November 05, 1999 - JIN KAZAMA, THE SON OF THE DEVIL - A Tekken Tag Tournament FAQ Version 1.0 By Red King This document is best viewed in Wordpad, wrap to window format, courier new, font size 10. CONTENTS: -Why another strategy guide? -Introduction to Jin -Analysis of the moves: description, execution/recovery time, my advices -Unconventional moves -Juggles -Okizeme -Some strategical advices -The subtle art of sidestep -Credits and legal stuff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -WHY ANOTHER STRATEGY GUIDE?- First of all I would like to spend a couple of words about the purpose of this strategy guide: as you all know, the web is full of good guides to Jin (the incomparable Slikatel one above the others, and actually the inspiration for this guide), but I've always thought that even if really useful, those guides lacked of something(maybe just my opinion about the overall matter, he, he... who knows); after having studied those guides and after having compared their contents to what I know about Jin, I understood that the only problem about them was that they were just.... "old". I believe ,in fact, that during these years the overall level of play has increased a lot, and many aspects of the game are now well known to most of players; is for this reason that I believe that, for example, we can't no longer consider Jin's Hell Sweep a "bread and butter" attack, simply because now a good player can easily neurtalize it; the same consideration could be made for "custom strings", "poking" and other strategical stuff. After some years of Tekken3 (years of tournaments and full- immersion game sessions), I have learned to appreciate a skilled and complete gamestyle (spectacular even if not always winning) instead of just a winning (but not complete) one; I have always affirmed that skill must be researched not only in victories, but in the completeness of gamestyle, in the ability to find a proper use to all the moves and techniques that your character possesses. This is the purpose of my guide, some advices(maybe) useful to reach a spectacular, and, why not, effective gamestyle, not only to find the way to achieve victory. -INTRODUCTION TO JIN- When I started to play Tekken3 long ago, I choosed Jin as my first character, both for his noble blood (with Heiachi, Kazuya and Jun for relatives, that boy must have known how to fight) and for his cool look. After a few games, I realized that he was a "not so easy to use" Character such as Law or Paul, that's why I started a long training period in which I tried to find out his full potential. Jin is a particular character: when you play him at a low level of play, he can easily lose against an Eddy or Hwoarang (even masher) player; at an average level of play he can lose against the easy-destructive power of Hei or Paul; at a high level of play (I mean SKILLED) he has some hard times against Xiao, Lei or Law (Jin can lose against Law in low-average- high level of play). If you read carefully I wrote "HE can lose..." because in the end I think that Jin has the weapons to deal against every character or fighting style(in a high level of play there still can be some hard matches, Law or Xiao), so if you lose, in most cases the reasons of your defeat are due to the fact that you haven't used the proper techniques, in other words, you haven't exploited his strengths and haven't overcome his weaknesses. Since I've mentioned the words strengths and weaknesses, let's have a look at both of them. First of all, I think that Jin's greatest strength is his versatility: he can easily change his fighting style, not for the number of his moves (low if compared to other characters such as Lei or Xiaoyu), but because these can be quite useful both in attack and in defence; a good Jin player will vary a lot his fighting style, and after having mastered all the techniques, he will adapt himself to his opponent (in most cases this is the key to victory). Another Jin' strength is his ability to hold under pressure his opponent, and this mainly for two reasons: First, because many of Jin's best attacks hit (fast) at mid level, and even those (with some exceptions) that hit high have good speed or priority. Second, 'cause Jin has the best WS attacks in the game, useful after poking moves such a low jab or low kick, and even more useful to juggle your opponent (Rising Upper, Twin Pistons), which means that Jin can be extremely dangerous even when ducking. And this leads exactly to one of his greatest strengths, his destructive juggles: Jin can, actually, inflict a large amount of damage easily and almost after every juggle starter, which means that he can always turn in his favour the outcome of the match. Last but not least, Jin is one of the more moveable characters in the game; his movements fw and bw (f,f and b,b) are fast and wide, but is his sidestep (deep and quick) which makes him really dangerous. If his strengths are quite obvious, to find Jin's weaknesses, we must examine him more accurately; to my opinion, in fact, he hasn't real weaknesses but more likely he has a few lacks which, if you don't learn how to overcome , can turn Jin, from a really dangerous character, into just an average one. As I wrote before, Jin hasn't a large number of moves, and if this can be a benefit at the beginning (you can learn how to use him faster), in the end you will find out that, in order to use him efficiently, you must learn the proper use of all of his techniques. A skilled opponent can easily neutrlize and counter all of Jin's common moves if performed in a predictable way, which is, to my opinion the most common mistake a Jin player can make; I think that it's for this reason that Jin is so difficult to learn... Somebody said that Jin lacks quick juggle starters, but I don't totally agree 'cause Jin can punish well even short recovery times with both the Can-Can kick (d+3+4)and his Flash Punch Combo (1,1,2 or b+1, 1,1,delayed 2-see Unconventional Moves section); I must also say that his Right Upper (df+2), even if doesn't juggle in all the cases (the juggle is escapable), can be very deadly. Another lack is the absence of a Low Parry (which could have been very useful) or the absence of the classical standing right kick which most character have (and which juggles on CH), but I think that with those two moves Jin could have been too strong... As I told before Jin isn't an "easy to use" character, so the only possible solution to this problem is to train hard: at the beginning you may lose badly a lot of matches, but if you keep training, in the end you will be the winner (hem..or at least you will give your opponent a decent fight...). ---ANALYSIS OF THE MOVES--- This section is entirely dedicated to the technical analysis of Jin's moves; its purpose is to cover the strengths and weaknesses, with particular attention to the speed of execution and the recovery time of each move. I have to spend two words to stress the importance of recovery times: I think that knowing the recovery times of each move is as important as the concepts of timing and distance, which are the basis of skilled gameplay. In particular the knowledge of recovery times allows you to attack with taking calculated risks and, most important, allows you do deal the maximum damage to your opponent. What you will read in the following paragraphs is just my opinion about every single move, so take it for what it is: some (I hope useful) advices. The moves are listed with: MOVE NAME (COMMAND) -RANGE- DAMAGE and PROPERTIES. -Left,Right Punches (1,2) -h,h- 6,10 - This fast punch combo can be really useful for the setup-poking game, mainly thanks to his quickness; this move has very good priority and is not so easy to sidestep, but can be ducked. If blocked this move will give both the opponents no advantage for the next move. More about this combo is covered in the Unconventional moves, in the b+1 section. -Flash Punches Combo (1,1,2) -h,h,m- 6,8,18 - Knocks Down This is, to my opinion, Jin's most effective punch combo. The Flash Punches Combo has just too many pros to ignore it: first of all the last punch of the combo can be delayed, so you can end the combo only when you are sure that it will hit; if you add that the combo is guaranteed if the first punch hits, you can understand how it can be useful. Also this combo starts from Jin's quickest attack, the left jab(1), so you can use the first two punches for poking, interrupting and set up strategies, as well as to punish some short recovery times. Another good property of the first two punches is that, even if blocked, they will give you a very slight advantage for the next move; however you must be careful, because some character have moves which are even faster than Jin's standing jab, so this advantage could not be enough(Julia with her 1,1,1 combo for example). The third punch of the Flash Combo hits mid, but it suffers, if blocked, a long recovery time, and, in some cases, if you don't delay it, it will mysteriously miss the target; so delaying the last punch becomes someway obligatory. If the third punch hits, it will knock down your opponent, leaving room for okizeme. The only thing to which you must pay attention is that the first two punches can be ducked. More about this combo is covered in the Unconventional Moves, in the b+1 section. -Demon Slayer Combo (1,2,2) -h,h,h- 6,10,18 One of the possible ender of the Left,Right Punches, this combo ends with a backfist which hits high (as the other two punches); even if the Demon Slayer has some of the advantages of the Left Right combo, the last punch brings some cons which compromise the effectiveness of this combo. First of all (as I wrote before) the last punch hits high, which means that you can duck the whole combo; the third hit isn't guaranteed, even on CH, and if you add the fact that it suffers some recovery time, you can easily under- stand how risky can be to use the Demon Slayer. In the end if you consider that the damage is SLIGHTLY greater then the Flash Punches one, I suggest to use the Demon Slayer only as an ender for some juggles. -Shoot The Works (1,2,3) -h,h,m- 6,10,25 - Knoks Down, Juggles Another variation on the Left,Right Punches theme, this time ending with a Left Axe Kick which hits mid. This axe kick is slightly different from the one you can perform normally (f,f+3) because it causes, if blocked, a guard stun, giving you a good advantage for the following move. The only thing you must pay attention to is the fact that this kick pushes your opponent bw, so, if you follow-up with a quick but short move, you will miss. Thank's to the guard stun property, this move can be used to set an offensive game, just mixing the follow up games; for example if you perform after the stun a Demon's Paw (f,f+2), your opponent will be able to interrupt your attack only with a low jab; obviously ha can dash bw (so be CAREFULL) or sidestep, but anyway he will be forced to a defensive game; you can find some other useful follow-up moves, and in any cases you will start a fun guessing game, in which you opponent will be forced to think fast and react faster. Finally, if the Left Axe connects, you can perform some short juggles. As I told before, no one of Jin's moves can be performed too often, and Shoot The Works makes no exception; in this case the cons are represented the time which intercoures between the two punches and the kick: a skilled opponent will be able to duck the two punches and counter you before the Left Axe Kick or worse, with some character (Julia for example) your opponent will be able to block the punches and attack you before the last kick (with Julia's 1,1,1 but in this case the punches will not be a CH);furthermore, if you miss with the last kick, your opponent can punish you during the long recovery time. Another con is that the last kick has no tracking ability, so if your opponent sidesteps the two punches, the kick will miss too. A last advice is to never use this combo after a sidestep, 'cause the kick will miss almost every time. -Shoot The Works High (1,2,3,4) -h,h,m,m- 6,10,25,30 This variation is pretty useless, 'cause even against a not so skilled opponent, the last kick is too slow and short to be a danger of any sort. -Shoot The Works Mid (1,2,3,f+4) -h,h,m,m- 6,10,25,10 This combo can be useful, thanks to the last kick that has good range, speed and priority. Thanks to the guard stun is impossible to anticipate or counter the last kick, even if it is still possible to block it or avoid it with a back dash. You should use this combo as a mix-up with the other attacks described in the "Shoot The Works" paragraph. If the third kick connects, the last one is guaranteed. -One Two Knee (1,2,4) -h,h,m- 6,10,12 In terms of speed and risk, this is the most useful of the Left, Right variations. The final knee kick is one of Jin's quickest attacks, it has really good priority, and most of all it has a really short recovery time. At the right distance, if the two punches hit, the knee is guaranteed. You can use this combo as a good variation against those opponents who like to duck under the Left Right Punches (and its variations). In the end I have to say that this combo doesn't have some particular cons, but afterall it doesn't have so many advantages; it is a low risk combo, still useful to give some variation to your game. -White Heron (1+4,2) -s.m,h,h- 5,10,10 One of the few moves inherited from his mother, this quick combo with all his variations, owes all its effectiveness to the first two hits (in particular the first one is very quick and has very good priority); the damage is very low indeed, so the White Heron is useful mostly to hold under pressure your opponent, varying the follow-up moves after the first two or three hits of this combo (d+1 will be a very good option). Unfortunately if your opponent blocks low the first hit, the other two will hit high so will be easily ducked. But the White Heron shows its effective usefulness during juggles: thanks to the first hit, which connects really low (even if it is a s.mid) this combo is the best to juggle after some particular juggle starter such as the Hell Sweep or the Can Can Kicks (see the Juggle section). Thanks to the above mentioned properties this combo is useful even during okizeme (see the okizeme section). Finally, you can chain the White Heron with the Left Right Punches (1,2,1+4...) but it requires perfect timing. -White Heron, High Kick (1+4,2,4) -s.m,h,h,m- 5,10,10,21 -Knocks Down This combo has all the pros and cons of the White Heron; the last kick, in fact, having a low recovery time, will not guarantee to your opponent