Guilty Gear

[Pikachu]

Slayer is hella linktastic. I sat down to learn his combos, and just found that the timing takes a bit of getting used to. 2k, 2hs, 236d is a hella weird combo. It's not that I don't link, but the links themselves are all really long. I can hit them in training mode, but I don't think I can rely on the timing in an actual fight. I could always mash it.

Your combos aren't scrubtastic, Brian.. they're Yuntastic. You should try to emulate Yun with this (I'm not 100% sure it works)

2hs, 236d, 236d, 236d, 236d, 5hs, manbunker/crappa punch

[buhwhyen]

So I checked on Ebay..theres apparently 2 street fighter anniversary sticks up for sale. 49.99 buyout with 17.99 shipping.

shop.ebay.com/__Video-Game-Accessories_street-fighter-anniversary_W0QQ_nkwZstreetQ20fighterQ20anniversaryQQ_fxdZ1

or you can search ebay for street fighter anniversary and click the video game accessory tab.

Seems like a pretty good price for what you get, 3 days left before the auctions run out.

[Pikachu]

I looked at some of the parts on the SFAC stick.... it seems very iffy, actually. I thought it'd be okay, but the parts are just.. well, average. I think the stick itself is okay, but the buttons require a lot more pushing than regular competition buttons. These will probably need a mod. There's a guide online for a Happ mod as well.

[Pikachu]

Tons of new videos on youtube from the 23 on 23 tourney, as well as some exhibition matches. Most are of Shonen showing everyone how manlands and forward Barney are among the best moves in all of GGAC.

If I were to rate the top specials in GG:

1. Eddie. Eddie IS a special, not a character.
2. Manlands/Forward Barney
3. Slide Head
4. Jam puffball
5. Invite Hell/ABA's Moroha specials

[buhwhyen]

I stumbled upon a thread that explains a lot of guilty gear terminology and "tricks" with examples and stuff..just thought I'd share since it explains things pretty clearly.

www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372&highlight=jump+install

[Duragar]

So.... Does this guy know what he's talking about?

www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3095
FlashMetroid's Jam Basics thread....

www.dustloop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3093
...and his opinions on Jam match-ups.

I know you guys don't play Jam, but at the moment you're my best filter for keeping scrubbiness out of my practice sessions.

P.S. - Speaking of scrubbiness, (though it has nothing to do with Guilty Gear), I apparently suck at Soul Calibur III. We have a PS2 in the lab where I work, and on lunchbreaks I play SCIII with a few of my co-workers... and they mop the floor with me. (Well, two of them do, the others are at my level). My Nightmare gets trashed so hard... *cry*

[Pikachu]

We all suck at Soul Calibur. People who play that game competitively are... well... scary. Videos are a bit scarce for this game though, or I dunno where to look.

FlashMetroid's opinions on Jam are pretty dead on. I tend to be cautious (in anything) when someone talks about open-ended situations, such as fighting games, with absolute certainty, but he's a good U.S. player. For the basics thread, dustloop in general is a good place for that information. Basics are hard to truly mess up. His opinions on Jam matchups... well...

It's not that I think he's wrong, but when it comes to matchups, it also matters what the opponent knows of the matchup, so this is where things are NEVER black and white. There are tons of things one should "never" do in a matchup, but you'll see people, even pros, do it all the time. The difference is, the scrub eats shit for it, and the pro knows you're not looking for the opening in that split second, and take advantage of it. It's a very, very fine line to dance around.

That being said, his information on matchups are good, and you should read through it. What I said in the previous paragraph has more to do with what one does with another player's insights. Matchup information is only beneficial when someone knows why the information is generally true (I never consider matchup information 100% true, because your opponent is also a factor).

For instance, Flash is correct in that Jam has a horrid matchup vs. Faust. Unwinnable? No. But you need to know what anti-airs to watch out for. If you fight against a Faust, therefore, you should also learn to gauge the opponent's knowledge of the matchup. When you don't see good use of Faust's 2K, 6P, 5S, and 5K, you should start jumping in like a maniac. There's no reason not to. On the other hand, if it looks like the opponent knows what he's doing, then you'll need to approach Faust patiently, wait for an opening first, then rush him down. This is a very simplistic example, but it's meant to illustrate a point of taking advantage of someone's ignorance as a way to do things you should "never" do, but get away with it. There are examples of this across all fighting games, and a lot of people lose matches to pros constantly because the pros take advantage of fear and ignorance better than anyone else.

[Pikachu]

And btw, I may pick up Jam a little bit more seriously. Her corner loops are obnoxious enough to make me want to play her, and I find her sound clips more tolerable in AC than before.

[Pikachu]

www.dustloop.com/ggac/index.html

Check this area out on Dustloop. Any technical information you want to know, it's there. Has some good tips, but some of the information is missing (i.e. # of frames it takes for newer characters to get up from face up/face down).

[Pikachu]

About sticks, in case anyone is still looking for a custom job. Do not get the Desktop Arcade Libra. The sticks look nice, and the guy running the site constructs his shit well. There is, however, a thread on dustloop.com which lasts nine months documenting all the people who bought from that site... and waiting for their shit to come. I don't think anyone wants to buy a stick right now and get it two weeks before Evo 2k8.

