-MG-'s TEKKEN 3 LEI WULONG FAQ ------------------------------ Revision 4.1 ------------ *NOTE* This is designed to be viewed in a monospace font, otherwise it's going to look really stoopid ... you have been warned =) Revision history: ----------------- Revision 1: written for the 60% test version, many Tekken 2 moves missing. Revision 2: written for the 95% test version, corrected all moves that changed since the 60%, added all Tekken 2 moves, added new moves added since the 60% version, added and changed strategy sections, reorganised the FAQ into sections. Revision 3: written for the 100% version, corrected animal stance names (tiger->dragon, mantis->panther, ???->tiger), added moves for trip & elbow throw, guard melting punches from panther stance, confirmed usage for drunken surprise exchange, added other changes since 95% version (changes to floating behaviour of some moves, renamed 'hopping low kick' from snake stance for new animation, also snake stance change possible during rave spin performed with back turned), added more strategy stuff (plus Lei Vs Lei guide), and info on auto-blocking in animal stances. Revision 4: totally reformatted, reorganized, REWRITTEN, loads of corrections (oops!), hit levels for all moves, strategy for EVERY single move, more juggles, more strategy, just LOADS more! Revision 4.1: added damage levels. Some are missing for basic moves, such as basic rising kicks, WS+4, u/f+4 liftkick, etc. Also corrected some hit levels: PNS:2~1 hits lh. CRS:3,4,2,3 hits mlmM. Still to come: more juggles (and more juggle confirmations), plus Vs guide for Lei Vs the time-release characters. Contents: --------- The contents of this guide is: (0) Conventions (1) Basic move list (2) Strategy for all moves (i) special attacks (ii) stance switching (iii) using the 4 liedown positions (iv) using the back-turn (3) Juggles (4) Ground cheese / okizeme (5) Lei Vs other characters (6) Anti-Lei guide: other characters Vs Lei (7) Credits ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (0) Conventions: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -Command- f - tap forward F - hold forward b - tab back B - hold back u - tap up U - hold up d - tap down D - hold down d/f - tap down and forward D/F - hold down and forward d/b - tap down and back D/B - hold down and back u/f - tap up and forward U/F - hold up and forward u/b - tap down and back U/B - hold up and back left punch = 1 (O) (O) 2 = right punch left kick = 3 (O) (O) 4 = right kick FC - full crouch (must be in full crouching animation) N - neutral (no direction pressed on the joystick) WS - while standing/rising from a crouch SS - side step + - do moves on either side(s) of + together ~ - immediately followed by... [XX] - optional command # - hold joystick position = - next part of sequence @ - signifies a pause point in a string (%XX%) - signifies a throw escape f-throw - will only throw standing opponents from the front b-throw - will only throw standing opponents from behind g-throw - will only throw opponents on the ground d-throw - will only throw ducking opponents rs-throw - will only throw opponents from the right side ls-throw - will only throw opponents from the left side link - a continuation of a multi-part throw -Level- l - move hits low range (D/B to block) m - move hits mid range (B to block) h - move hits high range (B to block) L - move hits low range and downed opponents (D/B to block) M - move hits mid range and downed opponents (B to block) H - move hits high range and downed opponents (B to block) ! - move is unblockable {!} - move is unblockable and hits downed opponents -Special abbreviations- SSL - sidestep left: u,N when facing right d,N when facing left SSR - sidestep right: d,N when facing right u,N when facing left *XX - stance/position change only when hit is blocked e.g. -,*BK means 2nd hit recovers to BK position if it's blocked XX: - start from stance/position XX. e.g. stabbing punches from snake stance could be listed as SNS:2,2,2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Basic move list: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The moves are listed twice, the first list gives a name/description for each move, the second list replaces this with a column giving the damage levels. In the first list, moves are given in the following format: command height pos/stance description The command is the joystick/button sequence required for the move. The height is the hit position of each attack. The position/stance is the position that you are left in after performing each hit of the combo. Position/stance names: BK - Back-turned position (standing with back to opponent) PLD - Play Dead (on ground, face up, head towards opponent) SLD - Slide (on ground, face down, head towards opponent) FCD - Face Down (on ground, face down, head away from opponent) KND - Knockdown (on ground, face up, head away from opponent) CRS - Crane Stance TGS - Tiger Stance PNS - Panther Stance DRG - Dragon Stance DRS - Drunken Stance SNS - Snake Stance SQB - Sleeping Queen of Birds stance e.g. 4~4,3,3 LLm KND,KND,FCD rolling kicks This is interpreted as follows: command: 4~4,3,3: tap right kick twice quickly, then left kick twice height: 1st 2 hits are low (& hit a downed opponent), 3rd hit is mid position/stance: stop after 1st or 2nd hit for KND position, stop after 3rd hit for FCD position. If the pos/stance is listed as '-' it means a regular forward-facing stance. In the second list, moves are given in the following format: command height pos/stance damage The damage column gives the basic damage level for each hit in the combo. These damage levels will probably be affected by other factors such as whether the hit is a major counter, minor counter, or is used in a float. For example, f,N,4,1,2,3 does a total or about 50% if the first hit is a MC, but does barely half that in a juggle. Here's the movelists: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- MOVELIST WITH NAMES/DESCRIPTIONS: --------------------------------- command height pos/stance description ::Special Arts:: ------------------------------ [Normal forward-facing stance] ------------------------------ d+3+4 - PLD (change position) d+1+2 - SLD (change position) b+3+4 - BK (change position) f+3+4 - DRS (change stance) f+2+3 - SNS (change stance) SS,(1+4_2+3) - SNS (change stance) b+1+4 - SQB (change stance) 1+2 h BK turning punch = ~1 h BK 2nd turning punch = ~2 m - back uppercut 3,3 hL -,BK crescent, lowkick 3~4,[U#] m[m][m] BK,[BK],[BK] jumping crescent[s] = D M KND falldown, change position 4~3 m FCD cartwheel kick 4~4,3,3 LLm KND,KND,FCD rolling kicks F+4,2,1,2 hmmm -,-,-,- crescent, 3 punches = 3 l - low kick = 4 m - mid kick = SS - CRS (change stance) f,N,1,SS m- -,SNS punch rush, change stance f,N,1,2,SS mm- -,-,DRG punch rush, change stance f,N,1,2,1,SS mmm- -,-,-,PNS punch rush, change stance f,N,1,2,1,2 mmmm -,-,-,- punch rush = SS - TGS (change stance) = 3 l - low kick = 4 m - mid kick = SS - CRS (change stance) f,N,2,1,2,1 hmmm -,-,-,*BK guard melting punches (if 1st hit blocked) f,N,3 h - high crescent = 4 m - mid kick = d+4 L - low kick f,N,4,1,2,3 hmmh -,-,-,- rush combo = 4 m - mid kick = d+4 L - low kick f,f,f+3 m - flying hawk kick b+1+2 m - drunken headbutt d/b+4 L - sweep = D - SNS (change stance) = 4 h - rave spin (u/b_u/f)+2 M PLD elbow drop (u/b_u_u/f+4) m - liftkick (WS)4 m - rising front kick -------------------------- [BK: back-turned position] -------------------------- Blocking: cannot block mid or low attacks, can duck high attacks 1 h BK high backfist d+1 l BK low backfist 2 m - back uppercut 4 m - back midkick d+4 L - sweep = D - SNS (change stance) = 4 h - rave spin 3+4,3+4,3+4 MMM BK,BK,BK backflips (u/b_u/f)+2 M PLD elbow drop ------------------- [SNS: snake stance] ------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1+3 - DRG change stance and instant spin & throw attempt (see throws) 1,1,1,1,1,1 hhhhhh -,-,-,-,-,- hopping punches = F (on any hit) - SNS (change stance) 2,2 mm -,- stabbing punches = F (on any hit) - DRG (change stance) = 2 l - low stab = F - PNS (change stance) 3 m FCD falldown kick 4 l SNS low jab kick SSR - PNS (change stance) SSL - DRG (change stance) -------------------- [DRG: dragon stance] -------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1 - - spin & throw attempt (see throws) 1+2,[F] m [TGS] double arm strike 2,[F] m [TGS] uppercut 3,3 hL -,BK crescent, lowkick 4,1,2,3 hmmh -,-,-,- rush combo = 4 m - mid kick = d+4 L - low kick SSL - TGS (change stance) SSR - SNS (change stance) --------------------- [PNS: panther stance] --------------------- Blocking: cannot block mid attacks auto-blocking on low attacks high attacks are ducked 1~2 lm -,- double lowpunch combo 2 m - uppercut = 1,2,1 mmm -,-,*BK guard melting punches (if uppercut blocked) 3,[B] L [SQB] sweep [change stance] 4,2,1,2 hmmm -,-,-,- crescent, 3 punches = 3 l - low kick = 4 m - mid kick = SS - CRS (change stance) SSR - CRS (change stance) SSL - SNS (change stance) -------------------- [TGS: tiger stance] -------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1_2 m - overhead swipe 3 h - high crescent = 1,SS m- -,SNS punch rush, change stance = 1,2,SS mm- -,-,DRG punch rush, change stance = 1,2,1,SS mmm- -,-,-,PNS punch rush, change stance = 1,2,1,2 mmmm -,-,-,- punch rush = SS - TGS (change stance) = 3 l - low kick = 4 m - mid kick = SS - CRS (change stance) 4 L - fast low sweep SSL - SNS (change stance) SSR - DRG (change stance) ------------------- [CRS: crane stance] ------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1 m *BK guard melting punch 2 h BK hard backfist (turns opponent around if it hits) 3,4,2,3 mlhM -,-,-,- crane dance 4 L - jumping low kick SSR - SNS (change stance) SSL - PNS (change stance) --------------------- [DRS: drunken stance] --------------------- Blocking: cannot block any attacks can sometimes get automatic combo break & surprise exchange against mid/high punches (intermittent) 1 m - drunk punch 3+4 L FCD falling low kicks ------------------------------------- [SQB: sleeping queen of birds stance] ------------------------------------- Blocking: cannot block any attacks 3,3,3,3 mmmm SQB,SQB,SQB,- hawk's claw kick combo =4 (on any hit) {!