Marvel Vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes Captain America FAQ V1.0 =---Legal Stuff-------------------------------------------------------------= This FAQ is Copyright 2000 Isao (William Chiang) Capcom characters are Copyright 2000 Capcom Co., LTD. Marvel characters TM are Copyright 2000 Marvel Characters, Inc. United States and International Copyright laws protect this FAQ. No part of this document may be reproduced without the expressed consent of Isao (William Chiang) (Isao4Ever@aol.com) =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ============TABLE OF CONTENTS=========== I. Revision History and Introduction II. Marvel Vs Capcom 2 Game System III. Character Specifics and Move List IV. Strategies (Specific and General) V. Last Thoughts and Thanks ========================================= =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= I. REVISION HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION ------------------------ ====Revision History==== ------------------------ V1.0 (6-18-00): First Version of FAQ. Everything is new. ------------------- ====Introdution==== ------------------- The Vs series has been Capcom's bread and butter in the arcades these past few years, and even between the ludicrous two and a half year wait between MvC 1 and MvC 2, mindless drones have been dumping in quarters like no tomorrow. My personal opinion about the Vs series is rather mixed. It's fun and entertaining, but I have to admit that the gameplay isn't too great. Of course Capcom has fixed the horrendous balance problems since X-men Vs Street Fighter, Marvel Vs Street Fighter (the absolute low point in the Vs series), and Marvel Vs Capcom 1. But in the extraction of some problems, and in the quest to make an even more entertaining game, Capcom has allowed some glaring problems in Marvel Vs Capcom 2. Almost every character has a 100% combo, and an Infinite. Personally, I prefer games with more gameplay than flash (Like King of Fighters). However I also prefer playing against a human opponent rather than the computer, so I have committed myself to learning and becoming a master of Marvel Vs Capcom 2. This FAQ about Captain America is for the educated reader and player only. I know it is long, but if you take your time to peruse the whole FAQ (including the Legal Stuff ^_^), you will learn lots. I will try to stress fairness in gameplay (i.e. stay away from throws), however even I have my cheap inclinations sometimes, so I will not deny the reader of SOME cheap info. But please, PLEASE do not play like a scrub. It just makes you seem like an ass. In the Strategies Section, I will go into more depth about cheapness and cheap characters, and how not to be one and how to stop one. Have fun, and thanks for reading. (Note: An asterisk * beside a title means that there are current plans to update that section.) =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= II. Marvel Vs Capcom 2 Game System ----------------------------------------- ====Control Abbreviations and Symbols==== ----------------------------------------- Do not, I repeat, DO NOT pay attention to the button labels on the Arcade Board. They are wrong, and are labeled for MvC 1. Do not get confused when I say Roundhouse (HK) and press the button labeled Roundhouse, which is actually the Assist 2 (A2) button! ==Button Abbreviations== LP: Light Punch (Jab) MP: Medium Punch (Strong) HP: Hard Punch (Fierce) P: Any Punch 2P: Two Punches (LP + HP) LK: Light Kick (Short) MK: Medium Kick (Forward) HK: Hard Kick (Roundhouse) K: Any Kick 2K: Two Kicks (LK + HK) A1: Assist 1 A2: Assist 2 ==Joystick Abbreviations== F: Forward D: Down B: Back U: Up DF: Down-Forward DB: Down-Back UB: Up-Back UF: Up-Forward QCF: Quarter Circle Forward QCB: Quarter Circle Back HCF: Half Circle Forward HCB: Half Circle Back 270: Rotate Joystick 270 Degrees 360: Rotate Joystick 360 Degrees +: Denotes button or joystick movement that must be performed in conjunction with another button or joystick movement. (i.e. D + LP = Down and Light Punch at the same time) ,: Denotes button or joystick movement that must be performed immediately one after the previous button or joystick movement. (i.e. D, DF, F = Down, then Down-Forward, and then Forward) -------------------------------- ====Basic or Universal Moves==== -------------------------------- For more info, please refer to other FAQs. Jump: Simply tap up on the joystick. Super Jump: Quickly tap Down, and then up. Or you may just press up from a crouching (down) position. Or you may press two kicks (LK + HK) for most characters (excluding Zangeif). Dash: Simply tap forward twice. Or you may press two punches (LP + HP) for most characters (excluding Zangeif.) Roll: When falling from a knock down attack, quickly roll the Joystick Back, Down-Back, and then Down plus any punch button. Force Block: When blocking a multi-hit attack, such as a beam super, Press two punches (LP + HP). Switch Characters: To switch out to Character 1, simply press Jab and Short buttons (LP + LK) at the same time. To switch out to Character 2, press Fierce and Roundhouse (HP + HK) at the same time. Switching out causes the character jumping in to lose all RED LIFE (The red life bar behind the main life bar). So use smarts, and don't switch out every three seconds, like some idiots do. Assist: To call out an Assist, simply press the Assist 1 (A1) for the second character, and Assist 2 button (A2) for the third character in the team. Snapback: Move the joystick