn't burstable with as much damage as possible. But there are definitely some good possibilities. Just gotta find out where. (And those curious to my play around, here the combo I did in corner, 100% Life, opponent in corner: Forward throw, delayed 6B, jump cancel OD, 6C, 3D, 6A, 3D, 6A, 3CD, 63146C [4.3k; 30 Meter Required] Can also throw in a 3D before the 6C for 100 more damage. No meter required change.)

A fun (kind of impractical) midscreen combo you can do when above 90% life (timing gets tighter as you get lower on this 100% - 90% range): [50 meter] 5B, 5C (2), 3C, OD, All Green, Dash in (as close as you can be to the front of the opponent while they're getting hit), Itsuu~A, 6Kote, Haku, Hatsu, RiichiA, Tanki Hatsu (IppastuB), 5D, TK Hatsu, Chun, 6C, Ender [3C, Chinroutou] (6967; must start with 76+ meter) or [Tsubame] (6171) It'll get tighter with less health on the Itsuu~A part as you need OD to end so you can get that. The rest of the combo after that is also a little bit tighter on timing, but not work ending. Practiced this on Valkenhayn, so I dunno any character limitations, but really, how often will you be in this situation? Still, ideas are ideas.

Someone mentioned doing Microdash 2D to get the reverse release staff after Tanki~D. I'm having trouble figuring out the timing on it and have only gotten it a few times. If possible, is anyone able to explain the timing a bit more? Is it as fast as possible after the microdash, does it matter if I hold 1D, 2D, 3D, etc.? Much appreciated. EDIT: Of course right after I write this, I find out the timing. lol For those of you looking. I do Dash input and down-forward +D as basically a (fast) triple dash input. i.e. 663D or 441D.

So to add to some things after another ranbat night, Hakumen has a really good Agito oki set up where he airdashes right over you after a knockdown and uses Agito (the sideways looking move similar to Jin's j.2C[?]). He gets to press buttons after it so it's pretty much a pain in the ass. Our Hakumen followed up with j.B after, so I worked with it some this morning. It seems the main point is to learn IB it if you want to counter attack it. Otherwise if you don't IB it, you have to either respect it or be willing to guess a DP. This can be an issue because depending on which side you block, how far you slide back, Hakumen's position, the j.B may even be a second cross up. Your DP still SHOULD hit, from Training Mode testing, but still, risk because Hakumen could just decide to not do anything after if you block. If you do IB and the Hakuman goes for a j.B: As long a Hakumen isn't too high, you can CH with 5A before his j.B comes out. 5B is too risky due to the slower speed, and lower hitbox, and you REALLY don't wanna get CH by Hakumen If you don't IB and the Hakumint goes for a j.B: I had very few instances where RIGHT after the Agito I was able to CH the j.B. But I think the risk/reward is NOT worth it, so use that knowledge at your own will (especially with only a few training mode recordings). I also could do a DP between the two. If the Haikumen does Aigitos high some fun things you can do is: Wake up Itsuu to go through it, Haku under it and to move out of range of his follow j.B, and just one I did a feint 6B out of it. I'll play around with it more when I get to play against him again though. I'm sure his timing and spacing is tighter. Other small, fun, thing: Crush Trigger is considered a projectile. So if he tries to counter super against it, you can jump out of it. So it's a decent bait oki option if he has meter. The opponent will call you a master...of bating... A great fisherman! That's what he'll call you

Just training mode'd it. Definitely does more and overall more easy. (4.8k - 5.1k non super enders, 5.8k with super ender). Thanks EDIT: Even the OD finish does more than what I posted, but has to be short because of proration from 5B, 5C. Does 6.6k with 100% life short confirm (OD, 3D, 6C, 3D, 6A super)

Ew, no. Never. My, VERY few, 4B AA attempts were 50% accidental and 50% missed. I think it's the worst idea of all time. That's just me, though. I love 5A, 2A, and j.A as non-DP AAs, much safer on whiffs and CH leads to good and easy confirms. Also, better range and can be quickly applied more often. 2C is okay, but I still would rather use the A's or even a 5B. Does that work even off a 2A starter, if you know off the top of your head?