any free hit. Remember however that your opponent can interrupt the combo before the last kick. -White Heron, Sweep (1+4,2,d+4) -s.m,h,h,l- 5,10,10,15 -Knocks Down, Juggles This variations has more cons then pros: the last Sweep is a bit slow, so a skilled opponent will see it coming a mile away; but the real drawback is represented by the long recovery time after the Sweep, which will guarantee to your opponent a WS attack (after having blocked). If the sweep connects you can perform some juggles, but the risk is, to my opinion, too high. As for the White Heron, this combo can be useful during juggles or okizeme. -Left Roundhouse (f+3) -h- 35 -Knocks Down This kick has some good evasive properties, because during the execution, Jin sidesteps slightly on the left; a sidestep (on the left), immediately before the execution, will increase the evasive manoeuvre a lot. This kick covers a 180° frontal arc so it is very hard to sidestep. Unfortunately the kick hits high, and since it is not so fast, it will be easily ducked; if you add its recovery time, which will guarantee to your opponent a fast attack even after having blocked the kick, you can understand that the Left Roundhouse must be used very wisely and always after a sidestep. In the end I think that even if this move increases your sidestep chances, there are other attacks which are far more useful. -Right Roundhouse (4) -h- 30 -Knocks Down Very similar to the Left Roundhouse, this kick lacks the sidestepping properties of the other one. It still hits high and it still suffers the same recovery time (a bit shorter, but not enough to avoid the guaranteed attack), so I think that you should never use this kick unless you are sure that your opponent will sidestep and don't block or duck. -Knee Kick (f+4) -m- 12 This is one of the most useful kick that Jin has in his arsenal. The damage that it inflicts is not so great(12), but all the other properties that it has are really useful: first of all it is the quickest kick that Jin has (a little quicker than the Right Mid Kick or Right Axe Kick); it has a really short recovery time which means that, if blocked, you will only be in a condition of slight disadvantage for the following move. Furthermore the Knee Kick has really high priority, so if you add the fact that,if it connects it will push your opponent back, the Knee Kick will be perfect in close combat, to interrupt your opponent pressing and gain some distance. -Overhead Blow (f+2) -m- 18 -Kneel Stun,Knee Guard Stun This move may not be Jin's most useful punch, but it still has some good properties. First of all it hits mid, which means that you can punish ducking opponents; in the second place if blocked, the Overhead will push slightly your opponent on his knees(knee guard stun) which will give you a good advantage for the next move, so if you perform after it a quick move such as the Right Axe Kick, your opponent will be able to anticipate you only with a low jab or he will lose every other contrast. If the Overhead hits (causing the over knee stun), this advantage will force your opponent to block 'cause you will be able to anticipate even the low jab. Another good property of this move is that it covers a wide arc from high to low; for this reason the Overhead can be useful in some juggles or during okizeme. The only drawback of this move is the fact that it can be easily sidestepped (on the right). A useful move after all. -Flip Kick (4~3) -M- 25 -Ground Attack If against a standing opponent this kick is pretty useless (is easy to block and will leave you near his feet vulnerable to HIS okizeme tactics), against a downed one it shows all its effectiveness. The Flip Kick has a double use: first, as I told before, it can be used to hit an opponent who lies for too long on the ground (a PLD Lei for example); in the second place it can be used to force your opponent to tech-roll whenever possible, so you will be able to start a guessing game and attack him while tech-rolling. The damage is good (25-30) and in some cases, after some juggles (see the juggles section) the Flip Kick is guaranteed. -Demon's Paw (f,f+2) -m- 27 -Knocks Down This is undoubtedly Jin's best mid-long range move since it has many pros and to my opinion just one drawback. Even if it doesn't inflict too much damage (good but not as good as Paul or Hei's Deathfist), the Demon's Paw has great range, good priority (in the last part of his animation) and good speed; furthermore it can be performed after a fw dash (dash buffered, see Unconventional Moves section) or even after a Crouch Dash (as above) so its range is even greater. If blocked the Demon's Paw will push your opponent bw so it will be impossible for him to fight back with short and fast moves; if the punch connects, your opponent will be knocked down (or sent to the other side of the screen on CH) giving you time to start okizeme. The move is best used in long distance, 'cause it gets some tracking properties and so is more difficult to anticipate or sidestep it. Now let's analize the drawback: this move can be easily sidestepped (on the right and in some cases even on the left) leaving you opened for a massive counter attack. I have to make a consideration about its strategical use: as I told before, this move can be sidestepped on both sides, but is far easier to sidestep it on the right; another one of Jin's good attack ,the Hell Sweep, can be sidestepped only on the left, so a clever mix between this two attacks can give some trouble to an average skilled sidestepping opponent. In the end this move thanks to his reach and to the damage that inflicts is a great juggle ender. -Left Axe Kick (f,f+3) -m- 23 -Knocks Down, Juggles The animation of this kick is the same of the third one of the Shoot The Works combo, but, unfortunately, if you take it alone is not as good. First of all this version lacks the guard stun property, so its strategical use is very limited; furthermore this kick is a bit slow, so it can be easily interrupted in the first part of its animation, which makes almost impossible for you to hit a skilled opponent with it. Its range is a bit short, and if you use the dash buffer motion (see Unconventional Moves), to gain range, the kick will be slower and easier to interrupt. When the Left Axe Kick hits, you will be able to perform some juggles. A not so good attack, I must say. -Right Axe Kick (df+4,4_WS+4,4_f,n,d,df+4,4) -m,m- 10,16 or 13,21 This is the best kick that Jin has in his arsenal, and one of his most useful attacks, thanks to his good properties. The Right Axe is one of Jin' quickest kicks, (second only to the Knee Kick), and undoubtedly the one with best priority; thanks to this two factors this kick is very useful in mid-close range to anticipate or interrupt an incoming move. Another good property of this move is the fact that it covers the whole frontal area, which allows you to interrupt almost everything, and makes this move useful both during juggles or okizeme strategies. The range of the kick is good, and its animation will push you little fw, so the move is well suited to shorten the distance between you and your opponent. The only drawback of this move is its recovery time: if your opponent blocks the kick, he will be able to hit you with a mid-range fast move (the hit is guaranteed). The Right Axe Kick can be performed even with a WS motion or after a Crouch Dash; in the first case you can hit your opponent after having blocked some particular kind of low attacks (Lei' or Law' slide kicks for example), in the second case you can use it as a mix-up with other CD attacks (the Hell Sweep for example) or just to give this move more range. In the case of the WS or CD motion the damage will be greater, 34 instead of 26. This kick can be sidestepped on both sides(better on the right), in particular the CD version, so be careful. The Right Axe Kick consists in two hits, and you can choose to use only the first one; I will cover its properties in the following "Right Mid Kick" paragraph. -Right Mid Kick (df+4_WS+4_f,n,d,df+4) -m- 10 As I told above, the Right Mid Kick is the first part or the Right Axe Kick, so it has the same speed, priority and range. The good thing is that this kick doesn't suffer the same recovery time of the Right Axe, so your opponent will not have any guaranteed hits after having blocked the Right Mid Kick. Unfortunately the damage inflicted is very low (only 10) so the move becomes more suited as an interrupter or for the set up game; remember, this is the safest kick that Jin can perform. As for the Right Axe Kick this kick is very good during juggles or okizeme strategies. The Right Mid Kick is guaranteed after the Stonehead throw or the Bitch Kicks throw (see the Throws section). -Twin Lancers (df+1,2_f+1+2,2) -m,m- 10,16 - Kneel stun on CH As I told in the introduction, Jin has many moves which hit mid, fast, and with good priority, and if the Right Axe Kick is the best kick with these properties, the Twin Lancers is the equivalent with punches. The first of this two blows is the fastest MID punch attack (only next to the low Jab), and its priority is one of the best in the game, which makes this move perfect to interrupt an incoming attack. The second punch has the kneel stun property, and it is guaranteed if the first one connects as CH; in this case you will have a really good advantage for the next move (at the perfect distance for a Stun Punch, which can be interrupted only by a low jab), 'cause your opponent will be able to perform only WS or FC moves. Another property of this combo is that its animation moves you closer to your opponent, so you can use this move to get in short-range combat; I must warn you that in this case, if your opponent blocks the Twin Lancers, you will be in a position of dis- advantage for the following move, just because the Twin Lancers suffers some recovery time (it will not guarantee free hits). So even if you perform after it a really fast move such as a low jab, your opponent will be able to anticipate (and counter) you with a fast move; here starts a guessing game in which you have many choices: for example you may try to reverse the incoming attack, or you may try to back dash to make your opponent miss with his move (most of the fastest moves are short-ranged),or you can simply block, its up to you.... The general rule for all of Jin's moves must be applied here once again: "you can't overuse it". -Twin Pistons (WS+1,2) -m,m- 10,15 -Juggles on CH This is one of the Mishima trademark move, but unfortunately Jin's version is not so good if compared to the other. The worst thing about this combo is that in order to connect with both hits (and to juggle), the first one must be on CH; if you add the fact that the motion for this move is a WS motion (and with a WS you can perform the Rising Upper)you can well imagine how difficult can be to use it effectively. However I think that this move can still be useful: first of all it has really good priority, it is little faster than the Rising Upper and most of all it is a bit harder to sidestep. The recovery time after the Twin Pistons is quite short, so your opponent will not get any guaranteed hit after having blocked (even if he gets the advantage for the next move). Furthermore during the animation of this combo, you will move fw, so you should use the Twin Pistons not as Juggle starter, but just to keep your opponent under pressure trying to catch him on CH and to give some variety to your gamestyle. -Rising Upper (WS+2) -m- 21 -Juggles This is probably the best WS attack in the game, 'cause it hits mid, has good speed, good priority, and , most of all, it juggles very high, so Jin can easily perform one of the devastating juggles he has in his arsenal. Since the motion required to perform is a WS motion, you can easily perform this move after having ducked a throw attempt, a high attack, or after having blocked a low attack with a long recovery time; this move can also be used , with the quick WS motion (see Unconventional Moves section), to launch some sudden attacks which can be very dangerous; furthermore, Jin recovers very quickly after the Rising Upper, so that you can easily perform massive juggles. But my favourite use for this move is after a successful sidestep; I've found in fact that the WS motion after a sidestep comes out really fast, so you can use the Rising Upper as a juggle starter after every successful sidestep; somebody could say that Jin has yet another good sidestepping juggle starter, the Tooth Fairy, and I do think it IS useful, but I still prefer in most cases to use the Rising Upper; I will explain why: both moves have, (if you learn how to execute the Rising Upper immediately after the sidestep),the same execution time, but, while the Tooth Fairy, which has a long recovery time, leaves you opened for a free attack if you miss or get blocked, the Rising Upper can be performed with less risks 'cause its recovery time is shorter(no guaranteed hits after having blocked it). In the second place the Rising Upper juggles higher and after it you can perform some more damaging juggles (see the juggles section). Even if you don't dodge an incoming attack, the crouch-ws+2 animation can fool your opponent, so that he may decide to block low, taking the Rising Upper in his face; if you mix it with a throw or a low attack you will give more than a problem to you opponent. However you must be careful when using the Rising Upper, because it can be sidestepped easily; you should also know that in some cases this move, if performed too early may lose the contrast against some fast high attacks (Lei's or Law's standing RK for example) or even against a throw. -Tooth Fairy (SS+2) -m- 16 -Juggles As I told in the Rising Upper paragraph, Jin has another really useful juggle starter after a sidestep, the Tooth Fairy. Even if I prefer to perform after each successful sidestep the Rising Upper, I must say that the Tooth Fairy is still very useful, mainly for two reasons: first of all this move is very easy to execute 'cause it can be performed at every time during the sidestep with the pression of only one button; in the second place it has GREAT range, greater than the Rising Upper, so you can choose to perform it when your opponents goes too far after your sidestep; furthermore, the Tooth Fairy has some evasive properties 'cause during its animation, Jin will crouch and duck high attacks. As I wrote before, this move has only one drawback: its long recovery time. If your opponent blocks the Tooth Fairy, he will be able to inflict you a guaranteed hit which in most cases will juggle you (the