MARVEL VS CAPCOM 2: New Age of Heroes OMEGA RED FAQ V2.0 (last updated 6 January, 2001) Asia-Pacific Arcade version (C)2001 Anthony Nickerson, aka Ug the caveman E-mail: bzcharkl@hotmail.com ============================================================================ TABLE OF CONTENTS ============================================================================ 1. Copyright Information 2. Version History 3. Conventions 4. Introduction to Omega Red 5. Strengths and Weaknesses 6. MSHvSF to MvC2 7. Move List 8. Throws 9. Basic Moves Analysis 10. Extra Moves Analysis 11. Special Moves Analysis 12. Super Moves Analysis 13. Assists and Their Uses 14. Basic Strategy 15. Series and Combos 16. VS Abyss 17. Useless Information 18. Future Revisions...? 19. Acknowledgement and Thanks 20. In Closing... ============================================================================ 1. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ============================================================================ This document (C) Anthony Nickerson. The information contained herein cannot be reproduced in any way without prior permission from the author. Failure to adhere to the copyright restrictions is illegal. Also, do not alter the guide in any way, shape or form - it is to remain in its original, unedited state. Capcom characters (C) Capcom Co., Ltd. Strider is (C) Moto Kikaku. All Marvel characters (C) Marvel Inc. Any copyrights not specifically mentioned are acknowledged by the author. I am not affiliated in any way with the above, and this guide is unauthorised. ============================================================================ 2. VERSION HISTORY ============================================================================ 1.0 - First release. 1.1 - Fixed a few line length errors. 1.2 - Fixed a few minor typos. 2.0 - Updated much of the information, thanks to new discoveries in MvC2. ============================================================================ 3. CONVENTIONS ============================================================================ Joystick and Button Layout -------------------------- (when character is facing right) U UB | UF \|/ (LP) (HP) (A1) B -- o -- F /|\ (LK) (HK) (A2) DB | DF D F - Forward UF - Up/forward B - Backward UB - Up/backward U - Up DF - Down/forward D - Down DB - Down/back LP - Light Punch / Jab HP - Hard Punch / Fierce LK - Light Kick / Short HK - Hard Kick / Roundhouse A1 - Assist 1 A2 - Assist 2 Abbreviations/Conventions ------------------------- P - Hit either punch PP - Hit both punches K - Hit either kick KK - Hit both kicks + - Input commands on either side of the sign simultaneously. QCF - Quarter Circle Forward; D,DF,F QCB - Quarter Circle Back; D,DB,B HCF - Half Circle Forward; B,DB,D,DF,F HCB - Half Circle Back; F,DF,D,DB,B DP - Dragon Punch (Shoryuuken) motion; F,D,DF RDP - Reverse Dragon Punch motion; B,D,DB 270 - A 270 degree motion, starting anywhere; eg. U,UF,F,DF,D,DB,B OTG - Off The Ground DHC - Delayed Hyper Combo, also known as an EX Cancel Universal Moves --------------- F,F or PP - Dash forward B,B or B+PP - Dash backward D,U or KK - Super Jump (after blocking) PP - Push block / Advancing Guard (after blocking) B,DB,D+A1 - Crossover Counter (to your A1, Level 1) (after blocking) B,DB,D+A2 - Crossover Counter (to your A2, Level 1) QCF+A1 - Snapback (to opponent's A1, Level 1) QCF+A2 - Snapback (to opponent's A2, Level 1) Combo Prefixes/Conventions -------------------------- MP - Medium punch / strong. LP button in combos MK - Medium kick / forward. LK button in combos d - Dash. Dash forwards before executing the following command s - Standing. eg- s.LK means a light kick while standing j - Jumping. eg- j.LP means a light punch while jumping c - Crouching. eg- c.HP means a hard punch while crouching sj - Super Jumping. eg- sj.HK means a hard kick while super-jumping XX - Cancel into. eg- s.LK XX QCF+P means a standing light kick cancelled into a QCF+P motion. /\ - Jump (usually after a launcher, to follow your opponent) \/ - Land Combo Series ------------ The combo series of a character determines which normal attacks they can chain together in a combo. Using the guide below, any button with a higher number than the preceding one can follow it in a combo (although graphical details such as opponent's size or attack animation may prevent the attack from connecting). The layout is given as follows... LP MP HP LK MK HK Remember that MP and MK can only be used in combos after a weaker attack. a. Weak to Any 1 2 2 1 2 2 b. Stronger 1 2 3 1 2 3 c. Hunter 1 3 5 2 4 6 ============================================================================ 4. INTRODUCTION TO OMEGA RED ============================================================================ Ok, so it's not vital to playing the game, but read it anyway, for interest's sake... ;) Name: Arkady Rossovich Alias: Omega Red Nationality: Russian Height: 6'11'' Weight: 425 lbs Eyes: Red Hair: Blonde Family: None known First Appearance: X-Men #4 Arkady was employed as a Russian "super-soldier" during the Cold War, but was killed and stored in cryogenic stasis - his mutant abilities were considered too valuable to waste. He possessed superhuman strength and durability, and was able to secrete pheremones that drained the victim's life. Prolonged exposure to the pheremones would cause the victim to lose consciousness, and eventually die. The Russian government resurrected him somehow, and enhanced his abilities through the use of coils implanted in his arms. The coils are made of an alloy called carbonadium, which is similar to adamantium but much more flexible, yet less resistant to damage. He was able to project the coils, through small openings on the undersides of his wrists, to ensnare victims, and he was also able to emit his pheremones through the coils themselves. However, Omega Red himself is not entirely resistant to the pheremones. He must continually drain the life forces of others to remain active. Since Omega Red is technically a zombie, his body is degrading. To slow this process, he is "stored" in a cryogenic chamber. When frozen, he stays kneeling (as he appears in his pre-fight warm-up). He hates being awakened, and also hates anything non-Russian, which is why he's growling during his warm-up/taunts. That's his basic history. Correct me if I'm wrong (I'm not a huge comic fan), but regardless of that, this Russian uber-zombie is a very powerful character in MvC2, and can hold his own against anyone. ============================================================================ 5. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ============================================================================ Overall, Omega Red is a very powerful character, but takes a lot of time and dedication to learn. Here are the pros and cons of Omega Red... + Ability to regain health while active, without using assists + Fast for a guy his size + Coils give his punches excellent reach and priority + Unmatched versatility with five coil directions and Omega Strikes + Air dash + Good stamina (takes 90% damage) + Burrowing Coils - can strike anywhere on the ground instantly + Charges the super meter quickly, even faster using the Death Factor + Can duck Guile's Sonic Boom (heh) - No super links outside of assists or DHCs - Assists, while useful, are not the best in the game - Has no easily abuseable moves, and must be played intelligently That's all I can think of...but it should be obvious that with a little practice, Omega Red can give anyone a run for their money. ============================================================================ 6. MSHvSF to MvC2 ============================================================================ Omega Red has not changed significantly between the two versions, but there are a few things you should take note of... What he's lost: --------------- The ability to regain ALL lost life - now he can only regain red life. Coil -> Drain -> Double Slam What he's gained: ----------------- His Carbonadium Coils are no longer affected by super armor (a BIG plus) His Omega Destroyer got a hefty power increase The move cancel system gives him an easier time comboing in his Coils A stamina boost What's been changed: -------------------- Because of the new four button system, Omega Red's vertical Coil and Omega Strike have changed to QCF+PP and QCF+KK respectively. His supers have changed to QCB+PP. I see a lot of people pulling out vertical coils instead of Omega Destroyers, and this obviously doesn't do them any good... ============================================================================ 7. MOVE LIST ============================================================================ Extra Moves: ------------ Uppercut - DF+HP Air Dash - (jumping) F,F or PP Burrowing Coil - DB / D / DF+K Special Moves: -------------- Carbonadium Coil - QCF+P / PP Air Carbonadium Coil - (jumping) QCF+P / PP / K / KK Carbonadium Coil Retract - P before Carbonadium Coil hits / is blocked Air Carbonadium Coil Retract - P or K before Air Coil hits / is blocked Coil Throw - Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil or either Drain Double Coil Throw - DB / D / DF+P, Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil Energy Drain - P after Carbonadium Coil Death Factor - K after Carbonadium Coil Omega Strike - QCF+K / KK Omega Strike Cancel - D+K after Omega Strike Omega Strike Retract - B+K after Omega Strike Super Moves: ------------ Omega Destroyer - QCB+PP Carbonadium Smasher - (jumping) QCB+PP ============================================================================ 8. THROWS ============================================================================ F / B + HP - Omega Red grabs the opponent with both hands and slams them into the ground. A fairly plain throw, but you often connect a Burrowing Coil from it (your opponent will be able to block, but for some reason it connects against a lot of people). F / B + HK - Basically the same grab as the HP throw, except this time Omega Red flips them backwards over his head. Basically the same uses as the HP throw...just for some variety, I guess. Any Direction except U / D + HP (air) - Omega Red's air throw is a carbon copy of his HP throw, and is used in exactly the same manner. ============================================================================ 9. BASIC MOVES ANALYSIS ============================================================================ LP / Jab -------- Jabs serve two purposes - poking at your opponent, and set-ups (the latter is doubly important in MvC2, as you should be aware). Effective use of jabs should be the first thing you learn as Omega Red if you want to survive. Standing - Omega Red throws out a quick poke, with nice range, and excellent speed and recovery. As with most jabs, it does practically no damage, but if you're using jabs to cause damage, you're not playing the game right. You can abuse this move with very little fear of retaliation, which is a double bonus because it sets up powerful juggles and is a great interrupt. Crouching - Pretty much the same animation as his standing jab, only obviously this one is from a crouch. Generally trickier to use than the standing jab, because hitting the LP button twice while standing will launch the opponent, whereas joystick motion is necessary if you want a c.LP,s.MP combo. Still, the crouching jab retains the strengths of the standing one - fast, good range, and excellent set-ups. Jumping - With his jumping jab, Omega Red quickly spins the end of a coil around his hand, nunchaku-style. Although it doesn't look like his standing and crouching jabs, there really is no practical difference between them, strategy-wise. This