} - phoenix kick 4 {!} - phoenix kick ------------------------- [PLD: play dead position] ------------------------- 3,4 Lh -,- rave spin 3+4 m - double kick 4 m - rising midkick D#+1 - SLD (change position) (f_b),3,4 Lh -,- roll, rave spin (f_b),4 m - roll, midkick u - - stand up --------------------- [SLD: slide position] --------------------- 3_4 L - sweep 4~3 L blocked: KND slide hits far: KND hits near: PLD 1 - PLD (change position) (f_b),3 L - roll, sweep (f_b),4 m - roll, midkick u - - stand up ------------------------ [FCD: facedown position] ------------------------ 3 L - sweep 3~4 L PLD sweep = 4 h - rave spin 4 m - midkick 4~3 m - cartwheel kick 1 - KND (change position) (f_b),3,4 Lh - roll, rave spin (f_b),4 m - roll, midkick u - - stand up ------------------------- [KND: knockdown position] ------------------------- 3 L - sweep 3+4 m - spring up 4 m - midkick d+4 L - lightning kick D#+1 - FCD (change position) (f_b),3 L - roll, sweep (f_b),4 m - roll, midkick u - - stand up -------------------- [Throws & reversals] -------------------- command type pos description 1+3 f-throw - flying sky kick 2+4 f-throw - neck wringer DRG: 1 f-throw {%1%} - neck shaker = 1+2 link DRS drink, life gain f,f+1+2 f-throw {%1+2%} - trip u/f+1+2 f-throw {%1+2%} KND trip & elbow 1+3_2+4 b-throw - drop down & back push 1+3_2+4 rs-throw - triple kicks 1+3_2+4 ls-throw - fall down & face kick (d_d/b_FC)+1+3 low combo break - push away (d_d/b_FC)+2+4 " - " f+3+4 mid/high punch reversal - drunken surprise exchange Special info on throws & reversals: * All 1+3 or 2+4 throws (forward, back or side) can be performed from the BK position. A missed throw returns you to BK. * The DRG:1 command only gives the neck-shaker if the opponent is facing Lei, it can give the b-throw, rs-throw or ls-throw in other circumstances. * The life gain drink during the neck shaker throw will cause the throw to do only half the normal damage - the other half is added to Lei's lifebar. * The low combo break does no damage, and gives Lei a 26 frame advantage. * The mid/high punch reversal does no damage, and leaves Lei facing his opponent's side. The advantage time (if any) is currently unknown. ::Strings:: _______________________________ | | | | | | | @ 3+4,3+4 @ 1,1,2 | | | |_________|_______| | | | | | | | 1,2,1 @ 3+4 | | @ 4,4 | | | @ 2,1 @ 4,1 |_____| | | | | | | | | | | @ 2,3 | |_______|_____|_____|_____|_____| command: 1 2 1 3+4 3+4 3+4 1 1 2 height: h h l M M M l l m stance: - BK BK - - - BK BK - command: 1 2 1 3+4 2 1 4 1 4 4 height: h h l M m m h m L h stance: - BK BK - - - - - - - command: 1 2 1 3+4 2 1 4 1 2 3 height: h h l M m m h m m h stance: - BK BK - - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------- MOVELIST WITH DAMAGE LEVELS: ---------------------------- command height pos/stance damage ::Special Arts:: ------------------------------ [Normal forward-facing stance] ------------------------------ d+3+4 - PLD - d+1+2 - SLD - b+3+4 - BK - f+3+4 - DRS - f+2+3 - SNS - SS,(1+4_2+3) - SNS - b+1+4 - SQB - 1+2 h BK 18 = ~1 h BK 18 = ~2 m - 20 3,3 hL -,BK 35,10 3~4,[U#] m[m][m] BK,[BK],[BK] 30,[30],[30] = D M KND 30 4~3 m FCD 25 4~4,3,3 LLm KND,KND,FCD 7,7,35 F+4,2,1,2 hmmm -,-,-,- 35,12,12,8 = 3 l - 15 = 4 m - 15 = SS - CRS - f,N,1,SS m- -,SNS 10,- f,N,1,2,SS mm- -,-,DRG 10,8,- f,N,1,2,1,SS mmm- -,-,-,PNS 10,8,8,- f,N,1,2,1,2 mmmm -,-,-,- 10,8,8,8 = SS - TGS - = 3 l - 15 = 4 m - 15 = SS - CRS - f,N,2,1,2,1 hmmm -,-,-,*BK -,?,25,30 (if 1st hit blocked) f,N,3 h - 35 = 4 m - 20 = d+4 L - 10 f,N,4,1,2,3 hmmh -,-,-,- 15,12,5,17 = 4 m - 20 = d+4 L - 10 f,f,f+3 m - 30 b+1+2 m - 30 d/b+4 L - 10 = D - SNS - = 4 h - 25 (u/b_u/f)+2 M PLD 15 (u/b_u_u/f+4) m - ? (WS)4 m - ? -------------------------- [BK: back-turned position] -------------------------- Blocking: cannot block mid or low attacks, can duck high attacks 1 h BK 12 d+1 l BK 8 2 m - 20 4 m - 15 d+4 L - 10 = D - SNS - = 4 h - 35 3+4,3+4,3+4 MMM BK,BK,BK 15,15,15 (u/b_u/f)+2 M PLD 15 ------------------- [SNS: snake stance] ------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1+3 - DRG - 1,1,1,1,1,1 hhhhhh -,-,-,-,-,- 13,10,8,6,5,5 = F (on any hit) - SNS - 2,2 mm -,- 15,10 = F (on any hit) - DRG - = 2 l - 15 = F - PNS - 3 m FCD 21 4 l SNS 11 SSR - PNS - SSL - DRG - -------------------- [DRG: dragon stance] -------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1 - - - 1+2,[F] m [TGS] 25 2,[F] m [TGS] 20 3,3 hL -,BK 28,? 4,1,2,3 hmmh -,-,-,- 15,12,5,17 = 4 m - 20 = d+4 L - 10 SSL - TGS - SSR - SNS - --------------------- [PNS: panther stance] --------------------- Blocking: cannot block mid attacks auto-blocking on low attacks high attacks are ducked 1~2 lh -,- 16,20 2 m - 25 = 1,2,1 mmm -,-,*BK ?,25,30 (if uppercut blocked) 3,[B] L [SQB] 18 4,2,1,2 hmmm -,-,-,- 26,12,12,8 = 3 l - 15 = 4 m - 15 = SS - CRS - SSR - CRS - SSL - SNS - -------------------- [TGS: tiger stance] -------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1_2 m - 25_26 3 h - 32 = 1,SS m- -,SNS 10,- = 1,2,SS mm- -,-,DRG 10,8,- = 1,2,1,SS mmm- -,-,-,PNS 10,8,8,- = 1,2,1,2 mmmm -,-,-,- 10,8,8,8 = SS - TGS - = 3 l - 15 = 4 m - 15 = SS - CRS - 4 L - 20 SSL - SNS - SSR - DRG - ------------------- [CRS: crane stance] ------------------- Blocking: cannot block low attacks auto-blocking on mid or high attacks 1 m *BK 27 2 h BK 30 3,4,2,3 mlmM -,-,-,- 21,10,10,15 4 L - 20 SSR - SNS - SSL - PNS - --------------------- [DRS: drunken stance] --------------------- Blocking: cannot block any attacks can sometimes get automatic combo break & surprise exchange against mid/high punches (intermittent) 1 m - 25 3+4 L FCD 15 ------------------------------------- [SQB: sleeping queen of birds stance] ------------------------------------- Blocking: cannot block any attacks 3,3,3,3 mmmm SQB,SQB,SQB,- 15,15,15,15 =4 (on any hit) {!} - 90 4 {!} - 90 ------------------------- [PLD: play dead position] ------------------------- 3,4 Lh -,- 7,21 (damage of 1st hit is 15 if delayed from play dead) 3+4 m - 20 4 m - ? D#+1 - SLD - (f_b),3,4 Lh -,- 7,21 (f_b),4 m - ? u - - - --------------------- [SLD: slide position] --------------------- 3_4 L - ? 4~3 L blocked: KND 15 hits far: KND hits near: PLD 1 - PLD - (f_b),3 L - ? (f_b),4 m - ? u - - - ------------------------ [FCD: facedown position] ------------------------ 3 L - ? 3~4 L PLD 10 = 4 h - 25 4 m - ? 4~3 m - 18 1 - KND - (f_b),3,4 Lh - 7,21 (f_b),4 m - ? u - - - ------------------------- [KND: knockdown position] ------------------------- 3 L - ? 3+4 m - 20 4 m - ? d+4 L - ? D#+1 - FCD - (f_b),3 L - ? (f_b),4 m - ? u - - - -------------------- [Throws & reversals] -------------------- command type pos damage 1+3 f-throw - 30 2+4 f-throw - 30 DRG: 1 f-throw {%1%} - 33 = 1+2 link DRS ? f,f+1+2 f-throw {%1+2%} - 33 u/f+1+2 f-throw {%1+2%} KND 35 1+3_2+4 b-throw - 50 1+3_2+4 rs-throw - 5,10,25 1+3_2+4 ls-throw - 40 (d_d/b_FC)+1+3 low combo break - - (d_d/b_FC)+2+4 " - - f+3+4 mid/high punch reversal - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Strategy for all moves ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) special attacks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ [Normal forward-facing stance] ------------------------------ 1+2: The single turning punch is useful for faking one of the two-hit variations to get close to your opponent with your back turned, where you can surprise them with a rave spin, low backfist juggle, or throw attempt, all of which will work against an opponent who stands in a mid/high block. 1+2~1: The 2 turning punches both hit high (making them fairly risky), and have no real advantage over the uppercut variant, but can be useful in a juggle. 