uf+4 standard juggle starter, for example), so be careful. -Can Can Kicks (d+3+4) -sm,h- 5,20 -Juggles Jin learned this move from his mother but I must say that something went wrong during the teaching, cause this version of the Can Can really sucks! Just imagine: a move which has a very long recovery time(so that you opponent will juggle you every time that he blocks it), with little range, and which can be blocked both standing or ducking, well that's the Can Can Kick. Furthermore when this move connects, you won't be able to perform the standard devastating juggles which include the Stun Punch Rush, but you will have to juggle, in most cases with the White Heron. Anyway I have to say that this move can still be useful: when you block attacks which have short recovery times, and which leave your opponent close to you, the Can Can Kick will be the most damaging juggle starter, so I suggest you to learn when this move should be performed. -Stun Punch Rush (b,f+2,1,2 or d+2) -m,m,m- 18,14,24 or 15 -Double over stun, Juggles(d+2) This is undoubtedly one of the most important attack that Jin has in his arsenal. The Stun Punch Combo consist in three punches each one with its pros and cons, so I will analize them one by one. The first punch is obviously the most important of the whole combo, and its properties are so useful that it can be considered a move on its own. This punch is very useful thanks to its double over stun property which will stun your opponent on CH leaving him opened for Jin' most damaging and inescapable juggles; for this reason is very important to learn how to make the most of this property, trying to master the right distance and the right timing to execute the Stun Punch. I have to say that this punch lacks a bit of range, and isn't extremely fast, so you should be careful cause if you use it from too distant you will miss, and if you use it from too near you may be anticipated by a poking or a fast attack; anyway, once started, the move has very good priority, so if you use it well it can be devastating. When you will become more confident with all of Jin' moves you will notice that some other techniques will put you at the perfect distance to execute the Stun Punch; try to learn them and remember that you should use the Stun Punch to hit your opponent on CH. Another good property of this punch is that it is very hard to sidestep (at least to sidestep it consistently), so I use it often when I have to deal with "sidestepping happy" opponents. If the first punch connects, the second one is guaranteed even if not on CH. Let's now analize the second punch: as I told before, when the first one connects, the second punch is guaranteed, but I have to make a distinction when it happens on CH or not. In the first case, even the second punch will stun your opponent, but in this case the stun is escapable simply pressing f, and after the escape your opponent will be able to block each subsequent attack; in this case you can start a guessing game, but I think that is better to stop at the first hit and go on with guaranteed juggles. If your opponent fails to escape the stun, you will be able to perform some really devastating juggles, but since it won't happen often (and never against a good opponent) I think it is a waste of time (and damage). Instead you should use the second punch when the first punch connects not on CH: in this case the second one will just deal more damage. The second punch gives the Stun Punch Rush little more range, but you should be careful, 'cause if you miss with the first and perform the second, you can be interrupted and countered by a fast attack (the standing right kick which most character have, just for example). Even this punch is difficult to sidestep (and preferably on the opposite side of the first punch), which makes this combo even more useful to stop, as I told before, sidestepping opponents. This second punch CAN'T be reversed, so if your opponent blocks the first one you can perform the second with no risk. Let's end the analysis of this Stun Punch Combo with the last punch. Well I have to say that I don't use this punch (both the 2 or d+2 versions) too often, for two reasons: first of all, when the Stun Punch connects on CH, as I told before, you should stop at the first hit; even if you play against an opponent who can't escape the second punch stun you should stop and use a WGF (EWGF) instead of the d+2 ender to juggle him. Furthermore, if your opponent blocks the first two punches, the last one can easily be sidestepped (on the right) leaving you opened for a massive counter attack. For these reasons I use the last punch only when the first two punches connect not on CH, 'cause, in this case, the last punch (2)can't be sidestepped and will push your opponent too far for him to fight back immediately; obviously I'm referring to the 2 ender, 'cause the d+2 version suffers some recovery time and leaves you near to your opponent. Furthermore the Stun Punch Rush is invaluable when it comes to juggle your opponent, 'cause it is easy to perform, connects after almost every juggle starter (and in some other particular cases, will even juggle on its own, for example if you hit Lei while he is entering his PLD stance) and, most of all, deals great damage. In the end I have to say that this is a very useful combo and you should learn how to include it in your fighting strategies. -Mid Uppercut (df+2) -m- 15 -Staggers, Juggles on CH Well I think that this is a very useful move with some good properties and for this reason I use it quite often. First of all I have to say this Uppercut has good speed, but most important it has really good priority in particular against high-hitting moves, so that you can interrupt most of the high poking attacks; the range is definitely short, so you should be careful or you will miss. The Right Upper launches on CH, but even if it doesn't connects on CH, you will have a chance to juggle your opponent thanks to the "stagger" property; in this case, while your opponent goes BW holding his nose, you can juggle him with a well timed and delayed WGF; you may even hit him with a Demon's Paw, but remember that your opponent may escape your attacks by holding down; I must say that even if this is possible, it is still difficult to do it as reaction, so if you use it wisely, the Mid Upper will become a nightmare for you opponent. Another good property of this move is that it can't be sidestepped on the left and since most of Jin's moves should be sidestepped this way, you can use the Mid Upper to limit the sidestepping game of your opponent. Another way you can use this move is to alternate it with a throw at close range(or in the wake up game), starting a good and dangerous (for your opponent) guessing game. The Mid Upper doesn't suffer a long recovery time, so if your opponent blocks it, he will not be able to inflict guaranteed hits; A really useful move indeed... -Crouch Dash (f,N,d,df) This is one of Jin' basic motions which you should be familiar with. The Crouch Dash allows Jin to crouch and dash fw ducking high attacks; during or after it Jin can perform basically four attacks, but some other moves can be executed even if they were not designed to be performed in this way. I will cover each of the basic attacks in the following paragraphs, and all the other moves in the Unconventional moves section. The Crouch Dash can even be interrupted at any time, just pushing b or db during the animation; in this way you can feint an attack in order to fool your opponent and make him make a mistake. While Crouch Dashing you are exposed to mid and low attacks, and some attacks which start from the Crouch Dash can even be interrupted by High attacks, so be careful; furthermore almost every attack which involve the CD can be side- stepped easily on the left. -Wind God Fist (f,N,d,df+2) -h- 25 -Juggles (not on CH) Another Mishima trademark move and even in this case (as for the Twin Pistons) Jin's version is the weakest. Its main weakness is that it hits HIG instead of mid, so it will be almost useless for the guessing game after the Crouch Dash: your opponent will be able to duck it and at the same time block a possible Hell Sweep; you may perform a Right Axe Kick, but a skilled opponent will see it coming (obviously a TGF it will be too slow), making your guessing game useless. As for all the moves which can be performed after the CD, even the WGF can easily be sidestepped on the left, so, if you are playing against a good side- stepping opponent, you must be very careful. Another major weakness is represented by the fact that on CH the WGF will send you flying to the other side of the screen making impossible to perform a juggle. Even if this move can be performed with good speed, sometimes it seems to lack priority against other high attacks, so you should not use it as an interrupter. However, this move can be very useful to juggle after a whiffed a move, or to punish your opponent after having blocked an attack with long recovery time. Another way in which I use the WGF often, is to juggle after the Mid Uppercut stagger: the WGF, thanks to its range, is the only juggle starter which connects after it. The WGF can even be useful during juggles. -Electric Wind God Fist (f,N,d,DF+2) -h- 30 -Juggles, guard stun This version of the WGF requires one of the most difficult motions in the game; in order to perform it you must execute the f,N,d,df motion very quickly, you must press the button (2) as soon as you arrive in the df position and keep holding both the direction and the button. The animation of the EWGF is different from the WGF one 'cause Jin is surrounded by lightnings even if you don't hit your opponent. Even if this move hits high, it still is a really good and useful move: it is very quick, has very good priority, and most important, it juggles on every hit; for all these reasons you can easily imagine how well suited the EWGF is as an interrupter. Thanks to its very good speed, the EWGF can be used as juggle starter during some recovery times. Furthermore, when your opponent blocks the EWGF, he will be pushed too far too fight back. Due to the quick motion that this move requires, this version of the WGF lacks some range, but at the same time it's a little more difficult to sidestep it (it still can be easily sidestepped on the left, but is very difficult to sidestep it on the right). Obviously, if you don't need range you should always perform this "Electric" version instead of the "normal" one. -Thunder God Fist (f,N,d,df+1, 3 or 4) -m, m or l- 35(52 on clean hit),20 or 12 -Knocks down, Juggles(4) Another move that you can perform after the CD, another Mishima trademark move. This move could have been a good mix-up to the Hell Sweep, 'cause it hits mid, but unfortunately the TGF is too slow to be a real danger for even an average opponent. As the other CD attacks, it can easily be sidestepped on the left (it is almost impossible to sidestep it on the right), and after having blocked it your opponent will be able to hit (and juggle) you before you land, or before you perform any of the possible follow-up moves(the mid kick or the sweep). Anyway the TGF can still be a useful move: first of all it can be performed after some juggle starters, to deal a great amount of damage; in the second place, if you perform the TGF at the very end of the Crouch Dash, it will make Jin duck and dodge under high and (many) mid attacks; in this way the TGF can be useful in some particular scenarios (you can use it to duck under Lei's Razor Rush Punches and hit him during his rush, for example). About the follow up moves, as I told before, your opponent can anticipate both the mid kick or the sweep (with a jab) after having blocked the TGF. I warn you not to use the Sweep, because even if it hits low it suffers a long recovery time, which leaves you opened for a massive counter attack; however if you are playing against a blind or a brain-dead opponent, remember that after the sweep you can perform some juggles. -Hell Sweep (f,N,d,DF+4,4) -l,m- 18,15 -Knoks down, Juggles(only the first hit) Well, even if this move IS useful I have to say that, to my opinion, it has been over-estimated a little. Yes, the Hell Sweep is Jin' best low attack, but to my opinion it has too many cons to be considered one of Jin's most useful moves; let me analize this move deeper, to explain what I mean. First of all, this move comes out after a CD , but it lacks priority and can be easily interrupted even by a high attack (the standing RK which most character have, for example); in second place, as all the CD attacks, it can be EASILY sidestepped on the left, so if you perform it at the end of the CD, your opponent will sidestep it almost always; even if you perform it at the beginning of the CD animation a skilled opponent will see it coming; this could have been a minor drawback if this move didn't suffer a long recovery time, but, unfortunately, this is not the case. The Hell Sweep, in fact, suffers a very long recovery time: whether you stop at the first hit or perform both the kicks, your opponent will be able, after having blocked, to hit you during the recovery time with damaging (and in most cases juggling) moves; for this reason, when you play against a really good player, you should be cautious, 'cause your opponent will be well prepared to counter such a popular move. Obviously the Hell Sweep is still a useful move: it has good range, and it deals good damage, in particular if you hit and stop at the first Sweep, you will be able to perform some damaging juggles. As I told before, this move can be easily sidestepped on the left, but is almost impossible to sidestep it on the right, which is instead the side you should preferably choose if you want to sidestep the Demon's Paw; for this reason you should can take advantage of it and mix these two moves against average "sidesteppers". This move is even good during okizeme, 'cause, in most cases, it hits a downed opponent(see okizeme section). In the end a good move, but as I told before you should be careful when using it against a skilled opponent. -Spinning Kicks (uf+4,4,4,4) -m,l,l,m- 25,15,12,25 -Tracking ability Jin learned this move from his father, Kazuya, and I must say that this time he learned well. Unfortunately the move itself is not too useful, mainly because the second and third hits of this combo can be easily Low-Parried. Even if your opponent doesn't use a character with this ability, this move isn't fast enough to represent a real danger, in most cases it will only annoy your opponent. Obviously you may choose not to