GUILTY GEAR X: Sol Badguy Strategy Guide V1.0 Beta ================================================== By Giles Gaffney mantis_fist_g@hotmail.com 19th February 2001 >>>>>>>>>>> LEGAL STUFF >>>>>>>>>>> This guide is MY intellectual property, please respect that, feel free to distribute it in its current UNCHANGED form. This guide is not to be used for profitable purposes, Be it magazine, book or any other publication, without my prior consent. If you want to HTML or FTP this guide, feel free to do so, in its current UNCHANGED form, including ALL Copyright information. The latest version can always be found at GameFAQS. Unpublished work Copyright 2001 Giles Gaffney. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TABLE OF CONTENTS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> HISTORY INTRODUCTION CONVENTIONS BEST MOVES GROUND PRESSURE THROWING DIZZY FLOORED OPPONENT KNOCKDOWN DEFENSE DUST ATTACK OVERDRIVE ATTACK AIR COMBOS DESTROY CONCLUSION >>>>>>> HISTORY >>>>>>> V1.0 Beta - 19th February 2001 -Initial release >>>>>>>>>>>> INTRODUCTION >>>>>>>>>>>> Sol Badguy has a good variation of ground pressure and air combos, best suited for an aggressive player. If you put forth the effort to learn Sol then I can guarantee that you will be able to combo your opponent so high into the air that both your characters disappear above and outside of the screen!!! That is the prize... This document is a very specific strategy guide, which is an example, intended to give you some tips and pointers when developing your own strategy. I don't expect you to exactly copy my way of playing, but instead, just accept what is useful and reject what isn't. To understand this guide, you need to have had some experience with Guilty Gear X and know the general system, although I will try to explain things briefly. This is a beta version so I would be very grateful if you could please email any comments, opinions, suggestions, additions, corrections or feedback of any sort. Some money donations would be nice too! Email me for details... >>>>>>>>>>> CONVENTIONS >>>>>>>>>>> Special thanks to Ben Cureton (tragic@gamecombos.com) of http://www.gamecombos.com for designing some of these easy to read notations. f - forward d/f - down+forward b - back d/b - down+back u - up u/f - up+forward d - down u/b - up+back QCF - quarter circle forward (d,d/f,f) QCB - quarter circle back (d,d/b,b) HCB - half circle back (f,d/f,d,d/b,b) P - Punch c.P - Crouching Punch K - Kick c.K - Crouching Kick S - Slash c.S - Crouching Slash HS - Heavy Slash c.HS - Crouching Heavy Slash j.P - Jumping Punch j.K - Jumping Kick j.S - Jumping Slash j.HS - Jumping Heavy Slash DP - dragon punch motion (f,d,d/f) RC - Roman Cancel JC - Jump Cancel + - press buttons together ~ - immediately followed by... => - next part of sequence /\ - opponent launched \/ - opponent landed >>>>>>>>>> BEST MOVES >>>>>>>>>> Here's a list of all the best moves used in my strategy;- Move - Gun Flame Command - QCF+P In my opinion this is Sol's best move. Although it covers minimum distance, it has great height and launches the opponent. This move is also the foundation for starting air combos. Move - Double Slash Command - f+HS This is a good pressure move causing a slight stun and has good recovery. Use it and abuse it! I especially like to execute it at the end of a combo to gain a few extra hits. More will be explained later. Move - Riot Stomp Command - QCB+K This is another good move that must be blocked high otherwise it will launch the opponent leaving very good juggle opportunities. Although If blocked, it will still leave you safe. Move - Bandit Revolver Command - QCF+K This move has good priority but can leave you open if blocked. Move - Volcanic Viper, Viper Kick Command - DP+HS, QCB+K This is good when used during combos, or as a wakeup move, but I wouldn't use it normally because if it's blocked then you will suffer! No air escaping either... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> GROUND PRESSURE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Before you can branch off into more interesting techniques, you first need to apply a bit of ground pressure to set you up. Here's the basic ground pressure string I use and repeat... Move - Double Slash => Gun Flame => Riot Stomp => Bandit Revolver => Double Slash... Command - f+HS => QCF+P => QCB+K => QCF+K => f+HS... Double Slash recovers so fast, enabling you to quickly throw out a Gun Flame. Fly across the screen with a Riot Stomp then add to the pressure with a Bandit Revolver. Repeat the string. A few observations;- 1. If Bandit Revolver connects, Double Slash will also connect. A knockdown will occur. 2. If Riot Stomp connects, Bandit Revolver should also connect and so will Double Slash! A knockdown will occur. This string is a very good pressure tactic but like all tactics, is not 100% fool proof. There are 2 ways in which the opponent can interrupt you. Firstly, after a blocked Bandit Revolver and secondly, they could interrupt your Riot Stomp with a dragon punch move. I have seen this happen but still, it is unlikely. Continue the string until 1 of 3 things happen; 1. A knockdown occurs. In this event you have the choice of continuing the string or doing some okizeme (see Floored Opponent section) 2. Opponent jumps towards you. If this happens then juggle your opponent with an Uppercut (c.HS) and go straight into an air combo... This is a safe option because the Uppercut has quite good priority at interrupting attacks. 