I like your attitude! I'm still never gonna use it in a real match though lol. I prefer consistency and unless I really figure that one out, it's staying on paper. :x I'm a boring player How does the rest of the FC combo from EX go? I stopped playing at CS2 and I promised myself I wouldn't turn on my PS3 today and work on my paper (okay, so online isn't helping either). I need to find out a 6D FC combo. Though, as you said, rare to hit but damn it feels good to be a gangsta! Itsuu C just makes me sad, I couldn't find anything very special off it.

So I needed routes off 6D RC. Here's what I ended up putting into my notes. All these done on Relius this time, so there may be character specifics: Raw 6D - 6D(2), RC, Itsuu~C, j.B, dj.B, dj.C, Hatsu, Chun, Haku, dash in 5b, 4b, Itsuu~A… +If 50 meter remaining and OD route: OD, 3CD, 6C, 3CD, Super [6.2k] +If not: 4kote, 3C, 5D, 6C [4.4k] The timing at the end seems finicky for 3C; 3C, Staff 2; Staff 2, Tsubami etc. 6C is the only consistency I can get for whatever reason. 2A starters - 2A, 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, Itsuu~B, 5D, Haku, Hatsu, Chun, Staff 2, 6C, (can stop here or Tsubami, which they insta-tech out on the last hit) [6C: 3.1k] [Tsubami: 3.6k] [super: 4.2k] - 2A, 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, 4B, Itsuu~A, 4Kote, 3C, 5D, 6C, 3C [3k; Super 4.1k] Only good thing I can find from Itsuu~C is a side switch - 2A, 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, Itsuu~C, microdash j9.B, dj.B, dj.C, Hatsu, Chun [2.9k; staff should land in a good oki position] EDIT: I'll add this one, despite the difficulty/reward ratio being poor 2A, 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, 4B, Itsuu~A, slight delay 5D (just enough so it doesn't hit the opponent when it flies), delayed Haku, delayed Hatsu, delayed Chun, staff 2, dash in 6C, Ender [Tsubami: 3.4k; Opponent will tech on first hit so you WILL be hilariously unsafe. I do not suggest doing this.] [super 4.3k] The dash in 6C needs to be done as if you were going to combo from it without staff; the staff 2 will push just far enough to get you your hits. 5B starter - 5B, 5C(2), 6D (2), RC, Itsuu~B, 6kote, Haku, Hatsu, 63214A~B, 5D, TK Hatsu, Chun, Staff 2, 6C, Ender [Tsubami: 4.6k] [super: 5.2k] - 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, Itsuu~B, 6kote, Haku, Hatsu, 63214A~A~C, 4B, Chun, (this will cross under; tight timing), 5B, 6C, 3C [super 5.5k] ^-I did this many times leading towards the corner, tried it once out of corner, so it definitely works, but I can’t do again. I may be tired, but use this at your own risk of dropping - 5B, 5C(2), 6D(2), RC, 4B, Itsuu~A, 6kote, Haku, Hatsu, 63214A~B, 5D, TK Hatsu, Chun, Staff 2, 6C, Ender [Tsubami: 4.6k] [3C, Super: 5.4k] [3C Tsubami: 4.8k] is possible, but opponent techs in midair before the last hits of Tsubami, and you know what they say about people who come off the staff too early. If you all know more about 6D(2) RC paths (probably do), please post 'em~