still has excellent speed and recovery, and is still an integral part of combos. Outside of combos it's primary purpose is as an interrupt. MP / Strong ----------- Strong punches are the key to successful Omega Red play. Remember that in MvC2, strongs and forwards are available only in combos, with the exception of some launchers (such as Omega Red's own uppercut). Regardless of that, though, the strong punches are a vital aspect of Omega Red gameplay. Standing - This is Omega Red's launcher, and it can also be performed on its own with DF+HP. It's basically a straight-forward uppercut, and since he takes a step forward during the execution, this has good range. It's guaranteed if his jab connects, which is another plus. Personally, I think this is the single most important move in his arsenal, because it starts aerial raves while still having good execution and recovery. This should be your standard punishing move along with the Carbonadium Coils. Crouching - Omega Red shoots a coil quickly upwards at a 45 degree angle. In MSHvSF, this was quite an effective anti-air move, but not so anymore, since it's only available in combos. Still not a bad move in the big scheme of things, but it's overshadowed by the standing strong in uses. Basically, use this if, for some reason, you want a simple ground-only combo. Jumping - A simple one-handed swiping uppercut. Since it lifts your opponent up very slightly, this is another very important move in Omega Red's arsenal. This move sets up a majority of his powerful air combos, and so its virtues should be obvious. HP / Fierce ----------- Omega Red has a good selection of Fierce punches, so make the most of them. Each particular one has specific uses, but they excel at each one. Standing - Omega Red basically whips downward with his coil. This is his longest-ranged regular move, and so it can be used to play keep-away games or punish moves that are out of range of the uppercut (and will recover too quickly for a coil). If your ground combos are blocked, this is an effective move to push the opponent away slightly. This move will also OTG, although the possible follow-ups are limited. Crouching - Think of it as an extension of his jumping jab. From a crouch, Omega Red lunges forward with both hands, spinning the coil ends nunchaku-style for a canned 3-hit combo. Excellent range, and good priority. Recovery is slightly sub-par, but combined with effective use of Omega Strikes, the risk is practically nil. Use this to add a bit of power to his ground combos, and it also makes an effective keep-away move. Interestingly enough, against airborne opponents, this move will act as a launcher. If you get the chance to OTG, you can connect c.LK, c.HP then an aerial rave. Very useful, in the correct circumstances. Jumping - Known as the Coil Fury, Omega Red lashes out wildly with his coils for a canned 6-hit combo. A tiny wind-up, but it can still be used in air combos, and the range and recovery is good. The primary use is as part of a safe jump-in attack, but the priority is good enough to beat out most other jumping punches and kicks in the game (with correct spacing, of course). LK / Short ---------- As a general rule, Omega Red's short kicks are slightly slower than his jabs, but have slightly longer range. Since Omega Red's jabs have considerable range to begin with, the shorts tend to be overshadowed somewhat. Standing - A silly-looking horizontal kick. Not terribly important, IMO, since Omega Red's jab is so useful. I think the range is a *tiny* bit longer than his jab, but nothing that will alter your game much. Crouching - Omega Red sticks his foot out along the ground. Slightly slower than his crouching jab, but this will start OTG combos. Generally speaking though, outside of OTG combos the crouching jab is a lot faster. This kick DOES need to be crouch-blocked, though, which is a plus. Jumping - A simple straight kick. Smaller vertical hit range than a jumping jab, but longer horizontal range. As with the standing short, it's generally only used if you need another few pixels of range. MK / Forward ------- Again, remember that Forwards are only available in combos in MvC2. As such, they have no practical use outside of combos. Standing - A big standing heel kick. Nice range (better than his standing strong) and fairly good speed. However, it achieves nothing beyond ground combos, and it hits fairly high so it can be ducked. Only use this when your standing strong is out of range. Crouching - Just a generic low kick. The only practical use for this is when your opponent has blocked a move and you want a low hit, but most people will be crouch blocking anyway since Omega Red has no standing overheads... Jumping - A longer version of his jumping short. Nowhere near as useful as his jumping strong, but during aerial raves he can chain them both in. No real use for it beyond super jumping combos. HK / Roundhouse --------------- Omega Red's roundhouses aren't too bad, but his fierce punches are still better (with the exception of his crouching roundhouse). Regardless of whether or not you use them, here they are... Standing - Omega Red plants his coils and does a double-footed kick towards the opponent. Nice range, and good power, but slightly slower than his standing fierce. Recovery is so-so. Not essential to your game, IMHO, but it will jump sweeps (though an Omega Strike would do the same thing). Crouching - Omega Red sticks his coils into the ground, and they come out a short distance in front of him. This is one of the primary reasons to play as Omega Red. First of all, you've got three ranges of burrowing coils - close (DB+HK), mid (D+HK) and far (DF+HK), and so you've got the potential to strike anywhere on the ground almost instantly. Second, Omega Red himself is nowhere near the point of impact, and you can't trade hits with a