perform all the hits of this combo, but even in this case you will not gain any advantages, cause the recovery time after each kick is too long; for this reason if you stop at the second or third kick and your opponent blocks, you will be opened for an attack. If one of this two sweeps connects, you can juggle your opponent. Even though this move has some interesting properties: first of all it is difficult to sidestep, and even if it is possible(you must sidestep the first kick, on the left), your opponent must attack immediately after the sidestep or he will be forced to block the third or fourth kick. The second, and most useful property is its tracking ability: in some cases in fact the Spinning Kicks will follow your opponent even in a 180° arc (see okizeme section). You should never use this move against a skilled player. -Corpse Splitter (UB_U_UF+2+4) -M- 30 Well...hem...yes, this move is pretty useless. You should use it only to avoid a charge of a running opponent, and only for taunting purposes... -Hop Back Kick (ub+4) -m- 9 You will not use this move often, but it can still be useful to know that whenever you want to go Bw safely you can use this kick which is quick and has good priority. Remember also that while in the air you can buffer some motions: for example if you hold back while hopping back, and press fw+2 as soon as you hit the floor, you will perform a Stun Punch. -Hop Kick (U_UF,4) -m- While performed on the ground, even if the damage is good, this kick is slow and has poor priority; for this reason you should use this kick only during some juggles and only to give them a bit of variety. -Stunning Hop Kick (UF,3) -m- This kick is slow and has average priority, so I mention it only because it has the property to stun your opponent on every hit; however it won't happen often against a good player. -Running Side Kick (f,f,f+3) -m- 30 -Guard stun, Knocks down Even if you will not use this kick too often it can become handy in some situations. First of all it hits mid, so that it will hit a ducking opponent; but its most useful properties the Guard Stun: if your opponent blocks it you will be able to inflict him some GUARANTEED hits; you may perform a Right Mid Kick (easy), a Demon's Paw (hard) or, if you perform the kick at the right distance, you will be able to hit your opponent with a perfectly timed EWGF; I suggest you to learn to perform the Demon's Paw 'cause it is easier than the EWGF and more damaging than the Mid Kick. Remember however that the Running Side Kick can be easily sidestepped on the right, so you should perform it when your opponent is forced to block. There is another way to perform the Running Side Kick, and it will be covered in the Unconventional Moves Section. -Electric Block (b+1+2) This move is not very useful, mainly because it is a bit slow, so you can't use it as reaction, to neutralize an incoming move. You may use it against a flying move (King's f+1+4 or Ling's f,f+3+4) to start some juggles, but as I told before in most cases you must perform the Electric Block before your opponent starts its move, so even in this case, you should guess which move your opponent will perform; to my opinion it is too risky against skilled opponents. The only way I use this move is as a taunt, both on the ground and during juggles (see Juggles section). -Spinning God Fist (b+1+4) -!(m)- 40 - Unblockable Well this unblockable has good speed if compared with other unlockables in the game, and while performing it Jin ducks and slides fw; even though, at good level of play, it can be easily interrupted so you should never use it against skilled opponents. This move hits the big characters while they lie on the floor. -Super Spinning God Fist (B+1+4) -!(m)- 80 Unblockable This is the big version of the SGF, and even if it deals more damage it is too slow to be a danger for someone. -Ultimate Tackle (d_db+1+2) -m- The Ultimate Tackle is not a good move: it is slow, it can be interrupted easily, has limited range (unless you use the CD motion, see Unconventional Moves section), and if you miss you are opene to a counter attack; furthermore it can be escaped in two ways, and even if you knock down your opponent, he will be able to escape both the punches (1,2..or 2,1..) or the Arm Bar (1+2) quite easily. -Reversal (b+1+3_b+2+4) -h or m- Varies The high-mid Reversal, that Jin learned from his mother Jun, can be useful, but you must be cautious and learn when to use it. Besides the innovation of the "chicken" which will break the reversal attempt but which will inflict small damage, the worst mistake you can make is to become overconfident and try the Reversal too often; this will make you become predictable and your opponent may take advantage of it by performing delayed or Low attacks when- ever you try the Reversal motion. You should use the Reversal once in a while or during some combos, when it will be more difficult for your opponent to break the reversal. Furthermore the proper use of the Reversal may have a psychological effect on your opponent: sometimes it will happen that he will become so concentrated in breaking or avoiding the Reversal attempt that his attacks will lose effectiveness; when it happens immediately take advantage of it. ---THROWS--- Let's now analize Jin's throws; I will not list the side or rear throws because they don't have particular properties, remember only that you may choose to use them after a successful sidestep. The following throws are listed with the NAME, (COMMAND), -DAMAGE and ESCAPE COMMAND. -Bitch Kicks (1+3) -30- escape with 1 This is the standard right throw, that Jin inherited from his father. The damage of the Bitch Kicks is a standard 30, but after it you can do a guaranteed Right Mid Kick (df+4), which will raise the total damage to a good 40. The only bad thing about this move is that it can be easily escaped since it is required the pression of only one button (1). -Flip Toss (2+4) -30- escape with 2 The left standard throw, with the same damage of the right one (30) but with no guaranteed hits after it; the only interesting feature of this throw is that your opponent will end laying on the ground face up and with the head TW you, a position which can give you the opportunity to start some Okizeme tactics (see Okizeme section). -Stone Head (f,f+1+2) -33- escape with 1+2 Another move that Jin learned from his father, and a very useful throw indeed. Firs of all the Stone Head can be performed after a dash or after a CD (see Unconventional Moves Section) to gain range; in the second place it deals a little more damage then the standard throws (33); after it you can perform a ground attack, but your opponent can tech-roll to escape it, so be careful or you will miss. The Stone Head requires the pression of two buttons instead of one to be escaped, but since the throw comes out a little slower (due to the f,f motion), at a high level of play it will happen often. -Striking Shiho Rage (df+2+3) -38- escape with 1 Jin learned this move from his mother Jun, and this is his most damaging frontal throw. After it, since you will end being on your opponent side (he will recover slowly from his face up position) you can get a guaranteed Hell Sweep so that the overall damage is raised to a total 56; if you don't hit your opponent with the sweep and he stands up he will be back turned (see Okizeme section for more). Another good property of this throw is that you can delay it a bit by pressing the 2+3 during the -df- crouching motion; obviously you can't do the throw from the full crouch position, but if can delay it enough to fool sometimes your opponent; if you mix it with the instant (WS+2) Rising Upper (which actually can be performed after a -df- command), you can start a good guessing game. The only drawback about this throw is that is seems to lack range and it requires only one button(1) to be escaped. -Twisting Wrist Toss (d,db,b+1+3) -35- escape with 2 This throw deals good damage (35) but it requires a stick motion, which will inevitably slow down the execution, and is easily escapable with the pression of only one button (2), Even though it will make your opponent recover face up head TW you, offering good okizeme options. Good to give some variety to your throwing game. ---STRINGS--- I have to say in advance that I don't use the strings too often (at a high level of play they are almost useless) but I will give them a quick look 'cause I think that at least two of them can have some use. b+2,4,4,4,4,2,1+4,2,(1,3or4_3+4) This set of strings is not so good 'cause the first two hits are high and the fourth kick (a sweep) can be easily low-parried; if you manage to arrive to the last hit unharmed, your opponent will have to block correctly the ender you choose (remember however that the last TGF is a little slow, so it won't be difficult for your opponent to duck to block the Can-Can kicks and than rise and block a possible TGF). b+2,4,2,1,2 I've listed this variation separately, 'cause this is undoubtedly Jin's most useful string. It has some good properties: first of all this string is more difficult to interrupt, and since the last three punches are mid, your opponent can't low-parry the string and get free hits. The first punch of this string has the property to turn slightly on the side your opponent; for this reason if the first punch connects the following three hits are guaranteed, an in some cases (for example if you hit you opponent on the left side, or after having blocked some particular moves such Jin or Hei's Flash Punches) even the last one will connect. This string can be used even during juggles, so be sure that you learn the right timing and distance. 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,2,1,2 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,1,3 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,1,4 Whenever you start one of these sets of strings you should stop at the third hit; the 4th in fact hits high, and you opponent will be able to duck it easily and hit you with a WS attack. f,f,N+2,1,2,2,3,4,3,2,1 f,f,N+2,1,2,2,3,4,1,2,1 f,f,N+2,1,4,4,2,4,3,2,1 If you have played T2 you should know that these set of strings are exactly the same of Kazuya; they look cool, but unfortunately the first two variations start with four high punches, so it won't be difficult for your opponent to duck them. The last variation instead can be quite usefull, 'cause after the first two punches Jin will perform a Right Axe Kick which hits mid. The 5th punch is a low jab, and if you stop at it you will end ducking; this means that you can perform, immediately after the recovery time, every WS attack (I try this once in a while, to catch my opponent off guard). ---UNCONVENTIONAL MOVES--- This section of the guide is entirely dedicated to those moves which can be performed with unconventional commands; this includes the moves that can be dash buffered, the moves which came out after a CD, and the b+1 tricks. -Dash buffer- There are several moves that can be dash buffered, but before listing them I will explain for new players what is the dash buffer. The concept is quite simple: whenever a move requires a starting -f- (forward) or -b- (back) stick motion, you can initiate this move after a dash (f,f or b,b) because the system will take the second f or b command of the dash as the f or b command of the move. Obviously the same goes for moves which require a -f,f- (or b,b) motion: in this case you can simply dash forward, hold the -f- direction and press the button command; in this way the move will be performed after the dash to gain a lot of range, so be sure to learn how to perform Jin's moves with the dash buffer technique. Here are the moves: Demon's Paw: go with the dash buffer command whenever you look for range; remember however that it will slower a bit the execution time. Stone Head Throw: another good option after a dash, and a good alternative to the Demon's Paw; if your opponent stands to block the punch attack, throw him with the Stone Head; remember however that most players will try to escape this throw even if it can be more difficult (it requires two buttons) whenever they see Jin dashing fw 'cause it is the most common throw that comes out after a dash. Left Axe Kick: as I told in the Moves section this kick can be easily interrupted, so I don't ever use the dash buffer command 'cause it slowers the kick a bit. Knee: well this could be obvious, but don't underestimate the dash buffered version of the Knee Kick, 'cause it still is one of the best interrupters and with this motion it gets more range. EWGF: this motion is a bit difficult, but if you master it will give the EWGF (or the WGF) more range making this move perfect to launch sudden attacks (the motion will be f,f,N,d,DF+2); this motion is required if you want to perform some juggles (see the Juggles section). Hell Sweep: this is one of the moves which take more benefits from the Dash buffer; with this motion you can gain a lot of range and perform the Sweep immediately with no CD animation so that this move will become less predict- able (f,f,N,d,DF+4). Any other Crouch Dash(f,N,d,df...)attack: As you may have imagined you can Dash buffer every CD attack, or even only the CD motion. -Crouch Dash unconventional attacks- The Crouch Dash attacks that we have analized in the Moves section, are basically four: the WGF, the TGF, the Hell Sweep and the Right Axe Kick; but as I've mentioned in the CD section, there are other attacks that can be performed after this motion. For some moves the concept is similar to the Dash Buffer one, 'cause the system will take the -f- motion of the CD as the first -f- command of those moves which require a -f,f- command. Here is a list of this moves: Demon's Paw: you can actually perform the Demon's Paw after the CD motion to give some variety to your CD attacks; the command will be f,N,d,df,F+2. Remember however that in this case the Demon's Paw can be sidestepped more easily. Stonehead Throw: you can perform the basic throws after the CD (pressing f, then the basic throw command), but the Stonehead is the quickest one; the command is f,N,d,df,F+1+2. As I told in the Dash Buffer paragraph, a skilled opponent will try to escape this one in most of cases 'cause it is the most common throw after a CD. Left WS Roundhouse: this move comes lot after a CD if you press the -3- button; I don't use it often 'cause it hits high, so it can be easily ducked; however I must say that this is the only move after a Crouch Dash that can NOT be sidestepped on the left. Keep this in mind when you face a sidestepping opponent..... Ultimate Tackle: you can