[buhwhyen]

EDITED: 1/10/08
Since everyone is better acquainted with the game, I'm gonna start throwing out a bunch of random match up info whenever I feel inspired to do so. Feel free to ask about specific match ups or ask me to further elaborate on something I may have briefly mentioned. Most of these things I'm writing in one go and don't really proof read or anything. In general, I'll be spewing info about characters I play, or have played.

I was going to start of with Testament because its important to understand how he works and we'll all definitely have to deal with him, however as I was writing it up, I realized its just so much info and I was all over the place with the info. So I'll work on that and try to get it somewhat organized and post it up later.

Instead..I'm just gonna start off with Anji (cause hes totally up in the tiers with Testament). There really isn't much you have to fear when playing Anji. His unblockable is still there, but impossible to rely on because it requires 25% tension and still isn't guaranteed to hit.

For starters, lets break down Anji's offensive options. Anji relies more so on you trying to either run away or foolishly poke with a move that doesn't have a low hit box, opposed to his high/low game. In general when Anji is attacking you, block low. Why? because all his overhead attacks you should be able to react to and block accordingly and in the one case he can instant overhead(TK orb), its no longer a threat because it bounces you like whoa and he 1) can't follow up with a combo and 2) doesn't net a knockdown (you can tech). As far as other overheads go, he has a new command 3P which alone is useless because he can't combo into anything without using butterfly in conjuction (Anji throws out a butterfly, you block first hit of butterfly, Anji hits with 3P -> the second hit of butterfly combos and he can follow up with something from here), the other overhead he has is ground stomp, you've all seen me use this move. He does a small hop and in a lot of cases crosses up too. You can actually punch me out of this move really easily, but only do it if you react before he gets to the top of his jump arc, otherwise you risk a CH and LOL dumb Anji combo.

Theres 2 break downs for Anji's mix up. With butterfly and without butterfly. Lets start without butterfly to keep things simple. Say Anji nets a knockdown on you. He can do 3 things here (not considering butterfly options to be discussed later).
1) 2K, 2S, 2D, fuujin. --The basic option for most players.
2) Cross-up stomp. --Happens occassionally, but easy to block none the less.
3) Tick into throw. Generally either using 5K, 5P, or 2P.

In most cases, expect #1 because its the universally best option for Anji because from blocked fuujin (worse case scenario for Anji, best case would be another knockdown and reset) he has another mix up. Basic run down of his continuations after fuujin:
1) FB Rin, you've all seen me abuse this. Safest way to deal with this is to just block, though if you're feeling saucy you can throw out low hitting moves to stuff it, has upperbody invincibility/auto guard, not sure which. Hits high.
2) Regular Rin, similar to the FB version, I personally don't use it much, but Anji does the same animation as for the force break but slower. This move has autoguard and is quite slow. On hit it knocks you to the ground (untechable) to net a knockdown. This move is really just to bait big counters on the fuujin recovery, but can easily be countered with a low move. Can block either way, hits mid.
3) Blue fan (cause I can't remember its actual name), Anji swipes at your knees with his blue gay fan. Hits low, leaves Anji at hella negative frame advantage on block, no autoguard/invicibility. Decent priority on this move, the safest way to deal with it is to just block and punish after blocking.
4) Hop. He hops, duh. Moves Anji significantly far across the screen. 99% of the time after you see this move after a blocked fuujin you'll get thrown. So either mash on a fast move, or HS to tech the throw/throw him instead. It seems to have some invincibility on start up or something.
5) Fan throw, he jumps straight up into the air and throws fans like the homo he is. Mostly useless, you'll probably never see anyone purposely use this move cause it sucks. Leaves Anji at frame disadvantage, hella slow start up, no damage, etc.

To sum fuujin mix ups up, you're best off just blocking. Whether its high or low depends on how much tension Anji has, really. I would block high, personally, if Anji had 25% tension or more just because getting hit by Blue fan means knockdown and 30? damage, opposed to FB rin which leads to 100ish damage. Sometimes nothing will come after a fuujin, in which case he can't do anything else to you at this point.

When you add in Anji's butterfly it becomes a little more complex, but only a little. For starters, butterfly doesn't go full screen and disappears around 2/3 to 3/4 screen, or if Anji gets hit. It also hits multiple times now on the second "hit." What this means is jumping up to block the second hit and avoiding the unblockable like in GGXX is a bad idea because you'll be left blocking in the air and he can just command grab you. Lets break down butterfly pressure, Anji has a few options with butterfly. This assumes he knocked you down and throws a butterfly. (cause I'm lazy, gonna refer to first hit of the butterfly as bf1, and the second hit as bf2. No homo plz, kthx)
1) 2P, bf1, 2P (fishing for CH), bf2, 2S, 2D, fuujin --basic option
2) 2P, bf1, 3P (overhead), bf2, combo --overhead mix up for #1
3) 2P, bf1, throw --throw mix up, easily beatable by mashing punch.
4) 2P, bf1, stomp --pretty gayass overhead/crossup mix, but works. Don't know how often other people use this

Distance depending, the first 2P won't be needed cause the butterfly will meaty on wake up. If he uses the FB butterfly, red butterfly, then its pretty much guaranteed hes going for #1. The best option (non corner) is to backdash if you see a gap. This makes the butterfly miss and Anji generally won't be able to do much if any damage because hes committed to moves to keep you in place. If you see blue butterfly, it doesn't hit overhead and you should really be looking for either #1 or #2. To sum it up, start off blocking low and be ready to block high.