1+2~2: Turning punch and back uppercut is a very useful attack, the uppercut can start a juggle and is guaranteed(?) if the first hit MC's. Be careful with over-using this because the first hit is high and can leave you wide open to counters (especially against Jin players who use a lot of crouch dashing attacks). 3,3: A fairly under-used combo, this is always a great attack option against a lot of Xiaoyu, Eddy and Lei players who mix up mid attacks with very low stances. For example, against a Lei player who mixes up punch rushes and play-dead techniques, if you know he's going to do one of these attacks, go for 3,3 and you should get him with the 1st hit if he punch rushes, or the 2nd hit if he plays dead, for some fairly high damage either way. 3~4,[U#],[D]: The jumping crescents are fairly risky (high execution time, so it's easily countered), but have the advantage that they have a long block-stun time, so if they are blocked, you are left at an advantage with your back turned. From here, your opponent has to guess your next move, you can go for a back uppercut juggle, a throw, rave spin, or low backfist juggle. Use the falldown (pull D during the combo) to hit a downed opponent for some big damage. 4~3: The cartwheel kick has a long range, it's useful against turtling opponents who stay out of your way, and leaves a good choice of followup attacks from the facedown position. 4~4,3,3: The rolling kicks are quite irritating (for your opponent), and are a good way to finish off a nearly-dead opponent, as you always stand a good chance of landing the first one or two hits, although the damage is minimal. The last hit does very good damage, so this makes a useful juggle ender, and it's often possible to connect the whole thing on a back-rolling opponent. F+4,2,1,2,3_(4,[SS]): A fairly risky combo as the 1st hit is high and fairly slow. Only follow through to the crane stance if you are sure that your opponent is slow to respond to stance changes. Good against scrubs/intermediates, but risky against experts. f,N,1,2,1,2,3_4: The punch rush, staple diet of most Lei players. New Lei players need to get into this combo first, it's main advantages are its good damage potential if you counter with it, a guessing game at the end (low kick or midkick), and stance changing possible at any point during the combo. f,N,2,1,2,1: The guard melting punches are good for surprising an opponent, but only work if they are blocking high. The punches are easily reversed, so don't use them against players who know how to take advantage of them. Like the jumping crescents, this combo (if the whole thing is blocked) will leave you at an advantage with your back turned, so follow up with your favourite back-turn technique. Note that the 3rd punch floats if it connects (which only happens if your opponent tries to counter or dash out of range after the 2nd punch is blocked). f,N 3,4_(d+4): The high crescent is a fairly risky attack (fairly slow and hits high), but does good damage if it counters. If it's blocked, you can follow up with either a mid or low kick, your opponent has to guess which. The main advantage of this combo is that it's very rarely used, so you can often perform this from way outside hit range and surprise your opponent with the low kick as they run in to counter you. f,N,4,1,2,3,4_(d+4): Lei's rush combo is a very useful attack. If you MC with the first hit (you can tell if this happens because you get a 'spark' effect), it is safe to follow through to the 4th hit - all 4 hits are guaranteed and the damage is massive (around 50%). If you don't MC with the first hit, then it's usually safest to stop after either the first or second punch (anyone who knows what they're doing will duck the high crescent and then you are DEAD!). You can often surprise your opponent with f,N,4,1 then going straight into a u/f+4 liftkick float as your opponent 'wakes up' and tries to retaliate. f,f,f+3: A bog-standard running jumpkick, has fairly high priority, leaves you at a slight advantage when blocked, and is useful for putting pressure onto a turtling opponent. b+1+2: The headbutt is a fairly risky attack, but can be very useful in some situations and can do very high damage. Its main use is as a counter attack, it effectively ducks unerneath high strikes, so use it against anything that could normally be ducked (such as Jin's white heron combos, Eddy and Yoshimitsu's spinning high kicks, etc.) d/b+4,4: The rave spin is a classic Lei technique, but it is always risky to follow through with the 2nd hit in case the 1st is blocked and the 2nd is ducked. The 1st hit on its own gives a special 'float' and your opponent can't QR (quick recover) on the landing, so it is often better to perform just the 1st hit, and if it connects, follow up with a ground juggle (such as 4~4,3,3). d/b+4,D: Performing the 1st hit of a rave spin allows a change to the snake stance by holding D, and if the sweep connects, you can juggle with SNS techniques before the opponent lands. For more on this, see the juggles section. (u/b_u/f)+2: The elbow drop is a fairly high-risk but reasonably powerful ground attack, and also works against a standing opponent. Note that it leaves you in the PLD position, so it's often good to deliberately miss an elbow drop from way outside hit range, and follow up with a technique from PLD as your opponent runs in to retaliate. (u_u/f_u/b)+4: Lei's liftkick, when performed as u/f+4, is one of his most useful techniques, and is his easiest juggle starter (all others, apart from a basic d/f+2 right uppercut, require a different position or stance to initiate). It has a very fast execution time, and is great for situations where your opponent gets close to you and tries to rush you with endless combos - as soon as you see an opening in his offense (as he recovers from one combo before the next can start), u/f+4 will take him out and set up a nice high-damage float combo. (WS)4: The rising front kick works as a reasonably damaging low-risk counter attack after you block a low attack from your opponent, and also acts as a simple d/b+4 followup (as the sweep recovers in a crouch, you can get a WS attack as soon as you recover). -------------------------- [BK: back-turned position] -------------------------- BK:1: The high backfist isn't a particularly useful attack. It is okay if you counter with it, as you can follow up with another back-turn attack and your opponent will probably be too surprised to block low, so a rave spin, throw attempt, or low backfist juggle often makes a good followup. The other primary use for this attack is simply to use it as a way of moving closer to your opponent while your back is turned, often tempting them to go for an attack that you can counter with your next back-turn technique, as it's easy for them to underestimate the fast recovery time of your high backfist. BK:d+1: The low backfist is one of Lei's most devastatingly effective moves, although it does very little damage on its own, it is very quick, hits low, gives numerous guaranteed followup attacks if it hits, and doesn't leave you at much of a disadvantage if it's blocked. See the juggle section for more info on following up this attack. BK:2: The back uppercut is a very useful juggle starter, although its main disadvantage is that it has a noticably long execution time and is more easily countered than many of the other BK techniques. It also has a very short range, so it's usually best to use this in situations where you have your back turned after certain blocked attacks, such as the guard melting punches, or jumping crescents. See the juggle section for more info. BK:4: The back midkick, although fairly weak, is the fastest mid-height attack from the BK position and has fairly good range. It is a useful followup to a blocked low backfist, as many opponents stay blocking low, expecting another low backfist. If you try to mix up low attacks with the back uppercut or backflips, your opponent will often counter in time, but the back midkick is usually quick enough to get you out of danger. BK:3+4,3+4,3+4: Lei's triple backflips can make useful okizeme, but are very risky against a standing opponent - use at your own risk! Note that in Tekken 3 they leave you in the BK position, so they can be mixed up with high and low backfists for some confusing chain combos that keep you in the BK position. BK:(u/b_u/f)+2: The elbow drop from BK is identical to the forward-facing equivalent. It can make a damaging (non-guaranteed) end to a low backfist juggle, or, like the forward-facing version, can just be used as a sneaky way to get into the PLD position and follow up with a rave spin or double kick float. * Remember that 1+3 and 2+4 throws can be attempted from the BK position! ------------------- [SNS: snake stance] ------------------- SNS:1+3: The dragon stance change and throw attempt is not exactly a useful move, it is usually better to perform this the 'long' way, ie, sidestep to the dragon stance and tap 1 for the throw. This way, you don't have to commit yourself to the throw until the last minute, you can react to your opponent and perform a different dragon stance technique if necessary. SNS:1,1,1,1,1,1,[F]: The 6 hopping punches all hit high, so they are easily ducked and countered. They have the advantage of being extremely quick to start, and do reasonable damage if you MC with the first hit, so they can be useful against an over-aggressive opponent. Holding F to return to the snake stance is virtually suicidal if the punches are blocked, so use that carefully. SNS:2,2,2,[F]: The 3 stabbing punches are a much more useful attack. If you MC with the first hit, your opponent can say goodbye to about 50% energy. The disadvantage is that there is a very long recovery time for the last hit, so even if it hits, you have to be ready to block your opponent's counter attack. A stance change to the dragon stance after the 1st or 2nd hit is usually quite safe, but don't do the panther stance change on the 3rd hit unless you are sure that your opponent is slow to retaliate. SNS:3: The falldown kick is a great move for those situations where you're trying to confuse your opponent with a series of unpredictable attacks. It's nice to initiate this after sidestepping out of a punch rush on the first hit, ie, f,N,1,SS,3 - to leave your opponent in a permanent state of 'what the hell ...?'. If you don't hit with it, remember it leaves you in the FCD position, so there is a good range of followup attacks (cartwheel, rave spin, etc.). SNS:4: The low jab kick is rarely blocked, so it is a nice technique to fall back on when you need a quick hit to finish your opponent (again, a punch rush is a good way to get this: f,N,1,SS,4). Note that it returns you to the snake stance, so you can often use this hit to annoy your opponent into retaliation, then get a MC with the SNS:2,2,2 stabbing punches. This move also has a useful effect in juggle combos, see the juggle section for more on this. -------------------- [DRG: dragon stance] -------------------- DRG:1: The spin & throw attempt is a fairly useful technique if it isn't over-used. The spin 'execution time' is long enough for the throw to be ducked on reflex, but it can still take people by surprise if you don't use it too much. It is also nice to use this if you get to the dragon stance by carefully sidestepping your opponent's attacks, you can often get a sidethrow from it. See the throw descriptions for more info. DRG:1+2,[F]: The double arm strike is a very quick attack and does good damage. Holding F for a change to the tiger stance is useful if it's blocked, because TGS:4 will take most people by surprise. If the double arm strike hits, the opponent is knocked quite far, and the tiger stance change will virtually kill any okizeme options you may have had, so only change stance if you think it's likely to be blocked. DRG:2,[F]: The uppercut is fairly powerful and floats on MC, so it's a reasonably useful juggle starter. As with the double arm strike, a tiger stance change is also useful if it's likely to be blocked. DRG:3,3: This is identical to 3,3 from a normal forward-facing stance and really has the same use. DRG:4,1,2,3,4_(d+4): This is the same as the rush combo from a normal forward-facing stance, and is a nice counter-attack option to keep in mind if your opponent makes the mistake of thinking that you're vulnerable in this stance - as in a normal stance, the MC damage is around 50%. --------------------- [PNS: panther stance] --------------------- PNS:1~2: The double lowpunch combo is one of Lei's most useful attacks. It makes great okizeme on a rising opponent, and the MC damage can be nearly 50%. The ability to mix this up with the PNS:2 uppercut makes the panther stance one of the most useful. PNS:2,[1,2,1]: The uppercut is one of Lei's most useful floating tools. If you get into the panther stance by sidestepping your opponent's attack, the uppercut is often 'free', and this is always the best attack option from here. If you initiate it as 2,1, the guard melting punches combo will start if the uppercut is blocked, so tap 2,1 to continue it. This is risky against opponents who use a lot of reversals, so against someone like this it is better to do 2,f+2+4 to buffer in a reversal break after the uppercut instead. PNS:3,[B]: The sweep is a fairly weak attack, but often takes people by surprise. Hold B to get to the SQB stance where you can usually surprise your opponent with SQB:3 and maybe risk the unblockable phoenix kick as okizeme. The other use for the sweep is in situations where you are about to attmempt okizeme from the panther stance (going for 1~2 as they rise) and you realise that your opponent is staying down so that your 1~2 will whiff completely - in this situation, use the sweep to make sure you at least get 1 hit, and are returned to a normal stance. PNS:4,2,1,2,3_(4,[SS]): This is basically the same as the regular forward-facing stance combo starting with F+4, with the same crane stance change possible on the last hit. Although risky, it is useful against opponents who don't have a deep understanding of Lei's moves, and you can use it to chain together some big 'combos', such as: f,N,1,SS(SNS),4(SNS),2,2,2,F(PNS),4,2,1,2,4,SS(CRS),4,3,2,3 ... which can completely overwhelm your opponent if they don't know the interruptable parts (ie, the stance changes). ------------------- [TGS: tiger stance] ------------------- TGS:1_2: The overhead swipes are very powerful attacks. The MC damage is huge. The basic damage is not very high on a crouching opponent, but it can cause a 'stagger', dropping them to one knee. If it's blocked, it leaves you at a slight advantage, and a u/f+4 liftkick floater very often connects after a blocked TGS:1_2 if your opponent attempts to retaliate. TGS:3: The high crescent is initially identical to f,N,3 from a normal forward-facing stance, has the same risky-but-powerful attributes. The difference between the f,N,3 version is that this one doesn't extend into a mid/lowkick guessing game, but can have a punch rush tagged straight onto it with no f,N required, ie: TGS:3,1,2,1,2,3_4 is a high crescent and punch rush. The usual sidestep stance changing is possible during the punch rush. TGS:4: The fast low sweep is another very useful technique. It's rarely blocked (because of its speed) and has a similar effect to the first hit of a rave spin, floating the opponent slightly in such a way that they can't QR on the landing, meaning a 4~4,3,3 bounce juggle is guaranteed after connecting TGS:4. See the juggles section for more info on this. ------------------- [CRS: crane stance] ------------------- CRS:1: The guard melting punch is a brilliant attack option, it does massive damage as a MC, and gives you a back-turned advantage (and a confused opponent) if it's blocked. CRS:2: This is another great attack option from the crane stance, and is useful as okizeme if you sidestep to the crane stance after a punch rush juggle. Connecting this leaves you and your opponent back-to-back, with you at the advantage, and a guaranteed low backfist followup. A rave spin is also guaranteed from that situation, but the opponent is treated as 'already floating' and the high crescent doesn't connect. You can also attempt a back throw from this situation, but this is quite risky and your opponent is often knocked out of throwing range. CRS:3,4,2,3: The crane dance is useful if it's not over-used. The 2nd hit is low and is rarely blocked, which guarantees the 3rd hit. The last hit floats if it connects, although it is quite risky. This combo can be delayed at any point, so you can really confuse your opponent by bringing it out slowly to trick them into attempting to counter you, increasing the chance of landing the floating kick at the end. It makes great okizeme, with even the last hit connecting if your opponent stays down without moving. CRS:4: This move has a pretty long execution time so it is slightly risky, but often takes people by surprise and looks great when it hits. It is also a nice okizeme tactic, and can hit a floored opponent if you initiate it from the correct distance. --------------------- [DRS: drunken stance] --------------------- DRS:1: The drunk punch is very powerful and a lot of people just seem to walk straight into it. Watch Lei closely as he sways and staggers in the drunken stance, there is one point where he moves significantly closer to his opponent, so if they are just outside the range of the drunk punch when you first go into DRS, wait a little while and you may be able to surprise them when you get close enough. DRS:3+4: The falling low kicks can be seen coming a mile away, the buildup is so long. It can be