Had a good longer set with an Amane player last night. Here's a mental list of things I noticed. If the Amane tries to poke you from air (or you don't think he's going to use the crouching one even), Itsuu is a good tool. If he jumps in with a distanced poke, you can Itsuu after the first hit for CH (be fast; or wait for the second hit and then do it). If he doesn't jump in, cancel Itsuu after the second and you're back to Neutral. From the Amane player himself: If Amane gets you in ground drill, don't Barrier it. Barrier if the Amane drops the top-drill on you, cause that's what will really grind your barrier and life away (and you don't want to be out and/or in Danger when that happens). Also, IB those if possible. That's a lot of free, and needed, meter for this match up. Be careful if you're like me and like to jump back, set staff, throw staff at the beginning of a match. Amane can easily CH that if they're ready and the opening gambit will be theirs and you'll be without a staff. If the Amane likes to use the Chun-Li like headstomp move, just get used to IBing and then DPing it. I'm not 100% it's a punish, but he got caught by it every time I did it. Be careful of the direction and speed you're inputting the DP because Amane can cross up after. The game will auto-correct some timings, but try to see which way the Amane goes after. If you don't know, do it the direction you're facing after blocking the headstomp. Amane does have some sort of glide tech where he can air dash forward and do a move which will pull you towards him. This can work similarly to Litchi's corner vacuum tech where Amane gets in areas you don't expect him to. I doubt many Amanes will be using this (yet) but keep it in mind if you see it. You can break up Amane's name into "A man e" or "A man, eh?", making him Canadian. This terrible joke will catch Amanes off-guard once, so use the mix up right when you need it. If the Amane likes to use long range pokes for oki, you can do All Green on wake up and CH punish him. Also, random call outs at Amane's preferred range is not a bad tool at all if you don't mind using the meter (I personally don't, forces a lot of respect when you have 50 meter). If you have any sort of air resets, you may need to change them specifically for Amane. He naturally floats longer/higher in air, making some resets not work. From the Amane player: If Amane does the Drill Shockwave super with a level 3 drill, it's LESS damage to GET HIT by it. So valuate your remaining barrier and life appropriately. He will overheat after, so remember that. Throwing out 3C as a poke seems like a pretty poor idea. His similar range poke is faster it felt like. Use 6B to catch his retreats after his strings. Should catch his jump backs free and is air unblockable. If Amane has anything less than 50 meter, go pretty ham on him. His best "DP" is his Bionic Drill, and even then it doesn't do much damage (around 950 at Level 1, and 2.6k Level 3) That said, be careful about jumping in on Amane. He has a AA 6A second only to Kokonoe's. Look to fit yourself between Amane and his hit box on long range pokes. If he misses, he's terribly screwed. I.E. if the Amane I was playing made a bad call on his low far poke because I neutral jumped, I could airdash in, can get a 5B starter, free.

Oooh nice! Thanks for the added information! I only got to practice a limited amount of time before our ranbat so I only took the time to learn the 236A starter. Only landed it once during the ranbat where he bursted out of it. And I'm sorry, I was totally not clear. I can hit the 236A part fine, but the staff doesn't come back in time for me to get a Staff 2 hit. But you're saying it works on everyone, so I'm probably just not doing it late enough. Albeit, the 5B alternative worked fine so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'll have some time today to mess around with it again. I wanna have the IAD j.B version down pat also. A little less full committal than Kanchan.

So I've messed around with the first combo here and I've realized on Kagura (I have to rehook up my PS3 at my current place of stay to make sure it was him) the dash 236A does NOT work. BUT all the same you can dash in 5B, Staff 2, dash in 5B[m], 4B and go from there for the rest of the combo. It also gives the (IMO) easier confirm of Haku, Hatsu to Riichi A (I've realized in all my posts I've been typing "Riichi A" as "Ippatsu A" ) Also LOL <3 E3VE3's sig

Had the (dis)pleasure of playing our local Hakumen in our first ranbat today. The 4 Winds actually made the match up a bit easier. Even on his approach on the sake of still hitting him after he got in. But as you said, if he clashes with the staff, it SUCKS. My first match against him in our ranbat I kind of played a little safe, testing out the 4 Winds and nearly lost. The second round, I went ham on him because I was in winners while adding 4 Winds, which worked awesomely (despite dropping damn near everything ever lol). One thing I feel that gauges a Hakumen well is to jump when close to him, cross him up, air backdash back to where you were and see how they react. It gives good insight into how they handle a mentally pressuring situation. Do they try to swing their sword? Counter? Jump? It gives a better idea for their play style. For some reason, doing this a couple times made me more confident in going in and doing the cross up jump, air backdash to punish his attempt to hit me with his sword on the opposite side. Or empty jump grab because he started holding counter. Also, the corner vacuum Kanchan seems to be scary to do more than once or twice against any competent Hakumen player, because he gains a LOT more than most if he defends it, and has more good options against it (counter, large ass normals, if he blocks, you're in corner against Hakumen, without staff.) Watch for when they like to actually press buttons for pressure. I cannot stress this enough because so many of Hakumen's tools NATURALLY counter Litchi's DP (Counter, the stupid upward kick, his forward dash special move, sword swinging). Together, we can BEAT this character!

I'd third the notion of a Urichinan combo video. I'm always trying to be too practical to be creative with my combos.

I find more damage in doing (CH) 6C [m], dash 2B, 4B, Itsuu~A, OD, Haku, Hatsu, Chun, 3D, 6C, 3D, 6A, Super (5470/5474). But I wasn't sure if you were starting with an amount of meter that allowed this (this requires you start with at least 23 meter). Thanks!