Haven't mentioned it so far, but he doesn't have many launchers, really just stomp midscreen and FB rin in corner(or 2-3 to get from midscreen to corner) and all combos minus command grab ones are techable.

Summary:
Throw out low hitting moves (counters autoguard, mainly fuujin/rin), don't jump into butterflies, start off blocking low on mixups, on blocked fuujin start off blocking high.

Can't think of much he can do other than what I've mentioned, just gonna add some random things I haven't covered.
-his 6P is useable and can combo into fuujin
-his sweep lowers hit hit box quite a bit
-his new command normals, 3K in particular has quite a lot of horizontal reach and some autoguard (i think)
-his overdrive is useless, slow start up, does no damage, and on block is hella punishable unless FRC'd
-avoid running away via IAD backwards, this generally puts you in perfect position for HS fuujin which leads to free damage. Besides, why are you running from Anji?
-after a blocked stomp, some people will be on autopilot and gattle straight into 5k, 5s. This is actually punishable with good timing and a 3, maybe 4 frame move.
-also after a blocked stomp, some people go straight into another stomp because it avoids low punishes and most people start blocking low after because of the possible 2k follow up.

[Pikachu]

CHIPP

I'll throw in a few characters myself so Brian doesn't hafta do all the work . Good shit on Anji. My contributions will be aimed at the tourney in Modesto as well as any public tourneys we may go to, or even play sessions with other players we don't know so well.

Since there's gonna be a Chipp player there that's not me, I'll put in some general stuff about what to look for. The thing is, not all of this information will be put into use, because playstyle and skill will dictate what gets used and what does not. A lot of the info I'll post may need to be used judiciously.

I will, however, start out with some concrete matters:

Normals to watch for and why:

1. 6P. No need to explain this one, but it should be on the top of the list. A good way to deal with it is with early air attacks if you suspect they'll use this move as an anti-air, since it's utilization is best at close range (whiffing this move is BAD). Sweeps involving weapons or really low limbs are also a good way to stop a Chipp player from running in with this move. The key is to do this early; rather than stuffing the move outright, look to stuff the *attempt* to use this move.

2. 2D. Chipp's sweep is really good and really safe. It's got some invincibility on his foot even. Don't get caught by this when you're running in.

3. 6HS. Fairly good poke, but its followups are predictable. A lot of people will IAD after or cancel into Sushi. If you can eyeball the distancing, you can tell if Sushi will miss, and an early poke should catch Chipp for free damage or even knockdown. IAD's can be air thrown if you're quick, or uppercutted.

4. 5HS. Self explanatory. Just remember this move is at even frame advantage, so punishing this move being used by itself (i.e. not cancelled into anything) is not possible. Be really careful trying to stuff followups after the 5HS, because it's an effective frame trap... then again, if you're Potemkin, feel free to go for a Pot Buster if you sense the frame trap.

5. c.S. Close slash is a devious frame trap that's hard to react to. It's +1, but doesn't last long at all. It's also usually chained into 5HS or 2D, so it's easy to just expect the gatle. This normal is very good for resetting pressure for this reason, so keep an eye out on it.

Gameplan

Chipp's overall gameplan is to get close, bait you into letting him have a CH, and comboing you so you get knocked down. Once the knockdown occurs, Chipp wants to use his pressure to cross you up or bait for another hit. Baiting occurs by tempting you to poke him when he deliberately leaves gaps in pressure, usually by running in after a 2P, 2K, c.S, or even 5HS. Chipp can also get greedy in these situations to go for a Gamma Blade, which at best, hits a twitching opponent for a free combo, or hopefully blocked at a +5 advantage for Chipp, which allows him to continue pressure. This can be escaped with decent reaction time, fortunately.

Another thing to watch for is Chipp using FDC j.2k to manipulate his jumping distance to create ambiguous crossups when you're knocked down. He'll try to drop on top of you with a j.hs that you won't know how to block, then combo into sweep and repeat. Fortunately, the ambiguity of these crossups requires a lot of skill to pull off, and most of the time, you should be able to get a good sense of how to block. If the crossup is dropped onto you late, you can jump and FD just to make sure you block the hit to avoid this situation. Uppercuts also work well, as does Bursting. You can get baited into these attempts, though, but I doubt anyone you will find in Modesto will be good enough to go for this.

Sushi is actually like -1, so it's pretty safe. There is room to stuff pokes that come after, but you have to kinda see it coming. There's always a danger of eating a delayed sukiyaki attack. I don't personally like using this tactic often of a delayed sukiyaki attack to bait a CH (it staggers for a free combo) because it's open to punishment if done too deep. American players love this because... well, it's a combo opener. Just something to consider about the move here. Otherwise, just block low until you think Banzai is coming. FD'ing this move is a really good tactic because it'll buy you a lot of time when you push Chipp farther out.

Watch out for command grab, not because it's a massive threat, but because it's free damage if you can react to it. Even if Chipp's not visible on the screen, imagine that he's at the upper corner of your character's hitbox, on the side he/she's facing. Place a hit on that spot, and you'll blast Chipp out of the move.

Lots of this stuff is open ended, due to Chipp being so straightforward. Just know the properties of his moves so you know what options Chipp has at all times.