useful to use this as okizeme (a quick f+3+4,3+4 on a rising opponent). It can also be used like the elbow drop as a sneaky way to get into a liedown position, in this case FCD, which has a good range of followup attacks. * Remember you can get an automatic mid/high punch reversal from here by just standing in the drunken stance - and that the f+3+4 motion from a normal stance can be used to break out of your opponent's combos too. The drunken surprise exchange does no damage, but leaves you at your opponent's side where you should be able to surprise them with a few hits or even a sidethrow, although nothing appears to be guaranteed in these situations. ------------------------------------- [SQB: sleeping queen of birds stance] ------------------------------------- SQB:3,3,3,3: As in Tekken 2, the hopping kicks are reasonably effective, knock the opponent down if they hit, and can have the unblockable chained on at any point. SQB:4: Like all unblockables, Lei's phoenix kick is extremely risky against people who know what they're doing. It can sometimes surprise a floored/rising opponent, and is a good scrub-destroyer, for situations like Eddy starting a sweep combo from about half a mile away. ------------------------- [PLD: play dead position] ------------------------- PLD:3,4: As with most versions of the rave spin, it's safest to perform only the first hit in case it is blocked - connecting the first hit does allow guaranteed juggles that will allow you to do about as much damage as the full rave spin anyway. PLD:3+4: Lei's most common juggle starter, this is one of his main techniques, and should be frequently mixed up with PLD:3 in order for you to stand a chance of connecting it. PLD:4: The rising midkick comes out quicker than the double kick (which can often be blocked on reflex), and is useful for situations where you just need to finish off a nearly-dead opponent - just do d+3+4,4 and if you've been mixing up enough low attacks, you have a 90% guaranteed hit against most players. PLD:D#+1: To roll over into the SLD position, hold D on the joystick, tap 1, and keep D held down until Lei stops rolling and is left in the SLD position. --------------------- [SLD: slide position] --------------------- SLD:4~3: The slide can take a lot of people by surprise (and has a resonably long range) as long as you don't always do it by just going d+1+2,4~3, because most people will recognize the way you drop straight into the slide position and will know what's coming next. If you get here from rolling over from PLD, or are left in this position after getting thrown or knocked down, then you stand a much higher chance of surprising your opponent with the slide. * Note that there is no basic rising midkick from this position - pressing 4 gives a low kick, so all instant attacks from the SLD position hit low. The only way to get a mid attack is to either put a rising midkick onto the end of a forward or back roll, or roll over to PLD and do a different attack from there. ------------------------ [FCD: facedown position] ------------------------ FCD:3~4,[4]: This is the only rave spin starter that doesn't give a decent guaranteed followup attack if you don't follow through with the full rave spin. It's often best to perform just the 3~4 and watch closely to see if it is worth following through with the 2nd hit - don't commit yourself until the last minute. Note that 3~4 leaves you in PLD position, so it allows you to link techniques between different liedown positions. FCD:4~3: The FCD cartwheel kick can be performed as many times as you like, as it always returns you to FCD. This can take a lot of people by surprise as it hits mid and has a fairly good range to it. Also, like the BK:1 high backfist, you can use it as a way to move closer to your opponent whilst staying in your current position. ------------------------- [KND: knockdown position] ------------------------- KND:3+4: You are likely to get the 'spring up' move if you go for the floating double kick from PLD but your opponent gets to the other side of your head, effectively putting you into KND instead. This move is not as useless as it was in TK2 as is now treated as a mid attack and does damage. KND:D#+1: As with rolling from PLD to SLD, you can roll from KND to FCD by holding D, tapping 1, and keeping D held until you stop rolling and are left in the FCD position. This is a _very_ useful technique to learn, as you are usually left in KND when your opponent knocks you down, and a good way to get up can be to roll to FCD (your opponent will probably think you are just siderolling to get up) and throw a cartwheel or rave spin at them. * Note that KND is the only liedown position that allows you to perform the basic 'lightning kick' rising attack (d+4). ---------------------- [Throws and reversals] ---------------------- 1+3: Lei's flying sky kick is always a better choice than the 2+4 neck wringer throw because it leaves you standing far away, with the chance for some okizeme. Run towards your opponent for a stamp or barge if they stay down or roll back. If they sideroll, go for a running slide or tap 1+2 while running for a body dive, most people don't expect this. 2+4: Not as effective as 1+3, the neck wringer's main advantage (apart from that lovely neck-snapping sound effect) is the fact that it is the only one that needs {%2%} as a throw escape, so obviously it is good to mix up your throws against someone who consistently escapes them. DRG:1,[1+2]: The neck shaker is a great looking throw if you can get it out, and also has the advantage of being able to be linked to the life gain drink. Note that the life gain reduces the damage caused by the throw, so only use it if your energy is low. If you use the throw without the life gain, it appears to knock your opponent quite far away, but they are actually in range for a u/f+2 elbow drop, that appears to be guaranteed (I've never seen it escaped) for some pretty good damage. If you do the life gain, you are left in the drunken stance, it's usually best to hit 1 just to get yourself out of it as soon as possible because you are too far away to use the DRS anyway. f,f+1+2: The trip is my personal favourite, hardly anyone ever breaks out of it, and you can extend its range by holding the F position for a short while on both 'f' taps, which can help when punishing a blocked attack that pushes you back slightly outside of throwing range. u/f+1+2: The trip & elbow is also quite useful (as with the trip, it requires {%1+2%} to break out) and leaves both players lying side-by-side, with a guaranteed rising sweep for Lei. (d_d/b_FC)+(1+3_2+4): The low combo break leaves you at a slight advantage when successfully pulled off, and is useful for breaking out of 10-strings. It is also useful in any situation where you expect a low attack, such as breaking Eddy's sweep combos, or even as a nasty (but risky) okizeme trick against rising low kicks/sweeps. f+3+4: The drunken stance move can also be used as a mid/high punch reversal (does no damage but breaks their combo and leaves Lei at their side, with a slight advantage). Again, this is useful for breaking out of 10-strings, or for predictable combos where you know a mid/high punch is coming. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (ii) stance switching ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Lei's ability to change stance in the middle of a combo is one of his most powerful techniques, if it is used intelligently. If it's abused, it can leave Lei in real trouble. If you change stance after a combo hit that is blocked, your opponent can _always_ hit you before you can do _anything_ in your new stance. You have to rely on the fact that a lot of people panic when they see you change stance and don't really see how vulnerable you are. This is why it is important to mix up your stance-changing techniques as much as possible (although there are some fairly reliable ones that can be used quite often against a lot of people). The following stance changes are possible during combos: command stance F+4,2,1,2,4,SS CRS f,N,1,SS SNS f,N,1,2,SS DRG f,N,1,2,1,SS PNS f,N,1,2,1,2,SS TGS f,N,1,2,1,2,4,SS CRS d/b+4,D SNS BK:d+4,D SNS SNS:1,[1,1,1,1,1],F SNS SNS:2,[2],F DRG SNS:2,2,2,F PNS SNS:4 SNS DRG:1+2,F TGS DRG:2,F TGS PNS:3,B SQB PNS:4,2,1,2,4,SS CRS TGS:3,1,SS SNS TGS:3,1,2,SS DRG TGS:3,1,2,1,SS PNS TGS:3,1,2,1,2,SS TGS TGS:3,1,2,1,2,4,SS CRS Note that some commands do not end with SS - these are the only stance changes where you don't sidestep into your new stance. All other stance changes (to the SNS/DRG/PNS/TGS/CRS stance 'ring') involve a sidestep, including the basic (f+2+3)_(SS+1+4)_(SS+2+3) to get into the snake stance, and subsequent sidestepping to move between stances. It is useful to know this, because stance changing can be particularly effective if you use it to sidestep your opponent's attacks, and