coil. This means that unless your opponent is completely invulnerable for some reason (such as during Chun-Li's Kikoushou) this WILL beat them out. Finally, the coils can stop single projectiles. USE THIS MOVE A LOT. Use it to stop keep-away characters, use it to retaliate from the opposite side of the screen, use it to stop rushing assists, use it to do damn near anything you want. Note that there is a slight recovery on the move, but if necessary, you can cancel into an Omega Strike. Jumping - Just a big one-foot kick with a grunt. Chain it after your sj.HP in air combos, and that's about it... ============================================================================ 10. EXTRA MOVES ANALYSIS ============================================================================ DF+HP - Uppercut This is Omega Red's launcher as a stand-alone move, rather than in a combo off his jab. Generally speaking, a jab combo is easier, but since the uppercut has longer range, this is an excellent punishing move in a pinch. This also makes Omega Red's crouching combos harder to mess up - hold DF instead of D as you do the combo, and you'll end up with c.LP,s.MP, rather than c.LP,c.MP. (while jumping) F,F - Air Dash Well, it had to go somewhere...Omega Red launches himself forwards in a shoulder barge-like move during his jump. People familiar with air dashes usually use them as evasive moves. Omega Red, as one of the rulers of the skies, has some rather nasty tactics involving his air dash. First of all, he can cancel it at any time into a normal move or a Carbonadium Coil (or a Carbonadium Smasher, but more about that later). This gives him a great deal of versatility with his air dash - during the dash itself he completely defies gravity. Cancelling it with a normal punch or kick will return him to his normal fall arc - this can be used to avoid people who try to jump up and shoot you out of the air, or it can even be used as an effective jump-in starter with practice. Cancelling the dash into a coil will leave him hanging in the air, so you can stop people who try to time a super for when you land. As you can see, this involves quite a bit of second-guessing, but with practice this can be an effective strategy. Outside his dash cancels, Omega Red can use the air dash to manouevre himself into a better aerial position, or to escape anti-air supers like Jin's Saotome Cyclone. ============================================================================ 11. SPECIAL MOVES ANALYSIS ============================================================================ QCF+P / PP - Carbonadium Coil (air) Omega Red throws one of his Carbonadium Coils out at the opponent, the angle depending on the button/s used. Basically, these coils are Omega Red's ace, since they lead to either the Energy Drain, the Death Factor, or the Coil Slams, and the Coils can actually be comboed in with practice. As far as the angles go... LP - A horizontal coil. Can usually be thrown out safely, if you make use of the retract (see below) in the event of a miss. It can cover the whole screen, but obviously it takes a little while to reach full-screen range. Also an excellent punishing move. HP - An oblique coil, at 45 degrees upward. A nice move to discourage people from jumping in at you. Much more specific uses than in the horizontal coil, but with practice this can be extremely frustrating to your opponent, particularly against short-ranged characters like Zangief. PP - A vertical coil. One of Omega Red's "tricks" - as long as you don't abuse the set-ups, you'd be amazed at how easy it is to land this move, since many people don't expect him to throw a coil at them from that angle, doubly so if he's not on the screen at the time. Note that QCF+K / KK, normally the Omega Strike, performs an alternate coil direction in the air, as follows... LK - Exactly the same as the LP coil. HK - Angled towards the ground, and is a rather effective anti-fireball move. Since Omega Red hangs in the air for a while, you can usually time the coil to catch an opponent during their recovery, while remaining safe yourself. This can also keep an opponent on the ground, where most characters are at a disadvantage to Omega Red. KK - Another one of his "tricks", this is a coil directly down at the ground. Basically a surprise move, since unlike the PP coil, there isn't an easy way to set it up outside of air dashing and hoping. Don't abuse it, and you'll manage to catch more opponents off guard. Two other points of note with the coils. One - they are NOT fireballs. Don't get drawn into a shooting match. It's not that Omega Red is at a huge disadvantage or anything, but he doesn't recover as quickly after his coils as most projectile characters do. You're better off trying to get closer, or staying around in the air and using the coils to try to grab fireballers. Two - he has a LOT of flexibility with them. Not only can he throw his coils in all these different directions, and has a variety of follow-ups, but he can retract them at ANY time during their extension. Just hit a punch button to pull them back. Sometimes, entire matches will be won or lost depending on how well Omega Red controls his coils (I kid ye not). Coil Throw - Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil After connecting with his coil, Omega Red uses it to throw the opponent, either hefting them up into the air or slamming them straight to the ground. Though nice and damaging, you should always be attempting to either drain something before doing a Coil Throw, or go straight for the Double Coil Slam. Using this alone is simply not making the most of an opportunity. Double Coil Throw - DB+P/D+P/DF+P, Direction + P after Carbonadium Coil Omega Red slams the opponent hard into the ground, then before letting go he throws them again. One of his more stylish moves, but not very reliable. If