Down, Down-Forward, and then Forward (QCF) and press either Assist button (A1 or A2). The opponent will be knocked out of the screen, forcing another opponent team member to jump in. Uses 1 Hyper Combo Level. Team Counter: To counter an attack by the opponent, simply press the Assist 1 or Assist 2 (A1 or A2) button whilst blocking the attack made. Either the second or third character will jump out accordingly and attack the opponent. The characters will switch out at this point. Uses 1 Hyper Combo Level. Triple Delay Hyper Combo: Simply ram on both Assist buttons at the same time (A1 + A2) and all three characters will appear on screen to perform their according HC. Rather worthless if you ask me. Uses 3 Hyper Combo Levels. =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= III. Character Specifics and Move List Captain America is a character who has been looked upon as a weakling. Because is on the slow slide, and because his combos aren't as flashy as others, people think that he isn't good. However, on the contrary, Captain America is one of the best characters in the game due to high priority, range, and overall balance. All his attacks have their uses, and he has lots to different styles to play as. He can even play a decent mind game. Definitely underrated. (My rating system goes from 1: Really Crappy or worst to 10: Totally Overpowered or best. 5 is the median rating, duh.) ------------------------ ====Character Rating==== ------------------------ Strength: 9.0. All of Captain America's attacks take out big chunks of life from the enemy. He has simple combos that may strip away half of a character's life bar in no time. Vitality: 7.0. Captain America takes damage better than average. He can sustain several Hyper Combos before ever being in critical condition. This is part of the reason why he's so good. Speed: 5.5. While Captain America isn't necessarily slow, he definitely isn't fast either. I can't say that he has crap speed, but I can't say that he has good speed either. If Captain America were faster, he'd be a monster. Attack: 8.5. The difference between Attack and Strength is the character's ability to go on the offensive. Someone may be powerful, but his or her offense can completely suck (i.e. Hulk). Captain America has excellent jump ins and lots of combos at his command. His double jump and Cartwheel are excellent tools to confuse the opponent. The only thing that Captain America can't to really well is to dash in blindly and combo. Defense: 7.0. The difference between Defense and Vitality is the character's ability to sit back and go on the defensive. Someone may have high Vitality, but their defense can totally suck (i.e. Silver Samurai). Captain America has a couple of defensive measures in his inventory. He can use his Crouching Fierce, Stars and Stripes, or even Shield Slash. Things to be careful of though are the facts that he has start-up on many moves and he can't always match up against pixies in frantic speed battles. His high vitality is a plus though. He can play keep away pretty well with his Shield Slash. Overall: 9.0. The overall score is independent from the rest of the scores. It depends on the overall effectiveness of the character when played at maximum ability. Captain America is definitely in the top tier of characters in the game. He is well balanced in his ability to attack, defend, and to take hits. Once again, the only thing that really limits his ability is speed. His combos can take off massive damage, and his Hyper Combos each have their uses. He's definitely not a character for beginners or mashers. It takes practice and patience to completely master him. If he's played correctly he can dominate whole teams by himself. ==------------Assist Options------------== Every character has three variations of assists. Your choice is extremely important, as it decides whether you lose or win. All of Captain America's are decent at the very least, Gamma being the very best. Alpha Assist/Projectile Type: Shield Slash. Captain America jumps in and performs a jab version of his Shield Slash. Not too useful, but the damage is alright, and you can use this to lead combos off with since it is fairly quick. However, there are better projectile assists out there, and compared to his Gamma assist, this is almost laughable. Rating: 6.5 Beta Assist/Anti-Air Type: Stars and Stripes. Captain America jumps in and immediately does a Stars and Stripes. While the damage and range is decent, the priority isn't that good. You can't really combo after this assist either. The only good thing this is used for is to knock back opponents who are closing in. There are way better Anti-Air assists out here. Rating: 6.0 Gamma Assist/Dash Type: Charging Star. Definitely one of the best assists there is. Not only does it cover ground nicely and damage the enemy well; it negates all Normal or Special projectiles. It does not cancel Hyper Combo projectiles though, so beware. Use this assist whenever the opponent is Jumping in, Dashing in, anywhere near you, or just sitting back across the screen. It's that good. The only downside is the long lag time in which Captain America slides to a halt and taunts the opponent. You can always cover his ass while he's doing this, making him unstoppable as an assist. You can abuse this assist to your heart's content. Rating: 9.5 Recommended Assist: Gamma. No Doubt. One of the best assists in the whole game. ==------------Normal Moves-----------== *Note: Captain America can fight without