this often means that you have a guaranteed counter attack from your new stance. Once you get into an animal stance, you can perform basic sidesteps to get to another one. There are effectively two 'branches' to the stance 'ring': the snake->dragon->tiger branch and the snake->panther->crane branch. The commands for advancing forwards or backwards along each branch are effectively swapped around when you change the direction you are facing (1P/2P side). I personally find the most useful sidestep changes to learn are snake->panther and panther->crane, partly because there is a useful and powerful range of attack options from the panther and crane stances, and also because there seems to be a bit of a 'recovery' time on stepping to/from the dragon stance, which makes the dragon/tiger branch more awkward to work with when it comes to sidestep stance changing for countering purposes. The sidestep directions for each branch are: snake--->dragon--->tiger--->snake SSL to advance: 1P side=u,N 2P side=d,N snake--->panther--->crane--->snake SSR to advance: 1P side=d,N 2P side=u,N When you sidestep out of a combo (e.g. punch rush), you can sidestep in either direction, but sometimes it makes sense to choose the direction carefully if you want to go straight into another stance change, because 2 sidesteps in the same direction are more useful than 2 sidesteps in opposite directions, ie, they are more likely to get you further around to your opponent's side, or even their back. Here are a few examples of how this can be used: f,N,1,SSR,SSR, attack from PNS f,N,1,SSR,SSR,SSR, attack from CRS f,N,1,2,1,SSR,SSR, attack from CRS Note that stepping out of the punch rush is done in the same direction as the subsequent stance changes, this is _the_ most important thing to remember when doing something like this, and if you do it right, you should get around to your opponent's side or back for a 'free' attack. Here are a few chain-combos done with stance switching, none of this is guaranteed as there are plenty of 'interruptable' points, but a lot of these can still be useful: f,N,1,SS,SNS:2,2,2 f,N,1,SS,SNS:4,SNS:2,2,F,DRG:1+2,F,TGS:4 f,N,1,SS,SNS:2,2,2,F,PNS:2(float) f,N,1,SS,SNS:2,2,2,F,PNS:1~2 f,N,1,2,SS,DRG:1 f,N,1,2,SS,DRG:4,1,N,u/f+4(float) f,N,1,2,1,SS,PNS:2(float) f,N,1,2,1,SS,PNS:1~2 f,N,1,2,1,SS,PNS:4,2,1,2,4,SS,CRS:4 f,N,1,2,1,SS,PNS:3,B,SQB:3,3,4 f,N,1,2,1,2,SS,TGS:4 f,N,1,2,1,2,SS,TGS:2,N,u/f+4(float) f,N,1,2,1,2,4,SS,4 f,N,1,2,1,2,4,SS,3,4,2,3 f,N,1,SSL,SNS:SSL,DRG:1(side/back throw) f,N,1,2,SSL,DRG:SSL,TGS:2 f,N,1,SSR,SNS:SSR,PNS:2(float) f,N,1,SSR,SNS:SSR,PNS:1~2 f,N,1,SSR,SNS:SSR,PNS:SSR,CRS:2(stun),BK:d+1(float) f,N,1,2,1,SSR,PNS:SSR,CRS:4 etc... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (iii) using the 4 liedown positions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It's good to practice the moves from all 4 liedown positions and try to recognize which position you're in at any time, as you often get left lying in strange positions after getting thrown, reversed, or knocked down. You can get straight into PLD with d+3+4 and SLD with d+1+2. The easiest way to get into KND is to tap 4~4 to start the rolling kicks, and the easiest way to get into FCD is to perform a 4~3 cartwheel kick. Note that if your opponent jumps over you while you are lying down, this effectively changes your current liedown position. For example, if you do d+1+2 to get into SLD and your opponent runs at you with a jumping kick of some kind, if they land on the other side of you, you are actually now in FCD, so you can cartwheel or rave spin straight away. You can move between a face-up or face-down position by using the 1 button. to go from face-down to face-up (FCD->KND or SLD->PLD), simply tap 1. To go from face-up to face-down (KND->FCD or PLD->SLD) hold the joystick in the D position, tap 1, and don't release the joystick until Lei stops rolling in his new face-down position. Note that D+1 will autoselect 1 when lying face down, so you can stay rolling about by holding D and constantly hitting 1, for a very nasty/cheap way to stay out of your opponent's way :) Getting knocked down generally leaves you in the KND position (although there are many exceptions). A good way to get up is to hold D and tap 1 to roll over into FCD (it looks like you're just siderolling to get up) and go straight into a cartwheel or rave spin. Rolling from KND to FCD is a handy way to increase your range of rising attacks. Also, rolling between positions can be used simply to confuse your opponent, for example, instead of doing d+3+4,3+4 to get a float, try d+1+2,1,3+4 instead - seeing your drop into SLD and then flip over is likely to make your opponent panic and block low. If you roll towards your opponent from a liedown position, note that it must be initiated from PLD or FCD to allow you to put a rave spin on the end of the roll. It's always better to do a single sweep (3) on the end of the roll than a full 3~4 rave spin, as it doesn't leave you so vulnerable when blocked, and you can still do just as much damage as a rave spin by doing (WS)4, 4~4,3,3 if you do connect the sweep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (iv) using the back-turn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- There are usually 2 ways to get into a back-turned position: either by doing b+3+4 from a normal stance, or by performing any combo that recovers into a back-turned position (see the pos/stance column in the movelist to see which ones recover into BK). It's good to make use of b+3+4 (although very few people seem to bother with it). Note that performing b+3+4 actually makes Lei take a step backwards, significantly increasing the distance between him and his opponent. This is one of the most important things to remember with Lei, it is a very powerful countering tool. It's very effective when you trick your opponent into attacking you when they are just about within hit range, and you b+3+4 to move yourself just out of his reach. Your opponent will usually then recover inside _your_ hit range, so you can go for a rave spin or low backfist juggle. A back uppercut juggle gives the best damage potential, but they have to be very close for you to connect it, so use this one carefully. Here's an example for how you can use this: against a Paul player who lives entirely off death fists (and don't they all ...), hang around just outside the hit range of his death fist, and deliberately whiff something like a u/f+4 liftkick. As soon as you land, if Paul is already moving in for the death fist, hit b+3+4 straight away, and if you timed it right (and got your distance right) you should move just out of reach, and he should recover right next to you with your back turned. As mentioned above, go for a back uppercut if he's close enough, otherwise a rave spin will do the job nicely. Also, it can be useful to pull out b+3+4 in situations where both players are very close up and are throwing out quick attacks to try and get the advantage. Instead of the usual high or low punching, try something like: d+1,b+3+4,BK:4,d+1,u/f+4. The first d+1 is just a quick low punch to annoy your opponent into a quick retaliation. Pulling out a back-turn straight after means their attack is likely to miss completely, letting your back midkick counter them for a small but useful amount of damage. The 2nd lowpunch is an attempt to annoy them into trying to unleash something more powerful this time, and hopefully they'll walk right into your u/f+4 liftkick, so you get a juggle out of it too. Obviously none of this is guaranteed, it's just useful to have b+3+4 to move yourself out of reach and frustrate your opponent into taking an unneccessary risk. Note that you can perform your basic 1+3 or 2+4 throws while your back is turned. If you get a 'missed throw' animation, you return to a back-turned position (only Lei and Xiaoyu will return to BK, all other characters face forward after a BK:throw misses). There are ways in which Lei can get himself very close to his opponent, with his back turned, and with a slight time advantage. He gets into this situation after his 3~4,[U#] triple jumping crescents or f,N,2,1,2,1 guard melting punches (or panther stance variant) is blocked. In these situations, a low backfist juggle, rave spin, or throw attempt will all work if your opponent doesn't duck. Try these a few times until your opponent starts to duck, then mix up with a back uppercut juggle instead. Note that against the CPU, a back uppercut juggle always seems to work 100% in this situation. Another useful technique to know is CRS:2, which leaves both players back-to-back with Lei at the advantage (if it hits), giving the possibility of getting a back throw while _your_ back is turned - see the strategy section on the crane stance for more info on that. Also, here's another thing to bear in mind: if you get hit by a combo from behind, you