How to beat down the scrub Chipp

Block Sukiyaki, punish. You'll get this opening a lot. Use a move that's quick but not with too low of a hitbox, just in case they spam Banzai. Remember to FD his 30 hit super until he's out of reach from you. As he's spazzing out, start your IK and kill him. Wakeup super the overzealous Chipp if you get knocked down. The reward here is in your favor because of the Chipp mentality of running in close for pressure increases your chance of landing the super, ESPECIALLY if you've been zoning him the whole match. Don't be afraid to burn meter a little more freely for your combos, even if prorated. Chipp's damage factor compensates accordingly.

Don't get impatient with most American Chipps. There's no high/low mixup to speak of that you really need to break out of, or tricky throw tactics or anything like that. The command grab is not that quick, and again, it's a free opening for you. There is no imminent death coming when Chipp is spamming in your face. Blocking takes care of it all. The worst thing for you to let Chipp do is to stuff YOU and get a cH combo. That's how the damage comes in. Even if you get pegged with a standing Dust, or thrown, it's not gonna do tons of damage. So just relax and weather the storm.

[Pikachu]

SOL

I'll also post Sol. Brian, if you have a few words to say on this, go ahead and pitch in. Anyone who has played in the arcade before will have had to play against the American Sol.

The great thing about this matchup is that if you follow the mentality of dealing with the Chipp matchup, you're in pretty good shape for the Sol match as well. It involves different tools (in terms of moves AND players), but the paradigm is the same: don't let them have the CH.

Normals:

1. 5K. Fast fucking normal, leads to combos, need to beware. The secret to beating this normal is that Sol players habitually get close to use it to guarantee the combo followups, so that means you have an extra window to take advantage of because they take extra frames to move in deeper. Make sure you stop them from getting point blank.

2. Both Standing Slashes, 2S. These are the normals that condition you into letting them into point blank for 5K, 2K, command grab, and so forth. It's a decent poke for you to get used to reacting to because it can be done from further away. Your life can get whittled down really fast if you eat too many of these. The gameplan for effective use of the slashes is to prime the opponent to start blocking from a greater distance, get them scared of the pokes, then run in for the point blank punishment.

3. 2D. A moderate range poke, but good priority, fast, and a low hitbox profile. It's a very stellar sweep that's pretty safe and has good comboability. Faster pokes can stuff it, despite it's seemingly good speed. The secret of effective 2D's lies less with the poke's speed, but instead in getting the opponent to hesitate from the threat of Gun Flame and random uppercut spam.

4. j.HS. This move has little to no recovery after the active part of its hit frames. When this move is done and Sol is high enough in the air, he can air dash after its completion or throw out another poke. It's also decent in priority and a good jump in, but it's the shenanigans of this move that you need to watch for. I'll put further details in later in the post.

Gameplan

Sol is another open ended character that looks for painful CH combos, while zoning and dashing around the screen to mask his approach. He differs from Chipp in that he has more tools to get you to twitch, because his command throw represents a legitimate threat that you need to poke him out of, or jump. Thankfully, he doesn't run in as fast.

However, he also has a lot of tools to get you to just want to block. FRC Gun Flame is still viable pressure, and he has a few tricks to drop pressure and run back in. Usually, this is done with the slash attacks, or a quick tick like 2K, 5P, and so on. His high/low isn't a big deal because his standing dust is risky. The payoff is good, but if it's blocked, he's -13. That's a brutal opening because if you're able to block it, he's really close to you. Bandit Bringer and Riot Stomp should not count in a high/low mixup. Both can be dealt with.

No matter what, selective spazzing is how Sol has to be played. Otherwise, Sol doesn't get tons of obvious openings. Random hits are Sol's best friend. Displaying a good amount of "sensible" Sol play mixed with "stupid" Sol play = "Smart" Sol play, if there was ever such a thing. It doesn't matter the player, Japanese or American, good or bad. Sol needs to try something stupid eventually to get his openings in.

How to beat the scrub Sol

Don't get hit by the stupid things. Blocking low at the beginning of the match is fairly good, but don't do it for too long or you'll get thrown. Block high for the Riot Stomps and Bringers. Don't try to stuff Bandit Revolver spam unless it's really deep. When you punish deep Bandit Revolvers, go for the knockdown, and just GTFO. If you don't take unnecessary damage, you protect your life bar as well as your feelings of desperation that'll cause you to do something dumb. Sol only wins if you let him.

Don't eat uppercuts. If you wanna pressure Sol after knockdown, do it from a distance. It becomes more questionable to wakeup uppercut an opponent you may whiff, so if you really want to risk poking and pressuring, do it from around max poke range. If you're playing a Sol player fresh for the first time, don't pressure your first knockdown. Just let it go and send the message you're not a high risk player. On the second knockdown, run in deep and then block. You'll get a blocked uppercut almost guaranteed for a free combo, because the Sol player will probably think, "Good, he's gonna eat it now!"

Beware the running uppercut. If Sol runs at you from full screen, make sure you have a hitbox out in his face by the time he reaches halfway, so you can force him out. If you react late, the running uppercut will probably hit you. If a Sol player ever does something like <run in> p, p, 2k, <run in> UPPERCUT!... then you should give him credit for being at least an intermediate player to take somewhat seriously. However, this does betray a high risk mentality that you may be able to take advantage of for a combo opening.