his shield. If after a Shield Slash, Captain America does not retrieve his shield, he will fight without it. He becomes faster, but loses priority and damage. I tend not to play without his shield though. Some people consider him without his shield just as good. But I beg to differ. I will go into further examination and explanation of a "Shieldless" Captain America in upcoming revisions. ------------------- ====Light Punch==== ------------------- To perform a Light Punch, press the "Jab" button once. Standing: Captain America shoves his arm out for a pretty quick, nice ranged Jab. The priority is okay, and so is the damage. It's a nice poking tool and combo starter. A very good Jab. Rating: 7.0 Crouching: Captain America does the same thing as his Standing Jab except he's crouching this time. Nothing really bad about this, but I prefer his Crouching Light Kick. Use this to poke at people and to keep opponents who have landed from Jump ins in check. Rating: 6.5 Jumping: Captain America punches downward at a 30-degree angle. The execution and priority is pretty good. The range is good too. You can use this to poke at people, play an Air to Air game, or even as a jump in. Rating: 7.0 -------------------- ====Medium Punch==== -------------------- To perform a Medium Punch, press the "Jab" button a second time. Standing: Captain America punches at an upward angle with his shield. This used to be a mini launcher in the previous games, but now it just stuns the opponent. Both Vertical and Horizontal range is okay for this move. The execution and lag isn't bad either. But priority isn't that good. You can use this to poke at people, but it's not a very good Anti-Air. Rating: 6.0 Crouching: Captain America chops downward with his shield in hand. The range isn't very good, but the speed and priority makes up for it. You can use this as a safe poke, just as long as you make sure the opponent is in range to get hit. Rating: 6.0 *Jumping: Captain America chops in almost the same animation as his Jumping Jab, except he does it with his shield this time. A lot slower than the Jab version, and as far as I can tell, it doesn't have that much priority (I may be wrong). The only real advantage this has over his Jumping Jab is the damage done. Stick to using this as Aerial Rave filler. Rating: 5.5 ------------------ ====Hard Punch==== ------------------ To perform a Hard Punch, press the button that is labeled "Strong" on the arcade board. This is incorrect, due to the new button setup that MvC 2 has introduced. Pressing the "Strong" button will result in a Hard Punch (Fierce) to come out. Standing: Captain America takes his shield and swings it in a sort of circular motion parallel to the ground (not quite). The range is just amazing on this move. The damage inflicted and priority are just unbeatable for a fierce. There is some start up and lag time though, so you should refrain from throwing this out every other second. If the opponent gets hit with this, they are sent flying to the end of the screen. If the block it, then they are pushed back a considerable distance. One of the best standing Fierces in the whole game. You should use this in retaliation, combos and in safe poking (if you're VERY careful). You can't really abuse it. Rating: 8.5 Crouching: Captain America sweeps upward with shield in both hands. This is his main launcher. The priority is great, and so is the damage, but the execution and lag time is something to be careful of. You must ALWAYS anticipate your opponent's Jump in, or you will always get hit you if it. People mistake this move for having little priority because so many times, a Captain America player is hit out of it. The truth is, the start-up is so bad, that it takes some time for the actual move to come out. You have to be careful with this. It can beat out most jump ins, even Strider's or Spider Man's. Rating: 7.5 Jumping: Cap takes his shield and sweeps his arm across in front of him. Almost everything about this move is great. The damage, range, priority, and even lag time is good. There is only a little start-up to be aware of. This becomes a problem when you attempt a jump in or Aerial Rave finish and it doesn't come out fast enough. Try to finish all his Aerial Raves with this though. You can use this to poke, Jump in, combo, or even just to build up your meter. It's really good, and you can almost abuse it. Rating: 9.5 ------------------ ====Light Kick==== ------------------ To perform a Light Kick, simply press the "Short" button once. Standing: Captain America lifts his leg up to hit the opponent in the midsection. It's decent for a Light Kick. The range is good, but the execution time is slower than normal. There is no real difference between this and the Standing Jab. It has the same uses as the Standing Jab too. It's you choice to choose which one you like better. Rating: 7.0 Crouching: Captain America sticks his foot out like every other character's Crouching Light Kick. Has good speed and priority, so I rather use this than his Crouching Jab. The damage is okay. It's an essential part of his ground combos. You can use this to poke or for combos. Rating: 7.0 Jumping: Sticks his foot out in almost the same angle as this Jumping Jab. Good range, and decent priority. This has pretty much the same uses as the Jumping Jab. It's your choice to choose which you like better; execution and priority or range and damage. Rating: 6.5 ------------------- ====Medium Kick==== ------------------- To perform a Medium