you can do this well, then more power to you, but personally I think Omega Red would be just as effective without this move. Note that the first throw MUST be towards the ground, while the second can be in any direction. Also here is a limit to how high in the air Omega Red can be when performing this move. I'm not entirely sure of the limit, but as rule of thumb, if you can see the ground, then you can do a Double Coil Throw. Strangely enough, the damage on this move depends is reduced if you throw them in two directions. For instance, if you slam the opponent on your left, then throw them right, you will do 26 points of damage (including the damage from the coil connecting). But, if you slam the opponent twice on your left, you will do 30 points. Those 4 points can sometimes make a difference, but remember that throwing the opponent directly upwards then performing an Omega Destroyer will chip more than 4 points, at the cost of a single level of super energy. Energy Drain - P after Carbonadium Coil This is Omega Red's ace - after grabbing the opponent with a coil, he drains their life and adds it to his own bar, and the benefits of that should be obvious. As an added plus, after an Energy Drain, you can perform a Coil Throw to tack on a little extra damage. Unfortunately, Omega Red can now only regenerate red health, but this is still undeniably useful. NB - Yes, the life drain REALLY IS the Energy Drain, and not the Death Factor. Listen to what Omega Red says...also note that you only need to hit the punch button once, but tapping it repeatedly will net you slightly more damage. Death Factor - K after Carbonadium Coil Basically the same as the energy drain, only instead of draining life, Omega Red will drain super energy. Good for denying your opponent that all-important super in chipping matches. As an added bonus, the Energy Drain and Death Factor are freely interchangeable during a coil drain, so you can fill up a sliver of life then use the remaining drain time to stock up on supers. Omega Strike - QCF+K Omega Red plants his coils in the ground and propels himself forward, saying "Omega Strike!" as he does so. Very, VERY fast move, with high priority and incredible versatility. First of all, the Strike can be in one of three directions depending on the button/s used, the same directions as the grounded Carbonadium Coil. Once the Strike has been executed, B+K will pull Omega Red back to his starting position (note that his facing is determined by the grounded coil location, and not his body's position) and deny your opponent of pretty much all chances of retaliation. Also, hitting D+K will immediately cancel the Strike, and Omega Red will recover wherever he was at the time. As you can probably see, this move can be the most frustrating move for your opponent to fight against. Use the horizontal one liberally to interrupt, chip and generally wreak havok, and the diagonal one as an anti-air or a set-up to move Omega Red himself to a favourable position in the air. The vertical one serves two purposes - one is as a panic move. If you don't know what else to do, pull this out to shoot him off away from harm. The second use is as a fast retaliation against opponents trying to cross you up. Though the vertical coil may also work here, the Omega Strike is better because it's faster and safer when blocked (it also takes you away from any potential assists). Never, EVER overlook the Omega Strikes, since they are the key to offensive Omega Red play. ============================================================================ 12. SUPER MOVES ANALYSIS ============================================================================ Omega Destroyer - QCB+PP Omega Red shouts "Hahaha...OMEGA DESTROYER!" while unleashing his coils pretty much everywhere. This was the reason I first started playing Omega Red. :) When using the Omega Destroyer, there are a number of important things to remember about it. First, outside of helpers and DHCs, you can't combo it in. Period. Don't bother trying. Second, though it eventually covers a majority of the screen, it goes horizontal first. During this horizontal "phase", a jumping opponent can hit Omega Red's head to interrupt the Destroyer (although saying that this is damn hard is an understatement). Third, once you're finished, your opponent WILL be on the opposite side of the screen, and Omega Red will be safe from most retaliations (but not all, so be careful, particularly against Juggernaut). Finally, this move overpowers any physical move in the game, and a majority of beam and projectile moves/supers too. So, the bottom line is that this super is basically safe to throw out whenever you want, but doing this every two seconds will get you a bit of chipping damage and that's about it. I use this super in two ways - to counter cross-up attempts, and to punish helpers. For the former, this is very effective, since the coils have great priority and are released in both directions simultaneously. For the latter, it is even more effective, since the coils will juggle helpers and leave Omega Red safe once he's finished. The Omega Destroyer provides a "safety net" in team supers, covering your other characters against airborne opponents and leaving them more or less safe once he's finished. These are the primary uses, and though it can fill in as a super to punish moves or to chip damage, it doesn't do such a good job of it. There is an anomaly with the Omega Destroyer to consider. If the opponent is IMMEDIATELY next to Omega Red when he starts the Omega Destroyer, instead of being pushed away, there will be a vacuum effect which, provided that they don't push block you away (in which case they likely eat some coils afterwards) does incredible chipping damage. The downside is that they recover right next to Omega Red, and so even Zangief would have time to