Watch for the "uppercut twitch". Closely blocked Gun Flames in the corner that result in ambiguous frame advantage/disadvantage means that the uppercut is probably gonna come. Whiffed Bandit Bringers where Sol lands close to you means the uppercut is gonna come.

Notice how everything is related to the uppercut? Yeah. You gotta know how to protect yourself from the uppercut. Uppercuts, slash pokes, and quick knockdowns contribute to the true bulk to Sol's wins. You bleed an incredible amount of life when you constantly get hit by these. The Sidewinder loops are really a bonus to take advantage of when you get careless or frightened. Most people lose to Sol because they just take a lot of moderately powerful hits in a variety of places.

A few last shenanigans for Sol

1. After knockdown, whiff j.hs, j.s: If you see Sol whiff a j.hs over your corpse, don't assume you can punish. that j.s followup will get him a free opening for a combo. Variant can be done with j.p.

2. <With Sol's back somewhat close to the corner> Riot Stomp, FRC, Sweep: It works a lot better than one would think. I doubt you'll see this often in Modesto. But it's good to know.

3. After FRC Gun Flame:

a) more pressure
b) immediate throw
c) tick, then throw
d) dust
e) low powered tick, dust

Actually, this is less a shenanigan than like, 60% of Sol's stupid gameplan.

4. Grand Viper, RC

Best way to deal with this is to poke immediately after the RC. Why? No one is gonna Grand Viper, RC, and immediately uppercut. The purpose for RC'ing in the first place is to keep Sol safe, so the followups are either further pressure or throw, all of which are dealt with immediately by a fast poke after the RC. Come to think of it, Grand Viper, RC, Riot Stomp may be a good counter to the counter, but only I'm dumb enough for that.

[buhwhyen]

EDITED: 1/11/08

still working on how its best to lay out the information, if you guys have a preference on how I explain stuff; Should I just list things to watch out for, or just common big damage options, or break down is mid screen game, etc. I'll probably always list their wake up game options because thats universally good, but right now I'm mostly just listing off stuff I can remember off the top of my head.

Odds are most of the match up posts will be edited at some point to include more stuff that I think of after they're posted.

***Slayer***
***Mid screen***
Slayer's mid screen game is pretty shaky depending on the character hes playing against. Most projectiles (gun flame is impossible to go under) give Slayer a hard time since they nullify most of his midrange options (with the exception of BDC mappa, which I'll explain later). So, realize that projectiles are very good for stopping things like mappa, dandy step, and all Slayer's pokes, but its also not safe to just spam projectiles (unless its gun flame or other projectiles that have low hit boxes) because you have to respect BBU (big bang upper) if Slayer has 25% tension or more. Another thing to be wary of is DoT (dead on time, his superman overdrive punch), most of the time it doesn't have enough invincibility to go fully through a projectile, but it will normally trade, which is bad for you since you will always lose in that trade. Slayer is also capable of dashing through your pokes/projectiles, though you normally won't see too much of this because its considerably harder to time because of the increased start up on his forward dash and back dash. Slayer's air game is pretty weak, so most of the time you'll see him on the ground, save the occasional j.hs (discussed later). However, j.hs is easily beat by any jumping move.


***Wake up game***
Slayer has quite a few options on wake up, most of which lead to
minimal damage, but also end with a knockdown which resets the
situation. Options include:
1) 2K --basic low attack and combos/links into 2S/2D for a
knockdown for minimal damage. Can also be linked into 2HS (stomp with pink cloud) which links into BBU (big bang upper) for an air combo and lots of damage.
2) 6K --basic overhead. Links into 5K or 2K. This generally won't lead to large damage on hit because you can't link into 2HS and an air combo.
3) 6K feint --mix up to #2, generally when this happens you get command thrown (bite) or regular throw when they mess up the command grab. Command throw staggers on hit, this mix up is hella difficult to react to, so if/when you get command thrown, mash stagger. Most of the time you can avoid: bite, (this part is where you can mash out of stagger)5HS, PB (pile bunker). NOTE: 5HS also staggers.
4) Meaty 2S. --2S is the splits kick where Slayer puts one foot in the air. It has some upper body invincibility and is a good anti air move. Particularly useful as a meaty because it gives slight advantage on block and is useful to bait CHs. Also links to 2D. Generally won't lead to huge damage.
5) S dandy step --the dandy step that crosses you up. The only move off of dandy step fast enough to really hit you is PB, or FB PB. You can actually mash punch or other fast moves to stuff this because theres little to no invincibility on this move. Decent damage potential from this, more so than its damage potential its more of a round winning move to pull situationally rather than as a bread and butter.
6) 2K/6K, dash, throw --mix up to #1/2. Another variation to this is just dash (through your wake up attack) and throw. This tactic is viable outside of wake up too.
7) wait, throw --pretty self explanatory.