perform this move at any point of the crouch dash, giving the tackle a bit of range; the command to perform it is f,N,d,df+1+2. Run: You can even start a run after the CD by pressing f,N,d,df,f,f. Besides the moves I've listed before, there are some other moves that may involve the CD motion; after a full CD in fact, Jin recovers crouching, this means that you can perform every WS attack. Since Jin's Ws moves are pretty good, this option can be useful to catch off guard your opponent; for example the Rising Uppercut can be well suited to hit an opponent who tried to interrupt the CD with a high attack. The command for these moves is: f,N,d,df,N,WS+....... There is another move that can be performed with a CD motion and that can be useful in some particular situations: the Running Side Kick. Actually it is no longer a "Running" kick 'cause you don't have to run in order to perform it, but the animation is the same of the Running Side Kick so I will call it this way. The command to perform it is a bit tricky, and you should train a lot if you want to master it; you must do: f,N,d,df,f,uf+3. You must press the button as soon as the stick reaches the uf position, or you will perform the standard uf+3 kick which is completely different. This version of the Kick has the same properties of the "Running" version, and you can get the same guaranteed hits after it, but I must say that the timing is a bit harder. Read the Running Side Kick paragraph for other informations about this kick. -The b+1 trick- There is a little trick that regards the left jab that many Tekken players don't know; before analyzing it I have to say that only Jin and Lei can do this trick. When you perform a standing left jab Jin will deal a small amount of damage, and you will have no advantage for the following move; if you press b+1, the animation will be the same of the standard jab but the damage inflicted will be greater and you will have a big advantage for the next move. This advantage will give you the opportunity to throw your opponent, or to hit him with some guaranteed moves; here are the moves (guaranteed) you can do after the b+1. b+1, 1+3 throw 43 damage+ground hit , 2+4 throw 43 damage , f,f+1+2 Stone Head throw 46 damage , 1,1, delayed 2 (Dld. Flash Punches) 42 damage, hard against Heihachi , f+4 23-28 damage , 2,2 46 damage -Quick Ws motion- Jin has some of the best Ws attacks in the game, and even if these attacks must be started from the crouching position, there is a way to perform them actually without the crouching animation. In order to do it you must press the -df- or -db- direction and then press the button; for example the command to perform a quick Rising Uppercut is db_df,N 2. You must wait a split second before the db_df command before executing the move or you will perform a crouching move. Be careful not to press d instead of db_df or your character will sidestep. I use this quick Ws motion often, and mostly after a sidestep. ---JUGGLES--- Almost every character in the game (with few exceptions) can inflict a considerable amount of damage, after having launched the opponent in the air, by hitting (juggling) him with other moves; since this kind of damage is 100/100 guaranteed (you can't block while in the air) you can well understand how important the concept of juggle is. At high level of play juggles will happen less frequently, so you should learn how to deal the maximum amount of damage every time that you juggle your opponent. Obviously some characters have more ways than others to juggle their opponent, and other characters deal more damage; Jin is a really good juggler, and even if he doesn't have very quick launchers (such as the hopkick) he can inflict a big amount of damage after almost every juggle starter. Let's take a look to Jin's juggle starters: Rising Uppercut (WS+2): the best juggle starter 'cause it launches a bit higher then the other starters and allows you to perform easily some really good damaging juggles; after it you can easily perform a TGF. WGF (f,N,d,df+2): a good juggle starter, but since it juggles only when it connects not on CH you will not use it too often. It juggles high and after it you could even perform a TGF but in this case the timing is really more difficult then the one required after the Rising Upper. EWGF (f,N,d,DF+2): to my opinion this is Jin's second best starter; it deals more damage than every other starter, it juggles on every hit, and after it you can even perform a TGF; even in this case the timing required is very difficult to learn. Twin Pistons (WS+1,2): this move launches high enough in the air to perform some good damaging juggles, but the firs hit must be on CH. Tooth Fairy (SS+2): another good starter, 'cause it can be easily executed after a sidestep, it juggles high, but its recovery time is longer then the above mentioned moves, so you will be able to juggle with less moves after it; on CH it juggles higher. Can Can Kicks (d+3+4): this is one of the worst juggle starters, and you will use it only at short range and during short recovery times; after it you will not be able to juggle with anything better then the White Heron, so if you have the choice, use other juggle starters. Mid Upper (df+2): this move juggles only on CH (even if you get a chance to juggle your opponent even when it doesn't connects on CH, see Moves Section); when it happens, this move juggles high enough to perform damaging juggles (you can even perform a TGF but the timing is really hard). Stun Punches Combo (b,f+2,1,d+2): I just mention it as a starter but you will never juggle someone better then average with it. There are other moves that, even if they don't launch your opponent in the air, they will allow you to perform some small and average damaging juggles; the most common of these starters is the Hell Sweep. Here is the list of these unconventional juggle starters: Hell Sweep(f,N,d,DF+4): after this move you can perform some average-damaging juggles, mostly the one involving the White Heron Combo. You can even do a Stun Punches Combo after it, but the timing is too hard do it consistently. White Heron Combo (1+4,2,d+4): After the last sweep you can perform the same juggles that you can do after the Hell Sweep. Spinning Kicks (uf+4,4,4..): If the second or third sweep connect, you can juggle your opponent mostly with the White Heron. Left Axe Kick (f,f+3): Whenever it happens that this kick connects you can perform some short juggles. -The Stun Punch juggles- The Stun Punch can be considered an unconventional juggle starter, 'cause whenever it connects on CH you will have the opportunity to juggle your opponent during the "double over stun" animation. I will mention only the juggles you can perform after the first punch of the Stun Punches combo because the stun after the second punch can be easily escaped. After the first punch you may choose to launch your opponent in the air, or to hit him while he is falling on the ground. In the first case you can launch him with the Can Can Kicks (the easiest option), or you can go for the most damaging option and try an EWGF; in this case the timing is hard, so you must train a lot in order to do it consistently. I can only give a couple of hits about the right timing: first of all if you hit your opponent from afar with the Stun Punch, you will have a little more time to perform the EWGF(in some cases you can even launch him with a very fast and perfectly timed WGF); in the second place you should start the EWGF motion as soon as Jin's right heel touches the ground. If you choose to hit your opponent while he is falling on the ground, I suggest you to learn how to hit him with a TGF which is the most damaging option. -Electric Block juggles- The Electric Block is a pretty useless move, but in some particular scenarios it can be used to juggle your opponent; this happens whenever you use the block against flying moves such as King's 1+4; the Electric Block will bounce up and you will be able to juggle him. Remember however that in most cases you won't have enough time to do it as reaction, so if you want to use it you should guess what move your opponent will do. -Flip-over juggles- The concept of flip-over is quite simple: hitting your opponent with certain attacks or from a side you will make him flip-over and land face down; since your opponent can not tech-roll when he lands face down, this is one of the few cases when a ground hit is guaranteed. The most common scenario when you can do a flip-over juggle is when you juggle your opponent from a side with a Tooth Fairy or a Rising Upper: if you hit him with a move you will make him flip. However you must be careful because when your opponent is in the air facing the ground, he will not juggle in the common way; he will not bounce upwards, instead he will bounce downward after any successive hit so you must learn the right timing or each juggle. In some cases if you hit him with the wrong move your opponent may re-flip so he will land on the ground face up, so be careful. -Face down sweep juggles- Another way to juggle your opponent is to tap the left kick (3) when you lay on the ground face down; Jin will perform a sweep which once connected will allow you to juggle your opponent. This will not happen too frequently and you must be careful, cause whenever your opponent blocks the sweep you will be opened to a WS attack. -Diving stun juggles- This is another juggle opportunity that will happen whenever you perform a dive after a having rolled FW while getting up. The dive will guard stun your opponent if he blocks it, so you will have the chance to hit him with a guaranteed jab which will juggle him. Be careful however because during the roll animation you are vulnerable to mid, low and some high attacks. --List of Juggles-- Now that we have analized the possible starters let's take a look to some of Jin's possible juggles; this is obviously not a complete list, it is only a selection of my favourite juggles. WS+2 TGF,3 b,f+2,1,2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,d+2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,2, df+4(4) f,f EWGF, b,f+2,1,2 WGF, f,f, 1+4,2, f,f+2 U/F,4, b,f+2,1,2 b+2,4,2,1,2 EWGF, EWGF EWGF, f,f+2 1,2,4, f,f+2 f+4, b,f+2,1,2 4, f,f+2 U/F,4, 1+4, d/f+4,4 U/F,4, 1, f,f+2 4 , 4~3 WGF_EWGF, TGF,3 b,f+2,1,2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,d+2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,2, df+4(4) EWGF, EWGF b+2,4,2,1,2 1,2,4, WGF WS1+1,2 on CH, b,f+2,1,2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,d+2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,2, df+4(4) SS+2, b,f+2,1,2, df+4 (easier on CH) b+2,4,2,1,2 (on CH only) 1,2, b,f+2,1,2 2, b,f+2,1,2 2, 1+4,2, f,f+2 d+3+4, 1+4,2, EWGF 1+4,2, f,f+2 1+4,2,4 1+4, d/f+4,4 df+2 on CH, b,f+2,1,2, f,f+2 b,f+2,1,d+2, f,f+2 b,f+2,12, df+4,4 TGF,3 -Unconventional juggles- 1+4,2,d+4 or f,N,d,DF+4, 1+4,2, f,f+2 1+4,2, EWGF 1+4,2, df+4,4 df+4, 1+4, df+4,4 1+4,2,4 f,f+3, 1+4,2, f,f+2 1+4,2, EWGF 1+4,2, df+4,4 -Stun Punch juggles- b,f+2 on CH, EWGF(WGF), TGF,3 the most difficult juggle in the game EWGF(WGF), b,f+2,1,2 , f,f+2 EWGF,.....any standard juggle after the EWGF d+3+4,....any standard juggle after the d+3+4 TGF,3 b,f+2,1,2 -Electric Block juggles (against flying moves)- B+1+2, 1,1,2 1,2,2 1,2, d/f+4,4 1+4,2, f,f+2 1,2, WGF 1,2, f,f+2 1, b,f+2,1,d+2 1, b,f+2,1,2 b,f+2,1,d+2 b,f+2,1,2 -Flip-over juggles- SS+2, 2,(flip) b,f+2,1,2, 4~3 b,f+2,1,2, f,N,d,DF+4 SS,WS+2, TGF(flip),3, 4~3 f+4(flip), b,f+2,1,2 4~3 df+1(flip), b,f+2,1,2, 4~3 2, b,f+2,1,2, 4~3 EWGF(flip), 4~3 -Face down sweep juggles- FCD,3, 1+4,2,4 1+4,2, WGF 1+4,2, f,f+2 WS+4, 1+4, df+4,4 WS+4, 2, f,f+2 1+4,2, df+4,4 WS+2, df+1, f,f+2 -Dive stun juggles- f,f+1+2 (on the ground), 2, b,f+2,1,2 2, b,f+2,1,d+2 f+4, 1+4,2, f,f+2 Remember that at high level of play you will not have too many chances to juggle your opponent, so try to inflict the maximum damage after every single starter. ---OKIZEME--- The word okizeme is used to represent all those "infamous" techniques that Tekken players use to inflict damage against a downed or getting up opponent; if one doesn't know how to get up, Okizeme can inflict more damage then any juggle or unblockable moves; is for this reason that I consider knowing how to get up properly a basic skill, and more than often, these techniques can be used to recognize a good Tekken player from a just average one. A well planned Okizeme can become a dangerous guessing game even for those players who know how to get up, and if used properly it can give you those spare points of damage which will allow you to win the match. Jin possesses some well suited moves for okizeme tactics, but before I go further I have to explain a basic concept about Okizeme: Okizeme starts with the move with which you knock down your opponent; I will try to explain what I mean. The most important thing about it is that you should exactly know how your opponent will land when you knock him down: will he land face up or will he land face down? And feet towards you or head towards you? This kind of knowledge can give you the advantage for the following guessing game; and getting up is THE guessing game in Tekken 3. Before analizing the moves you can perform during Okizeme, we must consider the possible ground positions and all the possible options your opponent have to get up: Possible ground positions (I will use the abbreviations used by tragic in his TEKKEN3 MANUAL): Play dead(PLD) : face up, head towards you Slide(SLD) : face down, head towards you Face down(FCD) : face down, feet towards you Knock down(KND) : face up, feet towards you Possible getting up options: -Tech-roll: your opponent can get up as soon as he hits the ground (as long as he lands in PLD or Knock Down positions) simply pressing the punches(roll TW the stage) or the kicks(roll TW the screen). -Roll(Fw or Bw): after having landed, your opponent may choose to roll towards you or backwards (pressing -f- or -b-); during the first part of the roll animation he is vulnerable to mid and low attacks and even to some high one. After the roll he may attack you with a low or mid kick (3 or 4 after the roll) which will came out with different speed depending to the starting ground position; as long as your opponent doesn't use Ling, Lei or Hwoarang, he can even perform the dive(remember that he can juggle you after the fw roll and dive if you block it). -Rise: your opponent can rise from the ground and block both high or low simply pressing up on the stick/pad. During the first few frames of the rising animation he is vulnerable to low connecting attacks, so if you