THE PHAT-ASS LEI GUIDE (slight revision 1/5/99) By: Jeffrey Hsu aka chinaman email: harper@uclink4.berkeley.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: The following is an end-all strategy guide on how to play Lei Wulong. Hopefully after perusing this document, the reader will be able to head to his or her local arcade and then procede to kick some ass. Please do not alter or use this FAQ without my permission. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION Lei is a character who can pester his opponent with constant pressure. Using his various rushing moves, Lei becomes very difficult to block against. It's important to mix up his various attacks as well as mixing in stances intermittently. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIGHTING AS Razor Rush- Lei's rushing attacks are his best offensive weapons. It makes your opponent block and have to guess what you are going to do. His Razor Rush (f,N,1,2,1,2,etc.)is his best move at applying pressure on your opponent. A simple and confusing tactic is to simply do the Razor Rush and alternate with a low or mid kick at the end. What is so great about Lei's Razor Rush is that it can be delayed to confuse your opponent. He will either think you have stopped rushing, are in the process of changing stances, or messed up. A lot of times, your opponent will just try to jab in-between staggered rushes thinking that there is time to poke in-between. If done right, your rushes should counter most times. Examples: f,N,1,2,1,2,4(3) f,N,1,2,pause,1,2,4(3) f,N,1,pause,2,1,pause,2,4(3) f,N,1,pause,2,pause,1,pause,2, pause,4 As you can see, you can stagger and finish the rushes almost any way you choose. Another element of the Razor Rush is the ability to go into stances anytime during the rush. Yes, it is possible to hit Lei during his animation into a stance( i.e. a low jab ). However once you have frozen your opponent, you can get away with stance changing. Judge your opponent. If you see that all they do is hold back on the joystick when you rush, constantly break off into stances and then confuse them with mid and low attacks off the stances. Of course if they constantly low jab you out of your stance changing, don't break off into stances. Instead finish your rush with a mid or low kick and look below in the Low Cancel section for a useful trick. If you are playing a character who has an attack reversal (i.e. Nina), always "chicken" your mid kick regardless of whether you think you will be reversed or not. If your opponent has a low thrust block, be wary of it if you tend to finish the rushes with low kicks. When playing someone who is camping on countering the kick which ends your rush, you can either go into the tiger stance and then attack them or simply stop rushing and go for a throw. It is important for you to try and control the pace of the fight, and the rushing punches are a great way to do that. Rush Combo and Defense Breaker- Lei also possesses other valuable rushing attacks. The Rush Combo (f,N,4,1,2,3) and the Defense Breaker (f,N, 2,1,2,1) are great moves to use and alternate on your opponent. The rush combo is useful since you can end it with a low or a mid kick. If you end with the low kick and it hits, tack on the lift up cannon (4~4,3,3). The rush combo is very useful to set up attacks such as throws, low moves, or mid moves such as an uppercut by just doing the first 2 or three hits of the move (ie. f,N,4,1). The defense breaker is a useful changeup since it breaks your opponent's guard so all he can do is block or get hit if he tries to break out. If all 4 hits are blocked, you're left with your back turned, but with a decent advantage. Go for a low backfist or back throw attempt if you think your opponent will stay guarding high, or a turnaround hopkick if they try to backdash or block low. The second part of the spiral uppercut(2) is riskier than the turnaround hopkick because it's slower, has a shorter range, and a longer recovery time. Low Sweep (first part of Rave Spin)- Another element of Lei's game is his Low Sweep (db+4). Lei's Low Sweep is a great move to use when playing against people who like to block standing all the time, especially people who are not afraid of getting hit once or twice by the low kick which ends Lei's rushing punches. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate this low move into your arsenal. If it hits, you can tag on your favorite combo off this sweep. The Low Sweep should really be used no more than 2 or 3 times per round versus your opponent. Try your best not to do the rave spin (db+4,4) since you will be left way too vulnerable leaving your opponent with a chance at an easy and damaging retaliation. This is not to say the low sweep by itself is without its risks. examples: f,N,4,1,df+4,f,N,1,2,1,2,etc f,N,4,1,db+4,4~4,3,3 f,N,1,f,N,4,1,df+2,f,N,1,2,1,2,etc f,N,2,1,uf+1+2 f,N,4,1,f,f+1+2_uf+1+2 Cannonball- The Cannonball is a good move to use when avoiding throws and hi moves such as 1,2 punches. It is most useful as a counter move however, as it has a lot of recovery time if the move whiffs or is blocked so be careful not to overuse it. A good trick to try sometimes is doing 2 Cannonballs in a row. Often times your opponent will block and then try some big attack after and you can usually hit them with the second Cannonball. Spinning Backblows- This is another useful move Lei possesses where he turns his back initially and goes into low spinning punches where he could break off at anytime into a spiral uppercut or mid kick. This move is useful when you are about two character distances apart and you know you can make your opponent whiff a move if you turn your back since Lei will shift back a little bit. It also is a good counter move and you can get small unorthodox juggles such as d+1,1,1,1,4. Low Cancel- Lei's Low Cancel should be used in the same manner as any other character. If you Low Cancel any low kick move, you get a guaranteed juggle following with a hop kick(uf+4) to your favorite juggle. If you Low Cancel a low jab, you will also be able to get a guaranteed hop kick, however the timing is different. After a low cancel of a low jab, you could also try to throw your opponent while recovering from the low cancel. This is by no means guaranteed but if you do it correctly, your opponent has very little chance to escape. If you do try to throw after a Low Cancel, use uf+1+2 or ff+2 since they require both punches to break and also have quicker animation as well as a longer throw ranges. However any throw would work in this case. There is also a Low Cancel trick off Lei's panther stance. If your opponent consistently hits you out of stance changes with a low jab, do 3 rush punches to the panther stance and hold F for the auto low cancel. It's best to use this technique sparingly, keep it as a little ace up your sleeve for situations where you really need a win-you are guaranteed a hop kick after this low cancel whether it is a kick or a jab. Hi/Mid reversals- Lei can cancel mid and high attacks either using the Druken Stance reversal or his auto cancel off the Tiger Stance. Lei's Drunken Stance can be used to parry punches in most situations where a regular reversal or parry would work. The difference being that the reversal takes a little longer than usual to become active (5 frames, instead of the usual 2). This makes it a little harder to reverse punches in strings, but this is balanced by the fact that the reversal is active for a massive 25 frames. This is much longer than the period of 'reversability' for normal reversals and parries, and means that it's often possible to reverse a hit in a string even if it was unexpectedly delayed (such as the last hit of Ling's u+1+2,2,1). Nothing is guaranteed after the reversal. If you successfully get the reversal, it's best to attempt a hop kick until your opponent learns to align themselves and block it, then go for a throw next time. Ling can beat both of these options by going into AOP, so it's good to use d/b+4 against Ling in particular. If the reversal whiffs, it's best to fire out a (chickened) drunken punch as soon as possible, or if your opponent backdashes out of range then just wait for the drunken stance to wear off. The Auto High/Mid Reversal off Lei's Tiger Stance does not do any damage but is useful as well when you have an opponent who likes to break stances using mid kicks or something character specific such as Heihachi's Demon Palm. Throwing Techniques- Lei is quite adept at throwing. Basic tricks are a hi jab to throw or a low jab to a throw. Button buffering and joystick buffering comes in very useful in these cases. Most times when you want to execute a jab to throw, you should keep your finger on the punch button you used and go into a throw that will enhance your chances of a successful throw. After an uf+1+2 throw you can get a guaranteed low sweep(d+3) on the ground. examples: 1,uf+1+2 2, 2+4 d+1, ff+1+2 Standing versus Dropping (playing dead)- When Lei stands, he is much more effective at pressuring his opponent with his rushing attacks and gives the opponent less time to think about what he is doing. Lei is also one of the few characters who can constantly attack his opponent in a poking style without much recovery time or break in his pattern much like Nina and Hwoarang. However, a dropping Lei has its advantages as well. On the ground, Lei can either recover with a rave spin off the ground or with his pop up kick (3+4) which leads into powerful juggles. A dropping Lei will often cause his opponents to whiff attacks which gives him a considerable advantage. Basically, a