***Random tricks***
I'm just gonna start listing some other random things to watch out for:

-Slayer's back dash has way more recovery than his forward dash. In instances where he back dashes to avoid a wake up attack that doesn't have lots of recovery its sometimes possible to punish on reaction.
-Forward dashes don't have a lot of recovery and its possible to do things like f.dash (forward dash), bite or f.dash, DoT, etc.
-feints. Slayer has a few new feints most notably on his 6K (overhead), mappa (dash punch), and his standing dust (mostly useless). I rarely use mappa feint, but I see a lot of American players using it, its nothing to really fear (mappa feint) unless you're in a situation where you're afraid to get hit by the mappa and block. The hit box on mappa actually doesn't come out till the dash portion of the move is finished, so you can stuff it with quite a large number of moves (particularly low hitting moves).
-2HS (stomp with pink cloud). The basic launcher for Slayer, hits low and has lower body invincibility. This move can be linked from a connected 2K and also leads into BBU and air combos. Normally used after a pause in his rush to bait a CH for an easy air combo. Be careful on a blocked 2HS because it isn't as safe as it seems a lot of times to retaliate.
-6HS (lunge forward roundhouse kick). A move I don't use much, though it is good as a preemptive anti air. Can be FRC'd before its hit box comes out (but still moves Slayer forward). Generally doesn't lead into much damage, but allows Slayer to continue pressure after a blocked string and/or catch someone anxious to IAD after a blocked string. Also note that its FRC point can also be used in conjunction with 2HS for easy launchers, which is where it can lead to lots of damage. On CH I think it floats you, but I'm not positive. (this would also lead to combos)
-6P (shoulder tackle, kind of). Has a decent amount of invincibility on it and can potentially lead to an air combo if FRC'd, though situational. In the corner + FRC = easy air combo. Mid screen + FRC + CH = air combo. Otherwise this move really just nets a knockdown, not a very good anti air.
-2S (splits up kick). Mentioned earlier, but this is Slayer's main anti air not for obvious reasons. It has upper body invincibility (though limited) but more importantly on CH it has about 10 untechable frames, which you should read free unprorated air combo otherwise known as "bitch, you dead."
-RC pilebunker. Yep you read that right. PB has 20some odd frames of disadvantage and is hella punishable. But..this occasionally, though I've never really seen many people do it, can happen where the Slayer player will burn 50% tension on a RC and do another PB to punish your punish attempt. Something to keep in mind, though don't psych yourself out of free damage because most people probably don't even know about this, let alone willing to try it in a game.
-j.hs (2 hand fisting punch). Literally fists you if it CHs. On CH it ground bounces for air combos. Has a slow start up and the hit box is low and in front of Slayer. Slayers most used jump in attack.\
-j.k (standard jumping kick). This move deserves a place here purely because there are Slayer players who LINK random j.k into DoT. Yes..its possible. Its another thing I really doubt you'll see much if at all, though its something you should know about.
-j.d (slayer turns horizontal like hes laying down and punches down wards). This move deserves mention because it has weird properties on air dashes and can combo into his air super. If you do an IAD or regular air dash jumping straight up (866 or 844) opposed to the regular IAD (96 or 74) Slayer will turn around when he crosses you up. So..if Slayer distances himself a little before his max air dash range and IAD's using 866 or 844, right after he crosses you up, he'll turn around and be able to hit you with a j.d and combo a down overdrive on you. Stupidly difficult to block and does absurd amounts of damage. Though again its not something you'll see often, but more stuff you need to know about.
-Weird quark about Slayer's new j.2k move is some players have been using it to alter the timing on Slayer's jump. And in some cases been used to avoid projectiles or attacks that are timed to hit as Slayer is falling, similarly to how Sol's uppercut has a follow up kick that changes his fall timing/trajectory.
-Learn the distancing for BBU, it doesn't reach that far and learning the distance can help a lot when you're trying to avoid getting hit by it. Its also leaves Slayer at serious disadvantage on block.
-Gauge your opponents ability to super. Can he super on reaction, does he need to buffer off something, can he just not super at all, etc. Once he gets 50% tension DoT is a HUGE threat.
-Always keep tabs on his tension gauge. His supers/force breaks hurt.

***DANDY STEP***
This really deserves its own section because of the mix up possibilities. First off I'll explain the attacks that are possible

follow ups to the dandy step.
1) Pilebunker (PB) -you should all know this one. Wallstick only on CH.
2) FB Pilebunker (FBPB) -almost the same as regular PB, but has full body invincibility (I think, might just be upper body), and does slightly more damage than the regular PB. Also has different wall stick properties on regular/CH. In general it will always wall stick if possible, and generally for slightly longer than regular PB.
3) Up kicks - Kicks you twice and launches you on hit. Leads to air combos, but leaves Slayer at terrible frame disadvantage on block, easily punishable.
4) Punch - does a small punch. Leaves Slayer at more or less even frame advantage and can lead to the down punch overhead from Dandy step. Typically used to start a frame trap.
5) Down punch - Hits overhead and ground bounces? on CH (need to look that up, either ground slides or bounces on CH).

All options hit mid except #5, so by knowing this you *should* block high when you see dandy steps...However, a good Slayer will know about this and abuse it. Dandy Step has a FRC point on the non cross up versions which are are the END of the BACKWARDS motion. This means Slayer will be further back when the FRC occurs than when he started the move. A common follow up to the FRC is 2HS which as you should know from earlier in this post, hits low and leads to air combos and quite a lot of damage. I would suggest only blocking high AFTER you see Slayer moving back towards you. Otherwise you risk eating an air combo.