hit him during these frames he will not be able to block. -Ground Roll: your opponent can decide to roll on both sides and change ground position (from face up to face down) or he can roll and rise; in the first case he will be able to rise, roll or attack, in the second case he can only block or attack. -Attack: your opponent can attack you with a mid or low kick almost from every ground position, but these attacks will came out with different speed, depending from the starting ground position. -Lightning kick: if your opponent is laying on the ground in KND position he can even perform a low kick, which has good speed but suffers a long recovery time; Hei, Bryan, Ogre, True Ogre, Kuma and Gun Jack can't perform this kick. -Lay on the ground: obviously your opponent may choose to lay on the ground, which in most case can be the safest option: you can hit him with a ground hit, but in most cases this hit will push him far enough to let him get up safely. Ok, we have analized the possible options, so now we can go straight to Jin's okizeme moves; as I told before, in the Move Analysis section, the main weapons for okizeme are: the White Heron, the Flip Kick, the Right Axe, the Hell Sweep and obviously low poking moves such as the left low jab or the right low kick. I will now consider some basic okizeme strategies based on your opponent ground position: -Opponent in PLD position: Your opponent will end in this position after the Twisting Wrist Toss (d,db,b+1+3) and after the right Side Throw. When your opponent is in a PLD position every hit that he takes during the rising animation will make him recover with his back TW you; this can give you a very important advantage , 'cause he can't block. Even if you hit him with a fast attack while he is performing an attack from the PLD position, you will be able to interrupt the attack and make him recover BK. In these case , the most useful interrupter is the low jab, 'cause if you connect you can juggle with a WS+2 (Rising Upper); the good thing about the low jab is that it is so fast that you will have better chances to hit your opponent(you can perform it twice). Another good attack you can perform is the Right Axe Kick, but it will push your opponent too far to juggle him; a well timed Overhead Blow (f+2) or Knee Kick can be devastating, 'cause your opponent will be pulled TW you (this is a sort of glitch) facing the wrong direction so that you can hit him with a Stun Punch Combo. If your opponent rolls back you can try to hit him with a Demon's Paw (ff+2) or with a Right Axe (df+4,4) at the beginning of the roll animation. If you think he is going to attack after the roll, then the best option is to run after him then sidestep on the left: both the low kick or the mid one can be sidestepped in this way if he tries to perform them after a roll from the PLD position. If you don't want to take the risk of the sidestep (the timing can be tricky), you can easily anticipate any attack with a Demon's Paw (f,f+2); if you want to show some skill you can even anticipate the attacks with a dash buffered EWGF (f,f,N,d,DF+2) and juggle your opponent. If you think that your opponent is going to block after the roll, then you can run after him and perform the Running Side Kick(f,f,f+3) so that he will take the guaranteed hit after it, or you can pursue him with a Crouch Dash and start a guessing game. Note that Lei can perform another attack when in PLD position, his 3+4: be careful and try to anticipate it with a White Heron or sidestep it on the right. If your opponent lays on the ground, hit him with a Hell Sweep or with a Flip Kick. -Opponent in SLD position: Your opponent will end in the SLD position after the standard right throw (Flip Toss); from here you should guess what your opponent is going to do: if he rises, you can juggle him with a White Heron or hit him with a Right Axe Kick in the first part of the rising animation. If he rolls back you can dash after him and immediately do a White Heron, which, if timed correctly, will hit your opponent during the first part of the roll animation. If you don't want to guess whether you opponent is going to roll or not (or you think that he is going to block after the roll), you can wait until he starts the roll and then perform a Running Side Kick (f,f,f+3 or f,N,d,df,f,uf+3); you will be able to take advantage of the guard stun and hit him with well timed Demon's Paw. If you think that your opponent is going to attack after the roll, try to anticipate him with a Demon's Paw. If your opponent simply attacks you with a mid or low kick, the best option is to sidestep on the right and crouch: in this way you will effectively sidestep a possible mid kick and block the low one (which can not be sidestepped at all), and in both cases juggle with a Rising Upper. A low kick will interrupt both the rising animation and the attacking one, but it will deal poor damage. -Opponent in KND position: This is the most common ground position, and your opponent will lay in this way after most of your juggles. As for all the other ground positions, if your opponent rises, the best option is the White Heron which will juggle and deal good damage; this move is also good to stop your opponent if he tries to roll back. In most cases you will start your okizeme tactics a little distant from your opponent (the last hit of a juggle will make him fly away), so I found that is better to make a step to shorten the distance and in the case that my opponent tries to hit me with a low or mid kick, immediately dash out of range and juggle with a WGF(EWGF). If your opponent gets confident and tries a FW roll (maybe to perform a dive) immediately stop him with a fast low-mid move (even an EWGF will work). Remember that while in this ground position your opponent can perform the lightning kick. If you think that your opponent is going to stay on the ground, you should hit him with a Flip Kick or a Hell Sweep; keep in mind that there are some juggles which will hit a non tech- rolling opponent, so if you think that your opponent is going to lay on the ground DO them. -Opponent in FCD position: Jin doesn't have many moves that will make your opponent end in this position, but since his reversal has one animation that will do it, I will analize even this ground position. The most important thing about this position is that in most cases, if your opponent lays on the ground a Hell Sweep will completely MISS, so be careful or you will be juggled with the standard low sweep (FCD,3). If your opponent rolls back you will hardly hit him during the roll animation, so I suggest you to run after him and perform a Running Side Kick. If your opponent rises you can hit him with an immediate Right Axe Kick or with a White Heron. -Tech-rolling opponent: Tech-roll is a new feature of Tekken 3 and it can be useful to avoid ground hits; the bad news is that your character recovers crouching and during some frames of the tech-roll animation (32 frames in total), he is vulnerable to low (between 20-21 frames) and mid (between 21-32 frames) attacks. So whenever your opponent tech-rolls, you should try to hit him during those frames, and since he can't block mid for a long period (compared to the other one), you should focus on fast mid attacks; the Right Axe Kick is very good at this task, even though a well timed Demon's Paw can do more damage. Hitting your opponent every time he tech-rolls is a good way force him to stay on the ground, which is exactly what you need to start your okizeme tactics. -Other ground positions: In some cases, such as the left side throw, the Striking Shiho Rage throw and some reversal animations, your opponent will end laying with a side TW you; in these cases you should learn how he will get up and how he will react to a direct attack (for example after the Shiho Rage throw your opponent will get up back turned). However you can always sidestep and get in a more comfortable position.... -Other advices for okizeme: Remember that even if you don't succeed in hitting your opponent WHILE he is getting up, you can always hit him AFTER he got up. Even in this case in fact, you can start a guessing game full of Throws, Uppers, low kicks, Right Axe Kicks, Hell Sweeps and so on... ---SOME STRATEGICAL ADVICES--- If you have read this guide to this point (I hope so...), you will have understood that Jin has all the weapons to give some hard time to every character in the game; however as I told in the preface, knowledge has spread during these years, so some old concepts that could have been useful in the past, now must be revisited. -Custom Strings and Set Up moves: Let's start with some considerations about the CUSTOM STRINGS: even if I think that the concept of "set up moves" is very important, I have to say that custom strings as we know them, are nowadays completely useless. To explain what I mean, I will take for example some custom strings mentioned in the BEST strategy guide (dedicated to Jin) I found on the net, the incomparable Slikatel's one. In the custom strings section he lists a "decent amount of pre-configured custom strings": d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+2 d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+1,2 d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+4, b,f+2,1, d/f+1,2, d+1, d+4, WS+4,4 d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+4, f,f+2 d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+1, d/f+1, d/f+4,4 d/f+1,2, d+1, d+4, D+1+2.... d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+1, 1,2,4 d/f+1,2, d+1, WS+2, f+4 etc.... Let's go step by step: the first move is a Twin Lancers, and I must agree that it is a good set up move (if it connects on CH); after it we have a low jab and then, in most cases a WS move; well against a skilled opponent this string is useless and most important it can be a sort of suicide: If your opponent blocks the Twin Lancers, he can EASILY anticipate the d+1 with an average fast attack, due to the recovery time of the Twin Lancers. If your opponent is not so reactive you go on and perform the d+1; if he blocks the d+1 he can EASILY anticipate the following WS attack even with a HIGH move; so even if the Twin Lancers hits, your opponent can block the d+1 and anticipate you from there. Let's take for example a Jin vs Jin scenario: The P1 wants to performs the custom string df+1,2 ,d+1, WS+2,; that's what may happen: -P2 blocks the Twin Lancers and performs a Flash Punches Combo: P1 will take all the combo in his face(the same thing would happen if the df+1,2 hits not on CH; P2 would have blocked the second hit and anticipate P1 with a fast attack). -P2 blocks the df+1,2, waits, blocks the d+1 and performs a Right Axe Kick (or a Flash Punches Combo): P1 takes the attacks in his face. -P2 takes the df+1,2 on CH then blocks(hopely) the d+1 and attacks with a fast attack: P1 takes the attack in his face once again. -P2 takes the df+1,2 ,the d+1 and the WS+2: well, P2 is definitely not a good player. The most important rule in Tekken3 which makes the custom strings almost useless is that if your opponent blocks a d+1, d+2, d+4 and other poking attacks, he will always have a good advantage for the following attack. Most of the strings above mentioned start with the Twin Lancers, but I can tell you for sure that if it doesn't connect on CH, your opponent can ALWAYS anticipate you after having blocked the second hit. Obviously if the Twin Lancers connect on CH you will have a good advantage but your opponent will surely know it and in most cases, he will try to block the following attack; since it will be a d+1(in the custom string case), he will be able to block and counter you from there. Most people feel comfortable after a d+1 (even if blocked) and try a WS attack: sometimes this can be one of the reasons of their defeats; obviously if the d+1 hits you will have the advantage, and you will be able to perform the WS move, but at a high level of play your opponent will almost surely block it. That's why I don't consider custom strings useful as long as you are playing against a good opponent. Instead I would like to stress the importance of a good SET UP game: the concept is similar to the custom string one: you perform an attack which will give you a reasonable chance to hit your opponent with another move. The purpose of a set up move is to fool your opponent and force him to make a mistake; in most cases a guessing game is involved in this process, cause in Tekken3 there is a counter move for each attack (with some exceptions like guaranteed hits). I will make an example to explain what I mean: You perform a Twin Lancers and hit your opponent on CH; now Jin is at the perfect distance to perform a Stun Punch; if your opponent performs a move which is not very fast, the Stun Punch will connect on CH( and this is exactly what you want). Your opponent however may anticipate you with a low jab (remember that he recovers crouching after the 2nd hit of the Twin Lancers); in this case you can wait, make him whiff, and punish him during the short recovery time, or you can try to anticipate him with a Right Axe Kick; obviously your opponent may decide simply to block after being hit by the Twin Lancers, and in this case you can throw him and go for okizeme. In all the cases your opponent will be forced to think fast and play defensively. As you may have noticed, your opponent has always one option to counter your strategies, but if he makes a mistake you will be able to inflict him a good amount of damage. A good set up move has often some "stun" properties, will give you a slight advantage or will put you at the perfect distance to perform another move. I will list some (to my opinion) good set up moves: Flash Punches - the first two hits Twin Lancers - when it connects on CH Shoot the Works - if blocked One-Two Knee - if it connects Knee Kick Right Mid Kick Overhead Blow - both if blocked or if it connects Running Side Kick - if blocked You should practice and make some experimentations to find the proper way to use these or other moves to build your own set up strategies; however try to never create a pattern 'cause you will become predictable and this is the worst mistake you can make. -Poking: Poking is a term used to indicate fast attacks with very high priority which will interrupt most of your opponent attacks. These kind of attacks will deal in most cases low damage, but will sometimes frustrate your opponent giving you a good psychological advantage. Jin has many good poking attacks and some of them can even inflict good damage or set up for other moves; I will list some of