launch you for an easy combo. Still, this vacuum is somewhat difficult to get, so it shouldn't change your overall strategies much. Just be aware of its existence. Carbonadium Smasher - (while jumping) QCB+PP Omega Red shouts "Carbonadium Smasher!" and performs the same animation as his air dash, only if he hits the opponent, he launches into an autocombo ending with a coil slam directly down. The Carbonadium Smasher isn't the best super out there, but it isn't the worst either. As with the Omega Destroyer, this cannot be comboed in any way, which makes it more of a surprise move. Pull it off every now and then to see if your opponent is awake, but don't base your game around it. Note that the Smasher will do more damage than the Omega Destroyer, and in certain circumstances you can OTG afterwards into an air combo. NB - Some move lists refer to this as the "Omega Smasher". As is my understanding, this was the original name in the official Japanese move list, for some reason. Still, Omega Red shouts out "Carbonadium Smasher" during the move, so that's what I'm calling it. ============================================================================ 13. ASSISTS AND THEIR USES ============================================================================ Alpha: ------ Type - Throw Assist - Horizontal Carbonadium Coil, immediately linked to UF throw Crossover Counter - Standing HP A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer This assist type is slightly more specialised than the anti-air assist below, but is just as effective in the right hands. Omega Red's coil has great priority, and since he stays close to the edge of the screen, he will be safe from many retaliations. And, if you're thinking ahead, you will be able to combo out of the coil throw (though the window of opportunity is VERY small). On the other hand, the coil is somewhat slow, and without a combo linked to it, not very damaging. The Crossover Counter is just a generic hit, which doesn't set up much beyond a straight Omega Strike. Generally speaking, I use this assist type when I have a team in need of some long range support, such as Zangief and Jin. Beta: ----- Type - Anti-air Assist - HK Omega Strike Crossover Counter - HK Omega Strike A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer The all-purpose assist type. Omega Red jumps in with a diagonal Omega Strike, which is fast with good priority, and is generally the most abuseable assist type. However, Omega Red is sent a fair way forward during the execution, so if you don't cover him afterwards, he'll likely get hurt. A minor problem here is the Crossover Counter - if you're not careful, you'll shoot over your opponent's head and although Omega Red recovers fairly quickly, it's never a good idea to miss completely. Try to use this counter against jump-in attacks. Overall, this is the assist I use the most, because it works well in teams that already have long range support. Gamma: ------ Type - Ground Assist - DB+HK Burrowing Coil Crossover Counter - Crouching HP A1+A2 Super - Omega Destroyer This is a surprisingly useful assist, since it has the priority to beat out anything on the ground. However, the range is short, it doesn't really achieve much beyond interrupts (and sometimes, not even that...) and it's not really very damaging. The Crossover Counter is probably the best of the three, so if you use them a lot then maybe you'll find this assist more valuable. For instance, if you counter a jump-in move, Omega Red can immediately launch into an air combo, which is particularly nasty once you get the hang of it. Otherwise, most characters can do by themselves what Omega Red will do for this assist, so it's not outstandingly useful. ============================================================================ 14. BASIC STRATEGY ============================================================================ Now, I can't tell you exactly how to play - that would be unrealistic, and probably not effective. But, this is the real beauty of Omega Red - he can do pretty much anything you want. He can play keep-away well, he can actually win firefights (by taking a back-door method with his Burrowing Coils), he can be played as a pressure character, or whatever. I find that a mix of the offensive strategies tends to work best - not a berserker game like the pixies or mashers, but a deliberate, steady offense. He also rules the air in the right hands, so don't be afraid to super-jump, even against other rulers of the skies like Storm. He can also be a VERY slippery character, with his air dashes, Omega Strike, Burrowing Coils and Carbonadium Coils. Overall, I think Omega Red is an adaptable character. In fact, I find him more effective when creating tactics based on what he faces, rather than going into a fight with specific strategies in mind. Judge your tactics on the fly, and you will be more prepared for the crazy world of Marvel Vs Capcom 2. When attacking: Jabs. That's what it's going to come down to. Omega Red's jumping jab has excellent speed and priority, and his standing and crouching jabs have good range. Air dashes and HP jump-ins will also be effective. To close in on your opponent, Omega Strike towards them and cancel (D+K). It may help to cover him with an assist before the Omega Strike, but otherwise this will plant you nice and close to the opponent. Go for air combos as much as possible. When playing keep-away: Remember two moves - Burrowing Coils and Omega Strikes (always retracted). With just these two moves, Omega Red can mount a daunting keep-away game. Also remember push blocks, and with a level head you'll be able to keep even the most hyper-active Spiderman player away. Don't be afraid to throw out Omega Destroyers either. When fighting beam characters or assist-happy opponents: The Burrowing Coil move is your best friend. Using