Kick, press the "Short" button as second time. Standing: Captain America makes a medium speed kick to the upper section of the opponent. This has been known to miss a character like Serv Bot (Kobun) and Roll completely. It has good range and okay priority. I only use this for poking and combo filler. There's not that much to say about it. Rating: 5.5 Crouching: Cap kicks forward on the ground. It has very good speed and priority, so you can use this for many occasions. Since the range is so good, you can use it to poke. Lots of his ground combos stem from a crouching Medium Kick. You can also use it as combo filler and a keep away. Rating: 8.0 Jumping: Cap sticks his leg upward in a 25-degree angle. The range is okay, but since it's angled upward, its use is limited. I usually just use this for Aerial Raves or Air to Air battles. It acts like a sort of mini launcher in the air though, if you're interested. Rating: 4.0 ----------------- ====Hard Kick==== ----------------- To perform a Hard Kick, press the button that is labeled "Forward" on the arcade board. This is incorrect, due to the new button setup that MvC 2 has introduced. Pressing the "Forward" button will result in a Hard Kick (Roundhouse) to come out. Standing: Cap props himself on one arm and swings his legs around to knock the opponent in the midsection. Not only does this have impressive range, but also the execution and lag times aren't too bad. Use this instead of the Standing fierce if you want to combo. You can punish the enemy easily with this, and play keep away. You can use this to combo into ANY of his Hyper Combos. It's one of the best Roundhouses in the whole game. Rating: 8.5 Crouching: Cap sweeps his foot outward to trip up the opponent. The execution time is very good. There is a little lag time afterwards though. The priority is good, and so is the range. You can use this as a keep away tactic. This used to be a major factor in his bread and butter combo (D + LK, D + LK, D + HK, LP Shield Slash). Now, he has a new bread and butter combo involving this that is more powerful (See Combo Section for more). This is a major tool in his OTG combos and ground combos in general. Rating: 9.0 Jumping: Cap kicks at an almost completely straight angle. There is almost no Vertical range whatsoever on this move. The Horizontal range and priority is pretty good, but I'd stay away from using this too much. It's not like the execution time is bad or anything, but it just that it has little or no use. There are better Aerial Rave finishers is Captain America's move list, better jump ins, and better poking tools. The only real use for this is for Air to Air battles and to beat out a jumping opponent's priority. Rating: 5.5 ==------------Command Moves------------== -------------- ====Throws==== -------------- F + HP (Ground Version): Cap grabs the opponent and tosses them over his shoulder, onto the ground. Nothing spectacular here. I think you may be able to OTG after this, I'm not sure. Like I have said in my other FAQs, please do not use Non-Command throws. They're mostly for scrubs only. Don't abuse them. Rating: 6.0 F + HP (Air Version): Cap crabs the opponent and smashes them back down to the ground with his shield. I usually only do this on accident. People sometimes like to finish off their Aerial Raves with throws, but I suggest otherwise. Aerial Throws do miniscule damage most of the time, and can always be Tech Hit out of. You shouldn't ever go for throws on purpose. Rating: 6.5 F + HK: Cap grabs the opponent, rolls onto his back, and flips them skyward by pushing them off with both feet. You can do a mini Aerial Rave after this. Stay away from throws please. Rating: 7.5 ------------- ====Other==== ------------- D + HK (Air Only): Captain America kicks downward as opposed to his normal straight Jumping Roundhouse. Use this as an alternative to Captain America's Jumping Hard Punch. The execution and lag is much better, and the priority is still excellent. Better for combo starting purposes. Rating: 8.5 U or UB or UF (Air Only): Double Jump. Use this to trick your opponent into attacking early and to escape Hyper Combos. You can also tack on extra hits to your Aerial Raves if you're good enough. Very useful if you know how to be unpredictable with it. Rating: 10.0 ==------------Special Moves------------== -------------------- ====Shield Slash==== -------------------- QCF + P (Air or Ground): Captain America tosses his shield at his opponent at a decent speed. If the shield hits, then it slowly returns back to Cap. If it misses the opponent completely, then it falls to the ground, and you must go retrieve it. Execution and lag isn't too bad, but you'll lose out to projectile characters easily. The execution and lag times are all pretty much the same for all versions. In the Jab Ground Version of this, Captain America tosses the shield at almost shoulder height. This is a change from the past Vs games in which he appeared, as the Jab Version used to travel low to the ground at foot level. His Jab Ground Version used to be VERY useful, but now, it's used mainly as a keep away and to combat some fireballs. Never get into Fireball fights with this though, because the time it takes for the shield to return to Cap, the opponent should have already thrown out another fireball. The Fierce Ground Version travels upward at a 20-degree angle and is used to keep jumping opponents in check and to play keep away. Never pull it out if the opponent is jumping in. The Jab Air Version is