them: 1 1,1 1,2 (,3_,4) d+1 d+4 f+4 df+4 df+1 (not exactly a poking move, but kinda of..) The most important thing about pokes is that, as you may have read in the custom string section, in most cases you must stop whenever your opponent blocks one of these attacks, otherwise you will be anticipated (it will always happen after a d+1_2 or d+4). Whenever you hit with one of these moves you will have a slight advantage for the following attack, so in most cases if you perform two consecutive pokes and your opponent tries to attack, you will hit him twice; obviously you must choose compatible pokes, or you will miss with the second one: for example if you poke with a f+4(which will push back your opponent) you should follow with a df+4 instead of a d+1, cause the second one is very short and could miss. As you may have noticed some poking attacks can be even useful set up moves, so be sure to master their utilization. Another good way you can use some (not all) pokes is as "set up" for set up moves....hem, even if it sounds strange it is possible. The concept is simple: if you hit with a poke, you will have a little advantage, so you can try to perform one of your favorite set up moves. Note that THIS IS NOT A CLASSIC CUSTOM STRING, 'cause you will go on with the attack only if you hit (probably on CH) with the first move; otherwise you must stop or you will be countered easily. As I wrote for the set up moves, do not create patterns or a good opponent will kill you in seconds. Finally, remember that pokes are the best interrupters that your character has, so use them for what they are. -Spacing and Recovery times: ============================================================================== As I told in the introduction I consider the knowledge of spacing and timing really basic skills. The concept of spacing embraces ,not only the right position to take during the match in order to use your favourite moves, but also the ability to read your opponent game style and make him whiff with some (most) of his moves. Jin is very good at this 'cause his fw and bw dash are wide and quick, not to mention his sidestep to which I will dedicate an entire section; furthermore many of Jin's moves can be dash buffered(or CD buffered) to gain more range and this can be very useful to make your spacing strategies more deadly. Dashing in and out, however, must be done with skill (due to the long recovery time that the bw dash has) or you will be hit in the process. For this reason you should learn the range of your opponent moves (at least the range of the moves that he uses more often) and try to take advantage of it. I think that Jin is a good all round character, but it can be more deadly if use at mid range; from this distance you will be able to dash out (sidestep) most of your opponent attacks and punish him, or you will be able to counter him with Jin's fast hitting moves. Obviously you won't be able to dodge all of your opponent' attacks, so at this point, the knowledge of recovery times becomes invaluable. When I say recovery times I don't want to mean only those recovery times that will allow you to hit your opponent for free (you have to know them if you want to inflict the maximum damage to your opponent), but all the recovery times that give you even only a slight advantage (or disadvantage) for the following move. If you know when your attacks will have priority, you will be able to set offensive strategies more accurately and with less risks. -Psychological domination: Well by now you should know most of Jin's best weapons and strategies, but none of them can give you better chances to win than a "psychological domination." If you are a good T3 player you may have noticed how, against an even-skilled player, the match often turns out in a poke war in which, as the good old Abrar wrote, "both players try to get the upper hand". It may happen that one of the two players succeed in this early in the match, maybe with a powerful juggle, but believe me, this is the exception, not the rule. The subtle balance in these matches is not dictated by moves or strategies, but dictated by psychology; I have won (and lost)loads of matches which were entirely in my opponent's hands by gaining a psychological advantage, obtained maybe just blocking two or more consecutive attacks or escaping one or two throws at the right moment. So I suggest you to try to remain calm for the entire match, even when things turn bad for you; since Jin (as almost every other character) can easily extinguish half of your opponent life-bar (even more with some juggles), the match is, if you don't "psychologically" give up, balanced till the last point of damage. For this reason, whenever you are very near to victory, don't hurry, don't take useless risks, wait for the right opportunity and strike. Another good way to gain psychological advantage is to punish your opponent whenever he makes a mistake or you read his game; hitting him during all his long recovery times, ducking under a throw attempt, staying out of range or side- stepping his best attacks, blocking consistently his low-mid pokes, can put on him a lot of psychological pressure; maybe he will attack sconsiderately with his most powerful moves(which is good) or better he may stop to attack, too frightened to retaliate, giving you the opportunity to dictate the game and.... "get the upper hand". Other good psychological agents are okizeme (see Okizeme section) and unexpected Reversals (see related paragraph in the Moves section). Obviously if your opponent is skilled he will try the same "psychological trick" against you.... ---THE SUBTLE ART OF SIDESTEP--- I think that among all the innovation that Namco has made in this chapter of Tekken, the most important is the Sidestep. This brillant feature adds depth to the game, giving the player the opportunity to build spectacular and effective gamestyle to face aggressive opponents with effectiveness and style. Since I started to play, sidestep has been my favourite move, and even if some characters are better than others in the sidestepping game, I always try to include it as an important part of my gamestyle. Luckly Jin has a very good sidestep (quick and deep), so when I started to play him (he was my first character) it didn't take me long to find a proper use for it. The most important thing about sidestep is that, obviously, it gives you, whenever you successfully sidestep an incoming attack, the chance to hit your opponent; even in this case some characters have better moves to use after a sidestep, and again Jin is one of them: his Tooth Fairy (maybe the best SS attack in the game), his Rising Upper, and his EWGF (the normal WGF won't juggle from the side) are really good at this task. Remember that you may interrupt the sidestep animation with any stick motion or with the pressing of any button, but you will not be able to block in the very first part of this animation (between 1-11 frames). However sidestepping is not as easy as it seems, 'cause most moves have a natural way to be sidestepped (you must SS them on one direction only), and some of them can't be sidestepped (almost) at all. Before starting to analyze how to deal with each character and their most common attacks, I want to explain the difference between the various ways to sidesteps. A first and universal consideration should be made for what concerns the position at which you will end after a SS: as long as you aren't performing an "interrupted" SS, the nearer you are (to your opponent) at the moment that the SS takes place, the deeper your sidestep will be; another parameter that will influence the depth of your SS is the range of the attack you are going to sidestep: the longer the range, the deeper the SS (the SS of a very long-ranged attack such as Hei's f,f+2 for example, will make you end behind your opponent). The first way to sidestep is the most common one, that is when you sidestep anticipating your opponent's attack (you start the SS before your opponent starts his attack); this SS requires obviously some guessing skills, and should be performed from short-mid range, 'cause at the long one your opponent's attack may trak and hit even if the direction you choosed for the SS was correct. This kind of SS can be dangerous, 'cause you must rely only on your guessing skills. The second way to perform a SS is to do it as reaction; it is the most difficult way to sidestep an attack and some moves can't be sidestepped in this way; you need good reflexes and still a bit of guessing skills. As I told before, some moves have a natural direction on which you have to choose if you want to successfully sidestep; however there is a way to side- step that may give you the opportunity to sidestep some attacks even on the wrong side. IN order to do this you have to perform the SS motion and at a point of its animation hold back (-b-) with the stick/pad. In this way the sidestep will be less deep(you actually stop at that point), but you will move very slightly bw, so that your final position will be less by side but little more distant from you opponent. With the powerful technology I have in my hands I will show you a visual example of the difference between a stopped SS and a normal one (please forgive me...): Starting position After a "stopped" SS After a normal SS _ _ _ _ P1 O_ _O P2 P1 O_ P1 O_ _ _ _O P2 _O P2 I will make an example of a possible scenario in which a stopped SS could be useful: -A Jin vs Jin match: P1 is going to perform a Demon's Paw(f,f+2); P2 can sidestep it easily on the right, but in the case that P1 makes a feint and performs a Hell Sweep he would be hit by the sweep(that must be sidestepped on the left); so P2 decides to sidestep on the left, which is not the natural direction to sidestep the Demon's Paw; in this case, if he holds back during the SS (and stops it) he will be able to sidestep even the Demon's Paw (or in the worse case block it) otherwise he will be hit. This concept is more difficult to explain than to do, so don't get scared by my complicated explanations (uhh..my english) and just try it in practice mode. As you may have understood this way to sidestep can be very usefull when you face a character which has a lot of moves which must be sidestepped on one direction and just one or two (dangerous) which should be sidestepped on the other side. -Attacking after a sidestep: As I told before, Jin has some really good attacks he can perform after a successful sidestep, but obviously some of them will be more suited for certain situations. The most usefull attacks in Jin's arsenal, in the case of a SS, are: the Tooth Fairy, the Rising Upper, the EWGF, his Throws and the Flash Punches Combo; let's analyze the different cases. The utilization of each move is dictated by the distance from your opponent at which you will end after the SS, so I will consider each move separately; I assume that you perform them after having successful sidestepped an incoming attack. Tooth Fairy: you should use it whenever you perform a deep sidestep and end at mid distance from you opponent; be sure to perform it during a long recovery time and not in fron of your opponent, 'cause if blocked, you will be hit for free. Rising Upper: you should use this upper whenever you end near to your opponent 'cause it lacks the range of the Tooth Fairy; remember to learn how to perform it quickly after a sidestep 'cause it is Jin's best juggle starter. EWGF: very usefull when it comes to juggle after a "Stopped" SS cause it is very quick and juggles even on CH; the only drawback of this move is that you have to train properly if you want to perform it whenever you need it. Flash Punches Combo: the ultimate punishment for all those moves which have very short recovery times, the best attack after a short SS cause will almost always anticipate your opponent. Throws: throws work well after every kind of sidestep as long as you end at short distance; otherwise you will waste a good opportunity to inflict some damage to your opponent. -Vs Characters sidestepping strategies: I just want to make a consideration before I go on: sidestepping game can't be done for the full length of the match, cause if your oponents understands what you are going to do he will play a short-ranged game with a lot of pokes and hard to SS moves; this counter measure can taken with every character so please don't misunderstand what I mean; I will only indicate the way to set a SS game, to sidestep the most common juggle starters or powerful moves of each character, not the way to win against them 'cause I think that it would be impossible. You can adopt SS strategies against every character, but as all other strategies it will not always work, so be ready to change and adapt yourself to your opponent. Vs Jin: Jin is a character which can be sidestepped quite easily by a skilled player; all of his CD attacks can be easily sidestepped on the left; the Demon's Paw should be sidestepped on the right, but if you time well the sidestep and perform a "interrupted" SS you will be able to sidestep it even on the left. The Twin Lancers can be sidestepped on both directions as log as you are very close; the Right Axe Kick can be sidestepped easily on the right, and with an anticipated SS even on the left; the only attack which is difficult to side- step is the Stun Punch Combo (the first two hits). Vs Heihachi: Hei is one of the easiest characters to sidestep in the game; all his most dangerous attacks can be sidestepped on the left: Twin Pistons ,WGF, TGF, Hell Sweeps, Deathfist, f,f+2... The only good attack which can't be sidestepped on the left is uf+3,4 (you must go on the right) but you can't overuse it. Be careful however to those players who stay defensive and use short moves and pokes, 'cause in this case Hei may become invincible. Vs Paul: Almost all of Paul's common attacks can be easily sidestepped on the left: Deathfist, f,f+3,4...d,df,f+1(early or you will be hit); the main exception is represented by d+4,2 which can't be sidestepped in this way(it should be sidestepped on the right from near and anticipating the SS); however if you sidestep on the left and take the first hit of this move you will not be hit by the second; if you can't see this move coming, simply stay out of range... Paul becomes more dangerous when the player uses short and "high priority" attacks; his df+4,.. df+1 can be SS in both the directions, his standing 4... d+4,2....df+2...uf+4 mainly on the right; his uf+3,4 must be sidestepped on the left, but if you make a stopped SS on the right you will block the first hit and the second will miss. Vs