standing Lei tends to play more aggressively and offensively while a dropping Lei is more of a turtler looking for that big mistake which will give him a chance to connect a pop up kick. The best mix would probably be to base your game around standing but dropping to the ground when you need to just enough to keep your opponent guessing. FIGHTING VESUS Counter Rushing Attacks- A good counter tactic is to sidestep the start of the rushes. Lei's first punch will usually be from the left side since most people will do the razor rush. Therefore, sidestep in advance to your left. If he does the rush combo or defense breaker, sidestep to your right. It does not really matter which way you sidestep as long as you allow your character enough time to react to the move. If you sidestep successfully, either attempt a side throw or better yet do a hop kick (uf+4) into a juggle. It is also a good thing to create distance between you and the Lei player if all he does is rush. The reason is that when Lei is rushing and whiffing his hits, you will be able to counter attack. You can either do a hop kick if your character has one, an uppercut, or some type of mid move to stop the rushing Lei in his tracks. Breaking the Razor Rush- If the Lei you are playing likes to stagger his punches, look for the break and counter hit him with 1,2 punches or throw him in-between. It is probably safer to jab him out. Beware that the Lei could be setting you up by pausing at first and then fluidly finishing his rush without breaks so that you will be hit by his punches instead of counter hitting. Try as often as possible to use an attack reversal on Lei's rushes if you have one (Nina, Paul, Jin, King). Most Lei's will not chicken the first punch of their razor rush so if you can react quickly enough, you have enough time to reverse it. Also if the Lei tends to complete the razor rush with mid kicks all the time, again reverse it unless he is consistently chickening them. Also use the Low Cancel if your character has one if your Lei opponent tends to finish the razor rush with a low kick. Another thing to watch for is Lei's stance changing. If you see Lei rush and break off at anytime into a stance, immediately low jab him out if it. Some characters can also do a mid kick such as Nina depending on whether Lei shifted left or right into his stance. Most times these attack breaks will be successful. I have also found the uf+4 basic hopkick to be very useful on stance changers. However beware of Lei's auto low cancel off his panther stance and his auto mid/hi cancel off his tiger stance. If you constantly low jab Lei while he is attempting to chance stances, good Lei players will shift into the panther stance to trick you into this move and then get an easy juggle opportunity. If you think they will go for the low cancel, do a mid move such as a mid kick or an uppercut. Also for the Heihachi players out there who like to break stance changes with the Demon Palm, beware of the hi/mid auto cancel off the tiger stance. Lei's Play Dead Games- Lei players who base their game around playing dead can be a big nuisance. If you are playing such an opponent, don't just rush in and try something such as 1,2, jabs since the Lei player will most likely drop under your punches and try a counter attack of their own. Basically off the ground, Lei will do one of two things, low sweep or pop kick (3+4). If Lei lies down, the best place to stand is just outside the range of his liedown attacks. That way, the only way he can touch you is by rolling towards you and doing a rising low or mid kick, and this means you can hit him out of the roll. If your timing is up to it, try and time your hit as late as possible so that you counterhit him out of his rising kick. He can be juggled if you hit him at this point (ie. Nina's divine cannon) will float. Hopkicks are also very effective for hitting Lei out of his roll. KEY FIGHTS Nina- Playing Nina can be a big pain. Her poking ability is one of the best in the game. Be careful with her attack reversal, low cancel, and her ability to sidestep several moves including your rushing attacks. When playing a Nina who likes to do d+4,1 to set up her attacks, you should make an effort to duck the hi backhand off the move. Then when the high backhand whiffs, you can go for a ws+2 or ws+4 or even a d+1 to be safe which would be guaranteed if you time it correctly. You could also attempt the Cannonball to counterhit any of Nina's high attacks. Many Nina players also rely on her kick combinations such as her 434 and 432. Learn to low cancel the low left kick. It takes some getting used to, but once you can pull off that move, your Nina opponent will start to second guess himself. Dont fall into the trap of trying to block everything. This is something you must