3. Gun Flame connects. Dash in underneath airbourne opponent with Kick (K) => Uppercut (c.HS) and go straight into an air combo... If your opponent is very quick at air escaping then they could avoid the Kick but I have never seen a Human do this, only the computer! Another thing, if you are too far away, there might not be enough time to dash in, which could result in missing the juggle, or both hits being blocked. Make sure you always judge it properly, but if such an event does occur then you can always safely combo back into Gun Flame - Kick (K) => Uppercut (c.HS) => Gun Flame (QCF+P) => Continue string... >>>>>>>> THROWING >>>>>>>> Sol has 2 ways of throwing - f+HS (close) and DP+K (close). I haven't been able to find any useful set-ups so I don't usually attempt to Throw, but sometimes it can come out by accident. If this happens, then make sure you always finish with Double Slash (f+HS) in order to gain those extra hits. >>>>> DIZZY >>>>> If you apply a lot of pressure, as instructed, then you should be able to dizzy opponent atleast once a match. When this happens, your opponent will temporarily lose control over their character, leaving you free to connect with any move or combo you like! This is a golden opportunity!! If you have atleast half the tension gauge full then one option would be to perform the Dragon Installation Overdrive Attack, followed by Dragon Uppercut (See Overdrive Attack section). Otherwise you could go for an extended air combo by first dashing in with a Gatling Combo. Here is an example;- Move - Gatling Combo => Gun Flame => Uppercut => Air Combo... Command - K(2 Hits)-f+P-S => QCF+P => c.HS => /\ Air Combo... This combo will only work with opponent backed into the corner, so once dizzied, immediately push opponent to the nearest corner before you start the combo. This is done by dashing towards them. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FLOORED OPPONENT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Once your opponent has been knocked down, dash in close, and as they're rising, pull out c.K => Dust Attack (S+HS). This is the best way of setting up a Dust Attack because when your opponent rises, they will most likely be blocking low, which will allow you to connect with the Dust Attack that comes out really fast, and hits overhead. This may even be guaranteed because I don't think it's possible to recover from blocking the c.K and then go on to blocking the Dust Attack as well. But don't overuse this because with good timing, they could interrupt your c.K with a wake up move, such as a dragon punch. Anyway, after connecting with the Dust Attack, you can carry out a special type of air combo - see Dust Attack section... >>>>>>>>> KNOCKDOWN >>>>>>>>> What if YOU get knocked down? Well, there's not much you can do really, except arise blocking. Although if opponent dashes in close tapping away with punches and kicks then you should interrupt them with a wakeup move like, Volcanic Viper (DP+HS), followed by Viper Kick (QCB+K) and Double Slash (f+HS). >>>>>>> DEFENSE >>>>>>> When defending against an aggressive player for example, Jam, who may have you trapped in the corner blocking her low punches then providing you have atleast half a tension gauge, it would be wise to execute a Dead Angle Attack (f+P+S) that will counter your opponents attacks. Here's another tip. If you are on the receiving end of an air combo, then it would be a good idea to air escape (f or b + any 2 buttons). >>>>>>>>>>> DUST ATTACK >>>>>>>>>>> Later... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OVERDRIVE ATTACKS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Later... >>>>>>>>>> AIR COMBOS >>>>>>>>>> Air Combos take a lot of practise to master but are to key to winning. They inflict a serious amount of damage, sending your opponent so high into the air, that they have no choice but to watch you beat them in style! All Air Combos described in this FAQ are started by juggling with an Uppercut (c.HS). See other sections on how to set them up. Here's an example of the main Air Combo I use;- Move - Uppercut => Big Slash => Big Slash => Sword Ride => Volcanic Viper, Viper Kick => Double Slash Command - c.HS => JC /\ j.S => JC dj.S-HS => DP+HS-QCB+K \/ => f+HS After performing the Uppercut, you need to hold u/f and keep tapping S until it connects, then return the joystick to neutral and press u/f+S again. What you are doing is cancelling the uppercut into a jump, and then cancelling the jumping Slash into another one. This allows you to gain extra height and extend the combo. Next, tap HS for the Sword Ride and link it to the Volcanic Viper by swirling the joystick in a dragon punch motion. Finally, end the Air Combo with the added Viper Kick and when you have both landed, finish with a Double Slash to gain those extra hits. Ok, so that is Sol's basic Air Combo but there are ways of increasing the damage and height by using Roman Cancelling techniques. Here's an example;- Move - Uppercut => Big Slash => Big Slash => Sword Ride => Volcanic Viper => Air Revolver Command - c.HS => JC /\ j.S => JC dj.S-HS => DP+HS => RC QCF+K Here you are carrying out the same combo again but Roman Cancelling the Volcanic Viper. A Roman Cancel is done by pressing any 3 attack buttons simultaneously and will cost you half a tension gauge. This cancels the recovery of the Volcanic Viper, allowing you to immediately execute an Air Revolver, which is basically a Bandit Revolver performed in the air, with extra hits, but you need to be near a corner. Now both of your characters will disappear above and outside of the screen and all you can see or hear are the sound effects of the Air Revolver! The fun is not over yet!! After the Air Combo, if your opponent air escapes neutrally then as they're falling, you can execute a Kick (K) => Uppercut (c.HS) to relaunch them back into the air for ANOTHER combo!!! I actually did this against CPU Dizzy in the final round! How cool!! Also, if you miss the Viper Kick or Air Revolver then there's also a good chance of a relaunch, with or without an air escape, so always attempt it. >>>>>>> DESTROY >>>>>>> Later... >>>>>>>>>> CONCLUSION >>>>>>>>>> Hope you found it useful! Sorry about the bad English in places... Anything you don't understand, email me... I wish you have a very successful time in the arcades and playing against your friends!! Remember, please email me some feedback...