I decided to play with this some today since I have no FC combos. Added a little more to it Opponent in corner; (FC) Itsuu~C, 4 Kote, TK Hatsu, 63214B, Hatsu, 63214A~B, 4B, 63214A~D, dash under, 5D, 3C, Kanchan [Ender] Here's my notes on various enders: 4B, 6D(1), Tsubami, 6C [3488; 25 Meter] [super does NOT work (techs right away out of 6C(2)] 4B, Itsuu~A, 6C [3378; 24 Meter] [super does NOT work] 4B, Itsuu~A, 4Kote, 3C [3335; 23 meter] [super 4455] 6D(1), Tsubami, 6C, 3C [3470; 24 Meter] [super does NOT work] 6D(1), Tsubami, 6C [3435; 24 Meter] [super 4555] 4B ender is a little more timing intensive. "So why would want to do it, dummy? It's less damage and harder! Go marry your waifu!" you may say. Jokes on you, I don't have one. Anyway, the 4B Itsuu~A 4Kote Ender puts the staff a MAGNIFICENT spot behind you for Oki, catching people who try to roll through you after the super. I've only done this on Noel so I can't say if there's any character specifics yet. Also, in the main combo, you can change 4B and Hatsu just fine if you feel more comfortable one way or the other, but Hatsu seems to be more consistent as you're slightly out of the corner for the 4B after 63214B.

Got to play this match up against last night. I've only gotten to play our local Kokonoe in tournaments/ranbats so far so I'm learning as I play. Some small things I figured out: Don't use 5A while on ground. Kokonoe's 5A goes under Litchi's 5A AND moves her forward, making it damn near the perfect poke move. Try to stick to 2As if you're going to throw out anything. ODing/Bursting on reaction may be a GOOD idea if Kokonoe has Astral ready and teleports. There are far too many options she gets after a teleport when blocking becomes unsafe any more (and gets you equally killed for not blocking or trying to punish her teleport). Command Backdash is pretty decent after certain parts of her pressure strings so you can get out and reset a little bit. Or if they make a mistake, you can forward air dash to regain pressure right then and there. Outside of the usual air dash, pressuring Kokonoe with 6B -> 6C, 3C, or Itsuu~B/C seems to be good. It forces her to respect you from mid-screen and limits her ability to throw random fireballs and magnets. Itsuu seems to be decent for jump-in happy Kokonoes as she has no other options after touching the guard point with j.2C besides RC -> Barrier (which getting rid of 50 meter may be worth it lol) Just be careful of cross ups and try to cancel the moment the j.2C touches you. May not still get out without CH, so still be careful. Keep your staff on you as much as possible. DPing is hella important in this match up so you don't get stuck. If you need to take a little extra damage to get a D call out (try to limit this to midscreen though, corner damage is not worth it) so you get your staff back, consider it. Kokonoe has limited options against Litchi Oki. Be a little slow on the run in after staff throws as she still has her fireball super on wake up. If you do manage to bait out the fireball super, dash-in grab, it should buy you enough time to either get through much of the fireball on tech, and completely through on hit (able to block if it's on you while Kokonoe is forced a knockdown, or you get a combo if it's completely away). Kokonoe seems a bit weak to jump-under AAing. So if she's in rage, j.As or grabs may be a good idea. If she hits you with CH j.2C, it's marginal at least. (I haven't seen anything hit off it without being in prime position). Jumping and barrier blocking into fireball set ups seems to be decent while IBing the hell out of it to get meter. Avoids having to worry about High/Lows in addition to Cross-Ups. If Kokonoe is chillin behind her proximity lightning, pressure through it with 3C. DO NOT. DO NOT USE 6B. It extends your hurt box too far. If 3C taps: 2/5D throw staff and get close to proximity to let it fire while Kokonoe has to block some. Can also just staff throw and approach proximity the same too. Just be ready. Shinshin does NOT beat out Kokonoe's fireball if they clash. Yes, this is upsetting news. Magnet depends on what Kokonoe does after. You just have to respect it usually, but a jump and barrier block when Kokonoe comes close in her approach is probably the better neutral thing you can do so you can react to more stuff. I find myself on the more defensive overall, but once I can get one appropriate knockdown, it's much more offensive while trying to keep strings tight enough that she cannot teleport out or something. I'm sure more posts will be coming on how to handle this match up, though.