the most useful version of Shield Slash. Cap throws the shield downward at a 30-degree angle. In doing so, he slowly floats down only a couple of pixels during the WHOLE duration of the attack (included is the shield return). You can use this to play keep away and is better to combat fireball characters with. It has no execution or lag times whatsoever. Lots of people choose to finish their Aerial Raves with this, but it actually does less damage than a normal Jumping Fierce or Roundhouse, so I don't recommend it. The Fierce Air Version causes Cap to throw the shield straightforward in the air. It has little or no use, so don't really try it. The only time in which you should use it is when you're going up against someone like Gouki (Akuma) who throws angled Air Projectiles all day. The closer you are when you execute this, the more damage it inflicts on the opponent. However, I don't suggest running up into the opponents face and doing a Jab Ground Shield Slash. It's not too smart. This isn't as useful as it used to be, so don't use it as much. Jab Ground Version Rating: 6.5. Fierce Ground Version Rating: 6.0. Jab Air Version Rating: 8.0. Fierce Air Version Rating: 5.5 *Supposedly there may be a way to perform his "Old" Jab Ground Shield Slash, where it travels at foot level on the ground. If you press QCF + HP + WK, it may work. This is what my friend has told me, but I don't know if this is true or not myself. I know that other characters can press HP + WK in order to do an alternate version of their attack (like Gambit), but I'm not too sure about Cap. In later revisions, I will either confirm this or prove it to be wrong. --------------------- ====Charging Star==== --------------------- QCF + K: Cap brings his shield up to his shoulder and dashes forward some distance. There is a little start up on both Versions, but the lag is very bad on the Roundhouse Version. You can cover yourself from counters by calling in assists to help you. The Short Version travels only about 2/5 of a screen and does a couple of hits. The Roundhouse Version travels about 5/6 of a screen and does several hits. What makes Charging Star so excellent is not only the damage it deals, but also it's ability to negate most Normal/Special projectiles. It negates such projectiles as Hadoken, Optic Blast, Captain Fire, and more. This is a HUGE advantage, since you can use this to punish projectile scrubs. Just execute this once you see the opponent committing to a projectile, and you will travel through the projectile, hitting the opponent. If a projectile hits Captain America while doing a Charging Star, he is slowed down and the overall distance of the attack is lessened. Be aware though, that this does not negate Hyper Combo Projectiles. Hyper Charging Star negates Hyper Combo Projectiles. If you try a normal Charging Star to counter a Hyper Combo projectile, you will be very sorry you did. His bread and butter ground combo uses this. D + LK, D + MK, D + HK, cancel into QCF + HK. If you want to, you can even tack on a Hyper Charging Star after the first hit of the Charging Star connects. Use this as a Counter, Combo Ender, and even Combo Starter. The farther away you are from the opponent when you execute a Charging Star, the more damage it incurs on them. Short Version Rating: 7.5. Roundhouse Version Rating: 8.5 ------------------------- ====Stars and Stripes==== ------------------------- F, D, DF + P: Captain America jumps up with this shield raised to cover his shoulders. The execution time is actually very good, but like all other "Dragon Punch" esque Anti-Airs, the lag time is totally horrendous. This doesn't even have very good priority. So, use the Jab Version as an Anti-Air, and the Fierce Version as a combo tool. There is little use for the Fierce Version however, since the Horizontal range is only decent at best. It does good damage, but the risk is just too high. Use the Jab Version when you do not have time to pull out a Crouching Fierce to counter the opponent's jump in. In my opinion, the Fierce Version is a pretty useless move in Cap's repertoire. Only the Jab Version has its uses from time to time. But even that has a lag time. Don't rely on this like you would a normal Shoryuken. Jab Version Rating: 7.0. Fierce Version Rating: 5.5 ----------------- ====Cartwheel==== ----------------- HCB + P: Captain America does a cartwheel forward, dodging all attacks during the duration of the move. The only thing Cap is susceptible to is throws. Then again, if you use this correctly, then your opponent will never be quick enough to throw you. Use this to quickly switch sides with your enemy. Both versions come out immediately, but the lag afterwards is different. The Jab Version goes a shorter distance and has less lag while the Fierce Version goes about 1/3 of a screen with some lag. Use this move liberally to piss off your opponent. You can even use this to combat jump ins. Pull this off while the opponent is jumping in, and they'll be facing the wrong way and will get hit. It's really an excellent move. One of the main weapons in Cap's mind game. You can't really abuse it though, so be careful. Use the element of surprise and speed to make this effective. Jab Version Rating: 9.5. Fierce Version Rating: 9.5 ==------------Hyper Combos------------== --------------------- ====Final Justice==== --------------------- QCF + 2P: Cap faces with his back to the screen for about 1/2 a second with his shield attached to his back, then dashes forward with his