***Down Super***
Slayer's dive super has an interesting property to it. It's basically capable of getting up to 2 hits. It depends on positioning at the time of the hit box becoming active, mostly. Some characters get hit by it easier than others, but its possible to hit on every character. The reason this gets its own section is because of the damage potential associated with it. The first hit does respectable damage and normally you only get 1 hit off of the super. However, the second hit off the super increases its damage considerably (70% more damage or so?) and makes insta kill combos possible. American players, of course, have devoted much time to finding insta kill combos off 2 hit down super. And...you can basically kill anyone that has more than a 1.0 modifier, last time I checked. This requires 100% tension in most cases and getting 2 hits on the dive super is really difficult. So if you get hit by the dive super and wonder where the fuck your life went, heres your answer.

***BDC (Back Dash Cancel)***
A technique that I really don't know how to do myself, though what you need to know about it is that it essentially is the same as roll canceling in CVS2 (you gain the invincibility from the dash and apply it to a special move). Not sure about all the moves it can be applied to, though I know for sure that Mappa CAN be BDC'd. Thus invincible mappa. I've only seen Japanese players do it, but I really don't think its anything to worry about since it seems most players can't do it (even in Japan).

***Psyching yourself out***
Okay...Since I've spewed out a lot of information I'm sure most of you didn't know about its gonna make you think more during the match. Just remember not to psych yourself out. If you get hit by an overly long block string that doesn't seem to end, don't rush to get yourself out by jumping. A lot of Slayer rushing patterns take advantage of people that are overly anxious to get out of his pressure (DoT, BBu, mappa, 6HS). Similarly with getting hit by a Slayer air combo, its going to happen at some point. Just remember, he can only relaunch you ONCE, and if he goes for a relaunch (i.e. lands and tries to hit you with 5c.s) this is the time to look for a tech. A lot of players try for two relaunches which is IMPOSSIBLE, it just cannot be done because its easily techable.

Similarly with tricks like the RC pilebunker stuff, don't worry about it. Just keep it in mind that it CAN happen, but odds are it won't. A good piece of advice I got from playing basketball was that when you're defending someone for the first time don't give him any fucking credit. He *might* be able to make the 3-point shots, but make him prove that he can do it before you start worrying about it. Its the same concept here with most Slayer tricks. The vast majority of Slayers won't do many, if any at all, of the tricks I mentioned here. Let them prove they have the capacity to do cool stuff before you start worry about it too much.

***Stupid kicks*** new
A huge part of Slayer's game, kicks. You've all been abused by my rampant abuse of 6K, 2K and 5K. Heres the thing, on wake up most of the time people will use 6K if they're not sure whether or not you'll wake up mashing. Why? because 6K avoids a decent number of low attacks and is mostly unthrowable. I'm not saying to always block high because that leads to unfortunate death when he doesn't go for the overhead, but always be looking for the 6K because in some cases you can actually stuff it on wake up because a lot of 6K's turn into 6K feints too, and if you haven't got the drift yet, 6K feints almost always end with bite which if you see coming you can throw them first (command grabs are slower than regular throws).

So you got hit by a fucking 6K. It happens. Most of the time Slayer will attempt to link into 5K and if they can into mappa. When you get hit by a 6K, the first thing you should do is block low because in the event that he goes for a 2K link (hoping to go for the 2D link after) and misses, you block it. Why block low instead of high? Because the worst thing that could happen is hes like me and does another 6K (read: minimal damage), opposed to linking into a free knockdown and another mix up.

Lets say you block the 6K. You're not safe just yet, as most of you know Slayer is free to mix up high/low at least twice before he has to do something else (distance depending it can be 3 times). My suggestion in the event of blocking the first 6K would be block low for the 2nd hit and high there after. Why? Because if hes going to try for a low hit it HAS to be the second hit, otherwise linking into 2D is sketchy because of the distancing (2K pushes back more than 6K). 6K/5K also have more reach and a far 6K can still link into 5K into mappa at almost max range of the 6K.

The one thing that you always have to be wary of, despite what I've said so far, is the player's tendency to go for 2HS. If you notice that whoever you're playing loves 2HS more than he loves cock, the most likely place for him to try and land a 2HS is after a 2K because it links and 2K is a great move to set up CHs. Actually..any pause in Slayer's kick mix up I would opt to either:
a) jump - I know I advised you to be wary of jumping in the middle of pressure strings, but I mean jump back, not IAD, tap FD, then be ready to FD if you see him twitch. Why? Because most Slayers will use 6HS to punish jumps straight up or backwards and 6HS has a slow start up, however I say tap FD once first because theres always the chance he wanted to bait you to throw something out so he could BBU or DoT or if he actually threw out a 6K as you were jumping.
b) block low - the "safer" option, though I'm pretty sure most of you are more comfortable with the latter. The reason you shouldn't always jump is because even if you tap FD, you still might get hit by the attack and in some cases you don't respond fast enough with the FD and eat damage because of it. Worst case scenario is you get hit by another 6K or he dash/walk up throws you.

Now lets say he throws out a 2K. Always continue blocking low, hit or block. Like I mentioned before, most of the time you see 2HS, it'll probably come after a 2K and the link isn't that friendly so keep blocking and definitely don't mash anything. In the case you do get hit by a 2K, 2HS, the 2HS will pop you up in the air and he'll probably try for either a 5HS if he has no tension or a BBU. The link between 2HS and BBU is actually only 1-2 frames if you look at the numbers, but it seems a lot easier. Its still a gap that is very techable if the Slayer player isn't careful so look to tech if you ever get hit by a 2HS.