That's pretty much similar to the Azreal match up where her DP starts up behind her, covering wrong direction throws. Just as it works well in the Azreal match up, I think it will work well here. Hell, I think DPs in this match is VERY important, for what little I've played of it.

I'll try the 2B, 4B more next time I play a Hakumen, but so far it's gotten me mileage. I think it's pretty strong for anyone who has a mainly ground game.

This match up is awesome, in the sense of being hella tense the whole time. Defense and IBing is a must and plus in this match up. (There is a somewhat better organized tl;dr at the bottom if you don't want to read through my brain vomit. ) Full-screen is your chance to re-control things. Throw staff, long range normals Azrael will have a hard time getting through while trying to approach. (3C, 6B -> 6C.) But I find this really only applies near full screen. Staff throwing is really strong for Litchi to get in on her terms, as it forces Azrael to wait. He can use Growler to absorb the staff, but he cannot cancel it in any way and is a free run/CH punish in with Litchi if she's behind the staff (or even reacting to a near full screen Growler during your staff throw allows you to cover a LOT of space before he gets out of it.) Once he gets to about 3/4s screen his options becomes a lot more viable to get in (Dash-in, Gustaf Bunker [236A], Dash Cancel Gustaf). It's pretty risky to Itsuu and wait at this range; the invincibility on his forward and backdashes run the risk of him going right through it. Growler can absorb the hit for free without risk. Personally, I can't reaction Itsuu his incoming Gustaf in time and get CH a lot. If you block it, you're forced to play his game as it is plus on block and a great combo starter on CH. From 1/2 screen, his jump ins become really powerful tools along with his 3/4s screen tools. Itsuu~A becomes more viable from a range where he cannot react and only has few good air options, but not many I've see beat an auto-guard to Itsuu~A. Still runs a risk though of CH, so use sparingly. It is hard to AA Azrael without Tsubami. 5A trades heavily in Azrael's favor, 2A gets beat clean, and 2C is often unreliable. j.A is an okay option (may still get CH heavily in his favor), but IAD backwards j.C forces him to chase and is decent. Command Backdash allows you to get out of his zone and canceling into an air forward dash may allow for your to regain advantage. He also has the Kanji dropkick, so watch out for that, but it is punishable on block if you react with a 5B right away. Don't try to challenge it, he's invincible through a good chunk of the middle. Of course, once he's in on his terms, it's his world. Frame traps and dangerous-to-get-hit-by mixups everywhere. Just really learn how everything looks and react/block/make good guesses (lol). As for what Litchi can do close range I found out last night that if you think he's going to dash through you OR press a button, you can actually use Tsubami to catch both options as Tsubami hits behind her for whatever dumb reason. You want to input it forward, not where he may be after. Also, need to do it a bit early and allow the game's buffer to do it first frame possible, otherwise he'll cross up and you'll get a staff set and give Azrael a free CH. One thing I'm finding some love with also with his dash-throughs is Option Selecting pressing both Barrier and Throw at the same to cover more options. Just gotta be on point with reacting with that after he crosses you up. Theoretically, you can mash out 2A/5A to catch a dash attempt but this is wrought with risks. Outside of him being able to press a button to beat you out, if you actually hit it too early, the jab will come out the wrong direction while he dashes through you. Leads to free CH for Azrael. A good IB on anything not 5A can lead to you being able to 5A/2A something for CH, so weigh your risks and options there. I do not suggest grabbing ever while he's doing his pressure. There is way too much that will beat out your grab due to his general advantage and movements. Unless you REALLY know how the player plays and leaves room for it, don't try it. He also has his 6A shoulder check which is straight invincible after some start up, which can be used as a frame trap. He's a bit negative on block, so if you IB it you can punish it. If you don't, weigh the risks of pressing buttons after. Because of the invincibility, it's a decent move for Azrael to get back in with while you're respecting him if you barrier him out or otherwise. Try to IB it though. I don't think he can confirm off it unless I'm remembering it poorly. Azreal is negative on all his D moves on block (anything with a black/red/orange effect), so try to regain advantage after a successful block on a D move. IBing = guaranteed punish with 5A/2A Be careful about setting staff during pressure. Azrael can commit to a 5C (CHs) into super, doing a large chunk of damage (3k range) and regaining him momentum. Azrael's 5A as an AA is very strong and quick also and can stuff a lot of jump-ins, even during staff pressure. Even if he gets CH by the staff, it's a marginal sacrifice for getting advantage or a combo. If you regain space at 1/4th screen or so, command backdash to regain full screen/force him to chase and make a mistake. A lot of his moves reach really far though, so careful about backdashing in general as many of his moves stuff or catch any attempts. His is both a good move but is risky for Azrael all the same. If on ground and you see it coming from close enough, you can run under it and get a CH 2A on his landing. If you have to block it, respect it. Even on IB, you cannot punish it (at least in my experiences). He can use it as anti-air-throw bait as it keeps him airborne for longer and and raises him juuust a bit so you cannot grab him at max ranges (and you get CH, back into the vortex). I think that's it for my (poorly organized) thoughts on the match up. The tl;dr: Full-screen: Max range pokes and staff throws. Bait Growler and punish/gain advantage. 3/4 screen: Don't Itsuu-wait, mid-range pokes. Blocked Gustaf = Positive for Azrael. 1/2 screen: Azrael jump-ins are strong. Itsuu~A decently strong on jump-ins. 5A, j.A them quickly or command backdash to regain spacing to get something more favorable. Blocked dropkick = punish him. Divekick can be dashed under with quick reactions and close range for a punish. Blocked/IB divekick = Safe for Azreal. Azrael Divekick can be used to bait air-to-air combats/throws. Close range: Block/IB until opportunities arise. Blocking D move = Advantage, IB D move = 5A/2A punish. Dash-through cross up/Button can be beat by early DP (hits behind). Option select Barrier + Throw. Weigh risks with 5A/2A to beat out incoming moves. Dash-through can make many moves whiff and open you for CHs. 6A is an invulnerable frame trap. Offense warning: Setting staff predictably/too close to Azrael = getting punished by 5C Super. Azrael backdash can bait out a lot of whiffs for him to punish. 5A a strong Azrael AA, can hit a jump-in attempt during staff pressure to regain momentum.