hands raised in a sort of blocking manner (like his Charging Star animation but without the shield). If the opponent is hit with the dash, they are knocked up into the air, juggled on the ground with a combo, and the thrown up and slammed back down. Cap dashes about 4/5 of a screen. The priority and damage is VERY good, especially since it's a "Dashing" Hyper Combo. A "Dashing" Hyper Combo is a Hyper Combo that once the initial hit makes contact, an Auto-combo is most definitely guaranteed. The only real downside to this Hyper Combo is it's rather long start-up. An Assist, Switch out, or a Hyper Cancel can protect the lag after a miss. You can combo into this after many attacks. It CANNOT OTG immediately after a Crouching Roundhouse though, so don't try it. What's even better and rather unknown is that a Final Justice can go through certain projectiles. If you're fighting against an annoying Gouki (Akuma) who throws fireballs all day, then Final Justice through it to punish him. It's that simple. On another note, this is his only Hyper Combo that can be used as a pseudo-Anti-Air. Once an opponent commits to jumping in, execute a Final Justice at the correct time and you will knock their asses up into the air and finish the Auto-Combo. This is rather difficult though, and exact precision and timing is needed. You certainly can't pull this out every three seconds. As a warning though, NEVER attempt a Final Justice against a Mech Zangief, Hyper Armor Colossus, or other characters with unbreakable Hyper Armor (Super Armor characters like the Hulk and Juggernaut are okay to use it on.) If you hit Hyper Armor characters with it, nothing will happen. Cap will just hit them and slide slowly to a stop, allowing the opponent to tear you into pieces. Be weary of this. You'll have to use patience and smarts. Rating: 8.0 ------------------------------- ====Hyper Stars and Stripes==== ------------------------------- F, D, DF + 2P: Captain America crouches down and IMMEDIATELY begins to perform three Stars and Stripes in a row. This is Cap's quickest Hyper Combo. However, it is also his weakest and largest in lag time. It has very limited use too. The opponent must fully be on the ground for it to connect for maximum damage. The bread and butter combo to set this up is D + WK, D + MK, cancel into F, D, DF + 2P. At first this is pretty difficult to pull off, but you'll get used to it with practice. Only use this Hyper Combo if you see an opening in a standing opponent or if you want a relatively easy combo containing a Hyper Combo in it. This is NOT an Anti-Air Hyper Combo. I use this Hyper Combo the very least. Rating: 6.5 --------------------------- ====Hyper Charging Star==== --------------------------- QCF + 2K: Captain America crosses his arms across his chest exactly like the start animation of a normal Charging Star, then dashes forward with a huge wave of energy surrounding his shield. This has the exact same uses as the normal Charging Star. He covers ground VERY quickly and has high priority. Hyper Charging Star is his best and most useful Hyper Combo. It can even negate Hyper Combo Projectiles. Use it mainly as a combo ender. The lag time afterwards isn't too good, so be careful with it. It can beat out the priority of most Hyper Combos. I'll go more into depth later. Rating: 8.5 =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= IV. Strategies (Specific and General) ==------------General Strategies------------== To truly become a masterful Captain America player, you must pay attention to several things. His strengths: + All of his attacks pack some heat. Simple combos can drain at least HALF of your opponent's energy. + His Double Jump and Cartwheel can both contribute to Cap's ability to play mind games. + He can play both Offense and Defense well on command. He's a well-rounded character. + His moves have high priority. + Lots of people underestimate him because there are so few Captain America "Masters" out there. This should shock them when you totally tear up on their worthless ass. + All of his Hyper Combos are useful. + His Gamma assist is one of the best in the game. His weaknesses: - He doesn't exactly have good speed. - He has no excellent Anti-Air that can be abused. - He's a character for experienced players only. - He's not a mashing character (bad for some of you, good for me). - He's corny. To be able to win with Captain America, you have to be able to play a game of both Defense and Offense. You need to be able to switch back and forth between the two smoothly. You cannot just go crazy and mash on the controls all day. Captain America is not a character to choose if you don't like to use your brain while playing (Or if you don't like to win ^_^). Seriously, Captain America has the skills to be one of the most dominating characters in the game. A couple of Aerial Raves and a Hyper Combo will take most people out of commission for good. Just remember, like I always stress, USE YOUR BRAIN (if you have one). *More stuff later. ------------- ====Teams==== ------------- Captain America works well with certain characters Assisting him. Here are some teams that I have found very effective. Most of these teams have earned me 15 or more win streaks. 