Lei: Lei is a very difficult character to sidestep; mainly you should go on the right, cause in this way you can SS the uf+4 and some other attacks;I must say that is very hard to sidestep his db+4, cause you should be very near and SS on the left. I suggest you to go always on the right and duck immediately after the SS;in this way you can block a possible sweep and at the same time SS the uf+4; sometimes it may happen that the SS will bring you near enough to hit Lei with the WS+2 after having blocked the db+4 even if he enters the Snake Stance (in normal conditions you can't do it). If your opponent uses the Rush Punches (f,N,1,2,1,2,4_3) there is an easy way to counter him: you must block the fist punch and immediately hold the stick to make Jin SS on the right; in this way you will take the third punch and sidestep after it; the 4th punch will always miss. Now, if you DUCK you can counter both the possible final kicks: if your opponent performs the standing mid kick, it will miss due to your SS, and if he performs the low kick you will block it; in both cases you will be able to juggle with a WS+2. Vs Nina: Nina is a strong character which has all the weapons to be devasting; she is even not easy to sidestep, since she can perform a large number of qick pokes and short strings. I will focus on those attacks which will juggle or hit you at mid-long range:db+3+4, her standard juggle starter, must be sidestepped on the right; you must be at short-mid range or the kick may hit you. db+4,3, this variation of the previous kick is a bit tricky to sidestep, 'cause you must go (anticipating) on the right with an interrupted SS; you will take the first kick but the second will miss, so that you can juggle her. The f,f+3 kick is quite easy to sidestep 'cause you can go on both directions, from long range I suggest to go on the left. Let's go to her hand attacks: d,DF+2 can be sidestepped early on the right or always on the left; the f+1+2 is a bit triky 'cause it must be sidestepped anticipating on the right, or you will be hit. About her pokes and short strings, I suggest you to learn how to sidestep the first hit and attack immediately after the SS. Vs Law: Law is a tough opponent, but as long as you stay at long range, he is not so difficult to sidestep. At this distance his main weapons are b+1,(2,1) and b+2(,3,4); the first one can be easily sidestepped on the right (the third hit of the combo must be sidestepped on the left, so whenever you sidestep the first punch you should attack immediately or the last one may hit you anyway) while b+2 should be sidestepped on the left; however even if you go on the right when he performs b+2,3,4 you will be hit only by the first hit of the combo, the other two will miss and you will be able to hit him. His UF+4,3+4 can be sidestepped on both sides while the uf+4 must be sidestepped on the right. As for all the other characters you will start to have some problems when Law comes at close range with his quick jab attacks; his main punch strings are 1~1,.. and its variations, and f+2,2(2); in the first case you can sidestep on the right the first two punches and immediately attack, before the third comes out. About f+2,2,(2) ,you can sidestep on the right the first punch and immediately attack (or the second and third will hit you) or you can sidestep the whole combo on the left (remember however that you can duck under the third punch). As you may have noticed you will be able to SS him easily, but you must be reactive and attack as soon as you have sidestepped, or you may be hit by another attack. Vs Yoshimitsu: Yoshimitsu has a lot of moves, but with the exception of the df+4 (which must be sidestepped anticipating on the right), and his f,f+4 (anticipating on the right), they are not difficult to sidestep; I will list some of them: df+2 can be sidestepped on both directions b+3,1 on both directions 4-3 very easily on the left df+1,1,1,1 very easily on the left b+1,1,1 easily on the right, the first two hits even on the left (attack immediately after) uf+4 on both directions db+1 on both directions b1+2, on the left. Vs Julia: I think that Julia is a very good character; she can't be sidestepped easily since almost of her combo which have a low kick will hit you whenever you go on the right or on the left; however it is still possible to make a side- stepping game when she performs certain moves: d,DF+1,2.. you can sidestep this attack on both directions, even if sidestepping it on the left is easier; if she performs a d,DF+1-delayed 2, you will be able to SS even after having blocked the first hit (you must go on the left). Another attack thay you can sidestep is 1,1,1; you should go on the right and, if you want to show some skill, immediately do a WS+2; in this way you may even hit her if she performs 1,1,4,3(before the first low kick which will otherwise hit you). In general you will be able to sidestep her whenever she uses long ranged moves (f,f+1 for example) otherwise it will be a suicide. Vs Bryan: Many Bryan players use single powerful moves, and whenever you are facing one of them you should be able to sidestep him quite easily; his WS+3_d,df,f+3 can be easily sidestepped on the left and the same goes for his WS+1_d,df,f+1; the f,f+2 is a very fast attack but if you anticipate the SS you can do it on both directions. The WS+2_d,df,f+2 can be sidestepped more easily on the right, but since it is a slow attack you should be able to sidestep it even on the left, just by anticipating a little the SS (an "interrupted" SS will work too. Even his df+1,2 (df+2) of df+4 can both be sidestepped on the left, you should only anticipate a little the SS or do an "interrupted" SS. This are the most common attacks, but not the most effective; whenever you will fight against a player who uses Bryan's short combos(or just the first hits of them), you will have problems in sidestepping him; in this case go with other strategies... Vs Ling: Ling is another one of those characters which can be difficult to sidestep; the main two attacks I can suggest you how to SS are f,f+1+2,1+2 which must be sidestepped on the right and her BK,4 which should be sidestepped on the left. Her f,f+3 must be sidestepped on the left, while her db+1 can be sidestepped on both directions. Her Phoenix Stance(d+1+2) can be very dangerous, but in this case the sidestepping game can be useful; the Tooth Fairy is, when she is in this stance, Jin's best juggle starter, so don't be afraid to use it. Ling is a very strong character and her sidestepping game is the best in the game, so be careful not to became the prey instead of the hunter... Vs Eddy: Eddy is probably the most difficult character to sidestep in the game, to my opinion trying to sidestep him is a waste of time....... Vs King: Sidestepping King can be a duifficult task since his most useful moves have to be sidestepped on different directions: his df+3,..df+2..FC,df+1 must be side- stepped on the left, while f,f+2, and uf+4(his most common juggle starter) must be sidestepped on the right; other good attacks can be sidestepped on both directions: df+1,..f,f+4,..b+4..FC,df+2. Vs Kuma (or Panda): Kuma is not difficult to sidestep 'cause most of his attacks can be side- stepped on the left; here is a short list of the most common moves: df(hold)+1,2,1,2 can be sidestepped on the left 1+2,1+2 can be sidestepped on the left(you will end in most cases behind Kuma) f+1+2 on both directions f,f+2 on the left 1,1,1 on the right, the first one even on the left(attack immediately after the SS) f+1~1,1 on both directions FC,d+1,1...you must sidestep the first hit on the left and then sidestep again (on the left); it may sound difficult but instead it is quite easy, 'cause these attacks are slow; in most cases you will end behind Kuma. Vs Hwoarang: Hwoarang is not easy to sidestep, since he has a good amount of short strings; his main, and most damaging, juggle starter f,N,d,df+4 can be easily side- stepped on both directions; the other CD attacks like f,N,d,df+2 or f,N,d,df+3~3 should be sidestepped on the right, so, whenever he goes into a CD, sidestep on that direction. His other juggle starter RFF+4~4, can be easily sidestepped on the left. I have to say that whenever I play against Hwoarang I don't rely too much on sidestepping game even because Hwoarang has himself a vey good SS. Vs Gun Jack: Gun Jack shares many moves with Kuma, and in most cases they will be side- stepped in the same way; I will make a short list of his most common attacks: 1,1,1 can be sidestepped on both directions 1+2,1+2 on both directions b,db,d,DF+2 on the right b,db,d,DF+1 on the left d+1+2 on the right. Vs Ogre: As long as Ogre stands he is not difficult to sidestep; his f+2,..f,f+2,.. uf+4..f,f+4 and d,db+4 can all be sidestepped on the right; the only exception is his df+1,2 which should be sidestepped on the left. However if you go on the right anticipating the SS, the first blow will hit you, but the second will miss, giving you the opportunity to hit Ogre. When he ducks you will have more problems, since from this position he can perform some attacks which have to be sidestepped on different directions: FC,f+1 and FC,df+2 should be side- stepped on the left while FC,f+2 and FC+3,3,3_4 must be sidestepped on the right. About the last combo(FC+3,3,3_4) you will be hit by the first kick, but the other two will miss even if you duck, so I suggest to do it and juggle with a WS+2. Vs Anna: Well, Anna can be as difficult to sidestep as Nina, and I don't have any particular strategies to suggest you.... Vs Dr.Boskonovitch and Gon: NO COMMENT. Note that when I say "you should sidestep on the left(or right)" I mean the left(or right) of YOUR character. -Offensive sidestep: The most obvious use of the sidestep is the defensive one, but there is another way you may use it, that is in the offensive game. This strategy consist in get close to your opponent (with a fw dash) and perform a sidestep (or two) even when you think that he is not going to attack. In this way you can achieve two main objectives: first of all this can be the most effective way to get close to your opponent, since the sidestep may dodge pokes and defensive moves; in the second place, if you do it correctly you will make any following attack less likely to be sidestepped. After a the sidestep you should perform a fast attack or a throw. I have noticed that most players tends to duck when you get close in this way, so you can perform a quick WS+2 and juggle them; after a few successful attempts your opponent will inevitably stand and block, so that you can throw them (the Striking Shiho Rage is a very good option 'cause you can delay the throw and perform it during the crouching animation) or hit with an Hell Sweep. A reactive player will try to anticipate you with a quick mid poke (cause if you perform the WS+2 you may duck a high attack) or try to dash bw, in this case you can perform an EWGF, a Flash Punches Combo or, if you think that his attack will be faster then yours, you can block or even try a Reversal. As I told before, if you sidestep correctly, your attack will be less likely to be sidestepped; this will happen when you sidestep in the direction that your opponent may choose to sidestep that attack; I will make an example: If you perform an EWGF your opponent will be able to sidestep it on the left; but if you sidestep on right (which is his left...) before performing the EWGF you will probably hit your opponent even if he makes the SS; I say probably 'cause if you start the EWGF too late your opponent may sidestep it. ---THE END..?--- You have reached the end of this strategy guide, I hope you enjoyed it and, most important, I hope you have found something useful; I thought I could put all my Tekken knowledge in this guide, but I have found it impossible, 'cause every day I play I discover new stuff. However I think this will be the only T3 version of the guide, 'cause since TTT is in the arcade(and coming on PS2) I will focus on TTT Jin; I don't know whether I will update this guide with the TTT stuff or write a now one, but surely these will not be my last words on the Tekken matter..(I hope so!!!!!). ---WHAT TO EXPECT IN FUTURE REVISIONS--- Well, you can expect to see more TTT strategies, relative to tagging and the analysis of the new moves that Jin got in Tekken Tag Tournament. ---CREDITS--- Well this section should be the longest of all the guide; there are such many people to which I must say "thank you" that to list them all is almost impossible, so please forgive me if I forgot someone. And the "thanks" goes to...... -The divine school of Hokuto: all my daily Tekken mates, some of the most skilled people I've ever seen playing videogames; MarscialGump, who forced me to learn how to play against all the Tekken characters (he learns how to use a new one in one or two days...I'm afraid for TTT), Antonio (IIIInokiiii..) who showed me the power of Hei (and his Kick-canoa), Patrick for some really good matches and most of all Simone Ceccarelli (the best Lei I've ever seen) who played and plays with me countless battles...thank you. -Abrar: the guy who gave me the motivations and the will to write this guide, not to mention countless awsome talks on ICQ; without him this guide would never be published (sorry if took too long...he,he you know what I mean abrar). Visit his site Inside Tekken, at --> http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bridge/2700/index.html -The guys at Salute and Inside Tekken: mIrAge, The Chief, Shauno, Notti, Joshic, 7th Pixel, Emmanuel, Iron Fist, Cinder they are too many to mention everyone, so please forgive me and thank you. -Benny, for his pure spirit (we know what I mean...). -Marco and Maurizio for having beaten me(heavily) in my first year of Tekken. -Francesco and Kharkass for our 8h Tekken sessions. -Triple Lei (Justin Sison) for having spent the last day of his Christmas holidays to edit the faq to make it readable; visit his web page http://members.xoom.com/kaosu15 -Slikatel, for having opened my eyes on the world of Tekken, and Castel for keeping my eyes opened. -Tragic for having written the basics of the Tekken Knowledge. -Giorgia, my girlfriend, for having not blasted me in all these years of Tekken play, thank you. ---DISCLAIMER--- This guide is meant to be freely distributed on the web without any change as long as it is for personal use; if you want to take any part of this guide and use it in another context please e-mail me before (red_king74@hotmail.com). This faq is (c) of Dario Natoli, Tekken is (c) Namco. End of the document......UNDER THE MASK HE IS RED