I'm glad I'm not the only one hahaha! So our Hakumen player who is giving me trouble says that the Counter is not an unblockable any more. So, in theory, a 4 Kote staff throw to jumping Barrier should WORK in the sense of they have to block, counter to no avail (but Hakumen is still not punishable off a whiffed counter), or he does his up kick (punishable) then go from there while he's locked down. Otherwise, offsetting his timing with something that takes a bit to come out (i.e. delayed 6A, 6B, 6B Feint Throw), high/lows to beat out one or the other of his counters, or throws (you risk purple throwing with staff being out, but better than getting countered). Yeah, you just gotta be solid with your confirms and do 4k back to him. Especially since he has more health. Treat him a bit like Persona, too. Try to kill him through the end of his life so that he doesn't get a chance to OD (Awakening) and come back, or reset him if you don't think you can kill. Once again, more theory.

Because I haven't studied what other players are doing it because I'm dumb/lazy, I went ahead and figured out dash-in 2B/5B, 4B confirms off of midscreen forward [m] throws and made a list of who each one works on: Dash 2B, 4B only: Carl, Makoto, Platinum, Rachel, Dash 5B, 4B only: Arakune, Azreal, Haku-men, Kagura, Mu-12, Tsubaki Both: Amane, Bullet, Hazama, Izayaoi, Jin, Ragna, Litchi , Noel, Nu-13, Relius, Tager, Terumi, Valkenhayn Jerks (Neither works): Bang, Taokaka The combo I'm using after is: Dash 2B/5B, 4B, Itsuu~A, (dash-in) 6Kote, Haku, Hatsu, RiichiA, IppatsuD, (dash under) 6C(2), [4kote, oki] or [Chinroutou for 4k+] But this is probably not even optimal, and the 2B/4B confirm takes some learning. If anyone has better midscreen f.throw [m] combos, post them instead.

I never thought about the whole going for overheads on staff pressure to force his 2charge. Otherwise, everything else seems to be similar to how I handle the match up so far. There is a lack of needed respect in terms of block->DP next stance action. I've played around a bit with IBing Backdashing/Command Backdashing but it seems more moot against this dude, especially when DP gains you momentum back and easier to do/react to. Either way, our Kagura players need to stop switching back and forth so I can really try some stuff too. :P