learn when playing versus a top Nina. You can make a conscious effort to block her attacks, but it is better to try and break them or counter them with small jabs, low kicks or reversals rather than try and block everything looking for that perfect time to try a big counter move. Do your best to create some distance. The further apart you are, the more the advantage swings towards Lei. Nina's Blonde Bomb and her divine cannon only go so far and have considerable recovery time. If you block a blonde bomb you can also go for a guaranteed hop kick. If you block a divine cannon, immediately go into the razor rush or try to go for a low sweep. Remember the keys to this fight-dont get hit by the divine cannon, dont fall into Nina's poking traps, keep a little distance, but pressure Nina with your ability to rush. Law- This is a tough fight for Lei due to Law's Punch Reversal though Lei can counter most of Law's attacks and cause Law to whiff Dragon Storms(b+1,2,1) and Junkyard attacks (b+2,3,4). One way to frustrate a Law player is to do the razor rush then drop to the floor. Alot of times, Law will immediately try to retaliate with their the dragon storm or the junkyard. If you drop fast enough, you will be underneath Law and get a very good chance at landing a pop up kick or a low sweep. Law's junkyard combo is also very easy to low cancel. It is important that you learn how to low cancel that move so he no longer can switch up his attacks with reckless abandon. Also watch for Law's dragon's tail (db+4). If you block it, immediately do a mid move such a rising uppercut or a rising mid kick. Be careful when lying on the ground since Law can fall on you with d+3+4 or do his slide(d,df,df+3). If you can anticipate these attacks, you should to react before it happens. Also be very cautious of Law's high kick to flip moves(3,4 or 3,3,4). These are guaranteed to work once the high kick connects although the spacing does have to be close. All it takes is for Law to block a move such as the headbutt and then execute 3,4 and tag on some more hits. As always, pressure your opponent with rushes and mix it up when you are not lying on the ground. Remember, top Law players can do the punch reversal and kill rushers. If the distance between you and Law is substantial, and Law comes rushing in with any attack chains that are whiffing, time a hop kick or uppercut to knock him out of his attack or break the attack with a mid kick. Paul- Paul is no longer a challenge for Lei in my opinion. Since Paul's moves do so m uch damage, you must not whiff any moves at all. A good Paul will make you pay for every single mistake. Most times, the deathfist (qcf+2), falling leaf(d+4,2), Godfist (f+1+2), and hop kick (uf+4) are the weapons of choice when you whiff so be careful. Basically the same principle that applies to fighting Law applies to Paul. Playing dead once or twice is ok, but be careful that when you drop, Paul can hit you with a hammer, deafist or part of a falling leaf as you are falling down. Paul can also do a ground punch (d+2) or a quick sweep(db+3) if you overdo it. He will keep you out with his hammer as much as possible as well as pressure you with simple jabs and small uppercuts. Paul is also excellent at throwing inbetween moves. His moves, such at the Shoulder Ram and God Fist, are very useful and will break you out of attacks. Still, Paul has a very limited arsenal of moves so he cannot poke and jab at Lei's level. Your goal should be trying to constantly force him to block. Furthermore, Paul has no low cancel so dont be scared of ending strings with low moves to keep him honest. Sidestep on Paul as well. Most of his attacks can easily be sidestepped, even the falling leaf so that the elbow wont connect even if the low sweep hits. Also remember to break Paul's Hammer Combinations. After blocking the hammer, immediately do a jab to throw combination. You could also do a high right kick immediately after blocking the first part of the hammer combination and follow with the Razor Rush since the right kick will pop Paul up because of the counterhit. Uppercut Paul out of his sway combos after the second hit and before the third moves comes out. The sway-stone break rush can be hop kicked, the sway-phoenix rush cannot. If you block the Falling Leaf, you can get a guaranteed hop kick off in time. After blocking a deathfist, most Paul players will follow with high jabs or attack reversal. They could also hop kick or attempt a sidestep. Beware of these options and counter with Low Sweeps, rushes, the Cannonball, or play dead if you think it will work. If you do get hit by Paul's deathfist, you will be able to slide at him if he runs in for a ground stomp. The key to this fight is minimizing your mistakes because it only takes 2 or 3 errors for you to lose to Paul.