them intelligently will stop beams AND assists. If a character doesn't have an upwards diagonal beam (eg. Iron Man) you can jump up and throw coils towards them - this can be used to moderate effect against characters which DO have diagonal beams, but you'll be putting yourself at risk. When fighting power characters (eg. Juggernaut, Hulk): Stay in the skies. Much of their power stems from their ground games, so by denying them this, they're just big, scary looking babies. Otherwise, capitalise on their recovery times, and have fun with your air combos against them. ;) ============================================================================ 15. COMBOS AND SERIES ============================================================================ Omega Red's combos are powerful, but difficult. He can assemble some pretty big combos, but not with the ease of some of the other characters out there. But that's where this section comes in - to help you get the hang of doing them. When grounded or jumping, Omega Red has the Weak to Strong series, which means he can chain up to three hits followed by a special move. Since his launcher is s.MP, you can chain it off either a standing or crouching jab, or off jump-ins. While super-jumping, Omega Red has the full six hit Hunter series, which means he can chain together all of his attacks (see the Conventions section for the order). With practice, Omega Red can combo pretty much any two normal moves together in an air combo. This is not to say that you can just mash the buttons and get a 17 hit combo or whatever, since they require precise timing. However, once you understand the mechanics, you have a lot of freedom in your air combos. Since Omega Red has no way to combo in his supers, this section will be rather short. Regardless of that, these aren't the be all and end all of Omega Red's combo ability. Rather, they are here to provide you with a firm understanding of his basic combo ability, as a basis for combos of your own. I've tried to arrange them in a rough order of difficulty... 1. c.LP, c.MP, c.HP XX LK Omega Strike 2. c.LK, c.MK, c.HK XX LK Omega Strike 3. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HK 4. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, XX Coil 5. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.MP, XX PP Coil 6. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.LP, (sj.LK), sj.MP, XX PP Coil 7. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.LK, sj.LP, sj.MP, XX PP Coil 8. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HP, XX sj.HK 9. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.HP, XX HK Coil 10. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.LK, sj.HP XX sj.HK 11. s.LP, s.MP, /\, sj.LP, sj.LK, sj.MP, sj.MK, sj.LK, sj.HP XX HK Coil Jump-Ins: a. j.LP / LK, j.MP / MK, j.HK b. j.HP OTGs: a. DB / D / DF+HK b. c.LK, s.MP / c.HP, /\ (followed by any air combo) Coils: As a side note, if your back is to the corner when you perform an air combo to a coil, you can throw the opponent horizontally towards the corner, air dash towards them, and continue the air combo. This requires quite a bit of practice, and the commands required vary greatly depending on the situation. As such, it would be impractical to list everything possible, but you should be aware of any possible chance. Practice is the best teacher in this case. Note - The timing for combos will be different depending on the size of the opponent, and you will be unable to perform certain combos on small characters such as Megaman. ============================================================================ 16. SUGGESTED TEAM MEMBERS ============================================================================ As a solid, all-round character, Omega Red is tends to be able to fulfil any role you need him to. This section is devoted to explaining how Omega Red works in relation to each other character in MvC2. First, if you want a team that's plausible in a storyline, your options are rather limited...Omega Red isn't exactly the most sociable guy in the world, and I'm told he's noted for hating anything non-Russian. So, you've basically got one option - Team Russia! Obviously, that consists of Omega Red, Zangief and Colossus, and it's actually a decent team in the right hands. However, playing with just the one team repeatedly tends to get a little boring, so that's where this section comes in. Omega Red benefits most from assists that let him combo in his supers. Some you might want to consider: Spiral (gamma) Iron Man/War Machine (beta) Magneto (beta) Cyclops (beta) He also benefits from assists that make up for his limited chipping game. Beta Dr.Doom is the most obvious choice, but anyone with a good chipping assist will do fine. Another aspect to consider is the super meter - Omega Red is going to be building it quickly and not using much of it, so you may want to consider a character that can take advantage of it. Cable is probably the most infamous meter-hog out there, and he does work relatively well with Omega Red. When choosing partners, also consider how Omega Red will be able to help them. For instance, Silver Samurai has a limited anti-air game, so the Omega Strike assist will aid him. Conversely, Zangief lacks a ranged game, so the Coil assist will help him out considerably. Try to form a team that works well together, not necessarily three characters that are godly on their own. ============================================================================ 16. VS ABYSS ============================================================================ As if you needed help...VS bosses get softer each game...but regardless, here are some tips. 1st Form - You're best off super jumping over him and using jumping HPs to the back of his head. Or, repeated LK Omega Strikes will carry you through him and away from harm, ready for another Omega Strike by the time he turns around. Just try and stay behind him and you'll be fine. 2nd Form - Maintain full screen distance and use DF+HK Burrowing Coils. And that's it. If he uses those green bubbles, super jump and send coils down to pop them all, using the air dash if you need to avoid something. 