1. Captain America, Jin, Magneto: The trick to winning in MvC 2 is constant assisting. Never should there be a second in the match when there is no partner assist coming out. Definitely pick Gamma Assist for Captain America (Dash), Beta Assist for Jin (Anti-Air), and either Alpha or Gamma Assist for Magneto (Projectile or Launch). Whenever you face an opponent who just sits back or is a cheap Fireball/Beam character (I.e. Ice Man), whip Magneto (Alpha Assist) out. Magneto will stop the projectile in most cases. Against beam characters, I suggest going totally on the offensive or to switch out to another character. That way, you can use Cap's Charging Star Assist to teach those projectile scrubs a lesson. Liberally use the Jin assist whenever the opponent nears you or is going for a jump in. They will ALWAYS have to block or take hits. Abuse his assist. You should always throw out a well-timed Jab Shield Slash to cover your assist if needed. If you choose the Gamma Magneto Assist (Launch), just use it to replace your own Crouching Fierce Punch. It's mainly an Anti-Air or a combo starter. The range for it isn't too good though, so beware. His Crouching Fierce is just as good, if not better, than your own Launcher. People tend to get pissed when you play this team (for several reasons) because it is so effective Assist wise. Many consider this style of play cheap, but it's not like it's unstoppable. In fact, with this team, comboing after the assists is almost impossible, so the overall strength is weakened a little. Go for powerful, calculated hits instead. Magneto can hold is own against anyone, and Jin's Hyper Combos are some of the best in the game. This team is amazing. The Delayed Triple Hyper Combo for this team is hard to connect, so don't use it. In fact, never use Delayed Triple Hyper Combos. They all suck anyhow. Team Rating: 9.0 2. Captain America, Ryu, Dr. Doom: The trick to winning in MvC 2 is constant assisting. Never should there be a second in the match when there is no partner assist coming out. Pick Beta Assist for Jin (Anti-Air), either Alpha or Gamma assist for Ryu (Anti-Air or Variable), and Alpha or Beta assist for Dr. Doom. Use Alpha Ryu to knock back incoming opponents and people who constantly jump in. Use Gamma Ryu to knock back pixies trying to dash in and to play a keep away game. Dr. Doom's assist will help you in fighting people who constantly jump in or dash in. His Alpha assist, Photon Shot, spreads in all directions, so it's good to keep people away and to keep projectile characters in check. His Molecular Shield assist (Beta) will beat out most people who try to rush in. The best character in the team is probably Ryu (it's really close between Ryu and Captain America... I'm having a hard time choosing), so it's best if you fight the match most of the time with him in the lead (plus, his assists are the worst in the team). Captain America should be used mostly in the beginning to weaken the opponent's team. Ryu should finish what Cap started. And Dr. Doom should only be the main character if Ryu and Captain America are both in critical situations (it should never happen). The Triple Delayed Hyper Combo works alright with this team, but I'd rather not use it anyway. Team Rating: 8.0 3. Captain America, Jin, Gambit: The trick to winning in MvC 2 is constant assisting. Never should there be a second in the match when there is no partner assist coming out. Pick Gamma Assist for Captain America (Dash), Beta Assist for Jin (Anti-Air), and any Assist for Gambit. This team is just like the first team I mentioned, only with Gambit instead of Magneto. While Gambit isn't very strong in the assist area, with partners like Cap and Jin, he can stand his own against more than one opponent. Both of his Hyper Combos are assist friendly and are amazingly useful. But like Captain America, Gambit can't play a mindless game. Gambit should be the main character most of the time because both Captain America's and Jin's assists fit his gameplay style perfectly. Captain America should start out in most occasions though. The Triple Delay Hyper Combo for this team actually works very well. Use it if you're not skilled enough to Hyper Cancel. Team Rating: 8.0 4. Captain America, Jin, Captain Commando: The trick to winning in MvC 2 is constant assisting. Never should there be a second in the match when there is no partner assist coming out. Definitely pick Gamma Assist for Captain America (Dash), Beta Assist for Jin (Anti-Air), and either Alpha or Beta Assist for Captain Commando (Projectile or Anti- Air). Captain Commando is definitely the weakest character in the whole team, so be careful when using him. His assists are good in aiding Captain America and Jin. Jin and Captain Commando actually work very well as a team for some reason. Captain Commando gives this team a very much-needed boost in speed. Use his assist to play keep away or as an Anti-Air. Since Captain Commando is VERY easy to learn this team can be effective in the hands of a Semi-Experienced player. It's still not for beginners or scrubs since Captain America and Jin are the exact opposites of scrubs. The Triple Delay Hyper Combo works alright with this team, but it really isn't that effective in all situations. Team Rating: 6.5 *More Teams to come soon! I need to play a little more and experiment. ------------------------ ====Cheap Characters==== ------------------------ These are characters you shouldn't be playing for many reasons. Either they're just cheesy, overrated, or just stupid. This is good advice to follow if you want to become a respected player, not a loser scrub. This section is bound to piss off lots of gamers out there, because so many call themselves "Masters" at these cheese characters. People will argue that these characters are good, but in truth, do you ever see the best players using them without being cheesy? Character Ratings are based on how most people play them, NOT how a master plays them. That is why their ratings are so low. I'm not claiming to be a "Master" at these characters either, so please do not e-mail me about being conceited or something. 