automatically 'slide' out of range after every 2 or 3 hits, but stay with your back turned. When this happens, watch closely for the 'slide' to start and you can usually get a low backfist juggle or rave spin for free, and sometimes a back uppercut juggle, but it's a little risky. If you're feeling nasty, you can deliberately turn your back and let your opponent start to hit you (if they are predictable enough and you know a combo of about 4+ hits is coming) and get a guaranteed counter attack. This is one I sometimes use against other Lei players: deliberately whiff a 3,3 high crescent/lowkick combo from outside hit range. You are left with your back turned, and your opponent (if he's predictable enough) is likely to come at you with a punch rush. He'll connect the first 2 punches (for barely any damage), you automatically 'slide' out of range, smack 2 for a MC back uppercut and then you get to juggle a load more off his lifebar - so you end up having done way more damage. This is completely EVIL (although almost suicidal), which is why it's so cool :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Juggles: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Juggle starters can be divided into different types, as different juggles are possible from different floating hits. Type 1: high floats ------------------- * PLD:3+4 (double kick) * Last hit of 9-string: 1,2,1,3+4,3+4,3+4,1,1,2 (high floating back uppercut) Type 2: low floats, fast recovery --------------------------------- * u/f+4 (liftkick) * PNS:2 (panther uppercut) * d/f+2 (basic right uppercut, only floats if opponent is not crouching, but shouldn't require a major counter) Type 3: low floats, long recovery --------------------------------- * BK:2 * 3rd hit of f,N,2,1,2,1 or PNS:2,1,2,1 if first and second hits are blocked (3rd guard melting punch) * last hit of CRS:3,4,2,3 (crane dance) * 2nd hit of 1+2~2 (turning punch & uppercut: also 2nd hit guaranteed if 1st hit MC's(?)) * DRG:2 (dragonstance uppercut: must MC to float) Type 4: low backfist starter ---------------------------- * BK:d+1 (low backfist) * CRS:2,BK:d+1 (if crane stance backfist connects, BK:d+1 low backfist is usually guaranteed) Type 5: 1/2 rave spin/sweep starter ----------------------------------- * d/b+4 * BK:d+4 * PLD:3 * PLD:(f_b),3 * FCD:(f_b),3 * TGS:4 (tiger stance low sweep) * 9th hit of 10-string: 1,2,1,3+4,2,1,4,1,4,4 Type 6: 1/2 rave spin & snake stance change ------------------------------------------- * d/b+4,D * BK:d+4,D Type 7: bounce-off-the-floor starter ------------------------------------ * TGS:1_2 (overhead swipe: must MC to get bounce/float) This is the juggle table, giving a list of all juggles that are possible, and the 1234567 columns denote which juggle starters will allow that juggle. The symbols in the 1234567 columns have the following meanings: - = not possible * = possible @ = sometimes possible (may require close/far range) ? = unconfirmed In the juggle column, a space is used to separate canned combos e.g.: 1+2~1, BK:d+1, BK:d+4 or: 1, f,N,1,2,1,2,4 ... have spaces to show where a slight pause may be necessary. (possible juggle starters) Juggle 1234567 ------------------------------------------------ f,N,1,2,1,2,4 **----- f,N,1,2,1,2,SS, TGS:4 **----- f,N,4,1,2,3 **----- 1+2~1, BK:d+1, BK:d+4 **?---? 1, f,N,1,2,1,2,4 ***---? 1, f,N,1,2,1,2,SS, TGS:4 ***---? 4, f,N,1,2,1,2,4 @@?---? 4, f,N,1,2,1,2,SS, TGS:4 @@?---? 1, f,N,4,1,2,3 ***---? 1, 1+2~1, BK:d+1, BK:d+4 @@@---? 1, 1+2~1, BK:d+4 ***---? 1+2~2 **?---? 1, 1+2~2 ***---? 4~4,3,3 ***-*-* (WS)4, 4~4,3,3 ***-*-? BK:d+1, BK:d+1, BK:d+1, BK:d+1, BK:d+4 ---*--- BK:1, BK:d+1, BK:d+1, BK:d+1, BK:d+4 ---@--- BK:2 ---*--- BK:4 ---*--- BK:3+4,3+4 ---?--- SNS:2,2 -----*- SNS:4, SNS:2,2 -----*- SNS:1,1,1,1,1,1 -----@- SNS:4, SNS:1,1,1,1,1,1 -----@- *TIP: if you go for a punch rush in a juggle, and it misses, don't stop! Follow through right up to the midkick, as this keeps you moving forwards, and can get you out of the range of your opponent's rising attacks, leaving you with your back turned. You can often use this to your advantage to get your opponent's rising attack to miss, leaving you with the chance to retaliate with a back-turned rave spin or other BK technique. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) Ground cheese / okizeme: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn the rising habits of your opponent, and adapt your okizeme strategy according to what you expect your opponent to do. Here are some general techniques: If your opponent stays still without moving: -------------------------------------------- 3~4,D - jumping crescent and falldown does some nasty damage (you have to pull D to make it connect on a floored opponent) although it does get a bit boring/annoying if you keep using it. u/f+2 - the elbow drop is slow to start, giving your opponent time to recover or sideroll, but does fairly good damage and lets you follow up with at least a sweep from PLD. Also you can use it from a back turned position after connecting something like 5 low backfists, instead of finishing with a sweep, a more damaging (although not guaranteed) finish is the back-turned elbow drop. d/b+4 - the sweep doesn't do much damage, but it's probably the quickest attack option on a downed opponent. If your opponent rolls back: ---------------------------- 4~4,3,3 - the rolling kicks are usually all guaranteed if the first hit connects on a backrolling opponent. 3~4,[U#] - the jumping crescent doesn't require a falldown to connect on a backrolling opponent. Do all 3 if your opponent doesn't get the message and tries to get up after the 1st one hits, you should catch them with the 3rd one too. u/f+2 - the elbow drop usually catches a back-roller as well. 4~3 - the cartwheel kick is great against back rollers and does pretty good damage. b+1+2 - run right up to them and headbutt if you want to have some fun, it's not guaranteed but you'd be surprised at how effective it is. If your opponent siderolls: --------------------------- 3~4,D - jumping crescent and falldown should catch a sideroller, unless you leave it too late. d/b+4 - the sweep should hit a side-rolling opponent pretty easily, although the damage isn't very good. If your opponent quick-recovers to a low block: ----------------------------------------------- Anything that hits mid is useful here, a punch rush & midkick, or a u/f+4 liftkick is usually good in this situation. If your opponent quick-recovers to a mid/high block: ---------------------------------------------------- A rave spin is the best option here, although as always, it's safer to only perform the 1st hit (in case it's blocked) and follow up with a 4~4,3,3 type juggle if it does hit. Here are some more techniques that can be useful in certain common situations: After juggling with a punch rush & midkick: ------------------------------------------- Sidestep on the last hit to change to the crane stance. Walk towards your opponent and try one of the following: CRS:4 - will miss if your opponent siderolls, otherwise you stand a good chance of connecting it. If they stay down without moving, aim for their head, or you could easily miss it. CRS:3,4,2,3 - the crane dance is very useful, if they make _any_ attempt to get up or roll, they will almost certainly take at least 1 hit, and possibly get floated on the last one (in which case, you can juggle and repeat the whole thing again). If they stay down without moving, you'll connect the last hit too. Stand close, then back out of range at the last minute, to trick them into missing a rising kick, then counter with CRS:2 (and low backfist juggle if it connects) or CRS:1 for some massive damage (and a back-turned guessing game if it's blocked). After juggling with a punch rush with no kick: ---------------------------------------------- Sidestep on the last punch to change to the tiger stance. Walk towards your opponent and go for TGS:4 if it looks like they're going to stay down without moving, or TGS:1_2 if they try anything else. If they get up in time to block the overhead swipe, follow up with u/f+4, as you will often catch them with this if they try to hit you with anything, due to the long block stun caused by the overhead swipe. After a rave spin juggle with SNS:2,2: -------------------------------------- Perform it as SNS:2,2,2,F so by the time your opponent lands, you're in the panther stance. If they stay down, hit them with PNS:3, otherwise PNS:1~2 will do decent damage. After any knock-down that leaves you close to your opponent: ------------------------------------------------------------ Standing close to them, try f+2+3 to get into SNS, then sidestep to PNS when you think they will go for a rising kick - if you time it correctly, you'll sidestep their rising attack and get a free uppercut or double lowpunch combo from the side. If they tend to use the lightning kick (or a basic rising lowkick/sweep) when getting up, stand right by their feet and use your low combo break when they try it. This is very risky (in fact, it's blatantly showing off) but it will really annoy your opponent if you can do it >:) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) Lei Vs other characters: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Vs Xiaoyu: ---------- Xiaoyu can give Lei real hassle, you have to be damn careful against her. Don't lie down too much if she uses a lot of jumping backflips. If she goes into the phoenix stance, knock her out of it with a rave spin if she's close, or 3~4,U jumping crescents if she's further away. If she goes for the 3-hit combo that ends in her power punch, use your punch reversal on the last hit. Your 3,3 high crescent, lowkick combo is useful when you're up close, as the 2nd hit will connect if she goes into the phoenix stance. Vs Law: ------- Playing dead is usually pretty effective against Law, a lot of Law players will usually try to knock you out of it with a dragon tail or lowkick,flipkick combo that will miss if you stay still. If they do this, you can always punish them with a powerful liedown technique. Watch out for his 3 hit combo that has a low kick in the middle, this will hit you while you're down, and so will his backward flipkick. Use your low combo break against his dragon tail if you see it coming, and punch reversal against his rave war combo or his 3-hit uppercut combo. Vs Nina: -------- Nina is a real pain in the ass. If your opponent over-uses the divine cannon combo (lowkick, floating midkick) then use your low combo break to get the advantage. You can usually expect Nina to use this a lot, because your opponent will probably be expecting you to lie down a lot. Use your punch reversal against her double palm or stun chop. If she uses a lot of reversals, then hit her with rave spins, or throw from the dragon stance. Don't turn your back too much, it's very hard to back-turn & counter when she's doing divine cannon combos all the time. Vs King: -------- King is another character that can really punish you if you play dead, with his damn ali-kick combos. If he likes to use ground throws, do something like 4~3 to get into the facedown position and rave spin his ass as soon as he gets close. A lot of King players like to show off with throws, so it's often good to fight him close to lure him into trying it, then go for a u/f+4 liftkick juggle. You can use your low combo break to get out of his 10-strings on the first ali-kick, or if your reactions are fast enough, go for a punch reversal on the 3rd hit. Be careful with using u/f+4 too much or he'll use his kick reversal, and AFAIK it cannot be broken out of. Vs Hwoarang: ------------ Hwoarang generally has real trouble hitting you while you're lying down, his only quick attack being his short trip. He does have some more powerful attacks that will connect while you're down, but they are usually part of a string that starts with a move that misses completely (such as his WS crushing axe kicks or his chainsaw kicks). If he does his 1,1,3,3 (2 quick left punches, lowkick, high kick), use a combo break on the low kick, or block it and headbutt to counter the last kick (it's high, so a headbutt will always beat it). Same goes for his low kick, floating high kick combo, if you can see it coming. Vs Paul: -------- Lei's punch reversal really comes into its own against Paul, and is the perfect antidote to his death fist, tile splitter and 10-hitters. It's usually best not to over-use it or he'll start using double jumpkicks instead. If he's predictable enough with the sweep & elbow, use your low combo break on it. Also if he death fists all the time (and most Pauls do), make good use of b+3+4 to get yourself out of range, or use stance changes to sidestep it. Note that if he tries to sweep & elbow you while you're lying down, he'll miss completely and you can get a free liedown attack on him. Don't lie down too much if he makes good use of his forward somersault or floor punch. Vs Eddy: -------- Keep your distance against Eddy, if you get too close to him then you're going to be in real trouble. It's not usually good to lie down too much against him because he has so many moves that hit you while you're down. Make good use of your low combo break against Eddy, whenever you know that a low hit is coming (ie, most of the time), but it's not worth bothering with your punch reversal unless your opponent consistently uses his quick 1,2 punches or d/f+2 elbow at the start of a round just to get a quick hit. Turning your back and countering is usually pretty effective against Eddy, but use it carefully or you could stand to take some ridiculous damage. Use your headbutt against his multiple spinning high kicks. Vs Jin: ------- Jin is a very strong character, and if he's played well, he can cause Lei real problems. You can usually expect him to throw out his u/f+4,4,4,4 jumping spin kicks (which will do nasty damage if you're lying down), so use your low combo break against the first low sweep. As with Nina, it's always good to use plenty of low hits like rave spins and PNS:1~2 double lowpunch combo, if he gets into the habit of reversing your punch rushes. If you use the u/f+4 liftkick, it's often a good idea to smack f+2+4 to buffer in a reversal break just in case. Watch out for his thunder god fist (and his unblockable), the buildup is so low that it ducks underneath certain mid-hitting moves, including your punch rush, so u/f+4 is always a better countering option in these situations. If he is always trying to float you with punches/uppercuts of some kind, use your punch reversal, but be careful with this against a Jin player who uses lots of double axe kicks and jumping spin kicks. Also: use your headbutt against his white heron combos (low kick, 2 high punches, low or mid kick to end), you can usually counter the high punches with it. Vs Yoshimitsu: -------------- Watch out for his d/b+1 sword swipe, it hits you while you're playing dead, and so do quite a lot of his other unblockables. Use your low combo break against his multiple spinning lowkicks, and headbutt when he goes for his high spin kicks. If he sits down, and/or starts teleporting, you can usually connect 4~4,3,3 rolling kicks on him, and if you get the first one, you'll probably get all of them. Forget your punch reversal unless he uses a lot of spinning backhands or elbows. His pogo sword is quite effective if you lie down, but if he tries it while you're standing, go for 1+2~2 to make him give up on that. Vs Lei: ------- I HATE playing Lei vs Lei matches! As with Xiaoyu, use 3,3 when you're up close and you'll often hit your opponent if they lie down. Also, if your opponent constantly plays dead then hit him with jumping crescents, elbow drops, or sweeps. If he goes for a punch rush, you can use your punch reversal on him. If he starts a 10-string (usually the result of stuffing up a punch rush), use your low combo break on the 3rd hit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (6) Anti-Lei guide: other characters Vs Lei: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This section _was_ going to be a huge in-depth guide for how to kick Lei's ass, but I've decided to censor it at the last minute. Track down an older version of this FAQ to get the basics - or figure it out for yourself :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (7) Credits: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This FAQ is written by me, -MG- (matthew@bitscorp.com). Feel free to stick this on websites, steal the moves for your FAQs or movelists, etc., as long as you credit me for it. EGM, on the other hand, can just go and fuck right off. EGM, perhaps you'd like to read that last sentance again very slowly, and ask an adult if you have trouble with any of the long words. Any comments, corrections, additions, suggestions, email me :) Special thanks to: Ben Cureton (aka Tragic) - for letting me use/rehash a load of the layout and the whole abbreviation section, 9/10 string grid, and loads of bits & pieces from the 'Original Tekken 3 movelist' - thanks! Mario Xavier - for finding the elbow drop and trip & elbow throw, and helping to waste money on practice rounds when we were finding all the moves =) Hatim - for the original 'crane dance' combo (now sod off back to VF3, heheh) Richard 'Dick' and Julia 'Chang' Luk (heheh), Slikatel, Tadarich, & all the other webmasters for all that lovely info =) Also extra thanks to Tadarich for the SNS:4 hit in the d/b+4,D juggles, and for being just about the only person in Japan to keep the rest of the world up-to-date with the latest TK3 news from Japan in English :) Catlord, Surfbard, Justin Pierce, & all the other FAQ writers for even more of that lovely info ... Derrick - for making rec.games.video.arcade a more entertaining read ever