3rd Form - Stand under him and unleash an Omega Destroyer (you should have a few supers spare by now, since you really don't need them on the other forms). If you're out of super for some reason, just wait until he appears and do jumping HPs in his face. Easy. ============================================================================ 17. USELESS INFORMATION ============================================================================ Just a section containing information that didn't fit anywhere else... Taunt - Omega Red raises his arms, throws his head back and growls. It's fast for a taunt, and Omega Red isn't a show-off - this means that when he's called in to assist, he gets off the screen quickly (unlike, say, Juggernaut). Otherwise, it's just a taunt...do what you want with it. Snapback animation - s.HP. Can be comboed off s.MK or c.MP. One of the best snapbacks in the game, in terms of uses. Assist summon - Same animation as his taunt, but he says "Let's go" instead. Opening animation - Omega Red appears in a kneeling position, then stands, surrounded by mist, growls, and assumes his stance. Winning animation 1 - Faces the camera, holds his arms out and spins his coils nunchaku-style before retracting them. Winning animation 2 - Poses while stretching his coils between his hands. Tag in - Comes in with his j.HK, then lands and performs his taunt, while saying something that sounds like "My turn". Tag out - Stands up straight, bows his head and retracts his coil. Time-over Win - Makes a pose similar to his after-match portrait, only with an evil grin on his face instead of shouting. Says something which sounds an awful lot like "Your life force is MINE!" though that's unconfirmed at the moment. Time-over Loss - Collapses to the ground and holds his head in his hands. Colours: LP - Red clothes, silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair LK - Purple clothes, yellow boots, kneepads & trim, with white hair HP - Magenta clothes, silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair HK - Pink clothes, white boots, kneepads and &, with white hair A1 - Magenta clothes, dark silver boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair A2 - Dull pink clothes, dull peach boots, kneepads & trim, with blonde hair Note that the A1 and A2 costumes are time-released, and will only be available after Omega Red has his gold box. Until then, these buttons will result in the HP and HK colours respectively. ============================================================================ 18. FUTURE REVISIONS...? ============================================================================ Well, a majority of the information in this FAQ is complete. Generally, any future revisions will just contain additional combos and typo corrections. If I'm feeling bored I may write up a partners section, or a VS character section, but the former will be mostly opinion based and the latter will be only accurate to a certain degree, since everyone has different ways of playing characters. But regardless of what the future revisions contain, you should be able to pick them up at www.gamefaqs.com or www.khaotika.com. ============================================================================ 19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS ============================================================================ Thanks to Bantam13 for providing me with the list of Omega Red's colours. Also thanks to Siegfried and Shin-Mech-Brian for information regarding Omega Red's history. And special thanks goes to CJacC of GameFAQs, and Khaotika of Khaotika.com for hosting this FAQ. Thanks also to Hoe Muffin, for alerting me to some move typos (MP Carbonadium Coil? What was I thinking?!). Thanks to Jack Crow for an assortment of information about Omega Red, both story and game-related. Finally, thanks to jchensor for his Omega Red combo movie (if you want it, it's available from Shoryuken.com below). And quick plugs for a few sites... http://www.gamefaqs.com Basically the ultimate collection of FAQs on the internet. If it's not there, it probably hasn't been written yet. http://www.khaotika.com Khaotika's site, aka the Seventh Level of Hell. Check it out if you're in need of some diversions, it's also got a very good MvC2 section written by Khaotika and Bantam13, and some contributions from yours truly. http://www.draconus.net/fightermania Siegfried's site, where you'll find background information on characters for damn near every fighting game ever made. Great site to check when you want information for FAQs and the like. http://www.fighters.net Fighters.net has up-to-date information on almost all major fighting games out there. Plus they've got a forum there, where I'll be found lurking... http://www.shoryuken.com Go there for mad combo movies from MvC 1&2, SFA 1-3, SF3...most of the latest 2D Capcom fighting games, in fact. Some of these movies must be seen to be believed... ============================================================================ 20. IN CLOSING... ============================================================================ Well, that's my first MvC2 FAQ done. Any others that I write will be primarily to cover characters that everybody else is ignoring (they're the ones I usually play anyway). Maybe Hulk, Colossus, Sabretooth, Silver Samurai, M.Bison...it depends. As long as CJacC and Khaotika are nice enough, any of my future MvC2 FAQs should be found on GameFAQs and Khaotika.com. Until then... Anthony Nickerson, aka Ug the caveman bzcharkl@hotmail.com