1. Ice Man: Grrr... the only people who play him are complete scrubs and worthless idiots. His no blocking damage for "energy" attacks is an unfair advantage. People just sick back and shoot Ice Beams all day. He's a scrubby character that can't stand on his own. He takes Damage poorly, and without that cheap ability to take no block damage, he'd be totally worthless. Stay away from playing him. It only takes about two minutes to master his style of play. If you rely on him, you're a scrub. Nothing brings me as much pleasure as beating the living crap of an Ice Man player. If you play him, you might as well label yourself as a no-skilled, worthless scrub. Enough said. Character Rating: 4.0. 2. Wolverine (Both Versions): It doesn't matter whether or not Capcom weakened him; he's still a masher's dream. He almost totally sucks now, and is mostly flash. There's almost no reason to play him at all. It's boring to play him too. He's old and tired out. Capcom, please just let him age gracefully far, far away from the video game spotlight. Most people who play him are beginners or people who haven't realized how crappy he is. Character Rating: 3.0. 3. Strider: Overrated, overrated, overrated! Sure, he has the speed and sometimes the priority, but he's pretty much just a one trick pony. All people ever try to do is jump in, Aerial Rave, and then Uroburos or Legion. Sigh... he's so predictable, and so boring to play. Masher's dream too. His assists are totally worthless. Only idiots will keep on choosing him. Please, just let off, because he sucks. Most people that use Strider are beginners, cheap asses, or people who are not skilled enough to play a concentrated game. Character Rating: 5.0 4. Cable: So many people do not know how to play Cable correctly. They just use his Viper Beam over and over again. It's as if they don't know the meaning of Execution and Lag time. He's actually pretty good if played correctly; but then again, he's almost never used correctly. Basically a second scrub version of Ice Man. If you wish to play him, please read up on some nice FAQs first, or practice hard. Because if you don't then you just look stupid. Character Rating: 4.5 5. Spider Man: Sigh... like a second version of Strider. Jump-in, ground combo, Aerial Rave, Web Ball, crap poking game, and sweep into a Crawler Assault. Spider Man players are very predictable also. Spider man can not play a varied game. He is limited to the same moves and same combos over and over again. If played even at maximum ability, he is far from the best. He's a semi- masher for semi-experienced characters. Most people who use Spider Man are decently skilled, however they like to use predictable and characters with an easy game to learn. Character Rating: 5.5 6. Jill: Geez, she seems to be the most favorite, new character. She is used in about 3/5 of all the matches I have played. She really isn't that great of a character either. And most people are very predictable when they play Jill too. All they do is dash in for a ground combo, Aerial Rave ending in her Hyper Combo, call countless undead helpers onto the screen, and try to do chip damage with her Rocket Launcher hyper Combo. And they're not very successful with it either. I have never really met someone who could play her at her maximum ability. She has potential to be a very good Pixie character, but no one seems to bother to learn how to use her correctly. Use Jill only after practicing and reading up on her. But you'll still won't get much respect for playing her because Jill players are a dime a dozen. Masters are very rare. Character Rating: 4.5 *People to be added/removed to the list as time goes on. ==------------Specific Strategies------------== Assist, Jab Shield Slash, Assist, Charging Star, repeat. ^_^ Just kidding. *Coming Soon! =---------------------------------------------------------------------------= V. Final Thoughts and Thanks Sorry for the missing sections, but they will be coming soon! I think that this FAQ is a respectable size already ^_^. Anyway, just remember, the most important part of playing a game is to HAVE FUN! Don't let the lust for winning totally ruin your enjoyment of the game. Don't be an ass. Have manners. Nothing's worse than a loser who takes the game too seriously. There was once this guy who called me a derogatory name for African Americans while playing me >_<. Even though I am Taiwanese, that's a no-no. Please don't be like that. It's not cool. Oh yeah, and don't bring your boy/girl friend to the arcade! It sucks for them! Thanks to: All the scrubs who have forced me to learn to play fair and still kick ass. My best friend who's Importing habits have given me lots of time to play. All the people who write FAQs. The owner of www.Gamefaqs.com. You. Please e-mail me at Isao4ever@aol.com if I have violated any Copyright Laws or have insulted you in some way. Or just e-mail me if you have comments or opinions or suggestions. Please limit your bitching to 1 e-mail only please. Replies will take some time so please wait. That's it for now! Look for more FAQs on other characters and updates! Laters people! Copyright Isao (William Chiang) 2000.