***Random notes***new 1/11/08
More things specific to American players thats come to mind
-Big Bang Upper. American players love this move. Typically comes after Slayer has successfully blocked some pressure string and anticipates you to do something thats not blocking.
-2HS. Mentioned above, I think, but some players are absolutely in love with this move. If you find such a player, you should really keep blocking after you block a 2HS because eventually they'll autopilot link a BBU after it and that would be silly to block the 2HS and get hit by the BBU that should never have been thrown out.
-Mappa. The scrubs dream. This move moves you hella far in good time. If you're full screen and out of IAD range (Slayer's IAD is short) he'll probably throw out some Mappas because they seem fast. Remember the hit box comes out toward the end of the dash so you can actually stuff them if they're not distanced properly. Also on CH (and sometimes deep on regular hit) can link a 5K, 2p (easily), or mappa. The 5K generally leads to another mappa or 2D knockdown, the 2P almost always leads to a 2D knockdown.
-I know I mentioned it above, but I need to re emphasize the importance of teching when Slayer tries to relaunch you during air combos. American players are notorious for trying for relaunches that simply don't exist or can't be done. Don't eat damage for no reason and look to tech the closer you get to the ground.
-j.hs. I don't think I mentioned much about its positional hit box. The hit box isn't very big and you can easily beat the move by just staying away from Slayer's hands. Most of Slayer's jump in attacks will be this move, learning to beat it will make the Slayer player more or less give up his IAD game which is huge.

[Pikachu]

KY

It's indoor recess today and I'm bored and on a roll. Ky is another common character, so I'll just add what I know about this piece of Escargot.

Normals

1. 5K. Hits low and starts everything, very meaty, don't get too testy with his move when you're waking up. Unless you uppercut or super.

2. 2D. This move is so deceptively fast that it can just be thrown out with relative success between your gaps. If you find the Ky player apt to do this, keep your pressure a little tighter.

3. 6K. Though not as combotastic as before, the ability to cancel a special after it keeps it a viable mixup, between you guessing whether Ky will cancel into some special, or if he'll run in again and reset pressure. +4 on block. Crazy.

4. 2P. Same use as 2D, but just closer, and only 4 frame startup. I love this poke when I am using Ky, and hate it when I play against him.

5. 2S, 5HS, 5S. Solid pokes to keep you away, optional cancels into specials. Decent pokes on their own, but incredibly effective in forcing you to hesitate because of what does or doesn't come afterwards.

Gameplan

Knockdown, more ghey pressure, tick into knockdown/throw, repeat. That's the easiest way to play Ky. Pressure consists of some scrubby high/lows, and lots of frame traps as a result of 2P, 2K, 6HS, 6K, FRC everything, and Planet. The good news is that he doesn't do Slayer level damage.

When he gets a lengthy knockdown like after hitting you with Lightning Javelin, things change. He can setup a really good crossup game using air FB, or jump behind S, or j.p whiff shenanigans. Fortunately, only a really good Ky can do these things consistently, so I'm not gonna go into detail about what all these things look like. If someone like this shows up at Modesto, I recommend the MvC2 way of taking care of things. (We'll rely on Chip for this.)

Other than that, Ky is very comfortable using pokes and Stun Edge to zone. FRC's add to his maneuverability. Ky should remain safe as much as possible, and he has the tools to do this, even if he lacks an uppercut on par with either of the Sols.

How to beat a scrub Ky

Blocking high is the first step. I really oughta put this into practice myself. His high attacks will come often from the scrub, because those are the most obvious combo openings. We love the combos!

My observation about American Kys is that if you block high often, you'll stop Ky's damage output. If Ky's damage output is low, the player tends to try harder and harder to just get hits in regardless of the risk. Watch a Ky run out of ideas, and it either becomes predictable, overly risky, or both. You want the scrub Ky in this state. Ky is abysmal when he just spams randomly and spazzes. For all the random hits that land, they don't amount to a whole helluva lot unless you really eat that many.

Therefore, you should see if you can force Ky to overextend himself and push for pressure that doesn't exist. Laggy things like j.D tricks, trying for a non-knockdown CSE string, too much running pressure strings, and desperate non-FRC Stun Dippers are all examples of this. It's either a good escape opening, or a means to get some hits in. Even if Stun Dipper is blocked and RC'd, that's two FRC's worth of mobility for the ASE's wasted to keep himself safe, and two potentially fewer openings. Otherwise, punish his shit, and poke/knock him down between unsafe run strings and start your own offense on him.

As a final note, don't worry too much about FRC throws. It's damage, but not great damage. The purpose behind the throws is to get you to twitch more than you should so Ky can land the more painful combos. Don't let them have that mind-game investment on you, because CH combos from Ky do add up.

Ky shenanigans

Here are easy Ky shenanigans to watch for. I won't bother with advanced ones.

1. Knockdown, jump, late air dash S, ad. HS: Parlor trick to get you blocking low.

2. Knockdown, emtpy jump, 2K gatle -> 2D: Mixes with previous trick.

3. F/RC Stun Dipper, Greed Sever/Dust: It's shameful, but works. FRC Stun Dipper into 5D is a fairly legit attempt if used sporadically.

4. j.p whiff, falling j.s/air dash j.s: Variant of #1, same purpose. Less used by bad Kys.

5. 5K, 5D: Classic.